Kruuse has launched two products for the treatment of digital dermatitis in cattle: the Bovivet hoof bandage and Kruuse Hoof Gel.  

According to the company, an estimated that 70% of dairy herds suffer with digital dermatitis (DD), and it is a growing problem. If not treated, it can persist for months, causing pain and lameness to infected cows. As well as worrying animal welfare concerns, numerous studies have shown that the disease can have a direct impact on milk production and reproduction with financial implications for the dairy farmer.

Traditionally, treatment has involved thoroughly washing the infected hoof, applying an antibiotic/drying agent such as salicylic acid powder and then applying a dressing that must typically remain in place for three days. This method comes with its own problems, including the difficulty dosing salicyclic acid powder correctly, the risk to the user's health when mixing, and the difficulty ensuring that the dressing is correctly applied at the right pressure and that it stays in place.

To help overcome these problems, Kruuse has introduced two products. The first is the ready-to-apply Bovivet complete Hoof Bandage. It is made from a water-repelling material that keeps out unwanted liquids. Its shape and elasticity are designed to keep the bandage in place. Inside the bandage is a treatment pad that makes for easy dosing. The outer stocking design allows for checking on the progress of treatment and for re-application if necessary. The bandage is available in two sizes, large which fits most cattle breeds, and small for calves and small breeds.

The second product, to be used in conjunction with the Bovivet Hoof Bandage, is Kruuse Hoof Gel 38%, containing 38% salicyclic acid. Kruuse says that dosing with this gel product is easier and more accurate than with the powder, making it more economical per treatment. It also reduces potential health risks to the user from inhalation of the powder when mixing.

Kruuse has produced the following instructional video to demonstrate the new products' ease of use and versatility:

Mossman Farming, a dairy farm on the west Welsh coast which has been stricken by bovine TB, has become the first to gain permission to trial PBD Biotech’s rapid Actiphage blood test for Mycobacterium bovis (M. bovis). 

PBD Biotech says the Actiphage test offers the potential to revolutionise control of bovine TB by allowing detection of the disease within hours from a blood or milk sample.

Last November, the Welsh Government announced a new policy that allowed the use of non-validated tests such as Actiphage in herds affected by a TB breakdown. It followed a similar protocol to one authorised by the UK Government last year for cattle herds in England after the test was used as part of a successful private eradication plan on a Devon dairy farm.

Mossman Farming, in Ceredigion, is located in an area of chronic breakdown. It is a spring-calving milking herd with a total stock of 529, to date 312 dairy cows have been slaughtered. Farmer Chris Mossman agreed to trial Actiphage after hearing about the Gatcombe pilot.

Chris said: "TB is a massive problem in Ceredigion, so when I heard about Actiphage’s use at Gatacombe, helping to clear that dairy herd for the first time in six years, I wanted to try and replicate those findings here. Me – and many other farmers – are losing large numbers of animals. I’m trying to do all I can to get rid of this disease from my herd."

In Spring 2019, The Office of the Chief Veterinary Officer for Wales granted permission for Robert Price-Jones MRCVS to use Actiphage to screen high-risk cattle for M. bovis.

Robert, who has been leading the trial, said: "Actiphage is able to identify the presence of relatively low numbers of M. bovis in the blood stream of infected cattle. It is not dependent upon an immune system response to the pathogen - in contrast to current validated tests - and so has greater sensitivity than such as the official Tuberculin SICCT skin test.

"The benefit of using Actiphage is that it offers the potential for eradicating the disease from the farm; as early identification of animals at risk of bovine TB enables heightened disease management and control."

Under the terms of the Welsh Government’s protocol, cattle not condemned for slaughter can be tested with Actiphage. Those that give a positive result are identified with a ‘management’ marker, monitored and milked separately.

To prevent further contamination of the environment and to minimise risk to uninfected cattle, animals found to be ‘shedders’ are removed from the farm.

Although a decision to remove cattle based on a non-validated test will be at the farmers’ own expense, the APHA (Animal and Plant Health Agency) has confirmed that during the trial, where a positive result is confirmed with statutory tests, the animals will be removed with compensation as normal.

So far, 100 animals from Mossman Farming have been tested with Actiphage and Robert Price-Jones is preparing a paper to publish the findings in early 2020.

PBD Biotech is now seeking more farms to trial Actiphage in order to gain the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) validation. The company is offering reduced cost testing to support trials where the findings are made available to support validation of the test.

Ceva Animal Health has announced that nominations are now open for its Animal Welfare Awards 2018.

Outstanding veterinary surgeons, veterinary nurses, animal welfare professionals and animal welfare teams can now be nominated to receive an award by their peers and the general public. Nominees can come from all walks of life, all ages, and from anywhere in the world.

The award categories include:

The Chris Laurence Vet of the Year Award supported by Your Dog and Your Cat magazines
This award is in recognition of a veterinary surgeon working in practice that follows the footsteps of head judge, Chris Laurence, by educating pet owners and consistently demonstrating their commitment to the continued improvement of animal welfare.

Vet Nurse of the Year supported by Agria Pet Insurance
This award is to give recognition to a veterinary nurse working in practice, who has shown real commitment to improving and championing excellent animal welfare within their surgery.

Charity Team of the Year supported by PDSA
This award is for an awe-inspiring team whose drive, passion and dedication has changed the lives of animals for the better, improving the standard of animal welfare where they can and working tirelessly to promote and champion their cause.

Charitable Contribution of the Year supported by Blue Cross 
This award is for an individual who works within a charity, either in a paid or voluntary role, who is consistently driven to the best of their ability, with a single-minded goal of helping save and improve the lives of animals in need.

Farm Animal Welfare Award supported by R.A.B.I. and NADIS
This award is for an individual or team which have dedicated their careers to the health and welfare of production animals.

International Cat Care Welfare Award supported by International Cat Care
This award recognises an individual who has made a significant contribution to the development of feline welfare. The recipient of the award is chosen by International Cat Care and therefore the category is not open to nominations.

Since the first Ceva Awards in 2010, hundreds of people and teams have been nominated, with the winners decided by a panel of judges including Christopher Laurence MBE BVSc and James Yeates, chief veterinarian at RSPCA.

The winners and runners up will be honoured at a ceremony taking place on the eve of BSAVA Congress on 4^th April 2018. 

Ceva Animal Health managing director, Cuneyt Seckin said: "Over the last eight years we have been consistently humbled by the inspirational nominations that we receive from all over the world and we envisage this year to be no exception.

"The Ceva Animal Welfare Awards champion people involved in animal welfare, but they also raise awareness of this important work to wider audiences."

If there is a veterinary surgeon, nurse, animal welfare professional or animal welfare team that you feel deserves to be recognised for their ongoing commitment to animal welfare, visit www.cevawelfareawards.com to nominate. 

Entries must be in by Friday 26 January 2018.

The Alliance to Save Our Antibiotics is urging the Prime Minister to make the announcement on antimicrobial resistance he promised the House of Commons during Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday 7th May 2014.

In a reply to a question from Zac Goldsmith MP, David Cameron acknowledged that the problem of antibiotic resistance could have 'unbelievably bad consequences' leading to quite minor ailments not being properly treatable by antibiotics. The Alliance is urging the government to take urgent action to reduce antibiotic use in both medicine and farming.

The issue was further highlighted at this year's World Health Assembly (WHA) Conference when attendees confirmed that a catastrophic post-antibiotic age - in which minor, common infections could again become killers - is a real possibility unless urgent action is taken.

At the conference, the Netherlands' Minister of Health, Edith Schippers said: "People are getting seriously ill and are dying as a result of skin infections and diarrhoea. Common surgeries like knee replacement will become potential killers because of secondary infections that are untreatable. This is a global problem on a par with, if not more serious than, nuclear security, international terrorism and climate change."'

In a letter to David Cameron on 13th May 2014, the Alliance to Save Our Antibiotics said: "It simply does not make sense to be feeding nearly half of all the antibiotics used in this country to farm animals, just so that they can be kept in high numbers indoors, often in conditions which carry with them the risk of high levels of disease."

The Alliance says the measures the Prime Minister is due to announce must include the urgent phase-out of the routine preventative use of antibiotics in farming.

Alison Craig, Campaign Manager for the Alliance to Save Our Antibiotics said: "Our near European neighbour the Netherlands has phased out routine preventative use of antibiotics in farming by government taking strong and decisive action and industry taking voluntary measures - so why can't we do the same in the UK?"

In 2007 the Netherlands was one of the world's heaviest users of antibiotics in food animals. In 2009 the government decided to decrease farm use of antibiotics by 50%. This was achieved by 2013.

Alison continued: "It is alarming that, in this country, we don't even yet know how many people are already dying due to antimicrobial resistance. By contrast, in the Netherlands they know that there are 2 million hospitalisations per year due to resistance.

"If the Prime Minister knows that there will be 'unbelievably bad consequences' for families, why is his government being so slow about getting a grip on the problem?"

Forte Healthcare (UK) has announced the launch of Utertab 2000mg (Tetracycline hydrochloride, POM-V) for the treatment and prevention of post parturient disorders in cattle.

Forte highlights that Utertab's intrauterine administration allows it to act directly in the target tissue. It is presented in a perforated blister pack for better sealing. 

Dr John Henderson, Large Animal Product Manager at Forte Healthcare Ltd said: "Given the need to use appropriate first-line antibacterial drugs where possible we are delighted to bring vets a new Tetracycline pessary, ‘Utertab’, for the treatment of metritis and retained foetal membranes.

"In-situ therapy for these conditions has more recently been neglected in favour of injectables but still has much to recommend it. We look forward to highlighting these benefits over the next few months."

For further information on Utertab 2000mg, contact your local Forte Territory Manager or enquiries@fortehealthcare.com. 

Fourth year veterinary students from the University of Sydney's Faculty of Veterinary Science have produced a nude calendar in which they use a variety of strategically placed animals to protect their modesty.

The calendar, called Under the Overalls, features a variety of animals, including three lucky (depending on your point of view) llamas, a calf, three sheep and a rather unfortunate fish.

It's all in aid of charity. For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/undertheoveralls, or you can buy the calendar for $20 at www.undertheoveralls.com.

Picture: House of Cameo

Ceva Animal Health has extended the licence for Eprecis, its injectable wormer for cattle, so it can now be used in sheep and goats as well. 

Eprecis injection (eprinomectin) is an broad spectrum endectocide with activity against gastrointestinal nematodes in sheep¹ and goats².

After Eprecis injection Haemonchus contortus in the abomasum in goats were reduced by 97.8%² and Trichostrongylus colubriformis in the small intestine were reduced by 98.7%².

In lactating dairy ewes Eprecis injection was found to be 99% effective against gastrointestinal nematodes³ and was associated with an increased milk yield of 8%⁴.

The bioavailability of eprinomectin after one Eprecis injection in goats is larger than that reported for eprinomectin pour on^{5, 6,} with Eprecis injection found to be four times more efficacious than eprinomectin pour-on across four dairy goat farms⁷. 

In sheep, the efficacy of Eprecis injection against gastrointestinal nematodes in sheep is 99.6% versus 86.1% for a pour-on formulation⁸. 

Eprecis injection is associated with higher plasma levels of eprinomectin and has a higher efficacy compared to eprinomectin pour-on in dairy ewes naturally infected with gastrointestinal nematodes⁸. 

This is also achieved using five times less active than a pour-on formulation⁸.

Eprecis injection is administered subcutaneously and there is no need to part the fleece or coat along the animal’s back. 

Ceva says it has excellent syringeability⁹ and a low dose volume (0.1ml/10kg) to help with accurate dosing of animals.

Harry Walby, ruminant veterinary advisor at Ceva Animal Health, said: “Eprecis injection is a highly effective broad-spectrum wormer that is now available in sheep and goats, as well as cattle. 

"The injectable formulation not only allows accurate dosing, but there is no subclinical dose transfer between animals.”

Eprecis injection is available in 100ml and 250ml CLAS vials.

References

1. Charlier et al (2020).  Initial assessment of the economic burden of major parasitic helminth infections to the ruminant livestock industry in Europe. Prev. Vet. Med. 182:105103.
2. Holzhauer, M., Van Schaik, G., Saatkamp, H.W. & Ploeger, H. W. (2011) Lungworm outbreaks in adult dairy cows: estimating economic losses and lessons to be learned.  Veterinary Record 169, 494.
3. Termatzidou, S.A. et al., 2019. Anthelmintic activity of injectable eprinomectin (Eprecis 20mg/ml) in naturally infected dairy sheep.  Vet. Parasitol. 266, 7-11.
4. Termatzidou, S.A. et al., 2020.  Effect of injectable eprinomectin on milk quality and yield of dairy ewes naturally infected with gastrointestinal nematodes.  Vet. Parasitol. 286, 109245.
5. Eprecis 20mg/ml solution for injection for cattle, sheep and goats SPC (section 5.2).
6. Eprinex Multi 5mg/ml pour-on SPC (section 5.2).
7. Couasnon, F., 2019.  PhD thesis in French.  Translated summary from Ceva internal technical book P:47-49.
8. Bordes et al., 2020. Lack of efficacy of eprinomectin in dairy sheep and goats: resistance or poor exposition of worms to the drug? Poster presented at Congres National des GTV, Poitiers, 2020.
9. Comparison of syringeability of 3 different endectocides (eprinomectin 20mg/ml, doramectin 10mg/ml, ivermectin 10mg/ml).  Poster P04-004-079.  Presented at 29th WBC; Dublin, Ireland 2016.

Dechra has launched Fluboral (flubendazole), a water-soluble wormer for chickens and pigs.

Fluboral controls gastro-intestinal nematodes including Ascaridia galli (adult stages), Heterakis gallinarum (adult stages) and Capillaria spp. (adult stages) in chickens and Ascaris suum (adult and L4 intestinal stages) in pigs. 

Dechra says Fluboral’s formula allows it to mix in drinking water quickly and easily with five seconds of stirring. 

Fluboral has a guaranteed 24-hour stability without sedimentation of the suspension after dilution in drinking water and Dechra says there is no risk of inhomogeneous mixing.

Johnny Wells West, key account manager – pig and poultry at Dechra, said: “Fluboral is a welcome addition to our Solustab range of water-soluble products, providing effortless and efficient parasite control in drinking water to enable farmers and producers to start medication quickly and cost-effectively, as and when needed.”

https://www.dechra.co.uk/products/livestock/prescription/fluboral#Fluboral. 

The BVA, the British Veterinary Poultry Association (BVPA) and Veterinary Public Health Association (VPHA) have jointly welcomed a New Code of Practice for the Welfare of Laying Hens and Pullets which was laid before parliament on Thursday.

The new code is one of a series of welfare codes currently being reviewed and updated by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) following recent consultations.

BVA President John Fishwick said: "We warmly welcome these updates and we are particularly pleased to see the vital role the veterinary profession plays in maintaining poultry welfare recognised throughout the new code.

"We are also delighted to see the benefits of veterinary surveillance systems highlighted, with owners and keepers encouraged to use local and national disease surveillance sources to better understand poultry disease patterns and their local health and welfare landscape. This was a key element in our joint consultation response and reflects BVA’s recently published Position on veterinary scanning surveillance (animal health and disease monitoring).

"We are also pleased to see signposting within the Code of Practice to the Humane Slaughter Association’s Code of Practice for the Disposal of Chicks in Hatcheries, which outlines in detail information about humane methods of killing and good practice.

"The British poultry industry has some of the highest welfare standards in the world and the veterinary profession is fully committed to working with Defra on further enhancing animal welfare codes to reflect best industry practice."

Photo: Flock of Chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus) Roaming Freely in Front of Chicken Sheds on a Farm in the Rural Village of Chenson, Devon. Shutterstock / Peter Turner Photography

The RCVS Disciplinary Committee has adjourned a hearing for a Gloucestershire-based veterinary surgeon after it refused his application to undertake to remove himself from the Register and to never apply to be restored.

David Chalkley MRCVS faces four alleged charges:

• That between 2011 and 2018 he was dishonest, misleading and had risked undermining government animal testing procedures by claiming to have subjected up to 16 animals to an ICT tuberculosis (TB) test when in fact some of these animals had died prior to the date he was supposed to have conducted the tests and that, furthermore, he had fabricated skin measurements for animals which had died before the date of the supposed test;
• In respect of TB tests conducted at a farm on 5 March 2018 and 23 March 2018, he failed to identify some or all of the animals tested;
• That on or around 23 March 2018 he was dishonest, misleading and had risked undermining testing procedures when he certified he had tested 280 animals to a TB test when he had not subjected them all to the test and that, in fact, between 16 and 127 of the animals had died before 5 March 2018, and that he had also fabricated the recorded measurements for some of those 280 animals;
• That between 2011 and 2018, he received payment of approximately £20,000 for TB tests when, as a result of the conduct set out above, he was not entitled to such payment.

At the start of the hearing Mr Chalkley made no admissions as to the charges but he had made an application for an adjournment based on undertakings to remove himself from the Register and never to apply to be restored to the Register.

In addressing the Committee on behalf of Mr Chalkley, his counsel said that Mr Chalkley denied all charges of dishonesty, that there was no evidence of harm to animals as a result of the alleged conduct, that there had been no complaint from the client and that he had repaid all the sums he had received for tuberculin testing on the farm in question.

His counsel also submitted that a full hearing would be expensive and time-consuming, and that it would serve no useful purpose as animal welfare and the protection of the public would be served by Mr Chalkley’s proposed undertakings.

Counsel on behalf of the RCVS confirmed that the College did not oppose the application and confirmed that the Animal Plant and Health Agency did not object. 

However, the Disciplinary Committee concluded that because the case concerned issues of alleged dishonesty in veterinary certification over a prolonged period of time and the importance of public trust in the accuracy and reliability of that process, there was a need to hold a full, public hearing into Mr Chalkley’s alleged conduct.

Ian Arundale, chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: “The Committee expressed no view as to whether the allegations could be substantiated or not and it recognised that the process of determining the allegations would be burdensome for many, particularly the respondent.

"It was satisfied, however, that a reasonable and fully informed member of the public would be disturbed to learn that allegations of this kind had not been the subject of a formal determination by the Disciplinary Committee. The respondent’s own interests had to take second place to this important public interest.

“The Committee therefore declined to accept the application to adjourn this inquiry [until an unspecified date] and directed that arrangements should now be considered for the listing of a hearing in this case.” 

It is expected that the full hearing will take place in spring 2021.

Norbrook Laboratories Ltd has issued a recall for the product Carprieve 50 mg/ml Solution for Injection for Cattle as a precautionary measure.

An impurity was detected during stability monitoring. The impurity was isolated and the best estimate of identity indicated that the impurity is carprofen related.

The problem affects a limited number of batches and is identifiable through quality control testing. The concentration of the process impurity does not increase over time.

This recall is for the following batches only:

• 9371-90
• 9372-90
• 9373-91
• 0105-90

Norbrook is contacting wholesale dealers and veterinary surgeons to examine inventory and quarantine products subject to this recall.

Merial Animal Health has revealed the latest MOO test figures which suggest that the productivity of four out of five UK dairy herds is compromised by high levels of gutworm.

The company says it has been helping dairy farmers to assess the level of gutworm challenge in their herds since 2009 by supporting and promoting MOO tests. The test measures the level of antibody to gutworm (Ostertagia ostertagii) that is present in a bulk milk sample and can determine if the herd has been exposed to low, medium or high challenge.

Data from five years of MOO tests shows that whilst there was a steady reduction in the number of herds with a high challenge between 2009 and 2013, the figure rose in 2014. In 2009, 93% of herds tested high and by 2013 this had fallen to 71% but this rose again to 88% last year.

Merial says that whilst these figures show an overall reduction in challenge since 2009, levels of gutworm across the UK dairy herd are still very high. Those animals affected will suffer from the negative impact of a parasite burden on productivity and fertility.

Between 2009 and 2014 nearly 900 dairy herds across the UK have been tested. During that time several counties had significant numbers of herds with high gutworm challenge results. This included Cheshire (85%), Cornwall (93%), Cumbria (91%), Dyfed (92%), Lancashire (90%), North Yorkshire (83%), Shropshire (86%), Somerset (86%), and Staffordshire (83%).

Sioned Timothy, veterinary adviser for Merial Animal Health, said: “Gutworm can significantly reduce the productivity of the herd. Although adult dairy cows develop immunity to gutworm that makes them resilient to outward clinical signs of infection, it does not prevent them from becoming infected with Ostertagia ostertagi. This parasite burden can reduce milk yield by as much as 2.6 litres per cow per day¹”

She continued: “Gutworm may also have a negative impact on fertility. Removing damaging gutworms from dairy cows may improve their fertility and has been linked to reduced calving to conception intervals and improved conception rates² to levels comparable with animals without a gutworm burden.

"Calving is another key period in the production cycle. Optimising cow and heifer management during this period is critical to the animal’s health and productivity throughout the subsequent lactation. Cows treated for gutworms around the time of calving have been shown to increase their grazing time by almost an hour compared to untreated cows³. Improved appetite and higher dry matter intake helps cows to bridge the energy gap; maximising their production, and reducing the time it takes to get them back into calf⁴.”

The MOO test figures show that the UK dairy herd continues to be affected by high levels of gutworm challenge. At a time when maximising productivity is vital to dairy business success, farmers should seriously consider testing their herd this autumn and develop a treatment plan with their vet or animal health adviser based on the result.”

MOO tests will be available in autumn 2015. The results of MOO tests are sent to both the farmer and their vet or animal health advisor, to enable them to determine the best course of action and treatment.

References

1 Reist et al, Effect of eprinomectin treatment on milk yield and quality in dairy cows in South Tyrol, Italy. Veterinary Record 2011 168, 484-487 Vet Rec 2002151:377-380
2  McPherson  et al. Proceedings of the American Association of Veterinary Parasitologists. 44th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, 1999 Abstr. 28.
3 Forbes et al. Behavioural mechanisms underlying production responses in dairy cows treated with eprinomectin. 19th WAAVP Congress 2003, New Orleans
4 Sanchez et al. The effect of eprinomectin treatment at calving on reproduction parameters in adult dairy cows in Canada. Preventative Veterinary Medicine 2002 56:165-177

MSD Animal Health has launched Bovilis Intranasal RSP Live, a live BRD vaccine for early life intranasal administration to dairy and beef calves from one week of age.

MSD says the new vaccine reduces the clinical signs of respiratory disease and viral shedding from infection with Bovine Respiratory Syncytial Virus (BRSV) and Parainfluenza-3 Virus (Pi3V), and that no other UK-licensed BRD vaccine can be administered earlier in life.

According to the company, it also delivers the fastest on-farm protection, with an onset of immunity after administration of 5 days for BRSV and 7 days for Pi3V. The duration of immunity is 12 weeks for both viruses.

MSD Animal Health ruminant veterinary adviser Dr Kat Baxter-Smith MRCVS said: "Early-age protection of calves through intranasal vaccination can help prevent pneumonia and positively impact a calf’s productive future.

"The sooner and faster these young calves can be protected against viral BRD and the permanent lung damage it causes, the better their potential lifetime productivity, be it in terms of delivering expected milk yield in the dairy herd or growth performance on the beef unit^{1 2}."

Kat added that Bovilis Intranasal RSP Live also activates non-specific immunity – stimulating receptors and cytokines in the innate immune system³: "This equates to protection against viral replication in the nasopharyngeal cavity, reduction of virus shedding and protection of the calf against subsequent clinical symptoms³."

MSD says a practical benefit of Bovilis Intranasal RSP Live to farmers is that it can be used on farm up to six hours after mixing with the solvent, which is the longest of all the available intranasal BRD vaccines. Additionally, the new vaccine is supplied as a farm-friendly, easy-to administer nasal suspension product that doesn’t need a specific applicator – although for maximum flexibility a new easy-clean injector and nozzle kit is available for farmers needing to vaccinate multiple animals. 

References:

1. Dunn T et al. (2018). The effect of lung consolidation, as determined by ultrasonography on first-lactation milk production in Holstein dairy calves, J. Dairy Sci., 101: 1-7
2. Williams P & Green L (2007). Associations between lung lesions and grade and estimated daily live weight gain in bull beef at slaughter. Cattle Practice, Vol.15 (No.3). pp. 244-249
3. Nuijten P., Cleton N., Van der Loop J., Makoschey B. & Vertenten G. (2019). A new intranasal BRD vaccine activates an early memory effect and protective immune mechanism. European Bovine Congress.