A new diagnostic blood test has been developed to combat the virulent horse disease Strangles.
The breakthrough has come after four years of research by scientists at the Animal Health Trust in Newmarket.
The blood test identifies horses that have recently been exposed to Strangles, enabling it to be nipped in the bud.
Oliver Wilson, campaign director at The British Horse Society, said: "It is fantastic news. This big breakthrough is a real boon to horse owners and I believe will lead to a significant drop in Strangles outbreaks. But there is still much to be done.
"The AHT's work to develop and test a fully effective vaccine against Strangles is ongoing. To support it we need to raise another £120,000 by the end of this year to reach the campaign target of £250,000."
For more information about the Strangles campaign, visit http://www.strangles.org/
The British Veterinary Dental Association has officially launched its own new section on VetSurgeon.org to help its members share ideas and experiences amongst each other.
The new BVDA section on VetSurgeon contains a dedicated forum for discussing veterinary dentistry. There's also a photo and video sharing gallery in which to share and discuss interesting cases. Members can also catch up on association news and hold private 'conversations' between each other using VetSurgeon's sophisticated peer-to-peer networking system.
All veterinary surgeons can visit and read content in the BVDA section on VetSurgeon. However, only BVDA members can join and participate.
A downloadable application form for BVDA membership is available from the 'About us' section.
Lisa Milella MRCVS, BVDA President said: "We're very excited about the potential that VetSurgeon offers us to share information about veterinary dentistry both amongst ourselves and with the wider profession"
Arlo Guthrie, editor and publisher of VetSurgeon said: "I'm really pleased to welcome the BVDA to VetSurgeon. They now sit alongside the Small Animal Medicine Society on the site, and I hope will be joined by more veterinary associations in the future, so that they are all conveniently in once place for easy availability to all practitioners."
Click here to visit the new BVDA section on VetSurgeon.
The RCVS has announced that its Professional Standards Advice Team, which offers advice about the Code of Professional Conduct and its supporting guidance, is now trialling extended hours and remaining open until 7pm Monday to Friday.
The trial will last for three months.
The closing time of 7pm was decided by the RCVS Standards Committee because research conducted by both the Society of Practising Veterinary Surgeons and the RCVS determined that this is the average closing time for veterinary practices in the UK.
On average the Professional Conduct Department deals with 7,500 calls a year (which includes calls from veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses looking for advice about professional responsibilities and standards) as well as around 2,000 written requests which are dealt with exclusively by the Professional Standards Advice Team.
Laura McClintock, Standards and Advisory Manager, said: "The aim of the trial is to determine if the profession would take advantage of these extended hours and, therefore, if our team should permanently extend its operating hours to provide a better service to the profession.
"However, it must be remembered that this is not an emergency service but an extension to our standard service and advice during the extended hours will not necessarily be any more immediate than at any other time during the day because it may need further research or input from members of the Standards Committee.
"Prior to launching the trial we also liaised with 10 other UK healthcare and professional regulators and found that our current professional advice service compared favourably to others and that we were providing a more extensive service than many."
The team aims to provide clear, concise and consistent advice to help veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses understand their professional responsibilities and support compliance with the Code. It also distinguishes between professional requirements, legal requirements and suggested good practice and may offer suggestions about how professional responsibilities can be applied in practice.
However, there are some areas on which the team is unable to offer guidance. For example, it cannot offer clinical advice or advice on legal matters such as employment law, maternity rights, or contractual or civil disputes.
Advice is also available for members of the public, for example, to help animal owners understand what they can expect from their veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses.
To contact the team call 020 7202 0789 or, alternatively, email profcon@rcvs.org.uk
Council members voted in favour of becoming a fully-appointed governing Council and to explore retaining elected representation on a future council or committee focussed on 'upstream regulation' and development of the profession
Council also voted to move towards greater parity between professional and lay RCVS Council members, but delayed a decision on the precise balance until it has the opportunity to consider the matter in more detail.
Council voted to remove veterinary school appointees from Council, agreeing to discuss the future composition of the RCVS Education Committee at a later date.
Council then voted to further investigate a number of alternative governance arrangement suggestions, including independent oversight of the College, and to review term limits across all appointed positions.
RCVS President Linda Belton said: “Thank you to all who took part in the consultation and made suggestions on alternative and additional arrangements that might be made regarding our governance.
"Thank you also to Council members for a robust discussion of these proposals.
“We still have a number of important governance issues to discuss at a future date and the proposals that Council members have voted to approve today will not be brought into immediate effect, but will be included in our proposals to government for new veterinary legislation.
“As we seek reform of veterinary regulation via new primary legislation, it is important that our governance arrangements not only inspire public confidence and trust but also allow us, as a Royal College that regulates, to work with the professions on our upstream regulatory activities, not only to ensure that individuals are fit for practice, but also that we maintain a profession fit for purpose.
“The decision to explore retaining an elected element on a future veterinary council or committee, responsible for work dedicated to the development of the professions, gives a clear indication of the value of our ‘Royal College that regulates’ model.
"We have also made a further commitment to public assurance by agreeing to explore independent oversight of the RCVS.
“Any future appointments process developed by the RCVS will be committed to adhering to the Public Standards Authority’s principles on appointments; these are merit; fairness; transparency and openness; and inspiring confidence.”
www.rcvs.org.uk/rcvscouncil-nov24
The Society of Practising Veterinary Surgeons (SPVS) has joined forces with the Professional Development Foundation (PDF) to revolutionise higher veterinary education in the UK.
The two organisations – SPVS through its Masters and Doctors Group (MDG) – have officially announced that they will deliver the new modular Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) Certificate in Advanced Veterinary Practice (CertAVP) and the CertAVP (VetGP) qualifications through the new Vet Learning group.
SPVS recognised that vets were finding it difficult, if not impossible, to combine working in practise with completing the old-style certificates and decided to work with the RCVS to create more flexible and relevant qualifications and the PDF to provide more guidance and support.
Students taking the Vet GP qualification will also work from a syllabus that firmly complements the experience of the practising modern vet.
Richard Hillman, SPVS President Elect and SPVS CertAVP project leader, explained: “I registered for the RCVS Certificate in Welfare and Ethics three years ago as, as a practice owner, I am very interested in these fields but have found it very difficult to juggle work, home life and study.”
He added: “I’ve been on the CPD and I’ve read the books so I’ve done the personal development parts of the certificate but I just can’t get the cases written up. If I had the structure, support and mentoring that the SPVS and Vet Learning will now supply, I could have gone on and got the qualification I wanted. I am delighted that Vet Learning has now been created.”
Both qualifications will be assessed at MSc level and will be quality controlled by the University of Middlesex and the national Quality Assurance Agency (QAA). SPVS will shortly announce the date of a road show that will supply practitioners with further information on this ground-breaking development in veterinary education, including how to structure their CPD.
Vetoquinol UK is offering vets and nurses the opportunity to win a day's free CPD by entering its new Marbocyl® P Challenge.
The challenge runs for three months with a prize each month for a veterinary surgeon's one day CPD voucher worth £300 and a nurse's one day CPD voucher worth £200 from Improve CPD. There are also 10 runners up goodie bags available each month.
Each challenge focuses on knowledge of fluoroquinolones. July's challenge involves use in pyoderma, August's challenge focuses on respiratory tract infections and September's challenge will be on canine urinary tract infection.
Russell Roan, Vetoquinol's Veterinary Services Manager said: "Fluoroquinolones are an often-discussed antibiotic in the veterinary and medical world, but all too often they are mentioned as a class rather than as the individual molecules. This can cause the common misconception that all fluoroquinolones are the same. The Marbocyl® P Challenge aims to address this misconception and to highlight the varied uses for fluorquinolones."
To enter, visit http://www.vetoquinol.co.uk/, click on the Marbocyl® P Challenge banner at the top of the home page and complete the short quiz.
Kruuse has launched a new extra large size Bovivet Hoof Bandage for use in the treatment of digital dermatitis (DD) in cattle.
According to the company, an estimated 70 per cent of dairy herds suffer with digital dermatitis and, if not treated, it can persist for months, causing pain and lameness to infected cows. Indeed, a paper1 presented at the BCVA 2011 Congress by Prof. N.B. Cook, Clinical Associate Professor at the School of Veterinary Medicine in Madison, USA, said that "lameness can systematically undermine the management of the dairy herd. No other disease has such fundamental and extensive effects on production, reproduction and risk of early herd removal."
The most effective way to fight DD has been found to be the management and treatment of individual animals. Traditional treatments have involved thoroughly washing the infected hoof, applying an antibiotic/drying agent, such as salicylic acid powder, and then applying a dressing that must remain in place usually for three days. However, it can be hard to correctly dose the salicyclic acid powder and there can be complications in ensuring that the dressing is correctly applied at the right pressure and that it stays in place. It can also be a risk to the user's health when mixing the powder.
Kruuse says this can be made easier by using the Bovivet complete Hoof Bandage along with Kruuse Hoof Gel 38%. Firstly, by using a gel, dosing is easy and more accurate, making it more economical per treatment; and, secondly, for the user, it reduces potential health risks from inhalation of the powder when mixing.
Stuart Wilson from Kruuse UK said: "Since the launch in the UK early last year, the hoof bandage has been very well received by cattle vets, but we were told by them that a larger version was needed in some cases. So Kruuse has produced the new extra large size 'red Jimmy Choos for moos'!"
Kruuse has produced the following instructional video to demonstrate the products' ease of use and versatility, and says that the estimated cost per hoof, assuming ten treatments from a bottle of the gel, is £2.71.
Reference
MSD Animal Heath has launched a new dispensing pack to help veterinary practices develop retail sales for Cosequin DS, the joint supplement for pets.
The new dispensing pack, which doubles up as a display pack, contains 300 chews foil-wrapped for extra freshness in 30 packs of 10 strips, allowing Cosequin to stand in the waiting room or on reception.
The new pack, available now in wholesalers, replaces the previous 90, 120 and 180 DS chewable tablet pack sizes.
Petplan has been voted Best Insurance Provider in the seventh annual Your Cat and Your Dog Product Awards.
This is the sixth consecutive year Your Cat and Your Dog readers have voted Petplan number one, in response to a survey completed by thousands of pet owners.
Isabella von Mesterhazy, Head of Marketing at Petplan said: "To be independently voted number one provider by pet owners means so much, particularly as this is the sixth time we have been awarded this honour.
"Petplan's Covered for Life policy is the original lifetime policy - we were the first insurer to offer this type of policy and cover. This, combined with over 36 years' experience in the pet insurance marketplace means Petplan truly understands what pet owners need and want from their pet insurance. We settle 97% of claims successfully and 90% of customers renew each year. Moreover, we paid out over £180 million in claims in 2013, the majority directly with the vet, which leaves owners able to concentrate on supporting their pet back to full health rather than worrying about vet bills."
Government Chief Veterinary Officer Nigel Gibbens has declared a Prevention Zone introducing enhanced biosecurity requirements for poultry and captive birds, in order to help protect them from a strain of avian flu circulating in mainland Europe.
The zone covers England and will remain in place until 6th January 2017. Declarations have also been made by the Scottish Government and Welsh Government.
Keepers of poultry and other captive birds are now required to keep their birds indoors, or take appropriate steps to keep them separate from wild birds.
Outbreaks of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (H5N8) have been confirmed in poultry and wild birds in several countries across Europe. No cases of H5N8 have been found in the UK and this order is a precautionary measure to help prevent potential infection from wild birds.
Public Health England (PHE) advises that the threat to human health remains very low.
Defra is continuing to monitor the situation closely and has increased its surveillance activity, while keepers are being urged to reinforce biosecurity measures on their premises.
Nigel Gibbens said: "While no cases of H5N8 avian flu have been found in the UK, and PHE advises the public health threat is low, we are closely monitoring the situation across Europe and have scaled up surveillance in response to the heightened risk.
"As a precaution, and to allow time for poultry and captive bird keepers to put in place appropriate biosecurity measures, we have declared a 30-day Prevention Zone to reduce the risk of infection from wild birds.
"Even when birds are housed a risk of infection remains so this must be coupled with good biosecurity - for example disinfecting clothing and equipment, reducing poultry movement and minimising contact between poultry and wild birds."
More information available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-measures-to-protect-poultry-against-avian-flu
A 3 km Protection Zone and a 10 km Surveillance Zone have been put in place around the infected premises to limit the risk of the disease spreading.
The infected flock contains nine birds. Defra says a number had died and the remaining live birds at the premises are being humanely culled. A full investigation is under way to determine the source of the infection.
Full details of the control measures in place can be found here.
The flock is estimated to contain approximately 35 birds. A number have died and the remaining live birds at the premises are being humanely culled.
A full investigation is under way to determine the source of the infection.
Keepers are urged to continue to be vigilant and look out for the signs of avian flu in their flocks, informing the Animal and Plant Health Agency should they suspect infection.
Almost 90% of the British public think that microchipping dogs should be compulsory, according to a new survey carried out by Petlog, the lost and found pet database.
A public consultation into compulsory microchipping, which proposes that microchips are used to help tackle the issue of dangerous dogs, closes today. Interestingly however, the survey showed that the main reason for compulsory microchipping should be to help speed up the return of a lost pet, although 38% of those who are in favour of compulsory microchipping also thought it would help to tackle dangerous dogs.
Celia Walsom, Petlog Executive said: "The results from this survey were very promising and showed that there is huge support out there for compulsory microchipping. I hope that the public consultation demonstrates the true extent of public support and that Defra will seriously take this on board.
"Unfortunately, press coverage surrounding compulsory microchipping has been focusing on the issue of dangerous dogs and has ignored the main objective of a microchip which is reunification.
The Microchipping Alliance which comprises animal welfare charities, veterinary organisations, assistance dog charities, dog membership organisations and others who are impacted by dog issues, released a briefing at the end of last year that looked into the economic consequences of compulsory microchipping. The briefing states that if compulsory microchipping was to be introduced to all dogs there is a potential saving of over £20 million from reduced kennelling and other costs associated with stray dogs.
Celia continued: "The reasons for compulsory microchipping are strong. We at Petlog along with the Microchip Alliance and a number of other organisations want to see microchipping made compulsory to help dog welfare and reduce the number of dogs needlessly rehomed or put to sleep because they couldn't be reunited with their owner."
Petlog conducted the survey using visitors to the London Pet Show to find out public feeling regarding compulsory microchipping.
This month is National Microchipping Month, an initiative run by Petlog to promote the benefits of microchipping to pet owners and also encourage people to make sure that their contact details are up to date.
If you would like to take part in Petlog's microchipping survey, you can still do so, here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Petlogmicrochipping.
For more information, visit www.nationalmicrochippingmonth.org.uk.
The webinar will be presented by Dr Abigail McGlennon from the Equine Infectious Disease Surveillance (EIDS) team at the University of Cambridge who will present data from the Surveillance of Equine Strangles (SES) network to provide a detailed overview of strangles diagnoses across the UK.
Abigail will explore recent trends in outbreak reports, the genetic makeup of recent circulating strains and transmission links between UK outbreaks.
By linking research from her own PhD work on S. equi genomics and transmission with preventative strategies, Abigail show how to suggest and implement evidence-based prevention measures to clients.
The webinar will also offer advice on ‘the ates’ preventative measures – vaccinate, isolate, investigate and communicate – and will include information on when horse owners should be vaccinating with Strangvac and an outbreak management vaccination plan using the traffic light ‘green, amber and red’ system.
https://go.dechra.co.uk/preventative_strategies_for_strangles
Session submissions should fit within one of the five strands of SPVS's over-arching theme of Thriving in Practice: leadership skills, team dynamics, self-development, management and business development).
Full details can be found SPVS Congress 2026 Call to Participate: https://spvs-congress.co.uk/spvs-congress-2026-call-to-participate
Anyone who would like to contribute should complete the following form by Friday 16 May 2025: https://spvs-congress.co.uk/congress-2026-session-submission
Early bird tickets for the event can be booked now: https://spvs.org.uk/congress-tickets
Welsh Environment Minister, John Griffiths, has announced changes to some bovine TB cattle and surveillance controls to provide a higher level of protection against the disease.
The Minister confirmed that from 1 April 2013, some existing Pre Movement Testing exemptions will be amended. The main changes concern movements from markets and common land.
New key measures are:
The Minister announced that a new dedicated TB epidemiologist was to be appointed for Wales and that he or she would work within the AHVLA and focus on specific areas or clusters of disease. The postholder will be in place by April 2013.
He also announced new advice and support to farms dealing with breakdowns: "I have also asked officials to develop a way to provide additional advice and support to farmers to clear up breakdowns more quickly and efficiently. We have started to explore how private vets could become more involved with this new initiative called the Integrated Breakdown Management Project.
"I know that bovine TB is a devastating disease that has a big impact in rural communities. Since I launched the Strategic Framework for Bovine TB Eradication last March, we have kept the programme under constant review. With the new tools I have outlined today, we are addressing TB in livestock and wildlife and maintaining an effective eradication programme for the benefit of farmers, rural communities and the economy in general."
The article, which is available open-access, comprises a literature search of both medical and veterinary medical journals for evidence of the effectiveness of input-based and outcomes-based CPD.
Its conclusion is that outcomes-based CPD, which concentrates less on hours logged and more on interactive and reflective learning, is the most effective at improving practice and patient health outcomes.
The paper was originally presented to the RCVS CPD Policy Working Group on 4 December 2015 to inform its discussions. A six-week consultation with the profession was held over the summer asking for their views on the resulting proposals for an outcomes-based approach to CPD.
The proposed model for CPD has four key components: planning, doing, recording and reflecting. While an overall majority of the 3,357 people who responded to the College’s consultation agreed with the proposed changes, certain elements received less support than others. The lowest amount of support was received for the ‘reflection’ component with 35% of respondents disagreeing with it.
With this in mind the RCVS Education Committee and VN Council decided that a pilot of a new outcomes-based approach should be held during 2017 with a group of volunteers, and made this recommendation to RCVS Council. RCVS Council approved this pilot at its meeting on 10 November.
The pilot is expected to be launched in February next year and the College is now looking for volunteers who both support the proposals and those who have a ‘healthy scepticism’ about them. Volunteers will receive help and support throughout the trial and will also be invited to attend an introductory CPD meeting at the College’s offices on 28 February.
If you are interested in volunteering, contact Jenny Soreskog-Turp, RCVS CPD Officer, on cpd@rcvs.org.uk.
To access the article for free, visit the Veterinary Record: http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/content/179/20/515.full?keytype=ref&ijkey=bwDIVYMY8Vwd0su.
Further information, including the CPD Policy Working Party’s response to the consultation, is available at www.rcvs.org.uk/CPDpilot.
Farmers within the Protection Zone (PZ) are being urged by the Joint Action against Bluetongue (JAB) to vaccinate their animals if they have not already done so.
In a joint statement JAB said: "The vaccination campaign is going exceptionally well with more than 9 million does of vaccine made available to farmers in the PZ. However, we must not be complacent, as there are still more animals to vaccinate and we must not delay in protecting them from bluetongue.
"As the weather conditions improve, the risk of new cases of bluetongue increases and the objective of the JAB campaign has been to try and protect the UK from the devastation this disease caused in much of the rest of Europe last year. We do not want to see in the UK the heavy losses of sheep seen by some other member states or the fertility problems seen in many cattle herds. The message is simple - if you want to protect your livestock, ‘don't hesitate, vaccinate'."
Commenting on the recent delays in vaccine delivery, JAB said: "It is unfortunate that we have seen a problem with the latest batch of vaccine, which for quality control reasons is undergoing further testing. JAB understands the frustration that this delay has caused. However, this is just one batch and Intervet has so far exceeded delivery expectations and we are hopeful that we will be back on track very soon."
Students at the University of Cambridge Veterinary School have again been revealing almost all for the 2009 Trust Charity Calendar.
This year's calendar is comprised of shots taken in and around the veterinary school, with various animals and props used to spare the blushes of the models. There's also a suggestion for how vets might put their clients more at ease in the consulting room (see right), though I can't see it really ever catching on.
The calendar has been produced to help raise money for the HOPE appeal which is working to raise £2 million needed to pay for the extension of the Cancer Therapy Unit and the new radiotherapy machine.
It was organised by Fiona Jacobs who also posed. She said: "We are all very happy to be involved in producing something fun and light-hearted, which could potentially help us raise a large amount of money for a very worthy cause."
The calendar is available for £9 (£11 p&p). For more information on the Trust's work or to order a copy please contact 01223 764475 or send a cheque to: University of Cambridge Veterinary School Trust, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0ES.
A PVC-U window company based in Oldham has launched a new range of animal cages specifically for use in veterinary surgeries, animal rescue centres, kennels and catteries.
Liversidge Windows was approached by its local animal rescue centre Pennine Pen last year to build a series of bespoke cages for its sick animals, and the company says the results were so successful that it is now marketing the range nationwide.
Ian Liversidge, Managing Director of Liversidge Windows, said: "Once we started building the cages, we wondered why no one had thought of it before. Our REHAU PVC-U is the perfect material for this application and overcomes all of the problems associated with the steel or wooden alternatives."
He added: "The cages exploit all of the inherent benefits of PVC-U as a construction material to deliver a safe, hygienic and warm environment for virtually any kind of pet.
"They are robust and durable and overcome all of the maintenance and cleaning problems normally associated with plywood or steel cages. They are hygienic and easy to wipe clean, with a smooth internal and external surface which does not harbour germs or disease."
Weather proof for either indoor or outdoor use, Liversidge says they are also much warmer than cages made with conventional materials and can also be supplied with insulated panels for additional comfort.
Liversidge can design pens to customers' own sizes and specifications, with options including double or single accommodation, left or right hand door opening and castors if required. They are supplied fully assembled and can be delivered nationwide.
Further details are available at: http://www.liversidgeupvcwindows.co.uk/animal_pens.html
The extension, which does not collect any data, interrupts searches related to a broad range of mental health and life challenges, including substance misuse, financial struggles, eating disorders, domestic abuse and more, with a positive message of hope and signposts to a variety of different mental health services.
According to R;ipple, its extension has now interrupted over 100,000 harmful online searches and 32 people so far say they are still alive today because the software intervened at a moment of crisis.
Nick Berryman from Agilio said: “Our commitment aligns with R;pple's mission to combat the stigma surrounding mental health and provide essential resources for those at risk.
"As part of this, we have implemented the tool across our own organisation to safeguard the wellbeing of our staff.
"In parallel, by supporting R;pple’s wider initiatives, we are helping to raise awareness and empower healthcare communities to take proactive steps in supporting those in need.”
R;ipple will be holding a live webinar on Tuesday 7th May at 1pm: Supporting workplace mental health and suicide prevention: my brother’s legacy.
In the webinar, R;ipple founder Alice Hendy MBE will draw on her experience of having lost her brother, Josh, to suicide in 2020 at the age of 21, and explain how healthcare organisations can create safer, more supportive environments through practical steps and awareness.
To register to attend, visit https://tinyurl.com/my-brother-s-legacy.
https://www.ripplesuicideprevention.com
https://agiliosoftware.com/