Genitrix has repackaged its Dentagen plaque prevention chews to provide added value and convenience to pet owners. 

Packs of the chews, launched in 2008 as part of Genitrix' Dentagen dental range, will now be available in 'one month' packs in response to customer feedback.  The new, bigger value packs will also be priced more cost-effectively and will offer environmental benefits as the amount of packaging is reduced.

Dentagen dental chews are impregnated with a plant extract called RF2 which enables them to act as an 'anti-biofilm' treatment, modifying the membrane of oral bacteria to prevent them from producing plaque. The chews, which come in two sizes for large and small dogs, are designed to be given on alternate days and form part of the unique Dentagen Dental Care Programme.  Earlier this year, Genitrix also launched Dentagen Aqua, an innovative water additive treatment to control plaque and prevent bad breath in cats and dogs.

The new size packs of Dentagen chews, which will be available exclusively through veterinary channels, cost £6.35 for a pack of 14 small chews (one month's supply) and £8.09 for 14 large chews.

Ceva Animal Health is hosting two free webinars on ‘Sustainability, sexed semen and fertility management’ to update farm vets on how to support the implementation of new fertility solutions.

On Thursday 16th June at 4:00pm, Dr Jude Capper, PhD DSc (h.c.) ARAgS, livestock sustainability consultant and ABP chair in sustainable beef production at Harper Adams University, will present 'Managing Fertility to Enhance Sustainability'.

On Thursday 21st June at 4:00pm, Dr Stephen Butler, MAgrSc MSc PhD, principal research scientist and group leader for dairy cattle reproduction research at Teagasc, Ireland’s Agriculture and Food Development Authority (pictured right), will present 'Using Sexed Semen in Dairy Herds', followed by Dr Tom Clark, BVSc MRCVS, veterinary surgeon and clinical director of Synergy Farm Health, who will present 'Practical Implementation of Sexed Semen Strategies'.

The webinars will update vets on how they can support the improvement of reproductive sustainability on dairy farms and provide new data demonstrating how they can promote the implementation of sexed semen protocols in dairy herds.

They will also include information on the practical use of sexed semen strategies with useful hints and tips from on-farm case studies and scenarios.

To register, e-mail cevauk-webinars@ceva.com giving your name, practice name and the date(s) of the event you wish to attend.

Further details and the link will be sent out before the webinar.

Linnaeus has published a report which explores how veterinary practices can make changes to benefit the environment.

Turning Over a New Leaf – How to Make Sustainable Change in the Veterinary Profession includes contributions from a range of organisations including the RCVS, Mars Veterinary Health and Investors in the Environment (iiE).

The report covers upcoming changes to the RCVS Practice Standards Scheme, the value of external accreditation to support sustainability, and how to approach behaviour change within your team.

Two further articles highlight how changes in clinical practice can combat antimicrobial resistance and reduce levels of surgical waste.

The report also features the personal experiences of practice sustainability leads, who discuss how they have worked with others to improve their sites.

Ellie West, Environmental Sustainability Lead at Linnaeus said: “Changing how we work day-to-day, when we are all so busy as a profession, can be a lot to juggle but sustainability brings a huge range of benefits.

"As well as helping the environment, it can promote the wellbeing of our patients and colleagues while also improving our performance as a business.

“It is important, however, to avoid dictating what sustainable change should be made because it will vary greatly between different teams and locations.

"This report shares ideas from contributors with a variety of roles and responsibilities, who have taken different approaches to supporting the environment but are all united in their commitment to delivering excellent clinical care.”

Sue Paterson, RCVS Junior Vice-President and RCVS Council lead for Environment & Sustainability, said: “Contributing to this report highlights the importance of working together as a profession to understand the environmental challenges we face and adopt solutions that will benefit our planet and the animals we care for.

"Upcoming changes to the RCVS Practice Standards Scheme will cover sustainability across a range of areas and we are committed to ensuring the veterinary profession can fully realise the benefits of this new guidance.”

April Sotomayor, Principal Consultant at iiE, added: “This report offers a range of perspectives that highlight how the veterinary profession can become a leader in sustainability and a shining example to other sectors.” 

Download Turning Over a New Leaf – How to Make Sustainable Change in the Veterinary Profession here.

Companion Care Vets has reported a record calendar year in 2010, with 15 new surgeries opened taking the network up to 69.

Companion Care also welcomed 17 new joint venture partners, increasing the total number of partners to 87. The company expects to double the number of surgeries over the next 3 years following the announcement that it is to open standalone practices alongside the in-store Pets at Home surgeries.

According to the company, the opening of 15 new full service surgeries represents an investment of approximately £3 million during the year. More than £340,000 of that investment went on state-of-the-art digital x-ray imaging equipment - a feature of all new surgeries.

Managing director, Jane Balmain, said: "The in-store model has been hugely successful and we will continue to accelerate our growth plans for in-store surgeries as the Pets at Home store footprint expands.

"The launch of our new standalone division provides a solution for the vets and nurses who are looking for a partnership but whose preference is for a more traditional standalone style surgery. The level of interest since our announcement has been massive and we will be looking to capitalise on this in 2011 and beyond.

"Our vision is for Companion Care Vets to become a truly national leading veterinary group and with the record year in 2010 and our plans for 2011 and beyond, we are now well on the way and confident of achieving this."

The University of Liverpool's School of Veterinary Science has released the results of research carried out in collaboration with the Royal Canin Research Centre in France, which shows that cats eat 15% less in the summer than the winter.

Researchers spent four years monitoring how much cats chose to eat. The 38 cats studied had a microchip on their collar which allowed them to take as much food as they wanted from a dispenser which only opened for them.  At the same time, this microchip recorded how much the cat had eaten and when.

Veterinary surgeon and study author, Dr Alex German, said: "Cats, like many humans are more inclined to comfort eat when it's cold outside but, in their case, it's likely to be due to the extra energy they need to keep warm when out and about."

The study found that cats ate approximately 15% less food during summer, and the researchers concluded that the extra effort to keep warm in winter and the temptation to rest during hot summer days contributed to the swing in activity levels during the year.

The cats were all inhabitants of a centre in southern France where they were allowed to play and exercise outside all year round. The cats were of mixed breeds, ages and genders. Data on food was compared to the climate in the area using computer modelling to provide information about how the temperature changed over the year.

Seasonal food intake has also been examined in the past on farm animals, such as dairy cows, to establish new ways of increasing milk production, but this is the largest study that has yet taken place with domestic cats.

Dr German said: "People should consider the amount of food their cats need at different times of year as this can be part of helping them to maintain a healthy weight."

The paper was published in the journal PLOS One. http://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0096071

Zoetis has launched new 'Switch off the itch' waiting room materials to highlight the problem of skin allergies and encourage dog owners to ask their vet for advice.

Drawing attention to the symptoms of allergic skin disease that owners should look out for during the warmer months, the leaflet, poster and notice board materials discuss some of the substances that dogs can be allergic to, how to manage skin allergies and what to look for in an itch prevention plan.

The materials have been produced to support Apoquel, the oral therapy for the treatment of canine pruritus associated with allergic dermatitis and the clinical manifestations of atopic dermatitis. They feature two dogs – Eric and Daisy – whose lives have been changed by the product.

For more information, contact your Zoetis account manager.

BVA members who join the Webinar Vet before the end of this month will receive a USB headset and microphone worth £40

Webinar Vet founder Anthony Chadwick MRCVS said: "The idea is to help new members get equipped and ready to listen and ask questions during the regular Thursday evening member webinars."

"BVA members already benefit from half price gold membership to the Webinar Vet and many have already taken advantage and are enjoying the many benefits of online CPD."

Gold membership includes invitations to weekly members' live CPD events, full access to the library of over 150 hours of categorised pre-recorded webinars, and a monthly CD of one of the presentations to listen to in the car.

All BVA members who sign up before March 31st will also qualify for the free headset. For more information visit www.bva.co.uk/webinar.

The RCVS Disciplinary Committee has reprimanded Anglesey-based Louise Marie Henry MRCVS for writing a letter on behalf of a client that dishonestly certified incorrect details surrounding the death of a ewe.

Dr Henry faced one charge, that in January 2020 she wrote and/or signed an undated letter confirming that a ewe had died in transit to the surgery due to dystocia and peri-parturient stress, when in fact she had euthanised the animal at the veterinary practice the day before. The letter, which was addressed 'To whom it may concern’, was on practice letterheaded paper and signed "Louise Henry MRCVS". 

The second part of the charge outlined that her conduct concerning the letter was dishonest.

The Committee heard that the ewe was lambing and brought to the practice by a client. Dr Henry was on-call at the time and advised a Caesarean section. The client agreed and Dr Henry delivered two live lambs and one dead lamb.

Dr Henry was concerned about the welfare of the ewe post-surgery because of the risk of peritonitis and advised that the ewe should be euthanised.

The client agreed to the ewe being euthanised and then asked Dr Henry to write a letter in which it was stated that the ewe had died in transit on route to the practice. Dr Henry agreed to write the letter in which she falsely certified that the ewe had died in transit. 

The letter came to light when the practice director found it in an insurance file. The practice arranged an investigatory meeting with Dr Henry where she admitted that writing the letter was an error of judgement. When asked about her conduct, Dr Henry explained that the client had subsequently been dissatisfied with the letter she had written and asked her to change it. She refused to amend the letter and told him that it was wrong of her to have written it in the first place and that she regretted having done so.

Dr Henry told the Committee that she valued integrity very highly and that she was deeply ashamed that she had been prepared to write the dishonest letter.

The Committee heard several testimonials from people who had worked with or studied alongside Dr Henry, who all attested to her skill as a veterinary surgeon and that they had no concerns about her integrity and honesty. She self-reported her actions from January to the RCVS and from the outset admitted the facts of the charge. During the hearing, Dr Henry submitted that her action of dishonest false certification amounted to disgraceful conduct in a professional respect.

Dr Martin Whiting, chairing the Committee, and speaking on its behalf, said: “The Committee considered that, in this case, the aggravating features were limited and the mitigating factors extensive. There was no premeditated dishonesty or financial gain involved, there was no actual harm or risk of harm to an animal or human and this was a single incident in an otherwise unblemished 13-year career. The Committee found that the shame and remorse expressed by Dr Henry were entirely genuine. Her conduct on this occasion was entirely untypical of her practise.

“After careful consideration, the Committee concluded that the substantial mitigating features permitted it to take the somewhat unusual course of issuing a reprimand in a case involving dishonesty. In taking this course, the Committee attached significant weight not only to the isolated nature of the event but also to the genuine insight shown by Dr Henry and the lasting impact this event has had upon her. In the Committee’s assessment, a reasonable and fully informed member of the public would, in this particular case, regard a reprimand as a sanction which protected the public interest in the profession and upheld its standards.”

The full documentation for the hearing can be found at www.rcvs.org.uk/disciplinary

The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons has set up a new Veterinary Legislation Group to consider proposals for changes in veterinary regulation, in the light of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee's inquiry into the current Veterinary Surgeons Act, and the Government's response to the EFRA Committee's report. 

The new group, which will be chaired by RCVS Council Member and Dean of Glasgow Veterinary School, Professor Stuart Reid, will be tasked with taking a fresh look at changes that need to be made to the current legislative framework, and how these might be accomplished. It will not restrict itself to looking at a replacement for the Veterinary Surgeons Act, but will consider other ways that changes can be made in the short- and long-term.

The Group will meet in September, and comprise RCVS Council members and non-members - both lay people and veterinary surgeons. Once the RCVS position has been clarified, further discussion will follow with DEFRA, the BVA and the profession. 

Responding to the Government's response to the EFRA Committee report, RCVS President Jill Nute said: "We welcome the fact that DEFRA is willing to consider any detailed proposals that might come forward from the profession, although we accept that DEFRA itself does not have time or resources to be proactive at this stage. 

"We are also pleased that Government acknowledges that the veterinary nursing profession has come of age and that the time is right for the regulation of veterinary nurses to be taken forward, although again it is disappointing that DEFRA does not have the resources to progress this at present.

"Finally, we welcome the suggestion that the Presidents of the BVA and the RCVS meet with the Chief Veterinary Officer to discuss plans and to what extent DEFRA can help us - accepting the fact that DEFRA, like the RCVS, feels that a piecemeal approach may not be the most effective," she concluded.

Dairy nutrition consultant Hefin Richards of Profeed Nutrition Consultancy is warning vets to be on the lookout for an upsurge in over-conditioned cows as winter progresses through spring.

He says his prediction is based on a number of factors that have come together over the last year to greatly increased the risk of cows being over-conditioned at calving, not only potentially affecting productivity but predisposing to a number of clinical conditions.

A high body condition score at calving significantly increases the risk of subclinical ketosis in early lactation, depressing the immune response and increasing the risk of conditions such as retained foetal membranes, metritis and left displaced abomasum.^1,2 Conversely, these obese cows go on to suffer excessive body condition loss due to decreased voluntary feed intake and poor energy metabolism.

The ketosis risk has been increased in part because national milk yields were low last summer and autumn as a result of poor weather conditions, low milk prices, high feed costs and the spread of Schmallenberg virus (SBV).³

Hefin said: "SBV and bad summer weather with associated poor forage quality may have delayed rebreeding, leading to more extended lactations and longer dry periods. These two factors can lead to excessively fat cows at calving."

Through the winter many herds were running average milk yields some way below usual winter levels and currently mid and late lactation cows are substantially under target yields.⁴ This lower yield means that feed intake is very likely to be in excess of actual energy demands, with subsequent fat deposition.

Increasing awareness of this potential issue gives vets the opportunity to reinforce the need to monitor body condition, adjust feeding, review milk yields and consider drying cows off early, using controlled energy feeding.

Hefin suggests that vets ensure that their clients' dry cow nutrition and management is geared towards maximising feed intake in early lactation to help prevent animals falling into a state of negative energy balance. Ketosis is often missed on farm because the signs are not apparent. Consider routinely monitoring herds for ketosis using either blood monitoring or Elanco's Keto-Test cow-side milk test to identify both at-risk cows and herds. Forming a team involving vets, nutritionists and herd managers and harnessing the different skill sets and knowledge allows strategies to be developed that can improve herd performance.

References

1. Duffield 2009 Impact of hyperketonemia in early lactation dairy cows on health & production : J. Dairy Sci. 92:571-580.
2. Leblanc 2004 Peripartum serum vitamin E, retinol, and beta-carotene in dairy cattle and their associations with disease: J. Dairy Sci. 87:609-619.
3. http://www.farmersguardian.com/home/livestock/feed-costs-up-as-milk-yields-worsen/52187.article
4. Personal communication, Hefin Richards

The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) has announced that Startect Dual Active Oral Solution (Zoetis), licensed for the treatment of mixed gastro-intestinal nematode infections and associated diseases in sheep, has been re-classified as POM-VPS, meaning it can now be prescribed by pharmacists and suitably qualified persons (SQPs) as well as veterinary surgeons.

The VMD, which reclassified the product following a request from Zoetis, says that increasing the availability of this anthelmintic should help it to be incorporated into strategic worm control programmes on farms in line with best practice guidance on worm control. This could result in long term health benefits for sheep, for example by reducing the development and spread of anthelmintic resistance, thereby prolonging the effective use of anthelmintics.

However, both the British Veterinary Association and the Sheep Veterinary Society have expressed concerns over the move.

BVA Junior Vice President John Fishwick said: "We know that resistance to anthelmintics is increasing in grazing animals worldwide and needs to be addressed to avoid a potentially disastrous situation of being unable to tackle parasites. The reclassification of Startect Dual Active from POM-V to POM-VPS is in direct opposition to the trend in Europe, where we are seeing increased control over dispensing of anthelmintics in species where resistance is posing a serious threat to animal health, welfare and profitable production; we're extremely concerned that we might start seeing resistance develop in Group 4 as a result.

"BVA believes that the prescribing of anthelmintics requires a level of control best provided by a veterinary surgeon who has the animals under his/her care, and is based on a sound clinical diagnosis. The drugs are best used as part of a flock health plan drawn up by farmers in conjunction with their vet in order to protect animal health and welfare and safeguard the efficacy of these products for the future."

Sheep Veterinary Society President Kathryn Dun said: "Group 4 anthelmintics should be used only as part of a careful designed strategy for the individual farm and it is imperative that this strategy is worked out with a vet and is part of a flock health plan for that farm. The products need to be used, in the correct way, to help prolong the life of our other anthelmintics.

"We are unlikely to have any further new groups of anthelmintics in the foreseeable future, so education of those buying and selling these products is crucial to ensure the longevity of the effective action of them against sheep parasites."

Further information on BVA's policy on anthelmintics can be found here: www.bva.co.uk/news-campaigns-and-policy/policy/medicines/anthelmintics     

The Blue Cross is calling for nominations from veterinary practices across the country for its Veterinary Nurse of the Year Award 2008.

The annual award is presented at the British Veterinary Nursing Association (BVNA) Annual Congress. It recognises the contribution of veterinary nurses in educating the public about responsible pet ownership and the welfare of pets in the community. 

This year's Congress will take place on 10-12 October at the Kettering Conference Centre, Northamptonshire.

Last year's award was won by Anna Hatchett for her outstanding contribution to animal welfare, both within her veterinary practice and among the local community in Whitby, North Yorkshire.

Anna Hatchett was nominated by two vets, Edward Gillams and Kate Loomes, who previously worked with her at The Beck Veterinary Practice in Whitby. Ms Loomes commented: "Anna is an exceptionally dedicated and talented nurse. She has an amazing memory for clients and takes time to enquire as to how their individual pets are. She doesn't hesitate to take in and care for stray and lost animals and works well over her working hours when animals are in need of help."

Nominations for this year's award can be made by completing the nomination form on The Blue Cross website at: www.bluecross.org.uk/BVNA2008or by contacting Sally Leathem on 01993 82557. The deadline for nominations is Friday 15 August 2008.

Woodley Equipment has become the UK distributor for the full portfolio of SpotChem products from Japanese manufacturer, Arkray.

The range of products includes:

• The SpotChem EZ, an automated clinical chemistry analyser offering 22 parameters with single and multistrip panels. A maximum of 9 parameters can be tested during a single analysis using dry biochemistry techniques. With its built-in centrifuge and compact design, Woodley says it is ideal for the in-house veterinary laboratory.
• The SpotChem EL, an electrolyte analyser with ion-sensitive electrodes which simultaneously test sodium, potassium and chloride. The EL produces test results in 60 seconds.
• The PocketChem BA, which provides emergency blood ammonia measurement in the palm of your hand. Woodley says the PocketChem UA provides rapid and precise urinalysis results in 60 seconds and provides accurate results with protein/creatinine ratio calculation.

For more information about the new SpotChem analysers, visit: www.woodleyequipment.com/, email: sales@woodleyequipment.com or call on +44(0)1204 669033.