Dorset-based veterinary surgeon Kerstin Vockert has been struck off the Register after admitting animal welfare offences.

During her two-day hearing, the RCVS Disciplinary Committee heard that Ms Vockert had been convicted under Animal Welfare Act 2006 at Bournemouth Magistrates Court in April for, by her own admission, failing to protect two dogs she owned from pain, suffering, injury and disease, by not adequately grooming them.

The prosecution had been brought by the RSPCA after one of her dogs, a Shih Tzu named Happy, was taken into care by the local Council in September 2014 as a stray.

The dog was examined by Chris Devlin MRCVS who reported at the time that the dog’s coat was in an "appalling state, with multiple mats of hair all over his body" and with "evidence of faecal and urinary soiling on the fur around the rear end", which constituted clear signs of neglect. The dog was anaesthetised and treated by Mr Devlin for an eye condition and was also given a full body shave. The dog made a full recovery after these operations. 

Council employees discovered that Happy belonged to Ms Vockert and referred the matter to the RSPCA who started an investigation into his condition. When two RSPCA inspectors visited Ms Vockert’s home in September 2014 they observed a Cocker Spaniel named Millie which had severely matted fur. There were no concerns about any of the other dogs owned by Ms Vockert.

The two inspectors visited Ms Vockert’s home the next day by appointment and were told by Ms Vockert that Millie had been euthanased. Millie’s body was subsequently taken to Professor Kenneth Smith MRCVS and Claire Muir MRCVS for a post-mortem examination. In their report following the post-mortem, they observed Millie’s hair coat to be "extensively matted and given the growth of hair over the collar and claws, it is likely that the hair has not been clipped for an extremely long period... and is likely to have restricted the dog’s ability to walk. In addition, a large amount of faecal material has become matted within the hair coat and this finding strongly suggests that this dog was neglected."

As a result of her prosecution by the RSCPA, Ms Vockert was fined £620, ordered to pay costs of £300, a victim surcharge of £62 and a deprivation of animal ownership order was made under the Animal Welfare Act 2006.

The Disciplinary Committee considered that the failure to groom extended over a period of months and that any conviction on the part of a veterinary surgeon relating to animal welfare was an extremely serious matter.

Ian Green, chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: "The College submitted that the conviction of a veterinary surgeon for an animal welfare offence, of necessity has the potential to undermine both the reputation of the profession and public confidence in the profession.

"In such circumstances, the respondent’s conviction fell far below the standard to be expected of a veterinary surgeon and therefore renders her unfit to practise veterinary surgery."

In considering Ms Vockert’s sanction, the Committee took into mitigation her long and otherwise unblemished career both in the UK and Germany, her guilty plea to the RSPCA conviction and the fact she made no attempt to challenge the College’s submissions in relation to her fitness to practise.

However, it also took into account a number of aggravating features, particularly the fact there was "actual neglect of the welfare of two animals, over a protracted period of time, which resulted in pain, suffering and discomfort. This aspect of the case is made more serious because the two animals in question belonged to the respondent, who is a practising veterinary surgeon with access to the drugs and equipment necessary to groom the dogs."

Ultimately, the Committee decided that the only appropriate sanction was to direct the Acting Registrar to remove Ms Vockert’s name from the Register.

Ian Green, summing up, said: "The Committee considers that the respondent’s conduct which led to the conviction, involved a departure from the most basic and pivotal principle of the Code [of Professional Conduct], which states that the first consideration when attending to animals is health and welfare.

"Accordingly, the Committee had decided that removal from the Register is appropriate and proportionate in this case."

The PDSA is calling on veterinary surgeons and students to complete its Animal Wellbeing (PAW) Report survey 2016.

The charity says that the survey is the largest, most comprehensive insight into pet wellbeing in the UK; an opportunity for veterinary professionals to share their views on the issues affecting the health and welfare of UK pets today.

Vicki Betton, PDSA Policy and Campaigns manager, said: "For the last five years, the PAW Report has provided valuable insight into the reality of pet health and wellbeing in the UK.

"It delivers a robust evidence base for our education programmes, campaigns and collaborative work, and enables us to track our impact on the pet wellbeing issues which are of most concern to the veterinary profession. It also provides an excellent opportunity for everyone to voice their opinions and have their say.

"In 2015, two of the main concerns identified were lack of public understanding of the cost of pet ownership, and a lack of pre-purchase education relating to suitable pet choice. This was reinforced in our survey of pet owners, in which over 95% of pet owners incorrectly estimated the lifetime costs for their pet. As a result, we launched our #PawsFirst campaign to engage pet owners about how to choose the right pet for their lifestyle, while raising awareness of the lifetime costs of different species."

The current survey closes on 4 July. Vicki added: "It only takes 15 minutes, so please help us maintain an accurate picture of the biggest welfare issues facing pets in the UK today."

Take the survey at www.yougov.com/PDSA and help spread the word by sharing on social media - #PAWreport

63% of pet owners in the UK say they would feel the loss of a pet every bit as acutely as the loss of a family member, according to a survey carried out by Aquarium, a pet insurance technology integrator (whatever that is). 

Mark Colonnese, Aquarium’s Sales and Marketing Director said: "As someone who owns two dogs, the results of the survey have not come as too much of a surprise to me, but I know that some of my colleagues were pretty surprised just how important we think our pets are."

The survey showed that the feelings were even stronger among women, 71% of whom would regard a pet death as equally upsetting to that of a family member’s, compared to 55% of men.

Mark added: "Our results really highlight the sensitivity of issues surrounding a pet’s death. While this would be obvious to, for instance, a life insurance company, our survey reinforces the need for an empathetic customer journey among pet insurers. The first step of this process is ensuring a smooth, seamless process to minimise stress for newly bereaved pet parents."

Chris Tufnell has been invested as the President of the RCVS for 2016/17 during RCVS Day 2016, which took place at the Royal Institute of British Architects last week.

Chris has been an elected member of Council since 2009 and, during this time, has served on the Education Committee, the Examinations Appeal Committee and the Operational Board as Chair of the Education Committee and Junior Vice-President.

He graduated with a veterinary degree from the University of Glasgow at the relatively advanced age of 30 having first attained a degree in Agricultural and Environmental Science from the University of Newcastle. Following graduation he worked in a mixed practice in Herefordshire before buying an equine and companion animal practice in West Berkshire, which currently employs five veterinary surgeons and five support staff.

In his maiden speech, Chris called on veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses to be proud of themselves as people who are committed to the welfare of animals in their care and to not be so hard on themselves.

He also outlined several areas that he would like to prioritise during his presidential year. These included delivering the priorities set out in the Vet Futures Action Plan, exploring bringing veterinary paraprofessionals into the College’s regulatory remit, driving forward the College’s international profile and dealing with blame and fear culture in the profession.

He said: "I’ve seen first-hand in Africa and India what the delivery of veterinary care can do for the welfare of animals in these regions and the wellbeing of people that frequently depend upon them. As one of the richest nations in the world we will further investigate what we can do, through knowledge transfer and support, to help raise the standards of veterinary care in developing countries.

"Sadly we often hear that there are vets and nurses who live in fear of the RCVS. This is something of which I am personally ashamed. Being particularly mindful of the role that fear and anxiety play in mental health, I will do everything I can to replace this fear... I will encourage all hardworking vets and nurses, whichever field they are in, to wear their [MRCVS] ‘badge’ with pride. Feel good about what you do, feel great about what you do."

Chris’ first official duty upon receiving the presidential chain of office from outgoing President Dr Bradley Viner, was to welcome the new Junior Vice-President Professor Stephen May. He also praised Bradley for his calm authority, humour and wisdom throughout his year as RCVS President.

Veterinary surgeon and author Emma Milne has come out all guns blazing this week, calling on the leading professional bodies to sever ties with the Kennel Club if it doesn't make health testing for the most serious inherited conditions mandatory.

By way of example, Emma highlights syringomyelia (SM) and mitral valve disease (MVD) in Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, two diseases which cause considerable suffering and which could be significantly reduced with selective breeding.

Following the uproar caused by the Pedigree Dogs Exposed programme in 2008, a voluntary BVA/Kennel Club SM screening programme was introduced in 2012. However, Emma says that in the time since then, during which 20,429 CKCS puppies have been registered with the Kennel Club, only 331 have been scanned. 

She points out that there is still no official heart scheme in the UK, despite the Kennel Club promising at a meeting at the House of Lords in 2008 that they would introduce one.

Meanwhile, Sweden, Belgium, the Netherlands and Denmark have introduced mandatory heart testing schemes for CKCS, and the latest figures from Denmark apparently show there has been a 73% reduction in heart disease.

Back in the UK, this year's Crufts Best of Breed Cavalier sired his first litter untested when he was only 9 months old, against the recommendations of the MVD Breeding Protocol.

Emma said: "It's all very well single vets like me saying 'I'm bloody sick of this', but I don't know how we can change it unless the Kennel Club does something."

Responding in Veterinary Times, the Kennel Club’s secretary Caroline Kisko blamed the veterinary profession for the lack of progress with a heart testing scheme, saying: "The KC has been committed to developing a new heart scheme in the UK for many years but, unfortunately, the veterinary profession has been unable to agree testing protocols."

Emma said: "It is typical of the KC to blame the veterinary profession. It beggars belief to say a heart scheme is too complicated when many other countries have them already in place. At the very least the KC could insist on the well-accepted MVD breeding protocol being followed for Cavaliers. It would be a start. If we never do anything because it’s not perfect, how will we ever evolve change? Looks like us vets will just have to continue to pick up the pieces while dogs carry on dying.”

Long-time Cavalier health campaigner Margaret Carter has a petition on change.org calling for compulsory SM and MVD screening. It has amassed over 27,000 signatures. She said: "It [the Kennel Club] has been talking about a heart scheme for years. It has the know-how and power to not only create a scheme but insist breeders use it. While the Kennel Club prefers to placate its most important customers – breeders - more and more Cavalier puppies are being born to suffer from inherited disease. 

"Its Assured Breeders’ Scheme (ABS) is almost meaningless for Cavaliers because the only health test required is for eyes: a token nod to health when the breed is plagued by conditions as horrific as SM and MVD.

"And with so few recorded Cavalier health tests because of the absence of a heart scheme and the breeder boycott of the official SM scheme, the KC’s Mate Select tool is rendered pretty useless too.

Margaret added: "We are very grateful to Emma Milne for voicing so powerfully the situation regarding Cavalier health, however unpalatable the truth might be to some. I’d ask all vets to follow Emma’s lead in writing to the KC and their professional bodies demanding action."

Photograph: Bailey Cooper

International Cat Care is highlighting a new study by the University of Edinburgh which concluded that flatter-faced cats were more likely to have breathing problems and that the breathing difficulties were also associated with increased tear staining and a more sedentary lifestyle¹.

The charity says it joins mounting evidence that brachycephalic cats, including most modern Persians or Exotic Shorthairs, are suffering from a number of health problems, including breathing problems, eye inflammation, skin infections and difficulty eating. 

In the study, published open access in the journal PLOS ONE, cat owners were asked to complete a detailed health questionnaire and submit photographs of their cats so that researchers could measure the muzzle ratio and nose position ratio. 1000 valid questionnaires and 373 valid photographs were received.

The research confirmed that flatter-faced cats (of breeds such as the Persian or Exotic Shorthair), were more likely to have breathing problems and that the breathing difficulties were also associated with increased tear staining and a more sedentary lifestyle.

A previous paper, published in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery (JFMS)² showed how the skulls of brachycephalic cats are actually deformed, especially the nose and jaw. 

The charity says that unfortunately, breeds of cat and dog with flat faces are becoming more and more popular, and extremes (of an already abnormal anatomy) can become instant internet celebrities. These breeds and individuals often have large or prominent eyes which are considered by some to be 'cute' because they are baby-like, and the flattened face often has an up-turned or down-turned mouth, which gives it a human or cartoon characteristic of smiling or scowling, such as Grumpy Cat. 

Claire Bessant, Chief Executive of International Cat Care said: "It is very depressing to see the life which has been deliberately dealt to some breeds of cats because of a human desire to develop a certain look. I urge cat lovers to speak out and help others to understand that this is not something we should be doing to cats, and not something we should be tolerating.

"One of the best and most beautifully naturally designed animals – the cat – would not normally have any of these problems; we have created them through selective breeding.

"We should not be encouraging people to breed these cats by calling them 'cute', by being amused at their facial characteristics, or by the fact that they snore – rather we need to understand that this is human intervention that is wholly detrimental to the welfare of the cats and is simply cruel.

"International Cat Care takes an ethical view of all cat breeds and our website (http://icatcare.org/advice/cat-breeds) outlines the problems that exist for some breeds, including very flat-faced cats in the Persians and Exotic breeds. Our stance is that we should never deliberately breed cats for any feature or characteristic that impairs their welfare."

References

1. Farnworth MJ, et al. Flat feline faces: is brachycephaly associated with respiratory abnormalities in the domestic cat (Felis catus)? PLoS One 2016; 11: e0161777. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0161777
2. Schlueter C, Budras KD, Ludewig E, et al. Brachycephalic feline noses: CT and anatomical study of the relationship between head conformation and the nasolacrimal drainage system. J Feline Med Surg 2009; 11: 891–900. DOI: 10.1016/j.jfms.2009.09.010.

Bayer Animal Health - maker of Remend - has released the second in its series of 'Back to Basics' educational videos, this one covering canine ophthalmology. Alongside, the company has also launched a new educational practice display pack about Dry Eye in dogs.

The 15 minute video (see below) is hosted by Chris Dixon, veterinary ophthalmologist and director at Veterinary Vision Ophthalmic Referrals, who discusses things to consider when examining a patient with an ocular disorder. He offers practical advice on how to perform an ocular examination, including tips on how to use an ophthalmoscope effectively, examining the ocular structures including the front eye, distant direct examination, indirect examination and close direct examination.

Chris said: "This series of videos aims to help vets learn how to perform the fundamental techniques of ophthalmic examination, hopefully enabling them to spot potentially degenerative conditions earlier. The second video in particular delves into practical tips that vets can use within practice. The videos have been created in partnership with Bayer as part of their ongoing commitment to training, and aim to help ensure that chronic conditions, such as keratoconjunctivitis sicca (KCS), or dry eye, are diagnosed and treated early."

The veterinary practice waiting room display materials are designed to help practices educate dog owners on the signs and management of Dry Eye in the hope that the condition may be diagnosed and treated earlier and to emphasise the importance of ongoing treatment and management.

Hannah Watts, Group Product Manager at Bayer said: "It is important that dog owners with a predisposed breed are aware that their pet may be at risk of developing Dry Eye and are aware of the symptoms. Annual testing in at risk breeds for Dry Eye is recommended to help reach an early diagnosis and optimise the chances of a successful treatment outcome."

The Dry Eye practice display materials are available to order via the Bayer Vet Centre www.vetcentre.bayer.co.uk. Alternatively, ask your Bayer rep for more details.

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RCVS Knowledge has announced the launch of Vet History, a new way to access its archive of historical veterinary manuscripts, correspondence, clinical case notes and photographs illustrating the history of the British veterinary profession from 1800 to the present day.

Vet History is part of a five year project to improve access to and awareness of the wealth of material held by the College, which began with the appointment of a qualified archivist in October 2015 and the creation of the online database which includes descriptions of material catalogued to international archive standards. The catalogue will be fully searchable with biographical profiles for major persons featured in the collections.

The papers of the prolific veterinary author and army veterinarian Major General Sir Frederick Smith (1857-1929) are amongst the first collections to be fully catalogued and described online. The material covers the length of Smith’s career from case notes recording treatment of army horses in India in the 1880s to correspondence from the last 20 years of his life, in which he wrote a four volume history of veterinary literature. Smith was involved in the Army Veterinary Service during the Second Anglo-Boer War and the First World War, and his honest and candid accounts of the loss of horses by the Army illustrate fascinating aspects of veterinary, social and military history.

Chris Gush, Executive Director, RCVS Knowledge said: "The launch of the Archives catalogue covers a critical and fascinating time in the nation’s history, both for the advances in veterinary science and its role in marinating a functioning British military presence in the 19^th century. Through this unparalleled collection, RCVS Knowledge can be an invaluable source of information for academic research and the general public." 

The RCVS Vet History project is ongoing, and further collections will be catalogued periodically over the next four years. Visitors are encouraged to check the catalogue regularly, and follow RCVS Knowledge’s Twitter feed for news and updates.

To see behind the scenes of the Project, and find out more about highlighted items, follow the Historical Collections blog here.

The RCVS Vet History Project is supported by The ALBORADA Trust.

Cattle Health Certification Standards (CHeCS) has launched CHeCS bTB Herd Accreditation, a new scheme to evaluate risk and recognise farmers who step up biosecurity to help control bovine TB (bTB) in England and Wales.

The voluntary scheme, which has been welcomed by Farming Minister George Eustice and Welsh Government Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs Lesley Griffiths, improves a herd’s ‘score’ every year it is free from a bTB breakdown, awarding a status of 0-10.

This new bTB scheme will require the herd vet and cattle owner to work together on following a number of biosecurity measures already successfully implemented in five other cattle disease control programmes.

As well as reducing risk of infection, the country-wide programme could present informed purchasing opportunities. In particular, it could benefit farmers selling cattle from regions with a high risk of the disease or who wish to minimise exposure from bought-in animals. It could also give recognition for a farmer’s efforts to complement Government and industry strategies to control infection.

Farming Minister George Eustice (pictured left above, with BCVA President Andrew Cobner) said: "Dealing with Bovine TB is costing us £100 million a year and causing devastation and distress for farmers and rural communities across the country. 33,000 cattle were slaughtered because of the disease last year alone and many farms are subject to movement restrictions which can affect their trade.

"But we know some 40% of herds in the high-risk area in England have never had a breakdown, and the CHeCS scheme will help them to communicate this so they can carry out risk-based trading to support their businesses.

"The scheme will also recognise those practicing good biosecurity, which is a core part of our long-term plan to tackle bovine TB."

The scheme complements the Government’s 25-year plan to eradicate Bovine TB in England, and will provide another tool for farmers who want to show they are following best practice. It follows the launch of the TB Hub (www.tbhub.co.uk), which offers practical advice and guidance as well as background into the disease.

The Cabinet Secretary, Mrs Griffiths, said: "The Welsh Government has been supportive of this initiative from the start. By focusing on individual herds, the scheme complements our proposed regional approach, for example those herds in the high TB areas which have not recently had TB will be able to demonstrate they are a lower risk.

"This industry-led initiative aimed at reducing TB is to be welcomed and fits in with our principles of working in partnership and promoting the benefits of disease prevention.  I urge Welsh farmers to engage with the scheme and reduce the risk of disease being introduced into their herd."

Across Great Britain, CHeCS has over 14,000 member herds, representing around 14% of cattle holdings in some form of monitoring, control and eradication of disease.

Keith Cutler, CHeCS board member and partner in the Endell Veterinary Group, said: "CHeCS so far has focused on control of non-statutory diseases – Johne’s Disease, IBR, BVD, Leptospirosis and Neospora. Participating health schemes have been monitoring the health status of participating herds for some years.

"With this programme, we will be working with Government to receive official TB test data with the agreement of the farmer. It’s an exciting development for CHeCS, but there is a natural fit because of the expertise CHeCS-accredited health schemes already have with monitoring biosecurity measures on their members’ farms."

Andrew Cobner, president of the British Cattle Veterinary Association, who has been technical lead on the project since the start, said: "All too often we are confronted with the view that there is little or nothing that we can do to control TB. We wouldn’t accept this attitude with any other infectious disease so it’s time farmers and vets fought back. We have a government that is willing to embrace all of the measures necessary and we have a 25 year plan in place. Part of this will involve increasing biosecurity and risk-based trading, and CHeCS is leading the way."

The CHeCS bTb Herd Accreditation scores run from 0 (following all CHeCS measures but had a herd breakdown within the past 12 months), to 1 (following CHeCS measures and one year since the last herd breakdown) all the way though to 10 (following CHeCS measures and 10 years or more since the last herd breakdown).

Veterinary surgeons who think their clients might want to know more can point them in the direction of: www.checs.co.uk to read the technical standard, programme handbook and Q&A. If it sounds advantageous to their farm, they should discuss joining with you, then contact one of the participating CHeCS-accredited health schemes listed on the website. The application form includes a privacy agreement to allow the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) to send test data automatically to the health scheme, and a declaration from the herd vet. After the form is sent back, a starting score will be awarded. 

More information on bTB is also available at www.tbhub.co.uk.

The BVA has expressed its disappointment at a report instructed by the Welsh Government that recommends CCTV should not be mandatory in slaughterhouses in Wales.

The Safeguarding Animal Welfare at Slaughter Task and Finish Group’s report, which outlines the findings of the Group’s investigation into the welfare of animals in slaughterhouses and the potential role of CCTV, concluded that there was not a "sufficient basis" for making CCTV in Welsh abattoirs mandatory.

The BVA and the Veterinary Public Health Association (VPHA) believe mandatory CCTV in slaughterhouses and veterinary surgeons' unrestricted access to CCTV footage are vital in order to safeguard animal welfare, assist with enforcement and instil customer confidence.

Dr Neil Paton, BVA Welsh Branch President, said: "We are disappointed that the Task and Finish Group has not taken on board the concerns of vets working in slaughterhouses and not followed the logic of their own arguments about the benefits of CCTV highlighted in the report. While we know that CCTV is not the answer to all welfare concerns, it is recognised as an important tool by the Farm Animal Welfare Committee and encourages the highest standards of animal welfare and good stockmanship. We also need to ensure that where CCTV is installed, vets can have access to the footage. If there isn’t CCTV footage, or vets cannot access the footage, how can the number of reported incidents in abattoirs be verified?"

The report, The Need for and Possible Implementation of a Workable System of CCTV in All Slaughterhouses in Wales, details that only eight large abattoirs of the total 26 abattoirs in Wales have CCTV. Although the bulk of animals in Wales are slaughtered in these eight abattoirs, lack of CCTV in other abattoirs means 3.4% of poultry are slaughtered without CCTV safeguards, accounting for over 2 million birds, and 10.5% of sheep, pigs and cattle are slaughtered in abattoirs without CCTV – nearly 385,000 animals. The potential risk of welfare harm to these animals is increased by this lack of CCTV.

Gudrun Ravetz, President of the British Veterinary Association said: "What vets who work in slaughterhouses, and all those who care about animal welfare, are striving for is a culture of compassion in abattoirs. CCTV is an important tool in encouraging and implementing such a culture. The report’s recommendations encourage abattoirs to install and use CCTV effectively for training purposes, but, together with the VPHA, we would like to re-emphasise our calls for CCTV to be mandatory in all slaughterhouses in the UK and for legislation to ensure that footage is readily available to vets. We recognise that the cost of installing CCTV may be a burden for some very small abattoirs, but it is important that the animals we farm for food have both a good life and a humane death and CCTV has a key role to play in ensuring these requirements are met."

The report also outlined a number of other recommendations, which are welcomed by BVA, including the request for grants to be made available to assist small sites invest in the equipment and an additional focus on the improvement of welfare of animals during transport to slaughter.

A Glaswegian 12-week-old Staffordshire Bull Terrier seems to have set the bar when it comes to surviving ingested foreign bodies.

Macie was rushed to the PDSA's emergency out-of-hours service after swallowing an eight-inch kitchen knife (click to enlarge image right).

Owner Irene Paisley took the puppy to the PDSA after it began choking. She said: "Macie was making a squeaking sound – I thought she’d swallowed part of a toy. Then she was sick, but there was no sign of a toy and she started choking."

Having lost her previous Staffie to cancer just two months earlier, Irene feared the worst.

"I was terrified. Poor Macie was still choking and, by the time we arrived at the vet’s, there was blood coming out of her nose. The loss of our previous dog was still very raw and the thought of losing Macie, who had only been with us for two weeks, was devastating."

The young puppy was admitted, and x-rays immediately revealed the severity of the situation. The knife handle had passed through Macie’s stomach and into her intestines, while the tip of the knife was still in her gullet. She underwent emergency surgery straight away.

Irene said: "I couldn’t believe it when they said Macie had swallowed a knife. I have no idea where she got hold of it – she could have pinched it out of the dishwasher, but no-one saw what happened. None of us could sleep that night as we knew Macie might not survive."

Happily, the operation was a success and the following morning Macie was transferred to the PDSA Pet Hospital in Shamrock Street, where her recovery began.

PDSA vet, Emily Ronald, said: "I’ve never seen an x-ray like Macie’s. She was extremely lucky to survive. Her saving grace was that she swallowed the handle-end first – the blade-end would undoubtedly have pierced her organs, likely causing fatal injuries.

"The morning after surgery, she was bouncing all over the place as if nothing had happened. Macie has been back for frequent check-ups over the past two weeks and we’re pleased she’s recovering and healing well."

Expressing her gratitude to PDSA, Irene said: “Although she’s only young, Macie is already a big part of the family. She brings us so much joy and happiness, and means the world to the children. Without PDSA, she wouldn’t have received her life-saving treatment and wouldn’t be here today.”

Emily added: "Macie is just one of the lucky pets to benefit from PDSA’s emergency service which has received generous funding from players of People’s Postcode Lottery. Thanks to their support we’re able to provide thousands of life-saving treatments across the UK."

Virbac has announced the launch of Epirepress (phenobarbital) for the treatment of epilepsy in dogs, designed to make dosing and dispensing easy and accurate for practice staff and owners. 

Virbac says phenobarbital is the only medication licensed to treat both idiopathic and structural epilepsy, and that it provides clinical improvement in 85% of cases.¹ 

Epirepress is offered in the conventional 60mg tablet strength, which can be split into two or four so dosing can be tailored to the needs of individual patients. 

EpiRepress is the first epilepsy treatment to be offered in easy-to-dispense boxes of 30 tablets, removing the need for the practice team to count out tablets from larger pots – a process which can now be done without the need to handle individual tablets. Virbac says the smaller box size also makes the purchase price more manageable for clients.

Virbac has produced a range of client and marketing materials to support the use of EpiRepress, including an epilepsy diary, a folder to keep the diary and extra materials in one safe place, and a diagnostic and treatment poster for practices. 

Virbac Product Manager Sarah Dixon MRCVS said: "The prevalence of canine epilepsy means that most practices are seeing at least one case a week.²  Phenobarbital is the mainstay treatment for canine epilepsy and, in developing our product, we wanted to offer practices and owners an easier, more accurate and more cost-effective solution.¹  EpiRepress, with its divisible 60mg tablets and smaller box size, is the result and we are delighted to be able to launch it. 

"We are focused on supporting practices and owners with compliance so have also developed a novel practice support package for EpiRepress. It offers the latest guidance to both vet practices and pet owners on the diagnosis, treatment and management of this challenging disease."

References

1. Podell, M., Volk, H. A., Berendt, M., Loscher, W., Munana, K., Patterson, E. E., & Platt, S. R. (2016). 2015 ACVIM Small Animal Consensus Statement on Seizure Management in Dogs, Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, 30, 477-490.
2. IVETF (2015). International Veterinary Epilepsy Task Force Consensus Reports.  Available at: www.biomedcentral.com/bmcvetres/series/IVETF_consensus_reports.