The BVA has responded to the Written Ministerial Statement from the Defra Secretary of State at the end of the licence for badger culling in Somerset.

BVA President Robin Hargreaves said: "The British Veterinary Association (BVA) has supported the pilot culls in England to determine whether badger culling can be delivered humanely, effectively, and safely by controlled shooting.

"We will not prejudge the report of the Independent Expert Panel (IEP), which will consider data from the initial 6-week pilots in Somerset and Gloucestershire, but we are interested to note the Secretary of State's announcement that current indications suggest that the pilot has been safe and humane.

"Today our Veterinary Policy Group has discussed the issues surrounding the extensions to the licences. We agree with the Chief Veterinary Officer's advice that extensions in order to remove a greater number of badgers and get closer to achieving the 70% rate of the Randomised Badger Culling Trials (RBCTs) are justified to improve the bovine TB disease situation and mitigate the potential impact of badger perturbation.

"Following questions raised by our members we have been assured by Defra that monitoring of the culling will continue to ensure it is being carried out in accordance with the humaneness and safety stipulations in the licences. Although it is important to note that this data will not form part of the information being considered by the IEP.

"We await the report of the IEP and will engage members in considering what impact it will have on the overall bovine TB eradication strategy for England."

FMD
There is no change is situation of FMD we still have 7 IPs. The temporary control zone near Maidenhead, Berkshire should be lifted shortly.

Movements between the low risks and the risk areas are allowed using licence 450 but once the animal has entered risk area they cannot leave and become subject to the movement restrictions of the risk area.

BT
A fifth cow has proved positive on clinical signs on a new farm in the Ipswich area, however, it is still not possible to show spread within the country. The OIE is to be notified that cases of Bluetongue are occurring but there is still no evidence of transmission from animal to animal through vectors.

Four of the five animals with BT have been diagnosed on classical clinical signs as outlined in various articles.

For completeness all the signs have been in cattle and include:

• Mild pyrexia
• Depressed appetite
• General stiffness
• Painful reddened coronary bands
• Pitting oedema on head/neck particularly submandibular
• Hyperaemic planum nasale, nasal mucosae and vulva
• White mucopurulent nasal discharge
  
• Red erosions with fibrin tags at mucocutaneous junctions (not vessicles)
  
• Reddened painful teats
  
• Sluggish capillary refill time

Two days left in which to enter Vetoquinol's competition to win up to £300 worth of CPD or a goody bag.

To enter, answer the 7 multi-choice questions here.

The Royal Veterinary College and The Donkey Sanctuary have launched WikiDonkey, a new information resource about donkeys for veterinary surgeons, nurses and students.

According to The Donkey Sanctuary, WikiDonkey is the first site of its kind and will provide the most comprehensive source of accurate, research-led, practical and regularly-reviewed donkey veterinary information on the web.

WikiDonkey covers all the common conditions of donkeys and identifies the major differences between the management and treatment of donkeys and horses. The site also provides a set of normal physiological, biochemical and haematological parameters, resources that have not always been easily accessible but will undoubtedly prove essential for those treating donkeys.

The Donkey Sanctuary's veterinary project and development manager, Faith Burden said: "When we were approached by WikiVet to sponsor and provide content for their donkey section we were happy to support the initiative as it offers an excellent medium for us to share our expertise with others. We are pleased that these pages will allow veterinary professionals access to the most up-to-date information on donkey specific ailments and treatments."

Nick Short, head of the eMedia unit at the RVC said: "I believe that this unique resource will become an invaluable reference source for vets not only in the UK but all over the world. It will also help ensure that future generations of veterinary students will have access to a reliable and extensive knowledgebase on donkey health and welfare." 

To view the Donkey Sanctuary's WikiVet pages, visit http://www.wikivet.net/ or to find out more about the work of The Donkey Sanctuary visit http://www.thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk/

HT Vista will be offering a prize of one free HT Vista cancer screening device, plus a year's subscription, to one BSAVA delegate this year.

The HT Vista device is used by vets and vet nurses to screen dermal and subcutaneous masses on dogs. 

The company says that with a negative predictive value of 98% clinicians can confidently classify a mass as benign without the need of further invasive tests.

HT Vista also says that, according to a recent client survey, the main features which practices value are the nurse-led ability which is maximising nurse clinics and streamlining efficiency, justification in sampling masses even when they feel innocuous, and the rapid speed of image acquisition and results.

To be in with a chance of winning the device and subscription, delegates must attend the 15-minute Ultra Demo at stand B300 on Friday 22^nd March at 4pm.

Pfizer Animal Health has launched a dedicated Equine Business Unit to provide a higher level of service and a comprehensive range of products to equine vets across the UK.

Created following the merger with Fort Dodge, the Pfizer Equine Business Unit is headed by Ben Lacey MA Vet MB MRCVS, who has previously held both technical and sales roles at Pfizer. Ben and his team have a brief to offer a breadth of product, support and flexibility not previously available to equine vets.

The product range offered by the Pfizer Equine Business Unit includes the Equest range of parasiticides; the Duvaxyn vaccines for Equine Herpes Virus, West Nile Virus and Rotavirus and products such as Equimidine and Torbugesic.  Also offered are existing Pfizer brands such as the Equip vaccine range, the antibiotic Excenel Sterile Powder, the NSAID Rimadyl for Horses and Depo-MedroneV.

Five experienced account managers with a strong track record in the equine sector have been appointed by Pfizer to build relationships with equine vet practices on a regional basis.  They are:

South East England                            Mark Baker
West Midlands, Cheshire, Wales        Laurie May
East Anglia, East Midlands                 Penny McCann
South West, South Wales                   Anna Cunningham
The North, Scotland                            Alexandra Cox

Ben Lacey said:  "Building our new team and combining the highly regarded products offered previously by both Fort Dodge and Pfizer has proved a stimulating process.  We've also worked closely with many of our existing practice customers to look at how we can develop the service we provide to them. 

"We're now able to offer a product range which I believe is unrivalled in the market and a highly committed team of equine professionals, who share a vision and passion for equine health.  We're looking forward to building our business with both existing and new customers in the months ahead."

The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons Trust is looking for a vet with a particular interest in veterinary education, professional development and research, to be a new trustee.

The RCVS Trust is an independent small charity that provides two key services to the veterinary profession to further education and animal welfare: an educational grants programme and a Library and Information Service.  It is seeking a trustee who can bring new contacts and ideas relevant to the work of the Trust.

The Trust is also seeking further 'lay' trustees with experience of library services, fundraising and grant-making.

The current Board members have a wide range of experience from academia, government, animal health and small and large animal practice, and veterinary nursing. However, there is room for some new Trustees to join and bring the Board up to full strength.

Stephen Ware, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, said: "The Trust has an important role in supporting practising vets, veterinary nurses, researchers, students and academics through its grants programmes and library and information resources." 

"We are looking for a veterinary surgeon who is actively involved in the wider profession through networks and specialist interest groups, and who is willing to promote the work of the Trust, for example, at veterinary congresses.  Given the nature of the Trust's work, the new trustee should also have experience of postgraduate education or research.

"We need someone who has the energy and experience to get things done - and who can work with other trustees in a collegiate style."

Trustees serve an initial three-year term, spending around six days a year at meetings in London and conferences.  Reasonable expenses are reimbursed. Experience of charity governance and finance is not necessary as training and support will be given. 

Those interested in the role can contact Cherry Bushell, Director of the RCVS Trust, for an informal discussion and an application form.  The closing date for applications is 30 April.

Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica and the Feline Advisory Bureau (FAB) have launched Spot The Signs, a campaign designed to help owners spot the signs of painful, age-related conditions in cats, such as arthritis.

According to the company, which makes Metacam, 46% of cats are now classed as 'mature and older', and 87% of vets have treated cats aged 22 or more. Yet a survey of 3000 cat owners found that 75% would not recognise the signs of chronic pain in their cat. And despite 50% of owners believing that cats suffer pain the same way as humans, 78% of cats had never been taken to the vet for an old age check up.

99% of 77 veterinary surgeons surveyed agreed that chronic pain often goes unnoticed and that signs of pain can be confused with cats simply getting old. When shown a list of common signs of long term pain in cats, 65% of owners recognised at least one of these signs in their own cat.

Claire Bessant, leading feline author and CEO of FAB, said: "In a recent study, 65% of cats aged 12 and above showed evidence of arthritis when X-rayed. The survey also showed that a large proportion of cats do show signs that may be caused by chronic pain, including becoming withdrawn, reduced grooming and reduced activity, but these were not attributed to pain by the owners. Arthritis has only just been recognised by the veterinary profession as a major problem in cats and so it is not surprising that 80% of cat owners do not realise that their cats can develop this painful condition."

Most owners understand that arthritis can cause significant pain and discomfort, and 93% said they would feel guilty if their cat was in pain and they hadn't realised. 65% of Brits see their cat as member of the family, with 20% saying their cat is like a child to them.

The Spot the Signs campaign is being 'fronted' by Jess the Cat, Postman Pat's sidekick, with expert support from a panel of cat medicine and behaviour specialists including leading feline author Claire Bessant and VetSurgeon.org / VetNurse.co.uk blogger, Pete Wedderburn MRCVS.  The campaign includes support materials for veterinary practices and a facebook page.

Claire Fowler, Boehringer Ingelheim, said: "Despite a steady increase in the number of cases of arthritis and chronic pain in cats being diagnosed, our research shows awareness amongst cat owners of how to look for pain in their cats remains surprisingly low, despite 86% saying they would want their vet to let them know if their cat might be in pain.  For many owners, spotting the signs of pain in their cat can be difficult, so we have set out to educate cat owners about what to look for and to encourage them to consult their vet or vet nurse if they are concerned."

The RCVS has published its 2014 Survey of the Veterinary and Veterinary Nursing Professions, a snapshot of the demographics of the profession, and the educational and work status of its members.

The results, which gauge individual views on the current state of the profession, are used to inform the College's future policy and activities.

6,988 veterinary surgeons (27% of the profession), 3,612 registered/listed veterinary nurses (31% of the profession) and 1,792 student veterinary nurses took part in the surveys, which are conducted once every four years by the Institute for Employment Studies.

This year's surveys included a set of questions about 24-hour emergency cover, which contributed to the recent review of the College's guidance in this area, and, for the first time, questions from the government-backed Social Mobility Toolkit, which aim to assess the social background of members of the profession.

Highlights from the survey of veterinary surgeons included:

• For the first time, this year more than half (53.8%) of the respondents were women - in line with the long-term trend towards the 'feminisation' of the profession.
• Since the 2010 survey the share of respondents employed in mixed animal practices has declined from 22.1% to 15.8%, while the proportion of respondents employed in small animal/exotic practices has increased from 48.9% to 53.6% in the same period
• The proportion of respondents in part-time work is currently at 19%, compared to 16% in 2010 and 14% in 2006. Female veterinary surgeons accounted for 73.2% of those in part-time work.
• Although over half (52%) of recently qualified veterinary surgeons went straight into practice work, some 17.8% reported they were unable to find employment after graduation - compared to 13.6% in 2010.
• The average amount of time taken for a graduate to find their first position after they started to look was three months.
• Although almost 90% of respondents stated that veterinary work is stressful, a similar proportion said that veterinary work gives variety and over 80% said it provides job satisfaction.
• Other issues highlighted by respondents included the need for better pay and remuneration and the high demands placed on them by clients.

Highlights from the survey of veterinary nurses included:

• There was a noticeable decrease in the proportion of veterinary nurses who are employed full-time - from 74.7% in 2010 to 67% this year. Full-time work is less common amongst those under 20 (which includes students) and older VNs.
• Veterinary nurses are generally more positive about the profession this year compared to the 2010 survey. For example, 60% said they would choose to become a VN again if they started their career over, compared to 54% in 2010. However, poor pay and stress were highlighted as issues.
• There was a significant shift away from employer-funded CPD to free provision. In 2010, 57% of CPD provision was employer-funded (and in 2008 this stood at 84%), while this year, it was 43%. The proportion of free CPD has increased from 29% in 2010 to 41% this year.
• For student veterinary nurses, the proportion intending to remain employed at their Training Practice after qualification has fallen from 61% in 2010 to 52% this year.

Both the Survey of the Veterinary Profession and the Survey of the Veterinary Nursing Profession, together with a report that brings together common themes, can be downloaded from the RCVS publications page.

The completion date for the RCVS surveys of the veterinary and veterinary nursing professions is Monday 8 February, and the College is urging anyone who has not yet completed their survey to do so.

The data collected will be used to help develop policy, in discussion with government and other bodies, and in response to requests from journalists and members of the public who wish to have an accurate picture of the veterinary profession today. So it's important that as many people as possible complete their surveys.

For the first time, a standard set of questions about well-being (the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale) has been included. Over time, data collected will enable the College to monitor population changes in mental health and well-being, and work with other organisations to address any issues identified.

If you have mislaid your paper copy, the survey can be completed online:

Veterinary surgeons click here: www.employmentresearch.co.uk/vs2010.htm

Veterinary nurses click here: www.employmentresearch.co.uk/vn2010.htm 

All responses are confidential. 

The British Small Animal Veterinary Association has written to Public Health England to ask if they would be prepared to review their risk assessment for front line staff in veterinary practices (i.e. veterinary surgeons, veterinary nurses and receptionists) regarding pre-exposure rabies vaccination.

The letter points out that the changes to the Pet Travel Regulations, brought in on 1st January 2012, make it possible for dogs, cats and ferrets to enter the UK from an EU country only 21 days after vaccination, with no requirement for blood testing and a 6-month wait.

The risk assessment undertaken by Defra at that time acknowledged that this would lead to an increase in the risk of introducing rabies to the UK, but this risk was still considered to be very low.

However, this risk assessment made a number of assumptions, including that there would be full compliance with the regulations. Since that time it has become apparent that not only have these changes led to a significant increase in the number of animals entering the UK, but that a number of these animals do not fully comply with the regulations.

According to BSAVA, current evidence suggests that increasing numbers of puppies enter the UK from abroad, particularly Eastern Europe, and that these are often presented with illness at veterinary practices by their new, and often unsuspecting, owners. While it has been assumed that animals entering under the Pet Travel Scheme pose a low risk of carrying rabies, the recent case of two puppies imported into The Netherlands from Bulgaria which tested positive for rabies indicates that the disease may occur even in puppies that were vaccinated and travelling legitimately.

While a great deal has been achieved in the control of rabies in the EU, there is increasing expansion in member states to include countries such as Bulgaria and Romania in which rabies remains endemic. Moreover, sporadic cases continue to occur in countries within this region (i.e. Italy and Greece). Animals imported into the UK from these regions could potentially introduce rabies into the United Kingdom.

While importation of affected animals remains a remote possibility, the likelihood is that an affected animal would present for veterinary treatment and that frontline veterinary staff may be at greatest risk of exposure. Some veterinary practices that deal routinely with imported pets adopted from the street or animal shelters in other countries, have staff that may be at even greater risk.

BSAVA President Professory Michael Day, who signed the letter on behalf of the Association and its members, said: "As a result of the current conditions in which veterinary professionals find themselves, BSAVA, in our letter sent on 12 November, has urged Public Health England to consider adding veterinary staff who may come into contact with imported animals to the list of those entitled to receive pre-exposure rabies vaccination."