Noble Futures, a recruitment consultancy specialising in the animal Health, agricultural, equine & pet industries, has joined forces with The Partners - a business specialising in coaching, psychometrics, learning & development and human resources – to offer a range of services to help veterinary businesses of all shapes and sizes to maximise the potential of their employees.

Tony Noble, managing director at Noble Futures, said: "We have been working with organisations of all shapes and sizes since our foundation in 2002 and it became clear that while we can ensure that our clients recruit the top people for the job - through finding them the best permanent, contracting or temporary employees - the resources are not always present to ensure that this human resource potential is maximised. The team at The Partners deliver a world-class service and we are 100% confident that their professional and expert support services will make a real difference to our clients’ businesses."

Noble Futures and The Partners have launched three new services:

The Human Resources support service is aimed at organisations that need additional support or more expert advice within the human resources function, whether it relates to a particular employee issue such as managing a long-term illness, or a wider corporate challenge like implementing a company-wide performance management system.

The Psychometric Profiling service is designed to give unique insights into the individual traits of employees, to help with recruitment, promotion, coaching and career development. 

Finally, the Management Development service has been developed to help ensure a company’s employees receive the right training for success.

Paula Summerscales (pictured right with husband Graham) from The Partners said: "We are delighted to partner with Noble Futures to deliver our range of people-building services to organisations in the animal health sector. Our unique mix of skills and experience allows us to bring a tailored approach to every single project we work on and we’re looking forward to working with Noble Futures clients to implement innovative solutions that gain commercial results."

For more information, contact Noble Futures on 0161 820 3510 or email: info@noble-futures.com.

Alternatively, contact The Partners directly on 01484 860849

The exotic species department at Bristol-based Highcroft Veterinary Referrals has been awarded Gold Rabbit Friendly Status by the Rabbit Welfare Association and Fund (RWAF).

The award has been granted to only a handful of practices and requires the achievement of high standards of care and a detailed understanding of the species.

Highcroft has three dedicated exotic species veterinary surgeons, including a European small mammal Specialist and four exotic species nurses, who have either obtained or are studying for their City and Guilds Exotic Species Veterinary Nursing Certificate.

The practice has a dedicated exotic species consulting room, waiting room, ward and an operating theatre, containing state-of-the-art equipment.

In addition to treating rabbits, both vets and nurses in the exotic species team lecture widely to promote the importance of providing a high standard of care to rabbits and to ensure that their welfare is optimised.  

Dr Elisabetta Mancinelli DVM CertZooMed Dipl ECZM (Small Mammal) MRCVS heads the exotic species team at Highcroft.  A European Veterinary Specialist in Zoological Medicine (Small Mammal Medicine and Surgery) and a RCVS Recognised Specialist in Zoo and Wildlife Medicine, she said: "We are very proud to have been awarded Gold Status by the RWAF. We will continue to enhance the level of care we provide, not just to rabbits but to all exotic species and strive to improve the welfare of all animals under our care, in hospital and at home."

Hertfordshire-based, multi-specialist veterinary referral centre Davies Veterinary Specialists' new pro bono scheme has saved the life of a young German shepherd dog twice in fortnight.

'Apollo' first impaled himself on some broken fence panels whilst playing. A splinter of wood, which was around 5cm long and 1.5cm wide, became lodged between his heart and lungs. However, because he initially had no symptoms and there was no obvious puncture wound, his owner Sam Russell from Leighton Buzzard wasn't aware that anything was wrong. It was a week later when the dog suddenly became very anxious, uncomfortable and was struggling to breathe, that Sam rushed him to her local vet practice, Heath and Reach in Bedfordshire.

Hannah Johnston's initial diagnosis was that the dog had some foreign material lodged internally that was causing an infection. Without an urgent CT scan and surgery his chances of survival were minimal, but his owner was uninsured and had no means of affording the treatment. Hannah had recently read about a pro bono scheme introduced by Davies Veterinary Specialists and believed that Apollo's case fitted the criteria.

She said: "It was heart wrenching to think that a young dog, with such a caring owner, was very likely to lose his life and I was determined to do anything I could to help. I couldn't help shedding a tear when DVS agreed to treat him, as I knew Apollo now had a chance. His owner had recently had an awful spate of bad luck and was so deserving of DVS's help."

Manuel Jiménez Peláez, European Veterinary Specialist in Surgery at DVS, who operated on Apollo, said: "A CT scan showed a large, fluid-filled cavity, a partially collapsed lung and a sharp, thin, elongated structure, lodged between Apollo's lungs and his heart. We drained the cavity and successfully removed the foreign body. We also had to remove most of the irreparably damaged left lung."

Apollo was in hospital for two weeks, five days of which were spent in intensive care in a critical condition. Sam was thrilled when she was eventually able to take him home, but two days later disaster struck again. Apollo was diagnosed with gastric dilation volvulus. He needed surgery within six hours to survive the condition and DVS once again stepped in to operate as an emergency, free of charge.

Apollo has made a full recovery is now back at home with the Russell family. Sam Russell said: "Apollo has always been so determined and full of life. Even when he was dangerously ill and in intensive care he wouldn't give up and tried to rouse himself to come home with me. For Davies Vet Specialists to save my dog once is nothing short of amazing but for them to save him twice makes me speechless with gratitude. To be shown such kindness after a dreadful run of bad luck would leave anyone stuck for words."

All first opinion practices are eligible to apply for the DVS pro bono scheme, which will allow an average of one patient per month to receive free treatment. Requests 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, Managing Director, on 01582 883950.

The RCVS has published a report of the Veterinary Workforce Summit 2021, which includes potential solutions to the workforce crisis that were discussed at the event.

The Veterinary Workforce Summit was held last November, when 80 stakeholders from independent and corporate practices, veterinary schools, charities, government, the food hygiene sector, species associations and industry bodies came together to look at how the profession could address the workforce crisis. 

Prior to the Summit, preliminary research was carried out to assess the profession's views on the workforce crisis and how it was affecting them.

Based on findings from the preliminary research, six themes around the issue of workforce shortages were identified and used to structure the discussions of the day.

These were: readiness for work; work-life balance; workplace culture; client interactions; career development; and return to work.

The day was opened by Lizzie Lockett, RCVS Chief Executive, who focused on the issues underpinning the workforce crisis:

• ‘Recruitment’; despite the number of vet schools and the annual number of veterinary graduates, there are still not enough vets and vet nurses to fill the demand for veterinary services.
• ‘Retention’; high numbers of vets and vet nurses are leaving the profession every year, with many citing unsociable working hours and stress, among other factors.
• ‘Return’; there are significant numbers of vets and vet nurses who had left the profession who could potentially return to it but maybe feel that the culture of the profession may prevent them from doing so.

Later in the day, delegates were divided into groups and asked to develop ideas and pitch a solution to a problem the sector is facing.

Some of the solutions that the professions might use to address the key workforce issues which came out of the pitches included:

• Rebrand the GP role (for both vets and vet nurses) to emphasise its benefits and rewards, which will encourage people to choose general practice as an active career choice that they wished to pursue long term.
• Develop ways for practices to prioritise workload and to ensure that people’s skills are maximised. This could include developing legislation that allows nurses to take on greater responsibility and developing efficiency models which focus on delegation and outsourcing rather than working longer hours.
• Introduce a compulsory curriculum for developing interpersonal, leadership and personal skills to be considered as important as mandatory CPD. This could be achieved through developing a workplace charter and identifying leaders with a passion for personal progression who could spearhead the initiative.
• Create a compulsory communications skills programme which would be introduced in a sustainable way.
• Introduce a professions-wide career framework to help everyone in the veterinary team achieve job satisfaction at the time they wanted it, at a salary that recognised their value and met their needs.
• Create a flexible back-to-work package of support to help them return to the veterinary professions after leaving the Register.

Kate Richards, RCVS President, said: “Although the issues affecting the UK veterinary sector aren’t new, they have been exacerbated over the past few years by factors outside of the sector’s control.

"We know that putting in place solutions to address and solve the issues that the veterinary sector is facing will take time.

"We want to reiterate that the Summit was the first, albeit an incredibly important, first step in co-creating innovative solutions to workforce shortages.

"I look forward to working collaboratively with our veterinary colleagues from across the professions to bring the workforce action plan to life and work on the solutions that come out of it.”

The RCVS says the next steps from the Summit are to consider the feasibility of the suggested solutions and integrate those that seem likely to deliver effective results into an action plan, alongside other activities that are already underway.

The College says it is open to hearing additional ideas for the professions and encourages anyone who has suggestions to get in touch with Sophie Rogers, ViVet Manager, on s.rogers@rcvs.org.uk

The full Workforce Summit report can be found at www.rcvs.org.uk/publications

The RCVS Veterinary Nurse Disciplinary Committee has directed the Registrar to suspend Surrey-based Lois Hodgkinson RVN for ten months, for ordering prescription drugs for her own use through the practice's veterinary wholesaler ordering system.

Specifically, Ms Hodgkinson was alleged to have placed five orders between 1 September 2013 and 1 April 2015:

• 28 x 30mg Codeine Phosphate tablets, ordered on or about 9 September 2013;
• 56 x 250mg Naproxen (Naprosyn) tablets, ordered on or about 24 February 2014;
• 28 x 50mg Amitriptyline tablets, ordered on or about 7 August 2014;
• 28 x 25mg Amitriptyline tablets, ordered on or about 10 November 2014;
• 28 x 60mg Codeine Phosphate tablets, ordered on or about 31 March 2015.

The medications for charges (i) to (iii) above, were intended for her own personal use, as she had previously at various times been prescribed Codeine, Naproxen and Amitriptyline after being involved in a serious car accident in November 2012, as a result of which she suffered from chronic back pain and other problems.

Charges (iv) and (v) above, were intended for her dog, ‘Minnie’, but the dosages ordered were incorrect. The medications were never removed from the practice or given to Minnie, but were instead returned to the wholesaler.

From the outset Ms Hodgkinson admitted the charges against her, although she believed that other staff at the practice had placed similar personal orders and that she had been given permission to do so as well. Ms Hodgkinson also accepted that the facts amounted to disgraceful conduct in a professional respect.

The Committee accepted Ms Hodgkinson’s admission of the charges and, accordingly, found the charges proved. The question of whether the facts amounted to serious professional misconduct was, however, a matter for the Committee’s judgement, notwithstanding Ms Hodgkinson’s admission.

In reaching its decision, the Committee took into account Ms Hodgkinson’s assertion that she believed she had been given permission to order medication through the practice. She did admit however that she must have been mistaken in that belief. The Committee also took note of the College’s submission that a number of aggravating features were present which amounted to serious professional misconduct, namely: the potential risk posed to animal welfare; Ms Hodgkinson’s ignorance of fundamental legislative provisions; a breach of trust placed in her by virtue of her RVN status; the fact that the misconduct was repeated over a period of time; and a lack of awareness of professional responsibilities at the time of the conduct. The Committee therefore had no hesitation that the conduct did amount to serious professional misconduct.

The Committee then turned to the question of sanction. A number of mitigating factors were put forward in Ms Hodgkinson’s defence including the fact that a period of lengthy suspension or removal from the register would result in her losing an offer of employment, the fact that up to the relevant conduct she had had an unblemished career and the fact that she had made early admissions of guilt and shown insight into her misconduct.

The Committee decided that a period of 10 months’ suspension would be appropriate and proportionate in this case.

Chitra Karve, who chaired the Committee and spoke on its behalf, said: "The length of the period of suspension…is intended to reflect this Committee’s view, assisted as it has been by the experience and knowledge of a practising RVN and a veterinary surgeon, of the seriousness of the respondent’s conduct in its totality and of the need for the message to go out to all veterinary professionals that the ordering of POMs without the authority of a valid prescription is a most serious instance of misconduct. In such circumstances the personal mitigations that a practitioner might place before a Disciplinary Committee, whilst not immaterial, is inevitably of limited persuasion. And that is what this Committee has concluded in this particular case, having reflected carefully on the mitigation factors placed before it.

"Having weighed the matters of personal mitigation against the fact that a rudimentary knowledge of the governing legislation was effectively all that was required of the Respondent to ensure that the misconduct complained of did not occur, it is the clear view of the Committee that it would be failing in its public duty were it to do anything less than to impose a period of suspension from practice and the least period of suspension that is appropriate in this case is one of ten months. The Committee therefore instructs the Registrar to act accordingly."

Zea Sciences has announced that its natural rodenticide has been certified under the European Biocide Directive Program, known as Annex1/1A BPD 98/8EEC.

The rodenticide is made from powdered corn cob (PCC) which, according to Zea Sciences, causes rats and mice to die of hypovolemic shock within 4-7 days of starting to feed on it.

The company says PCC poses no health risk to human or non target animal species, such as cats, dogs and birds. It is also the first of its type and class to be officially acknowledged as using naturally biodegradable and environmentally friendly material. 

PCC is available from a number of retail and trade outlets, under various different brand names.  However, the company said that if there was sufficient interest by vets in stocking the pet-friendly product, it would look at making it available through veterinary wholesalers.

Martin Holland, Managing Director of Zea Sciences said: ''I hope the profession will help spread the word about PCC-based rodent control  - it might mean you have to reach for the vitamin K a little less often."

Dunlops has changed its name to Henry Schein Animal Health.

David Hinton, Managing Director said: "As we change our name to Henry Schein Animal Health, we also reaffirm our company's strong commitment to offer a comprehensive array of products and services to help animal health practitioners in the United Kingdom operate more efficient and successful practices, and provide the best quality patient care.

"We have a new name, but we have the same strong team, the same values, and the same dedication to providing excellent service to our customers."

Henry Schein Animal Health’s expanded offerings include VetLink and Thrive. VetLink is a new e-commerce web site system that enables veterinary surgeons to access the growing internet sector, allowing you to sell anything from pet prescriptions to accessories online, to be delivered to your customers’ homes by Henry Schein Animal Health. Thrive is a new veterinary business analysis service that integrates with practice management software to use a Key Performance Indicator based approach that provides insight into a your practice and identifies areas where you can enhance your business.

The RCVS has announced the recipients of this year’s Honours and Awards. 

The Queen’s Medal - the highest honour that the RCVS can bestow upon an individual veterinary surgeon - was given to Dr Mary Stewart MRCVS, a retired academic who spent most of her career at the University of Glasgow where she was responsible for the development of the modern vet school.

Dr Stewart was nominated by Professor Stuart Reid, the Principal of the Royal Veterinary College and former Dean of the Glasgow Veterinary School. In his nomination he said: “Mary Stewart is one of the unsung heroes of the veterinary profession. A veterinarian graduating from Cornell in 1949, Mary has been MRCVS since 1951 and without doubt has been one of the major influencers of ethical approaches in the vet-client-patient environment and, in particular, the impact of euthanasia on both owners and attending veterinarians. Conducting nearly all her professional career in the UK, the vast majority at the University of Glasgow, Mary was of the generation selected by Sir William Weipers to create the modern school at Glasgow, an institution in which Mary played a pivotal role that would have reach nationally and internationally.”

The Inspiration Award is given to vets or nurses to recognise their ability to inspire and enthuse others consistently throughout his or her career. This year, it has been awarded to Dr Freda Scott-Park MRCVS. Freda is a former president of both the British Veterinary Association (BVA) and the British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) as well as the current coordinator of the Highlands & Islands Veterinary Services Scheme and a campaigner for identifying the links between animal and other forms of abuse through The Links Group.

The Impact Award is given to vets and nurses who have recently made a considerable impact that has affected the profession at large, animal health or welfare, or public health. This year two Impact Awards have been bestowed. The first is to Dr Rosie Allister MRCVS, a leading campaigner and researcher for and about veterinary mental health, as well as a veterinary educator, the manager of the Vetlife Helpline and a member of the RCVS Mind Matters Initiative Taskforce.

The second Impact Award recipient is Hannah Capon MRCVS, the co-founder and director of Canine Arthritis Management (CAM), a self-funded social enterprise that provides advice to both other veterinary professionals and animal owners on the treatment and management of arthritis in dogs.

This year the RCVS is also awarding three Honorary Associateships, bestowed upon those who are not veterinary surgeons or veterinary nurses but who are making a considerable impact in the veterinary sphere, whether in the field of campaigning, charities, research, politics or journalism, for example.

This year’s first Honorary Associate is Professor Maureen Bain, Professor of Comparative Anatomy and Histology at the University of Glasgow’s Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health & Comparative Medicine, and an Associate of Glasgow Vet School who has dedicated her career to research on improving the quality and safety of eggs for human consumption.

The second Honorary Associate is Mike Flynn, the Chief Superintended of the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA), for his collaborative work with the veterinary profession in areas such as the illegal puppy trade and the Links Group.

The third and final Honorary Associate is Professor Roberto La Ragione, the Deputy Head of the Surrey Vet School where he is also Professor of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology and Head of the Department of Pathology and Infectious Diseases. Professor La Ragione was nominated for his contribution to veterinary education and research.

RCVS President Niall Connell (pictured right) said: “My hearty congratulations to all of this year’s award winners. Once again, it was a very strong field of people who have made and are making an indelible impact on veterinary science, the professions, animal health and welfare, food safety, public health, and plenty more besides."

Normally RCVS Awards & Honours are presented at Royal College Day in July. However, due to the coronavirus pandemic, the 2020 awards ceremony will instead be part of the proceedings of a combined Royal College Day and Fellowship Day, which will take at the Royal Institution on 2 October 2020. This event may be subject to cancellation and postponement depending on the latest Government advice and restrictions on the prevention of transmission of coronavirus.

Elanco Animal Health has announced the launch of Kexxtone this month, a new treatment which it claims can reduce the incidence of ketosis in dairy cows by 74%* following a single treatment.¹

Kexxtone is a targeted solution for any dairy cow or heifer that is expected to develop ketosis around the period of calving. It is administered as a bolus,and provides coverage during the main risk period for the condition.

Ketosis often goes undetected because the signs are not immediately apparent. However, it is a common condition, affecting around 30% of cows² and has a negative impact upon cow health, fertility and milk production. Ketosis can result, on average, in milk losses of around 350-500 litres per cow⁴ per lactation. The cost of production losses and disease related consequential losses due to subclinical ketosis has been estimated at around 250-600 EUR per cow.⁵

Elanco says this new approach is likely to significantly expand the array of options open to vets actively involved in dairy herd health management. Kexxtone comes with the benefit of a zero day milk and meat withdrawal³ and the formulation is based on monensin - a molecule with a long history of beneficial use. 

According to the company, Kexxtone uses novel technology to allow a continuous and regular release of the active ingredient into the rumen which forms a gel when exposed to rumen fluid. This gel is progressively released into the rumen by a pressure sensitive spring in the Kexxtone device. The active ingredient shifts the microbial balance in the rumen to produce more of the glucose precursor propionic acid, therefore increasing glucose delivery and ultimately increasing the energy available to the cow. This improvement in energy utilisation buffers dairy cows against the tendency to drop into negative energy balance during the transition period around calving and early lactation - the major cause of ketosis.

Mike Steele, Technical Consultant at Elanco said: "Kexxtone offers an exciting opportunity in which everyone wins - vets who can offer positive interventions able to make a big impact on the bottom line, are going to be increasingly integral to their farm clients' herd health planning framework. It's no longer just about nutritional intervention and emergency salvage; it's about being able to proactively easily measure the true herd prevalence of ketosis and where appropriate, take preventative targeted action to really make a difference."

Kexxtone is available to order now from veterinary wholesalers - for further information contact the Elanco Territory Manager or call Elanco Animal Health on 01256 353131.

References

1. CVMP assessment report of an application for the granting of community marketing authorisation for Kexxtone (EMEA/V/C/002235)

• Elanco Farm Audit 2011, No. GN4FR110006.

• Kexxtone® Summary of Product Characteristics,

• Ospina 2010. Association between the proportion of sampled transition cows with increased nonesterified fatty acids and ß-hydroxybutyrate and disease incidence, pregnancy rate and milk production at the herd level. J. Dairy Sci. 93:3595-3601.

• Adapted from Esslemont 2012. The Cost of Ketosis in Dairy Cows, World Buiatrics Congress, Lisbon, Portugal

The Privy Council has partially upheld and partially dismissed an appeal submitted to it by Dr Gerhard Schulze Allen against a decision by the Disciplinary Committee in January 2018 to have him removed from the Register.

The Disciplinary Committee had found Dr Schulze Allen guilty of four charges, namely that he had been convicted of the criminal offence of petty theft in the US which rendered him unfit to practise, and that on three subsequent occasions, twice to the RCVS and once to a notary in California, dishonestly represented that he had no criminal convictions. 

Following the DC hearing, Dr Schulze Allen submitted an appeal to the Privy Council. The basis of his appeal revolved around whether, under Californian law, his conviction for petty theft was a conviction for a criminal offence or an infraction, and whether an infraction under US law was a criminal offence.

The RCVS had argued that while the theft is not a criminal felony in California, it would be considered so under English law. 

However, the Board of the Privy Council which heard the appeal – comprising Lords Wilson, Carnwath and Lloyd-Jones, found the College had not proven beyond all reasonable doubt that Dr Schulze Allen was convicted of a criminal offence under Californian law. It therefore upheld his appeal against the DC’s finding that he had committed a criminal offence.

The Privy Council then considered Dr Schulze Allen’s appeal against the third and fourth of the charges against him - that he was dishonest in his representations to the College that he did not have a ‘criminal’ conviction and did not have a ‘criminal record’. The Privy Council found that, since the conviction for petty theft was an infraction, and was not a criminal offence and did not leave Dr Schulze Allen with a criminal record, then, strictly speaking, his representations to the RCVS were not false and so upheld his appeal against these two charges.

The Privy Council then considered Dr Schulze Allen’s appeal against the College’s second charge against him. This charge was that he had, in a written application for restoration to the Register, represented that he did not have any cautions, criminal convictions or "adverse findings". The College argued that he still had a responsibility to make a full and frank disclosure about his infraction, even if it did not meet the threshold of ‘criminal’ under Californian law. 

The Board of the Privy Council said it had, on Dr Schulze Allen’s behalf, done its best to identify some argument that his conviction for a petty theft infraction did not amount to an "adverse finding", but failed. Rather, it found that "the conviction obviously amounted to an adverse finding." 

The Board added that "there is no material by reference to which the Board [of the Privy Council] can depart from the [Disciplinary] Committee’s conclusion that, in answering “no” to that question, he knew that his answer was untrue. In other words, his denial was dishonest."

The Board therefore allowed the appeal against the DC’s conclusion on the first, third and fourth charges. But it dismissed the appeal against its conclusion on the second charge, namely that in that regard Dr Schulze Allen had been guilty of disgraceful conduct in a professional respect."

The Board then set aside the original sanction, that Dr Schulze Allen be removed from the Register, and tasked the Committee with identifying the appropriate sanction in relation to the second charge.

The Disciplinary Committee will now hold a further hearing to decide the sanction, at some time in the future. In the meantime Dr Schulze Allen remains on the Register of Veterinary Surgeons.

Equine vets Kevin and Jennifer Corley have launched EquiTrace, an app which allows trainers and vets to keep track of a horse’s health and identity with a quick scan of a chip.

The app allows trainers to store and share medical records and treatment plans, identify horses and, with a Bio Thermo chip, monitor temperature non-invasively. 

In Ireland, the Irish Horse Racing Board (IHRB) requires every yard keep a Blue Book which has to be submitted monthly. In the Blue Book, every medication given to every horse is recorded, with the amounts, the name of the medication and its batch number all written in by hand. EquiTrace enables a trainer to email the blue book information direct from their mobile phone. 

Vincent O’Connor, senior vet at Sycamore Lodge Equine Hospital on the Curragh, Ireland, says he has found the app very easy to use and particularly appreciates the way it suggests stand down periods required for intraarticular medication, where injections into different joints require different numbers of days withdrawal before competition. The experience of John Oxx, whose winner I Know I Can was disqualified because of a positive test for TCA (triamcinolone acetonide) on 2 July 2020, is a case in point. Dr Lynn Hillyer, IHRB Chief Veterinary Officer and Head of Anti-Doping, stated that the minimum recommended stand down time for TCA would be 14 days but added that the stifle is a complex joint and can be associated with longer excretion times than might be expected.

Kevin Corley said: "Keeping a horse’s identity straight might seem a simple thing, but when you have a yard where staff and horses can change frequently and records are kept in the office, far away from the stables and fields where the horses are, it is not as easy as you think. I remember a time when I was called out to genetically test four two year olds, each valued at over €50,000 because their registration documents had been lost before they had been filed and no one knew which one was which."

EquiTrace has been in trials in Ireland, England, USA, Sweden and Italy and Kevin says every yard which has tested the app has kept it in operation.

EquiTrace is a subscription service, with a basic service for $1/€1 per month per horse and a premium subscription at $2/€2 per month per horse. A scanner available from EquiTrace as a one-time cost is required to operate the system, ranging in price from €250 to €400 or USA $350 to $550.

EquiTrace works with all ISO-compliant microchips but some of the service offerings are dependent on the type of chip in the horse.

EquiTrace is available on Apple and Google appstores. Establishments with over 200 horses can contact EquiTrace directly to arrange a subscription. Current clients include DK Weld in Ireland, Ramsey Farm and Three Chimneys Farm in Kentucky, USA, Kinsale Stud in the UK and Avantea in Italy.

For more information, visit: https://equitrace.app 

According to a report in last weekend's Mail on Sunday, documents leaked from Defra have revealed proposals for a range of measures designed to reduce the risk from dangerous dogs.

The proposals reportedly include:

• All owners required to take a 'competency test' to prove they can handle their dog. The cost of the test has been estimated at £60.
• All owners required to buy third party insurance.
• All owners required to microchip their pet

The first of these looks like being a bit of a non-runner. Aside from the subjective nature of deciding what makes a competent owner, the cost is disproportionate to the size of the problem: 703 convictions for dangerously out of control dogs in 2007. The other two seem long overdue.