Pfizer has divested itself of its animal health business unit, which has become a stand-alone company called Zoetis. The new company unveiled its vision for Europe, Africa and the Middle East (EuAfME) region at a press conference in Paris last week.

The company says it aims to have its products, services and people as the most valued by animal health customers around the region, and the world.

Alejandro Bernal, Zoetis Executive Vice President and Area President for the EuAfME region said: "We are united around this shared vision, and we strive every day to help customers meet their real-world challenges through quality medicines and vaccines, complemented by diagnostic products, genetic tests and a range of services," said  "As the largest standalone company in the industry, we are dedicated solely to animal health and focusing on our core business so our customers can grow theirs."

In addition to working closely with customers, Zoetis said it strives to collaborate with universities and other research organisations, to help advance the animal health sector and those who raise and care for animals. One example of this is the partnership with the University of Stirling, one of the leading research organisations, based in Scotland.

Professor Randolph Richards, from Stirling said: "Academia is increasingly realising the benefits of working with industry on research projects, and is concentrating on those with more direct impact rather than on pure research. In our own case, Zoetis has been able to provide resources which were otherwise unavailable to us, with funding opportunity being provided through the UK Technology Strategy Board."

Ceva Animal Health - maker of Feliway Friends - has released the results of a survey in which the majority of owners thought their cats get on well with each other, and yet nearly all of them also reported that their cats were showing signs of what the company calls 'multi-cat tension'.

In the survey of 354 owners, 65% thought their cats get on well with each other. However, 60% reported signs of disharmony, including: chasing (65%), swiping paws (53%), hissing (48%), keeping a distance from one another (31%), fighting and acting aggressively (27%), staring (30%) and sitting in front of resources to block access (25%). 

In addition, some of the cats were so stressed that they would often scratch furniture or household items (46%), hide from their housemates (26%), meow excessively (20%) or spray (17%).

Claire Russell, Feliway brand manager at Ceva Animal Health, said: "There is the common misconception that cats need other feline companions, however they are naturally solitary survivors who are more than happy in their own company. Simple environmental changes and using Feliway Friends can help restore harmony between household cats who are displaying signs of multi-cat tension."

Reference

1. 354 cat owners, Ceva Animal Health, August 2017.

Janssen Animal Health has introduced a management tool for UK pig producers which it says stimulates oestrus in gilts and sows, shortens weaning to oestrus interval and can improve reproductive performance throughout the breeding herd.

Maprelin, which contains a new active molecule, Peforelin, is a gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH).  A single, low volume injection of the ready-to-use solution induces oestrus in sows after weaning, and in sexually mature gilts where oestrus has been synchronised with Regumate Porcine. 

According to the company, it works by selectively inducing the release of the animal's own follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), leading to follicle growth - critical to successful reproduction - and the stimulation of oestrus.  Conventional GnRHs, because of their mode of action, are used mainly to induce ovulation.

Janssen says Maprelin is the next step in its pig reproduction programme, named Syncoris. Cornerstone of this programme is Regumate for gilt synchronisation.

Trials have shown that with the use of Maprelin (compared with control groups of breeding animals) the number of gilts and sows showing oestrus within six days of treatment increased by about 15 percentage points (Table 1).  For first-litter sows the figure was more than 8 percentage points. The duration of oestrus was not affected.

Gilts came on heat two days faster than with Regumate alone, and the weaning to oestrus interval with sows achieved similar statistically significant reductions.

Farrowing rate increased by over 5 per cent for sows, by 6 per cent for first-litter sows and just on 8 per cent for gilts.

Added to those benefits, for each 100 inseminations sows produced an extra 104 piglets, first-litter sows 105 and gilts an even more impressive 158.  All gilt groups in the trials, including the control groups, were synchronised with Regumate. With unsynchronised gilts it is not possible to predict the correct time to inject Maprelin.

Phil Macdonald, the company's UK pig and poultry business manager, says the objective of every producer is profitable pigmeat production.  "In the UK and other EU states the costs of feed, housing and labour are considerably higher than in other major pig-producing sectors of the world. 

"This makes it important for UK producers to optimise management of the reproductive process. Maprelin is a valuable tool that can help with this objective."

The precision injection gun with Maprelin enables accurate delivery of the small amounts required. Gilts require a 2.0 ml dose 48 hours after their last Regumate treatment, first-litter sows a 0.5 ml dose 24 hours after weaning and multi-litter sows 2.0 ml 24 hours after weaning. Injections are intramuscular.

The solution requires no mixing, reducing the possibility for errors.  Opened vials have a shelf life of 28 days and unopened vials a shelf life of two years.  Sows and gilts need only one injection per parity, and the withdrawal period for meat and offal is zero days.

Congratulations to Andrew Perry MRCVS, who has just been recognised as one of only nine specialists in dentistry in the UK by the European Veterinary Dental College (EVDC), making him one of the most qualified diplomates in the country.

Andrew, who is head of dentistry and oral and maxillofacial surgery at Eastcott Referrals in Swindon simultaneously became an RVCS Specialist in Veterinary Dentistry.

Eastcott Referrals managing director Peter Southerden, who is also a recognised EVDC specialist in dentistry, said: "This is a terrific achievement by Andrew.

"He’s spent six years studying on the EVDC’s training programme which finally culminated in four days of intense examinations.

"He now joins just eight other veterinary dentists in the UK who are recognised by the EVDC."

Andrew is now planning to build on his qualifications. He said: "I aim to start studying again in January when I hope to begin a Fellowship of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons in oral and maxillofacial surgery.

"The Fellowship is overseen by the American College of Veterinary Surgeons (ACVS) and is a post-specialist qualification indicating further specialisation in maxillofacial surgery.

"It’s two more years of study, including the need for publication in an international journal, and then an exam in the US.

"The primary benefit is the continued development of my skills, insuring that, here at Eastcott, we are operating to the highest international standards and can treat patients with the most complex problems.

"Peter is an ACVS Founding Fellow in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, currently the only fellow of the ACVS in Europe, so I’m proudly following in his footsteps to become the first resident of the Fellowship in Europe.

"It shows our commitment to dental and maxillofacial work and we believe we are leading the way with our cutting-edge surgical procedures and innovations within our state-of the-art facilities.

"We are not just one of the foremost centres of excellence for this specialist work in the UK but throughout Europe, too."

Bayer Animal Health (makers of Advocate, Advantix, Advantage, Seresto, Profender, Drontal and Droncit) has launched 'It's a Jungle Out There', an educational initiative aimed at simplifying parasite control for veterinary practices and pet owners alike.

The impressive-looking initiative comes on the back of research carried out by the company which found:

• 73% of veterinary surgeons believe the vast array of different products and formulations currently available for the treatment of parasites can be very confusing and 35% think there are missed opportunities to increase owner compliance¹.
• 45% of dog and cat owners are not confident that their pet is protected from parasites².
• 83% of pet owners do not realise that a combination of products may be needed to obtain the required level of protection.
• 25% would welcome their vet practice discussing parasite protection options with them at their next visit.

Dan White, Group Product Manager for Bayer's Animal Health division said: "Our research concluded that many vet practices are missing an opportunity because of a lack of clarity regarding best practice for parasite control. With ongoing support and practical development tools, Bayer's 'It's a Jungle Out There' Programme is an educational initiative which will arm vet practices with the tools they need to make parasite control clearer and more accessible to owners, helping to ensure the UK is a nation of healthy parasite-free pets and happy owners."

Bayer says the first stage of the 'It's a Jungle Out There' initiative aims to help the veterinary community identify opportunities where they can help to improve pet owner compliance. Vet practices will then be supported in developing a parasite protocol which will then be launched to consumers via a heavyweight advertising and PR campaign.

The initiative comprises a new educational website: www.jungleforvets.co.uk, which includes practice development workbooks, market research and trends, extensive technical information on a wide variety of parasites and CPD assessments. Additional downloadable content includes a range of materials such as images, videos, downloads and web buttons.

From the end of August, practice support materials will be available including a waiting room display pack, parasite guide and dispenser, vet nurse reference guide, waiting room posters, lifestyle questionnaire, badges and static window stickers.

The pet owner focus will begin in September and will include an interactive website, advertising and an extensive print and broadcast PR campaign with celebrity ambassadors David Bellamy and TV vet Steve Leonard. This activity is aimed at driving owners towards their vet practice for advice on parasite risks.

References

1. Research conducted by Bayer Animal Health - survey of 150 UK vets, May 2012
2. Research commissioned by OnePoll - survey of 2,000 British cat and dog owners, May 2012

Irish small animal practitioner Stuart Fitzgerald MVB MANZCVS has launched the MobiVet Veterinary Formulary app for Android devices.

Available for download now, the MobiVet Veterinary Formulary App is designed to make drug calculations and prescribing faster, easier and safer. It contains dose rate and interval data for over 250 drugs commonly used in small animal practice.

Searchable by drug name or trade names, with species-specific dosing information, the app calculates doses based on the patient type, weight, or body surface area as appropriate. MobiVet also provides a checklist of known relevant drug interactions for each medication, to prevent prescribing errors.

Stuart says an iOS version is in production.

To download the Android version, visit: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.project.user.drug_formulary&hl=en

A petition to protect the title Veterinary Nurse has received an impressive 1,285 signatures, including many from veterinary surgeons, and an official response from HM Government.

The petition, which was started by VetNurse.co.uk member Nick Shackleton Dip AVN (Surgical) VN on 6th June last year, explained: "The title veterinary nurse at present is not a protected title. A lot of people who work in practice call them selves veterinary nurses, when they have no theoretical training in such a position. As qualified nurses we feel that this issue should be addressed so that the general public are no longer confused as to the qualification and hopefully make them more aware of the hard work it is to gain the qualification. As we are heading for autonomy within the profession I think it is right and fitting that the title should be protected."

The Government response, whilst predictably noncommittal, did at least seem to recognise the issue: "The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) maintains the Statutory List of veterinary nurses.  In order to qualify, nurses must undergo a two-year period of vocational training which is assessed at work and through examination by the RCVS Awarding Body.

On being added to the Statutory List they are entitled to undertake a range of veterinary treatments and procedures on animals under veterinary direction. Only listed nurses are entitled to use the post-nominal letters 'VN'.
 
The RCVS are introducing new arrangements for 'registered' veterinary nurses which provides greater accountability and transparency for those nurses whose names are entered on the register. These arrangements run in parallel with the Statutory List.

Some veterinary practices may employ staff who do not carry out the duties of a veterinary nurse but possibly use that title or wear a uniform which might imply that they are a trained veterinary nurse.  We appreciate that there are issues surrounding best practice that the RCVS and the Veterinary Nursing Council to address.

It is generally accepted that the arrangements for regulating veterinary nursing could be modernised.  This would, in due course, help provide greater protection for the title of veterinary nurses.  Although Defra currently has no plans to undertake a fundamental review of the Veterinary Surgeons Act, we are regularly in touch with the RCVS to better understand its priorities for regulatory reform.

Dechra Veterinary Products has announced that Intubeaze Oromucosal Spray is now back in stock.

Intubeaze is used for local anaesthesia of the laryngeal mucosa of cats to facilitate endotracheal intubation by preventing the stimulation of the laryngeal reflex. 

The product had gone out of stock due to a temporary manufacturing problem which has now been fixed.

Intubeaze is a clear solution containing 2% w/v lidocaine hydrochloride, with 0.1% w/v chlorocresol as an antimicrobial preservative.  Intubeaze is now available through all wholesalers.

For further information on Intubeaze please contact Dechra on 01743 441 632 or visit www.dechra.co.uk.

York-based Dr Michael Richard Jones has been suspended by the RCVS Disciplinary Committee for two months, for making dishonest entries in horse passports and subsequently making dishonest entries in the same horses’ clinical records.

The Disciplinary Committee heard three charges against Dr Jones.

The first and second charges were that, in March 2018, Dr Jones made signed entries in the passports and made corresponding entries in clinical records of four horses indicating that he had administered an influenza vaccination booster to each horse on 15 March 2018 and in relation to another horse a tetanus booster, when in fact he had administered the vaccination boosters on 21 March 2018, and that his conduct was misleading, dishonest and undermined the integrity of a vaccination process designed to promote animal welfare.

The third charge was that, on or around 21 March 2018, Dr Jones failed to make any entries in the clinical records for a horse in relation to an examination on 21 March 2018.

At the outset of the hearing Dr Jones admitted the facts in the first and second charges, and accepted that his actions were misleading, dishonest and that they undermined the integrity of a vaccination process. However, he disputed certain aspects of the written statements of the College’s witnesses. In particular he wanted his conduct to be taken in the context of the pressures that he was working under on that day, primarily that he was in a stressed state having had to euthanase a valuable stallion at the conclusion of his previous client appointment.

Dr Jones did not admit the third charge, explaining that he did not remember examining the horse on 21 March 2018 as alleged.

Based on Dr Jones' own admissions, the Committee found the first and second charges proven. 

Regarding the third charge, the Committee heard evidence from the horse’s owner who said they were present during the examination taking place and the Committee was satisfied that the respondent did examine the horse on 21 March 2018 and that he had a duty to make a brief clinical note on the examination. As Dr Jones admitted that he made no such note, the Committee found the charge to have been proven to the requisite standard.

Having found the charges proven, the Committee then went on to consider whether or not Dr Jones’ proven conduct amounted to serious professional misconduct. The Committee, having considered the aggravating and mitigating factors, found that Dr Jones’ conduct as found proved in relation to both charges one and two, did constitute serious professional misconduct.

However, with regards to charge three, the Committee accepted that the respondent simply forgot that he had examined the horse and, therefore, the Committee was not satisfied that the failure to compile a record entry covering the horse’s examination constituted serious professional misconduct.

The Committee then considered what sanction to impose on Dr Jones in relation to the facts found proven in charges one and two. In doing so it took into account the 78 written testimonials and 4 character witnesses called on behalf of Dr Jones.

Ian Green, who chaired the Committee and spoke on its behalf, said: "The Committee’s decision on sanction has been based on an acceptance that the respondent’s conduct on this occasion was out-of-character, as the evidence of his character witnesses and the contents of the letters submitted in his support by his clients and other veterinary colleagues assert. The Committee also accepts that the respondent self-reported himself to his employer and to the College and has made a full and frank admission of his wrongdoing.

"Consideration was given to whether the sanction of a reprimand and/or warning as to future conduct would adequately reflect the gravity of the misconduct, however, after careful reflection it was concluded that such a sanction could not be justified. The reason is that acts of falsification involve acts of dishonesty by a professional person acting in a professional capacity, and the gravity of the matter arises not simply from the dishonesty but also from the possible consequences of the false certification. It should be clearly understood by members of the veterinary profession that, in appropriate false certification cases, the sanction of removal from the Register is one which may well be imposed."

The Committee therefore decided that suspending Dr Jones from the Register for two months would be the most appropriate sanction.

Researchers at the Royal Veterinary College report that they've made a significant breakthrough in the search for a durable treatment for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD).

Working in collaboration with researchers at University of Texas, Southwestern (UTSW) Medical Center, the team has succeeded in using gene editing techniques on dogs to restore the expression of the dystrophin protein that is absent in DMD patients’ muscles to levels that could be life changing.

DMD is the most common, fatal, genetic disease that affects children. The same disorder also occurs in many dog breeds. It is caused by mutations in the gene that encodes dystrophin, a crucial protein that helps protect muscle fibres and the heart when they contract. Patients with the disease produce effectively no dystrophin protein, so their muscles and heart become damaged during contraction, leading to inability to walk, skeletal deformities, breathing problems and heart failure. Patients with DMD have a life expectancy that does not go far beyond their twenties.

Researchers say that this preliminary research, published in Science, demonstrates an approach that could lead to an effective, in principle one-time treatment for DMD for the most common genetic mutations affecting human patients. Through a single intravenous injection, researchers have been able to modify the dystrophin gene in many muscles of the body, including the heart, with the result that some muscles now had almost the normal amounts of dystrophin protein.

The team, led by Eric Olson, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of Molecular Biology at UTSW Medical Center and founder and chief science advisor of Exonics Therapeutics, and Richard Piercy, Ph.D., MRCVS, Professor of Comparative Neuromuscular Disease at the RVC, identified a naturally-occurring mutation in the dystrophin gene in a dog brought to the RVC’s Small Animal Referral Hospital.

Working now with relatives of this first dog, the combined group has used a technique called ‘SingleCut CRISPR gene editing’, where the researchers target a specific region of the subject’s own DNA. Harmless viruses encoding the gene-editing protein CRISPR/Cas9 were used to express the enzyme in muscle to cut the dogs’ own DNA at a precise location in the dystrophin gene through use of a molecular guide. The body’s own processes then repair the cut, which results in removing the negative effects of the existing mutation.

The researchers have demonstrated that dogs treated in this way had restored ability to produce large amounts of the dystrophin protein in their muscles and heart, and in the dog with the highest dose, cardiac muscles were found to have restored dystrophin protein to up to 92% of normal amounts after the single treatment.

The team believes this is the first time that this form of gene editing therapy has been conducted after birth in an animal larger than a rodent. With further longer-term research, efficacy and safety testing, it is hoped that this breakthrough will have human application. This treatment may be a significant step toward developing a gene editing therapy to repair genetic mutations for DMD, as well as a range of diseases caused by genetic mutations.   

Richard Piercy, Professor of Comparative Neuromuscular Disease at the RVC, said: "Researchers have been looking for an effective and durable treatment for Duchenne muscular dystrophy for many years. This SingleCut gene editing approach, pioneered by Dr. Eric Olson’s group, has the potential to be a one-time treatment that could restore dystrophin protein. It is hugely exciting that through a single intravenous injection we’ve been able successfully to modify the dogs’ own DNA so they start generating dystrophin protein again. There is more work to be done, but with this exciting breakthrough, we feel we are a significant step closer to finding an effective treatment.

"A great many genetic diseases affect humans, dogs and other species - many, like DMD - with tragic consequences and this form of gene editing treatment might well be applicable in many of them. We’re hopeful that we’re paving the way for future research into treating some of the most serious genetic conditions that affect us today."

Brigite Pedro MRCVS, an RCVS and European Specialist in Veterinary Cardiology at Willows Veterinary Centre is to lead an in-depth international study into atrial fibrillation in dogs, and is appealing to colleagues to support the research by referring suitable cases.

Brigite said: "We are leading an international multi-centre study to further investigate the impact of this heart disorder on the quality of life and life expectancy of affected dogs.

"This is an extremely important research project, so we need the co-operation of referring vets in the area to send cases to us to be included in the study. Clearly, the more cases we can assess then the more we can learn and the more we can help. 

"The hope is this study will revolutionise the way in which this condition is treated in dogs around the world, both improving their day-to-day lives as well as giving them longer at home with their families." 

For more information, visit: www.willows.uk.net

Idexx Laboratories has launched a total T4 dry-slide test, giving veterinary surgeons real-time access to additional chemistry information.

The new test is compatible with all the company’s in-clinic laboratory analysers.

Simon Wootton, UK Marketing Manager from Idexx says that it is important for vets to be able to update a patient’s chemistry during a visit: “Conditions like hyper- or hypothyroidism require intervention and careful long-term monitoring. It is also important to assess the possible effects on other relevant medical parameters. This is why vets often want to update a patient’s chemistry data during the clinic visit. To accommodate this need, accurate and dependable chemistry, electrolyte and T4 test results can now be delivered in as little as 15 minutes.

“By adding thyroid screening to diagnostic protocols – which may already include fructosamine, phenobarbital, and urine P:C testing – practices can now get comprehensive chemistry, electrolyte and T4 measurements from a single sample, in a single run. This will let vets detect abnormalities sooner and respond more effectively.”

For more information, visit: https://www.idexx.com