Veterinary medicines are defined in the Veterinary Medicines Regulations as:
"any substance or combination of substances that may be used in, or administered to, animals with a view either to restoring, correcting or modifying physiological functions by exerting a pharmacological, immunological or metabolic action, or to making a medical diagnosis."
On this basis, the VMD says CBD products for use in animals require a marketing authorisation before they can be sold or supplied in the UK.
There are currently no CBD based products that have been granted a UK veterinary marketing authorisation which means that under the cascade, veterinary surgeons must prescribe a legally obtained human CBD product.
Photo: Shutterstock / Lifestyle discover
Supplies of the vaccine, which is indicated for the active immunisation for horses against equine arteritis, ran low at the end of last year when Zoetis' existing stock was due to expire without any new stock in place.
For further information, contact your Zoetis Account Manager or the Zoetis Technical Team on customersupportUK@zoetis.com or 0845 300 9084 choosing option 1.
Royal Canin has announced that it will be launching Multifunction, a new range of veterinary diets designed for cats and dogs experiencing - or at risk of - multiple health conditions.
According to the company, 35% of cats and dogs meet this description1 and it can be difficult for veterinary surgeons and nurses to recommend a diet which meets all their needs when one diet can't address multiple nutritional priorities.
Officially being launched at BSAVA, Multifunction diets are designed to provide an option for the nutritional management of cats and dogs with more than one condition, thereby eliminating the need to decide which of two conditions take precedence when developing a nutritional assessment for patients.
The company says that the new diets have been developed by combining existing Veterinary Diet formulae. The range includes:
Marianne Lomberg, Veterinary Marketing Manager said: "As a company, one of the things we are proud of is looking at the pet as a whole, rather than just a clinical condition on legs. For this reason we combine the features of our standard veterinary diets to provide support for other issues that a pet may develop. For example, our Urinary Moderate Calorie diet is lower in calories than standard diets in order to help prevent weight gain in animals predisposed to obesity as a result of living indoors or being neutered. However, until now, we have not been able to provide vets with a diet for a pet that has already been diagnosed with two equally serious concurrent conditions, such as lower urinary tract disease and obesity. Our new Multifunction diets do just this.
"Pets suffering from more than one condition also generally require more regular veterinary care, too, and a unique new ordering system for these diets helps facilitate ongoing contact between the pet owner and their veterinary practice every time they order a new bag of food. More information about the diets and the ordering system will be available on the ROYAL CANIN, stand: 611."
Multifunction will only be available through veterinary practices and all bags will be personalised, including the practice logo and patient name. Further information on how to sign up to the product programme will be available at the show stand.
For more information, visit: http://new.vetportal.royalcanin.co.uk/products/multifunction-2/
Reference
The new chews incorporate Fr3sh technology, which Virbac says cleanses, cools and addresses the digestive causes of bad breath.
According to the company's research, the new chews provide significant daily breath improvement from Day 1 for a full 24 hours1, as well as continued breath improvement over a 2-week period. 90% of owners highlighted an improvement in bad breath following use of the chews1.
Virbac says the product is also scientifically proven to reduce calculus and plaque when given daily.2
Product Manager Claire Lewis said: "With 2 out of 3 pet owners having a least one dog with bad breath3, we are delighted to be able to add new VeggieDent Fr3sh to the Virbac range of oral healthcare products."
For more information, contact your Virbac Territory Manager.
References:
IVC was formed in 2011, the result of a merger of several independent veterinary hospitals. Under the leadership of David Hillier, and with backing from Summit Partners in 2014, it grew to over 300 practices before being acquired by the Swedish EQT Partners in January 2017.
In August last year the company merged with Evidensia Group, another veterinary corporate group with practices around Europe, bringing the total to more than 850 clinics and hospitals in eight countries.
EQT has reportedly now instructed Jefferies Investment Bank to auction the business in the first week of November.
No word yet on where the auction will take place. If you go, be careful not to scratch your nose at the wrong moment ("1.7 billion from the gentleman at the back. Yes, that's YOU, Sir.").
Poulvac CVI + HVT Marek’s vaccine provides the combination of the Rispens CVI strain and the HVT strain.
Zoetis says this combination of serotypes has long been recognised for providing strong, reliable protection against the disease, effective even against the very virulent pathotype of the virus.
John Kenyon, Zoetis National Veterinary Manager for Poultry said: "Marek’s disease remains a major problem for the poultry industry.
"To increase protection, it is a good idea to combine the CVI and HVT vaccine strains, and the new supplies of our vaccine help to make this more feasible.
“Currently in some longer-lived broilers and backyard laying hens a vaccine composed of just a single serotype is used, but it is advantageous to use a combination of serotypes to boost immunity further.”
Marek’s vaccination with Poulvac CVI + HVT can be performed in the hatchery at day of age via subcutaneous or intramuscular injection.
The Zoetis vaccine is supported with a range of services, including hatchery and vaccine audits, vaccine training and technical assistance.
Ms Evans was charged with causing or allowing a veterinary nurse colleague to order a prescription-only medicine from a practice supplier knowing that it was intended for human use, and made a false entry prescribing the medication on the clinical records of a cat belonging to her nurse colleague.
She was also charged with falsely recording details purporting to be the results of the blood tests on cat and then entering notes on the animal's clinical history which falsely indicated that there had been a meaningful result, and then indicating to the animal's owner that there had been a meaningful result, when in fact the tests had failed to produce any meaningful results.
The final charge was that her conduct in making the false entry for the prescription-only medication, and all elements of the second charge was dishonest and misleading.
Ms Evans admitted the first charge on the basis that she had allowed rather than caused the order to be made, all the other facts of this charge were admitted.
She admitted the second charge on the basis that she had failed to inform the cat’s owner of the test results, all the other facts of this charge were admitted.
She also admitted that elements of her conduct had been dishonest and misleading.
Having found the charges proven by Ms Evans’ admissions, the Committee considered whether her admitted actions and conduct amounted to serious professional misconduct.
Ms Evans, through her legal counsel, accepted that the admitted charges passed the threshold for serious professional misconduct, though that question still needed to be determined independently by the Committee.
The Committee found that Dr Evans’ conduct had breached several key parts of the Code of Professional Conduct and its supporting guidance, particularly around honesty and integrity.
It also found aggravating factors in this case, including the risk to human health by allowing the prescription-only medication to be ordered knowing it was for human use, the abuse of her professional position, the breach of client trust, the potential adverse impact on the welfare of the cat for whom she falsified the blood test records, and the potential adverse impact on the welfare of the cat for whom she had falsely recorded the prescription-only medicine.
The Committee found no mitigating factors relating to the facts.
Paul Morris, chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, said in relation to the first charge: “In the Committee’s view, this irresponsible approach to a prescription-only medicine risked human health, potentially compromised an animal’s welfare, since the clinical record suggested the cat had been given Fluconazole when it had not, constituted an abuse of the trust placed in her as a registered veterinary surgeon and was in breach of legal provisions designed to safeguard human health.
“Such behaviour falls far below the standard expected of a registered veterinary surgeon, undermines public confidence in the profession and would be considered deplorable by colleagues and the public alike.
"The Committee was thus satisfied that charge 1 on its own amounts to disgraceful conduct in a professional respect.”
He added: “Acting dishonestly runs contrary to one of the most fundamental principles of the profession.
"The public need to know that they can rely on the honesty and integrity of the people to whom they entrust the care and welfare of their animals.
“Further, Dr Evans’ conduct in both incidents had the potential to undermine public confidence in the profession of veterinary surgery and bring the profession into disrepute.
"In all the circumstances, the Committee was satisfied that Dr Evans’ behaviour as reflected in charge 2 fell far short of the standard expected of a veterinary surgeon and amounted to disgraceful conduct.
“Accordingly, the Committee found proved the allegation that Dr Evans was guilty of disgraceful conduct in a professional respect.”
Having found serious professional misconduct in relation to all charges, the Committee considered what the most appropriate and proportionate sanction would be for Ms Evans’ actions and conduct.
In doing so, it considered 137 positive references and testimonials from Dr Evans’ professional colleagues and clients, poor staff morale at the practice at the time as well as compelling, exceptional evidence relating to Dr Evans’s health at the time of the two incidents.
In mitigation, the Committee considered the fact that Dr Evans had no previous disciplinary history and had a hitherto unblemished career as a veterinary surgeon; her open and frank admissions; the circumstances of pressures at work exacerbated by Dr Evans’ desire to please everyone and not let anyone down; the fact that Dr Evans was feeling very isolated; the significant insight into her conduct and its impact; effective and targeted remediation to ensure there would be no likelihood of the conduct being repeated; genuine expressions or remorse and apology; support from her employers; and the very significant number of positive testimonials.
Summing up the Committee’s decision on sanction, Mr Morris said “In all the, somewhat exceptional, circumstances of this case, the Committee was satisfied that a reprimand and a warning not to behave in this way again, would provide adequate protection to animals, as it was satisfied Dr Evans was most unlikely to ever make such a flawed set of decisions again.
“The Committee was satisfied that Dr Evans does not represent a risk to animals going forward, indeed from the character evidence it is clear that she always puts the welfare of animals first.
"She has also shown, since this episode, that she can work under pressure and not resort to making bad decisions and thus the Committee considered the wider public interest would best be served in this case by a reprimand and a warning.
“Notwithstanding the serious nature of Dr Evans' conduct, the Committee was satisfied that a fully informed member of the public would not be shocked if Dr Evans were allowed to continue to practise.
“The decision of this Committee is, therefore, that Dr Evans be reprimanded and warned about her behaviour.
"Dr Evans should, however, be under no illusion of how serious it is to have a finding of disgraceful conduct in a professional respect made against her and she should not take lightly the decision of this Committee to reprimand and warn her.”
www.rcvs.org.uk/disciplinary
Evidence given to the Women and Equalities parliamentary committee by BUPA last year suggested that 900,000 women may have left the UK workforce in recent years as a result of menopausal symptoms.
With the veterinary profession increasingly female in composition it is hoped that the hub will support more women to stay in the profession and therefore retain their vital skills in the workforce.
Statistics from the Voice of the Veterinary Profession Spring 2023 survey showed that only 14% of vets are aware of a menopause policy at their workplace, while 46% say there is no policy and 39% are unsure.
The survey also revealed that only 59% of vets would feel confident supporting a colleague experiencing menopause.
The new menopause hub provides veterinary specific menopause content to support everyone working in practice including colleagues, managers and partners of people experiencing menopause.
BVA recently signed the Menopause Workplace Pledge – committing to take positive action to make sure everyone experiencing menopause is supported - and is now urging other veterinary employers to do the same.
British Veterinary Association Junior Vice President Anna Judson, said: “We know that menopause is of growing importance to our profession, with female vets now making up more than half the workforce, and we know that issues with managing menopause symptoms prompt a significant number of women to move away from clinical work.
“As part of our Good Veterinary Workplaces campaign we’re committed to supporting all veterinary staff affected by menopause, allowing them to remain in post, and to providing relevant resources to improve employer engagement in this area.
"We urge all veterinary workplaces to sign the pledge and consider what more they could be doing to support their staff in managing menopause symptoms in the workplace.”
BVA members experiencing menopause are also eligible for 3 months free access to the Stella app, which includes a personalised plan to manage your specific symptoms, real-life coach support, menopause resources, progress tracking, and a supportive community.
Content on the Stella app is created in collaboration with a range of clinicians and healthcare professionals and goes through a rigorous fact-checking and review process.
https://www.bva.co.uk/menopause-hub
The study, which is being carried out in partnership with the University of Bristol, will analyse flea samples submitted by vet practices from across the country.
Practices interested in participating can request flea collection packs by contacting their MSD representative, or by sending an email to infobfp@merck.com.
Participating practices will receive support materials, including flea combs and things to display in waiting rooms.
The campaign follows the success of the Big Tick Project launched in 2015, which examined over 6,000 tick samples in the UK contributing to the largest-ever study of ticks on dogs and cats in Britain.
Daniel Guerrero, Product Manager at MSD Animal Health said: "After receiving such groundbreaking results from the Big Tick Project, we wanted to continue to revolutionise the way that common parasites such as ticks and fleas are understood and treated by both pet owners and vets.
"Fleas are the most important parasite for pet owners and the main source of irritation in pets. Despite this, fleas are still seen as a common nuisance, and not often dealt with effectively. By better understanding what diseases fleas are carrying in the UK, we will be able to better explain the impact of fleas and how to eradicate them through professional advice and treatment from their local vet."
The Big Flea Project will be open to flea pack submissions from 1st of April – 1st of June 2018, with findings of the research published in 2019.
To request your flea collection pack and practice materials, contact infobfp@merck.com
According to head veterinary surgeon Simon Maddock, about one third of the practice's workload is now for guinea pigs – a figure growing year by year. More to the point, many of their clients are travelling a considerable distance to get veterinary care.
Simon said: "We certainly didn’t start out to become so popular with guinea pig owners; it’s happened more by word of mouth. Our reputation has grown mainly through owners talking to each other on online forums.
"I reckon we must see at least one guinea pig a day that has travelled more than 50 miles to see us. One couple regularly make a 175-mile round trip from North Wales. We even have someone visit us from Scotland. That’s one long trip to make!"
Simon added: “Although the practice was originally established to provide dedicated cat and rabbit owners with veterinary care specifically tailored to these pets, we have also found guinea pig owners to be just as committed to their pets and they are quick to look for signs of illness."
GRAM (Guidance for the Rational use of AntiMicrobials) is a 500-page guide written by a panel of 10 independent European experts from the fields of microbiology, pharmacology and dermatology, all of whom are specialists in internal medicine, surgery and epidemiology. Based on rational use with compliance at the forefront, GRAM provides tools for improved diagnosis and positive treatment outcomes.
The guide consists of 37 disease fact sheets, 29 practical recommendations and six reference synopses. It features a range of topics including:
Andy Forsyth, senior technical veterinary advisor at Ceva said: "Antimicrobial resistance continues to be a concern in both human and animal health. GRAM will help educate veterinary professionals on how they can play their part in creating sustainable antibiotic use."
To request a copy of GRAM or for further information on sustainable antibiotic use, contact your local Ceva Animal Health territory manager.
Batches 060K80412C1A-UK1-2 and 060K80412A1C-UK1-2 (expiry 12/06/2019) have been recalled due to incorrect storage requirements during shipment.
For further information, contact Jerome Martineau at: jerome.martineau@filavie.com, or telephone: +33 2 41 754616
A survey carried out in 2008 by the British Veterinary Association and its student branch, the Association of Veterinary Students (AVS) has found that that one in three students find themselves in difficult or severe financial situations, more than half have suffered from stress, over a fifth from depression, over a quarter from anxiety and one in every 14 from an eating disorder.
The survey also found that some veterinary schools have almost doubled their intake of overseas veterinary students since the survey was last conducted in 2005.
Other key findings from the survey included:
The AVS suggests that there are opportunities for veterinary schools and the veterinary profession to improve the bleak financial picture for students. BVA already provides support meetings for young professionals and has put together a position statement which will kick-start a lobbying process for:
BVA President Nicky Paull said: "The BVA/AVS survey, a part of the BVA's continuing work on behalf of veterinary students, once again continues to highlight the growing problem of debt. This is a particular problem for veterinary undergraduates whose five year course by definition will attract more debt than the average three year undergraduate course.
"The impact of this increasing debt is twofold. Firstly, new graduates are more likely to choose their first jobs on the basis of salary and reducing debt rather than individual professional development. Secondly, we are concerned that as school leavers make career decisions on financial grounds, only those from relatively affluent backgrounds will choose the veterinary profession. This is contrary to the aims of Government to promote the DfES/Gateway to the Professions initiative. It would be sad to see such a vitally important undergraduate course become one which can only be undertaken by talented young people from families who feel they can afford to help with the long term costs.
"The veterinary undergraduate course is not only training future veterinarians on animal health and welfare but also in the essential role vets play in food safety and the health of the nation."
The full survey results can be downloaded here.
The group, which was founded over 70 years ago, now employs over 300 people, more than 85% of whom are female. Many occupy senior and leadership positions: 6 out of 13 of the partners are female.
Wendy Furness, a Partner at Scarsdale Vets said: "Scarsdale Vets represents a microcosm of how women’s roles could be in a world of gender equality in business.
"Here we have people in every role that you can imagine, from client-facing roles such as client care advisors, vets and nurses, to people that make the business function happen, such as marketing and finance managers.
"We want women to be inspired to be who they want to be. There are many roles that some people still first think of as male dominated, such as surgeons and farm or equine vets.
"However, we at Scarsdale Vets are challenging assumptions like these and looking for opportunities to make all roles visible to women.”
Wendy added: "Having women in leadership and senior roles is essential if women at the start of their careers are to succeed. We can be there to inspire the next generation to strive for these positions, if that is what they want, and see that it is made possible. We can also stand up and be counted if and when bias based on gender is observed."
To mark International Women’s Day, Scarsdale Vets is filling its social media channels with positive images of women, working in the diverse roles within the practice, challenging stereotypes about the veterinary roles available to women, influencing others positively, and celebrating the successes of the women in their team.
https://www.facebook.com/ScarsdaleVets/posts/2097073290308906
Photo: Rose Jackson MRCVS, a farm animal vet at Scarsdale Markeaton. Courtesy Scarsdale Vets.
A few examples of the products in J.A.K Marketing's 'ThinkGreen' portfolio include the Purfect Anaesorber, BAG’EMS biodegradable poop bags, Tick Twister products (made from recycled plastic) and Bamboo stick cotton buds.
The website also gives a snapshot of the sorts of things that J.A.K itself does to reduce its impact on the environment, including the use of environmentally-friendly brown paper and recycled cardboard boxes for packaging. The company has also switched to certified sustainable FSC paper for most of its printed marketing materials (including the master catalogue) and is working with courier companies who have targets in reducing CO2 emissions.
Managing Director, John Holland said: "J.A.K Marketing is committed to the protection and preservation of the world’s ecosystem. By undertaking our productivity and operations responsibly and sustainably, we recognise that reducing the environmental impact of our activities is very important. We will strive to achieve environmental excellence within the veterinary industry and will continue to work closely with our employees and commercial partners to establish and follow the principles of our ThinkGreen policy."
Sales Director, James Johnson said: "With growing interest towards the protection of the environment, we need to make it easier for veterinary practices to identify products where there is a benefit to the environment by simply switching to a like for like ‘greener’ alternative. As part of our long-term strategy, we are dedicated to growing this area of our business, welcoming feedback from the profession of how we can all work together to achieve this."
Those wanting to offer inspiration and feedback can do so on the form at the bottom of the ‘ThinkGreen’ page: www.jakmarketing.co.uk/thinkgreen.
As part of its new strategy the RSPCA has also announced it is exploring the transfer of its animal welfare prosecuting role to the CPS to focus on its frontline work rescuing and caring for animals and investigating cruelty.
The ambitions announced by the charity are:
RSPCA Chief Vet Caroline Allen said: "Our grassroots and frontline work will still be at the heart of what we do - as it has been since the RSPCA’s inception almost 200 years ago.
"The RSPCA recognises that we simply cannot perform our vital frontline work without the support and expertise of vets and vet nurses across the country. As part of this strategy we are aiming to strengthen these relationships and improve understanding and communication between the RSPCA and the veterinary professions.
"Vets and RVNs - both in private practice and within the RSPCA - play many critical roles; including providing veterinary care to abused animals rescued by the RSPCA, supporting our animal centres and our prosecution work, as well as reporting abused and neglected animals to us.
"We know that vets and RVNs want to have a better understanding of what they can expect from us and we will provide more clarity around what we are asking of vets when they treat our animals. We will continue to draw on and support the strong and growing evidence base in the profession in areas such as shelter medicine, veterinary forensics, clinical behaviour and accessible care.
"We know that the veterinary sector has had a tough year and we are very grateful for your continuing support of our work during the many challenges of the pandemic."
Commenting on the decision to look at transferring its animal welfare prosecuting role to the CPS, RSPCA chief executive Chris Sherwood said: “We are proud of our history bringing animal abusers to justice and for many years we have been the right people to do this vital work. However, the world has changed and we have to change with it.
"We launched our new strategy this week and a key part of this is working in partnership with other organisations with the responsibility and expertise to support our work.
"The CPS is the statutory body with responsibility for taking prosecutions in England and Wales and by working more closely in partnership with them, we can free up resources to focus on our unique frontline investigation, rescue and care work, where we can make the most difference to animals.
"However, we reserve the right to take a prosecution in future if we feel that justice is not being done for animals."
The charity is also seeking statutory powers under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 for its frontline animal rescuers.
This means that they would be able to reach animals faster, allowing them to access private land and outbuildings, although crucially not homes, if there was a reasonable expectation that an animal was suffering.
These changes would bring England and Wales in line with Scotland and Ireland where the SPCAs have statutory powers and pass their cases to the state prosecutor.
To find out more and download the RSPCA’s new strategy, visit: https://www.rspca.org.uk/whatwedo/strategy
In case you missed the email last month, Novartis Animal Health has announced the launch of Atopica for Cats (cyclosporine oral solution, 100 mg/ml), a treatment for chronic allergic dermatitis.
This disease, which is apparently one of the most common reasons for pet owners to take cats to the veterinary surgeon2, can be difficult to diagnose and causes itching and associated chewing and licking, skin lesions and loss of hair. Atopica for Cats is the first medication approved in the UK specifically for allergic dermatitis in cats.
Novartis says the new product provides relief from the uncomfortable and recurrent itch/scratch cycle, and the majority of improvements are seen in the first four weeks3-5. The company also says that in clinical trials, 84 per cent of cats diagnosed with allergic dermatitis were considered to be "uncomfortable" at the start of the study5. After six weeks of treatment with Atopica for Cats, 78 per cent of cats were considered "comfortable" with satisfactory levels of grooming3 - a key indicator of a healthy cat. Additionally, Atopica for Cats is proven to significantly reduce unsightly and painful skin lesions and has a proven safety profile.
Anne-Laure Driscoll, Atopica Brand Manager, Novartis Animal Health UK, said: "Veterinarians and pet owners understand the discomfort and frustration of an itchy pet. We are pleased to add Atopica for Cats to our proven family of Atopica products, offering an effective treatment for cats suffering from the extreme discomfort associated with allergic dermatitis."
Developed specifically for domestic felines, Atopica for Cats is an oral solution which Novartis says is easy-to-dose and administer. In studies, approximately one-third of cats took the medicine in their food and two-thirds were dosed directly into the mouth3,4. According to the company, the product offers a unique mode of action that specifically targets immune cells such as the T-lymphocytes involved in the allergic reaction. In this way, Atopica for Cats blocks the production of inflammatory cytokines, molecules that fuel the allergic response, breaking the recurrent itch/scratch cycle.
Dr. Keith Hnilica, DVM, MS, MBA and DACVD, and author of Small Animal Dermatology: A Color Atlas and Therapeutic Guide (3rd ed), said: "Atopica for Cats has the potential to change how our profession treats the itchy cat. For the first time ever, we have a safe, highly effective, approved treatment for cats with allergic dermatitis. And because Atopica for Cats is not a corticosteroid, I can prescribe it for long-term use without worrying about the health risks that can be associated with steroids."
References
It is estimated that there are more than one million pet ferrets in the UK and a further 500,000 in the United States, but until now little was known about how ferrets are housed and what environmental enrichment they benefit from.
For the study1, RVC researchers analysed 750 responses to an online questionnaire from ferret keepers (82% of whom were pet owners and the remainder were from the laboratory, zoo, rescue and pest control sectors) from 17 countries.
The study found that most ferrets were housed with at least one other ferret, providing social interaction.
The environmental enrichments that ferret keepers believed their ferrets most enjoyed were tunnels (42.5%), digging (27.3%), human interaction (20.8%) and exploration (17.6%).
The items reported as being most problematic included rubber toys, which can cause internal blockages when chewed and swallowed (45.1%) and enrichments which can result in claws or other body parts becoming trapped, such as narrow tunnels and certain fabrics including fleece, towels and loosely woven fabrics (28.6%).
Other main findings included:
Alice Dancer, PhD Student at the RVC, and lead author of the paper, said: “How animals are housed and the environmental enrichment they are given can have a significant impact on their health and wellbeing.
"The finding that large housing and high numbers of enrichment are possible in all ferret-keeping sectors is a really good sign for ferret welfare.
"We hope that these results help inspire ferret caretakers to consider the housing they use, offer ideas for new ferret enrichments, and raise awareness of enrichments which may harm their ferrets.”
The Adaptil Diffuser has been renamed the Adaptil Calm Home Diffuser, the Adaptil Collar has been renamed Adaptil Calm On-the-Go Collar, Adaptil Spray is now called Adaptil Transport and Adaptil Tablets are now called Adaptil Express.
The new products are split into three colour-coded groups. In blue packaging, Adaptil Calm Home Diffuser is designed to help dogs stay calm in recurring situations at home, including staying alone, loud noises and visitors. It comes as a 30-day starter kit containing a diffuser and refill, and lasts for 30 days.
Adaptil Calm On-the-go Collar is for use when dogs face fearful situations outdoors. It is available in two collar sizes (small to fit necks up to 37.5cm and large to fit necks up to 62.5cm) and it lasts for four weeks.
Adaptil Transport comes in yellow packaging and is designed to make travel and visits to the vet less stressful. It is available in 60ml and 20ml bottles.
Adaptil Calm Home Diffuser, Adaptil Calm On-the-Go Collar and Adaptil Transport all contain dog appeasing pheremones to help dogs feel calm and relaxed.
The last product in the new range is Adaptil Express, which comes in green packaging. Adaptil Express is an oral supplement which Ceva says provides a fast, calming effect for dogs faced with occasional challenging events such as thunderstorms and fireworks. The non-pheromone tablets, which come in packs of 10 or 40 tablets, combine GABA and amino acids and can be given with or without food.
Abigail King, product manager for Adaptil, said: "80% of pet owners state that their dog gets stressed during challenging situations both inside and outside the home and during specific occasions such as travelling, fireworks and thunderstorms1. Adaptil’s new product range caters for all these eventualities and the eye-catching branding and packaging clearly indicates which product should be used for each challenging occasion to aid owner compliance and help dogs feel calm and relaxed at all times."
For further information, visit www.adaptil.com/uk.
Revozyn RTU, which contains 400 mg/ml Penethamate hydriodide, is the first ready-to-use injectable narrow spectrum Penethamate on the UK market. It can also be used to treat relapses of old infections.
Dechra says that the intramuscular injection works by diffusing through the blood vessels and accumulating in the udder tissue and milk, treating the whole udder effectively. Apparently the new formulation also features an ion trapping mechanism that results in high Benzylpenicillin concentration in milk and udder tissue.
Revozyn RTU comes in a 50ml multi dose vial. It has a 28-day shelf life after first use and has withdrawal periods of four days for milk and 10 days for meat and offal.
Dechra Brand Manager Emma Jennings said: "The treatment and control of mastitis is one of the largest costs to any dairy farmer. It affects productivity and cow welfare and we are delighted to be able to introduce this revolutionary product.
"Revozyn RTU can change the way that clinical and subclinical mastitis in dairy cattle is treated. Its narrow spectrum of activity means that the risk of antibiotic resistance is reduced and there is no need for additional animal handling, thereby saving time and protecting user safety.
“The flexible dosing of Revozyn RTU and 28-day shelf life also make it a cost effective option for farmers".
For more information, visit www.dechra.co.uk.
Pedigree has announced that it has raised over £160,000 to help the thousands of dogs abandoned every year in the UK, through its charitable initiative, The Pedigree Adoption Drive 2011.
Pedigree says its fundraising comes at a crucial time, as rescue centres' facilities across the country are severely suffering under the strain of the highest level of dog abandonment in over a decade.
The Pedigree Adoption Drive, which launched in mid-October, aims to raise awareness of the ever-increasing issues of dog abandonment and funds for the hundreds of rescue centres across the country that work tirelessly to find these dogs new loving homes.
Now in its fourth year, the campaign called upon dog lovers everywhere to show their support, by taking part in the world's first virtual dog walk around the web. In addition, consumers got involved in a host of other activities - donating via text message and online, to help the Drive reach this year's grant total.
The funds raised this year will be distributed through grants to 90 rescue homes across the country - including three special grants of £15,000 given to Bath Cats and Dogs Home, £20,000 given to North Clwyd Animal Rescue and £25,000 given Birmingham Dogs Home. Every grant will be put towards projects aimed at making tomorrow better than today for dogs - including the refurbishment of dilapidated kennel blocks, desperately needed veterinary facilities and the supply of essential surgical equipment.
TV presenter and vet Steve Leonard, who is the ambassador of this year's campaign, said: "The money raised from this year's Pedigree Adoption Drive is a great example of how we can achieve so much together to help take steps towards tackling the issue of dog abandonment. The grants awarded to rescue centres this year will make a big difference in helping to find many rescue dogs, the loving homes they deserve."
Katie Wragg, Pedigree Adoption Drive Brand Manager said: "In the last four year's we've raised over £1million for rescue centres supporting the country's abandoned dogs and despite the tough economic climate, the amazing public reaction has enabled us to really make a difference to the lives of abandoned dogs across the UK and help give them a bright future."
For more information on the campaign log on to: http://www.pedigreeadoptiondrive.com/
After tense negotiations which stretched well into the night, Jenny Smith MRCVS has been confirmed this morning as the new face of VetSurgeon.org.
Jenny, who qualified earlier this year (congratulations), will appear in advertisements for the site in Veterinary Practice magazine, The London Vet Show Guide and Cattle Practice. She said: "I'm only too pleased to help promote VetSurgeon.org. It helped me understand what happens in the real world whilst I was at university, and I got my very first job as a veterinary surgeon through the contacts I made on the site."
Jenny is the third face of VetSurgeon, replacing Niall Taylor MRCVS, who has held the post since taking over from Gillian Mostyn MRCVS in December 2009. He said: "I'm ruined. Ruined, you hear. Without this contract, I'll probably have to go and open branches of Aldi on wet Saturday afternoons."
In fine tradition, Jenny is donating her £100 fee to the Northern Rose Boxer Rescue charity.
The report also revealed the devastating impact on overworked veterinary staff, with some left in tears by abusive owners venting their frustration at being unable to find care for their animal.
Anecdotally, the problems highlighted by ITV News are being seen elsewhere in the country, with more and more vets now starting to question whether or not the current requirement to provide out of hours care is sustainable in a world where there are more clients who increasingly expect flea treatment advice and other non emergency situations to be dealt with at 3:00am in the morning.
Various solutions have been proposed in a forum discussion on VetSurgeon.org, including the removal of the requirement to provide an OOH service, for the RCVS to give vets the confidence to say no to non emergencies, a change to the CoPC to require vets to provide emergency care within 24 hours, not 24 hours a day, a requirement for new grads to undertake OOH as part of their PDP, and/or a requirement for OOH centres to have 3 vets on duty at any one time (which could improve working conditions).
As the ITV report pointed out, the fundamental issue is one of a shortage of supply over demand, for which there is no overnight fix. However, many feel that reducing the demands of providing OOH could ease the situation considerably.
'Hany’s Heartbreak' was a gorily realistic representation of a dog’s heart infected with Dirofilaria Immitis, baked by vet students Anna Burrows, Caitlin Glover, Chloe Tredinnick and Liberty Daly.
It pulled in votes from all over the world including Australia and the US, Saudi Arabia, Germany, Italy and the Caribbean.
The winning bakers said: "We chose to bake this cake as we wanted to make something that we could make look as realistic as possible and as gruesome.
"Our parasitology lecturer, Hany, inspired us to use the D. Immitis parasite as our theme to promote the message of how detrimental and possibly fatal some animal parasites can be! We had a great time baking it and enjoyed the looks of disgust that people who saw it gave. We promise it tastes better than it looks! Our key message to everyone is to PLEASE WORM YOUR PETS!"
The categories for baking inspiration this year were Transport to Campus, Scrumptious Science, Blue Planet and a Showstopper section. Sir David Attenborough and Pixar characters Nemo and Dory were among the other stars of the show, with colourful cakes on an environmental theme also winning prizes.
One of this year’s judges was Dr Wendela Wapenaar, Associate Professor at the Nottingham Vet School. Wendela said: “It’s been another great year for the Sutton Bonington Bakeoff. It was impressive to see how some bakers took on the challenging topics for this year; winning cakes were covering topics such as global warming, environmental pollution in addition to the more gory aspects of veterinary medicine."
Vets4Pets has unveiled its latest national TV advertising campaign, which airs for the first time during Coronation Street on ITV tonight.
The 30-second commercial was shot at five different locations around the UK and features John Davies-Riand MRCVS Vet Partner at Vets4Pets Leeds and Sarah Scott Vet Nurse Partner at Vets4Pets Kettering.
The commercial is running nationally until 28th March and forms part of a national campaign offering owners of elderly pets a discounted £25 senior pet health check with a vet and a half price bag of senior pet food.
Gill Hammond, Head of Brand Marketing said: "It was really important to us when planning this new campaign that we feature our real partners, they are at the end of the day the core of our business and the faces that our clients see when they visit us. The offer itself, focusing on senior pets is testament to our partners' and their teams' commitment to on-going pet health care."
Lee Ashton, founder of Bugler Smith, the agency behind the new ad said: "Working with Vet4Pets on this project has been a really exciting process. Having got under the skin of the brief, and carried out some initial research within Vets4Pets practices nationwide, the overwhelming and consistent theme from everyone we spoke to, was how they have a real passion for pets and making every difference they can.
"This was key to our message, and we felt it was really important to use their best brand ambassadors (their own vets and veterinary nurses) to introduce the brand to the public, to really demonstrate in a straight forward way what makes them different to other vet practices, and we're really pleased with the outcome."