Abbey Veterinary Group in Chaddesden, Derby has won a dental x-ray system worth £2,500 in a prize draw held by Pedigree.

The competition aimed to encourage veterinary practices to sign up for the inaugural Oral Care Month which saw 1109 clinics educating dog owners on the importance of regular dental care.

Clive McPherson, veterinary partner at Abbey Veterinary Group, said: "We were extremely pleased to hear that we had won the dental x-ray system. We had been planning to upgrade our dental facilities and this was one item that was high on our wish list. The new machine will enable us to carry out our dental work to a higher standard and will be of use in other maxilla facial problems.  We expect it to be used daily and we are very grateful to Pedigree for its very generous prize."

The BVA and its specialist divisions are wishing colleagues from across Europe a Happy New Year with a message emphasising that they are valued and invaluable to the veterinary profession.

"The undersigned veterinary organisations would like to extend New Year’s greetings to all our colleagues in the languages of the EU. We would like to send a message in 2017 that says we value all our colleagues and their invaluable contribution across the UK, wherever they come from in the world.

Happy New Year
Bonne année
šťastný Nový rok
Godt NytÅr
Gelukkig nieuwjaar
Hyvää uutta vuotta
Frohes neues Jahr 
Kali chronya 
Boldog új évet
Felice anno nuovo
Szczesliwego nowego roku
Feliz año nuevo
Chestita nova godina
Sretna Nova godina
Mutlu Yıllar
Head uut aastat
Athbhliain faoi mhaise daoibh
Laimīgu Jauno gadu
Laimingų Naujųjų metų
Is-sena t-tajba
Feliz Ano Novo
An Nou Fericit
Bliadhna Mhath Ùr
Srečno novo leto
Gott nytt år
Blwyddyn Newydd Dda
Urte berri on
Feliç any nou
Feliz ano novo

Gudrun Ravetz, President of the British Veterinary Association, said: "My theme for my year as BVA President is the veterinary family and it has never been more important to pull together as one profession, whoever you are, and wherever you come from. We are delighted that there has been such an overwhelming response to this idea from Andrew Cobner, the President of the British Cattle Veterinary Association. Together with the RCVS, BVA has made clear to government our concerns about the working rights of our EU colleagues post-Brexit – as well as the potential impact on standards of animal health and welfare, and public health – and we will continue to do so."

VetSurgeon.org also wishes all its members a very Happy New Year, and in particular that it brings some common sense, clarity and certainty for those affected by Brexit.

Here’s a gadget I’d love to get my hands on: the Zoombak advanced GPS pet locator, launched in the UK today.

The locator attaches to any dog collar, or indeed your car, husband, wife or teenager, and allows you to get a real time fix of their location by telephone, or on your computer. It costs £99.99 from pet retailers, with an additional £9.99 per month service subscription (£99.99 if paid annually upfront), which allows for an unlimited number of ‘locates’.
Hot on its heels comes the Pawtrack, which will also cost £99.99 with a similar monthly subscription which allows for 1200 locates per month.

Pawtrack is being aimed at both cats and dogs, and whilst it is marginally smaller and lighter than the Zoombak, there isn’t a lot in it. Both are still probably too cumbersome for a cat, which is why Zoombak more pragmatically recommends its product for dogs over 7 kg.

Doubtless it won’t be long before they miniaturise the technology so that it’ll be the width of a nostril hair, thereby solving the problem of pet theft and loss completely. Meantime, these look like a practical and fun gadget for the owners of larger breeds that regularly go AWOL.

For more information on stocking Zoombak please contact Zoombak on 08708 033095.

The Society of Practising Veterinary Surgeons (SPVS) has inaugurated its new President Iain Richards BVSc CertVA Cert SHP MRCVS, who has outlined the key issues he would like to address during his presidency: 

"The reform of the Veterinary Surgeons Act will be a big part of the SPVS year. Any changes of the VSA are likely to hit practitioners hardest of all. It was to ensure public confidence that the RCVS was formed, and it is with the public that we have our daily interactions. It is satisfying to note, despite what some of the EFRACOM committee felt, that the proportion of actual complaints in comparison to public interactions is very small indeed. This point must not be lost on the RCVS or government. The profession is already held in high esteem by the public and any new act has to reinforce that.

Alongside the VSA are the closely related aspects of 24hr cover and the Working Time Regulations. Indeed, it is no coincidence that our high public esteem is in part due to the willingness of the practicing arm of the profession to make itself available at all times. The WTR has a long way to go, but has the potential to make this aspect of our work untenable.

Farm practice continues to have its own challenges. Despite opinion suggesting that farms do well in a recession, the challenges are still out there. It is a rapidly changing field with issues of medicines supply still causing problems. TB will spread and more practices will have to look hard at the return LVI work provides. By adopting SPVS advice on fee construction and cost centre analysis, practices can accurately assess the true impact of this and any other revenue stream.               

Small animal and many equine practices will potentially feel the recession the most, as both operate in a luxury market. The 2009 Congress theme, and that of the SPVS stream at the BVA Congress in Cardiff, is "Surviving the Recession".

The Society will be at the forefront in providing solid advice to practices to enable them to thrive in such circumstances. Recessions have come and gone and we have a wealth of experience from previous SPVS members to draw upon. One thing is clear, providing a quality service is vital. To the client, this has to be a value for money service as well. Marrying these two is key to business success and SPVS council will be working towards these objectives. It is likely that those practices that adapt and survive a recession will be in a strong position in the future.

Quality and value apply to practices, regardless of their species grouping. At home in Kendal, my practice is pushing standards forwards in equine, farm and small animal work. Because of this I am lucky to be able to indulge in being a mixed practitioner who has a keen interest in all aspects of veterinary work. This places me in a good position to represent the Society of Practising Veterinary Surgeons at all levels and to all bodies. SPVS is a great society; it is a pleasure to be picked for the team.

My vision goes beyond the year, however, and would encapsulate a desire that SPVS works with the other divisions of BVA to ensure that the veterinary profession provides the foremost view of all aspects of animal welfare and disease."

The Kennel Club has called for greater awareness about child safety around dogs following the release of figures showing that 16% of incidents involving dogs happen to under 10 year olds.

The Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) has revealed that under 10's accounted for the highest rate of admissions per age group for bites and strikes from dogs. The Kennel Club is urging people to communicate with their children about safety around dogs with help from the Kennel Club's Safe And Sound scheme.

The Safe And Sound scheme has been specially created by the Kennel Club to educate children about the correct behaviour around dogs. As well as teacher's notes and literature, the scheme includes an online game called the Safety Factor Challenge.

The Safety Factor Challenge takes children through a number of scenarios and asks what they would do in each - such as if a dog is in a child's way and eating its dinner, the game then asks the child what they should do. The Kennel Club says it is not unusual for children to think that moving the dog is a good idea; however the game shows the possible negative reaction a child could get if they chose this option and instead are advised to wait for the dog to finish.

Elaine Quickfall, a home tutor with Gateshead Behaviour Support Service said: "We take it for granted that our children should know how to behave, but if they have no prior knowledge why would they? Games like this are great as they provide a visual example of the consequences of choosing different actions."

HSCIC has revealed that of the 6,450 admissions to hospital for dog bite and strike injuries, 1,040 involved a child under the age of 10. The Kennel Club believes that with better communication with children about appropriate behaviour around dogs could dramatically reduce this figure and is calling on all parents to ensure that their children know how to behave around dogs.

Caroline Kisko, Kennel Club Secretary said: "Dogs are a big part of our lives and it is likely that every child will come across a dog at some point this year, at home, at a friend's or just out on the street. During the summer holidays is a great time to sit down with your child and speak to them about dog safety, and using the tips and game available through the Kennel Club's Safe and Sound Scheme is a great way to clearly illustrate to your children the best way for them to behave around dogs."

The Safe And Sound Scheme is available online by visiting: http://www.safetyarounddogs.org.uk/.

SPVS has launched a Business Club designed to equip members with business knowledge through community-focused CPD, discussion and real world experience sharing.

The club is running a series of 5 sessions targeted at business owners.

Each session will comprise of a 20 minute intro, followed by 40 mins of discussion/Q&A/sharing of experiences around the chosen topic.

Session topics will include succession planning, life insurance and critical illness cover for you and your team.

How to conduct an effective PDR, boosting your revenue and profit share schemes are all in the pipeline. 

SPVS says its Business Club is different to conventional CPD sessions, because it allows participants to share and discuss ideas, talk through problems and ask each other for advice. 

The one-hour sessions will take place on Thursdays, starting at 7:30pm on 13th June, 18th July, 8th August, 19th September, 17th October

In the first, Pete Orpin, BVSc FRCVS from Anval Business Consultancy will present ‘How to nail succession planning’.

SPVS Members: FREE

Non-Members: £15 per session | £50 for bundle of 5

https://spvs.org.uk/spvs-business-club 

Intervet has announced that its bluetongue vaccine, Bovilis® BTV8 has been granted a licence by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD). The licence, which is the first for a bluetongue vaccine in the UK, sets out dose rates and treatment regimes for the product use.

The recommended dose rates for animal over one month of age are as follows:

Sheep – 1 x 1ml, injected subcutaneously.

Cattle - 2 x 1ml, approximately three weeks apart, injected subcutaneously.

In successive years, re-vaccination should be given two weeks prior to the risk period.

Treated animals should have protective immunity three weeks after the initial course. Bovilis BTV8 should only be administered to healthy animals. Treated stock may have a slight swelling at the site of injection.

The vaccine must be stored at between 2ºC – 8ºC and, once opened, should be used within eight hours. The vaccine is available in 20ml and 50ml bottles. The licence recommends the use of multi injection vaccination systems.

Intervet will be supplying a discounted 1ml vaccination gun into the market.

Following a new study published in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases, the World Small Animal Veterinary Association's One Health Committee has called for a co-ordinated global infectious disease monitoring system to be established for veterinarians who work in small companion animal practice worldwide.

The study, led by Michael Day, Professor of Veterinary Pathology in the School of Veterinary Sciences at the University of Bristol and Chair of the WSAVA's One Health Committee, lists the key zoonotic diseases of cats and dogs.

It  recommends that the knowledge gained through surveillance would permit more effective global control of small companion animal zoonoses and reduce the risks associated with the human-animal relationship.

Professor Day said: "It is well recognised that most of the major new diseases of mankind will have an animal origin and that dogs and cats are a potential source of such emerging diseases.

"The number of small companion animals is particularly significant. For example there are an estimated eight to ten million dogs living in up to 31 per cent of UK homes and in the USA, 72 million dogs in 37 per cent of homes. The benefits of pet ownership on human health, well-being and development are unquestionable but, as they have moved from the barn, to the house, to the bedroom, the potential for disease spread to humans increases. Control of diseases among dogs and cats is a good way to prevent spread to humans.

"In human, livestock and wildlife heath there are already programmes of active surveillance for infectious disease underway to monitor the global distribution and movement of key infectious agents. For example, the WHO monitors human influenza virus infection through a network of 111 centres in 83 countries. In contrast, there is no such monitoring for the infections that may be transmitted between small companion animals and man. Meanwhile, canine rabies virus infection, one of the diseases listed in the paper, is estimated to kill a minimum of 55,000 people in Africa and Asia each year. 

"The development of such a scheme would require the significant political will, scientific application and financial support that could be achieved through a public-private partnership. The aim of our position paper in Emerging Infectious Diseases is to initiate stakeholder discussions with that end goal in mind."   

Animalcare has announced that it will be hosting three more osteoarthritis (OA) evening CPD workshops in Darlington (11th June), Edinburgh (12th June) and Bournemouth (26th June).

Each event is designed to help attendees with:

• Insights into canine osteoarthritis and the various treatment modalities
• Insights into pet owner motivations and effective strategies to bolster adherence to treatment plans
• Maximising the effectiveness of practice teams to deliver tailored care for each patient

Each attendee will be given a complimentary annual Veterinary Osteoarthritis Alliance (VOA) membership.

Kai Crawshaw, Animalcare Brand Manager said: "We had excellent feedback from our first workshops, so we’re pleased to be able to reach veterinary practices in more locations around the UK.

"We also have plans to run more across the rest of the year.

"We hope that these events will lead to veterinary staff becoming more confident in dealing with OA in dogs and helping owners understand the options open to them."

All events start at 7:30pm (arrival from 7pm) and will finish approximately at 9:30pm. 

Hot food and drinks will be provided.

https://www.animalcare.co.uk/oa-workshops

A food ingredient could help prevent bacterial infections and could improve the growth of farm animals, according to new trials.

The Journal of Medical Microbiology reports that Bimuno, a "second generation" galactooligosaccharide, was shown to suppress salmonella colonisation in mice and protect the gut from and reduce all clinical signs, symptoms and severity of salmonella infections.

Researchers at the Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA) showed that feeding mice with Bimuno prior to salmonella infection rapidly reduced the impact of salmonella.

In addition, over a five-day period, fewer salmonella were able to colonise in mice pre-dosed with Bimuno, compared with controls dosed with salmonella alone.

Salmonella can be found in the intestines of farm animals and is transmitted to humans on meat products. Symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea can be observed and are most severe in the very young or very old - posing a serious public health problem.

The findings are significant, given that the use of antibiotics in animal feed to help control infections has been banned since 2006, although is still commonplace in countries outside the EU.

Bimuno is a powder, and could be added to all livestock feeds.

Dr George Tzortzis, an author of the study from Clasado Ltd, said: "The growing evidence about this specific ingredient shows it has huge potential to protect livestock from salmonella. This is a positive development in the urgent search for antibiotic alternatives to help animals resist infection.

"Bimuno also has 'prebiotic' properties, which mean it is not destroyed, digested or absorbed in the stomach or small intestine. It therefore reaches the colon intact to selectively target and feed the host's immunity boosting bifidobacteria while reducing harmful bacteria.

"This study may have positive implications for both animal and human health, given that this bacterium can be transmitted to humans via the food chain."

The National Office of Animal Health has released two films to help industry and consumers understand issues surrounding the use of animal medicines in the food chain.

A film made for the food chain industry titled "Animal Medicines in Food Production - The Food Industry Perspective" has been produced to help industry understand the levels of awareness and concerns that consumers have.

A second film, "Animal Medicines in Food Production - Challenging the Myths" is aimed at consumers and looks at some of the myths surrounding the use of animal medicines in livestock production.

Phil Sketchley, Chief Executive of NOAH, said that while the public was generally supportive of the use of animal medicines in farm production, there was a knowledge gap among consumers about the way that medicines were used: "It was interesting to discover how much people knew about medicines in food production. There were some very positive attitudes among consumers, particularly towards the way British farmers care for their animals. But there were still some areas of concern, for example with the belief among a large number of people that growth hormones were still being used on UK farms, despite the fact they have been banned since 1988.

"The industry film should help people involved in food production understand what consumers are thinking when it comes to animal medicines. Animal health and welfare and ensuring sick animals are treated is a big issue, and food producers and retailers need to be able to communicate clearly with consumers on the subject of animal medicines.

"It is important there is transparency on all issues of animal health and welfare."

A research project funded by The Horse Trust has found that various types of ocular tumours can be successfully treated with mitomycin C, a cytotoxic antibiotic isolated from a bacterium.

The research concludes that mitomycin C offers a safe and cost effective alternative to current treatment options such as surgery and radiation.

The research project was led by Fernando Malalana, while working as The Horse Trust's Clinical Scholar in Equine Internal Medicine at University of Liverpool. Fernando is now working as a Clinician Teacher in Equine Internal Medicine at the university.

Ocular tumours are more difficult to treat than tumours in other parts of the horse's body due to the risk of damaging the eye. In the study, Malalana investigated the use of mitomycin C in treating ocular squamous cell carcinoma, the most common ocular tumour in horses, and occular sarcoids, skin tumors that frequently affect the eyelids .

Mitomycin C is an antibiotic isolated from a bacterium, Streptomyces caespitosus. It is known to have cytotoxic effects and has been used to treat tumours in horses before, but only in combination with surgery.

Currently, the main method of treating ocular squamous cell carcinoma is by removing the tumour surgically or with radiation. Both treatments are costly and have a number of associated risks. There is also the risk of damage or scarring to the eye.

Fourteen horses with ocular squamous cell carcinoma, three of which were affected bilaterally, were included in the study. Mitomycin C was applied to the conjunctival sac of the affected eye; in some of the cases the treatment was combined with surgery. Malalana found that of the 8 eyes treated with mitomycin C alone, clinical resolution occurred in 6 cases. Of the 9 eyes treated with both surgery and mitomycin C, clinical resolution occurred in 7 cases.

Mitomycin C was also used to treat various types of sarcoids found in the eye. Currently, the most effective treatment for occular sarcoids is radioactive wire. However, radioactive wire treatment is not ideal as it is expensive, only offered in two locations in the UK, and has potential health risks to the vet applying the wire due to exposure to radioactivity.

Six horses and two donkeys with occular sarcoids, including one horse that was affected bilaterally, were treated with mitomycin C, which was injected directly into the tumour. Malalana found that of the nine nodular and fibroplastic occular sarcoids treated with the antibiotic, all were completely cleared. However, the vets did not have good results with verrucous sarcoids.

Malalana said: "The results of this research should offer hope to the owners of horses that have eye tumours. We have already been contacted by vets from across Europe to find out more information about this treatment and hope that it will be offered to more horses with occular tumours in the future".

Vets at the University of Liverpool are now testing the use of mitomycin C on other tumours that are difficult to treat surgically, including melanomas near the horse's anus. So far, two cases have been treated, but it is too early to tell whether treatment has been successful.

Malalana's research has been submitted to Veterinary Ophthalmology journal.