New research amongst veterinary professionals conducted by CEVA Animal Health, manufacturer of D.A.P.® and Feliway®, has revealed that pet owners may be unintentionally fuelling their pets' noise phobias in the run up to the fireworks' season.
According to CEVA's research, up to 95% react inappropriately, for example petting an anxious pet during firework exposure rather than making an effort to ignore the fireworks, thereby reassuring the animal by behaving normally.
The research also suggested that 77% of clients have never taken action to address their pets' noise phobias as fireworks' season is only an annual occurrence. This is despite evidence that noise phobias can affect pets all year round and tend to become worse over time.
In addition, if owners do seek advice from their vet for noise phobias, it is at the last minute. It is estimated that 46% of clients leave it until the day before the fireworks are due to start before seeking help.
Lucy Brett, product manager at CEVA Animal Health said: "Owners are not doing enough to reduce their pets' firework fears and prevent noise phobias from developing.
"Taking early, proactive action within the practice is the best way to help dogs with pre-existing firework phobias as well as those with mild fears which, if left untreated, may develop into more serious noise phobias."
CEVA Animal Health and Sound Therapy 4 Pets have once again joined forces with the Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors (APBC), Feline Advisory Bureau (FAB) and PDSA to launch a 'Remember, remember your pets this November' campaign to provide owners with advice on how to look after their pets during the firework season and the precautions they should take to help them cope with their fear of fireworks.
The initiative features a wide range of advice including how to use synthetic copies of natural pheromones, D.A.P. ® and Feliway®, to help comfort and reassure fearful pets, creating a comforting den for dogs to retreat to during firework exposure and treating noise phobias using behavioural therapy with the Sounds Scary desensitisation CD (which is the only behavioural therapy product for noise phobias supported by the RSPCA).
For further information, please visit www.petfireworkfear.co.uk.
In order to prevent tail injury in one dog you'd need to dock 500, according to research published in this week's Veterinary Record.The study1 was based on 138,212 dogs seen by vets at 52 veterinary practices across Britain between March 2008 and March 2009. 281 were treated for a tail injury - a rate of 0.23%, adjusted for sampling. The owners of 224 of these injured dogs, as well as a random sample of 799 owners whose dogs had not been treated for tail injury were sent a questionnaire on dog tail injuries and docking.Only 97 of the owners whose dogs needed treatment and 227 of those whose dogs had not been injured replied.Their responses indicated that around one in three tail injuries (36%; 35 cases) had occurred at home as a result of the dog knocking its tail against a wall, kennel wall or other household object.A further 17.5% (17 cases) were sustained outdoors, while 14.4% (14 cases) were caused by the tail being caught in a door. In 15 (15.5%) other causes were cited; and in 16 (16.5%), the cause was unknown. Almost half of the injuries (44%) were recurrent.Over half the cases were treated with drugs and dressings, but in almost one in three cases, amputation was required. Eleven dogs did not need any treatment.Certain breeds seemed to be more at risk, with springer and cocker spaniels almost six times as likely to sustain a tail injury as labradors and retrievers. Greyhounds, lurchers, and whippets were almost seven times as likely to do so, possibly because of the lack of protective hair on their tails, say the authors. Dogs with a wide angle of wag were also almost four times as likely to be injured in this way, while dogs kept in kennels were more than 3.5 times as likely to sustain a tail injury. Only 35 owners said their dogs had had their tail docked, and on the basis of their overall findings, the authors calculated that tail docking would reduce the risk of injury by 12%.But in absolute terms, 500 dogs would need to have their tail docked in order to prevent one tail injury.
Reference1Risk factors for tail injuries in dogs in Great Britain. G. Diesel, D. Pfeiffer, S. Crispin, and D. Brodbelt. The Veterinary Record 2010 166: 812-817.
The introduction of the new Level 3 Diploma in Veterinary Nursing has seen an increase in numbers of both students and training practices, according to statistics released today by the RCVS.
Since January, the RCVS has approved over 30 more Training and Auxiliary Training Practices, bringing to a total of 1,559 the number of practices approved for veterinary nurse (VN) training. Scope for practices to train student VNs is increased through the emphasis on Auxiliary Training Practices (aTPs), an option for practices without the full facilities or caseload needed for student training. Students at aTPs complete their in-practice training at other aTPs or full Training Practices. Of the 31 new practices approved since January for student training, eight are aTPs.
The number of VN students enrolling with the RCVS has also increased, with almost double the number enrolling in January 2011, compared with January 2010. There were a total of 1,168 student enrolments in the 12 months from 1 February 2010, compared with 1,121 enrolments in the same period from 1 February 2009.
Libby Earle, Head of the RCVS Veterinary Nursing Department said: "The Level 3 Diploma has been in place for little more than six months, yet VN student numbers are already up. This bodes well for the supply of qualified, competent registered veterinary nurses demanded by veterinary practices, and for those keen to enter the veterinary nursing profession."
The qualification was introduced when the government abolished the National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) system last summer, forcing a change in the vocational qualifications for VNs. The resulting Level 3 Diploma is designed to better meet the needs of practices, colleges, and students themselves.
A YouGov poll commissioned at the start of this month's National Vaccination Month Campaign by Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health has shown that pet vaccination rates nationally have remained stable between 2009 and 2011 despite the recession.
This could suggest that pet owners who do vaccinate generally accept that vaccination is not a discretionary item of spending which can be dropped in financially hard times. This is in contrast to worming, pet insurance and health checks, things which the survey found that between 6% and 9% of owners have cut back on.
Nevertheless, the survey supported industry data which shows that very considerable numbers of Britain's pets are left unvaccinated, with strong regional variations:
According to the YouGov survey, cost is a factor in more than 39% of cases where owners of a cat, dog, rabbit or horse are failing to vaccinate.
However, during National Vaccination Month, pet owners can download a voucher for a discounted vaccination offering savings of around £30 from participating surgeries throughout May. Unvaccinated and eligible dogs, cats, rabbits and horses are all included in the scheme and more than 2000 vet practices are taking part in the campaign nationwide.
Angus Robinson from Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health said: "The survey suggests that not only is there a demand for National Vaccination Month - 76% of those not vaccinating said they would take advantage of a scheme like this. But there is also a real need for client education. A staggering 91% of those polled said they would get their pet vaccinated if they were aware that there was disease in their area. Without wishing to scare people, we do need to alert pet owners to the fact that pet disease is out there. It is the kind of thing that they never think is going to happen to their beloved pet but when it does, it is devastating."
Dechra Veterinary Products has launched a webcast about feline hyperthyoidism, given by Tim Williams MA VetMB MRCVS from the Feline Research Group at the Royal Veterinary College.
During the ten minute webcast, entitled: 'The highs and lows of feline hyperthyroidism', Tim presents new evidence that overdosing hyperthyroid patients can lead to iatrogenic hypothyroidism, making them more likely to develop azotaemia and consequently have a shorter survival time. He also discusses the diagnosis and potential consequences of iatrogenic hypothyroidism based on recent research conducted at the Feline Research Group, and provides a summary of suggested treatment protocols. Tim said: "I hope the webcast helps veterinary staff optimise their treatment of hyperthyroid cats in practice and avoid a one size fits all approach".
Dechra says that research from 400 first opinion practices has shown that hyperthyroidism is the most commonly diagnosed feline endocrinopathy, with an annual incidence of 6% in cats over nine years old.
Tim's webcast is the latest in a series of online educational materials on endocrinology launched by Dechra as part of its Dechra Academy training suite.The webcast is available at http://www.dechra.co.uk/hyperthyroidism
Life Technologies Animal Health has announced the launch of a new qPCR test to improve the diagnosis of mastitis and respiratory disease caused by Mycoplasma bovis.
According to the company, the TaqVet Mycoplasma Bovis (M. bovis) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) kit is based on a new target gene in the M. bovis genome and thus can distinguish better between infections caused by M. bovis and M. agalactiae - so there is less risk of false positive results and improved sensitivity and specificity.
The test is based on real-time PCR technology, and delivers results in two and a half hours.
Eric Sellal, Head of Animal Health EMEA at Life Technologies said: "The improved sensitivity of this new test means that veterinarians will be able to monitor dairy herds for sub-clinical infection using samples from the bulk tank. And of course it can also be used to diagnose mycoplasma infection in individual cases of clinical mastitis and respiratory disease."
Life Technologies says the test system incorporates a number of other improvements which simplify and speed up processing in the laboratory, including automatic extraction using magnetic bead technology.
It is estimated that bovine pneumonia costs the European industry around 500million Euros each year, with 30% accounted for by M. bovis. Other diseases associated with the organism include mastitis and arthritis.
Mycoplasma is slow and difficult to culture in the laboratory and current antibiotic treatment is not very cost-effective. Therefore, prevention is a cornerstone of M. bovis management.
The TaqVet Mycoplasma Bovis PCR kit will be made available in other EU countries and via Life Technologies Animal Health distributors according to local regulatory requirements (see www.lifetechnologies.com/lsi-animal-health) for details.
All existing BEVA members will have their membership automatically extended until 30 June 2020. The association is also inviting vets and vet nurses who are not already BEVA members to join as online members free of charge until 30 June 2020.
BEVA President Tim Mair said: “In this extraordinary time of global crisis our profession, as with many industries, is under immense pressure. By offering free membership we are giving equine vets easy access to a wealth of supportive resources and online CPD to help them through these dark times.”
BEVA membership includes:
The association is also looking at other ways to support the profession, which has included making all BEVA Congress 2019 webinars available to members via the BEVA online learning platform.
To sign up from Monday 30 March 2020 visit: https://www.beva.org.uk/Join-BEVA
BEVA Congress 2021 will now take place from September 4th-7th 2021.
The decision to cancel Congress 2020 was taken by BEVA Council and the Congress programme committee because of the unpredictable circumstances of the coronavirus pandemic.
Tim Mair, President of BEVA said: “The overriding factor in our decision-making process was to protect everyone attending Congress. We are chartering unknown territory at the moment and the additional planning requirements needed to run a large event like BEVA Congress with social distancing measures in place will take time.
“We intend for September 2021 to mark an exciting, fresh start for the profession following the harrowing experiences of 2020. It should be safe for our international speakers and delegates to attend by then, getting us all back on track with networking and world-class CPD to inspire us for the new post Covid-19 world.”
Tickets for BEVA Congress 2021 will be available later this year, more information from: www.bevacongress.org.
Veterinary surgeon Andrew Reeder, Director of the Stonehenge Veterinary Hospital, in Durrington, near Salisbury, was the lucky winner of a Sony Pocket e-Reader in the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons' prize draw at the London Vet Show in November.
The competition was mounted to launch an online quiz to test members' knowledge of the Guide to Professional Conduct. All those who completed the quiz on the RCVS stand at the event were entered into a prize draw: the RCVS would like to stress that it was a random draw, in spite of the serendipity of Andrew's surname!
"This is brilliant, I so rarely win anything!" said Andrew. "I'd recommend that all RCVS members should have a go at the quiz - it's quick, easy to complete and certainly makes you think."
Over 600 people have tackled the quiz so far. Those who fancy testing their knowledge of the Guide should visit www.rcvs.org.uk/guidequiz. The quiz is anonymous, but the College will be collating data to help focus future communications activities and see where extra guidance may be required. On completion of the quiz, it is possible to review answers and view the relevant section of the online Guide.
Vétoquinol, makers of Zylkène, a complementary feed for cats and dogs, has launched www.zylkenepet.co.uk, a new website with advice for pet owners about how they can help their pet deal with unsettling situations.
The website offers a behavioural quiz to help identify whether a pet may need help coping with any changes taking place. In addition, the site offers tips and advice from behavioural experts together with guides to helping pets cope with situations such as moving home, the introduction of a new baby or new people, travelling and holidays, coping with kennel and cattery stays and fireworks.
Krystyna Joyce, Product Manager at Vétoquinol, said: 'Owners often give Zylkène when their pet needs a bit of extra support to deal with unusual situations and changes to their routine, but there are also lots of practical things you can do that will improve a pet's experience further during that time. We wanted to make sure that information was readily available through a succinct, user friendly website.'
Dechra Veterinary Products has launched www.canine-cushings.co.uk, a new website for owners of dogs with Cushing’s syndrome, to support the advice given by their veterinary surgeon.
The new site contains information and resources designed to support dog owners whose pets have been prescribed Vetoryl. It looks at symptoms, diagnosis and treatment options, and owners can register for interactive treatment log book.
Craig Sankey, Brand Manager at Dechra Veterinary Products, said: "Diagnosis can be worrying for owners and the aim of the website is to help increase knowledge surrounding Cushing’s syndrome.
"The interactive treatment log book can be used by owners to chart progress and provide reassurance about how their dog is responding to Vetoryl therapy."
Advance25 Courses provide 25 hours of CPD in important areas of small animal practice, including Small Animal Medicine Cases Challenges, Emergency Medicine, Abdominal Ultrasound and Thoracic and Abdominal Radiology.
Advance25 courses run for a 6 week period, with tutor support. Recorded and live sessions are combined with discussion of multiple cases. Course materials are then accessible for 12 months.
Susie Coughlan, Managing Director of CPD Solutions said: "We appreciate that there is a high demand for quality online options at the moment, with many vets limited to online CPD.
"With the new Advance25 courses we’ve added more tutor support and ongoing interaction for those who are looking for a more immersive experience providing extended CPD hours. We’re really excited about these courses, which are launching now and running in the autumn. They should help vets make a real difference in their practices; they’re fully flexible and will fit with many people’s family and work commitments.’
For more information and to enter a prize draw to win a free Advance25 course, visit: https://www.cpd-solutions.com/advance25
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."
The Bella Moss Foundation (BMF) has launched a free practice hygiene audit tool.
The BMF Practice Hygiene Self Audit is a web-based assessment tool that allows staff to monitor cleanliness across the practice – from theatre and prep rooms to laundry and waiting rooms.
The tick sheet format allows staff to rate the hygiene protocols in each area, resulting in a room-by-room percentage hygiene score, as well as an overall contamination risk score.
The tool was developed by vet and RCVS Practice Standards Scheme (PSS) expert Pam Mosedale and VN lecturer Louise O'Dwyer, along with Edinburgh academic Tim Nuttall and Chris Laurence.
Pam said: "Given the relaunch of the PSS later in the year, which will include new modules on infection control, the BMF audit tool is especially timely.
"We hope that people will try the audit tool and it will lead them to have more of a team discussion about hygiene routines and protocols in practice. We know some areas get more attention than others - for example, how often do things like the toys in the waiting area really get cleaned?
“By using the audit, staff will easily be able to see what rooms/areas might need a bit more cleaning.
She added: "It's a simple no-frills tool but the whole idea is for it to be helpful and easy to use, so more practices are encouraged to have regular quantifiable monitoring systems in place to keep an eye on their hygiene protocols."
Co-creator Louise O'Dwyer said: “The BMF Practice Hygiene Self Audit will help ensure often overlooked aspects of cleaning and infection control are considered and implemented.
“It needs to be embraced by all members of staff, from non-clinical staff through to veterinary surgeons, as every individual has the potential to make an impact within their practice by taking action on infection control.”
To test the tool and see how clean your practice is, go to: www.thebellamossfoundation.com/practice-hygiene-self-audit
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.
The poster can be downloaded free of charge from NOAH’s Pet Health Info website and a limited number are available from NOAH free of charge on a first-come, first-served basis.
Featuring pet photos from NOAH’s 'Happy healthy pets' project gallery, the planner contains independent seasonal expert tips and advice for pets: from exercise, diet and healthcare to keeping them safe and comfortable in different weather conditions.
Over the coming months, the campaign will continue to roll out tips and expert advice from NOAH and partners, tailored web content, as well as press and social media activity.
The poster is part of ’I Heart My Pet’ campaign, now in its third year, which includes the Happy, Healthy Pets Project – an interactive online gallery, where pet owners have already uploaded more than 2000 images of happy, healthy pets.
NOAH Chief Executive, Dawn Howard said: "We are thrilled that these three great animal welfare charities have joined forces with NOAH to help extend the reach of our collective networks on this project, with the ultimate objective of improving the health of the UK’s pets.
"PDSA’s sterling work through its PAW Report, highlighting areas where we need to focus to improve pet welfare made them an obvious choice and we are delighted to be working with them on this. Cats Protection helps thousands of cats every year and provides invaluable information on cat care. We hope that by working together we’ll be able to assist them in helping many more.
RWAF’s work on educating owners about the responsibility involved in taking on rabbits as pets, through campaigns such as Rabbit Awareness Week, is of vital importance and we look forward to working closely with them to spread the word even further."
Swindon-based Eastcott Veterinary Referrals is looking for a new resident to join its dentistry team.
Eastcott’s dentistry department is led by Andrew Perry, an EBVS European Veterinary Specialist in Dentistry. He's supported by Peter Southerden, AVDC Founding Fellow in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery – one of only 14 founding fellows in the world and the only one practicing in Europe.
The residency programme will offer an in-depth knowledge in veterinary dentistry through a mix of clinical and non-clinical work.
It will also provide an opportunity to work alongside world class surgeons responsible for some of the most advanced dental surgical procedures of today.
The clinical aspect of the role will require the candidate to manage cases and perform all forms of dental and oral surgical procedures and client communication, with guidance from senior staff.
The role will also involve preparation of scientific articles for publication and will help develop the candidate's teaching and presenting skills and externships in diagnostic imaging, surgery and anaesthesia.
Andrew said: “The team at Eastcott are proud to be a part of developing future specialists in a discipline that is growing rapidly and has such an impact on patient welfare.
“Our multidisciplinary approach to management of dental, oral and maxillofacial pathologies means that the successful candidate will have the benefit of exposure to a very diverse, and at times cutting edge, caseload.
“The residency programme is well-established at Eastcott. The dentistry, oral and maxillofacial team, the hospital directors and the Linnaeus central support team are committed to individual development and growth and work hard to provide an environment and support to allow our residents to flourish.”
For more information on this role, visit www.eastcottreferrals.co.uk or email andrew.perry@eastcottvets.co.uk before July 31.
Ceva Animal Health has highlighted a new meta-analysis1 which, according to the company, reveals that there is a significant (P< 0.001) association between the use of pharmacotherapy (fluoxetine and clomipramine) or pheromonatherapy (Feliway) and reduction or elimination of feline urine marking.
Ceva says this is the first time a meta-analysis technique has been used to evaluate the efficacy of interventions in veterinary behavioural medicine; the study assessed all published papers covering treatments for feline urine spraying. Ten studies in nine publications were analysed, despite their different study designs. In order to carry out the meta-analysis, the papers were rated according to importance and a 'placebo-effect' was calculated. Primary and secondary outcomes were also identified, with the primary outcome being the 'number of cats that either ceased or reduced spraying by at least 90%' and the secondary outcome being 'the number of cats that reduce spraying from baseline levels'.
Information is available by calling Lucy Brett at CEVA Animal Health on 01494 781510.
1. A meta-analysis of studies of treatments for feline urine spraying. Daniel S Mills, Sarah E Redgate, Gary M Landsberg. PLos ONE, April 2011, Volume 6, Issue 4
Burgess Pet Care has announced that it'll be running Rabbit Awareness Week (RAW) from 9th - 17th May.
Last year, almost 3,000 veterinary practices signed up to participate in the initiative by offering free health checks for rabbits for the whole of May.
Burgess points to a study published at the end of last year: The current state of welfare, housing and husbandry of the English pet rabbit population, which was conducted by researchers at the University of Bristol for the RSPCA. Dr. Jane Tyson, Rabbit Behaviour and Welfare Expert at the RSPCA, said: "The study showed that 59% of rabbits live in hutches and less than a quarter of rabbits have continual access to an exercise area*. Rabbits should have constant access to an appropriate exercise area to allow them to exhibit their natural behaviours and for their mental and physical wellbeing."
The report highlights the need to educate rabbit owners on the housing, exercise and foraging needs of rabbits, so the focus of RAW this year is on improving rabbits' environment.
Other organisations partnering with Burgess for the initiative include: MSD Animal Health - the producers of Panacur Rabbit, the RSPCA, the PSDA, the Blue Cross, Wood Green and the RWAF (Rabbit Welfare Association & Fund).
Suzanne Moyes, Veterinary Manager at Burgess Pet Care, said: "It is fantastic that RAW keeps on growing and is going from strength to strength. We hope to increase the number of vet practices, rescue centres, schools and retailers signing up this year and attract new corporate partners to make it even bigger and better.
"The sole aim of RAW is to educate owners about responsible rabbit ownership and improve the wellbeing of one of Britain's most popular pets. It couldn't be easier for vets to sign up to offer free health checks and help us educate the nation on rabbit health and welfare."
Vets, rescue centres, schools and retailers can sign up to RAW 2015 by visiting, www.rabbitawarenessweek.co.uk. Supporters will receive free support kits which include posters and leaflets.
Reference
Animal Friends Insurance (AFI), a not-for-profit pet insurance business, has a High Court injunction which paves the way for its customers to make a smooth transition from the company's previous underwriters, Equine and Livestock Insurance Company (E&L), to Red Sands Insurance Company (Europe) Limited.
Equine and Livestock terminated their underwriting agreement with AFI in February 2008, citing unprofitablility of the book for them as the reason.
Negotiations over the transfer of the book to Red Sands Insurance Company (Europe) Limited foundered when E&L demanded £750,000 from AFI for the transfer and for their agreement not to solicit AFI customers.
Following legal advice AFI wrote to its customers offering to renew policies with Red Sands. This spawned letters to AFI customers from E&L which caused great confusion amongst customers as to what was happening with their insurance. The letters also offered first a 10% then a 20% discount to tempt AFI customers to renew with E&L and not to stay with AFI.
AFI therefore applied for an emergency injunction to prevent E&L making further contact with AFI customers (except in agreed situations, notably claims), to stop the escalating confusion and also to require them to acknowledge renewals advised to them by AFI into Red Sands and not to take further payments on those insurances. The application was successful.
Elaine Fairfax, Managing Director and Founder of AFI said: "I am delighted at the Court ruling. It has resolved the terrible confusion that followed E&L's letters to our customers. Unfortunately we know that some customers said they would renew with E&L thinking they were staying with us! Now we can simply renew our customers' policies with our new underwriters as we had originally intended to do at no inconvenience to them as they need do nothing if they want to stay with Animal Friends. They will enjoy exactly the same policy terms and premiums as before and our underwriters will even take on existing ongoing conditions where a policyholder has lifetime cover."
She added: "Although this has been a horrible experience we are delighted to have new underwriters as they have given us authority to handle everything in-house. For vets this means that Animal Friends will now be handling claims at our Wiltshire H.Q. We have a bespoke pet claims software systems and veterinary nurse staff to give the best possible service. We have the facility to pay claims swiftly direct into a customer's bank account or direct to a vet. It is also exciting that we shall be able to draw on Hollard's* international pet insurance experience to introduce some unique new products and ideas into the UK pet insurance market in the near future."
The Association of Private Pet Cemeteries & Crematoria (APPCC) has launched a new leaflet for bereaved pet owners, which will be distributed to veterinary practices.
Kevin Spurgeon, Director of the APPCC said: "The feelings of grief and loss that pet owners go through after the death of their pet is often not fully appreciated. The idea of the leaflet is to help owners understand and deal with the emotions they are experiencing more. If the pet is part of a family then several people along with other pets may be affected - it may even be the first experience of death for some."
The leaflet was written and produced for the APPCC by Jane Matthews, author of Losing a Pet (http://www.smallbooks.co.uk/), and has had support from several experienced pet bereavement counsellors and the nationwide Pet Bereavement Support Service run by SCAS (www.scas.org.uk). It covers a variety of subjects, including:
According to the APPCC, studies have shown that as many as 1 in 4 pet owners take time off of work after the death of their pet with nearly half of all those surveyed having taking annual leave after their loss. Pet crematoriums have also noticed an upturn in the numbers of people taking a hands-on approach by choosing to arrange an individual cremation for their pet directly with the crematorium.
The APPCC plans to distribute the leaflets to its members, pet bereavement counsellors and veterinary surgeries throughout the UK and believes this is a major step forward in both acknowledging pet bereavement and helping those affected by it. The leaflet will also be available to download from the main APPCC website www.appcc.org.uk as well as through many of the members own sites.
Her Royal Highness, the Princess Royal opened a new ward for canine cancer patients at the University of Edinburgh's Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies Hospital for Small Animals last week.
The Kennel Club Charitable Trust provided £30,000 towards the 26-kennel ward, which is specifically designed to provide recuperative care and comfortable kennelling facilities for dogs at the University's Hospital for Small Animals.
The facilities the new dog ward provides will complement the School's £3 million Riddell-Swan Veterinary Cancer Centre, which opened last year. The cancer care centre houses state-of-the-art equipment including a computerised tomography (CT) scanner and a linear accelerator that can provide radiotherapy treatment.
Caroline Kisko, Secretary of the Kennel Club, said: "The Kennel Club Charitable Trust is extremely pleased that the money it has given to the University of Edinburgh has helped to ensure that its Canine Cancer Care unit could be built.
"The Trust has supported the groundbreaking research being conducted by the University, which is helping to improve our ability to diagnose and treat cancer in dogs, for some time. The Cancer Care Unit will help in a different way, by providing post-treatment and after care for dogs that have been through cancer therapy.
"People love their dogs as a member of their family, so this is a vital part of the care process. It is comforting for them to know that there are comfortable kenneling facilities where their dogs will receive the recuperative care that they need, as well as the potentially life-saving treatment.
"The Charitable Trust has given millions of pounds to projects which help to improve the health and welfare of dogs across the UK. This unit has established the University's place as a leader in conducting not only lifesaving but also life enhancing work for dogs, and the Trust exists precisely to help projects such as this realise their goals."
The canine oncology support ward replaces the old feline ward, and the cats have been moved to a new ward further away from the dogs to help prevent cats from becoming stressed by the noise of barking.
Professor Elaine Watson, Head of the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies said: "The dog ward, along with our new feline ward enhances the facilities for animals receiving treatment at the School's Hospital for Small Animals and we are very appreciative of the tremendous support from the Kennel Club Charitable Trust."
In what is believed to be a first for the profession, a group of experts have joined forces to publish 'Chronic Pain in the Dog', a blog about managing pain.
The blog, which is sponsored by Vetoquinol and available exclusively to VetSurgeon.org members, offers opinions and advice from Dr Jo Murrell, BVSc PhD CertVA DipECVA MRCVS, Head of Anaesthesia at Bristol Vet School, Kate L White MA Vet MB DVA Dipl ECVAA MRCVS, European Specialist in Veterinary Anaesthesia & Analgesia, Associate Professor in Veterinary Anaesthesia and Clinical Sub Dean at Nottingham University Veterinary School and Krista Visser 't Hooft, DVM, DipACVIM (Internal Medicine), MRCVS, Specialist in Medicine.
A new blog entry is posted every few days, and each one focuses on just one aspect of pain management, to make it easy to digest in a busy day. The aim is to help build the clinician's understanding of the topic over time.
It is also hoped that the blog will build into a useful information resource, both to raise awareness of pain management and aid clinicians in making decisions about how to approach complex cases.
VetSurgeon members can subscribe to be alerted to new blog entries by email, and (at the time of writing) there is a prize of a £10 Amazon voucher for every 50th veterinary surgeon to do so.
Click here to read the blog and subscribe.
CEVA Animal Health has published a trial which, according to the company, shows that horses suffering lameness caused by bone spavin can show marked improvement following treatment with a Tiludronate infusion, in combination with controlled exercise.
Bone spavin is a chronic aseptic osteoarthritis of the distal tarsal joints which, says CEVA, is considered to be one of the most common forms of hindlimb lameness in the horse.
The double-blind, multicentric, placebo-controlled trials were carried out on a total of 108 pleasure horses, show jumpers and eventers of a variety of sizes and breeds, all of which had been clinically diagnosed with bone spavin. The horses were rigorously selected, having to show clinical signs of spontaneous lameness of at least six weeks but less than a year's duration and had to be in daily exercise. Horses suffering proximal suspensory desmitis were excluded.
Horses were defined as suffering from bone spavin if they displayed a chronic hindlimb lameness which improved with distal tarsal joint analgesia and showed radiographic evidence of bony changes associated with bone spavin in the distal tarsal joints. The horses were treated at day zero with a single Tiludronate infusion or a placebo and reassessed 60 days later after a period of controlled exercise.
Eighty seven horses completed the trials, comprising 42 Tiludronate treated horses and 45 placebo cases. By day 60 approximately 60% of the Tiludronate treated horses had improved in lameness by two grades or more, scored on a ten point system.
Horses with bone spavin experience abnormal bone remodeling changes, occasionally with excessive bone resorption in the tarsal bones. Tiludronate works by regulating this bone remodeling through a decrease in the resorptive process, slowing down the degradation of the bone structure when the condition is progressing and alleviating the pain associated with abnormal bone lysis.
CEVA has recently produced a leaflet specifically to help horse owners to understand the diagnosis and treatment of bone spavin. For copies of this leaflet and CEVA's comprehensive veterinary brochure on the product please contact CEVA Animal Health on 01494 781510 or visit the website at http://www.tildren.com/
Tiludronate infusion in the treatment of bone spavin: A double blind placebo-controlled trial
Reference M. R. GOUGH*, D. THIBAUD† and R. K. W. SMITH‡ (*CEVA Animal Health, Bucks, UK; †CEVA Animal Health USA, Kansas, USA; and ‡Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, The Royal Veterinary College, University of London, UK). Equine vet. J. (2010) 42 (5) 381-387 doi: 10.1111/j.2042-3306.2010.00120.x
Vetoquinol has announced that packs of Rubenal 300mg are now available in bottles of 60 tablets instead of the previous 20.
Rubenal, which was launched earlier this year, is a complementary nutritional feeding stuff for the support of renal function in case of chronic renal insufficiency in dogs and cats. It is used as an aid to the maintenance of the normal renal fibrous architecture.
Simon Boulton, Rubenal's product manager said: "This increased pack size is a direct result of customer consultation. It will make treatment more cost effective for dogs and allow a longer treatment period per pack purchased."
For further information please contact your Vetoquinol representative or telephone 0800 1698197.