The Kennel Club has announced the results of a survey of 329 Breed Kennel Rescue organisations which has revealed that over 50% of dogs given up for rehoming are given up by women, compared to 17% by men and 27% by couples who made the decision jointly.
The Kennel Club said the survey also revealed lifestyle changes, a lack of training and time to look after the family pet adequately are the main reasons why dogs are rehomed.
Caroline Kisko, Kennel Club Secretary, said: "People really need to explore their reasons for wanting a dog in the first place, do the research properly and invest time into training their dog. We are seeing an increasing number of owners being driven by celebrity trends in choice of dog breed, such as the French Bulldog, owned by Millie Mackintosh, Jessie J and Jonathan Ross.
"Every year dogs are abandoned or given up when the novelty wears off. Dogs are a lifelong commitment and anyone considering getting a pet needs to be sure that they will be able to properly care for the animal for the rest of its life."
Kennel Club Breed Rescue organisations last year rehomed over 20,000 dogs, more than Dogs Trust and Battersea Dogs & Cats Home combined. January was revealed to be the busiest month, highlighting the impact of many families being unprepared for getting a dog and potentially still buying them as a Christmas gift, despite advice to the contrary. More than one in three breed rescue organisations reported an increase of dogs needing to be rehomed compared with 2012.
Caroline continued: "Although not as well-known as other organisations, Kennel Club Breed Rescues work incredibly hard to support their breed. They are set up and run by people passionate about dogs and their particular breed in particular. There is a breed rescue organisation for almost every one of the 212 breeds of pedigree dog in the UK, and more than one in three of the breed rescue organisations also accept crossbreeds as well as pedigrees.
"Breed rescue is a fantastic place to consider when looking for a dog. The expert staff and volunteers will often know the full history of the dogs in their care and provide you with invaluable knowledge on the breed and tips for caring for individual dogs to make sure the dogs find a family for life."
The survey was conducted by Mo Gannon & Associates, which asked 2,000 UK adults about their satisfaction with the service they and their animals received from veterinary surgeons, levels of trust in the profession, and whether the service provided by vets represents value for money.
32% of the respondents felt that veterinary surgeons represented excellent (8%) or good (24%) value for money. 38% thought that veterinary fees are fair. However, 29% thought that veterinary surgeons and their services provided poor (21%) or very poor (8%) value for money. The results were very similar to the last time the survey was conducted, in 2015.
Nevertheless, veterinary surgeons continue to enjoy very high levels of trust amongst the public. 94% said they either completely trust (34%) or generally trust (60%) vets. This put veterinary surgeons in third place amongst the most trusted professions, below opticians and pharmacists but above GPs and and dentists.
Satisfaction with the profession was also high. 80% said they were either very satisfied (39%) or satisfied (41%), putting vets in fourth place below opticians, pharmacists and dentists, but above general practitioners and accountants.
RCVS President Dr Niall Connell, pictured right (would you trust this man?) said: "These results clearly demonstrate that there is a great deal of good will towards the veterinary profession and the work they do in treating the nation’s animals and serving their communities. The basis of all good relationships is trust, and it is fantastic to see that our clients continue overwhelmingly to trust our knowledge and expertise and remain very happy with the service we provide them.
"The picture on value for money is clearly a bit more mixed, although clearly 70% of the respondents recognise that we at least charge fair fees in terms of our time and expertise. There is, of course, always more work that we can do in order to help the public understand veterinary costs and fees and promote the value of veterinary care, as demonstrated by last year’s joint Pets Need Vets social media campaign with BVA, in which we highlighted the benefits to pet owners of being registered with a vet."
Zea Sciences has announced that its natural rodenticide has been certified under the European Biocide Directive Program, known as Annex1/1A BPD 98/8EEC.
The rodenticide is made from powdered corn cob (PCC) which, according to Zea Sciences, causes rats and mice to die of hypovolemic shock within 4-7 days of starting to feed on it.
The company says PCC poses no health risk to human or non target animal species, such as cats, dogs and birds. It is also the first of its type and class to be officially acknowledged as using naturally biodegradable and environmentally friendly material.
PCC is available from a number of retail and trade outlets, under various different brand names. However, the company said that if there was sufficient interest by vets in stocking the pet-friendly product, it would look at making it available through veterinary wholesalers.
Martin Holland, Managing Director of Zea Sciences said: ''I hope the profession will help spread the word about PCC-based rodent control - it might mean you have to reach for the vitamin K a little less often."
The practice is one of few in the UK to use radioactive iodine (RAI) therapy, which, it says, has an average, a 95% success rate in treating cats with hyperthyroidism.
Stephanie Lalor MRCVS (pictured right), an RCVS Specialist in Feline Medicine at Willows said: "The new therapy is non-invasive and is the gold standard of treatment for cats with hyperthyroidism. It is safe and highly effective and a single injection can be curative. Patients do need to be screened for their suitability and ideally they are treated with medical therapy prior to the RAI.
"Due to the radioactive nature of the treatment, patients must stay with us for 15 days after the injection. Our patients stay in luxury cat condos during their hospitalisation and their day-to-day care is over-seen by our lead radioactive iodine nurse, Vicky Maund."
The new unit is part of a £1 million investment in Willows which includes a dedicated operating theatre for minimally invasive procedures, a range of specialist treatment rooms and more than 40 new kennels.
Toby Gemmill, clinical director at Willows, said: "We are already extremely well placed to offer a wide variety of specialist treatments and this extension has provided us with the space to expand our services further. The new radioactive iodine unit is very exciting and allows us to build on our gold level cat-friendly clinic status."
For more information, visit www.willows.uk.net.
Zesti comprises three ranges:
The Spirit range is a more standard looking scrub, manufactured from Alsi-Flex. The ‘Mode’ range looks a little more figure hugging, with an exclusive colour palette, and the Power range has a more sporting look.
Greg Houlston, General Manager, said: “Our healthcare workers need clothing that is practical and comfortable above anything else, yet our market research showed us that when it comes to scrubs with stretch, choice is limited in the UK compared with other markets such as the US.
“Veterinarians in particular need workwear that is especially hard wearing as the nature of their work means their clothing can be especially susceptible to rips, tears and soiling.
“We set out to create a brand that answered the need for more flexibility while challenging the perception that workwear should be dull and boring, and Zesti was born – a vibrant and contemporary range of garments, sustainably designed, to inspire confidence and positivity.”
Sara Catanzaro, Design Manager, added: “Our tailored garments offer exceptional attention to detail while being strong, hard wearing and resilient.
"They can be laundered domestically or industrially up to 60 degrees which is ideal for infection control.
"We’re already witnessing considerable demand as we believe we’ve hit the perfect balance between function and fashion.”
For more information, visit www.zesti.co.uk
Entries for the awards, which were presented at a ceremony held at Wembley Stadium, came from a wide range of SMEs employing less than 250 employees, operating across all industries.
This latest achievement comes at the end of a successful year for the company, which saw it celebrate 80 years in business and recruit its 200th team member after creating 50 new jobs in the last 12 months alone. Earlier this year, White Cross Vets was also included in The Sunday Times ‘Best 100 Small Companies To Work For’ league table for the fifth year running.
Tim Harrison, Managing Director of White Cross Vets, said: "To be named as the UK’s best SME is an amazing achievement and we’re extremely proud of it. We take immense pride in making White Cross Vets a superb place to work and always strive to foster a close-knit and highly motivated team.
"As part of this we’ve further enhanced the wide range of employee benefits that our people enjoy this year, which ultimately translates into the level of care and standard of service that our clients receive. Winning the ‘Employer of the Year’ award reinforces this and cements our position at the forefront of the veterinary industry."
Damian Cummins, Awards Director, said: "White Cross Vets is a very worthy winner from the best of businesses across the UK, a great achievement and ambassador for SME’s."
Employment initiatives that White Cross Vets offers include days off and cakes for birthdays, five donation days a year to volunteer with chosen charities and a health care scheme as well as subsidised Fitbits and gym memberships.
Apoquel chewable tablets were approved by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) in November 2021.
Apoquel Chewable contains the same active ingredient, at the same dosing regime, for the same indications as original Apoquel, but in a palatable formulation which, in a field-study of client-owned dogs, was found to have a 91.6% acceptance rate.1
Dr Carly Mason, President of the British Veterinary Dermatology Study Group (BVDSG), said: “The new chewable form of Apoquel provides owners with a means of controlling itch using a tablet that can be given like a treat or mixed with a meal, making it much easier for owners and more acceptable to their pet.
“In many cases, the chewable formulation will be the obvious first-line Apoquel for veterinarians to prescribe to control canine itching while the underlying cause of allergic dermatitis is investigated.”
Reference
In 2014 ioLight co-founders, Oxford physicists Andrew Monk and Richard Williams, filed a patent application for a pocket-sized digital microscope with a performance that compares with expensive laboratory microscopes. They asked Cambridge Industrial Design to realise the product, briefing them that the device would need to deliver images with one micron resolution (required to view human or animal cells) onto a smartphone or tablet, be pocket-sized, easy to use, and economical to build in medium to high volumes.
One of the biggest challenges was in making the unit pocket-sized, which meant it had to be foldable, something which could have led to a loss in the rigidity needed to achieve high resolution images. This challenge was overcome with the use of a single hinge which the company says makes the ioLight both portable and robust.
Alex Jones, Managing director of Cambridge Industrial Design said: "We recognised immediately this was a great idea but the design brief was certainly a challenge. Fortunately, challenges can sometimes bring out the best in designers. The final design is a real success both aesthetically and ergonomically, and this award is a fantastic acknowledgement for the design process and the final product that we have created together with ioLight."
ioLight is also celebrating another success: closing its second round of equity funding after raising £320k from 335 investors on the Crowdcube platform (128% of the initial target).
The company says the new funding will allow it to promote the microscope to a wide range of target markets including veterinary surgeons, education, laboratory and field research, museums and public engagement as well as to international markets.
Andrew Monk, ioLight’s co-founder said: "The product is so simple to use that it is the ideal communication tool for explaining science to the public, students and customers. The microscope lets everyone see the same image so the discussion is about the picture not the tools. It’s a perfect fit for government public engagement campaigns, which are well funded at the moment. We are absolutely delighted that this funding provides us with the opportunity for both product development and to reach out and make microscopy available to so many more people."
The study analysed information from a random sample of 29,865 dogs that died over a one-year period, taken from a study population of 905,544 dogs from 626 clinics in the VetCompass database.
From the sample, 26,676 (91.5%) of deaths recorded in practice involved euthanasia and 2,487 (8.5%) of deaths were unassisted. However, it is unknown how many dogs die unassisted and unreported to a practice.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the findings indicated that certain types of diseases and conditions were more likely to lead to death by euthanasia than unassisted death.
by contrast,
Larger bodyweights, increasing age and certain breeds of dog were also additional risk factors for euthanasia. Rottweilers were more likely to die by euthanasia compared to Labrador Retrievers as the standard baseline breed. In contrast, breeds such as Bulldogs, Pugs and West Highland White Terriers were more likely to have unassisted deaths, and these deaths were more likely caused by traumatic injury, foreign body and heart disease.
Additional findings from the study included:
Camilla Pegram, VetCompass Epidemiologist at the RVC, and author of the paper, said: “End-of-life discussions between veterinarians and owners can be particularly difficult for both parties. This study provides benchmark data for the relative proportion of deaths that involve euthanasia and for the relative impact from demographics and disorders on euthanasia decision-making. Owners and veterinary professionals may find it easier to discuss end-of-life options, to reach a final decision and be comfortable with these decisions based on a feeling of broader support from the reported actions of others in similar situations.”
Dr Dan O’Neill, Senior Lecturer, Companion Animal Epidemiology, at the RVC, and co-author of the paper, said: "The decision for many animal owners to put a beloved dog to sleep is often the hardest decision of their life. The moment of euthanasia often lives with owners forever. Hopefully, the information from this study can at least help some owners come to terms with the responsibility of helping their dog go with dignity. Understanding that over 90% of other owners also opted for euthanasia may help anyone struggling to make this final and hardest decision.”
Dr Carol Gray, Research Associate at the University of Liverpool and co-author of the paper, said: "Decision-making around euthanasia is shared between veterinarian and owner, although it is the owner who must give consent for euthanasia. Providing this final authorisation is potentially a burden for owners. This paper will help to ease that burden by allowing veterinarians to provide reassurance that they are not the only dog owners to make a decision for euthanasia in similar circumstances.”
Pegram, C., Gray, C., Packer, R.M.A. et al. Proportion and risk factors for death by euthanasia in dogs in the UK. Sci Rep 11, 9145 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-88342-0
A paper introduced by the RCVS Registrar Eleanor Ferguson looked at the possibility of the RCVS prosecuting, for example, unqualified individuals undertaking veterinary work and courses falsely purporting to lead to a registerable qualification.
The paper also explored other options, including better educating animal owners about veterinary services and assisting people with concerns about the breaches of the VSA to raise them with the authorities.
Council heard that over the past year, the RCVS had assisted other agencies on investigations of suspected VSA breaches on a number of occasions.
It was considered that the RCVS could consider undertaking its own private investigations and criminal prosecutions when statutory prosecuting authorities did not have the resources to pursue these cases.
However, the RCVS has no statutory powers of investigation, so if it did pursue a private prosecution, it would have no powers to carry out a criminal investigation or compel evidence.
Council members voted for a further paper setting out a draft policy on private prosecutions, as well as what general information regarding breaches of the Veterinary Surgeons Act could be provided to members of the public and the professions.
In a statement, the company explained that elevated vitamin D can cause vomiting, loss of appetite, increased thirst, increased urination, excessive drooling, and weight loss. At high levels, it can lead to serious health issues in dogs including renal dysfunction.
The company is inviting 'pet parents' (dear god, spare me) whose dogs are suffering symptoms after eating the products to contact their veterinary surgeon.
Hill's also says it will cover the cost of testing total calcium, albumin and 25OH-Vitamin D3 metabolites in animals which have consumed affected products, at the VitDAL Lab at the Edinburgh Veterinary School.
The affected products are:
The webinars will be given by RCVS Specialists from Virtual Veterinary Specialists and recorded so that you and your team can watch them at your convenience, either from your practice or at home.
The first webinar in the series ‘Is Cancer an Emergency’ by Dr Clare Knottenbelt, RCVS Specialist in Small Animal Medicine and VVS Oncology Consultant.
Nuala Summerfield, Founder and Director of VVS said: "We are really excited about this first webinar and anticipate that it will be a very popular topic!"
The webinar can be viewed here https://www.thewebinarvet.com/webinar/veterinary-care-in-the-face-of-covid-19-is-cancer-an-emergency
Email: admin@vvs.vet or visit https://vvs.vet/covid-19/ to register interest in the series or see VVS's other free coronavirus resources.
The CAMadvocate course (http://www.cameducation.co.uk), which is delivered online, consists of 10 modules with video presentations, course notes, downloads, owner-focused tools, further online learning, and social media uploads.
The course is designed to help canine professionals improve their understanding of canine arthritis, and to define their role in the identification, diagnosis, and management of the condition.
Hannah Capon MRCVS, the founder of Canine Arthritis Management said: "Dog walkers, groomers, trainers, kennel owners, etc., are all influencers! They have the ability to support a long-term veterinary-derived management plan. Or they have the ability to destabilise it!
"Owners listen to these people because they have more available time; they may appear less like a business and more like a friendly service or even a peer; or they may offer advice that seems more convincing. Whatever the reason, we should harness their powers and ensure they are disseminating reliable information whilst servicing their own needs!"
Canine Arthritis Management believes that a multidisciplinary team is required to better manage this disease, that this includes professionals outside the veterinary practice, and by harnessing their influence, the profession can educate more owners, identify this disease earlier, action appropriate management plans and give owners more years with their pets.
Hannah added: "I hope the profession will support this initiative and consider applying it to other chronic diseases that are prone to misinformation due to lucrative product sales."
CommentA training course / qualification developed by a veterinary surgeon and designed to educate influencers. It's genius. Surely there's huge scope for this kind of initiative beyond canine arthritis? What do you think pet owners are most ill-informed about, where it could be really effective to better educate canine influencers, so that they in turn will pass it on. Post your thoughts here.
Merial has launched Supleneo flex, a nutraceutical supplement designed to be part of a Total Joint Health programme for dogs, administered once daily.
Merial says the new product supports its market position as a leading force in canine pain management, supported by the canine NSAID Previcox.
According to the company, Supleneo flex is suitable for all breeds, sizes and ages, and contains three key ingredients associated with joint health: glucosamine hydrochloride, chondroitin sulphate and mixed tocopherols (Vitamin E). It is designed to be used as part of an all-round joint care programme, alongside nutrition, weight management and exercise.
Merial says the soft chews are highly palatable and when tested against a range of competitor products, a significant difference was observed, with Supleneo flex readily taken and preferred by dogs.1
Supleneo flex is supported by printed and digital materials to help with owner education, including a waiting room video and an online information website at www.supleneoflex.co.uk for clients.
For veterinary surgeons, Merial is offering product advertising support and a loyalty programme.
For more information, telephone Merial on 0870 6000 123 or contact your Territory Manager.
Vetoquinol has announced the launch of Enisyl-FTM, the first L-Lysine supplement developed for veterinary use in the UK and Ireland.
Vetoquinol says a unique distributing pump and paste formulation will aid compliance in cats that require L-Lysine supplementation and make administration of L-Lysine much easier. Each pump action delivers 1ml of Enisyl-F paste at each press, which can be applied directly into the cat's mouth or on the paw to be licked off. It can also be added to food.
Zorica Agbaba, Enisyl-F's Product manager said: "We are delighted to have launched Enisyl-F and I am sure it will prove very useful to veterinary surgeons, especially when it comes to aiding compliance in cats that require L-Lysine supplementation."
To try Enisyl-F or for more information about the product, contact your local Vetoquinol representative or call Vetoquinol main office on 01280 814 500 (UK) or 1800 406 117 (ROI free phone number). Alternatively visit http://www.vetoquinol.co.uk/ website.
Davies Veterinary Specialists (DVS), the Hertfordshire-based private small animal referral practice, has launched a pro bono scheme to help deliver the practice's multi-specialist care to deserving patients and clients.
All first opinion practices are eligible to apply for the scheme, which will allow an average of one patient per month to receive free treatment.
Clive Elwood, managing director of DVS said: "The DVS board was unanimous in its desire to introduce a pro bono scheme to help the needy, specifically those patients that are likely to achieve a full recovery following specialist care, but are otherwise precluded from referral because of their owners' particular circumstances."
Pro bono requests are open to all practices. They will be based on advocacy from the clinical head of the referring practice and on genuine need.
To find out more visit http://www.vetspecialists.co.uk/ or call Dr Clive Elwood on 01582 883950.
Specifically, Ms Hodgkinson was alleged to have placed five orders between 1 September 2013 and 1 April 2015:
The medications for charges (i) to (iii) above, were intended for her own personal use, as she had previously at various times been prescribed Codeine, Naproxen and Amitriptyline after being involved in a serious car accident in November 2012, as a result of which she suffered from chronic back pain and other problems.
Charges (iv) and (v) above, were intended for her dog, ‘Minnie’, but the dosages ordered were incorrect. The medications were never removed from the practice or given to Minnie, but were instead returned to the wholesaler.
From the outset Ms Hodgkinson admitted the charges against her, although she believed that other staff at the practice had placed similar personal orders and that she had been given permission to do so as well. Ms Hodgkinson also accepted that the facts amounted to disgraceful conduct in a professional respect.
The Committee accepted Ms Hodgkinson’s admission of the charges and, accordingly, found the charges proved. The question of whether the facts amounted to serious professional misconduct was, however, a matter for the Committee’s judgement, notwithstanding Ms Hodgkinson’s admission.
In reaching its decision, the Committee took into account Ms Hodgkinson’s assertion that she believed she had been given permission to order medication through the practice. She did admit however that she must have been mistaken in that belief. The Committee also took note of the College’s submission that a number of aggravating features were present which amounted to serious professional misconduct, namely: the potential risk posed to animal welfare; Ms Hodgkinson’s ignorance of fundamental legislative provisions; a breach of trust placed in her by virtue of her RVN status; the fact that the misconduct was repeated over a period of time; and a lack of awareness of professional responsibilities at the time of the conduct. The Committee therefore had no hesitation that the conduct did amount to serious professional misconduct.
The Committee then turned to the question of sanction. A number of mitigating factors were put forward in Ms Hodgkinson’s defence including the fact that a period of lengthy suspension or removal from the register would result in her losing an offer of employment, the fact that up to the relevant conduct she had had an unblemished career and the fact that she had made early admissions of guilt and shown insight into her misconduct.
The Committee decided that a period of 10 months’ suspension would be appropriate and proportionate in this case.
Chitra Karve, who chaired the Committee and spoke on its behalf, said: "The length of the period of suspension…is intended to reflect this Committee’s view, assisted as it has been by the experience and knowledge of a practising RVN and a veterinary surgeon, of the seriousness of the respondent’s conduct in its totality and of the need for the message to go out to all veterinary professionals that the ordering of POMs without the authority of a valid prescription is a most serious instance of misconduct. In such circumstances the personal mitigations that a practitioner might place before a Disciplinary Committee, whilst not immaterial, is inevitably of limited persuasion. And that is what this Committee has concluded in this particular case, having reflected carefully on the mitigation factors placed before it.
"Having weighed the matters of personal mitigation against the fact that a rudimentary knowledge of the governing legislation was effectively all that was required of the Respondent to ensure that the misconduct complained of did not occur, it is the clear view of the Committee that it would be failing in its public duty were it to do anything less than to impose a period of suspension from practice and the least period of suspension that is appropriate in this case is one of ten months. The Committee therefore instructs the Registrar to act accordingly."
The award has been granted to only a handful of practices and requires the achievement of high standards of care and a detailed understanding of the species.
Highcroft has three dedicated exotic species veterinary surgeons, including a European small mammal Specialist and four exotic species nurses, who have either obtained or are studying for their City and Guilds Exotic Species Veterinary Nursing Certificate.
The practice has a dedicated exotic species consulting room, waiting room, ward and an operating theatre, containing state-of-the-art equipment.
In addition to treating rabbits, both vets and nurses in the exotic species team lecture widely to promote the importance of providing a high standard of care to rabbits and to ensure that their welfare is optimised.
Dr Elisabetta Mancinelli DVM CertZooMed Dipl ECZM (Small Mammal) MRCVS heads the exotic species team at Highcroft. A European Veterinary Specialist in Zoological Medicine (Small Mammal Medicine and Surgery) and a RCVS Recognised Specialist in Zoo and Wildlife Medicine, she said: "We are very proud to have been awarded Gold Status by the RWAF. We will continue to enhance the level of care we provide, not just to rabbits but to all exotic species and strive to improve the welfare of all animals under our care, in hospital and at home."
EQVALAN® manufacturer Merial Animal Health is extending its free egg worm count promotion, allowing practices to re-run the offer this autumn.
During September and October Merial is giving away 20 free faecal egg count tests with each order of 20 tubes of EQVALAN® DUO (ivermectin + praziquantel). In addition, for every 20 tubes ordered, stockists will get a further 4 tubes of EQVALAN® DUO free.
EQVALAN's product manager Claire Edmunds said: "During the spring campaign, over 1000 horse owners took part in the worm egg count promotion, many of whom we believe had never used testing kits before.
"The tests highlight which horses need treatment and which do not, allowing practices to advise specifically on the necessary treatment*.
For those practices with their own testing facilities, Merial is also offering promotional support to help encourage increased uptake and client buy-in. "The autumn campaign will provide participating practices with another opportunity to add value whilst encouraging loyalty from clients.
Claire added: "Promoting a targeted approach to responsible worming means that only those horses which need treatment are wormed with an appropriate wormer selected for the worms identified from the test."
For further information please contact your local territory manager or call the Merial Customer Support Centre on 0845 601 4236.
The first is that the College will allow veterinary surgeons and nurses to carry over some of the CPD hours they have accrued in 2019 into 2020, to smoothen the transition to an annual hourly requirement.
Vets will be allowed to carry over 25 hours and VNs 10 hours of accumulated CPD from 2019 through to 2020.
This will apply once, in 2020 only, and is only applicable to vets and VNs who have been CPD-compliant from 2017 to 2019 and have a surplus number of hours to carry over.
Secondly, the College is going to allow vets and VNs to take a six-month 'CPD pause' for planned periods away from work, such as parental leave, and exceptional circumstances, such as serious ill health or unforeseen changes to family responsibilities, without the need to make up the hours when they return to work. This will reduce the burden on vets and VNs returning to work after a break.
RCVS Director of Education, Dr Linda Prescott-Clements said: "We hope that these changes to the CPD policy will support vets and VNs to make the transition to an annual hourly requirement.
"We received a sample of feedback from some members of the veterinary professions regarding the move to annual hourly CPD requirements and these additions have been introduced support members during this transition and to mitigate some of the concerns raised."
For more information about the CPD requirement for both vets and vet nurses, what activities might count as CPD, how to record your CPD and a series of frequently asked questions about CPD please visit our dedicated page: www.rcvs.org.uk/cpd.
Eurovet Animal Health has launched a new product, Bovocycline 2000 mg pessary for cattle.
Bovocycline 2000 is the only veterinary licenced antibiotic pessary for the treatment of retained foetal membranes in cattle. It is licenced for the treatment of post parturient disorders in cattle, for administration after dystocia, retained foetal membranes (RFMs) and endometritis.
According to Eurovet, the incidence of retained foetal membranes in cows varies from zero to 25 per cent, but the average is around 4 per cent in most herds. RFMs result in reduced cow fertility and a higher risk of culling due to poor fertility. Pessaries are still considered the preferred treatment for vulval discharges in cattle by farmers.
Ruth Vernon, Technical Services Manager for Eurovet said: "The control of post partum problems in cattle is rarely straight forward, but it is great to have a veterinary licensed treatment designed specifically for this purpose, in one pessary that contains 2000mgs tetracycline".
For more information please contact Eurovet Animal Health. Tel: 01223 257933. E-mail: office@eurovet-ah.co.uk www.eurovet-ah.co.uk
Last year, over 1,400 veterinary practices collected more than 6,000 ticks from dogs for the Big Tick Project, contributing to the largest-ever study of tick-borne illnesses in dogs in Britain, if not worldwide.
Now MSD is calling on practices to do the same for cats. The company says that data collected from the contributions will be used in a scientific paper which will help vets make more specific recommendations to cat owners, and help keep their pets safe.
Amanda Melvin, Senior Product Manager for Bravecto said: "We were delighted and rather overwhelmed by the response, support and level of interest in the BTP for dogs from the veterinary profession. We were expecting 100s of ticks to be submitted but they arrived in their 1000s!
"It made us realise that, with the low levels of awareness of the risks of tick-borne disease to both people and animals, there was an even wider issue to be addressed. The risks to cats could not be ignored.
"We have therefore created the BTP for cats and are asking the vets, once again, to show their support by collecting and sending in ticks from their practices. The more samples we receive the better. This way we can help the profession better understand the risks associated with ticks and how best to help cat owners treat their pets."
Those practices that participated in the BTP last year will automatically be registered and will be sent an email with details of this phase of the project. Any practices that did not participate last year and would like to should send their details to vet-support.uk@merck.com.
To support vets in promoting the BTP for cats to their clients MSD Animal Health has designed a range of materials for display in practice and as takeaways for clients. They include a practice waiting room poster and a cat certificate.
The app, which has been accredited by the Association of Veterinary Anaesthetists, contains information about 36 different drug molecules in 10 different drug classes, including analgesics (NSAIDs, opioids and local anaesthetics), sedatives (acepromazine, alpha-2 agonists and benzodiazepines), induction agents, volatile agents, neuromuscular blocking agents, anti-cholinergics, sympathomimetics and antagonists where applicable.
It also offers 24 different dog and 15 cat anaesthetic protocols for procedures carried out in general practice. Each contains information on specific anaesthetic considerations for that condition or patient, any preoperative stabilisation required, premedication, perioperative analgesia, induction, maintenance and recovery.
Additional features include a dose calculator, summary sheets that can be saved or emailed to be attached to the patient’s clinical notes, and the option to save favourite protocols for repeated use.
The app was developed with the advice of two diplomat anaesthetists, Matthew Gurney BVSc CertVA PgCertVBM DipECVAA MRCVS and Joost Uilenreef DVM MVR DipECVAA, together with Elizabeth Barker BVetMed(Hons) Cert AVP(VA) PgCert MRCVS at Dechra.
Dechra Brand Manager Claire Morgan said: "We are passionate about anaesthesia and the provision of excellent support for vets, nurses and students. The app can be used to build confidence and knowledge in less familiar procedures or to update protocols to ensure best anaesthetic practice for the more common routine procedures.
"All of the protocols and information particularly emphasise considerations around anaesthesia, patient monitoring and perioperative analgesia, including local and regional techniques."
She added: "We hope the app will help practitioners to move away from a ‘one protocol fits all’ approach and give them the confidence to tailor the protocols and medications chosen to the specific patient and condition they are treating and to generally improve the standard of anaesthesia and analgesia in small animal practice."
The Dechra Dog and Cat Anaesthesia App is available to download for iOS and Android devices. For more information, visit www.dechra.com/dcaa
The new product contains a combination of Omega-3s, toxin binders and antioxidants which the company claims flush out toxins, aid blood flow to the kidneys and maintain kidney architecture.
Matthew Shaw, Managing Director of nutravet said: "We’re really excited to launch nutraren, it’s a product our team have been working on for some time to make sure we have developed the best renal product for vets to recommend to their clients.
"Using independent trial data, we’ve been able to develop a unique formulation for nutraren containing 100% natural ingredients to benefit a pet’s long-term kidney health."
Authorised veterinary practices can now order nutraren from nutravet.
For more information, contact nutravet on 0845 604 1688, visit: www.nutravet.co.uk or email: info@nutravet.co.uk.