Preoperative fasting to reduce the likelihood of gastroesophageal reflux, regurgitation, emesis and aspiration of gastric contents during anaesthesia is routine, but research on the topic is currently thin on the ground.
The survey aims to obtain information on current preoperative fasting recommendations and protocols in dogs and cats which will enable the expansion of knowledge on common practice. Kat (pictured right) said: "It will also allow me to compare current practice to the literature to examine the use of evidence-based practice. It may also highlight areas requiring improvement in small animal practice to ensure patient health and welfare."
The anonymous questionnaire is aimed at a number of veterinary staff including registered veterinary surgeons, nurses, students, animal care assistants, veterinary care assistants and reception/administration staff, as all are involved in giving advice and instructions to clients on this topic.
Kat plans to share significant findings with the profession in due course.
To take part in the survey, visit: https://harper-adams.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/preoperative-fasting-duration-questionnaire
The survey will close on Friday 14th August 2020 at 5:00pm.
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1CPD was launched in 2020 with the aim of providing an easy-to-use platform for veterinary surgeons to use to plan, record and reflect on their continuing professional development (CPD).
The workshops, which are taking place on Wednesday 9th December 2020, are designed to help those who are not yet familiar with the platform, or have some limited experience of it but would like some additional guidance.
The first workshop takes place at midday and is for those members of the profession who haven’t yet used the platform. The session will give an overview of how 1CPD works and the benefits of using it for planning, recording and reflecting on CPD. No prior knowledge is assumed, and complete beginners are especially welcome. There'll be an opportunity to ask questions.
The second workshop takes place at 7pm and is for those who have some experience of using 1CPD but may have further questions, for example, about how to use some of its features such as the planning module and how to best make use of the reflective notes and comments feature.
Both of the workshops will last for approximately an hour each.
Susan Paterson, Chair of the RCVS Education Committee, said: “We’ve seen fantastic take up of the 1CPD platform in less than a year – with around 65% of UK-practising veterinary surgeons and an amazing 80% of veterinary nurses using it to plan, record and reflect on their professional development. The feedback that we receive has been overwhelmingly positive, with the even the more technically-challenged amongst us finding 1CPD intuitive.
"Although the numbers are very encouraging, there is a cohort of people who have not yet actively engaged with the platform and maybe are unsure about using it or are put off by the thought of having to learn how to use a brand new online system. The aim of these workshops is to guide and reassure those who are hesitant that the 1CPD system is very simple and easy-to-use with lots of useful features. In the long run, it will save you a lot of time and effort when it comes to recording your CPD because it’s there on your phone or tablet, ready to update as-and-when you need to."
Richard Burley, Chief Technology Officer for the RCVS, added: “We are very glad that the 1CPD platform developed by our team here has been so well received. We are continuing to improve and update the platform based on user feedback to improve its design and usability and would welcome any further constructive comments that members of the professions have about it. We do hope you those who are both unfamiliar with the system, and those who have used it but need further advice, can join us for these sessions to find out both how to use 1CPD and how to get the best out of it.”
To sign up to one of the workshops, visit: www.rcvs.org.uk/news-and-views/events/1cpd-online-workshop.
For those who aren’t able to make it on the day, recorded versions of all of the workshops will be made available to watch again after the event.
To download 1CPD as an app for use on iOS (Apple) or Android devices, or to access the web version, visit: www.rcvs.org.uk/1CPD
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."
Dr. Tracy Hill, a specialist in internal medicine, has joined the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, bringing with her expertise in interventional radiology.
Tracy completed a fellowship in interventional radiology and endoscopy at the Animal Medical Centre in New York, will be researching new techniques in this developing field.
She will also work in the clinic at the School's Hospital for Small Animals and as a senior lecturer.
She said: "Interventional radiology is an emerging and expanding area in veterinary medicine. Interventional radiology employs the use of fluoroscopy and endoscopy to enable minimally invasive treatments for diseases in many body systems. These techniques often reduce morbidity, mortality, or cost associated with more invasive procedures. The Dick Vet has been performing interventional cardiac procedures for some time and we are looking to expand this field into treatment of non-cardiac diseases."
Tracy, who carried out her residency in small animal internal medicine at North Carolina State University, where she also completed a PhD, will help the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies at the University of Edinburgh to provide interventional radiology procedures.
This includes a minimally invasive treatment for certain liver shunts using a procedure only being regularly performed at a handful of veterinary hospitals in the world. In this procedure, fluoroscopic guidance is used to access the abnormal vessels in the abdomen via a catheter placed in the jugular vein in the neck. The abnormal shunt vessel is then closed using coil embolization, without the need for abdominal surgery.
Tracey said: "I am delighted to join the Dick Vet. There is no denying the expertise at the vet school, as well as its partnership with The Roslin Institute for research."
Merial has announced the UK launch of updated ProteqFlu, the first and only EI vaccine in Europe to contain a clade 2 strain.
The company says the new vaccine is also the only one that is fully compliant with the latest 2014 OIE recommended EIV strains.
Louise Radford MRCVS from Merial said: "The launch marks the UK's first and only fully updated equine flu vaccine that contains both a Clade 1 and Clade 2 antigen which includes protection against the latest Florida Clade 2 strain, Richmond 07. This is a significant step for horse health, and the equine industry as a whole."
Hervé Poulet, Merial's head of BioDevelopment and BioResearch said: "Merial has developed strong and unique expertise in the development of non-replicative recombinant canarypox virus-vectored vaccines for various species and diseases.
"For the development of ProteqFlu, our non-replicative recombinant canarypox vector expressing the EI virus haemagglutinin (HA) is used because of its ability to induce a strong cellular immunity which is an essential component in protecting against this highly contagious disease."
Louise added: "ProteqFlu has also demonstrated its success and efficacy in real outbreaks, particularly during the last major outbreak, in Australia in 2007. ProteqFlu was the only vaccine chosen for the eradication programme."
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.
For the first time BSAVA is running a Case Report Competition to be held at the annual Scottish BSAVA Congress (26-28th August 2011 at the Edinburgh Conference Centre).
Veterinary surgeons, nurses and students are invited to submit abstracts of no more than 400 words detailing a case and interesting discussion points.
Cases will then be selected for a short presentation at the congress
Successful selection will entitle the presenter to free congress registration on that day.
At the end of the session, a BSAVA manual of the winner's choice will be awarded to the case report deemed favourite by the audience.
Abstracts should be submitted via email by the 15 June 2011 and notification of acceptance will be given by the 30 June 2011.
Please send any enquires or submissions to Gerard McLauchlan (g.mclauchlan.1@research.gla.ac.uk) or Yvonne McGrotty (yvonne.mcgrotty@vets-now.com).
The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) have announced that today marks the declaration of the eradication of rinderpest, one of the world's most dreaded animal diseases.
The BVA likened this announcement in the history of animal health to that of the eradication of smallpox in humans.
The announcement came during the 79th General Session of the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), held in Paris. The global freedom status will be ratified by Ministers of Agriculture at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) conference in June.
Rinderpest, also known as cattle plague, has ravaged cattle and the human populations that depend on them throughout history. It was rinderpest that led to the formation of the OIE in 1924 following a new incursion of the rinderpest virus in Europe, via the port of Antwerp.
Dr Peter Roeder, who was Secretary of the Global Rinderpest Eradication Programme from 2000 to 2007, said: "Once a dream, rinderpest eradication is now a reality. Not only does this magnificent achievement help to protect the livelihoods of many millions of livestock-dependent farmers but, because it removes a serious constraint to livestock trade, it has a major positive impact on many countries' economies. If we can truly learn the lessons from rinderpest eradication there is no reason why we couldn't see other diseases brought to global extinction with similar pro-poor and economic impact."
BVA President Harvey Locke added: "This monumental achievement testifies to the dedication of the veterinary services of affected countries and illustrates how vets and veterinary science can have a global impact. With that in mind I am absolutely delighted that Dr Roeder will be presenting the plenary Wooldridge Memorial Lecture at this year's BVA Annual Congress. Entitled 'Making a global Impact' Dr Roeder will discuss how vets can contribute to disease control on a global scale.
"I should also like to pay tribute to two British veterinary surgeons who made seminal contributions to the global effort to eradicate rinderpest. Gordon Scott, a rinderpest researcher, and Walter Plowright who developed the tissue culture rinderpest vaccine, were both leading lights of the rinderpest eradication effort. Sadly they are no longer with us to witness this milestone in veterinary history."
As part of the BVA's celebration of World Veterinary Year Vet2011 and to further illustrate how vets and veterinary science can have a global impact the Overseas Group is organising on Friday 23 September a full day's programme at BVA Congress: exploring current issues concerning livestock and global food security, veterinary involvement in disaster relief and management, as well as a session celebrating 100 BVA overseas travel grants.
Photograph: Rinderpest virus, copyright held by dr. Rajnish Kaushik
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
Vetsonic has announced the launch of a tablet form of Arthriaid Omega.
Designed to support joint health, the nutraceutical product contains glucosamine, chondroitin, omega 3 fatty acids, MSM, manganese sulphate plus vitamins C and E.
This new tablet form joins the existing range of palatable liquids, chews, cat gel and the original ArthriAid tablets and ArthriAid HA powder, which will continue to be available.
Almost all rabies cases are as a result of being bitten by an infected dog, with around half of all dog bites and rabies deaths occurring in children under 15 years of age. Rabies, which is preventable, is categorised as one of the 17 Neglected Tropical Diseases by the World Health Organization (WHO).
The End Rabies Now campaign aims to significantly raise the profile of rabies as a global neglected tropical disease with policy makers and journalists, explaining what is being done to control and eliminate the disease. The campaign is led by Global Alliance for Rabies Control (GARC), and has three key messages:
Ahead of the tenth World Rabies Day, BVA has also recognised vet Professor Sarah Cleaveland OBE for her work in rabies control by awarding her the Chiron Award, one of the Association’s most prestigious awards for outstanding contributions to veterinary science.
Sarah said: "Awards like this are recognition of the contributions not only of one person, but the work of many. We are deeply committed to continuing our efforts towards the global elimination of canine rabies and tackling other zoonotic diseases that affect the health and livelihoods of many of the poorest people in the world."
The End Rabies Now campaign is based around the strong scientific evidence that vaccinating dogs is fundamental to disrupting the cycle of rabies transmission to humans. The target of 2030 was chosen because one of the UN’s sustainable development goals, launched in September 2015, includes the ambition to end by 2030 neglected tropical diseases such as rabies.
With 120 countries still affected by canine rabies, the End Rabies Now campaign advocates that collaborative cross-sector efforts are needed to end zoonotic diseases such as rabies: rabies elimination plans must include human and animal government agencies, veterinary and human health professionals, educators, scientists and community groups.
BVA President Gudrun Ravetz said: "The work being done worldwide by vets, human health professionals and others to combat this horrific disease that senselessly kills thousands each year is of the utmost importance and BVA is proud to support the End Rabies Now campaign and help get those key messages out to policy makers and governments worldwide – every rabies death is entirely preventable and we can end rabies by 2030 through vaccinating dogs."
The RCVS has accredited four more universities to assess modules for its Certificate in Advanced Veterinary Practice (CertAVP). This means that there are now 78 modules for candidates to choose from, with many modules available through more than one university, giving veterinary surgeons a real choice as to how they work towards postgraduate qualifications.
The RCVS CertAVP Subcommittee has approved applications from the Universities of Edinburgh, Glasgow, Liverpool and the West of England (in partnership with Hartpury College).
A very broad range of modules is now available, covering most species and many disciplines. They include some firsts for the CertAVP - equine modules will be available through both Edinburgh and Liverpool universities, and Edinburgh will also be assessing modules in equine dentistry, laboratory animal science and cattle and sheep medicine, amongst others. Glasgow's range includes modules in veterinary public health, as well as emergency critical care, while the University of the West of England's offering includes the key skills modules, and ‘B' modules in small animal, equine and production animal practice.
These universities now join the Royal Veterinary College and the Universities of Cambridge and Middlesex in being accredited to assess modules. While all of the accredited universities provide courses to support candidates working towards modules, including distance-learning options and online support, they must also offer an assessment-only route for those who prefer self-study, or who want to attend courses elsewhere.
The modular CertAVP was launched during 2007 and gives candidates the benefit of a mix and match style of learning. This aims to meet the needs of those who are committed to planned continuing professional development (CPD) but who need to balance this with busy practice life.
The new Certificate also better meets the needs of those whose practice interests change over the enrolment period, or who want to combine study across different species and disciplines to suit their practice caseload. Previously there was little flexibility built into the examination system.
"We are delighted that the list of modules available has nearly tripled this month," says Freda Andrews, RCVS Head of Education. "Interest in the new certificate is growing, and there are already around 200 people enrolled with RCVS for various modules. So it's great news that these universities are now backing the Certificate and enabling much greater choice for veterinary surgeons studying for the qualification."
Full details of the new modules are available on RCVSonline at www.rcvs.org.uk/modcerts
Ceva Animal Health has added a new session to its Cardio Academy CPD website entitled 'Thoracic X-rays: Normal Features'.
In this 30 minute multimedia presentation, the cardiology specialist Nicole Van Israël discusses how the normal thoracic radiograph should appear, as well as the differences observed between breeds. Participants can then receive a CPD certificate by completing the quiz for this session. The Cardio Academy CPD website is free of charge and can be accessed by visiting http://www.cardioacademy.cevalearn.com/.
The first three sessions in the series can still be viewed on the website. They cover the 'Pathophysiology of Mitral Valve Disease, by Adrian Boswood, 'Clinical Examination of the Cardiac Dog', by Gérard Le Bobinnec and 'Thoracic X-rays: How to Proceed' by Nicole Van Israël.
The President of the British Veterinary Association has written to the Badger Trust to clarify the BVA position on the pilot badger culls in England, stating that it will not be supporting the Trust's application for a judicial review.
The BVA Council agreed a position on the continuation of controlled shooting in the pilot areas on 16 April. The position states that the BVA could only support further culling using controlled shooting in the pilot areas if steps are taken to improve both its effectiveness and humaneness and if there is robust monitoring and collation of results and independent analysis and auditing by a non-governmental body. It also states that the BVA supports the Independent Expert Panel's (IEP) recommendations for improving effectiveness and humaneness and urges Defra to implement all the IEP's recommendations fully.
The BVA says that since 16 April, it has been in dialogue with Defra to seek assurances that these issues will be addressed, and those discussions are ongoing. It will not be taking a further position on the pilot culls until BVA Council has had the opportunity to consider Defra's plans in full, when they are made available.
In a press release dated 20th May, The Badger Trust CEO Dominic Dyer said: "It is not acceptable for the DEFRA Secretary of State to now push aside the concerns of both the Independent Expert Panel and the British Veterinary Association, by moving ahead with a further badger cull in Gloucestershire and Somerset this summer without any independent monitoring in place."
The BVA says it is concerned that this misrepresents its position, and has led to some media reports suggesting that the BVA has withdrawn its support for badger culling as part of the overall strategy to eradicate bovine TB. It has not. The BVA says it continues to believe that the TB eradication strategy for England will only be successful if we are able to use all of the available tools, including targeted, humane badger culling.
Avacta Animal Health and the University of Leicester have announced the development of a new, user-friendly electronic system for diagnosing lymphoma in dogs in the early stages, and for remission monitoring.
Marketed as cLBT (canine lymphoma blood test), this is the first test of its kind to track the remission monitoring status of a dog after undergoing chemotherapy. The test detects the levels of two biomarkers, the acute phase proteins C-Reactive Protein and Haptoglobin.
The new test represents the fruits of a collaboration between Avacta and the University of Leicester in which the company collected a substantial library of biological samples, and the University then brought its statistical and data processing techniques to bear.
Alexander Gorban, Professor of Applied Mathematics at the University of Leicester, said: "This was a very interesting project, and Avacta was a very dedicated, focused company, with clear goals and objectives. There were very important and useful ideas and concepts involved in the study, and it was a pleasure to know that our expertise as a department was needed and could be utilised through working alongside Avacta's professional expertise.
"The project was very successful, and we would be very glad to welcome more partnerships of this type as it has also been very beneficial to the reputation of the University of Leicester's Department of Mathematics. The project involved full academic and commercial success, which has included a full academic cycle as well as full software development, which makes it an incredibly diverse project to have worked on."
Chief Scientific Officer at Avacta Animal Health, Kevin Slater, said: "The collaboration we have with the University of Leicester's Department of Mathematics is having a dramatic impact on the types of new tests that we can offer to vets and their owners. We are already widening the application of multivariate analysis to other diseases which commonly affect our pets, and subsequently, this work could also have benefits to human health."
The paper 'Computational diagnosis and risk evaluation for canine Lymphoma' by E.M. Mirkes, I. Alexandrakis, K. Slater, R. Tuli and A.N. Gorban has been published in the academic journal Computers for Biology and Medicine and is available at the following location: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.compbiomed.2014.08.006
The company says it is a further step forward in its plans to expand into Europe and follows the launch of its online pharmacy business, Animed Direct, into France during 2016. It adds that further acquisitions are expected in Europe during 2017, in addition to continued growth in the UK.
The two Dutch practices joining CVS are the Kliniek voor Gezelschaps Dieren, a three site small animal practice based in the central Netherlands, and a single site small animal practice, Dierenziekenhuis Drachten, based in the north of the country. Both practices cited the business support and staff development opportunities offered by CVS, combined with the clinical freedom and practice autonomy it allows, as the reasons for choosing to join the company.
Simon Innes, CEO at CVS, said: "We see many parallels between small animal practice in the Netherlands and the UK and have been talking to practices in the country about the benefits of joining us for some time. The level of interest has been encouraging and we are delighted to announce the acquisition of these two practices and welcome their teams to the CVS family.
"During 2017, we will continue to explore opportunities to extend our activities into Europe, particularly in the Netherlands and in Ireland."
There are 10 candidates standing this year and vets can vote for up to three of them until 5pm on Friday 21st April 2023:
The biographies and statements for each candidate are available at www.rcvs.org.uk/vetvote23 where each candidate has also answered two questions of their choice submitted by members of the profession.
The three candidates who receive the most votes will take up their four-year terms on RCVS Council at the RCVS Annual General Meeting on Friday 7th July 2023.
Any veterinary surgeons who have not received their voting email should contact CES directly on support@cesvotes.com stating which election they intend to vote in.
Despite being a common disease, CVS says very little research has been undertaken into EPD in the UK.
In addition, numerous different treatments are currently used for EPD, for which there is not always robust scientific evidence.
The CVS study, which started in 2022 and will continue till early 2024, involves 20 practices.
Samples have been collected from over 70 cases from horses that have been diagnosed by EPD throughout the UK.
Full blood profiles have been assessed, in addition to bacterial culture analysis of the lesions, PCR analysis for dermatophytes (ringworm fungi), microscopy for ectoparasites (mites) and skin cytology.
An owner questionnaire has also been completed to gather information on EDP management.
Each horse’s lesions have been graded and descriptive data relating to the lesions were recorded.
Data collection is now complete and a team of researchers, led by vet Manuela Diaz Ramos, has started analysing the data.
A full report on the findings, along with treatment and management recommendations, is expected to be presented at a scientific conference later this year.
Purina has launched a FortiFlora veterinary support pack designed to help veterinary professionals advice owners about their pet's intestinal health and balance.
The support package includes a "Training Toolbox" with Lunch and Learn sessions to help guide veterinary professionals through the introduction of Fortiflora to an owner. It explains the indications, ingredients, benefits and summarises the added value in prescribing to animals with specific health issues. In addition, there are leaflets for owners explaining what probiotics are and how they can help support a pet's intestinal health on a daily basis, as well as some testimonials from owners explaining how Fortiflora has helped their pets. Promotional bunting and posters are designed to raise awareness in the waiting room, and for a short time there is a promotional pillow pack available to allow clients easy access to a short course of FortiFlora.
In a recent survey of pet owners conducted by Purina, 66% of respondents said their dog had suffered with digestive problems and 80% said they would be willing to make a change to their dog's diet to improve their digestion.1
Purina says that providing a supplement such as FortiFlora is also recommended as a nutritional supplement to help with diarrhoea associated with stress, antibiotic therapy, diet change and acute enteritis. The company claims it can also help with situations associated with stress such as moving house, vet visits and shows.
Chris Nickson, Senior Brand Manager at Purina said: "Intestinal upset is a very common problem for dogs as our research highlighted. The aim of this support pack is to help vet practices initiate the conversation with owners to ensure they are aware of the benefits that a nutritional supplement like FortiFlora can offer."
FortiFlora is suitable for use in cats and dogs of all ages. Animals should be fed one sachet of FortiFlora per day sprinkled over the pet's regular food.
For more information or to request a FortiFlora support pack, call Purina on 0800 212 161.
Reference
Invicta Animal Health has launched an enhanced version of the ChroMyco Duo dermatophyte test.
The tests use a new round plate with an improved lid design. In addition, the plates are wider and deeper providing 25% more culture medium.
According to the company, the dual plate test with Dermatophyte Test Media (DTM) on one side and an Enhanced Sporulation Agar (ESA) on the other greatly reduces the risk of false positive results.
The test is performed by veterinary staff taking a pluck of fur or skin scrape from the lesion and inoculating both sides. After three to six days of room temperature incubation, if dermatophytes are present, the DTM will turn red and the ESA will turn blue-green.
Rob Watkins, Managing Director of Invicta, said: "We always listen and respond to customer feedback. The new design plates provide reduced condensation levels and by being easier to inoculate will enhance the usability and hence reliability of the test."
The price remains unchanged at £32.00 for 5 tests, from veterinary wholesalers.
For more information call 01403 791313 or email mail@invictavet.com.
The example above right demonstrates a badge linking to jobs advertised by the out-of-hours emergency care provider, Vets Now.
VetSurgeon.org Editor Arlo Guthrie said: "When you've got a vacancy available, you need to get the word out as far and wide as possible, which means you really should post details on your own practice website. Of course, your website is mainly for pet owners, but you never know, a veterinary surgeon or nurse looking for a job may stumble upon it. They need to know straight away that you're hiring."
VetSurgeon.org reviewed 20 of the lastest advertisements posted on VetSurgeon by independent practices and found that 80% had not posted any indication that they have a job available on their own website. Two even had a jobs page, but hadn't updated it.
Arlo said: "Updating your website when there's a job available can be a hassle. And when you've gone to the trouble to create a professional-looking advertisement on VetSurgeon or VetNurse, it's a duplication of effort to do it all over again on your own website."
So, as an alternative, practices can now create a unique VetSurgeon Jobs badge which, when added to their website, links to a display of just the jobs they have advertised on VetSurgeon. If there are no current vacancies advertised, there's a message to that effect.
To add the badge, login to VetSurgeon using the account used to advertise vacancies. Then visit https://www.vetsurgeon.org/p/find-our-veterinary-surgeon-jobs.aspx, grab the code snippet and add it to your website (or email it to your IT guy). If your site is one of the majority that doesn't have a jobs page, VetSurgeon.org recommends you add the badge either to your home page or the 'Contact Us' page.
If the badge doesn't fit well on your website (either the colour clashes, or it's the wrong size), you can add a text link, rather than a badge. There are instructions about how to do this.
For veterinary nursing vacancies advertised on VetNurse.co.uk, you'll need to head over to VetNurse, login and grab your code here: https://www.vetnurse.co.uk/p/find-our-veterinary-nurse-jobs.aspx.
Arlo added: "Aside from the convenience of having your jobs linked to from your own website, it'll also give your adverts a little boost, visitor traffic-wise.
"Finally, it's a good way to help spread the word about the low-cost recruitment advertising service on VetSurgeon and VetNurse."
Participation in this year’s survey was similar to previous years with 5,235 people taking part and returning records for 15,433 horses. Most horses were kept in livery or a private yard and used for leisure and hacking and the majority within the age range of 5 to 10 years.
A broad variety of breeds were represented, including natives, thoroughbred types and warmbloods.
59% of horses were recorded as healthy and 41% with one or more health problems, compared to 62% and 38% respectively in 2016.
The top five disease syndromes recorded this year were:
Of the 5.5% of horses recorded with back problems 26% were also showing signs of lameness. While the details of the results do not confirm that the two are necessarily connected, these findings reflect the outcome of recent studies conducted by Dr Sue Dyson, Head of Clinical Orthopaedics at the Centre for Equine Studies at the Animal Health Trust.
Sue said: "It is a common observation that horses with lameness stiffen the back as a protective mechanism and develop muscle pain which may be misinterpreted as a primary back problem. We have shown objectively that abolition of lameness by diagnostic analgesia results in an immediate increase in range of motion of the back. The current data supports this close relationship between lameness and back pain."
Specifically, the statement explains that:
Vets will risk assess each case and exercise their clinical and professional judgement to decide whether face-to-face treatment or care is essential or whether services could be provided remotely. These assessments will vary across the country due to local disease risks. They will also vary between clients due to individual circumstances.
On the specific issue of pet vaccinations, BVA guidance says that following a risk assessment both for animal health and welfare and with regard to Covid-19, some vaccinations could go ahead. But this does not mean that all vaccinations now have to be, or should be, carried out. Vets will risk assess each case to decide whether certain vaccinations are essential at this time.
BVA is asking all animal owners to respect their vets’ clinical and professional judgement and be patient during this time.
At 9.00am on Thursday and 1.45pm on Friday, Dr Sam Taylor, Feline Specialist and academy lead at the International Society of Feline Medicine (ISFM), will present ‘feline pawsative’, a talk about about cat inappetence and the remedy offered by Mirataz.
At 11.20am on Thursday and 9.00am on Friday, Matt Gurney, clinical director at Anderson Moores will be sharing the latest developments in sedation in dogs including Zenalpha.
At 12.30pm on Thursday and 12.35pm on Friday, Andrew Waller (pictured right), chief scientific officer at Intervacc AB, will be discussing how to rein in the impact of strangles using Dechra’s new protein-based vaccine, Strangvac.
The CPD sessions are first come, first served, and Dechra says it expects the presentations to be well-attended, so it could be worth getting there a little early, although probably no need to pitch a tent outside the night before.
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.