XLVets, the collaborative group of 45 independent small animal practices, has announced the launch of 'Scratch Below the Surface', a campaign to raise awareness of skin conditions amongst pet owners. 

As part of the campaign, practices within the group - which aims to establish itself as a nationwide 'quality mark' for independent care - will be offering skin check clinics for owners who are concerned that their pet may be suffering from a dermatology issue.

Paul Sands, BSc, BMedVet, CertVD, MRCVS, veterinary dermatologist from Scarsdale Veterinary Group, explained the rationale for focusing on skin conditions: "Skin conditions in dogs and cats have many underlying causes and may require a range of treatments and long-term management strategies to keep a pet healthy and itch-free. Summer can be a particularly bad time for sensitive pets as pollens and other allergens are at their highest in the warmer months. 

"The Scratch Below the Surface initiative aims to help pet owners recognise the signs of skin conditions in their pets and encourage them to talk to their vet about preventive measures to carry out at home, such as flea and tick control. They will also receive support from their veterinary team in planning long-term management strategies for pets with ongoing skin conditions."

Practices in the group will also be collecting data about the types of dermatology conditions seen, geographical variances, and common and unusual cases.

XLVets says it will be producing case studies, blogs and articles, designed to benefit practices both within the XLVets group and the wider veterinary community. 

To find out more about the campaign, visit: www.xlvets-pets.co.uk.

To find out more about joining the XLVets group, telephone 01228 711788.

Pneumonia-induced lung damage could be costing some cattle almost 74kg a year in lost lifetime growth potential with even moderate damage resulting in animals losing 39kg over an 18 month beef finishing system.

These are the figures from a major collaborative study between Schering-Plough and Blade Farming, announced yesterday. They suggest that some producers may not be treating cattle pneumonia as effectively as they could. The project also highlights how better abattoir feedback can be used to improve cattle pneumonia management regimes on farm.

In the study, 645 commercial beef animals from 15 units were examined at slaughter for evidence of lung damage. Data on carcase weight, age and grade were also collected to allow estimated daily live weight gains (EDLWG) to be recorded.

According to project co-ordinator Paul Williams MRCVS from Schering-Plough, the research team recorded a significant level of pneumonia-induced lung damage in the slaughtered cattle.

“Nearly half the cattle (48%) examined on the slaughter line had some level of lung damage. But there was also huge variation between units, with all the cattle from one particular farm having damaged lungs,” he said.

The researchers also established that the extent of lung damage was strongly associated with reduced EDLWG. “The more lung lobes that are affected, the greater the potential daily liveweight gain loss and those cattle that had the most lung damage experienced a significant reduction in EDLWG of 202g per day throughout their entire lifetime.

“For the animals with any degree of lung damage (310 cattle), the average reduction in weight gain over 14 months was 15kg – equivalent to a financial loss of £16.90 per animal based on a live weight price of £1.10 per kg. So the overall loss for this group of animals was potentially £5,239 – money the industry simply cannot afford to lose,” Paul Williams stressed.

“In addition, those carcases with lung damage were significantly more likely to have a lower conformation grade and so receive an even lower price,” he explained.

Blade Farming managing director Richard Phelps pointed out that the study had convinced him that paying closer attention to minimising pneumonia-induced lung damage could easily make some beef producers an extra £40-£50 an animal.

“All the cattle we take look healthy, but I’ve been surprised at the level of undetected lung damage once the animals have been slaughtered. This lung scoring trial work in the abattoir is now helping us assess just how much lung damage diseases like pneumonia can cause. The feedback will be able to help producers reassess early stage rearing issues and be more vigilant. It’s not just grading issues that we are concerned about.

Blade Farming consultant veterinary surgeon Rob Drysdale from the Westpoint Veterinary Group stressed that whilst pneumonia prevention should be the number one objective for all cattle producers, having an effective disease treatment protocol in place is increasingly vital – and particularly one that prevents permanent lung damage from occurring. He said: "Pneumonia infections can quickly damage lungs and once this happens the animal will not be able to express its full genetic potential. This means that even if the affected animal survives it is likely to have damaged lungs for the rest of its life, and this will reduce productivity and growth."

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The Kennel Club has announced it will be launching the Veterinary Practice Guide to Dog Health, a new guide to dog health for veterinary surgeons at the BVA Congress 2010 (Sept 23rd - 25th).

According to the organisation, The Veterinary Practice Guide to Dog Health has been specially developed to provide veterinary surgeons and other practice staff with a handy, updatable resource which covers a range of topics including breed specific information for all 210 recognised pedigree breeds and the range of health testing available to breeders and owners.

The guide contains information on the Kennel Club's Accredited Breeder Scheme, which currently has around 5,300 members who commit to good breeding practice, and the Fit For Function: Fit For Life campaign which aims to ensure that all dogs are able to lead their lives to the full by ensuring that they are fit enough to fulfil the function for which they were originally developed.

The guide provides details about the reporting of operations which alter the natural conformation of a dog, and a sample form which veterinary surgeons can copy and then use to report such operations to the Kennel Club. It also contains a full set of Kennel Club information guides covering a wide range of topics and examples of Kennel Club registration certificates for dogs from both standard registrations and Kennel Club Accredited Breeders to help advise puppy owners what to expect when buying a Kennel Club-registered dog.

Other topics included in the manual are a range of Kennel Club initiatives which veterinary surgeons may find useful to pass on to their clients, such as information on the Good Citizen Dog Training Scheme, the UK's largest dog training programme, and Petlog, the UK's largest microchipping and pet reunification database.

The Kennel Club's Veterinary Advisor, Nick Blayney said: "The Kennel Club Veterinary Practice Guide to Dog Health is intended to assist veterinary surgeons and all practice staff gain information about the two hundred or more breeds of dog recognised by the Kennel Club and any related health issues.

"The Kennel Club is very aware that veterinary surgeons are keen to promote the breeding of healthy puppies, but would find it useful to obtain information about the many health tests and screening schemes available and recommended for each breed.  This manual is intended to provide detailed advice on these tests and schemes on a breed by breed basis to assist vets in helping clients to understand the different conditions which may affect individual breeds."

The guide will be made available as an A4 ring binder, with the first fifty available at the BVA Congress. Recipients will be asked to agree to a follow-up visit from one of the Kennel Club's Accredited Breeder Advisors, whose role involves inspecting the breeding premises of the scheme's members to ensure that the standards required by the scheme are kept, and also establishing relationships with veterinary surgeons around the country. There are currently 14 Kennel Club Accredited Breeder Advisors across the UK and they will also be responsible for distributing the remaining copies to veterinary surgeries in the future.

Alongside the launch of the guide, a new dedicated area for veterinary surgeons has been added to the Kennel Club website at www.thekennelclub.org.uk/vets. This will include links to many of the subjects contained in the manual, and will initially feature the top 20 breeds registered in the UK. Future updated content will be added to the website as it becomes available, and the manual will subsequently be produced as a computer disk for wider distribution and convenience.

Veterinary surgeons who are not attending this year's BVA Congress, but wish to obtain a copy of the Veterinary Practice Guide to Dog Health, should visit the new section of the website and complete the request form. A representative of the Kennel Club's Health and Breeder Services team will then make contact to establish a suitable date and time for an Accredited Breeder Advisor to visit.

VetCell is celebrating a win at Cheltenham, after 'Knowhere' won the Cotswold Chase following pioneering stem cell treatment for a serious tendon injury.

Knowhere had had a good start to his racing career as a four-year-old, winning his first two races as a novice hurdler. But after his second race in 2004 he suffered injuries to both forelimb superficial digital flexor tendons. The left fore showed low grade tendonitis while the right fore had a significant percentage of fibre rupture. As a promising racing prospect, Knowhere’s connections wanted to give him the best possible chance of recovering from his injury so they opted for stem cell therapy. He was treated by Tim Beauregard MRCVS of Summerhill Farm in Gloucestershire.

Bone marrow samples were collected from Knowhere’s sternum and were processed in VetCell's laboratory over a five week period to generate millions of stem cells. Knowhere was sedated, the tendon area was anaesthetised and the leg was then surgically clipped and disinfected. Stem cells, which had been suspended in serum obtained from the original bone marrow sample, were then injected using ultrasound guidance, into the core of the damaged area of the tendon fibres.

For the first week after the implantation Knowhere was kept in his stable to allow the cells to adapt to their new environment. Each day after this he was given walking exercise in order to stimulate the activity of the stem cells, encouraging them to differentiate into tendon cells and form into strong tendon fibres. The amount of exercise was incrementally increased, building up over a three-month period from five minutes each day to 45 minutes twice a day.

By the autumn of 2005 both of Knowhere’s tendons had healed very well and showed good fibre pattern on ultrasonography. He was re-introduced to the racetrack the following year and of the 15 or so races he has been in since, he has finished in the frame on eight occasions and has amassed some £175,000 in winnings.

Vet Tim Beauregard said: “Knowhere’s successful return to the track has been exciting and immensely satisfying to follow and he showed particularly brilliant form in the Cotswold Chase. It remains to be seen whether he will be heading for the Ryanair Chase, the Gold Cup or the Grand National but all involved will be hoping for the best.”

For more information please contact VetCell on +44 207 691 2062 or 866 764 0340, email: info@vetcell.com or visit the website at http://www.vetcell.com/

The University of Bristol and CVS are launching a 'citizen science' project to assess the impact of companion animal ectoparasiticides on the environment.

The study is being conducted with pet owners and veterinary professionals to develop a greater understanding about how flea and tick treatments are used on cats and dogs.

It will involve two depth surveys to explore the type and format of treatments used, the frequency of application, where treatments are bought, what influences the choice of product, whether there is an awareness of ectoparasiticides’ environmental effect and what preventative steps the public and clinicians would take when using the treatments on animals in the future.

At a later stage, the research project will also include lab assessments of ectoparasiticide residues collected from companion animals to provide more information on their potential environmental impact.

It is hoped the research findings will help the veterinary profession develop the most appropriate approaches to ectoparasiticides in the future, and inform educational strategies to support owners with ‘responsible use’.  

Project leader Professor Richard Wall from the University of Bristol, said: “This is an issue of considerable concern.

"Citizen science and laboratory research evidence is urgently needed so that risk-based assessments of the impact of and requirements for ectoparasite treatment can be made.

"Whilst we can make some assumptions around the impact of routine ectoparasite treatments, these findings are essential for us to truly understand them - and to be able to balance the needs of veterinary patients with their wider environmental impacts.” 

https://forms.office.com/e/mbztbYf4Ru.

The RCVS has launched a survey to discover what the profession thinks it does well and what it could improve upon.

The confidential online survey asks about your recent interactions with the College, what you think the organisation does well and what can be improved upon.

The survey is one of several activities that the College is undertaking as part of its First-Rate Regulator initiative. Others include a survey amongst those who have made complaints; research amongst RCVS staff and Council / VN Council members; in-depth phone interviews with veterinary surgeons, veterinary nurses and practice managers; and, questionnaires aimed at stakeholder organisations that work regularly with the College.

Desk-based research is also being carried out, to see how the RCVS shapes up when compared to other similar regulators, both in the UK and overseas.

Following this evidence-gathering stage, an assessment will be made about where gaps exist between how the College performs and what it ought to be achieving, together with recommendations for change.

Nick Stace, RCVS CEO said: "Becoming a first-rate regulator is the aim, building on the good things we do, and challenging ourselves to be better where we fall short."

"Although the RCVS has a long and proud history, we also need to have a sustainable future. Careful scrutiny of what we do, and how we can improve, will ensure this. I would urge all members of the veterinary team to take this unique opportunity to help improve the regulation of their professions."

The survey closes on 4 January 2013. All veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses for whom the RCVS holds unique email addresses will be sent a link to the survey. Others are invited to visit www.rcvs.org.uk/firstratesurvey to take part. Practice managers, and student vets and VNs are also encouraged to complete the survey. Individuals who are not veterinary surgeons, nurses, students or practice managers, and who have views about how the College could improve, are invited to contact Nick Stace on nick@rcvs.org.uk.

TVM UK has announced that is taking its 'Lunch and Learn' CPD sessions, which normally take place in practices, online.

The sessions, which are delivered by the company's territory managers and cover things like toxicology, ophthalmology and the management of epilepsy, will now be streamed live to computers, tablets or smart phones.

Product Manager Will Peel (pictured right) said: "We know that concerns over coronavirus are affecting our customers so we want to make it as easy as possible for them to benefit from the information imparted in our Lunch and Learn sessions while normal service is disrupted.

‘We hope that these measures will also help us offer more virtual workshops in the future to make our sessions more accessible for busy veterinary staff and we are looking at the possibility of organising virtual drop ins from our sales team in the future.’

For more information visit: https://www.tvm-uk.com. To rearrange a previously booked session contact your local territory manager or email help@tvm-uk.com.

Some interesting statistics from insurers Petplan today. Turns out that almost a third of 3000 pet owners surveyed by the company admitted accidentally injuring their pet, resulting in an average vet bill of £170.

Nearly 6 out of 10 owners admitted stepping on their pet, while 21% confessed to dropping them. The next biggest threat posed to pets by their owners was accidental poisoning. 

The survey found that dogs are most likely to be stepped on, whilst guinea pigs are most likely to be dropped by their overly affectionate owners.

The survey also found that 1/3rd of pets hurt themselves jumping off furniture, and one in five have been injured running in front of a car.

More than a third of pets injure themselves eating something they shouldn't, including the dog that swallowed a pair of knickers, which ended up costing £1,200 to retrieve.

Bayer Animal Health has extended the range of Baytril presentations with the introduction of a new 250mg Baytril Flavour Tablet, for the treatment of enrofloxacin-sensitive bacterial infections in large breeds of dog.

One Baytril 250mg tablet contains 250mg of enroflaxacin which will treat a dog weighing 50kg, and help ensure client compliance.

Baytril Flavour Tablets have a wide range of indications in companion animals, including infections of the alimentary tract, respiratory tract, urogenital tract, secondary wound infections and otitis externa. 

With the advent of the new 250mg Baytril Flavour tablet, vets can now choose from an even broader range of Baytril presentations and pack sizes, with four tablet strengths, two injectables, and one oral solution available.

Bayer says Baytril is unique in being the only antibiotic range with so many licensed treatments options for cats and dogs, as well as an oral solution and an injectable solution licensed for small mammals, reptiles and exotic species of birds.

For more information on Baytril and its wide range of presentations and indications, vets can contact their Bayer sales representative or telephone 01635 563000.

Invicta Animal Health has announced that that EquiChek test kits are now validated for use with synovial fluid, having originally been validated for whole blood only.

EquiChek is an animal-side test to assess the level of Serum Amyloid A (SAA) which is a major acute phase protein of inflammation in horses.  

Invicta says that it has been shown that SAA levels in synovial fluid are not influenced by arthrocentesis*, which makes SAA an ideal biomarker to measure whilst monitoring or assessing joint function.

The company says this is the first test which is able to provide a visual semi-quantitative result within 15 minutes. The test will display 4 lines for a normal level of SAA and sequentially fewer lines depending on the severity of the inflammation.

Rob Watkins, Managing Director of Invicta, said: "EquiChek has proved to be a useful tool in the ambulatory toolkit. The validation of synovial fluid extends the use by allowing real-time monitoring of lameness and intra-articular therapies. Normally whilst medicating joints, excess synovial fluid is discarded. Now this can be utilised to assist diagnosis or to assess the response to medication."

Invicta will be at Stand A16 BEVA Congress 2013.

For further information see www.invictavet.com/  or ring 01403 791313

Linnaeus has published Pathways to Innovation: Learning and Leadership in Clinical Veterinary Research, which contains a selection of veterinary research papers and articles by experts from across the profession. 

The studies and articles include a look at the importance of ethics, artificial Intelligence in veterinary practice, retention in the veterinary nursing profession, canine corneal bacterial pathogens, canine appendicular soft tissue sarcomas and mast cell tumours, and autologous mesenchymal stromal cell treatment.

Professor Luisa De Risio, Clinical Research and Excellence Director at Linnaeus, said: “Innovation in clinical research can only happen if we embrace change in society – from new technology to improvements in animal welfare. As well as showcasing the latest research, our new report also brings together experts to consider the opportunities for our profession.”

https://bit.ly/42KFrMK 

Lord Rooker, Minister for Sustainable Food, Farming and Animal Health spelled out the law on dangerous dogs at the RSPCA Conference on Dogs this week, and announced the publication of a Defra leaflet which provides clear, concise and accessible information regarding the law on dogs which are dangerously out of control and dogs which are banned.

He said: "The vast majority of dog owners are responsible and the vast majority of dogs are well behaved, but recent tragic cases of dog attacks underline why we need to give absolute clarity to anyone that owns a dog on their responsibilities under the law.

"This new leaflet explains to dog owners, and people who come into contact with dogs, how the law prevents irresponsible dog ownership.  It is important that people understand the law as it may deter irresponsible dog owners from allowing their dogs to be dangerous."

The leaflet outlines the following key points:

• Any dog is defined as dangerously out of control if it injures a person or if it behaves in a way that makes a person worried that it might injure them. The maximum penalty for allowing your dog to be dangerously out of control is two years imprisonment, or a fine, or both.
• A control order can be obtained if a dog is judged to present a risk - even if it is in its own home or garden.
• If a dog injures another person's animal and the owner of the animal reasonably believes they could be injured if they intervened, then the dog could be judged as being dangerously out of control and an offence may therefore be committed
• If someone uses their dog to injure someone they could be charged with malicious wounding. The maximum penalty for this is five years imprisonment.

The leaflet also deals with the law on banned dogs. It explains that:

• Four types of dog are banned - Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino and Fila Braziliero.
• Whether a dog is banned depends on what it looks like rather than the breed or name by which it is called. This is because the legislation refers to dogs which conform to a certain type and have particular characteristics, not specific breeds.
• Defra's website has a full description and photographs of prohibited dogs.
• It is against the law to own, breed from, sell, give away or abandon any banned dog.
• The maximum penalty for possessing a banned dog is a fine of £5,000, or six months imprisonment, or both.
  

A printable version of the leaflet is available on the Defra website at http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/welfare/domestic/dogs.htm

Defra is also currently working on a booklet to provide guidance on the law to those who are enforcing it, including the police and local authorities.

Defra says the public leaflet, in combination with the enforcers' document, is an essential part of its strategy to promote the better enforcement of the law on dangerous dogs.