Vetoquinol is offering vets the opportunity to win one of five Selekt Cattle Pumps worth £240. In order to take part, you'll need to tell Vetoquinol about your experiences with Marbocyl 10% when treating acute mastitis.
Susan Mitchell, Vetoquinol's Large Animal Product Manager said: "This case study competition aims to gather information on the incidence and treatment of acute mastitis. Acute mastitis is a genuine veterinary emergency and rapid treatment is vitally important."
Vetoquinol says Marbocyl 10% has proven to be an effective treatment for acute E.coli mastitis, with a bactericidal action which does not liberate endotoxins. Administered intravenously, Marboyl 10% provides rapid improvement and an early return to milk production.
The company also says farmers have found toxaemic mastitis cases have benefited from the use of fluid therapy, using the Selekt Cattle Pump. Oral fluid therapy is a quick, easy and inexpensive option to intravenous treatment and improves the efficacy of hypertonic saline.
To enter the competition, visit http://www.vetoquinol.co.uk/, click the Marbocyl link on the right, and download and complete a brief case history.
Five winners will be chosen at random on 30th June 2010.
Cat Professional is carrying out a survey to assess the use of Zylkène in cats with idiopathic cystitis (FIC), and is looking for owners whose cats are using the treatment to complete an online survey.
Zylkène is a nutritional supplement which has been reported to have positive effects in managing stress in cats and dogs. Zylkène is commonly used for reduction of stress in cats with FIC.
Veterinary practices that agree to help Cat Professional recruit clients whose FIC cats are receiving Zylkène will receive:
On completion of the survey, participants will receive a free electronic copy of the book 'Caring for a cat with lower urinary tract disease'.
For more information on the study, please visit our website: http://www.catprofessional.com.
The survey is accessible from the home page or directly at http://www.catprofessional.com/urinary-survey.html
Kruuse has announced the launch of two new two new wound dressing products: Kruuse HydroGel and Kruuse Foam Dressing.
Kruuse HydroGel is a clear amorphous hydrogel with Polyhexanide (0.04%). According to the company, HydroGel will help maintain a moist healing environment encouraging autolytic debridement and gentle removal of slough and necrotic tissue. It is presented as a single dose 15g applicator tube.
KRUUSE Foam Dressing is a non-adhesive; absorbent hydrophilic foam wound dressing coated with bacterial resistant micro porous thin foam backing. The company says it 'breathes' to allow oxygen in, expands as it absorbs exudate and conforms to shallow wound cavities. It is presented in 3 sizes: 5x5cm, 10x10cm and 15x15cm.
Andrew Groom , Managing Director, Kruuse UK Ltd. said: "Both products enhance the Kruuse's wound care product portfolio available to all customers, combined they increase the already extensive range of wound products available to the veterinary practitioner".
Both products will be on dispay and available at BSAVA 2013.
With the end of the vector-free period and the threat of more cases of bluetongue, organisations from across all elements of the livestock sector have come together to launch a Joint campaign Against Bluetongue (JAB), with the strapline ‘don’t hesitate, vaccinate’.
The organisations involved, which represent livestock farmers, livestock markets and meat and dairy processing as well as the veterinary profession, all fully support the joint industry/Defra vaccination plan for bluetongue and are committed to working together on the campaign to achieve the mass vaccination of bluetongue susceptible animals, including goats and camelids.
JAB is now embarking on a major campaign to urge all farmers with susceptible livestock to vaccinate their animals as soon as vaccine is available and the BVA, along with our relevant specialist divisions, is committed to ensuring that vets have all the information in advance so that they are in a position to deal with their clients’ questions.
According to BVA President Nick Blayney: "Colleagues should be aware and look out for meetings being organised around the country, courtesy of the VLA and others, and led by vets where they can learn the latest information. The BVA website also carries useful and up-to-date information and links (http://www.bva.co.uk/policy/bluetongue_jab.asp). Practices are seen as the cornerstone of vaccine delivery, proper usage and monitoring for efficacy and BVA would encourage them to offer their clients the ability to register an interest in vaccine supply in advance of its arrival. Such a forward order book will speed up the delivery of the vaccine once it is available."
Are small animal vets as immune to recession as undertakers? Probably not, but there is some good news from Petplan, which has found that whilst 60 per cent of people would put off starting a family during the current economic downturn, a quarter would choose a pet instead.
And it’s not a battle of the sexes – the decision to put family life on hold in favour of nurturing a four-legged friend was equally divided between men and women.
According to Petplan, the findings are supported by a recent Mintel report showing that the pet care industry is thriving with animal lovers spending £484million on their cats and dogs this year. Pets at Home also announced its profits have doubled compared to this time last year.
A spokeswoman from Petplan, said: "It seems that pets of all shapes and sizes are now being considered a perfectly sensible alternative to starting a family for cash-strapped couples. We know that many owners develop very strong emotional ties to their pets that are often treated as part of the family. But we do urge all would-be pet owners to understand that pet ownership does come with responsibilities, just like parenthood."
Research shows the cost of raising a child from birth to 21 is £186,0321 – whereas RSPCA figures state that a dog costs approximately £9,600 during its lifetime a cat £8,000 and a rabbit £3,800.
Top 10 most popular child substitutes:
Survey conducted on www.onepoll.com Total number of respondents – 3,000 pet owners
Elanco has launched the second issue of its dermatology e-newsletter 'Under The Skin', which focuses on fleas and the problem of flea infestations.
Guest edited by Dr Peri Lau-Gillard DerMedVet CertVD DipECVD MRCVS, European Specialist in Veterinary Dermatology, the newsletter reviews the flea life cycle and considers their role as parasite and vector.
Other topics covered include 'seasonal treatment or year round prevention', 'treatment failure - what to consider when the fleas are still alive', 'tips and tricks - flea combing and faecal examination for fleas' and information about spinosad, the active ingredient in Comfortis.
There is also a chance to watch the recent 'real world flea control' webinar presented by flea expert, Dr Mike Dryden, together with a film demonstrating the effect of treatment with a Comfortis tablet on adult fleas.
Issue three of Under The Skin will take a closer look at the flea's role in allergic skin disease and how to manage these sometimes complex and frustrating cases.
To register to receive Elanco's Under The Skin e-newsletter, visit www.thewebinarvet.com/elanco.
The RCVS has announced the launch of its final consultation in the latest review of the Practice Standards Scheme (PSS), and is seeking feedback on the proposed detail of the revised Scheme.
The College says that in particular, it needs feedback about the new system of Awards for RCVS-accredited practices.
Following the College's commitment to review the PSS every five years, this is the second such review since the voluntary practice accreditation system was launched in 2005. After gaining extensive feedback from PSS members and the wider profession through previous consultations and focus groups, and the collaborative approach taken by members of the Practice Standards Group, there have been a number of significant redevelopments to the Scheme, which are due to be rolled out later this year.
The revised Scheme will no longer just consider facilities and equipment at a particular site, but will focus on all areas of the practice, emphasising the outcomes and behaviours that impact on the veterinary care of animals. Whilst the existing accreditation categories of Core Standards, General Practice and Veterinary Hospital will remain, the revised Scheme will provide a pathway for practices to improve and more easily demonstrate where they excel.
Jacqui Molyneux, Chairman of the Practice Standards Group said: "One of the most significant additions to the Scheme is that practices will be able to apply to be inspected for additional Awards in specific areas. If successful, they would then be able to promote themselves as 'Good' or 'Outstanding' in these areas to their clients.
"The main aim of this consultation is to seek feedback on the Awards, and to check we have set the Awards criteria appropriately, so I would urge the profession to have a look at the proposed framework, and to send us their views."
The consultation, which is available to complete via the RCVS website, also seeks feedback on the guidance that's provided to help practices meet the Scheme requirements, along with a small number of questions about specific areas. The requirements themselves remain largely unchanged, so are not subject to review.
The modules, requirements, guidance and Awards framework for small animal, equine and farm animal practices are detailed in three separate documents that are available to download from www.rcvs.org.uk/pssconsult2015. This page also contains further details about the consultation and instructions on how to submit feedback.
The consultation is open until 5pm on Monday, 23 March 2015.
Veterinary Nurse Nick Shackleton has started a campaign to protect the title Veterinary Nurse
The campaign has a section on Facebook where Nick explains: "The title veterinary nurse at present is not a protected title. A lot of people who work in practice call them selves veterinary nurse, when they have no theoretical training in such a position. As qualified nurses we feel that this issue should be addressed so that the general public are no longer confused as to the qualification and hopefully make them more aware of the hard work it is to gain the qualification. As we are heading for autonomy within the profession I think it is right and fitting that the title should be protected."
The group has already gained an impressive 781 members.
In addition, Nick has started a petition on the Prime Minister's website: Number10.gov.uk, which has gained 139 signatories so far.
If you'd like to sign the petition on Number10.gov.uk, I recommend you add the letters after your name (MRCVS / RVN).
The RCVS is now accepting applications from veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses who wish to serve as members of the RCVS Ethics Review Panel (ERP).
The ERP has been established by the RCVS in order to facilitate access to ethical review for those wishing to undertake practice-based research outside of a university or industry context. The ERP will begin considering research proposals from veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses from 1 August 2016 and the trial will run for a period of one year. The process will be limited to considering research projects involving cats and/or dogs during the trial period, with the possibility of expanding to other species if the trial is extended or made permanent.
The trial came about following a joint working party established by the RCVS and British Veterinary Association which reported on ethical review and found that an increasing amount of clinical research was being conducted by vets based in private practice. One of the key recommendations of the report was that the RCVS should consider establishing a committee for ethical review of practice-based research.
Ahead of the launch of the ERP, the RCVS is currently looking to recruit four veterinary surgeon members and a veterinary nurse member to the Panel to join a lay member and ethicist Chair.
More details about the roles, the function of the ERP and how to apply can be found at www.rcvs.org.uk/workforus and www.rcvs.org.uk/ethics. Those who are interested in applying can also email ethics@rcvs.org.uk for an informal discussion. The closing date for applications is 15 April 2016.
Students at the University of Cambridge Veterinary School have again been revealing almost all for the 2009 Trust Charity Calendar.
This year's calendar is comprised of shots taken in and around the veterinary school, with various animals and props used to spare the blushes of the models. There's also a suggestion for how vets might put their clients more at ease in the consulting room (see right), though I can't see it really ever catching on.
The calendar has been produced to help raise money for the HOPE appeal which is working to raise £2 million needed to pay for the extension of the Cancer Therapy Unit and the new radiotherapy machine.
It was organised by Fiona Jacobs who also posed. She said: "We are all very happy to be involved in producing something fun and light-hearted, which could potentially help us raise a large amount of money for a very worthy cause."
The calendar is available for £9 (£11 p&p). For more information on the Trust's work or to order a copy please contact 01223 764475 or send a cheque to: University of Cambridge Veterinary School Trust, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0ES.
Petplan has been voted Best Insurance Provider in the seventh annual Your Cat and Your Dog Product Awards.
This is the sixth consecutive year Your Cat and Your Dog readers have voted Petplan number one, in response to a survey completed by thousands of pet owners.
Isabella von Mesterhazy, Head of Marketing at Petplan said: "To be independently voted number one provider by pet owners means so much, particularly as this is the sixth time we have been awarded this honour.
"Petplan's Covered for Life policy is the original lifetime policy - we were the first insurer to offer this type of policy and cover. This, combined with over 36 years' experience in the pet insurance marketplace means Petplan truly understands what pet owners need and want from their pet insurance. We settle 97% of claims successfully and 90% of customers renew each year. Moreover, we paid out over £180 million in claims in 2013, the majority directly with the vet, which leaves owners able to concentrate on supporting their pet back to full health rather than worrying about vet bills."
President of the RCVS and Principal of the Royal Veterinary College (RVC), Professor Stuart Reid has raised a very impressive £13,000 for mental health and animal welfare charities by running the Virgin Money London Marathon.
Stuart completed the 26 mile and 385 yard run in four hours and 51 minutes and, in the process, raised money for three charities with a particular focus on mental health and wellbeing, beating his target of £10,000.
The money will be split between his three nominated charities - the RVC Animal Care Trust which will use the funds to assist the student bodies at the UK vet schools; the Veterinary Benevolent Fund which, through its 24/7 Helpline and Health Support Programme, provides support directly to the profession; and, mental health charity Mind.
Stuart said: "To be perfectly honest it was probably a bit daft to run a marathon in my presidential year but when I see how much we have raised I know it was the right thing to do.
"I have been utterly humbled by the generosity and the words of encouragement on my Virgin Money Giving website and via text and Twitter and it is clear my chosen charities have touched a chord with many. I am so very grateful to everybody who chipped in. There's plenty to do so let's get on with addressing our mental health issues."
Donations can still be made to these charities via Stuart's Virgin Money Giving website - http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/StuartReid
The BVA and the RCVS are inviting applications from veterinary surgeons to join the new Vet Futures Action Group, set up to drive forward the ambitions identified in the Vet Futures report launched at BVA Congress at the London Vet Show on 20 November.
The Vet Futures report, Taking charge of our future: A vision for the veterinary profession for 2030, was the culmination of a year-long joint project by BVA and RCVS designed to help the veterinary profession prepare for, and shape, its own future. The Action Group is a vital next step in the Vet Futures project, ensuring the delivery of the report’s six ambitions and 34 recommendations.
BVA and RCVS are seeking seven veterinary surgeons and one veterinary nurse to join the Action Group to ensure there is buy-in from across the professions and to drive forward workstreams of activity. The group will be co-chaired by the BVA and RCVS Presidents, and both Junior Vice-Presidents will sit on the group. Action Group members will be independent and will not represent, or be required to report back to, any particular organisation.
Veterinary surgeons or nurses keen to apply for an Action Group role should have experience of working as an active member of a group or committee and the ability to deliver, engage and inspire others. The veterinary surgeon members should have specific expertise, knowledge and experience in relation to at least one of the Vet Futures ambitions or the cross-cutting issue of veterinary education. The ambitions cover:
Successful applicants must be able to attend three all-day meetings in London (9 February, 17 March and 12 May) and an all-day Vet Futures Summit (20 June), with a time commitment totalling approximately seven days between February and June 2016. The group will be supported by BVA and RCVS staff. For the full Vet Futures Action Group role profile and terms of reference, please visit: www.vetfutures.org.uk.
The deadline for applications is 12 noon, 31 December 2015.
The library currently has 28 on-demand recordings, covering a range of sessions on three main themes: people, planet and animals.
They include: ‘Managing emotions in stressful situation’ and ‘Shaping practice culture as a team’, and BVA Congress recordings, such as "Is neutering dogs doing more harm than good?".
BVA President Elizabeth Mullineaux said: “All veterinary professionals will understand the crucial role that CPD plays in maintaining and enhancing our knowledge and skills.
"Whether you're catching up on missed sessions or looking to revisit key topics, the new BVA CPD library can help members stay up to date throughout your career.”
https://mybva.bva.co.uk/cpd-library.html
Vetoquinol has announced that it will continue to offer a wetlab service to support Alfaxan®, its injectable anaesthetic for dogs and cats, throughout 2009.
The company has hosted 101 Alfaxan® wetlabs around the UK since the product was launched in April 2007, and says that they've been very well received. A wetlab day starts with a presentation outlining the purpose of the wetlab service, explaining how the drug works, what to expect and how to use it properly. The day's patients are then anaesthetised using Alfaxan® under the supervision of the Vetoquinol vet, who talks through the procedure. Following the practical session there is a chance to discuss the morning's events. The aim is to leave the practice feeling comfortable and positive about using Alfaxan® routinely in its operating theatres.
According to Vetoquinol, anaesthesia is a discipline which carries with it much trepidation, especially when it comes to trying new products. The company says that education has therefore been paramount to ensure that practices use Alfaxan® appropriately and are able to appreciate the benefits that it can give them. Vetoquinol believes it is important that ALL members of staff involved in patient anaesthesia are educated about Alfaxan® before they start using it on a day-to-day basis, and practice meetings and wetlabs have been an invaluable tool to help practices develop a smooth transition between products.
For more information on Alfaxan® and holding a wetlab at your practice, please contact your Vetoquinol representative or telephone the dedicated free Alfaxan® technical support number 0800 345 7560.
A new eBook from electronic publisher Quicklook Books aims to give outsiders a broad overview of the veterinary profession.
According to author, veterinary surgeon Bob Lehner, Quicklook@Vets offers readers the opportunity to get below the surface of the veterinary working practice and gain insight into the profession, without becoming 'bogged down' in complicated medical terminology.
He said: "The veterinary world, although considered by many to be an enthralling subject, is accessible to very few people. Texts are, more often than not, written for veterinary graduates instead of the general public.
"In Quicklook@Vets, I wanted to explore all the aspects of this exciting subject in a clear, coherent manner, without unnecessary jargon, to enable anyone to read and learn about the captivating world of veterinary practice."
As a vet with over 35 years of experience, Bob Lehner worked with a wide range of animals and has experience in commercial deer farming, working with zoo animals and as a veterinary surgeon for the pharmaceutical industry. Now retired, Bob Lehner works part-time in practice, as an inspector for the RCVS Practise Standards Scheme and work with an animal charity in Botswana neutering feral village dogs.
The book is available for download here
StreetVet won over £70,000 worth of funding through Purina's Better with Pets prize in 2021 and 2023.
In addition, the company is donating therapeutic and maintenance petfood free of charge, and will be supporting new projects in 2024.
Purina has also published a podcast in which Libby Sheridan, Veterinary Scientific Affairs Manager sat down with Jade Statt, co-founder of StreetVet (pictured), to talk about the work of the charity: https://open.spotify.com/episode/44O5ax83xay3Ht8l02MJPf, and how veterinary professionals benefit from volunteering to work with it.
Jade said: “Volunteering and giving back is incredibly gratifying but it’s more than that…you’re able to just be a vet or a nurse helping a pet and their human. People tell us it helps them remember why they wanted to do the job in the first place.”
https://www.streetvet.co.uk
The farriery stream will run all day on Saturday 14 September, with content curated by Dr Simon Curtis who is internationally renowned in the hoof-care world for his remedial farriery textbooks and lectures.
Simon said: “Any historical, perceived divide between science of veterinary medicine and the craft of farriery is no longer in existence.
"The overlap is vast which means it is more essential than ever that vets, nurses and farriers understand each other’s roles in order to maximise their patient outcomes.”
“Farriery isn’t sexy, but it beats everything else for improving soundness.
"It is impossible to maintain or regain soundness without farriery being considered as an integral part of the process.
“The impact good farriery can have on a horse’s ability to tolerate conformational, work-related or other causes of lameness associated pathology is all too often overlooked by all parties, and this should no longer be the case.
"Vets and farriers must work as a team to avoid injury and facilitate recovery wherever possible.”
The sessions will cover things like the importance of trimming, the biomechanical effects of horseshoes, why heels collapse, chronic club foot, digital support and toe-trimming.
The farriery stream is part of 90+ hours of live and on-demand CPD on offer at Congress, with interactive discussions, debates and workshops, and an expanded stream for vet nurses.
https://www.bevacongress.org/programme
BEVA members prices for Congress for all three days are £699 for vets (with concessionary prices available for those in their first three years of graduation or earning less than £25,000), £273 for nurse members for all three days and £300 for farriers and other allied professionals for all three days or £110 for one day.
Practice passes are also available.
The company has prepared practice marketing materials to support the campaign to educate pet owners on the signs of anxiety in cats and dogs, which are available from its Account Managers.
The campaign is being fronted by TV personality and radio presenter, Kate Lawler (pictured), who has taken on the role of official ambassador having experienced anxiety in her rescue Terrier cross, Shirley.
Ceva has partnered with Battersea Dogs and Cats Home for the campaign and will be making a donation of £1 for every Adaptil product sold during March.
http://www.petanxiety.co.uk
The maps provide vets with a visual representation of targeted diagnostic tests conducted in France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Spain, and the UK, using data sourced from Idexx.
They show the percentage of positive test results for a range of parasites and parasite-associated infections in dogs and cats, including Giardia, roundworm, and whipworm, and Lyme (Borrelia burgdorferi), Ehrlichia spp., Anaplasma spp., Babesia spp., and Leishmania in dogs.
Data can be filtered by country, region, animal species, parasite type, and time period.
ESCCAP highlights that the data reflects the percentage of positive tests in screened animals, not the overall prevalence of infection.
https://www.esccap.org/parasite-infection-map/
Farmers within the Protection Zone (PZ) are being urged by the Joint Action against Bluetongue (JAB) to vaccinate their animals if they have not already done so.
In a joint statement JAB said: "The vaccination campaign is going exceptionally well with more than 9 million does of vaccine made available to farmers in the PZ. However, we must not be complacent, as there are still more animals to vaccinate and we must not delay in protecting them from bluetongue.
"As the weather conditions improve, the risk of new cases of bluetongue increases and the objective of the JAB campaign has been to try and protect the UK from the devastation this disease caused in much of the rest of Europe last year. We do not want to see in the UK the heavy losses of sheep seen by some other member states or the fertility problems seen in many cattle herds. The message is simple - if you want to protect your livestock, ‘don't hesitate, vaccinate'."
Commenting on the recent delays in vaccine delivery, JAB said: "It is unfortunate that we have seen a problem with the latest batch of vaccine, which for quality control reasons is undergoing further testing. JAB understands the frustration that this delay has caused. However, this is just one batch and Intervet has so far exceeded delivery expectations and we are hopeful that we will be back on track very soon."
Vets are being asked to help pig producers assess their health status and biosecurity measures, as part of BPEX's new National Pig Health Improvement Project (PHIP).
The national programme is currently running alongside existing programmes in East Anglia, Yorkshire and the East Midlands and will cover all the remaining regions. BPEX will now start to combine all programmes into the National PHIP. So all English pig producers and vets can join the industry-wide drive to improve pig health and reduce costs.
BPEX says the national Pig Health Improvement Project (PHIP) project will need the support of veterinary surgeons to:
BPEX regional health coordinator Helen Clarke said: "The surveys are filled in by vets during quarterly farm visits to gather information on prevalence of four key diseases - swine dysentery, PRRS, enzootic pneumonia and mange. This is then used to populate a confidential online mapping service, which PHIP members can use to keep informed of health challenges in their area.
"The biosecurity audit is a series of simple to answer questions about current biosecurity practice of a unit. This then forms the basis for biosecurity planning and discussions to help clients make improvements and review their impact."
A further benefit when producers sign up to the PHIP is free-of-charge post-mortem information from the BPEX Pig Health Scheme (BPHS). The BPHS provides producers with detailed post-mortem health reports when they submit pigs to participating abattoirs.
Clients who are:
Practices can claim £50 per unit for completing the survey and biosecurity audits. This still needs to be claimed through specific regional systems because of current funding contracts.
Contact Helen Clarke for details: helen.clarke@bpex.ahdb.org.uk or 07973 701369. Visit http://www.pighealth.org.uk/
A 3 km Protection Zone and a 10 km Surveillance Zone have been put in place around the infected premises to limit the risk of the disease spreading.
The infected flock contains nine birds. Defra says a number had died and the remaining live birds at the premises are being humanely culled. A full investigation is under way to determine the source of the infection.
Full details of the control measures in place can be found here.
The company now expects the vaccine will not be available until June 2025.
The company apologised for the disruption and inconvenience and says it will provide more information as soon as it becomes available.
For further information contact your Zoetis Account Manager or call Head Office on 0345 300 8034.