Ceva Animal Health has added a new presentation to its Cardio Academy CPD website, entitled: Echocardiography: Common Views.
In the 30 minute multimedia presentation, cardiology specialist Anne French discusses the most common echocardiographic views used in the diagnosis of the cardiac patient.
Veterinary professionals can then receive a CPD certificate by completing a quiz about the session.
In addition, you can still access the the first five sessions, covering the Pathophysiology of Mitral Valve Disease, by Adrian Boswood, Clinical Examination of the Cardiac Dog, by Gérard Le Bobinnec and three sessions discussing Thoracic X-rays by Nicole Van Israël.
For further information, please contact your local Ceva account manager.
On Tuesday 15 January the RCVS will hold a 'Meet the RCVS Day' for those standing or considering standing for election to RCVS Council or the Veterinary Nurses Council.
The event offers prospective candidates an opportunity to find out more about what the role of a Council member involves, and what would be expected of them, if elected.
Candidates and prospective candidates will have the chance to meet the RCVS Officers and senior staff, and to find out what goes on behind the scenes. The day will start at 10.30am, and finish at approximately 3.30pm, to allow plenty of time for questions. Lunch and refreshments will be provided.
For further information, or to book a place, prospective candidates can contact Fiona Harcourt, Communications Officer (f.harcourt@rcvs.org.uk or 020 7202 0773).
Nomination forms for RCVS Council and Veterinary Nurses Council, full instructions and guidance notes are available from www.rcvs.org.uk/rcvscouncil13 and www.rcvs.org.uk/vncouncil13. The deadline for nominations is 5pm on 31 January 2013.
Council and VN Council members will be expected to spend at least six to eight days a year attending Council and Committee meetings, working parties and subcommittees (for which a loss-of-earnings allowance is available).
The American Kennel Club Canine Health Foundation has awarded Dr. Bruce Smith, director of the Auburn University Research Initiative in Cancer, a two-year grant totaling $118,848 to test a new therapy for treating bone cancer in dogs.
According to the University, the research could one day be broadened to include many other kinds of cancer - and possibly cancer in people.
The treatment consists of a virus normally used as a hepatitis vaccine in dogs that has been modified to only make copies of itself inside bone cancer cells. The virus ruptures the cancer cells, releasing thousands of copies of the virus from the tumor cells, killing them.
Dr. Smith said: "By using this approach, we turn the cancer cell into a 'factory' that produces more virus. You could say that we help the cancer cell become an agent of its own death."
Bone cancer, or osteosarcoma, accounts for around 5% of tumours in dogs. More than 90% of dogs with this tumour have had tumour cells migrate into their lungs, creating what are known as micrometastases, at the time of diagnosis.
Dr. Smith said: "This therapy attacks those metastases and will hopefully eliminate them or make them more sensitive to chemotherapy."
The Auburn University Research Initiative in Cancer, or AURIC, was founded in 2012 to accelerate translation of cancer innovation from the laboratory to the clinic. AURIC embodies "One Medicine" - the concept that sees human and animal health as a single field where discoveries in one species advance health in both species.
A new guide - written by a vet and for vets - looking at the causes and treatment of pituitary tumours in rats has been produced in conjunction with the UK's first dedicated pet rat rescue charity, CavyRescue.
Written by exotics certificate holder Mark Rowland BVSc CertZooMed MRCVS, the guide discusses the illness as well as suggests treatments, many of which are not routinely used in the treatment of this condition.
Stella Hulott from the charity said: "Over the last ten years' one of the most common questions we, as a high profile pet rat rescue, get asked about is pituitary tumours in rats. The symptoms can be disturbing and not often attributed to the real cause.
"To date there has been very little information available about pituitary tumours in rats, so we felt the need to share our vet's knowledge in order to help reduce the amount of unnecessary suffering caused by this sadly very common illness."
The guide will be emailed out to those veterinary practices that have email access. Alternatively, you can download it here: http://www.cavyrescue.co.uk/pituitary-tumours-in-rats.pdf
The RCVS has announced that its former President, Professor Sandy Trees, will be appointed to the House of Lords as a non-party-political (cross-bench) peer, following recommendation by the House of Lords Appointments Commission.
Professor Trees, who was President of the RCVS in 2009-2010, has served on the College Council for 12 years. He becomes only the second veterinary surgeon to take a seat in the House of Lords, joining Lord Soulsby of Swaffham Prior.
Professor Trees said: "This is a great honour, and a wonderful opportunity. I look forward to the prospect of ensuring that legislation relating to animal health and welfare is fit for purpose, but I also feel that veterinary surgeons have a great deal to offer society more broadly, and I will relish the opportunity of raising the profile of the profession and what it can contribute.
"Beyond the immediate veterinary sphere, my areas of experience include science, the environment, education, middle eastern politics and tropical medicine, so I hope to be able to contribute to the work of the House of Lords on many fronts."
Dr Jerry Davies, RCVS President, said: "I am delighted to hear that Professor Sandy Trees has been appointed to the House of Lords. I know that he will not only represent the profession on all matters of veterinary science, veterinary education, animal welfare and public health, but as a cross-bencher, he will also bring a breadth of experience to bear on issues outside the immediate interests of our profession. He is a well informed and articulate advocate of whom the profession can be rightly proud."
The BVA also welcomed the appointment. BVA President Carl Padgett said: "The British Veterinary Association is absolutely delighted at Professor Trees' appointment to the House of Lords. He will bring a wealth of experience and scientific expertise into the political arena, not only in the fields of animal health and welfare but also public health, where he has particular knowledge and experience.
"We are pleased that the value of veterinary input in legislative debate has been recognised by the Appointments Commission.
"We are also proud that Professor Trees will be formally opening this September's BVA Congress in Liverpool where he inspired two generations of vets through his teaching and research, and we look forward to working with him to deliver a healthy future for animals, vets and the country."
The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies has become the first place in the UK to offer reptile training recognised by the European College of Zoological Medicine.
Kevin Eatwell, who is part of the School's Exotic Animal and Wildlife Service, has been awarded diplomat status by the European College of Zoological Medicine (ECZM).
This will enable him to offer training to residents at the School wishing to gain European accreditation in the area of herpetology, which covers reptiles.
The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, which is part of the University of Edinburgh, also gained the endorsement of the ECZM to train residents to treat reptiles following a visit by its president.
The diplomat status recognises Mr Eatwell as a specialist in Europe. In addition, he is also one of only two RCVS diploma holders in reptile medicine in the UK.
To qualify as an ECZM diplomat a vet needs to meet stringent criteria. This includes the time spent specialising in a particular field as well as three first author and a minimum of three second co-author publications relevant to the specialty.
Many of Mr Eatwell's scientific papers followed on from a dissertation, which was funded through an educational grant through the RCVS Trust.
As a diplomat for the European College of Zoological Medicine, Mr Eatwell will input into the ECZM training criteria for vets specialising in the care and treatment of reptiles.
Mr Eatwell said: "I am delighted to have achieved such status by the European College of Zoological Medicine. It is very exciting to be involved in the education of specialist veterinary surgeons throughout Europe. This will also open the door for residents at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies to obtain European qualifications relating to the specialist treatment of reptiles."
Mr Eatwell is one of only a handful of ECZM diplomats in the UK and the first in herpetology. Other ECZM diplomats cover disciplines including avian, small mammals and wildlife and conservation.
Cherry Bushell, Director of the RCVS Trust, said: "It's always wonderful to hear that the grants awarded by RCVS Trust do help make a difference to young vets and to the development of animal care in the UK and overseas. We congratulate Kevin on his achievement and wish him every success in the future."
The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies also has the UK's first European resident in Small Mammal Medicine, Elisabetta Mancinelli, who is being supervised by Anna Meredith, head of the Exotic Animal and Wildlife Service.
CEVA Animal Health has launched a new website - www.dapfordogs.com - to advise veterinary professionals and dog owners about its veterinary behaviour product, D.A.P.
The new site features advice on how to prevent stress at key stages of a dog's life, from puppyhood and socialisation through to adulthood and old age. It also offers an email and SMS monthly reminder service to advise pet owners when to change the refill on their D.A.P. diffuser, a 'find a stockist' search and 'frequently asked questions' section.
In the 'Veterinary Zone', veterinary professionals can order marketing material, download D.A.P. trials and gain further information on news and events including updates on CPD meetings.
To support the site CEVA has created a Facebook page, D.A.P. - The Secret to Happy Dogs, and D.A.P. can now be followed on Twitter: http://twitter.com/dapfordogs/.
To what extent changing diets and adding novel feed additives can cut emissions from beef cattle is being investigated in a new three-year research project.
EBLEX, the organisation for beef and sheep producers in England, has teamed up with Scotland's Rural College, SRUC, in Edinburgh, to look at how changes to feeding regimes can improve efficiency and drive business profitability, while reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions produced as a by-product of rumination.
Steers will be finished on either concentrate based or forage based diets, each with two different feed additives, such as vegetable oils. The role of the rumen microbial population in the responses will be measured to look at how rumen function changes according to diet, additive and breed. Results will be related to the greenhouse gas emissions and feed efficiency, as well as long-term effects of feed additives.
Dr Mary Vickers, senior livestock scientist with EBLEX said: "The animals will be moved into specialist chambers for short periods of time where their emissions can be captured.
"In addition, when they are accessing rations from group pens, special plastic hoods over the feeding stations can measure the specific emissions at those times. Measuring emissions, rumen function, feed intake and growth rates can help us build a picture of any effect the additives have.
"The ultimate aim is to ensure the cattle are having their full nutritional needs met in an efficient, cost effective way while minimising the emissions produced."
In addition, carcase quality, meat quality and shelf life will also be recorded to ensure quality of the final product is maintained. The outcomes of this project will provide producers with independent advice about the efficacy of two feed additives fed in a range of commercial conditions.
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."
Nutraotic contains grapeseed oil, cinnamon, oregano, clove and lemongrass, a formulation which Nutravet says is designed to provide anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory support.
The company claims it helps cleanse and moisturise the ear canal, reduce ear odours and break down earwax, while maintaining a balanced ear flora to help prevent infections.
Chris Jones, Managing Director of Nutravet said: “Our goal with the Nutraotic range is to provide pet owners and veterinary professionals with products that offer safe, natural solutions to common pet ear issues.
“We recognise that ear health in dogs and cats is a frequent concern, and with the launch of the Nutraotic Ear Essential Oil, we’re expanding our ability to support pets in a way that’s effective and gentle.
"This product has been developed to make ear care simple and stress-free while using only the highest quality ingredients.”
www.nutravet.com
Ceva Animal Health is joining forces with Dog's Trust to carry out a radio campaign to educate owners on the importance of preparing their pets for the firework season.
The series of interviews - which will go out on both BBC and local radio on Tuesday 26 October - will cover the precautions that owners can take to help, comfort and reassure their pets while fireworks are going off, together with the benefits of using the leading veterinary behaviour products, DAP and Feliway. Chris Lawrence from the Dog's Trust and Lucy Brett, key account manager for charities at Ceva will be interviewed during the campaign, which will advise owners to seek further information from their local veterinary practice.
For further details on the radio campaign, please contact your local Ceva Animal Health representative or call 01494 781510.
BCF Technology has launched a competition for its customers to win a Kindle by reviewing the company's imaging products.
To enter the competition, visit www.bcftechnology.com and navigate to the relevant product. At the foot of each product page you'll see a link marked 'Review it now'. Use this to tell others how your ultrasound or X-ray equipment has changed things in your practice. How it aids patient treatment, improves workflows, makes processes simpler, or anything else you would like to pass on to help others in the search for the right imaging product for them.
Gavin Mitchell, BCF Vet Imaging Director said: "We want to make it easier for vets to find the imaging product thats most suitable for their practice. By leaving a product review, you can help others looking for X-ray and ultrasound.
We value customer feedback at BCF, and use it to continually improve our products and service. Come to the BCF website and let us and others know what you think of your equipment. We expect this to really help vets looking for new imaging equipment."
BCF says it will select one reviewer at random to win a Kindle every month.
The RCVS has announced the new recruits for the two independent statutory committees responsible for investigating and holding inquiries into concerns raised about the professional conduct of veterinary surgeons.
The Disciplinary Committee has seven new members (three laypeople and four veterinary surgeons) and is now chaired by Ian Green, a former magistrate and Chief Executive of YMCA England from 2008 to 2013, who has been a member of the Committee since 2013.
The new members are:
The Preliminary Investigation Committee has three new members (all of them veterinary surgeons) and is now chaired by Andrew Ash MRCVS, a director of a veterinary practice group and Past-President of the British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA), who has been a member of the Committee since 2013. The new members are:
The College says these changes now bring it into line with a Legislative Reform Order which came into effect in July 2013 and which amended the Veterinary Surgeons Act to say that the two statutory committees should be constituted separately from RCVS Council.
Gordon Hockey, RCVS Registrar, said: “We pushed forward the LRO because we wanted to make sure that the College was following regulatory best practice by ensuring the independence of those who adjudicate on concerns raised about a veterinary surgeon’s professional conduct and fitness to practise.
“The LRO allowed for a two-year transitional period and so, with these new appointments, we see it come to fruition as the committee members are now wholly separate from RCVS Council members, who are ineligible to sit on the Disciplinary or Preliminary Investigation committees.
“I would like to extend a very warm welcome to the new Chairs and members of the committees. They all went through a rigorous recruitment process over a number of months this year and I am confident in their integrity, independence, judgement and abilities.”
Through the same independent recruitment process two new members have also been appointed to the VN Preliminary Investigation Committee – Suzanne May RVN and Susan Macaldowie MRCVS.
Details of the Disciplinary and Preliminary Investigation committees can be found at www.rcvs.org.uk/about-us/committees/disciplinary-committee and www.rcvs.org.uk/about-us/committees/preliminary-investigation-committee respectively.
Dickson Company, a US supplier of data loggers and chart recorders, has launched the Dickson Drug Recorder, a temperature monitor for refrigerators and freezers used for drug storage.
The company says the benefits of Dickson Drug Recorder are:
The Dickson Drug Recorder is compact and fits easily into drug storage refrigerators and freezers. It features a digital display for quick visual checks, and operates for two years on a single AA battery. It monitors temperatures ranging from –22oF to 122 oF (-30oC – 50oC).
For more information, visit: http://www.dicksondata.com/results/result_725.php, email Dickson customer service at dicksoncsr@dicksondata.com, or call +1-630-543-3747.
Congratulations to Merial for a creative initiative to celebrate the 25th birthday of Eqvalan®.
The company made a much needed donation towards the upkeep of the Pewsey White Horse in return for being able to use it as part of Eqvalan's birthday celebration publicity programme for 2008.
The money will be used to restore the protective fencing around the ancient landmark, near Marlborough in Wiltshire.
Merial's Claire Parry- Baggott explains: "There are a number of white horse sites across the UK, many of which are extremely popular visitor destinations. To keep these sites open to the public requires year-round maintenance, often from a small army of volunteers.
"Horse owners have been using Eqvalan to help protect their trusty companions for 25 years, and this initiative will help provide protection of a different kind!
"The idea sprang from the current Eqvalan advertising campaign which celebrates 25 years of worming protection. The result is a fantastic 100 feet replica of our Eqvalan birthday horse, and brand new fencing for the Pewsey White Horse!
"We were delighted to help the Pewsey Council raise funds to preserve the site and hopefully this money will enable the horse to be enjoyed by many for years to come," concludes Claire.
A project which aims to standardise the assessment of veterinary nurse practical training across Europe will have life beyond its pilot phase, thanks to European VN training network, Vetnnet.
The announcement was made in September at an Oslo-based conference to mark the conclusion of the pilot phase of the Pan-European Practical Assessment System project (PEPAS).
During its two-year pilot, the Leonardo da Vinci-funded project developed 111 new stations for Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs), including mark-sheets and examiner notes, and trained over 50 veterinary nursing examiners from eight countries across Europe. The new OSCE stations have been trialled across 250 students by seven European veterinary nurse schools.
Vetnnet has now committed to continuing the project, enabling its members to access the OSCEs and associated training.
The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons was a main project partner in the pilot, with specific responsibility for training and quality assurance of the system. Victoria Hedges, RCVS VN Examination and Higher Education Quality Manager said: "It's great that the hard work put into the project by so many countries will continue to bear fruit.
"Feedback in Oslo was excellent and it was heartening to see that when examiners' marks were compared across countries, standardisation was very good. The feedback also helped us to see where students were not achieving the desire results, indicating where more training is needed."
See www.vetnnet.com for more information.
The BVA is calling for urgent reassurance from the government concerning farm animal welfare.
The association says the government decision to revoke farm animal welfare codes risks undermining public confidence in animal welfare standards.
When Defra consulted in 2013 on proposals to move away from statutory codes to non-statutory, industry-led guidance BVA broadly supported more flexibility to allow for guidance to be updated more regularly and in light of new welfare science, but raised a number of questions regarding enforcement and, critically, around the definition of 'industry'.
BVA emphasised that veterinary surgeons, farmers, animal welfare scientists with species-specific knowledge, industry bodies and other groups must all be involved and consulted.
BVA also warned Defra of implications in relation to the message conveyed to stakeholders by such a change and the value attached to the welfare codes by the government.
BVA President Sean Wensley, said: "It is essential that any changes to the welfare codes do not undermine public confidence in the high animal welfare standards set for English farms. Although BVA broadly supported the idea of moving to a more flexible system that could take account of new animal welfare science, we maintained that a range of expertise must be used to draw up new guidance.
"We are pleased that there will be no changes to the legislation that underpins animal welfare but it is unclear where the checks and balances now lie. It is vital that Defra puts measures in place urgently to provide that reassurance.
"The Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee has suggested that it would be possible for the fundamental principles to be laid down in statutory codes which are subject to parliamentary scrutiny with operational details being set out in guidance. This idea may be worth further exploration to allow both the flexibility required to reflect new animal welfare science and the public confidence that the statutory welfare codes currently provide."
Lantra, the UK Sector Skills Council for environmental and land-based industries, has backed a report that addresses veterinary expertise in food animal production.
The 'Unlocking Potential' report, produced by Professor Philip Lowe on behalf of Defra, identifies the potential for veterinarians to increase their role by providing expert advice to the farming and food industries.
Industry Partnership Manager, Lisa Jarvis, said: "Lantra welcomes this report on the farm animal veterinary services, which encourages the discussion of the future of veterinary businesses and services, role of support staff and para-professionals. We are pleased to be recognised alongside Defra, the RCVS, the BVA and the NFU, as a key organisation to drive the development of training and career structures in the industry."
The report highlights that the scale of and demand for veterinary technical services for farm animals and the food sector should be investigated, identifying training needs and obstacles to skills development. This is currently being addressed through Lantra's LandSkills project which is part of the Rural Development Programme for England.
Lantra's National Director for England, Madge Moore, said: "Through the LandSkills programme, Lantra has already engaged with a number of veterinary practices from across the North East, Yorkshire and Humber, East Midlands and West Midlands to deliver practical courses and farm health plans to eligible farming enterprises. So far in Yorkshire and Humber vets have run a number of practical poultry courses where farmers have learnt how to carry out post-mortems on their own flock so they can find out if there is a recurring problem which they may need to rectify. LandSkills West Midlands is also currently recruiting a number of vets in the region to deliver a farm health plan initiative."
Madge continued: "Working with farmers and vets as part of LandSkills means that we are in a great position to look at the demand of these services whilst highlighting the importance of farmers utilising their vets more effectively by showing them what they can offer. However we also look forward to working with partners in leading the continued progression of the veterinary profession."
For more information about LandSkills and how veterinary surgeons are working with the programme visit www.lantra.co.uk/RDPELandSkills or call 08452 788800.
To view the report visit www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/ahws/vservices/index.htm
150 graduates will get the opportunity to work in knowledge intensive companies across London and the south east following the announcement today that a joint bid by UCL and the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) has been awarded £240,000 of Government funding as part of a national scheme designed at helping young people into work.
UCL will administer some 115 internships in the digital industries, advanced manufacturing, engineering and financial services, while the RVC will deliver around 35 life science internship placements. In line with all of the HEFCE-supported work experience schemes, places on the UCL-RVC will be available to graduates of all universities, with priority being given to those that graduated last year and have yet to find stable employment and for those graduating in 2010.
The paid internship placements will help recent graduates to develop vital employability skills, through both work based learning and skills training sessions, and allow both small and large companies to preserve novel research, development and commercial projects during the economic downturn.
The award will help both institutions to build on their existing programmes. UCL already planned to offer 50 work experience places this summer following from their successful scheme, first run last year. The grant similarly allows RVC and The London BioScience Innovation Centre to continue to grow its reputation as an employer by helping life science graduates make the transition from higher education to the commercial bioscience sector through work experience placements and skills development.
Jim Gazzard, Enterprise and Technology Executive at the RVC said: "Recent graduates have much to offer knowledge intensive companies. In our experience these companies are looking to recruit talented graduates but are restricted in their ability to do so in the current economic climate. Graduate internship schemes help to solve this problem, allowing companies to continue to explore exciting commercial projects and graduates to gain a foothold in the job market while developing essential employability skills."
To date the RVC has received over 1,000 applications for 60 internship placements on its ORBIS internship scheme. This shows the significant demand from graduates seeking careers in leading bioscience and bio-veterinary companies.
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
Ceva Animal Health, maker of Vectra 3D, has released the results of some market research which gives a little insight into current levels of owner compliance with veterinary flea treatment advice.
Of the 228 owners surveyed:
When selecting a flea treatment:
Looking at the first set of stats, it seems like the year-round message is getting through, but that perhaps with greater awareness of fleas' prodigious egg-laying habits, and the difficulty of eliminating an infestion once established, might just help improve monthly compliance.
Bayer Animal Health, maker of Profender, has released the results of some market research conducted amongst cat owners.
The survey, which was conducted by OnePoll amongst 1000 cat owners, found that:
As regards worming:
When it comes to the relationship they have with their veterinary surgeon:
When it comes to the Internet:
The BSAVA has launched a new guide to help practices navigate compulsory canine microchipping legislation which comes into force on 6th April.
The 18-page guide provides information on all aspects of microchipping, including the differing implications of the legislation across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
It explains exemption certificates that veterinary surgeons may be asked to sign, provides clarity on roles and responsibilities and more details on adverse event reporting, which will become a legal requirement under the new rules.
It also contains advice on when it is required or advisable to scan a dog in order to read the microchip and links to the updated RCVS guidance on microchips, microchipping and animals without microchips.
The guide has been accepted by the VMD and is supported by the RCVS.
The new microchipping legislation is aimed at improving animal welfare, promoting responsible ownership and tackling the illegal puppy trade. It is also hoped compulsory microchipping will improve collection of data on inherited diseases and disease outbreaks.
BSAVA President Tricia Colville (pictured right) said: "The BSAVA supports the permanent identification and registration of all dogs and cats, and other companion animals as appropriate, since the ability to individually identify an animal and trace the owner has the potential to improve animal welfare.
"Responsible pet ownership is at the core of the new legislation so as a profession we need to be clear on our responsibilities and do all we can to inform pet owners. We acknowledge that it may take time for the profession to adapt to the changes but this guide brings clarity and will prove helpful to vet practices across the UK."
The BSAVA is inviting members to report any problems they encounter to the BSAVA's Scientific Policy Officer Sally Everitt - s.everitt@bsava.com. The Association plans a further consultation at the end of the year to discover how the legislation enforcement has been received.
The guide will be available to members from the BSAVA website: www.bsava.com