The company says the webinar, presented by Dechra veterinary technical advisor, Emily Casey BVM&S MRCVS (pictured), will save vets' time and enhance their canine patients’ quality of life.
Emily said: “Canine Cushing’s syndrome can seem over-complicated, and we receive about 200 calls a month on the disease, so we’ve seen it all.
"Our new webinar will provide vets with a straightforward, no-nonsense approach to Cushing’s that will transform how they manage their next canine Cushing’s case.”
Delegates who join the webinar live will be entered into a prize draw to win a Littman Classic III Stethoscope.
https://go.dechra.co.uk/3-things-about-cushings
Genitrix is offering practices a specially designed dosing wheel to ensure the accurate administration of Libromide (potassium bromide), the company's treatment for refractory canine epilepsy.
The wheel indicates the dosage required according to the bodyweight of the dog and also provides further information regarding managing epilepsy and bromide serum testing.
Rob Watkins, Marketing Director at Genitrix, said: "We've consulted canine neurology experts in the design of our dosing wheel and hope it will give practices reassurance and clarity on how to initiate, maintain and review the control of canine epilepsy with Libromide. Following the launch of Libromide and the discounted blood test service, the dosing wheel is an additional initiative to help improve treatment approaches for canine epilepsy."
To receive a free dosing wheel or for more information on Libromide and the discounted blood test service, practices are asked to call Genitrix' head office on 01403 786345 or contact their account manager.
The British Small Animal Veterinary Association has written to Public Health England to ask if they would be prepared to review their risk assessment for front line staff in veterinary practices (i.e. veterinary surgeons, veterinary nurses and receptionists) regarding pre-exposure rabies vaccination.
The letter points out that the changes to the Pet Travel Regulations, brought in on 1st January 2012, make it possible for dogs, cats and ferrets to enter the UK from an EU country only 21 days after vaccination, with no requirement for blood testing and a 6-month wait.
The risk assessment undertaken by Defra at that time acknowledged that this would lead to an increase in the risk of introducing rabies to the UK, but this risk was still considered to be very low.
However, this risk assessment made a number of assumptions, including that there would be full compliance with the regulations. Since that time it has become apparent that not only have these changes led to a significant increase in the number of animals entering the UK, but that a number of these animals do not fully comply with the regulations.
According to BSAVA, current evidence suggests that increasing numbers of puppies enter the UK from abroad, particularly Eastern Europe, and that these are often presented with illness at veterinary practices by their new, and often unsuspecting, owners. While it has been assumed that animals entering under the Pet Travel Scheme pose a low risk of carrying rabies, the recent case of two puppies imported into The Netherlands from Bulgaria which tested positive for rabies indicates that the disease may occur even in puppies that were vaccinated and travelling legitimately.
While a great deal has been achieved in the control of rabies in the EU, there is increasing expansion in member states to include countries such as Bulgaria and Romania in which rabies remains endemic. Moreover, sporadic cases continue to occur in countries within this region (i.e. Italy and Greece). Animals imported into the UK from these regions could potentially introduce rabies into the United Kingdom.
While importation of affected animals remains a remote possibility, the likelihood is that an affected animal would present for veterinary treatment and that frontline veterinary staff may be at greatest risk of exposure. Some veterinary practices that deal routinely with imported pets adopted from the street or animal shelters in other countries, have staff that may be at even greater risk.
BSAVA President Professory Michael Day, who signed the letter on behalf of the Association and its members, said: "As a result of the current conditions in which veterinary professionals find themselves, BSAVA, in our letter sent on 12 November, has urged Public Health England to consider adding veterinary staff who may come into contact with imported animals to the list of those entitled to receive pre-exposure rabies vaccination."
Bayer Animal Health has launched a new initiative designed primarily to help veterinary students and bridge gaps in their knowledge about the use of veterinary antibiotics.
The initiative kicks off with two surveys, one for qualified veterinary surgeons here, and one for veterinary students here. The objective of the surveys is to gain an insight into the use and understanding of antibiotics both in practice and in training. They also aim to discover the influences and concerns involved when veterinary surgeons select a course of antibiotics.
The results of the survey will be shared with the profession and used to develop a new educational resource which will be shaped by the results of the survey and available to students in their clinical years. Bayer says it hopes the new resource may also be beneficial for vets in practice who have concerns about the use of antibiotics.
If that isn't reason enough to take part in the survey, all participants will be entered into a draw for an iPad mini.
Vicky McAlister, Group Product Manager at Bayer said: "The importance of understanding the concerns of vets and vet students in responsibly prescribing antibiotics is essential when looking at the issue of antibiotic resistance and the implications for the future of animal health. The large number of antibiotics available can present a challenge and lead to confusion when prescribing. The surveys provide a unique opportunity for vets and students to shape learning and reference resources that address the specific challenges they face when choosing and using antibiotics".
The surveys close on 24th March 2014.
Specifically, the review is of The Non-Commercial Movement of Pet Animals Order 2011 as amended by the Non-Commercial Movement of Pet Animals (Amendment) Order 2014.
The consultation is seeking opinions on whether:
The consultation is not about potential changes to the legalisation following Brexit although evidence collected as part of this review may be relevant to future discussions.
The BSAVA says it is aware that the changes to the Pet Travel Scheme, introduced in January 2012 and December 2014, have significantly increased the number of animals, particularly puppies, entering the UK including those for sale which should not be coming in under the Pet Travel Scheme.
It says it also knows that a significant number of veterinary practices have been presented with animals that do not fully comply with the requirements of the Pet Travel Scheme and that contacting the appropriate department in the Local Authority is not always easy.
The Association is therefore encouraging members of the profession to feed into this consultation and encourage any clients who have experience of travelling to and from Europe with their pets to do so as well.
The BSAVA says it will be submitting a response itself, and if anyone would rather send their comments via the BSAVA, you should email Sally Everitt (Head of Scientific Policy) s.everitt@bsava.com by 20th October.
The RCVS welcomed 15 veterinary surgeons who passed the RCVS Statutory Examination for Membership with a registration ceremony held on Monday at Belgravia House.
The RCVS Statutory Examination for Membership is open to veterinary surgeons with a veterinary degree gained outside the UK that is not recognised by the RCVS, and who therefore cannot join the RCVS Register. Candidates for the exam must also score at least 7.0 in the academic International English Language Testing System (IELTS) test, which is comparable to requirements for entry to UK veterinary degrees and those of other professional regulators.
RCVS President Jacqui Molyneux said: "Your success is remarkable - especially for those whose first language is not English. The veterinary profession in the UK is small and welcoming, and you will find valuable support offered by the different members of the veterinary team as well as from professional organisations."
Registering at the ceremony was Mr Vahidreza Ardani, who qualified from the Islamic Azad University in Iran, where he practised for ten years as a large animal vet. He said: "It took me nearly three years of study to prepare for the IELTS [English language] exam. I have also been seeing practice here for the past two and a half years, including at the small animal hospital at the University of Glasgow. I hope now to find work at a small animal practice."
Ms Olga Woolmer, who qualified from Perm State Agricultural Academy, Russia, also registered. Olga saw practice in several UK small animal and equine practices as preparation for the exam, whilst also working as an animal technician. She said: "I'm really grateful to all the practices that let me see practice. In particular, Burghley Veterinary Centre at Stamford helped me a lot in learning about what veterinary clients in the UK expect and how to sound confident when I give advice - which ultimately is best for the patient. It's great that I will soon be able again to do the work that I've trained so hard for."
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:
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.”
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
Hill's Pet Nutrition has reported some early results from its '60 Tonnes in 6 Months' pet weight loss campaign, which started 2 months ago.
The company says that although there is only preliminary data available from 33 practices, it's clear that the campaign is working, with each practice involved reporting on average over 10 Kg weight loss from their patients. However, many practices are holding on to send in results until their patients have reached their final targets, so more data is expected.
Hill's says that some practices have had great success using its PR kit, generating positive coverage in local newspapers. Sara Locke, Associate Customer Marketing Manager is reminding practices that January is the traditional time for 'dieting fever' to hit the headlines after the indulgencies of the festive season. She said: "If you have one of our PR kits, don't forget to send out your pro forma press release - it's not a big task to customise it with your practice details and you could find yourself making a big splash locally at a time when we know interest will be heightened."
As part of the campaign, Hill's has also produced a series of nurse webinars, the last of which was on exercise and rehabilitation programmes for overweight pets and contains tips on how to develop a personalised exercise programme that fits with the owner's lifestyle and reflects the pet's capabilities and level of mobility. The webinar can be viewed here: https://hillsvet.webex.com/hillsvet/lsr.php?AT=pb&SP=EC&rID=13881732&rKey=E1182C100CB53476
Further information is available from local Hill's Territory Managers or by calling Hill's on 0800 242438 or in ROI 1 800 626002.
The HT Vista device is used by vets and vet nurses to screen dermal and subcutaneous masses on dogs.
The company says that with a negative predictive value of 98% clinicians can confidently classify a mass as benign without the need of further invasive tests.
HT Vista also says that, according to a recent client survey, the main features which practices value are the nurse-led ability which is maximising nurse clinics and streamlining efficiency, justification in sampling masses even when they feel innocuous, and the rapid speed of image acquisition and results.
To be in with a chance of winning the device and subscription, delegates must attend the 15-minute Ultra Demo at stand B300 on Friday 22nd March at 4pm.
In addition, some delegates at the ‘Break the Pain Conference and Round Table’ event, which took place last month, said that they sometimes assume that farmers are worried about the cost of medication, which discouraged them from talking about it.
Katherine Timms, ruminant veterinary advisor at Ceva Animal Health, which manufactures the NSAID Ketofen, said: “The Stride UK dairy mobility report 2024 revealed that 7% of dairy farmers were not using NSAIDs in any lame cow, yet foot care and lameness management should be included in their herd health plans to meet the Red Tractor Dairy Standards and the standards of their milk buyer.
“Farmers want an easy and cost-effective solution when it comes to offering pain relief to their herds due to other priorities on farm and using NSAIDs strategically have shown a substantial return on investment of £1.66 for every £1 invested1.
"Vets should be leading discussions on pain relief to change their clients’ mindset with the goal of providing gold standard care for the long-term health and welfare of the nation’s herd.”
Sam Bowker, vet surgeon at Blackdown Farm Vets in Devon, who attended the conference, said: “It was a good challenge to us as vets to lead on the use of NSAIDs and pain relief on farm.
"We had a good discussion about protocols we have in the practice, particularly around the use of pain relief when called to assisted calvings and all agreed to use them ongoing.
"The other good reminder was not to assume that farmers won’t want to give pain relief because of cost, and to consider both the welfare and production benefits of their use.”
www.wavegoodbyetopain.co.uk
Reference
Esme grew up in Birmingham and spent much time in her teenage years working at the Domestic Fowl Trust caring for a range of rare breed poultry.
She said: "I didn’t grow up on a farm, but worked with chickens as a teenager and I love them to bits.
"They are amazing animals and I’ve wanted to work with them ever since.”
After graduating at the University of Liverpool, she spent two years with Howells Veterinary Services where she worked with clients to foster improved performance under an increasing drive for sustainability.
Now with St David’s Poultry Team in Yorkshire, she helps broiler clients in reducing viral challenge on farm to increase immunocompetence and so decrease susceptibility to other challenges.
She has also just become the youngest vet ever to achieve a Certificate in Advanced Veterinary Practice (Poultry), which she gained at the University of Liverpool.
The Young Farm Vet of the Year Awards is sponsored by Zoetis.
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.
Taking over the Presidency from Julian Hoad, David will continue to focus on the Programme of Change and the BSAVA’s new strategy, which includes some new products and services.
David qualified from the RVC in 1988 and has had a career largely in small animal practice, including a year in Canada.
He and his wife Rosie started the first feline-only practice in England and David is now an Advanced Practitioner in small animal dermatology.
He has postgraduate qualifications in small animal dermatology and medicine, becoming board certified in feline practice, and has an RCVS Fellowship on Feline Osteoarthritis.
David helped to set up the BSAVA West Midlands committee, before then becoming a BSAVA Council member and Chair of the Regions for three years before joining the Board and the presidential ladder.
David said: “It is an honour being BSAVA President for 2025-2026, but this next year will not be about me.
"It will be about the renewal of BSAVA, it will hear us shouting out with an ever-increasing voice about the most exciting innovations and I promise to do my very best.”
Julian Hoad will now move into the role of Senior Vice President, whilst Niall Connell begins his new role as Junior Vice President alongside Jo Megarity, who joins the Board as Honorary Treasurer.
Colonel Neil Smith has been elected Vice-President of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. He takes up office at RCVS Day on 6 July 2012.
Neil graduated from the Royal Veterinary College in 1989, and was commissioned into the Royal Army Veterinary Corps (RAVC) with the intention of staying for four years. Twenty-two years later, he is now the Director Army Veterinary and Remount Services, effectively the Chief Veterinary Officer for the Army and head of the RAVC, which currently has over 35 Veterinary Officers.
He has held a mixture of clinical, staff and command positions, and has worked in the UK, US and Germany. He has Masters' Degrees in Food Science, Defence Administration and Defence Studies. He has also worked part-time in small animal practice (including the Blue Cross, of which he is now a Trustee), and was heavily involved in the Foot and Mouth Disease outbreak in 2001.
First elected to Council in 2004, Neil was re-elected in 2010 after a short break. He has served on Education, Advisory, Preliminary Investigation and Planning and Resources Committees, and on VN Council (currently Vice-Chairman and Chairman of the Awarding Body).
He has also previously been President of the RVC Student Union Society, the RVC Alumnus Association, Southern Counties, and the Association of Government Veterinarians. He is currently a Council member of the Central Veterinary Society, and has previously sat on the BVA's Veterinary Policy Group.
Neil said: "I am honoured to have been elected as the next Vice-President. The College is about to go through some significant organisational changes, not least because of the proposed legislative reform order. However, I aim to ensure that we remain focused on our primary role in safeguarding the health and welfare of animals committed to veterinary care. The functions of the RCVS are quite diverse, and I am keen that we try to enhance both the profession's and the public's understanding of our remit, including our responsibility for educational, ethical and clinical standards."
Jacqui Molyneux has been confirmed as President, and Dr Jerry Davies as Vice-President, effective July 2012.
The RCVS is calling on veterinary surgeons and students, and listed or registered veterinary nurses to complete its Survey of the Professions 2014.
The four-yearly, confidential survey provides the College with data that helps it develop policy, plan its activities and respond to questions from stakeholders such as government and the media.
The survey aims to find out more about individuals' employment type and experiences, working patterns and professional development. It also asks about aspirations for the short- and long-term and current views on the veterinary profession.
Questions are also asked about mental health and well-being, using the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale. The data will be used to track the mental well-being of the profession at a population level over successive years - a process that started with the 2010 survey - which will feed into other work being carried out across the profession.
Finally, the survey includes a set of questions about 24/7 emergency cover, the answers to which will feed into the RCVS Standards Committee's current evidence-gathering exercise.
This year the survey, which is being carried out by the Institute for Employment Studies, will only be available online. All those for whom the RCVS has a personal email address (ie not 'info@' or similar) have been sent a participation request. Others will be sent a letter, including the survey URL. Those who do not receive this letter by Monday 14 April should contact Lizzie Lockett, on l.lockett@rcvs.org.uk or 020 7202 0725.
The deadline for completion of the survey is 30 April.
Elanco Companion Animal Health, which makes Surolan and Surosolve, has launched a couple of short films to demonstrate to pet owners how to administer veterinary prescribed ear drops and clean their pet's ears.
Filmed with the University of Bristol and published on YouTube, the first shows how to administer ear drops:
whilst the second offers hints and tips on using a veterinary supplied ear cleaner:
As well as being viewed on YouTube, the videos can also be embedded into veterinary practice websites or used on waiting room TV screens. They are available in different formats upon request from your local Elanco Companion Animal Health key account manager.
Matthew Rowe, senior brand manager at Elanco Companion Animal Health, said: "The new YouTube films will enable dog owners to learn more about how to correctly administer ear treatments and cleaners to ensure that the procedure is as positive as possible for their pet. This will lead to better owner compliance and happier pets!"
Elanco has also revised its Surolan and Surosolve client leaflet and is running a special offer for the products offering veterinary practices up to 20% free Surosolve ear cleaner with qualifying purchases of Surolan.
For further information on the offer, or to ask for the Surolan or Surosolve footage or client leaflets to be sent direct to your veterinary practice, contact your Elanco Companion Animal Health key account manager or email elancoCAH.uk@elanco.com
The National Office of Animal Health (NOAH) has launched 'The Happy Healthy Pets Project', designed to encourage owners to prioritise pet healthcare.
At the heart of the campaign is a new online photography gallery at pethealthinfo.org.uk, where owners and veterinary professionals are being invited to upload pictures of happy healthy pets to help build a resource of images and healthcare advice.
To help ensure a high standard of photography, NOAH has partnered with top wildlife and animal photographer Victoria Hillman to create five top tips to help all participants capture the perfect pet photo:
Dawn Howard, Chief Executive of the National Office of Animal Health said: “We’re really looking forward to getting the campaign underway, having seen the fantastic levels of participation in photo-based activity for last year’s ‘I Heart My Pet’ campaign. This year, we’re aiming to taking things one step further by creating the biggest ever gallery of pet portraits in the UK with the help not just of Britain’s pet owners, but also of veterinary professionals and their clients. The campaign is designed to use a simple, fun and familiar mechanic - taking photographs of our pets - to create interesting, engaging content but also to raise awareness of more serious healthcare messages.
“We’re delighted to have partnered with Victoria Hillman so that we can help make sure all pet owners know how to capture the perfect pic and to encourage as many owners and their vets across the UK as possible to get involved. We can’t wait to see the results.”
New faces on the RCVS Council include Richard Stephenson, Charles Gruchy and Catherine Goldie. Dr Barry Johnson (first elected to Council in 1985) and Dr Christopher Chesney (first elected in 1996) have been voted on for further terms. Dr Robert Ellis, who has had three previous periods on Council, has been re-elected.
The University of Nottingham, with funding worth £2.2m, is to carry out a study of the most common cause of Bovine Mastitis in the UK - Streptococcus uberis (S. uberis). If researchers can identify which parts of the bacteria enable the infection their results could lead to the production of an effective vaccine.
James Leigh, Professor of Molecular Bacteriology, who has recently joined the School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, said: "We hope to uncover bacterial antigens of potential use in vaccines aimed at preventing bovine mastitis and provide a detailed understanding of how animals can fight off the disease."
S. uberis is responsible for a significant proportion of clinical mastitis worldwide - but unlike many other bacteria that cause the disease, S. uberis is also in the environment - it is found in pasture and bedding and can even colonise the cow at other body sites with no ill effect - so it is difficult to see how it can be controlled by changes to animal husbandry and milking-time hygiene.
With funding from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) the School of Veterinary Medicine and Science has established research laboratories at the Institute for Animal Health (IAH). The project is being conducted in collaboration with Dr Tracey Coffey's Bovine Genomics group based at IAH and other groups at the Royal Veterinary College, the US Department of Agriculture in the UK and the University of Oxford.
Professor Leigh said: "We will use state-of-the-art molecular technology to determine the differences between strains of S. uberis that can and cannot cause disease. Proteins that are only present in the disease causing strains hold the key to determining which components are essential for infection. We will show which of these proteins are most likely to make an effective vaccine by producing strains of S. uberis which lack the ability to produce each of these proteins; if a strain lacking a particular protein is less able to cause disease then this protein is important for the disease process and becomes a candidate for vaccine development."
The team also want to identify any parts of the immune response in the dairy cow which can be altered to prevent the disease - this information could subsequently be used to develop drugs that interfere with the chemical messages that lead to inflammation and therefore reduce the level of disease.
The candidates for this year's RCVS Council election have been announced, many of whom will be coming to the VetSurgeon.org forums to lay out their stalls and explain why you should vote for them.
A record number of veterinary surgeons - 14 - are contesting six seats in the RCVS Council election. Veterinary surgeons may each vote for up to six candidates to fill these seats, which fall vacant as elected Council member's terms of office expire at the RCVS Annual General Meeting (6 July). In 2012, five existing Council members are seeking re-election, and nine new candidates are standing.
Of the 42 RCVS Council members, four are appointed by the Privy Council, 14 by the veterinary schools and 24 by direct election; each member serves a four year term. This year's candidates are:
Voting opens from Friday 9 March and all veterinary surgeons eligible to vote should receive their ballot papers shortly. Votes must be received by 5pm on 27 April 2012 and, as in previous years, can be cast online, by post, or by text message
Expert speakers at Advances in Diagnostics, a meeting held in Brussels last month, have said that molecular technology will play a vital role in safeguarding the health and productivity of food animals in the future.
Dr Willie Loeffen, President of the European Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians (EAVLD) said: "Technology is taking over. Laboratory diagnosis used to be 99% labour and 1% technology, nowadays the emphasis is the other way around. Technology is now an integral and indispensable part of veterinary laboratories."
Dr Loeffen used the investigation of PRRSV infection in pigs and the more recent appearance of Schmallenberg virus in Europe to highlight how modern molecular techniques could help to characterise new disease threats rapidly.
"It took four years of laborious work for us to characterise the cause of PRRS, but thanks to sequencing technology Schmallenberg virus took just a few months.
"Technological developments mean that diagnosticians now do things that they could only dream about 10 or 20 years ago."
As well as providing a means of identifying new disease threats quickly, the meeting highlighted the increasing role of diagnostic tools as an integral part of maintaining animal health.
Dr Kirk Adams, Director of Product Management at Life Technologies, the meeting sponsor, said: "Diagnostics are no longer just a way of finding out what an animal died of - they have a multitude of uses on farm. They mean that we can take a more holistic and proactive approach to animal health; in contrast to the reactive, disease-driven approach of the past.
"As just one example, better diagnostics allow a more targeted approach to treatment, and the potential to reduce the use of broad-spectrum drugs - such as certain antibiotics - and thus comply with the wishes of consumers and legislators."
Dr Adams said that modern diagnostic tools also provided the means to improve vaccination programmes and biosecurity, and were essential for disease eradication schemes and for improving herd health status, for example by identifying persistently infected, asymptomatic animals.
They also enable veterinary surgeons to monitor herd health and build up an accurate and dynamic picture of health status and risk profile - and screen for emerging disease threats.
Dr Adams added: "Veterinarians now have access to a wider range of better diagnostics than ever before. Tests are now faster, more accurate and more precise than ever before.
"The next twenty years could see the biggest change in the way we manage production animals in over a hundred years."
The meeting was also addressed by Dr Kees van Maanen, from the Netherlands Animal health Service (GD), an expert in modern diagnostic technology and its application on both local and national levels. He called for greater international co-operation to protect European animals against threats from increasing global interaction. He said: "Pathogens and insects do not respect borders: trusting each other's results requires further harmonization and transparency for diagnostic procedures between laboratories and countries.
"Rapid and accurate diagnosis contributes to disease management, but does not stop epidemics. However, it has contributed significantly to gaining insight into the epidemiology of emerging diseases and formulating appropriate measures.
"The development of modern diagnostics has given us the potential to manage animal health and control infectious diseases in production animals far more effectively in the past - both on a local level and a national or regional level. Recent experience with unexpected disease outbreaks has shown that we can now characterise and track pathogens far more quickly and accurately than ever before.
"However, we need to make sure that we keep veterinarians and farmers informed about these developments, so they know how to apply them in practice in order to make the most of them.
"Diagnostics will continue to become a more integral part of animal health management in the next decade, we just need to make sure we can apply that knowledge in the best possible way."
Ceva Animal Health UK has announced that following the success of it's TV advertising campaign for Feliway earlier this year, which boosted sales by 30%, it'll be running the Feliway campaign again, throughout July.
Featuring 'That Purple Cat', who is liked by over 2,300 people on Facebook, Ceva says the campaign will help raise awareness of the signs of behavioural issues in cats, such as vertical scratching, and highlight the benefits of using the pheromone. The advertisement will target Feliway's key audience and will be seen by over 5 million people when it appears on channels such as Dave, E4, Gold, More4 and Yesterday.
For further information or to view the TV advertising campaign, visit www.secrettohappypets.com.