Ceva Animal Health, manufacturer of Adaptil and Feliway, has announced that it'll be running Pet Anxiety Month in March.

The campaign will highlight things that can be done to help anxious pets, including getting professional advice from a behaviourist or trainer and using the company's products. 

There's a marketing pack for practices, to help you educate owners and promote the month. It includes bunting, wall displays, posters, leaflets and gift vouchers for pet owners. 

To raise awareness, Ceva will also be running a PR and advertising campaign together with a social media initiative in which owners will be encouraged to share their experience of having an anxious pet on Instagram and Facebook. 

Abigail King, senior product manager at Ceva said: "It is widely known that humans suffer from anxieties, but pets do too with 82% of dogs and 89% of cats reported to be scared of something¹.

"It is therefore important that we educate pet owners on the signs of stress and the help and support that they can give to their pets. 

"Pet Anxiety Month will get people talking and we want people to know that there are products out there to support pets and that help is at hand to get the right advice, which is extremely important."

For further information, visit the Pet Anxiety Month website or follow the campaign on Instagram and Facebook.  To request the Pet Anxiety Month marketing pack, email cevauk@ceva.com.

Reference

1. PAW (PDSA Animal Wellbeing) report 2018

CEVA Animal Health has published a trial which, according to the company, shows that horses suffering lameness caused by bone spavin can show marked improvement following treatment with a Tiludronate infusion, in combination with controlled exercise.

Bone spavin is a chronic aseptic osteoarthritis of the distal tarsal joints which, says CEVA, is considered to be one of the most common forms of hindlimb lameness in the horse.

The double-blind, multicentric, placebo-controlled trials were carried out on a total of 108 pleasure horses, show jumpers and eventers of a variety of sizes and breeds, all of which had been clinically diagnosed with bone spavin. The horses were rigorously selected, having to show clinical signs of spontaneous lameness of at least six weeks but less than a year's duration and had to be in daily exercise. Horses suffering proximal suspensory desmitis were excluded.

Horses were defined as suffering from bone spavin if they displayed a chronic hindlimb lameness which improved with distal tarsal joint analgesia and showed radiographic evidence of bony changes associated with bone spavin in the distal tarsal joints. The horses were treated at day zero with a single Tiludronate infusion or a placebo and reassessed 60 days later after a period of controlled exercise.

Eighty seven horses completed the trials, comprising 42 Tiludronate treated horses and 45 placebo cases. By day 60 approximately 60% of the Tiludronate treated horses had improved in lameness by two grades or more, scored on a ten point system.

Horses with bone spavin experience abnormal bone remodeling changes, occasionally with excessive bone resorption in the tarsal bones. Tiludronate works by regulating this bone remodeling through a decrease in the resorptive process, slowing down the degradation of the bone structure when the condition is progressing and alleviating the pain associated with abnormal bone lysis.

CEVA has recently produced a leaflet specifically to help horse owners to understand the diagnosis and treatment of bone spavin. For copies of this leaflet and CEVA's comprehensive veterinary brochure on the product please contact CEVA Animal Health on 01494 781510 or visit the website at http://www.tildren.com/

Tiludronate infusion in the treatment of bone spavin: A double blind placebo-controlled trial

Reference 
M. R. GOUGH*, D. THIBAUD† and R. K. W. SMITH‡ (*CEVA Animal Health, Bucks, UK; †CEVA Animal Health USA, Kansas, USA; and ‡Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, The Royal Veterinary College, University of London, UK). Equine vet. J. (2010) 42 (5) 381-387 doi: 10.1111/j.2042-3306.2010.00120.x

Boehringer Ingelheim has announced that its 'Talk About Laminitis' campaign will run from Mid March until the end of June. 

Last year, the initiative saw over 9000 horses and ponies tested for PPID through its free ACTH test scheme. This year, to build on this success and support the testing of even more animals, the company has announced a high impact, co-ordinated campaign to drive awareness that up to 90% of laminitis cases may have an underlying endocrine cause^1,2.

Once again, Boehringer is urging veterinary surgeons to carry out free ACTH blood tests on laminitic or foot-sore horses as part of the campaign, which is backed by Redwings, The British Horse Society and World Horse Welfare.

Professor Andy Durham from the Liphook Equine Hospital, where the ACTH tests are performed, said: "We are learning so much from these tests. For example, we are now recognising PPID routinely in laminitic horses and ponies as young as 10 years old, and in the spring when we might expect to see more EMS cases, where veterinary surgeons have also tested for PPID we are seeing both abnormally elevated ACTH and insulin. Unless the PPID is addressed, horses will continue to be at risk of painful recurrent laminitic episodes which is a significant welfare issue to the horse and extremely frustrating for owners."

To participate in the scheme, veterinary surgeons and horse owners can download ACTH blood test vouchers from www.talkaboutlaminitis.co.uk. Attach the voucher to the ACTH sample submission form and the ACTH laboratory fees will not be charged.

Lee Hackett from The British Horse Society said: "Without the 'Talk About Laminitis' initiative and the support of Boehringer Ingelheim, literally thousands of horses may not be receiving the appropriate treatment and management for their laminitis to help prevent recurrence. We hope as many veterinary surgeons as possible get involved this year to continue this welfare success."

To ensure that horse owners are fully aware of the initiative, a PR and advertising campaign in the equine consumer media will start in March. The ad campaign includes an infomercial on Horse & Country TV (SKY Channel 280), with viewer numbers in excess of 450,000 per month.

There will also be a live online broadcast for horse owners on endocrinopathic laminitis presented by David Rendle BVSc MVM CertEM(IntMed) DipECEIM MRCVS, from the Liphook Equine Hospital in Hampshire. The one-hour webinar, which takes place at 8.00pm on Wednesday 10 April, will educate horse owners on how the veterinary profession's understanding of this debilitating and devastating disease has been completely revolutionised over the past five years. It will be followed by an interactive Q&A session when viewers will be able to pose questions for David to answer.

David said: "As our knowledge of the two hormonal diseases responsible for the majority of cases of laminitis improves, veterinary surgeons can offer their clients more comprehensive advice on treatment options to prevent laminitis. For many owners who have struggled with this condition, this is an absolute revelation and has enormous welfare benefits".

Horse owners can register to view the online programme by visiting www.talkaboutlaminitis.co.uk.

To ensure that veterinary surgeons are versed in the most up to date research available, Boehringer Ingelheim will also be hosting a webinar for veterinary professionals at 8.00pm on Wednesday 13th March, presented by Professor Andy Durham BSc BVSc CertEP DEIM DipECEIM MRCVS.  The online seminar, 'The laminitis revolution.... An update on our understanding of endocrinopathic causes of laminitis', will entitle the viewer to a downloadable certificate for one hour of CPD. To register, visit www.bi-academy.co.uk. Places are limited, so register early to avoid disappointment.  The webinar will also be available to view after the event on demand.

For further information on how you can promote 'Talk About Laminitis' in your practice contact your Boehringer Ingelheim Territory Manager or call 01344 746959

References

1.    Karikoski et al. (2011). The prevalence of endocrinopathic laminitis among horses presented for laminitis at a first-opinion/referral equine hospital. Domestic Animal Endocrinology 41 111-117

2.    Donaldson et al. (2004). Evaluation of suspected pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction in horses with laminitis. J Am Vet Med Assoc;224:1123-1127.

Bristol Vet Specialists, the £13.5M referral centre based to the north west of the city, reports that it has treated its 100th cancer patient with it's state-of-the-art, £1.7M linear accelerator, 12 months after opening.

The Elekta Infinity linear accelerator is the only one of its kind for pets in England.

CVS says it allowing the centre to offer “cutting edge” image-guided radiation treatments for cancer in cats and dogs – meaning fewer, shorter sessions, fewer side effects and the best possible chance of improved outcomes for the animal.

Delphine Holopherne-Doran, Clinical Director at Bristol Vet Specialists, said: “Our new hospital is now at the forefront of cancer care in animals.

"We have invested in this state-of-the-art technology to bring cancer treatment in pets to the next level.

“Our unique linear accelerator allows us to offer advanced image-guided treatments - for example intensity-modulated or stereotactic radiation therapy.

"The advantage of these treatments is that high dose rates of focused beams are delivered with high precision over a shortened treatment course, with greater safety for the patient’s healthy tissue.

“It has now drawn many tumours into the realm of treatability, it is improving the quality of life for patients, and it is making it easier for owners to manage their pet’s treatment and aftercare.”

Still, the installation of the linear accelerator will probably have cost the same again, and then you've got the running costs.

That's not an inconsiderable cost per patient. 

Animal Friends Insurance (AFI), a not-for-profit pet insurance business, has a High Court injunction which paves the way for its customers to make a smooth transition from the company's previous underwriters, Equine and Livestock Insurance Company (E&L), to Red Sands Insurance Company (Europe) Limited.

Equine and Livestock terminated their underwriting agreement with AFI in February 2008, citing unprofitablility of the book for them as the reason.

Negotiations over the transfer of the book to Red Sands Insurance Company (Europe) Limited foundered when E&L demanded £750,000 from AFI for the transfer and for their agreement not to solicit AFI customers.

Following legal advice AFI wrote to its customers offering to renew policies with Red Sands. This spawned letters to AFI customers from E&L which caused great confusion amongst customers as to what was happening with their insurance. The letters also offered first a 10% then a 20% discount to tempt AFI customers to renew with E&L and not to stay with AFI.

AFI therefore applied for an emergency injunction to prevent E&L making further contact with AFI customers (except in agreed situations, notably claims), to stop the escalating confusion and also to require them to acknowledge renewals advised to them by AFI into Red Sands and not to take further payments on those insurances. The application was successful.

Elaine Fairfax, Managing Director and Founder of AFI said: "I am delighted at the Court ruling. It has resolved the terrible confusion that followed E&L's letters to our customers. Unfortunately we know that some customers said they would renew with E&L thinking they were staying with us! Now we can simply renew our customers' policies with our new underwriters as we had originally intended to do at no inconvenience to them as they need do nothing if they want to stay with Animal Friends. They will enjoy exactly the same policy terms and premiums as before and our underwriters will even take on existing ongoing conditions where a policyholder has lifetime cover."

She added: "Although this has been a horrible experience we are delighted to have new underwriters as they have given us authority to handle everything in-house. For vets this means that Animal Friends will now be handling claims at our Wiltshire H.Q. We have a bespoke pet claims software systems and veterinary nurse staff to give the best possible service. We have the facility to pay claims swiftly direct into a customer's bank account or direct to a vet. It is also exciting that we shall be able to draw on Hollard's* international pet insurance experience to introduce some unique new products and ideas into the UK pet insurance market in the near future."

The introduction of the new Level 3 Diploma in Veterinary Nursing has seen an increase in numbers of both students and training practices, according to statistics released today by the RCVS.

Since January, the RCVS has approved over 30 more Training and Auxiliary Training Practices, bringing to a total of 1,559 the number of practices approved for veterinary nurse (VN) training. Scope for practices to train student VNs is increased through the emphasis on Auxiliary Training Practices (aTPs), an option for practices without the full facilities or caseload needed for student training.  Students at aTPs complete their in-practice training at other aTPs or full Training Practices. Of the 31 new practices approved since January for student training, eight are aTPs.

The number of VN students enrolling with the RCVS has also increased, with almost double the number enrolling in January 2011, compared with January 2010. There were a total of 1,168 student enrolments in the 12 months from 1 February 2010, compared with 1,121 enrolments in the same period from 1 February 2009.

Libby Earle, Head of the RCVS Veterinary Nursing Department said: "The Level 3 Diploma has been in place for little more than six months, yet VN student numbers are already up. This bodes well for the supply of qualified, competent registered veterinary nurses demanded by veterinary practices, and for those keen to enter the veterinary nursing profession."

The qualification was introduced when the government abolished the National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) system last summer, forcing a change in the vocational qualifications for VNs. The resulting Level 3 Diploma is designed to better meet the needs of practices, colleges, and students themselves. 

The findings of a Canine Vector Borne Disease (CVBD) prevention field study, published in Veterinary Parasitology today, have demonstrated the efficacy of Advantix in repelling ticks and sandflies, thus reducing the risk of potentially deadly diseases.

The study, conducted over two years by a team headed by Professor Domenico Otranto of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (Universitá degli Studi di Bari) Italy, with diagnostic support from a team led by Dr. Edward Breitschwerdt at the North Carolina State University, USA, found that dogs treated regularly with Advantix spot-on had a greater than 90% reduction in CVBD cases, including a 100% reduction in new cases of potentially deadly leishmaniosis and a 94.6% decrease in ehrlichiosis.

The study also found that Advantix provided 97.9% protection against tick infestation, compared to untreated dogs, where 100% were infested at the peak of the season. The level of protection offered by Advantix was apparently all the more notable because of particularly large numbers of ticks and sand flies and high prevalence of associated diseases like leishmaniosis or babesiosis in the area of the study.

Prof. Otranto said: "Our study shows the importance of protecting dogs with an effective treatment that repels as well as kills parasites like ticks and sand flies. Despite the high challenge faced by the dogs in our study, nearly all our treated dogs remained free from ticks throughout most of the study, and more than 90% remained free from CVBDs for the whole study time.

"Because we included naïve sentinel beagles in the study, we were also able to model what would happen to dogs travelling to areas where CVBDs are present. We found that by the end of the study, only the Advantix-treated beagles remained protected from infection, while 80% of the untreated beagles were infected with a CVBD. This demonstrates the very real need to protect dogs that are travelling to endemic areas."

According to Bayer, the study showed some interesting results with dogs that were positive with CVBDs when they entered the study. Of these, half of those treated with Advantix were negative for CVBDs at the end of treatment, compared with only 13% of untreated dogs. This suggests the potential for natural clearance of CVBDs if a repellent treatment is used to prevent new transmissions.

Bayer says the study was extremely comprehensive, studying both indigenous and introduced naïve puppies, monitoring for several CVBDs and working with Dr. Breitschwerdt's team in the USA to use highly sensitive molecular testing techniques to ensure optimal diagnostic accuracy. Dr. Breitschwerdt said: "This is the most comprehensive study, to my knowledge, ever conducted testing the efficacy of a repellent ectoparasiticide to prevent the transmission of a spectrum of CVBDs in young dogs."

Leading parasitologist Dr. Luis Cardoso of the University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Portugal said: "Thanks to this study we can see just how effective a treatment that repels as well as kills can be."

Dechra Veterinary Products has launched a webcast about feline hyperthyoidism, given by Tim Williams MA VetMB MRCVS from the Feline Research Group at the Royal Veterinary College.

During the ten minute webcast, entitled: 'The highs and lows of feline hyperthyroidism', Tim presents new evidence that overdosing hyperthyroid patients can lead to iatrogenic hypothyroidism, making them more likely to develop azotaemia and consequently have a shorter survival time. He also discusses the diagnosis and potential consequences of iatrogenic hypothyroidism based on recent research conducted at the Feline Research Group, and provides a summary of suggested treatment protocols. Tim said: "I hope the webcast helps veterinary staff optimise their treatment of hyperthyroid cats in practice and avoid a one size fits all approach".

Dechra says that research from 400 first opinion practices has shown that hyperthyroidism is the most commonly diagnosed feline endocrinopathy, with an annual incidence of 6% in cats over nine years old.

Tim's webcast is the latest in a series of online educational materials on endocrinology launched by Dechra as part of its Dechra Academy training suite.The webcast is available at http://www.dechra.co.uk/hyperthyroidism

The Animal Medicines Distributors Association (AHDA) and the Animal Medicines Training Regulatory Authority (AMTRA) have both come out against the BVA's call for all anthelmintic medicines to be reclassified as POM-V, which would prevent them being prescribed by Suitably Qualified Persons (SQP).

Ian Scott, Secretary General of AHDA, said that instead of launching an attack on SQPs, the BVA should be working with them and animal owners to tackle anthelmintic resistance: "The BVA has written to the VMD to ask that all anthemintics be classified to POM-V only. This will monopolise the supply and distribution of anthelmintics for vets only. It effectively places the blame for anthelmintic resistance squarely on SQPs.

"An attempt by BVA to create a division between vets and SQPs demonstrates that the BVA is out of touch with its members.

"Both prescribing channels must work together to tackle the problem and AHDA has been working hard with vets at national and local level to ensure customers receive consistent, high quality, up-to-date and relevant advice from both channels.

"What is worrying is that the BVA attack also infers that farmer producers and equine owners are incapable of making decisions that not only affect their livelihood but cast doubt on their ability to care for their animals' welfare."

Meanwhile, Stephen Dawson, Secretary General of AMTRA said: "The large majority of SQPs deal with parasite control on a daily basis, having trained and been examined to a syllabus developed with BVA input. SQPs have to undertake compulsory continuing professional development, the majority of which includes good practice in parasite control. Therefore AMTRA has every confidence that qualified SQPs have excellent knowledge of parasitology to advise their clients on the correct choice and use of anthelmintics.

"It is important to recognise the hard work, knowledge and dedication of thousands of SQPs throughout the UK. The implication of what BVA say is that they are laying a proportion of the blame for resistance to these medicines at the door of SQPs. But the evidence isn't there: countries in Europe and elsewhere with different prescription systems, mainly though vet-only channels, still have major resistance problems. Prescription of antimicrobials by veterinary surgeons hasn't prevented concerns about prescribing practices and developing resistance. The key point is good advice from the prescriber and how they are then used in practice, rather than who prescribes them. The challenge for us all is not just to seek excellence in prescribing but also in usage on farm, something SQPs are ideally placed to do with their frequent farmer contact.

"I would urge all parties to work in partnership to ensure that best practice in prescription and use is followed by all prescribers and users. It is up to all prescribers to act responsibly, but to single out one group over another is unjustified. A pseudo-monopoly by vets on supply would do nothing to help farmers in difficult times."

Mr Dawson also expressed doubts about permanent POM-V status for new livestock anthelmintics: "While we fully support VMD's and VPC's need to be sure that the risk associated with wider availability of a new product is low, AMTRA considers that the current division in distribution classes and consequent low uptake of the newer products means that the much bigger risk is that widespread reliance on the three aging classes may be followed by reliance on just the two new classes when the older classes become unusable. Much better to have responsible prescription of all five classes now, by appropriately trained SQPs, vets and pharmacists, to ensure that there is a prospect of long term availability of effective parasite control."

Vétoquinol, makers of Zylkène, a complementary feed for cats and dogs, has launched www.zylkenepet.co.uk, a new website with advice for pet owners about how they can help their pet deal with unsettling situations. 

The website offers a behavioural quiz to help identify whether a pet may need help coping with any changes taking place. In addition, the site offers tips and advice from behavioural experts together with guides to helping pets cope with situations such as moving home, the introduction of a new baby or new people, travelling and holidays, coping with kennel and cattery stays and fireworks.

Krystyna Joyce, Product Manager at Vétoquinol, said: 'Owners often give Zylkène when their pet needs a bit of extra support to deal with unusual situations and changes to their routine, but there are also lots of practical things you can do that will improve a pet's experience further during that time. We wanted to make sure that information was readily available through a succinct, user friendly website.'

The Bella Moss Foundation (BMF) has launched a free practice hygiene audit tool.

The BMF Practice Hygiene Self Audit is a web-based assessment tool that allows staff to monitor cleanliness across the practice – from theatre and prep rooms to laundry and waiting rooms.

The tick sheet format allows staff to rate the hygiene protocols in each area, resulting in a room-by-room percentage hygiene score, as well as an overall contamination risk score.

The tool was developed by vet and RCVS Practice Standards Scheme (PSS) expert Pam Mosedale and VN lecturer Louise O'Dwyer, along with Edinburgh academic Tim Nuttall and Chris Laurence.

Pam said: "Given the relaunch of the PSS later in the year, which will include new modules on infection control, the BMF audit tool is especially timely.

"We hope that people will try the audit tool and it will lead them to have more of a team discussion about hygiene routines and protocols in practice. We know some areas get more attention than others - for example, how often do things like the toys in the waiting area really get cleaned?

“By using the audit, staff will easily be able to see what rooms/areas might need a bit more cleaning.

She added: "It's a simple no-frills tool but the whole idea is for it to be helpful and easy to use, so more practices are encouraged to have regular quantifiable monitoring systems in place to keep an eye on their hygiene protocols."

Co-creator Louise O'Dwyer said: “The BMF Practice Hygiene Self Audit will help ensure often overlooked aspects of cleaning and infection control are considered and implemented.

“It needs to be embraced by all members of staff, from non-clinical staff through to veterinary surgeons, as every individual has the potential to make an impact within their practice by taking action on infection control.”

To test the tool and see how clean your practice is, go to: www.thebellamossfoundation.com/practice-hygiene-self-audit 

BVA Past President Peter Jones is appearing before an All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Antibiotics today, to update parliamentarians and stakeholders on the efforts the association and the profession are making to tackle the issue.
 
Speaking to the APPG, Peter will say: "We know that the biggest cause of antibiotic resistance in humans is the overuse and misuse of antibiotics in human medicine and this was highlighted in the joint report on resistance from the Department of Health (DoH) and Defra.

"However, we are not complacent about the role of antibiotic use in veterinary medicine and we are one of the leading voices in the campaign for the responsible use of antibiotics in all species.

"We remain committed to the One Health principle and the need for the medical and veterinary professions to work together to tackle antimicrobial resistance. BVA and our specialist divisions are currently working on a plan to deliver the five-year strategy on AMR from the veterinary perspective. The actions being taken have been published along with those of our partners in the RUMA response to the DoH/Defra strategy.

"One of our key aims for the strategy will be to promote the importance of evidence-based responsible use among both vets and their clients. We are already encouraging education on minimising resistance and principles of responsible use through engagement with the veterinary schools and other stakeholders, and through our own continuing professional development (CPD) programme.

"The use of antibiotics in veterinary medicine in Europe in the future may well be different to how we have used them in the past, with certain constraints on certain classes of critically important medicines used in man. We will cooperate in adapting to this new environment but any changes must be based on sound scientific risk analysis and not on misrepresentation of the evidence, or at worse falsification of that evidence."

Another key action for BVA is the updating of BVA's responsible use guidance for the veterinary profession, and BVA's species divisions continue to work on advice tailored to their particular sectors.

BVA is also continuing to call for quicker, cheaper and more accessible accurate sensitivity and pen-side testing for veterinary use, and repeated this call in recent submissions to the Science & Technology Select Committee and the APPG on Eggs, Pigs and Poultry.

BVA has also agreed in principle that antibiotic use should be recorded and reported and will consider how such recording and reporting may be encouraged, how usage may be measured and audited, and how prescribing habits can be assessed. Such measures will help us to monitor trends in resistance development  and track the progress we can make in addressing the problem.

Vetoquinol has announced that packs of Rubenal 300mg are now available in bottles of 60 tablets instead of the previous 20.

Rubenal, which was launched earlier this year, is a complementary nutritional feeding stuff for the support of renal function in case of chronic renal insufficiency in dogs and cats. It is used as an aid to the maintenance of the normal renal fibrous architecture.

Simon Boulton, Rubenal's product manager said: "This increased pack size is a direct result of customer consultation. It will make treatment more cost effective for dogs and allow a longer treatment period per pack purchased."

For further information please contact your Vetoquinol representative or telephone 0800 1698197.