The study, which was carried out by researchers from the School of Veterinary Medicine and Sciences at the University of Nottingham, is one of the first to look at colostrum hygiene in Great Britain. The researchers analysed data from 328 colostrum samples from 56 British dairy farms.
Samples collected from collection and feeding equipment had higher levels of bacteria than those collected directly from the cows’ teat, suggesting that whilst colostrum from the cow is relatively low in bacterial levels, improperly cleaned equipment can be a major source of bacterial contamination. Over one third of samples collected from collection or feeding equipment were over the threshold for high bacterial levels and represented a significant risk to the health of calves.
Dr Robert Hyde (pictured right), one of the researchers on the study, said: “By analysing colostrum collection protocols on the farms, we were able to identify a small number of management practices likely to have a substantial impact on colostrum hygiene for the majority of farms.
"For example, the use of scalding hot water to clean collection and feeding equipment could reduce bacteria levels by over 90% compared with using cold water only. Less than half of farms used scalding hot water to clean colostrum collection and feeding equipment, suggesting there are a large number of farms that could make this simple change.”
The main recommendations from the research are that colostrum hygiene protocols should include the cleaning of colostrum collection and feeding equipment after every use with hot water as opposed to cold water, and hypochlorite or peracetic acid as opposed to water or parlour wash.
Cows' teats should be prepared with a pre-milking teat disinfectant and wiped with a clean, dry paper towel prior to colostrum collection, and colostrum should be pasteurised where possible.
The AHDB guide to colostrum hygiene can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FziQX0B9yb4
Robert added: “This study provides a first look at bacteria levels in Great Britain, and the results suggest there are a few simple changes to collection and cleaning protocols that could have a significant impact on colostrum hygiene levels on British dairy farms. By making these simple changes there is likely to be significant improvement in colostrum hygiene, which is essential in minimising the risk of disease and ensuring the optimum health and welfare of calves on dairy farms.”
The full study is open access and can be found here: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fvets.2020.601227/full
The University of Nottingham herd health toolkit contains a “Colostrum bacteriology” section, where vets and farmers can use the results from this study to see what management changes might have the largest impact on colostrum hygiene, can be found here: https://herdhealth.shinyapps.io/toolkit/
Reference
Ceva Animal Health has published Causes of scour in growing pigs: an overview, a technical review on pig scour.
The company says its aim is to provides vets with an easy-reference guide to the main causes and clinical signs of this common and potentially fatal condition.
At best, scour in growing pigs can cause significant weight loss and damage to the intestinal mucosa. At worst it will result in high mortality. Causes of scour in growing pigs: an overview summarises the causative agents of scour throughout the stages of growth, from sucking piglets through to finisher pigs.
Ceva adds that although it is difficult to be too prescriptive about assigning clinical signs to specific diseases because of variable immunity and the occurrence of mixed infections, the review provides useful guidelines to aid accurate diagnosis. Preventative management strategies are also discussed where applicable.
For further product information contact your local Ceva representative or Ceva Animal Health Ltd, Unit 3, Anglo Office Park, White Lion Road, Amersham, Bucks, HP7 9FB, Telephone +44 (0) 1494 781510.
The forecast formed part of the Association's response to the Environment Food and Rural Affairs Committee (EfraCom) inquiry into the impact on the UK’s trade in food after Brexit.
The BVA says that if the UK is treated as a 'third country' post Brexit, exports and imports of animals and animal products to and from the EU will need new veterinary certifications.
The UK Chief Veterinary Officer, Nigel Gibbens, says the volume of products requiring veterinary certifications could increase by as much as 325% as a result.
There are currently 1,063 Official Veterinarians authorised by the Government’s Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) to certify food products for export to third countries from Great Britain, a number which the BVA says would have to be significantly increased.
The BVA is urging the Government to undertake a major review of third country certification to ensure we have the capacity to fulfil new trade agreements. To combat the potential shortage in veterinary capacity, BVA is also calling on the Government to guarantee working rights for non-British EU vets and veterinary nurses currently working and studying in the UK.
British Veterinary Association Senior Vice President, Gudrun Ravetz said: "Vets are absolutely vital to facilitating UK trade by ensuring standards so that consumers at home and abroad have confidence in the food safety and welfare of the products they choose to buy. Veterinary certification is required not only for meat, but a whole range of products such as gelatine in sweets.
"Ironically, it is non-British EU vets who make up around 50% of our new workforce each year. However, since the EU referendum, we are facing serious problems in recruiting and retaining EU vets, which makes the need for more vets to perform this crucial trade-task an even more pressing concern. Vets’ role in the future of UK trade must be recognised and planned for, as an integral part of forthcoming trade negotiations."
The BVA trade submission also outlines that access to veterinary medicines could potentially be restricted post-Brexit. In order to protect animal and public health, BVA is calling for any new trade deal with the EU to maintain the link with EU veterinary medicine approval systems.
The UK currently has high standards of animal health, animal welfare and public health, including food safety, in its food production. These standards help prevent the spread of pathogens and diseases in animal products, ensure farm animals have a humane death, protect food safety and safeguard responsible antimicrobial use. BVA’s submission to the EfraCom trade inquiry emphasises that, as public goods, the UK must prioritise the maintenance of these standards in all trade negotiations moving forwards.
BVA’s full response to the EfraCom inquiry into the impact on the UK’s trade in food after Brexit is available on the BVA website at www.bva.co.uk/news-campaigns-and-policy/consultations/consultation-responses/
The book contains 40 chapters of articles about clinical techniques, diagnostic pathways and management approaches published in Companion between 2016 and 2020.
Editor of Companion, Samantha Taylor said: “At Companion we strive to produce well-illustrated, practical articles to help vets and VNs in practice face the day-to-day challenges of a varied caseload. We hope this collection meets our aims by covering a variety of clinical problems from hypercalcaemia in cats to managing the snuffly rabbit, from Leishmaniasis to lymphoma and many more.
Ian Ramsey (BSAVA Senior Vice President) said: “This collection represents a unique body of well-illustrated work prepared by experts from all around the UK and beyond. I would like to thank them all on behalf of BSAVA members and readers of this book for taking the time and care to develop these resources for their colleagues around the world.”
Samantha added: “Whether kept on the shelf for when needed or thumbed through over a cup of tea, we hope that within the pages of this new volume you find a useful tip or technique that helps.”
The How to…collected articles from BSAVA Companion (2016–2020), 3rd edition has been published as a BSAVA member loyalty reward gift for those eligible veterinary members who renew their membership this year.
The book is also available to buy from the BSAVA website www.bsava.com/shop priced at £20.
Invicta Animal Health has launched SynVet-50, a licensed synthetic Sodium Hyaluronate (HA), for intra-articular treatment of lameness caused by joint dysfunction associated with non-infectious synovitis in horses.
The product is Invicta's first licensed medicine.
According to the company, the functional mechanisms of HA are directly dependent on the molecular weight and concentration of HA. 1 Therefore, SynVet-50 has been formulated with a molecular weight of 1.5m Daltons which is the highest of any synthetic HA available in the UK.
Invicta says that at 20mg per ml, SynVet-50 is also the most concentrated HA available.
Storage is at ambient temperature.
SynVet-50 is a 2.5ml solution containing 50mg HA, conveniently presented in a 5ml glass syringe.
Rob Watkins, Managing Director of Invicta said: "We are excited to be launching our first licensed medicine in the UK. The management team of Invicta have over 10 years experience in this market which has allowed us to provide a product strongly focussed on the clinicians needs, not just in terms of technical ability, but also in convenience of presentation".
For further information see www.invictavet.com or phone 01403 791313
The programme is comprised of one "Coffee with our Clinicians" session and two "Clinical Club evenings", both delivered using Microsoft Teams.
Paragon’s clinical director, Sophie Adamantos, said: "Coffee with our Clinicians is an opportunity to listen to two or more specialists discussing, and taking questions, on clinical cases and conundrums.
“Clinical Club will feature longer, more in-depth presentations by our clinicians from different disciplines discussing specific themes, treatments and developments."
The events are as follows:
To sign up for any of the CPD sessions, visit www.paragonreferrals.co.uk/veterinary-professionals/cpd
Undertaken in practice, industry and academia, submissions are open each year offering the chance to present a Clinical Abstract, presented as a poster or an oral presentation.
Christine Pye won the Medicine Award for her longitudinal study of age, sex and health-related changes in physical biomarkers in pet cats
Alberto Sesana won the Surgery Award for his abstract: "Outcome of lip-to-lid subdermal plexus flaps to reconstruct defects of the lower eyelid in dogs and cats: 46 cases (2005-2022)."
Deborah Komianos won the Practitioner Award for "Reducing use of critically important antibiotics: A clinician-led improvement project across 21 UK small animal veterinary practices."
Rosemary Perkins won the Poster Award for: "Swimming emissions from dogs treated with spot-on fipronil and imidacloprid: assessing the environmental risk."
Lastly but not leastly, Claudia Franzini won the Student Award for: "Does the surgical method for management of Cranial Cruciate Ligament Rupture in dogs affect clinical outcome?"
Submissions for the 2026 Clinical Abstracts will open on 8th September 2025.
https://www.bsavacongress.com
Photo: L-R, Alberto Sesana, Deborah Komianos, Christine Pye, Rosemary Perkins, Claudia Franzini
Woodley Equipment Company has announced that Veterinary Parasep Faecal Filters are now available exclusively from the company.
According to the Woodley, the filters have been developed in conjunction with an independent leading veterinary Institution and offer an improved method of determining Worm Egg Counts (WEC) on cattle, sheep and horses. Flotation methods for WEC can require several Specific Gravity solutions to cover different parasites. The two common flotation methods, ‘Modified McMaster' and ‘Improved Modified McMaster', both use Saturated NaCL and are both catered for with Veterinary Parasep.
Woodley says the key advantages of the new filters are:
For a more information about The Veterinary Parasep please email sales@woodleyequipment.com or call the customer service team on +44 (0) 1204 669033 ~ Option 1.
Alternatively, visit http://www.woodleyequipment.com/.
The first opinion Linnaeus Group practice, which also holds RCVS hospital status, is run by a team of nine vets, 14 nurses, nine receptionists and four animal care assistants.
It was given an outstanding rating for client service, inpatient service, patient consultation service and team and professional responsibility.
Maureen Geraghty Sathi, Practice Manager at Maven said: "We’re always asking ourselves how could we do this better? Everyone has to be on board or it would not work."
The practice had a focus team look at awards and the improvements it would need to make to achieve the required standards. Amongst the various things that were highlighted as exceptional were:
A genuinely separate cat waiting area and cat consult room.
An extensive pain monitoring system with pain scoring for all patients in hospital and an outpatient system which enables clients to monitor and chart their pets pain levels at home and review them with their vet.
Daily clinical rounds which involve the entire clinical team as well as management and a member of the customer care team. Aside from discussing clinical cases for the day this platform also enables daily review of any significant events or morbidity and mortality cases to be highlighted and time allocated for review.
A system whereby vets at the practice email clients in advance of any surgical procedure with information on the procedure itself as well as any potential risks associated with the procedure allowing time for further discussion with the client as needed
Consistent use of surgical and GA checklists to maximise patient safety.
In the final report, the RCVS practice standards assessor wrote: "The structures and management in place were of the very highest order. I was really impressed by the commitment of this practice to provide the very highest standards of clinical care to its clients."
Maureen said: "I am massively proud of the team, to see the pride in how they work. It is lovely to be told that you are working to an extremely high level and genuinely reflects the standards of the team day by day."
No word on the absolute number of 'concerns', but they included:
Jennie Jones, Head of VCMS and Partner at Nockolds Resolution (pictured right), said: "The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown period has impacted many pet owners and veterinary practices. The increased use of remote consultations, and online and remote prescription services has been a great help to many during this time, but it also has its challenges as we all adapt to different ways of working. At the VCMS, we are well-equipped to take on complaints that eventuate in these circumstances, drawing on our past experience with prescription-related grievances and their resolution."
During 2018-19, the VCMS concluded 88% of complaints mediated using the ADR process developed by Nockolds.
Nockolds says it anticipates a rise in prescription-related complaints, and welcomes communication from practices and clients regarding these or any other vet-related complaints. Visit: http://www.nockolds.co.uk
The ‘Advances in Diabetes’ module, taking place at BSAVA Congress 2024 in Manchester Central, will offer delegates the chance to hear first-hand from the clinical researchers and specialists who have used these drugs, such as Dr Ellen Behrend, Prof Ian Ramsey, Prof Stijn Niessen, and Dr Anna Lena Kramer.
Stijn said: “Although not suited as a sole therapeutic for dogs, the current data suggests that a majority of diabetic cats could be treated with once daily oral formulations of these drugs.
“Some of the past barriers to successful long term diabetic treatment included the owner having to inject insulin twice daily and having to watch for hypoglycaemia.
"These lifelong impacts on the owner’s lifestyle are now being taken away.”
Delegates will also be able to learn about advances in the monitoring of canine diabetes, such as the use of Freestyle Libre monitors and haemoglobin A1c, as well as a review of recent developments and management practices for ‘complicated’ cases.
Stijn added: “Gone are the days that we saw diabetes mellitus as a disease; instead, it is the consequence of one or many diseases.
“As such we now ought to approach diabetic cases with a much more open mind and being willing to try and determine the exact aetiology of the diabetes mellitus, doing so can pay off and prevent a diabetic case from becoming a complicated case.”
Ellen added: “Although diabetic ketoacidosis is no more common with the use of SGLT2-inhibitors, it is more likely to be euglycemic with a blood glucose <13.9 mmol/L.
"The recognition of euglycemic ketoacidosis and the correct approach of treatment is crucial.”
Stjn concluded: “Each patient is an individual and therefore diagnosis, treatment and monitoring practices should be adapted to the individual pet-owner combination.
Vets must adjust their approaches significantly when using these drugs, the ‘Advances in Diabetes’ module will provide an in-depth look at these adjustments.”
Delegates will also be able to get their hands on the brand new fifth edition of the BSAVA Manual of Canine and Feline Endocrinology, which includes a chapter on feline diabetes mellitus that discusses various treatments including the use of SGLT2-inhibitors.
Jacquie Rand, author of the chapter said: “SGLT2-Inhibitors will be a game-changer for diabetic cats and their owners. However, it is important that cats are diagnosed earlier in the disease process while some insulin secretory capacity is present, for these to be used as the sole drug therapy.”
The BSAVA Manual of Canine and Feline Endocrinology will be available to purchase on the BSAVA Publications Stand in the Exhibition Hall. ‘Advances in Diabetes’ will take place on Thursday 21st March in the Exchange Hall.
Registration for BSAVA members starts at £115 +VAT for a one-day event pass.
https://www.bsavacongress.com.
Illustration: What a presentation about SGLT2-Inhibitors might look like (this has been photoshopped)
Dechra Veterinary Products has launched Ketodale, an anti-inflammatory injection for cattle, horses and swine.
Ketodale contains the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug ketoprofen 100mg/ml. It is indicated for use in cattle and swine for diseases associated with inflammation, pain or fever. In cattle these include respiratory diseases, mastitis, osteoarticular and muscular-skeletal disorders, such as lameness and arthritis, and to ease pain post parturition. Ketodale can be used to treat swine suffering from Mastitis Metritis Agalactia (MMA) Syndrome and respiratory tract infections.
In horses, Ketodale is indicated for diseases affecting the osteoarticular and muscular-skeletal system associated with pain and inflammation. These include naviculitis, arthritis and laminitis. It can also be used for post-surgical inflammation and symptomatic therapy of colic and fever.
Ketodale is available in 50ml and 100ml vials.
To coincide with the product's launch, Dechra is carrying out a direct marketing campaign. Practices can take advantage of a special launch offer where they can purchase four vials and get a fifth free. The offer is available for a limited period only.
To find out more about Ketodale, call Dechra on 01743 441 632 or visiting www.dechra.com
The dentistry group is one of a number of special interest groups being launched on VetSurgeon.org in the coming months which ALL members are invited to come and join.
The new groups make it much easier to find and follow content that interests you. More than that, they bring together members with a shared interest in the subject, thereby facilitating the sharing of information, experience and knowledge. To that end, expert contributors to the new dentistry group include: Pete Southerden, Norman Johnston, Bob Partridge and Evelyn Barbour-Hill.
As elsewhere on VetSurgeon.org, reading content in the new groups or participating in discussions can count towards a VetSurgeon.org CPD certificate. Just press 'Claim CPD' at the top of the page, then collect the record and certificate from your profile.
As elsewhere on VetSurgeon.org, there's also the opportunity for you to express your appreciation of shared information you've found helpful, by pressing the 'Thank you' button above content. We'll be rewarding those members who are most thanked by members of the site for their help.
The new groups have been set up partly in response to the growth in Facebook groups for vets and the need for VetSurgeon.org to offer added value over Facebook if it is to compete for your attention.
By virtue of the number of its numbers, Facebook probably can't be beaten for general 'chit chat'. But for clinical discussions, it has some serious flaws.
Firstly, there's minimal curation of content and it's more or less impossible to filter irrelevant stuff. Because of that, and because Facebook displays post excepts, rather than headlines, you can end up having to scroll as far as Australia to find stuff relating to your area of interest.
By contrast, the listings of latest content by title on VetSurgeon makes it much easier to scan the content and find the stuff that interests you, particularly now content is grouped by clinical discipline.
Perhaps even more importantly, it's impossible to see the professional qualifications of the person who replied to you on Facebook, so you don't necessarily know if they have the faintest idea what they are talking about. VetSurgeon profiles are visible to all, and allow members to display their postgrad veterinary qualifications, amongst other things.
Lastly, the way discussions on Facebook are 'threaded' makes it very, very difficult to refer back and find who said something useful (you remember someone said something, but then, on a busy thread, you may have to expand 20 or 20 threads to find the thing you were after). That's not just a pain in the derrière, it means that any valuable information shared by specialists and experts is too easily lost.
The bottom line is that if you're looking for general chat, Fleecebook may be your best bet. But if you have questions about specific clinical disciplines, VetSurgeon.org is where you'll find better answers, quicker.
Sabrina joins Fran Taylor-Brown, Simon Bertram and head of service Tom Cardy.
Tom, a European and RCVS specialist in neurology, said Cave is now the biggest specialist-led neurology service in the South West:
“We are very pleased to have Sabrina join the neurology service at Cave, expanding our team to four European and RCVS-recognised specialists in veterinary neurology. This really sets Cave apart from our competitors.
“Sabrina’s arrival, in conjunction with the installation of our new state-of-the-art MRI scanner, means we can see most urgent neurology referrals within 24-48 hours in nearly all cases and increase the number of neurology cases we treat each day.”
Cave’s new £1.2m Phillips Ingenia 1.5T Evolution offers 50% faster scans at a far higher resolution than its previous MRI and shorter general anaesthetics for patients.
It also allows a more detailed and accurate diagnosis of complex neurological conditions.
Tom added: “The MRI scanner is one of the most advanced imaging modalities for the nervous system, providing millimetre-thick cross-sectional images of the brain and spinal cord which is essential for both accurate diagnosis and treatment.
“Having such advanced equipment and facilities plus four recognised specialists means all our clients and their pets will see a vet with the highest level of training in veterinary neurology.
“All of our specialists are happy to discuss challenging cases on the phone with our referring vets and Sabrina's skills and enthusiasm will continue to improve and diversify the service we offer.
https://cave-vet-specialists.co.uk
TVM says DogStem, which is currently the only UK/EU-licensed stem cell treatment for this condition, is clinically proven to reduce pain and lameness while improving mobility and quality of life for dogs over one year.
The training materials include downloadable teaching guides and two videos fronted by Dr Russell Chandler BVSc CertSAO MSc(OrthoEng) MRCVS, an Advanced Practitioner in Small Animal Orthopaedics (pictured).
The videos are designed to help GP vets become more confident about performing intra-articular injections in the hip and elbow, sharing principles and techniques which are also useful for performing arthrocentesis.
Specifically, the videos show the precise procedures, in both elbow and hip, for accessing joint spaces, confirming accurate placement by the appearance of synovial fluid and injecting DogStem.
The training guides offer supporting diagrams and explanations of the approaches to each joint.
Russell, who works at Alphavet Referrals in Newport, Gwent said: “We are proud to have been involved in the production of these training videos, which will support veterinary clinicians everywhere in providing pioneering stem cell treatment to improve the quality of life of dogs suffering from osteoarthritis.
“We have been using mesenchymal stem cell therapy for dogs with osteoarthritis, as part of a multimodal approach, for many years.
"The availability of an off-the-shelf stem cell product, namely DogStem, for the first time promises to greatly widen the applicability of stem cell therapy to these kinds of patients in veterinary practices.
“The early responses to treatment that we have seen with DogStem have been very encouraging.
"I look forward to following up these cases as they progress through their osteoarthritis journey.
"DogStem is simple to administer, once you have the skills to inject joints, and the support from the UK suppliers, TVM, has been excellent."
https://dogstem.co.uk/resources
The vaccine will be available to order directly from Merial on receipt of a Special Import Certificate (SIC) issued by the VMD to the named vet. The SIC is only required once but needs to accommodate all potential doses required, enabling Merial to supply to direct orders from the practice.
The product is available in 10 dose packs at a net price of £89.00 per pack.
For further information, contact Merial Customer Support Centre (UK) on 0870 6000 123 or your local equine territory manager.
Having experienced the profession both as a clinician and as a director, Clive says he wanted to develop and integrate his skills to support fellow professionals. So, during lockdown, he embarked on a Master’s in Executive Coaching from Ashridge Hult Business School.
Clive said: "Studying for the Master’s was intellectually and emotionally tough. The emphasis was on psychology and relationships, working to the highest standards of ethical coaching practice. It has not only developed my coaching skills but also afforded me the opportunity to scrutinise the drivers and motivations behind my career choices and integrate them into a wider appreciation of life and my ‘self’. I am incredibly proud of this achievement and conscious of the privilege afforded me."
Clive's service typically involves six ninety-minute sessions during which he'll help you develop skills, behaviours and ways of behaving that will make you a better leader, particularly if you come from a clinical background where you'd be used to using very different skillset.
Clive, who is also a European Mentoring and Coaching Council Senior Practitioner, added: "In my practice as a coach, I am grateful for the opportunity to support others, whatever their life experiences, as they negotiate the challenges of being themselves, in the workplace, serving their communities.”
For more information, visit: www.trelliscoaching.co.uk
Zoetis says the new product is designed to stimulate both cell-mediated and antibody-based immunity, providing a broad immune response that mimics a natural infection.
The company says CircoMax Myco has demonstrated robust performance in field conditions, delivering improvements in average daily gain (ADG) and close-out weights versus negative controls, helping producers get more kilograms of pork to market.
CircoMax Myco comes in a ready to use single-dose combination with a duration of immunity (DOI) of 23 weeks against both PCV2 and M. hyopneumoniae.
Alvaro Aldaz, Director, Global Commercial Development, Swine, Zoetis, said: “The swine industry needs to adapt to evolving challenges and our research has consistently demonstrated that with its unique technology CircoMax Myco offers robust protection against PCV2 and M. hyopneumoniae.
"It also shows that this new product offers the best chance at protection against continuously evolving PCV2 genotypes – providing a broader umbrella for pig health and productivity.
"Analysis of new European PCV2 strains isolated in multiple countries confirm that CircoMax Myco offers broader coverage than competitor vaccines based on PCV2a only.”
The partnership includes a minimum donation of £10,000 which the company hopes to bolster with additional volunteering and fundraising support.
Gerard Ensink, Head of Animal Health UK and Ireland at Boehringer Ingelheim said: “We are truly delighted to be supporting StreetVet.
“There is already so much passion for the charity within our company.
"Even before we announced this charity partnership, several of our colleagues have been volunteers with StreetVet in a personal capacity.
"We look forward to supporting StreetVet and believe that together we can make a real difference to individuals and their pets who are experiencing homelessness.”
https://www.streetvet.co.uk
The toolkit includes a 15-minute CPD webinar: ‘How to best use ProZinc to successfully manage diabetes in cats and dogs’, hosted by Dr Jamie Adams BVSc PhD MRCVS, Senior Brand Technical Advisor at Boehringer Ingelheim.
Vets who watch the webinar can enter a competition for a coffee machine for their veterinary practice by answering three questions at the end.
The toolkit also has a diabetes management reference guide covering how to make a confident diagnosis and start treatment with ProZinc, how best to monitor and reassess the patient and how to adjust the dose for optimal control.
There are also glucose curve charts, pet owner guides, home care journals and a link to the ProZinc pet owner website, www.prozinc.co.uk, which contains information to help owners feel confident in managing their pet’s diabetes.
The webinar and toolkit are available from: www.boehringer-academy.co.uk.
Founded in 2005 by Jane Howorth MBE, the British Hen Welfare Trust rehomes commercial laying hens that would usually be sent to slaughter, typically at 18 months.
The charity has rehomed hens in schools, community areas, prisons and back gardens around the country, where they have plenty of life left both as egg layers and companions.
The millionth hen, named Henrietta by His Majesty, was rehomed at Highgrove Gardens in Gloucestershire, along with 30 others earlier this month.
Jane said: “We’re thrilled that one million hens have been adopted and extremely pleased that Henrietta and her 30 feathered friends are heading to Highgrove Gardens.
"Helping a lorry load of 4,000 was my original target and we’ve exceeded my expectations by some margin!
"To think that so many hens have had a happy retirement gives me a great deal of pleasure as I’m sure it has for all the kind-hearted British supporters who’ve taken these deserving little creatures into their homes and hearts.
"From the day I started this charity, it’s been a privilege to meet and work with people who want to help hens and to work alongside the egg industry to champion hen welfare and free range eggs.”
www.bhwt.org.uk/one-millionth-hen.
An amendment to the EU's draft budget for a €2 million pilot research project into homeopathy and phytotherapy for farm animals has been approved today by the European Parliament's Agriculture Committee.
BVA President Harvey Locke, said: "Millions of Euros have already been spent on trying to prove the scientific efficacy of homeopathic medicines. To date we have not seen any data to prove they can be effective in the treatment of bacterial infections.
"Whilst it is unlikely that €2 million will be able to determine whether or not there is a basis for claiming homeopathic products can work, we welcome European investment in veterinary research and hope that the results of the pilot will be useful."
Norbrook Laboratories Ltd has launched a second generation Eprinomectin Pour On solution with zero milk withhold and a 10 day meat withdrawal period. Eprizero, for beef and dairy cattle, is indicated for the treatment and prevention of a range of economically damaging gutworm and lungworm infections and external parasites in a pour on application. It offers zero milk withhold and an improved meat withdrawal period of 10 days. Andrew Hillan MVB MRCVS, Director of Veterinary Science, Norbrook Laboratories Ltd., said: "Norbrook has launched Eprizero to offer vets and farmers a more versatile alternative in the treatment of economically damaging worms and external parasites. The active ingredient in Eprizero, Eprinomectin, is both potent and fast-acting and is supported by independent studies which show increased milk yield, improved fertility and increased dry matter intake following treatment. With a zero milk and 10 day meat withdrawal and waterproof properties, Eprizero offers real versatility to vets and farmers in terms of when and where they treat. It is this versatility that we believe will make Eprizero the gold standard in anthelmintic treatment for prolonged infestations of gut worm and lung worm in both dairy and beef cattle." Eprizero is available in four sizes - 250ml, 1L, 2.5L and 5L - with a free 75ml gun supplied with the two larger pack sizes. It is administered using a 75ml dispensing gun to enable accurate application. Eprizero is registered for use in the UK and Ireland and is available to order from your local Norbrook Sales Representative.
It's just over a year since microchipping became compulsory for dogs and according to Defra, 95% of dogs are now chipped.
However, the PDSA PAW Report 2016 showed that only 20% of Britain's 11m cats live an indoor-only life, meaning that there are 9 million 'free-range' cats at risk of getting lost if they stray too far from home.
The PDSA report also found 91% of veterinary professionals in the UK believe microchipping should be compulsory for cats.
Bayer says that advice to dog owners this year should focus on the importance of keeping their chip registration details up to date, after a BVA survey found 44% of veterinary surgeons still cannot reunite missing or stray dogs with their owners due to incorrect chip information being stored on the databases.1
Hannah Watts, Product Manager at Bayer said: "Until microchipping becomes compulsory in cats, vets will need to play a crucial role in helping increase the number of UK cats that are microchipped. National Microchipping month provides a great opportunity for vets to raise the subject with owners and to take advantage of the increased awareness and interest in the subject throughout June. With so many dogs now microchipped, ensuring owners are aware of the need to update their details on the microchipping database is an equally important educational message for vets to convey."
Bayer says that during National Microchipping Month, it will be actively driving pet owners into veterinary practices across the country to discuss the benefits of microchipping with their veterinary surgeon. It will also be trying to ensure pet owners understand the importance of keeping the details stored on their pet’s microchip database up to date.
To help drive home the message, Bayer has also developed a range of new marketing and support materials for practices to display throughout June.
To order National Microchipping Month support materials, visit www.vetcentre.bayer.co.uk or speak to your Bayer Territory Manager.
There are 10 candidates standing in this year’s elections, including four existing Council members eligible for re-election and six candidates not currently on Council. They are:
Mr David Catlow MRCVS
Mr John C Davies MRCVS
Dr Mandisa Greene MRCVS
Miss Karlien Heyrman MRCVS
Professor John Innes FRCVS
Dr Thomas Lonsdale MRCVS
Dr Susan Paterson FRCVS
Mr Matthew Plumtree MRCVS
Mr Iain Richards MRCVS
Colonel Neil Smith FRCVS
Ballot papers and candidates' details have been posted to all veterinary surgeons eligible to vote and an email containing a link to a secure voting site unique to each member of the electorate has also been sent by Electoral Reform Services which runs the election on behalf of the College.
All votes must be cast, either online or by post, by 5pm on Friday 27 April 2018.
This year the College invited all election candidates to produce a video in which they answered up to two questions submitted directly to the RCVS from members of the electorate. All videos have been published on the RCVS website (www.rcvs.org.uk/vetvote18) and YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/rcvsvideos).
Key question themes this year included recruitment and retention, the College’s concerns investigation process and veterinary education. The list of accepted questions has also been published on the RCVS website.
The biographies and statements for each candidate in the RCVS Council election can be found at www.rcvs.org.uk/vetvote18.
Eleanor Ferguson, RCVS Registrar and Returning Officer for the election, said: "Last year we had a record number and proportion of the electorate vote in an RCVS Council election and we would once again stress the importance of voting to ensure that you have a say in the future direction of travel for the College and its policies."
Those who are eligible to vote but have not received either an email or ballot paper should contact Luke Bishop, RCVS Senior Communications Officer, on l.bishop@rcvs.org.uk.