A vet from Texas hit the headlines this weekend after allegedly killing a feral cat with a bow and arrow and then posting photographs and bragging about it on Facebook.
According to various news reports, Kristen Lindsey DVM's post quickly went viral, and one of two Facebook pages set up in response - Justice for Cat Murdered By Kristen Lindsey - has already attracted over 35,000 likes. There are also petitions to revoke her license on thepetitionsite.com and change.org which have each gathered around 18,000 signatures thus far.
Sky News reports that Ms Lindsey was quickly fired by her employer, the Washington Animal Clinic, which issued a statement on Facebook.
The veterinary clinic's website and Facebook page are both currently unavailable.
Zoetis has launched a new high precision treatment gun for single-handed low volume subcutaneous injections.
The gun handles medications up to 5ml per treatment. The company says it is designed for use with its long acting moxidectin injectable wormer and clostridial vaccines specifically, but is also suitable to other low dose medications administered subcutaneously
Zoetis vet Dave Armstrong said: "One-handed operation enables quicker treatment, better sheep welfare as a result of eliminating needle bending or breakage, and lower risk of self-injection by the operator."
As an indication of operator risk, Zoetis points to a report from one staff nurse working just 30-hours a week at a West Midlands hospital's A&E department, who dealt with three incidents of wormer self-injection in 20141.
Single-handed operation is made possible by a serrated needle guard that creates a skin fold into which the needle penetrates. Mr Armstrong says development of the gun is part of Zoetis's commitment - "as much as necessary, as little as possible" - towards helping farmers strengthen their effective and responsible use of animal medicines. He emphasises that for precision medicines to be exploited fully and responsibly, precision instrumentation is essential.
To accompany the gun, two detailed advisory booklets covering treatment techniques and equipment maintenance have also been published, covering a number of different designs including different volume injectors, pour-on applications and drenching guns. Copies are available free of charge to farmers from POM VPS medicine suppliers.
Reference
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:
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."
Zoetis Business Consulting has announced the launch of Profitsolver, a software tool designed to boost practice profits.
The software has already been rolled out in the US, where Zoetis says that it has delivered an average of £103,000 extra profit to veterinary practices within a year.
Profitsolver uses the practice's actual data - not benchmarks or accepted norms - to enable the practice to manage costs, set prices and gain return on investments. By using an activity-based costing model and using a variety of data such as practice costs, which staff perform which part of the procedure, how long the procedure takes and what equipment and materials are used, Profitsolver calculates the correct pricing to both cover costs and deliver a predetermined profit margin.
Zoetis says that Profitsolver helps practices to understand how the overall practice profit is being generated. For instance, for price sensitive procedures such as vaccination, the practice can match their prices with the competition, but maintain their profit margin by increasing the price for other clinical services.
Nick Steele, national consulting manager at Zoetis said: "Veterinary practices have no standard method for pricing their services and they are often unable to determine which services make money and which don't. This hampers the practice's ability to accurately value the business and, as a result, profit levels tend to be low for many practices. Profitsolver can turn this situation around and already has a very successful track record in the US."
Zoetis piloted the UK version of Profitsolver with John Goulding at St Georges Veterinary Group. He said: "By and large the veterinary profession still relies on the mark-up of medicines where profits are concerned. Even practices that have made a concerted effort to move away from this type of pricing structure are still making their money from the sale of medicines rather than from vets' fees. For years I have wanted to know exactly how to price our services and this new Profitsolver software does just that.
"Most costs have an element of staff time, an element of fixed assets or equipment and an element of disposable items. Profitsolver takes all of these into account, adds the predetermined profit margin and produces an accurate pricing structure for each procedure undertaken within the practice.
"It's important to take the time at the start to put accurate data in from the practice's latest set of accounts and the Zoetis business consultant will guide practices through this to make the initial set up as easy as possible. For instance, for major pieces of equipment such as X-ray machines, you have to work out how many times a year you are likely to use them.
"By using Profitsolver, we worked out that if we do exactly the same amount of work as last year we can increase our bottom line by at least £200,000 for our 18 vet practice. Since last November, when we installed Profitsolver, we have completely changed our pricing structure moving away from focusing on medicines and the size of the animal to rethink how we charge our clinical care.
"An unexpected benefit is that Profitsolver has made me much more confident about the prices we charge to clients as it is all broken down, so we can see exactly how the invoice is made up. I would be at a loss without it now."
For more information about Profitsolver, contact your Zoetis account manager.
Improve International has announced that several of the Postgraduate Certificate programmes (PgC's) which it delivers in conjunction with Harper Adams University and the European School of Veterinary Studies (ESVPS) have been added to the list of qualifications conferring eligibility for applications for RCVS' Advanced Practitioner status.
The qualifying PgCs are:
These PgC's are accredited at Masters level 7 and provide 60 credits, at least 40 of which are in the designated clinical area. Improve says this places them at the same academic level as those offered by other CPD providers and termed as eligible entry qualifications to RCVS Advanced Practitioner Status.
Improve has welcomed the RCVS' decision to include these PgC's in the list of entry qualifications accepted with no further requirements required. For the PgC Small Animal Surgery and PgC Small Animal Medicine programmes, a further demonstration of professional key skills is required within a five-year period, which the company says it can help with.
David Babington MRCVS, Managing Director, said: "Our clinical taught programmes are led by experts in their field while the European School of Postgraduate Studies (ESVPS) has responsibility for the associated assessments. Harper Adams University brings the Higher Education body quality assurance to our partnership, ensuring that our qualifications meet the strict criteria laid down by the QAA Framework.
"Our programmes utilise a combination of review lectures, case-based discussions and, where applicable, hands-on practical sessions. We are also increasingly offering courses using 'blended learning', a format which combines both face to face and online learning.
"We are delighted that the RCVS has recognised that the content and rigour of the PgC programmes, make them deserving of the same status as other qualifications awarded by other providers. Our delegates can now have full confidence that achieving one of these postgraduate certificates will enable them to meet the requirements of Advanced Practitioner status."
For more information, see the RCVS website, Advanced Practitioner Guidance Notes, visit www.improveinternational.com or call 01793 759159.
The RCVS has launched a new online form to allow veterinary surgeons to change their Register title to 'Dr'.
You can make the change by logging into the 'My Account' area of the RCVS website (www.rcvs.org.uk/login) where you can access the form. Usernames and passwords for the My Account area were sent to all veterinary surgeons in February as part of the annual renewal process.
The College says an email confirmation is sent once the form is completed and changes should take effect immediately in the My Account area. However, it may take up to 24 hours before the title appears on an individual's Register entry.
The use of 'Doctor' as a courtesy title was approved by RCVS Council at its March meeting, following a public consultation which garnered more than 11,000 responses.
Use of the title is optional and veterinary surgeons who choose to use 'Doctor' or 'Dr' should use it in conjunction with their name and either the descriptor 'veterinary surgeon' or the postnominal letters 'MRCVS'. This ensures that they do not mislead the public by suggesting or implying that they hold a human medical qualification or a PhD.
Bayer Animal Health has launched Remend Wound Spray Gel for cats, dogs and horses.
The new gel contains Remend's structurally modified hyaluronic acid (HA). Bayer says it provides a matrix for cellular events that occur during the proliferative phase of the healing process, which has been shown to enhance healing1, and can promote rapid wound closure
Georgie Hollis BSc from www.vetwoundlibrary.com said: "Managing wounds can be challenging in veterinary practice; the progression of wound healing can be influenced by many factors, and selecting an appropriate product to apply should be based on the needs of the individual wound. A product that provides a moist healing environment and support of the proliferative phase ensures that cellular activity is optimised, helping to improve healing times and minimise scar tissue."
Bayer says Remend Wound Spray Gel is designed for use as part of the overall management of wounds; additional measures such as lavage, debridement and control of infection are equally important, as is giving consideration to any secondary factors that may delay healing if not addressed. The product aims to achieve greater compliance amongst owners by providing an effective management option that is easy to apply. A single application may be sufficient to enhance wound closure in fresh uncomplicated wounds; however more complex wounds may require multiple applications in order to accelerate closure.
For more information, visit: www.vetcentre.bayer.co.uk
References
The veterinary recruitment company Gardner Llewelyn has announced that it is to hold Thank A Vet Nurse Day on 28th May 2015.
As the name suggests the company is urging everyone to join them and make a point of thanking a veterinary nurse on the day for all their dedication and hard work.
In the run up, the company is also asking everyone to think about nominating a veterinary nurse who has gone the extra mile for an award. Two winners will each be given an iPad mini.
You can nominate a nurse here: http://www.glvets.com/competition-entry.asp
Merial Animal Health has announced that it has purchased the the anti-inflammatory treatment for lameness in horses, Hyonate® (sodium hyaluronate), from Bayer.
Merial's equine marketing and technical manager, Louise Radford MRCVS said: "Hyonate is an established treatment of lameness in horses due to non-infectious inflammation of joints, using both intra-articular (IA) and intravenous (IV) injection.
"The beneficial effects of HA supplementation are attributable to the anti-inflammatory effects, improvement in viscoelastic properties of the synovial fluid, and interaction with the synovial membrane affecting pain transmission and joint metabolism¹."
For more information telephone Customer Support on 0870 6000123 or contact your local Merial Equine Specialist.
The National Office of Animal Health (NOAH) has launched 'The Happy Healthy Pets Project', designed to encourage owners to prioritise pet healthcare.
At the heart of the campaign is a new online photography gallery at pethealthinfo.org.uk, where owners and veterinary professionals are being invited to upload pictures of happy healthy pets to help build a resource of images and healthcare advice.
To help ensure a high standard of photography, NOAH has partnered with top wildlife and animal photographer Victoria Hillman to create five top tips to help all participants capture the perfect pet photo:
Dawn Howard, Chief Executive of the National Office of Animal Health said: “We’re really looking forward to getting the campaign underway, having seen the fantastic levels of participation in photo-based activity for last year’s ‘I Heart My Pet’ campaign. This year, we’re aiming to taking things one step further by creating the biggest ever gallery of pet portraits in the UK with the help not just of Britain’s pet owners, but also of veterinary professionals and their clients. The campaign is designed to use a simple, fun and familiar mechanic - taking photographs of our pets - to create interesting, engaging content but also to raise awareness of more serious healthcare messages.
“We’re delighted to have partnered with Victoria Hillman so that we can help make sure all pet owners know how to capture the perfect pic and to encourage as many owners and their vets across the UK as possible to get involved. We can’t wait to see the results.”
Boehringer Ingelheim has announced that Vetmedin Chewable Tablets have been licensed for treating pre-clinical dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in Doberman Pinschers1.
Boehringer says DCM is the most common form of cardiomyopathy in dogs and the second most common form of acquired heart disease in dogs. Typically, up to half (25 - 50%) of Doberman Pinschers develop DCM in their lifetime and before congestive heart failure (CHF) develops, over a quarter (25 - 30%) of these dogs will suffer sudden death. Despite optimal treatment, survival time once in CHF is short at just 2 - 4 months, with a fatality rate of at least 90% after a year.
The new indication was granted following a study which showed that early intervention with Vetmedin at pre-clinical stages in Dobermans can significantly delay the onset of CHF, increasing life expectancy and quality of life for patients2.
Robert Lucy, Vetmedin brand manager, Boehringer Ingelheim UK, said: "The PROTECT study, and the resulting new indication for Vetmedin is groundbreaking. For the first time ever, we are now not only able to manage congestive heart failure, but to significantly delay it. By acting sooner, we'll be able to alter the course of disease progression, ultimately increasing survival and allowing more pet owners to spend more time with their beloved dogs. Key to this will be giving vets the support and confidence in recognising the subtle signs of pre-clinical DCM. We plan to support veterinary professionals with new educational materials, including a screening algorithm, to help the diagnostic process."
Traditionally, there have been no licensed therapies available to vets to slow the progression of heart disease during the pre-clinical stage. However, peer-reviewed independent data from PROTECT, the first study in veterinary cardiology of its kind, proves that early intervention with Vetmedin at pre-clinical stages in Dobermans Pinschers can significantly delay the onset of CHF, increasing life expectancy and quality of life for patients.
The Society of Practising Veterinary Surgeons (SPVS) has launched its 2015 Fee Survey, which enables veterinary practices to review their pricing structure and benchmark it against other practices around the country.
Open to both SPVS members and non-members, SPVS is encouraging all practices to complete a questionnaire to give as accurate a picture as possible of the fees charged by veterinary practices nationwide.
SPVS says the questionnaire does not take long to complete and covers everything from vaccinating, microchipping and neutering small animals to calving and routine on-farm fertility work in livestock practices and performing a five stage vetting and dental work in equine practices.
Peter Brown, author of the survey and SPVS Council member said: "The Fee Survey has become the go to resource for benchmarking pricing in the veterinary profession. The variation in individual fees can be marked and the survey allows practices to see that their fees are calculated in a realistic way to reflect their individual costs and overheads as well as local market conditions."
To take part in the survey, visit: http://www.spvs.org.uk/content/fees-survey-questionnaire-2015 or for a printed questionnaire, ring 01926 410454.
Labrador Retrievers are the breed most likely to run away, according to a survey of 2000 pet owners commissioned by the Blue Cross.
In addition, the survey found that the average dog owner has had their pet run off three times. One in five haven't had their dog microchipped and half of those say they probably won't ever have it done.
Only 23% of dog owners know it is already mandatory for dogs to wear a tag when in public, and only half of those knew the tag must bear the owner's name.
1/3rd thought the maximum fine for a dog being without a tag would be £100, when it is actually £5000.
The full list of breeds most likely to do a runner was:
A new company supplying pet chews to the veterinary profession has launched this month.
The Soft Chew Company has been set up by Kevin Ingram, owner of the veterinary supplier J.A.K Marketing and Niall McFerran, who has in the past worked for a number of veterinary healthcare companies including Animalcare, Ceva and Alstoe.
Kevin said: "The healthcare supplement market in the UK is worth over £20 million and rising but most customers are asked to use products which were designed for use on humans. The aim of The Soft Chew Company is to provide those health benefits in the form of treats that the dogs and cats will readily accept."
The new company's product range will be branded: "Chewz" and marketed as palatable healthcare supplements in order that they will not be confused with pharmaceutical products.
The range will initially consist of:
The Chewz range can be obtained from all wholesalers or directly from J.A.K Marketing.
For further information contact; info@thesoftchewcompany.co.uk or 01347 293150
CPC has announced the opening of a new pet crematorium in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire to meet rising demand.
According to the company, there has been an increase of 12% in individual pet cremations over the last four years, and about half the pets that come to the company from Vets Now are given individual cremations, rather than communal ones. Of the pet owners that contact CPC directly, about a third currently ask for an individual cremation, up from a quarter in 2008.
Jason Cracknell, the General Manager at CPC (pictured right), said: "When I was a child growing up in the country, our pets were buried in the garden. With smaller gardens and greater mobility this is no longer an option for many. Working closely with vets we have seen a considerable increase in owners wanting more knowledge and involvement in how their beloved pet is cared for at the end of its life."
The new Cheltenham Pet Crematorium will have a memorial and wildlife garden designed with the help of year 9 students from the nearby Tewkesbury School. It'll be officially opened at the end of April by farmer and television presenter, Adam Henson.
CPC also offers three levels of pet bereavement training for veterinary practices that use its services:
For more information, visit www.cpccares.com
Merial is to launch Frontect (fipronil and permethrin), a spot-on solution for dogs with dual action: treatment and prevention of fleas and ticks, and repellency against ticks, sandflies, biting flies and mosquitoes.
According to the company, Frontect kills fleas within an hour for the first week and within six hours for four weeks1. The repellent (anti-feeding) effect of Frontect prevents parasites from taking a 'blood meal' and as a result, Merial says vets and pet owners can feel confident that they are helping to protect dogs from the vectors of severe canine diseases - including leishmaniosis, dirofilariosis, babesiosis, anaplasmosis, ehrlichiosis and borreliosis - whether travelling within the UK or abroad.
Lynda Maris, Brand Manager for Frontect said: “We are delighted to expand our Merial V-Line vet exclusive parasiticide portfolio with the addition of Frontect. Frontect both kills and repels parasites to provide visible results and help deliver client satisfaction. Frontect is ideal for active, outdoor dogs and travelling dogs at risk of exposure to ticks and vector borne diseases.”
Frontect is administered topically, on the neck and between the shoulder blades of the dog. It will be available in five different weight ranges to suit all dogs from the beginning of May 2015.
New research1 published in in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery by veterinary clinicians at the University of Lisbon and a clinic in the nearby town of Barreiro in Portugal, suggests that cats may benefit from reduced anxiety, stress and perceived pain if music is played in the operating theatre.
Lead author, Miguel Carreira, said: "In the surgical theatres at the faculty where I teach and at the private veterinary medical centre where I spend my time operating, environmental music is always present, and is an important element in promoting a sense of wellbeing in the team, the animals, and their owners. Different music genres affect individuals in different ways. During consultations I have noticed, for example, that most cats like classical music, particularly George Handel compositions, and become more calm, confident and tolerant throughout the clinical evaluation. After reading about the influence of music on physiological parameters in humans, I decided to design a study protocol to investigate whether music could have any physiological effects on my surgical patients."
The clinicians studied 12 female pet cats undergoing surgery for neutering, and recorded their respiratory rate and pupil diameter at various points to gauge their depth of anaesthesia. The cats, which had been fitted with headphones, were meanwhile exposed to 2 minutes of silence (as a control), followed randomly by 2 minutes each of Barber’s 'Adagio for Strings (Opus 11)', Natalie Imbruglia’s 'Thorn' and AC/DC’s 'Thunderstruck'.
The results showed that the cats were in a more relaxed state (as determined by their lower values for respiratory rate and pupil diameter) under the influence of classical music, with the pop music producing intermediate values. By contrast, the heavy metal music produced the highest values, indicating 'a more stressful situation'. The clinicians conclude that the use of certain music genres in the surgical theatre may allow a decrease in the dose of anaesthetic agent required, in turn reducing the risk of undesirable side effects and thus promoting patient safety.
Dr Carreira and his colleagues plan to continue their studies by looking at the influence of music on other physiological parameters, including cortisol and catecholamines, in dogs as well as cats. In the future, they hope to incorporate more sophisticated techniques, such as functional MRI and electroencephalography, into their investigations.
The study can be read for free here: http://jfm.sagepub.com/content/early/2015/03/30/1098612X15575778.full.pdf+html
MSD Animal Health has announced the launch of The Big Tick Project, both to investigate whether ticks are carrying more pathogens and to raise awareness amongst the public.
The company highlights research which shows that nationally, tick distribution has expanded by 17% in the last 10 years and tick numbers have also increased in 73% of locations surveyed.1 In addition, the company says there is evidence that ticks are feeding earlier in the year and feeding for longer2, thus increasing their potential to pass on significant disease to both animals and humans. Lyme disease in particular can be serious health issue for both humans and animals, being increasingly recognised and recorded in the UK recent years3.
So, as part of the project, practices are being invited to collect ticks and send them to the University of Bristol for analysis. In addition, there'll be a national PR and marketing campaign fronted by the naturalist Chris Packham (pictured right).
Practices taking part in the project will receive a tick collection kit and marketing support pack including access to dedicated PR services, postcards and posters to raise awareness of ticks within their clinic and local community. The collection kit includes instructions, collection equipment and Freepost packaging to allow ticks removed from dogs to be sent to the university quickly and easily.
Professor Richard Wall from University of Bristol said: "For accurate results we need as many ticks as possible and I really encourage vet practices up and down the country to get involved. We need data from all types of practices ranging from urban to rural locations to help vets and human health professionals make more effective recommendations and help prevent tick-related disease."
To take part in The Big Tick Project, email a contact name and your practice details to: info@bigtickproject.co.uk.
Freda Andrews, the Director of Education at the RCVS, has announced her retirement from the position on 2nd April after nearly 16 years at the College.
Freda joined the RCVS as Head of Education in September 1999 and became Director of Education in 2013, with strategic responsibility for both veterinary and veterinary nursing education.
Nick Stace, RCVS Chief Executive Officer, said: "We will miss Freda for her professionalism, her encyclopaedic knowledge of all things related to veterinary education and her attention to detail, but she leaves behind a team that is stronger-than-ever and a considerable legacy for the profession as a whole.
"Under her watch the Education Department has seen a significant number of achievements. This includes the introduction of the Professional Development Phase which has helped veterinary graduates develop their confidence and competence during the first few years of practice and the accreditation of the University of Nottingham's School of Veterinary Medicine and Science - the first new UK vet school in 50 years."
Freda's responsibilities as Director of Education will now be split between Christine Warman, Head of Education, and Julie Dugmore, Head of Veterinary Nursing.
Freda said: "I have really enjoyed working with such a fascinating profession and I think that through working very closely with our colleagues in the vet schools, as well as with practising vets, veterinary education has made some significant advances. For example, there is more focus now on communication and professional skills and greater alignment of accreditation standards internationally, to name but two things.
"I am sad to leave but I know that the future of veterinary and veterinary nursing education has been left in the very safe hands of Christine and Julie and their respective teams."
Bayer has announced that it has launched a new bone-shaped version of the Drontal Plus tablet with greatly increased palatability to increase client compliance.
In a field study, new Drontal Dog Tasty Bone proved to be voluntarily consumed by 88% of 150 dogs1.
Vicky McAlister, Group Product Manager at Bayer said: "We want to make it as easy as possible for responsible dog owners to remember to worm their pet at least every three months. To help improve compliance, there is an increased necessity for highly palatable oral dosage forms. To meet this need, the Drontal Plus Tasty tablet has been optimised using a novel formula that has an extremely high level of palatability where the majority of dogs take the tablet straight out of the owners hand like a treat - proving that Drontal is now tasty by nature as well as name!
This combined with the memorable bone-shaped design will help cement Drontal as the wormer of choice in the minds of owners."
Is it just me, or does the name of this product sound a bit like someone who has ingested a series of words, and then regurgitated them in no particular order? I suppose Drontal Tasty Dog Bone means something else, and Tasty Dog Drontal Bone doesn't really work.
Kruuse has launched the Buster Premium Dog Collar, described as the greatest innovation in Elizabethan dog collars since the original.
The company says the new collar has been designed with two things in mind. First and foremost, patient comfort. Secondly, ease-of-use. Both should help improve compliance.
The new product uses perforated neoprene to provide a snug fit round the neck with no need to attach a separate collar. It's fastened using Velcro, to give a quick but secure fitting. There's padded banding around the inner edge to provides extra comfort and prevent skin irritation, and additional banding around the outer edge to protect the dog's surroundings.
Andrew Groom, Managing Director at Kruuse said: "Worldwide, the Buster collar is the most trusted device to prevent canine patients from biting or licking their body or scratching their head and neck while wounds or injuries heal. The functionality of an e-collar is outstanding when it comes to postoperative care and prevention of self-inflicted trauma.
"The new Buster Premium Collar has been developed in association with vets, vet nurses and dog owners to provide an exceptional collar that is as stress-free as possible for the patient whilst providing exceptional functionality for the user both at the veterinary hospital and at home."
The Premium Buster Collar is available exclusively via NVS: www.vetwholesaler.co.uk
Veterinary students Harry Pink and Meg Coram have won the third Sutton Bonington Science Cake competition for their entry: Rhinos Should Be Horny (pictured right, click to enlarge).
The competition was held on the 12th March in aid of Comic Relief, with entries in six different categories (Veterinary Medicine, Animal & Agriculture, From Farm to Fork, Infection, Cakes for Animals, Comic Relief).
The entries, which ranged from nesting chickens, ringworm in cats and sows with piglets to beautiful vegetables and gardens, were prepared by students and staff at the campus. They were evaluated by 9 judges including members from both schools of Bioscience and Veterinary Medicine.
The cake competition also made it onto national TV this year. Apparently, Comic Relief loved the photos from the last two bake off competitions and asked for one of the bakers to design a cake for the special Comic Relief episode 'The Great British Bake Off'. Last year's public vote winners Rachael Lowton and Jennie Stoddart accepted the challenge and produced 'Just Your Everage Cake' in homage to Dame Edna.
You can see photographs of all the 2015 entries here: http://www.sbcakeoff.co.uk/entries
You can support SB Cake Off for Comic Relief here: https://www.justgiving.com/sbcakeoff/
Bayer Animal Health, the maker of Veraflox, has produced a new animation which explains the considerations veterinary surgeons should take into account when choosing which antibiotic to prescribe.
The animation outlines the key steps that should be taken when faced with a suspected bacterial infection and includes factors such as culture and sensitivity testing, resistance and the mutant prevention concentration.
The company says it produced the animation in response to research it carried out last year in which nearly 500 veterinary professionals (465 practising vets and 45 students) participated.
48% said they felt that not enough is being done to educate veterinary professionals on the responsible use of antibiotics and how to avoid exacerbating the urgent issue of antimicrobial resistance.
Vicky McAlister, Group Product Manager at Bayer said: "In response to this research Bayer is developing a suite of educational resources to arm vets with practical and applicable tools that help them look beyond the 'tip of the iceberg' of bacterial infections, educating about not just the clinical cure, but bacteriological cure, too."
The animation is part of a wider awareness programme entitled ‘What Lies Beneath‘ in which Bayer says it aims to better understand the challenges the veterinary industry faces when prescribing antibiotics, so that additional tools can be developed to help vets confidently use antibiotics responsibly.
The programme will also include a series of webinars led by experts in various fields including veterinary medicine, laboratory diagnostics experts, behavioural psychologists and microbiologists. The webinars are due to be released later in the year, and will present a different perspective on common issues such as compliance, how to make appropriate antimicrobial choices and the approach to and interpretation of relevant diagnostic tests.
Zoetis unveiled the Centre for Digital Innovation (CDI), it's new centre for creating digital products that enable data-driven decision-making to enhance precision farming and improve animal wellbeing for livestock and pets, at the House of Lords last week.
The company says its target is to create a digital health record for every UK livestock animal to enable data-driven decision-making and precision farming.
One of the first products in the pipeline is a device that provides real-time monitoring of growth and weight gain in a pig herd using non-intrusive visual imaging. It monitors actual growth against predicted growth, recording the number of daily visits to the water and feed station by individual animals. It produces a weight distribution graph and pinpoints both under and over achievers in the growth stakes, recording key dimensions and accurate measurements of the animal’s weight. Data from the device can be processed in seconds and uploaded into a web reporting tool.
Also in the pipeline is an app that can detect and monitor information on a cow's lameness.
Zoetis says it believes that advanced digital solutions could also significantly improve the wellbeing of companion animals. To that end, the company has built a new digital ecosystem for vets that includes a mobile app - PetDialog - to help better connect owners with their pet and vet. The PetDialog app features a Quality of Life assessment produced by NewMetrica from technology developed by the University of Glasgow. Using psychometric methodology, the assessment measures and monitors the quality of life of the dog so that the owner and vet can gain a deeper insight into the animal's health and wellbeing, including the early detection of health issues, managing disease and measuring the impact of treatment. Just as is the case in human medicine, the device will facilitate the remote monitoring of conditions such as blood glucose monitoring for diabetic cats and dogs.
Lord de Mauley, Science Minister, said: "I welcome this new investment which will add great value to UK capability in this area. It builds on the close relationship Zoetis already has with our universities and institutes including many Research and Development collaborations.
"Zoetis's decision to locate the Centre in the UK recognises the strength of our data sciences expertise and commitment to innovation including agricultural and biomedical science."
Ned Flaxman, CDI director (pictured right), said: "We believe that in this particular space, where technologies are advancing rapidly, the need for complimentary strategic partnerships is essential. Through our Alliances group we work actively in establishing the appropriate University and industry collaborations that will enable our CDI specialists to develop together the most comprehensive and valued digital solutions for our animals."
Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica has announced that it will be launching Bovela, a new viral diarrhoea (BVD) vaccine, to farmers during April 2015.
Allan Henderson from Boehringer said: "BVD remains the most common viral disease affecting cattle throughout Europe, despite vaccines being available for over 15 years. We asked farmers why this was the case and, without exception, they remarked that current vaccine protocols are unwieldy, requiring precise timings making them hard to follow.
"Bovela is a unique one-shot vaccine that can be used in cattle from three months of age and also whether pregnant or not. Other, currently available vaccines require a two-dose primary course with boosters annually or even every six months thereafter."
BVD is spread within herds and to new herds through the presence of persistently infected (PI) animals. PIs can look relatively healthy and show no outward signs of infection but, as they were exposed to the virus as a foetus, have become virus carriers. If they are born alive, they will shed virus consistently throughout their lives so perpetuating the cycle of infection.
Alan said: "The foetal control delivered by Bovela gives absolute confidence that cows will not produce PIs. This, alongside the drastically improved convenience will undoubtedly make Bovela the natural choice for many farmers, both on beef and dairy farms."
According to Boehringer, around 60% of cattle in the EU test positive for exposure to the BVD virus and, although BVD type 1 is currently the most common form, outbreaks of BVD type 2, were confirmed in 2013 and 2014 in Belgium, Germany and The Netherlands. BVD type 2 is generally a more serious disease, with high levels of mortality and while the virus has been identified in UK, it has not yet been identified as the cause of serious outbreaks of disease in cattle.
Alan said: "Bovela is the first and only vaccine in UK which has been proven to protect cattle from BVD type 1 and 2. It has been in development for 17 years and, gained a marketing authorisation following assessment of an unprecedented quantity of data generated in both beef and dairy herds.
"Work has looked at the efficacy of Bovela in preventing the production of PI calves and against type 1 and 2 BVD as well as confirming its efficacy in young calves as young as three months of age as their natural maternal protection wears off. Trials also confirmed vaccine safety generally and during various stages of pregnancy. We do not believe that any other BVD vaccine has been tested as rigorously."