Supreme Petfoods has launched the VetCarePlus range of Monoforage® diets for rabbits.

According to the company, the new range represents an entirely new generation of rabbit food, made possible because of a breakthrough in production technology.

The big advance is the level of fibre within a mono-component style diet: 28%-34% across the range, along with the inclusion - uniquely - of essential long fibre particles. Supreme says the result is a less dense food that is beneficial for a rabbit's sensitive digestion system, with the added benefit of extending the feeding time, which is good for dental wear.

The company also says VetCarePlus performs exceptionally well in palatability tests and that it's been widely welcomed throughout the rabbit welfare community.  Molly Varga BVetMed DZooMed MRCVS said:  "This is exactly what convalescing rabbits need, an excellent level of fibre with no chance of selective feeding plus a good slow chew rate".

The range comprises three specific formulas for Weight Management, Urinary Tract Health and Digestive Health.

Supreme says feedback on samples sent to welfare organisations, veterinary schools and practicing vets so far has been very positive. Vets are delighted with the simplicity of the products, and have welcomed the way Monoforage encapsulates all the benefits of hay, with minimal processing compared to other diets.  

Molly Varga added: "All the benefits of hay are preserved while this diet gives more volume of fibre per measurement of food than I have seen before, without increasing the weight (and therefore energy) components".  VetCarePlus delivers the maximum possible crude fibre and long fibre content available to date. 

Claire Hamblion, Marketing Manager for VetCarePlus said: "Supreme Petfoods feels that VetCarePlus is pushing forward the boundaries on specialist diets for rabbits.  Monoforage provides completely unique levels of fibre and we're delighted that all the feedback we have received from a wide range of experts has been exceptionally enthusiastic and welcoming".   

For more information on how to stock VetCarePlus products contact Supreme Petfoods at sales@supremepetfoods.com  or visit http://www.supremeprofessional.com/

Francisco Gomez MRCVS, a Clinical Director at one of the corporates and an Advanced Practitioner in Ophthalmology, has launched 'More Than Just a Vet', a podcast in which he interviews fellow veterinary professionals from around the country, focussing on their lives outside work.

Francisco says he decided to launch the podcast after watching how the bond between society and veterinary professionals has been eroded in recent years, with vets increasingly being portrayed as money-grabbers and uncaring in the press. 

The aim of the podcast is to show the human behind the surgical mask; that veterinary professionals have the same feelings, motivations, worries and passions as anyone else.

Francisco said: "For those who aren’t part of the veterinary community, I hope to open a window into who we are, so they can better understand what drives our behaviours, decisions and compassion. And for those who are, I hope to make them feel that they’re not alone."

More Than Just a Vet is open for everyone to listen to directly from the website morethanjustavet.net, where you can subscribe to be alerted when there's a new release. The podcast is also available on all major podcast providers.

The British Veterinary Association is inviting vets to enter its third ‘BVA Veterinary photographer of the year’ competition.

Last year’s competition saw photographs span a range of subjects from across the UK and overseas, from a common basilisk in Costa Rica and cattle during a TB testing day on the island of Arran, to a meerkat undergoing a vasectomy and a veterinary podiatrist at work.

Small animal vet Mandy Knight’s photo 'Happy Gastrotomy' and mixed-practice vet Jen Rowland’s photo of rare and native North Ronaldsay and Dartmoor sheep grazing under the milky way in Northumberland took the top prizes in their respective categories.

In January this year, the BVA was also invited to showcase 22 of the most commended photographs at an exhibition in the Houses of Parliament, to give MPs and Peers an insight into the varied roles performed by veterinary surgeons today.

This year’s competition, which is open to all BVA members, seeks images that highlight the human-animal bond within a veterinary practice as well as photographs of pets or wildlife taken outside of the working environment. Submissions should promote responsible animal interaction as well positive animal health and welfare.

Photographs can be submitted under one of two categories: 

• Human-animal bond

• All creatures great and small

An expert panel of judges from the veterinary and photography worlds will judge this year’s entries. For the first time, BVA members will get the chance to select their favourite entry for the Members’ Choice Award, which will be open to votes from 27 August to 10 September.

The winner in each category will receive a £250 John Lewis gift voucher and have their photographs displayed at BVA Members’ Day in September, at other BVA events and used in BVA communications.

BVA President John Fishwick said: "The photo competition has created quite a buzz within the veterinary community since it launched two years ago. I have been delighted and amazed by the sheer range, quantity and quality of photographs submitted by our members so far and look forward to this year’s submissions.

"We are all passionate about animal health and welfare, so the way we interact with and capture images of the animal world offers a unique perspective, one that we were proud to showcase to members of parliament earlier this year. Whether you enjoy taking photos on your phone or have all the latest photography equipment, I would encourage all my colleagues within the veterinary family to give it a go and get clicking."

The competition closes at midnight on 19 August. More details about the competition, including terms and conditions, can be found at the BVA Photo Competition page: https://www.bva.co.uk/news-campaigns-and-policy/bva-photo-competition/

The full gallery of BVA Veterinary photographer of the year competition entries from 2016 and 2017 can be seen at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/britishvets/albums/

Photo: 'Happy Enterotomy' © Mandy Knight. CC BY-SA 2.0.

Petplan has announced that nominations for its 2015 Veterinary Awards will open on 1st September 2014.

The awards, which are designed to recognise members of the veterinary profession who have gone 'above and beyond' in their daily roles, will be presented on 9th April 2015.

Petplan's Acting Head of Marketing, Ingrid Wakefield said: "At Petplan, we hear from our customers every day about the exceptional care veterinary staff have given to their pets. The Veterinary Awards provide an opportunity for Petplan to show their support for members of the veterinary profession who go beyond the call of duty in their role, and for pet owners across the UK to say thank you to the veterinary staff who have helped them and their pets."

Last year Petplan received more than 12,000 nominations, with every nominee receiving a certificate of recognition for their hard work.

Nominations can be made at www.petplan.co.uk/vetawards, from the start of September.

North Downs Specialist Referrals (NDSR) in Surrey is pioneering the use of Neuromed Invetra, a new spinal stabilisation system which uses screws rather than bone cement.

Dr Guillaume Leblond, an American specialist in veterinary neurology at NDSR said: “Traditionally, bone cement has been used to provide support and stabilisation when treating veterinary spinal instability cases.

“Polyaxial pedicle screws have proven a very reliable and efficient way of treating such spinal problems in human medicine.

“These special screws can be inserted in the vertebrae and connected to strong metal rods instead of bone cement and we’re now very excited to be offering this new service to our patients.

“The main advantage to this cutting-edge procedure is its flexibility.

"Once cement is set in place it is obviously very hard to move, manipulate or remove should you need to adjust or correct.

“With the metal rod and screw system, it is more adaptable and you can adjust it far more easily and quickly.

“It may also be less prone to infection compared to cement, which has been known to harbour bacteria sometimes causing infections several years after the surgery.

"Another hope we have for this system is that it will be less prone to failure compared to cement, especially on extended stabilisation constructs.

Guillaume added: “The neurology team at NDSR has been training in applying this new system as soon as it became available and we have already used it to treat two dogs, both of them having surgery on the same day.

“One was a golden retriever treated by my colleagues Rodolfo Cappello (head of neurology) and Natalie West (neurology resident), and the other was a whippet under my care.

"They were two very different sizes of dog but both operations went well.

“We are grateful to OrthomedTM, the company manufacturing the stabilization system, provided all necessary details to plan the surgeries as precisely as possible.

“We also collaborated with Vet3DTM to create patient specific 3D printed guides to ensure the precise placement of screws and it proved a great solution in both cases.”

“Admittedly, it is still early days for the introduction of this new spinal stabilisation system but we are optimistic it will prove a significant advancement in treating many spinal problems.”

www.ndsr.co.uk

Valley Equine Hospital in Lambourn has installed a Hallmarq standing CT scanner, which it says will revolutionise the early identification of distal limb pathology.

Thus far, the hospital has relied on conventional radiographs or referred for MRI for the bulk of its distal limb imaging.

The new Hallmarq standing CT scanner provides information that surpasses the capabilities of radiography, while also reducing radiation exposure to the patients and staff.

The scanning process is also considerably quicker, enabling prompt diagnosis and treatment planning.

Tom McParland, Valley Equine Hospital’s surgeon said: "We are confident that this diagnostic modality will significantly enhance our ability to identify not just thoroughbred fetlock pathology earlier but improve our diagnostic abilities of the distal limb for all our equine patients, racing and leisure alike.”

Valley Equine Hospital says it chose the Hallmarq standing CT scanner due to its ability to scan using just standing sedation which ensures a safer and more efficient experience for the horses compared to general anaesthesia.

www.valleyequinehospital.co.uk
info.hallmarq.net/focus-on-the-foot

CVS has announced its acquisition of the West End Veterinary Partnership, an Edinburgh-based veterinary practice, bringing the number of practice groups owned by the company to 100, operating out of 267 sites across the UK.

West End Vets employs around 12 staff. Its main site is in Bread Street and it has two branches elsewhere in the city. Owners David Rimer and Maurice Hunter are joining CVS as joint Clinical Directors.

Simon Innes, CVS Chief Executive, said:  "We are rapidly broadening the range of practices within CVS, both in terms of the type of practice and in terms of geographic spread. West End Vets is a successful and popular practice in Edinburgh and we are delighted that it has now joined our family."

Founded in 1999 and run principally by vets, CVS employs more than 3,000 staff at its practices and surgeries across the UK and in its related veterinary businesses, including an online pharmacy, three pet crematoriums and five veterinary laboratories.

The RCVS Disciplinary Committee has ended an inquiry against Hampshire-based veterinary surgeon Jose Ignacio Messa MRCVS, after finding no case of serious professional misconduct against him. 

The case against Jose Ignacio Messa MRCVS related to two heads of charge against him.

The first charge was that, on 13th September 2015, Mr Messa failed to provide adequate and appropriate care to Barney, a border collie. The second charge was that on 14th September 2015 Mr Messa failed to ensure adequate and appropriate on-going care for Barney after his examination of him, including failing to take sufficient steps to ensure that Barney was referred urgently to the care of a referral practice and failing to ensure there were adequate arrangements in place for his ongoing care.

Barney was presented to the Basingstoke practice where Mr Messa was employed having suffered a severe 'stick injury' to his jaw on 12th September. 

The Committee heard that, on 13th September, Mr Messa re-examined Barney, administered medication and then discharged him to be cared for at home by his owners. During the examination the owners alerted Mr Messa to the condition of the skin on Barney’s neck, but the Committee heard Mr Messa had felt the area and reassured them it was not something to be concerned about.

The Committee heard that at some point on 13th September, after he was discharged, Barney developed a foetid smell from his mouth caused by an infection and the next day his owners went back to the practice because Barney’s condition had deteriorated – he was unable to walk and had laboured breathing.

On 14th September Mr Messa admitted and sedated Barney and examined him again, noting a hole in the side of his throat that was infected. He recommended referring Barney to a referral practice for further treatment, which was agreed by his owners.

The Committee heard that the referral practice was contacted by a veterinary nurse at the practice and that an appointment for 9am on 15th September 2015 was booked directly with the owner. It also heard that, during his time at Mr Messa’s practice, Barney did not receive intravenous fluids or any further antibiotics.

Barney’s owners said they met with Mr Messa again at around 5pm on 14th September when they came to collect Barney, this was disputed by Mr Messa, and the Committee were not satisfied so as to be sure that it had been Mr Messa who had met the owners and discharged Barney although the Committee found that all the witnesses had been honest and reliable.

Barney was admitted to the referral practice on 15th September but, as a result of sepsis, he suffered a cardiac arrest and died at 10.30pm.

In respect of the first charge the Committee concluded that, on 13th September, Mr Messa made only a rudimentary examination of Barney, and the absence of such basic clinical examination of the temperature, the respiration rate and the pulse of Barney was a failure on the part of Mr Messa and that, furthermore, he did not choose the best course of antibiotic treatment for the wound and infection.

In respect of the second charge Mr Messa admitted that he did not provide fluid therapy to Barney on 14th September before he was discharged.

With reference to the remaining aspects of the charge the Committee took into account the Code of Professional Conduct, particularly in respect of the need for veterinary surgeons to refer cases responsibly and the Code’s supporting guidance on referrals.

The Committee determined that, having delegated the arrangements of the referral to a veterinary nurse, Mr Messa made no attempts to follow up and ensure it was a same-day appointment when this would have better suited the severity of Barney’s condition. The Committee found that he was unaware of Barney’s location or of the time of the appointment and did not make provision for antibiotic or fluid therapy.

Having found the majority of the charges against Mr Messa proven, the Committee then considered whether this amounted to serious professional misconduct. 

Disciplinary Committee member Stuart Drummond, who was chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: "In the light of the facts found proved and considering that disgraceful conduct in a professional respect is that which is conduct falling far below that expected of a veterinary surgeon, the Committee had concluded that the heads of charge, when taken individually, or collectively, do fall below the standard expected.

"However, as a matter of judgement, the Committee did not conclude that Mr Messa’s conduct fell far below the requisite standard and therefore did not amount of disgraceful conduct in a professional respect.

"Whilst the Committee did not find Mr Messa’s actions fell far below the requisite standard, there were concerns expressed about several aspects of this case. There were a number of missed opportunities which occurred; in particular the Committee notes the failure of the care plan and to take adequate steps to ensure that the referral process has been timeously effected."

Julian Allen MRCVS, a Director of Friars Moor Livestock Health, has been named the winner of the Farmers Weekly Livestock Adviser of the Year Award.

The Livestock Adviser of the Year Award recognises those who have made a real difference to the operations of livestock farmers.

Julian focuses on dairy cow health and his particular interests include nutrition and benchmarking herd performance. Amongst other things, he has helped one large Dorset dairy farm reduce its antibiotic usage by two thirds over an eight year period.

Julian said: "I was honoured to be named Livestock Adviser of the Year. This work is my passion – I love working together with farmers, getting involved in all aspects of herd management and thinking through different options to improve herd health and productivity." 

Runners up for the award were Phil Baynes, Managing Director of Baynes Nutrition, and Ed Hill, veterinary surgeon at Thrums Veterinary Group. 

Friars Moor, Baynes Nutrition and Thrums Veterinary Group are all members of the XLVets community of independent veterinary practices.

Alice Renner, Farm Marketing Executive of XLVets, said: "We were so pleased to hear of these awards going to such hard-working and deserving people. And it’s a great accolade for our members – reflecting how XLVets practices strive for clinical excellence and really get invested in the success of their clients."

MSD Animal Health has launched a new checklist-based tool to help veterinary surgeons engage productively with farmers over calf rearing issues.

The interactive checklist is designed to help practitioner and farmer to work closely together to draw up a workable action plan to improve youngstock health.

MSD Animal Health ruminant veterinary adviser Kat Baxter said: "This new checklist-based tool explores, records and scores calf health performance across five core areas to identify the strengths and weaknesses of any rearing unit’s environment and processes.

"Working through a series of 10 questions within each core area – designed to tease out where a rearing unit is in terms of accepted best management practice – allows vet and farmer to quickly pinpoint any areas needing attention. What’s more, repeating the checklist every six or 12 months is a great way to keep things on track, allowing both parties to monitor progress against agreed targets. Vets can also use the scores to benchmark their clients’ farms against each other."

Vets interested in using the new checklist-based tool on farm should contact their local MSD Animal Health account manager for further information.

MSD Animal Health has announced the launch of The Big Tick Project, both to investigate whether ticks are carrying more pathogens and to raise awareness amongst the public.

The company highlights research which shows that nationally, tick distribution has expanded by 17% in the last 10 years and tick numbers have also increased in 73% of locations surveyed.¹ In addition, the company says there is evidence that ticks are feeding earlier in the year and feeding for longer^2, thus increasing their potential to pass on significant disease to both animals and humans. Lyme disease in particular can be serious health issue for both humans and animals, being increasingly recognised and recorded in the UK recent years³.

So, as part of the project, practices are being invited to collect ticks and send them to the University of Bristol for analysis. In addition, there'll be a national PR and marketing campaign fronted by the naturalist Chris Packham (pictured right).

Practices taking part in the project will receive a tick collection kit and marketing support pack including access to dedicated PR services, postcards and posters to raise awareness of ticks within their clinic and local community. The collection kit includes instructions, collection equipment and Freepost packaging to allow ticks removed from dogs to be sent to the university quickly and easily.

Professor Richard Wall from University of Bristol said: "For accurate results we need as many ticks as possible and I really encourage vet practices up and down the country to get involved. We need data from all types of practices ranging from urban to rural locations to help vets and human health professionals make more effective recommendations and help prevent tick-related disease."

To take part in The Big Tick Project, email a contact name and your practice details to: info@bigtickproject.co.uk.

References

1. Dautel, H., Dippela, C., Kaemmer, D., Werkhausen, A., Kahl, O., 2008. Winter activity of Ixodes ricinus in a Berlin forest. I. J. Med. Microbiol, 298, 50-54.
2. Scharlemann JPW, Johnson PJ, Smith AA, Macdonald DW, Randolph SE:  2008. Trends in Ixodid tick abundance and distribution in Great Britain. Med Vet Entomol, 22:238-47
3. Smith, F. D.  Ballantyne, R., Morgan, R., Wall, R. (2011)  Estimating Lyme disease risk using pet dogs as sentinels.  Comparative Immunology, Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, 35 (2012) 163-167

Pfizer Animal Health has launched Poulvac, the first modified live vaccine against E.coli in chickens.

The company claims that the vaccine, which can be used from one day of age, is set to bring major benefits in safeguarding the health of broilers, pullets for egg laying and breeding stock.

According to Pfizer, E.coli is one of the most significant bacterial pathogens found in chicks during the first week, leading to problems throughout the life of a flock including inferior performance, lack of uniformity and increased mortality. It is a costly, widespread problem for the UK poultry industry.

The vaccine was developed from research beginning in the 1990s at the Government's veterinary laboratories at Weybridge (now AHVLA) in the UK, employing genome technology to produce an avirulent strain of E.coli that induces protective immunity to the pathogenic strains of the bacteria.

The vaccine is completely non-pathogenic, and does not persist in the bird or the environment for any significant period of time. A gene deletion in its development restricts in vivo replication and leaves behind activated macrophages ready to respond to pathogenic E.coli strains.

Dr Stuart Andrews, poultry technical manager of Pfizer in the UK and Ireland said: "Poulvac E. coli provides broad cross protection against the key serotypes of E. coli infecting chickens. It is the only modified live, nonreactive vaccine proven to meet the European regulatory requirements for efficacy and safety.

"Trials have confirmed that Poulvac E.coli does not persist in the bird and proves to be self-limiting. The vaccine can survive in the environment for only a short time, and spread to in-contact birds is also limited."

The vaccine is administered as a coarse spray with onset of immunity 14 days afterwards and duration of immunity for up to 12 weeks. It can be used from day-old up to six weeks before the onset of lay, and has a nil day withdrawal period.

In the USA where Poulvac E coli has been available for six years field experience has shown the considerable benefits. In the Midwest where average layer mortality at 50 weeks of age was 2.31 per cent, this was reduced to 1.51 per cent with three doses of the vaccine*. In Eastern USA flock mortality compared with five previous flocks was reduced from over three per cent to one per cent.

A field trial in the USA with more than 300,000 broiler breeders vaccination before lay reduced mortality from 2.8 to 1.9 per cent - with only two out of 28 flocks needing antibiotic treatment compared with 13 of the 28 unvaccinated flocks.

On a broiler field trial in Georgia over four million birds were vaccinated with Poulvac E. coli at hatch. The vaccinated birds had a better feed conversion (1.79 against 1.84 for the controls) and with condemnations at the processing plant down from 1.22 to 0.73 per cent the result was a lower production cost of 0.51¢ per lb. 

In another broiler trial covering more than two million birds in Arkansas livability was improved from 95.20 to 95.77 per cent and feed conversion improved from 1.95 to 1.90, gaining 0.45¢ per lb.

* Pfizer says it is important to note that in these studies carried out in the USA more than one dose of the vaccine was often administered. A single vaccination is licensed in the Summary of Product Characteristics however, where clinical disease requires and at the discretion of a veterinary surgeon, the vaccination schedule may be re-started as there is no contra-indication on the SPC.

Lamond Veterinary Clinic from Livingston, West Lothian has won the first ever Merial Charity Rounders Challenge.

The winning team of vets and vet nurses batted and fielded their way to victory in September's rounders tournament involving practices from the region.

Merial Territory Manager Caroline Fox said: "The winners received a shield acknowledging their sporting triumph. Everyone had a fun day and all proceeds raised from the event went to their chosen charity, the SSPCA."

She added: "Everyone enjoyed the event so much, we are already being asked to organise another tournament for next year."

If any practices would like to participate in future ‘Charity Rounders Challenges', please contact Caroline Fox on 07825624413 or email: caroline.fox@merial.com