Tuloxxin contains Tulathromycin and Krka says it is based on the same formulation as the market leader.
In cattle Tuloxxin is administered using a single subcutaneous injection; in sheep Tuloxxin is licensed for use in the treatment of foot rot associated with Dichelobacter nodosus and also in pigs for swine respiratory disease (SRD) administered via a single intra-muscular injection. Krka says it is fast-acting, and that the one dose formulation supports compliance and so reduces stress to herds and flocks.
Charlotte Read, Key Account Manager – Farm, at Krka, said: "Whenever Krka launches a generic product, we aim to add some extra value to it. Tuloxxin is a good example. It is based on a tried and trusted active and delivers efficacy; with formulation and delivery method technology at exceptional value. We hope its launch will support vets in their appropriate choice of antibiotic for specific cases. In so doing, they will be protecting their clients’ cattle and profitability while also playing their part in reducing antimicrobial use.”
Tuloxxin is available now from all wholesalers.
Tulaven is licensed for the treatment and metaphylaxis of BRD associated with Mannheimia haemolytica, Pasteurella multocida, Histophilus somni and Mycoplasma bovis.
Tulaven can also be used to treat Infectious Bovine Keratoconjunctivitis (IBK) associated with Moraxella bovis as well as Porcine Respiratory Disease Complex (PRDC) associated with Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae, Pasteurella multocida, Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae, Haemophilus parasuis and Bordetella bronchiseptica.
Tulaven is also is licensed to treat the early stages of infectious pododermatitis (foot rot) in sheep associated with virulent Dichelobacter nodosus.
Ceva highlights that Tulaven is the only tulathromycin available in CLAS (Ceva Layered Anti Shatter) vials1, which have less impact on the environment2, are easier to handle3 and transport4, and are preferred by farmers5.
Cuneyt Seckin, Managing Director of Ceva Animal Health, said: “Ceva has been developing its expertise in the treatment of BRD for many years, with a wide range of treatment options and autogenous vaccines available for vets. The launch of Tulaven is the next addition to this range, enabling us to offer even more support to vets and farmers.”
For further information, contact your local Ceva territory manager, call Ceva on 01494 781510 or email cevauk@ceva.com.
References
The UK-Veterinary Antibiotic Resistance and Sales Surveillance (UK-VARSS) annual report shows that while sales of antibiotics increased slightly by 1.5 mg/kg to 31.0 mg/kg in comparison to the previous year, this was offset by a reduction in use of the more potent critical antibiotics.
UK veterinary antibiotic use in 2019 was the second lowest since the start of regular reporting, and the UK has one of the lowest levels in Europe.
Between 2018 and 2019 there was a 21% drop in of use of Highest Priority Critically Important Antibiotics (HP-CIAs) in food-producing animals, which account for 0.5% of total antibiotic sales. The UK has also seen an overall reduction in the level of resistance in E. coli from healthy pigs at slaughter since 2015 and resistance to HP-CIAs in E. coli is at very low levels.
Peter Borriello, Chief Executive Veterinary Medicines Directorate said: "In the last five years we have worked closely with the farming industry and veterinary profession to achieve huge reductions in use of antibiotics in animals.
"This demonstrates how farmers and vets have been working together to use antibiotics responsibly while safeguarding the health and welfare of our livestock.
"The UK Government will continue to work with industry to focus on infection control, reducing the need to use antibiotics to treat disease and maintain the UK’s world leading standards in animal welfare."
Chief Veterinary Officer Christine Middlemiss said: "I am delighted that the UK continues to lead the way as one of the lowest users of antibiotics in livestock across Europe.
"These findings are testament to the hard work of the UK’s farmers and vets to use antibiotics responsibly in order to tackle antibiotic resistance and protect our most critically important antibiotics in human health, while also reducing the burden of disease in animals."
Caused by the mite Psoroptes ovis, sheep scab was notifiable in the UK until 1992, after which a voluntary reporting scheme was put in place in England and Wales. Sheep scab was made notifiable again in Scotland in 2010.
The study was suggested by Emily Gascoigne MRCVS of Synergy Vets, who noticed that hers was one of the few practices that appeared to be voluntarily reporting cases in England.
She said: "It’s been observed that that farmers can feel ‘judged’ when sheep scab appears in their flock and the impulse to keep it hidden may hold back efforts to control it.
“The results will help to quantify the problem but we are also tackling the other side of the coin by trying to make sheep scab less of a taboo. The potential for contiguous infection from one farm to the other means that forewarned is forearmed.
"Farmers often blame themselves when their sheep get scab which although it can result from a failure of biosecurity at boundaries or during quarantine, can also be brought in on people, deliveries or equipment. Then there are real worries about whether that will affect the saleability of their stock or their relationship with their farming neighbours. We want to encourage vets and farmers to start the conversation and to start actively testing for sheep scab.”
Around 40 practices within the XLVets community are now taking part in the study. In addition to contributing to the survey, participating practices will also be sharing information with farmers about the importance of testing for sheep scab.
The initiative is being supported by Bimeda UK, which provides an online Sheep Scab Academy to help veterinary surgeons and SQPs stay up to date with best practice for sheep scab control. Bimeda UK’s Professional Services Vet Sharon Cooksey, said: "Bimeda has worked for many years to raise awareness and promote best practice in managing this awful disease, including supporting the launch and ongoing operation of the Biobest ELISA test, so this is an initiative we are happy to support.”
The survey has been running since the start of October and will continue for the next five months, with results expected around March 2021.
The webinar, titled: ‘When the coughing won’t stop…. what to do when standard BRD treatment protocols aren’t getting to the bottom of it’, aims help vets manage complex outbreaks that happen despite best practice management and treatment protocols.
The full programme includes:
The event is being held live so you can submit questions to the speakers, but the session will be recorded, so it can be watched again later.
Attendees will receive a certificate for one hour of CPD and the link to the recorded webinar.
To register, email the event team by 27 November 2020 at brdwebinar-group@ceva.com. In the email, please give your name and the email address to which you would like the registration link sent.
On top of that, over 25% of vets said they don't talk to their farmer clients about the disposal of empty pharmaceutical waste.
The survey also found that while veterinary surgeons are aware that both glass and shatterproof plastic vials are incinerated, over 65% of those questioned believed that glass vials were more environmentally friendly, when in fact, the company says its CLAS (Ceva Layered Anti Shatter) shatterproof plastic vials have 33% less impact on the environment from cradle to grave2.
Ceva is producing a range of support materials, including tailored social media and newsletter content, to help vets to raise awareness of their pharmaceutical waste disposal service and drive improvements across the industry.
Peter Keyte, ruminant business unit manager at Ceva Animal Health said: "As an industry we should be doing all that we can to improve our environmentally friendly credentials.
“Ceva will continue to invest in innovative eco-friendly technology for livestock injectables and pioneer improvements to help ensure best practice throughout the industry.”
For further information, or to request a pharmaceutical waste disposal service support pack, contact your local Ceva account manager or call 01494 781510.
Sioned Timothy, Ruminant Technical Manager at Boehringer said: "The financial and production impact of liver fluke should not be underestimated. Recent abattoir research in Ireland, published this year, has shown that a fattening steer with fluke infection will put on 36kg less live weight gain over its lifetime versus a healthy steer, costing the producer around £63, per animal.
"Additionally, analysis of data from cattle at a Scottish abattoir showed that animals with 1 to 10 liver fluke present in their liver took an average 31 days longer to reach slaughter weight, while animals with more than 10 liver fluke present took an additional 77 days longer to reach slaughter weight versus animals without any liver fluke infection2.
"Liver fluke infections can also lead to hormonal and metabolic imbalances, affecting reproduction in female animals and extending breeding targets3. Affected animals may also be more susceptible to secondary bacterial infections, such as Salmonella and Clostridial infections3."
Boehringer says that with cattle being brought in for winter housing, now is an ideal opportunity to remove productivity-limiting parasites that were acquired during the grazing season. The main targets for parasite control at this time of year are gutworms, lungworm and liver fluke, however the specific risk will vary from farm to farm.
The company adds that the choice of treatment for liver fluke at housing is complicated by emerging resistance to triclabendazole. This is the only flukicide that treats the early immature stage of liver fluke, responsible for acute disease in sheep but not of clinical relevance in cattle.
Sioned said: "Prescribing an alternative flukicide for cattle at housing will reduce selection for resistance and, by targeting the later stages of the parasite, control the impact of liver fluke on productivity.
"Flukicides containing clorsulon (contained in Ivomec Super) will remove the adult stages of fluke in cattle, while those containing closantel, or nitroxynil (the active ingredient of Trodax), are effective against both late immature and adult stages.
"To ensure that cattle have no residual fluke burden, they may need to be re-treated at an appropriate interval after the initial housing dose. Diagnostic testing can be used to determine whether a second treatment is necessary. This approach will ensure that cattle are turned back out onto pasture fluke free."
The company highlights figures which show that about 170,000 of calves born alive each year die in their first month of life1 and that up to 50% of deaths are caused by scour2, with over 48% of dairy heifer calves diagnosed with scour preweaning3. ORT, says the company, could help save the industry £60 million a year1.
The new campaign will encourage farmers to use ORT during scouring to provide sufficient essential electrolytes to correct acidosis, while still continuing with milk feeding. The company says milk is the best source of energy and fluid replacement for scouring calves and stopping milk has been shown to have no impact on the resolution of scour. In fact, calves left on milk during scour can continue to gain weight. The Making Milk Matter Against Scour initiative is being backed by a PR and advertising campaign and a social media initiative.
During the campaign Ceva will be running surveys to capture both vets’ and farmers’ experiences of scour and ORT. To take part in the vet survey visit https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/ORTVet. There will be a prize draw from completed entries, with 10 vets receiving a £10 Amazon voucher.
Stephenie Clarke, product manager at Ceva Animal Health said: "The ‘Making Milk Matter Against Scour’ campaign will help highlight the financial and welfare benefits of using ORT at the first signs of scour and the importance of administering it alongside milk which is the best source of energy and will help calves maintain weight gain.
"The scour survey will provide us with an insight into the use of ORT in practice and on farm to help us drive improvements across the industry."
James Adams, BVSc FHEA MRCVS, farm animal lead at Langford Vets, University of Bristol, added: “If I could offer one piece of advice to farmers with scouring animals it would be to ensure hydration as dehydration is what kills! Rehydrating an animal is essential if an animal is to be able to regain its normal function and fend off any disease.
"We’ve been using Rehydion in our vet practice for approximately two years and we mainly recommend that farmers use it in cattle, but our clients also use it in lambs and kids. We get a lot of positive feedback from farmers on Rehydion, as they feel that it is effective and convenient to use, which aids compliance, and it can be given with milk, which is essential for maintaining a positive energy status."
For further information on the ‘Making Milk Matter Against Scour’ initiative visit www.makingmilkmatter.co.uk, contact your local Ceva Account Manager, call Ceva on 01494 781510 or email cevauk@ceva.com.
In the study, which was supported by MSD and led by Rosie Lyle of Bishopton Veterinary Group, 18 farmers placed temperature loggers in the fridge where they normally store vaccines. Temperatures were then monitored between February and April. Throughout this period, 89% of loggers recorded a temperature outside the 2–8°C range at least once, and 43% recorded temperatures outside this range more than 50% of the time.
The authors say that these findings raise potential concerns about vaccine efficacy.
Rosie found that 55% of the loggers recorded a temperature over 8°C, and 39% recorded a temperature below 2°C.
Across all the fridges monitored, the maximum temperature recorded was 12°C and the minimum was -11.5°C.
Rosie said: "This is a surprisingly wide range. Obviously, these findings are concerning for farmers as we know that both too high and too low temperatures can impair vaccine efficacy.
"Live vaccines tend to be particularly sensitive to elevated temperatures, whereas inactivated vaccines are more affected by freezing, especially when the adjuvant contains aluminium salts".
"It’s important for both farmers and vets to be aware of potential concerns about vaccine efficacy, given the possible impact on herd health and the potential for vaccine failure to reduce trust in vaccines and herd health recommendations".
In light of Rosie’s findings, other XLVets practices are now encouraging farmers to take action to improve medicine storage, including using max/min thermometers or temperature loggers to track fridge temperature, as well as taking steps to maximise the efficiency of each fridge.
Susan Goodfellow, Marketing Manager at XLVets, said: "We wouldn’t have known that this is an important issue to highlight to farmers without collecting the information, so Rosie’s study was very valuable.
"In the XLVets community, we support clinical leadership with these kind of projects – we actively collect data and make sure that farmers can benefit from the latest findings. As a group of independent practices working together, we can achieve much more than we could in isolation."
The intranasal vaccine can be administered to calves from one week old. It reduces the clinical signs of respiratory disease and viral shedding from infection with Bovine Respiratory Syncytial Virus (BRSV) and Parainfluenza-3 Virus (Pi3V).
MSD says that no other UK-licensed BRD vaccine can be administered earlier in life, and claims the vaccine delivers the fastest on-farm protection, with an onset of immunity after administration of 5 days for BRSV and 7 days for Pi3V. Duration of immunity is 12 weeks for both viruses.
MSD Animal Health livestock veterinary adviser Dr Kat Baxter-Smith said: "Having this early life calf pneumonia vaccine available in single dose vials will give farmers more practical leeway to be able to vaccinate vulnerable young calves from as young as a week of age, rather than delaying administration until a batch of calves are available. We know that early-age protection of young calves through intranasal vaccination can help prevent pneumonia and positively impact a beef or dairy calf’s productive future".
The new single dose vials are supplied in packs of five, complementing the five dose vials already available.
For further information, contact your MSD account manager.
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:
Norbrook is contacting wholesale dealers and veterinary surgeons to examine inventory and quarantine products subject to this recall.
For further information regarding the recall, contact Gary Mckee on 0044 2830 264435 or by email: gary.mckee@norbrook.co.uk
The interactive map, which has been launched as part of Ceva’s ‘For Flock’s Sake – Vaccinate!’ awareness campaign, uses data from the company’s on-farm testing for Chlamydophila abortus, the bacterium that causes EAE.
Ceva says the map shows that the disease is present across the UK, although cases may well be much higher than shown, as the map is only based on farms that the company has tested positive for the bacterium.
Positive EAE cases on farms are recorded by county on the map, so farmers can check for EAE in their area.
The map, available at www.eaemap.co.uk, will be updated regularly as new farms test positive for EAE.
Stephenie Clarke, product manager at Ceva Animal Health, said: "Our new EAE interactive map will be updated on an ongoing basis and will be a useful tool to ensure that farmers are up-to-date with EAE cases throughout the UK."
For more information, visit www.eaemap.co.uk, contact your local Ceva Animal Health account manager, call Ceva on 01494 781510 or email: cevauk@ceva.com.
Ceva introduced eco-friendly CLAS (Ceva Layered Anti Shatter) vials in 2007 and continues to invest in the technology for livestock injectables, such as NSAIDs and antibiotics.
However, the three-minute survey - https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/CLASvials - will help it better understand current attitudes towards packaging and how it can continue to make changes that will drive improvements across the industry.
Five participating vets’ names will be picked at random to win a £20 Amazon voucher in a prize draw.
Peter Keyte, ruminant business unit manager at Ceva Animal Health said: “Following discussions with both UK vets and farmers, we believe that there is some confusion around the disposal of pharmaceutical waste both on farm and from the vet clinic.
"The survey will give us an insight into what is happening to pharmaceutical waste on farms and help us to drive improvements across the industry.”
The kit contains the ergonomically designed Henke-Sass Wolf injector with an adjustable dose selector, five single piece Intranasal RSP nozzles – with ‘luer’ lock attachment, which supports easier removal, cleaning and/or replacement – and instructions for use.
For more information, contact your local MSD Animal Health account manager.
The new policy has been published ahead of an upcoming review of England’s Welfare of Animals at the Time of Killing regulations (WATOK) by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).
Recommendations in the policy address all areas of the slaughter process, including:
The policy also covers a wider range of species and focuses on some of those species-specific needs.
For the first time its recommendations include fish. In order to improve the welfare of farmed finfish, BVA says that UK Governments should include the effective stunning of finfish as well as general welfare protections in WATOK regulations. It also calls for more research into developing effective and humane methods of stunning for decapods (shrimp, lobsters and crabs) and cephalopods (squid and octopus) as well as wild caught fish.
BVA Senior Vice President, Simon Doherty said: "With millions of animals slaughtered each year to provide us with the food we eat, we have a responsibility to provide them with a life worth living and a humane death. Our updated position aims to do just that by building on existing legislation and guiding the industry in a direction that better protects the welfare of animals destined for the food chain.
"Slaughter processes should be designed to minimise avoidable pain, distress, fear, and suffering and this document looks at all of the ways that we as vets can work with industry bodies and farm colleagues to improve the legislation already in place.”
A snapshot survey carried out in 2018 by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) for the period of one week revealed that nearly 20 million animals (excluding fish) were slaughtered across 248 operating plants in England and Wales during that time.
In order to effect change for such a high quantity of animals, BVA’s new position sets out recommendations for a range of stakeholders, government, industry, researchers and the veterinary profession, at each stage of the slaughter process. Improvements to the way that stunning data is captured and reported on is also on the list of asks, as well as improving regulation of non-stun slaughter and working collaboratively with Islamic scholars and Halal certification bodies to promote the acceptability of recoverable stunning.
Simon added: "From making sure that stunning methods are as effective as possible, to looking at the specific needs of each species, revalidation of training for operators, and championing the role of the Official Veterinarian, there is a lot of work to be done but we look forward to progressing these recommendations and working to improve the welfare of farmed animals across the UK."
Forte developed the new solution alongside Professor Gayle Hallowell, Professor of Veterinary Internal Medicine and Critical Care at the School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham.
The company says Hydrafast delivers ideal levels of sodium and glucose. It also contains glycine, an amino acid, acetate, propionate and citrate.
Professor Hallowell said: “This new ORS formula for calves is both practical and research-based, and should address what we know calves need when they have diarrhoea. It provides nutrition as well as an optimal electrolyte balance.”
Hydrafast comes in sachets of 133g. Each box of Hydrafast contains 24 sachets.
Hydrafast is available now from all major veterinary wholesalers, or direct from Forte Healthcare Ltd.
For more information contact your Forte Territory Manager, email enquiries@fortehealthcare.com or visit: www.fortehealthcare.com/product/hydrafast/
The new award, sponsored by Krka UK, will recognise an exceptional farm vet who has been working in the dairy industry for three to five years and who has contributed significantly to the health and wellbeing of herds under their care.
Sarah Tomlinson, veterinary surgeon at Westpoint Farm Vets in Derbyshire, Technical Director of the TB Advisory Service (TBAS) and recipient of the 2020 Dairy Vet of the Year, said: “In recognising achievement among more recently qualified vets with this new award, Krka is giving the boost every young vet needs to shake off the ‘new grad’ title and instead become an ‘high performing’ vet, judged by their industry peers to be one of the best. Many vets can suffer with imposter syndrome so it is important that we accept positive acknowledgement of our work and our everyday achievements so that we can be rightly proud of what we do.”
More information about the CREAM Awards and the nomination process can be found here: https://www.britishdairying.co.uk/cream-awards-2021/
Flimabend is diluted into water and replaces the flock’s drinking water for a set period during the day.
The new 20g pack includes a post-prescription leaflet to help veterinary surgeons support clients in calculating the correct dose, based on the bodyweight of their flock. It also includes a measuring scoop to ensure accurate administration.
Flimabend is effective against the three key intestinal worms affecting chickens – Ascaridia (roundworm); Capillaria (hairworm) and Heterakis gallinarum, which can be a vector for Blackhead disease. No egg withdrawal period is required.
Charlotte Read, Krka's Key Account Manager – Farm said: “Poultry-rearing is on the increase in the UK, both at a commercial level and among the public. Recent figures suggest that more than one million UK households keep chickens, with the majority of domestic flocks comprising five laying hens and a cockerel1.
"A regular worming routine is, of course, essential for optimal flock health and ensuring ease of use in a worming product is the most effective way of ensuring compliance, especially among those keeping backyard chickens.
“As one of the first water-based worming products available for small flocks, Flimabend now offers an innovative presentation of Flubendazole which we believe offers a new level of convenience and flexibility.”
Krka is currently offering virtual ‘lunch and learns’ on the worming of backyard chickens. Contact your Krka Account Manager for more details.
Reference
Being an intranasal vaccine, Bovalto Respi IN triggers mucosal immunity in the nasal passages and throat area. It can be delivered from 10 days of age without the need for a booster and provides immunity for 12 weeks, from 10 days after vaccination.
Boehringer says it has also been shown to be effective in the face of MDA (maternally derived antibodies).
The new bottle now has a wider neck, which apparently makes for a better fit with the accompanying Respisafe applicator and nozzle.
Brand manager Matt Yarnall said: "The Respisafe applicator ensures that vaccination is a comfortable process for both farmer and calf and the improved fit will make the job even easier.
"With an intranasal vaccine, it is important that the vaccine droplets coat the mucosa of the nasal passages, where they can begin to work. If they are too big, then the vaccine can run out of the nose, and if too small then the droplets are carried into the lungs and are wasted. The Respisafe system ensures that the optimum size of droplet is administered to the right place in an efficient and easy way.”
Bovalto Respi Intranasal protects against the two main respiratory viruses – RSV and PI3, and during its development it was tested against current strains, that are associated with causing disease in cattle1.
Stock of the new bottles will start to enter circulation with vets from mid-July, with an expectation that the existing version will still be in circulation until early in the new year.
Veteran campaigner and RCVS Councillor Danny Chambers MRCVS (pictured right) has started a petition to George Eustice on change.org that: Future trade deals must not compromise animal welfare and public health.
The petition has gathered an impressive 21,984 signatures, of which Danny says that more than 500 are from veterinary surgeons.
Meanwhile VetPartners is calling on the retail and food service sector to give priority to British produce, even if future trade deals enable the import of foods produced to lower standards.
Ian Cure, farm director at VetPartners, is contacting the UK’s main retailers to discuss how they can support British farmers in the months and years to come. He has the backing of the clinical directors at each of the 28 farm or mixed practices within the group, which collectively look after the health and welfare of over 30% of the UK’s dairy population and 45% of the pig population.
“We are asking retailers to prioritise a range of Red Tractor certified produce at varying prices, while avoiding designating shelf space to imports of a lower quality. Likewise, the food service sector can choose to source from UK food supply chains.
“These sectors have a high level of influence, as consumers will pick from what is clearly available, which is why we see it as the best way to support our farmers.
“We are incredibly concerned about how the higher welfare and production standards in UK agriculture will be protected long term, given that MPs failed to enshrine that protection in law when voting against the recent amendment to the Agriculture Bill last month.
“Future trade deals to allow the import of cheap food from countries outside of the EU would be a step in the wrong direction, as our farmers will not be competing on an even playing field as they attempt to compete with countries with lower costs of production.”
However, Ian adds that this is not just a welfare issue: "If the UK livestock sector is forced to adopt practices that are frowned upon in Europe to compete, such as the American applications of hormone growth treatments and chlorinated chicken, we would be severely risking our local, lucrative European export market.
“While trade with countries such as the USA and Australia may have benefits from an economical perspective, the carbon emissions associated with longer distance transport of food is a real concern.
“We see it as imperative that higher welfare standards are maintained, while reducing the carbon footprint of our food supply – it's the right, sustainable thing to do. As MPs have let down the sector, we are now calling on retailers and the food service industry to back UK farming."
The 2020 OV Conference will offer up to 25 hours of CPD with lectures, workshops and Q&A sessions from world-class speakers in streams covering small animals, farm animals and equines. There will also be exclusive offers from industry sponsors and online networking opportunities.
The OV Conference provides an opportunity for OVs to discuss current topics of interest and recent developments in their work. Themes this year will include notifiable diseases, biosecurity and disease control, and export certification.
In addition to the live lectures, delegates will be able to view recordings of all the sessions on-demand for three months following the conference. The CPD on offer counts towards OV revalidation qualifications with the event open to all vets, as well as animal health paraprofessionals, nurses and practice managers.
David Babington MRCVS, Business Development Director at Improve International, said: "Moving the OV Conference online has given us an opportunity to harness the technology we use regularly in all of our veterinary training to bring OVs an exceptional but affordable CPD experience.
"Our excellent speakers are looking forward to sharing the latest updates in all aspects of OV work with our delegates and to discussing the challenges ahead, particularly in the light of the COVID-19 pandemic and with the UK moving inexorably towards leaving the EU at the end of the year.
"We’re looking forward to meeting our delegates old and new online at the OV Conference in September.”
The full programme and tickets are now available from https://officialvet.com
The first 150 tickets will get an ‘Early Bird’ 25% discount from £160 to £120+ VAT using the code UK.OV.EARLYBIRD.
The collaborative study, which was sponsored by Norbrook, involved each practice blood testing a cohort of six lambs on 25 individual farms from 16 weeks of age, to look for evidence of antibodies to liver fluke.
Only 11 farms had positive results in the period from June, up to December, with most only showing one or two lambs out of the six sero-converting later in the year. Even farms located reasonably close by showed positive cases months apart.
Mark Thompson of Craven Farm Vets in Yorkshire said, “I did not expect to see positive results as late in the year. I expected a positive result earlier (September/October) as the farm is a very wet farm with a long-standing issue with fluke. Also, the weather in the area has been ideal for the intermediate host and fluke development on the pasture.”
Emily Baxter of Drove Farm Vets in Wiltshire said she thinks there is scope to use the results to improve the timing of dosing with flukicides and more responsible use: “We will use the results from this year’s testing to re-evaluate the farm’s fluke control protocol which will help reduce the level of use of flukicides earlier in the season for years with similar weather patterns and assist in planning of strategic grazing.
"We’re looking forward to continuing our work this year, no two years are ever the same, that’s why monitoring is so important. It will allow both ourselves and our clients to build up a picture over time of what’s happening not only on their individual farms, but potentially down to field level! This will allow us to provide more conclusive recommendations. For now, it’s clear that testing has great promise as a means to provide tailored advice to farms on how to control fluke and use the flukicides available to us responsibly.”
Emily says it’s important that farmers do not stop using flukicides based on the results of this study nor assume that there is less risk: “We all know how significant the losses from acute and chronic fascioliasis can be. We therefore encourage farmers to talk to their vet before they change their flukicide treatment protocols and discuss the possibility of using serology as an adjunct to determine how and when they treat.”
Veterinary professionals can find out more about the fluke sentinel project at https://xlvets-farm.co.uk/fluke-sentinel or the XLVets community at https://www.xlvets.co.uk/the-boss/.
Kriptazen is supplied with a twist-adjustable and weight-graduated dosing pump which means farmers can administer a precise dose up to 60kg without having to calculate it in ml’s first. Virbac says this will help to reduce the risk of incorrect dosing and toxicity issues.
Virbac’s Technical Product Manager Rosie Naylor said: "We are delighted to bring Kriptazen to the market. The trusted active halofuginone, along with the innovative weight graduated dosing pump, provides practices with added peace of mind when it comes to treatment."
For more information, contact your Virbac Territory Manager.
‘Sheep Vets - Fit for the Future’ are being presented by well-respected industry leaders, vets and sheep farmers on Tuesday evenings during May, June and July.
Webinar organiser, Dr Fiona Lovatt from Flock Health Limited (pictured right) said: "We are optimistic about the future for the UK sheep industry, but to grasp the opportunities farmers need proactive vets who can demonstrate an added value approach. As vets we must think more holistically about the challenges sheep farmers face and that means optimising our understanding of how flock health issues, soil and grassland management, and environmental factors all link together with the economics.
"This webinar programme aims to help keen sheep vets consider how they can best engage with their sheep farmer clients."
The first webinar in the series was attended by more than 100 delegates, and is now available as a recording. It highlighted the current state of the UK sheep industry and what the future 10 years might look like.
Future topics include how to improve engagement with sheep farmers (26th May), how vets can best ensure successful lamb growth (9th June), understanding sheep farming economics (23rd June) and exploring the veterinary possibilities arising from different sources of flock data (7th July). Watch live at 7.30pm or catch up later with the recording.
Register for free by visiting www.sheepvetsoc.org.uk or www.flockhealth.co.uk
The company is now asking farm vets to point their clients in the direction of the FarmComm study and encourage them to take part, share their thoughts and help shape the way we all work together in the future.
Mat Yarnall, senior brand manager at Boehringer said: "With routine visits, practice meetings, herd or flock health planning sessions and farming shows and exhibitions all on-hold, how vets work with their clients is subject to change on a scale never seen before.
“The study is striving to understand what methods of working going forward may work, what won’t work and how people want to work.”
The FarmComm study will be being sent out directly to farmers or can be accessed at https://bit.ly/farm-comm.
Matt added: "Following analysis and interpretation, these findings will be shared with vets as we all move together into new and different times."