Boehringer Ingelheim has launched a new competition for vets and nurses to win a £1,500 Thomson 'Round The World' travel voucher.
The competition is called 'Celebrate Life with Norman', the knitted star of the Vetmedin advert. To enter, you need to take a photograph of a cardboard cutout of Norman (sent to all practices, and also available from Boehringer Territory Managers) whilst 'on your travels'. Then upload your photo to www.vetmedin.co.uk by June 30th, 2009.
You can then follow Norman on his QUEST (Quality of Life and Extension of Survival Time, geddit), and vote for your favourite QUEST adventure.
The competition is open to UK and ROI practising vets and nurses.
For more information please contact your Boehringer Territory Manager or visit the Vetmedin® website.
The completion date for the RCVS surveys of the veterinary and veterinary nursing professions is Monday 8 February, and the College is urging anyone who has not yet completed their survey to do so.
The data collected will be used to help develop policy, in discussion with government and other bodies, and in response to requests from journalists and members of the public who wish to have an accurate picture of the veterinary profession today. So it's important that as many people as possible complete their surveys.
For the first time, a standard set of questions about well-being (the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale) has been included. Over time, data collected will enable the College to monitor population changes in mental health and well-being, and work with other organisations to address any issues identified.
If you have mislaid your paper copy, the survey can be completed online:
Veterinary surgeons click here: www.employmentresearch.co.uk/vs2010.htm
Veterinary nurses click here: www.employmentresearch.co.uk/vn2010.htm
All responses are confidential.
The RCVS Charitable Trust is looking to recruit volunteers from amongst the vets going to the British Small Animal Veterinary Association Congress this year to participate in research for its website www.rcvstrust.org.uk.
The charity says it is trying to gauge responses to its website, to make sure it is delivering what the profession genuinely needs.
There will be two focus groups on Thursday 12 April. The first session is from 12.45-2.15pm and the second is from 4.00-5.30pm. The charity is looking for between six and ten participants in each group. All participants will be offered a three-month Library membership or a free literature search. Food and drink will be provided.
Please contact c.bushell@rcvstrust.org.uk or ring 0207 202 0714 if you'd like to take part.
A new study has revealed that owners of obese dogs which successfully lose weight notice significant improvement in their dogs' quality of life too.
The study, published in The Veterinary Journal and available online here, was conducted by scientists from the Royal Canin Weight Management Clinic at Liverpool University in conjunction with the Pain and Welfare Group at the University of Glasgow and the Waltham Centre for Pet Nutrition. It looked at fifty obese dogs that had been referred to Royal Canin's clinic.
The results showed that quality of life improved in the dogs that successfully lost weight, demonstrated by increased vitality scores and decreased scores for emotional disturbance and pain. The improvements in vitality score were greater the more body fat the dogs lost. The research also found that the dogs that failed to complete their weight loss programme had lower vitality and higher emotional disturbance scores than those successfully losing weight.
Dr. Alex German, Royal Canin senior lecturer at the University of Liverpool and lead author of the study, said: "Obesity is a risk for many dogs, affecting not only their health, but also their quality of life. The results indicate that, for obese dogs, weight loss can be important for staying both healthy and happy."
Owners completed a questionnaire to determine the health-related quality of life of their dog prior to weight loss, with a follow-up questionnaire for the owners of the thirty dogs that successfully completed the weight loss programme to reach target weight. The completed questionnaire responses were converted into scores corresponding to a range of factors, including vitality, emotional disturbance and pain.
Edinburgh-based charity the Global Alliance for Livestock Veterinary Medicines (GALVmed) has announced three drug discovery contracts in an effort to combat animal African Trypanosomosis (AAT), a disease which is estimated to cost Africa US$5billion a year.
Animal African trypanosomosis, transmitted by the tsetse fly, is a parasitic disease which affects livestock, resulting in a chronic illness which often ends in death. An estimated 50 million cattle and 70 million sheep and goats are at risk, with around 3 million cattle dying annually from the disease.
AAT causes economic losses in livestock, reducing meat and milk production and leaving animals so weak they are unable to help cultivate land. It affects over 10 million square kilometres of fertile land spread across nearly 40 countries in Africa and therefore has a huge impact on food and nutritional security and livelihoods across the continent.
The drugs that are currently used were developed in the 1950s and 60s and drug resistance is now a commonly reported problem. With few other options available, these drugs are the most important method of controlling the disease.
In May 2011 the Department for International Development (DfID) awarded GALVmed 30 month grant for £8million to facilitate the development of drugs, diagnostics and potential vaccines for the control of AAT.
The first contract was awarded to Anacor Pharmaceuticals Inc., a California based biopharmaceutical company established in 2002.
As part of a Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative (DNDi) supported project, Anacor and their partners discovered a series of compounds to combat the human form of AAT, Human African Trysanosomsis (HAT). A number of compounds produced under this programme have properties which could make them suitable for the treatment and prevention of animal AAT. These relevant compounds will now be screened for efficacy and safety under the GALVmed contract.
The second and third contracts have both been awarded to the College of Life Sciences at the University of Dundee, one of Europe's top-ranked universities for life science research.
Dr Kevin Read, who is Head of Drug Metabolism and Pharmokinectics at the drug Discovery Unit is leading a piece of drug discovery and development research, which aims to develop new drugs for the treatment and possible prevention of AAT in cattle, and also a diagnostic test for use in the field. This builds on the university's work on HAT and drugs that were unsuitable for human treatment are now being re-evaluated as potential drugs for cattle.
Dr Read said: "I am very excited to be working in partnership with GALVmed to apply our extensive drug discovery expertise in HAT to identify and bring forward new potential drugs for the treatment and prevention of AAT. The new project offers an exciting opportunity to reposition compounds showing great promise for the treatment of first stage HAT into AAT, thus improving food security in some of the poorest countries in sub-Saharan Africa."
Zoetis has announced that Suvaxyn MH-One, its vaccine against Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae in pigs, has a revised licence allowing it to be administered from seven days of age with a two-week onset of immunity.
The company says this means that piglets can be protected by three weeks of age when they are commonly already infected with M. hyo. Duration of immunity extends well beyond the average UK pig slaughter age of 176 days.
Nigel Lodge, National Veterinary Manager for Zoetis in the UK said: "This is a significant step forward, recognising the full efficacy of the Suvaxyn MH-One vaccine against enzootic pneumonia. Trials have confirmed that use of Suvaxyn MH-One at seven days reduces lung lesions - even in the presence of maternally derived antibodies.
"The vaccine, which adds to our large and growing pig vaccine and product portfolio, also benefits from using adjuvants carbopol and squalane."
According to the company, the performance gains from early protection are shown in a field trial with 240 pigs injected at one week of age which showed significantly higher average daily weight gain, providing nearly 5 kg extra weight over the study period to 166 days.
The grants are available for small-scale clinical research projects in areas of the affiliate speciality, focusing on diseases affecting companion animals.
The projects will be selected in the hope that the study results will have a rapid and positive impact on the way diseases are diagnosed, managed and treated in general practice, as well as at a specialist level.
BSAVA says applications are particularly welcome from practitioners, as well as academics or joint applications between practice and academia.
Chris Scudder, from the Small Animal Medicine Society said: “We are delighted to be able to collaborate with BSAVA PetSavers in supporting innovative research in small animal internal medicine.
"We have a shared goal of advancing the health and well-being of small animals.
"Their invaluable and generous support enables us to fund research that makes a meaningful difference for cats, dogs, and their owners.”
Applications are also open for the BSAVA PetSavers Clinical Research Project grant, where funding of up to £20,000 is available.
https://bsava.com/petsavers/apply-for-funding/clinical-research-projects/.
Kate Blakeman has become President Elect and James Crabtree, Junior Vice President.
Imogen (pictured) graduated from the RVC in 2000 and became a first opinion equine vet.
She was awarded RCVS Equine Medicine Advanced Practitioner status in 2014 and gained her Post Graduate Certificate in Veterinary Professional Studies and Stud Medicine Certificate in 2023.
Whilst working full-time in first opinion equine practice, she performs several other roles: VetGDP advisor, veterinary undergraduate teaching and examining, and RCVS Advanced Practitioner assessor.
Imogen is currently Chair of BEVA’s Ethics and Welfare Committee and a member of BEVA’s Education Committee.
Imogen said: “I have loved my experience on BEVA Council over the past few years, not least as Ethics and Welfare Committee chair.
"I have strong opinions and am brave enough to pop my head above the parapet to encourage conversation around topics I am passionate about.
"As a first opinion equine practitioner I hope I can bring a practical perspective to the table.
"I honestly never thought I would have the opportunity for the prestigious role of President - I hope it will inspire others to put themselves forwards.”
www.beva.org.uk.
Photo: @JasSansi
The American Kennel Club Canine Health Foundation has awarded Dr. Bruce Smith, director of the Auburn University Research Initiative in Cancer, a two-year grant totaling $118,848 to test a new therapy for treating bone cancer in dogs.
According to the University, the research could one day be broadened to include many other kinds of cancer - and possibly cancer in people.
The treatment consists of a virus normally used as a hepatitis vaccine in dogs that has been modified to only make copies of itself inside bone cancer cells. The virus ruptures the cancer cells, releasing thousands of copies of the virus from the tumor cells, killing them.
Dr. Smith said: "By using this approach, we turn the cancer cell into a 'factory' that produces more virus. You could say that we help the cancer cell become an agent of its own death."
Bone cancer, or osteosarcoma, accounts for around 5% of tumours in dogs. More than 90% of dogs with this tumour have had tumour cells migrate into their lungs, creating what are known as micrometastases, at the time of diagnosis.
Dr. Smith said: "This therapy attacks those metastases and will hopefully eliminate them or make them more sensitive to chemotherapy."
The Auburn University Research Initiative in Cancer, or AURIC, was founded in 2012 to accelerate translation of cancer innovation from the laboratory to the clinic. AURIC embodies "One Medicine" - the concept that sees human and animal health as a single field where discoveries in one species advance health in both species.
Following issues with the implementation and associated costs of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons' database (iMIS), independent IT specialists TFX Consulting Ltd have reported on both the implementation project and the long-term suitability of the database for the College's needs.
The TFX iMIS Report highlights inadequacies in the procurement process for the IT system, especially with regard to the drafting of the original brief. The Report suggests that this led to differing expectations from the College and ASI, the company licensing and assisting with the implementation of the software, in terms of the detail and complexity of the project.
Although TFX says it believes the iMIS system to be suitable for the finance functionality required, it is critical of its ability to support some other RCVS data structures, and considers it is a poor fit for the complex registration and education functions of the College. The Report writers note that the RCVS continues to fulfil its statutory duties in terms of fee collection and the maintenance of registration records.
The key recommendations of the Report are that the RCVS continues to work with the iMIS database in the immediate future, particularly with regard to core functions, but that a new partner is sought for ongoing support of the system. Thereafter, the Report recommends that a plan is put in place to migrate away from the system over a period of two to three years, as part of a natural upgrade path for RCVS IT systems.
As part of this programme, TFX recommends that a detailed analysis exercise is required, with the objective of more completely defining the College's complex requirements.
This is the second of two reports prepared by TFX; the first reviewed the College's technology more generally. The Technology Report provided valuable advice in areas of network security, staged replacement of legacy hardware and a coherent software and licensing programme, with associated staff training.
The TFX iMIS Report can be downloaded from http://www.rcvs.org.uk/TFX
The TFX Technology Report will not be published, as it concerns issues relating to security of the College's IT infrastructure.
RCVS President Jerry Davies said: "We are grateful to TFX Consulting, and Ben Murray in particular, for the depth and clarity of both of their reports. It has been very useful to have independent scrutiny of the iMIS project and our IT systems as a whole.
"Lessons can be - and have been - learned. For example, new project management protocols have been introduced by the College, and the instigation of an Audit and Risk Committee has been agreed".
Council accepted the findings of the Report at its recent meeting, and the new Chief Executive and Secretary, Nick Stace, will consider how the recommendations are best implemented, when he takes up his post in September 2012.
Bayer Animal Health has produced a take home prescription guide to encourage pet owners to remain compliant with its antimicrobial, Veraflox (pradofloxacin).
The leaflet contains prescription details together with a treatment record and next appointment reminder. Group Product Manager Tracey Dawson said: "There is also a FAQ (frequently asked questions) section explaining why compliance is so important."
Bayer says the leaflet has been developed to help vets and VNs ensure pet owners are encouraged to be responsible with prescribed medicines. Tracey added: "The guide is designed to reinforce the information given by the prescribing vet, and answer further questions owners might have on arrival home or during the treatment."
Bayer highlights that Veraflox's mode of action helps reduce the potential for the development of resistant bacteria¹, but only if it is used correctly. Tracey said: "Although it might seem to be easy for pet owners to adhere to the advice given with prescribed medicines, especially with the more palatable options now available, it is very important that we help preserve the efficacy of the fluoroquinolone class by continuing to encourage strict client compliance through correct dosing, and finishing the course of antibiotics prescribed."
For further information, contact your Bayer Territory Manager or call Bayer Animal Health on 01635 563000.
Reference
Wetzstein HG. Comparative Mutant Prevention Concentrations of Pradofloxacin and Other Veterinary Fluoroquinolones Indicate Differing Potentials in Preventing Selection of Resistance. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2005;49(10): 4166-4173
Nominations are now being sought for candidates to stand in the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons Council and Veterinary Nurse Council (VN Council) elections. The deadline for nominations is 5pm on 31 January 2013.
Nick Stace, RCVS Chief Executive said: "Last year, a record number of veterinary surgeons showed by seeking a seat on RCVS Council that they were willing to help regulate their profession. The RCVS needs the efforts of willing vets and VNs to ensure that their professions continue to be well regulated. If you've thought about standing 'someday' - why not make someday now?"
There are six seats due to be filled on RCVS Council, and two on VN Council. Those elected will take their seats on RCVS Day next July, to serve four-year terms. Council members will be expected to spend at least six to eight days a year attending Council and Committee meetings, working parties and subcommittees (for which a loss-of-earnings allowance is available).
Each candidate needs to find two proposers; any veterinary surgeon or veterinary nurse (who is not presently on either Council) may propose one candidate for RCVS or VN Council respectively.
Nomination forms, full instructions and guidance notes are available from www.rcvs.org.uk/rcvscouncil13 and www.rcvs.org.uk/vncouncil13.
For the first time this year the RCVS will organise a webinar-style hustings event for RCVS Council candidates during the election period. This will offer candidates the opportunity to outline his or her manifesto verbally in a live event, with an audio-only recording. It will not be compulsory for candidates to take part, although it is hoped that the event will enable candidates to make their points in a way that will engage a broader range of voters than the paper manifestos alone.
Adam graduated from the RVC in 2007. He then undertook an internship before spending two years in practice including sole charge night work. In 2013, he completed his residency in ECC, again at the RVC, becoming a diplomate the same year. He was appointed an honorary lecturer of the University of Liverpool in 2014 and teaches and examines for advanced certification in ECC for a number of organisations.
Adam became an RCVS recognised specialist in emergency and critical care in 2015, before going on to become head of emergency and intensive care for four hospitals, overseeing standards of out-of-hours provision to 50-plus sites in and around London from 2013 to 2017.
He is the ECC representative to the RCVS practice standards group, he is a member of the central organising committee for EVECC conference, a member of the ACVECC education committee and vice-chair of a clinical advisory committee to 400 practices.
Hospital director David Walker said: “Emergency and critical care is a pivotal offering and Adam’s arrival means we can provide even better care to the most critically ill patients at Anderson Moores. Adam is working closely with all of our specialist-led services and he is already having a positive impact.”
For more information, visit www.andersonmoores.com.
Harper & Keele Veterinary School is a collaboration between Harper Adams University in Shropshire and Keele University in Staffordshire, and the BVetMS is the first UK veterinary degree to receive RCVS accreditation since the University of Surrey’s in 2019, as well as the first based in the West Midlands region.
Professor Tim Parkin FRCVS, RCVS President and Chair of the Education Committee (pictured right), said: “We would like to congratulate the staff at Harper & Keele Veterinary School for their hard work in ensuring that the school’s veterinary degree met our stringent accreditation standards, and welcome Harper & Keele graduates to their membership of the Royal College.
“Our accreditation panel found some very commendable aspects to the school, such as a commitment to inclusion and widening participation, how it supports students in finding non-clinical and clinical placements, and its use of innovation to support learning.
"We look forward to continuing to work with Harper & Keele over the coming months and years to ensure that high standards continue to be met.”
Professor Matt Jones MRCVS, an RCVS Council member and Head of School at Harper & Keele (pictured left), said: “We are delighted to receive the accreditation decision, which recognises our innovative approach to veterinary education and the huge commitment from our colleagues and partners that underpins it.
A Recognition Order to recognise the university’s degree will now be put before the Privy Council and, if it approves the Order, this will then be laid before Parliament.
If the Order is approved by both the Privy Council and Parliament, Harper & Keele’s degree will enter the cyclical RCVS accreditation process and be subject to annual monitoring.
This, says the company, highlights a missed opportunity for earlier cancer detection, which in turn limits the ability of veterinary teams to improve medical outcomes for their patients.
243 veterinary professionals took part in the survey, most of whom HT Vista says were general practitioners.
On average, they reported seeing 13.5 dermal and subcutaneous masses per vet per week, less than six of which lead to a diagnosis.
HT Vista says around 15% of these lumps will be malignant.
Veterinary oncologist Gillian Dank said: “Every week, thousands of dogs leave practices with undiagnosed masses.
"While many are benign, others are malignant, and delaying diagnosis can mean lost treatment opportunities and poorer prognoses.”
The number one reason why respondents said they don't test more widely is the assumption that a mass is benign by its gross characteristics, followed by owner concerns around cost, time constraints during consultations, and limited access to in-house cytology.
Vista HT Chief Commercial Officer Asher Fink and Managing Director Liron Levy-Hirsch will be presenting “20 dogs in your waiting room with lumps and bumps – how do you spot the 3 with cancer?" at the London Vet Show on 20th November from 1–1:50pm in Exhibitor Showcase Theatre 2
https://info.ht-vet.com/lump-and-bump-survey-results
https://www.cliniciansbrief.com/continuing-education/syllabus/lesson/cracking-code-lumps-bumps-fast-efficient-diagnosis-everyday-practice
https://london.vetshow.com/conference-programme-2025/session-title-coming-soon-38
Photo: www.depositphotos.com
Beechwood Veterinary Hospital has become the first (and only) place in the country where dogs and people can give blood.
The Doncaster vets has teamed up with the National Blood Service (NBS) and Pet Blood Bank UK (PBBuk) to offer the community the chance to help with these worthy causes.
Mark Straw, veterinary surgeon and associate director said: "I'm a regular blood donor and know how important it is to give. I thought it would be a great if I could do it at work, luckily enough so did the other staff and the owners of our patients. I am proud that Beechwood is now a people and pets lifesaver."
Mark added: "Once we were on the way to arranging our first NBS visit one of the dogs we were treating needed a transfusion so we made some calls and our first canine session takes place in May".
Craig Taylor, spokesperson for the NBS, said: "This is a real first for the country and it is happening here in Doncaster. It just goes to show how generous all it's residents are, I'm sure they will have as much support from their doggy donors as well."
"We would like to thank everyone who gave and everyone at hospital for making us so welcome."
Petplan is making a last call for entries to its Veterinary Awards, which recognise members of the veterinary profession who continually go above and beyond what is expected of them.
Nominations for the awards close on 31st January.
Nominations for all categories which include Vet of the Year, Vet Nurse of the Year, Vet Practice of the Year, Vet Support Staff of the Year, Practice Manager of the Year and Petplan Insurance Advisor of the Year are judged by an independent panel of industry experts. Every nominee receives a Petplan certificate so even if your nominee isn't one of the lucky finalists they'll still know and feel appreciated that someone has taken the time and effort to nominate them.
Petplan's Head of Sales and Partnerships, Simon Masding said: "Petplan knows that the veterinary world is full of brilliant professionals. The Petplan Veterinary Awards create a wonderful opportunity to recognise high performance, and demonstrate to your clients and to the wider industry what a great job your staff do. As well as the feel-good factor, there's a commercial benefit for being nominated too, one previous winner saw a 30% growth in their business as a result of winning. So if you would like to be in with a chance, you have just one month left to encourage your clients and staff to nominate!"
Finalists are invited to attend an award ceremony held at the Birmingham Town Hall on Thursday 3rd April 2014.
To nominate a friend or colleague, or register your interest in attending the awards evening, visit www.petplanvet.co.uk.
Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica has increased its range of marketing and educational materials about heart disease and the use of Vetmedin.
The materials include canine heart disease awareness posters for either the waiting room or consult room which feature 'static cling' technology, enabling them to stick to any surface without adhesive, as well as information leaflets, owner booklets, health diaries and dog tags.
Materials for dog owners are designed to inform about the signs to look out for with heart disease, and the steps involved in the diagnosis and management of the condition. There's a post-prescription owner booklet which features a health diary for dog owners to fill in, allowing them to track any changes in their dog's condition, as well as details on the telltale signs of heart failure and the benefits of Vetmedin.
Also available in the range are materials to help make prescribing the optimum dose of Vetmedin as easy as possible, including dose optimisation mouse mats, dose dials, treatment algorithms and interactive dose calculators on CD for those veterinary practices without internet access.
For further information, please contact your Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica territory manager or call 01344 746959.
The webinars will include a presentation by Peter Geldhof, Professor of Molecular Veterinary Parasitology at Ghent University in Belgium, who will focus on the development of novel diagnostics and vaccines for parasitic infections in pigs, and share the results of some of his research and academic projects.
Tuesday: https://www2.dechra.com/l/877972/2023-05-11/2f43x8p
Thursday: https://www2.dechra.com/l/877972/2023-12-19/2f4ll1q
With just a few days to go before the first anniversary of bluetongue being detected in England, the JAB campaign group is urging farmers to vaccinate their livestock to stop the disease from taking hold in this country as it has in Europe.
So far this year France has reported 4,543 cases of bluetongue, including cases in Calais, and the Netherlands has just confirmed its first case of the disease in 2008. The affected small holding reported a sick cow found with serotype eight which had not been vaccinated against infection.
With the threat of bluetongue re-emergence in the UK growing by the day, JAB leaders have issued a reminder to farmers to contact their vets as soon as their region is in the protection zone and vaccine is available.
In a statement JAB said: "The amount of cases being reported across Europe shows the disease is on the move. This most recent case in Holland demonstrates that not vaccinating livestock leaves farmers vulnerable to outbreaks now the midge season has started.
"The industry has rallied behind the JAB campaign and has done tremendously well in terms of vaccination. Nearly 19 million doses have already been made available to English farmers, and with another nine million doses planned to be released in the coming weeks we need those areas that are new to the protection zone to vaccinate as soon as they are able. We must remember bluetongue could already be circulating in areas where outbreaks occurred last year so the risks to everyone are very real.
"The explosion in the number of cases on the continent also acts as a timely reminder to those farmers in the current protection zone who have not vaccinated and the dangers this presents to their unprotected livestock
"We are entering the peak period for midge activity so vaccination is the only way to prepare and protect us from any potential outbreaks that may emerge in the coming weeks."
Woodley Equipment has announced that it has become the exclusive authorised distributor of Crony IR202 series and Saturno analysers, parts and consumables in the UK and Ireland.
Under the partnership agreement with Crony Instruments, Woodley will also provide service, support and maintenance for the analysers from this Italian manufacturer.
The arrangement covers the new Crony Saturno 100 Vet wet chemistry analyser, which is currently undergoing evaluation on site and will be available from Woodley Equipment in January 2010.
For more information, contact Woodley Equipment on 01798 813659 or email sales@quantumvetdiagnostics.com. Alternatively, visit: www.woodleyequipment.com/quantumvet
The Kennel Club has released a film, narrated by Clare Balding, which looks at the issues affecting dog health and wellbeing in this country and what is being done in 2012 to help ensure that dog welfare stays at the top of the agenda.
The film, 'Dogs - A Healthy Future', focuses on the main issues that affect dog health and welfare, including hereditary diseases, issues created by breeding dogs for the way that they look and the problem of cruel puppy farms that breed dogs for profit without regard for their health and welfare.
The film explores the steps that have already been taken to address these issues and the need for united action in order to ensure that the progress continues in 2012.
(The full 1/2 hour video is available here).
Caroline Kisko, Kennel Club Secretary, said: "The New Year is a good time for reflection, looking back at what has been done and what more can still be done to safeguard the health of dogs.
"Huge strides have been made to improve dog health, particularly with the knowledge that has been gained in recent years thanks to the advancement of genetic science, but there is still more to do. We particularly need to address the issue of people breeding dogs for money at the expense of health and for looks, whether these be pedigree or crossbreeds.
"The Kennel Club would like to see tighter regulations governing the way people breed their dogs in order to help clamp down on cruel puppy farms, and we ask people to sign our petition asking the government to act.
"As we look towards Crufts 2012 we look forward to introducing even tighter measures to ensure that dog shows play their part in driving change by rewarding, and so encouraging, the breeding of healthy dogs."
Sheila Crispin, Chairman of the Advisory Council on the Welfare Issues of Dog Breeding, said: "We are supposedly a nation of dog lovers and the issue of what we can do to improve dog health is close to the hearts of those that really do care. This film looks at the progress that has been made by the Kennel Club as well as other organisations and committed individuals to help address the complicated issues surrounding dog health and welfare, in addition to looking at what more needs to be done, through collaboration and united effort, to create an even better future for dogs."