Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health has announced the launch of Fencovis, a new calf scour vaccine with a prevention claim, which will be available in the UK and Ireland before the end of the year. 

A 2021 German study reported the incidence of diarrhoea to be 18.5% and the most common disease observed in almost 14,000 neonatal calves examined on 731 dairy herds¹.

Fencovis is indicated for the active immunisation of pregnant heifers and cows in order to stimulate the development of antibodies against bovine rotavirus, bovine coronavirus and E. coli expressing F5 (K99) adhesin and to increase the level of passive immunity of calves against neonatal diarrhoea caused by bovine rotavirus, bovine coronavirus and E. coli expressing F5 (K99) adhesin.

Boehringer says that in calves fed with colostrum and milk from vaccinated cows, these antibodies have been demonstrated to prevent diarrhoea caused by rotavirus and E. coli F5 (K99) adhesin and reduce the incidence and severity of diarrhoea caused by coronavirus.

Viral shedding in calves infected by rotavirus and coronavirus was also reduced by Fencovis.

Findlay MacBean, Business Head Livestock at Boehringer Ingelheim UK & Ireland, said: “We are delighted to announce the launch of Fencovis, the first vaccine that is licensed to prevent calf scour caused by Rotavirus and E. coli F5 (K99), and also reduce the incidence and severity of scour associated with coronavirus infection. ”

Fencovis is a suspension for injection which uses a non-oil adjuvant. It comes in a variety of presentations including a single dose pack.

Reference

1. Dachrodt L, et al. J Dairy Sci. 2021;104(8):9037–9051

A new book written by a man who is both married to and brother of a veterinary surgeon (not the same one, I hasten to add), offers a husband's take on a vet's life.

Author Steve Ankers is married to Margaret Ankers MRCVS (Acorn Veterinary Surgery) and brother of John Prescott MRCVS (now retired, but remains a consultant to Robson & Prescott).

His book, called It's a Dog's Life for the Other Half, is brimfull of funny anecdotes, including: holding hands with a famous actress inside a cow's rectum; a dog who ate a Cliff Richard cassette; a cat who ate a Chihuahua but spat out the tail and a vulture who travelled hundreds of miles on a car roof-rack.

Terry Jones (you know, the Python) described the book as "Hilarious and eminently readable".

It's a Dog's Life for the Other Half may be the literary equivalent of a busman's holiday for the members of this site, but I'm half way through and it's one of those rare books that's guaranteed to bring a smile to your face at least once a page.

It's a Dog's Life for the Other Half is available now from all good bookshops, including Amazon RRP £12.99. It is also available as an e-book.

VetSurgeon.org has launched a new survey of vets designed to identify the strengths and weaknesses of social media as a professional tool, and what more could be done to help the profession collaborate more effectively.

Probably the two most popular social media platforms for veterinary surgeons in the UK are Facebook (and its various veterinary groups) and VetSurgeon.org.

Facebook has the advantage that so many people use it to share photographs with family and friends, so they are already on the site and it is only a very short hop over to participate in a veterinary discussion group. That makes it an excellent way to get a broad opinion on almost any subject. 

But, and it is a very big 'but', Facebook was never designed to be a platform for sharing clinical information or discussing cases. So, for example, you cannot see the professional qualifications of anyone contributing to the discussion unless they happen also to be your 'friend', so it can be hard to tell whether they have any idea what they're talking about, or are, in fact, the leading light. 

There are various other aspects of Facebook that are problematic when it comes to clinical discussions, including the difficulty in referring back to useful information shared and the way in which 'me too' replies can drown out good quality information. 

The survey aims to find out how much of a problem vets think these things are, whether certain groups within the profession could be better served by social media - for example those that may find it daunting asking for help in an online group, and what features vets would like VetSurgeon.org to invest in.

The survey can be completed anonymously, but if you give your name at the end, you'll be entered into a draw for a case of champagne (or equivalent). 

Take part here: https://bit.ly/2lzzpy4

Please share this story amongst your colleagues!

A new study published in Equine Veterinary Education¹ has confirmed that if veterinary surgeons are trained to use a Ridden-Horse-Ethogram they are better able to recognise pain-related behaviour in horses, which may reflect lameness or back or sacroiliac pain.

This, say the authors, should in turn help them to communicate potential performance problems more effectively with their clients.

Conducted by Dr Sue Dyson, Head of Clinical Orthopaedics at the Centre for Equine Studies at the Animal Health Trust in Newmarket, the study compared the real-time application of the Ridden-Horse-Ethogram with analysis of video recordings of the horses by a trained assessor and determined whether vets, after preliminary training, could apply the ethogram in real time in a consistent way and in agreement with an experienced assessor.

Twenty horse and rider combinations were used for the study. The horses were in regular work and were capable of working ‘on the bit’. They were assessed by a chartered physiotherapist and then a Society of Master Saddlers (SMS) qualified saddle fitter checked the fit, placement, balance and suitability of each horse’s saddle. Eleven horses were found to have ill-fitting saddles and 14 had back muscle tension or pain but these did not influence the behaviour scores.

The horses were also assessed by an independent lameness expert. Sixteen showed low-grade lameness or abnormalities of canter, which were likely to be pain induced but did not prevent the horses from being used for the study.

All 20 horses were given a 15-minute ridden warm-up before executing an 8-minute purpose-designed preliminary level dressage test. During each dressage test a team of 10 equine vets, who were selected from 40 volunteers and given preliminary training, applied the Ridden-Horse-Ethogram. They assessed each horse for the presence of a total of 24 behaviours that occur more commonly in lame horses compared with non-lame horses. It has previously been shown that the presence of ≥8 behavioural markers is likely to indicate the presence of musculoskeletal pain.

All behaviours were scored with a binary method as present or absent. The ethogram was also applied to each horse by an experienced trained assessor (Dr Dyson) and the tests were filmed so that the experienced assessor could make a comparison between her real-time behaviour assessments and video analysis.

There was good agreement between the expert’s scores and the volunteer vets’ scores and excellent consistency in overall agreement among the volunteers. The scores also reflected the volunteers’ capacity to use the ethogram to identify lameness status, with higher scores awarded to the lame horses compared with the non-lame horses.

There was no significant difference in real-time scores and video-based scores for the experienced assessor, verifying the reliability of the system.

Sue said: "The study confirms that with basic training veterinary observers can use the ridden horse ethogram with consistency as an effective tool to help identify musculoskeletal pain which could reflect lameness or back or sacroiliac pain.

"The volunteers were unanimously positive about the potential value of the ethogram in helping them to determine the presence of musculoskeletal pain in horses performing poorly or at pre-purchase examinations."

Sue and her team are now working with the evidence-based online educational resource Equitopia, in conjunction with Padma Videos, to produce a training video to enable vets, owners, riders, trainers and paraprofessionals to learn how to apply the Ridden-Horse-Ethogram.

For more information, email info@equitopiacenter.com.

1. Can veterinarians reliably apply a whole horse ridden ethogram to differentiate non lame and lame horses based on live horse assessment of behaviour?  S. Dyson, K. Thomson, L. Quiney, A. Bondi and A. D. Ellis Equine Vet. Educ. 2019, doi: 10.1111/eve.13104

The British Veterinary Dental Association (BVDA) has signed a new agreement with Hill's Pet Nutrition which will provide support for the next three years. 

The agreement comes after the previous period of sponsorship between the company and the BVDA reached the end of the three year term.

Lisa Milella, President, signed the agreement on behalf of the BVDA. She said: "Hill's has provided our organisation with invaluable support that will help us to continue to support the teaching needs of vets, undergraduates and nurses. We will also be able to ensure that dentistry is front of mind when thinking about the health and welfare of animals. Hill's has been a pleasure to work with over the last three years and I am very pleased to be renewing our agreement."

Adrian Pratt, Veterinary Affairs Manager at Hill's Pet Nutrition also welcomed the agreement, "Dentistry is an important source of revenue for practices and central to the wellbeing of pets. Both are priority areas where Hill's will be offering support, particularly during the current economic downturn. We are therefore very pleased to be able to confirm our association with the BVDA."

The agreement comes as the BVDA prepares to celebrate its 21^st Birthday at BSAVA Congress in April. The satellite day event on the 1^st April promises to be a 'must' for anyone interested in veterinary dentistry, with state of the art lectures that will illustrate how far the craft of dentistry has developed in the last 21 years.   

The key note lecture, 'Magical MTA!*' will be delivered by Phil Thomson, Registrar at Birmingham Dental School, using a video linked operating microscope to illustrate how this gold standard endodontic treatment can be implemented. Additional lectures include oro-facial tumours, reconstructive surgery, radiotherapy and an active debate is promised on the topic of feline chronic gingivostomatitis. The meeting is open to members and non-members. Further details and registration are available by contacting Lisa Milella on telephone 01923 349690 or at lisa@milella.fsnet.co.uk.

*Mineral Trioxide Aggregate - MTA - a root canal repair material that allows natural healing and repair of dental tissues of otherwise unsalvageable teeth.

Norbrook Laboratories Ltd has launched Cleanor, an ear cleaner for cats and dogs.

Norbrook says Cleanor Ear Cleaner has been developed for regular, routine cleaning to help remove excessive ear wax from the ear canal as well as providing a moisturising effect to the ear canal's delicate epithelium. 

Michelle Jones, Norbrook Brand Manager (Small Animals) said: "Ear disease represents one of the most common skin problems seen in veterinary practice. Checking the cat or dog's ears should be part of the normal health routine for pet owners. Cleanor Ear Cleaner has been designed to make the ear cleaning process simple and stress free for both the animal and owner. It comes with a long, soft and flexible nozzle to allow easy access to the ear canal and is gentle enough to treat even the most sensitive ears."

Cleanor Ear Cleaner is available in two sizes: 50ml and 120ml. It is supported by educational brochures to assist veterinary practices in discussing good ear cleaning practice with their clients. The brochures are available through Norbrook's local sales representatives.

Cleanor Ear Cleanor is available in the UK, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

Ceva Animal Health is hosting a free online cardiology course on managing mitral valve disease (MVD) in dogs.

Entitled ‘Managing mitral valve disease from start to finish’, the course will account for four hours’ CPD split into six short bite-size sessions which can be completed at your own pace.

The sessions are presented by Dr Mike Martin MVB DVC MRCVS, and business thought leader, Dr Alison Lambert BVSc CMRS MRCVS. They consist of a practical review of MVD both pre-clinically and clinically and how to diagnose and stage it following the new 2019 American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) Consensus guidelines. 

The course also includes tips on how to treat and manage dogs with MVD with diuretic management; a step-by-step guide to treatment options for acute and long-term management of congestive heart failure and how to troubleshoot problem congestive heart failure cases.

There's also a bonus ‘Communicating Cardiology’ session which looks at how to communicate the heart disease journey to owners.

To register for the course visit www.veterinarywebinars.com/mvd-reg. 

Ceva will donate £2 for every veterinary professional completing the course throughout February and March 2021 to Vetlife, which provides support to the veterinary community and their families who have emotional, health or financial concerns.

The Disciplinary Committee of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons has dismissed a case against a Staffordshire veterinary surgeon, having found that his convictions under the Criminal Justice Act 1988 and the Public Order Act 1986 did not make him unfit to practise veterinary surgery.

At the one-day hearing, the Committee heard that Mr Richard Conlon of Warrendale Veterinary Care Centre, Biddulph, was convicted of one instance of common assault and one public order offence involving threatening, insulting or abusive language, both of which occurred during an altercation in a public house in Biddulph on 28 November 2009.  The court ordered Mr Conlon to pay two fines of £300 each, a victim surcharge of £15, and £700 of court costs.

As the facts involved in Mr Conlon's offences had been proved by the court that convicted him, and Mr Conlon admitted to his convictions, the Committee considered only whether these offences made him unfit to practise veterinary surgery.

The Committee was advised that although the convictions were unrelated to Mr Conlon's professional practice, any criminal conviction may call into question a veterinary surgeon's fitness to practise if the conduct for which they are convicted raises doubts over their capability as a veterinary surgeon. Convictions that damage the wider public interest in the good reputation of the profession and public confidence can also raise questions about fitness to practise and may be considered.

Speaking on behalf of the Disciplinary Committee, Vice-Chairman Professor Sheila Crispin said: "In reaching our decision, it is important to emphasise that the Disciplinary Committee does not condone Mr Conlon's behaviour in any way. We accept the submission of the College 'that it is incumbent on any veterinary surgeon to act with decorum and not to engage in any violent, aggressive or intimidating behaviour,' and, on any view, for a veterinary surgeon to get involved in a brawl in a public house is unacceptable behaviour.

"In the Committee's judgment this was a one-off incident of brief duration with no premeditation on Mr Conlon's part; fortunately no significant injury was suffered by anybody involved. From the nature of the charges and the sentence of the court, it can be seen that this was at very much the lower end of seriousness and, as is accepted by the College, involves no concern about Mr Conlon's ability to practise as a veterinary surgeon."

The Committee ordered the charges be dismissed.

Merial Animal Health has been found in breach of the NOAH Code of Practice for literature promoting the wormer Ivomec Super.

In the literature, Merial stated that Closantel injection (Janssen Animal Health) was effective against flukes aged 9 weeks or older, when in fact, at the time the undated brochure was distributed, Closantel was effective against flukes aged 7 weeks or older.

Merial did not dispute the facts alleged: the company had relied on an out-of-date detailer. The NOAH Code of Practice Committee emphasised the need for members to ensure, when giving comparative data in promotions, that up-to-date data is used. The SPC of any authorised product can be viewed on the VMD's website.

The Committee did commend Merial Animal Health for taking corrective action within two days of notification by the Complainant.

NOAH encourages those interested in finding out more to read the full details of the Committee's rulings on the NOAH website at www.noah.co.uk/code. 

Ines Carrera MRCVS, who holds the European Diploma in Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging, has joined the six-strong imaging team at Solihull-based Willows Veterinary Centre.

Ines, who graduated from the University of Santiago de Compostela in Spain in 2001, has spent the last seven years working at universities in America, Australia and Europe. She undertook her PhD in MR spectroscopy of the brain in dogs at the University of Bern-Zurich in Switzerland. She has a Masters in Radiology from University of Glasgow. She has also worked at the University of Illinois and Sydney University.

Willows clinical director Toby Gemmill said: "Ines is highly qualified and highly regarded, so is a very welcome addition to our talented imaging team. Her experience of working around the world will also be a terrific asset to the practice."

Ines said: "I am very happy and honoured to be joining Willows and to now be part of such a great diagnostic imaging team. "This is a well-known centre of excellence and I’m really looking forward to helping deliver the first class care and treatment that Willows always aims to provide."

For more information, visit www.willows.uk.net.

The British Veterinary Association has launched Brexit and the Veterinary Profession, a report which lays out the association's key recommendations for the forthcoming Brexit negotiations.

The report, which was developed in consultation with BVA members, devolved branches, BVA specialist divisions and other stakeholders, outlines the essential role that the UK veterinary workforce plays in not only caring for animals, but in enabling trade, ensuring food hygiene and safety, and undertaking cutting-edge research.

Non-British EU veterinary surgeons are critical to the UK veterinary workforce. Around 50% of veterinary surgeons registering to practise in the UK each year come from overseas, with the vast majority of these coming from the rest of the EU. Yet one-fifth of vets are already reporting that it has become harder to recruit since the EU Referendum.

To secure the best possible outcomes for animal health and welfare, public health, and the veterinary profession, Brexit and the veterinary profession sets out 52 recommendations for the short, medium and long term, including calling on the next Government to:

• Guarantee working rights for non-British EU vets and veterinary nurses (VNs) currently working and studying in the UK, and for British vets and VNs working in the EU, at the existing level and with no time limit, to ensure the need for veterinary services can be met.
• Maintain, and seek opportunities to improve, current animal health and welfare standards and prioritise them in all trade negotiations to ensure that a high standard of animal health, welfare and food hygiene is a unique selling point for the UK.
• Commit to maintaining a single standard for meat produced for both domestic and export markets based on current standards of food hygiene legislation and enforcement, including veterinary certification and controls.
• Negotiate to establish formal links with the EU on disease surveillance, to ensure reciprocal data sharing with Europe is maintained.
• Guarantee the UK veterinary profession ongoing access to all existing veterinary medicines licensed through the EU regulatory systems in order to meet animal health requirements, whilst continuing to play a leading role in tackling antimicrobial resistance internationally.
• Develop a regulatory and legislative framework to ensure the UK continues to be a globally attractive place for research and development (R&D).
• Establish a body to oversee and coordinate animal health and welfare policy across the four administrations of the UK and facilitate partnership working between industry and government to tackle endemic disease and animal heath challenges.  

BVA President Gudrun Ravetz said: "Vets provide the foundation for the UK’s work on animal health and welfare. Veterinary teams up and down the country support the UK’s 11 million pet-owning households; not a penny of the UK’s £13 billion agri-food industry could be realised without vets; and we are an integral part of the international scientific community, annually bringing in over £50 million for research and development projects.

"The veterinary profession is in a unique position from which to offer the next Government evidence-based policy recommendations to ensure animal health and welfare, public health and other standards are at the very least maintained as we exit the EU. 

"We believe Brexit also presents us with opportunities, for example, to develop a strong, competitive food industry with full consumer confidence at home and abroad as well as to position the UK as a world leader in high animal welfare - and a strong veterinary workforce is vital in achieving this."

Brexit and the veterinary profession was developed and written by the BVA Brexit Working Group, under the chairmanship of Alick Simmons, former UK deputy Chief Veterinary Officer, and was agreed by BVA Council in April.

The report builds on BVA’s Brexit Principles, agreed by Council in September 2016, and covers seven areas of public policy: veterinary workforce, animal health, animal welfare, food hygiene and safety, veterinary medicines, research and development, and trade.

Two further sections of the report consider issues relating to devolution and to Northern Ireland’s unique position as the only part of the UK to share a land border with an EU member state.

With a snap General Election due in five weeks’ time, BVA has produced a 20-point manifesto of key recommendations covering both Brexit and wider policy issues, which has been sent to the main political parties’ manifesto-writing teams and to BVA’s Honorary Associates.

Brexit and the veterinary profession and the manifesto for the 2017 General Election are available at: www.bva.co.uk/brexit.

The RCVS has announced the steps it will be taking in response to the Standards Committee's review of 24/7 emergency care.

Whilst the College has stopped short of making home visits entirely discretionary, it has confirmed that with regards to 24/7 emergency care overall:

• It will be placing greater emphasis on owners' legal responsibilities for their animals
• It will provide guidance to assist and empower vets to decline to attend an animal away from the practice when unnecessary or unsafe
• In the next two months or so, the supporting guidance to the Code of Professional Conduct will be updated to reflect the above
• There will be an obligation on veterinary surgeons to provide more information to clients about their out-of-hours emergency service.

This follows RCVS Council's agreement in principle on recommendations that flowed from the Standards Committee's comprehensive review of 24/7 emergency care. The review was triggered by a number of issues, including the profession's response to the Chikosi Disciplinary Hearing of June 2013.

The College says the recommendations were developed out of a detailed process of evidence gathering, which included 656 pages of views submitted to the College, 2,801 signatures to a petition on home visits, a three-day select-committee-style hearing where representatives from 15 organisations and a further 10 individuals gave their views, a snapshot of responses from 1,062 vets taking part in the RCVS Survey of the Professions, and an online survey of 1,250 animal owners.

Council praised the work, which had been carried out under the guidance of Standards Committee Chair Clare Tapsfield-Wright, and agreed that draft changes to the supporting guidance to the Code of Professional Conduct should be refined and agreed by the Standards Committee and published over the next couple of months.

Clare said: "This process was not carried out as a typical consultation, with proposals being issued for consideration: we really wanted to be open to the views of the profession and the public from the start.

"We found that the profession did not wish to remove the 24/7 requirement, but there was a lot of frustration and concern, particularly around safety, home visits, who should be seen, outsourcing and contingency planning.

"The Standards Committee looked in detail at all of these issues and I am delighted to have Council's support for the general direction of our proposals. We will now review some changes to the wording of the new guidance, to improve clarity, and publish it as soon as possible."

President Neil Smith said: "I am delighted with the way this process has been carried out. No doubt the outcome will not please everyone, but these changes are based on robust evidence.

"The approach taken by the Standards Committee forms a useful model that could be adapted to address other such issues that we may face in the future."

The presentation given to Council on 5 June can be downloaded from the RCVS website at https://www.rcvs.org.uk/news-and-events/news/council-agrees-new-emphasis-for-24-7-guidance/ .