In a European first, Pfizer Animal Health is conducting a major study in over 2000 dogs with Trocoxil, its new NSAID which delivers continuous analgesia for a month.

According to the company, Trocoxil has already been granted a licence by the EMEA and pre-authorization studies have already shown once-monthly Trocoxil to be at least as safe and effective as daily carprofen. However, the monthly dosing regimen represents such a big step from the currently used approach of daily NSAID dosing, that Pfizer has decided to initiate the study before launching the product in order to closely monitor and manage the introduction of Trocoxil to the veterinary market.

Jolian Howell, Associate Director Companion Animal Marketing for Pfizer said: "A drug with such a unique dosing regimen should be introduced in a controlled and managed way, and this study is part of that commitment by Pfizer Animal Health."

This large post-approval study, conducted under veterinary control as a User Experience Study, will enable a similar comparison with carprofen to be made in a much larger patient population.  In fact it will be sufficiently large to provide product-specific safety information, such as any differences in the incidence of side-effects.

The randomised, parallel group study is being conducted in more than 100 veterinary clinics throughout France, Germany and the UK. Each dog will receive up to 6 months of treatment during which time it will be assessed every month by the veterinary surgeon.

Trocoxil, a preferential COX-2 inhibitor, has a unique pharmacological profile which means that a single oral dose provides continuous pain relief for a whole month.

Jolian added: "This study will provide veterinary surgeons with an opportunity to experience the benefits of using Trocoxil to treat OA continuously over a period of months. It will also give them the opportunity to assess the benefits this offers the owner."

VetSurgeon.org today launched a new initiative to increase membership of the online community, as part of which 5 vets could win cash prizes worth a total of £2000.

A new 'Invited by' box has been added to the registration form which new members have to complete when they join VetSurgeon. New members are now asked to complete this box with the e-mail address of the vet that invited them to join the community.

In six weeks time, £1000 will be given to the vet who invited the largest number of colleages over the period. Prizes of £400, £300, £200 and £100 will be given to four runners up respectively.

There is one caveat. For the prize fund to be released, membership of VetSurgeon.org must have reached a grand total of 5000 by the closing date.

I really hope that EVERYONE will chip in and invite a fellow vet, because even if you don't think you know enough vets to win the main prize, inviting just one will help make sure that a vet somewhere is going to be given £1000!

There are other reasons for supporting this initiative.

Most importantly, the more members in the community, the more vibrant, interesting, and valuable it becomes for you, its members. On top of that, once we have 5000 members, we'll be able to start investing in further development of the site to make it an increasingly invaluable tool. 

Vet practices across the UK are being urged to get involved with Pet Smile Month to increase practice footfall and attract new clients in the tough economic climate. 

Pet Smile Month, which runs during September 2009, is the world's largest veterinary-led pet health campaign and requires practices to offer a free dental check to pets by appointment during the month. The initiative aims to improve understanding of the importance of dental disease in dogs, cats and other pets and to encourage better dental care.

Over 1,500 UK practices have supported the campaign in recent years and some have reported increases of up to 10% in dental treatments in the months following the campaign. High profile sponsors; Pedigree, Whiskas, Petosan, Genitrix and Logic are supporting this year's Pet Smile Month. 

There is no cost for participating and those practices which do will receive supplies of goody bags containing samples of Pedigree® DentaStix^TM or Whiskas® DentaBits^TM, together with information leaflets, competitions and other special offers, to give to clients with their free dental health check.

Bob Partridge, the organiser of Pet Smile Month, is working with the sponsors on a major local radio publicity campaign at the end of August to raise awareness of Pet Smile Month and encourage pet owners to contact their local participating practice. The deadline to sign up is Monday 17 August 2009. Full details of how to get involved are available at www.petsmile.org or by calling 08714 24 25 26.

CEVA Animal Health, manufacturer of D.A.P.^® and Feliway^®, has launched a new marketing toolkit to assist veterinary practices in educating and supporting clients with noise phobic pets in the run up to the fireworks' season.

The new firework pack features an A3 waiting room poster, a range of colourful notice board display materials, reminder stickers and a pack of educational client leaflets.

Lucy Brett, product manager at CEVA Animal Health said: "Research has revealed that over 49% of dogs in the UK have a fear of loud noises¹, but only 50% of their owners will ask their vet for help².

"Our new marketing toolkit will help veterinary practices remind their clients of the steps that can be taken to reduce firework fear and highlight the use of D.A.P.^®, the only non-prescription product proven to reduce the intensity of fear suffered as a result of loud noises³."

As part of this year's awareness campaign, CEVA will be running a regional competition amongst veterinary practices for the best decorated waiting room.  

Copies of the fireworks' marketing toolkit can be ordered from you local CEVA account manager or by calling CEVA Animal Health on 01494 781510.

This campaign follows the wildly publicised desensitisation campaign run earlier in 2009 and will include details about using the Sounds Scary CD from Sound Therapy 4 Pets.

A new programme to help reduce the stress of pets suffering a reaction to sudden loud noises such as fireworks and thunderstorms, has been launched by the makers of Zylkène.

Intervet / Schering-Plough Animal Health, which manufactures Zylkène, a product to help manage stress in dogs and cats, has developed the programme in association with animal behaviour experts at Bristol University.

The Zylkène Sound Desensitisation Programme, to be used in conjunction with Zylkène, features sound tracks, advice, written and verbal instructions and a practice track designed to help pet owners find a long-term solution to a common and distressing problem. The CD features fireworks, thunder and lightening and gunshots sounds and includes component sound tracks to avoid overwhelming very sensitive pets.

One CD will be given away free of charge with every box of Zylkène purchased between 1 September and 30 November, while stocks last.

The Zylkène Sound Desensitisation Programme complements an educational waiting room display and owner information sheets which provide owners with practical advice and techniques to help pets cope throughout the firework season.

Melanie Dass, product manager at Intervet /Schering-Plough Animal Health, said: "The sad fact is that just under half the UK dog population reacts to sudden loud noises, as do many cats. Stress caused by unexpected sounds manifests in many ways from hiding, house soiling or attempts to escape.

"Unfortunately, if this problem is not correctly managed, firework-related stress reactions can become progressively more severe and can extend to other sounds such as thunder and even everyday noises such as car doors being slammed. Desensitisation is a proven method of changing a pet's response to sudden loud noises. This new Zylkène Sound Desensitisation Programme means we can now offer pet owners short and long term problems to a common and distressing problem."

Police have advised veterinary practices to be on their guard following a spate of break-ins in the South East, linked to the theft of controlled drugs.

PC Steve Doswell, Controlled Drugs Liaison Officer in the East Sussex police area said: "Criminal elements in the South East are targeting practices in Surrey, Hampshire and East Sussex. They may well have targeted, or will target, other practices in all of the neighbouring counties".

"Methadone, Ketamine, Alprazolam and Diazepam are all commonly-abused by drug users, and nationally there have been a lot of problems with users buying street heroin that has been cut with Alprazolam," he added.

PC Doswell offered the following advice to practices:

• The premises where drugs are held should be alarmed, preferably with direct connection to a central alarm control that alerts the local police for prompt attendance.
• Schedule 2 or 3 controlled drugs (with safe custody restrictions) must be in a purpose-built cabinet or have a valid exemption certificate (issued annually). 
• The responsible/authorised person for that practice is he or she who holds the controlled drug cabinet key. The key's use should be controlled at all times: leaving it in a pot/drawer near to the cabinet is not good practice.
• Up-to-date controlled drug standard operating procedures should be in place, and understood by all staff.
• A current Controlled Drugs Register should be kept, with the correct sections/headings and up-to-date entries.
• A list of police Controlled Drugs Liaison Officers (CDLOs) can be found on the Veterinary Medicines Directorate website (www.vmd.gov.uk/VetSQP/pcdl_officers.pdf). CDLOs are authorised to destroyout-of-date drugs, which should be promptly destroyed to limit potential risk. When visiting to destroy such drugs, the CDLO would be able to give advice to individual practices about their security, and other related issues.

More detailed information about the correct storage of controlled drugs can be found in the RCVS Practice Standards Scheme Manual: www.rcvs.org.uk/practicestandards

A new expert panel has been formed to evaluate pain management in canine osteoarthritis following a recent shift to a more integrated approach to pain and disease research.

In the past, pain and joint disease have been considered as separate areas of research, with pain perceived simply as a consequence of disease. Over the last few years, however, it has become increasingly apparent that the relationship is far more complex and that pain may be a driver of disease rather than just a consequence of it. The expert panel hopes to apply the new knowledge to the management of joint pain in veterinary practice.

The panel, which had its inaugural meeting in Paris recently, brings together acknowledged veterinary experts in the fields of pain and joint disease. Its focus will be on the assessment and management of pain in canine osteoarthritis (OA), with the objective of educating veterinary surgeons to better understand and manage pain in canine OA and thereby improve the well-being of pets that suffer from this common disease.

'Central sensitisation' is one of the latest theories that has been suggested to explain the complex interaction between pain and disease progression in canine OA. Duncan Lascelles, Associate Professor of Surgery at North Carolina State University, said that research has shown that the components of the pain pathway can change in response to a pain stimulus. Pain receptors 'up-regulate' in response to painful stimuli and become more sensitive to subsequent pain.

CNS sensitisation is likely a significant contributor to chronic or maladaptive pain; this pain leads to decreased mobility, reduced muscle support and reduced muscle function, thus leading to disease progression. In other words, joint diseases cause pain, which in turn feeds back to create more disease.

Professor Lascelles said: "The link between the clinical signs associated with OA and joint pathology is not a simple one and may be much more complex than we have previously thought.

"There is some evidence that COX inhibition reduces central sensitisation. And some evidence suggests that reducing central sensitisation may have a modulatory effect on disease progression by reducing signals going out to the periphery.

"The relationship between pain and disease progression is a very new area of research, and is at the forefront of our knowledge of how pain and joint disease are linked."

Professor John Innes, Head of Division, Small Animal Studies, University of Liverpool Veterinary School, told the meeting that OA is likely to be one of the major reasons for euthanasia of pet dogs in Europe. He and two co-investigators have performed a systematic review of the published evidence for the use of long-term, continuous NSAID treatment (at least 28 days) in OA. They found that this form of management is associated with better outcomes than short-term NSAID therapy, with no evidence of additional safety issues. This review is to be published shortly.

The expert panel comprises:

Prof Dr Stuart Carmichael, Vets Now Ltd. Formerly at: Veterinary School, University of Glasgow, UK
Prof Dr John Innes, Small Animal Teaching Hospital, University of Liverpool, UK
Dr Bernard Bouvy-Centre, Hospitalier Vétérinaire de Frégis, Arcueil, France
Prof Dr Jean-Pierre Genevois, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire de Lyon, France
Dr Carlos Macías, Centro Veterinario de Referencia Bahia de Malaga, Spain
Prof Dr Martin Kramer, Klinik für Kleintiere, Chirurgie , Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen, Germany
Dr Sabine Tacke, Klinik für Kleintiere, Chirurgie, Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen
Prof Dr Duncan Lascelles, North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Raleigh, USA
Prof Dr Herman A.W. Hazewinkel, Faculteit Diergeneeskunde, Departement Gezelschapsdieren, Utrecht, Netherlands
Dr Emilio Feltri, Anaesthetist and specialist in Pain Management, Ambulatorio Veterinario Associato, Tortona, Italy
Dr Peter Vandekerckhove, Specialist Surgeon Companion Animal, Wondelgem, Belgium

The Practice Standards Group, which comprises representatives from all of the key veterinary and veterinary nursing organisations, has updated the standards of the Practice Standards Scheme and a draft of the new Manual is now available for comment.

The Scheme is a voluntary accreditation programme that aims to promote and maintain high standards of facilities and care within UK veterinary practices. When it was launched in 2005, a commitment was made that the standards would not change for five years, unless new legislation (such as the Veterinary Medicines Regulations) required it. Following a detailed review of the standards, to ensure they continue to be relevant to current veterinary practice, proposals have been made by the Group for new standards to be implemented during 2010. 

Jill Nute, Chairman of the Practice Standards Group said: "It is unlikely that any already-accredited practices will be required to invest in additional facilities or equipment to meet the new standards.

"Instead, greater emphasis has been placed on clinical outcomes and training. For example, performance review has been introduced for all clinical staff, including the Professional Development Phase for new graduates. We are keen to hear feedback on the proposed new standards."

One recommendation is that the 'tiers' should be dropped. The categories will retain their descriptive names, for example, Small Animal General Practice or Equine Veterinary Hospital. Feedback suggests that clients, and the profession, found the tiers to be misleading.

The layout of the Manual has been revamped, to include guidance that was previously available online. Guidance for each relevant standard can now be seen at a glance. There is also an icon to indicate if documentary evidence will be required by the inspector. In addition, the new format clarifies the derivation of each standard, so that legislative requirements are distinguished from those required under the RCVS Guide to Professional Conduct and those indicated by better practice.

Membership of the Scheme continues to grow, with 126 applications to join the Scheme in the first six months of this year, representing 264 premises, compared with 61 applications in the whole of last year. There are currently 2,351 practice premises under the ambit of the Scheme - approximately 50%.

The draft new Manual is online at www.rcvs.org.uk/consultations.

Hard copies are available from Eleanor Ferguson, Practice Standards Scheme Manager: e.ferguson@rcvs.org.uk or 020 7202 0720.

The deadline for comments is 31 August 2009. Responses will be considered by the Practice Standards Group at its September meeting and thereafter by Council in November.

The RCVS Trust is offering vets, veterinary nurses and their friends chance to win a stylish small car - and support this small charity - for a mere £2.00.

On offer in this better-than-the-average raffle is a Fiat 500, the 2008 European Car of the Year winner - and described by Jeremy Clarkson as "practical without being boring". 

You can buy tickets online at http://www.everyclick.com/rcvstrust until 21 August, or ask Sarah Briggs at the Trust (020 7202 0743 or s.briggs@rcvstrust.org.uk) for a book to sell to colleagues, friends and family.

Tickets will then be entered into the Small Charity Car Draw, organised by the Foundation for Social Improvement, with the Trust receiving over 95% of the ticket price. The draw will take place on 1 October 2009. 

Vetoquinol has made changes to Zentonil®, its liver support range for dogs and cats.

New Zentonil® is the UK's FIRST palatable and divisible tablet range of S-adenosyl-methionine (SAMe) supplementation and now comes with the added benefit of choice: Zentonil® Advanced which contains pure SAMe plus silybin and Zentonil® Plus which contains pure SAMe only.

A patent pending microencapsulation technique protects the SAMe from the harmful effects of stomach acid, even when the tablet is split or chewed.

The ability to split the tablets makes administration more accurate and also makes the product more cost-effective for clients.

Vetoquinol's new Zentonil® formulations have proven SAMe bioavailability curves in a market where this particular type of data is often lacking

Simon Boulton, product manager said: "Our customers told us that they had difficulties associated with SAMe supplementation.  We have listened to their comments and provided the solutions."

The new formulations will become available as wholesalers' Zentonil® stocks are depleted.  If you wish to try new Zentonil® now, you can place an order for Zentonil® Advanced or Zentonil® Plus with your wholesaler.

For more information, please contact your local Vetoquinol sales representative or telephone the free practice support number - 0800 1698197.

The Disciplinary Committee (DC) of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons has suspended a veterinary surgeon for a period of six months for issuing two false horse passports, having found him to have been “consciously dishonest”.

At a hearing which concluded on 15 July, Andrew Dominic Illing, Director of the Chapelfield Veterinary Partnership, Norwich, admitted charges of backdating the passports of two different horses on 1 May 2008, to indicate that they had been vaccinated on 24 April 2008 against equine influenza and equine influenza and tetanus, when he knew that the vaccinations had not been carried out on that date.

The Committee heard that, whilst on a routine visit to a local livery yard on 30 April 2008, a junior veterinary surgeon at the practice, Ms Charlotte Alice Mayers, had been pressured to backdate the equine passports of two horses, owned by Mrs Scriven and Mrs Kippen respectively, because their booster vaccinations had been carried out beyond the 12-month window prescribed by the Horse Racing Authority. Ms Mayers had declined to do so and had brought the passports back to the practice to seek the advice of its Director, Mr Illing.

Ms Mayers explained to Mr Illing, both in a note and in discussion with him, that the boosters had been administered outwith the prescribed period and that she had told the owners that she was not willing to backdate the passports, one of which she had already signed. The DC heard that Mr Illing had told Ms Mayers “not to worry about it” and that he would deal with the situation. It did not surface until the livery yard manager later made a complaint, that Mr Illing had in fact signed the second passport and backdated both to 24 April.

In mitigation, Mr Illing said that he had been under considerable stress at the time, as he had been dealing with a protracted and difficult disciplinary meeting concerning a senior veterinary colleague. As a consequence of this, the Committee heard from Mr Illing’s practice partner that Mr Illing was required to take on more work than he was already performing, which was already 10-15% more than the other three vets in the practice. In addition, Mr Illing had been in a degree of pain at the time, following a knee injury. The Committee also heard evidence from a veterinary surgeon who testified to Mr Illing’s good character; and received many written testimonials.

In reaching its decision, the Committee held the view that: “the public must be able to trust certificates which are signed by members of this profession. If the public cannot trust the authenticity of such certificates, the Committee considers that public confidence in the profession would be undermined, and undermined in a very significant way.” It also cited the obligations of the RCVS Guide to Professional Conduct in terms of the integrity of veterinary certification, and the ‘12 Principles of Certification’, as agreed by the RCVS, the British Veterinary Association and the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

The Committee considered many factors when making its final decision. It did not accept that stress overbore Mr Illing’s normal way of dealing with certification, particularly where he had had a period of overnight reflection before taking the action that he did. However, it felt that the most troubling feature in his decision to backdate the certificates was that, in advising Ms Mayers on a difficult ethical issue, Mr Illing had “set a disgraceful example and wholly failed to provide her with the support to which she was entitled”. Furthermore, in backdating a certificate that Ms Mayers had already signed, he was putting her integrity at risk.

Alison Bruce, chairing the Committee, commented: “It is only by upholding the importance of each and every certificate issued by a member of the veterinary profession that public confidence in such certificates can be maintained.” She went on to say: “Without significant mitigating circumstances, false certification will result in removal from the Register. In Mr Illing’s case, having regard to all the evidence, both the oral and written testimonials, and taking into account all the aggravating and mitigating circumstances detailed above, the Committee has decided to suspend Mr Illing’s name from the Register for a period of six months.”

Vetoquinol UK is offering vets and nurses the opportunity to win a day's free CPD by entering its new Marbocyl^® P Challenge.

The challenge runs for three months with a prize each month for a veterinary surgeon's one day CPD voucher worth £300 and a nurse's one day CPD voucher worth £200 from Improve CPD.  There are also 10 runners up goodie bags available each month.

Each challenge focuses on knowledge of fluoroquinolones. July's challenge involves use in pyoderma, August's challenge focuses on respiratory tract infections and September's challenge will be on canine urinary tract infection.

Russell Roan, Vetoquinol's Veterinary Services Manager said: "Fluoroquinolones are an often-discussed antibiotic in the veterinary and medical world, but all too often they are mentioned as a class rather than as the individual molecules. This can cause the common misconception that all fluoroquinolones are the same. The Marbocyl^® P Challenge aims to address this misconception and to highlight the varied uses for fluorquinolones."

To enter, visit http://www.vetoquinol.co.uk/, click on the Marbocyl^® P Challenge banner at the top of the home page and complete the short quiz.

Veterinary surgeons who can keep it short and sweet have a chance of receiving an all (reasonable) expenses paid trip to BVA Congress this September.

The RCVS Trust is offering to pay the registration fee, plus travel, food and accommodation costs for two nights for two vets to attend the whole conference. 

The catch?  Would-be delegates must have graduated within the past eight years and be able to explain - in fifty words or less - how this support would benefit them educationally. 

Cherry Bushell, RCVS Trust Director said: "It is a bit of a light-hearted approach, however, the idea is to make relatively new vets think in a focused way about what they would get out of going to BVA Congress. They need to tell us how they will benefit educationally from the opportunity we're offering - it's not simply about financial need." 

Applicants should send an email to info@rcvstrust.org.uk before 24 August, with their name and contact details and convince the Trust, in fifty words or less, that they would get the most out of attending BVA Congress. Only the first 100 emails received by the Trust will be considered.  Registration fees will be paid directly to the BVA and all costs claimed must be reasonable.

The BVA 2009 Annual Congress will be held at the Mecure Holland House Hotel, Cardiff, from 24-26 September.  For more details visit http://www.bva.co.uk/events/BVA_Congress.aspx.