Ceva Animal Health has produced a new advisory leaflet about enzootic abortion control and vaccination strategy in sheep to help vets explain the best prevention protocols to clients.
According to the company, it is estimated that around half of the 400,000 infectious abortions in UK sheep each year are from enzootic abortion caused by Chlamydophila abortus, but timely vaccination programmes can prevent such dramatic losses.
The eight-page leaflet explains how enzootic abortion can spread, why prevention is better than cure, the importance of timely vaccination of ewe lambs and replacement stock, how vaccination programmes make good economic sense and the benefits of using Cevac Chlamydia, Ceva Animal Health's live enzootic abortion vaccine as part of the control programme.
Carol Atkinson, reprodAction's product manager said: "Cevac Chlamydia receives consistently good feedback from vets, many of whom have enthusiastically volunteered their praise for the product to our territory managers. We thought a leaflet would be a constructive way to share views, giving vets the chance to hear about the advantages of vaccination and to provide them with the tools to explain to their clients why vaccinating against enzootic abortion is cost worthy."
For further information contact Ceva Animal Health Ltd, Unit 3, Anglo Office Park, White Lion Road, Amersham, Bucks, HP7 9FB, Telephone +44 (0) 1494 781510.
Vets with Horsepower is organised annually by Professor Derek Knottenbelt to help raise funds for equine and human charities around the world.
This year the group undertook an endurance motorbike trip of over 1600 miles: from the UK to Germany, across Scandinavia and back, hosting education events for equine vets along the way to raise funds for four charities including BEVA's Power for Ukraine.
BEVA Council member Alison Talbot, said: “Thanks to the generosity of equine vets in the UK we had just hit the halfway mark of raising £10,000, before Vets with Horsepower set off on their epic Scandinavian mission.
"We are so grateful for their donation of £9922 which means we can now buy another five generators, to help twice as many vets and horses in extremely difficult circumstances during enforced power cuts."
The generators will be transported to a collection point in Poland and then on to Ukraine in time for winter.
Donations to the BEVA Trust Power To Ukraine appeal can be made here: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/powertoukraine
Any surplus funds will be added to the general fund to support equids in Ukraine.
Royal Canin has launched 'Calm', described as the UK's first complete nutritional support for cats and dogs during stress.
Royal Canin says Calm contains a combination of two nutrients known to help support stress management. Alpha-casozepine is a patented milk peptide developed after observations of the post-prandial calming properties of milk in newborns, while L-tryptophan is an amino acid precursor of serotonin, involved in mood control. According to the company, Calm also helps support the skin and digestion, promote the elimination of hairballs in cats, and help delay the formation of tartar in dogs. Calm also contains Royal Canin's S/O Index to help maintain urinary health.
Because palatability becomes even more important when animals are stressed, Calm has been designed to be highly palatable - preferred by 68 per cent of cats in trials compared to a control food.
Royal Canin veterinary support manager Gudi Stuttard said: "We all know how stressful life can be, especially in a busy vet practice, and we recognise that dogs and cats can also be affected by stress. Calm is a unique way to help support them during stressful periods, as part of your multi-modal approach, in the form of complete, high quality nutrition to help keep pets in the best of health."
Royal Canin recommends that Calm is fed at least 10 days before any anticipated period of stress, and should then be maintained for two to three months. It can also be fed on a long-term basis if required. Calm is available in 2kg and 4kg bags - for more information, please contact your Royal Canin Veterinary Business Manager or call 0845 717 800.
RCVS President, Dr Jerry Davies, has committed to prioritise the establishment of a new Audit and Risk Committee, following publication of the recommendations of a report into two overspends at the College.
Earlier this year, outgoing President Peter Jinman had announced that a review would be carried out into the circumstances that led to higher-than-expected expenditure on the College's new database and building development works in the Lower Ground Floor at Belgravia House.
The RCVS Officer team asked Professor Bill McKelvey - a member of the College's Governance Review Group - and two of the College's Privy Council-appointed Council members to look at all aspects that related to its budgeting and expenditure process of those projects, and propose lessons that should be learned.
Dr Davies said: "That such a review was required is regretted, but I would like to thank Professor McKelvey, Richard Davis and Judith Webb for their diligence in this work. Their recommendations will be a very helpful addition to the work that is currently underway to ensure corporate governance is fit for purpose and, in particular, that the management of capital projects within the College is optimised."
The full Overspend Report (one sentence was redacted on legal advice) was considered by Council at its meeting on 3 November. Council agreed that the recommendations should be made public. The College is currently seeking further legal advice on whether it is proper for the report to be made available under the Freedom of Information Act.
Dr Davies added: "The recommendations of the report are under consideration by a group of five past Presidents, together with Richard Davis and Judith Webb as lay members of Council, under the Chairmanship of Peter Jinman, and their proposals will be considered by Council in due course.
"The recommendation that an Audit and Risk Committee be set up will be prioritised, as this was highlighted as an imperative. Other related activities, such as the development of a protocol for the management of major projects, had already been put in place by Officers prior to the overspend review."
Regarding the two projects at the heart of the report, the College says building work in the Lower Ground Floor at Belgravia House has been complete for some time and the new rooms and their facilities are being used, particularly when Disciplinary Committee hearings render much of the rest of the building out of bounds. The new data management system is also in use and an external consultant is currently looking at the work that has been carried out so far, and will make recommendations for the future.
"Meanwhile, although there are many lessons to be learned from the report, it's business as usual in terms of bringing to a conclusion many of our important ongoing initiatives, such as the introduction of the new Code of Professional Conduct, the consultations on the recommendations of the Specialisation Working Party and a draft Performance Protocol, and, of course, the ongoing work of the Disciplinary and Preliminary Investigation Committees," said Dr Davies.
The recommendations of the report, which were adopted by Council, can be downloaded from www.rcvs.org.uk/McKelvey.
According to the company, information on best worming strategies for foals and yearlings remains largely anecdotal, making it difficult to develop a clear plan for this age group. Zoetis veterinary surgeon Wendy Talbot has therefore reviewed the recent literature to develop an eight-point plan.
Explaining the guidance, Wendy writes:
Foals and yearlings are usually more susceptible to worms than are adult horses because they have had little chance to develop any immunity. They are more vulnerable to related diseases and tend to have higher egg shedding, which increases the risk of infection. The main parasitic culprits in the UK for foals less than six months of age are large roundworms (ascarids). In older foals and weanlings, small and large strongyles, tapeworms (and pinworms) are the main considerations.1 Yearlings may also have a second wave of large roundworm infection at 8-10 months of age.2 Any control strategy will need to take into account the individual circumstances such as stocking density, pasture management and previous disease history.
Guidelines for parasite control in foals suggest a first treatment with fenbendazole at 2-3 months of age, targeting large roundworm, followed by another treatment at 5-6 months. Alternatively, pyrantel may be considered for these doses; however, there may be resistance in some areas and foals with large adult ascarid burdens may be at higher risk of intestinal rupture when this drug is used.4 At weaning (approximately six months of age), it is advisable to perform a faecal worm egg count (FWEC) to determine if treatment for strongyles is also required; the macrocyclic lactone anthelmintics (ivermectin or moxidectin) are expected to have the highest efficacy. At 9 and 12 months of age treatment for stronglyes and a larvicidal dose for encysted stages of small strongyles (moxidectin or a 5 day course of fenbendazole) are indicated. A tapeworm treatment should be included with one of these doses.2,3
For yearlings, two methods have recently been proposed for worm control: the first involves using faecal worm egg counts (FWECs) at more frequent intervals than for adults to guide dosing for strongyles in the grazing season.1 The second suggests three baseline treatments targeting strongyles in spring, summer and late autumn, with FWECs in between to identify and treat any still shedding high numbers of eggs, up to a maximum of six treatments per year.2 Macrocyclic lactones have the highest expected efficacy against small strongyles and should form the basis of treatments; however, pyrantel can be considered for some treatments where it has been shown to have continued efficacy. Both strategies include a larvcidal treatment for encysted small redworm combined with testing or treating for tapeworm in late autumn. The inclusion of one or two doses of a macrocyclic lactone each year (usually already used for small strongyle control) should be sufficient to prevent large strongyle related disease.3
The wide differences in the circumstances of foals and yearlings, together with geographical variations in resistance patterns and a lack of consensus on best practice in this group means it is not possible to define a single approach to a worming plan. An important point to note is that FWECs may give surprising results because higher counts are generally seen in youngstock.
Eight ways to keep clients' youngstock worms controlled:
For further information on worming together with some equine specific CPD visit: https://blog.vetsupportplus.com/
Dr Tiffany Hemming has been elected the new chair of the British Veterinary Association Animal Welfare Foundation (BVA AWF), the veterinary profession's own animal welfare charity.
After graduating, Dr Hemming worked in mixed practice before completing her doctorate in epidemiology at the University of Guelph, Canada. She joined the Territorial Army as a Veterinary Officer in 1997, transferring to the Regular Army in 2000.
She has been employed in several different roles all over the world, has commanded a medical squadron for two years and deployed with them to Afghanistan in 2009/10.
Holding the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel, Dr Hemming is currently employed in a policy position in Whitehall. Her particular interests within animal welfare science are working animals and educating owners about improving the welfare of their animals.
Dr Hemming said: "I am delighted to have been elected as chair of trustees for the BVA AWF. The Foundation is committed to improving the welfare of all animals through veterinary science, education and debate and I am looking forward to leading the charity, with the valuable assistance and expertise of my fellow veterinary trustees.
"I will ensure good governance for our work as we continue to review what we do, building on a process started by my predecessor Carl Padgett."
World Horse Welfare and Federation of European Equine Veterinary Associations (FEEVA) have announced the publication of a new set of practical guidelines on assessing the fitness for transport of equidae (horses, ponies, donkeys and their hybrids).
The publication was produced by a collaboration of agri-food, transport, veterinary organisations and animal welfare groups supported by the European Commission.
The guidelines are designed to set out clear and simple methods of assessing the fitness of equidae for transport to support a number of objectives including: helping maintain good health among animals and humans, reducing the risk of disease transmission and preventing animal suffering. The guidelines also support transporters in avoiding penalties, financial losses, and withdrawal of the transporter’s authorisation or driver’s certificate of competence.
The guidelines also offer a health and transport checklist and a quick reference guide to assess vital signs and health concerns.
Whilst the guidelines have been produced to protect animal welfare, they also aim to help protect the health and safety of anyone involved in the transport of equidae, supporting transport professionals in the enforcement and understanding of EU Regulation 1/2005 which states that 'No animal shall be transported unless it is fit for the intended journey'.
Andrea Gavinelli, Head of Unit for Official Controls and Eradication of Diseases in Animals, said: "These guidelines will be an essential resource for anyone involved in the transportation of horses, donkeys, mules or their hybrids and I am pleased that the Commission has been able to support their production and dissemination."
The guidelines also received recognition from Dr Bernard Vallat Director General of the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) for 15 years before recently leaving the position. He said: "It is my pleasure to commend this visual guide to health conditions that may impact on the fitness of animals to travel. This clear and simple guide will help all those involved in animal transport to quickly and easily assess the situation and understand what course of action to take."
The guidelines are available by registering via FVE (Federation of Veterinarians of Europe) www.fve.org
Headed by Stephanie Lalor, a European Specialist in Internal Medicine, the clinic provides initial assessment and treatment - from blood work and blood pressure - to ongoing care.
Suitable for cats with a wide range of medical conditions, including respiratory tract disease, gastrointestinal conditions and endocrinopathies, the clinic is housed in Willows iCatCare certified ‘cat-friendly’ facility, which has its own cat ward and waiting area.
Stephanie, who completed a residency in Internal Medicine at Edinburgh University (funded by International Cat Care) in 2014, and then completed the Diploma of the European College of Veterinary Internal Medicine last year, said: "Here at Willows we do all we can to minimise the difficulties that cats and their owners might encounter when they come to see us.
"Our staff are trained to be aware of their needs and we have put in place not only the necessary facilities but also specific working practices in order to make any visit as stress-free as possible.
"These cat-specific clinics will be yet another string to our bow and we will work closely with referring vets to ensure that we meet each patient’s unique needs – providing a detailed written report following each visit."
For more information about the cat-specific internal medicine clinics taking place at Willows, or to make a referral, call 0121 712 7070.
For more information, visit www.willows.uk.net.
The Linnaeus OAPC initiative was launched in 2021 and originally allocated £30K for 2022.
However, that figure was doubled after the company received a growing number of high quality submissions.
33 papers were accepted for funding in 2022, of which 24 have so far been published and the remainder are undergoing peer review.
The authors comprise clinicians, specialists, residents and interns across nine referral and primary care sites within the group.
The OAPC was introduced by Professor Luisa De Risio, Clinical Research & Excellence Director at Linnaeus (pictured right).
She said: “By making clinical research open access, we can ensure it makes the widest possible impact – while also supporting the author’s profile and career development.
"We are continuing to offer OAPC funding to our associates in 2023 and look forward to seeing the fantastic research published as a result.”
The webinar will be presented by veterinary behaviourist, Sarah Heath BVSc PgCertVE DipECAWBM(BM) CCAB FHEA FRCVS, RCVS and EBVS European Specialist in Behavioural Medicine.
It will cover how to take a cat friendly approach to the microchipping appointment to reduce feline stress and make the process easier for both pet owners and veterinary staff.
A consent-based care approach will be discussed, together with the importance of educating cat owners and veterinary professionals on how to handle cats to minimise feline stress.
The webinar will also advise on the use of adjunctive therapies, such as pheromones and nutraceuticals, as well as the strategic use of pre vet visit medication, and will be followed by a Q&A session.
Tammie O’Leary, commercial lead at identi, said: “The introduction of the new cat microchipping legislation will lead to an increased number of feline patients being seen by veterinary practices.
"Our cat microchipping legislation webinar will help provide cat friendly advice for veterinary professionals and will include hints and tips to make cat microchipping appointments as stress free as possible.”
To register for the webinar, email contact@identichip.co.uk or call 0330 9128077.
The guidance was written by Hany Elsheikha, Head of the European Scientific Counsel for Companion Animal Parasites (ESCCAP).
For a copy of the bulletin, contact your Zoetis Account Manager or call Customer Support on 0345 300 8034.
A research project funded by The Horse Trust has discovered that a racehorse's performance does not markedly change after it has recovered from a tendon injury.
The research was led by Bryan O'Meara, who is in the final year of a three year clinical training scholarship funded by The Horse Trust.
Mr. O'Meara carried out the research at Donnington Grove Veterinary Surgery in Newbury, under the supervision of epidemiologist Dr Tim Parkin from University of Glasgow.
Tendonitis is one of the most common musculoskeletal injuries in racehorses, with a prevalence of 11-30%, according to earlier research.
Mr. O'Meara examined the clinical records and racing histories of 400 racehorses who had been treated for superficial digital flexor (SDF) tendonitis injuries over a five year period (2003-2008).
The race records of horses affected by tendon injury were compared with 400 matched control horses that had never suffered SDF tendon injuries.
The controls were horses training in the same establishment at the time of injury and of the same age and sex as the case horse.
The research looked at the performance of the racehorses in races before and after treatment for the injury, and at the performance of the control horses before and after the treatment date. The Racing Post Rating (RPR), which is published by the Racing Post after every race, was used as a measure of performance.
Mr. O'Meara found that there was no significant difference in RPR before and after the treatment date in case and control horses.
According to The Horse Trust, this result is unexpected as in vitro studies have found that healed tendon tissue has reduced elasticity due to the presence of scar tissue. This suggests that a horse with a healed SDF tendon would need to work its muscles harder to compensate and would therefore be expected to have lower performance.
Mr. O'Meara said more research is needed to back-up his finding that performance isn't significantly affected by tendon injury: "It could be that using Racing Post Rating to measure performance isn't sensitive enough to pick up a change in the horse's performance. However, it's encouraging that there's no marked change in performance after a horse has recovered from a tendon injury. These findings show that there's no need to give up on a horse that has a tendon injury - they can still come back and perform well, or can be used for other, less demanding riding activities."
The research also found that there was no significant difference between case and control horses when returning to racing and completing three races. Only after completing five races, or three years post treatment, was a significant difference found between case and control horses. This finding is a step towards developing a more accurate assessment of tendon treatment. Outcome after five races or three years post treatment is a better indicator of the outcome of treatment.
Mr. O'Meara said: "At the moment, some tendon treatments state their success as the percentage of horses that return to racing after treatment. However, we've shown that there's no significant difference between case and control horses at this time. At the moment, there are a myriad of treatments available to treat tendonitis. Hopefully this finding will be used in further research to learn which treatments are most effective."
Mr O'Meara's research also found a link between SDF tendon injury and the racehorse competing at its maximum performance level: the case horses were significantly nearer to their pre-injury maximum performance level in the race immediately before injury (compared to matched controls), suggesting that they were competing nearer their individual maximum performance level when the SDF tendon injury occured.
RCVS Knowledge has announced the official launch of Veterinary Evidence – a new resource designed to unite practitioners interested in promoting and using the principles of evidence-based veterinary medicine (EBVM) within practice.
Veterinary Evidence – which is supported by the RCVS – represents RCVS Knowledge’s wider mission statement of providing the veterinary community with practice relevant, evidence-based information resources. Papers and publications are now available for use, completely open-access.
Veterinary Evidence aims to become the go-to portal for evidence-based veterinary information, promoting and publishing peer-reviewed papers alongside discussion of EBVM through opinion, clinical and methodological articles.
The site will host a wide range of material – from randomised controlled trials to case studies, Knowledge Summaries and interviews. The content is designed to educate readers in research techniques, responding to the desire amongst many veterinary professionals to become involved in effective practice-based research – including critical appraisal and clinical audit.
Jacqui Molyneux, Chair of the RCVS Knowledge Board of Trustees said: "As a practising veterinary surgeon I, along with many others, recognise the emerging importance of evidence-based veterinary medicine and I believe it will become more and more important as time goes on. We all wish to do the best for our patients but how do we find out what the current ‘best’ is? That’s where this portal will become so useful; collecting and publishing articles that directly help practising vets and nurses to answer that question."
Bradley Viner, the President of the RCVS and a Trustee of RCVS Knowledge, said: "The College was very happy to support our charity partners at RCVS Knowledge in launching this excellent new resource which will be relevant to all veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses in clinical practice. Furthermore, clinical governance is now firmly established as an important principle in the Code of Professional Conducts for both professions and so, by encouraging practitioners to undergo a continuing process of reflection, analysis and improvement, Veterinary Evidence will also be helping them fulfil their professional responsibilities."
Access the full site at: www.veterinaryevidence.org
The new guidance, which can be found at www.rcvs.org.uk/coronavirus, will gradually replace the current emergency guidance and aims to help veterinary practices begin a phased return to near-normal operations:
Alongside the College’s guidance, the BVA is also publishing guidance for practices on working safely as lockdown restrictions are eased. [www.bva.co.uk/coronavirus/]
RCVS President Mandisa Greene said: “None of us could have predicted quite what an extraordinary and extraordinarily challenging 12 months this has been for everyone.
"On behalf of the whole of RCVS Council, I would like to thank sincerely once again all our veterinary and veterinary nursing colleagues, and all those in practice teams around the UK, for their awe-inspiring commitment, adaptability, resilience and sheer hard work in continuing to provide essential veterinary services and look after the health and welfare of the nation’s animals, in what have been the most difficult of times.
“Whilst I sincerely hope that we are at last beginning to see light at the end of the tunnel, if there is one thing we have learnt, it is that things can deteriorate rapidly if we don’t all continue to play our part and follow all relevant guidelines.
“I therefore urge my colleagues to continue to use their professional judgement and think very carefully about their gradual return to more normal working patterns over the coming weeks and months, according to their individual circumstances and the best interests of their teams, clients, and the animals they care for.”
RCVS Council has also agreed that the policy and guidance changes made in response to the pandemic over the past 12 months will now be reviewed, and decisions made as to whether to retain, amend or reverse them.
The programme offers a route to achieve a General Practitioner Certificate (GPCert).
In 14 modules (six online and eight face-to-face) delivered over 11 months, the programme covers the fundamental principles of the different imaging modalities, giving an overview of their application and benefits.
Each online module consists of four sessions spread over one month, with video lessons and case-based studies for learners to work through at their own pace.
There'll also be a monthly live webinar for case discussion and film reading sessions with the specialist tutor.
The face-to-face sessions are conducted over two consecutive days and are designed to support learners in consolidating their knowledge and developing skills in ultrasound.
As well as the GPCert, the course also offers a route to a Postgraduate Certificate (PgC) through the company’s partnership with Harper Adams University.
Programme registration includes a subscription to the RCVS Knowledge Library, which includes access to many electronic resources, including the latest journals and clinical research.
Head of Business Development for Improve International in the UK, Dr Charlotte French (pictured right), said: “The successful completion of this programme will increase learners’ skills, knowledge and confidence in dealing with more imaging cases, which will, in turn, enable them to grow their small animal caseload and revenue stream.
"With imaging so often a key element of a successful diagnosis, we are seeing increased interest from veterinary surgeons in upskilling in this fast-moving area and are delighted to offer them the opportunity to do this with our new programme.”
Vétoquinol has announced plans to raise £10,000 for The Blue Cross pet charity through sales of Propalin, its fast acting treatment for incontinence in dogs.
From 1st July to 31st December this year, for every 100ml bottle of Propalin ordered, Vétoquinol will give 18p to The Blue Cross and 7p for every 30ml bottle.
To boost the amount raised for The Blue Cross, Vétoquinol is offering vets a free bottle of Propalin for every six bottles ordered of both the 100ml and 30ml sizes.
For example, if you order 18 100ml bottles of Propalin, you will receive 6 free bottles and The Blue Cross will receive £4.32.
Vanessa Rossiter, corporate fundraising officer for The Blue Cross said: “As a charity, The Blue Cross relies on donations to support our adoption centres and animal hospitals around the country. We are very grateful to Vétoquinol for their pledge to raise funds for the hundreds of needy animals in our care.”
According to Vétoquinol, Propalin is the UK’s best selling licensed veterinary treatment for urinary incontinence in the ***. It contains phenylpropanolamine hydrochloride, which acts to increase the tone in muscles that make up the urethal sphincter. It takes effect within 30 minutes of administration and, as a liquid, is highly palatable.
Every UK-based veterinary surgeon that registers as a member of www.vetsurgeon.org by 1st November 2010 will be entered into a draw to win an Apple iPad 32GB Wi-Fi worth £500.
All existing veterinary surgeon members will also be entered into the draw automatically, so there's no need to re-register. Still, you might like to spread the word about the draw amongst colleagues.
Full terms and conditions are available by clicking here.
The European Commission has agreed with the BSAVA and BVA that controls must be maintained to keep the UK free from the tapeworm Echinococcus multilocularis, and adopted a regulation that will permit pre-movement treatment for dogs travelling to listed Member States (i.e. the UK, Ireland, Finland and Malta).
In June Defra announced that the UK's derogation from European pet travel rules, which allows additional protection for the UK against rabies, ticks and tapeworms, would end on 31 December 2011. The movement rules on rabies and ticks will now be harmonised with the rest of Europe.
However, due to the significant public health risk posed by Echinococcus multilocularis, the BVA and BSAVA (working with Defra, the Federation of Veterinarians of Europe [FVE] and colleagues in Veterinary Ireland) continued to lobby the European Commission for controls on tapeworms to be maintained.
The regulation will ensure that a dog must be treated by a veterinary surgeon 24 to 120 hours (1-5 days) before entering one of the listed countries.
The BVA and BSAVA say they made a scientific case for a treatment window of 24-48 hours, but accept that the Commission had to find a compromise that would assist pet owners travelling during national holidays.
Harvey Locke, President of the BVA said: "This has been a long process but the BVA and BSAVA put forward the strong scientific case for the UK to maintain tapeworm controls and we are delighted that the European Commission has adopted this resolution.
"In our role as guardians of public health, vets were deeply concerned that the removal of tapeworm controls would see the introduction of EM to the UK and Ireland.
"Although relatively benign in dogs, the resulting disease in humans - alveolar echinococcosis - is an invasive, cancer-like cystic stage of the parasite, and is invariably fatal if not treated.
"The next stage of our lobbying will be to ensure that Member States and MEPs from across Europe support the UK's case for the additional controls."
Andrew Ash, President of BSAVA said: "Echinococcus multilocularis is a significant public health threat and we have worked hard to ensure the European Commission understands the potential impact of allowing this zoonotic disease to enter our country.
"The BVA and BSAVA will continue to promote the best possible health and welfare advice for pet owners taking their animals abroad. Our advice to owners is to speak to a vet as early as possible to make sure pets are protected from all diseases and parasites encountered abroad."
Pfizer Animal Health has launched PrintRoom, an online printing service to help equine practices deliver high quality communications to their clients, to support the company's Equip range of equine vaccines.
PrintRoom can be used to produce customised vaccination reminder cards, invitations, letterheads, stable name sheets, and more.
You can choose from a palette of designs, images and colours and can also upload your own logos and images to tailor your client communications to your preferred style.
PrintRoom has a MailMerge option to pre-address all your mailings and you can pay for postage and set the date of despatch online, to help ensure boosters are administered on time and passports stay up to date.
Paul Blanc, Equine Brand manager at Pfizer said: "Good communication with your clients plays a vital role in maintaining vaccination compliance and retaining and gaining business. Our print room service makes it easy to produce a broad range of customised practice marketing materials to a very professional standard that stand out from the crowd."
For further information visit http://www.pfizerprintroom.com/, call 0845 6027439 or contact your Pfizer Account Manager.
Vétoquinol, manufacturer of Epiphen (phenobarbital), for the control of epilepsy in dogs, has announced the launch of a new starter pack for clients that are embarking on treatment.
The starter packs contain a variety of support materials designed to help owners better understand the condition and its treatment. They sit alongside other support given by the company, which includes an 'Ask the Expert' helpline through which Epiphen veterinary customers can speak to a neurology specialist at The Animal Health Trust in Newmarket, where Vetoquinol sponsors a neurology clinician.
Abbie King, Product Manager for Epiphen, said: ''Our 'Ask the Expert' helpline is a successful service that has been running for several years. 30% of the calls to Vetoquinol's technical team relate to this challenging condition meaning there are few queries our technical team have not tackled before. If extra help is necessary we have an excellent working relationship with The Animal Health Trust and regularly refer cases to them for further advice. We are very proud of this service and are delighted to be able to continue to provide this helpline for our Epiphen clients.''
To use the 'Ask the Expert' service, or order the support materials, ring 0800 1698197. Alternatively visit: www.vetoquinol.co.uk or www.epiphenonline.co.uk.
The trial starts on Monday 11 July and will continue for three months to allow the College to determine levels of demand for such a service and, therefore, whether it should be made permanent.
Eleanor Ferguson, RCVS Acting Registrar, said: "This was a potential service identified in our Strategic Plan as a way of allowing veterinary professionals to have informal, confidential, discussions with members of the Professional Conduct Department about potential fitness to practise issues, short of formally raising a concern.
"Although any discussions via the new reporting line or email address will be confidential, if a veterinary surgeon or a veterinary nurse subsequently wishes to raise a formal concern about another veterinary professional, then they generally will need to identify both themselves and the individual in order to take it through our investigation process.
"We have developed a bespoke concerns form for members of the professions who do want to raise concerns about other professionals."
Veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses who wish to contact a member of the RCVS Professional Conduct Department in confidence can do so by calling 07599 958 294 between 9am and 5pm, or by emailing reporting@rcvs.org.uk.
The bespoke concerns from for members of the profession can be downloaded from www.rcvs.org.uk/concerns.
Rabbit Viral Haemorrhagic Disease variant (RVHD2) is a variation of the already recognised Rabbit Viral Haemorrhagic Disease (RVHD1). Vaccines for the original strain of RVHD do not appear to offer long term protection against RVHD2, however vaccines for this new strain are now available in the UK and can be purchased through three UK wholesalers (NVS, Centaur and Henry Schein Animal Health) or direct from the suppliers in Europe. There have been supply issues with this vaccination, however these are hoping to be remedied soon.
RVHD2 is more variable in its rate of disease progression than RVHD1, with presentation ranging from sudden death (with or without bleeding from the orifices), to a longer disease course of three to nine days, increasing the risk of unwell rabbits being brought into practices and in turn increasing the risk of transmission to other pet rabbits. Until vaccination becomes more routine, biosecurity in practices is key to prevent the disease from spreading.
Sean Wensley, BVA President, said: "Although the risk of a rabbit contracting RVHD2 appears highest in situations where rabbits are kept in large groups with regular new additions, such as at breeders or rescue centres, we encourage all owners to speak to their vet about vaccinating their rabbits against RVHD2.
"Veterinary advice from The Rabbit Welfare Association and Fund (RWAF) has stated that the spread of RVHD2 may be facilitated by its apparent slower disease progression compared to RVHD1, and research suggests that we can expect to see RVHD2 starting to predominate in the UK’s wild rabbits over RVHD1 in the next five years or so."
John Chitty, BSAVA Vice President, said: "BSAVA would encourage practices to talk to rabbit owning clients about RVHD2 vaccines, and where there is deemed sufficient risk recommend the vaccine along with the essential vaccination against Myxomatosis – and it should be noted that this must not be done within two weeks of vaccination against RVHD2."
BVZS President and veterinary pathologist Mark Stidworthy said: "It is clear from post mortem examinations and PCR testing over the last 18 months that RVHD2 is now geographically widespread in the UK and all rabbits should be considered at risk from this potentially devastating disease."
Due to recent media coverage of RVHD2, vets may be contacted by concerned owners seeking advice on how to prevent their rabbits contracting this disease - further to vaccinating, vets should recommend rabbits are kept separate from any other rabbits they do not usually interact with; are prevented from having contact with wild rabbits and do not attend any rabbit shows unless already vaccinated.
For a detailed Q&A on RVHD2 from Richard Saunders MRCVS, veterinary advisor to the RWAF, including information on sourcing effective vaccines, visit www.rabbitwelfare.co.uk and click RVHD2 - Filavac Vaccine – FAQs on the home page.
Photo: Larry D. Moore CC BY-SA 3.0.
Set up in 2012, the programme was developed to raise the standards of care and welfare of cats in the veterinary clinic, and to provide veterinary surgeons with practical solutions to problems that they face when dealing with their feline patients. The programme is also designed to boost business by strengthening the bond between the clinic and its feline clients.
Four years later, with 732 practices accredited worldwide (369 in the UK) and a further 1,000 US practices accredited under the American Association of Feline Practitioners scheme licensed from ISFM, the programme has become a well-recognised global standard in feline veterinary care. Last October, it was the winner of the 2016 Veterinary Record Innovation Award.
ISFM says it has now signed six new commercial partners for the scheme: Boehringer Ingelheim, Ceva Animal Health, Elanco, Idexx Laboratories, Merial and Royal Canin, and will be working with these partners to expand the programme further.
Dr Andy Sparkes, Veterinary Director of International Cat Care, ISFM’s parent charity, said: We are delighted to see how many clinics around the world have focused on becoming cat friendly and we can only expect this to grow again in 2017 with our new partners on board. We are looking forward to a very cat friendly 2017!"
Clinics interested in joining the scheme should visit: www.catfriendlyclinic.org for further information, including an extensive library of photographs from already-accredited clinics to provide inspiration and ideas.
In the piece, which starts at 1:22:54 here, Gudrun explained that what is seen as “normal” and cute for these dogs, such as snorting and snuffling, is in reality a result of debilitating respiratory problems caused by the squashed faces that have made them so fashionable.
Today also highlighted the fact that flat-faced breeds have experienced a huge boom in popularity recently, driven by celebrity owners, advertising and the media. According to the Kennel Club, the French bulldog is set to knock the labrador off its perch as the UK's most popular breed.
Following the interview Gudrun said: "We shouldn’t be buying and breeding dogs on the way we want them to look - it should always be about prioritising welfare above appearance.
"These are breeds that can suffer just by walking around or eating, which is why we’re calling on the media and advertisers to stop using them in their adverts.
"It is also difficult to turn on the TV, check Instagram or see a celebrity photo without also seeing a brachycephalic breed so it’s not surprising that demand for these dogs is rising."
Gudrun urged anyone thinking about buying a brachycephalic breed to talk to their local vet and think about choosing a healthier breed or crossbreed instead.
Modules for the first GPAdvCert – in Small Animal Orthopaedics – will begin in February 2018. Improve says it's the first of many 'next steps' programmes which it plans to launch under this new postgraduate level qualification.
The GPAdvCert in Small Animal Orthopaedics is aimed at veterinary surgeons who have completed their General Practitioner Certificate in Small Animal Surgery (GPCert SAS) or Postgraduate Certificate (PgC) in Small Animal Surgery.
Accredited by the European School of Veterinary Postgraduate Studies (ESVPS) and validated by Harper Adams University, the programme is delivered over 15 modules in three state-of-the-art European training centres - Sheffield, UK, Cremona, Italy and Madrid, Spain. Improve says delegates will learn from world-class clinicians and will be supervised in their practise of new surgical techniques and advanced procedures in a wet-lab environment.
David Babington MRCVS, Managing Director of Improve International (pictured right), said: "We felt there was a gap in the current structure for a postgraduate qualification which would allow students to advance their knowledge and practical skills in their chosen area and to add to their academic credentials. The General Practitioner Advanced Certificate is our solution."
Successful achievement of the GPAdvCert will enable delegates to progress from a Postgraduate Certificate in Small Animal Surgery (or equivalent) to the Postgraduate Diploma in Advanced Veterinary Practice Sciences in the UK, which is awarded by Harper Adams University. This can, in turn, be used towards the award of a Masters Degree (MSc) in Advanced Veterinary Practice Sciences.
David added: "Delegates for our first GPAdvCert in Orthopaedics for Small Animals will enhance their skills and confidence in dealing with more advanced orthopaedic procedures in-house and this will help them to reduce the number of patients which are referred, retaining a higher level of income for their practice. They will also develop skills which they can pass onto their team. We look forward to welcoming our first delegates next year."
Further details are available at: https://www.improveinternational.com/uk/course/general-practitioner-advanced-certificate-in-small-animal-orthopaedic-surgery/