Merial has announced that it has joined forces with the Animal Health Trust to hold Equine Flu Awareness Month in April. 

Organisers say that the aim is to increase awareness, understanding and virus surveillance of this highly contagious evolving disease.  

The AHT’s head of epidemiology and disease surveillance, Dr Richard Newton said: "The creation of Equine Flu Awareness Month is an important step forward for the equine industry. There have been 52 recorded outbreaks of equine influenza in the last two years, and whilst this may sound considerable, we believe it’s actually just the tip of the iceberg."

Equine Flu Awareness Month will integrate the Horserace Betting Levy Board (HBLB) Equine Influenza Surveillance Programme at the AHT with disease outbreak alerts and horse owner education to increase awareness of flu surveillance and vaccination.

The surveillance programme provides ongoing free sampling to all practices registered to the service. 

Richard added: "We are fortunate that the HBLB invests in this important scheme which also benefits the industry as a whole. We know that just 40% of the total UK herd is vaccinated, so when you consider that all racehorses and many other competing and performance horses are vaccinated under compulsory rules, that leaves the remainder of the herd even less protected and the total percentage well short of the 70% required in order to prevent an epidemic¹^,².

"All isolated viruses in the recent outbreaks are known to be of the Florida Clade 2 sublineage of H3N8 equine influenza, and nearly all outbreaks were in unvaccinated horses or in those whose vaccinations were not up to date³. 

"Historical models indicate that an epidemic occurs every 10 to 15 years⁴. The last large outbreak in the UK, which affected vaccinated racehorses, occurred in 2003, so surveillance of virus activity, vaccination and development of vaccines to match the circulating strains are key to preventing another outbreak.

"Many horses that don’t travel are still at risk of equine influenza, but frequently go unvaccinated. These animals are not only at risk of contracting and amplifying virus from their stable-mates that do travel, but are also at risk of airborne infection as equine flu is capable of travelling over a mile as an aerosol on the wind." 

Equine Flu Awareness Month will include a focus on practice vaccine amnesties and practice promotional tools with the objective to increase awareness among horse owners, for them to better understand the risks and signs of equine flu. 

Louise Radford MRCVS from Merial said: "In addition to the HBLB funded surveillance scheme providing free registration and virus testing, other services include Tell-Tail™ alerts for practices when there is an outbreak in the region, and Tell-Tail™ links to alert clients to outbreaks of equine flu and encourage them to vaccinate."

She added: "Tell-Tail™ Links is a great way to let your clients know when there is an increased risk of equine flu due to an outbreak in the area. When the first broadcast was launched, a text was sent from a practice in Cardiff to 777 horse owners and within 2 weeks, 47 new horses were booked in for a primary vaccination course." 

As part of the initiative, Merial is also running a draw to win one of three BEVA vouchers worth up to £1000. To enter, sign up or renew your Tell-Tail™ registration during April 2016 at: www.equinefluawareness.com. 

To sign up to the free HBLB Equine Influenza Surveillance Service run by the AHT, visit: www.equiflunet.org.uk

References

1. Baker D. Equine Vet J 1986;18(2):93–96. 
2. Merial Proactive Insight benchmarking 2015.
3. Equiflunet. Available at: http://equiflunet.org.uk/ (Accessed December 2015).
4. Elton D, Cullinane A. Equine Vet J 2013;45(6):768–769

RCVS Knowledge has announced the official launch of Veterinary Evidence – a new resource designed to unite practitioners interested in promoting and using the principles of evidence-based veterinary medicine (EBVM) within practice.

Veterinary Evidence – which is supported by the RCVS – represents RCVS Knowledge’s wider mission statement of providing the veterinary community with practice relevant, evidence-based information resources. Papers and publications are now available for use, completely open-access.

Veterinary Evidence aims to become the go-to portal for evidence-based veterinary information, promoting and publishing peer-reviewed papers alongside discussion of EBVM through opinion, clinical and methodological articles.

The site will host a wide range of material – from randomised controlled trials to case studies, Knowledge Summaries and interviews. The content is designed to educate readers in research techniques, responding to the desire amongst many veterinary professionals to become involved in effective practice-based research – including critical appraisal and clinical audit. 

Jacqui Molyneux, Chair of the RCVS Knowledge Board of Trustees said: "As a practising veterinary surgeon I, along with many others, recognise the emerging importance of evidence-based veterinary medicine and I believe it will become more and more important as time goes on. We all wish to do the best for our patients but how do we find out what the current ‘best’ is? That’s where this portal will become so useful; collecting and publishing articles that directly help practising vets and nurses to answer that question."   

Bradley Viner, the President of the RCVS and a Trustee of RCVS Knowledge, said: "The College was very happy to support our charity partners at RCVS Knowledge in launching this excellent new resource which will be relevant to all veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses in clinical practice. Furthermore, clinical governance is now firmly established as an important principle in the Code of Professional Conducts for both professions and so, by encouraging practitioners to undergo a continuing process of reflection, analysis and improvement, Veterinary Evidence will also be helping them fulfil their professional responsibilities." 

Access the full site at: www.veterinaryevidence.org

The RCVS and the BVNA have launched VN Futures, a companion project to Vet Futures, which aims to draw up a blueprint for the future of the veterinary nursing profession.

One of the recommendations of the Vet Futures report (Taking charge of our future: a vision for the veterinary profession for 2030), which was published in November 2015, was to “encourage veterinary nurse leaders to develop a report and recommendations which are directly relevant to veterinary nurses and their future...”.

Following a joint meeting between the RCVS VN Council and the Council of the BVNA in October 2015, it was decided that a ‘VN Futures’ project would provide the relevant leadership and engagement to achieve this.

An initial meeting with a broad range of stakeholders took place at the RCVS on 7 January 2016, and, following this, a VN Futures Action Group has now been established to take the project forward, with the aim of delivering an action plan at the Vet Futures Summit in the summer.

The Action Group includes a mix of individuals involved in the training, representation, regulation, employment and management of veterinary nurses. The biographies of the team are available at www.vetfutures.org.uk/vnfutures.

The timeframe under consideration for Vet Futures is until 2030, however, it was considered that a five-year timeline may be more appropriate for veterinary nursing, given that it’s a younger profession, the retention rate is lower, and the training cycle is shorter.

The VN Futures project is running a series of evening meetings to engage with VNs and those involved in the profession, as follows:

• 14 March, University of Bristol, Langford, Bristol BS40 5DU
• 18 April, the College of Animal Welfare, Topcliffe Close, Capitol Park, Tingley, Leeds WF3 1DR
• 11 May, Edinburgh Napier University, Sighthill Campus, Edinburgh EH11 4BN
• 17 May, Nottingham Belfry Hotel, Mellors Way, Notts NG8 6PY, this will be a discussion stream within an RCVS Regional Question Time meeting
• 31 May, SSE SWALEC Stadium, Cardiff CF11 9XR, this will be a discussion stream within an RCVS Regional Question Time meeting

The meetings are free to attend and will start at 6.30pm, with a buffet supper. For more information and to register, please visit: www.vnfutures.eventbrite.com

Liz Cox, Chair of the RCVS VN Council, said: “The VN Futures project aims to deliver an action plan that will help take the veterinary nursing profession into its next phase of development. With the new Charter now in place, and a willingness from Defra to review Schedule 3, the time is ripe for us to take control of what happens next.

“The key to VN Futures’ success will be collaboration – I am delighted that we are working with the BVNA on this, together with other representative bodies – and also engagement: we want to hear VNs’ aspirations for their profession to ensure our action plan is as relevant and far-reaching as possible. I look forward to seeing a good turn-out for our roadshow events.”

Sam Morgan, BVNA President, said: “BVNA is delighted to be working alongside RCVS VN Council on this project. We fully believe in the importance of the veterinary nurse within practice and think this project can help shape the future of the profession. Being involved in the Vet Futures project, via BVA, was an eye-opener, and that only just touched on our own profession; we now have the chance to look at veterinary nursing specifically, and it is an opportunity not to be missed. Knowing where we want to take the profession will make it so much easier to reach the goal.”

Elanco Animal Health has launched #PetMagicMoments, a social media campaign designed to drive engagement between veterinary practices and their clients and encourage customer footfall to veterinary practices. 

As part of the #PetMagicMoments campaign, the company is inviting veterinary professionals and pet owners to share some of the magic moments they've had with their pet on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. There's a weekly prize of a personalised photo cushion for the image that gets the most likes, shares or retweets, and a main prize draw for £500 worth of Forest Holidays’ vouchers. 

In addition, Elanco is asking veterinary practice staff to share heart-warming stories that happen in practice, using the hashtag #VetMagicMoments. The practice that shares the most popular post or tweet will win a monthly prize of a £250 restaurant voucher.

Elanco has produced a launch pack to support the campaign and promote it to colleagues and clients. The pack includes:

• A campaign guide
• Three social media ‘how to’ guides covering Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
• A staffroom poster
• A #VetMagicMoments photo-frame for each participating practice
• Point of sale material (bunting, pack of balloons, waiting room display kit, waiting room poster, window graphics)
• Sweets for practice staff

Matthew Rowe, Milbemax marketing manager at Elanco Animal Health, said: "Facebook users account for 90% of all UK social media users¹ with nearly one in four dogs and cats having their own social media feed or page². Our #PetMagicMoments campaign will build a community of pet owners, vets and vet nurses who share the love they have for their pets, while driving engagement between veterinary practices and their clients on social media and encouraging customer footfall direct to the veterinary practice which will lead to increased revenues for veterinary practices."

Elanco says it will also be sharing worming advice, pet related information, news, statistics and competitions and quizzes, which will all be available for veterinary practices to share via their own social media.

To sign up for the #PetMagicMoments campaign visit www.petmagicmoments.com and download the campaign guide.

For further information, contact your local Elanco Animal Health territory manager.

The International Veterinary Epilepsy Task Force (IVETF), a group of 26 veterinary practitioner, neuropharmacology, neuropathology and neurology experts led by Holger Volk, Professor of Veterinary Neurology and Neurosurgery at the RVC, has issued new guidelines for treating and caring for dogs with epilepsy.

The guidelines have been adopted by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) and published in the form of a ‘consensus statement’ in the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine (JVIM).

Professor Volk, who co-chaired the consensus statement process, said: "I was honoured to have been asked to co-chair such an important forum in American veterinary practice. This will be another landmark paper to help improve the care vets deliver for the patients with epilepsy, both in America and beyond.

"Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological diseases encountered by veterinary surgeons and practitioners around the world. The prevalence of the condition means there have been numerous research studies carried out over the years. But, despite such frequent research, there has been a lack of consistency when it comes to diagnosis and treatment.

"This lack of cohesion and collaboration made it difficult for owners and veterinary professionals to communicate effectively on the issue of pet epilepsy. This has led to the global veterinary community changing its approach and, in recent years, working more closely together."

Professor Volk says the aim of these latest guidelines is to provide joined up and collaborative thinking, teaching and learning on various different aspects of the condition that specifically affect America. These include the development of treatment strategies and any potential issues with chronic anti-epileptic drug treatment.

The ACVIM guidelines follow on from seven in-depth consensus statements produced by the IVETF and published open access in BMC Veterinary Research last year, outlining recommendations and classifications on all aspects of canine epilepsy. It was the first time this many veterinary neurology clinicians and neuroscientists formally agreed on the key aspects of the condition.

Professor Volk, who is also the Clinical Director of the RVC’s Small Animal Referral Hospital, added: "There is a real exciting buzz around canine and feline Epilepsy currently. Finally getting to global consensus from the international veterinary community will accelerate research and lead to improved patient care and quality of life for owners and patients alike."

Bayer Animal Health has launched its annual tick awareness campaign, this year titled 'No Bite is Right', with results of a survey which found that 44% of pet owners don't use regular preventative tick treatment. 

The OnePoll survey of 4000 pet owners, which was conducted on behalf of the company in January, also found that 60% of pet owners are worried about ticks spreading disease to their pet, and 28% have found one. 

As part of the 'No Bite is Right' campaign, owners are being encouraged to speak to their veterinary surgeon about using preventative tick products to help reduce the risk of their pet becoming infected by tick-borne diseases. 

Jenny Helm, University of Glasgow Veterinary Clinician, said: "In recent years I have noticed and been made aware from owners and other vets, of a steady rise in tick numbers across the country. With this there is an increased risk of potentially fatal tick-borne diseases being transmitted to pets. However, if a tick can be killed before it bites, this avoids the risk and provides vital protection to the pet."

Richard Wall, Professor of Zoology at Bristol University, said: "Research has shown that in recent years, tick abundance has increased and the period of seasonal activity has extended in many areas. Climate change, particularly warmer, wet winters have had direct effects on tick feeding as well as impacting indirectly on vegetation cover and creating a more suitable habitat. The increase in deer numbers, habitat modification by conservation and changes in farming practices have also all contributed to the growth in numbers."

Stella Huyshe-Shires, from charity Lyme Disease Action, says: "Lyme Borreliosis is a rapidly emerging disease in the UK and a number of experienced healthcare professionals believe the increase in reported cases reflects a genuine rise over the last 20 years, and not just increased awareness leading to more diagnosis. There appears to have been an increase in ticks and, in turn, an increase in the prevalence of Lyme borreliosis in ticks."

'No Bite Is Right' is part of Bayer Animal Health’s wider 'It’s a Jungle Out There' parasite protection initiative. A series of campaign roadshows for pet owners will be taking place this year at the Ayr, Devon and New Forest County Shows. You can find out more about how your practice can get involved with the campaign by following the conversation on www.facebook.com/jungleforpets and downloading campaign materials at www.vetcentre.bayer.co.uk.

Ceredigion veterinary surgeon Robert Alun Merfyn Evans has been suspended from the Register for six months by the RCVS Disciplinary Committee after he admitted to misconduct relating to tuberculin testing for cattle he owned and failing to register the births and deaths of cattle.

Mr Evans appeared before the Committee on the 11th February, when he admitted the two heads of charge of misconduct against him.

The first head of charge related to the fact that, between 24 June and 29 June 2013, he deliberately failed to bring to attention of Wyn Lewis MRCVS, an Official Veterinarian (OV) and fellow director of Mr Evans’ practice in Cardigan, the cattle on his farm requiring intradermal comparative tuberculin tests; that he tested certain of the cattle himself despite not being the OV for those tests and having a conflict of interest; and that he provided inaccurate and incomplete information to his practice for the completion of a report on the testing to be sent to the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA). This misconduct was then repeated the following year between 19 June and 1 August 2014.

The second head of charge against Mr Evans related to breaches of the Cattle Identification (Wales) Regulations 2007 between 4 July 2005 and 20 June 2014, namely the fact that he failed to register the birth of five calves and the death of nine cows. These were accepted as being specimen charges reflecting a much larger total number of breaches over the whole nine year period.

Mr Evans’ misconduct first came to light when a late return was sent to the AHVLA in August 2014 regarding the TB testing of 51 live animals on his farm in June 2014. When the report was scrutinised the AHVLA noticed that 26 animals shown on the return as dead were still registered, while 20 animals that were tested were not registered. When the AHVLA investigated, Mr Evans immediately admitted that he had misled Mr Lewis on two occasions and carried out his own testing despite not being the OV.

The Committee heard that he did this because he did not want it to be found out that he had unregistered cattle on his farm. Regarding the unregistered cattle, the Committee heard that this stemmed from a mistake made by Mr Evans in 2005 or 2006 whereby he mislaid a batch of around nine bovine passport application forms sent to him to register the birth of calves on his farm, a legal requirement for the purposes of animal health, disease control and safeguarding the food chain.

As a result of poor IT skills and being profoundly deaf, Mr Evans felt unable to seek support online or by telephone, was too embarrassed to tell others and, furthermore, felt that it was impossible to correct his mistake without being in breach of the law. So, for a period of nine or 10 years, he failed to register the birth of calves on his farm. His failure to register the deaths of cattle, was also caused by administrative failings. His breaches of the cattle registration regulations were subject to criminal proceedings and on 14 October 2015 he plead guilty at Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire Magistrates Court  to 14 offences for which he was given a conditional discharge for 18 months and ordered to pay costs of £1,000.

The Committee considered that a suspension from the Register would be in line with the seriousness of the charges against Mr Evans. Professor Alistair Barr, chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: "The Committee agrees that the lengthy period over which these offences took place, his betrayal of his colleague, and the undermining of the reputation of the profession and of the system of disease control, taken together with his dishonesty, make it impossible to impose a lesser sanction than suspension.

"The Committee finds that the respondent, who is a man of good character, has fully accepted his guilt, and has real insight into the seriousness of his conduct. He cooperated fully with the investigations and with the County Council who prosecuted him in the Magistrates [Court], and with the College. He made an open and frank admission about his misconduct from the outset.

"The course of conduct on which he embarked and which has led to these charges was the result of a simple mistake at a time of considerable stress to him. He was not guilty of deliberate misconduct at the outset but… what started as an innocent mistake took on a life of its own and led him to deliberate and dishonest misconduct because he did not know how to get himself out of the predicament he was in."

Professor Barr also said that there was no financial gain in Mr Evans’ actions and that animal welfare had not been compromised as the cattle were well cared for and in good health and that Mr Evans’ actions in carrying out the tuberculin tests on the unregistered cattle himself demonstrated that he was concerned about identifying any disease in his herd.

He added: “In all the circumstances the Committee has decided a proportionate sanction is that the respondent’s registration should be suspended for a period of six months.”

The Committee’s full findings and decision are available on the RCVS website (www.rcvs.org.uk/disciplinary).

Dermot Costello, a Shropshire practitioner, has been suspended by the RCVS Disciplinary Committee for 10 weeks after he admitted being dishonest with a client and falsifying records about the treatment of her dog.

Mr Costello faced four charges against him:  

• On 31 October 2014 in a telephone call to his client Mrs Green, he dishonestly indicated that Scruffy, her Border Terrier/ Collie cross, was still alive, despite knowing that the dog was dead, and told her that the practice had taken positive steps to treat and/or care for Scruffy throughout the previous night despite knowing this was false;
• On 31 October 2014, during a meeting with Mrs Green, acted dishonestly by indicating the above account was correct and failing to inform her it was incorrect;
• On 19 November 2014, during another meeting with Mrs Green, once again acted dishonestly by indicating that the original false account was correct;
• Between 30 October and 4 December 2014 dishonestly created a hospitalisation record for Scruffy which, for 31 October 2014, included records of observations and/or treatment and/or care which he knew had not been made or given and provided this false hospitalisation record to Mrs Green.

At the outset of the hearing, Mr Costelloe, a partner at a veterinary practice in Market Drayton, Shropshire, admitted all heads of charge against him.

Scruffy had been brought to Mr Costelloe for a consultation on 27 October 2014. He carried out a physical examination and arranged for radiographs and routine blood tests while also prescribing anti-inflammatory tablets for spondylosis. Scruffy was brought back to the practice on 30 October 2014 following the deterioration of her condition. Further assessment took place and an abdominal scan was arranged for the next day. She stayed at the practice overnight, but died at some point during the night of 30 to 31 October 2014.

A telephone call between Mrs Green and Mr Costelloe took place shortly after 8am on 31 October during which he told her that "they had struggled with Scruffy all night" and that, as they were speaking, Scruffy was on oxygen and struggling to breathe.

After Mrs Green said she wanted to come to the practice to be with her dog, Mr Costelloe told her to wait and that he would call her back in two minutes. He did so and told her Scruffy had died five minutes ago, when in fact she had died at some point between 11pm on 30 October and 8am on 31 October.

Mr Costelloe continued the deception at meetings with Mrs Green on 31 October and 19 November 2014 and she was given the falsified clinical records on 4 December 2014. Another meeting took place on 14 January 2015 where Mr Costelloe finally admitted his deception to her. This resulted in Mrs Green submitting a formal complaint to the RCVS on 23 February 2015. He admitted his deception to the College in writing on 4 August 2015.

The Committee decided that all four heads of charge amounted to disgraceful conduct in a professional respect as his actions contravened several sections of the Code of Professional Conduct for Veterinary Surgeons in relation to being open and honest with clients; keeping clear, accurate and detailed clinical records; and not engaging in any actions or behaviour that would likely bring the profession into disrepute or undermine public confidence in the profession.

The Committee noted that, in his statement, Mr Costelloe gave a number of reasons for his conduct, including concern over Mrs Green’s reaction to the death of her dog and concern for the young vet who was on duty when Scruffy died. However, the Committee considered that the need to be open and honest with his clients should have been put above the needs of his practice.

In considering its sanction against Mr Costelloe, the Committee heard mitigating evidence from four character witnesses called on his behalf, as well as a number of written testimonials, and also had regard to his evident remorse, shame and insight into his behaviour.

However, it also considered a number of aggravating factors, including the fact that the misconduct had premeditated elements, was sustained over a period of weeks, and constituted a clear breach of client trust.

The Committee decided that the most appropriate sanction was to suspend Mr Costelloe from the Register for a period of 10 weeks. Chitra Karve, chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: "It [the Committee] concluded that this was the appropriate and proportionate sanction in this case. The Committee took the view that the likelihood of repetition of dishonest conduct was very low. It had found no ‘attitude of dishonesty’ in the respondent. There were no risks to the welfare or health of animals. The respondent was a good veterinary surgeon and he had shown considerable insight regarding his dishonesty, for example, by actively seeking out Ms Green to tell her the truth. 

"The Committee does not condone what the respondent has done. It considers that the public interest requires that there has to be confidence that veterinary surgeons do not fabricate accounts or documents, no matter what their intentions."

She added: "The Committee has therefore determined that suspension for a period of 10 weeks is proportionate in all the circumstances to mark the nature and gravity of the case and is sufficient to maintain public confidence in the profession and to uphold proper standards of conduct and behaviour, and directs the Registrar accordingly."

The Committee’s full findings and decision are available on the RCVS website (www.rcvs.org.uk/disciplinary).

The RCVS has announced the names of the candidates standing in the VN Council elections this year and is, once again, inviting veterinary nurses to put questions to them directly in this year’s 'Quiz the candidates'.

Six veterinary nurses are contesting two places in this year’s VN Council elections, all of whom are new candidates. They are:

• Mrs Stacey Bullock RVN
• Miss Racheal Marshall RVN
• Mrs Wendy Nevins RVN
• Mr Matthew Rendle RVN
• Mrs Samantha Thompson RVN
• Miss Helen Tottey RVN

Ballot papers and candidates’ details are due to be posted to all veterinary nurses eligible to vote during the week commencing 14 March, and all votes must be cast, either online or by post, by 5pm on Friday, 29 April 2016.

To submit a question to the candidates, email it (NB only one per person) to VNvote16@rcvs.org.uk, post it on the College’s Facebook page (www.facebook.com/thercvs) or on twitter using the hashtag #VNvote16, by midday on Monday, 29 February.

Each candidate will then be invited to choose two questions to answer from all those received, and produce a video recording of their answers. All recordings will be published on the RCVS website on Thursday 17 March.

RCVS Chief Executive Nick Stace said: "Last year, all election candidates produced videos for the first time and, with over 3,500 views in total, it seemed a popular way for voters to find out more about the individuals who were standing.

"Providing a way for all vets and vet nurses to put their own questions to the candidates is now an integral part of the elections, and one which we hope will continue to encourage people to get involved and have their say."

The BVA has expressed its concern that almost two-thirds of food companies have no information on their commitment to stunning animals before slaughter – with only 4% having a "universal commitment".

The findings were published in the Business Benchmark on Farm Animal Welfare report (BBFAW, published 27 January) and also show that slaughter without pre-stunning is the only welfare measure showing a decline in the percentage of food companies that have a specific policy on the practice, down from 34% in 2014 to 32% in 2015. 

BVA has run a long-standing and high profile campaign to end non-stun slaughter in the UK, with a public petition in 2015 gaining 120,000 signatures. BVA, together with all leading farm animal welfare organisations, believes that all animals should be stunned before slaughter to render them insensible to pain. Scientific evidence supports the use of pre-stunning to safeguard animal welfare. In 2015, two-thirds of BVA members listed the issue as one of their top priorities for government. 

BVA President Sean Wensley said: "Vets and the public are united in their concern about animal welfare at slaughter. There are several positive findings on the growing commitment of food companies towards farm animal welfare in the BBFAW report, which we welcome, but the report highlights a disappointing lack of commitment towards animal welfare at the time of slaughter. The European Commission’s study of 13,500 meat consumers across Europe found that 72% wanted information about the stunning of animals at slaughter. Food companies need to sit up and take consumers’ concerns about humane slaughter seriously. People want to be assured that farmed animals receive both a good life and a humane death."

Virbac has announced the launch of Speed Trio, an in-house diagnostic test to enable the detection of FeLV (Feline Leukaemia Virus) antigens; anti-FIV (Feline Immunodeficiency Virus) and anti-FCoV (Feline Coronavirus) antibodies in 15 minutes.

The company says Speed Trio is designed to facilitate the diagnosis of immunosuppressive diseases, such as FIP (feline infectious peritonitis); when a cat tests positive for Feline Coronavirus and either FeLV or FIV it is at increased risk of developing FIP¹ and serological testing for all three diseases is the logical step.

Virbac says it has also enhanced the entire Speed range to further improve the readability of the tests and the brightness of the test bands.

Product Manager Madeline Haynes said: "The Speed range, which has been proven in practice for more than 20 years, offers a comprehensive suite of  in-house diagnostic tests, which are easy to perform and highly cost-effective to use in practice.

"Speed Trio is not only a unique test combination that helps to facilitate diagnosis of immunosuppressive diseases but also boosts client satisfaction and can support practice profitability."

Reference

1. Addie D.D (2005) Diagnosis of Coronavirus and FIP in cats. Proceedings of the NAVC 2005

Virbac has launched Propofol-Lipuro Vet, a short-acting intravenously administered and short-term maintenance general anaesthetic for use in dogs and cats. 

Propofol-Lipuro Vet contains no preservatives so its use can be repeated, even in cats, for continuous rate infusion. No age restrictions apply to the animals it can be used for and it can be administered for induction prior to Caesarean section.

Virbac Product Manager Kate Woolley MRCVS said: "Propofol is a well-established solution for short-acting anaesthesia in many practices. Propofol-Lipuro Vet complements Virbac's anaesthesia range which now offers total control of analgesia, sedation, intravenous and gaseous anaesthesia, and recovery."

Propofol-Lipuro Vet is available in boxes of 10 x 20 ml bottles.

Virbac has announced the launch of Canigen Lepto4 vaccine, which covers an additional two strains of Leptospirosis over its existing Canigen Lepto2 vaccine. 

The company says the new product is designed to give practices the flexibility to meet the needs of certain high-risk groups in the UK and in dogs which may be travelling abroad. 

Both vaccines are offered with technical training and support from Virbac. This includes a suite of educational and promotional resources to enable practices to engage with their clients and help to make informed decisions about Leptospirosis vaccination for their dog.

Sarah Walker MRCVS, Product Manager, said: "We are committed both to providing our practices with a full and flexible range of canine vaccines and to offering them all the support they need to advise their clients effectively on this important issue.  

"While Canigen Lepto2 is still perfectly suitable in many cases and provides a broad spectrum of protection, the launch of Canigen Lepto4 helps to offer a solution for those who may needed a broader degree of protection through being at a higher risk or those which travel abroad."