Ceva Animal Health has launched a new broad-spectrum, flavoured endoparasiticide tablet, Milbactor for dogs.

Milbactor contains milbemycin oxime and praziquantel, which offer protection against the common nematodes seen in the UK and the main species of tapeworm.

Milbemycin oxime treats Toxocara canis and Toxascaris leonina, Angiostrongylus vasorum and Crenosoma vulpis, the hookworm Ancylostoma caninum, the whipworm Trichuris vulpis and the eyeworm, Thelazia callipaeda. Milbactor also prevents heartworm disease caused by Dirofilaria immitis.

Praziquantel protects against Echinococcus spp., Dipylidium caninum, Taenia spp. and Mesocestoides spp.

Puppies weighing more than 0.5 kg can be treated with Milbactor from two weeks of age. Milbactor comes in two tablet sizes for dogs and puppies, and the tablets are flavoured for easy administration.

Ceva has also launched The Ceva Protection System for dogs, a two-step solution featuring Vectra 3D and Milbactor to provide ectoparasite and endoparasite protection for dogs with one monthly topical treatment and one flavoured tablet. The Ceva Protection System uses Vectra Felis for flea protection for cats and Acclaim for the treatment of the pet's home environment.

Rob McLintock MRCVS, companion animal business unit manager at Ceva Animal Health, said: "The launch of Milbactor and The Ceva Protection System will enable veterinary surgeons to offer their clients a simple regime featuring Vectra 3D and Milbactor for comprehensive parasite control in dogs. Offering protection both inside and out and with no bite required to kill fleas, the regime offers a simple, effective combination to treat and prevent fleas, ticks, biting flies, roundworms, tapeworms, lungworms and to prevent heartworm.

For further information on The Ceva Protection System, Milbactor, Vectra 3D or Vectra Felis, contact your local Ceva territory manager or call 01494 781510.

Janssen Animal Health has introduced a management tool for UK pig producers which it says stimulates oestrus in gilts and sows, shortens weaning to oestrus interval and can improve reproductive performance throughout the breeding herd.

Maprelin, which contains a new active molecule, Peforelin, is a gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH).  A single, low volume injection of the ready-to-use solution induces oestrus in sows after weaning, and in sexually mature gilts where oestrus has been synchronised with Regumate Porcine. 

According to the company, it works by selectively inducing the release of the animal's own follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), leading to follicle growth - critical to successful reproduction - and the stimulation of oestrus.  Conventional GnRHs, because of their mode of action, are used mainly to induce ovulation.

Janssen says Maprelin is the next step in its pig reproduction programme, named Syncoris. Cornerstone of this programme is Regumate for gilt synchronisation.

Trials have shown that with the use of Maprelin (compared with control groups of breeding animals) the number of gilts and sows showing oestrus within six days of treatment increased by about 15 percentage points (Table 1).  For first-litter sows the figure was more than 8 percentage points. The duration of oestrus was not affected.

Gilts came on heat two days faster than with Regumate alone, and the weaning to oestrus interval with sows achieved similar statistically significant reductions.

Farrowing rate increased by over 5 per cent for sows, by 6 per cent for first-litter sows and just on 8 per cent for gilts.

Added to those benefits, for each 100 inseminations sows produced an extra 104 piglets, first-litter sows 105 and gilts an even more impressive 158.  All gilt groups in the trials, including the control groups, were synchronised with Regumate. With unsynchronised gilts it is not possible to predict the correct time to inject Maprelin.

Phil Macdonald, the company's UK pig and poultry business manager, says the objective of every producer is profitable pigmeat production.  "In the UK and other EU states the costs of feed, housing and labour are considerably higher than in other major pig-producing sectors of the world. 

"This makes it important for UK producers to optimise management of the reproductive process. Maprelin is a valuable tool that can help with this objective."

The precision injection gun with Maprelin enables accurate delivery of the small amounts required. Gilts require a 2.0 ml dose 48 hours after their last Regumate treatment, first-litter sows a 0.5 ml dose 24 hours after weaning and multi-litter sows 2.0 ml 24 hours after weaning. Injections are intramuscular.

The solution requires no mixing, reducing the possibility for errors.  Opened vials have a shelf life of 28 days and unopened vials a shelf life of two years.  Sows and gilts need only one injection per parity, and the withdrawal period for meat and offal is zero days.

Virbac has launched a new 12 month version of Suprelorin, the reversible medical castration implant for dogs, widening the options for clients seeking an alternative to surgical castration.

Product manager Chris Geddes MRCVS said: "The launch of Suprelorin 12 gives practices the chance to offer dog owners a more convenient castration option. The implant renewal can now be included with their dog's annual boosters or health check.

"The slow-release implant is inserted at the back of the neck in the same manner as a microchip. There is no anaesthetic, no surgery and no scarring. The current implant, which contains 4.7mg active and lasts for around 6 months after insertion, will continue to be available for those wanting a more brief solution or as a trial.

"Deslorelin is a GnRH superagonist which causes suppression of LH/FSH, and therefore testosterone production, leading to temporary infertility." 

For further information on Suprelorin/12, please call and ask to speak to one of our veterinary advisors on 01359 243243, or contact your local Virbac territory manager.

Davies Veterinary Specialists (DVS), the Hertfordshire-based private small animal referral practice, has launched a pro bono scheme to help deliver the practice's multi-specialist care to deserving patients and clients.

All first opinion practices are eligible to apply for the scheme, which will allow an average of one patient per month to receive free treatment.

Clive Elwood, managing director of DVS said: "The DVS board was unanimous in its desire to introduce a pro bono scheme to help the needy, specifically those patients that are likely to achieve a full recovery following specialist care, but are otherwise precluded from referral because of their owners' particular circumstances."

Pro bono requests are open to all practices. They will be based on advocacy from the clinical head of the referring practice and on genuine need.

To find out more visit http://www.vetspecialists.co.uk/ or call Dr Clive Elwood on 01582 883950.

Pets At Home Vet Group and Dick White Referrals have announced a strategic partnership in order to develop Pets at Home's strategy for providing specialist care.

Pets at Home says it is creating a new divisional structure comprised of the existing First Opinion Division (Vets4Pets and Companion Care joint venture practices) and the new Specialist Division, which comprises Dick White Referrals, Northwest Surgeons, Anderson Moores, and Eye Vet Referrals.

Dick White has been appointed Clinical Director of the new Specialist Division. 

Dick will remain as a shareholder in Dick White Referrals. He and three of the Specialist clinicians - Giunio Bruto Cherubini, Federico Corletto and Rob Foale - will retain 24% of the practice. 

Sally Hopson, CEO of Pets at Home Vet Group said: "We are delighted to have attracted a colleague of Dick White’s pedigree to join us, not only to help drive the future growth of Dick White Referrals, but also to play a key role in developing our Specialist Division. Professor White is a key figure in the development of the Specialist Veterinary segment; he has trained many of the leading Specialist veterinary practitioners. This is a tremendous step forward for the Vet Group. I’m also very pleased that Professor White and his colleagues have chosen to remain as equity partners in Dick White Referrals."

Dick said: "Forming this strategic partnership provides great opportunities for us to continue to develop Dick White Referrals as a world class referrals centre with a team of leading Veterinary Specialists. I am delighted to be working with a partner that shares our vision for Dick White Referrals and is committed to supporting its future development. Joining the Board of the Specialist Division will allow me to provide clinical leadership and governance across the division, input into the formulation of strategy and support M&A activity and veterinary recruitment."

Dr Gerard McLauchlan has joined Fitzpatrick Referrals to launch a dedicated interventional radiology service based at the Oncology and Soft Tissue Hospital in Guildford, Surrey. 

Prior to joining Fitzpatrick Referrals, Gerard was a Senior Lecturer in Internal Medicine at the University of Glasgow as well as Head of the Emergency Service and Director of both the Internship and ECVIM Residency Programmes. He is also a European and Royal College Recognised Specialist in Internal Medicine, and recently became one of few specialists in the world to have completed a 12 month Fellowship in Interventional Radiology at the Animal Medical Center in New York. 

Gerard said: "When I returned to the UK, it was a natural fit for me to join Fitzpatrick Referrals. The team all share the same ethos and together I know we will be able to offer a truly world-class service to our patients and their family. I genuinely believe we will be able to change what is accepted as the gold standard of care for animals in the UK."

Fitzpatrick Referrals says its interventional radiology service performs minimally invasive procedures that are often considered the standard of care in human medicine, providing options for veterinary patients where conventional therapies are not associated with the best outcome. 

Clinical Director of Oncology and Soft Tissue, Professor Nick Bacon said: "Gerard joining the team in Guildford opens new doors for our patients but more importantly we hope the disciplines of veterinary oncology and soft tissue surgery as a whole. He brings huge experience in interventional radiology solutions for portosystemic shunts, tracheal collapse and urinary calculi obstruction. Gerard is also key to developing our cancer care. Progress is not about ever bigger treatments chasing a cure; it can just as easily mean delivering palliative or curative-intent treatments in smarter ways, with less side-effects and lower morbidity. I am looking forward to watching our treatments evolve for a variety of tumours including urinary, liver, lung and head and neck. No cancer treatment is perfect, but we are striving for the best we can for the patient in front of us."

Noel Fitzpatrick said: "It remains my objective to build the greatest team of super-specialists on planet earth where we can offer all of the options to all of the animals and the families that love them all of the time. Gerard has a unique skill set that will not only complement our growing team, but will enhance the spectrum of treatments we can offer and which the families of animals throughout the UK and beyond really want. Increasingly people want the same level of care for their dogs and cats as we have for ourselves and our goal is to deliver exactly that with the very best team and facilities in the world today."

Fitzpatrick Referrals will be holding a Partners in Care CPD session on 25^th May inviting vets to meet Dr Gerard McLauchlan and discover more about the interventional radiology service. To register your interest, contact Sarah on SarahC@fitzpatrickreferrals.co.uk.  

Swadlincote Veterinary Centre in Derbyshire has become the first veterinary workplace to be awarded Gold accreditation through the Great Workplaces by BVA scheme.

The Swadlincote and Melbourne-based IVC practice worked with a Great Workplaces by BVA accreditor during the pilot of the new scheme, to demonstrate its strengths against an accreditation framework covering four key themes: health and wellbeing, leadership and management, culture and learning and development. 

In the report, the accreditor was particularly impressed by the practice’s strong leadership and management; its emphasis on accommodating flexibility for team members in various forms; a robust teamworking ethos; and a focus on continuous improvement.

British Veterinary Association President Elizabeth Mullineaux said: “We’re delighted to see Swadlincote Veterinary Centre become the first veterinary workplace to achieve Gold accreditation through Great Workplaces by BVA scheme.

"Congratulations to the whole practice team for this incredible recognition.

“Creating positive working environments and targeting areas for improvement are the key to tackling ongoing workforce challenges around recruitment and retention.

"We hope this first Gold accreditation inspires others to strive towards gaining recognition as workplaces where vet teams thrive.”

Ingrid Stevenson, Clinical Director at Swadlincote Veterinary Centre, said: “While we knew the practice was doing well, we didn’t go into this process expecting Gold at all.

"My practice manager and I were just both really keen to get some feedback and to find out what more we could do to help the team.

“We have several clinical accreditations in the practice, but it is the team that are responsible for achieving these and maintaining the high standards.

"I believe the team should be looked after, recognised and rewarded for their hard work and going above and beyond when necessary. 

"The team were really pleased when I shared the news.

"It has certainly been good for team morale and a positive outcome to share with potential new recruits. '

“The accreditation process was a thorough assessment of the practice and our accreditor made us feel all at ease during the interviews. 

"While we achieved Gold, which was unexpected, we have also learnt of areas to develop further over the coming months.

"Overall, it was a positive experience for our practice.”

www.bva.co.uk/take-action/good-veterinary-workplaces/

Lots of April Fool's Day gags involving animals this year...

watch?v=1kC0OI9MYZc

The Sun reported that Sir Richard Branson's health club chain, Virgin Active, is launching a new gym for dogs only, to combat the pet obesity epidemic. Alton Towers supposedly launched a new rollercoaster ride for dogs only. Meanwhile, Pasante, a condom manufacturer, launched the 'condog', though this seems to be a variation on an idea that has been around for a while now.

My favourites, though, were two April fools unrelated to animals. The first was from Cadbury's, made more believable by the fact that it was planted in the Southampton Echo. The second was the announcement by BMW that Dr. Noit All, the company's Head of Innovation, had developed a fuel-saving system called Magnetic Tow Technology (MTT). Readers were invited to keep abreast with future developments from BMW by emailing Dr. Noit All's colleague at uve.vollenvorit@bmw.co.uk.

VetFinders, a new recruitment agency, has launched with a pledge to donate a minimum of 25% of its net profits to four animal and children’s charities.

VetFinders will recruit for permanent and locum positions for veterinary practices throughout the UK, from administration roles through to nursing staff and vets.

The agency has been founded by a man called Chris Worthington who previously built an engineering recruitment firm called Qualtech Resourcing. 

Alongside Chris in the VetFinders team are recruiters Gabrielle Dawson and Martin Wilson, both with over 15 years’ experience in recruitment, Chris’s wife Anna, who is charge of accounting and payroll, and administrator Suzy Buttress.

Chris said: "VetFinders is a business with a purpose, a business with a force for good and a business with a double bottom line! Our approach is totally unique in the industry and it’s what sets us apart. Candidates are already hearing about our message and registering with VetFinders rather than other agencies.

"We have chosen four specific charities and our support for them does not stop at the point of donation. We will also be working closely with them, funding specific projects and working on their front line."

The chosen charities are:

• Hope Pastures, in Leeds, which rescues, rehabilitates and re-homes horses, ponies and donkeys. 

• Moorview Rescue in Harrogate, which has re-homed almost 2000 dogs in the UK since it was set up as a registered charity in 2009. 

• Nuzzlets, a small charity based near Great Ouseburn in York which specialises in giving loving homes to unwanted animals and enabling young people free access to them for therapy and education. 

• Blue Cross.

When a candidate is placed by VetFinders, the client can choose which of the four charities they want a percentage of their fee to be donated to. The client and placed candidate will then be given regular updates of how their money has benefitted children and animals, including through photos, videos, emails and website updates.

For more information, visit: https://www.vetfinders.co.uk/

Photo: Top (L-R): Martin Wilson - Veterinary Recruitment Consultant, Chris Worthington - Managing Director. Bottom (L-R): Gabrielle Dawson - Veterinary Recruitment Consultant, Anna Worthington - Finance and Payroll Manager and Suzy Buttress - Administrator.

CVS reports that after running a clinical improvement project to improve the diagnosis of periodontal disease in cat and dogs, its participating first opinion practices have tripled the number of patients receiving dental x-rays.

The company points to research which showed that 42% of cats and 28% of dogs have lesions which are only detectable on x-ray¹.

Failing to identify teeth with root lesions can have a significant impact on patient welfare, causing ongoing pain and eventual tooth loss.

The first priority for the CVS clinical improvement project was to review how effective its first opinion small animal practices were at using radiography in dental examinations.

In July 2021, only 16.2% of dental cases had radiography performed and clinicians were mostly using visual examination to guide decision making.

The project then identified the barriers to using dental radiography as: a lack of dental radiography equipment in a practice, a lack of clinician confidence in taking and interpreting the radiographs and a belief that pet owners would not want to pay for it.

To address the first issue, CVS installed new dental radiography machines at over 104 sites, at a cost of £615,000 over the course of the year. 

The company then upskilled its vets and nurses in dental radiography - looking specifically at getting good quality radiographs and interpretation.

Finally, the company conducted an audit of each participating practice’s dental radiology data, updating it each month and sharing the results with the practices..

One year on, CVS says the data shows that 43% of dental cases in project practices are now using dental radiography as part of their consultation.

In the best cases, some practices have been using radiography in 100% of cases.

Hub Clinical Lead Deborah Komianos said: “When you open a patient’s mouth and look inside, seemingly normal teeth are oftentimes not normal.

"So vets and nurses can risk missing periodontal disease.

“Dental radiology has historically been underutilised but we believe it adds valuable information to dental consultations and is an important decision-making tool.

“We’re thrilled with the early results in our practices.

"It shows there’s been a real change of mind-set and behaviour towards using X-rays in dentistry – as well as increased confidence in execution."

Reference

1. ‘Diagnostic value of full mouth radiography in cats’, 1998, Verstraete, Kass and Terpak.

MSD Animal Health has launched Bovilis Intranasal RSP Live, a live BRD vaccine for early life intranasal administration to dairy and beef calves from one week of age.

MSD says the new vaccine reduces the clinical signs of respiratory disease and viral shedding from infection with Bovine Respiratory Syncytial Virus (BRSV) and Parainfluenza-3 Virus (Pi3V), and that no other UK-licensed BRD vaccine can be administered earlier in life.

According to the company, it also delivers the fastest on-farm protection, with an onset of immunity after administration of 5 days for BRSV and 7 days for Pi3V. The duration of immunity is 12 weeks for both viruses.

MSD Animal Health ruminant veterinary adviser Dr Kat Baxter-Smith MRCVS said: "Early-age protection of calves through intranasal vaccination can help prevent pneumonia and positively impact a calf’s productive future.

"The sooner and faster these young calves can be protected against viral BRD and the permanent lung damage it causes, the better their potential lifetime productivity, be it in terms of delivering expected milk yield in the dairy herd or growth performance on the beef unit^{1 2}."

Kat added that Bovilis Intranasal RSP Live also activates non-specific immunity – stimulating receptors and cytokines in the innate immune system³: "This equates to protection against viral replication in the nasopharyngeal cavity, reduction of virus shedding and protection of the calf against subsequent clinical symptoms³."

MSD says a practical benefit of Bovilis Intranasal RSP Live to farmers is that it can be used on farm up to six hours after mixing with the solvent, which is the longest of all the available intranasal BRD vaccines. Additionally, the new vaccine is supplied as a farm-friendly, easy-to administer nasal suspension product that doesn’t need a specific applicator – although for maximum flexibility a new easy-clean injector and nozzle kit is available for farmers needing to vaccinate multiple animals. 

References:

1. Dunn T et al. (2018). The effect of lung consolidation, as determined by ultrasonography on first-lactation milk production in Holstein dairy calves, J. Dairy Sci., 101: 1-7
2. Williams P & Green L (2007). Associations between lung lesions and grade and estimated daily live weight gain in bull beef at slaughter. Cattle Practice, Vol.15 (No.3). pp. 244-249
3. Nuijten P., Cleton N., Van der Loop J., Makoschey B. & Vertenten G. (2019). A new intranasal BRD vaccine activates an early memory effect and protective immune mechanism. European Bovine Congress.

Mars Petcare has launched a data-driven periodontal disease (PD) risk assessment tool for dog owners.

The new tool uses aggregated data from Banfield Pet Hospital medical records to identify whether a dog has a high, medium, or low risk of having PD based on the breed size^1,2,3,4,5, age, and body condition the owner has stated^3,4.

It also makes oral care recommendations based on the dog's history (e.g., diet, previous extractions, halitosis), clinical signs (e.g., bleeding gums) and current dental routine (e.g., tooth brushing).

Global Petcare R&D VP at Mars Pet Nutrition, Dr. Elise Malandain said: “This new risk assessment tool will help indicate to pet owners what level of risk their pet is at for developing this disease to help inform conversations with veterinary professionals about prevention or treatment.”

https://www.uk.pedigree.com/gum-disease-risk-checker

References

1. O'Rourke et al. Periodontal disease risk model for dogs. 2022. [Abstract]. World Small Animal Veterinary Association.
2. O’Rourke et al. Periodontal disease risk model for dogs. 2020. [Poster abstract]. World Small Animal Veterinary Association. Virtual.
3. Wallis C et al. Association of periodontal disease with breed size, breed, weight, and age in pure-bred client-owned dogs in the United States. Vet J. 2021; 275:105717.
4. Wallis C, Holcombe LJ. A review of the frequency and impact of periodontal disease in dogs. J Small Anim Pract 2020; 61(9): 529—540.
5. O’Neill et al. Epidemiology of periodontal disease in dogs in the UK primary-care veterinary setting. J Small Anim Pract. 2021; 62(12): 1051–1061.