Hill's has launched Science Plan Snacks: a new range of treats which includes light, immunity support, healthy mobility, oral care and skin & coat variants for adults, and immunity support and skin & coat variants for puppies.
Market research has shown that 76% of UK dog owners feed their pet treats, and that snacks represent 33% of total market value in the dog food segment. Hill's has identified that 84% of pet owners want their pet's snack to be healthy and 67% want the snack to meet a specific need. However, the company says many pet snacks and table scraps are high in salt, sugar and fat and overfeeding can unbalance a nutritionally balanced diet provided by the main meal, as well as being a major cause of obesity.
Adrian Pratt, Veterinary Affairs Manager at Hill's said: "Owners like to treat their pets to snacks as it helps cement their close bond but they are also aware that feeding unhealthy food is a bad idea. We believe that responsible snacking is the way forward and to that end have launched Science Plan Snacks. The range is not only low in calories and made with all the optimal nutrition principles that guides the formulation of Science Plan main meal but also features on-pack guidelines to indicate the number of snacks that can be given per day. "
Hill's says the new range outperforms other mainstream biscuit treats in taste tests, being up to 79% preferred. Science Plan Snacks offer fatty acid ratios and blends to support healthy mobility and patented fibre technology in the oral product, with controlled levels of calcium and salt. The resealable bag maintains freshness and the high impact premium black packaging provides great stand out on shelf.
For further information contact your Hill's Territory Manager or Hill's customer service on 0800 282438.
Petplan is making a last call for entries to its Veterinary Awards, which recognise members of the veterinary profession who continually go above and beyond what is expected of them.
Nominations for the awards close on 31st January.
Nominations for all categories which include Vet of the Year, Vet Nurse of the Year, Vet Practice of the Year, Vet Support Staff of the Year, Practice Manager of the Year and Petplan Insurance Advisor of the Year are judged by an independent panel of industry experts. Every nominee receives a Petplan certificate so even if your nominee isn't one of the lucky finalists they'll still know and feel appreciated that someone has taken the time and effort to nominate them.
Petplan's Head of Sales and Partnerships, Simon Masding said: "Petplan knows that the veterinary world is full of brilliant professionals. The Petplan Veterinary Awards create a wonderful opportunity to recognise high performance, and demonstrate to your clients and to the wider industry what a great job your staff do. As well as the feel-good factor, there's a commercial benefit for being nominated too, one previous winner saw a 30% growth in their business as a result of winning. So if you would like to be in with a chance, you have just one month left to encourage your clients and staff to nominate!"
Finalists are invited to attend an award ceremony held at the Birmingham Town Hall on Thursday 3rd April 2014.
To nominate a friend or colleague, or register your interest in attending the awards evening, visit www.petplanvet.co.uk.
Defra has announced a consultation which seeks to strengthen the regulations around dog breeding and pet sales in order to improve animal welfare.
The consultation proposes to make it a requirement for anyone producing three more more litters a year to be licensed, and to clarify existing rules that require breeding businesses to be licensed.
The consultation also seeks to formalise the adoption of existing model conditions on good breeding health and welfare by making it a requirement of breeders to comply with the conditions and for local authorities to use them.
It is hoped that a consequence of any new regulations would be that local authorities can better target their enforcement activity by directing less resource at responsible businesses, for example those who are controlled by the Kennel Club’s UKAS-accredited Assured Breeders’ Scheme. This will free up resources to follow-up on reports of poor welfare at backstreet breeding establishments.
For the first time, the consultation will also clarify that online retailers selling puppies should be treated in the same way as high street pet shops by local authorities – meaning they must abide by the same licensing and welfare regulations.
Animal Welfare Minister George Eustice said: "We are aiming to reform the licensing regime we have so that smaller puppy breeding establishments must abide by the same regulations and licensing rules as bigger breeders so that the worst offenders can be dealt with more quickly.
"We are also reviewing other animal related licensed activities such as pet sales to address problems associated with the growing trend for internet sales that can contribute to impulse buying."
BVA President Sean Wesley said: "We welcome the consultation to strengthen the regulations around dog breeding and pet sales. It represents a valuable opportunity to improve licensing regulations and ensure all breeding establishments are producing only healthy, well-socialised puppies. Vets see first hand the tragic consequences that can result from irresponsible breeding, as owners are faced with serious and avoidable health and behavioural problems in their new pets. "
To take part in the consultation online, visit: https://consult.defra.gov.uk/animal-health-and-welfare/consultation-on-the-review-of-animal-licensing
Photo courtesy www.gov.co.uk Crown Copyright
There has been a lot in the press lately about the high rates of suicide, addiction and depression within the veterinary profession. So it seems apt that SPVS has chosen the theme of 'happiness' for this year's congress.
Congress will be held at the serene and stunning Slieve Donard Hotel at the foot of the Mourne Mountains in Newcastle, County Down, Northern Ireland from 23rd-25th May, and will seek to reveal how to overcome the stresses and strains of modern life.
Special guest speakers including Dr Jo Griffin and Dr Desmond Rice will suggest ways to improve your relationships with others and get the best from your team as well as provide tips on how to get things done more effectively and how to take responsibility for your own emotional state, among other topics.
For more information, and to book your place, please contact the SPVS office on 01926 410 454 or email office@spvs.org.uk
The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons Trust is looking for a vet with a particular interest in veterinary education, professional development and research, to be a new trustee.
The RCVS Trust is an independent small charity that provides two key services to the veterinary profession to further education and animal welfare: an educational grants programme and a Library and Information Service. It is seeking a trustee who can bring new contacts and ideas relevant to the work of the Trust.
The Trust is also seeking further 'lay' trustees with experience of library services, fundraising and grant-making.
The current Board members have a wide range of experience from academia, government, animal health and small and large animal practice, and veterinary nursing. However, there is room for some new Trustees to join and bring the Board up to full strength.
Stephen Ware, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, said: "The Trust has an important role in supporting practising vets, veterinary nurses, researchers, students and academics through its grants programmes and library and information resources."
"We are looking for a veterinary surgeon who is actively involved in the wider profession through networks and specialist interest groups, and who is willing to promote the work of the Trust, for example, at veterinary congresses. Given the nature of the Trust's work, the new trustee should also have experience of postgraduate education or research.
"We need someone who has the energy and experience to get things done - and who can work with other trustees in a collegiate style."
Trustees serve an initial three-year term, spending around six days a year at meetings in London and conferences. Reasonable expenses are reimbursed. Experience of charity governance and finance is not necessary as training and support will be given.
Those interested in the role can contact Cherry Bushell, Director of the RCVS Trust, for an informal discussion and an application form. The closing date for applications is 30 April.
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.
The RCVS Charitable Trust is looking to recruit volunteers from amongst the vets going to the British Small Animal Veterinary Association Congress this year to participate in research for its website www.rcvstrust.org.uk.
The charity says it is trying to gauge responses to its website, to make sure it is delivering what the profession genuinely needs.
There will be two focus groups on Thursday 12 April. The first session is from 12.45-2.15pm and the second is from 4.00-5.30pm. The charity is looking for between six and ten participants in each group. All participants will be offered a three-month Library membership or a free literature search. Food and drink will be provided.
Please contact c.bushell@rcvstrust.org.uk or ring 0207 202 0714 if you'd like to take part.
A new study has revealed that owners of obese dogs which successfully lose weight notice significant improvement in their dogs' quality of life too.
The study, published in The Veterinary Journal and available online here, was conducted by scientists from the Royal Canin Weight Management Clinic at Liverpool University in conjunction with the Pain and Welfare Group at the University of Glasgow and the Waltham Centre for Pet Nutrition. It looked at fifty obese dogs that had been referred to Royal Canin's clinic.
The results showed that quality of life improved in the dogs that successfully lost weight, demonstrated by increased vitality scores and decreased scores for emotional disturbance and pain. The improvements in vitality score were greater the more body fat the dogs lost. The research also found that the dogs that failed to complete their weight loss programme had lower vitality and higher emotional disturbance scores than those successfully losing weight.
Dr. Alex German, Royal Canin senior lecturer at the University of Liverpool and lead author of the study, said: "Obesity is a risk for many dogs, affecting not only their health, but also their quality of life. The results indicate that, for obese dogs, weight loss can be important for staying both healthy and happy."
Owners completed a questionnaire to determine the health-related quality of life of their dog prior to weight loss, with a follow-up questionnaire for the owners of the thirty dogs that successfully completed the weight loss programme to reach target weight. The completed questionnaire responses were converted into scores corresponding to a range of factors, including vitality, emotional disturbance and pain.
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.
The webinar, which is exclusively for veterinary professionals, will include a Q&A session addressing common concerns around vaccination timing, use in Johne’s-positive herds, the role of extended colostrum feeding, and the growing issue of antimicrobial resistance.
Speakers for the event are:
Kat Baxter-Smith, Veterinary Advisor at MSD Animal Health (pictured), said: “Vaccination has an important role to play in cryptosporidiosis control, but we know that for some practices, concerns remain — particularly around colostrum management and use in herds with Johne’s.
“This session is about opening up those discussions, sharing the latest research, and addressing the barriers that may be holding back wider adoption.
"Our aim is to support vets in moving scour management from reaction to prevention.”
https://view6.workcast.net/register?cpak=7702733614498733
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
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 first, hosted by Sam Taylor, head of veterinary specialists at ISFM (International Society of Feline Medicine) is titled ‘Whetting the appetite: purr-fectly feeding your knowledge of feline inappetence and why early detection shouldn’t be overlooked’.
The session, which starts at 12:30pm on Tuesday 6th, will explore the importance of feline inappetence, how it goes overlooked by owners and practices alike and why it shouldn’t be underestimated.
In the second session, which starts at 12:30pm on Friday 9th, Libby Koytzoumis, veterinary technical advisor at Dechra (pictured), will talk about one of the most commonly diagnosed endocrine diseases in dogs, Cushing’s syndrome.
Libby's webinar, ‘Are you seeing these usual suspects in practice?’ will explore the common signs, routes to diagnosis and the effective treatment and monitoring of Cushing’s.
https://thewebinarvet.com/events/virtual-veterinary-congress-2024
Vetlife's campaign included talks at various veterinary events, an awareness video, a series of lived experience blogs, and a downloadable resource for individuals and workplaces, all made possible by grant funding from the Zoetis Foundation.
Kirstie Pickles, Vetlife Trustee and project lead for the neurodiversity campaign said: “To be shortlisted was an honour, but to win this award is just incredible and is a testament to the dedication and passion that the team put into the campaign.
"It has been a pleasure and a privilege to lead this project and share this much needed information with the veterinary community.
"It is our hope that this campaign and its resources will enable and initiate discussions within teams to ensure that all within our wonderful veterinary professions can thrive."
https://www.vetlife.org.uk
Rabbit Awareness Week (26th April - 2nd May 2010) is reportedly going to be bigger than ever this year with over 1000 vets within the industry expected to be involved.
In partnership with Burgess Pet Care, Petplan Insurance, Company of Animals, Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health, Genitrix, PDSA, Wood Green Animal Shelters and RWAF, Rabbit Awareness Week's mission is to educate current and potential rabbit owners across the UK about the importance of rabbit welfare.
The focus of the week will be rabbit obesity. At the same time, organisers hope the week will raise the profile of rabbits as pets and encourage owners to seek the right veterinary advice about rabbit nutrition and health.
The week has been deliberately timed to happen soon after Easter, to make use of a time of year when rabbits are at the forefront of people's minds. Organisers hope to reach rabbit owners who may have bought new pet rabbits but who may not have the right information about how to keep them happy and healthy.
Throughout the week some of the UK's largest retailers, suppliers of rabbit food and welfare charities will be providing valuable feeding knowledge and information, along with a range of deals and offers to vets and pet owners.
Organisers are asking veterinary practices to get involved by offering Free Health Checks for pet rabbits, and by providing free advice about vaccinations, husbandry and diet. To help, there is a range of display and training materials to help you run your Free Health Checks together with promotional materials such as newsletter templates and press releases. You can also register your event for free on the Online Event Locator.
The display kit includes shelf wobblers, barkers, posters, appointment flyers, Health Check Certificates and an A3 size Free Health Check window sticker. You'll also receive additional items to give away to rabbit owners, including Excel samples, RAW care guides, car stickers and branded bags.
For more information and to find out what special trade offers are available to vets during the week register at http://www.rabbitawarenessweek.co.uk/.
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 Pet Epilepsy Tracker, an app developed by the RVC to help pet owners monitor their dog's condition and response to treatment, is to be translated into seven languages and offered throughout Europe.
Launched during National Epilepsy Week in May last year, the Pet Epilepsy Tracker was developed in collaboration with the Epilepsy Society.
Holger Volk, Professor of Veterinary Neurology and Neurosurgery at the RVC said: "The main advantage for owners will be the control of an unpredictable and previously uncontrollable disease. Additionally, vets will gain a greater understanding of medication given to a dog, with a record that allows them to spot patterns in seizures.
"The medication reminders increases an owner’s compliance by informing them how many seizures the dog had, which will in turn decrease trips to vets to monitor the disease."
Professor Volk added: “There are a few epilepsy apps in the human market but there was nothing like it for the dog market, until this app. I was proud to have been a part of the project and I am thrilled that this app will benefit pet owners in Europe as well as the UK."
The app will be demonstrated at this year’s ESVN/ECVN Symposium being held in Edinburgh (September 15-17) of which Professor Volk is the co-chair of the Scientific Programme.
The app is currently available to download in English on the Google Play store and Apple iTunes App Store. A video of Professor Volk discussing the app can be viewed at: https://youtu.be/bZDa_8a_hwM
As part of the campaign, vets are invited to share their top tips for maintaining a calm workplace for staff and patients at: https://www.nvsweb.co.uk/products/big-chill.
Veterinary professionals are being asked to share their top tips in two areas. Firstly, on how they prioritise self-care for themselves and teammates, and secondly, on how they best deal with nervous, stressed or anxious patients.
All respondents will be entered into a prize draw for a VetYogi practice subscription.
Gemma Vardy, Senior Category Specialist at NVS Group, said: “Mental health and wellbeing have never been more important within the veterinary industry which is why our dedicated Big Chill campaign supports the wellbeing and mental health of veterinary professionals while also shining a light on animal calming products, such as our select healthcare calming chews, which help support calm and enhance patient experiences.”
https://www.nvsweb.co.uk/products/big-chill
The RCVS Trust will take part in National Pet Month (3 April - 3 May) and is asking veterinary practices to put on 'Alice in Wonderland' themed fundraising events.
Cherry Bushell, RCVS Trust Director said: "The Trust aims to improve the health and well-being of dogs, cats, and other popular household pets and over the past five years has put nearly £900,000 into this cause. As a small charity we do rely on our supporters - and National Pet Month is a good opportunity to raise money and have fun."
Why Alice in Wonderland as a theme? Cherry said: "The Trust supports curiosity and a sense of wonder, so we came up with the Alice in Wonderland idea - which is topical and also has lots of scope for fundraising and publicity."
If you'd enjoy hosting a Mad Hatter's tea party - or raffling off the Queen of Heart's tarts - you can register with National Pet Month and take part. Further information and a free events pack can be obtained from http://www.nationalpetmonth.org.uk/.
National Pet Month runs from 3 April - 3 May. It aims to promote responsible pet ownership, make people aware of the mutual benefits of living with pets, increase public awareness of the role of pet care specialists and raise awareness of the value of working and assistance companion animals.
Poor sex education amongst cat owners may be leading to more than 200,000 unplanned litters - or 850,000 kittens every year in the UK, according to research published online in the Veterinary Record today.
Authors Dr Philippa Welsh, Professor Tim Gruffydd-Jones, Margaret Roberts and Dr Jane Murray based their findings on a survey of almost 10,500 UK households and more than 3000 completed returns (30% response rate).
Information was gathered on pet ownership, with specific questions asked of owners of female cats about how many planned or accidental litters their pets had had. The survey also aimed to probe the prevalence of common misconceptions about the breeding patterns of cats.
In all, data was collected from 715 cat-owning households, of which 426 owned one or more female cats. Around 1 in 8 (13%) of these owners said that their pets had had one or more accidental litters.
A total of 128 litters had been produced by 91 (out of 552) female cats; 65 of these had given birth to 102 unplanned litters, meaning that just under 80% of all litters had been accidental.
Unplanned litters were more than twice as likely in households owning more than one cat and more than four times as likely if the owner mistakenly believed that a female cat should have a litter before being neutered, the responses showed. Men were more than twice as likely as women to hold this belief.
The authors calculate that if this belief were dispelled, there could be around 213,000 fewer litters and more than 851,000 fewer kittens born in the UK every year.
Half (49%) of 682 cat owners surveyed believed that cats should either have a litter before being neutered (23%) or were unsure if they should (26%), despite there being no evidence whatsoever that this benefits feline health.
Similarly, among the 659 owners who answered the question about puberty, most (83.5%) mistakenly believed that the youngest age at which a cat could get pregnant was five months, with a further one in four (26%) believing that an unneutered female cat (queen) couldn't get pregnant before the age of 12 months. The authors point out that whilst it is not common for a four month old kitten to get pregnant, it does happen.
Furthermore, one in seven cat owners incorrectly thought that unneutered related cats wouldn't mate with each other, and a further one in four (24.5%) were unsure.
The authors said: "The vast majority of litters born to cats in the UK are not planned. This study suggests that improving cat-owner knowledge of the reproductive capacity of cats is likely to have a significant impact on the numbers of accidental litters."
The authors concluded that dispelling the commonly held belief that cats should have a litter before neutering would probably have the single biggest impact on the figures.
Read the full paper
Horses suffering from neurological conditions similar to those that affect humans could be helped by a breakthrough from stem cell scientists, according to a study published in the journal Stem Cells and Development.
Researchers at the University of Edinburgh's Roslin Institute took skin cells from a young horse and turned them into stem cells using a technique that was originally developed for human cells. The reprogrammed cells are pluripotent, which means they can be induced to become any type of cell in the body. The team used them to create nerve cells in the laboratory and tested whether they were functional by showing that they could transmit nerve signals in a test tube.
The university says horse stem cells have been produced in the laboratory before but this is the first time that scientists have created working cells of a specific type from them. The advance may pave the way for cell therapies that target conditions similar to motor neurone disease.
In addition, the research could also benefit horses affected by grass sickness, a neurological condition that affects around 600 horses a year in the UK. Little is known about the disease, which causes nerve damage throughout the body. It is untreatable and animals with the most severe form usually die or have to be put down.
Dr Xavier Donadeu from the Roslin Institute, an author of the study, said: "Stem cells hold huge therapeutic potential both for people and animals. Our research is an important step towards realising that potential for horses and provides an opportunity to validate stem-cell based therapies before clinical studies in humans."
With 2024 support payments for farmers in England now at half former levels and significant changes to subsidies for farmers in Scotland and Wales set to come into play next year, Elanco says effective flock health management to maximise efficiency and performance within flocks has become increasingly important.
Elanco's Ruminant Technical Consultant, Matt Colston MRCVS said: “Policymakers recognise the importance of animal health and welfare for better productivity and are putting an increasing onus on vets to deliver improvements, for example via the Animal Health and Welfare Pathway (AHWP).”
“Its crucial vets have the knowledge and confidence to support sheep clients on important flock health issues, with worming programmes high up on this agenda.”
"By developing farm-specific worm control strategies and working closely with clients to better monitor worm burdens, you can help achieve immediate flock performance benefits and manage the longer term risks of anthelmintic resistance on that farm.”
Elanco says that by dosing lambs with its newer Group 4 wormer, Zolvix, at the right time during the mid to late grazing season, farmers can clear out any resistant worms that have survived previous treatments and see an uplift in daily liveweight gain as a result.
Matt added: “We shouldn’t wait for problems to manifest.
"By the time wormer groups have stopped working, or clinical signs of worms are visible, damage is already done; regular monitoring and early intervention is a better option.
“More farmers are Faecal Egg Counting (FEC) but many are unsure how best to go about it.
“A practical demonstration of how to collect samples, and what to collect from which animals, is often the best way to show how easy FEC can be.”
“Farmers can be cautious about change, but by taking small steps and consistently offering sound, practical advice, vets can help farmers adopt more sustainable worm control strategies and improve margins in sheep production.”
With just a few days to go before the first anniversary of bluetongue being detected in England, the JAB campaign group is urging farmers to vaccinate their livestock to stop the disease from taking hold in this country as it has in Europe.
So far this year France has reported 4,543 cases of bluetongue, including cases in Calais, and the Netherlands has just confirmed its first case of the disease in 2008. The affected small holding reported a sick cow found with serotype eight which had not been vaccinated against infection.
With the threat of bluetongue re-emergence in the UK growing by the day, JAB leaders have issued a reminder to farmers to contact their vets as soon as their region is in the protection zone and vaccine is available.
In a statement JAB said: "The amount of cases being reported across Europe shows the disease is on the move. This most recent case in Holland demonstrates that not vaccinating livestock leaves farmers vulnerable to outbreaks now the midge season has started.
"The industry has rallied behind the JAB campaign and has done tremendously well in terms of vaccination. Nearly 19 million doses have already been made available to English farmers, and with another nine million doses planned to be released in the coming weeks we need those areas that are new to the protection zone to vaccinate as soon as they are able. We must remember bluetongue could already be circulating in areas where outbreaks occurred last year so the risks to everyone are very real.
"The explosion in the number of cases on the continent also acts as a timely reminder to those farmers in the current protection zone who have not vaccinated and the dangers this presents to their unprotected livestock
"We are entering the peak period for midge activity so vaccination is the only way to prepare and protect us from any potential outbreaks that may emerge in the coming weeks."