Pet owners who believe in preventative healthcare have maintained or increased the money they spend on their pets this year, and 84% visited their vet at least once in 2010, up from 78% in 2007, according to a survey commissioned by the National Office of Animal Health.

According to the survey of 1000 owners carried out by Noesis, 44% of 'preventers' increased their spending on their pets in the last year with only a very small number (5%) decreasing it. There has also been a significant increase in the number of dogs insured by this group since 2007, which now stands at 55% compared to 41% in 2007.

The research covered both 'preventer' and 'non-preventer pet owners and sought to understand: awareness of preventative medicine in cats and dogs; how the decision is made as to what areas of preventative medicine are important and which to adopt; what types of preventative medicine are carried out and the reasons and frequency of this behaviour as well as the sources of information.

In addition to visiting their vet more frequently and spending more on their pets, preventers also visited a pet shop significantly more often than non-preventers with nearly two thirds (61%) of preventers visiting at least once a month compared to 36% of non-preventers, a figure that has decreased from 43% in 2007.

Looking at specific preventative treatments, attitudes to vaccination had not changed between the 2007 and 2010 surveys, with preventers believing that being a responsible pet owner means regularly vaccinating your pet, while non-preventers did not believe vaccination was relevant to their situation. This points to a clear need to educate non-preventers to break habits that have sometimes been handed down from generation to generation.

Most owners from both groups had used a flea treatment on their pets in the past two years although 68% of preventers were much more proactive in their usage of flea products compared to only 40% of non-preventers. Cats (80%) are more likely to have been treated than dogs (69%) among both groups of owners although flea treatment of cats has significantly decreased among non-preventers since 2007.

Use of wormers was also in decline. Although 86% of preventers worm proactively as part of a healthcare routine for their pet, this figure has decreased from 96% in 2007. Non preventers chose not to worm because they did not see the need, citing reasons such as their pet being fit and well or not going outdoors. Likewise, although preventers are more likely than non-preventers to be aware of the zoonotic implications of pet parasites, this awareness had decreased since 2007 pointing to the need for more work to be done on this aspect of pet health. On a more upbeat note, those that were worming proactively wormed their pets more frequently with 50% worming at least every three months in 2010 which was significantly more than compared to 41% in 2007.

When asked where they obtained general healthcare advice, the vet was the most frequently cited source of information with 84% of preventers and 58% of non-preventers referencing their vet. The internet is an increasingly important information channel for non-preventers with almost a third (31%) citing it as their source for pet healthcare advice, an increase from 25% in 2007. 

There was huge interest from both groups (87% of preventers and 79% of non-preventers) in using a dedicated website such as NOAH's http://www.pethealthinfo.org.uk/ which 10% of the pet owners surveyed had heard of.  It was welcomed for providing easy access, immediate, independent advice and being written by veterinary experts.

Commenting on the research, Phil Sketchley, chief executive of NOAH said: "We commissioned the original piece of research in 2007 to understand the differences between both groups of pet owners and understand where they sourced their information in order to influence the pet healthcare habits of the non-preventers in particular. The importance of the internet as a source of information proved that our strategy to launch http://www.pethealthinfo.org.uk/ was on target and the latest survey shows that this channel is increasingly important, particularly among non-preventers.

"The 2011 survey also reveals some positive insights into the preventative healthcare habits of those pet owners that we termed preventers. This group are more likely to insure their pet (45% vs 12%), go to the vet at least once a year (84% vs 30%) and visit a pet shop at least on a monthly basis (61% vs 36%).  And, as a final piece of good news, this group have increased their total spend on their pets in the last year and very few members of either group had decreased their spend.

"Whilst all pet owners consider themselves responsible clearly some do not see regular preventative healthcare as part of that responsibility. So there remains a clear need to educate pet owners, particularly the non-preventers, to change some of the patterns of behaviour and complacency regarding their pet's health that have become entrenched and seem to have been influenced by friends and family."

Royal Canin has announced it is to launch Catom, a piece of software developed to help educate cat owners during veterinary consultations, at this year's London Vet Show.

Initially, the software will be available for PC and Mac, with iPad and Android versions coming by the end of the year.

You can can find out more by visiting Royal Canin's stand at the London Vet Show, where the company says it will have a large touch-screen TV displaying the software, along with laptop demos running throughout the exhibition.

The industry-led Cattle Health and Welfare Group of Great Britain (CHAWG) has published a review which identifies a practical approach to gathering antibiotic usage data on UK cattle farms.

The review outcomes, announced today at a joint conference held by the Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture Alliance (RUMA) and the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD), highlight the significant benefits better data could deliver, such as improving the way antibiotics are administered strategically to tackle disease.

But CHAWG’s chair Tim Brigstocke says it’s also important that the industry is able to accurately report usage levels because of the rising levels of antibiotic-resistant bacteria which threaten human health. 

"We found that while data is already stored at every vet practice and in every farm medicine book, it currently exists in many different forms. It’s also not collected or collated, and is further complicated by multi-species approvals for many of the antibiotics.

"This means we can’t always be sure in which type of animal a medicine has been used. For example, out of 420 tonnes of animal-authorised antibiotic active substance sold in the UK in 2013, only 14 tonnes was authorised solely for use in cattle. However, 63 tonnes was authorised for multi-species use in food producing animals and within the 217 products included in this, 201 are authorised for use in cattle."

Tim says that with the support of the VMD, which requested the review and will now act as secretariat, CHAWG will set up a working group to implement the report’s recommendations.

The starting point is likely to be the survey of vets carried out by the British Cattle Veterinary Association (BCVA), which formed part of the review. This suggested vets could be using as many as 15 different software programmes to log data, so CHAWG will be working with the BCVA and individual practices to look at how standard sets of data can be anonymised and exported.

"Then we will almost certainly look at how cattle farmers can be supported in migrating records from the physical ‘medicine book’ on the farm, into a spreadsheet or existing cattle management software for anonymous aggregation on a national level.

"There are undoubtedly areas where we can improve the effectiveness of how we use these powerful medicines to improve welfare. But the antibiotic resistance debate is an emotive one and we must also demonstrate accountability to ensure the preservation of antibiotics for future use in humans and animals; any future curbs on usage should be proportionate and informed, and not compromise animal wellbeing."

Mandatory reporting in Europe could be just over the horizon and the European Medicines Agency has focused in the past year on developing a method for data collection on the usage of antibiotics in the EU pig sector. In the UK, the VMD is encouraging the livestock sectors to develop systems appropriate to their own unique circumstances and industry characteristics.

Tim said: "It’s therefore in cattle farmers’ own interests to anticipate the kind of figures it might be asked to supply in the future, and develop a way of collecting that data which suits the way the UK industry works.

"Then we can retain control over the data and the methodology, and ensure the reporting is accurate – and this in turn will help the VMD represent our case better in Europe as this debate continues.

CHAWG says that throughout this project, it will be liaising with others – such as the pig sector – to ensure learnings are shared, duplication avoided and efficiencies realised where possible. 

The CHAWG review report is available to download at www.chawg.org.uk.

Postgraduate Glasgow student Hamaseh Tayari MRCVS, who holds an Iranian passport, was caught up in Donald Trump's ban on nationals of Iran, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Sudan and Libya entering the US last Saturday, as she tried to return home from holiday in Costa Rica via New York.

Talking to The Guardian, Hamaseh said: "This has really shocked me. We just discovered at the airport when we went to check in. I want people to know that this is not just happening to refugees. I am a graduate and I have a PhD. It has happened to a person who is working and who pays tax."

Hamaseh, who thought she'd have to find thousands of pounds to pay for an alternative flight home via another country, was quickly saved by a crowdfunding appeal by Women for Independence, which raised over £6000 in a matter of hours. The charity says it is donating everything in excess of the £2600 needed to get Hamaseh home to the Scottish Refugee Council.

Professor Anton Muscatelli, Principal of the University of Glasgow, said: "When I became aware on Saturday evening that one of our postgraduate veterinary students, Dr Hamaseh Tayari, was being prevented from travelling back from a holiday in Costa Rica through the United States and on to Glasgow I was both concerned and appalled. Concerned for the safety and well being of a young woman who, through no fault of her own, was stranded in Central America. Appalled because the reason for her predicament was not because she had done something wrong. Not because she was a danger to the security of the United States. But simply because she holds an Iranian passport."

He added: "Having spoken with Hamaseh I have been hugely impressed at how she is coping with the nightmare situation in which she finds herself. But I have been impressed too by the huge outpouring of support that has been shown across Scotland and the UK, particularly on twitter and through direct emails that have come in to the University from people who are outraged and want to help. All of this, I know, has greatly touched and heartened Hamaseh. I think it also confirms what we all like to believe is true. In this country we value individuals for what they are and the worth they bring, not for the stamp on their passport, the colour of their skin or the religion they practise."

Photo courtesy University of Glasgow

Petplan has launched a video to promote its Veterinary Awards to the public.

Impressively, it has already notched up over 57,000 views on youtube.

The RCVS has announced that its Professional Standards Advice Team, which offers advice about the Code of Professional Conduct and its supporting guidance, is now trialling extended hours and remaining open until 7pm Monday to Friday.

The trial will last for three months.

The closing time of 7pm was decided by the RCVS Standards Committee because research conducted by both the Society of Practising Veterinary Surgeons and the RCVS determined that this is the average closing time for veterinary practices in the UK.

On average the Professional Conduct Department deals with 7,500 calls a year (which includes calls from veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses looking for advice about professional responsibilities and standards) as well as around 2,000 written requests which are dealt with exclusively by the Professional Standards Advice Team.

Laura McClintock, Standards and Advisory Manager, said: "The aim of the trial is to determine if the profession would take advantage of these extended hours and, therefore, if our team should permanently extend its operating hours to provide a better service to the profession.

"However, it must be remembered that this is not an emergency service but an extension to our standard service and advice during the extended hours will not necessarily be any more immediate than at any other time during the day because it may need further research or input from members of the Standards Committee.

"Prior to launching the trial we also liaised with 10 other UK healthcare and professional regulators and found that our current professional advice service compared favourably to others and that we were providing a more extensive service than many."

The team aims to provide clear, concise and consistent advice to help veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses understand their professional responsibilities and support compliance with the Code. It also distinguishes between professional requirements, legal requirements and suggested good practice and may offer suggestions about how professional responsibilities can be applied in practice.

However, there are some areas on which the team is unable to offer guidance. For example, it cannot offer clinical advice or advice on legal matters such as employment law, maternity rights, or contractual or civil disputes.

Advice is also available for members of the public, for example, to help animal owners understand what they can expect from their veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses.

To contact the team call 020 7202 0789 or, alternatively, email profcon@rcvs.org.uk

The Royal Veterinary College has identified a number of ways that canine health and welfare research in the UK could be improved, by making grant applications more efficient, fostering stronger collaboration between funders and research institutions and by prioritising research that has direct welfare benefits for dogs.

The RVC’s UK Canine Research Funding Analysis Project was structured in three phases to assess the state of canine health and welfare research funding in the UK.

Phase one identified that animal-directed funders provided nearly 90% of all canine-specific research funding, with wide-scope funders contributing larger grants but primarily focused on One Health research.

Phase two then revealed research gaps, such as the underfunding of studies on responsible breeding, canine behavioural issues and the impact of human lifestyle on canine welfare.

The third and final phase explored the challenges in research design, processes and sector infrastructure.

The third phase was led by the RVC’s Dr Alison Skipper, Postdoctoral Researcher into Canine Research Funding; Dr Rowena Packer, Lecturer in Companion Animal Behaviour and Welfare Science; and Dr Dan O’Neill, Associate Professor of Companion Animal Epidemiology.

The findings revealed a number of common challenges researchers face in securing funding and delivering effective research.

The research team then provided a set of recommendations to help improve canine research in the UK.

These challenges and proposed solutions include:

1. Grant applications for canine health and welfare research are often burdensome and inconsistent, requiring researchers to rewrite and reformat proposals for different funders. The report recommends introducing a standardised, two-stage application process to reduce administrative barriers.
2. Lack of feedback on rejected grant applications prevents researchers from improving proposals, limiting their chances of securing future funding. The report suggests offering brief, structured feedback to unsuccessful applicants to enhance transparency and proposal quality.
3. Greater collaboration between funders and research institutions is needed to support large-scale, high-impact projects, particularly for complex canine health issues such as obesity, arthritis and breed-related diseases.
4. Early career researchers said they struggle to secure funding, as few grants provide postdoctoral salaries or structured career development opportunities. The report calls for dedicated funding and mentorship initiatives to support new researchers in the sector.
5. There is no centralised database tracking past canine health research funding, making it difficult for researchers and funders to identify gaps and opportunities. The report highlights the need for a publicly accessible platform to improve visibility and coordination across funders.
6. Stakeholders, including funders, researchers and practitioners, need a structured way to set research priorities to ensure funding addresses the most urgent canine welfare concerns. The report suggests adopting a model similar to the James Lind Alliance, which successfully prioritises human medical research.
7. Future research should prioritise projects that directly benefit canine welfare, with funders assessing proposals based on clear impact metrics such as ‘Benefit for the Dog’ and ‘Pathway to Impact’.

Dr Alison Skipper, Researcher in Canine Health Research at the RVC and lead author of the paper, said: “This extensive project highlights the need for significant improvements in how we fund and conduct research on canine health and welfare.

"While UK funders have made valuable contributions, our findings show that inefficiencies in funding processes, a lack of collaboration and limited support for early-career researchers are preventing research from having its full impact.

"By streamlining applications, increasing transparency and fostering strategic partnerships, we can ensure that future research is both effective and directly beneficial to dogs.”

Research released today by the Pet Food Manufacturers' Association (PFMA) reveals that only a minority of pet owners are able to identify what their pet should look like when it is at the right weight.

Eight out of 10 dog, cat and rabbit owners believe that their pet is just the right weight, but when asked which of a series of pictures most closely resembled their pet, only 33% of dog owners and 23% of cat owners chose the 'normal weight' picture.

The independent research, conducted by TNS, surveyed over 2,100 households. Other findings included:

• 62% of dog and 72% of cat owners believed they could personally either do nothing, or little about their pet's weight.
• Of those who thought that their dog, cat or rabbit was overweight, 34% admitted the reason was because they fed them too many treats. 11% said that they overfed their pets at mealtimes. A lack of exercise was cited by a further 36% of owners.

Michael Bellingham, Chief Executive of the PFMA, said: "The figures are alarming and the problem won't go away without a fundamental shift in owners' attitude to feeding their pets. It is also worrying that most owners are not aware of the problem, because they are unable to recognise a fat pet in the first place. Perceptions of what is the correct size are seriously out of kilter with reality."

Only 25% of those surveyed said that they had ever sought advice on whether any of their pets were overweight. Up to a third admitted using trial and error when deciding how much food to give, indicating a sole reliance on their pet's appetite to determine optimium food portions. Less than a quarter referred to manufacturers advice on pet food labels, or sought advice from their vets.

Michael continued: "Thankfully, there is a solution and we have developed a tool to help owners identify the correct condition of their pet, along with steps to take if a problem exists. Prevention is at the heart of our awareness campaign. Feeding a good diet, and to the correct amount, is fundamental. And so is exercise. We know that a pet fed to its right condition will lead a longer and healthier life. Not only that, getting active with your pet can help pet owners achieve the same for themselves. We urge pet owners to start using our Pet Size-O-Meter and make sure they and their pets have the best chance for a long happy life together."

The PFMA has also produced a supporting White Paper entitled - Pet Obesity: The Reality in 2009 - which compares the obesity epidemic in humans with that of our pets. You can download it here.

Identi, the microchipping company, has launched a competition in which vets are being asked to submit real life stories of cats that have used one or several of their nine lives, with the winning story earning the entrant a Yorkshire Rose hamper for their practice. 

The competition will run throughout National Microchipping Month in June, to highlight the importance of microchipping (not to mention the fact that it becomes compulsory on 10th June). 

Identi also has a range of support materials to help practices answer clients' questions about chipping, including a social media toolkit and a Practice Pet Protection Pack with client leaflets (available in digital or hard copy form).

To enter the competition: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1qmJJiJadeGNJ-PelBU_Jrh43i5htqGl7mQ1hVlW3hSY/edit

For info about the support materials: contact@identichip.co.uk

The RCVS is calling for its members to nominate veterinary surgeons and non-veterinary surgeons who merit the award of Honorary Associateship or Honorary Fellowship.

Honorary Associates are awarded annually to people, not necessarily vets, by reason of their special eminence in, or special service to, the veterinary profession. Council has agreed that these should only be people ineligible for election as Honorary Fellows.  

Honorary Fellowships can be awarded to up to three veterinary surgeons in any year for their service to, or special eminence in, the cause of veterinary science. Nominees for Honorary Fellowships must be members of the RCVS and have been a member, or held a registrable qualification, for at least 20 years.

Nominations must be received by the President, Mr Peter Jinman, by Friday 3 September 2010. Members can obtain nomination forms from the RCVS Executive Office (0207 202 0761 or executiveoffice@rcvs.org.uk).

All nominations need to include the particular reasons why the honour/award should be conferred, along with supporting statements from two referees, at least one of whom must not be a working colleague of the person nominated.

Nominations will be considered at the meeting of the Nominations Committee on 14 October, and awards made at RCVS Day on 1 July 2011.  Details of Honorary Fellowship and Honorary Associateship award holders can be found in the Register of Veterinary Surgeons, with the addition since 2 July 2010 of Dr Tony Lawrence and Professor Martin Shirley (Honorary Associates), and Professor Elizabeth Simpson and Professor Peter Roeder (Honorary Fellowships).

HT Vista has launched HT Vista Academy, a free online learning platform designed to provide extensive support, education, and resources to users of its cancer screening device.

The new platform offers video tutorials, podcasts, webinars, scientific studies, blogs and downloadable resources, all designed to ensure users understand how the HT Vista screening device can support their day-to-day work.

Users can also ask for a free one-on-one training call with HT Vista for personalised guidance.

HT Vista’s Managing Director, Liron Levy-Hirsch said: “We’re excited to introduce this new platform for veterinary professionals alongside our latest diagnostic update to the device.

"Our goal with HT Vista Academy is to support users in expanding their expertise, not just in operating the device but also in understanding the technology behind it and learning the best practice of dermal and subcutaneous mass management.

"By offering valuable educational resources and hands-on support, we hope to enhance the overall experience for veterinary teams and, ultimately, the care they provide to their patients.”

The company says the screening device is being widely used in nurse clinics around the world and its academy is suitable for both vets and veterinary nurses.   

www.ht-vet.com/academy

A new diagnostic blood test has been developed to combat the virulent horse disease Strangles.

The breakthrough has come after four years of research by scientists at the Animal Health Trust in Newmarket.

The blood test identifies horses that have recently been exposed to Strangles, enabling it to be nipped in the bud.

Oliver Wilson, campaign director at The British Horse Society, said: "It is fantastic news. This big breakthrough is a real boon to horse owners and I believe will lead to a significant drop in Strangles outbreaks. But there is still much to be done.

"The AHT's work to develop and test a fully effective vaccine against Strangles is ongoing. To support it we need to raise another £120,000 by the end of this year to reach the campaign target of £250,000."

For more information about the Strangles campaign, visit http://www.strangles.org/