Cheshire-based Movement Referrals has published it’s Clinical Research Report for 2023, a round-up of the latest research, peer-reviewed papers and publications by its team of four Specialists: Professor John Innes, Ben Walton, Mark Morton and Mark Lowrie.

The papers in the report cover things like: novel, 3D-printed anatomical implants for orthopaedics, osteoarthritis and clinical outcomes measures, movement disorders and Quality Improvement in cruciate ligament surgery.

John said: "For an independent veterinary practice to publish a report like this is, in my experience, novel, and it speaks to the culture and values of our practice.

"All of the references cited in the report are clinical research outputs that are directly relevant to practising vets so I hope this will be a useful collated resource.”

https://www.movementvets.co.uk/about-us/clinical-research 

Intervet reports that a clinical trial of 489 cows on dairy farms in the south west last spring and summer has demonstrated some excellent efficacy levels for treating and preventing intramammary infections in the dry period and early lactation.

The trial compared Cephaguard® DC and a 600mg cloxacillin dry cow tube (OEDC) on its own, and in combination with a teat sealant. Cephaguard DC demonstrated superior efficacy in terms of infection prevention during and after the dry period relative to cloxacillin alone, and was statistically equal to the combination treatment group.

Indeed, cows treated with cefquinome (Cephaguard DC) were around half as likely to develop mastitis in the first 100 days post calving than those treated with cloxacillin alone.

The trial also demonstrated excellent efficacy levels against existing Strep. uberis infections when compared with cloxacillin (see table).

DRY PERIOD CURE RATES (%) OF KEY MASTITIS PATHOGENS

Intervet’s large animal veterinary adviser Rosemary Booth said: "With Intervet’s Cephaguard bacteriology scheme showing that Strep. uberis is responsible for 18% of high cell counts and 23% of clinical cases, the dry period offers a fantastic time to treat this persistent pathogen." 

She added: "Several weeks of exposure to an effective dry cow antibiotic provides a particularly good opportunity to kill the cow-adapted strain of Strep. uberis. It lives quite happily in the udder and is tougher and harder to kill than the environmental strain."

The cloxacillin-treated group was significantly more likely to develop clinical mastitis compared to the cefquinome-treated group, as is shown in the table below:

First quarter clinical mastitis cases up to 100 days post calving in quarters not sampled in transition

According to Intervet, the study results suggest that reviewing dry cow therapy this summer, and moving to a cefquinome-based treatment may help reduce the incidence of mastitis.  Further information on the study will be presented at the Large Herd Seminar on 30 June 2008 and is available from Intervet.

Purina has launched a FortiFlora veterinary support pack designed to help veterinary professionals advice owners about their pet's intestinal health and balance.

The support package includes a "Training Toolbox" with Lunch and Learn sessions to help guide veterinary professionals through the introduction of Fortiflora to an owner. It explains the indications, ingredients, benefits and summarises the added value in prescribing to animals with specific health issues. In addition, there are leaflets for owners explaining what probiotics are and how they can help support a pet's intestinal health on a daily basis, as well as some testimonials from owners explaining how Fortiflora has helped their pets.  Promotional bunting and posters are designed to raise awareness in the waiting room, and for a short time there is a promotional pillow pack available to allow clients easy access to a short course of FortiFlora.

In a recent survey of pet owners conducted by Purina, 66% of respondents said their dog had suffered with digestive problems and 80% said they would be willing to make a change to their dog's diet to improve their digestion.¹

Purina says that providing a supplement such as FortiFlora is also recommended as a nutritional supplement to help with diarrhoea associated with stress, antibiotic therapy, diet change and acute enteritis. The company claims it can also help with situations associated with stress such as moving house, vet visits and shows.

Chris Nickson, Senior Brand Manager at Purina said: "Intestinal upset is a very common problem for dogs as our research highlighted.  The aim of this support pack is to help vet practices initiate the conversation with owners to ensure they are aware of the benefits that a nutritional supplement like FortiFlora can offer."

FortiFlora is suitable for use in cats and dogs of all ages.  Animals should be fed one sachet of FortiFlora per day sprinkled over the pet's regular food. 

For more information or to request a FortiFlora support pack, call Purina on 0800 212 161.

Reference

1. Purina Consumer Research Survey, 2013

The RCVS has asked 6,700 veterinary surgeons to submit their CPD records for 2012-2014 as part of its second annual CPD audit.

The news came at more or less the same time that VetSurgeon.org announced that it is developing a new feature to make it easy for veterinary surgeons to document time they spend on the website towards their CPD requirement.

Under the RCVS Code of Professional Conduct for Veterinary Surgeons, members of the profession must undertake at least 105 hours of CPD over a rolling three-year period, averaging 35 hours per year.

Those being audited include 5,568 vets who failed to confirm whether or not they complied with the CPD requirement in this year’s annual renewal process; 488 vets who failed to respond to last year’s audit and did not confirm their compliance this year; 43 pre-2012 graduates who have not yet completed the Professional Development Phase; and 184 veterinary surgeons who specifically declared they were not compliant during this year’s annual renewal process.

In addition to these, a random sample of 400 veterinary surgeons who did declare they were compliant this year will be asked to share their records.

For last year’s audit, the College wrote to 3,975 veterinary surgeons, of whom 82% were found to be compliant. However, 910 veterinary surgeons did not respond to the request at all.

Gordon Hockey, RCVS Registrar, said: “The purpose of the exercise is not only to gauge levels of compliance, but also to gain a greater understanding of why some people are unable to meet the requirement. Therefore, we will be asking those who are still non-compliant to provide us with an explanation as to why, and to submit a learning and development plan outlining the steps they will take to become compliant.

“Since 2012, the Code of Professional Conduct has made it very clear that, as professionals, veterinary surgeons have an obligation to maintain and improve their skills and experience so as to provide a better service to their patients and clients.

“Last year’s audit proved that the majority of the profession do take CPD seriously and do engage with it over-and-above what is required, but a small minority do not. It is important to remind this small minority that persistent failure to comply with CPD requirements, or to respond to requests from the College, may result in them being reported to the Preliminary Investigation Committee.”

Christine Warman, Head of Education at the RCVS, added: “This audit is also an opportunity to remind people that we are not prescriptive when it comes to CPD and that it is not the case that we only count attendance at courses as learning and development.

“Broadly, any activities that you undertake to further your competence and provide tangible learning that can be put to use in your professional life, can be classed as CPD. For example, this could include private reading, webinars, clinical audit activities, mentoring, work-based observation and many more activities besides.

“What we ask is that you record and document these activities, reflecting on what you learnt and how it will affect your practice.”

Veterinary surgeons who are being asked to submit their records can do so by allowing the RCVS to access their online Professional Development Record (PDR) or to send in their CPD record card via email or post. The deadline for responding is Friday 13 November.

Those who wish to sign up to the free, online PDR can do so by visiting www.rcvs-pdr.org.uk. More information about what constitutes CPD and the Code of Professional Conduct requirements can be found at www.rcvs.org.uk/cpd.

VetYou, in collaboration with Future Proof Limited, has launched Home Protector, a mortgage and rent payment protection plan for veterinary professionals. 

The plan covers mortgage or rent payments of up to £2000 per month for up to a year if you are unable to work because of illness or injury. 

In addition, policyholders, their partners and children under the age of 18 are given access to a 24/7 GP service, available via video or phone consultations. 

VetYou says there no health or financial questionnaires involved, and whilst permanent conditions and those present within the last two years are not covered, Home Protection will start to cover pre-existing conditions when you have been symptom, medication and treatment free for two years.

There are 12 types of higher risk sports and hobbies Home Protector wont cover cover and Home Protector can’t cover semi-professional or professional sports. 

Matthew Dobbs, one of the founders of VetYou (pictured), said: “As practising vets, we know the pain of trying to cover rent and mortgage payments when we are unable to work.

"But as busy professionals we often don’t find the time to get the cover we need.

"So we worked with Future Proof to bring this exclusive product to the profession."

https://vetyou.co.uk/home-mortgage/home-protector 

The British Veterinary Association (BVA) is calling on the profession to support pet owners in choosing a healthy, sustainable diet for their cats and dogs.

The association says that its research has found that 94% of companion animal vets say they have clients who feed a raw diet, 42% who feed meat-free diets and 29% who feed insect-protein in place of meat.

However, 6 in 10 vets are unsure how many of the cats and dogs they see are fed meat-free diets.

In a new policy position, the BVA is now urging vets to talk to all cat and dog owners about what they feed their pet, and record nutritional histories and any resulting issues on their practice systems.

BVA President Anna Judson said: “We know that owners of cats and dogs are increasingly drawn to pet diets that reflect their own personal values and lifestyle choices, and this is leading to a surge in alternative approaches to pet food.

"We support owners making informed choices about what to feed their pets, but they must be aware that these choices play a pivotal role in the health of the animal and can also have a wider impact on human health and environmental sustainability.

“One of the key issues in these conversations is the lack of long-term, evidence-based research.

"If vet teams are to maintain our position as the ‘trusted voice’ in these conversations, it’s vital that we ask the right questions and also record as much data as possible so that we can understand the long-term impact of some of these newer diets.”

The BVA says its new policy position is not trying to dictate the ‘best’ diet for individual pets but to support pet owners in meeting their pets’ nutritional needs as well as meeting their own lifestyle choices.

The BVA is also recommending changes to veterinary education to include a new emphasis on the importance of nutrition in day one competencies for vets and nurses, and improved awareness of the need for supportive conversations with animal owners.

To support the profession, the BVA says it will create a new public facing resource and lobby for better labelling of pet food and better labelling and traceability of the animal by-products that represent one of the major sources of protein in many cat and dog foods.

Anna added: “The issues around pet food are complex and with so much information available to pet owners from breeders, friends, online forums and other sources, we want to support all members of the vet team to feel fully confident in guiding their clients through dietary decisions.

"We hope that these recommendations and our upcoming resources will improve the information available to both clients and vets, supporting owners to make healthy, informed choices for their pets.”

https://www.bva.co.uk/take-action/our-policies/diet-choices-for-cats-and-dogs 

Mars Veterinary is launching the Wisdom Panel Insights mixed breed dog DNA test at the Kennel Club's Discover Dogs event this weekend.

According to the company, more than 2 million dogs in the UK are mixed breed, and it is likely that many owners are unsure of their pet's parentage.

Now, with the swipe of a cheek swab, Wisdom Panel Insights can determine the ancestry of a mixed breed dog by testing for more than 185 breeds, which Mars Veterinary says is the largest database of any canine DNA test on the market. Within three weeks, dog owners are emailed an official Ancestry Report that reveals the dog's genetic background. This, it is claimed, will help owners provide better training, nutrition and exercise for their pet, and will also alert them to any disease predisposition their dog may have. 

The test will be on sale for the first time at Discover Dogs at Earl's Court, and from the website: www.wisdompanel.co.uk. It costs £59.99 inc. vat, discounted for Kennel Club registered dogs.

Caroline Kisko, Secretary of the Kennel Club, said: "A dog's ancestry can influence him in surprising ways. Obvious and not-so-obvious physical traits plus behaviours like digging, herding and barking all come from the various breeds in a dog's family tree. Once an owner understands a dog's natural tendencies, it makes it possible to create a tailored training, exercise and nutrition program to fit his one-of-a-kind needs. This is one of many innovative products that dog owners and lovers will find at Discover Dogs this weekend."

Royal Canin has announced that it has established a team of three specialist advisors to work directly with veterinary practices to help develop and improve their weight management clinics, client retention and product sales.

The Pet Weight Care Team will also provide practical training to all practice staff on how to recognise weight problems, communicate sensitively with pet owners and treat the problem effectively.

The first advisor to join the team is Shelley Holden VN (pictured right), who has 10 years' experience as the nurse for the Royal Canin Weight Management Referral Clinic at The University of Liverpool. Shelley has spent time running successful nursing clinics in general practice and lecturing internationally on the topic of obesity. She said: "I have spent many years dedicating my time caring for overweight pets, and the number of cases we see is continuing to rise. It's really important that as obesity specialists we can offer hands-on support to practices to assist them with helping to decrease the number of overweight pets they see.

"Our aim will be to offer specialist training through a number of sessions to practices who wish to improve their weight management clinics. We'll spend time with all members of staff helping them to feel more confident when dealing with owners who have overweight pets. The training will include all aspects of weight management including how to approach owners, Body Condition Scoring and the 30 minute consult. Staff will also be trained on how to support owners throughout the weight loss program and during the maintenance phase."

Royal Canin says the training will also cover the prevention of obesity in pets, how to advise owners on the appropriate diets post neutering and how to manage the animal's weight and calorie intake throughout their lives. The Pet Weight Care Team will be encouraging practices to carry out weight management assessments alongside medical examinations to ensure that potential weight problems are dealt with quickly.

The company says that practices that receive training will be followed up with on a regular basis to provide further support and training as needed.

For more information, contact your Royal Canin Veterinary Business Manager.

The BVA has welcomed reports that the Government will consult on a cull of badgers in areas worst affected by bovine tuberculosis

Professor Bill Reilly, President of the British Veterinary Association, said: "Reports that the Government wishes to move forward with a badger cull to tackle the spread of bovine TB in England are very welcome. The BVA has been championing the need to tackle the spread of the disease in wildlife for some time and we are delighted that the Government has listened to these calls.

"Bovine TB is a devastating disease in many parts of the UK and action must be taken to halt the spread.

"The BVA will consider the proposals in the consultation carefully, including any detailed information on how a cull will be managed. It absolutely must be humane, targeted in the right places and well managed.

"Whatever the Government proposes must be part of a package of measures to control the disease including controls in both cattle and wildlife."

A new study published this month in the Equine Veterinary Journal (EVJ)¹ has concluded that toxins from the seeds of the sycamore tree (Acer pseudoplatanus) are the likely cause of Atypical Myopathy (AM) in Europe.

However, to avoid confusion, the authors of the study point out that the American Sycamore (also just called 'the sycamore' in the USA), is a completely different species: Platanus occidentalis. Furthermore, the sycamore found in the UK is also known as the sycamore maple in other countries.

The new research follows on the heels of a study in the USA earlier this year that linked toxins from the box elder tree (Acer negundo) with Seasonal Pasture Myopathy (SPM), the US equivalent of AM². The discovery marks an important step for the future prevention of this fatal disease.

Atypical Myopathy is a highly fatal muscle disease in the UK and Northern Europe. In ten years, approximately twenty European countries have reported the disease. Incidences tend to occur repeatedly in the autumn and in the spring following large autumnal outbreaks. Horses that develop AM are usually kept in sparse pastures with an accumulation of dead leaves, dead wood and trees in or around the pasture and are often not fed any supplementary hay or feed. SPM is a very similar disorder, prevalent in Midwestern USA and Eastern Canada that is now known to be caused by the ingestion of hypoglycin A, contained in seeds from the box elder tree.

The new European research¹ was conducted by an international team led by Dominic Votion, University of Liege and involved 17 horses from Belgium, Germany and The Netherlands, suffering from Atypical Myopathy. High concentrations of a toxic metabolite of hypoglycin A, were identified in the serum of all of the horses. The pastures of 12 of the horses were visited by experienced botanists and the Acer pseudoplatanus, the sycamore maple, was found to be present in every case. This was the only tree common to all visited pastures.

Researchers believe hypoglycin A is the likely cause of both AM in Europe and SPM in North America. The sycamore and the box elder are known to produce seeds containing hypoglycin A and the pastures of the afflicted horses in Europe and the USA were surrounded by these trees.

Hypoglycin-A is found in various levels in the seeds of plants in the genus Acer as well as in various other genera in the family Sapindaceae such as ackee (Blighia sapida).  In ackee, hypoglycin-A levels do vary with ripeness of the fruit and, if the fruit is eaten before it is mature, it causes hypoglycaemia to different degrees including a condition called "Jamaican vomiting sickness" (because of ackee's use in Jamaican cooking) and occasionally death in humans.

Researchers at the Universities of Minnesota² and Liege are continuing their work to try to uncover exactly how the equine disease occurs. Dr Adrian Hegeman of University of Minnesota said: "It is likely that the most important contributing factors to horses becoming poisoned by hypoglycin-A are the availability of seed in the field combined with lack of other feeding options. The seeds from two species of maples (box elder and sycamore maples) that we have tested include significant quantities of hypoglycin-A.

"We know that seeds contain highly variable quantities from seed to seed, even within a single tree. We do not know yet how hypoglycin-A levels vary seasonally, nor do we know how its abundance varies with different levels of stress to the plant, though this may well explain seasonal variability in the occurrence of the malady. It is possible that conditions that stress the plants may contribute to significant seasonal changes in hypoglycin-A levels.  At this point we just don't know.  It is common held knowledge that trees under stress usually produce more seed."

Dr Jeff Gillman of University of Minnesota said: "Without question, further analysis of the seeds and other tissues from Acer species needs to be performed along with sampling of plant materials over multiple seasons and at various stress levels. Additionally, one cannot rule out more complex explanations for the seasonality of disease occurrence such as: animals may begin feeding on seed materials in response to depletion of more palatable choices under drought conditions; or simple explanations such as high wind events driving seeds into fields. These sorts of explanations for the occurrence of the disease do not depend on botanical variations in toxicity across seasons, sites or stress levels, yet also require consideration.

"Although limited examples are available, the experience of animals at a pasture site might also confer some degree of behavioral resistance to poisoning due to exposure at sub-lethal levels with prior exposure to seeds in the pasture."

Professor Celia Marr, Editor of Equine Veterinary Journal said: "This is an important advancement in our understanding of what causes AM and how it can be prevented. In immediate practical terms owners can take prompt measures to avoid exposing their horses to sycamore seeds this autumn. Where horses are grazing in the vicinity of sycamore trees, it is imperative that they are provided with sufficient supplementary feed as this will minimise the risk that horses might be tempted to ingest seeds containing this toxin. This must be done carefully and leaving wet hay on the ground should be avoided so providing extra carbohydrate feeds may be more practical."

References

1. The European study can be accessed at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/evj.12117/abstract
2. Related research from the University of Minnesota can be accessed at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.2042-3306.2012.00684.x/abstract

Ceva Animal Health has announced that there will be a gap in supply of Cevac Chlamydia, its EAE (Enzootic Abortion of Ewes) vaccine, in June, July and August, due to a vaccine batch failure in the manufacturing process.

Roy Geary, regional director for Northern Europe (including the UK) at Ceva Animal Health, said: “The manufacturing of vaccines is a complex process that involves stringent quality control measures and adherence to regulatory guidelines. 

"Unfortunately, the anticipated vaccine batch has failed to meet the quality expected to be suitable for release, which has temporarily affected the ability to meet the demands of the UK sheep market within the main seasonal vaccination period for EAE."

“We anticipate that the issue in supply will be resolved, with some stock potentially available later in the season, however we recognise that for some farmers the supply will arrive too late for them to use. 

"We are encouraging vets to explore alternative means of safeguarding the health of their clients’ flocks during this period. 

"We recommend implementing robust biosecurity measures and adhering to existing vaccination protocols for other preventable diseases to ensure the overall wellbeing of livestock.

“We will provide vet practices and the wider industry with regular updates as we progress toward a resolution and return to normal supply levels.”

Virbac has announced the launch of a new support pack to help practices promote National Microchipping Month this June. 

The pack contains a range of promotional and educational items including:

• A poster which can be individually customised to include practice-branding and a promotional offering
• A large BackHome display poster for the wall, the window or wherever it can best promote the practice
• Colour-coordinated bunting and balloons to frame waiting room displays and windows
• Eye-catching 'wobblers' for reception desks and shelves to remind clients to chat to reception and book their microchipping appointment.

Sarah Walker MRCVS, BackHome Product Manager, said: "With microchipping soon to become compulsory for dogs across the UK, this year's National Microchipping Month is the ideal platform to raise awareness of its importance in all species and to remind clients that they will soon be required by law to ensure that their dogs at least are protected with a microchip. The new BackHome Mini Chip has a 34% smaller needle than our standard needles and this can minimise any stress and discomfort to pets during implantation.

"The resources in our Microchipping Support Pack are bold, colourful and eye-catching.  We hope that, with the creative teams that exist within each practice, you can promote National Microchipping Month successfully using imaginative displays and use this opportunity to engage with your clients."

For more information, contact your Virbac Territory Manager.