Bayer Animal Health has launched Baytril® Max 100mg/ml Solution for Injection for Cattle and Pigs, which replaces the company's previously animal-specific Baytril Max products.

Bayer says the active ingredient, enrofloxacin, treats bacterial infection by inhibiting the action of bacterial DNA gyrase resulting in bacterial cell death.

In cattle, Baytril Max treats respiratory infections and mastitis caused by enrofloxacin-sensitive Histophilus somni, Mannheimia haemolytica, Pasteurella multocida and Mycoplasma spp., and enrofloxacin-sensitive E. coli respectively.

In pigs, Baytril Max targets bacterial bronchopneumonia caused by enrofloxacin-sensitive Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae, Pasteurella multocida  and complicated by Haemophilus parasuis as a secondary pathogen in pigs.

Bayer advises that vets treating cattle for respiratory infections should inject subcutaneously. Mastitis cases should be treated intravenously and pigs should be injected intramuscularly in the neck muscles, behind the ear. 

The development of the Baytril Max product family provides vets with greater treatment flexibility from one solution. 

For further information please visit www.noahcompendium.co.uk

MDC Exports is launching a cat cage at BSAVA Congress which it claims will revolutionise the way cats are cared for in veterinary surgeries

According to the company, plastic cages currently in use tend to harbour germs where cats have made scratches in their surfaces. This cage, however, is the first of its kind to be made from stainless steel, which cats' claws cannot damage.

MDC claims the hygienic Cat Cage will protect animals from disease and infection during their stay in surgery making for happier, healthier patients. The company says the stainless steel Cat Cage is strong, durable and can be flame sterilized. The handles can also be colour-coded, for example, yellow means neuter, red means post-anaesthetic and green means ready to go home. Each stainless steel Cat Cage also comes with a two-year free replacement guarantee.

For more information, visit MDC Exports at BSAVA Congress 2011 on stand 123. All visitors to the stand will receive a complimentary NipLok - the quick-release tourniquet that can be operated one-handed

Dechra has announced the return of Canaural, a treatment for otitis externa, to the veterinary market.

Canaural contains fusidic acid, framycetin and nystatin for their antibacterial and antifungal effects against the most common organisms associated with otitis externa. 

Fusidic acid has skin penetrating properties and is active against staphylococci and streptococci¹. Framycetin is active against Gram negative species. Dechra says the combination of the two provides an enhanced antibacterial effect on the most common bacterial cause of canine otitis².  

Nystatin is active against malassezia and prednisolone helps to provide anti-inflammatory and anti-pruritic action.

Dechra Brand Manager Carol Morgan said: “The reintroduction of Canaural to the veterinary treatment market means that once again veterinarians have this reliable and effective treatment available to tackle one of the most common canine complaints. 

"Canaural is a tried and tested product and a recent study showed that fusidic acid is highly efficacious against both methicillin sensitive and methicillin resistant strains of Staphylococcus pseudintermedius³. Canaural remains as relevant today as it has ever been."

Canaural comes in 15 ml and 25 ml bottle sizes and is now available in veterinary wholesalers.  

References

1. Trial report GB 182 (2001)
2. Nuttall, T.J. et al (2011) Fusidic acid and framycetin show synergistic antimicrobial activity in vitro , Abstracts of the 25th Annual Congress of the ECVD-ESVD, 8–10 September 2011, Brussels, Belgium  Veterinary Dermatology, 22, 468 
3. Clark et al (2015) Susceptibility in vitro of canine methicillin-resistant and –susceptible staphylococcal isolates to fusidic acid, chlorhexidine and miconazole: opportunities for topical therapy of canine superficial pyoderma. Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy 70 (7), 2048-2052  

MSD has announced that the broad-spectrum clostridial disease vaccine for sheep and cattle, Bravoxin 10, is now available in a new 6 x 100ml farm vaccination pack. The pack contains enough vaccine for 600 sheep or 300 cattle boosters.

Buyers of the new farm pack will also get a free vaccine applicator worth £20. The new Bravoxin 10 applicator benefits from the sterimatic system, which protects and sterilises the vaccination needle with each injection. MSD says it can also be placed down between doses without risk of needle damage, self-injection or needing to remove the vaccine bottle.

Bravoxin 10 protects both cattle and sheep from clostridial diseases like blackleg and black disease, as well as other conditions caused by clostridial bacteria that usually kill the animal once infection has become established. The vaccine protects against disease caused by the 10 main clostridial bacteria; C. perfringens type A, C.perfringens type B, C.perfringens type C, C.perfringens type D, C.novyi type B, C.septicum, C.tetani, C.sordellii, C.haemolyticum and C.chauvoei. 

The British Veterinary Association has responded to a study by Downs et al assessing the effects from four years of badger culling in England on the incidence of bovine tuberculosis (bTB) in cattle.

The study, published in Nature Scientific Reports, investigated the effect of culling in the first three licensed badger cull areas – Gloucestershire, Somerset and Dorset – using data from 2013 to 2017. 

Gloucestershire and Somerset saw reductions in bTB incidence rates in cull areas relative to comparison areas of 66 per cent and 37 per cent respectively after four years.  In Dorset, there was no change in incidence rates in cull areas relative to comparison areas after two years, but incidence dropped by 55 per cent in the same period in the 2km buffer zone around the edge of the cull area. Matched comparison areas were similar but not identical.

James Russell, BVA Junior Vice President said: "These findings are encouraging and offer further evidence that badger culling can result in significant reductions in the number of new cases of TB in cattle. However, they come with the caveat that the data only relates to the first three cull areas, and the variability within these alone makes it too early to draw firm conclusions that culling will reduce incidence significantly in all 40 areas where it is now taking place.

"BVA’s expert working group is currently considering all aspects of disease control looking at cattle testing, removal of reactors, compensation and control in other farmed animals as well as the culling and vaccination of badgers. The group will consider this additional evidence as we develop our new policy on bTB.

"We continue to support a comprehensive and evidence-based approach to tackling bTB, including the use of badger culling where there is a demonstrated need and where it is done safely, humanely and effectively as part of a comprehensive strategy.

"The best way of halting the spread of this devastating disease is enhancing our understanding of bTB and applying that evidence to the eradication process.”

Animalcare has launched Vetaclean, a new range of disinfectants which the company says has a notably high kill activity against canine parvovirus and common feline viruses such as FIV, FeLV and FCV.

The range comprises Vetaclean Parvo Advance, a surface disinfectant-cleaner, Vetaclean enzymatic instrument detergent-cleaner, and an instrument disinfectant. 

Animalcare Product Manager, Tony Liepman, said: "Veterinary nurses tell us that canine parvovirus is the most challenging and resistant pathogen they work with, and so we set this as our benchmark for the Vetaclean disinfectant products. Tested under EN protocols and having 99.99% + kill activity against parvovirus, our new disinfectants demonstrate high efficacy against a broad range of bacteria, including MRSA/MRSP, fungi, viruses, mycobacteria and spores.

"Infection control is in the spotlight at the moment, highlighted by initiatives from within and outside our industry. Firstly, the new Practice Standards Scheme - launched at the same time as our range - places great emphasis on having a rigorous biosecurity policy. This includes requirements for personal hygiene as well as cleanliness of premises and equipment. High-level decontamination of instruments and equipment is ensured through the Vetaclean two-stage process, which works with even soiled instruments or equipment, and in under 20 minutes. The products have also been designed to be suitable for use on the most specialised equipment seen in today’s practices, including flexible or rigid endoscopes, ultrasonic baths, aspirators, arthroscopes and re-processing machines. 

"Importantly, the active ingredients in the Vetaclean range meet the criteria of the new EU Biocides Regulations, policed by the Health and Safety Executive in the UK, which came into effect on 1^st September 2015. All products with biocidal activity now need to undergo a complex registration process, ensuring the products are not harmful to people, the environment or animals. The rigorous process may see many disinfectant manufacturers pull out of the market, resulting in less choice. Further, the Vetaclean range does not contain Poly (hexamethylene biguanide) hydrochloride (PHMB). The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) is currently proposing that PHMB is listed as a category 2 carcinogen."

The Vetaclean Parvo Advance range includes a 1 litre lavender product in a self-dosing bottle, 5 litre apple and lemon-fragranced liquid concentrates and unfragranced large surface wipes. There are two different dilution rates: a general purpose dilution rate for most pathogens at 1:100 (10ml per litre), and a parvocidal dilution rate at 1:50 (20ml per litre). Animalcare says the alkaline-based formula ensures that the products are compatible with a wide range of materials and are non-staining. Both the enzymatic instrument cleaner and instrument disinfectant are available in 2 litre concentrates (incorporating a calibrated dosing reservoir).

The Vetaclean range is available now in wholesalers. The company has also produced a brochure Hygiene in practice, a guide to veterinary infection control from Animalcare, designed to help familiarise veterinary professionals with the principles and uses of the product range. There is also a special launch offer of Buy-4-Get-One-Free available from Animalcare representatives.

For further information, contact Animalcare on 01904 487687, or speak to your regional Animalcare representative: www.animalcare.co.uk/contact-us.

Bayer Animal Health has launched a free mobile app for pet owners, offering a bespoke parasite treatment reminder service, to help them follow their parasite protection plan prescribed by their vet.

The app was launched following a survey that found that 65% of pet owners do not regularly use parasite treatment products and are not certain that their pet is adequately protected against fleas, ticks, lice, mites and intestinal worms¹. In addition, 83% of owners do not realise full protection against parasites requires a combination of two or more treatment products, and 45% are not confident that they have the job under control².

The app allows owners to develop an on-going parasite protection plan in line with their veterinary prescription and receive automated reminders on treatment dates. In addition, the app allows users to set reminders for vaccination boosters, other vet appointments, and entering special dates like their pet's birthday or grooming appointments.

Once downloaded, users can create a pet profile to keep track of all their information in one place, including breed details, microchip number, weight, and date of birth of their dogs, cats, rabbits and ferrets. A 'learn' section of the app is also available to provide owners with the general information about parasites and the risk they pose to pets and family members.

The Jungle for Pets app is initially available to download for iPhones and iPads, by searching 'Jungle for Pets' in the Apple App store or clicking here.

VetSurgeon downloaded the app to try it out. A very polished app which has the potential to be extremely useful for those of us that can't remember our own names, let alone when the dog is due to be wormed. Three problems we found, which will doubtless be ironed out in future updates: Firstly, whilst the app works on an iPad, it's sized for and looks better on an iPhone. Secondly, it demanded a photo of the dog for registration. Whilst that's easy enough to do with an iPhone, the app then froze when we tried. Perhaps it should be optional. Finally, whilst the app very usefully allows for reminders of non-Bayer products, it doesn't appear to allow the user to type in the name of the product, forcing it to be listed as 'other'. We suspect that anyone who can't remember treatment dates (probably most of us) also won't be able to remember what 'other' was, especially if there are more than one or two 'other' products.

References

1. Onepoll survey of 1,000 cat and dog owners in the UK, June 2012
2. Research commissioned by Opinion Matters - survey of 1,000 British cat and dog owners,  May 2012

SureFlap, a microchip pet product company, will be launching SureFeed, a new automatic cat feeder at the London Vet Show, Stand L32, on the 21^st - 22^nd November 2013. 

The company, which already sells a range of microchip-operated pet doors, says the new products are designed to keep food fresh and the kitchen free of smells and flies.  

SureFeed will be available in two models: the SureFeed Pet Feeder, which opens when any pet approaches, and the SureFeed Microchip Pet Feeder which in addition functions as a selective pet feeder that opens only when it identifies a cat with a registered microchip or RFID collar tag.

Both products feature a bowl which seals shut to keep wet food fresh.    

Dr Nick Hill, inventor of SureFeed as well as founder and inventor of SureFlap says this is an exciting new development for the company: "Many cats are fussy eaters and prefer to eat food when it is fresh, others are on special diets and this can be a problem in multi-pet households. Even in households where each cat is on the same diet, a 'greedy' cat, or even dog, can eat most of the food. This can result in one pet becoming overweight while the other starts to lose condition. The SureFeed product range has been designed to address all these issues." 

The SureFeed Microchip Pet Feeder recognises a cat's unique microchip number and when an authorised cat is present, the sealed lid over the bowl slides back to reveal the food. Once the cat has left the feeder, the lid slides back over the bowl. The SureFeed Pet Feeder features the same sealed lid which is triggered to open by any approaching pet, closing again when the pet has finished feeding. 

Nick said: "The SureFeed product range is the culmination of two years' intensive development work. The feeders incorporate a number of features to maximise usability, such as the Microchip Pet Feeder's side guards and lid which folds up to the rear, which shield the food from other pets while the authorised cat is eating. The feeders are both easy to wipe clean and the food bowl, mat and lid can be removed and are dishwasher-safe.

"The SureFeed Pet Feeder and Microchip Pet Feeder are the first in a suite of pet feeding products from SureFlap incorporating sealed operation and flexible feeding options and we are looking forward to developing the range in the future."

SureFeed products will be available to order from early 2014 but in the meantime, you can see them in action at Stand L32 at the London Vet Show.

Forte Healthcare has announced that Reconcile (fluoxetine), its treatment for separation anxiety in dogs, is now back in stock in all veterinary wholesalers in the UK.

The company says that recent supply issues have been due to 'incredible' demand for Reconcile since it was launched in the UK in 2022, which greatly surpassed expectations.

Dr Lucy Chadwick, Head of Technical Services & Marketing at Forte Healthcare Ltd said: “We realise that the recent supply issues have been very inconvenient so we thank all of our customers for their patience and support during this challenging time.

"We are confident that our supply issues to date have been resolved and that we have enough stock going forward to meet market demand.“

www.reconcilefordogs.com

Elanco Companion Animal Health has launched of Dexdomitor 0.1 mg/ml, adding to its range of alpha-2 agonists and antagonists. 

Produced and manufactured in partnership with Orion Corporation, Elanco says Dexdomitor 0.1 mg/ml contains all the properties of dexmedetomidine in a formulation that allows accurate and convenient dosing for the smallest patients. It can be used as a sedative for non-invasive, mild to moderately painful procedures and examinations which require restraint, sedation and analgesia in dogs and cats.  It can also be used for deep sedation and analgesia in dogs in concomitant use with butorphanol for medical and minor surgical procedures and as a pre-medication in dogs and cats before induction and maintenance of general anaesthesia.

Dexdomitor 0.1 mg/ml has been designed to provide accurate dosing in very small dogs (up to 5kg) for sedation and pre-medication, small to mid-size dogs (up to 20kg) for pre-medication, and small cats (up to 3kg) for sedation and pre-medication.

Ed Whittle MRCVS, technical consultant at Elanco Companion Animal Health said: "With nearly a quarter of dogs weighing less than 6kg and nearly three-quarters weighing less than 23.1kg¹, Dexdomitor 0.1mg/ml is ideal for small animals that require low concentration doses of dexmedetomidine for convenient and accurate dosing".

Elanco has has also produced a sedation and pre-medication dosing guide to educate veterinary professionals on the recommended doses for its range of alpha-2 agonists and alpha-2 antagonists.

For further information contact your Elanco Companion Animal Health key account manager or email elancoCAH.uk@elanco.com.

An expert panel of veterinary surgeons at the FECAVA/WSAVA/DSAVA Congress in Copenhagen have issued a series of recommendations about the role of the veterinary profession in addressing the problems associated with brachycephalic breeds.

The expert panel consisted of Peter Sandøe (Denmark), Professor of Ethics and Welfare; Helle Friis Proschowsky (Denmark), a veterinary surgeon working with the Danish Kennel Club; Laurent Findji (France/UK), Specialist in Soft Tissue Surgery; Gudrun Ravetz (UK) – Senior Vice President, British Veterinary Association; Kristin Wear Prestrud (Norway) – Veterinary Scientific Director of the Norwegian Kennel Club and Åke Hedhammar (Sweden), Professor Emeritus in Internal Medicine (companion animals), a veterinary consultant for the Swedish Kennel Club and a member of the WSAVA Hereditary Disease Committee.

Kristin Wear Prestrud said: "Vets should dare to speak out. We must educate owners on all health and welfare matters, whether we are simply advising them that their dog is overweight or if we need to give advice on breeding or refuse planned Caesarean sections."

The panel's recommendations are:

At a practice level, veterinary professionals should:

1. Advise the public not to buy animals with extreme conformation. This applies both to breeds and to individual dogs.
2. Raise awareness among dog owners and advise them about health and welfare issues in dogs with extreme conformations. 
3. Raise awareness among breeders, breed clubs and show judges and advise them as to health and welfare issues in dogs with extreme conformations. Take an active role in pre-breeding examinations and in giving advice regarding potential breeding stock.
4. Inform dog owners and breeders about breeding restrictions if a dog is surgically treated for BOAS or other problems related to extreme traits linked to breeding (in countries where no such restrictions exist, strongly advise against breeding). Advise neutering at the time of surgery if good practice allows.
5. Share data on health and welfare issues related to extreme breeding. Where a national submission system exists, submit details on conformation-altering surgery and caesarean sections related to extreme breeding traits. 

At an organisational level, the veterinary profession should:

1. Implement a communication campaign to proactively raise awareness among the public in general and to advise them about health and welfare issues in dogs with extreme conformations. 
2. Work together with national cynological organisations and other stakeholders to set up registers of confirmation-altering surgeries and caesarean sections as well as relevant screening programmes (ie pre-breeding examinations).
3. Call for the revision of breed standards to help prevent BOAS and other brachycephalic-related disorders. Breed standards should include evidence-based limits on physical features (eg muzzle length) and approaches such as outcrossing should be considered.
4. Launch and distribute veterinary health certificates for puppies and/or checklists for prospective buyers in support of responsible, healthy breeding.
5. Develop evidence-based international standardised protocols for the examination of breeding animals regarding respiratory function and thermoregulation.
6. Set up systems allowing the gathering of data from veterinary practices regarding health and welfare-related issues in dogs with extreme conformations.
7. Set up undergraduate training / CPD to equip vets to take a more active role in providing breeding advice to breeders, breeder organisations and judges, related to extreme conformation and screening procedures.

Photo: ponpimonsa_bibi/Shutterstock

The AHT has published the first research paper of its kind which looks at idiopathic epilepsy (IE) in the Italian Spinoni, a breed where the prevalence of IE has been found to be 5.3%, compared to 0.6% estimated to be seen in dogs generally in UK first opinion practice.

Dr Luisa De Risio, Head of Neurology at the AHT and lead researcher on the paper, said: "Idiopathic epilepsy is the most common chronic neurologic disorder in dogs but it can be more common in some breeds than others, for example Irish Wolfhounds, Border Collies and Italian Spinoni. Sadly, we see a lot epileptic dogs in our clinic, including these breeds as well as Golden Retrievers and Labrador Retrievers, so research being undertaken at the AHT, and around the world, is very important in helping owners of dogs with epilepsy to be able to control the effects of the disease.

"The Italian Spinone is a wonderful breed but is highly affected by idiopathic epilepsy. To our knowledge, no one has conducted such a large-scale research study in this breed to be able to gain a better understanding of how the epilepsy manifests, how prevalent it really is and, importantly, which factors may contribute to survival in these dogs.

"With the backing of the Italian Spinone Club of Great Britain, the AHT was able to design a questionnaire for the research study and work with the Kennel Club to invite over 3,000 Kennel Club registered Italian Spinone owners to aid our research by completing the questionnaire.

"1,192 owners participated in the research and of this sample, 63 Italian Spinoni had IE. Owners of affected dogs were then invited to complete a further questionnaire and asked to make the dog's medical records available. This gave us a very large amount of data to analyse from which we were able to glean a lot of very useful information about the clinical characteristics of idiopathic epilepsy in Italian Spinoni."

The research also looked at survival times of those dogs in the study with IE. Survival was significantly longer in Italian Spinone with no cluster seizures and in Italian Spinone in which antiepileptic medication was initiated after the second seizure rather than after more than three seizures.

Luisa continued: "From this sample we were able to conclude that idiopathic epilepsy in this breed often has a severe presentation but starting treatment with antiepileptic medication after the second seizure, and aggressive treatment of cluster seizures, may improve the survival of these dogs.

"The input in treatment design and modulation by a specialist veterinary neurologist with expertise in canine epilepsy can help to optimise treatment success and the dog's quality of life.

"We hope these findings will help to increase veterinary knowledge and understanding of this horrible disease and give Italian Spinoni, and other affected breeds, the best chance of fighting IE.

"Epilepsy is one of the most complex and difficult diseases to treat, with several variables in any case, but it is important for owners not to give up hope and to seek a consultation with a veterinary neurologist who specialises in epilepsy, if possible."

The next phase of the AHT's research in the Italian Spinone is to identify the genetic basis of this condition, with the aim of identifying the genetic mutations responsible so that a genetic test could be created. This research is currently on-going in Italian Spinoni and Border Collies and requires more DNA samples from affected and unaffected dogs.

Luisa said: "A genetic test is the only way to successfully help breeders identify carriers and select matings which are most likely to produce unaffected dogs. However, the genetics, like the condition itself, are very complex so the development of such a test is still likely to be many years away. The most we can do for these lovely dogs now is to share these findings across the veterinary profession and to do our best to treat each dog as well as we can."

The full paper is titled 'Idiopathic Epilepsy in the Italian Spinone in the United Kingdom: Prevalence, Clinical Characteristics, and Predictors of Survival and Seizure Remission' and is published in the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine on an open-access basis.

Photo: © Caroline Granycome