Virbac says this is the only wet product to provide separate species-specific dog and cat convalescence diets tailored to the unique nutritional needs of both species.
In an internal study conduct by Virbac, 86% of dogs with digestive issues improved within a week of using the diet1
The new diets are high in protein and low in carbohydrate and they can be used alone or in combination with the company's dry diets (suggested 50/50 split).
Andrew Connolly, Marketing Director – UK & Ireland at Virbac said: “We’re thrilled with the overwhelmingly positive feedback we've received on our new Veterinary HPM Digestive Support wet diets.
“Practices and pet owners alike are commenting on the extraordinary palatability of the diets and their effectiveness, particularly with convalescing and inappetent pets”.
References
Bayer Animal Health has signed a sponsorship deal with the celebrated series The Dog Whisperer on Nat Geo Wild and committed to a wide-reaching TV advertising campaign to promote Drontal.
The sponsorship agreement covers series 5 of The Dog Whisperer as well as repeats of series 1 - 4. The programme follows Cesar Millan as he goes into the homes of troubled dog owners offering calm and assertive guidance. The Dog Whisperer is broadcast five times a day throughout the week and will be aired from July until December on Nat Geo Wild. Drontal's sponsorship credits will be shown before, during and after each episode and will feature the Schnauzer that's become synonymous with the brand.
An additional TV advertising campaign will run during July and August in the UK and Republic of Ireland, primarily on GMTV and Ireland AM, but also on around 15 satellite channels. All the advertising will centre around the Schnauzer "Absolutely Not" campaign, serving to highlight the benefits of regular worming to a specifically targeted audience.
Drontal product manager, Dan White, says the initiative will increase brand awareness for Drontal amongst pet owners, ultimately resulting in healthier dogs and cats. "We're expecting to see a significant increase in demand once the campaign commences and, as such, have put in place the necessary steps to ensure this extra demand can be easily satisfied."
Deborah Armstrong, Senior Vice President, Media Sales and Partnerships for Fox International Channels says: "We are thrilled Drontal has partnered with our world famous Dog Whisperer TV series. The show, which premieres on Nat Geo WILD, and its star Cesar Millan, has a passionate and loyal fan base in this country which is a key factor for Drontal. The Dog Whisperer is a break-out franchise for National Geographic Channel and the show combines our unique brand values with first class entertainment."
New point of sale materials for veterinary practices to reflect the sponsorship agreement will also be available.
For more information, please speak to your local Bayer Territory Manager.
Conducted as a multicentric international study involving board-certified veterinary dermatologists, the trial included 35 dogs with CIF in at least two paws.
Each dog acted as its own control, and was treated with systemic antibiotics, with one paw being treated with FLE and the other paw without.
Paws were allocated based on a coin toss, and the study was single blinded: the principal investigator was responsible for the assessment of lesions, and the co-investigator was responsible for administration of FLE treatment.
The dogs were assessed over an 8-week period with check-ups every 14 days.
At every check-up the paws treated with FLE showed a greater improvement than paws without FLE treatment.
The lesions were assessed and scored with the global lesion score, the pruritic visual analogue scale, a cytological scoring, and photographic documentation.
The results of the study demonstrated that FLE combined with systemic antibiotics significantly reduced the time to clinical resolution compared to antibiotics alone.
By week four, 50% of paws in the FLE group had reached clinical resolution compared to 17% in the control group.
By week eight, 88% of paws in the FLE group had healed compared to 54% in the control group.
Dr Anja Lange, DVM, Department of Dermatology, AniCura Kleintierspezialisten Augsburg GmbH, Augsburg, Germany, said: “Canine interdigital furunculosis is a challenging condition to treat that can be prolonged and frustrating.
"Having FLE as an additional management tool is very exciting, not least because it speeds up time to healing, but it also requires us to use less antibiotics.
"The use of FLE was well accepted by all of the dog owners from the study and the dogs themselves tolerated it well, showing it can be a very useful adjunct to cases in clinical practice.”
Reference
Woodley Equipment has announced that it has become the exclusive authorised distributor of Crony IR202 series and Saturno analysers, parts and consumables in the UK and Ireland.
Under the partnership agreement with Crony Instruments, Woodley will also provide service, support and maintenance for the analysers from this Italian manufacturer.
The arrangement covers the new Crony Saturno 100 Vet wet chemistry analyser, which is currently undergoing evaluation on site and will be available from Woodley Equipment in January 2010.
For more information, contact Woodley Equipment on 01798 813659 or email sales@quantumvetdiagnostics.com. Alternatively, visit: www.woodleyequipment.com/quantumvet
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 BakerWest Midlands, Cheshire, Wales Laurie MayEast Anglia, East Midlands Penny McCannSouth West, South Wales Anna CunninghamThe 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 Kennel Club has released a film, narrated by Clare Balding, which looks at the issues affecting dog health and wellbeing in this country and what is being done in 2012 to help ensure that dog welfare stays at the top of the agenda.
The film, 'Dogs - A Healthy Future', focuses on the main issues that affect dog health and welfare, including hereditary diseases, issues created by breeding dogs for the way that they look and the problem of cruel puppy farms that breed dogs for profit without regard for their health and welfare.
The film explores the steps that have already been taken to address these issues and the need for united action in order to ensure that the progress continues in 2012.
(The full 1/2 hour video is available here).
Caroline Kisko, Kennel Club Secretary, said: "The New Year is a good time for reflection, looking back at what has been done and what more can still be done to safeguard the health of dogs.
"Huge strides have been made to improve dog health, particularly with the knowledge that has been gained in recent years thanks to the advancement of genetic science, but there is still more to do. We particularly need to address the issue of people breeding dogs for money at the expense of health and for looks, whether these be pedigree or crossbreeds.
"The Kennel Club would like to see tighter regulations governing the way people breed their dogs in order to help clamp down on cruel puppy farms, and we ask people to sign our petition asking the government to act.
"As we look towards Crufts 2012 we look forward to introducing even tighter measures to ensure that dog shows play their part in driving change by rewarding, and so encouraging, the breeding of healthy dogs."
Sheila Crispin, Chairman of the Advisory Council on the Welfare Issues of Dog Breeding, said: "We are supposedly a nation of dog lovers and the issue of what we can do to improve dog health is close to the hearts of those that really do care. This film looks at the progress that has been made by the Kennel Club as well as other organisations and committed individuals to help address the complicated issues surrounding dog health and welfare, in addition to looking at what more needs to be done, through collaboration and united effort, to create an even better future for dogs."
The University of Glasgow, School of Veterinary Medicine, is calling for help with research into the prevalence of pseudopregnancy in spayed bitches.
The research takes the form of a survey being conducted amongst a representative sample of veterinary surgeons by Pippa Hutchison, Dr Tim Parkin, Caroline Warnes and Dr Philippa Yam.
In particular, the research aims to gather data looking into how often veterinary surgeons are diagnosing and treating pseudopregnancy, and how frequently the condition occurs both before and after spaying.
Tanya Leslie MRCVS from Ceva Animal Health, sponsors of the work, said: “Ceva is delighted to have been given the opportunity to support this work to investigate and raise awareness of this important issue”.
The questionnaire is being sent out towards the end of this month. If you're one of the recipients, there's the added incentive of being entered into a draw for a £300 cash prize if you complete the questionnaire and return it by the 13th November.
The researchers say that after this initial work, they plan a prospective study establishing the wider incidence of pseudopregnancy in both entire and spayed bitches.
The RCVS is seeking applicants for an Appointment Group which will be responsible for deciding the membership for the governing body of the new RCVS Fellowship.
In June, RCVS Council approved proposals to develop a new style Fellowship to move it away from being an examination-based award to a formal learned society with routes to entry for those veterinary surgeons who can demonstrate meritorious contributions to clinical practice, to the profession or to learning. The Fellowship by thesis route has been discontinued as of 1 August 2015, although all applications received by this route prior to that date are being processed.
The new Fellowship will be governed and administered by a Fellowship Board with an additional Credentials Panel of up to 30 members to review new applications.
The College says it is now in the process of putting together an Appointment Group which will decide the membership of the Fellowship Board and the Credentials Panel. It is currently seeking to appoint a veterinary surgeon in the earlier stage of their career to the Group. The full details of the role, including details of the person specification, how to apply and information on expenses and remuneration can be found at www.rcvs.org.uk/workforus
The Group will be chaired by former RCVS President Lord Trees with other members being RCVS President Dr Bradley Viner and BVA President Sean Wensley as well as a lay observer. The first meeting of the Appointment Group is likely to take place before the end of the year and, once the Fellowship Board and Credentials Panel are established, the Group will be dissolved.
For an informal chat about the role before applying, contact Dr Simon Wallace, RCVS Education and Scientific Officer, on s.wallace@rcvs.org.uk or 020 7202 0702.
The 2012 edition of the NOAH Compendium of Data Sheets for Animal Medicines has been published and a free copy sent to each veterinary practice in the UK.
This edition has a redesigned cover, developed for NOAH's 25th anniversary which took place this year. It contains data sheets from 32 companies which can be accessed through colour-coded indexes. The book also includes the up-to-date edition of NOAH's Code of Practice for the Promotion of Animal Medicines.
NOAH chief executive Phil Sketchley said: "This book - along with the online version - is a major part of NOAH's efforts to help provide prescribers and users of animal medicines with information to assist the appropriate and responsible use of all animal medicines."
He urged prescribers not to forget the back-up that company advisors can give to assist a prescribing decision: "The compendium also includes another vital resource - the contact details for each company. Company veterinary and technical advisors have detailed knowledge about their company's medicines at their fingertips. They are ready to talk to prescribers about the use of a medicine in a particular animal or in a particular situation, as well as to explain any queries about the data sheet," he said.
If your practice has not received its copy, contact Ruth Herbert at NOAH (r.herbert@noah.co.uk).
Extra copies are also available to order now, for £42. There are special prices for bulk orders.
Esme grew up in Birmingham and spent much time in her teenage years working at the Domestic Fowl Trust caring for a range of rare breed poultry.
She said: "I didn’t grow up on a farm, but worked with chickens as a teenager and I love them to bits.
"They are amazing animals and I’ve wanted to work with them ever since.”
After graduating at the University of Liverpool, she spent two years with Howells Veterinary Services where she worked with clients to foster improved performance under an increasing drive for sustainability.
Now with St David’s Poultry Team in Yorkshire, she helps broiler clients in reducing viral challenge on farm to increase immunocompetence and so decrease susceptibility to other challenges.
She has also just become the youngest vet ever to achieve a Certificate in Advanced Veterinary Practice (Poultry), which she gained at the University of Liverpool.
The Young Farm Vet of the Year Awards is sponsored by Zoetis.
The Veterinary Benevolent Fund (VBF) has launched a new support website, vetlife.org.uk. Designed to help veterinarians access emotional and professional support, the website is part of a series of initiatives aimed at improving the mental wellbeing of the veterinary profession.
Vetlife.org is designed to make it easy for veterinary surgeons, nurses and students to find information about the different types of professional and emotional support available. This includes support provided by established veterinary care organisations such as Vet Helpline and the Veterinary Surgeons’ Health Support Programme and trusted sources outside the profession such as Mind, the leading mental health charity, and the Samaritans.
The website was conceived after the Veterinary Benevolent Fund (VBF) asked Dr Wendy Harrison to chair a Veterinary Support working party, formed from representatives of all the main veterinary organisations and the Samaritans, to look at what could be done to improve support to the profession. The impetus for the formation of the working party was the publication, in The Veterinary Record in October 2005 of research by Richard Mellanby that indicated that the suicide rate for the veterinary profession was four times higher than that of the general population and twice that of doctors and dentists.
Zoetis has announced that Horse & Country TV (Sky Channel 253) will be airing the Vet Essentials episode on worm control in horses from today until 26th March.
The programme, made in association with Zoetis, follows presenter Jenny Rudall on her mission to explore every aspect of worming horses, including how to tackle encysted small redworm. Jenny talks to vet Ben Gaskell from Minster Vets for the low down on worm control, before heading off to the Moredun Research Institute in Scotland to meet parasitology experts Jacqui Matthews and Thomas Tzelos to find out more about the role of faecal worm egg counts, the damage that can be caused by worm burdens and the growing problem of resistance.
Zoetis vet Wendy Talbot said: "The programme should be a big help to vets when it comes to explaining worming to horse owners. They can tell their clients about it and encourage them to watch. It will help educate them about all aspects of worming and specifically about the threat of encysted small redworm at this time of year. This, in turn, should help protect horses against this potentially fatal parasite."
The company is encouraging the profession to help spread the word about the new to clients by email, via Facebook and by word of mouth.
Dechra has launched a new administration rate guide developed to help vets and nurses administer the haemoglobin-based, oxygen-carrying fluid Oxyglobin at the correct rate (in ml/kg/hr).
"The handy dosing wheel allows you to line up the weight of the dog with the rate of administration in one window and then the ml/hr and drips per minute will be shown in the window below," explains Carol Morgan, product manager at Dechra Veterinary Products. "This rate guide will help vets and nurses to quickly establish the rate they need when giving Oxyglobin to anaemic dogs. It is important, especially during critical care and emergency situations, that these figures are readily available."
According to Dechra, Oxyglobin requires no typing or cross-matching and ensures no transfusion reactions or disease transmissions. Its effectiveness can be measured by a rapid improvement in clinical signs, increased plasma haemoglobin concentration and arterial oxygen content. In addition, it can be stored at room temperature and has a shelf-life of three years. Further details can be obtained from Dechra territory managers or phone for your free Oxyglobin dosing wheel: 01743 441 632.
VetSurgeon.org today launched a new initiative to increase membership of the online community, as part of which 5 vets could win cash prizes worth a total of £2000.
A new 'Invited by' box has been added to the registration form which new members have to complete when they join VetSurgeon. New members are now asked to complete this box with the e-mail address of the vet that invited them to join the community.
In six weeks time, £1000 will be given to the vet who invited the largest number of colleages over the period. Prizes of £400, £300, £200 and £100 will be given to four runners up respectively.
There is one caveat. For the prize fund to be released, membership of VetSurgeon.org must have reached a grand total of 5000 by the closing date.
I really hope that EVERYONE will chip in and invite a fellow vet, because even if you don't think you know enough vets to win the main prize, inviting just one will help make sure that a vet somewhere is going to be given £1000!
There are other reasons for supporting this initiative.
Most importantly, the more members in the community, the more vibrant, interesting, and valuable it becomes for you, its members. On top of that, once we have 5000 members, we'll be able to start investing in further development of the site to make it an increasingly invaluable tool.
Vetcel, the veterinary buying group, has announced a partnership with Training Progress, through which it will deliver its health and safety training information to member practices.
Training Progress is a training management system designed primarily so that veterinary managers can track their staff training. The company says the system empowers staff to drive their own training, and devolves training responsibility (where appropriate) away from senior team members.
The tie-up with Vetcel means member practices will be able to access Vetcel's health and safety training in their own own mini Training-Progress site, where they will be able to track their teams' progress and compliance.
Chris Bainton said: "The Vetcel group are delighted to be working with Training-Progress to provide a further benefit to our membership. We recognise that Training-Progress will help our members ensure that their team’s staff development and training is promoted and, specifically, that both the staff and the practices themselves are protected and enabled by monitoring and recording the health and safety training of the team.”
Training Progress will be at stand O54 at the London Vet Show.
Bayer Animal Health has announced the results of a survey1 which shows that despite 80% of dog owners being aware of lungworm (Angiostrongylus vasorum), 85% of dogs remain unprotected against the parasite.
The survey, which was carried out amongst 1,000 dog owners, also found that more than 5% had encountered lungworm in their own dogs. However, only 15% of owners treat their pet against parasites on a monthly basis, with the remainder admitting to missed routine lungworm worming treatments or not treating at all.
Bayer highlights evidence from the Royal Veterinary College2, which confirms the lungworm parasite has spread across the UK from its traditional habitat in the south of England and Wales, and is now widespread in Central England, also reaching northern regions and Scotland, with one in five vet practices nationwide reporting at least one case of the parasite. In another survey of 150 veterinary practices across the UK a total of 952 suspected cases were reported (157 laboratory confirmed), with 81 deaths thought to have been caused by the parasite3.
To encourage more pet owners to take action, Bayer will launch a consumer campaign called 'Act on Lungworm' in March. The campaign will include the world's first 24-hour radio station for dogs and their owners, 'Hound Waves', broadcasting live from Crufts on Friday 7th March. The event will also see the launch of a new television and advertising campaign from Bayer.
For veterinary professionals, the campaign launch will also include online videos detailing the 'ACT on Lungworm' veterinary support and showing the new television advertisement exclusively to vets before the national launch.
Caroline Braidwood, Group Product Manager at Bayer Animal Health said: "After launching the 2013 lungworm awareness campaign and providing owners with a social media platform, we quickly began to recognise the enthusiasm that exists to encourage action.
"We received feedback from owners who had tragically lost their pets to lungworm, and whilst we were pleased that we were helping to raise awareness, we became conscious that we needed to do more to prevent dogs from dying unnecessarily. Our 2014 campaign focus has come as a direct result of talking to these owners and providing individuals like Sandra Stevens with a platform to discuss their experiences in the hope that more owners will take action before it is too late."
'ACT on Lungworm' is part of Bayer Animal Health's wider 'It's a Jungle Out There' parasite protection initiative. Further information is available at www.facebook.com/jungleforpets
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
The CertAVN was launched in May 2019 as a modular, advanced professional qualification allowing veterinary nurses at all stages of their careers to develop their professional skills and knowledge.
The CertAVN framework sets out the professional values, skills and behaviours required of the higher education institutions responsible for providing the training and support for CertAVN students.
There are currently five accredited course providers in the UK:
The proposed standards for accreditation are set under three areas: curricula and assessment, educators and assessors, and learning culture.
Julie Dugmore, RCVS Director of Veterinary Nursing, said: “In order to make sure that the CertAVN remains up to date and fit for purpose, it is important that we consult on the accreditation standards at regular intervals.
"We welcome constructive and specific feedback from veterinary nurses at all stages of their careers – whether you have already undertaken the CertAVN or are perhaps considering doing so in the future – as well as the wider veterinary team, educators, and employers of current and potential CertAVN holders.
“Your insights will help us ensure that the standards continue to enable veterinary nurse educators to deliver the best training and support possible for CertAVN students."
The consultation runs until 5pm on Monday 3 March 2025.
https://www.rcvs.org.uk/news-and-views/our-consultations/review-of-the-certavn-framework
Ceva Animal Health, manufacturer of Feliway and Adaptil, is making a last call for nominations for its awards for animal welfare, which must be received by 27th January 2012.
The inaugural awards, which take place during WSAVA/BSAVA/FECAVA Congress in Birmingham in April, formally recognise veterinary professionals and individuals who have gone the extra mile to improve animal welfare both in practice and beyond. The awards feature three categories:
Prizes include a trip to New Zealand WSAVA in 2013 for the winner of the Chris Laurence Vet of the Year Award, a trip to a European Animal Welfare Congress for the winner of the Welfare Nurse of the Year Award and £1,000 worth of travel vouchers for the winner of the Pet Lover's Welfare Award.
Nomination forms can be downloaded from www.ceva.co.uk. Nominations should consist of full details about why the nominee deserves to win. Judging will be based on support materials such as case studies, examples and pictures, demonstrating the nominee's commitment to animal welfare. Anyone, whether a veterinary professional, pet owner or animal lover can nominate. All those who have nominated someone for an award will be entered into a prize draw to win £250 of high street vouchers.
For further information, telephone Ceva Animal Health on 01494 781510, email welfare.awards@ceva.com or contact your local Ceva territory manager.
Elanco Companion Animal Health, manufacturer of Comfortis chewable tablets for dogs, has developed a Flea Allergy Dermatitis (FAD) algorithm to provide veterinary surgeons with step-by-step guidance on its diagnosis and treatment.
Developed in conjunction with Dr Chiara Noli, DVM, Dip ECVD, a referral dermatologist and dermatopathologist from Northern Italy, the algorithm covers the many complexities and causes of pruritus. It also advises veterinary surgeons to prescribe strict oral flea control if antibacterial shampoo or lotions are used.
Anna Jackson, veterinary manager at Elanco Companion Animal Health said: "Canine patients with dermatological conditions including Flea Allergy Dermatitis are often prescribed topical treatments, such as shampoos, which may compromise the effectiveness of many spot-on topical flea control products. The new Flea Allergy Dermatitis algorithm takes this into account by providing veterinary surgeons with step-by-step advice on the diagnosis and treatment of Flea Allergy Dermatitis including the benefits of using oral flea control if a shampoo is administered."
For a copy of the Flea Allergy Dermatitis algorithm, please contact your Elanco Companion Animal Health key account manager or email elancocah.uk@lilly.com.
Nutraotic contains grapeseed oil, cinnamon, oregano, clove and lemongrass, a formulation which Nutravet says is designed to provide anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory support.
The company claims it helps cleanse and moisturise the ear canal, reduce ear odours and break down earwax, while maintaining a balanced ear flora to help prevent infections.
Chris Jones, Managing Director of Nutravet said: “Our goal with the Nutraotic range is to provide pet owners and veterinary professionals with products that offer safe, natural solutions to common pet ear issues.
“We recognise that ear health in dogs and cats is a frequent concern, and with the launch of the Nutraotic Ear Essential Oil, we’re expanding our ability to support pets in a way that’s effective and gentle.
"This product has been developed to make ear care simple and stress-free while using only the highest quality ingredients.”
www.nutravet.com
Pet Protect has launched a new website which includes a tool to compare the benefits of its pet insurance policies with others in the market.
The comparison deliberately excludes the cost of the policies. Pet Protect says that the aim is to "overcome the current preoccupation with price as principal means by which competitive products are evaluated".
It would be interesting to know what your experience is, talking to clients about insurance. Do you think that clients are receptive to buying insurance for the benefits, or do you think that price will always be their main concern?