The app, which was designed to provide veterinary surgeons, nurses and receptionists with quick access to up-to-date biological data on a wide range of exotic pets, now contains information about 40 different exotic pet species, from Grey Parrots to Sugar Gliders.
Each species entry offers an overview of the pet, details of common conditions, therapeutics and treatment videos.
Mark, pictured right with a Sulcata tortoise said: "There are a wide range of exotic pets that are becoming increasingly popular with pet owners, yet very few vets understandably have advanced knowledge in this niche area. The "Veterinary Care for Exotics" app for vets means vets, vet nurses and receptionists can now have this knowledge at their fingertips, giving them the reassuring back-up they need when presented with more unusual pets."
The app can be downloaded from Google Play and from Apple's app store, priced at £11.99.
For more information contact Mark Rowland: trinitycpd@gmail.com.
John (pictured right) will compete against leading businessmen and women from across the country and a range of industries in the 'Entrepreneur for Good' category, designed to celebrate entrepreneurs that are pioneering ideas and business models to help drive social change.
John founded Burns Pet Nutrition in 1993, with the thinking that a healthy diet is key to managing many of the common health problems seen in pets. In fact, John reckons he's done more for pets with his line of pet food than he could have ever hoped to have achieved in general practice.
In 2008, John set up The Burns Pet Nutrition Foundation - a charity dedicated to improving the lives of people and pets across the UK. Today, the in-house charity is run by a team of six who specialise in everything from one-off donations to grassroots projects.
One such project, Burns by Your Side, helps schoolchildren to improve their literacy and communication skills with the aid of trained volunteers and their companion dogs. The scheme is currently active in over 40 educational settings across parts of Wales and Ireland.
More recently, Burns Pet Nutrition announced a £1M charity donation to mark its 25th year of trading.
John said "I have decided that the company should be a force for good. I want Burns Pet Nutrition to not only be known for our natural pet food, but also for establishing and maintaining a legacy of good causes in the community."
John is in the running to win the Entrepreneur for Good award along with six other Welsh entrepreneurs. The winners will be announced on Thursday 22nd November at a special gala final in Cardiff.
For further information on the awards, please visit, www.greatbritishentrepreneurawards.com.
RCVS Council agreed, in principle, to the sale of Belgravia House and for the College and its London-based staff to move to different premises at its November meeting.
The sale of the building and the move will be overseen by the College’s Estate Strategy Project Board headed by former RCVS President Barry Johnson and including current and former RCVS Council members and RCVS staff.
The RCVS has been based at its current premises in 62-64 Horseferry Road for 25 years, but says it now needs more up-to-date and modern facilities to accommodate a projected increase in the number of staff.
The College says it has considered a number of alternatives, including expanding the current premises by adding or expanding floors. However, due to the fact that the building is in a conservation area, it has become clear that any such expansions would be unlikely to get planning permission from Westminster Council.
Lizzie Lockett, RCVS Chief Executive, said: "For a number of years it has become apparent that it is fast approaching the time at which our current premises will no longer be fit for purpose due to an increase in the number of RCVS staff – something that is projected to continue in the future – the ongoing need to use the building for Disciplinary Hearings, which take over the lion’s share of available meeting space, and the need for better and more modern facilities.
"Even putting our need for increased space on one side, Belgravia House requires major refurbishment in key areas such as air-conditioning and lifts, which would require staff to vacate the premises for up to 18 months, which would be costly and disruptive.
"We are therefore pleased that Council has recognised the need for the College to move somewhere that better reflects our needs and, over the coming months, we will be exploring a number of different options for new premises.
"In parallel to this we have put out an invitation to tender for agents to manage the sale of the building. The plan is for the arrangement to include lease-back so that we have time to find a suitable premises and enabling us to act quickly when we do."
Any organisations that are interested in putting forward a tender to manage the sale of the building should contact Corrie McCann, RCVS Director of Operations, on 020 7202 0724. Responses to tender are required by 30 November 2018.
Photo: Copyright Google 2018
All members of the practice team are invited to nominate their receptionist, as are members of the public. Nominations should highlight the dedication and effort the nominee demonstrates, and entries need to be in by the 31st January 2019.
BVRA founder Brian Faulkner MRCVS said: "Veterinary receptionists are as crucial to the success of a veterinary practice as any other role. They are first and last impression a client has of a veterinary practice and the association is keen to recognise and reward their unique contribution to the industry.
We’ve been astounded by how popular the BVRA has been since its launch one year ago with receptionists at every level of experience, reporting appreciation as well as the benefits of Accredited Veterinary Receptionist Award. It’s entirely appropriate that BVRA champions ‘best practice’ and therefore the BVRA’s Veterinary Receptionist of the Year Award will recognise their hard work."
Brian added: "We’re so grateful to all of our corporate sponsors in helping us get BVRA off the ground and grow. We are especially grateful to Feliway and Adaptil, sponsors of The Veterinary Receptionist of the Year Award. A motivated and inspired veterinary receptionist can be the difference between whether a client registers with your practice or not. So why not log onto the www.bvra.co.uk right now and nominate that receptionist who deserves to be acknowledged and celebrated?"
Three finalists will be chosen and invited to attend BVRA’s 2nd Annual congress on 16th March 2019 in Sutton Coldfield, where the winner will be announced.
To nominate your receptionist, visit: https://www.bvra.co.uk/Home/CPD.
It is thought that the main reason for the cutbacks is a shortage of veterinary surgeons caused by Brexit, which is making it both harder and more expensive to recruit.
The company has given an undertaking that the joint venture partners of the practices it offers to buy back will not be expected to repay outstanding borrowings to any parties and Pets at Home will settle any liabilities for third party bank loans and leases on behalf of the JVP.
Chief Executive Peter Pritchard said: "Since becoming the Group CEO in May, I have had the opportunity to take stock of the wider group and shape my view of our future.
"What I have found fills me with confidence. Pets at Home is a healthy business and customers are loving what we do; responding to our price repositioning, investment in digital and the amazing service delivered by our vet partners. We have the ability to offer almost everything a pet owner needs, giving us opportunities our competitors simply don't have. Which is why my vision is to develop a complete pet care company, uniting our retail and vet businesses.
"Reviewing our Vet Group has been a priority. I recognise we have grown at pace and more recently, have seen the pressure that rising costs and our fees are placing on this young business. We will need to recalibrate the business to deliver more measured growth, whilst maintaining our plan to generate significant cash profits.
"We are focused on maximising our unique assets and delivering a plan for sustainable cashflow and profit growth. Given the success of the changes we have made in Retail, I'm confident we can do this."
Equip Artervac is indicated for the active immunisation for horses against equine arteritis virus to reduce the clinical signs and shedding of virus in nasal secretions following infection.
Zoetis says it is working hard to resolve the situation and apologises for any convenience caused.
For more information, contact your Zoetis Account Manager or the Zoetis Technical Team on customersupportUK@zoetis.com or 0845 300 9084 choosing option 1.
This list was originally prepared BVDA President, Alex Smithson after being asked by lots of colleagues which dentistry CPD he knows of or recommends.
To his list, we've also added events hosted by Improve International and Bob Partridge.
In addition to the following courses, Orosurgeon Ltd provides in-house, group and individual training throughout the year. Courses can cover all dentistry and oral surgery topics, basic to advanced, including restorative & endodontic dentistry.
Contact admin@orosurgeon.co.uk for details.
Dr Bohnen faced two charges. The first was that in March 2017, she failed to attend to Belle, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, in order to provide appropriate and adequate care including: assisting Belle with urination, monitoring her with a view to considering alternative treatment options, and monitoring her with a view to providing her owners with an update on her condition.
The second charge was that Dr Bohnen later claimed dishonestly that she had attended to the animal, both to the owners, in clinical records hospital records, in a note provided to colleagues and during internal disciplinary proceedings held at her practice.
At the outset of the hearing the Committee considered an application from Dr Bohnen for the hearing to be postponed as she was now based in her home country of South Africa, and said she could not apply for a visa to return to the UK until later in the year and internet access in her location was poor.
However, the Committee found that the RCVS had properly served the notice of inquiry to Dr Bohnen in accordance with the current rules, that she had had sufficient time and opportunity to apply for a visa since receiving the notice and that, in any case, she could remotely ‘attend’ the hearing via Skype or telephone if necessary by travelling to somewhere that did have adequate internet connectivity, and so it refused the application.
The Disciplinary Committee then considered the facts of the case and heard evidence from the owners of Belle, the clinical director of the practice that Dr Bohnen worked in at the relevant time and a veterinary nurse, who was a student doing her training at the practice during the time of the events in question.
Having considered all of the evidence, the Committee dismissed the parts of the first charge relating to considering alternative treatment options and updating the owners in relation to Belle’s condition. They did, however, find the charge proven in relation to Dr Bohnen failing to assist Belle with urination.
The Committee found all aspects of the second charge proven in its entirety after Dr Bohnen admitted in advance of the hearing, that her representations were false and misleading.
The Committee then went on to consider whether the second charge and the aspects of the first charge that were found proven amounted to serious professional misconduct both individually and cumulatively.
The Committee considered that Dr Bohnen’s conduct in failing to assist Belle with urination, whilst falling below the standard to be expected of a reasonably competent veterinary surgeon, did not amount to serious professional misconduct.
The Committee did however find that Dr Bohnen’s conduct with regards to the second charge constituted serious professional misconduct.
Professor Alistair Barr, chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: "The Committee considers that the respondent’s dishonesty was the prime aggravating factor in this case. Although overall it could be regarded as a single incident, the Committee has found that it involved the fabrication of a number of notes and clinical records in the immediate aftermath of the death of the dog, but, thereafter, the respondent continued to deny the falsity of the fabricated records that she had created up to and until the conclusion of her interview by the practice on 30 March 2017.
"During that time, the respondent had contacted the alarm company responsible for the security of the premises of the practice, to enquire whether the security system would record the times of the alarm being switched on and off. This indicated that the respondent’s dishonesty continued over a significant period of time, and that her persistence in sticking to her story became premeditated. In other words, the respondent’s conduct over this time indicated a clear attempt to deceive."
Regarding the sanction for Dr Bohnen, the Committee considered that the principle aggravating factors in the case were serious dishonesty towards both her colleagues and the owners of the dog and involved clear breaches of the Code of Professional Conduct. By way of mitigation, the Committee noted that Dr Bohnen is of previous good character with no other professional findings against her and that she had demonstrated some insight into her behaviour and had admitted being dishonest and misleading prior to the hearing.
Summing up, Professor Barr said: "Because of the seriousness of this case, the Committee did not consider that it was appropriate to postpone judgement, take no further action, or to administer a reprimand and warning as to future conduct. The Committee considered that the respondent’s conduct, involving significant and admitted dishonesty over a period of time, required a significant penalty, in order to protect the welfare of animals and to serve the public interest.
"Accordingly, the Committee has decided to direct that the respondent’s registration be suspended for a period of nine months."
Dr Bohnen has 28 days from being informed of the Committee’s decision to lodge an appeal with the Privy Council.
Whilst you're here, take a moment to see our latest job opportunities for vets.
The main changes announced today are:
In the future, the revalidation interval, which currently ranges from two to five years depending on the course, will be standardised at 4 years.
Currently, there is a two-month window in which Official Veterinarians (OV) can submit their final declarations, on completion of the course, if they want to set their next revalidation interval from the end of the window.
The revalidation window will be extended to a six-month period prior to the completion deadline date. If completed in this window, the date of the next revalidation would be taken from the deadline date and not the date of completion.
APHA is discussing ways of making invigilation more flexible, to help those working in sole-charge or remote practices. One option being investigated with course accreditation providers is remote invigilation, though this would come at extra cost.
All the multiple choice questions in the online exams are being reviewed to make sure they test the ability to perform the role, and in the future, candidates will be given more feedback at the end of the test (ie which questions they answered incorrectly).
In terms of CPD requirements, there will be clarification on what can be considered relevant CPD towards the 10 hours that need to be completed over the four-year timeframe.
Lastly, APHA has announced a raft of changes concerning course content, and that it will itself review all the courses to consider how the number of courses and topics can be rationalised, how to reduce the number of qualifications any OV might need and/or the time spent revalidating, and how to reduce the content without losing quality.
The BVA, which spearheaded the campaign for reform, has welcomed the announcement. Simon Doherty, BVA President, said: "We’re delighted that APHA has taken on board our members’ concerns with the current system and proposed improvements that should make the process much more fair and consistent while continuing to maintain high standards. This is a really crucial time for ensuring that the workforce retains skilled professionals and is at full strength to keep animal welfare standards high, protect public health and meet demand for export certification after Brexit.
"This piece of work is a shining example of what can be achieved when vets pull together to air concerns and make the case for change. We will continue to work closely with APHA to explore and put in place ways of making the revalidation process as fit for purpose as possible for this critical section of the workforce."
Full review: http://apha.defra.gov.uk/documents/ov/Briefing-Note-0519.pdf
Suitable for both puppies and adult dogs, Eradia is presented in a bottle with an award-winning1 'All-In-One Smart Cap' which stops the person administering the product from coming into contact with the solution, is child proof and offers flexible dosing options.
Available in 30ml and 100ml bottles to cater for all dogs, Eradia can be administered either directly into the mouth or on to food.
Virbac says that Eradia has been shown to be accepted by 100% of dogs2, thereby alleviating any possible problems administering metronidazole.
For more information, contact your Virbac Territory Manager.
References
Furthermore, the research found that among female dogs that had problems giving birth, French bulldog bitches are then 2.4 times more likely to undergo invasive caesarean sections than crossbred dogs.
This compared to brachycephalic bitches in general, which the RVC researchers found are 1.54 times more likely to need a caesarean compared with their longer-nosed pure breed or crossbred counterparts.
As part of the research, academics studied 20,000 bitches that required emergency treatment at 50 Vets Now veterinary clinics between 2012 and 2014.
Their findings, published in two papers in The Veterinary Record, highlight the substantial risks that bitches and their puppies face during the birthing process.
According to the first paper1, 3.7% of female dogs suffer from dystocia. Alongside French bulldogs, other pure breeds such as Boston terriers, chihuahuas and pugs, are also particularly at risk of birthing problems. Compared to crossbred bitches, Boston terriers are 12.9 times more likely to face birthing issues, pugs 11.3 times more likely and chihuahuas 10.4 times more likely.
The second paper2, which is available open access, examines the effects of difficult births more closely. It found that on average, 25% of puppies and 1.7% of the bitches do not survive problem births. Apart from the risk of death, problem births also mean that many bitches have to undergo painful and invasive surgery, with 48.6% of problem births needing caesarean surgery.
Bulldogs (also known as British Bulldogs), border terriers and golden retrievers were the top three breeds at risk of caesarean section once they have difficulty giving birth. Bulldogs are 7.6 times more likely, border terriers are 4.9 times more likely and golden retrievers are 4.1 times more likely to need the procedure compared with crossbreeds.
RVC veterinary epidemiologist and VetCompass researcher Dr Dan O’Neill said: "This new research is another piece of evidence suggesting that mankind may have gone too far in modifying dog breed shapes towards extreme conformation that can interfere with basic biological functions. We all need to fall back in love with dog-shaped dogs and move away from the current fascination with extreme-shaped dogs."
O’Neill, DG., O’Sullivan, AM., Manson, EA., Church, DB., McGreevy, PD., Boag, AK., Brodbelt, DC.(2019) Canine dystocia in 50 UK first-opinion emergency care veterinary practices: clinical management and outcomes Veterinary Record Published Online First:04 February 2019. doi: 10.1136/vr.104944.
Their study, which was published in the research journal PeerJ at the end of last year1, investigated the effects of insulin on equine hoof lamellar cells in the laboratory.
The researchers say that high levels of insulin have been known for some time to cause acute endocrine laminitis, seen when ponies and certain types of horses graze lush pasture or consume a starch- or sugar-rich diet, or when they develop Cushing’s syndrome.
Many ponies and horses at risk of the condition produce large spikes of insulin in their blood stream after consuming meals high in non-structural carbohydrates (in particular starch and simple sugars) which indicates that this could be the way in which they succumb to acute endocrine laminitis.
The mechanism by which insulin can cause effects in the foot leading to laminitis has been the subject of much debate in recent years.
Hormones like insulin must interact with a specific receptor on the surface of cells in order to produce their effects. What has confused researchers in the past is that there appear to be no insulin receptors on the hoof lamellar cells (these cells give the lamellar tissues their strength and changes to their growth or structure weaken the bonds and cause laminitis).
The researchers considered the close similarities between insulin and a growth factor hormone called insulin-like growth factor -1 (IGF-1). There are receptors for IGF-1 on the lamellar cells, and the researchers speculated that high concentrations of insulin might be able to cross-stimulate these cells by activating the IGF-1 receptors. To investigate this possibility PhD student Courtnay Baskerville, together with her supervisor Professor Simon Bailey, developed a method for culturing lamellar epithelial cells in the laboratory, and incubated them with increasing concentrations of insulin.
They found that high concentrations of insulin stimulated the cells to proliferate. Furthermore, this effect could be prevented using an antibody that specifically blocks only the IGF-1 receptor. Further downstream effects within the cells were also shown. The changes seemed to occur mainly at very high concentrations of insulin. Similar concentration levels can be seen in ponies and horses with insulin dysregulation linked to Equine Metabolic Syndrome, but are not commonly seen in normal horses that are considered to be at lower risk of laminitis.
Further work is now ongoing to determine exactly how these cellular changes induced by sustained high insulin concentrations might cause laminitis. However, it seems that targeting the IGF-1 receptor may be an option for developing new drugs to prevent and treat laminitis.
Professor Simon Bailey said: "The information gathered in this study provides the equine industry worldwide with valuable insights into the causes of the common and serious condition of laminitis. The research group would like to acknowledge the support of the Waltham Centre for Pet Nutrition, in particular the involvement of Professor Pat Harris.”
Reference
The PFMA says the factsheets have been produced with nutrition experts in response to demand from industry professionals.
Nicole Paley, Deputy Chief Executive, PFMA said: "We launched our factsheet range just over a year ago to tackle and dispel many of the myths around pet food. The range now covers sixteen subjects and with over 3,400 downloads, they have proved to be a valuable resource for pet professionals at the front line of pet care.
"We decided to add the Vegetarian Diets Factsheet and Food Allergy and Intolerance Factsheet to our range in response to demand for clarification on these topics. Owners are exploring alternative diets and whilst cats are obligate carnivores, dogs are omnivores and can adapt to vegetarian diets. As with all diets, they need to be well-balanced and our factsheet contains top tips.
"The Allergy Factsheet explains the difference between allergies and intolerances, which are both adverse food reactions but are very different conditions requiring different advice from veterinary professionals."
To see the full range of PFMA factsheets, visit: pfma.org.uk/fact-sheets.
The dentistry group is one of a number of special interest groups being launched on VetSurgeon.org in the coming months which ALL members are invited to come and join.
The new groups make it much easier to find and follow content that interests you. More than that, they bring together members with a shared interest in the subject, thereby facilitating the sharing of information, experience and knowledge. To that end, expert contributors to the new dentistry group include: Pete Southerden, Norman Johnston, Bob Partridge and Evelyn Barbour-Hill.
As elsewhere on VetSurgeon.org, reading content in the new groups or participating in discussions can count towards a VetSurgeon.org CPD certificate. Just press 'Claim CPD' at the top of the page, then collect the record and certificate from your profile.
As elsewhere on VetSurgeon.org, there's also the opportunity for you to express your appreciation of shared information you've found helpful, by pressing the 'Thank you' button above content. We'll be rewarding those members who are most thanked by members of the site for their help.
The new groups have been set up partly in response to the growth in Facebook groups for vets and the need for VetSurgeon.org to offer added value over Facebook if it is to compete for your attention.
By virtue of the number of its numbers, Facebook probably can't be beaten for general 'chit chat'. But for clinical discussions, it has some serious flaws.
Firstly, there's minimal curation of content and it's more or less impossible to filter irrelevant stuff. Because of that, and because Facebook displays post excepts, rather than headlines, you can end up having to scroll as far as Australia to find stuff relating to your area of interest.
By contrast, the listings of latest content by title on VetSurgeon makes it much easier to scan the content and find the stuff that interests you, particularly now content is grouped by clinical discipline.
Perhaps even more importantly, it's impossible to see the professional qualifications of the person who replied to you on Facebook, so you don't necessarily know if they have the faintest idea what they are talking about. VetSurgeon profiles are visible to all, and allow members to display their postgrad veterinary qualifications, amongst other things.
Lastly, the way discussions on Facebook are 'threaded' makes it very, very difficult to refer back and find who said something useful (you remember someone said something, but then, on a busy thread, you may have to expand 20 or 20 threads to find the thing you were after). That's not just a pain in the derrière, it means that any valuable information shared by specialists and experts is too easily lost.
The bottom line is that if you're looking for general chat, Fleecebook may be your best bet. But if you have questions about specific clinical disciplines, VetSurgeon.org is where you'll find better answers, quicker.
The company says the new product has been launched in response to demand from UK equine veterinary surgeons specialising in dentistry
Hexarinse for Horses is presented as a palatable, mint-flavoured, ready-to-use formulation in a five litre container.
Virbac says the antibacterial action of chlorhexidine supports the maintenance of oral health after dental procedures and may aid the management of periodontal disease, oral inflammation and the management of peripheral caries.
For further information, speak to your local Virbac territory manager or contact Virbac Limited on: 01359 243243 or enquiries@virbac.co.uk.
Sarah Gasper, BEVA’S Learning Manager said: "Many of us on the BEVA education team understand exactly what it’s like to return to practice whether after a career break, paternity/maternity or sickness leave. We also understand the specific challenges of moving from mixed into equine practice.
"We have created these courses to help make the transition back to work as smooth as possible. We’ve tried to incorporate everything we wish we had had access to when we returned to practice!"
Reinvigorate your approach to equine practice will be held on 12th March 2019 at Lythe Hill Hotel, Haslemere. The lecture and forum based course will explore the latest advances in internal medicine, orthopaedics, and sports medicine, and how to apply them to develop evidence-based clinical approaches to common and emergency scenarios in practice.
Getting (back) into equine practice will be held on 13th March 2019 at Liphook Equine Hospital, Hampshire. This entirely practical day of CPD will all be about improving the confidence of established equine vets and for vets returning to work following a career break. The course will focus on the practical procedures that an established equine ambulatory vet might be expected to perform on a regular basis. In a new approach to CPD we are trialling a system where delegates can shape part of this unique CPD day for themselves, with an online poll pre-course to select from a choice of practicals.
Both courses will have childcare facilities to help support parents wishing to attend CPD.
BEVA will also be running a course on the fundamentals of sedation, field anaesthesia and castration on 27th and 28th March 2019 at World Horse Welfare, Snetterton, Norfolk. This 'hands-on' course is designed for new or recent graduates or those in mixed practice with varied levels of equine work. It comprises evening lectures on the first day to free up more time for hands-on training on day two. It will cover sedation and field anaesthesia required for common field surgery such as castration, both in theory and in a practical session, with the equine welfare charity venue able to provide a high number of colts for castration work. Nerve blocks and regional anaesthesia for other common procedures will also be covered on cadavers.
For further information on BEVA’s new CPD courses visit www.beva.org.uk/cpd
The latest figures from 2017/18 reveal that over 120 million animals were slaughtered in England and Wales without being stunned first1.
In an open letter to Environment Secretary Michael Gove, the BVA and the RSPCA urge the UK Government to change legislation in England which currently allows non-stun slaughter for religious purposes, and provide further public transparency on this issue by releasing the comprehensive 2018 slaughter survey results, which Mr Gove himself signalled would be published by Autumn 2018.
Until such legislation is in place the RSPCA and BVA are calling for:
meat to be labelled with the method of slaughter, e.g. stunned or non-stunned, so consumers are fully informed about the meat that they are buying.
non-stun slaughter to only be permitted at levels that meet local religious community demand for this type of meat in the interests of limiting animal pain and suffering.
a ban on export of meat from non-stunned animals or live animals destined for non-stun slaughter.
an immediate post-cut stun for cattle, sheep, goats and deer to reduce the period of pain and distress.
The letter follows a recent, high profile decision to ban the slaughter of animals without prior stunning in the Flanders region of Belgium which came into force at the start of the year. Belgium joins several other European countries, including Iceland, Sweden, Switzerland and Denmark in making this decision, demonstrating that a full ban on non-stun slaughter is possible within EU law.
RSPCA chief executive, Chris Sherwood said: "Until there is a change in the law to end non-stun slaughter, there are several measures the UK Government could introduce to reduce the suffering involved in this practice. For example, by ensuring trade deals with other countries do not include non-stun meat or live animals for non-stun slaughter, clear labelling should be adopted to enable consumers to make an informed choice about the meat they buy and how it was slaughtered."
BVA President Simon Doherty said: "The UK Government has repeatedly stated it would prefer to see all animals stunned before slaughter but has taken no action to address this critical welfare issue that affects millions of animals every year. It is doubly disappointing that data that would have provided a valuable benchmark for levels of non-stun slaughter in the UK has yet to see the light of day despite assurances throughout last year that it would soon be made public.
"There is a huge groundswell of support for a ban on non-stun slaughter, and recent developments in Belgium show that decisive change is possible where public support is matched by political will. Michael Gove has made clear that he wants to maintain and build on the UK’s reputation as global leader on animal welfare; banning non-stun slaughter is a surefire way of showing he will deliver on this commitment.
"If slaughter without stunning continues to be permitted in the UK, then meat and fish from this source must be clearly labelled, to help customers make informed choices about the food that they buy and eat."
You can sign the open letter at: www.rspca.org.uk/endnonstun and join the online debate using the hashtag #EndNonStun.
Supplies of the vaccine, which is indicated for the active immunisation for horses against equine arteritis, ran low at the end of last year when Zoetis' existing stock was due to expire without any new stock in place.
For further information, contact your Zoetis Account Manager or the Zoetis Technical Team on customersupportUK@zoetis.com or 0845 300 9084 choosing option 1.
This is by no means Mars's first foray into practice ownership. The company has been acquiring practices in the USA since 1994 and now owns VCA, Banfield Pet Hospital, Bluepearl and Pet Partners, through which it employs around 50,000 veterinary professionals and cares for approximately 10 million animals.
Alejandro Bernal, Vice President, Veterinary Health Group, Mars Petcare said: "Pet care has been an important part of Mars for over 80 years and Mars has a large and growing veterinary practice in the US. This strategic acquisition reaffirms our commitment both to the pet care industry and veterinary profession.
"Alongside our other veterinary businesses, Linnaeus will enable Mars Petcare to provide pets with even greater access to high-quality veterinary care. Its reputation as a leading partnership of highly-respected veterinary practices and professionals means that it is well placed to meet the increasing demand in the UK and help drive our purpose, to create a better world for pets."
Lynne Hill, Chief Executive Officer of Linnaeus and former RCVS President said: "Joining Mars Petcare will enable us to provide pets with even greater high-quality veterinary care, from wellness and prevention, through primary, emergency and specialty care."
Mars says that on completion of the deal, Linnaeus’s existing management will continue to lead the business.
This compared with 339 who were removed for non-payment last year.
A list of those who have not paid their fee has now been published and the College encourages practices to check the list (www.rcvs.org.uk/removals2018) to be sure that no employees are named.
Those who have been removed from the Register but have subsequently paid to be restored are not named on the list.
Anyone removed from the Register can no longer call themselves a veterinary surgeon, use the postnominals MRCVS or carry out acts of veterinary surgery – to do so would be in breach of the Veterinary Surgeons Act and therefore illegal.
The College says it would also like to remind veterinary surgeons that, although paying the fee is required to remain on the Register, to complete their registration in full they need to confirm they are compliant with the continuing professional development (CPD) requirement and complete the criminal disclosures form. Both of these are required by the Code of Professional Conduct and can be completed on the ‘My Account’ area.
Anyone with queries about completing the registration process should contact the College’s Registration Department on 020 7202 0707 or registration@rcvs.org.uk.
Latest figures from the Food Standards Agency (FSA) indicate that 22% of sheep and goats (3 million) are not stunned before slaughter1.
This is an increase from 2013 when it was estimated 15% (2 million) of sheep and goats were slaughtered without stunning.
At the same time, in a response to a parliamentary question2 from Kerry McCarthy MP (Bristol East), Defra has admitted that it does not hold data on how much of this non-stunned meat is exported.
The BVA says a recent trade deal with Saudi Arabia could greatly increase the exports of British lamb and other meat, some of which may be from non-stun slaughter. Information on the lamb market also indicates that exports in general (especially to non-EU countries) are on the increase, with total export volumes up 14% in 2017 and non-EU volumes growing to 5,400 tonnes – up two-thirds on the previous year3.
The BVA is calling for the timely provision of information on non-stun exports, firstly to ascertain the extent to which the UK is exporting meat from these sources and secondly to inform potential measures to ensure supply matches rather than exceeds domestic demand.
Other EU countries that allow non-stun slaughter have measures in place to limit the export of non-stun meat to help ensure that meat killed by this method is for the domestic market. For example, Germany requires that abattoirs apply for a licence by defining the number of animals to undergo non-stun slaughter to meet local demand only.
BVA President, John Fishwick, said: "Each year millions of animals in the UK are not stunned before slaughter and BVA will continue to push for an end to non-stun slaughter in the interests of animal welfare. The latest FSA figures suggest that a sizeable proportion of sheep and goats that are slaughtered in the UK are done so without stunning and that this seems to outstrip the requirements of the religious communities who consume meat that has been slaughtered in this way.
"It is difficult to unpick the possible factors that contribute to this mismatch but an essential step to understanding this better would be to provide data on how much, if any, non-stun meat is exported abroad. With Brexit on the horizon and in the light of announcements about export deals with non-EU countries, there is a pressing need for clarity on the quantities and destinations of exports of non-stun meat.
"While not illegal, if meat from non-stun religious slaughter is exported we consider this to be outside the spirit of the legislation which allows non-stun as a derogation from the law to meet the needs of religious communities."
Established over 100 years ago, Alfreton Park Veterinary Hospital is based in a purpose-built clinic; one of four International Society of Feline Medicine (ISFM) recognised Cat Friendly Practices in Derbyshire.
Dr Nick Pine MA VetMB MRCVS has been at Alfreton Park since 1999 and has become a Medivet Branch Partner following the acquisition, together with his colleague Dr Matt Ingram CertSAS MRCVS. He said: "We are excited about joining the Medivet Partnership. It will help us to continue to develop what is an already successful, trusted and highly respected local practice and enable us to offer even more opportunities for our people."
Medivet Chief Executive Officer Dr Arnold Levy, said: "Alfreton Park is an impressive practice with a great team and we are delighted to welcome them to Medivet. Our model is focused on adding value to every practice that joins our partnership, and we look forward to working with Nick and Matt to build an even brighter future for the practice, its clients and patients."
In the trial, published in the Equine Veterinary Journal, synovitis was induced in the right intercarpal joint of 24 horses by intra‐articular injection of 0.5 ng lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of Escherichia coli. After intra‐articular challenge, the nutraceuticals resulted in significantly lower synovial fluid TP, TNCC and PGE 2 compared with placebo, leading the authors to conclude that: "The preventive administration of these nutraceuticals showed anti‐inflammatory effects in this validated synovitis model."
Dr Maarten Oosterlinck DVM, PhD, Dipl. ECVS, one of the authors of the study, said: "Nutraceuticals are often used in the management of osteoarthritis, which is a common cause of chronic lameness in horses but their 'curative' efficacy remains controversial and the quality of the relevant studies is generally low. We set out to evaluate ArtiTec in a well-designed and controlled study. Our research shows that ArtiTec significantly decreased joint inflammation and could be useful in preventing the onset of arthritis."
Cavalor also points to a further field trial of the product by vets in Belgium which showed that it improved lameness in 74% of cases.²
ArtiTec contains glucosamine, MSM, chondroitin, hyaluronic acid, blackcurrant extract, feverfew and pineapple, turmeric root and Boswellia Serrata.
Lieselot Hamerlinck, managing partner at Cavalor said: "Joint supplements account for 34% of the equine supplement market so we know how important these products are to horse owners. Cavalor ArtiTec is the result of an extensive research and development programme and its anti-inflammatory effect has been documented in both scientific studies and a field trial. It can also be used in combination with our other joint supplements, Arti Matrix and Arti Base."
For more information, contact Zebra Products on 01352 763350.
The publishers say that many people who prescribe veterinary medicines or who handle them (or bodily fluids that may contain them or their active metabolites) are not aware of the potential harmful effects they can have on human reproduction.
'Handling Veterinary Medicines and Pregnancy' gives up-to-date, evidence-based guidance on which drugs and methods of handling are hazardous; information on the relevant regulations relating to the safe handling of such medicines; and practical guidance on avoiding harm in veterinary practice.
Veterinary Prescriber says that once you have completed the module, you will:
understand the principles of reproductive toxicity
understand how data on the harmful effects of medicines are generated
be aware of the evidence on reproductive harm in veterinary practice
understand what practical measures to take to avoid harm
know where to find helpful information on medicines and pregnancy
For more information, visit: https://www.veterinaryprescriber.org/subscribers/
Running in July, the campaign aims to raise awareness of hyperthyroidism in cats and hypothyroidism in dogs, educate pet owners to spot the symptoms and thereby encourage early diagnosis.
MSD Animal Health says it hopes the campaign will increase the number of pets being taken to their veterinary practice for diagnosis, and increase both return visits and treatment compliance.
Practices supporting Pet Thyroid Month will be supplied with resources to help them educate pet owners about the two conditions.
Caroline Darouj, product manager at MSD Animal Health, said: "Although hyperthyroidism in cats and hypothyroidism in dogs are well known conditions and diagnosis is generally straightforward, a large number of vets in Europe state that both disorders are under-diagnosed, due to the fact that pet owners don’t recognise the signs.
"We wanted to launch our Thyroid Month campaign to encourage pet owners to spot the early symptoms of thyroid issues in their pets and seek advice from their veterinary practices.
"Our aim is also to benefit and educate vets and vet nurses with regard to the use of Leventa and Vidalta in treating these manageable conditions in both dogs and cats."
To find out more about Pet Thyroid Month, visit www.vidalta.co.uk