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.

Vetoquinol has announced the winners of the 2008 Marbocyl Achievement Awards. Six veterinary schools took part in the award scheme, which enabled them to recognise the achievements of either staff or students, with a prize fund of £2000 for each university. 

Five of the vet schools have announced their 2008 winners, the University of Liverpool will announce its winners in January 2009.  Those who have already received their awards this year are:

University of Bristol
Dr Catherine Fuller, MRCVS
Ms Kathryn Murphy, MRCVS
Michael Steele, MRCVS
Christopher Hudson, MRCVS
Samantha Taylor, MRCVS

All of the winners are members of staff nominated by their students for excellence in teaching.

University College Dublin
Dr Carmel Mooney, MVB MPhil PhD DECVIM-CA MRCVS, for an outstanding performance as Clinical Director of the Veterinary Hospital at UCD.

University of Cambridge
Adrian Wallace, BVSc (Hons), MACVSc (SAS), MRCVS for his clinical research paper , ‘A biomechanical comparison of six double-loop configurations for use in the lateral fabella suture technique for the cranial cruciate ligament deficient canine stifle', Journal of Veterinary and Comparative Orthopaedics and Traumatology, 2008.
Catherine Stalin, MA, VetMB, MRCVS  for her paper ‘Radiographic morphology of the cranial portion of the cervical vertebral column in Cavalier King Charles Spaniels and its relationship to syringomyelia', American Journal of Veterinary Research, 2008
Penny Watson, MA, VetMB, CertVR, DSAM, Dip ECVIM, MRCVS, European Specialist in Small Animal Medicine for her clinical research paper ‘Prevalence and breed distribution of chronic pancreatitis at post-mortem examination in first opinion dogs' Journal of Small Animal Practice, 2007.

University of Glasgow
Mark Lowrie, MA VetMB MRCVS, for his Clinical Research Abstract - "Acute phase proteins and immunoglobulin A in steroid responsive meningitis-arteritis"

Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies Edinburgh
Lesa Longley, MA BVM&S Cert ZooMed MRCVS for an exceptionally high level of achievement during her residency programme.

Mark Leddy, Vetoquinol's Marketing Department Manager said: "We are delighted to have been able to help these universities recognise and reward the achievements of staff and students over the past three years."

Novartis Animal Health has launched Farming against BVD, a new initiative to help in the fight against Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (BVD).

The campaign, which is being carried out in partnership with key industry bodies, will begin with an independent survey of farmers, the results of which will be announced in April.

An expert panel, headed by Professor Joe Brownlie (Royal Veterinary College and Chairman of the BVD Scientific and technical working group), will then come together to analyse the findings, using them to shape and drive an industry response.

Professor Brownlie said: "BVD is a costly and complex disease, spread by a pestivirus that affects the reproductive and immune systems. Persistently Infected (PI) animals are the main source of infection, but can be hard to identify without testing. Only total eradication will prevent the disease from spreading. Eradication Schemes in a number of European countries have already succeeded and Scotland and Ireland have embarked on similar schemes. The information being gathered will help the industry to develop a much needed scheme for England and Wales." 

Joining Professor Joe Brownlie on the expert panel will be Dr Peter Nettleton (Moredun Research Institute), Mansel Raymond (dairy farmer and Chairman of the NFU Dairy Board), Caroline Dawson (Novartis Animal Health veterinary surgeon) and Paddy Gordon (veterinary practitioner).

Survey topics will include levels, and methods, of testing for BVD on farm, understanding of the role of PI animals and the financial impact of BVD on dairy and beef units. Farmers will also be asked who they look to for advice and how they view the role of vaccination. 

Caroline Dawson MRCVS from Novartis Animal Health said: "Countrywide eradication may not be achieved for a number of years, although individual farmers can control the disease on their own farms within 1-2 years, providing substantial cost benefits. The purpose of this campaign is to encourage farmers to take action now against BVD. By working closely with their vets, identifying and removing PI animals, BVD can be removed. Ensuring adequate biosecurity and a robust vaccination policy will eliminate the risk of bringing BVD back onto the farm." 

Professor Brownlie said: "Understanding what farmers understand about BVD, particularly the role of the PI animal, will enable members of the panel and the wider industry, including Novartis and the BVD Stakeholder Group, to meet farmer needs more accurately. Greater awareness of the problem is vital - this is the only way that progress towards eradication will be made."

Royal Canin has announced that it has established a team of three specialist advisors to work directly with veterinary practices to help develop and improve their weight management clinics, client retention and product sales.

The Pet Weight Care Team will also provide practical training to all practice staff on how to recognise weight problems, communicate sensitively with pet owners and treat the problem effectively.

The first advisor to join the team is Shelley Holden VN (pictured right), who has 10 years' experience as the nurse for the Royal Canin Weight Management Referral Clinic at The University of Liverpool. Shelley has spent time running successful nursing clinics in general practice and lecturing internationally on the topic of obesity. She said: "I have spent many years dedicating my time caring for overweight pets, and the number of cases we see is continuing to rise. It's really important that as obesity specialists we can offer hands-on support to practices to assist them with helping to decrease the number of overweight pets they see.

"Our aim will be to offer specialist training through a number of sessions to practices who wish to improve their weight management clinics. We'll spend time with all members of staff helping them to feel more confident when dealing with owners who have overweight pets. The training will include all aspects of weight management including how to approach owners, Body Condition Scoring and the 30 minute consult. Staff will also be trained on how to support owners throughout the weight loss program and during the maintenance phase."

Royal Canin says the training will also cover the prevention of obesity in pets, how to advise owners on the appropriate diets post neutering and how to manage the animal's weight and calorie intake throughout their lives. The Pet Weight Care Team will be encouraging practices to carry out weight management assessments alongside medical examinations to ensure that potential weight problems are dealt with quickly.

The company says that practices that receive training will be followed up with on a regular basis to provide further support and training as needed.

For more information, contact your Royal Canin Veterinary Business Manager.

If you’re a show-jumping vet, you might like to take part in the first-ever international veterinary-only riders competition – held in the beautiful region of Lure at the foot of the Vosges in France.

The French association of veterinary riders (AFVC) invites all veterinary riders to contend for the First World Veterinary Equestrian Show Jumping Cup, to be held from July 3 to 6, 2008.

The event is open to all qualified veterinarians and veterinary students, who may participate with or without their own horse.

The event will include four show-jumping competitions (one per day), while the social programme consists of a Gala evening (Friday), a dinner-dance (Saturday, sponsored by Merial) and a Sunday lunch (major sponsor of the event: Equistro / Vétoquinol).

The veterinary show-jumping event will coincide with France’s 6th Grand National show-jumping competition, also held in Lure.

For further information, please contact: David Smart DVM, david.smart@vetoquinol.com or your local Vétoquinol representative.

The Emergent Disease Foundation, One Health Initiative, Worldwide Veterinary Service, and UNISON have collaborated to launch Exotic pets: Reducing the of risk of human infection, a new leaflet which explains the hygiene measures that keepers of exotic pets should take.

The organisations say that they hope veterinary clinics, pet shops, medical centres, local authorities and schools will distribute the free leaflet which is also available to download.  

The Emergent Disease Foundation says the advice contained in the leaflet is taken from an independent scientific paper entitled 'A review of captive exotic animal-linked zoonoses' published in the Journal of Environmental Health Research.

The leaflet takes the line that it is inadvisable to keep exotic animals as pets, but for those who already have them, recommended measures include: thorough hand-washing with antibacterial soap and alcohol-based gels after handing or feeding an exotic pet; being careful not to touch hair, clothes (including pockets), door handles and other items immediately after handling exotic pets; closely supervising children so that they do not put their mouths close to the animal; and keeping animals, cages and equipment away from kitchens.

Clifford Warwick of the Emergent Disease Foundation, a charity focused on animal-to-human infections, said: "The modern world enables all too easy acquisition of exotic animals into the home. The pet trade in general, with its high turnover and diversity of species available, offers a speed-dating reservoir for bugs from far corners of the globe. My own advice is simple - avoiding exposure to bugs from exotic pets in the home is difficult and best avoided by not keeping them in the first place."

Dr. Bruce Kaplan of the One Health Initiative, which focuses on the connection between health and the environment, said: "As a former U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) trained epidemiologist, a retired private practice veterinarian and a public health and humanitarian minded 'One Health' activist for nearly 50 years, I wholeheartedly oppose private ownership of exotic pets due to the known scientific health and safety risks for people and animals.  It is a dangerous, irresponsible and irrational practice."

Owen Evans of the Worldwide Veterinary Service, a charity that provides a veterinary resource to animal welfare organisations worldwide, said:"We work on a day-to-day basis with animal health issues, so we are very mindful of how animals and people can share pathogens. Avoiding transmission is best served by minimising risks, which is what this new brochure aims to achieve."

CEVA Animal Health, manufacturer of D.A.P.^® and Feliway^®, has launched a new marketing toolkit to assist veterinary practices in educating and supporting clients with noise phobic pets in the run up to the fireworks' season.

The new firework pack features an A3 waiting room poster, a range of colourful notice board display materials, reminder stickers and a pack of educational client leaflets.

Lucy Brett, product manager at CEVA Animal Health said: "Research has revealed that over 49% of dogs in the UK have a fear of loud noises¹, but only 50% of their owners will ask their vet for help².

"Our new marketing toolkit will help veterinary practices remind their clients of the steps that can be taken to reduce firework fear and highlight the use of D.A.P.^®, the only non-prescription product proven to reduce the intensity of fear suffered as a result of loud noises³."

As part of this year's awareness campaign, CEVA will be running a regional competition amongst veterinary practices for the best decorated waiting room.  

Copies of the fireworks' marketing toolkit can be ordered from you local CEVA account manager or by calling CEVA Animal Health on 01494 781510.

This campaign follows the wildly publicised desensitisation campaign run earlier in 2009 and will include details about using the Sounds Scary CD from Sound Therapy 4 Pets.

Nestlé Purina is launching a new diet this month which, according to the company, helps delay the canine brain ageing process.

The diet, Pro Plan Senior 7+ Original, is enriched with medium chain triglycerides (MCTs). Research carried out by Nestlé Purina and published online in the British Journal of Nutrition (here's the abstract), apparently demonstrates improvements in senior dogs' memory, learning capacity and ability to adapt to novel situations when fed on this MCT-enriched formula.¹ According to the company, the MCTs provide neurons with a readily accessible source of energy to counteract the decline in glucose metabolism that occurs naturally in ageing dogs, thus maximising brain function with demonstrable improvements in cognitive function.

Veterinary surgeon, Barton Stephen, BVM&S MRCVS, veterinary columnist for The People said: "When treating brain ageing or CCD in senior dogs I believe we vets need to adopt a more holistic approach. We can treat diseases like heart failure and kidney disease and offer advice on exercise, joint care and weight control. All of these can improve quality of life and encourage a pain free existence, but until now we have had nothing proven to help dogs stay younger for longer. This innovative new dog food has the added advantage of staving off cognitive decline which owners find very distressing."

For more information on Pro Plan Senior 7+ Original and the Pro Plan, diet range, please contact your Veterinary Business Development Manager or contact Nestlé Purina PetCare, telephone: 0800 212 161 (Freephone)

Reference:
^¹ Dietary supplementation with medium-chain TAG has long-lasting cognition-enhancing effects in aged dogs. British Journal of Nutrition (Pan et al 2010)

RCVS Day - the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons Annual General Meeting and Presentation of Awards - will be held on Friday 1 July 2011 at One Great George Street, London.

All members and listed/registered veterinary nurses are invited to attend the day, which will start at 10am with AGM business, followed by the celebration of veterinary and veterinary nursing achievements. Professor Soraya Shirazi-Beechey will be receiving her Honorary Associateship and Dr James Kirkwood and Des Thompson will be accepting their Honorary Fellowships.

A new award to mark the 50^th anniversary of veterinary nursing will also be presented, as well as a Lifetime Contribution Award from the RCVS Charitable Trust.

In his last official engagement as President, Peter Jinman will give a review of his year before formally welcoming new Council and VN Council Members, and Dr Jerry Davies to the role of President for 2011-2012.

To celebrate Vet2011, the RCVS is honoured to announce that there will be two guest speakers this year - Dr Christophe Buhot DVM and Professor Gary England FRCVS, who will deliver a talk about the history and future direction of veterinary education.

For tickets, which are free and allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, please contact Fiona Harcourt at the RCVS on f.harcourt@rcvs.org.uk or 020 7202 0773.

The Purina Institute is holding a one-hour webinar about helping clients identify credible sources of information that address their questions and concerns about petfoods on 14^th July at 6pm BST.

Aimed at all members of the veterinary team across Europe, the webinar is moderated by veterinary nutrition expert Dottie Laflamme. 

The webinar, which will also be available on demand after the event, follows others in the series that allow conversations about nutrition to be integrated into everyday consultations.

Speakers Shoshanah Verton Shaw, RVT, VTS (nutrition), and Marge Chandler  (a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, the European College of Veterinary Internal Medicine and the American College of Veterinary Nutrition) will be sharing their tips for handling nutrition discussions in a non-confrontational way that preserves the client bond with the vet and the practice. 

Registration for this and another three free webinars is available at https://bit.ly/purinawebinars2022.

Dechra Veterinary Products has launched a new CPD programme covering Feline Hyperthryoidism, Canine Hyperadrenoncorticism and Otitis Externa.

The CPD is available both as face-to-face sessions, and online at http://www.dechra.com/

The face-to-face sessions are taking place at various locations throughout the country and run until the end of June 2011. There is no charge for veterinary surgeons and nurses to attend, and each session counts as two hours CPD.

The Feline Hyperthyroidism CPD session will cover pathophysiology, clinical signs, diagnosis and treatment options. The Hyperadrencorticism CPD will focus on the diagnosis and treament of hyperadrenocorticism. The Otitis Externa CPD event will focus on the approach to acute cases, with subjects including ear anatomy and physiology, causes of otitis externa and treatments available.  Two cases studies, developed in association with Peter Forsythe, an RCVS Recognised Specialist in Veterinary Dermatology, will provide practical advice on how to manage dogs with otitis externa in practice.  

To find out more about Dechra's CPD sessions or reserve places, call Lisa Isherwood on 01939 211 200.

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.