A new equine parasite supplement to the online peer-reviewed publication Parasites and Vectors has been published by Fort Dodge.
Entitled "Equine parasites: diagnosis and control - a current perspective," it contains papers on a range of topics including a major European resistance study into key anthelmintic molecules. It is authored by equine parasitology experts and opinion leaders from around the world and was first published in September 2009. It is freely available at http://www.parasitesandvectors.com/
The RCVS is seeking candidates to run for election to the RCVS and VN Councils.
There are six seats on the RCVS Council and two on the VN Council due to be filled in the 2010 election. Candidate nominations must be received by 31 January 2010; voting papers will then be distributed to all veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses eligible to vote, the election held in March and the results announced early in May. Those elected will take their seats at RCVS Day in July to serve four-year terms.
Jane Hern, RCVS Registrar said: "Like us or loathe us, what the RCVS does impacts directly on the lives of veterinary surgeons and nurses, their clients and patients. Getting regulation right is something that all Members and Listed/Registered VNs have power to influence.
"We know from the reaction we get when we propose changes or ask for your comments that vets and VNs are not backwards about coming forwards," Jane continued. "There has been a substantial rise in the number of vets voting, since a low point in voter turnout was reached in 2002. So, if you know someone you think is up to the job, why not persuade them to stand?"
All prospective candidates need to provide the signatures and registered/listed addresses of two proposers, and should also submit a short biography, 'manifesto' and photograph for inclusion in the elections booklets. Nobody can nominate more than one candidate, and no current member of the RCVS Council or VN Council may nominate anyone.
Newly elected RCVS Council members should expect to sit on at least one committee which, together with Council attendances, means a time commitment of at least six to eight days a year. Those elected to the VN Council should expect to spend approximately six to eight days attending Council meetings, working parties and subcommittees. Both RCVS Council and VN Council members are permitted to claim certain expenditures arising from Council-related duties and their employers can also claim a standard day-rate for loss of earnings.
Nomination forms and full details relating to RCVS Council nominations can be downloaded from www.rcvs.org.uk/rcvscouncil10 or obtained by contacting the Executive Office (020 7222 0761 or executiveoffice@rcvs.org.uk). Nomination forms and details relating to the VN Council will be online shortly at www.rcvs.org.uk/vncouncil10 and can also be requested from Annette Amato (020 7202 0788 or a.amato@rcvs.org.uk).
All nominations must be made in writing on the prescribed form and received by the Registrar on or before the closing date of 31 January 2010.
Millpledge has launched Dermafuse Tissue Adhesive, an n-butyl cyanoacrylate medical adhesive used to bond tissue together following veterinary procedures.
Dermafuse contains a blue dye to help users see where product has been applied.
On contact with body tissue, Dermafuse changes from liquid to solid state by polymerizing within seconds to seal the wound.
Millpledge says the adhesive stops minor bleeding and binds wound edges, which may eliminate the need for sutures or bandages. In some instances it also acts as a barrier to keep foreign matter from entering the wound. The tissue adhesive is sloughed as healing occurs.
Each 3g bottle contains approximately 175 drops. Four sterile applicator tips are provided with each pack.
The Royal () School of Veterinary Studies at the University of Edinburgh has awarded its 2007 Marbocyl Achievement Award to Geoff Culshaw, BVMS, CertVC, MRCVS, Head of the School's small animal cardiology unit, and Diane MacDonald, VN, Head Nurse in the Hospital for Small Animals.
Companion Care has launched a new section on its website for vets and nurses that want to know more about current partnership and career opportunities in its small animal veterinary surgeries.
The new section includes:
Companion Care Services Managing Director, Jane Balmain added: "Our business goes from strength to strength, confirming that we are here to stay and present a genuinely attractive option for vets and nurses looking at different routes to business ownership. The Group, which now numbers 39 surgeries across the country, is forecast to turn over in excess of £28 million this year, and is achieving annual like-for-like sales growth of 17%. We estimate that dividend payments to our 50 plus partners will total £1.5 to £2 million this year."
Just had an e-mail from TV production company Fever Media, forwarded to us by the BVA. It's looking for vets to appear on a new programme for Channel 5 called Animal House.
"Animal House is a four to eight week television event set in a clinic (a studio set built on location or incorporating an existing practice) where a team of animal experts deal with the variety of animal problems and ailments seen in the day to day running of a veterinary practice.
We will have a broad range of experts on hand to deal with a wide variety of animals and ailments. We are looking for all kinds of animal experts - from vets to animal behaviorists to psychologists."
Anyone interested needs to contact Chloe Sarfaty on: 0207 428 5744 or by email: chloe.sarfaty@fevermedia.co.uk
Horse owner Cate Ashton has launched a new website http://www.manage-my-horse.com/ for 'conscientious horse owners, yard managers and equestrian professionals'.
The impressive-looking (and free) site allows members to record almost every facet of their horse's life in one place - breeding, training and exercise journals, accident and rehabilitation records, health, wellbeing, worming, vaccination and medical information, weight and condition scoring, competition records and all expenses and income.
In addition there is a diary to store appointments, an address book for personal and business contacts and a forum. The feed section allows for management of diet and nutritional needs and the reporting section gives printouts and reports instantly.
Worth recommending to your clients?
The RSPCA has come out against Slentrol, Pfizer's new dieting drug for dogs, in the Daily Mail this week.
The charity's senior scientist, Dr Jane Cooper told the Mail that the drug could cause side-effects such as vomiting and diarrhoea, and that the tests needed to bring the drug to market had led to the suffering of many dogs, cats and other animals, some of which were subsequently put down.
Given that just about every drug has potential side-effects and all are required by law to undergo testing, it seems the only purpose of these highly emotive and calculated comments is to inflict the maximum damage to Pfizer.
In an ideal world, all dog owners would feed their pets correctly, and take them for a brisk walk every day. But we don't live in an ideal world, and the reality is that whatever the RSPCA has to say on the matter, there will remain a significant number of pet owners that only ever get off their backsides to go and get themselves a beer, and the dog a treat.
Is it right or responsible that the RSPCA should, through this kind of statement, deny these animals some relief from their owners? Is it responsible for the RSPCA to pan a drug the moment it comes to market, or would it have been a more pragmatic move for the charity to work behind the scenes to try and ensure that it is used appropriately?
To discuss these issues, and the broader question of lifestyle drugs, visit the VetNurse 'Life In Practice' forum now.
Here's the latest horror to hit the shops in time for Halloween this year:
Form an orderly queue please, everyone.
The Kennel Club has been working with Petlog and the people behind: http://www.themissinglist.co.uk/ to provide a new service to help track down missing pets. Not sure whether it'll take off or not. These sorts of initiatives rely on massive public awareness, and going on the volume of 'lost' and 'found' listings on the site, they still have some way to go.
Response Medical, a leading UK healthcare supplier, today launched SuretyTM Needle.
It's a new retractable safety needle developed specifically to address the growing threat of needlestick injuries - the second most common cause of accidents to NHS staff.
VRCC veterinary referral centre, the leading European veterinary cancer treatment centre, has announced that it has installed what is believed to be the first and only new 'Human' CT scanner in a UK private small animal veterinary centre, at a cost of nearly £500,000. The announcement came less than a year after the centre's 6 million volt linear accelerator went online - currently the only veterinary radiotherapy facility in the UK. Apart from routine scans required by all the clinicians at the centre, VRCC also takes referrals in medicine, surgery and oncology. Its CT will also be used in conjunction with the linear accelerator, offering sophisticated cancer treatments previously not available in the UK. In another first for VRCC, the centre has appointed Tom Jackson BSc Radiography (T), a therapeutic radiographer from Guys & St Thomas Westminster, a centre of excellence in oncology. Tom will be working under the direction of the centre's clinical director, Dr Susan North, the most highly qualified and experienced veterinary oncologist in the UK and the only qualified radiation veterinary oncologist in the UK. For more information about the referral services available from VRCC, visit http://www.vrcc.co.uk/, or ring 01268 564664.
Following the latest postal strikes, Petplan is warning vets and customers there may be some delay in policy information and claim cheques reaching them. Royal Mail has suggested that it may take three weeks for them to clear all outstanding items, which means that for Petplan, and other companies in the industry, insurance documentation, claim forms and claim settlements may be delayed. Simon Wheeler, Head of Marketing at Petplan said: "We're asking all vet practices to remind customers that there may be a delay in receiving insurance documentation by post. We're asking for patience and understanding as we know it is a frustrating time. Before requesting claims cheques, insurance certificates and other policy documentation are reissued, we would suggest your customers give the documentation a little more time to get through given the post backlog." Petplan has also recently launched an online Claims Tracking service, a new way for policyholders to find out how their claim is progressing by enabling them to view their claim status on the Petplan website. Online Claims Tracking will show clients when their claim form has been received, if it has been assessed and when it is expected to be settled. Petplan customers just have to enter their policy number and postcode on http://www.petplan.co.uk/claimsTracking/claimsTracking.asp. Alternatively Customer Services can be contacted as always on 0845 071 8000 between 8am and 8pm Monday to Friday, 9am and 1pm Saturday or by emailing petplan.info@allianz.co.uk
Interesting research from The Pet Market, a new market assessment report from market intelligence providers Key Note Ltd., which shows that the decline in pet ownership over the last ten years is being offset by an increasing trend towards pampering pets. According to Key Notes exclusive research, the number of respondents that owned any type of pet fell from 48% in February 2005 to 40% in February 2007. However the total market for pet products, including insurance, was £2.2bn in 2006, and increase of 11.1% on 2002. Factors cited by Key Note as behind the drop in pet ownership included the trend towards smaller households and busier lifestyles. However, this has been offset by growing divorce rates, and an increase in people living alone who buy a pet for companionship. There has also been a trend towards having children later, with many people buying pets as 'surrogate children'. In both cases, owners seem to be prepared to spend more on their pet, for example buying them Christmas presents as they would for a friend or child. The survey also revealed that 89% of owners are prepared to spend 'a bit extra' on premium food for their pet, in order to ensure it provides all the nutrients it needs. Interestingly, it was those in the lower social grades that were prepared to spend more on pet food: 97% of DEs, versus 83% of ABs. Fewer than 7% said they looked for the cheapest pet food available. 58% of owners said they only bought accessories when absolutely necessary. Despite this, half bought items such as toys at least twice a year. Key Note predicts no major changes to these trends over the forthcoming 5 years. The full report can be bought from Key Note for £880. Telephone 0208 4818750, or email: sales@keynote.co.uk
Following the launch of its equine range to the UK, Grand Meadows Animal Health has announced the launch of a range of canine food supplements, including: Mobility, Grand Tranquility, Grand Vitality, Grand Coat and Grand Complete. New stockists will also be given a 25% discount to kick off the relationship, and will be provided with a striking counter display. Grand Meadows products are distributed exclusively by Horse Specialities in the UK - contact Simon Haythornthwaite on 07899 953683 / 01772 682045, or info@horsespecialities.co.uk for further information.
The final count isn't in yet, but it looks like it's been another record year for attendance at BVNA Congress. Organisers (pictured on the BVNA stand, left to right: Caroline, Angie, Hon. Secretary Lisa Cooper, Alison, Lisa) report that 2044 delegates had pre-registered. More showed up on the day.
TV vet, Dr. Scott Miller gave an entertaining and amusing speech at the Congress opening ceremony.
Jane Barlett BSc Hons VN of Orwell Veterinary Group (pictured left, below), Ipswich, has won the "2007 Hill's Veterinary Healthcare Advisor of the Year" award.
The award was announced by Libby Sheridan, Veterinary Affairs Manager at Hill's (pictured right, below), at the VHA dinner dance at the BVNA Congress.
The RSPCA has just published the report: The Welfare State: Measuring Animal Welfare in the UK 2006, a statistical analysis of animal welfare in the UK. The annual report considers 35 animal welfare indicators relating to wildlife, farm animals, research animals and pets. Key findings concerning pets include:
Other main findings include:
There is more available on the website http://www.animalwelfarefootprint.com/, including a questionnaire to test your own 'animal footprint'.
Hot on the heels of research showing that pets are more pampered, comes the news from Debenhams Pet Insurance of a trend towards pets being given the same names as children. Whereas in days gone by a dog would perhaps wag its tail in response to ‘Rover' or ‘Bonzo', Debenhams online pet cover service has found that dogs covered under its policies are more likely now to be called ‘Jack', 'Max' or 'Charlie', all of which are amongst the most popular names for boys. Similarly, 'Sophie' is the 4th most popular name for cats, and the 6th most popular for girls. Anthropomorphism gone mad? Maybe. But it can only be good news for veterinary practice and standards of petcare if owners are increasingly viewing their pets as one of the family, or as a 'surrogate child'.
An unprecedented outbreak of fleas and ticks in Britain, posing risks to human and animal health, is being blamed on climate change, the wet summer and tougher strains of pests. Experts also warn the problem is set to worsen as autumn provides ideal conditions for the disease carrying parasites. The warnings are made in a new report: "Infest-Nation: the ProMeris Parasite Report 2007" from Fort Dodge Animal Health. In it, a survey of environmental health officers shows one in six reporting a 200% rise in cases involving fleas and ticks in their borough in the last five years. One in four said their borough was now issuing warnings on the subject to the general public. More than one third of the nationwide sample of 2000 vets, environmental health officers and cat and dog owners questioned noticed a rise in ticks and fleas in the last five years. Key findings included:
The Company of Animals has launched a new range of battery-powered, illuminated dog leashes and collars called Visiglo. Available in 5 designs ('Bones', 'Macaroni', 'Paws', sport stripe and flashing LED), these look to me at least like an accessory that could sell really well in practice. They look nice, serve a useful purpose (as well as making the dog more visible to traffic, the collars would presumably make it much easier to see where he's gone when out walking off the leash after dark). There's a video here.
Plus, with Christmas coming up, it's the ideal stocking filler for all those people that do their houses up like Blackpool Pier, and want the dog to look like a Christmas tree. Visiglo is (or will be shortly) available from the veterinary wholesalers.
Petplan has issued a last call for entries to the 2009 Petplan Veterinary Awards, and announced that comedian Jason Manford, best known as team captain on Channel 4's 8 out of 10 Cats, will be the compere.
The Veterinary Awards aim to honour the special stars within the veterinary profession and nominations remain open under four different categories:
Petplan says it has already received hundreds of nominations from clients and industry professionals alike. To make sure your colleagues are considered for the accolade log onto www.petplan.co.uk/vetawards to nominate. Entries must be in by 6th February 2009.
The Petplan Veterinary Awards are to be held on Thursday 2nd April on the first evening of BSAVA.
Two veterinary nurses are looking forward to expanding their career horizons thanks to a bursary from Pfizer Animal Health.
Donna Buzzeo RVN and Serena Fox (who holds an Australian certificate in Veterinary Nursing) were judged to be the strongest candidates because of the commitment they had already shown to developing their skills in dentistry. The bursary, worth £1500 each will allow both nurses to enrol for the BVNA Certificate in Dentistry course and covers course and examinations fees as well as a substantial contribution towards travel or accommodation during the residentially based parts of the course.
Donna Buzzeo works at Mulberry Court Vets in Sudbury with vet Gerhard Putter who is studying towards a diploma with the European College of Veterinary Dentistry. Since the practice has a special interest in dentistry and oro-facial surgery, Donna has been able to develop her skills further and she is currently running a successful programme of nurse clinics promoting oral health. Both Gerhard and Donna have completed the AntirobeTM Dental Leadership courses for vets and nurses respectively. This distance learning course is available through Pfizer's Territory Managers and is recognized as providing 10 hours of CPD time.
Serena Fox has been working towards increasing her knowledge of dentistry for some time while working at the Well Pet Clinic in London. She has attended a dentistry workshop and given talks to other staff members based on her new learning and in 2008 attended the Nursing Masterclass in Dentistry at BSAVA Congress where she found out more about the Certificate.
Marcon Tigges, Antirobe Product Manager commented, "For many years now we have awarded this bursary to champion the cause of further learning in dentistry and also to encourage nurses who want to progress their careers. We wish Serena and Donna the best of luck with their course."
For further information on the Antirobe Dental Leadership course nurses and vets can contact their Pfizer Business Account Manger.
Dechra Veterinary Products is running a competition for veterinary nurses and practice staff to win a luxury spa weekend with four guests to the value of £900.
For three months all correct entries in the Vetivex competition will also be entered into a monthly draw. Veterinary nurse Alix Berry, from The Vet, Rothwell, Leeds has won £50 worth of high street vouchers in the first monthly draw, by correctly answering questions on fluid therapy.
Of the 500 entries in November, three runner up prizes of £25 high street vouchers and five prizes of £15 high street vouchers were also awarded.
The monthly draw will be repeated in December 2008 and January 2009 and the grand competition prize will also be drawn at the end of January 2009 to win the luxury spa weekend.
For a copy of the entry form, call Becky Morris at Dechra Veterinary products on 01743 441632 or for an electronic version email: marketing@dechra.com.
Dogs at a Shropshire rescue shelter received an early Christmas present when students from Harper Adams University College handed over more than £800 to help care for them. Veterinary nursing students from all years of the HND and degree courses took part in sponsored dog walks in October and November at the Dogs Trust home at Roden, raising money for the charity and lightening the load for the staff and volunteers there.
Three final year students visited the kennels this week to hand over a cheque for the funds raised.
Despite the credit crunch, which has led to an increase in the number of dogs in need of new homes, the students' friends and families, and college staff dug deep to support them to the tune of £825.67.
Home Manager Louise Campbell was ‘overwhelmed' by the sum raised and said: "I'd like to thank all the students and everyone who helped them to raise this much money. It's an amazing amount and will make a real difference to the dogs. It's not often I'm stuck for words, but this is just wonderful, thank you so much! I hope you had fun doing it."