If you're in London before January 6th 2008, the Animal's War exhibition at the Imperial War Museum might be worth a visit. Sponsored by The Kennel Club and PetPartners, the family exhibition explores the remarkable role of animals in conflict from the First World War to the present day using hands-on interactives, photographs, film and sound clips, paintings, touchable sculptures, and memorabilia from the Imperial War Museum collections and private and public lenders from all over the world.
Dechra Veterinary Products is encouraging veterinary practitioners to find the cat that has been treated with Felimazole® for the longest period of time, for the chance to win a luxury chocolate hamper.
The company wants to gather profiles of hyperthyroid cats undergoing treatment, including their age and length of treatment, so that it can further inform the veterinary profession about feline hyperthyroidism, the most at-risk cats and how to successfully treat the condition with the leading product Felimazole.
Practitioners simply need to provide details of their patient's age, when the cat was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism and how long it has been treated with Felimazole. Submissions will be entered into a prize draw with the first placed practice and cat's owner each winning a luxury chocolate hamper, while second and third places will receive luxury chocolate boxes.
Carol Morgan, Felimazole product manager at Dechra Veterinary Products says: "The majority of cats suffering with hyperthyroidism are over seven years of age, so we are interested in finding the longest-treated and the current ages of cats on Felimazole. The information we receive from practitioners is invaluable, so we will collate and report our findings to the veterinary profession to ensure it has the most up-to-date information about the disease."
For details of how to enter the competition, contact your local Dechra territory manager, call Dechra on 01743 441632 or email marketing@dechra.com.
From 2 April - 2 May, National Pet Month will be encouraging people to get happy and healthy spending time with their pets, with its theme of 'Happiness is... time with your pet'.
Organisers say that during the month, thousands of people will be celebrating happy times with their pets at hundreds of events up and down the country. While many of these events will raise funds for local animal charities, National Pet Month is not just about fund raising. It is also all about raising awareness of how pets make people's lives happier and healthier, and how they can repay the pets they love by looking after them responsibly.
Veterinary practices can get involved in National Pet Month, and show what they have to offer clients and potential clients. Details of how to join in and become a supporter are on the website http://www.nationalpetmonth.org.uk/.
Last year's National Pet Month was apparently the most successful to date, with a record number of 1200 events and nearly £80,000 raised for at least 30 animal charities.
The 2010 overall best National Pet Month event was held by St Boniface Vets in Crediton, Devon. They participated by visiting local nursery and primary schools teaching children about pet health, and specifically raising awareness of exotic animals as pets. Phil Sketchley, Chairman of NPM said: "The 14 excellent educational visits that St Boniface made to local schools and nurseries were inspirational. They were a fantastic example of the partnerships that can be forged between practices and the community during National Pet Month."
He added: "School visits are one great way for practices to get involved - but there are many more. Our top veterinary practice 2010 event, for example, was held by Mill House Vets in Kings Lynn, and which focussed on educating owners on caring for older pets. National Pet Month is an opportunity to help your clients learn more about responsible pet care so they can enjoy their pets for many years to come."
The Blue Cross and National Veterinary Services (NVS) are celebrating the success of a new initiative to generate additional saleable items for the charity, with the help of vet practices across the UK.
Earlier this year, The Blue Cross teamed up with NVS to launch a campaign to sign up vet practices who use NVS services to encourage their staff and clients to donate bags of unwanted clothes and bric-a-brac for the charity to sell and raise funds. This week saw the arrival of the 5,000th bag of donated items arrive at The Blue Cross warehouse
Jonathan Chambers Blue Cross spokesperson said: "We are extremely grateful to NVS, the vet practices taking part in the scheme and their clients. We are overwhelmed at the response so far and looking forward to receiving many more bags of goods in the future. Although the donated items may be unwanted possessions to some, each bag generates about £20 of income for us. This means the scheme has so far provided an amazing £100,000 worth of income towards helping sick and homeless animals in the care of The Blue Cross."
Caitrina Harrison, Sales & Marketing Director for NVS said: "We are delighted to be supporting The Blue Cross with this worthwhile initiative. We have an experienced and flexible logistics team, who have been able to help with the delivery and collection of the clothing bags throughout the UK. We have had excellent feedback from many veterinary practices who have got involved and the requests for clothing bags keep coming in."
Veterinary practices who receive their stock and drugs from NVS that are not yet part of The Blue Cross donation scheme can sign up now by contacting julie.godwin@nvs-ltd.co.uk or Jonathan Chambers at The Blue Cross: trading@bluecross.org.uk.
Sponsored by Vetoquinol UK, manufacturers of Cimalgex, the webinar will consider the reasons for switching medications and the pharmacological properties which affect the decision process.
The session aims to better equip vets to make a more informed decision that balances risk of side effects with achieving optimal patient pain management and welfare.
Duncan said: "NSAIDs remain a useful therapeutic tool for pain management in companion animals, particularly for conditions such as canine osteoarthritis.
"Although their benefits are clear at a group level, individual animal response can vary significantly; this is one of the key reasons why a clinician may switch a patient to a different NSAID, but due to concerns around adverse effects this often involves a washout period which can lead to gaps in pain management."
In the webinar, hosted on the WebinarVet platform, Duncan will give an overview of the ‘Whens, Whys and Hows’ of switching NSAIDs in dogs.
This will include findings from scientific studies and recommendations around switching safely, including when the washout period should be observed.
Vetoquinol UK has also put together a free guide for vets on the topic, authored by Dr Lascelles.
Felicity Holford MRCVS, vet and Product Manager at Vetoquinol UK, said: "Vets are prescribing NSAIDs every day, but the existing information around switching and washout periods is limited and can be difficult to apply in practice.
"The webinar and guide will go into the science around the topic and the poster is there to act as a handy prompt for day-to-day use."
Veterinary professionals can register their interest for the webinar here: https://bit.ly/Vetoquinol-WebinarVet
The free NSAID guide and clinic poster are available here: https://bit.ly/NSAID-guide-Vetoquinol
The company says its new brand has also been designed to communicate choice more clearly, thereby making vets' busy lives a little easier.
Malcolm Dickinson, Category Manager at NVS, said: “As a familiar and trusted brand, we’re always listening to our customers and designing products that closely meet their needs.
"We understand the challenges vets are facing, including rising costs and supply chain issues.
"That’s why we’re always looking to help relieve the impact on the day-to-day burden of the profession with the right products that help deliver the very best animal care.”
The new brand will be on display at Stand P20 at the London Vet Show.
Alstoe Animal Health has launched Dolagis, a carprofen tablet for dogs that uses a unique delivery system which the company claims offers palatability and dosage benefits over other versions of this analgesic.
Called Delicament, the delivery system is essentially a clever tablet design which allows a single table to break easily and accurately into four pieces. That allows correct dosing for all dogs above 3kg, from just one tablet size. Delicament has also been designed to be highly palatable, both in terms of flavour (pig's liver, before you ask) and texture.
To further simplify practice stocking requirements, Dolagis comes in only one pack size, complete with dispensing envelopes that explain how to split the tablet.
Dolagis 50mg tablets are packed in individually perforated blister strips of 10 tablets to aid prescribing accuracy and product integrity. This also reduces the chance that high palatability can lead to patient self-consumption. There are 100 tablets per Dolagis pack, which are available from all wholesalers. For further information contact Alstoe on 01347 878606 or email info@alstoe.co.uk.
Vetoquinol is offering veterinary surgeons and nurses the chance to win up to £500 worth of vouchers of their choice with Ipakitine, the phosphate binder.
To take part, call 0800 1698197 and request a copy of the company's renal guide, wall chart and an entry form. Then answer three simple questions and be in with a chance to win a first prize of £500 worth of vouchers. The second prize is £300 worth of vouchers, with £200 of vouchers for third prize.
Simon Boulton, product manager said: "Our renal guide is designed to illustrate factors which can affect both quality and quantity of life. These include hyperphosphataemia, hypertension, proteinuria, azotaemia and fibrosis in renal disease." The renal guide and wall chart contain information on the appropriate management of these factors.
Zoetis Business Consulting has announced the launch of a new website to showcase the services it provides for veterinary practices to help them grow their businesses.
Centering on three main areas of a practice's business - clinical experience, business performance and marketing - the website explains how the business consulting team uses quantitative and qualitative evidence to understand a practice's challenges in order to design and deliver bespoke solutions.
Nick Steele, national consulting manager said: "Zoetis Business Consulting has really taken off as more and more veterinary practices realise the benefits of working in partnership with our consultants. Since we are also launching new services, such as Profit Solver to the mix, the time was right to launch a new website showcasing how we work with practices."
For more information visit http://www.zoetis.co.uk/businessconsulting.
Specifically, remote assessments will make sure that practices are continuing to meet Veterinary Medicines Regulations, the Core Standards of the PSS and other key standards relating to the practice's accreditation type and level.
Mandisa Greene, RCVS President and Chair of the Practice Standards Group, said: “We have introduced these remote assessments as a means of being able to quality assure veterinary practices that are either in the Scheme or who wish to join it, while still making sure that public health is safeguarded and that the burden our face-to-face assessments may place on practices is reduced.
"All our Practice Standards Scheme Assessors will be trained in carrying out remote assessments, and practices that are due an assessment will be given the full details of how it will work in advance, just like if a physical assessment of the premises were taking place.
"In the immediate-term we will be prioritising those practices that were due assessment visits in March, April and May this year which were cancelled due to the nationwide lockdown and they are currently being contacted to make arrangements. We will then start a rolling programme of visits for the other delayed assessments over the next few months. We will aim to give all practices at least one month’s notice before a visit takes place."
In order to help veterinary teams at RCVS-accredited practices understand the changes and its implications, the RCVS has produced a list of anticipated FAQs containing the details of how remote assessments will work. These can be found at: www.rcvs.org.uk/setting-standards/practice-standards-scheme/remote-assessments.
Those with any additional enquiries should contact the RCVS Practice Standards Team on: pss@rcvs.org.uk.
'Evidence-based veterinary medicine at 20 – a commentary on historical, philosophical, practical, and ethical aspects' by David Mills MRCVS, Michael J. Reiss and Madeleine Campbell FRCVS, looks at the history of both evidence-based medicine and EBVM, the moral and ethical arguments for EBVM and the practical barriers.
It concludes that EBVM would be improved by:
Author David Mills MRCVS said: “EBVM has extensively infiltrated the veterinary discourse in the last 20 years and whilst it seems a sensible way of doing medicine, this doesn't always translate into practical improvements.
"Of course we need to base decisions on evidence, and the more reliable that evidence the better the decisions are likely to be.
"But is EBVM the best way?
"Does it serve the individual when the evidence doesn't relate to them or the specifics of their disease?
"Does EBVM help or hinder us in realising welfare improvements for the individual animal?
"In this review of the EBVM movement we examine aspects of the methodology and its practical application and in several areas find it wanting.
"Some of these are practical issues - for example underpowered studies, poor evidence - whilst others are fundamental to the philosophy and practice of EBVM itself such as what is evidence, how it translates to individuals and how we cannot predict the future.
"Evidence-based medicine was forged in the fires of not just accepting eminent pronouncements - in this paper we apply this principle to EBVM itself."
https://veterinaryevidence.org/index.php/ve/article/view/710
Reference
The Blue Cross is to be the first animal charity to star in a BBC Lifeline appeal to help raise funds for animals in need.
Presented by actress Felicity Kendal and her cocker spaniel George, the short film shows the work of the charity which helps thousands of sick and homeless animals every year.
Felicity Kendal said: "I'm delighted to be able to help publicise the work of this wonderful charity. The Blue Cross does so much to help animals in need and they rely almost entirely on public donations. I hope lots of people watch the BBC appeal to see just where the money goes and why this is a charity worthy of their support."
The BBC Lifeline appeal featuring The Blue Cross will be broadcast on BBC2 on Wednesday 28th October at 2pm.
The film will also be available to view on the BBC website until the end of November at www.bbc.co.uk/lifeline. Thereafter it can be viewed on The Blue Cross website at http://www.bluecross.org.uk/.
Ceva Animal Health, maker of the veterinary behaviour products DAP and Feliway, is once again sponsoring the Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors' series of one day behaviour seminars to keep veterinary professionals up-to-date with companion animal behavioural issues.
Featuring presentations by top pet behaviourists, the seminars will cover a range of topics based on questions that pet owners frequently ask veterinary professionals in practice.
Contributing to six hours CPD per event, the topics covered in the seminars are:
Places on the seminars cost from £70. For further information, please contact the APBC on 01386 751151 or visit http://www.apbc.org.uk/
A team of top equine vets is aiming to raise £125,000 for the Society for the Protection of Animals Abroad (SPANA) by travelling 3000 miles through Europe by motorbike between 22nd August and 9th September.
Sponsored by Elanco Animal Health, the seven-strong team is planning to travel through Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, France, Italy, Morocco and Spain and deliver lectures to eight European and African veterinary schools in just two weeks.
Led by Professor Derek Knottenbelt from the University of Liverpool, the team also includes Professor Josh Slater from Royal Veterinary College, Dr John Burford from the University of Nottingham, Dr Caroline Hahn from the University of Edinburgh, Dr Michael Hewetson from the University of Helsinki, Ms Joanne Suthers from the University of Liverpool and Dr Edmund Hainisch from the University of Vienna. They are being supported by Jeremy Hulme, chief executive of SPANA, Nic Van Gelder, fundraising and supporter care administrator at SPANA and Cerian Stephens.
All money raised will provide SPANA with diagnostic and surgical equipment for the charity's veterinary clinics for working animals in Mali and Mauritania and for the further development of the Bamako Disabled Riding Centre in Mali.
Mike Brown, Elanco's UK and Ireland country director said: "We are delighted to be sponsoring the Vets with Horsepower European Tour which will raise vital funds for working animals in some of the world's poorest countries. This is just one of the many worthwhile initiatives we are supporting in 2012 which focus on alleviating world hunger, spearheading agricultural leadership, enhancing the human-animal bond and caring for the environment."
For further information on the Vets with Horsepower European Tour visit www.spana.org/horsepower.
Davies Veterinary Specialists (DVS), the private small animal referral centre based in Hertfordshire, has installed two new state-of-the-art ESAOTE ultrasound machines.
DVS says The MyLab Twice Vet and the MyLab Class C Vet provide fast, efficient and highly accurate imaging in a wide range of applications, including high-definition abdominal, cardiac, musculoskeletal and ophthalmic scans.
The MyLab Twice Vet, with its range of probes including the broadband 18MHz linear probe, will be used for general ultrasonographic imaging at DVS. It is capable of the most refined contrast media examinations that, for example, can help to locate and identify a liver tumour that may be rendered invisible when using conventional diagnostic procedures.
The MyLab Class C will be used predominantly for advanced cardiac work, including trans-oesophageal echocardiography for interventional procedures in theatre.
Pedro Oliveira, European Veterinary Specialist in Cardiology at DVS said: "The trans-oesophageal probe is currently a very rare piece of equipment in veterinary diagnostics. It gives us the capacity to obtain unique views of the heart, especially the heart base which can be a very difficult area to examine with regular echocardiography. It also allows real-time and direct monitoring of procedures, such as deployment of devices to occlude patent ductus arteriosus, surgery and anaesthesia in critical patients."
The first patient to benefit from the new My Lab Class C was an 11-year-old, female German shepherd dog with suspected cardiac neoplasia following several episodes of haemorrhage into the pericardium. A normal echocardiographic examination identified a small suspect area but it was in a part of the heart that was very difficult to approach surgically.
However, a trans-oesophageal examination revealed that another small mass close to the tip of the right auricle was actually the origin of the bleeding. The dog underwent surgery to remove the mass and subsequently made a full recovery. Without the My Lab Class C there would have been no viable options for this dog.
Clive Elwood, Managing Director at DVS, said: "Combining the best possible on-site diagnostic equipment with some of Europe's finest clinicians enables us to provide the best possible service and outcome for our patients, across multiple disciplines."
Krka says Arocenia provides fast, broad-spectrum anti-emetic efficacy with a 24-hour duration of action following a single daily dose.
It can be administered intravenously or subcutaneously and is supplied in 20 ml multi-dose vials, allowing up to 40 punctures per vial and a 60-day open vial shelf life.
Renzo Di Florio, Krka’s Technical Veterinary Adviser, commented “Vomiting is one of the most common presenting signs in small animal practice, and maropitant is a medication you’ll find on just about every vet’s dispensary shelf. With Arocenia, we’re adding a cost-effective formulation to the available options.”
https://www.krka.co.uk//products/our-products/animal-health/arocenia-10mgml-solution-for-injection
Equistro has introduced Legaphyton to its range of supplements. Legaphyton has been developed to support liver function. It incorporates a new and patented complex called Siliphos®.
Siliphos® is a complex of concentrated Milk Thistle fruit extract and phospholipids, and is a source of readily available carbohydrates important for liver support.
Milk Thistle (silymarin) extract has documented virtues in liver support and is rich in flavanoligan (Silybin), while phospholipids (phosphatidylcholine) maintain healthy liver cell membrane function and repair and are crucial for essential lipoprotein transport in the liver.
“The liver is one of the most important organs and performs more often than one realises,” said Val Day, Equistro’s product manager. “Legaphyton has been introduced to give an extra boost to the horse’s liver function and help the liver fulfil its varied role.”
Equistro Legaphyton is available in 900g packs, which is sufficient for 30 days for a standard 500kg horse. Ask your Vetoquinol representative for more details or visit http://www.vetoquinol.co.uk/
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Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health has released diagnostic data which the company says indicates that calf scour problems caused by cryptosporidia are on the increase.
A summary of 2010 results from the company's ScourCheck scheme, which identifies infectious scour pathogens in calf faeces, show the protozoan parasite Cryptosporidium parvum being present in 37% of samples.
Intervet/Schering-Plough ruminant veterinary adviser Drew McGurren said: "Ever since we started testing calf faecal samples in the 1990s, rotavirus and cryptosporidia have always been identified as the two main pathogens implicated in infectious scour problems. But the latest data - and feedback from vets in practice - suggest cryptosporidia incidence is on an upward trend.
"Ten years ago our top line reporting used to refer to rotavirus being implicated in around a third of all infectious calf scour problems and cryptosporidia in roughly a quarter. But in 2009, we detected cryptosporidia in 30% of samples. And this year - from the 250 plus faecal samples we have looked at so far - the incidence seems to be even higher."
Drew stressed that scours caused by cryptosporidia are not always confined to housed calves: "Suckler calves between one and two weeks of age can be very susceptible to infection at grass, particularly if conditions underfoot are muddy around ring feeders. Early May has seen quite a lot of rain, and the parasite thrives in damp conditions."
The major source of cryptosporidia is thought to be either adult cows (which act as carriers without showing signs of disease) or infected scouring calves passing the parasite in their faeces. Drew said: "The infectious dose of the organism is very low and if ring feeders are not moved regularly the disease threat that builds up can be very similar to the housed situation. Faecal contamination of feed and water troughs can also be reduced by raising and covering them.
"Cryptosporidiosis in calves is often seen in combination with other diseases, particularly rotavirus. So vaccinating cows against rotavirus with Rotavec-Corona one to three months pre-calving - as well as a sound colostrum feeding regime and maintaining high hygiene standards - can often tip the balance in your favour."
Intervet Schering-Plough says that if cryptosporidia is diagnosed as the problem, parasite replication and excretion can be reduced with Halocur. This is the only product licensed to treat and prevent cryptosporidiosis. Administered orally to calves after feeding (daily for seven days), it can reduce the severity of diarrhoea and prevent the infection spreading to other calves. Treated calves have also been shown to require fewer antibiotic and anti-inflammatory treatments, as well as less rehydration therapy.
Vetoquinol has released the second set of results from a survey of over 1000 dog owners which the company says has revealed some surprising findings on owner attitudes to pain and pain relieving medications.1
In particular, Vetoquinol says it thinks veterinary surgeons will be surprised by the depth of feeling expressed by pet owners about the issue, and that there are areas where there is potential for the profession to relate to the concerns of clients and adapt communication accordingly.
The key findings highlight that dog owners are likely to be shocked by a diagnosis of long term painful illness in their pet and are very likely to search for further information on the Internet about the pet's condition. Most dog owners think that NSAIDs are likely to cause side effects, with the perceived risk being much greater than the actual level of risk. The results also indicate that even low levels of risk of side effects may be unacceptable to dog owners.
Mark Leddy, Marketing Manager at Vétoquinol said that the strength of the bond between pet and owner should always be front of mind: "A diagnosis of osteoarthritis, for instance, is such a common one, often being made several times a day, so it is easy to become matter of fact about it; yet for the client that news may actually be quite traumatic and the impact hugely underestimated."
Where clients get their information from is important:
The majority of respondents (95%) felt that treatment of osteoarthritis should be started as soon as signs appear and then long term, either consistently or as needed. However, despite recognising the need for treatment, many expressed concerns about side effects when giving their dog long-term medication, with 77% considering it important or very important to choose a medication with a limited range of side effects.
Vetoquinol says the reality is that one in a thousand pets given an NSAID is likely to experience side effects, which vets may feel is not something owners should worry about unduly. The reality for pet owners is that they perceive the risk to be much greater and if informed of the actual level of risk may still experience a significant level of fear that their pet, with whom they have a special relationship, could be that one in a thousand.
Mark Leddy says that, based on these results, there is great scope for the veterinary team to discuss the level and type of risk entailed in administering medication: "Such an approach will help pet owners make more informed decisions about treatment, allay their concerns and provide them with the support they need at what is probably a very difficult time for them."
1. A survey of 1048 dog owners, carried out by petbuzz, on behalf of Vétoquinol, March 2011
Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health has launched the Intestinal Health Center for Poultry website (www.ihc-poultry.com), a website to keep producers, veterinarians, nutritionists, academics and students informed about this aspect of poultry production.
The company says it has published a wealth of practical, science-driven information and ideas to help producers manage costly gut diseases more effectively through vaccination, nutrition, sanitation and prudent drug use.
Marcelo Lang, global marketing director for the company's Poultry Business Unit said: "The new website lets you find virtually anything you need, quickly and easily, on specific intestinal health topics and products".
The website also offers a library of past issues of the company's Intestinal Health magazine and its predecessor, CocciForum, as well as three newsletters - Broiler Health, Layer Health and Turkey Health. In addition, the website includes an interactive feature called "Gut Reactions," where visitors can answer a frequently updated questionnaire related to intestinal health, immediately view survey results and then access links with more information on that topic. There is also a product finder to help users find Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health intestinal health products available in their market.
Marcelo added: "The Intestinal Health Center for Poultry is another example of Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health's commitment to educating the industry about this increasingly important segment of poultry health. We look forward to getting feedback on the site so that we can make it even better."
The Emergent Disease Foundation, One Health Initiative, Worldwide Veterinary Service, and UNISON have collaborated to launch Exotic pets: Reducing the of risk of human infection, a new leaflet which explains the hygiene measures that keepers of exotic pets should take.
The organisations say that they hope veterinary clinics, pet shops, medical centres, local authorities and schools will distribute the free leaflet which is also available to download.
The Emergent Disease Foundation says the advice contained in the leaflet is taken from an independent scientific paper entitled 'A review of captive exotic animal-linked zoonoses' published in the Journal of Environmental Health Research.
The leaflet takes the line that it is inadvisable to keep exotic animals as pets, but for those who already have them, recommended measures include: thorough hand-washing with antibacterial soap and alcohol-based gels after handing or feeding an exotic pet; being careful not to touch hair, clothes (including pockets), door handles and other items immediately after handling exotic pets; closely supervising children so that they do not put their mouths close to the animal; and keeping animals, cages and equipment away from kitchens.
Clifford Warwick of the Emergent Disease Foundation, a charity focused on animal-to-human infections, said: "The modern world enables all too easy acquisition of exotic animals into the home. The pet trade in general, with its high turnover and diversity of species available, offers a speed-dating reservoir for bugs from far corners of the globe. My own advice is simple - avoiding exposure to bugs from exotic pets in the home is difficult and best avoided by not keeping them in the first place."
Dr. Bruce Kaplan of the One Health Initiative, which focuses on the connection between health and the environment, said: "As a former U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) trained epidemiologist, a retired private practice veterinarian and a public health and humanitarian minded 'One Health' activist for nearly 50 years, I wholeheartedly oppose private ownership of exotic pets due to the known scientific health and safety risks for people and animals. It is a dangerous, irresponsible and irrational practice."
Owen Evans of the Worldwide Veterinary Service, a charity that provides a veterinary resource to animal welfare organisations worldwide, said:"We work on a day-to-day basis with animal health issues, so we are very mindful of how animals and people can share pathogens. Avoiding transmission is best served by minimising risks, which is what this new brochure aims to achieve."
Aimed at all members of the veterinary team across Europe, the webinar is moderated by veterinary nutrition expert Dottie Laflamme.
The webinar, which will also be available on demand after the event, follows others in the series that allow conversations about nutrition to be integrated into everyday consultations.
Speakers Shoshanah Verton Shaw, RVT, VTS (nutrition), and Marge Chandler (a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, the European College of Veterinary Internal Medicine and the American College of Veterinary Nutrition) will be sharing their tips for handling nutrition discussions in a non-confrontational way that preserves the client bond with the vet and the practice.
Registration for this and another three free webinars is available at https://bit.ly/purinawebinars2022.
Boehringer Ingelheim has released details of research presented at the 29th World Veterinary Congress which shows dogs with congestive heart failure (CHF) due to myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD) live longer when treated with pimobendan (Vetmedin®) compared with a commonly used ACE inhibitor.
The results of the QUEST trial, the largest international study of its kind to be conducted amongst dogs with congestive heart failure, are due to be published in the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine (JVIM) later this year.
The condition myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD) accounts for approximately 75% of all cases of CHF in dogs2. MMVD is associated with the thickening of the cusps of the mitral valve (one of the main one-way valves within the heart), affecting the flow of blood from the heart to the rest of the body. Although there is no cure for CHF due to MMVD, there are treatments available to manage the condition, improving the quality and length of the dog's life.
Professor Jens Häggström, lead investigator of the QUEST trial from the University of Uppsala, Sweden, commented that "the QUEST trial is a significant milestone in our efforts to reassure both, veterinarians and dog owners, that there is compelling evidence to show that pimobendan is an effective treatment for CHF that prolongs their dog's life and providing pet and owner with more quality time together."
The QUEST trial was a randomised, positive-controlled, multi-centre trial conducted at 28 sites across 11 countries, and is the largest study of its kind ever conducted in veterinary cardiology. The study compared a pimobendan group with a group treated with benazepril hydrochloride on top of background diuretic therapy. The trial spanned three years and followed dogs to death, euthanasia or treatment failure leading to withdrawal from the trial.
Research by Boehringer has also shown that over 50% of dog owners in the UK are unaware that their dog may be at risk of heart failure. Heart disease affects one in four dogs over seven years of age, and the lack of knowledge about this serious, life-threatening condition suggests that there is a need for better education amongst dog owners on how to recognise the disease, and how to maintain their dogs' heart health.
Siemens will be showcasing its range of technology for veterinary care, from advanced ultrasound, CT and MRI systems to haematological and immunological diagnostics at BSAVA Congress.
The company says MRI and CT are starting to become more influential in the veterinary field. MRI provides a reliable veterinary imaging method when traditional procedures such as X-ray and ultrasound are not able to convey the detail needed. They display small changes in bone and soft tissue and can be complemented with special adjustments such as mini coils for dog and cat paws to make them suitable for application with animals. This allows vets to diagnose more accurately and treat specific complaints. The images produced by MRI systems can be used for tumour diagnosis, nervous complaints or orthopaedic problems as well as intestinal, respiratory or cardiovascular disorders.
Siemens will also be presenting its in vitro range of solutions and assays in chemistry, haematology and immunology.
This will include the IMMULITE® range, a blood testing platform which the company says has an unrivalled immunoassay portfolio, allowing the rapid diagnosis of a broad spectrum of small animal conditions.
Information on the ADVIA® 2120i Haematology System with specific animal software and Dimension® Xpand® Plus integrated chemistry and immunoassay system will also be available.
Product literature and in-depth discussions with Siemens specialists will be available from the stand during the event.