Pfizer has divested itself of its animal health business unit, which has become a stand-alone company called Zoetis. The new company unveiled its vision for Europe, Africa and the Middle East (EuAfME) region at a press conference in Paris last week.
The company says it aims to have its products, services and people as the most valued by animal health customers around the region, and the world.
Alejandro Bernal, Zoetis Executive Vice President and Area President for the EuAfME region said: "We are united around this shared vision, and we strive every day to help customers meet their real-world challenges through quality medicines and vaccines, complemented by diagnostic products, genetic tests and a range of services," said "As the largest standalone company in the industry, we are dedicated solely to animal health and focusing on our core business so our customers can grow theirs."
In addition to working closely with customers, Zoetis said it strives to collaborate with universities and other research organisations, to help advance the animal health sector and those who raise and care for animals. One example of this is the partnership with the University of Stirling, one of the leading research organisations, based in Scotland.
Professor Randolph Richards, from Stirling said: "Academia is increasingly realising the benefits of working with industry on research projects, and is concentrating on those with more direct impact rather than on pure research. In our own case, Zoetis has been able to provide resources which were otherwise unavailable to us, with funding opportunity being provided through the UK Technology Strategy Board."
Kruuse has launched a range of seven specialized sterile surgical disposable drapes and gowns developed for the surgery team working in equine clinics or hospitals.
The company says its new surgical sets have been designed so they include a comprehensive set of sterile drapes, towels, instrument covers and adhesive tapes needed to perform particular procedures:
Andrew Groom, Managing Director, Kruuse UK Ltd. said: "This exciting new range of products increase the Kruuse's equine product portfolio and develop further our commitment to provide specialist species available products to support the veterinary practitioner."
The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has dropped the requirement that veterinary practices display a poster in waiting rooms which tells clients what the top ten medicines they supply are, and their costs.
The requirement was apparently dropped, initially for a six month period, following pressure from the Royal College, which felt says it felt the poster did not entirely serve its purpose.
The requirement for the poster was brought in following the Competition Commission investigation into veterinary medicine sales in 2005, as part of a range of measures. Some of the responsibilities were enforced via the RCVS as an alternative to legislation under the Fair Trading Act, to ensure that clients have access to sufficient information to be able to decide where to obtain veterinary prescriptions and medicines.
The poster, which was outlined in the Guide to Professional Conduct, and subsequently the Code of Professional Conduct, had to include information about prescriptions and repeat prescriptions, together with the 'ten relevant veterinary medicinal products most commonly prescribed during a recent and typical three-month period'.
How 'most commonly prescribed' has been calculated has often varied - for example, by price, volume, number of prescriptions, etc - and, in addition, different formulations, brands or pack sizes of the same active ingredient could cause confusion.
RCVS President, Jacqui Molyneux said: "Having seen how this has worked in practice, we have been keen to push for change because it was felt that the list could be confusing to clients.
"We have also been mindful of the fact that the ways in which consumers access information has changed radically over the last seven years or so, with internet searches becoming more prevalent.
"These factors conspired to make the list less meaningful as a tool that allowed consumers to shop around. It is thus hoped that the removal of the list will reduce potential misunderstanding among the public."
During the first six months following the change, the College and the OFT will monitor the situation. If there is no appreciable level of complaint from the public, the change will become permanent.
The other requirements of supporting guidance to the Code of Professional Conduct Chapter 10 (Fair Trading Requirements) remain unchanged (www.rcvs.org.uk/fairtrading), and the OFT recommends that the notice advising clients that they can obtain a prescription from the practice be made even more prominent.
In addition, it remains important that veterinary surgeons communicate medicines prices clearly to their clients and other callers, and that invoices itemise individual products supplied (www.rcvs.org.uk/medicines).
Petplan has announced the finalists for the 2013 Petplan Veterinary Awards.
Now in its 14th year, the Petplan Veterinary Awards received its biggest response yet, with 11,000 nominations submitted for exceptional veterinary staff across the UK.
The finalists for each of the categories are:
Vet of the Year
Vet Nurse of the Year
Vet Support Staff of the Year
Vet Practice of the Year
Practice Manager of the Year
Isabella von Mesterhazy, Petplan's Head of Marketing, said: "As the leader in the pet insurance market for over 35 years, we have a rich history of working with veterinary practices across the UK. The Veterinary Awards is a great way to recognise and celebrate the fantastic work that goes on helping keep pets healthy and their owners happy. This year we have seen a near fourfold increase in nominations which goes to show the appetite from both staff and clients for celebrating exceptional work, it is going to be a fantastic night."
Gyles Brandreth will compère the award ceremony on the 4th April at Birmingham Town Hall.
Kruuse has announced the launch of two new two new wound dressing products: Kruuse HydroGel and Kruuse Foam Dressing.
Kruuse HydroGel is a clear amorphous hydrogel with Polyhexanide (0.04%). According to the company, HydroGel will help maintain a moist healing environment encouraging autolytic debridement and gentle removal of slough and necrotic tissue. It is presented as a single dose 15g applicator tube.
KRUUSE Foam Dressing is a non-adhesive; absorbent hydrophilic foam wound dressing coated with bacterial resistant micro porous thin foam backing. The company says it 'breathes' to allow oxygen in, expands as it absorbs exudate and conforms to shallow wound cavities. It is presented in 3 sizes: 5x5cm, 10x10cm and 15x15cm.
Andrew Groom , Managing Director, Kruuse UK Ltd. said: "Both products enhance the Kruuse's wound care product portfolio available to all customers, combined they increase the already extensive range of wound products available to the veterinary practitioner".
Both products will be on dispay and available at BSAVA 2013.
A study published by Mike Dryden - one of the world's leading parasitologists - in Veterinary Parasitology has demonstrated that spinosad (Comfortis, Elanco) provides a high level of flea control one month after a single treatment and maintains a high level of effectiveness under conditions of natural challenge following subsequent monthly treatments.
The multi-clinic, investigator-blinded study1 was undertaken in client-owned dogs provided with three consecutive monthly treatments of oral spinosad (SPN) and fipronil/methoprene spot-on (FSM). All other household dogs and cats, to a maximum of four pets per household, were dispensed the same treatment. Subsequent treatments were given when the dog returned for whole-body flea counts and pruritus-scoring on days 30 and 60, with final assessments on day 90 (plus/minus five days on each occasion).
One hundred and twenty eight dogs were enrolled on the study at 10 veterinary practices in the USA (65 in the SPN arm and 63 in the FSM arm). On day 0, mean flea counts were 57.7 (range: 10-1469) and 44.8 (range: 10-717) for the SPN and FSM groups, respectively. On day 90, 55 of the 58 (95%) SPN dogs were flea free compared with only 21/55 or 38% of dogs in the FSM group. Mean pruritus scores declined to 0.92 (6.67 on day 0) in the SPN group and 3.83 (6.33 on day 0) in the FSM group by day 90. Mean flea counts were 0.08 and 5.19 for SPN and FSM groups respectively on day 90 correlating to a reduction in flea counts of 99.9% in the SPN dogs and 88.4% in the FSM dogs. Between treatment differences were found to be highly statistically significant (p<0.0001) for every parameter measured at every time point during the study in favour of SPN.
Anna Jackson, national veterinary manager for Elanco Companion Animal Health said: "The recent study confirms oral spinosad's outstanding efficacy in controlling fleas and associated pruritus in dogs when administered by owners following natural challenge in the home environment".
For further information please contact your local Elanco Companion Animal Health key account manager or phone 01256 353131.
References
1 Assessment of owner-administered monthly treatments with oral spinosad or topical spot-on fipronil/(S)-methoprene in controlling fleas and associated pruritus in dogs. Michael W. Dryden, William G. Ryan, Margie Bell, Anthony J. Rumschlag, Lisa M. Young, Daniel E. Snyder. Veterinary Parasitology 191 (2013) 340-346
Boehringer Ingelheim has announced that its 'Talk About Laminitis' campaign will run from Mid March until the end of June.
Last year, the initiative saw over 9000 horses and ponies tested for PPID through its free ACTH test scheme. This year, to build on this success and support the testing of even more animals, the company has announced a high impact, co-ordinated campaign to drive awareness that up to 90% of laminitis cases may have an underlying endocrine cause1,2.
Once again, Boehringer is urging veterinary surgeons to carry out free ACTH blood tests on laminitic or foot-sore horses as part of the campaign, which is backed by Redwings, The British Horse Society and World Horse Welfare.
Professor Andy Durham from the Liphook Equine Hospital, where the ACTH tests are performed, said: "We are learning so much from these tests. For example, we are now recognising PPID routinely in laminitic horses and ponies as young as 10 years old, and in the spring when we might expect to see more EMS cases, where veterinary surgeons have also tested for PPID we are seeing both abnormally elevated ACTH and insulin. Unless the PPID is addressed, horses will continue to be at risk of painful recurrent laminitic episodes which is a significant welfare issue to the horse and extremely frustrating for owners."
To participate in the scheme, veterinary surgeons and horse owners can download ACTH blood test vouchers from www.talkaboutlaminitis.co.uk. Attach the voucher to the ACTH sample submission form and the ACTH laboratory fees will not be charged.
Lee Hackett from The British Horse Society said: "Without the 'Talk About Laminitis' initiative and the support of Boehringer Ingelheim, literally thousands of horses may not be receiving the appropriate treatment and management for their laminitis to help prevent recurrence. We hope as many veterinary surgeons as possible get involved this year to continue this welfare success."
To ensure that horse owners are fully aware of the initiative, a PR and advertising campaign in the equine consumer media will start in March. The ad campaign includes an infomercial on Horse & Country TV (SKY Channel 280), with viewer numbers in excess of 450,000 per month.
There will also be a live online broadcast for horse owners on endocrinopathic laminitis presented by David Rendle BVSc MVM CertEM(IntMed) DipECEIM MRCVS, from the Liphook Equine Hospital in Hampshire. The one-hour webinar, which takes place at 8.00pm on Wednesday 10 April, will educate horse owners on how the veterinary profession's understanding of this debilitating and devastating disease has been completely revolutionised over the past five years. It will be followed by an interactive Q&A session when viewers will be able to pose questions for David to answer.
David said: "As our knowledge of the two hormonal diseases responsible for the majority of cases of laminitis improves, veterinary surgeons can offer their clients more comprehensive advice on treatment options to prevent laminitis. For many owners who have struggled with this condition, this is an absolute revelation and has enormous welfare benefits".
Horse owners can register to view the online programme by visiting www.talkaboutlaminitis.co.uk.
To ensure that veterinary surgeons are versed in the most up to date research available, Boehringer Ingelheim will also be hosting a webinar for veterinary professionals at 8.00pm on Wednesday 13th March, presented by Professor Andy Durham BSc BVSc CertEP DEIM DipECEIM MRCVS. The online seminar, 'The laminitis revolution.... An update on our understanding of endocrinopathic causes of laminitis', will entitle the viewer to a downloadable certificate for one hour of CPD. To register, visit www.bi-academy.co.uk. Places are limited, so register early to avoid disappointment. The webinar will also be available to view after the event on demand.
For further information on how you can promote 'Talk About Laminitis' in your practice contact your Boehringer Ingelheim Territory Manager or call 01344 746959
1. Karikoski et al. (2011). The prevalence of endocrinopathic laminitis among horses presented for laminitis at a first-opinion/referral equine hospital. Domestic Animal Endocrinology 41 111-117
2. Donaldson et al. (2004). Evaluation of suspected pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction in horses with laminitis. J Am Vet Med Assoc;224:1123-1127.
Dr. Tracy Hill, a specialist in internal medicine, has joined the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, bringing with her expertise in interventional radiology.
Tracy completed a fellowship in interventional radiology and endoscopy at the Animal Medical Centre in New York, will be researching new techniques in this developing field.
She will also work in the clinic at the School's Hospital for Small Animals and as a senior lecturer.
She said: "Interventional radiology is an emerging and expanding area in veterinary medicine. Interventional radiology employs the use of fluoroscopy and endoscopy to enable minimally invasive treatments for diseases in many body systems. These techniques often reduce morbidity, mortality, or cost associated with more invasive procedures. The Dick Vet has been performing interventional cardiac procedures for some time and we are looking to expand this field into treatment of non-cardiac diseases."
Tracy, who carried out her residency in small animal internal medicine at North Carolina State University, where she also completed a PhD, will help the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies at the University of Edinburgh to provide interventional radiology procedures.
This includes a minimally invasive treatment for certain liver shunts using a procedure only being regularly performed at a handful of veterinary hospitals in the world. In this procedure, fluoroscopic guidance is used to access the abnormal vessels in the abdomen via a catheter placed in the jugular vein in the neck. The abnormal shunt vessel is then closed using coil embolization, without the need for abdominal surgery.
Tracey said: "I am delighted to join the Dick Vet. There is no denying the expertise at the vet school, as well as its partnership with The Roslin Institute for research."
Elanco Companion Animal Health has launched of Dexdomitor 0.1 mg/ml, adding to its range of alpha-2 agonists and antagonists.
Produced and manufactured in partnership with Orion Corporation, Elanco says Dexdomitor 0.1 mg/ml contains all the properties of dexmedetomidine in a formulation that allows accurate and convenient dosing for the smallest patients. It can be used as a sedative for non-invasive, mild to moderately painful procedures and examinations which require restraint, sedation and analgesia in dogs and cats. It can also be used for deep sedation and analgesia in dogs in concomitant use with butorphanol for medical and minor surgical procedures and as a pre-medication in dogs and cats before induction and maintenance of general anaesthesia.
Dexdomitor 0.1 mg/ml has been designed to provide accurate dosing in very small dogs (up to 5kg) for sedation and pre-medication, small to mid-size dogs (up to 20kg) for pre-medication, and small cats (up to 3kg) for sedation and pre-medication.
Ed Whittle MRCVS, technical consultant at Elanco Companion Animal Health said: "With nearly a quarter of dogs weighing less than 6kg and nearly three-quarters weighing less than 23.1kg1, Dexdomitor 0.1mg/ml is ideal for small animals that require low concentration doses of dexmedetomidine for convenient and accurate dosing".
Elanco has has also produced a sedation and pre-medication dosing guide to educate veterinary professionals on the recommended doses for its range of alpha-2 agonists and alpha-2 antagonists.
For further information contact your Elanco Companion Animal Health key account manager or email elancoCAH.uk@elanco.com.
A new study1 published in the Equine Veterinary Journal's (EVJ) special American Association of Equine Practitioners supplement has concluded that maggots can play an integral role in modern veterinary care for a variety of wounds in horses.
The study assessed the efficacy of maggot debridement therapy in a diversity of equine lesions and found that the method was beneficial in 93% of cases.
Maggots have been used for the treatment of wounds for hundreds of years. Freshly emerged, germ-free larvae of the common green bottle fly are usually used for the purpose. Their wound-healing action is attributed to a debridement effect, an antiseptic effect, a direct effect on cytokine and cell proliferation involved in wound healing and breakdown of biofilm formation. Maggots also destroy and digest bacteria and may also be beneficial in the fight against multi-drug-resistant bacteria such as MRSA.
The study involved the retrospective analysis of 41 horses with various lesions including foot injury, limb laceration, soft tissue abscesses and musculoskeletal infection. Depending on the type, size and location of the wound the maggots were applied either in direct or indirect contact. In some cases a second maggot application was necessary to reach the desired level of healing. Debridement, disinfection and healing occurred in all but three cases, in less than a week. Of the three that did not respond two were complicated by the presence of tumours and one by pre-existing damage to the underlying bone.
Olivier Lepage of the University of Lyon, who led the study, said: "These results show that maggot debridement therapy potentially has an integral place in modern veterinary wound care. It can be used to treat many types of lesions, although not those involving tumours or bone sequestration. Associated high costs present a limiting factor but maggot debridement therapy should certainly be considered for lesions that fail to respond to conventional methods."
Professor Celia Marr, Editor of the EVJ, said: "Horses often suffer from non-healing wounds, particularly in the limbs where the skin is under continuous movement and there is very little subcutaneous tissue. Although at first glance this study might seem counter-intuitive and we might think of maggots as being the last thing one would want on a clean wound, it shows that maggots can be an effective way to clear damaged tissue and this is an important adjunctive approach in equine wound management."
1The use of maggot debridement therapy in 41 equids OM Lepage, A Doumbia, MF Perron-Lepage and M Gangl. EVJ ISSN 0425-1644 DOI: 10.1111/j.2042-3306.2012.00609.x
The study is published by Wiley-Blackwell and can be accessed at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.2042-3306.2012.00609.x/abstract
Vetoquinol - makers of the NSAID Cimalgex - has announced the launch of its updated website www.CiMyDog.co.uk.
The company says the website has been developed to provide reliable online information about pain in dogs to cater for the increasing needs of pet owners and vets.
The website has two sections. The first is a pet owner focussed, educational tool which takes the visitor on a journey through the process of pain; from spotting the signs of pain all the way through to ways of relieving pain, culminating in the recommendation that the visitor seeks advice from their veterinary practice.
The second section requires registration as it contains more in depth information on the pain process and potential treatment options available, this section is for veterinary professionals only. Also on this section of the website there are many scientific abstracts related to pain and treatment with links to enable the veterinary visitor can view this peer reviewed material.
Robert Simpson, Cimalgex Product Manager said: "The internet is a very powerful tool in terms of increasing education, especially in areas such as canine pain. Unfortunately there can also be a lot of misinformation online and so we felt it was important for Vetoquinol to try and redress the balance by producing www.CiMyDog.co.uk. This can be used as a reliable and up-to-date resource by pet owners and veterinary professionals alike. -
www.CiMyDog.co.uk is a very interactive site which aims to demystify the pain treatment process, ensure pet owners look out for behavioural signs of pain and looks to improve overall canine health with assistance from their veterinary practice. We hope that this will be a valuable resource to which vets can refer their pet owners."
Ceva Animal Health has launched a new TV advertising campaign designed to raise awareness of problems owners may face in a multi-cat environment.
The Cat Cabin Fever campaign will run for four weeks.
Ceva says the 20 second TV ads have been designed to strike a chord with viewers who have more than one cat in their household, where 'sometimes sharing just isn't an option'. Highlighted in particular is the Feliway Diffuser which releases natural pheromones into a room to help cats feel at ease, allowing them to cope with stressful situations and prevent unwanted behaviour. Malcolm Laurie, head of marketing at Ceva, said: "We know that there are more than 8million cats in the UK and only 2.5million cat households, therefore the majority of households must have more than one cat. "However, cats are solitary animals, which makes living with other cats difficult at times. This campaign is focused on making the lives of cat owners and their pets as harmonious as possible, including lots of top tips on how to ease any tensions in such an environment." Ceva has also produced a multi-cat leaflet designed to give owners specific advice on how to provide the correct environment for our feline friends The advertising campaign will be supported by online competitions, marketing materials for veterinary clinics and retailers, which include a checklist for a cat friendly home, and PR. For more information, visit: http://www.feliway.co.uk/.
Davies Veterinary Specialists (DVS), the private small animal referral centre based in Hertfordshire, has installed two new state-of-the-art ESAOTE ultrasound machines.
DVS says The MyLab Twice Vet and the MyLab Class C Vet provide fast, efficient and highly accurate imaging in a wide range of applications, including high-definition abdominal, cardiac, musculoskeletal and ophthalmic scans.
The MyLab Twice Vet, with its range of probes including the broadband 18MHz linear probe, will be used for general ultrasonographic imaging at DVS. It is capable of the most refined contrast media examinations that, for example, can help to locate and identify a liver tumour that may be rendered invisible when using conventional diagnostic procedures.
The MyLab Class C will be used predominantly for advanced cardiac work, including trans-oesophageal echocardiography for interventional procedures in theatre.
Pedro Oliveira, European Veterinary Specialist in Cardiology at DVS said: "The trans-oesophageal probe is currently a very rare piece of equipment in veterinary diagnostics. It gives us the capacity to obtain unique views of the heart, especially the heart base which can be a very difficult area to examine with regular echocardiography. It also allows real-time and direct monitoring of procedures, such as deployment of devices to occlude patent ductus arteriosus, surgery and anaesthesia in critical patients."
The first patient to benefit from the new My Lab Class C was an 11-year-old, female German shepherd dog with suspected cardiac neoplasia following several episodes of haemorrhage into the pericardium. A normal echocardiographic examination identified a small suspect area but it was in a part of the heart that was very difficult to approach surgically.
However, a trans-oesophageal examination revealed that another small mass close to the tip of the right auricle was actually the origin of the bleeding. The dog underwent surgery to remove the mass and subsequently made a full recovery. Without the My Lab Class C there would have been no viable options for this dog.
Clive Elwood, Managing Director at DVS, said: "Combining the best possible on-site diagnostic equipment with some of Europe's finest clinicians enables us to provide the best possible service and outcome for our patients, across multiple disciplines."
Researchers from the School of Veterinary Sciences at the University of Bristol have had a study into domestic dogs' fear responses to noise published in Applied Animal Behaviour Science.
According to the University, the study provides an important insight into dogs' fear of noises, and could improve our understanding of behavioural signs of fear or anxiety.
In the study two approaches were taken to investigate the occurrence of, and risk factors for, behaviours caused by a fear of noise: a postal survey of dog owners to investigate general demographic factors and a structured interview of a sub-set of owners to gather more detailed information.
It seems that while owners are often aware of their pet's behavioural response when exposed to a loud noise, they do not necessarily recognise it as being indicative of fear or anxiety. This has relevance both for awareness of compromised welfare, and the methodology for surveying such behaviour.
According to the researchers, other behavioural signs, such as decreased activity or salivation, may not be as easily recognised by owners as signs of fear, and may be under-reported. Also, signs of urination, salivation and destruction may make owners disappointed or angry, and this may influence their interpretation that such behaviours are associated with fearfulness.
The risk factors for owner-reported fear of noises included:
The researchers suggest a dog's early life experience is an important factor in the development of fear responses to specific loud noises.
Dr Rachel Casey, European Specialist in Veterinary Behavioural Medicine and Senior Lecturer in Companion Animal Behaviour and Welfare at Bristol University, said: "Our results suggest that the characteristics of dogs, their early environment, and exposure to specific loud noises are involved in the development of fear responses to noises. Interestingly, less than a third of owners sought professional advice about treatment for their pet's response to noises."
Disappointingly, less than a third of owners currently seek professional advice about treatment for their pet's fear. The researchers recommend there is a need for veterinary surgeons to increase awareness among the general dog owning public that treatment is both available and effective in dealing with fears of loud noises, and to direct them towards appropriate sources of help.
Information for vets and dog owners on finding an expert to help treat behaviour problems including fear of noises can be found at www.rspca.org.uk/findabehaviourist
Paper: Fear responses to noises in domestic dogs: Prevalence, risk factors and co-occurrence with other fear related behaviour, Emily J. Blackwell, John W.S. Bradshaw, Rachel A. Casey, Applied Animal Behaviour Science, published online 22 January 2013.
Defra Minister David Heath has announced the latest bute (phenylbutazone) test results. The presence of bute has been confirmed in 8 samples out of 206 tests.
Chief Medical Officer Professor Dame Sally Davies has stated that horsemeat containing phenylbutazone presents a very low risk to human health.
Responding to these latest developments the British Veterinary Association (BVA) and British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) have issued the following statement:
"The presence of phenylbutazone (or bute) in horses intended for the food chain will be of concern to consumers who rightly expect the UK food chain to be robust. We are grateful to the Chief Medical Officer for clarifying the very low level of risk that this presents to human health and we will work with the FSA and Defra in any way we can to assist their investigations into these incidents.
"The ability to treat horses with bute is very important for equine welfare. Bute provides affordable, long-term pain relief for horses and is unique in this respect.
"The UK Horse Passport Regulations are designed to facilitate the ongoing medical treatment of horses not intended for the human food chain, whilst ensuring that these animals do not enter the food chain.
"We fully support the concept of the Horse Passport Regulations but have argued for some time that there are problems with the system in terms of the number of Passport Issuing Authorities and the vulnerability of the system to fraud. We are very keen to continue our dialogue with Defra and others to find ways to make the system more robust.
"Our members are aware of the strict rules regarding the regulation of medicines (including bute) and the use of horse passports, and in recent years we have provided clear guidance on the regulations to help both vets and their clients. These incidents will hopefully reinforce these messages amongst horse owners and all of us involved in equine healthcare."
Guidance notes are available via the BEVA website Medicines Page (http://www.beva.org.uk/useful-info/Vets/Guidance/Medicines)
The Advertising Standards Authority has decided not to uphold complaints against the Morrisons Christmas TV advertisement.
The full adjudication can be read here.
Peter Jones, President of the British Veterinary Association, said: "This ruling is disappointing but the ASA has set out its reasons for the decision and we accept those reasons. Thankfully, the advert only had a short shelf life and we hope that Morrisons is now very unlikely to make the same mistakes again. Overall, we hope the whole incident has served to educate Morrisons and the general public about the dangers of grapes and raisins to dogs."
York-based Alstoe Animal Health, maker of Gleptosil and Vetergesic, has been acquired by French company Sogeval, a leading supplier of companion and livestock animal products.
Established in 1994, Alstoe was privatelv owned by the two original partners, John Nellis and lan Ryder.
For the last five years the company has been working with Sogeval to develop flavoured tablet pharmaceutical brands from Sogeval whilst the two companies have collaborated to make Vetergesic successful in France.
The business will continue to trade from the current premises for the foreseeable future and says it will maintain its high standard of customer service and product supply.
John Nellis said: "lt will be business as usual. We look forward to continued sales growth for our existing brands and the introduction of exciting new products in the future".
Dr. lan Ryder said: "Our companies have worked very well together in the past. The acquisition will bring fresh impetus to the business and ensure continued growth"
The current Alstoe team remains in place to assist with any enquiries. For further information contact info@alstoe.co.uk or telephone: 01347 878605
Veterinary surgeons have named their top new veterinary products of 2012 in a survey carried out by CM Research.
As part of the research, 343 vets working in UK practice were asked what they considered to be the best new product of 2012. Their answers were unprompted, and they were only allowed to mention one product or service. For this reason, some vets voted for products that were launched earlier than 2012. The full results were as follows:
Hill's y/dAn iodine restrictive hyperthyroid management food launched by Hill's Pet Nutrition in May 2012 won with an overwhelming 31% of the votes. www.hillspet.co.uk
Cardalis (CEVA Animal Health)Launched towards the end of 2012, CEVA's combined ACE inhibitor / spirolactone for heart failure in dogs scored a creditable 9.6% of mentions. www.ceva.co.uk
Seresto (Bayer Animal Health)Bayer's 8-month flea and tick collar came third with 6% of the votes. www.seresto.com.
Caninsulin Vetpen from MSDLaunched in July 2012, this new insulin delivery pen for Caninsulin is designed to improving dosing accuracy, consistency and ease of use. The user-friendly pen design is said to improve initial pet owner acceptance and on-going compliance.
Atopica Cat (Novartis Animal Health)Novartis launched Atopica Cat, an oral version of its treatment for chronic allergic dermatitis, at the start of 2012. www.itchfreepet.co.uk
Comfortis (Elanco)Launched in 2011, Comfortis is a novel oral flea adulticide for dogs which kills adult fleas rapidly for a month. www.comfortis.com
Nobivac Myxo RHD (MSD)The first vaccine to combine 12 months protection against both myxomatosis and rabbit haemorrhagic disease within a single inoculation. It is a non-adjuvanted vaccine which, according to MSD, delivers greater simplicity of protocol and enhanced disease protection.
Cimalgex (Vétoquinol)Launched towards the end of 2011, Vetoquinol's 2nd generation Cox-2 inhibitor is said by the company to be very well tolerated, have an excellent efficacy profile and be very easy to use, meaning that Cimalgex allows veterinary patients to benefit from pain relief in situations where clinicians would have been worried about the risks versus the benefits of prescribing a NSAID for pain management.
Activyl (MSD)MSD's novel flea spot-on is the first to work by bioactivation, only becoming an insecticide after being ingested by the flea, thus minimising owner's exposure to insecticides. Said to be effective against the other stages of the flea life cycle, too. www.activyl.co.uk
RevitaCAM (Abbott)RevitaCAM is the first and only veterinary NSAID (meloxicam) with oromucousal delivery. www.revitacam.co.uk.
Metacam for cats (Boehringer Ingelheim)Boehringer extended its Metacam 0.5 mg/ml Oral Suspension for Cats range with the launch of a 30ml bottle size in July. www.metacam.co.uk.
Zuprevo (MSD)MSD's antibiotic to combat bovine respiratory disease (BRD) was launched in the third quarter of 2011. www.zuprevo.com
V-Gel (Docsinnovent)V-gel was the first ever species-specific supraglottic airway device (pictured top right), currently available for cats and rabbits. Billed as the latest ground breaking technology for a safer anaesthesia, easier breathing and avoiding damage to the throat and trachea; a safer alternative to ET tubes. www.docsinnovent.com
Onsior (Novartis Animal Health)The tissue-selective oral and injectable Cox-2 inhibiting NSAID from Novartis was actually launched back in 2009.
Certifect (Merial)Merial's flea and tick spot-on for dogs was launched by Ray Mears in the UK in February 2012. www.certifect.co.uk
Calmex (VetPlus)Somewhat controversial when it made its first appearance in 2011, Calmex is a feed to help dogs and cats that may experience behavioural problems as a result of their environment or situations that may cause anxiety or fear. More info.
Comfortan (Dechra)The first licensed methadone for dogs was launched by Eurovet towards the end of 2011, before it was acquired by Dechra in May 2012. www.dechra.co.uk
Hill's Vet EssentialsHill's vet-exclusive petfood range is designed to meet essential dietary needs at every life stage. More info.
Trocoxil (Pfizer)Trocoxil, Pfizer's NSAID for canine osteoarthritis was remarkable for its once monthly dosage regime, when launched back in 2009.
VerafloxBayer launched its next generation fluoroquinolone antimicrobial for bacterial infections in cats and dogs at the end of 2011.
YumoveYumove is a joint support supplement from Lintbells, containing glucosamine and chondroitin. More information.
The British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) has launched two guides to help veterinary professionals and their clients negotiate the complexities of equine insurance.
BEVA highlights that with up to 40% of horses becoming ill or injured in any one year and 25% of insured horses having a claim in any one year, vet fees insurance is a sensible way for horse owners to budget for unexpected healthcare costs.
The Veterinary Surgeon's guide to riding and sport horse insurance provides general guidelines to help vets understand the requirements and issues relating to equine insurance. It explains the three main types of insurance cover available: veterinary fees, death and permanent loss of use, as well as insurance recommendations for pre-purchase and pre-insurance vetting. The final section contains a jargon-busting guide to commonly used insurance terminology.
Complementing the vet guide is The BEVA leisure and sports horse Insurance Guide for horse owners, a handout for clients about to embark on taking out insurance. It covers the frequently asked questions relating to vets fees and death, including when and how to insure, the importance of pre-purchase vetting, exclusions and permanent loss of use.
Andrew Harrison, Junior Vice President of BEVA, said: "Whether a vet or a horse owner, understanding equine insurance can be intimidating for the best of us. The new guides should make it easier for you and your clients to understand the finer points of policies, premiums and claim protocols."
The guides can be downloaded from the BEVA website via the following links:
For additional information visit www.beva.org.uk
The British Small Animal Association has responded to Defra's statement on compulsory microchipping.
The Association says it is an advocate of compulsory microchipping as the most effective way to permanently identify a dog - as long as owners maintain an up-to-date registration on the various databases. As such it broadly welcomes the recent Defra statement.
However, BSAVA points out that the statement has come before a full and considered consultation in terms of its implementation, and says it raises a number of questions for vets in practice:
Despite the headlines around the statement, this is yet to be laid down in law and will require changes under the Animal Welfare Act and potentially the Dangerous Dogs Act, so there is still a conversation to be had about its implementation.
For this reason BSAVA has announced that it is launching a consultation with its members to establish their concerns and opinions in order to work with all the organisations involved in the best interest of animal welfare and the profession. If anyone in practice wants to feed into this consultation, they should visit http://www.bsava.com or contact BSAVA's Scientific Policy Officer Sally Everitt via email - s.everitt@bsava.com.
BSAVA President Mark Johnston said: "While implantation can be straightforward for those with appropriate experience it will be important to ensure that all those who carry out implantation are properly trained. However microchipping is not just a matter of implanting the microchip, there is a significant amount of administrative work in ensuring that animals are properly registered and that details are kept up-to-date. All of these stages need to be properly funded if the scheme is to be successful and sustainable. BSAVA will be consulting its members to gather their views and concerns and hope to be involved in a productive conversation with all interested parties."
BSAVA says there is a good news animal welfare story within this statement concerning the seizure of animals during investigation under the Dangerous Dogs Act. The new measures will allow the authorities to decide whether a suspected prohibited dog can stay with their owners until the outcome of court proceedings. Until now all such animals had to be kennelled until the proceedings had concluded, which often means that dogs who posed no risk suffered unnecessarily. BSAVA welcomes this new measure in the interest of animal welfare.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Food Standards Agency (FSA) are reminding veterinary surgeons of their legal responsibilities under the Horse Passport Regulations 2009.
The move follows a small number of horses testing positively for the presence of phenylbutazone, which, if consumed, can be harmful to human health.
Defra and the FSA have asked for the assistance of the profession in ensuring that treatment with phenylbutazone is properly recorded in Horse Passports and have said that they are working together to understand the cause of the positive tests, and what longer term measures can be put in place to stop this happening.
In the interim, all horses slaughtered for human consumption will be sampled for the presence of phenylbutazone, with immediate effect.
The letter from Defra and the FSA can be downloaded from the RCVS website.
The full advice can be read in a Veterinary Medicines Directorate/Defra leaflet, which can be found online at http://www.vmd.defra.gov.uk/pdf/leaflet_horses.pdf.
Mark Bowen, Chair of the British Equine Veterinary Association's Health and Medicines Committee, said: "The number of horses entering the human food chain from the UK has doubled since 2009 and is no longer an insignificant minority of horses. All vets should be checking horse passports and only dispensing sensible quantities of this drug, and its prodrug suxibuzone."
Meanwhile, a form is available from the British Equine Veterinary Association website for veterinary surgeons to use if the horse passport is not available, but emergency treatment is required: http://www.beva.org.uk/_uploads/documents/emergency-treatment-form-no-passport-2011.pdf
The Animal Medicines Distributors Association (AHDA) and the Animal Medicines Training Regulatory Authority (AMTRA) have both come out against the BVA's call for all anthelmintic medicines to be reclassified as POM-V, which would prevent them being prescribed by Suitably Qualified Persons (SQP).
Ian Scott, Secretary General of AHDA, said that instead of launching an attack on SQPs, the BVA should be working with them and animal owners to tackle anthelmintic resistance: "The BVA has written to the VMD to ask that all anthemintics be classified to POM-V only. This will monopolise the supply and distribution of anthelmintics for vets only. It effectively places the blame for anthelmintic resistance squarely on SQPs.
"An attempt by BVA to create a division between vets and SQPs demonstrates that the BVA is out of touch with its members.
"Both prescribing channels must work together to tackle the problem and AHDA has been working hard with vets at national and local level to ensure customers receive consistent, high quality, up-to-date and relevant advice from both channels.
"What is worrying is that the BVA attack also infers that farmer producers and equine owners are incapable of making decisions that not only affect their livelihood but cast doubt on their ability to care for their animals' welfare."
Meanwhile, Stephen Dawson, Secretary General of AMTRA said: "The large majority of SQPs deal with parasite control on a daily basis, having trained and been examined to a syllabus developed with BVA input. SQPs have to undertake compulsory continuing professional development, the majority of which includes good practice in parasite control. Therefore AMTRA has every confidence that qualified SQPs have excellent knowledge of parasitology to advise their clients on the correct choice and use of anthelmintics.
"It is important to recognise the hard work, knowledge and dedication of thousands of SQPs throughout the UK. The implication of what BVA say is that they are laying a proportion of the blame for resistance to these medicines at the door of SQPs. But the evidence isn't there: countries in Europe and elsewhere with different prescription systems, mainly though vet-only channels, still have major resistance problems. Prescription of antimicrobials by veterinary surgeons hasn't prevented concerns about prescribing practices and developing resistance. The key point is good advice from the prescriber and how they are then used in practice, rather than who prescribes them. The challenge for us all is not just to seek excellence in prescribing but also in usage on farm, something SQPs are ideally placed to do with their frequent farmer contact.
"I would urge all parties to work in partnership to ensure that best practice in prescription and use is followed by all prescribers and users. It is up to all prescribers to act responsibly, but to single out one group over another is unjustified. A pseudo-monopoly by vets on supply would do nothing to help farmers in difficult times."
Mr Dawson also expressed doubts about permanent POM-V status for new livestock anthelmintics: "While we fully support VMD's and VPC's need to be sure that the risk associated with wider availability of a new product is low, AMTRA considers that the current division in distribution classes and consequent low uptake of the newer products means that the much bigger risk is that widespread reliance on the three aging classes may be followed by reliance on just the two new classes when the older classes become unusable. Much better to have responsible prescription of all five classes now, by appropriately trained SQPs, vets and pharmacists, to ensure that there is a prospect of long term availability of effective parasite control."
According to the company, the new injectable form of Vetmedin provides rapid acting treatment for canine congestive heart failure originating from valvular insufficiency (e.g. mitral valve disease, MVD) or dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Twelve hours after the injection is administered, treatment can be continued by the dog's owner with Vetmedin flavour tablets or Vetmedin hard capsules at the recommended dosage.
Ruth Willis BVM&S DVC MRCVS, RCVS Recognised Specialist in Cardiology said: "Parenteral administration of medicines is often preferred in cases of acute congestive heart failure to help minimise patient stress and clinical deterioration. Vetmedin Solution for Injection is therefore a useful addition to our armoury of products for the treatment of acute congestive heart failure due to MVD or DCM."
The injection contains 0.75 mg/ml of the active ingredient, pimobendan, and it is supplied in 5 ml single use vials at the licensed dose of 0.15 mg/kg, with one vial treating a dog up to 25 kg.
In association with the Vets Now emergency treatment service, Boehringer has produced an algorithm which features step-by-step guidance on the recommended treatment protocol for dogs with acute congestive heart failure due to MVD or DCM, together with point of sale material including shelf wobblers for use in practice to raise awareness of the product.
The company is also hosting a free cardiology webinar presented by Ruth Willis entitled 'Acute CHF - a stress free approach'. The online seminar takes place at 8.00pm on Tuesday 19 February and counts for one hour's CPD. The webinar will be available to view after the live event on demand. To register, visit http://www.bi-academy.co.uk/.
For further information, contact your local Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica territory manager or telephone 01344 746959.
The Government has announced that from 6 April 2016 all dogs will be required to have a microchip.
This will give owners 3 years to comply with new legislation being drafted by Defra.
According to Defra, 100,000 dogs are dumped or lost each year at a cost of £57 million to the taxpayer and welfare charities. Only 60% of the 8 million dogs in the UK are currently chipped.
Making microchipping compulsory is intended to help reunite owners with lost or stolen pets, relieve the burden on animal charities and local authorities and protect the welfare of dogs by promoting responsible dog ownership.
Owners will be able to get their dog microchipped free at any of the 18 Dogs Trust centres around the UK, and free microchips will be offered by Dogs Trust to local authorities, housing associations and veterinary surgeries. In addition Battersea Dogs and Cats Home has announced that free microchipping will be offered at its three centres, and the Blue Cross will also offer free microchipping to dogs and cats at its 16 hospitals and centres across England.
Veterinary associations have hailed the introduction of compulsory microchipping for all dogs in England as a giant leap forward for dogs and their owners. BVA President Peter Jones said: "The introduction of compulsory microchipping is a giant leap for dogs and their owners and is something that vets have long campaigned for. Microchipping is a safe and effective way to link dogs to their owners and is an essential part of responsible ownership."
The Government also announced plans to extend the scope of the Dangerous Dogs Act to private places and to allow police to decide if dogs seized under the Act can stay with their owners until the outcome of the court case, removing the need for these dogs to be kennelled. Both of these measures were supported by BVA and BSAVA in joint responses to the Defra consultation.
Nominees for the RCVS Council and its Veterinary Nurses Council have been announced, with 13 candidates for the former and four for the latter.
The nominations closed on 31 January, and the following are standing:
RCVS Council
* denotes current RCVS Council member
VN Council
* denotes current VN Council member