Veterinary surgeons can consider a wider range of options when it comes to neutering cats and dogs. This was the message from veterinary reproduction specialist Angelika von Heimendahl MSc BVM(Berlin) MRCVS DipECAR, at a recent seminar on reproductive health organised by Virbac.
Mrs von Heimendahl, who runs the Cambridge based referral centre, Veterinary Reproduction Service, said: "Globally the approach to neutering varies hugely. Although neutering is considered as part of responsible pet ownership in the UK and performed routinely in every practice in the country, at the other end of the scale, in Germany and Scandinavia for example, this is considered mutilation and is prohibited by law.
"Despite the very low neutering rates - Norway 7% compared to UK around 80% - in these countries they do not have a problem with stray dogs, indicating that there are other factors such as education and attitudes to dog ownership that play a major role."
She added: "In other continental countries, bitch spaying is usually by ovariectomy rather than ovariohysterectomy.
"Some practices are now successfully offering clients a range of options, including medical castration, especially with new reproduction drugs recently introduced onto the market. The non-surgical contraceptive slow-release implant, deslorelin (Suprelorin), a GnRH superagonist lasts for six months, making medical castration a more practical solution for many owners."
Mrs Von Heimendahl also suggested that deslorelin, although off-licence, can be used in bitches as an alternative to spaying: "Whilst neutering can have advantages in terms of reduced incidence of certain cancers, there are also advantages of retaining both male and female dogs intact. Some cancers are less likely to occur in intact animals, for example there is a reduced risk of transitional cell carcinomas, haemangiosarcomas and osteosarcomas. Obesity and its associated problems are also less of an issue, which is a particular benefit for owners where the necessary reduced calorie intake post neutering is difficult to achieve."
Chris Taylor MRCVS, technical director of seminar organiser, Virbac, added that medical castration can offer dog owners the opportunity to 'test run' neutering of their animal, and pointed out that this is particularly useful for behavioural issues in young male dogs: "Twice yearly implants offer a practical alternative for clients, whether as a short or longer-term solution. As a solution focussed business, we are constantly striving to put forward a choice of options which can only have benefits for client and practice alike."
The University of Bristol's School of Veterinary Sciences at Langford has opened a £2 million state-of-the-art dairy farm.
Wyndhurst Farm's dairy unit has undergone a major rebuild in order to provide a world-class practical teaching environment for around 600 veterinary students, as well as a facility that can be used to support research and the continual professional development of veterinary surgeons, farmers and others involved in the dairy industry locally, nationally and internationally. Professor Jo Price, Head of the School of Veterinary Sciences, said: "This is an exciting time for the Vet School. The new dairy unit will enable our undergraduate and postgraduate students to be taught in a world-class facility. It will provide the best standards of animal welfare for our dairy herd and will support our research on the prevention and treatment of diseases of farm animals."The farm, which is approximately 250 acres, includes numerous features to ensure high welfare standards. The dairy herd will be housed in deep sand bedded cubicles, with parts of the floors covered in soft rubber to protect the cows' feet and when housed cows will be fed a total mixed ration using grass, maize and whole crop wheat silages grown on the farm.Since the new facility has been built the farm's herd of Pedigree Holstein cows have increased in number from 110 to 180 cows and will soon reach 200, with each cow giving over 9,000 litres of milk per year. The farm also has a newly established breeding flock of 100 New Zealand Romney ewes. Since 2010 it has been managed by Velcourt Farm Management.
Royal Canin has announced the launch of two new veterinary diets designed to tackle obesity in cats and dogs.
'Satiety Small Dog' is for adult dogs with an ideal weight up to 10kg. 'Satiety Wet' has been developed for those dogs who prefer wet food, or who are used to eating a combination of wet and dry food.
Satiety Small Dog is available in 1.5kg, 3.5kg and 8kg bags and contains a blend of fibres that Royal Canin says increases the volume of stomach contents and promotes satiety. The company says the new diet also contains specific nutrients which contribute to maintaining good oral health, and a high protein content to help maintain muscle mass during the weight loss programme.
Satiety Small Dog is designed to improve digestive tolerance in smaller breeds, as it has a different blend of fibre and higher levels of butyrate than Satiety Canine, which is formulated for the needs of medium and larger dogs. The diet contains less dietary oxalate which Royal Canin claims is of benefit to smaller dogs that are at a greater risk of developing calcium oxalate uroliths.
The second new diet, Satiety Wet for Dogs, is available in 410g and 195g cans. The diet has a high protein content (14.1g per 100kcal), and is enriched with nutrients, minerals and vitamins. Royal Canin also highlights what it says is a particularly innovative feature: a high fibre content in a canned diet.
Ian Williams, Veterinary Scientific Support Manager at Royal Canin, said: "Almost 60% of dogs and 40% of cats in the UK and Ireland are overweight or obese. With obesity comes an increased risk of animals developing conditions affecting the upper respiratory tract, cardiopulmonary system, joints and urinary tract. In cats obesity is also a major risk factor for Type II diabetes mellitus. In essence, obesity can lead to a decreased life expectancy and a reduced quality of life.
"Royal Canin has a proven track record of developing innovative diets to help these pets and the latest additions to our range really will complement the existing choice for vets and their clients."
The WSAVA is calling on veterinary surgeons and nurses to volunteer to help with outreach projects in Africa in September 2014.
The projects are part of a new initiative from WSAVA called the 'WSAVA Global Outreach', which is designed to help share the knowledge and experience of its members more widely around the world.
The first two projects will take place as an extension of the WSAVA World Congress in Cape Town, from 16th-19th September:
The WSAVA-SAVA Community Veterinary Clinics ProgrammeThe WSAVA is also offering the opportunity for ten veterinary surgeons registered to attend World Congress to volunteer for a five day placement working with the South African Veterinary Association's Community Veterinary Clinic (SAVA-CVC). They will assist with a range of activities including running mobile veterinary clinics and providing basic care such as vaccination and parasite treatments. Volunteers will also have the opportunity to carry out basic diagnostics and treatment including neutering.
WSAVA President Colin Burrows said: "WSAVA Global Outreach is a vehicle to enable us to create a lasting legacy in every region which hosts World Congress because, if we all work together, we can help to build a better future everyone in the profession."
Further details on how to apply for both volunteer programmes can be found at www.wsava.org.
Bayer Animal Health has been enjoying considerable success in its efforts to raise awareness of the danger of lungworm amongst pet owners.
The company signed model and 'Strictly Come Dancing' presenter Tess Daly to front it's Be Lungworm Aware campaign at Crufts this year.
Coincidentally, her previous involvement in the Be Lungworm Aware campaign has led her to believe that her Golden Retriever, Sam, died of lungworm.
She said: "Back then I didn’t even realise lungworm existed. It was only subsequently that I became aware of the parasite and symptoms and I thought, ‘hang on this sounds horribly familiar’.
"It wasn’t confirmed what was causing Sam’s symptoms, but he was very tired, off his food and coughing a lot. Eventually we had to send him to a specialist vet centre as his symptoms worsened. They did all sorts of tests on him, and even a blood transfusion in an attempt to save his life, it was awful. We had to liquefy all his food and feed him through a syringe, and by this point he was vomiting and had severe diarrhoea, and in the end we had no choice but to put him down, he just couldn’t carry on."
Tess's involvement in the campaign is definitely paying dividends in raising awareness. Here she is talking about it in a Daily Telegraph video. There's also a piece in What's on TV. And although the Daily Mail seems more interested in her 'casual but slick ensemble', the photographs get the message across and there's a video there too.
Bayer has also launched an interactive lungworm map to assist with plotting the prevalence of the disease across the UK. The company says it is part of a wider research programme to better monitor and document the spread of the disease. Vets are asked to report cases of lungworm in their practices to be added to the map, so dog owners can then view reported cases of lungworm in their area at www.lungworm.co.uk.
AT Veterinary Systems has launched the IRIS Imaging Solution, a 'digital hub' for veterinary practices which the company says goes beyond many traditional PACS (Picture Archiving Communications Systems), offering a multi-user and multi-screen imaging solution.
With IRIS Imaging Solution practice staff can archive, access, view, process, manipulate, review and communicate DICOM files and other digital media, as well as entire DICOM studies (constituting multiple files) from any terminal on the network. These DICOM files can be stored together with clinical and patient records as well as text notes, lab reports, forms, photos and images.
AT Veterinary Systems says IRIS is ideal for practices that want a cost-effective, quick and easy to use imaging solution that is especially configured for swift data transfer throughout a network. Added benefits also include a large data storage capacity, off site data storage facility, remote access capability and automated data back up and network synchronisation.
Jacqui Garrett, Business Development Manager at AT Veterinary Systems said: "We work hard at AT Veterinary Systems to offer veterinary practices cutting edge software that meets all of their needs. With IRIS Imaging Solution we have employed the latest technology to provide a professional, dynamic and easy to use imaging and information management system."
For more information about IRIS Imaging Solution please visit http://www.irisimaging.co.uk/
Cat Professional is carrying out a survey to assess the use of Zylkène in cats with idiopathic cystitis (FIC), and is looking for owners whose cats are using the treatment to complete an online survey.
Zylkène is a nutritional supplement which has been reported to have positive effects in managing stress in cats and dogs. Zylkène is commonly used for reduction of stress in cats with FIC.
Veterinary practices that agree to help Cat Professional recruit clients whose FIC cats are receiving Zylkène will receive:
On completion of the survey, participants will receive a free electronic copy of the book 'Caring for a cat with lower urinary tract disease'.
For more information on the study, please visit our website: http://www.catprofessional.com.
The survey is accessible from the home page or directly at http://www.catprofessional.com/urinary-survey.html
Braving the elements, a record 12 candidates sat the examinations for the Certificate in Veterinary Practice Management last week, seven of which passed their selected elements, and four of which have been awarded their certificate.
The new CVPMs are, Julie Beacham at Wendover Heights Veterinary Centre in Aylesbury, Liz Howes at The Oxford Cat Clinic in Oxford, Helen Kington from Hungerford and Renay Rickard at the Pelyn Veterinary Group in Lostwithiel. An official presentation of the awards will take place at the Veterinary Practice Management Association Congress Dinner on 28th January 2010 at the Chesford Grange Hotel, Kenilworth, Warwickshire.
The candidates are managers in very different types of veterinary businesses, which the VPMA says is confirmation that the CVPM is applicable and has wide appeal in veterinary management.
Lucy Bartlett of CVS (UK) Ltd, Straight Mile Equine Clinic, Lisa Marter of The Arundel Equine Hospital and Steven Broomfield of The Blue Cross, were also successful in achieving a pass in the written and oral sections of the examination and will be able to complete the CVPM by submitting and passing the portfolio section of the exam next year.
There are now 61 holders of the CVPM since its inception in 1996. The next examination session will be held on 2nd December 2011.
The National Office of Animal Health (NOAH) and the International Federation for Animal Health Europe (IFAH) have welcomed the European Commission's publication of proposals for revised legislation concerning veterinary medicines and medicated feed earlier today.
The EC says the proposals are designed to increase the availability of veterinary medicines, reduce administrative burden, stimulate competitiveness and innovation, improve the functioning of the internal market and address the issue of antimicrobial resistance.
NOAH says that currently, the manufacturers of veterinary medicines struggle with a regulatory system with some serious flaws, including:
NOAH chief executive Phil Sketchley said: "NOAH will be looking at the detail of the texts in the coming days and weeks, and reviewing their potential impact. We look forward to working with the VMD, who have called stakeholder workshops to examine the texts. We will also be supporting our European federation IFAH-Europe as they work determinedly with the European institutions over the coming years to support the Commission's vision for a more efficient regulatory system for veterinary medicines in Europe.
"We believe the value our industry brings to society is very high, despite being quite a small sector. For example, veterinary medicines benefit public health by preventing zoonotic disease and supporting food security.
"With synergies with our own UK Government's commitment to reduce unnecessary red tape, which is a key theme for DEFRA, the animal health industry in Europe needs greater efficiency to cut the red tape for our industry. We look forward to a streamlined registration process which delivers a single European marketing authorisation for all veterinary medicines.
"We will also be considering if the text has any particular implications for the UK animal health market and access to medicines for our animals."
NOAH says it also welcomes the revised medicated feed legislation. Phil Sketchley said: "NOAH believes this is an important route for administering prescription medicines to animals. We will work to help ensure the legislation is capable of maintaining and strengthening this route."
CarefreeCredit, the vet-run company we reported on back in October, has announced that it is working with its 600th practice in offering its interest-free or low-interest credit to clients that find themselves unable to pay for unforeseen veterinary treatment.
Stewart Halperin MRCVS, Managing Director of CarefreeCredit said: “2014 has been an incredibly busy but successful year for us. We’ve increased the take up of our service by over 500%, we have proudly cemented our partnerships within the corporate and buying groups and most importantly, we have become established enough to make a substantial difference to the pets and pet owners who rely on the help our service provides.”
Stewart added: “We know 2015 is going to be an even bigger year for us, with even more practices joining our system and the introduction of dependable and innovative business support services that will continue to save our practices time and money and help them increase sales and reduce debtors. With this in mind, we are introducing a very small monthly charge to cover our increased costs in software, training and office support services.”
From the New Year, practices that join Carefree Credit will be charged a flat rate of £10 per month for the duration of their membership. The £10 monthly fee covers support for FCA applications, unlimited training in-practice or online, use of the CarefreeCredit unique platform, CarefreeCredit office support, and point of sale materials. Practices that sign up before January 1st, will continue their membership without charge until at least January 2016.
For further information, visit: carefreecredit.co.uk or ring 0203 697 8439.
Badger culling is necessary in certain circumstances to tackle the spread of bovine tuberculosis (bTB), according to the British Veterinary Association (BVA) and British Cattle Veterinary Association (BCVA).
This week the BVA's Council approved the new policy position adding the veterinary profession's voice to the ongoing debate on bTB.
Earlier in the year BVA President Nicky Paull welcomed the announcement of a pilot badger cull in west Wales. The BVA has now updated its bTB policy to more strongly state the case for humane, targeted and managed culling in specific areas where badgers are regarded as a significant contributor to the persistent presence of bTB.
The BVA's policy also states that the current Government strategy for bTB control is inadequate and calls for simultaneous control measures in both cattle and badgers and other wildlife and susceptible farmed species.
Nicky Paull, President of the BVA, said: "Bovine TB has an unacceptable impact on animal health and welfare and has the potential to be a risk to public health. Yet the current strategy for dealing with it is inadequate.
"Where I practise in Cornwall vets and farmers are desperate for effective measures to help us get on top of this inexorable disease.
"Veterinary surgeons take an active role in surveillance, diagnosis and treatment of disease and we know that the only way to control bTB is through simultaneous and coordinated measures across all susceptible species.
"In no way does our new policy position detract from the continued focus on cattle-to-cattle spread, within both the veterinary profession and the farming community, which continues to play a key role in attempts to control the disease.
"But the BVA believes that humane, targeted and managed culling of badgers in some areas will be necessary if we are to reverse the increasing prevalence of bTB."
New research published in Epidemiology and Infection (Cambridge University Press) reveals that direct contact between badgers and cattle is rare, suggesting that it may be rare for bovine tuberculosis (TB) to be passed on through the two species meeting each other on pasture.
For the research, which was conducted by the Royal Veterinary College and the Food and Environment Research Agency, researchers investigated direct and indirect interactions between badgers and cattle by fitting automated high-tech proximity loggers to animals and placing base stations at badger latrines located on pasture, in an area of south-west England with a high-density badger population, over a period of 12-months.
Direct interactions (within 1.4 metres) between badgers and cows at pasture were very rare, with only four out of over 500,000 animal-to-animal contacts recorded between the two species.
Indirect interactions (visits to badger latrines) were far more frequent than direct contacts, with 400 visits by badgers and 1700 visits by cattle recorded. This suggests that indirect contacts might be more important than direct in terms of disease transmission at pasture.
During the study half of the badgers tested positive for TB, however the infection status of individual badgers did not affect the frequency or duration of their visits to latrines located on pasture grazed by cattle.
Bovine tuberculosis caused by infection with Mycobacterium bovis is endemic in cattle in parts of England and Wales and its control is hindered by the presence of infection in the European badger. While M. bovis is clearly transmitted between cattle and badgers, it is has not previously been known where, when or how often transmission occurs.
Dr Julian Drewe from the Royal Veterinary College who led the study, said: "Our findings reveal that direct contacts between badgers and cattle at pasture are surprisingly rare, despite ample opportunity for interactions to occur, suggesting that the two species may be ignoring or even actively avoiding one another. The study was conducted in an area with a high badger population, so it is likely that such direct contact will be even less frequent in areas of the country where there are fewer badgers.
"Indirect visits by both species to badger latrines were significantly more common than direct contacts between badgers and cattle, which suggests that these represent the more typical nature of interspecies contact. Future research aiming to quantify TB risk to cattle from badgers might be best to focus on indirect contacts occurring at latrines and on contacts occurring away from pasture, for example in farm buildings.
"This clearly has disease management implications, and more work is now needed in this area to look at how such contact can be limited, to reduce the number of cases of bovine TB in the future."
A new study, published in the Equine Veterinary Journal (EVJ)1 has concluded that whilst horse owners are increasingly looking to vets for worm control advice and use faecal worm egg counts more frequently, they remain largely unaware of the threat of resistance to dewormers and the importance of appropriate 'targeted' dosing.
The authors of the study say that although the findings are encouraging, they indicate that further effort is needed to help owners fully understand the issue of dewormer resistance, in order to help preserve the efficacy of dewormers currently available and protect the health and welfare of their horses.
According to the British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA), resistance of equine gastrointestinal worms to the currently available dewormers is a serious problem. The association says small redworm are the greatest concern, given their very high prevalence, potential to cause life-threatening disease and high levels of resistance. Of the three classes of anthelmintic available for their control, there is now widespread resistance to benzimidazoles (e.g. fenbendazole) and tetrahydropyrimidines (e.g. pyrantel) and reduced effectiveness of macrocyclic lactones (ivermectin and moxidectin). With no new classes of dewormer on the horizon, it's essential that efficacy of existing effective products is preserved.
The study was conducted by a UK team, led by Claire Stratford, Horse Trust Clinical Scholar in Equine Medicine at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, and at Moredun Research Institute. The collaborators were also supported by funding from the Elise Pilkington Trust and Horserace Betting Levy Board.
The study examined equine helminth control practices in Scotland, and was based on responses from 193 questionnaires detailing the parasite control programmes of 993 horses and ponies. The results demonstrated a lack of awareness of the significance of dewormer resistance, with 86% of respondents stating that they were unaware of the presence of resistance on their yard. The majority were relatively unconcerned about dewormer resistance, assigning a score of only 6/10 (with 10 representing highest level of concern) when asked to grade how important they perceived it to be.
On a more positive note, many respondents stated that they involved their vet in planning control strategies. Faecal worm egg count (FWEC) analysis had been performed on 62% of yards and annual treatment frequency had been reduced accordingly. The macrocyclic lactones or related combination products were the most commonly administered products; however, owners did have misconceptions regarding the specific worms they should be targeting.
Although treatments licensed for use against encysted small redworm larvae were administered by 80% of respondents, only 57% perceived that they treated for this parasite stage. Similarly, only 78% of respondents believed they were treating for tapeworm when, in fact, 90% reported using a product licensed for tapeworm treatment.
While responses indicated increased implementation of strategic (44% respondents) or targeted control (40% respondents), variations in the apparent influence of the targeted approach on treatment practices suggested some confusion over this term. Claire Stratford said: "Targeted dosing involves using regular FWEC analysis to identify an individual's egg shedding level. This is currently considered best practice, when used in conjunction with annual dosing against encysted small redworm and tapeworm. The survey indicates a need for continued knowledge transfer, together with a consistent definition of 'targeted' treatment."
Professor Celia Marr, Editor of Equine Veterinary Journal said: "It's very encouraging to see that vet advice is being increasingly sought and it seems logical that the use of FWECs is rising accordingly. But, it is equally important that the information gained from the FWECs is used wisely. Resistance to dewormers is a major health concern that is with us right now and horse owners need to be made more aware of it."
Reference
Supreme Petfoods is calling on veterinary surgeons and nurses to take part in its 'Think Rabbit Month' campaign coming up in May.
The campaign is designed to attract more rabbit and guinea pig owners into practices.
Over 500 UK vet practices took part in the campaign last year and, according to the company, many used the opportunity to raise awareness about their rabbit healthcare services, such as dental checks and vaccination programs.
In the run up to Think Rabbit Month, Supreme has published the 'Think Rabbit Virtual Manual', a guide which shows how to make veterinary practices more rabbit friendly. It is now free to download from Supreme's website. In addition, there are a range of goodie bag giveaways, money off vouchers, care guides and food samples for clients, together with educational material to promote best practice care.
Participating practices can display the Think Rabbit 'Small Furry Promise' certificate, posters for the waiting room and can register for the 'Happy Hoppers Club' - a scheme that brings vets and pet owners together to promote small furry welfare.
The event is backed by RCVS Exotics Specialist, Molly Varga who said: "I'd encourage all vet practices to take part in Think Rabbit Month this May to help improve the health and welfare of the nation's rabbits and guinea pigs."
Vets and nurses are also being encouraged to help promote the national 'Rabbit Habits' survey to learn more about how owners care for their pets. The results will be shared with the profession in due course.
For more information, visit: http://www.supremepetfoods.com/think-rabbit/
BSAVA PetSavers is funding a research project at the University of Liverpool designed to help vets and owners provide the best care for senior and geriatric dogs.
In the first part of the study, veterinary professionals were interviewed about the services currently provided to senior dogs and their owners regarding preventative healthcare, treatment, and advice.
Owners were interviewed about their experiences of living with and accessing veterinary care for senior dogs.
The results of these interviews were then used to develop the online survey which researchers now need vets to take part in, to validate the interview findings in a quantitative way.
Dr Carri Westgarth said: “The veterinary survey focuses on the perceived barriers to care for senior dogs, end-of-life care including quality-of-life, and the potential design of the BSAVA PetSavers guidance tool.
"We would be grateful if any veterinary professional could take a few minutes from their day to help us with this project.”
The survey should take around 20–25 minutes to complete.
Survey participants will also have the opportunity to win an Amazon voucher.
The survey can be accessed here: https://bit.ly/PetsaversOAPVetSurvey.
Pfizer Animal Health has launched a new range of diabetes support materials, including a DVD, post-prescription leaflet and home recording chart for owners of diabetic cats and dogs; a vet detailer, poster and blood glucose monitoring chart for the practice.
The company says that diabetes is on the increase in pets, as the level of obesity in cats and dogs escalates. Current estimates put the disease prevalence at 0.32% in the dog population1 with similar levels suggested for cats with some being as high as 1 in 1002. With increasing economic pressures and busy lifestyles, many owners are reluctant to take on the challenge of a diabetic pet, yet most pets respond extremely well to treatment.
Susan Mitchell, Insuvet® Product Manager at Pfizer Animal Health, believes that communication is key: "Helping owners to understand that treatment need not be difficult and that routines can be flexible enough to fit in with their lifestyles is critical. Time and time again it has been shown that cost is not always the primary consideration when it comes to treating the pet that is viewed as a much loved member of the family.
"Ensuring that owners understand exactly what will be expected of them is likely to be pivotal to the success of diabetes management than might first be assumed. Our new range of support material focuses on that need and takes the owner right the way through the process, from that initial diagnosis when decisions hang in the balance, to improving compliance by providing all the tools necessary for effective day to day management of the disease."
The new support materials include a DVD that explains all that clients need to know about the condition. This, says Pfizer, is the ideal choice after initial diagnosis, to reinforce and support the dialogue that takes place in the clinic environment. Shock, fear and confusion may mean that many owners will simply fail to take in all that their vet has to tell them after the initial diagnosis. This, in turn may prevent the owner from making an objective decision about their pet's future.
Once emotions have settled the client can watch the DVD in their own home, start to approach the future more rationally and decide what adaptations may have to be made. A post prescription leaflet is available to provide reassurance about the daily routine of monitoring a diabetic pet and a home recording chart to aid long-term compliance.
Of course, diabetic patients can be just as challenging in the practice environment so a comprehensive vet detailer is available along with blood glucose monitoring charts, a poster detailing what to do in a keto-acidotic emergency, a veterinary nurse discharging list and a clinic letter.
For further information on the Insuvet® range or to request support materials for diabetic clinics or individual patients, vets and nurses should contact their Pfizer Business Account Manager. For any technical questions about the Insuvet range call the Pfizer Animal Health Technical Support Line on 0845 3008034.
The British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) has issued guidelines to help vets employ overseas veterinary graduates successfully.
BEVA says that whilst employers should not discriminate based on nationality, language or place of graduation, it believes they have a duty to ensure all employees have the required level of linguistic and clinical skills to enable them to undertake their role safely and effectively.
The advice explains how to interpret English Language Qualification test results, highlights European Veterinary Schools that have not been approved by European Association of Establishments of Veterinary Education (EAEVE) and reminds employers that compulsory Extra Mural Studies (EMS) is unique to veterinary schools in the UK and Ireland.
Each year many foreign veterinary graduates register to work in the UK. By providing this advice BEVA hopes that employers will find it easier to navigate the differences between graduates from various veterinary schools across Europe, to uphold the reputation of the profession.
Mark Bowen, President Elect of BEVA, said: "At a time when politicians are debating language skills amongst medical graduates, it is useful to remind employers of the complex language skills required to provide the public with the service they expect. This guidance should assist employers in identifying the skilled workforce they need, while navigating the complexities of different English Language Qualifications and different veterinary qualifications."
Tim Greet, former BEVA President and a candidate for RCVS Council, said: "Whilst not condoning any discrimination based upon nationality, it seems only common sense to make sure that a new employee, from whatever background, can cope with the necessary level of communication, so fundamental in modern veterinary practice. A certain level of practical skill should also be expected to avoid compromise to patient welfare and to underpin continued professional development."
The Veterinary Schools Council is supportive of the guidelines. A spokesperson for the Council said: "It is a valuable document that should be helpful to any employer who is considering recruitment of a veterinarian from the EU."
For further information and to download a copy of the document visit www.beva.org.uk
The company says that this year, its focus is on communicating the benefits of microchipping cats, which can roam significant distances from the home. The support pack, which reflects this focus, contains resources that can be used both in the practice waiting room and online.
In addition, the company is running a competition exclusively for cat owners: any that get their animal microchipped with the 8mm BackHome MiniChip in June can enter a prize draw to win a GPS tracker for their collar to help them find out just how far their cat can roam.
Dr Sarah Dixon MRCVS, BackHome Product Manager, said: "There is no legal requirement for cats to be microchipped but the benefits are clear. We looked at a recent study which showed that, in a 24 hour period, cats ranged on average 2 hectares with an average maximum of 7 hectares – or about 10 football pitches.1 One cat roamed nearly 34 hectares! The competition should reinforce the message about why microchipping is beneficial to all pets.
"Whilst compulsory microchipping for dogs has been in place for a year, practices must continue to highlight to owners the advantages of getting their pets microchipped. To enable practices to engage with their clients, and to reward the hard work done by staff in practices to make these campaigns a success, we are hosting a competition for the best displays. Prizes include a 32-inch TV for waiting rooms to the winner and luxury chocolates to the runners up."
Thomas, R.L., Baker, P.J. & Fellowes, M.D.E. (2014). Ranging characteristics of the domestic cat (Felis catus) in an urban environment, Urban Ecosystem, 17, p911-921.
The pack contains:
For more information, contact your local Dechra equine sales manager.
Bob Martin has launched FleaClear (fipronil) for cats and dogs, which will be sold through multiple retailers and leading pet retailers for as little as £4.50 per treatment.
The company says it is backing the launch with 'considerable marketing spend', which will include TV advertising, a press campaign in women's consumer lifestyle titles, PR and social media campaigns.
According to the company's press release: "Not only is it cheaper than Frontline it can be bought off the shelf saving a costly visit to the vets."
Indeed. Not to mention the savings to be made by not having to hospitalise the permethrined cat.
Norbrook has announced the launch of Total Pet Health Month 2012, a pet education campaign aimed at improving the health and welfare of dog and cats.
The campaign, which began on 13th August, offers advice and guidance to pet owners about a range of pet health problems. Norbrook says the main aim is to encourage owners to speak with their vet if they have any concerns about their pet.
The main vehicle for the campaign is the Norbrook's Pet Healthcare website on http://www.norbrook.com/pets-health/.
The first topic featured in Total Pet Health Month 2012 is parasite control and treatment. Norbrook commissioned petbuzz to carry out research on parasite concerns for pet owners.
Michelle Jones, Norbrook Small Animal Brand Manager said: "Almost 80% of pet owners reported seeing an increase in fleas and ticks in the summer so it is timely to launch Total Pet Health Month with a focus on parasite control. 70% of respondents were concerned about the risk of skin problems and discomfort in their pets due to fleas and ticks. We hope that our campaign will address these concerns and help pet owners manage what can be a very unpleasant and irritating problem."
The research highlighted that 63% of pet owners sought advice from a vet in relation to flea and tick treatment and 66% purchased treatments from a veterinary practice.
Michelle said: "It is very encouraging that two thirds of pet owners purchase treatments from a vet. Total Pet Health Month is a great opportunity for pet owners to find out more about concerns they have for their pets. We would actively encourage them to engage with animal health experts and veterinarians because they will get invaluable advice during the purchase which they may not otherwise get."
During Total Pet Health Month 2012, Norbrook will also look at conditions including gum disease and hip dysplasia.
Total Pet Health Month will run across the Total Pet Publishing network (a Europe-wide network of pet sites). Norbrook says it will engage with more than 3m pet owners, guiding them to the Norbrook pet healthcare portal and to seek solutions and treatments from their veterinary practice.
The petbuzz market research was conducted in May 2012 with 1,147 pet owners: 86% dog owners, 41% cat owners, 10% rabbit owners.
The virtual walks come in the form of a 30 day series of emails taking owners on an imaginary adventure exploring different environments and looking for the things that make these places so exciting for an arthritic dog. Each email will include soundbites from experts and CAM founder Hannah Capon, together with tips and advice.
This year, the charity is also fundraising to keep its live sessions free, to keep its resources accessible to the public and to refurbish its website for owners and animal health professionals.
There are three levels of participation: Garden Wanderer is £10 and gives access to the emails, Facebook group, discount codes and the chance to win prizes and play Big Walk Bingo. Park Explorer is priced at £40 for which participants also get a CAM big walks T-shirt (ladies or unisex fit) and a dog bandana to match. Finally, the £70 Forest Adventurer package adds access to CAM Comprehensive, a course to help owners on their journey with their arthritic dog.
Hannah said: "Please support us, and invite your dog-owning friends and colleagues to do the same. Share the event to your social media pages and help us get the message out that there is more to life with an arthritic dog and even if a dog can’t do the activities they used to there is still a whole world of fun to be found out there whether it is at the beach, in the local park or simply in the garden!"
For more information, visit: https://www.camonlineshop.com/the-big-walk-2021/
CPC, the pet crematorium, has developed a new online survey tool to help practice staff analyse the effectiveness of their bereavement care capabilities.
Called "Bereavement Care - How does your practice compare?", the online survey comprises a series of multiple choice questions designed to produce a star rating out of 5. The idea is that these questions will help practices establish whether they need to improve how staff deal with bereaved pet owners.
Duncan Francis, Director, CPC said: "Coping with the loss of a much-loved pet is never easy for a bereaved owner. While support from those who are close to both the owner and the pet can make a real difference, many vets and vet nurses have received little training on this sensitive topic.
"Understanding client's needs before, during and after euthanasia, helps staff establish a rapport with emotional clients at a critical time and maintains a positive practice image.
"The aim of the survey is to raise awareness among vets and vet nurses of the importance of feeling confident in their ability to help bereaved owners through their grief. This helps clients come to terms with the death of their pet enabling them to move on and welcome another companion animal into their lives."
To find out more about how CPC can help your practice to improve its bereavement care, please ring 01763 207700, email info@cpccares.com or visit www.cpcvets.com
The RCVS Charitable Trust is seeking two creative and energetic UK-based veterinary students to attend the British Science Festival in Aberdeen from 4-9 September 2012.
The Trust says that the students will be required to use their observations and experiences to help it develop future outreach activities to inform and inspire public audiences about aspects of veterinary clinical practice and research, and will have all their expenses paid by the Trust.
Entrants need to write to the RCVS Charitable Trust to say how they would go about meeting this challenge, ideally giving examples that demonstrate their proven innovative abilities. The deadline for entries is 9 July, after which the entries will be considered by a competition panel who will decide the winners. Entrants must be able to commit to attending the entire festival and to deliver a feedback presentation to the competition panel on 31 October. Entrants should also be willing and able to compile a video diary or blog to feedback their experiences.
Further information and details about how to enter are available at http://trust.rcvs.org.uk/home/. The successful applicants will be announced at the end of July.