Richard Crane from Deloitte says that British meat on the supermarket shelves could become a rarity unless consumers are prepared to pay more.

Seems a tad optimistic to me in today's price-driven supermarkets.

September marks ‘Pet Smile Month’, and Royal Canin is amongst several companies offering participating practices a great way to build dental sales and reinforce key health messages.

During the month, a quarter of a million Doggy Bags and Kitty Packs, including samples of Royal Canin dental diets will be given away. A money off voucher appears on the front of the bags, which can be redeemed there and then against Royal Canin dental products from the clinic.

Gill Furniss, Royal Canin veterinary marketing director, says: “We decided that by enabling customers to redeem the money-off vouchers before they even leave the clinic with their gift bags was the best way to ensure that vets get the benefit of these sales – no chance of pet owners taking the bag home and losing the voucher! ‘Pet Smile Month’ is a great way for veterinarians to get across the message about good oral care, and an opportunity to help owners keep their pets’ mouths healthy for life.”

The new, non-statutory Register for veterinary nurses opened on 1st September. 3329 VNs were automatically included (having been listed with the RCVS since 2003). The remainder joined the list voluntarily.

RVNs are obliged to undertake 45 hours of CPD over 3 years, and to follow the Guide to Professional Conduct for Veterinary Nurses.

To help promote the new title, the RCVS has sent a poster to all newly registered RVNs to display in their practices. More promotional materials are in the pipeline.

Virbac is launching the Equimax Challenge for vets at the British Equine Veterinary Association Congress (Sept 13-15th).

Entrants will take part in a number of challenges over the course of 6 months, with a Horse Weigh Supreme Extra Plus for the winner.

This message from Graham Brook, President of BCVA, issued at 5:00pm today.

Most of you will have heard on the news that a suspect case of Foot and Mouth was reported this morning in Surrey near Egham. Initially, a temporary restriction zone was placed around the premises and the cattle have been culled as suspects.

Defra have now announced (2.45pm) that this is now positive for Foot and Mouth and protection and surveillance zones are now in force around the premises and a nationwide movement ban has been put in place. The terms of any licences etc for the movement of dairy cattle for milking etc. are not yet available.

It is understood that the cattle affected are on rented grazing land and the tenant has a number of premises in the area.

Until the strain of Foot and Mouth virus is determined it is too early to start speculating how this new outbreak has occurred. It is hope that the identification of the strain will be determined tomorrow.

Animals in auction marts at present will be licensed out either to the purchaser’s premises or back to their premises of origin.

A second temporary restriction zone has also been put in place around a pig farm at Dereham in Norfolk.

A report case in Lanark auction mart (Scotland) is also being investigated but no restrictions are in place at present.

We would like to take this opportunity to emphasis that all vets need to maintain the highest bio-security whilst visiting farms and they need to ensure that their clients are being vigilant for symptoms of Foot and Mouth at all times and to report all suspect cases. Please emphasise to your farm clients the need for vigilance and bio-security.

The Disciplinary Committee of the RCVS has postponed judgement in the case of a veterinary surgeon who was convicted of causing death by careless driving whilst under the influence of alcohol.

Twice over the legal limit, Peter Hanlon MRCVS set out in his car to collect his son from the local railway station. On the way, he drifted across the road and collided with an oncoming car, killing its driver, and making a widow of the passenger.

The case raises an interesting question. Do you think Mr Hanlon should have been struck off? On reading the press release, that was certainly my first reaction. But Mr Hanlon has already received his punishment from the courts: 30 months at her Majesty's pleasure. And whilst people will have their own opinion about whether that's a lenient sentence or not (especially since most prisoners seem to be out in about five minutes these days), it is for the courts to apply punishment, not the RCVS.

As it is, the suspended ruling allows the RCVS to monitor Mr Hanlon's progress after his release, and come down hard if he breaks his undertakings to the Committee.

Click here for full details of the ruling.

The Royal Veterinary College (RVC) has been accredited to assess nearly 30 modules that can be taken towards the new postgraduate Certificate from the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS).

These new modules, which range from Small Animal Anaesthesia to Zoological Medicine, add to those accredited for assessment from Middlesex University earlier in the year.
The RCVS’s new postgraduate Certificate has been developed to better suit the learning needs of veterinary surgeons in practice. The new structure offers candidates a longer enrolment period – extended from five years to ten - to allow for lifestyle and career changes. It also offers a more flexible approach to building credits, making it suitable for those wishing to take the general Certificate in Advanced Veterinary Practice (CertAVP) or to achieve a specific, named certificate, such as CertAVP(Small Animal Practice).

The credits will also be recognised by RCVS as demonstrating that the individual is complying with the RCVS’s requirement of 105 hours of Continuing Professional Development over three years.

The new Certificate is made up of 60 credits, which equate to approximately 600 notional study hours. To achieve the full CertAVP, candidates must complete obligatory modules in Professional Key Skills and Clinical Key Skills. The remaining credits can be gained through a pick and mix of other modules from a choice that encompasses a wide range of specific interests, such as diagnostic imaging, pathology or veterinary public health. For a specific named certificate, the list of additional modules from which to choose is more prescribed.

The last date for enrolment on to the old–style certificate is 1 November 2007. An online enrolment form for the new modular Certificate is available on RCVSonline (www.rcvs.org.uk/modcerts).

An interesting survey from Freedom Food has shown how little the public knows about farm animals:

75% of people didn't know that a sheep can recognise 50 members of its flock
73% didn't know that chickens communicate using 20 different types of call, including one for each type of predator.
70% didn't know that chickens usually live for 5 weeks prior to slaughter
66% didn’t know a dairy cow produces on average 11993 pints of milk each year
60% didn't know that 63% of chickens are kept in battery cages

Mind you, some pretty obscure facts here. I wonder how many vets would have known all the answers.

The Scottish SPCA has called for parents across Scotland to take more responsibility for the behaviour of their children after another sickening catalogue of violence against animals over the past year.

Launched during Scottish Animal Week, the charity's plea is supported by shocking statistics which show that attacks have risen by almost 20 percent compared to the last two years and that even more are taking place during school holidays.

In the twelve months since August 2006, staff answering the Scottish SPCA's Animal Helpline dealt with 233 calls relating to youngsters tormenting, abusing and even killing domestic pets, farm animals and wildlife.

More than a third of these - 85 - were received during school breaks, with 58 recorded over the summer.

Attacks included swans being killed with airguns and shot with crossbows, cats being targeted with airguns, hedgehogs being kicked to death and animals being terrorised, with one being killed, in a wildlife park.

The Scottish SPCA has also been involved this year in cases involving deer being shot and killed having wandered into urban areas, dogs being beaten and a lamb being set on fire.