Scientists from the Animal Health Trust, The Roslin Institute and the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies at the University of Edinburgh have launched a study which aims to create a diagnostic test that will allow breeders to assess genetic risk for hip and elbow dysplasia in their dogs.

Dr Sarah Blott, from the Animal Health Trust, said: "Currently the screening process for hip and elbow dysplasia is costly and requires dogs to undergo general anaesthetic so they can be x-rayed.

"Through our study we hope to create a non-invasive DNA-based test that will allow breeders to test much earlier than is currently possible and without the use of GA."

The Labrador Retriever is the most popular dog breed in the UK and worldwide. There were more than 40,000 puppies registered with The Kennel Club in 2010. The development of a DNA test will benefit dogs around the world by enabling breeders to make more informed breeding choices.

According to the Animal Health Trust, the introduction of a DNA test to identify genetic risk of hip and elbow dysplasia will:

• improve welfare as it will not require dogs to undergo anaesthesia or be exposed to x-rays to test for the diseases
• allow breeders to test dogs much earlier than is currently possible. Currently dogs cannot be tested until they are 12 months old (BVA/KC scheme)
• improve the ability of breeders to select against these debilitating diseases 
• result in much quicker progress towards the goal of eradicating hip and elbow dysplasia.

Dr Pam Wiener, from The Roslin Institute, said: "We're very grateful to the BBSRC for funding this study. If we are able to gather enough information and samples there is a very real possibility that in the next few years we will be able to develop a DNA test that will make a major contribution towards eradicating hip and elbow dysplasia in Labrador Retrievers.

"It is also likely that we will be able to use what we learn from the Labrador Retriever study to benefit dogs of other breeds and to prevent other diseases."

To collect information for the study a simple questionnaire is being sent, through The Kennel Club, to owners of Kennel Club registered Hip Scored Labrador Retrievers who were born between 2004 and 2007. The study group is hoping to obtain questionnaires and samples from at least 2,000 Labrador Retrievers.

If you have a Kennel Club registered Hip Scored Labrador Retriever aged between four and seven years old and would like to participate in the study, please visit the AHT website (www.aht.org.uk/labrador.html) or email melissa.fitzgibbon@aht.org.uk

Once questionnaires have been received, the AHT will send each participant a DNA sampling kit to enable owners to provide a DNA sample from their dog through a simple mouth swab. Owners providing the first 1,500 analysed DNA samples will receive a free genetic profile for hip and elbow dysplasia on their dog.

Merial - maker of the canine NSAID Previcox - has launched a campaign to raise awareness of the prevalence of canine osteoarthritis amongst dog owners in the UK.

Previcox Product Manager Claire Edmunds said: "We know that approximately 20% of adult dogs suffer from OA, but less than 25% of these dogs are treated with NSAIDs in the UK. That's one in five dogs that may be enduring the pain and discomfort of a condition that can be improved. Most owners will put their dog's loss of mobility down to old age, however, our aim with this campaign is to raise awareness of this condition with pet owners to encourage them to seek help from their vet for their pets, and assist vets in promoting treatments for this condition."

Merial says veterinary surgeries can take part in the campaign in five easy steps:

• Step one: Ask clients to complete the symptom checklist on routine visits.
• Step two: Review completed checklists with your clients and complete an OA check if needed.
• Step three: If warranted, prescribe OA treatment and give owners a take-home pack to assess the efficacy of treatment.
• Step four: Retain completed checklists for every OA check performed.
• Step five: Use a chart in the waiting room to highlight the number of 'missing dogs' your practice has found.

The following campaign materials are available:

• Waiting room materials - to draw owners' attention to the signs and symptoms of OA.
• Symptom checklist - a leaflet for owners to work through and help identify dogs at risk.
• Take-home pack - a leaflet detailing how canine osteoarthritis affects dogs' lives and how treatment can help, as well as a progress chart to track dogs' improvement, and a free gift.

For more information about the Missing Dog Campaign, please contact your Merial Territory Manager on 0870 6000 123.  

Pfizer Animal Health is advising vets and horse owners to be on guard against the threat of West Nile Virus (WNV) in the UK, following a spate of outbreaks of the disease in several European countries this year.

West Nile Virus has recently made headline news because of a human outbreak in Greece which resulted in a number of deaths. Outbreaks have also occurred in Russia, Romania and Italy during 2010. West Nile Fever is a viral disease transmitted by mosquitoes, which carry the virus after biting infected birds. Primarily occurring between July and October, in line with typical peak activity of mosquitoes, it can have serious consequences on human and equine health, with severe cases resulting in fatal neurological disease.

There is no cure, though supportive treatment can aid recovery. However if the disease progresses to a state where the animal is not able to stand up, their chance of survival is considered low. Prevention of infection is difficult, but any steps that reduce mosquito numbers or the likelihood of horses and people being bitten may help to reduce the risk in areas where the disease is present. However, the only way to reduce the risk of an individual horse developing disease due to WNV is through vaccination.

Ben Gaskell, Pfizer's equine veterinary advisor said: "West Nile Virus may well become a very real threat to both horses and humans in Northern Europe. It is important for vets, horse owners and infectious disease experts to work together to mitigate its impact in the event of the virus becoming endemic across Europe. The rapid spread of the disease across North America is an illustration of what could potentially happen in Europe and it is important to remember there is no curative treatment - the only way to prevent clinical disease in horses is by vaccination." 

Pfizer Animal Health supports the PrEquID (Prevention of Equine Infectious Disease) group, which consists of internationally recognised equine and infectious disease experts. The group was formed to develop guidelines on the prevention and control of a number of equine infectious diseases, on a global basis. 

Klaus Osterrieder, Professor and Chair in the Institut für Virologie in the Veterinärfakultät at Freie Universität Berlin, Germany and a member of the PrEquID group advises: "Horse owners should ask their veterinarian for advice on appropriate prevention measures.  Experience has shown that adopting a prudent prevention strategy can be a very effective way of managing this devastating disease."

Further information on WNV is available at www.westnile.eu.

Vet Dynamics, the business consultancy for independent practices set up by Alan and Vicky Robinson, has raised a staggering £40,712 for Vetlife at its annual conference.

The money, which was raised from the annual raffle and auction was nearly 50% more than last year's total, which was an already impressive £27,800.

When the total was announced, former Vetlife President and auctioneer for the evening, Graham Dick was visibly moved and rendered temporarily speechless.

Once he's had a chance to recompose himself, he said “Your continued selection of Vetlife as the nominated charity for your now legendary fundraising at your annual conference not only raises much needed funds to enable it to continue to fulfil its mission, but also provides an excellent opportunity to re-enforce its contribution to the wellbeing of so many fellow veterinary professionals.” \

“This amazing sum raised could not have been possible without the provision by so many of such a wide range of raffle prizes and high value lots for auction and the generosity of those who bid unstintingly for them.

"On behalf of those in our veterinary community  for whom such generosity may have made a substantial difference Vetlife is extremely grateful.”

Vet Dynamics Director Vicky Robinson said: “Both Graham and I were virtually speechless to see the amazing generosity from our delegates and exhibitors and, of course, the kindness of the donors.

"It's such a pleasure to be able to contribute to a charity who work tirelessly to help our wonderful profession.”

Photo: Vicky Robinson and Graham Dick

A study published in the Veterinary Record has shown that Plerion, the broad-spectrum anthelmintic combination preparation for dogs (5 mg pyrantel + 20 mg oxantel + 5 mg praziquantel per kg body weight) is an efficacious and well-tolerated treatment against all important endoparasites, according to manufacturers Intervet Schering-Plough Animal Health. 

In addition, because Plerion is formulated as a flavored chewable tablet, the product was readily consumed by the vast majority of dogs.

Although the product has been on the market in the UK since last year, this is the first time that the evidence for its efficacy has been published in the public domain.

Linda Horspool BVMS, PhD, DipECVPT, MRCVS, Global Technical Director Companion Animal Pharmaceuticals at Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health said: "Pyrantel, oxantel and praziquantel, the active ingredients of Plerion, are well-established anthelmintics, having been used successfully in humans and animals for decades. The combination of these ingredients in one preparation offers the possibility to eliminate relevant parasites from most dogs in a single treatment. Moreover, the good palatability of the flavored chewable tablets makes Plerion easy to give and helps owners to remember to treat their dogs regularly which contributes to adequate deworming".

The efficacy, safety and palatability of a single-dose treatment with Plerion were assessed after experimental as well as natural infection with common helminths such as whipworms, tapeworms and roundworms. In five controlled studies (48 treated dogs/49 untreated dogs) and three field studies (30 treated dogs), a total of 127 animals were included. In all comparisons, Plerion-treated dogs had statistically significantly lower worm counts than untreated dogs. Moreover, in treated dogs efficacy against whipworms (Trichuris vulpis) was more than 99 percent after experimental infection and 100 percent after natural infection. For roundworms (Toxocara canis), the corresponding figures were 94 and 100 percent, respectively. For tapeworms (Echinococcus granulosus), the efficacy was more than 99 percent after experimental infection.

The preparation was well-tolerated, evidenced by the finding that treatment of dogs with doses up to 6 times the recommended dose or twice the recommended dose on 3 consecutive days did not result in adverse changes in blood parameters, clinical findings or behavior.

In client-owned dogs, Plerion was readily consumed as demonstrated by the fact that 88 percent of dogs spontaneously accepted the tablet. The proportion of spontaneous acceptance appeared higher than the 78 percent that was obtained with another commercially available flavored reference preparation containing pyrantel, febantel and praziquantel.

Worm infestations in dogs are important parasites in terms of prevalence, pathogenicity and, occasionally, zoonotic impact. Therefore, the European Scientific Counsel on Companion Animal Parasites (ESCCAP) has re-emphasized in its 2010 guideline update titled "Worm Control in Dogs and Cats" that veterinarians and pet owners (1) must take measures to protect pets from parasitic infestations, (2) protect the pet population from risks associated with travel and its consequent potential to change local parasite epidemiological situations through the export or import of non-endemic parasite species, and (3) should work together to reduce the risks associated with zoonotic transmission of parasitic diseases.

*Reference
Schmid K, Rohdich N, Zschiesche E, Kok DJ, Allan MJ. Efficacy, safety and palatability of a new broad-spectrum anthelmintic formulation in dogs. Veterinary Record 2010;167:647-651

Genitrix has launched a free epilepsy faxback advice service for veterinary practices prescribing Libromide. 

A form downloadable from the Genitrix website will enable practices to provide detailed case histories, and challenging canine epilepsy cases will be reviewed by Dr Clare Rusbridge, RCVS and European Specialist in veterinary neurology. Clare runs a small animal neurology referral practice based at the Stone Lion Veterinary Hospital in South London. She is board certified by the European College of Veterinary Neurology.

Launched earlier this year, Libromide is the first and only licensed formulation of potassium bromide for refractory canine epilepsy. Rob Watkins, Marketing Director at Genitrix, said: "When we launched Libromide, it was our goal to ensure that generalist practices, which may not deal with cases every week, were given more accurate guidance and advice on treating canine epilepsy than was possible when only unlicensed products were available.

"Our subsequent launch of the discounted blood test, the dosing wheel and now the Libromide Epilepsy Advice Service through Clare, are examples of our commitment to achieving this goal.

"The advice service is aimed specifically at practices which are finding it difficult to control seizures or which have a patient experiencing unusual side effects, even after receiving dosing advice from Genitrix. I hope that having Clare's experience and expertise 'on tap' for challenging cases will prove reassuring for our customers."

For more information on the Libromide Epilepsy Advice Service, practices are asked to call Genitrix' head office on 01403 786345.

Eleven members of staff at the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons are growing moustaches this month in support of the Movember Challenge, a campaign which raises funds to help combat prostate cancer.

Simon Wiklund, Advisory Manager and instigator of the College's participation in Movember 2010, said: "Visitors to the College over the next few weeks shouldn't be alarmed if some members of staff begin to resemble a Village People tribute band. I suggested this to the chaps last week, and was delighted so many were willing to look daft for such a good cause."

According to the Movember website, the aim is simple: "One man dies from prostate cancer every day in the UK. Movember challenges men to change their appearance and the face of men's health by growing a moustache. All MoBros should be clean shaven on 1 Movember and then grow a moustache for the entire month. The moustache becomes the ribbon for men's health, the means by which awareness and funds are raised for cancers that affect men."

The RCVS team - 'All 'Taches Great and Small' - comprises at least one member of every department in the College, so whilst the team as a whole will be raising as much money as it can, the College says it expects interdepartmental competition to get "quite hairy".

"In spite of ourselves, reputations are at stake here," admits Simon. "We're a mixed-ability team, so it will be interesting to see who sports the best tache at the end of Movember. This is no trivial hirsute."

Lending his support to the team's efforts, and off to something of a head start in the facial forestry department, is RCVS President Peter Jinman. He said: "I'm impressed that so many of the gents on the staff have taken it upon themselves to support The Prostate Cancer Charity in this way. If it's true that eight out ten chaps really do prefer whiskers, they should raise a decent amount of money."

Anyone wishing to support the All Taches Great & Small team in their bristling endeavours should please visit their fundraising pages (via www.rcvs.org.uk/movember). Donations can be made to individual MoBros, or to the team as a whole.

Medivet is celebrating its 100th batch collection for Vet Blood Supplies, the north London-based bloodbank set up in 2007 to provide blood products for its branches around the country.

Veterinary nurse Laura Brind, who is responsible for collecting the blood, said: "We are really proud to celebrate the 100th collection. We travel to Retired Greyhound Trust kennels across south-east England who kindly agreed to arrange the donation in return for free preventative treatment for the dogs."

The collection was taken from Barn Kennels, the Portsmouth branch of the Retired Greyhound Trust, which has been donating blood for the past 18 months.

Clwyd-based veterinary surgeon, Alina Grecko has been struck off by the RCVS Disciplinary Committee for obtaining a prescription-only medicine knowing that it was for human and not veterinary use.

Mrs Grecko faced two charges. 

The first was that she got a nurse colleague to order griseofulvin, a prescription-only antifungal medication, knowing that it was for human use, rather than legitimate veterinary use.

It was also alleged that she then caused a student veterinary nurse to record the order in the name of another veterinary surgeon, who was not involved in the order or prescription of the medication, and falsely record that it was for Mrs Grecko’s dog.

The second charge was that she had acted dishonestly and misleadingly, as the medication was, in fact, intended for use by her husband.

At the outset of the hearing, Mrs Grecko admitted she had asked her RVN colleague to order the medication and for her SVN colleague to record that the medication was for her dog and that doing this was dishonest and misleading.

Mrs Grecko accepted that these admitted charges amounted to serious professional misconduct.

She denied asking an SVN to record it under the name of another veterinary surgeon.

However, the Committee heard from two eye-witnesses who testified consistently that Mrs Grecko had told her SVN colleague to record the medication under another vet's name, and from another witness who testified that Mrs Grecko had made a similar admission.

It therefore found it proven that she had asked her SVN colleague to make a false record, that it was dishonest and misleading, and that together, the charges amounted to serious professional misconduct.

Paul Morris, chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf said: “The Committee considered that Mrs Grecko’s conduct had breached her obligations as a veterinary surgeon to respect the proper protections that were in place for the control of prescription-only medications.

"She had committed a serious abuse of her position in using the fact that she could obtain medications by virtue of her profession to circumvent the protections.

"She had been prepared to involve others in the course of the conduct.

"In addition, Mrs Grecko had been prepared to engage in an attempt to conceal her actions and falsify the clinical records in the process.

“Although it was acknowledged that Mrs Grecko may have been subject to some conflicting demands, being affected by her husband’s interests and may have felt a pressure to act, the Committee considered that she had completely failed to acknowledge and respect her overriding professional responsibilities.”

The Committee considered that the offence was a serious one, taking into account the abuse of position and pre-meditated and dishonest conduct.

The Committee also took into account previous adverse findings against Mrs Grecko from 2011, which involved misconduct of a very similar nature, which meant that they could not accept her argument that she had learnt her lesson, and also meant that, in the Committee’s judgement, she presented a significant risk of further repeated errors of judgement and dishonest conduct.

Mr Morris added: “Further, the Committee considered that members of the public would be very concerned to learn that, having once been reprimanded for her previous dishonest conduct, Mrs Grecko had repeated her behaviour.

“It [the Committee] concluded that this rendered Mrs Grecko’s disgraceful conduct in a professional respect incompatible with continued registration and no lesser sanction than removal from the Register would be sufficient to protect the wider public interest in maintaining public confidence in the profession and declaring and upholding proper professional standards.”

Mrs Grecko now has 28 days from being informed of her removal from the Register to lodge an appeal.

www.rcvs.org.uk/disciplinary

Vygon Vet has launched a procedural custom pack service.

Vygon Vet's procedural custom packs contain all the single-use devices required for a specific procedure enclosed within a sterile wrap. Components available include draping material, theatre clothing, swabs, kidney dishes, forceps etc. Vygon Vet says the service has been developed to reduce infection risks, but also to help manage staff resources more effectively and identify total procedure costs for billing purposes.

The first custom pack is now being used by the team of clinicians at Charter Veterinary Hospital. Dave Tittle BVetMed MRCVS said "The pack contains everything we need, designed to our specification, and will save us theatre preparation time and added expense".

A number of customers have committed themselves to the new service and by the end of 2010 Vygon Vet aims to have many more practices on board. The custom pack service supports Vygon Vet's range of theatre draping packs already available.

For more information, visit www.vygonvet.co.uk

Veterinary nurse students at the Medivet Training College are celebrating a 100% pass rate in this year's VRQ Level 2 and Level 3.

Medivet's Head of Nursing Affairs, Kate Hunt said: "We are absolutely delighted with our students' results. The hard work and dedication of both students and college staff have ensured that we continue to be one of the UK's top training centres for veterinary nurses."

Along with Debbie Frost, the Head of college, Kate oversees all aspects of training for nursing and auxiliary staff, from the curriculum taught at the college to work-based learning in practice.

Kate added: "The focus of our teaching is to ensure that learners have exposure to a wide range of procedures and that they get sufficient support from other trained staff at all times. This ensures they can perform duties with care, and to a high level of professional excellence."

The RCVS-approved Medivet Training College was opened in 2002. College Principal and Medivet Partner, Erwin Hohn said: "Some years ago we became concerned about the shortage of qualified veterinary nurses in the UK. We realised that if we wanted to continue to give the best standards of care we needed to set up our own veterinary nurse training college. We now invest around £600,000 per annum in the training that the college provides."

According to Medivet, training with a large partnership can offer students a number of advantages. Erwin said: "There are now more than 80 practices in the Medivet group. Our students get on-the-job training with mentors and assessors at our practices, at the college and at six continuous care centres. These deal with emergencies and offer more advanced diagnostic, medical and surgical options, giving our students exposure to a full range of procedures. We know this helps them with their formal exams, but for us, it is not just about that, we want our veterinary nurses to know what to do in any situation they come across.

"The college is going from strength to strength. I am extremely pleased with this year's exam results and am proud of our college team and students who constantly deliver their very best."

The Council of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons has approved a new Health Protocol, which formalises a more compassionate approach to veterinary surgeons with health problems.

The Protocol will allow - in appropriate circumstances - veterinary surgeons (and, from next year, registered veterinary nurses) who suffer from health concerns affecting their ability to practise safely, to have the matter dealt with confidentially, without going to a full public Disciplinary Committee hearing.

It will allow individuals to access appropriate support and help away from the public spotlight, while ensuring that they do not put animals or the public at risk.

According to independent legal advice sought by the College, such an approach is appropriate and necessary in order for the College to fulfil its regulatory responsibilities - similar systems exist within other regulators.

The draft Protocol was the subject of consultation amongst the profession and the public over summer. Proposed amendments to the RCVS Guide to Professional Conduct, to support the introduction of the Health Protocol, were also approved in the November meeting.

RCVS Head of Professional Conduct, Gordon Hockey said: "The Protocol encourages anyone coming into contact with veterinary surgeons - including other veterinary surgeons, veterinary nurses, members of practice staff, clients and healthcare professionals - who have concerns about a veterinary surgeon's health to report those concerns to the RCVS as soon as is reasonably practicable.

"Veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses who are concerned about the health of a veterinary surgeon must also take steps to ensure that animals are not put at risk and that the interests of the public, including those of their colleagues, are protected."