The RCVS is reminding veterinary surgeons that the retention fee payment deadline is 31 March. Fee payments received after 1 April are subject to an extra £35, and veterinary surgeons whose fees remain unpaid after 31 May are removed from the Register.

Veterinary surgeons also need to confirm or update their Register details annually as part of renewing their registration. Although the deadline for this is 30 September, members may find it convenient to do this at the same time as making fee payments. UK- and overseas-practising members need to confirm additionally that they have met the continuing professional development (CPD) requirements. Renewals can be made either online or via the form included with the annual renewal notice, regardless of how payments are made.

Fees can be paid through the RCVS website, by cheque, direct debit (which will need to have been set up in advance) or bank transfer. Particularly relevant for those making payments on someone else's behalf, is to remember to write the vet's name and Register number on the back of the cheque, or as a bank transfer reference. The RCVS processes over 22,000 registrations every year and needs to know to whom each payment relates.

For those who have set up a direct debit, the RCVS generally aims to take the payment on 31 March. As this will be a Sunday this year, the payment will be taken as soon as possible afterwards. To set up a bank transfer (which can be from a bank account online, telephone banking, or a branch, depending what the bank offers) the RCVS account details are available by telephoning the Finance Department (020 7202 0723). Payments cannot be taken over the phone.

A veterinary surgeon's registration acts as a licence to practise and those removed from the Register may not practise unless and until they have been restored.

The Wellcome Trust, the UK's largest medical research charity, has announced the launch of a new £10.7m initiative to provide support for a range of activities designed to encourage veterinarians to take up research careers.

The scheme will be run in partnership with the UK's veterinary schools at the Universities of Bristol, Cambridge, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Liverpool, London, Nottingham, and the University of Oxford (Laboratory Animal Medicine Component).

The programme will deliver 20 Clinical Research Training Fellows, each with a PhD and a clinical or pathology specialist qualification, as well as number of postdoctoral fellows and clinical doctoral fellows, each with a DVM and specialist postgraduate training in laboratory animal medicine. In addition, leading to these centrepiece awards will be 175 Vacation Scholarships, 175 Intercalation Awards, support for 5 Summer Schools, and 9 one-year Research Entry Scholarships.

To coincide with the announcement of the new programme, the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) has launched The Impact of Veterinary Research, a brochure to promote the key role that veterinary research plays in our lives.

Diagnostic imagers at Davies Veterinary Specialists have been exploring the power and 3D resolution of their new CT scanner, and have come up with a fascinating virtual CT bronchoscopy (VB) that tracks the airways of a dog.

A movie of the bronchoscopy can be seen here: http://www.vetspecialists.co.uk%20/06_Animal_Welfare/Services/Diagnostic_Imaging.html

Using the multiple image slices generated, and considerable computing power, virtual broncoscopy allows the user to navigate through the images as if within the actual airway. In human medicine VB is commonly used in diagnostic procedures such as guided biopsy, pre-surgical planning and teaching. It may be combined with real bronchoscopy to facilitate lesion localisation and sampling.

Jerry Davies, managing director of DVS and RCVS Specialist in veterinary diagnostic imaging explains: “Whilst the usefulness of this technique in veterinary medicine remains to be explored, the exciting potential applications include anatomic assessment of the airway, foreign body localisation and pre-surgical planning.”

Dechra Veterinary Products has launched a range of support material to help educate owners about pet ear health.

Senior Brand Manager at Dechra Veterinary Products, Larry King, said: "This extensive range of new material will help veterinary professionals raise client awareness of ear infections and also help owners understand why ear health is important.

"The information available includes a leaflet for owners on how to treat their pet's ear infection as well as a guide to effective ear cleaning, which is also available as a video for practice and client use."

Videos entitled: 'How to clean your dog's ears' and 'How to clean your cat's ears are available to view at www.dechra.co.uk/How-to-Guides/Dechra-how-to-videos-guides.aspx

The It's Time to Change campaign offers best practice guidelines and information on ear disease in cats and dogs. It provides assistance in helping to diagnose the organisms associated with infection, support in choosing the correct approach to control as well as help in educating owners to apply and use treatments correctly.

More information on the support material can be found at www.dechra.co.uk/timetochange  or veterinary professionals can contact their local Dechra representative.

Vets Now has reached the final of the "Employer of the Year" at the forthcoming Private Business Awards.

Judged by a panel of key UK business leaders, the winners will be announced at an awards ceremony on 6^th September 2012.

More than 600 businesses throughout the UK entered the awards. Richard Dixon, founder of Vets Now said: "We are delighted to have reached the final in the Employer of the Year category. We have an absolutely amazing bunch of vets, nurses and receptionists across the country and I am hugely proud of them. They work their socks off; frequently in really challenging circumstances and have significantly contributed to improving the quality of life for the profession and the quality of Out of Hours care available for pets.

"Caring for animals is at the heart of what we do and we treat over 100,000 pets every year through our network of 53 emergency clinics. The very nature of Out Of Hours emergency veterinary care is very challenging to the profession and the support we offer to veterinary practices is also extremely important to us. In the last year our services have enabled more than 2,000 vets up and down the country to have their nights and weekends off, while their clients receive a high quality Out of Hours service. Our referral services also ensure that pets needing care from recognised Specialists can receive this from a trusted team."

Pfizer Animal Health is reminding horse owners of the importance of treating encysted small redworm larvae this autumn.

According to the company, these hidden, dormant parasites can account for up to 90% of the redworm burden in a horse (1). Furthermore, encysted small redworm larvae won't show up in a faecal egg count (FEC). Even if a horse has shown a negative or low count it could still be harbouring several million harmful larvae, hidden within the gut wall (2)

Encysted small redworm are a potential time bomb, with the ability to survive inside a horse for up to two years. They usually 'wake-up' in the late winter or early spring, developing and emerging from the gut wall all at the same time. Such a sudden mass emergence can cause a disease syndrome known as 'larval cyathostominosis', causing diarrhoea and colic with up to a 50% mortality rate (2). Treating encysted small redworm successfully in the late autumn or early winter is vitally important in order to prevent this serious risk.

Pfizer says that Moxidectin, the key ingredient of EQUEST, is recognised as the only single dose treatment for encysted small redworm. It has been shown to kill the larvae in-situ, without resulting in severe inflammation of the gut wall that other multi-dose treatments may cause (3). In addition, Moxidectin is licensed for persistent activity against small redworm over two weeks, killing larvae ingested as the horse grazes for up to two weeks after treatment.

Ben Gaskell, Pfizer's veterinary advisor said: "A responsible and sustainable worming programme involves good pasture management, regular diagnostic tests and targeted worming, carefully planned using specialist advice. However, it is also vital to remember the danger of encysted small redworm. Even if a horse's FEC is clear, there could still be a significant encysted small redworm burden that must be treated properly every year in late autumn / early winter."

1) Bairden K. et al (2001) Veterinary Record 148, 138-141
2) Dowdall S.M.J. et al (2002) Veterinary Parasitology 106, 225‑242
3) Steinbach T. et al (2006) Veterinary Parasitology 139, 115‑131

With just a few days to go before the first anniversary of bluetongue being detected in England, the JAB campaign group is urging farmers to vaccinate their livestock to stop the disease from taking hold in this country as it has in Europe.

So far this year France has reported 4,543 cases of bluetongue, including cases in Calais, and the Netherlands has just confirmed its first case of the disease in 2008. The affected small holding reported a sick cow found with serotype eight which had not been vaccinated against infection.

With the threat of bluetongue re-emergence in the UK growing by the day, JAB leaders have issued a reminder to farmers to contact their vets as soon as their region is in the protection zone and vaccine is available.

In a statement JAB said: "The amount of cases being reported across Europe shows the disease is on the move. This most recent case in Holland demonstrates that not vaccinating livestock leaves farmers vulnerable to outbreaks now the midge season has started.

"The industry has rallied behind the JAB campaign and has done tremendously well in terms of vaccination. Nearly 19 million doses have already been made available to English farmers, and with another nine million doses planned to be released in the coming weeks we need those areas that are new to the protection zone to vaccinate as soon as they are able. We must remember bluetongue could already be circulating in areas where outbreaks occurred last year so the risks to everyone are very real.

"The explosion in the number of cases on the continent also acts as a timely reminder to those farmers in the current protection zone who have not vaccinated and the dangers this presents to their unprotected livestock

Greater collaboration between disciplines to promote the 'One Health' approach for people and pets could save the NHS 2.5 billion a year, according to Danny Mills, Professor of Veterinary Behavioural Medicine at the University of Lincoln.

Professor Mills, an authority on companion animal behaviour, cognition and welfare, made the claim at Purina’s 'Better with Pets' European Forum in Brussels, where experts in the animal and human relationship gathered recently to discuss the benefits that pets can have to public health.

Professor Mills highlighted how animal assisted activities and therapy (AAT), where animals are used to improve social, emotional and cognitive functioning, supporting recovery and rehabilitation, can play an important role in the cost saving. He also noted how pets have been shown to reduce anxiety in those with autism, while also easing the stress levels of parents and carers.

Attendees at the event heard  an example of AAT in practice at the Sant Joan de Déu-Barcelona hospital in Spain where a functional unit has been in operation for the past six years. Here, sick children receive AAT on the advice of a doctor, both in the emergency room and on an inpatient basis. The hospital reports that the dogs help the children to have a better life and cope more effectively with their illnesses. Purina called on the public health community to recognise the advantages of AAT and to play an active part in supporting this vital element of public health care.

The panel – which also included Andrea Meisser, Vice-President of the Institute for Interdisciplinary Research on the Human-Animal Relationship, Ruud Tombrock, Director for the Europe Region of World Animal Protection, and Andrea Gavinelli, Head of Unit at the European Commission’s Health and food safety Directorate General – noted that while the benefits of the bond between people and pets are widely felt, they are sometimes hard to quantify empirically.

Professor Mills noted that it can be challenging for researchers to have papers accepted by journals or funding bodies, making it difficult for policymakers to promote the benefits of pets for public health. The panel agreed that greater partnership between all disciplines – from researchers to veterinarians and policymakers – was crucial to advancing the understanding of the public health benefits of pets and people.

Discussing how policymakers could play a part in promoting the One Health approach, Mr Gavanelli called on the pet care community to work together to provide scientific examples and data highlighting economic and social benefits. He also noted that policymakers in Europe had an important part to play by taking a holistic approach to the issue.

Professor Mills said: "The benefits of responsible pet ownership are clear. I’ve seen pets have dramatic effects on autistic children. Understanding the subtleties and nuances of how people and pets work together is vitally important for the well-being of both, and has the potential to make a massive difference to public health. But it is crucial that the industry is given an opportunity to analyse this further. Ignoring the evidence is a far greater problem than dismissing the research as being at an early stage."

The Feline Advisory Bureau (FAB) has announced the winners of four 'Easy to Give' Awards, given to the makers of veterinary medicines designed to be easy to administer to cats.

Claire Bessant, FAB's Chief Executive, said: 'Medicating cats is notoriously difficult. It is, therefore, always a pleasure to be able to reward companies who have made great efforts to make their products easier to administer to cats'.

The 2012 FAB Easy to Give Award winners were:

ALSTOE: Therios - The antibiotic cephalexin as a palatable tablet that can be split easily for accurate dosing in cats.

VIRBAC: Effipro - A spot-on preparation for the treatment of fleas, ticks and lice. The new transparent pipette prevents spillage and ensures a complete dose is given. An image of a cat appears on each pipette, so that if one is separated from its packaging it is still clear for which animal the product is intended.

NOVARTIS: Atopica - A treatment for allergic dermatitis that comes in solution form and can be given in food or directly into the cat's mouth. The specifically-designed syringe dispenser allows accurate dosing.

CEVA: Fiprospot - A spot-on medication for treating fleas and flea allergic dermatitis.

The winning products join 20 others which have been given an Easy to Give Award by FAB's expert panel of veterinary surgeons since 2005.

For more information about FAB, visit: www.fabcats.org

According to the European Scientific Counsel for Companion Animal Parasites (ESCCAP), serious zoonotic diseases, currently rife across Europe, could be a far more serious threat to pet and human health in the UK than official figures suggest.

Vets and parasitologists at an ESCCAP meeting held in Bristol on 19th September, heard evidence that UK cases of diseases such as leishmaniosis and babesiosis are grossly under-reported. ESCCAP is urging vets and parasitologists to help raise awareness of the threat and lobby the Government to prevent further relaxation of pet movement restrictions.

According to DACTARI, the voluntary web-based Dog And Cat Travel And Risk Information scheme, just 19 cases of leishmaniosis, 10 babesiosis, 10 ehrlichiosis and one case of dirofilariosis had been recorded between 1 January 2003 and 30 September 2006, which are the latest figures reported on the Defra website.

But latest figures presented by Susan Shaw, senior lecturer in dermatological and applied immunology, revealed a screening programme underway at Bristol University casts serious doubts on the reliability of the Defra-backed service to monitor cases.

"From 2005 to 2007 we recorded 257 cases of leishmaniosis. The babesiosis cases you can multiply by about five, the ehrlichiosis cases by about 10 and dirofilariosis by three," Ms Shaw told delegates at the sixth ESCCAP meeting. "That is absolutely outrageous - we are dealing with a massive number of cases. I would be very concerned if we are making decisions for the UK based on the DACTARI figures."

Maggie Fisher, an independent consultant in veterinary parasitology and founding member of ESCCAP pointed out that the PETS (Pet Travel Scheme), has issued dogs and cats with passports for travel across Europe since 2000 and has proven immensely popular, with 76,000 dogs entering the UK in January to October 2007 alone.

"What is coming into the country with those animals is not well documented," said Mrs Fisher. Case studies point to harrowing experiences for individual families travelling with their dogs to mainland Europe unaware of the dangers. "One family thought they'd done everything they should because they followed the instructions under PETS. What they didn't realise is that they weren't protected against ticks, tick-borne diseases and worms whilst they were away and their dog picked up babesiosis."

Human health and veterinary professionals at the meeting explored the real threat and implications of parasites across Europe. Peter Deplazes of ESCCAP, Switzerland, reported that the human form of Echinococcus multilocularis claims three or four lives per year in Switzerland and is a very common endoparasitic diagnosis in dogs. Forty per cent of foxes are infected with E multilocularis.

Leishmaniosis causes renal failure in dogs, reported ESCCAP Spain's Lupe Miro Corrales, often leading to death or euthanasia. Worldwide more than 12 million people are already infected, and one in ten at risk of being infected. Stray dogs and cats are important carriers and almost 80 per cent of sero-positive dogs have no clinical signs.

Natural controls offered by the UK's island status are now under threat. Currently a derogation allows the UK, and four other EU member states, stricter controls to help maintain their Echinococcus multilocularis and tick-borne disease free status. It extends to July 2010 but comes up for review next year, pointed out Maggie Tomlinson from the Department of Health, who is taking the case to the EU Commission.

"I can say categorically that they are not keen for us to keep the derogation and it's going to be a very hard fight. We only have until January to push the Commission to make a decision."

Chairman-elect of ESCCAP Europe, James Duncan, pointed out the organisation is seeking to raise awareness of the serious risks posed by endo and ecto-parasites to human and animal health, and is developing independent guidelines and educational materials for their optimal control.

"There is no immediate panacea," he said. But those in the veterinary profession who are aware of the risks should take action. "It is up to you to lobby - put your voice to Government and influence the pet passport scheme. You can do that and it will help our cause because we are singing from the same hymn sheet."