The Centre of Applied Pet Ethology (COAPE) has announced that its first students have completed the COAPE Level 4 Diploma in the Principles of Companion Animal Behaviour and Training and the COAPE Level 5 Diploma in the Practical Applications of Companion Animal Behaviour and Training.
The qualifications are the first and currently only Ofqual-regulated qualifications for those working in the field of companion animal behaviour and training, and these are the first students to achieve the new qualification.
COAPE Co-Director, Prof. Peter Neville said "We are enormously proud of the successful students, 35 at Level 4 and 21 at Level 5, and wishes them all the very best as they embark on their professional careers and pursuits in the field of canine and feline behaviour, be it as behaviourists, trainers or adding to their present roles as veterinary nurses, veterinarians, assistance dog trainers, animal welfare professionals etc."
COAPE Co-Director, Robert Falconer-Taylor, BVetMed, DipCABT, MRCVS said "Our successful students are the first to be awarded these bespoke qualifications and to have validation and recognition of their ability to help owners and their pets, and especially those to be referred by veterinary practices. In addition they have the ongoing support, mentoring and CPD opportunities available to them as members of the COAPE Association of Pet Behaviourists and Trainers (CAPBT)".
Val Strong (Co-Director of COAPE) said: "This is a historic moment for both COAPE and our awarding body but more importantly for our students. It is also a landmark step in the field of Companion Animal Behaviour and Training Education that is of vital importance for veterinary practices in helping them identify people who have successfully completed a qualification specifically designed for those working in the field of companion animal behaviour and training.
Practices interested in the qualifications for developing behaviour referrals, or their career enhancement value for nurses, visit: http://www.coape.org
Researchers from the Waltham Centre for Pet Nutrition have published two studies which reveal, for the first time, the most common bacterial species associated with gum disease in cats.
Working with veterinary dentists and the Harvard affiliated Forsyth Institute, researchers used DNA sequencing technologies to identify 267 bacterial species present in feline dental plaque and build a database detailing the differences between bacterial populations in healthy cats and those in cats with gum disease.
Dr. Ian Davis, Oral Health Researcher at WALTHAM, part of Mars Petcare, said: "This knowledge is a first step in understanding the potential for improving oral health of cats through dietary interventions that target disease-associated bacteria."
The studies also revealed that the bacterial species in feline plaque were more similar to those observed in canine plaque than to those found in humans. This suggests that interventions targeted at bacteria which cause oral disease in humans are unlikely to be effective in cats, and there is more potential to learn from interventions that work well in dogs.
Dr. Davis added: "It’s important for pet owners to know that cats are just as susceptible to gum disease as dogs and understand the importance of maintaining a good oral hygiene routine; ideally including tooth brushing and dental treats or a specific dental diet".
The first study was published in Veterinary Microbiology in February 2015. The second was published on 25th November in PLOS ONE, and can be downloaded here: http://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0136986.
The British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) welfare award 2008, sponsored by The Blue Cross, has been presented to the Retraining of Racehorses (RoR) organisation for their contributions to equine welfare in support of the re-training and re-homing of racehorses.
The award, which was introduced by BEVA in conjunction with The Blue Cross animal welfare charity eight years ago, is a formal recognition of significant contributions made by veterinary surgeons and others to equine welfare.
It was presented to Ron Huggins, trustee of the ROR and an owner and breeder of racehorses, at the 47th BEVA Annual Congress in Liverpool on Friday 12 September 2008, by Kerstin Alford, equine welfare director of The Blue Cross.
Kerstin said: "The financial support that RoR provides for charitable racehorse rehabilitation centres, together with their education programme to help owners and riders of former racehorses, make them very worthy recipients of this award."
Di Arbuthnot, director of operations said: "RoR are delighted to receive this prestigious award to recognise the work the charity does for former racehorses to provide them with a life after racing."
Retraining of Racehorses was established in 2000 by the British Horseracing Authority. Its aim is to raise funds from the British racing industry to provide and maintain facilities for the care, retraining and rehoming of former racehorses. Under the direction of the chairman of the trustees Peter Deal, the RoR has become recognised as a vital component of the racing industry.
The Blue Cross was founded in 1897 to care for working horses on the streets of London, and equine welfare still plays a vital role in its work today. The charity rehabilitates and rehomes over a hundred horses and ponies every year at its equine centres in Burford (Oxon) and Rolleston-on-Dove (Staffordshire). A third facility in Northiam (East Sussex) provides rest and retirement for Blue Cross equines.
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.
The Kennel Club has announced that crossbreed dogs are to have their own event at Crufts for the first time next year.
For the first time in its twelve year history, the grand final of Scruffts, the crossbreed dog competition run by the Kennel Club, will culminate at Crufts at the NEC in Birmingham. The winners of the four Scruffts categories - Child's Best Friend, Golden Oldie, Prettiest Crossbreed Bitch and Most Handsome Crossbreed Dog - will battle it out for the ultimate title of Scruffts Family Crossbreed of the Year.
Scruffts, sponsored by James Wellbeloved, has held heats across the UK over the course of the year and the winners of each category in every heat have been invited to Discover Dogs in London to compete in the class finals on Saturday 10th November. Winners of the four classes at Discover Dogs will now go on to Crufts 2013, where they will compete for the overall Scruffts title.
Caroline Kisko, Secretary of the Kennel Club, said: "Scruffts is a fantastic competition and we're very much looking forward to seeing the four class winners come to Crufts for the final next year. We have had some fantastic Scruffts champions in the past and I am sure we can expect to see a really special dog take the title once again."
There is still time to qualify for the Scruffts class finals, with heats taking place at CSJ Canine Max 2012 in Cirencester Park on Saturday 13th October and the East of England Autumn Show in Peterborough on Sunday 14th October.
NOAH’s Office Manager Joanne Jeffs said: "We know more people are accessing the site using mobile technology and in order that the site can be viewed more easily on mobile phones and tablets as well as traditional desktops, we needed to move the whole complex set of data to a new web platform.
"This is only one of the advantages of the move – it will enable us to finalise our Compendium app, for example, and further down the line will enable more bespoke information access to become available via an API* feed – and we needed to take this major step for progress to be made.
"The most important thing was to maintain the integrity of the data – prescribers and users of animal medicines rely on its accuracy to make their prescribing decisions and guide responsible use. We know this has been done.
She added: "With the move, we know there are some post launch issues that we are addressing. We are working on those as quickly as we can. We know users need to print datasheets, for example and this function will soon be back online. We welcome all feedback and thank all our users for their patience.
www.noahcompendium.co.uk
The award is to recognise the dedication of the country’s veterinary nurses and the support they give to their veterinary teams, the nation’s pets and pet owners. It is given to a vet nurse who not only cares for sick and injured pets but also encourages responsible pet ownership and improves pet welfare in their community.
The award will be presented at the BVNA Congress on Saturday 2nd October 2021, which will this year be a hybrid event with live speakers at the event in Telford and remote delegates.
David Catlow, Blue Cross Director of Veterinary Clinical Services said: “The veterinary profession faced difficult times for much of the past couple of years but vet nurses strove on to provide their usual professionalism, compassion and special care for pets and their owners.
"Now, more than ever, we need to recognise their invaluable work and the incredible reassurances and support they offer pet owners and how they are dedicated to helping the welfare of the nation’s pets in their communities.”
Last year, the award went to Chloe Mackintosh (pictured right), a veterinary nurse at RSPCA in Harmsworth, North London, who was nominated for her passion and commitment to animal welfare.
If you know a vet nurse who you believe has gone the extra mile for your pet or you believe they have made a significant contribution to animal welfare, complete the nomination form on the Blue Cross website at www.bluecross.org.uk/bvna.
The course will cover reptiles, pet mammals and captive birds.
Marie says the course will teach you how to approach exotic emergencies confidently, from clinical examination and forming differential diagnoses to medical and surgical approaches for common emergency presentations.
Marie will discuss both clinical management and the stabilisation and care of the critical patient, including fluid therapy, analgesia, contra-indicated medications and hospital cage requirements.
Welfare-focused euthanasia approaches will also be covered for different species.
Tickets cost £300 and the course is open to veterinary surgeons, veterinary nurses and students on a recognised veterinary or nursing course.
Lunch, tea, coffee and biscuits included.
https://evolutionexoticsreferrals.co.uk/cpd-booking-form/
Vetlife Ambassadors attend veterinary events, deliver talks and promote fundraising activities on behalf of the charity, which equips them with the training and support they need.
Maurice Kelly (pictured), a Vetlife Ambassador, said: “I like to volunteer for events so that I can chat to a wide range of practice personnel and keep abroad of what is happening in the veterinary industry and the current issues.
"Event volunteering is also a great opportunity to meet some of the Vetlife staff and other volunteers.”
www.vetlife.org.uk/become-an-ambassador
The British Occupational Hygiene Society (BOHS) has announced the publication of a book on controlling skin exposure and wet work. The book aims to fill a knowledge gap about dermal exposure risk management in workplaces which are particularly affected, such as veterinary practices.
The consequences of a failure to adequately control dermal exposure to hazardous agents do not always become apparent until years after exposure, and because of this, many employers are either ignorant of the consequences or ignore the potential for ill-health until it is too late. In Great Britain, over 29,000 people are suffering from work-related skin disease and every year over 3,500 new cases are reported. Alongside this, many workers are unaware of the ways in which skin comes into contact with chemicals, or how dermal exposure can contribute to inadvertent inhalation and ingestion exposure.
Healthcare workers are susceptible. Vets and nurses are, for example, at risk from disinfectants, detergents, wet-work, latex gloves, anaesthetics, antibiotics and antiseptics, phenothiazines, formaldehyde, glutaraldehyde and liquid chloroxylenol.
The book provides an introduction to the structure and functions of the skin, information about the diseases caused by dermal exposure and the occupations and chemicals involved, regulatory requirements related to dermal exposure at work, exposure and risk assessment, and risk management strategies. It is both comprehensive and accessible, and clearly illustrated with photographs, figures and tables throughout, ensuring that it will be of practical use. As a result, BOHS believes that it will make an important contribution to increasing knowledge about control of dermal exposure, and encourage more effective control measures to be introduced in workplaces.
‘Controlling Skin Exposure to Chemicals and Wet-Work' is available for £19.99 and can be purchased on-line via RMS Publishing, www.rmspublishing.co.uk/BOHS.html and Amazon, or by posting/faxing the order form which can be downloaded from the Publications section of the BOHS website.
Pet Blood Bank UK (PBBuk) launched its new mobile blood collection unit, donated by Royal Canin, at the University of Nottingham's School of Veterinary Medicine and Science on Wednesday, simultaneously collecting enough blood to save the lives of up to 32 dogs.
The blood collection session offered third-year university students an opportunity to learn about transfusion medicine and to practice their clinical skills on real life subjects, as they performed the pre-donation checks and tests under the supervision of Pet Blood Bank UK veterinary advisers.
Vanessa Ashall, Pet Blood Bank UK welfare officer and veterinary surgeon, said: "It is great for students to be able to see these animals. Transfusion medicine is a new science and I certainly wasn't taught about it as a veterinary student. Collaboration with veterinary schools is such a positive step, as we are able to educate the vets of the future on the benefits of transfusion medicine and blood typing, whilst giving them some real hands-on experience."
Veterinary support manager for Royal Canin, Chris Geddes, said: "We are really pleased to be able to assist Pet Blood Bank UK become more mobile and reach more donors. The charity's work is so important to the emergency and critical care of patients, as shown by the tremendous gratitude of the owners of blood recipients."
Golden retriever Beau was one such recipient who had received a transfusion last month after suffering a haemorrhage after surgery for gastric dilatation and volvulus. His owners, Janet and David Liggins, attended the event with a fully-recovered Beau and their other golden retriever, Lotti who gave blood.
Mrs Liggins said: "We can't speak highly enough of all the vets and vet nurses that cared for him - they did a tremendous job looking after Beau, and us! The Pet Blood Bank provided the blood that saved Beau's life. We are really pleased that Lotti was able to give blood. She was a star - the perfect donor!"
Veterinary practices wanting to encourage their clients to put dogs forward as donors, or which would like to support the work of Pet Blood Bank UK, should visit http://www.petbloodbankuk.org/ or contact Pet Blood Bank UK on 01509 232 222 or 0844 800 9925 (5p/min). Blood donors are needed for a second blood collection session at the Nottingham School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, Sutton Bonington campus, on Saturday, May 23: 10-4pm.
The panel, chaired by veterinary ethicist Professor David Morton CBE, was established last year on a trial basis as a means of offering an ethical review process for practice-based research projects that may not have the same access to resources as clinical studies in academia or industry.
Since its establishment at the end of July last year it has received 23 applications, mostly concerning small animal clinical studies. However, due to demand from the profession, it will shortly be considering applications for equine or farm animal-based research and will be recruiting new panel members to cover these areas.
Eleanor Ferguson, RCVS Registrar, said: "Although the number of cases considered so far have been relatively small, the service has been very well received as a means of providing ethical review to those who might not otherwise be able to do so and so, therefore, might struggle to get papers published.
"Considering the importance of practice-based research we expect there to be an increase in the number of applications as word gets out about the service and so are happy to extend the trial for another year and for it to consider a wider range of applications."
Further details about the Panel, as well as guidelines for making applications and the application forms, can be found at www.rcvs.org.uk/ethics
For an initial discussion about submitting an application to the Ethics Review Panel, contact Beth Jinks, Standards and Advisory Officer, on 020 7202 0764 or ethics@rcvs.org.uk
The Clinical Supervisor course is designed to help veterinary surgeons to guide their students in developing the professional behaviours and Day One Skills they need to join the Register.
The course is also designed to complement any existing training that a vet who is a Clinical Supervisor has received from the college or university for which they are supervising the SVN.
RCVS Director of Veterinary Nursing Julie Dugmore said: “This course will help you undertake your role as a coach and assessor, ensuring your student has achieved the RCVS requirements by the time they have completed the practical elements of their training.
“It comprises modules that include the role and functions of a Clinical Supervisor, the types of professional behaviours SVNs need to develop and understanding of the Day One Skills in which they need to become competent.
"In addition, it will enhance the training Clinical Supervisors will receive from the relevant educational institution by promoting understanding of the RCVS requirements.”
www.rcvs.org.uk/vndayonecompetences
Ian, who qualified from Melbourne University in 2004 after completing a neuroscience degree at Edinburgh University, first joined Rowe as a general practitioner in 2007.
He said: “Personally this achievement is incredibly rewarding, but I also see it as an important step for veterinary neurology in the UK.
"It’s a fast-growing field with an increasing need for expert treatment and care so it’s exciting to see it recognised at this level.”
https://www.rowereferrals.co.uk
Improve International has announced the launch of a new General Practitioner Certificate in Dermatology: GPCert (Derm).
The company says the programme aims to help vets develop their knowledge of dermatology and to assist them in applying these newly learned skills in their everyday dermatology cases.
David Babington MRCVS (pictured right), Managing Director of Improve International said: "Patients with skin problems attend practices almost on a daily basis, making the successful diagnosis and management of skin disease a major component of small animal work and an important way to build client satisfaction and loyalty.
"Our new modular programme offers a thorough, informed case-based approach to dermatology. Through lectures, case discussions and, where appropriate, practical sessions, delegates will learn how to approach dogs, cats and exotic patients presenting with various manifestations of skin disease in a logical and scientific manner."
The GPCert (Derm) comprises 14 taught modules and can be completed over one to two years. The first module on this programme will start in March 2015.
For further information, visit www.improveinternational.com or call 01793 759159.
Until now, research in equine veterinary science has focused primarily on the information needed to prevent and cure disease, with little attention paid to the attitudes and actions of horse owners, veterinary surgeons, and numerous other professionals to implementing science-based advice.
This special EVJ collection showcases studies that seek to understand horse owner behaviour around their horse’s health, supplementing clinical evidence with information about the real-life behaviours of equine owners and professionals and the factors that influence them.
It includes papers on horse owner knowledge and opinions on recognising colic, treating infectious disease, uptake of some of the most basic preventive health measures such as vaccination and deworming as well as attitudes and behaviour around equine obesity and laminitis.
Other studies highlight the importance of professionals other than vets such as farriers, equine podiatrists, physiotherapists, dental technicians, chiropractors, and equestrian organisations such as the British Horse Society.
Guest Editor Tamzin Furtado added: “As our understanding of the drivers of behaviour develops, pre-existing behaviour change models will help us to understand the barriers and enablers to uptake.
“With dissemination of this knowledge, we have a better chance of communicating effectively and implementing change that will have a positive impact on equine welfare at individual, community, and national level.”
Professor Celia Marr, Editor of the EVJ said: “This collection is both compelling and eye-opening.
"It is dangerous to assume an understanding of the motivators of horse owner behaviours and actions; these papers confirm the current lack of comprehension, providing an invaluable insight, which will ultimately help us to accelerate improvements in equine veterinary practice and, most importantly, equine welfare.”
The virtual issue can be found at https://beva.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/toc/10.1001/(ISSN)2042-3306.owner-behaviours and will be free to view until 26 December 2022.
Vetoquinol has launched a pain monitoring system along similar lines to those used in humans, which can be used by vets and owners to measure pain over time and assess different treatment strategies in dogs.
According to the company, it is widely accepted that all mammals experience pain1and that under treatment is a big issue. Guidelines in treating human pain issued by NICE state that: 'evidence suggests that pain caused by advanced disease remains under-treated'. Veterinary medicine faces a harder task in recognising and treating pain effectively as it relies on behaviour rather than verbal communication.
In human medicine, Client Specific Outcome Measures have been used to assess treatment strategies focussing on identifying the degree of difficulty performing daily tasks on an individual patient to patient basis. Vetoquinol says its pain monitoring system is based on similar principles.
Robert Simpson, Product Manager for Cimalgex said: "The objective assessment of clinical outcomes are a continuing challenge in veterinary medicine; this is particularly true in chronic painful conditions such as osteoarthritis. Use of our Client Specific Outcome Measures form will allow vets and pet owners to more efficiently assess treatment to ensure that the patient is receiving appropriate analgesia.
The form can be adapted to give bespoke outcome measures which are agreed in consultation with the owners. This activity will increase interaction with pet owners and could increase loyalty to the practice; it could also be really useful in geriatric clinics etc as a method of assessing pain outside of consultations in practices."
To find out more or to request a monitoring pad for your practice, contact your Vetoquinol Territory Manager or call 01280 825424.
The company is offering up to £50* worth of vouchers to use at J.A.K Marketing Ltd when purchasing GI diets (including canine and feline recovery packs). It is also offering a ‘buy three get one free’ deal on its recovery packs, which also come with complimentary Get Well Soon counter displays for practice receptions.
To promote its range of complete liquid diets for tube feeding critically ill patients, Royal Canin is giving practices which order three packs a free Vygon Vet Nutrisafe tube feeding kit worth £9.49. The kit contains 12 syringes, a drawing up straw and three different sizes of feeding tubes. The company says its liquid diets are specifically designed for tube feeding, offer precise nutrition for critically ill patients and can be accurately delivered with the Vygon tube feeding kits.
For further information, contact your Royal Canin Veterinary Business Manager.
* Spend £199 on GI diets (including canine and feline recovery packs) and receive a £20 voucher from J.A.K Marketing Ltd., spend £399 and receive a £50 voucher. The vouchers will be emailed direct to the practice from J.A.K. There is a 14 working day lead time on this. All offers are valid for the UK and NI and end on 31 March.
The webinar will discuss the importance of self-compassion and provide an overview of Katherine and Sarah’s research into the effectiveness of an online compassion focused therapy (CFT) intervention in improving the mental wellbeing of veterinary professionals.
Katherine and Sarah will also go into more detail about how to get the most out of a CFT course they have created, which will be made freely available for veterinary professionals on the Mind Matters website and on the RCVS YouTube channel .
Katherine said: “Our recent randomised control trial has shown the course to significantly improve resilience and self-compassion and reduce rumination and self-criticism amongst veterinarians.
"Therefore, Sarah and I are delighted to now be disseminating the CFT course freely to the veterinary professions, so that as many people are able to benefit from the evidence-based resource as possible.
“Even though our research was conducted on veterinary surgeons, we hope that the course will be useful to all those working in the veterinary team as the content can be applied in a number of contexts.
“Our webinar will explain more about our research, as well as some of the science behind the effectiveness of the course in a veterinary context.
"So, if you are interested in learning more about how CFT may be able to help you and your team, both in a personal and professional capacity, please do come along.”
Katherine and Sarah’s compassion focused therapy course will be made available on the Mind Matters website in due course. In order to access the online compassion course, individuals are invited to complete a short questionnaire before and after watching one 10-15 minute video each day for 14 days, with the aim of the video intervention being to develop self-compassion skills and reduce self-criticism.
https://vetmindmatters.org/events/
The Pet Doctors Group has announced that it will continue its New Graduate Programme for Autumn 2010, an initiative which the company says has proved successful since its launch in 2008. The aim of the scheme is to appoint new graduates to work in a selected number of its practices, spread across the South East of England.
Brodie Collins, Area Manager at Pet Doctors, will be meeting final year students at the Bristol University School of Veterinary Science, the Royal Veterinary College in London and the University of Cambridge Veterinary School during February and March 2010 to promote the scheme and explain the firm's approach to supporting graduates during their critical first year in practice. Successful applicants will be shortlisted by August 2010 with appointments made by September.
With the economic climate causing many practices to postpone recruitment or reduce support and training for new qualified graduates, competition for places on schemes such as this is expected to be high this year.
Brodie said: "The first twelve months out of vet school can be the most daunting of a vet's career. They're suddenly thrust into a public facing role with little experience of communicating with clients or making a diagnosis. Many have limited surgical experience and even fewer have business acumen. They really need structured support and training to build their confidence and enable them to perform effectively both from a clinical and a business perspective. Mentoring is a key support tool so our graduates are all placed with practices where this can be provided regularly.
Feedback from our scheme last year showed that what the graduates we recruited most valued was working within a team which encouraged them to be open and honest so that they could readily ask for advice and help when they needed it. We're all individuals and perform much better if we feel comfortable with the people we're working with. Our scheme enables us to build on our graduates' strengths and support them in areas which they find more challenging.
We provide clinical and surgical training but also focus on the development of communication and management skills to help graduates fulfil their role as part of a business team. The graduates we appoint will each spend their first year based within one of our smaller practices, working as part of a small and closely knit team. At the end of the first year, if all is going well, they will have the option to stay on and help grow that practice.
In addition to veterinary skills, we're looking for graduates with a good personality fit, a strong work ethic, a caring approach and ideally some level of business understanding."
For further information on the scheme, please contact Brodie at Brodie@petdoctors.co.uk
Virbac Animal Health has launched a special scheme to encourage farmers to have milk samples analysed in line with the industry-wide campaign to promote the responsible use of antimicrobials.
Under the terms of the scheme, veterinary surgeons purchasing Virbac's Cephaguard DC therapy will receive vouchers to distribute to their farmer clients. These vouchers can be redeemed for milk bacteriology to determine the pathogens causing mastitis and so ensure treatment is more targeted and effective.
Brigitte Goasduf MRCVS, Ruminants Marketing Manager at Virbac, said: "Mastitis is a major concern for dairy farmers with reported numbers of cases ranging from 26-50 for every 100 cows.
"Experts agree that individual SCC monitoring and the accurate diagnosis of pathogens causing infection are key to treating mastitis effectively. Unfortunately many farmers are often deterred by the cost.
"Our scheme gives our veterinary customers the opportunity to foster good practice by encouraging farmer clients to submit milk samples for investigation at no cost to them. This will then enable them to treat the bacteria causing the infection in line with industry guidelines for the use of antimicrobials.
"Over time, we believe farmers will come to realise that adopting this more targeted approach is not only more cost-effective but will also preserve their ability to treat their herd, both now and in the future."
For further information on the scheme, contact your Virbac territory manager or call Virbac on 01359 243243.
The Pet Food Manufacturers Association (PFMA) has published the results of research which found that veterinary surgeons believe 45% of all pets are overweight.
In addition, 77% of the 180 vets surveyed at the London Vet Show 2013 believe that the pet obesity problem is on the rise.
Meanwhile, 93% of pet owners said they would be concerned to discover their pet is overweight, revealing a sharp divide between vets' and owners' perceptions.
To help spread the word about ideal pet weight, the PFMA will launch a new campaign called #GetPetsFit on 7th May.
Michael Bellingham, Chief Executive of PFMA said: "We need to engage pet owners emotionally, helping them realise that feeding and exercising their pet to the optimum level can result in an extra two years of active life. The #GetPetsFit campaign will provide the perfect opportunity to do this and we hope that with the help of vets, we can work to resolve this important issue."
The PFMA is urging practices to promote good nutrition and a healthy lifestyle. Zara Boland BVSc BE MRCVS, Founder of Vet Voice Ltd says: "It is encouraging that success rates are high for the 78% of UK vets already running companion animal obesity clinics. However, we must continue pushing the health message until overweight pets are no longer seen as the 'norm'. We need widespread recognition of pet obesity to pave the way for positive action."
One way that the PFMA is encouraging practices to get involved is by running Weigh in Wednesdays from 7th May. To help, the organisation has prepared a free kit that contains campaign posters, website banners and client hand-out materials, including Pet Size-O-Meters (for cats, dogs, rabbits and birds), a pet food diary and weight and body condition log. You can either download the kit here: www.pfma.org.uk/weighinwednesday or visit PFMA's homepage and ask for a free pack to be sent to your practice.
The conference, which was held on 23rd May, brought together over 360 veterinary professionals for online sessions which provided them with a range of wellbeing tools to improve their mental and physical wellbeing.
The organisers say that in addition to delivering wellbeing CPD, they aimed to create community and connection. Co-organiser, vet Nat Scroggie, said: "The conference app platform was chosen for delegates to feel included and network freely with one another and session leaders. With over 2400 messages on the community board and 400 photos uploaded the feedback we’ve had about how positive the experience was for delegates has gone beyond our hopes. We’ve seen new working groups forming and a genuine sense of camaraderie around current challenges."
WellVet has reopened ticket sales which give access to session recordings and the conference community app until May 2021. Tickets are £55, discounted to £15 for students and year 1 graduates, available at: https://www.wellvet.co.uk/tickets. The box office will close on 30th August 2020.
The resources comprise guidance materials, a health and wellbeing assessment, associate case studies, links to external support and information posters.
The company is also piloting a mindfulness app called Headspace, which is now freely available to everyone at Linnaeus, whether they are experiencing the menopause or have other needs.
Saskia Connell, People and Organisation Director at Linnaeus, said: “Menopause is a stage of life that is unique for everyone who experiences it – and can also affect the people around them.
"For those experiencing the menopause, sadly 45% say they feel their symptoms have had a negative impact on their work, according to the British Menopause Society.
"As an employer, we need to make sure they have our full support and a flourishing career.
One of Linnaeus' practices, Park Vet Group, has taken things a step further and introduced other wellbeing initiatives to support its associates with the menopause.
The practice offers confidential support to all associates who want to talk about any health concerns, plus open sessions to establish conversations about menopause.
Its team, led by Practice Manager Harriet Tims (pictured right), also introduced yellow 'Just to Make you Smile' toiletry bags containing sanitary products, tissues, hygiene wipes, deodorant spray and face wipes.
Anyone at Park can help themselves to the bags, or add products should they wish.