Research commissioned by Bayer Animal Health has revealed that dogs really do look like their owners.

The research, which is being used to promote Drontal Bone, the company's new bone-shaped wormer, was conducted amongst 3,000 British dog-lovers. It found that the overwhelming majority of owners share at least one common physical attribute with their pet, whilst one in ten owners could be described as the spitting image of their dog, sharing six or more physical attributes:

• 27% of petite owners have small or toy dogs.
• 29% of overweight owners admit their dog also carries a few extra pounds
• 12% of owners and canines were mutually described as obese
• 61% of dogs with closely cropped fur, such as Jack Russells and Boxers, have owners sporting short hair styles
• 26% of people with long locks also owns a canine with tumbling tresses, such as an Afghan Hound or Shih Tzu.
• 19% of owners with curly of frizzy hair own a dog with similar tresses such as a Labradoodle or Bichon Frise.
• 34% of dark-haired mutts also has an owner with brown or black tresses, with the same amount of light haired humans sharing the tone with their pooch.
• 29% of owners with highlights or lowlights owns a mutt with tri-colour fur
• 23% of dogs with grey hair have owners with matching locks, such as a Schnauzer.
• 47% of dogs and owners were described as friendly and playful
• 39% admit that their dog is as grumpy as them.
• 25% of canines have inherited their owner's timid personality
• 16% admit they both have a naughty side.

As part of the campaign, Bayer has launched the Give Your Dog a Bone competition, a nationwide search to find the UK's "Top Dog". The competition is split into four video and photographic categories, with one open exclusively to dogs that have formed a special bond with their owner. Top dogs can enter via the competition website - www.giveyourdogabone.co.uk - where owners can upload photos, videos, and explain in under 100 words why they think their pet should win a Drontal 'Bonies' award.

Give Your Dog a Bone Judge Emma Milne MRCVS, said: "When dogs seem to have the same characteristics as their owners, it could be because people subconsciously choose a pet that resembles themselves. It is often found that more energetic breeds, such as s Red Setter have an owner who is sporty and most happy when taking their pet on long country walks, while a glamorous owner who enjoys grooming themselves might choose a dog which also requires lots preening, such as a Maltese Terrier. The Give Your Dog a Bone awards give us the chance to recognise the unique traits and talents that make dogs such an important part of our lives. With four very different categories, this competition will be wide open to dogs of all shapes, sizes and personalities!"

The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons has announced the results of the RCVS Council and Veterinary Nurse Council elections.

A record number of candidates stood in the RCVS Council election this year, and the results were much closer than usual.

Two candidates entirely new to the Council have been elected, one of whom - Amanda Boag - received the highest number of votes. The other - Chris Barker - also did well, coming in third place overall.

Three existing RCVS Council Members have been re-elected for a further four years, and Stephen May, who was formerly an appointed Council Member from the Royal Veterinary College, was also voted onto Council for the first time.

Of the three candidates standing for election to VN Council, one existing Member - Kathy Kissick - has been returned, and one new member - Elizabeth Figg - has been elected.

All successful candidates will take up or resume their seats at RCVS Day on 6 July 2012.

Turnouts for both elections remained low, with just 3,625 veterinary surgeons (15.1%) and 743 veterinary nurses (7.5%) choosing to exercise their right to vote.

By comparison, in 2011 voting figures were 3,887 (15.9%) and 723 (7.6%), respectively.

Veterinary surgeons' and veterinary nurses' use of online and text voting, rather than postal voting, increased again this year from 25% to 30.6%, and 12.9% to 20%, respectively.

The British Veterinary Nursing Association and the Society of Practising Veterinary Surgeons have launched a waiting room poster to help practices raise awareness of the status of their VNs and promote the welfare benefits that VNs can help provide.

Rolled copies of the A2 posters are available in a tube for £2.50 (to cover postage). Folded copies are free or you may download the poster here. 

Contact the BVNA office on 01279 408644 to request a copy.

Pfizer Animal Health, maker of the equine wormers Equest and Equest Pramox, has unveiled www.wormingyourhorse.info, a new website which aims to make it easier for horse owners to understand and follow the most up-to-date principles of sustainable worm control.

Based on the company's Manage, Test, Plan, Dose campaign, Pfizer says the new website is designed to take the confusion out of equine worm control with clear, logical and easy-to-understand guidance and advice.

The four main sections use diagrams and text to explain how and why it's important to manage the worm challenge on the pasture; the role of faecal worm egg counts (FWECs); how history and management play a part in planning the best worm control programme and how to choose and use the right wormer at the right time of year.

There's an interactive and educational parasite page that shows the parasites that can affect the health of your horse. There are click through buttons on parts of the horse's anatomy revealing details about the appearance of each particular parasite, their lifecycle and the symptoms they can cause. In addition there's a section on frequently asked questions which provides no-nonsense answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about worm control.

Paul Blanc, Pfizer's equine brand manager said: "In developing our new website we have listened carefully to what horse owners really want and need to know. The result is a source of plain-speaking, unbiased facts and advice, providing horse owners with the most current thinking on sustainable worm control in a format they can really identify with."

The Government has announced that it is extending existing dangerous dogs laws to apply to private property, closing a loophole in the current law which only applies to public land.

Jim Paice, Minister of State for Agriculture and Food, said: "We've all heard the stories of snarling dogs not being properly kept under control or heard from health workers, postal workers or social workers who are at risk of serious injury from out of control dogs while just doing their job, attending to people in their homes.

"Today we are announcing a comprehensive package of measures that tackle the problem head on, which will better protect legitimate visitors to private property and will enable the police to take action before someone is hurt or killed."

The plans also put forward proposals to allow the police, when dealing with any dogs which are subject to proceedings under the Dangerous Dogs Act, to take a common sense decision as to whether the dog really needs to be kept away from their owners until the outcome of proceedings.

Mr Paice added: "Our plans must strike the right balance between protecting the public from dangerous dogs and ensuring that safe and properly looked after pets don't need to be wrenched from their home unnecessarily.

"We're giving the police more discretion to take common-sense decisions where dogs are clearly not a threat by ending the requirement that they be seized and kennelled, at great cost to the taxpayer and distress to the owner involved, while a decision is taken on whether to exempt the dog from being destroyed under the Dangerous Dogs Act."

Other measures announced today include:

• Consulting on whether to micro-chip all dogs to help tackle the problem of irresponsible owners and ease the overwhelming number of strays that are put down as the owner cannot be identified
• Providing £50,000 for local and community projects involving animal welfare organisations, the police, local authorities and community groups to promote more responsible dog ownership in estates, youth clubs and schools
• Providing £20,000 for the training of expert police dog legislation officers in each force
• Issuing new guidance to help the courts deal more effectively with seized dogs

However, the proposals do not go far enough for Dogs Trust, the dog welfare charity. Clarissa Baldwin, the charity's CEO said: "The Government has spent a great deal of time examining this legislation since it came to power and whilst we accept DEFRA has done their best to look at this issue, unfortunately, their best is no where near good enough.  Not good enough to better protect the public or good enough to improve animal welfare.

"Government must tackle this problem head on with completely new legislation rather than just tinkering around the edges.  We're extremely disillusioned that there is nothing in the consultation on measures that will actually help to prevent dog attacks, which is surely what the aim of these proposals should be.  We seem to be waltzing along on this issue rather than the quick step we need to meaningful reform.

"We consider that the introduction of compulsory microchipping of all dogs, not just those born after a certain date, is the only way that we will see immediate welfare benefits and a reduction in the number of stray dogs in the UK.  

"Microchipping will not prevent dog attacks but it will allow the owner of a dangerous dog or a dog that was dangerously out of control to be identified by enforcement agencies. The act of microchipping is also a key intervention, providing an opportunity to advise owners about responsible dog ownership and the law."

The University of Bristol and Companion Care have launched The Great Pet Travel Survey 2012 to assess disease risks in the UK following the simplification of Pet Travel Scheme rules.

Companion Care and The University of Bristol say that there is a great deal of concern about what risks changes in the Pet Travel Scheme Rules pose to the health of the human and dog population in the UK.

Robert White-Adams MRCVS from Companion Care said: "At present there is minimal data available to answer this question as current data logging is minimal and paperwork checking at ports can be variable. We therefore have little idea of how many UK-resident dogs travel abroad, where they visit, how long they stay and what they are doing whilst abroad.

The survey will collect and analyse information about the travel patterns of UK resident dogs, in and around mainland Europe, over the last decade.

Robert added: "The data to be collated by the survey will fill the data void and enable us to provide a quantitative assessment of the disease risk, as well as gaining an understanding of owner awareness of risks face by dogs travelling in Europe.

Owners of dogs with Pet Passports are being encouraged to fill in the short questionnaire, which is available now at  http://www.greatpetsurvey.co.uk/.   All completed questionnaires will be entered into a prize draw to win £100 of Pets at Home vouchers!

The questionnaire will be live online until 30th June 2012 and all data will be analysed by the University of Bristol.

Dr Morgan said: "Without this information we have only a vague idea of the risks that the loss of border controls may pose. The answer could be that there is little additional risk or it could be that the UK dog (and human) population could face some severe disease threats. As it stands now, we just don't know enough to make an informed judgement."

Virbac Animal Health has launched CaniLeish, the first vaccine for canine leishmaniosis in the European Union.

Leishmaniosis is a vector-borne parasitic disease caused by infection with protozoa of the genus Leishmania (L infantum in Europe). Leishmaniosis is transmitted by the bite of infected sandflies. In south-western Europe 2.5 million dogs are believed to be infected^1,2 with the parasite and the disease is spreading northwards,³ as more people travel with their dogs or import infected animals from endemic areas.⁴  So far preventative methods have been limited to reducing the habitat of sandflies, minimising the physical contact of dogs with sandflies and using insecticides on dogs (sprays, spot-ons, repellent-collars, etc).

According to Virbac, CaniLeish's ability to protect dogs was demonstrated in an experimental challenge study, where the benefit of vaccination was still evident after one year.⁵ In an extreme condition natural challenge trial lasting two years under environmental conditions rarely encountered in reality, 93% of dogs vaccinated with CaniLeish did not develop symptomatic leishmaniosis. CaniLeish provides a fourfold reduction in the risk of developing this fatal disease. ⁶ Its safety profile has been shown in laboratory testing and field trials.⁷ In addition, Virbac says it contains no whole parasites that could be virulent in any host.

David McGahie BVMS Bsc (VetSci) MRCVS, Medical Department Manager at Virbac SA, said: "The development of this vaccine is a key milestone in the battle against this challenging disease which is a major problem in many regions of the world. Although in the past it was considered a rather exotic disease here in the UK, the advent of the Pet Travel Scheme means it has become increasingly important as a problem for dogs which regularly travel abroad to endemic regions."

CaniLeish can be given to dogs as young as six months of age: the primary course consists of three injections given over six weeks. Dogs should be re-vaccinated annually, with a single dose administered one year after the third injection and annually thereafter.

References:

1. Baneth G, KoutinasAF, Solano-Gallego L, et al. Canine leishmaniosis: new concepts and insights on an expanding zoonosis: part one. Trends Parasitology 2008; 24: 324-330
2. Moreno J, Alvar J. Canine leishmaniasis: epidemiological risk and the experimental model. Trends Parasitol, 2002; 18 (9):399-405
3. Maroli M, Rossi L, Baldelli R, et al. The northward spread of leishmaniasis in Italy: evidence from retrospective and ongoing studies on the canine reservoir and phlebotomine vectors. Trop. Med. Int. Health, 2008; 13: 256-264
4. Shaw SE, Lerga AI, Williams S, et al. Review of exotic infectious diseases in small animals entering the United Kingdom from abroad diagnosed by PCR. Vet. Rec. 2003; 152: 176-177
5. McGahie D.  CaniLeish^®: Development of a new preventive tool. How do you produce a vaccine which really works? Proceedings of the symposium "Advanced management of Canine Leishmaniosis" Southern European Veterinary Congress 2011, Barcelona, pp 13,14
6. Oliva G, Nieto J, Foglia Manzillo V, et al. Evidence for protection against active infection and disease progression in naïve dogs vaccinated with LiESP/QA-21 (CaniLeish®) exposed to two consecutive Leishmania infantum transmission seasons. Proceedings BSAVA/WSAVA/FECAVA congress 2012, Birmingham.
7. McGahie D.  Results of safety trials with CaniLeish^®. What can be expected?. Proceedings of the symposium "Advanced management of Canine Leishmaniosis" Southern European Veterinary Congress 2011, Barcelona, pp 15,16
8. Guerin PJ, Olliaro P, Sundar S, et al. Visceral leishmaniasis: current status of control, diagnosis and treatment, and a proposed research and development agenda. The Lancet Infectious Diseases 2002; 2: 494-501
9. Gramiccia M, Gradoni L. The current status of zoonotic leishmaniases and approaches to disease control. International Journal for Parasitology 2005; 35: 1169-1180

Fitzpatrick Referrals has unveiled details of its new joint replacement program, which includes solutions for replacing badly injured and arthritic knees, shoulders, and hocks in addition to the more commonly replaced hip and elbow joints.

According to the practice, this is a dramatic breakthrough which brings new hope to veterinary surgeons and pet owners in otherwise hopeless cases.

Fitpatrick Referrals says the procedures have been developed as a solution for joints with traumatic global joint disruptions involving significant soft tissue damage and for joints with painful end-stage arthritis, with the objective of providing functional, pain free quality of life.  

Noel Fitzpatrick said: "As we understand and try to deal with the problem of painful osteoarthritis in our pet animals it seems likely that there will be a larger role for joint replacement.  Already hip replacement is used to great benefit in the majority of patients that receive it. Other damaged joints could be treated in the same way - but until now the technology to replace knee, hock, shoulder and elbow joints with custom designed prostheses to exactly fit each and every patient did not exist. At Fitzpatrick Referrals this is now a reality for both cats and dogs."

He added: "Joint replacement is particularly useful when a multi-modal approach is used to try and manage osteoarthritis through-out the life of the animal, an area where The Fitzpatrick Group has an increased interest and a variety of publications in peer-reviewed journals. It also offers a realistic alternative to either fusion or amputation in traumatically injured joints." 

The Codes were approved by RCVS Council and the Veterinary Nurses Council earlier this year, following a lengthy consultation and review process that began in 2009, and will replace the existing Guides to Professional Conduct.

The College says the new Codes are principles-based, easily accessible and, at 16 pages long compared to the 50-page Guides, much more concise. They bring the College's guidance into line with the codes of conduct of other regulatory bodies, and help to describe those professional responsibilities that are fundamental to veterinary surgeons' and veterinary nurses' practice.

To expand on and clarify these professional responsibilities, an additional 27 chapters of supporting guidance have been published on the RCVS website, which also consolidate and update all existing RCVS guidance for veterinary professionals.

Both Codes set out five principles of practice: professional competence; honesty and integrity; independence and impartiality; client confidentiality and trust; and, professional accountability.

The veterinary surgeons' Code features an update to the declaration made on admission to the profession and, for the first time, the veterinary nurses' Code includes a declaration to be made on professional registration.

Among the professional responsibilities introduced in the Codes are: mandatory recording of continuing professional development; a mandatory professional development phase for new veterinary surgeons and period of supervised practice for registered veterinary nurses (RVNs) returning to practice after a break; a Performance Protocol; and, notification to the RCVS of any matter that may affect fitness to practise, including convictions (although this will require further consideration by the College).

For the first time, mandatory clinical governance has been introduced, and minimum practice standards have also been incorporated, at equivalence to the core standards set out in the RCVS Practice Standards Scheme.

A pocket-sized hard copy of the Code will be posted to all vets and RVNs shortly, which will include references to where the supporting guidance and further information can be found on the RCVS website. The online versions - at www.rcvs.org.uk/vetcode and www.rcvs.org.uk/vncode - are fully searchable by keyword, and PDF versions will soon be available to download. A digital version is also being explored, to enable veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses to access the Codes and supporting guidance on smart phones and tablets.

Although only registered veterinary nurses have agreed to abide by the VN Code of Professional Conduct, the College hopes that all veterinary nurses will consider it a useful benchmark of professional standards.

Dr Jerry Davies, RCVS President, said: "I am delighted that this significant piece of work has come to fruition. The RCVS has shown that, despite aged legislation, the Codes will, through imaginative interpretation of the Veterinary Surgeons Act, ensure the public and their animals continue to receive the level of professional service they have come to expect from veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses in the UK."

MSD Animal Health has announced the European launch of Activyl, a novel flea and tick treatment containing indoxacarb, an active that is new to animal health and which - uniquely - is activated by flea metabolism.

Activyl is licensed to treat and prevent flea infestations in cats and dogs. Activyl Tick Plus (indoxacarb + permethrin)  controls fleas and ticks in dogs. 

According to MSD, Activyl is the first flea control product to use metabolic activation, or bioactivation, to kill fleas. It is a topical, once-a-month ectoparasiticide containing indoxacarb, an agent that, because it is new, has no known flea resistance. Following application, indoxacarb is taken up by fleas where it is converted into an active metabolite. This metabolite causes fleas to stop feeding and they die within hours. Unlike insects, mammals mainly convert indoxacarb into non-toxic metabolites so they are not exposed to the active insecticide.

MSD says that Activyl also disrupts the flea life cycle by inhibiting the development of flea larvae. This aids in the environmental control of flea infestations and helps prevent re-infestation for up to four weeks. It may also be used as part of a treatment strategy for flea allergy dermatitis. In laboratory and field studies, Activyl has been shown to have a fast initial and persistent speed of kill that results in greater than 95% efficacy in preventing flea infestation for a full four weeks (MSD Animal Health, data on file).

Dr. Linda Horspool, BVMS, PhD, DipECVPT, MRCVS, global technical director for companion animal pharmaceuticals and parasiticides at MSD Animal Health said: "This innovation is the first time that a pro-insecticide, requiring activation by flea enzymes to produce a highly insecticidal active metabolite that kills adult and developing stages of fleas in the immediate environment of treated pets, has been used to provide flea control in dogs and cats."

Dispensed in clear pipettes that can easily be opened with one hand, Activyl is fragrance-free, dries quickly and remains effective following shampooing, swimming and exposure to sunlight. Seven sizes are available to treat small to extra-large dogs (five sizes) and small and large cats (two sizes). The product is approved for use in puppies and kittens from eight weeks of age.

Activyl Tick Plus is exclusively for dogs. In addition to indoxacarb, Activyl Tick Plus contains permethrin, an acaricide with proven efficacy against ticks. Studies have shown that Activyl Tick Plus kills more than 90% of common tick species including those known to carry such diseases as Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis and Lyme disease (MSD Animal Health, data on file).

Once applied, Activyl Tick Plus kills fleas for up to four weeks and kills and repels ticks for three to five weeks. It remains effective following swimming and exposure to rain or sunlight. The product is also provided in easy to use applicators in a variety of different sizes and has been approved for use in puppies from as young as eight weeks of age. Activyl Tick Plus is not for use on cats.

David Hallas, BVSc and companion animal franchise leader at MSD Animal Health said: "Both products will be available strictly through licensed veterinarians, benefiting dogs and cats and their owners by controlling fleas in an innovative way."

Supreme Petfoods has published protocols for the veterinary care of rabbits, guinea pigs and other small furries on its website: www.supremepetfoods.com.

The new infomation resource includes nursing plans and protocols for specific conditions, hospitalisation records, instructions on how to administer fluid therapy, take a blood sample, conduct a behavioural assessment and best practice manual handling.

The materials have been produced by Wendy Bament, exotic animal veterinary nurse at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies in Edinburgh. Following workshops at the London Vet Show last year and feedback from the delegates, Wendy has transcribed some of the processes and protocols developed by the exotics team at Edinburgh for dissemination to veterinary practices across the UK.

Claire Hamblion, Marketing Manager at Supreme said: "I can't tell you how pleased we are to be involved in distributing these documents to the profession. The feedback from our live workshops really demonstrated the demand for material that would provide a framework for best practice care of small furries and now, thanks to Wendy and the team at Edinburgh, it's available to everybody. We genuinely believe that in many practices these protocols could change the approach to small furries forever."

Axiom Veterinary Laboratories and Woodley Equipment Company have announced a partnership which the companies say will mean they can offer a comprehensive solution encompassing referral laboratory services and in-house diagnostic testing, with significant cost savings for practices.  

Steve Clarke, Business Development and Marketing Manager for Axiom said: "After an exhaustive search we believe that we have found a partner in Woodley that shares our drive and ambition in delivering a first class solution to practices along with service backup. We offer a cost-effective, quality service with flexibility, fast turnaround times including a free of charge courier service across many parts of the UK and Ireland. We believe that in the current economic climate it is an ideal time for practices to review both their referral laboratory service and their in-house equipment provision."

Mike Wickham, Managing Director of Woodley Equipment Company added: "We offer a wide range of equipment, tailored to the size of the practice, workload and specialty. In partnering with Axiom Veterinary Laboratories we are able to offer a complete package including exclusive and very competitive discount structures for practices.

Both companies with be exhibiting at the forthcoming WSAVA conference in Birmingham (Axiom stand 418 and Woodley Equipment Company stand 718).