Norbrook Laboratories has launched powder and paste versions of Noroquin - its glucosamine-based supplement range - for horses.
Noroquin contains the active ingredients glucosamine, chondrotin sulphate, manganese sulphate, zinc sulphate, absorbic acid and N-Acetyl-D-Glucosamine, designed to maintain healthy cartilage, promote joint management and keep horses mobile.
Michelle Jones, Brand Manager at Norbrook said: "In recent years, horses are increasingly competing longer which means maintaining the longevity of the horse is vitally important for long term success. 60% of lameness is related to osteoarthritis and is regarded as the major cause of disability in the athletic horse.
"With increasing reliability on nutritional supplements and concerns from horse owners about their aging horse, our Noroquin for Horses range can be offered as alternative to traditional pain management products indicated for musculoskeletal ailments or alongside them as a completely safe addition to a joint management programme."
Michelle added: "The Noroquin paste for horses is a highly palatable apple flavored paste that can be fed directly to the horse as a tasty treat and offers an alternative to traditional methods while the Noroquin powder for Horses is a highly palatable powder that can be mixed with food. The product is available in handy single-use sachets for accurate dosing and waterproof 1kg tubs."
Noroquin Powder and Paste for Horses joins the newly launched tasty tablets for dogs and cats and powder for cats in the Noroquin range. It is available from wholesalers.
Paul Aldrige MRCVS has won £2000 from Hill's Pet Nutrition after removing a cluster of uroliths from the bladder of an English bulldog.
He won the prize after sending the uroliths to the Minnesota Urolith Center to participate in a competition sponsored by Hill's UK in support of the launch of new Prescription DietTM c/dTM Reduced Calorie for cats.
Hill's says that although the winner was a canine patient this time, it was good news for the Bulldog that the sample was sent in, as the uroliths in question were found to contain urate. Purine uroliths, including urate, accounted for 6.4% of uroliths submitted to the Minnesota Urolith Center between 1981 - 20071. Staff at Center said that urate uroliths can vary in size, color, and texture: "This particular sample represents a good example of the need to submit uroliths for quantitative analysis. Physical appearance alone is insufficient to characterise mineral composition."
English bulldogs are one of the 66 breeds identified by the Minnesota Urolith Centre known to be affected by urate urolithiasis. Hill's says that foods such as its Prescription DietTM u/dTM can be used to help reduce the risk of uroliths recurrence in the future. Sara Locke, Hill's Associate Marketing Manager said: "We were very pleased to award the prize to Paul and congratulate him on being instrumental in producing such a successful outcome for his patient. Accurate urolith analysis is key. In many cases, these results enable vets to make accurate dietary recommendations that improve the long term prognosis for the patient."
The urolith analysis service is subsidised in part by an educational gift from Hill's Pet Nutrition and is provided to veterinary surgeons at no charge. You can download forms to submit a sample of uroliths at www.hillspet.co.uk/urolith or www.hillspet.ie/urolith or by calling Hill's on 0800 282438 or ROI 1800 626002."
Reference
Small Animal Clinical Nutrition, 5th Edition, Hand, Thatcher, Remillard, Roudebush, Novotny, p833
The University of Bristol's Langford Veterinary Services (LVS) has announced the completion of its new clinical facilities.
The first phase of the £13 million development includes a new small animal surgery building, comprising five theatres, an ICU, a dedicated anaesthesia induction and recovery and an imaging suite.
The imaging suite comprises a 16-slice CT scanner, for small animals and horses, conventional digital radiography with a DR system, a high-resolution fluoroscopy, diagnostic ultrasound, echocardiography, scintigraphy and a high resolution 1.5 tesla MRI scanner available seven days a week.
Lynne Hill, Chief Executive of LVS, said: "The new facility provides state-of-the art diagnostic imaging facilities at all times, to help the animals under our care."
LVS highlights the case of Gainsborough, an eight-year-old Irish draught gelding, to illustrate the benefits of its new facilities. The horse, used for jumping and endurance, was initially presented to the Equine Hospital in October 2010, with clinical signs including nasal airflow obstruction and discharge, which was limiting his athletic capabilities.
Using videoendoscopy and radiography, a space-occupying mass was diagnosed in the paranasal sinuses impinging into the nasal cavity. With the horse conscious, but sedated, using regional local anaesthetic nerve blocks, the bulk of the mass was removed and he returned to work. However, the owner reported a recurrence of the clinical signs and he was returned to the clinic for reassessment.
The new imaging suite, only one of a few such units in the UK, has been adapted to enable the imaging of a horse's head while conscious using a frictionless air plinth. The adaptation allows detailed imaging of both bone and soft tissue structures within a horse's head, without requiring a general anaesthetic.
Using the new imaging suite, Gainsborough's CT examination revealed a portion of the mass, which had been inaccessible to the previous keyhole surgery, had expanded into the nasal cavity. The detail of the images enabled careful planning of a second operation that facilitated removal of the large remnant of the mass, which appeared to be benign, with minimal collateral trauma.
In addition to imaging the heads of conscious horses, dogs and cats are able to undergo complete body scans using the same unit while anaesthetised. As well as enabling detection and diagnosis of lesions without invasive or painful tests at an earlier stage, the unit will facilitate operative planning and add to the body of knowledge of disease pathogenesis.
For more information about LVS, visit: http://www.langfordvets.co.uk/
RCVS President Jerry Davies has apologised to the profession for its overspend on IT and development works at Belgravia House.
In fact, the apology was made to a meeting of BVA Council back on 7th December. VetSurgeon.org understands the College thought the apology would be widely promulgated shortly thereafter, and only later realised that this hadn't happened.
As a result, the College has now decided to publish Dr Davies' presentation in full.
At the meeting, Dr Davies set out more background about the two RCVS projects under review, explained the decisions taken at the time and the finances involved.
He also described how Professor McKelvey's recommendations were being actioned, alongside those of the College's Governance Review Group which were already underway.
Dr Davies reiterated that the College had always intended to publish the report in full, but that external legal Counsel had advised that to do so would be unlawful under the Data Protection Act.
According to the College, it was not possible to redact the report to an acceptable extent, as the personal data in question were referred to throughout a large proportion of it.
However, Dr Davies did apologise to the profession, saying: "In closing, I would like to emphasise that I, as President of the RCVS, am sorry for what has happened, but I hope you will appreciate that steps are being taken, in particular the setting up of the Audit and Risk Committee, to strengthen governance within our College."
The EAEVE (European Association of Establishments for Veterinary Education) has granted full accreditation to the Royal Veterinary College.
The RVC is the only one in the world to have achieved full accreditation by EAEVE and the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), and full recognition by the UK's Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons.
Accreditation by EAEVE provides Europe-wide assurance of academic standards. Three other European veterinary schools have achieved accredited status: Copenhagen, Helsinki and Zurich/Bern.
Gordon Hockey has been appointed Acting Registrar at the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons.
He succeeds Jane Hern, who had been Registrar for 15 years before deciding to move on to pursue other interests.
Gordon, who is a qualified pharmacist and barrister, has been at the College for the last 13 years as Head of the Professional Conduct Department and Assistant Registrar.
Meanwhile, the College says it is giving consideration to the future scope of the Registrar and Secretary's roles, as the Officer team begins the recruitment process.
Eleanor Ferguson has taken over as Acting Head of the Professional Conduct Department.
Elanco has launched a new poultry tonic designed to support birds during the most demanding periods of productivity: during growth and peak laying.
The launch follows Elanco's acquisition of Janssen Animal Health and its existing poultry poultry tonic, which Elanco has improved.
Elanco Poultry Tonic HD Plus contains two new ingredients: a vitamin D3 metabolite and a natural antioxidant blend.
Elanco says the new product could prove just the tonic for the poultry industry in the face of rising fuel and feed costs. One study has apparently demonstrated as much as a 5:1 return on investment can be made as a result of supplementing the D3 metabolite alone.1According to the company, the vitamin D3 metabolite has been shown to increase egg weights (by around 2 per cent) and improve feed conversion and feed intake. It is more available to the body than vitamin D3, which plays a role in calcium metabolism (and therefore egg production). The benefits are significant for commercial egg producers but also for hatcheries, as egg size correlates with chick weight. Elanco says the metabolite can also improve bone strength, potentially resulting in healthier, more robust poults.The new antioxidant blend contains natural preparations of vitamins as well as more complex antioxidants found in fruits and vegetables, such as flavanoids, polyphenols and carotenoids. It also contains nucleotides and sulphur containing amino acids, methionine and lysine. Elanco's new Poultry Tonic HD Plus is suitable for layers, broilers, breeders and turkeys and is available from veterinary wholesalers and animal health distributors. The company is also launching Game Bird Tonic HD Plus at the same time.
1. SOTO-SALANOVA MF MOLINERO A, Efficacy of the use of Hy-D® in laying hens, XI th European Symposium on the Quality of Eggs and Egg Products 191 Doorwerth, The Netherlands, 23-26 May 2005
Henry Schein, Inc. has announced the acquisition of Veterinary Instrumentation, the supplier of surgical instruments and implants to veterinary surgeons in the United Kingdom.
Stanley M. Bergman, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Henry Schein said: "We are delighted to welcome this highly regarded company to the Henry Schein family, and very pleased that founder John Lapish and Managing Director Steve Fletcher will continue to drive the business forward.
"The success of Veterinary Instrumentation closely parallels the cornerstones of Henry Schein, including a deep understanding of customer needs, innovative solutions, superior product quality and customer service, and a trusted advisory relationship with our customers. Reinforcing our existing animal health business in the U.K., we look forward to strengthening our relationship with veterinary customers in this region, and bringing the Veterinary Instrumentation product portfolio of high-quality surgical specialties to a growing number of veterinarians across Europe, the United States and Australasia."
Veterinary Instrumentation was founded by John Lapish in 1986 in Sheffield, England, where the business and distribution operations are currently conducted from a single facility. Working as a small animal orthopaedic surgeon in the late 1970s, Mr. Lapish began designing and developing a range of instruments specifically for veterinary surgery, initially for his own use. As requests for these products increased, the market need became clear and Veterinary Instrumentation was formed, in particular to meet the needs of orthopaedic surgeons focused on small animals.
Mr Lapish said: "We look forward to contributing to the continued growth and success of a leading supplier of companion animal health products and services in the United Kingdom and to becoming part of a global leader in the distribution of health care products and services.
"The expertise that we bring in the area of veterinary surgical instruments will complement Henry Schein's broad offering, and our customers will benefit greatly from the global resources of a company that has quickly become an animal health care product and service leader on three continents."
With approximately 60 percent of sales in the U.K., and the balance split fairly evenly between Europe and the rest of the world, Veterinary Instrumentation has 20 employees, including a team of eight Veterinary Technicians who advise customers on the most appropriate procedures and instrumentation.
Veterinary Instrumentation sales for the 12 months ended September 30, 2011 were approximately £6.7 million ($10.8 million). Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Ceva Animal Health, manufacturer of Feliway and Adaptil, is making a last call for nominations for its awards for animal welfare, which must be received by 27th January 2012.
The inaugural awards, which take place during WSAVA/BSAVA/FECAVA Congress in Birmingham in April, formally recognise veterinary professionals and individuals who have gone the extra mile to improve animal welfare both in practice and beyond. The awards feature three categories:
Prizes include a trip to New Zealand WSAVA in 2013 for the winner of the Chris Laurence Vet of the Year Award, a trip to a European Animal Welfare Congress for the winner of the Welfare Nurse of the Year Award and £1,000 worth of travel vouchers for the winner of the Pet Lover's Welfare Award.
Nomination forms can be downloaded from www.ceva.co.uk. Nominations should consist of full details about why the nominee deserves to win. Judging will be based on support materials such as case studies, examples and pictures, demonstrating the nominee's commitment to animal welfare. Anyone, whether a veterinary professional, pet owner or animal lover can nominate. All those who have nominated someone for an award will be entered into a prize draw to win £250 of high street vouchers.
For further information, telephone Ceva Animal Health on 01494 781510, email welfare.awards@ceva.com or contact your local Ceva territory manager.
BCF Technology has announced that it now has the 9020HF ultralight and the 10040HF ultra orange x-ray generators available in blue.
Jason Rogers of BCF said: "Our range of generators aims to meet the needs of any size of veterinary practice. The new blue generators will compliment our existing range. The bright blue colour means they will be eye-catching in the field, meaning you wont leave them behind!"
What next? The BCF Spring Collection - a range of ultrasound scanners in pale, neutral shades guaranteed not to clash with your overalls?
To find out more about BCF Technology's range of x-ray equipment and generators visit http://www.bcftechnology.com/
The 2012 edition of the NOAH Compendium of Data Sheets for Animal Medicines has been published and a free copy sent to each veterinary practice in the UK.
This edition has a redesigned cover, developed for NOAH's 25th anniversary which took place this year. It contains data sheets from 32 companies which can be accessed through colour-coded indexes. The book also includes the up-to-date edition of NOAH's Code of Practice for the Promotion of Animal Medicines.
NOAH chief executive Phil Sketchley said: "This book - along with the online version - is a major part of NOAH's efforts to help provide prescribers and users of animal medicines with information to assist the appropriate and responsible use of all animal medicines."
He urged prescribers not to forget the back-up that company advisors can give to assist a prescribing decision: "The compendium also includes another vital resource - the contact details for each company. Company veterinary and technical advisors have detailed knowledge about their company's medicines at their fingertips. They are ready to talk to prescribers about the use of a medicine in a particular animal or in a particular situation, as well as to explain any queries about the data sheet," he said.
If your practice has not received its copy, contact Ruth Herbert at NOAH (r.herbert@noah.co.uk).
Extra copies are also available to order now, for £42. There are special prices for bulk orders.
The Privy Council has dismissed the appeal of a Lincolnshire veterinary surgeon against the RCVS Disciplinary Committee's decision to strike him off the Register in January 2011 for serious professional misconduct.
At a two-week Disciplinary Committee hearing in January, Joseph Lennox Holmes of Waltham Veterinary Clinic, Grimsby, was found to have advised on and undertaken surgical procedures without sufficient clinical grounds or consideration of alternative treatment options; failed to obtain the informed consent of his clients; undertaken procedures outside his area of competence; failed to refer or discuss the option of referral to a specialist; and, failed to provide his patients with adequate pain relief. These findings related to two separate complaints and a total of 31 charges, of which 28 were found to amount to serious professional misconduct.
The Appeal was heard by Baroness Hale, Lord Wilson and Lord Kerr on 1 November 2011, and their judgment was delivered on Tuesday by Lord Wilson.
There were two principal parts to Mr Holmes's appeal: firstly, that RCVS procedures for investigating and determining complaints were biased against him and infringed his human right to a fair hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal; and, secondly, a number of complaints about the DC's findings and conclusions.
According to the RCVS, their Lordships recognised that the College's regulatory framework was constrained by the existing Veterinary Surgeons Act and "support[ed] statutory reform so as to enable members of the disciplinary committees to be chosen from outside the council"; but, they were satisfied that the College had made "strenuous attempts" to ensure its disciplinary procedures were fair and in accordance with human rights legislation.
They also remarked that the College had made "elaborate efforts" to separate the membership and work of the three RCVS Committees that produce guidance, investigate complaints and adjudicate on complaints, respectively. Their Lordships considered that "a fair-minded and informed observer [having considered all the facts] would not conclude there was a real possibility that the DC was biased against Mr Holmes".
Their Lordships also dismissed all of the 'deficiencies' that Mr Holmes had sought to identify in the DC's findings and conclusions. They generally preferred the College's evidence, witness accounts and expert witness testimony, and felt the DC had correctly considered the multiple charges before it.
They also found that the expertise of the DC in assessing the standards of the profession was "entitled to substantial respect" and agreed that the only sanction appropriate to Mr Holmes' "catalogue of egregious misconduct" was the removal of his name from the Register.
"[This sanction] was the only disposal which could properly reflect the primary need to serve both the interests of animal welfare and the reputation of the veterinary profession," they concluded.
Their Lordships' decision is now subject to approval by the Crown, following which, Mr Holmes would be removed from the Register and no longer entitled to practise as a veterinary surgeon.
Hill's Pet Nutrition has reported some early results from its '60 Tonnes in 6 Months' pet weight loss campaign, which started 2 months ago.
The company says that although there is only preliminary data available from 33 practices, it's clear that the campaign is working, with each practice involved reporting on average over 10 Kg weight loss from their patients. However, many practices are holding on to send in results until their patients have reached their final targets, so more data is expected.
Hill's says that some practices have had great success using its PR kit, generating positive coverage in local newspapers. Sara Locke, Associate Customer Marketing Manager is reminding practices that January is the traditional time for 'dieting fever' to hit the headlines after the indulgencies of the festive season. She said: "If you have one of our PR kits, don't forget to send out your pro forma press release - it's not a big task to customise it with your practice details and you could find yourself making a big splash locally at a time when we know interest will be heightened."
As part of the campaign, Hill's has also produced a series of nurse webinars, the last of which was on exercise and rehabilitation programmes for overweight pets and contains tips on how to develop a personalised exercise programme that fits with the owner's lifestyle and reflects the pet's capabilities and level of mobility. The webinar can be viewed here: https://hillsvet.webex.com/hillsvet/lsr.php?AT=pb&SP=EC&rID=13881732&rKey=E1182C100CB53476
Further information is available from local Hill's Territory Managers or by calling Hill's on 0800 242438 or in ROI 1 800 626002.
The Libel Reform Campaign is asking supporters to lobby their MP to make sure that a reform of libel law gets into next year's Queen's Speech, which sets the legislative agenda for 2012.
Two cases in particular serve to highlight the impact of current law on the open discussion of medical science, that of the British Chiropractic Association vs Simon Singh (the author and Guardian journalist) and Matthaias Rath, a vitamin pill manufacturer vs Ben Goldacre (also an author and Guardian journalist).
The proposed new law will, amongst other things, help safeguard free and robust debate about veterinary science, so I urge you to lobby your MP. You can do that by clicking here.
The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons has refused to release the McKelvey Report in full, despite Freedom of Information requests made by VetSurgeon.org and others.
According to the College, it had always been the intention of RCVS Officers that the full report, which considered the building works in the Lower Ground Floor of the RCVS offices in Belgravia House, and the implementation of a new database, would be published.
However, on the advice of solicitors (Penningtons), only the recommendations of the Report were published initially, in November.
This publication followed discussion of the full report (one sentence was redacted on legal advice) by RCVS Council on 3 November.
Freedom of Information requests for the full report were then received by the College, so further, external senior legal advice was sought.
This advice, from Counsel, confirmed the original view from solicitors that it would be inappropriate to publish the report in full because it includes personal data, which ought not to be made public, under the Data Protection Act.
The College claims the meat of the report is in the recommendations, which account for approximately 50% of the report, and which are being taken forward by Officers and RCVS Council, with plans to put an Audit and Risk Committee in place taking priority.
The recommendations of the report, which were adopted by Council, were published online on 11 November and are available to download from the 'Related documents' box, above right.
The RSPCA has released details of the more eccentric calls made to the charity over the course of 2011.
Doubtless members of VetSurgeon.org and VetNurse.co.uk will empathise with the RSPCA over some of these, but do you have any better examples? If so, please email them to support@vetsurgeon.org.
The RCVS Charitable Trust has made two 'Blue Sky' grants of £20,000 each for research into feline rotavirus and equine gut bacteria.
One award has been made to Allison German and Kenton Morgan at the University of Liverpool as a Richard Daubney Research Fellowship. This will enable research to be undertaken into the molecular epidemiology and zoonotic potential of feline rotavirus in UK cats.
Allison said: "Feline rotaviruses have been identified in diarrhoeic children in Japan, Italy, Israel and America, but because of limited funding options, there has been no systematic study of rotaviruses in cats, so the prevalence, risk factors and zoonotic potential are unknown. I am pleased that the Trust has recognised the importance of emerging infectious diseases in companion animals and their potential role in animal and human health."
By assessing faecal samples from cats within Cats Protection Adoption Centres in the UK, the study aims to discover the prevalence of rotavirus in this cat population and broadly identify the strains of feline rotavirus that are circulating, including looking for any with identity to human strains. The study will also determine whether the molecular epidemiology of rotavirus in the cat population enables understanding of the diversification and evolution of rotaviruses in people.
A second Blue Sky award of £20,000 has been made to Chris Proudman and Alistair Darby, also at the University of Liverpool, to research the role of gut bacteria in horse health and disease. Called Metagenomic Analytical Utilities for Equines (MANURE), the project will sequence DNA from microbes taken from horse intestines, and analyse the diversity, composition and abundance of the microbial populations. This is expected to improve veterinary understanding of the role of equine gut bacteria, and benefit horses and their owners. Tools being developed to characterise and investigate equine gut microbiota, and findings expected, such as the discovery of novel bacteria, should also be useful to other research.
RCVS Trust Director Cherry Bushell said: "As usual, the standard of applications was very good, although we do continue to receive a relatively high number of applications for projects that the assessors judge to be more 'surveys' than genuine blue sky research.
"In deciding which research to fund, a number of factors are taken into account, such as the quality and strength of the research team, the likelihood of success, and whether a genuine gap in knowledge has been identified. For example, the feline rotavirus research could have important findings in the longer term if it is found that there is genuine risk to human health, and also shows clear potential for further study. Similarly, the equine gut bacteria study is likely to increase considerably knowledge over the longer term and to attract funding from elsewhere for further research."
Ceva Animal Health has published video recordings of its second 'Human and Veterinary Crosstalk Symposium on Aldosterone'.
Over 100 world experts in human and veterinary cardiology from 15 different countries attended the symposium, where delegates explored the similarities and differences between human and canine heart failure, and shared the latest research on the harmful effects of aldosterone.
The recordings from this meeting are now available to watch on http://cardiosymposium2011.ceva.com/, where you can also download the full proceedings.
Kruuse has announced that it has become the exclusive UK and Ireland distributor for Pulse Veterinary Technologies LLC shockwave systems, including the Versatron, Versatron 4paws and Equitron.
Shockwave therapy, otherwise known as extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT), uses a high-energy sound wave that rapidly increases pressure as it travels through tissue. It is a non-invasive modality used to stimulate healing particularly in ligament, tendon or boney structures.
Andrew Groom, Managing Director, Kruuse UK Ltd said: "This agreement widens the Kruuse equine and small animal capital equipment profile within the UK and Ireland; increasing the range of technologies available to the veterinary practitioner , whilst providing aftercare support of existing shockwave users".
Eric Goorno , Chief Executive Officer, Pulse Veterinary Technologies LLC said: "This exciting partnership will further enhance our presence within the veterinary industry and allow Kruuse UK to bring leading edge technology to its customers, building upon its strong relationships within veterinary practices".
Elanco Companion Animal Health - maker of Comfortis, the flea treatment for dogs - is hosting an online evening webinar on Tuesday 10th January to highlight what pet owners want from their vets.
The free webinar follows research into the perceptions of clients and veterinary surgeons as to what attributes constitute a 'good vet'1. According to Elanco, the research revealed a distinct mismatch between what vets think and what pet owners think. The webinar will highlight these differences and the steps veterinary professionals can take to address them. Additionally, it will provide veterinary professionals with the opportunity to learn more about Comfortis and ask questions of Elanco's technical consultants.
Presented by Alan Robinson BVSc MRCVS DMS, a business development consultant for independent veterinary practices, the webinar will start at 8.00pm and will account for two hours CPD. Veterinary surgeons and nurses wishing to book a place should visit www.thewebinarvet.com/comfortis.
For further information, please telephone 01256 353131, email elancoCAH.uk@lilly.com or contact your local Elanco key account manager.
Royal Canin has launched two new skincare diets.
'Hypoallergenic Wet' is a wet adaptation of its 'Hypoallergenic' range of diets, providing variety for the nutritional management of dogs with adverse food reactions. 'Anallergenic' dry food is for the dietary management of dogs with even the most severe dietary allergy.
'Hypoallergenic Wet' contains soy protein hydrolysate, so it can either be fed as a complete diet or interchanged and used as an addition to Hypoallergenic, Hypoallergenic Moderate Calorie or Hypoallergenic Small Dog. The wet food, available in a 400g can, can be recommended for short term feeding (for an elimination diet strategy) or for the lifelong nutritional management of dogs with adverse food reactions. Royal Canin says it is designed to be highly digestible through its low molecular weight peptides and is also appropriate for the dietary support of dogs with inflammatory bowel disease, chronic diarrhoea and Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency (EPI).
'Anallergenic' follows in the footsteps of Hypoallergenic but goes further - offering both hydrolysed proteins and a pure carbohydrate source, to which exposure is limited and therefore allergy would be rare. The diet comprises a unique protein source composed exclusively of free amino acids and very low molecular weight oligopeptides. Much like the Hypoallergenic range, Anallergenic is also formulated with essential fatty acids to help support skin health and a complex of nutrients to help maintain the barrier effect of the skin.
The fully balanced diet - suitable for the nutritional support of adult dogs either short or long-term - has proven results with 100% of dogs in a Royal Canin study showing significant improvement in their skin condition.
Gudi Stuttard BVSc MRCVS, one of Royal Canin's Veterinary Support Managers, said: "These two new products join our well-established 'Hypoallergenic' range, as well as our recently launched 'Skin Care' diets - for the nutritional management of dogs with dermatosis unrelated to food intolerance or allergy.
"By building on our portfolio of veterinary skin care diets, we aim to further strengthen our DermAlliance campaign, which is dedicated to assisting in the improvement of skin care knowledge in general veterinary practice."
Please visit www.royalcanin.co.uk for more information.
The British Veterinary Association's Animal Welfare Foundation has produced an online advice leaflet to guide veterinary surgeons through the possible scenarios in the consulting room.
'The practical and legal approach to the docked puppy' leaflet answers questions like:
Introducing the leaflet BVA AWF Chair Tiffany Hemming said: "With such complex and varying laws on tail docking of dogs this leaflet provides clear guidance for vets on how to handle the first consultation with a docked puppy.
"The leaflet includes an easy to follow flow-chart and aims to help vets tackle the subject without alienating their clients."
You can view the leaflet here.
Pedigree has announced that it has raised over £160,000 to help the thousands of dogs abandoned every year in the UK, through its charitable initiative, The Pedigree Adoption Drive 2011.
Pedigree says its fundraising comes at a crucial time, as rescue centres' facilities across the country are severely suffering under the strain of the highest level of dog abandonment in over a decade.
The Pedigree Adoption Drive, which launched in mid-October, aims to raise awareness of the ever-increasing issues of dog abandonment and funds for the hundreds of rescue centres across the country that work tirelessly to find these dogs new loving homes.
Now in its fourth year, the campaign called upon dog lovers everywhere to show their support, by taking part in the world's first virtual dog walk around the web. In addition, consumers got involved in a host of other activities - donating via text message and online, to help the Drive reach this year's grant total.
The funds raised this year will be distributed through grants to 90 rescue homes across the country - including three special grants of £15,000 given to Bath Cats and Dogs Home, £20,000 given to North Clwyd Animal Rescue and £25,000 given Birmingham Dogs Home. Every grant will be put towards projects aimed at making tomorrow better than today for dogs - including the refurbishment of dilapidated kennel blocks, desperately needed veterinary facilities and the supply of essential surgical equipment.
TV presenter and vet Steve Leonard, who is the ambassador of this year's campaign, said: "The money raised from this year's Pedigree Adoption Drive is a great example of how we can achieve so much together to help take steps towards tackling the issue of dog abandonment. The grants awarded to rescue centres this year will make a big difference in helping to find many rescue dogs, the loving homes they deserve."
Katie Wragg, Pedigree Adoption Drive Brand Manager said: "In the last four year's we've raised over £1million for rescue centres supporting the country's abandoned dogs and despite the tough economic climate, the amazing public reaction has enabled us to really make a difference to the lives of abandoned dogs across the UK and help give them a bright future."
For more information on the campaign log on to: http://www.pedigreeadoptiondrive.com/
A man who worked as a veterinary surgeon in Wiltshire, despite being neither qualified nor registered with RCVS, has received a 20-month sentence at Swindon Crown Court.
Peter Keniry (also known as Patrick Keniry), from Great Yarmouth, had been practising under the name of a properly qualified and legitimately registered veterinary surgeon, and was arrested on 23 August. At his initial hearing in Swindon Magistrates' Court, Mr Keniry pleaded guilty to charges of fraud by misrepresentation and unlawfully practising as a veterinary surgeon, and was released on bail.
At the Crown Court on Friday, Mr Keniry also pleaded guilty to additional charges before being sentenced. It is understood he will serve a number of months in prison, before being released on licence for the remaining period.
The RCVS assisted Wiltshire police in their apprehension of Keniry in August, having been alerted the previous day to his fraudulent activities. Mr Keniry is no stranger to the College or the police, having already been dealt with in 1998, 2001 and 2005 for similar offences. On each occasion, Mr Keniry has impersonated a member of the College whose name is legitimately on the Register, which makes it difficult even for practices that do check the credentials of prospective employees to pick up a problem.
Commenting on the recent sentencing, Gordon Hockey, RCVS Head of Professional Conduct said: "We are satisfied that the Court has clearly recognised the risk posed to both animal welfare and public safety by bogus veterinary surgeons. Anyone working as a veterinary surgeon when not qualified to do so, risks a custodial sentence.
"Mr Keniry's continued pattern of re-offending shows him to be a very convincing fraudster. By publicising his photograph, we hope to help any potential employer or locum agency reduce the chances of this happening again," he added.
BSAVA has launched its Postgraduate Certificate website.
The site contains all of the online materials and activities which support the BSAVA postgraduate certificates. The BSAVA says students enrolled on the programmes will find it invaluable.
There are also sections of the site for those who have agreed to act as mentors for students enrolled on the programme, and exclusive material for BSAVA members who missed out on enrolment in 2012, but have pre-enrolled for 2013.
The BSAVA Postgraduate Certificate website may be found via the CPD section at http://www.bsava.com/ (direct link http://www.bsavaeducation.co.uk/). If you would like to know more about the BSAVA Postgraduate Certificate programmes, please email certificate@bsava.com.