The RCVS and the Veterinary Council of Ireland (VCI) have issued a joint statement reaffirming the registration protocol for veterinary surgeons and the continued recognition of each other’s accredited veterinary degrees once the transition period arrangements between the UK and the EU end on 1 January 2021.

To carry out the practice of veterinary medicine, a veterinary practitioner must be registered in the jurisdiction in which they are practising ie a veterinary practitioner who practises veterinary medicine in the Republic of Ireland must be registered with the VCI; likewise, a veterinary surgeon who practises in Northern Ireland, England, Scotland or Wales, must be registered with the RCVS.

EU Directive 2005/36EC enables a veterinary surgeon who is lawfully established and registered in an EU member state to provide services on a temporary and occasional basis in another member state. This service allows registered veterinary surgeons to occasionally practise in other countries in the European Union for short periods, up to a maximum of 30 days per year.  

From 1st January 2021, the Directive will no longer apply to veterinary practitioners from the Republic of Ireland who may want to provide veterinary services in the UK and that they would therefore need to be registered with the RCVS even if provision of these services is temporary and occasional.

However, in October 2019 the Presidents of the RCVS and the VCI signed a Mutual Qualification Recognition Agreement. The agreement means that the degree in veterinary medicine from University College Dublin can be recognised by the RCVS, and the current eight RCVS-recognised UK veterinary medicine degrees can be recognised by the VCI. The recognised qualifications are accepted as the basis for registration to practise veterinary surgery by the RCVS in the United Kingdom and veterinary medicine by the VCI in the Republic of Ireland.

The VCI and the RCVS emphasised that regardless of whether a trade agreement has been signed between the EU and the UK by 1 January 2021, this will have no bearing on the Mutual Qualification Recognition Agreement currently in place.

Niamh Muldoon, CEO and Registrar of the Veterinary Council of Ireland, said: “This historic agreement will enable graduates of Irish and UK veterinary schools to continue to seek to practise in the other country when they wish. We look forward to continuing to collaborate with our colleagues in the RCVS in the future for the benefit of the profession in both countries.”

Mandisa Greene, President of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons said: “I am very glad to be able to affirm our continuing working partnership with our friends and colleagues in the Republic of Ireland. We know that veterinary surgeons based both in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland have clients and undertake work on both sides of the border, and this Mutual Recognition Agreement will help to ensure that UK and Ireland-qualified veterinary surgeons are able to register in each other’s jurisdictions where required. I too look forward to continuing to work closely with the VCI both on a bilateral basis, and via pan-European institutions such as the Federation of Veterinarians of Europe.”

Ceva Animal Health is hosting a free online cardiology course on managing mitral valve disease (MVD) in dogs.

Entitled ‘Managing mitral valve disease from start to finish’, the course will account for four hours’ CPD split into six short bite-size sessions which can be completed at your own pace.

The sessions are presented by Dr Mike Martin MVB DVC MRCVS, and business thought leader, Dr Alison Lambert BVSc CMRS MRCVS. They consist of a practical review of MVD both pre-clinically and clinically and how to diagnose and stage it following the new 2019 American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) Consensus guidelines. 

The course also includes tips on how to treat and manage dogs with MVD with diuretic management; a step-by-step guide to treatment options for acute and long-term management of congestive heart failure and how to troubleshoot problem congestive heart failure cases.

There's also a bonus ‘Communicating Cardiology’ session which looks at how to communicate the heart disease journey to owners.

To register for the course visit www.veterinarywebinars.com/mvd-reg. 

Ceva will donate £2 for every veterinary professional completing the course throughout February and March 2021 to Vetlife, which provides support to the veterinary community and their families who have emotional, health or financial concerns.

Eskimo, a reindeer at Edinburgh Zoo has received life-saving surgery just in time for Christmas, making him the first reindeer in history to receive keyhole surgery.

Vet Romain Pizzi successfully removed one of Eskimo's testes, which had been lodged in its abdomen since birth, using specialist surgical instruments donated to the zoo by one of Ark Surgical's strategic partners Surgical Innovations.

The zoo was worried that the retained testicle may have been developing into a tumour giving off abnormal hormones, and that this could become life-threatening. Thankfully, zoo surgeons found that the retained testicle, although abnormally sized, had not yet developed a tumour.

It is thought that the abnormal testicle was affecting Eskimo's production and flow of testosterone and, as a result, he was showing submissive behaviour and being bullied by the other male reindeer in the herd. He had also started to show some abnormal and delayed antler growth and development. Removing the testicle will halt any abnormal hormone production so hopefully Eskimo will return to full vigour just in time for Christmas.

Gavin O'Brien, Director at Ark Surgical said: "We were only too happy to help when Romain mentioned the challenging operation faced by Eskimo and in the season of goodwill we approached Surgical Innovations who kindly donated the instruments for this pioneering surgery." 

Although laparoscopic surgery is routine in humans, the standard procedure in animals is still open abdominal surgery.  Open abdominal surgery is 20 years behind human medical advances and has a number of negative factors on animals such as more post-operative pain, slower recovery and a higher risk of post-operative complications and infections.

Romain, a veterinary surgeon for the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, based at Edinburgh Zoo, said: "Laparoscopic surgery is still very uncommon in veterinary medicine, even amongst common species such as dogs, cats and horses, so for keyhole surgery to be carried out on a reindeer shows a great advancement in veterinary surgery."

It is estimated that nearly one out of every two households in the UK are pet owners. Veterinary surgeons perform on average 600,000 open abdominal procedures annually but it is believed that less than 1% of vets currently practice laparoscopic surgery. 

Romain believes that with the right instrumentation available through innovative companies such as Ark Surgical, UK vets now have more opportunity than ever to introduce laparoscopic techniques as part of their operating procedures.

Romain said: "This procedure was only really possible thanks to a cutting-edge designed retractor which we were able to use in this case. Ironically although a reindeer is a reasonably large animal, due to their unique anatomy and massive four chambered stomach that takes up most of the space in the abdomen, there is a very limited internal operating space. For this reason the operation was much more difficult than in a human, or in a dog, where there is more space to work, despite their smaller size."

"We were especially pleased with how quickly Eskimo recovered after surgery, he was standing and happily eating lichen again within 10 minutes of recovery from anaesthesia. He hardly seemed to notice he had even had surgery, although he was still slightly groggy from the anaesthesia. This would simply not have been possible with traditional open abdominal surgery, as the long wound would have been much more painful and debilitating."

The minimally invasive nature of laparoscopic surgery means there are numerous benefits for animals such as a reduction in post-operative pain, a faster recovery and reduced post-operative care.   It also has a decreased risk of infection after surgery and a lower risk of any wound complications. 

For veterinary surgeons laparoscopic surgery can offer better visualisation of the operated area, allowing them to be more precise and reach areas that are difficult to see in open surgery such as the liver and pelvic canal.

Romain carries out laparoscopic operations on dogs, cats and exotic pets at his own veterinary practice Inglis Veterinary Centre (Scotland) and has pioneered several new laparoscopic techniques.

He said: "Laparoscopic surgery has so many benefits for the animal, the veterinary surgeons and the zoo, so there is no reason why it should not be more common practice within veterinary surgery.  I hope Eskimo's experience helps raise its profile and encourage more veterinary surgeons to look in to it as a standard surgical procedure."

Ark Surgical offers a wide range of laparoscopy instruments and peripherals to vets across the UK and to suit all budgets. The company says it is already working with many of the UK's leading vets and agencies such as the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, as well as the UK foremost laparoscopic medical device manufacturer Surgical Innovations, to be at the forefront of veterinary laparoscopic surgery

For more information on animal laparoscopic surgery contact Ark Surgical on 01732 862882 or http://www.arksurgical.co.uk/

The Animal Health Trust (AHT) has - in partnership with UK and Icelandic research and veterinary institutions - helped identify the cause of a mystery respiratory disease epidemic which infected Iceland’s native horse population and also dogs, cats and humans.

The epidemic of respiratory disease in early 2010 was characterised by coughing and nasal discharge.

The disease spread through the population of 77,000 Icelandic horses within weeks, leading to a self-imposed ban on their export and significant economic cost to the country.

Initially, due to the speed at which the disease had spread, a viral cause was suspected. However, investigations by researchers at the University of Iceland showed that only Streptococcus zooepidemicus was consistently recovered from coughing horses and rare fatal cases of infection. However, this bacterium is also often found in healthy horses.

The AHT and the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute were brought in to investigate. Dr Simon Harris from the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute said: "To identify the culprit, we sequenced the DNA from 257 samples of bacteria from diseased animals and people. This showed that one specific strain of S. zooepidemicus, called ST209, was the likely culprit, and we also found this strain in a human case of blood poisoning. This study highlights, for the first time, how DNA sequencing can be used to identify endemic strains of bacteria and distinguish them from the cause of an epidemic infection."

Iceland is free of all major equine infectious diseases thanks to the ban on the importation of horses into the country in 1882. Consequently, Icelandic horses are particularly susceptible to any new bacteria or virus that crosses the border, and so strict biosecurity regulations are in place to help protect them.

Dr. Sigríður Björnsdóttir of the MAST Icelandic Food and Veterinary Authority, used information from owners and veterinary surgeons to build an epidemiological network. This enabled her to identify an equine rehabilitation centre where horses exercised in a water treadmill. The water treadmill is thought to have provided the perfect conditions for transmitting the disease as water was splashed up and ingested. Horses would complete their rehabilitation and return home, whilst incubating the disease, taking the infection with them.

The ST209 strain of S. zooepidemicus found in Iceland has also been recovered from a coughing horse in Sweden and an abdominal abscess in a Finnish horse trainer.

Dr Andrew Waller, Head of Bacteriology at the AHT, said: "There are a couple of theories as to how the strain entered Iceland. These bacteria are able to survive outside a horse for a week or so, which means the import of contaminated equipment or clothing is the most likely route by which ST209 entered Iceland. However, this particular strain could have even infected a human who travelled to Iceland, before spreading the strain back to a horse and triggering the epidemic.

"We are delighted to have helped uncover the likely identity of the cause of this epidemic. Our investigation highlights the ability of S. zooepidemicus strains to cause disease in animals and people. We found evidence that even endemic strains of S. zooepidemicus were likely causing cases of respiratory disease in Icelandic horses, illustrating that this group of bacteria causes more clinical problems in horses than was previously thought. We hope that raising awareness of the cause of this epidemic, and the likely involvement of a water treadmill as a key factor in disease transmission, will encourage veterinarians around the world to improve disease control precautions preventing future epidemics."

The RCVS has announced that Richard Stephenson MRCVS has resigned as a Council member, for personal reasons. 

Richard was elected to RCVS Council in 2020, having previously served as an elected member from 2008 to 2016.

Over the years, he has also been a significant and valued contributor to VetSurgeon.org, and his insight will be missed.

RCVS President Mandisa Greene said: “We thank Richard for his service to the RCVS over the past year and in his previous terms. We particularly thank him for his contribution to a number of committees he has served on during both his periods on Council including the Disciplinary, Finance & Resources and Preliminary Investigation Committees. We wish him all the best for the future.”

Professor Stephen May has now taken up the remainder of Richard’s term on Council, to July 2024, as he received the next largest amount of votes in the 2020 RCVS Council election.

Improve International has announced that this year's OV Conference, which takes place at the company's HQ outside Swindon on the 19th and 20th September, will be themed 'Controlling Disease Threats at Home and from Abroad.

At this year’s event, sessions include ‘Backyard pigs – Notifiable Diseases and Zoonosis’, and a discussion on the role of paraprofessionals in the sector led by Simon Hall, APHA’s Director for EU Exit and Trade.

Drop-in Q&A sessions, workshops offering practical advice and guidance on the revalidation process and a strong focus on the Cymorth TB programme in Wales also feature.

The conference programme includes dedicated lecture streams aimed at large animal, small animal and equine practitioners and, with more than 8,000 OVs due to revalidate their qualifications in March 2019, Improve says lecture content has been tailored to cover areas of key relevance for them.

An exhibition of products and services for OV’s runs alongside the conference. 

APHA’s recently appointed Veterinary Director, Dr Andrew Soldan (pictured right), said: "Having recently taken on the role of Veterinary Director for APHA, I am very much looking forward to meeting up with our OV’s and exploring some of the key challenges facing us all, as we seek to control animal disease threats at home and from abroad."

David Babington MRCVS, Business Development Director at Improve International, said: "This conference has established itself as an annual fixture in the OV diary and it remains the only event dedicated to their needs. This year’s packed programme will again highlight the growing importance of OV’s, particularly as we look ahead to the post-Brexit era."

For more information on the Official Veterinarian Conference and Exhibition or to register visit: www.officialvet.com

Petplan Equine has announced the finalists for the fifth annual Petplan Equine Vet of the Year Award.

The winner of the award award, which is sponsored by Petplan Equine in association with Horse & Rider magazine, will be announced at the annual Animal Health Trust Equestrian Awards, being held at London's Lancaster Hotel on Thursday 1^st November, 2012.

The finalists are:

Jess Hill BVM&S MRCVS Woodlands Veterinary Clinic, Cheltenham, Glos, England
Jess, who qualified in 2003 at the University of Edinburgh Royal (Dick) School for Veterinary Studies, is described as simply "brilliant" for her outstanding calm, capable and kind approach to her work and the way in which she makes herself readily available to her clients.  One nomination typifies all those received in praise of Jess' work: "She is incredibly knowledgeable and dedicated and nothing is too much trouble. She is great with horses - always quiet, kind and gentle. She works quickly and confidently, doesn't suggest unnecessary expensive procedures and is always cheerful and a pleasure to be with."

Keith Chandler BVMS Cert EP MRCVS, Kessock Equine Vets, Inverness, Scotland
Keith Chandler, a senior partner at Kessock Equine Vets received several nominations which credited not only him personally for his dedication, knowledge, pragmatic and caring approach but also his practice for its outstanding customer service. Upon receiving news of his nomination, Keith was swift to praise his team and explained: "This nomination reflects the exceptional team I have around me - together we strive to offer continuity, consistency and a minimum level of care to all our clients irrespective of which vet is in attendance."

Lee Paul, BSC BVM&S Cert EP MRCVS, Bushy Equine, Gwaelod-y-Garth, Wales
Nominations for Lee Paul, a specialist in internal and stud medicine who qualified at Edinburgh University's Royal Dick Veterinary School in 2002, unanimously praised his willingness to 'never give up' and to go beyond the call of duty. He is said to be highly dedicated and is praised for his willingness to always be available such as on the occasion when a horse he had been treating for a swelling in her throat presented complications during a weekend when he was not on duty. Despite this Lee, who had been contacted by the duty vet for background information, attended the call himself within an hour complete with the stethoscope he'd collected from the surgery en route and with his family in his car!

This year's judges were David Stickles, Head of Fund Raising at the Animal Health Trust, Alison Bridge, Editor of Horse & Rider magazine, Ben Mayes, President of the British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) and Gil Riley, 2009 Petplan Equine Vet of the Year.

Petplan says that the record number of high calibre nominations made it hard for the judges to choose three finalists. Isabella Von Mesterhazy, Head of Marketing for Petplan Equine said: "Anyone motivated to nominate their vet for this award must hold them in extremely high regard so once again we were very impressed by both the quality and quantity of nominations we received. It is heartwarming and inspiring to read the submissions that describe the outstanding contributions made by all the nominees in keeping owners happy and horses healthy. It has not been easy to select just three to go through to the final."

The winner will be posted on www.petplanequine.co.uk on Friday 2 of November.

RCVS Council has approved a trial protocol which will allow the College to launch private prosecutions against unqualified individuals breaching the Veterinary Surgeons Act from April 2023.

Under the protocol trial, the RCVS can launch private prosecutions against unqualified people practising veterinary surgery or using the title 'veterinary surgeon'.

The College says that where breaches of the Veterinary Surgeons Act cross over to other criminal offences, for example, fraud by false representation, they will be more properly dealt with by the relevant police force.

Local authority trading standards agencies will also deal with issues around, for example, misleading courses that purport to lead to registration with the RCVS but do not; concerns about dog grooming businesses and concerns about dog breeding establishments (other than where there is illegal practice of veterinary surgery by unqualified persons).

Eleanor Ferguson, RCVS Registrar and Director of Legal Services, said: “This protocol recognises that there are constraints on the time, resourcing, and budgets of both the police and public prosecutors which means that the pursuit of these breaches of the Veterinary Surgeons Act, both of which carry minor criminal penalties, is not necessarily a priority.

“While we are always willing to work with the police and other agencies to pursue such breaches, the protocol details how we can act independently where appropriate and ensure we are fulfilling our stated ambition to safeguard the interests of the public and animals, as well as the reputation of the professions, by ensuring that only those registered with us can carry out acts of veterinary surgery.

“We would like to manage expectations around this trial period as we will only be launching private prosecutions where they meet the criminal evidential standards of ‘beyond a reasonable doubt’ and it is judged to be in the public interest to do so.

"We will also be relying on members of the professions and the public to report breaches and provide sufficient evidence to us, as we have no statutory investigatory powers.”

The trial period will last for one year and the College has set aside £50,000 to pursue private prosecutions.

The trial will be overseen by the Disciplinary Committee/ Preliminary Investigation Committee Liaison Committee while decisions on whether to pursue private prosecutions will lie with the Registrar/ Director of Legal Services.

Suspected breaches of the Veterinary Surgeons Act can be reported to the RCVS Professional Conduct Department on breachvsa@rcvs.org.uk.

The RCVS and the BVA have issued a joint statement to help the veterinary profession interpret the guidance released by Government on 19 March about who qualifies as ‘key workers’ in relation to the closure of schools.

The relevant section of the Government advice states: "This [key worker status] includes those involved in food production, processing, distribution, sale and delivery, as well as those essential to the provision of other key goods (for example hygienic and veterinary medicines)."

The RCVS/BVA statement, which is intended to help veterinary surgeons decide whether or not they can claim ‘key worker’ status and ask for their children to continue to be taken into schools, reminds veterinary surgeons to consider the wider societal picture and ensure that they only claim ‘key worker’ status if absolutely necessary.

The statement also stresses that the RCVS Code of Professional Conduct responsibility of the veterinary surgeon to take steps to provide 24-hour emergency first aid and pain relief to animals according to their skills and the specific situation continues, and veterinary practices will need to continue to carry out this work. It is important that animal owners are able to focus on their own health, and not need to worry about their pets. Both the RCVS and BVA believe that veterinary surgeons who are providing this essential work can be considered key workers.

The statement in full is as follows:

Veterinary surgeons as key workers in relation to school closures

RCVS and BVA appreciate that veterinary surgeons will feel a great deal of uncertainty at the present time, and that many will be facing considerable difficulties due to the closure of schools for most pupils.

The official government advice can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-maintaining-educational-provision/guidance-for-schools-colleges-and-local-authorities-on-maintaining-educational-provision.

The guidance emphasises that if children can be at home then they should be, in order to help to prevent the virus from spreading.

The government has granted key worker status by sector rather than profession. Some veterinary work will definitely fall into the ‘key worker’ category. RCVS and BVA are therefore providing some additional advice below, following consultation with the UK Chief Veterinary Officer:

• Vets carrying out work linked to food production
  Veterinary surgeons working in food production from ‘farm to fork’ are considered to be key workers. This includes:
  1. Farm vets
  2. Official Veterinarians working in the food chain, including abattoir and other related inspection and certification work
• Vets working in emergency care
  The responsibility of the veterinary surgeon to take steps to provide 24-hour emergency first aid and pain relief to animals according to their skills and the specific situation continues, and veterinary practices will need to continue to carry out this work. It is important that animal owners are able to focus on their own health, and not need to worry about their pets. Veterinary surgeons who are providing this essential work can be considered key workers.
• Other companion animal practice work
  In light of the Government guidance published on 19 March it is not clear that veterinary surgeons working in companion animal practice can be considered key workers. Veterinary surgeons should consider the possibility of reputational damage to the profession if vets doing work which could be regarded as non-essential claim key worker status at this time, given that we are facing a public health emergency. Anyone doing so must be confident that their claim to key worker status is defensible. Practices may need to rationalise their work and ultimately this must be a decision for individual veterinary surgeons and veterinary practices.

Summary
At this time the provision of public health and the maintenance of food production need to take priority, and veterinary surgeons working in these areas should be considered key workers.

Veterinary surgeons working in emergency care can also be considered key workers. This will not apply to every veterinary surgeon in clinical practice, and practices may need to consider rationalising their services to achieve this.

The guidance has been welcomed by both the BSAVA and BEVA. David Mountford, Chief Executive of BEVA said: "As veterinary professionals we are duty-bound to provide essential care, relieve suffering and protect the health of the public. Recognition as key workers in such circumstances is welcomed but we would encourage vets to only add to the burden faced by schools where animal welfare is at risk and all other avenues have been explored."

RCVS Specialist in Small Animal Orthopaedics, Andy Moores, is opening an independent orthopaedic referral practice in Upton Grey, near Basingstoke, Hampshire, in May.

Andy (pictured right) will be joined at the The Moores Orthopaedic Clinic by fellow surgical specialist Chris Jordan, and Managing Director Richard Hoile.

The clinic is situated just off the M3, thirty minutes from the M25.

It is equipped with a CT scanner, mobile digital radiography and two surgical theatres with a full complement of orthopaedic kit including for total hip replacement in cats and all sizes of dogs.

To ensure best patient outcomes the surgical suite has its own HEPA-filtered ventilation system, isolated from the rest of the clinic, which Andy says exceeds guidelines for human orthopaedic theatres and will reduce the risk of infection.

Andy said: “The Moores Orthopaedic Clinic fills a gap in the market to provide high-class specialist orthopaedic care at a reasonable price.

"We have two very experienced specialist surgeons and a clinic designed from the ground-up to reduce the risk of complications after surgery.

"We will be able to provide the very best orthopaedic care and the best possible outcomes after surgery.

"And without the high overheads many referral centres often face, we will be able to achieve this at a very competitive price.

"I can’t wait to start seeing cases in May.”

Non-urgent cases can be booked from April 2023 using the online referral form: https://mooresortho.com/contact/

In the lead up to opening in May, Andy is available for remote consultations, client visits, to consult/operate on select cases in your own clinic or to discuss cases via email andy@mooresortho.com

mooresortho.com

Royal Canin has announced a new campaign for which it has teamed up with TV broadcaster and wellness expert Kathryn Thomas to raise awareness of pet obesity and help cat and dog owners manage their pets’ weight.

Kathryn hosts one of Ireland’s highest rated TV programmes which helps people to improve their health, lose weight and get fit. As part of the campaign, she will be encouraging pet owners to think about their feeding habits and sharing top dietary tips with over 100,000 followers on her Instagram feed.

John O’Connor MRCVS, Corporate Affairs Director at Royal Canin said: "There are some simple steps pet owners can take to help manage their pet’s weight. For example, measuring cups can lead to pet owners potentially feeding up to 80% more than they should¹. Using digital kitchen scales to weigh the food ensures they are feeding their pet exactly the right amount."

John continued, “While it can be hard to resist the temptation to give our pets a little extra treat to show we love them, feeding a dog a rawhide bone could provide them with 67% more calories than they need each day and feeding a cat just 30g of cheese increases their daily energy intake by 60%."

Reference

1. German, A.J., Holden, S.L., Mason, S.L., Byrner, C., Bouldoires, C., Morris, P.J., Deboise, M and Biourge, V (2011). Imprecision when using measuring cups to weigh out extruded dry kibbled food. J Anim Physiol Anim Nutr; 95 (3): 368-373.

MSD Animal Health is inviting veterinary surgeons to apply for its 2018 Research Bursaries, with awards being offered for both ruminant and companion animal research projects.

The MSD Animal Health Research Bursary for Veterinary Surgeons offers three awards, consisting of two ruminant bursaries and one companion animal bursary, of up to £4,000 each.

Each project should be completed within one to two years and the vet practitioner proposals will be judged by university academics to ensure independent assessment.

The companion animal research bursary will be assessed by the University of Nottingham Centre for Evidence-based Veterinary Medicine and the ruminant research bursary applications will be assessed by academic staff from the University of Bristol School of Veterinary Science. 

Michelle Townley, veterinary advisor at MSD Animal Health (pictured right) said: "Our Vet Surgeon Research Bursaries have an important role to play in encouraging vet surgeons to continue to develop their research skills. New knowledge and good research skills form the life-blood of the industry so we’re keen to see proposals from both ruminant and companion animal practitioners. Being awarded a bursary has proved to be a career-changing experience for some participants so we’re keen to get as many applications as possible as part of our investment in the veterinary industry."

The deadline for entries is 30^th November 2018. For more information, visit www.msdahresearchbursary.co.uk.

Virbac has launched Prinovox, a new prescription-only spot-on ectoparasiticide for dogs and cats.

The company says the new product contains the same combination of Moxidectin and Imidacloprid as the market leader, but is offered with a unique and innovative pet owner engagement programme to help practices build loyalty, increase compliance and to encourage repeat purchase.

In dogs Prinovox is licensed for the treatment and prevention of lungworm; for the treatment and prevention of fleas and also for lice, mites, heartworm and roundworms. In cats, the licence covers fleas, mites, roundworm and heart worm. It can also be used for fleas and heartworm in ferrets.

Prinovox is available in six presentations to suit all weight ranges and in packs of four pipettes. The packaging uses the Blippar platform which owners can use to 'blip' interactive icons on the product's packaging with their smartphone to get more information on Prinovox, including a video on how to use it, a reminder system and a game.

In addition, the Prinovox support package includes:

• A Client Prinovox Kit to be given to clients on purchase, which includes educational information, competitions and collectable items
• Two suites of in-practice display materials, including posters, character-based leaflet dispensers and collectables to encourage family involvement
• A Kids Club which invites children to become members of the' Creepy Crawley Intelligence Agency' (CCIA). Members receive four activity packs a year in addition to competitions and collectable items.

Virbac's Head of Marketing Companion Animal, Simon Boulton MRCVS said: "We see the launch of Prinovox as a gamechanger. The ectoparasiticide market is one of the largest and most competitive in our industry and we are the first company to offer a product with the same efficacy as the market leader for all indications.

"We've gone one step further by increasing the value of the product to practices by developing a comprehensive parasite protection support package which harnesses the latest technology and consumer preferences for receiving information. We believe the efficacy of Prinovox, combined with the innovative support package we're offering, will make it a highly attractive product for practices and owners and we've been delighted at the feedback we've received so far."