The new facilities use teaching aids and models to allow students to refine their practical skills and build confidence before being let loose on real patients.
As part of the official opening, Princess Anne toured the School of Veterinary Medicine, where she met with staff and students and saw a demonstration of a new equine gut model that offers an alternative to using live animals for research into the gut microbiota of horses and how they are affected by diet, disease and medication.
Professor Chris Proudman, Head of the School of Veterinary Medicine, said: "We are honoured to welcome The Princess Royal to the Vet School today, and very grateful that Her Royal Highness has officially opened the Large Animal Clinical Skills Facilities. Preparing students for life as a vet is our number one priority; the hands-on experience they will get through the use of this facility is invaluable and enables them to give the best possible care to all animals.
"We are also very grateful to the Longhurst family, without whom these teaching resources would not have been possible – their generosity is helping us to teach the vets of the future."
Genitrix has announced that HY-50 Vet®, a sodium hyaluronate treatment for equine joints, has now been authorised for intravenous (IV) use.
Available until now for intra-articular (IA) use only, the company says HY-50 delivers the highest concentration of sodium hyaluronate on the market for the treatment of non-infectious joint inflammation and the enhancement of joint function.
Genitrix also says that, as IV application requires less specialist preparation than IA, HY-50 is now a practical solution for mixed practices with a smaller equine case load. Injected intravenously, the product will also benefit horses with multiple joint injuries.
HY-50 is presented in a 3 ml pre-loaded syringe, delivering 50 mg of sodium hyaluronate. It costs £55.50.
Rob Watkins, Marketing Director of Genitrix, said: "The efficacy of sodium hyaluronate is well established and we're delighted to be able to offer the IV route of administration. We know it will meet a real need in the market for a lameness treatment which is proven and simple to administer."
"Perhaps most importantly, in these financially difficult times, the high concentration of the product makes it a cost-effective approach compared with competitive products. We believe it will offer an affordable treatment option for owners who are anxious to treat their horses but may be discouraged by the high cost of many treatments."
For further information, see http://www.genitrix.co.uk/ or ring 01403 786345.
The Kennel Club has broadly welcomed Professor Sir Patrick Bateson's 'Independent Inquiry into Dog Breeding', which has recommended that steps be taken to tackle irresponsible breeders and to change the way the public think about buying dogs.
The Kennel Club, which commissioned and funded the report in conjunction with Dogs Trust, welcomes the report's focus on irresponsible breeders who farm puppies with little concern for their welfare and those who sell poorly socialised puppies on to owners to use as 'status dogs' or as fighting weapons.
The Kennel Club agrees that additional training and support needs to be given to local authorities, which are responsible for issuing breeding licences to those people who breed five or more litters of puppies in a single year, as the current provisions are deemed to be ineffective. It agrees that compulsory microchipping of dogs and increased public education to stop people falling prey to puppy farmers and to help them find responsible breeders are necessary.
It is also glad that the report recognises the need for a 'robustly policed and well respected quality assurance scheme', consisting of breeders that buyers can trust to look after their puppies' health and welfare, and that it suggests that the Kennel Club's Accredited Breeder Scheme, with some modification could be used.
However, the Kennel Club is concerned that the report could have gone further and that its recommendations do not appear directly to cover those breeders who breed less than five litters per year and who are not part of the Kennel Club Accredited Breeder Scheme. The Kennel Club would have liked to have seen a recommendation for regulation to ensure that these breeders follow higher standards, such as compulsory health testing.
Caroline Kisko, Kennel Club spokesperson, said: "Whilst the report recognises that the majority of breeders are responsible, there are those whose actions are bringing the rest of the dog breeding community into disrepute and this needs to be stopped.
"We are glad that the report recognises that the Kennel Club has made a good start in its efforts to unite responsible breeders within its Accredited Breeder Scheme, for the benefit of puppies and puppy buyers, and we believe that this should be the basis for moving forward. We are currently working towards UKAS accreditation of the scheme as suggested by Professor Bateson.
"We agree that responsible breeders should be rewarded and believe that the show ring is the best forum for this. The report recognises that 'dog showing and judging are a powerful lever for change' and the Kennel Club is dedicated to ensuring that only the healthiest dogs are rewarded at shows.
"Public education is vital and all dog welfare organisations must continue to work together to ensure that people know what to look for when buying a dog."
The report looks at genetic diversity in breeds and recognises that the Kennel Club has banned close matings. It advises that future decisions about matings that could affect genetic diversity should be 'breed specific' and made upon evidence based scientific information and advice. To this end it is recommended that the veterinary profession should gather data to show the prevalence of certain diseases and that an advisory council should develop evidence based breeding strategies.
Mrs Kisko continued: "The Kennel Club has long recognised that genetic diversity plays a crucial role in safeguarding the health of dogs and the report is absolutely right to suggest that there are no further blanket rules in place but that decisions are based upon scientific knowledge and are made on a breed by breed basis. This is why we are well on the way to creating a new database which will revolutionise the way that we record dog health data. The data will enable us to bring out our Mate Select programme, which will help breeders to find suitable mating pairs which are most likely to produce healthy offspring. The database will go further than the report's recommendation, as the data will be attributable to specific dogs, rather than being anonymous, and will give us a better picture of the health of pedigrees and crossbreeds. Such knowledge is critical and will enable us to provide information to breeders, vets, geneticists and ultimately the puppy buyer.
"We are keen to harness as much knowledge as possible for the benefit of dogs so we welcome the principle of an advisory council whose members will work with the Kennel Club to advise on decisions about breeding and health. A structure already exists in the form of the Kennel Club's Dog Health Group with its recently extended remit. Additional independent experts include canine and human geneticists, veterinary surgeons and an epidemiologist. Using this framework for establishing the advisory council under an independent chairman would save significant sums of money, which can instead be devoted entirely to the dog health research that the report identified as being in 'urgent' need of more funding."
The Kennel Club and Dogs Trust will now arrange a meeting between all relevant parties in order to move forward with the recommendations from all three reports.
The full report may be downloaded at www.dogbreedinginquiry.com
Woodley Veterinary Equipment has launched a range of eight veterinary stains.
The company says that the range offers a comprehensive product base to suit most requirements, and that they are all quick and easy to use.
The range is made up of the following individual stains for single test use:
Also available is the Automated Slide Stainer, which Woodley says is capable of precise, balanced slide stains for use with Haematology and Gram staining. Maintenance free and self-cleaning the Automated Slide Stainer is also programmable for individual preferences.
For more information, email: sales@woodleyequipment.com or call Woodley's customer service team on +44 (0) 1204 669033 Option 1. Alternatively visit www.woodleyequipment.com
Virbac Animal Health is calling on practices to prepare for Canine Prostate Awareness Month (CPAM), being held by the company in November to highlight the prevalence of the disease and to encourage owners and practices to test for it.
Last year, 400 practices sign up to support the event, and the company says that feedback from many taking part confirmed a significant lack of understanding among clients as to the risk of prostate disease in dogs.
Canine Prostate Awareness Month is timed to coincide with 'Movember', when thousands of men grow moustaches to raise funds for male prostate and testicular cancer. During the month, Virbac is providing promotional materials including dog leads; educational and display materials and a press release for local media.
Chris Geddes MRCVS, Virbac Product Manager, said: "With more than 80% of entire male dogs over the age of five suffering from Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH)¹, we wanted to give practices a reason to highlight the risk and encourage owners to test for it. Timing CPAM to coincide with Movember seemed a good way to interest dog owners at a time when some might be considering the state of their own prostate.
"The support we received last year confirmed that it was a topic which practices were keen to discuss with dog owners so we're already planning to make the initiative even bigger and better this year."
Stephen Bamber, Principal at participating practice Warwickshire-based Avonvale Vets, added: "CPAM was an attractive campaign as it was a bit different. It offered the opportunity to see some of our older patients with other, less obvious pathologies. Non-symptomatic testicular tumours in particular surfaced in the checks we did. Clients generally had little idea about dogs' prostates so it gave us a good platform to discuss prostate disease with them."
Virbac has introduced OdelisTM CPSE, the first ELISA test to screen for, diagnose and monitor BPH, available from three UK diagnostic laboratories. The company says it's a cost-effective, precise and reliable alternative to rectal palpation. Virbac also offers Ypozane, a tablet treatment for BPH which takes effect within a week and lasts for up to six months.
Chris added: "BPH is an unpleasant condition occurring in nearly all entire dogs as they get older, but one which is entirely treatable. We hope that, by running our Prostate Awareness Campaign at a time when the media spotlight is already on the dangers of prostate cancer in men, we can help spread the message that owners should be monitoring older dogs for signs of prostate disease."
For further information on the Prostate Awareness Campaign, email cpam@virbac.co.uk; contact your Virbac Territory Manager or contact the company direct on 01359 243243.
References
Animalcare has unveiled its new logo, introduced to mark the latest stage in the company's development which has seen it move into larger offices and upscale its warehouse facilties to better serve the profession.
The new logo consists of three flags, each representing one of the three core pillars of Animalcare; veterinary pharmaceuticals, companion animal electronic identification and animal welfare. The three flags combine to make a stylized 'A' and the motif as a whole with the word 'Animalcare' combines to make the new logo.
Mindful of the environment, Animalcare says there will be a phased roll-out of the new logo across the customer facing elements of Animalcare. This will begin with the new price list and will extend across the range of packaging, starting with Vitofyllin, and the marketing literature.
To request your new price list either as a PDF or printed copy, e-mail: info@animalcare.co.uk or speak to your local representative.
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.
Bayer Animal Health has extended the range of Baytril presentations with the introduction of a new 250mg Baytril Flavour Tablet, for the treatment of enrofloxacin-sensitive bacterial infections in large breeds of dog.
One Baytril 250mg tablet contains 250mg of enroflaxacin which will treat a dog weighing 50kg, and help ensure client compliance.
Baytril Flavour Tablets have a wide range of indications in companion animals, including infections of the alimentary tract, respiratory tract, urogenital tract, secondary wound infections and otitis externa.
With the advent of the new 250mg Baytril Flavour tablet, vets can now choose from an even broader range of Baytril presentations and pack sizes, with four tablet strengths, two injectables, and one oral solution available.
Bayer says Baytril is unique in being the only antibiotic range with so many licensed treatments options for cats and dogs, as well as an oral solution and an injectable solution licensed for small mammals, reptiles and exotic species of birds.
For more information on Baytril and its wide range of presentations and indications, vets can contact their Bayer sales representative or telephone 01635 563000.
Vets, consultants and other advisors should encourage dairy farmers to make use of available information to help improve their herd's performance and profitability through breeding. This is the message from DairyCo breeding+ director, Marco Winters, who says farmers should use genetics to improve not only milk production, but also health, welfare, management and type traits.
Breeding briefs, a new booklet from DairyCo, identifies some genetic improvement tools that allow farmers to make better breeding decisions and concentrates on how to use them in practice. And for those who feel confronted by an overload of information, the booklet helps identify the figures to seek out and prioritise.
Breeding decisions are cumulative: their effects build up over the generations so a problem can be introduced or cured over just a few years. A series of poor breeding decisions can mean the difference between profit and loss; even between a business's survival and failure. Yet the time, cost and effort needed for a good breeding decision to be made is much the same as those needed for a bad one.
Mr Winters says: "High quality cattle are at the heart of profitable dairy farming and this requires good quality genetics. Without these, however good farmers' management, there is a ceiling to their herd's performance and profitability. Vets, consultants and other dairy advisers have an important role to play in helping farmers access the information they need to make informed decisions."
DairyCo Breeding briefs is available to download from http://www.dairyco.org.uk/. To request a pdf version by email call 01285 646510 or email: publications@dairyco.org.uk.
CVS says it believes the phone-based resource is a first in the profession.
It contains the ‘kennel side’ veterinary guidelines, notes and charts that clinicians would need to refer to in day-to-day companion animal practice.
It also includes clinical guidelines, anaesthesia, diagnostic imaging, dentistry and toxicology sections, along with an antibiotic guide.
CVS says it hopes the breadth of information in the MiGuide will improve and speed clinical decision-making, making recommendations to clients easier - and ultimately improving patient outcomes.
The hub is the brainchild of Alan Johnson, Regional Clinical Lead at CVS.
He said: “Every day in practice is different.
"You regularly have to do things you have not done for a while.
"So you either have to recall how to do them or spend time looking them up.
"This can be especially difficult when you are looking for very specific information which is buried in a textbook.
“I wanted to consolidate the key clinical information that every colleague needs every day - all in one location.
"I wanted to make information easy to find at a few clicks.
"And I wanted vets and nurses to have this information in their pocket – to refer to if the need arose.
“We hope our new portal is helpful and supportive – and makes daily practice smoother for our vets and nurses.
"And we hope that it improves and speeds up clinical decision-making to provide the best care for our patients.”
Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health has announced that Metricure is now back in stock and available from the veterinary wholesalers with immediate effect.
Metricure is the only licensed intra-uterine antibiotic for the treatment of endometritis and is specially designed for the anaerobic intra-uterine environment.
The company would like to thank the profession for its patience and understanding, and looks forward to supporting vets striving to improve fertility on clients' farms.
Please contact the Intervet/Schering-Plough Veterinary Support Group on 01908 685685 if you require any further information.
Organisers of the Vet Charity Challenge are calling for more people to take part in the event, to join the 100 that are already set to walk, run, cycle, kayak and orienteer around the grounds of the Royal Agricultural College in Cirencester on On 15th September.
Gavin Mitchell from BCF Technology said: "We have entered two teams and already have a £100 bet on which of our teams will gain the most points on the day. This rivalry has certainly had a positive influence on the amount of training we are all doing to prepare for the challenge. The teams are out cycling after work and off for runs during lunchtimes."
Gavin added: "We are keen to ensure we beat the other teams such as those from Vets Now, and Clent Hills Vet Group. No pressure!"
Teams are also starting to gather sponsorship for the three chosen charities of SPANA, Hounds for Heroes and Pet Blood Bank. The team that raises the most amount will win a day's in-practice imaging training with the BCF in-house vet Kimberly Palgrave, BS BVM&S GPCert(DI) MRCVS.
Andrew Groom from Kruuse said: "This is a great focus to help get fit over the summer months, build team spirit within a practice and enhance a practice's profile locally, as well as raising money for some great causes. There is still room for a few more teams, so we urge practices to not wait any longer and sign a team up now."
For more information visit www.vetcharitychallenge.co.uk, call 01727 859 259 or find it at www.facebook.com/vetcharitychallenge
Purina PetCare has announced the launch of the Purina Partners Programme, through which the company will offer practices their own business consultant tasked with giving advice that reflects the unique challenges facing each practice.
Through the Partners Programme, practices will be able to get support and advice in four main areas:
Chris Nickson, Senior Brand Manager, Purina Vet Channel, said: "As a Partner, practices will work with a dedicated Purina representative who will develop and implement a tailored business plan which is perfectly suited to their clinic and clients. The Programme is designed to be completely flexible, allowing vets to select and tailor elements to suit themselves. Purina represents a solid business partner and will be able to provide sound advice to any practice by drawing on its extensive business experience as a pet care brand and as part of the global corporation Nestlé."
The Partners Programme is fully funded by Purina, so there is no financial commitment on the part of the practice, however participating practices are required to recommend Purina diets as first choice.
In return, the company says the Programme will help optimise the pet owner experience at your clinic, and could help drive growth, attract new clients and boost turnover.
Nickson concludes: "With absolutely no financial outlay, clinics could see an increase in client numbers and profitability, the Purina Partners Programme provides practice managers with a helpful and effective solution."
To sign up for Purina Partners Programme, call the Purina Petcare Team on 0800 212 161.
The Society of Practising Veterinary Surgeons (SPVS) has launched its 2015 Fee Survey, which enables veterinary practices to review their pricing structure and benchmark it against other practices around the country.
Open to both SPVS members and non-members, SPVS is encouraging all practices to complete a questionnaire to give as accurate a picture as possible of the fees charged by veterinary practices nationwide.
SPVS says the questionnaire does not take long to complete and covers everything from vaccinating, microchipping and neutering small animals to calving and routine on-farm fertility work in livestock practices and performing a five stage vetting and dental work in equine practices.
Peter Brown, author of the survey and SPVS Council member said: "The Fee Survey has become the go to resource for benchmarking pricing in the veterinary profession. The variation in individual fees can be marked and the survey allows practices to see that their fees are calculated in a realistic way to reflect their individual costs and overheads as well as local market conditions."
To take part in the survey, visit: http://www.spvs.org.uk/content/fees-survey-questionnaire-2015 or for a printed questionnaire, ring 01926 410454.
Improve International has announced that several of the Postgraduate Certificate programmes (PgC's) which it delivers in conjunction with Harper Adams University and the European School of Veterinary Studies (ESVPS) have been added to the list of qualifications conferring eligibility for applications for RCVS' Advanced Practitioner status.
The qualifying PgCs are:
These PgC's are accredited at Masters level 7 and provide 60 credits, at least 40 of which are in the designated clinical area. Improve says this places them at the same academic level as those offered by other CPD providers and termed as eligible entry qualifications to RCVS Advanced Practitioner Status.
Improve has welcomed the RCVS' decision to include these PgC's in the list of entry qualifications accepted with no further requirements required. For the PgC Small Animal Surgery and PgC Small Animal Medicine programmes, a further demonstration of professional key skills is required within a five-year period, which the company says it can help with.
David Babington MRCVS, Managing Director, said: "Our clinical taught programmes are led by experts in their field while the European School of Postgraduate Studies (ESVPS) has responsibility for the associated assessments. Harper Adams University brings the Higher Education body quality assurance to our partnership, ensuring that our qualifications meet the strict criteria laid down by the QAA Framework.
"Our programmes utilise a combination of review lectures, case-based discussions and, where applicable, hands-on practical sessions. We are also increasingly offering courses using 'blended learning', a format which combines both face to face and online learning.
"We are delighted that the RCVS has recognised that the content and rigour of the PgC programmes, make them deserving of the same status as other qualifications awarded by other providers. Our delegates can now have full confidence that achieving one of these postgraduate certificates will enable them to meet the requirements of Advanced Practitioner status."
For more information, see the RCVS website, Advanced Practitioner Guidance Notes, visit www.improveinternational.com or call 01793 759159.
Are small animal vets as immune to recession as undertakers? Probably not, but there is some good news from Petplan, which has found that whilst 60 per cent of people would put off starting a family during the current economic downturn, a quarter would choose a pet instead.
And it’s not a battle of the sexes – the decision to put family life on hold in favour of nurturing a four-legged friend was equally divided between men and women.
According to Petplan, the findings are supported by a recent Mintel report showing that the pet care industry is thriving with animal lovers spending £484million on their cats and dogs this year. Pets at Home also announced its profits have doubled compared to this time last year.
A spokeswoman from Petplan, said: "It seems that pets of all shapes and sizes are now being considered a perfectly sensible alternative to starting a family for cash-strapped couples. We know that many owners develop very strong emotional ties to their pets that are often treated as part of the family. But we do urge all would-be pet owners to understand that pet ownership does come with responsibilities, just like parenthood."
Research shows the cost of raising a child from birth to 21 is £186,0321 – whereas RSPCA figures state that a dog costs approximately £9,600 during its lifetime a cat £8,000 and a rabbit £3,800.
Top 10 most popular child substitutes:
Survey conducted on www.onepoll.com Total number of respondents – 3,000 pet owners
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.
AMTRA says it has recorded the 500th staff member in a veterinary practice to qualify as an SQP, reflecting a growing trend.
According to Stephen Dawson, the organisations's Secretary General, the number of SQPs working at veterinary practices is on the rise, with about two-thirds of these working as veterinary nurses, and the remainder as other members of staff. He said: “Having an SQP in your veterinary practice allows you to offer a wider service to veterinary clients and non-clients alike.
“Vets may see this as an opportunity to get people in through the door to buy medicines and get advice. These customers may be non-clients who at a later stage will seek a veterinary consultation.”
Nicola Ackerman who is Senior Medical Nurse and an SQP at the Veterinary Hospital Group, in Plymouth, and who sits on the Veterinary Products Committee, said the role of vet nurseshas been evolving over a number of years: "More nurses are taking on consulting roles in practice, and the SQP qualification has aided these changes.
“As a nurse who regularly consults, the added SQP qualification allows me to prescribe medications to the patients that I see without the requirement of seeing a veterinary surgeon.
“Many clients seek advice on preventative medicines, and are not always aware that nurses provide these services for clients. Having SQPs in our practice has allowed our nurses to take a more proactive role inpreventative medicines, and has given them a full understanding of the underpinning knowledge required for running a dispensary as many qualified prior to the new VMD regulations occurring.”
For more information about the SQP qualification, visit: http://www.amtra.org.uk/
Elanco Animal Health, maker of Comfortis, Trifexis and Atopica, has launched ScratchTracker, a smartphone app designed to help dog owners with a simple way to monitor pruritus in their pet and share the results with their vet.
Elanco says ScratchTracker uses a scoring scale that has been developed by veterinary dermatologists and is proven to be an accurate and consistent way for pet owners to assess pruritus in dogs.
It's hoped the app will help veterinary surgeons track how a dog is responding to treatment and identify reasons for an increase in the dog's level of itchiness.
After downloading ScratchTracker from the Apple App Store or Google Play, pet owners are asked to rate how itchy their pet is by agreeing to a statement such as 'Extremely severe itching/almost continuous: itching doesn't stop whatever is happening, even in the consulting room' or 'Moderate itching/regular episodes: itching might occur at night, but not when eating, playing or exercising'. The reading will then be submitted and ScratchTracker will convert it to a numerical score tracking history which can be emailed from the app to the veterinary surgeon.
Alice Laurens, DVM MRCVS, product manager at Elanco Animal Health, said: "The ScratchTracker App is a useful tool to track pruritus in dogs for either a short period of time or for dogs suffering from a lifelong condition such as atopic dermatitis as part of a long term management programme."
For further information, contact your Elanco Animal Health key account manager or email: elancoCAH.uk@elanco.com
The WSAVA has launched a petition to save ketamine from being placed under international scheduling, a move which the association says would prevent those who most need the drug having access to it.
The proposal to schedule ketamine is likely to be considered at the 59th UN Convention on Narcotic Drugs (CND) taking place between now and the 22nd March 2016 in Vienna.
Apparently, the proposal stems from a widespread misconception that ketamine is only a recreational drug. WSAVA argues that it is in fact the only anaesthetic suitable for use in middle and low income countries, and it also has particular value 'in the field' for trauma, traffic and sporting injuries. It is also the common and often only product used for sterilization initiatives - instrumental in the feral dog/cat population and critical for the control of zoonotic diseases, such as rabies.
To sign the petition, visit: http://chn.ge/1RFSou6. You can also share the petition post on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WSAVA/.
Janssen Animal Health is encouraging vets and nurses to think 'chicken' this spring.
According to the company, all the evidence suggests that there has been a massive increase in the number of people keeping a few chickens in their garden, resulting in a new breed of chicken owner who often has different expectations regarding healthcare, and views their birds as 'pets'.
Vet Nigel Underwood from Janssen Animal Health said: "It is very tempting for small animal practitioners to think that domestic poultry keepers are the preserve of large animal practices but it is very likely that many cat and dog owners will own chickens too and trust their vet to give them advice about the basic healthcare needs of all their pets."
This spring there is a big opportunity to make poultry owners aware of the need to worm their birds. The return of warmer weather can signal an increase in poultry worm numbers as the ambient temperature increases above 10 degrees centigrade and more worm eggs become infectious. Studies have shown that peak worm counts often coincide with peak chicken egg production. Unless chickens, turkeys and geese are de-wormed there is a risk that egg production could suffer, just when poultry keepers should be enjoying their best yields. Some may even notice smaller eggs and loss of shell and yolk colour. Birds may suffer weight loss, become anaemic or even die.
One study has shown that older birds are more likely to harbour worms and many domestic poultry keepers find themselves with an ageing flock because they allow their birds to live a full natural lifespan. Free range birds are also much more at risk of picking up parasitic worms because of increased exposure to the outdoors, more contact with wild birds and the opportunities to ingest intermediate hosts such as earthworms, beetles and snails.
Janssen Animal Health's Flubenvet® 60 gram pack is an in-feed treatment that, according to the company, is practical even for those with just a few hens in their garden. Flubenvet 60 gram contains enough wormer to treat around 20 chickens, with no egg withdrawal.
While worms are a year-round problem in poultry it is especially important to treat in the spring to tackle the increasing threat of worm infection. Thereafter, poultry owners will also get the best results if they continue to treat regularly in spring, summer and autumn, when new birds are acquired and before putting birds out to pasture. This helps to ensure that contamination of the chickens' environment with worm eggs is kept at a manageable level, reducing the risk of future infections.
Free client leaflets about worms affecting chickens, geese and turkeys are available by calling Janssen Animal Health on 01494 567555.
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
Rather than offering 'death by Powerpoint', where large numbers of delegates are invited to sit and stare at a Powerpoint screen for an hour, followed by a few questions at the end, IVC and VetSurgeon.org invited a smaller, more intimate group to come and discuss a subject on Zoom, a recording of which was then made available for everyone else to watch later.
In the case of VetSurgeon.org, the first such meeting was 'Let's Talk About Small Animal Surgery' with Alasdair Hotston-Moore: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1rD3zfcUZE
Meanwhile, IVC has based its recent CPD sessions about equine emergencies on a very similar model. During the event, short case studies were presented in a format which allowed for discussion all the way through.
IVC Evidensia Equine Clinical Board Vice Chair, Mark Tabachnik said: "We decided on a reflective, case-based approach rather than the usual monologue, where so much information is thrown at you, you’re lucky to catch a couple of snippets. I wanted something that was a little more relaxed and more collaborative, like a group of colleagues chatting about the cases from their night on call over a drink or two at the pub.”
It's a format which seems to be proving popular. Chessie Greenham of Fyrnwy Vets in Shropshire said: "Interesting cases that reflected on call life, worked through in an approachable style that is easily applied to real life scenarios."
Protexin Veterinary has launched CystoPro, a new product to aid in the management of urinary tract infections in dogs.
According to the company, the key active ingredients in the new product are proanthocyanidins (Type A PACs), derived from cranberries, which work by reducing the ability of E.coli bacteria to infect a dog's urinary tract.
In addition, CystoPro contains the probiotic Enterococcus faecium (NCIMB 10415) E1707 which Protexin says reduces pathogenic bacteria within the gastrointestinal tract thereby lessening the risk of ascending UTIs of faecal origin.
The product also contains Mannan-oligosaccharide (MOS), which Protexin claims binds E.coli and upregulates the innate immune system by attracting phagocytes to opsonise the bacteria.
Lastly CystoPro contains N-acetyl D-glucosamine which is said to reinforce the structure of the Glycosaminoglycan (GAG) layer that lines and protects the bladder urothelium.
CystoPro is available in boxes of 30 and 120 capsules.
The two surveys, for veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses respectively, ask the professions a wide range of both quantitative and qualitative questions, covering everything from what they do in a typical working day, to career aspirations, to levels of mental and physical wellbeing.
The surveys are confidential and anonymous.
Lizzie Lockett, RCVS CEO, said: “Our Surveys of the Professions are not just a useful and interesting snapshot of the veterinary professions at a particular moment in time, but are really consequential in terms of what we do with the results.
"For example, information from the previous surveys were used to inform our current Strategic Plan, including our mission to be a compassionate regulator, ongoing support for the Mind Matters Initiative, and a focus on workforce-related issues.
"In a similar spirit, this year’s results will inform the forthcoming RCVS Strategic Plan.
“Of course, the quality of the results of the surveys really depends on hearing from as many of you as possible – so we would like veterinary professionals from all parts of the UK as well as our overseas members, from all backgrounds, of all ages and working on all different disciplines to feed into all areas of the surveys and help us with our research.
"Please don’t miss out on having your say, and a huge thank you for taking the time to support this important work.”
The deadline for completing the survey is on or before Friday 16 February 2024.