The Wiltshire headquarters of International Cat Care and the International Society of Feline Medicine were badly damaged in a fire last night. 

According to the charity, the fire broke out in an adjacent building in the early hours of the morning and caused considerable damage before it was put out by the fire brigade. 

Luckily, the building was unoccupied at the time and nobody was hurt. 

Structural damage was caused to the building and the charity reports that much of its office contents were damaged or destroyed by fire, smoke or water, including its servers. 

However, because of coronavirus, the charity had already put systems in place to operate remotely, so it expects to continue service more or less as normal.

The Society of Practising Veterinary Surgeons has opened its 2021 Salary Survey and is inviting everyone in the profession, in clinical or non-clinical roles, from vets and nurses to support staff and those in industry, to take part.

The SPVS Salary Survey provides a benchmark of remuneration levels in the profession, including basic earnings, bonuses, dividends, overtime, accommodation, car allowances and pensions.

The main survey findings will be published in a report which will be shared with anyone who takes part and gives their email address at the end of the survey.

SPVS members will be given the full results with additional commentary and analysis. 

The Association says all responses are treated as strictly anonymous and totally confidential, and thanks everyone in advance who decides to take part.

To take part, visit: https://spvs.org.uk/salary-survey-2021. 

If you have any questions about the survey, email office@spvs.org.uk.

Diagnostic imaging company BCF Technology is inviting veterinary surgeons to apply for a job as Clinical Manager by submitting a 2 minute video outlining why they would like to work for the company.

BCF Managing Director Gavin Mitchell said: "We are looking for somone with a real passion for imaging and desire to help improve the quality of veterinary imaging. Part of the role will involve presenting clinical learning videos, so we thought it would be a fun way to approach the recruitment process with candidates sending in their own home-made videos. So get creative and you could come and work with us and help vets learn more about 256 shades of grey."

BCF in-house vet Kimberly Palgrave said: "This role is a great opportunity for a vet wanting to help others to improve their confidence and skills in using ultrasound and X-ray, it is a hugely rewarding role. It is also a very diverse role as BCF is a worldwide company. BCF approaches everything in a fun, innovative way, including the recruitment process."

BCF Human Resources Manager, Kim McLean, said: "As we are offering a job role that is quite unique, we thought we would approach advertising the job in a bit of a non-conventional way as well. We hope that candidates will take on the challenge and that we will receive some interesting video applications for the role.

To help potential vets learn more about the role and what it is like to work for the company, BCF has created a video which gives an overview of the business, has some comments from its staff and even has a rap about the company at the end performed by Tom from the Purchasing Department.

For more information about the job, visit www.bcftechnology.com/about-us/bcf-careers

Key Note Ltd, has published Pet Insurance 2015, a report into the state of the UK pet insurance market which forecasts that premiums will rise by 46.7% by 2019.

The report notes that the percentage of adults in Great Britain owning at least one dog has increased by 2.1 percentage points over the past 5 years, and the percentage owning at least one cat is 2.5 percentage points higher than it was 5 years ago. Yet despite growth in the pet population, the increase in the volume of pet insurance policies (23.6% between 2010 and 2014) has been far exceeded by the increase in the value of premiums written (40.7%).

Key Note says claims inflation has been a major factor in rising premiums; despite gross written premiums for cats, dogs and other pets increasing by 13.3% between 2013 and 2014 alone, the cost of claims for the same animals rose by 14.7% over the same period, over and above the premium increases seen.

According to the company, rising claims are largely down to the increasing cost of veterinary treatment — as advances in pet medicine increase apace with those in human medicine, treating pets is getting more costly. Not only this, but other factors, such as the rise in overweight or obese pets and even antibiotic-resistant bacteria, both common problems in the human health service, are also pushing up the costs of veterinary treatment. 

In other general insurance markets, most notably motor insurance, which price comparison websites (PCWs) were initially set up to focus on, competition exerts a major downward pressure on premiums. However, the report says this is not always the case in the pet insurance market. This is because it can be difficult for those who have already claimed on pet insurance policies to switch insurers; the result of doing so is often that the condition the pet has previously been treated for is classed as ‘pre-existing’ in the new policy and therefore it, and related conditions, will not be covered under the new policy. This could leave pet owners liable to pay for veterinary treatment in full.

The situation has been further exacerbated by the high-profile withdrawal of a number of underwriters from the pet insurance market. The nature of the pet insurance market, though at first seeming diverse, actually involves a relatively limited pool of underwriters behind the numerous brands available. The report details how just four underwriters between them either underwrite or, at the very least, arrange and administer the pet insurance policies of 27 of the foremost brands in the pet insurance market.

Key Note forecasts that although insurance companies will see an increase in the volume of pets insured, this will not compensate for the relentless increase in the cost of claims which will be largely responsible for driving the cost of pet insurance up 46.7% by 2019.

To meet market demands and ensure that their customers comply with regulatory requirements, British manufacturer Labcold has released the first models in a new range of vaccine and pharmaceutical refrigerators designed specifically for this use from the ground-up. The company says more models will be added to the range over the next 12 months. 

When storing temperature-sensitive vaccines and pharmaceuticals, Veterinary Practices need to ensure compliance with an ever-increasing burden of legislation, regulations and guidelines,  such as the latest VMD Code of Practice, (Oct 2007).  The BVA Good Practice Guide - Standard Operating Procedure 04 on the storage of medicinal products in permanent premises says as follows:

Refrigerated storage must:

• Be available for the storage of biologicals (i.e. vaccines) requiring a storage temperature between +2OC and +8OC
• Have temperatures monitored and capable of being recorded daily and the records retained for subsequent inspection
• Not be used for food or drink for human consumption

Although this guidance stops short of specifically excluding the use of domestic refrigerators, Labcold says professional products are more appropriate since they are built specifically for vaccine and pharmaceutical storage. Labcold refrigerators all fully compliant and have locking doors plus a host of handy options including capacity, glass doors and a new divided-drawer system.  

Robin Gregson, Sales & Marketing Director at Labcold said, "Our whole product range is constantly being updated to ensure that we provide our customers with market-leading solutions.  Many previous pharmacy refrigerators have simply been modified designs of domestic fridges, whilst our new range, the result of three years work, is one of the few on the market to be designed specifically for pharmacy use from the ground up."

For full information on all Labcold products, including portable refrigerators suitable for farm vets please visit http://www.labcold.com/ or contact sales@labcold.com / Telephone 0870 3001001 for a free copy of the latest Product Guide.

The British Veterinary Association and its specialist cattle division the British Cattle Veterinary Association have welcomed today's announcement by Defra that it is strongly minded to include a controlled cull of badgers as a key component of the bovine tuberculosis (TB) eradication plans for England.

The two associations have long supported the need to control TB in both cattle and wildlife, including the need for a targeted, humane cull of badgers in specific parts of the country.

Following a consultation exercise which closed in December 2010, Defra has today announced: 

• A 9-week consultation on plans to license groups of farmers and landowners to carry out controlled culls of badgers in specific areas
• Ongoing cattle measures and planned measures, including reducing compensation where TB tests are overdue and removing some exemptions to pre-movement testing
• £20 million investment over the next five years to develop effective cattle and oral badger vaccines

The BVA and BCVA jointly responded to Defra's 2010 consultation to say that the available science supported the case for a badger cull, alongside the need for stricter cattle control measures, in those areas where badgers are regarded as a significant contributor to the persistent presence of TB. The response also emphasised strongly that any cull of badgers had to be done in a humane and effective manner.

The BVA and BCVA say that today's announcement shows Defra has listened closely to their concerns. Through the consultation response the BVA and BCVA raised the issue of the efficacy of an industry-led cull using controlled shooting (as opposed to cage trapping and shooting) and stated firmly that any cull must be monitored for humaneness. Both of these issues have been considered in depth by Defra and appear to have been addressed in the plans.

The associations say they will be looking closely at the detail of the guidance issued today and will be responding to the consultation.

Harvey Locke, President of the BVA, said: "The BVA and BCVA have long argued for a targeted, humane badger cull to be used alongside stricter cattle controls. We believe that failure to tackle wildlife sources of TB infection has prolonged the presence and enhanced the spread of infection in all affected species populations.

"We recognise that this is a very emotive and difficult decision but we believe that the science supports this policy and we support Defra's commitment to tackling this devastating disease.

"We are particularly pleased that this announcement has not been delayed until after the summer recess, which demonstrates the seriousness of the need to tackle TB."

John Fishwick, President of BCVA, added: "We welcome today's announcement which indicates that a humane and carefully targeted cull of badgers can contribute to the control of this dreadful disease.

"We are particularly pleased that the veterinary profession's concerns that any cull must be humane and well monitored appear to have been listened to and we will now study the proposals in detail.

"An industry-led cull will be an enormous undertaking for everyone involved and it is vital that we get the detail right from the outset; for the sake of cattle, wildlife and industry."

Meanwhile, the RSPCA has expressed its devastation at the announcement.

According to the charity, new research has been published which shows that badger culling can more than double the risk of TB infecting cattle¹. High-profile voices such as Sir David Attenborough and government adviser Lord John Krebs have also weighed in, saying a cull could "make the situation worse" and be "ineffective".

David Bowles, Director of Communications for the RSPCA, said: "Today is a black day for badgers - a day we have been dreading.

"At a time when the Welsh government has stepped back from a cull, the government in England is slowly shredding its own animal welfare credentials."

The RSPCA says it agrees that action is needed to combat bovine TB in cattle, but does not think action is synonymous with culling. The charity believes that vaccination of badgers, increased levels of testing, improved biosecurity and stricter controls on the movement of cattle are more effective ways of dealing with the problem in the long-term and eradicating bovine TB in cattle for good.

Colin Booty, senior scientist for the RSPCA, said:  "The RSPCA is sympathetic to farmers struggling to cope with the effects of this crippling disease and thinks that the problem of bovine TB in cattle needs a sustainable and effective solution.

"But this is not such a solution. We believe that the government have taken the wrong fork in the road with this risky policy.

"This cull will contribute little or nothing to the long-term goal of eradicating TB nationally. Instead it will wipe out huge numbers of this much-loved species, including many animals which are healthy."

¹ The New Medical Research Council study came from Imperial College London and were published in the Royal Society Journal Biology Letters. They were based on analysis of data from the 10-year Randomised Badger Culling Trial set up by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) in 1998.

Medivet has announced the appointment of John Bower MBE BVSc MRCVS to its Panel of Enquiry set up following coverage of the company on Panorama.

Mr Bower has been President of the British Veterinary Association, the British Small Animal Veterinary Association, and the Veterinary Practice Management Association.

Mr Bower said: "Medivet is a large partnership with numerous branches and I am looking forward to helping the partners assess and review the management of their practice to eliminate the sort of incidents and situations that were alleged in the Panorama programme.  This panel will look deeply into the management and I have been convinced by the partners that they are determined to take appropriate measures where necessary."

Adi Nell, Medivet central partner and fellow member of the panel said: "We are delighted that John Bower is to be a part of our panel. John is not only an eminent vet of unquestionable ethical standing, but he set up and ran a medium-sized veterinary partnership for 38 years. His expertise will be crucial to Medivet, as the panel carries out its investigations and makes its recommendations over the next few months."

Mr Bower, who retired from general practice in 2007, is currently Veterinary Advisor to Petplan Insurance Company and a trustee of two national charities - Hearing Dogs for Deaf People and The Petplan Charitable Trust. Mr Bower was awarded the BSAVA Melton Award for meritorious contributions to Small Animal Practice in 1991, the MBE in 2010 for services to the BVA:AWF, and has authored or co-authored a number of books including Veterinary Practice Management, The Dog Owner's Veterinary Handbook and The Cat Owner's Veterinary Handbook.

The British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) is urging veterinary surgeons to be on the lookout for outbreaks of Atypical Myopathy (AM) this spring.

Atypical Myopathy is a serious muscle disease found in the UK and Northern Europe. It is linked to horses eating the seeds from trees in the Acer family, including sycamore and box elder. There were more than five times as many cases of AM last autumn than in the previous year and experts have warned that the disease tends to occur more frequently in the spring following an autumn surge, possibly because of the growth of seedlings. The prognosis is poor, with survival rates of less than 25%. Early diagnosis is essential to give the best chance of survival.

Horses that develop AM are usually kept on sparse pastures, near trees from Acer pleudoplatanus (sycamore) or Acer negundo (box elder, pictured right) that shed seeds containing the toxin hypoglycin A. They are often not fed any supplementary hay or feed and may be driven to browse on an accumulation of dead leaves, dead wood and trees in or around the pasture but sometimes well-fed animals are affected. While the tree seeds may not be directly palatable, horses on poor quality grazing may ingest considerable numbers of them.

The clinical signs of AM may include muscle weakness or stiffness, colic-like symptoms, laboured breathing, dark red-brown urine, recumbency or even sudden death. Often the disease will present as an outbreak. Confirmation of diagnosis is by a blood or urine test. The toxin directly targets aerobic energy metabolism so therapy should be targeted at promoting glucose metabolism and provided fluid dieresis.

Preventative advice for horse owners includes:

• Check spring pasture carefully for seeds prior to turnout
• Limit turnout if you are concerned about seed presence and ensure horses are well-fed prior to turnout
• Provide supplementary feeding in the field to reduce the risk of horses being tempted to ingest seeds
• Avoid leaving wet hay on the ground where it will rot
• Fence off affected areas
• Be aware that a field without sycamore trees can still contain seeds spread by high winds or flood water

Professor Celia Marr, Partner at Rossdales, Newmarket, European Specialist in Equine Internal Medicine and Editor of Equine Veterinary Journal said: "New, collaborative research, instigated last year between the University of Liege, the Irish Equine Centre and the Animal Health Trust should shed more light on the characteristics of the disease in this country. Once we know more about the specific causes we should be able to make more positive progress with prevention strategies."

BEVA has provided free online access to two articles from the journal of Equine Veterinary Education on the disease for all vets to help them address the threat.

Volume 25, Issue 5, pages 264-270, May 2013

Management of cases suffering from atypical myopathy: Interpretations of descriptive, epidemiological and pathophysiological findings. Part 1: First aid, cardiovascular, nutritional and digestive care (pages 264-270) G. van Galen and D -M Votion.

Volume 25, Issue 6, pages 308-314, June 2013

Management of cases suffering from atypical myopathy: Interpretations of descriptive, epidemiological and pathophysiological findings. Part 2: Muscular, urinary, respiratory and hepatic care, and inflammatory/infectious status (pages 308-314) G van Galen and D - M Votion.

Ian Wright MRCVS, Chair of the European Scientific Counsel of Companion Animal Parasites, will be presenting a free webinar about new exotic parasites on 17th July 2025, 7.30pm - 9.00pm. 

In the webinar, which is sponsored by Horiba, Ian will present an update on new exotic parasite infections and distribution across the UK and Europe, and what this means for pets, livestock and the people that care for them.

“New Exotic Parasites – Worming Their Way In?” is suitable for vets, nurses, students and veterinary care assistants.

https://horiba.link/4h2.

According to Intervet, a study undertaken in Germany last summer has proven the efficacy of Butox SWISH at killing the midges responsible for carrying the bluetongue virus, when applied monthly to cattle. The study showed that even brief contact between a midge and hair from a treated animal killed midges rapidly for up to four weeks post-treatment.

The standard dose, applied in the usual way (on the neck and topline of the animal) delivers full-body coverage of Butox SWISH’s deltamethrin, helped partly by its unique micronised formulation. The product is also highly lipophilic which means it binds onto the natural oil secretions of the coat helping to improve coverage.

The trial used six heifers (each weighing around 400kg) treated with 30ml Butox SWISH (the standard fly dose and method of application). Two un-treated heifers were also studied for comparison.

During the five week period, contact between midges and treated hair caused immediate paralysis, and the midges then died at varying intervals depending on contact time and the number of days post-treatment with Butox SWISH. The trial verified the application of Butox SWISH monthly at the standard dose for cattle.

Trial director, Professor Mehlhorn suggested that producers should be prepared to reduce vector contact by removing their breeding habitats and combining this with the use of a knock-down treatment like Butox SWISH, which is the only product of its type which has proven efficacy against midges. Used in conjunction with vaccination, these measures may not stop the disease entering the herd, but will help reduce the spread of disease.

Petplan has launched a new service to pay vet claims direct to practice bank accounts via BACS.

Petplan says it pays out nearly £3 million in claims each week, which is the equivalent of paying £35,000 per year to each veterinary practice in the UK. Paying practices by BACS means that the money is received faster and there is no administration required by the practice, freeing up more time for clinical work.

As part of this new service, practices also receive a detailed statement by email providing a breakdown of the client claims the payment relates to.

To register to receive claim payments by BACS, visit petplanvet.co.uk and complete an online form.

Simon Masding, Petplan's Head of Sales and Partnerships said: "Petplan has a great relationship with vet surgeries and we know in the last few years some practices have had increasing pressure on cash flow due to reduced footfall and rising costs. We are constantly looking for new, smarter ways of working to help our partners and wanted to get claim payments to vets even faster."

Petplan's Vet of the Year Brian Faulkner said: "Most people become vets because they love to work with animals, and the paperwork is merely a downside of the job. It's great to see that Petplan has reduced the time we have to dedicate to admin, meaning we can concentrate on the important things, like improving the health of Britain's pets."

For more information visit www.petplanvet.co.uk

A new company offering general practitioners online consultations with veterinary specialists launched in the UK last month. Televetdx (www.televetdx.com) has grouped over 40 veterinary specialists to offer their services to GPs in the UK and Europe.

Company director and veterinary pathologist Dr Anne Pietersma said: "Most pet owners want to provide their pets with the best possible care and this means access to the best possible advice from a specialist. Televetdx brings together specialists from referral practices and academia for radiology, cardiology and internal medicine that veterinarians can use as part of their practice to help with accurate diagnosis and treatment decision-making."

According to the company, the Televetdx service offers a convenient alternative to immediate referral and can save owners time and money despite the telemedicine fee. When pet owners, advised by their veterinary surgeon, agree to a telemedicine consultation, they are electing for the comfort of care and follow-up at their local clinic. This saves owners time but also minimises stress to the pet and costs due to travel or referral fees. The specialist or veterinary surgeon will be able to judge when a case needs referring to a centre, for example if the clinic is not equipped for the specialised medical care required.

Dr Pietersma said: "A referral is often not accessible to the pet owner for a variety of reasons. On the other hand, a veterinary surgeon might feel comfortable handling a more complex case but lack some of the needed expertise. Consulting and working closely with specialists allows veterinarians to quickly obtain tailored advice on a case and work more efficiently while providing a high quality service to pet owners. She added: "We include full follow-up as part our standard charge with no additional costs for resubmitting the same case with extra information, for example, additional test results or images".

Televetdx works through a secure on-line interface that vets use to upload scans or images and other test data. These are then passed to the most appropriate expert in the Televetdx consulting team who can assess the data and offer expert opinion and data interpretation. The specialist that first attends a telemedicine case is usually the closest to the requesting veterinary surgeon since a thorough understanding of disease and therapy takes into account variations that may occur due to differences in geography or pet-keeping culture and also the medications and formulations that are available nationally. 

Dr Pietersma said: "Being part of a team has tangible benefits to vets and pet owners - we can refer cases to other colleagues if appropriate to provide the veterinary surgeon with the most accurate information we can for their diagnosis. When pet owners witness their vet working closely with specialists they are given the assurance that their pet is receiving the best possible care".