Novartis Animal Health has announced the launch of a new campaign called Prepare, Predict, Prevent and designed to raise awareness of blowfly strike management in sheep.
The campaign will include new industry research, an expert-led report, and information tailored to farmers, veterinary surgeons and SQPs. The campaign is aimed at improving awareness of blowfly strike management, with a particular focus on prevention.
In the UK, blowfly strike (myiasis) occurs on over 80 per cent of sheep farms2. If untreated, strike can severely affect the welfare of infested sheep, and may result in death. For farmers, poor management of blowfly strike brings economic costs in terms of the loss of animal, production losses and in terms of treatment and control of the disease, which is easily spread.
Furthermore, previous research from the University of Bristol4, which simulated the pattern of parasite growth in different climate-dependent environments, showed that an increase in average temperature of 3 degrees Celsius would be enough to quadruple the incidence of strike in ewes and double the rate in lambs. This is a growing concern, with climate change models for the UK suggesting that over the next 50 years summer temperatures are set to increase by 1.5 degrees Celsius and winter temperatures by 2.5 degrees Celsius5.
Research conducted at the 2013 Animal Health Distributors Association (AHDA) Annual Conference indicated that, in the past five years, many believe the blowfly strike season is lasting longer and beginning earlier in the year, with the majority of early reported cases occurring unexpectedly in March. The findings have prompted a wider survey from Novartis Animal Health, which is urging SQPs, farmers and key opinion leaders nationwide to contribute answers at: www.farmanimalhealth.co.uk/fleecebind-questionnaire.
Katherine Openshaw, Ectoparasiticides Category Manager at Novartis Animal Health, said: "This has always been a serious issue for the sheep industry and elevated temperature is likely to bring about increased levels of blowfly strike and a longer season.
"We recognise the need to evolve attitudes towards parasite control and to provide farmers and prescribers with the knowledge and tools needed to facilitate a better management of blowfly strike. The 'Prepare, Predict, Prevent' campaign is all about simple, yet effective, measures to prevent the occurrence of blowfly strike, which can be enough to ensure farmers are protected from the potentially devastating impacts of flock infestation, offering season peace of mind.
"We have developed a range of materials to aid prescribers in promoting preventative solutions to farmers; these include farmer leaflets, posters and counter displays. We will also be offering training support so prescribers are best equipped to help farmers make informed decisions about preventative blowfly solutions."
References
The ideas is to help ease new grads' transition into practice by giving them access to Specialist input for the management of their clinical cases.
The app provides a way for them to send case information (history, results, videos, photos) to a global team of Diploma-holding specialists across the entire range of specialties, from their mobile phone. They can then choose whether they want an instant call-back, a text chat, a written report or a virtual appointment.
To sign up for the free support, new graduates need to enter the code GRADUATE21 when they register on the app.
All new registrants will also be entered into a prize draw to win one of 50 ‘my first day’ survival kits – containing kit and goodies for their first day in practice.
Victoria Johnson, co-Director, said: “We know first-hand the pressures of starting your first vet job. We want to give all new graduates the reassurance that they always have instant access to specialist support, to help them grow and thrive in practice.
"Many practices have excellent in-house mentoring and clinical support, but there are times when it can be difficult to get hold of people when it’s busy. In addition, for challenging cases where referral may not be an option, the app enables vets to have specialist input and oversight within practice. Our mission is to help every vet be the best and feel their best every day, which is so important at the start of their career journey.”
Time on the app is automatically logged as CPD with quarterly certificates being generated for users. Additional services include the ability to book bespoke CPD, significant event reviews and live training sessions e.g. for procedures such as bone-marrow biopsy.
The app is downloadable for both iOS and Android systems.
For more information: https://www.vet-ct.com/gb/news/2021/jun/9/calling-all-new-vet-graduates
Environmental household flea spray, Acclaim®, is now licensed to kill house dust mites. A common cause of allergies, house dust mites are present all year around, aggravating conditions such as atopic dermatitis.
Containing S-methoprene and permethrin, Acclaim is a fast-acting, odourless household spray which kills fleas and flea larvae and has 12 months' activity against flea egg development. It also kills ants, cockroaches, ticks and spiders and does not break down in sunlight in the home.
For information on CEVA Animal Health's complete range of household flea treatments, which includes the traditional pesticide sprays Acclaim® and Staykil® and the innovative non-pesticide product Skoosh®, please contact your local CEVA account manager.
YourVets, the network of privately owned small animal veterinary practices has opened a new clinic in Dagenham, Essex and is re-opening an expanded and improved practice in Wythall, Birmingham later this month.
YourVets already has five clinics operating throughout the West Midlands and Essex, with the philosophy of providing a friendly, caring and high-quality service at an affordable price.
YourVets says its Dagenham clinic is a new, purpose-built facility while the Wythall premises has been enlarged and improved to supersede the old Pet Vaccination Clinic. The Wythall clinic has also been re-branded under the YourVets name, to reflect that fact that its veterinary care has grown to encompass the full range of veterinary procedures, rather than just vaccinations.
The clinics are equipped with high-tech equipment and top-class facilities. They offer a walk in appointment service to provide clients with maximum convenience and flexibility and have easy access to YourVets' own affordable 24-hour emergency service. Owners can also register their pets and order prescriptions online, for added speed and efficiency.
Jonathan Stirling, Managing Director of the PVC/YourVets group, said: "At Dagenham and Wythall, as with all our clinics, visitors and staff will be able to benefit from outstanding facilities, including air conditioned buildings, easy parking and the very latest medical equipment in a relaxed, fun and welcoming atmosphere."
Faye Fraser, Practice Manager at the YourVets Coventry clinic, says: "I love my role at YourVets. It gives me immense satisfaction to know that so many pets and owners have access to our truly affordable prices and professional veterinary service. We all care deeply about the animals we treat, and my love for animals extends into my home life, too. I have two rescue cats Tarot and Sorrell, who both need lifelong medical care."
YourVets currently has clinics at Coventry and Nuneaton in the West Midlands and Rayleigh in Essex. YourVets Dagenham opened on 4th February 2012 and the new-look YourVets Wythall will launch on 12th February 2012, with a special open day.
For more information about YourVetsvisit http://www.yourvets.co.uk/.
BCF Technology has launched the Cuattro Small Animal DR, a digital radiography system which it describes as 'revolutionary for the small animal veterinary practice'.
BCF says the system transforms small animal practices' imaging function, producing diagnostic X-ray images in 5 seconds.
Craig Hoines from BCF said: "The Cuattro Small Animal DR is a smart investment for any practice looking to grow and expand. Investing in your imaging function is a perfect way to do this. The Small Animal DR will allow you to cut X-ray study time significantly, improve in-practice workflows and speed up patient care without increasing costs. The team at BCF can show you how."
According to the company. the Small Animal DR can be practical investment for any size of small animal practice.
For more information, visit www.bcftechnology.com or call +44(0)1506 460 023 to arrange a demonstration.
The Bella Moss Foundation (BMF) and Oncore Online Learning have announced the launch of a 2 week online training course developed to help veterinary professionals implement rigorous, tailored infection controls in practice.
Practical Infection Control is delivered online as a fully tutored course and students will have access to Oncore's virtual learning environment which will host a lecture, learning materials and discussion forums.
Course materials and ongoing tutor support and assessment will be provided by VN lecturer and BMF advisor Louise O'Dwyer. As part of the course, students will be able to create and implement their own tailored infection control standard operating procedures for their practice, which will be evaluated by Louise.
Course registration is now open, and as soon as a minimum of eight students are booked, the first two week course will go live. Practical Infection Control costs £129 and counts for six hours of documented CPD. A percentage of the proceeds will be donated to BMF, to help the charity continue to fund veterinary education and support for pet owners seeking advice on antimicrobial resistant infections.
Louise O’Dwyer said: "This will be a highly interactive course which will be tailored to the individual delegate, and therefore the individual practices. "It will have a different learning format to many other CPD courses, being interactive and very much driven by delegate feedback, meaning those undertaking the course can gain the specific information they need on aspects such as prevention of surgical site infections, cleaning and disinfection, surgical patient preparation and hand hygiene." Jill Macdonald, RVN and founder of ONCORE Online Learning, said: "Infection control is a key component of any practice routine, but in my experience having clear and up-to-date practice guidelines and protocols – that everyone actually uses – can sometimes be overlooked.
"This module, especially timely given new official focus on infection safeguards in the PSS, will empower nurses and other staff to implement the most recent and robust infection control methods, whatever their place of work, whether it be a small local practice or a large veterinary hospital."
To register for Practical Infection Control or find out more about the range of courses offered by ONCORE, visit www.oncoreepd.co.uk or contact info@oncoreepd.co.uk or 07717 335484 To find out more about BMF, visit: www.thebellamossfoundation.com
There are three awards, two ruminant and one companion animal, of up to £4,000 each. Each project needs to be completed within 1-2 years and the veterinary practitioner proposals will be judged by university academics to ensure independent assessment.
Michelle Townley, Veterinary Advisor at MSD Animal Health (pictured right), herself a winner of an MSD bursary in 2001, said: "Our existing Research Bursaries are well-known amongst practitioners focusing on ruminants, having run for 6 years. For the first time, however, we are offering a broader level of support which includes both ruminant and companion animal practitioners. Our aim is to engage as many people as possible as we view our investment in research, and the pursuit of new knowledge, as the lifeblood of the veterinary industry."
The deadline for entries is 30th November 2017.
For further information, visit: www.msd-animal-health.co.uk/researchbursary.aspx.
The Department for Environment Food and Rural affairs has marked the 10th anniversary of the Pet Travel Scheme with the release of some interesting facts and figures...
The scheme started on 28 February 2000 when owners were first able to travel to and from the UK without placing their pets in quarantine, as long as they fulfilled certain important disease control criteria.
A pug called Frodo Baggins was the first animal to travel with a pet passport and since then, 660,000 pet journeys have been made using pet passports.
60 per cent of the pets that have travelled under the scheme belong to UK owners. Animals from Ireland, France, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands make up about another 20 per cent.
According to Defra, the scheme was set up in response to growing demand from owners to travel with their pets, and the declining risk of disease allowed these changes to be made. In 2004 the European Union followed the UK's lead and introduced a similar system for all Member States which has also proved very successful.
Defra says the success of the scheme is fully demonstrated by the fact that it has not been associated with a single case of rabies. Animal Welfare Minister Jim Fitzpatrick said: "The Pet Travel Scheme was set up to enable British animal owners to enjoy travelling with their pets when they need to. The success of the scheme shows that responsible pet ownership makes a large contribution to managing disease risks effectively."
As rabies in Europe steadily reduces, and with EU harmonised rules continuing to successfully control rabies, Defra says it is monitoring developments in vaccination and disease management in the EU and round the world to ensure that the UK has the most effective and proportionate controls possible as circumstances continue to change.
The findings of a Canine Vector Borne Disease (CVBD) prevention field study, published in Veterinary Parasitology today, have demonstrated the efficacy of Advantix in repelling ticks and sandflies, thus reducing the risk of potentially deadly diseases.
The study, conducted over two years by a team headed by Professor Domenico Otranto of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (Universitá degli Studi di Bari) Italy, with diagnostic support from a team led by Dr. Edward Breitschwerdt at the North Carolina State University, USA, found that dogs treated regularly with Advantix spot-on had a greater than 90% reduction in CVBD cases, including a 100% reduction in new cases of potentially deadly leishmaniosis and a 94.6% decrease in ehrlichiosis.
The study also found that Advantix provided 97.9% protection against tick infestation, compared to untreated dogs, where 100% were infested at the peak of the season. The level of protection offered by Advantix was apparently all the more notable because of particularly large numbers of ticks and sand flies and high prevalence of associated diseases like leishmaniosis or babesiosis in the area of the study.
Prof. Otranto said: "Our study shows the importance of protecting dogs with an effective treatment that repels as well as kills parasites like ticks and sand flies. Despite the high challenge faced by the dogs in our study, nearly all our treated dogs remained free from ticks throughout most of the study, and more than 90% remained free from CVBDs for the whole study time.
"Because we included naïve sentinel beagles in the study, we were also able to model what would happen to dogs travelling to areas where CVBDs are present. We found that by the end of the study, only the Advantix-treated beagles remained protected from infection, while 80% of the untreated beagles were infected with a CVBD. This demonstrates the very real need to protect dogs that are travelling to endemic areas."
According to Bayer, the study showed some interesting results with dogs that were positive with CVBDs when they entered the study. Of these, half of those treated with Advantix were negative for CVBDs at the end of treatment, compared with only 13% of untreated dogs. This suggests the potential for natural clearance of CVBDs if a repellent treatment is used to prevent new transmissions.
Bayer says the study was extremely comprehensive, studying both indigenous and introduced naïve puppies, monitoring for several CVBDs and working with Dr. Breitschwerdt's team in the USA to use highly sensitive molecular testing techniques to ensure optimal diagnostic accuracy. Dr. Breitschwerdt said: "This is the most comprehensive study, to my knowledge, ever conducted testing the efficacy of a repellent ectoparasiticide to prevent the transmission of a spectrum of CVBDs in young dogs."
Leading parasitologist Dr. Luis Cardoso of the University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Portugal said: "Thanks to this study we can see just how effective a treatment that repels as well as kills can be."
A research project funded by equine charity The Horse Trust has found that lameness is the most common reason for euthanasing a geriatric horse.
According to the charity, this research is the first in the UK to provide data on the causes of death in geriatric horses. Although post-mortem studies have provided some data regarding causes of death, "old age" was previously reported as a common reason for the euthanasia of adult horses.
The research was carried out by Joanne Ireland at the University of Liverpool and led by Dr Gina Pinchbeck. Ireland surveyed horse owners living in the North-West and Midlands areas of England and North Wales who have a horse aged 15 years or older. 918 owners of geriatric horses were followed in a cohort study and 118 mortalities were reported during the 18 month follow-up period, of which 111 were euthanased.
The researchers found that 24% of horses were euthanased due to lameness; an additional 12% were euthanased due to laminitis - a common cause of lameness. After lameness, colic was the next most common cause of euthanasia, with 21% of owners citing this as the main reason.
In an earlier stage of the project, the researchers had found that half the geriatric horses surveyed suffered from lameness, but only 24% of owners reported the problem.
Dr Pinchbeck said: "Although lameness is common in older horses, this is the first study to quantify its contribution to their mortality.
"Owners are often missing the early signs of lameness in their horse, which means the condition isn't being managed and may deteriorate faster."
Dr Pinchbeck said it would be useful to carry out further research into lameness in geriatric horses to find out the main causes of lameness and how these may be prevented or treated.
The research team also found that half of the horses euthanased were suffering from concurrent health problems and these influenced the owner's decision to euthanase in 43% of cases. The most frequently reported additional health problems were musculoskeletal problems, such as arthritis.
The mortality rate among the horses surveyed was 11 per 100 horse-years at risk, meaning that if 100 geriatric horses were followed for a year, an average of 11 would die. The mortality rate for horses over 30 years of age was over five times the rate than in horses aged 15 - 19 years.
Jeanette Allen, Chief Executive of The Horse Trust, said the data provided by this research is likely to provide useful information for both horse owners and vets to enable them to improve the welfare of older horses. She said: "As there are a significant number of geriatric horses in the UK, it is vital that we understand more about the health problems that affect them. We hope that more owners of older horses will give their horse an annual health-check to enable the horse to have a longer, healthier life."
The research was published in the September 2011 issue of Preventive Veterinary Medicine.
As the open season for shooting badgers begins on 1 June, the British Veterinary Association is reiterating its support for the planned badger cull pilots as part of the overall bovine TB eradication strategy in England.
Although the shooting of badgers is not expected to start until later in the season the BVA says it is responding to activity amongst those who oppose the cull and appealing to them to allow the necessary scientific work to take place unhindered in the two pilot cull areas.
The association points to the evidence base behind the policy - data from the Randomised Badger Culling Trials (RBCTs) - which shows that bovine TB in cattle can be reduced by around 16% in areas where a targeted, humane badger cull has taken place. The pilot culls will use different culling methods to the RBCTs and are therefore being monitored by the Independent Expert Panel made up of experts in veterinary pathology, animal welfare physiology, wildlife ecology, badger behaviour, wildlife management, ecological theory, statistics, and marksmanship.
Peter Jones, President of the BVA, said: "We have not taken the decision to support the pilot badger culls lightly; we have considered all of the scientific evidence, which supports the management of bovine TB in badgers in order to reduce the incidence of the disease in cattle.
"We accept that there is a gap in our knowledge, which is whether controlled shooting can deliver a badger cull humanely and safely, and to the same degree of effectiveness as cage trapping and shooting. That is what the pilots are designed to address and why is it important that they are allowed to go ahead unhindered.
"We understand that this is a highly emotional issue but we must be able to gather the evidence to enable future policy decisions to be based on science."
Investigation of the relationship between ionised and total calcium in dogs with ionised hypercalcaemia1 was undertaken by Tørnqvist-Johnsen et al. at the Hospital for Small Animals, University of Edinburgh, UK.
Initially, a normal reference interval for ionised calcium, total calcium and albumin, serum and plasma biochemistry was established by analysing samples from 351 healthy adult dogs.
After establishing a reference interval for ionised calcium, the laboratory’s database was searched for adult dogs with ionised hypercalcaemia that had attended the university small animal hospital between 2012 and 2017, a time frame when the same sample handling protocols and instrumentation was in use. The hospital records were searched for patient information and the biochemical parameters statistically analysed.
Of 63 dogs identified with ionised hypercalcaemia, 23 did not have a total hypercalcaemia (37%). 16 of these 23 dogs (70%) had albumin within the reference interval. To summarise the key findings; using total calcium, one third of patients with ionised hypercalcaemia were not identified. There was also no significant relationship between albumin and total calcium in these cases.
Camilla Tørnqvist-Johnsen, lead author of the paper, said: "Hypercalcaemia is a very important clinical abnormality, often revealing severe underlying disease in dogs who do not get idiopathic hypercalcaemia. This study reveals the true importance of doing an ionised calcium measurement when evaluating calcaemic status."
Nick Jeffery, Editor of JSAP said: "This study demonstrates that, if relying on total calcium alone, more than one third of dogs with ionised hypercalcaemia will be classified as normocalcaemic. Furthermore, the study demonstrates that the discordance between ionised and total calcium cannot be routinely explained by a low protein-bound component.
"Whilst reference intervals are key in clinical practice to determine whether a result is an outlier from 95% of a healthy population, it is not inevitable that a patient with an outlying biochemical test result has a clinically relevant disease."
The full article can be found in the April issue of the Journal of Small Animal Practice which is free for BSAVA members. It can also be read online here: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jsap.13109
Reference
Carl Padgett has been elected President of the British Veterinary Association for 2011/2012.
Carl graduated from Glasgow University in 1989 and spent most of his career as a large animal practitioner. He is now a director of Bay Vets Ltd in Lancaster, and has particular interests in cattle health, production and welfare, veterinary politics and the role the profession has to play in the wider livestock industry and the companion animal world.
A former president of the British Cattle Veterinary Association (BCVA) and recent Chairman of Trustees of the BVA Animal Welfare Foundation, Carl has been involved in veterinary politics for over 15 years.
Carl said: "My representative roles for BVA, and prior to that BCVA, have enabled me to understand and realise my interest in the veterinary profession: ensuring the profession has a voice and our place in society is valued.
"Our multi-disciplinary education and training places the profession in a unique position to deliver a healthy future at many levels: representing the health and welfare of animals committed to our care, protecting the consumer by ensuring food safety and security at national and international levels by working within the agricultural world and ensuring public health in a variety of ways. Vets are not just part of the leisure industry making animals better; we fill a much wider role in underpinning society and its contact with animals at all levels."And so to the future. Although we do indeed live in a changing world, many of the challenges we face as a profession continue through from one President to the next, as they span beyond the year-long term of office. Over the last couple of years BVA has made a lot of progress on a number of policy issues and, in some instances, our lobbying efforts have paid off with Government announcements and new legislation reflecting our endeavours. Looking ahead, much of the coming year will be about putting those policies into practice, and that's why the theme of my presidential year will be 'Delivering a healthy future'.
"I am proud and honoured to be elected BVA President to continue serving the membership as part of the BVA Officer team."
Peter Harlech Jones was elected BVA President-elect for 2011/2012 at the same time.
The British Veterinary Association (BVA) has today announced the availability of a new members’ service, the BVA Good Practice Guide on Veterinary Medicines.
The guide, written in consultation with, and endorsed by, the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) contains invaluable information on the classification, administration and prescribing of veterinary medicines, as well as practical advice on the supply, disposal and record keeping requirements relating to medicines used in veterinary practice.
The BVA hopes that the Guide will provide a one-stop-shop for members where they will find accurate answers to everyday questions such as:
The BVA’s Good Practice Guide provides information applicable to all types of veterinary practice from companion to farm animal, mixed to equine. The Guide does not just explain how to implement the Veterinary Medicines Regulations, it also includes information on health and safety, hazardous waste regulations, and what the Suspected Adverse Reaction Surveillance Scheme (SARSS) is and when to use it.
The Libel Reform Campaign is asking supporters to lobby their MP to make sure that a reform of libel law gets into next year's Queen's Speech, which sets the legislative agenda for 2012.
Two cases in particular serve to highlight the impact of current law on the open discussion of medical science, that of the British Chiropractic Association vs Simon Singh (the author and Guardian journalist) and Matthaias Rath, a vitamin pill manufacturer vs Ben Goldacre (also an author and Guardian journalist).
The proposed new law will, amongst other things, help safeguard free and robust debate about veterinary science, so I urge you to lobby your MP. You can do that by clicking here.
The British Association of Veterinary Emergency & Critical Care has released the results of a survey into practitioners attitudes to 24-7 and OOH home visits.
360 veterinary surgeons took part in the survey, nearly all of whom have been practising for more than 2 years. 70% work in small animal practice, 12% at a dedicated OOH provider, and the bulk of the remainder in referral or mixed practice. 81% described the work they do as small animal first opinion, and 76% were employees. 35% said they had already responded to the RCVS call for evidence on the provision of 24/7 emergency cover.
26% said they work for a practice that outsources its OOH to a dedicated provider, and more than 85% of those said they would not return to an on-call system.
In terms of dedicated out-of-hours providers, a clear pattern emerged. Namely those practitioners who outsource their OOH feel that patient care, staff safety and professional well-being are all enhanced by dedicated OOH services, but that dedicated OOH comes at a cost of reduced value for money for the pet owner. Customer service between the different OOH provisions is perceived to be similar (on-call better 25%, same 48%, and dedicated better 27%).
Among those practitioners who work for a dedicated OOH service, dedicated OOH services perform best in all categories. 68% responded that OOH customer service is better with a dedicated OOH service compared to an on-call system (12% responded that on-call provided better customer service on average). 44% responded that customer value for money was better with dedicated OOH service compared to 19% who responded that customer value for money was on average better with an on-call system.
Among those practitioners who do their own on-call, customer service and value for money were perceived to be better with an on-call system (42% v 26% and 61% v 15% respectively). In the other categories dedicated OOH services again out-performed an on-call system.
Whether routine or emergency, 'owner demands' were felt to be the biggest reason for home visit requests (41% and 30% respectively). However, 'genuine clinical need' was the main reason cited by 19% of respondents as the main reason for emergency home visits. Inability to move the animal was given as the main reason by a further 28%.
Participants in the survey were asked to score (out of 10) how much their decision to perform a home visit was affected by the threat of a complaint, either to their employer or to the RCVS. Interestingly, 37% said a complaint to their employer weighed heavily on the decision (ranking it 8 or higher) where, by comparison, 52% said the threat of a complaint to the College ranked 8 or higher in their decision making.
69% of respondents said they make visits alone, either sometimes or always. When asked if they had ever felt threatened whilst performing an OOH visit, 48% said yes. This compared to 23% who said that they had felt threatened when performing a visit in normal hours.
When asked to rank (out of 10) the stress home visits cause, 7% said none at all and 36% said 8 or above.
72% said they believe that the profession should continue to be obligated to provide 24/7 for animals.
Respondents were then asked to say whether they support or disagree with the suggestion that the need to perform house visits is removed from the CoPC. 59% were strongly for the idea (scoring it up to 3), compared to 22% who were strongly against it (scoring it 8 or above).
Opinions about whether the College should clarify the need to perform house visits was far more clear cut. 77% strongly supported clarification (scored up to 3), whereas only 16% said there was no need (scored 8 or above).
However, an overwhelming 93% said that they would continue to perform visits in the case of genuine clinical need even if the Code of Professional Conduct was changed to make it dear that there was no risk of disciplinary action for not attending off-site.
Perhaps the biggest initiative thus far has been the installation of solar panels which meet the electrical needs of the 25 vets, nurses and support staff at its Kirriemuir branch.
In recent months, the group has also invested in a water purifier and oxygen generation system, installed composting bins made from recycled pallets and changed food packaging to eco-friendly and recyclable materials.
Compostable paper towels are now being used across the practices and, through a partnership with PetsApp, appointment reminders, invoices and receipts are sent electronically.
Anything that does have to be printed is printed on FSC certified paper.
Eco-friendly cleaning supplies and sustainable office products are also being sourced from local suppliers.
Other initiatives include avoiding single-use plastic wherever possible, using water butts to collect rainwater for watering plants and washing vans, and planting wildflowers to encourage wildlife.
The group has also installed energy-efficient LED lighting, along with a system to prompt people to turn off lights, and is currently switching signage lighting to LEDs.
Katrin Lewis said: “As we celebrate our 75th anniversary this year, we’ve clearly always been committed to providing the best care for our clients, but it’s vital that this also extends to the impact we have on the planet.
"We’ve therefore embarked on green mission to ensure our practices are as sustainable as possible.
“We’ve also taken inspiration and advice from practices within XLVets, the community of independently-owned veterinary practices that work collaboratively for the greater good of the industry.
"This has helped us to share best practice when it comes to sustainability and make further improvements to our procedures.
“We now have colleagues from all four of our practices in the green team and we’re continually looking at new ways of improving our green credentials.
"Even simple things like using spare Loxicom syringes for lab work, and washing lines instead of relying on tumble drying, as well as redesigning our recycling plan, are making a noticeable and positive difference.
“Since the start of the year, we’ve significantly reduced our carbon footprint and we’re now looking at a number of other exciting initiatives that we’ll be ready to unveil in the coming months.”
Originally launched in 2022, the company says the platform now has thousands of users including hundreds of imaging specialists from around the world.
Dr Oliver Gehrigsaid: "One of veheri's goals is to promote worldwide cooperation with experts as medical progress has always emerged from the collective, and the best in the field play a central role in this.
"We connect veterinarians globally via our global veterinary community, where cases can be uploaded and discussed.
"Veheri also offers direct access to one of the largest expert networks worldwide through our Diagnostics-Teleradiology Module”.
Teleradiology reports can be requested from €100 depending on the modality, and the company offers practice membership plans starting at €200 per month.
https://www.veheri.com
CEVA Animal Health has confirmed its sponsorship of Stephanie Dakin, an equine veterinary PhD student at the Royal Veterinary College in London.
The four-year sponsorship, due to commence October 2008, is being run through the BBSRC Industrial CASE studentship scheme, which involves partnerships between UK-based industrial companies and eligible UK universities or research institutes, to support collaborative postgraduate research. It is the first time that CEVA, the company that recently introduced Tildren®, a treatment for equine bone disease, has undertaken such an initiative in the UK.
Stephanie is conducting her PhD on the pathogenesis and treatment of equine tendonitis. She is currently working with Professor Roger Smith, Professor of Equine Orthopaedics and Dr Jay Dudhia at the RVC, on a study to determine the efficacy of stem cells in the treatment of superficial digital flexor tendonitis in the horse.
Stephanie commented: "I am very keen to direct research in this field in order to better elucidate the mechanisms involved in tendon injury and identify therapeutic targets, such that we can improve our management and hopefully advance our ability to treat and prevent disease, thus improving the health and welfare of equine patients."
She added: "Having the opportunity to undertake this vital research, supported by the BBSRC and the industrial contribution from CEVA, is a real privilege and I hope that the findings from this study will feedback to have a direct, positive impact on clinical cases of tendonitis, in the equine and possibly the human fields."
Robert Newcombe, Senior Veterinary Surgeon at the PDSA Plymouth PetAid Hospital, has won a £50 Marks and Spencer gift card after completing a survey sent to VetSurgeon members on behalf of Swann-Morton.
57% of 283 survey respondents said that they had always used Swann-Morton, with quality and reliability ranking highly amongst the reasons (83%). The survey showed a low awareness of the Swann-Morton website at www.swann-morton.com and the fact that there is a dedicated veterinary section. The site also has an extensive product section and an interactive training section with streaming videos and downloadable PDF copies of the product literature.
In addition, the survey found that 40% of veterinary surgeons feel that the number of surgical procedures being performed overall has increased over the last 3 years.
For further information on the full range of Swann-Morton products please contact Chris Taylor at Swann-Morton, telephone: 0114 234 4231 or email: christaylor@swann-morton.com
The British Veterinary Association has contacted the BBC programme 'Countryfile' following the broadcast of an item on identifying wild ponies in North Wales using 'ear marking' on 31st October 2010.
The programme visited a farmer in Snowdonia during the annual health check during which the wild ponies are brought into the town with support from the Countryside Council for Wales. During the programme presenter Jules Hudson asked the owner of the ponies, farmer Gareth Wyn Jones, how he can tell which pony is which. Gareth Wyn Jones explained that each pony has 'special ear marks' and there was footage of ponies with both ear tags and ear notches (marks or cuts). However, ear notching is no longer permitted under the Animal Welfare Act.
The BVA contacted Countryfile expressing concern at the programme's contents and asking for a clarification to be made. Countryfile responded to explain they were not aware of the law in relation to ear notching and tagging but that they would undertake to clarify the facts in a future programme.
The BVA has also been contacted by the pony welfare charity People4Ponies expressing concern about the ongoing practice of ear notching and tagging in England and Wales.
In light of the programme the BVA is asking its members to remind horse and pony-owning clients that ear tagging and ear notching are not permitted in Great Britain under the Animal Welfare Act as they do not appear in the list under Schedule 1 of the Mutilations (Permitted Procedures) Regulations 2007 (or under the Animal Health and Welfare [Scotland] Act).
Since July 2010 there has been a legal requirement that all horses and ponies are permanently identified by microchip (with some small exceptions) and the BVA believes this removes the need for any other form of identification, such as ear marking and hot branding, even for wild equids.
The BVA will also contact Local Government Regulation (the new name for LACORS - the Local Authorities Coordinators of Regulatory Services) and the Welsh Local Government Association to ensure that those with responsibility for policing animal health and welfare legislation in England and Wales are taking the appropriate action.
Harvey Locke, President of the British Veterinary Association, said: "This is a simple fact of legality and it appears there was widespread ignorance of the rules amongst all those taking part in the programme.
"As veterinary surgeons we have a responsibility to work with clients to ensure they are complying with animal health and welfare legislation. Ear mutilations are not permitted and we must make sure that message is reaching horse and pony owners.
"The BVA will also be contacting those responsible for enforcing the legislation relating to ear mutilations in horses and ponies to make sure the law is being policed."
The British Small Animal Association has responded to Defra's statement on compulsory microchipping.
The Association says it is an advocate of compulsory microchipping as the most effective way to permanently identify a dog - as long as owners maintain an up-to-date registration on the various databases. As such it broadly welcomes the recent Defra statement.
However, BSAVA points out that the statement has come before a full and considered consultation in terms of its implementation, and says it raises a number of questions for vets in practice:
Despite the headlines around the statement, this is yet to be laid down in law and will require changes under the Animal Welfare Act and potentially the Dangerous Dogs Act, so there is still a conversation to be had about its implementation.
For this reason BSAVA has announced that it is launching a consultation with its members to establish their concerns and opinions in order to work with all the organisations involved in the best interest of animal welfare and the profession. If anyone in practice wants to feed into this consultation, they should visit http://www.bsava.com or contact BSAVA's Scientific Policy Officer Sally Everitt via email - s.everitt@bsava.com.
BSAVA President Mark Johnston said: "While implantation can be straightforward for those with appropriate experience it will be important to ensure that all those who carry out implantation are properly trained. However microchipping is not just a matter of implanting the microchip, there is a significant amount of administrative work in ensuring that animals are properly registered and that details are kept up-to-date. All of these stages need to be properly funded if the scheme is to be successful and sustainable. BSAVA will be consulting its members to gather their views and concerns and hope to be involved in a productive conversation with all interested parties."
BSAVA says there is a good news animal welfare story within this statement concerning the seizure of animals during investigation under the Dangerous Dogs Act. The new measures will allow the authorities to decide whether a suspected prohibited dog can stay with their owners until the outcome of court proceedings. Until now all such animals had to be kennelled until the proceedings had concluded, which often means that dogs who posed no risk suffered unnecessarily. BSAVA welcomes this new measure in the interest of animal welfare.
The RCVS has announced that the Registrar, Gordon Hockey, has decided to leave the College after 16 years' service.
Gordon served first as Assistant Registrar / Head of Professional Conduct, and, since 2012, as Registrar / Director of Legal Services.
Dr Bradley Viner, RCVS President, said: "We wish to thank Gordon for all his hard work and wish him every success in the future.
"He has been a key figure at the RCVS for many years, and has brought about much positive change in the organisation, particularly with respect to reform of our disciplinary processes and the introduction of our new Charter, in February 2015."
Over 500 practices took part in the 2016 initiative, and Avacta is hoping even more will get involved this year, helping to raise awareness of allergies in cats and dogs.
Marketing Manager Gary Skipper said: "This year’s PAW campaign will focus on the clinical signs associated with allergies in cats and dogs as well as what is involved in the diagnosis and treatment process."
To help raise the PAW profile, Avacta has created a series of cartoon characters, such as the one pictured right, to help engage pet owners with the initiative and demonstrate the clinical signs associated with allergies in pets. There'll be a competition to name the cartoon characters at Avacta's stand (808) at BSAVA Congress this year, for the chance to win a personal pet portrait.
Gary said: "There are a wealth of reasons to get the practice involved in the initiative. PAW aims to help boost awareness among clients of the common clinical signals associated with allergies in cats and dogs; we will be offering heavily discounted canine and feline allergy tests throughout June to help reduce costs, and the campaign also helps to encourage team work by getting everyone at the practice involved in the competition for the best PAW waiting room display using the pack materials – the winning practice will receive a luxury hamper!"
To register your practice for the 2017 Pet Allergy Week, complete the online registration form at www.avactaanimalhealth.com/PAW. Alternatively speak to your local Territory Manager or contact the Avacta Customer Services Team on 0800 3 047 047 or email customer.services@avacta.com.
The registration deadline to receive a pack is Friday 5th May.