Grahame Gardner Ltd has announced the launch of a classically styled tunic, the M559, now stocked in bottle green for the first time.

The company says that although there have been numerous ladies tunics available in bottle green, this is the first time Grahame Gardner has stocked a male tunic in the characteristic veterinary colour.

The contemporary design of the M559 incorporates side fastening with the option of contrasting epaulettes, alongside practical pockets and side slits. According to the company, it's a tunic that looks great and performs exceptionally well in the veterinary practice. Stocked in sizes from 34" to 50" (chest), the M559 is one of several new styles introduced within Grahame Gardner's latest 124 page brochure.

To explore Grahame Gardner's collection please take a look at http://www.grahamegardner.co.uk/, or call 0116 255 6326 to order a copy of the new brochure.

Dechra Veterinary Products has awarded two prizes to Veterinary Nurse students at Myerscough College in Bilsborrow, near Preston. 

The winners of the Dechra prizes were Rebecca Farrow, from Helmsley, North Yorkshire, who was the RCVS Equine Veterinary Nursing Level 3 top student, and Louise Adamson, from Farnworth in Bolton, RCVS Equine Veterinary Nursing Level 2 top student.  The awards recognise the exceptional dedication and commitment that they have put into their studies. 

Kathy Kissick, Learning Manager for Veterinary Nursing at Myerscough College, says: "We are grateful to Dechra for supporting our Veterinary Nurse students and awarding these prizes. We are pleased with the high levels our students continue to achieve.  Both Rebecca and Louise can be very happy with their efforts during their time at the College."

Patrick Markey, Marketing Manger at Dechra Veterinary Products, says: "We recognise the important role Veterinary Nurses have in a vet practice and are pleased to have been involved in sponsoring these awards.  We wish the winners every success in their future careers."

Mary Bale, 45, has been banned from keeping animals for five years today after she admitted causing unnecessary suffering to a cat which she dumped in a wheelie bin, in a case brought by the RSPCA.

Bale, of St Michael's Road, Coventry, was also fined £265 and ordered to pay the costs of the case, which totalled £1,171.

Coventry magistrates' court heard how Bale picked up the four-year-old tabby cat, named Lola, outside the cat's home in Brays Lane, Coventry, and put her into the bin on Saturday 21 August this year.

Lola's owners, Stephanie and Darryl Andrews-Mann, discovered their cat inside the wheelie bin the next day.  She had been there for approximately 15 hours. 

Upon viewing their CCTV the owners saw Bale approach Lola, who was sitting on a garden wall.  She then looked both ways before picking the cat up by the scruff of her neck and dropping her into the bin. 

The RSPCA was alerted after the footage was posted on the internet and Bale was identified.

District Judge Caroline Goulborn said: "I accept that you were in a stressful situation but that is no excuse. The potential to cause harm to the cat was substantial."

RSPCA inspector Nicola Foster said:  "This was a deliberate act and could have had far worse consequences as the defendant had no way of knowing if there was anything like broken glass in the bin, nor how long the cat would be there before she was found, nor if the bin was due to be emptied.

"We are pleased that the Court agreed that a complete disregard was shown for the cat's welfare and that the cat suffered/cat's needs were not met as a result of being stuck inside the bin for so many hours.

"However, we hope that this sentence will act as a deterrent to anyone who feels that it is acceptable to mistreat animals in any way."

In mitigation, Bale said that her father had been taken to hospital following a fall. She said she walked past the house daily and regularly stroked Lola. She said she had asked herself on an hourly basis since the incident why she had put Lola in the bin, but had no answer.

Following the launch of Libromide, the only licensed formulation of potassium bromide in the UK for canine epilepsy, Genitrix has linked up with NationWide Veterinary Laboratories to offer a discounted blood test service to veterinary practices. 

Genitrix says it is offering the discounted blood tests to help practices and encourage owners to test regularly, thus ensuring that the level of Libromide in dogs undergoing treatment remains within the recommended therapeutic range.

According to the company, factors which can cause the level to move out of therapeutic range include an increase in the chloride content of the diet or the administration of other drugs. Because Libromide takes a few weeks to reach a steady therapeutic state, testing at four, eight and twelve weeks is also recommended at the commencement of treatment to confirm that the rise to therapeutic level takes place.

To take advantage of the discount scheme, practices can download a test form from the Genitrix website (http://www.genitrix.co.uk/) or call its head office on 01403 786345. Copies are also available from wholesalers.

Rob Watkins, Marketing Director at Genitrix, said:  "Regular blood testing of epileptic dogs is an essential element of a successful treatment regime and is recommended by all canine epilepsy specialists.  Unfortunately, feedback from practices suggests that owners are sometimes reluctant to comply with this advice and that the cost of testing is frequently an issue. 

"We've launched the scheme to help practices increase compliance by making it significantly cheaper. Taking advantage of this scheme for blood testing is also convenient for practices now that the test forms can be downloaded as well as ordered by phone.

"Recent data suggests that canine epilepsy affects four in every hundred dogs making it a common disease affecting dogs in the UK. Following on from the launch of Libromide, we hope that the discounted blood test scheme will be another step forward in the move to improve treatment approaches for this distressing disease."

Bayer Animal Health reports that sales of Drontal have achieved double digit growth following the company's recent advertising campaign. 

The company says its marketing push has been so successful that 83% of cat and dog owners now name Drontal ahead of any other wormer.

Apparently, vet practice waiting room posters are most commonly the way pet owners learn about Drontal, while approximately half of those regularly tuning in to the popular TV series The Dog Whisperer and GMTV were aware of Drontal's sponsorship of the programmes.

Dan White, Drontal's product manager said: "Bayer has invested heavily in advertising Drontal direct to pet owners effectively driving them into veterinary practice and producing accompanying practice support materials such as waiting room posters and wormer reminder cards which have really paid off. Three-quarters of pet owners surveyed stated they last purchased their wormer from their veterinary practice," comments.

"We will continue to support veterinary practices through advertising and sponsorship initiatives to help raise awareness of the importance of regularly worming pets with Drontal and boost sales further."

For further information or to order more Drontal practice support materials, please contact your local Bayer territory manager.

The lives of pet rabbits in Britain, the UK's third most popular pet, are being drastically cut short due to owners' ignorance and misinformation, according to a survey for Rabbit Awareness Week (26^th April - 2^nd May 2010).

The survey revealed a widespread lack of knowledge about what pet rabbits need to live longer, healthier and happier lives. Almost half of the respondents believe that vegetables, fruit and carrots are the most important food for rabbits. In addition, 71% didn't know that fibre, in the form of hay and grass, is the most important food for rabbits, without which they can die.

More than 50% of those surveyed did not know that rabbits should be kept in pairs, and 90% of respondents didn't know that owning a rabbit is likely to cost more than £3,000 over the course of its lifetime.

Sean Wensley, senior veterinary surgeon at the PDSA, said: "Despite more than a million pet rabbits currently being kept across the country, the results of this survey add to our concerns that their welfare needs are sadly misunderstood.

"It is vital that owners understand the commitment involved in owning pet rabbits, both financially and in terms of the time taken to care for them properly. It is also essential that owners understand their rabbits' welfare needs, including their need to be fed a suitable diet, to have a large hutch and exercise run, to have company and to receive appropriate health care, including vaccinations against deadly diseases."

For more information, see: http://www.rabbitawarenessweek.co.uk

In order to prevent tail injury in one dog you'd need to dock 500, according to research published in this week's Veterinary Record.

The study¹ was based on 138,212 dogs seen by vets at 52 veterinary practices across Britain between March 2008 and March 2009. 281 were treated for a tail injury - a rate of 0.23%, adjusted for sampling.

The owners of 224 of these injured dogs, as well as a random sample of 799 owners whose dogs had not been treated for tail injury were sent a questionnaire on dog tail injuries and docking.

Only 97 of the owners whose dogs needed treatment and 227 of those whose dogs had not been injured replied.

Their responses indicated that around one in three tail injuries (36%; 35 cases) had occurred at home as a result of the dog knocking its tail against a wall, kennel wall or other household object.

A further 17.5% (17 cases) were sustained outdoors, while 14.4% (14 cases) were caused by the tail being caught in a door. In 15 (15.5%) other causes were cited; and in 16 (16.5%), the cause was unknown. Almost half of the injuries (44%) were recurrent.

Over half the cases were treated with drugs and dressings, but in almost one in three cases, amputation was required. Eleven dogs did not need any treatment.

Certain breeds seemed to be more at risk, with springer and cocker spaniels almost six times as likely to sustain a tail injury as labradors and retrievers.

Greyhounds, lurchers, and whippets were almost seven times as likely to do so, possibly because of the lack of protective hair on their tails, say the authors. Dogs with a wide angle of wag were also almost four times as likely to be injured in this way, while dogs kept in kennels were more than 3.5 times as likely to sustain a tail injury.

Only 35 owners said their dogs had had their tail docked, and on the basis of their overall findings, the authors calculated that tail docking would reduce the risk of injury by 12%.

But in absolute terms, 500 dogs would need to have their tail docked in order to prevent one tail injury.

Reference
¹Risk factors for tail injuries in dogs in Great Britain. G. Diesel, D. Pfeiffer, S. Crispin, and D. Brodbelt. The Veterinary Record 2010 166: 812-817.

The BVA has announced the results of a survey which found that 64% of small animal veterinary surgeons have been injured in the line of duty in the past year alone.

By far the most common injuries were scratches and bites (90% and 78% respectively), however 17% rated their injuries as either 'quite' or 'very' severe.

Whilst small animal vets were shown to be at the greatest risk of injury in clinical practice (compared to 61% of equine vets and 53% of production animal vets), the injuries sustained by production and equine vets were predictably more severe. 19% of production vets and 27% of equine vets rated their injuries as either 'quite' or 'very' severe.

BVA President John Blackwell said: Vets accept the daily risk of injury at work, but these figures highlight just how common injuries are for vets who care for pets. Rather than simply accepting this as an ‘occupational hazard’, veterinary teams should ensure they are taking all appropriate measures to mitigate the risks of working with animals whenever possible. BVA provides guidance for vets, for example on preventing and dealing with dog bites in the practice."

Production company Keo Films is on the hunt for a veterinary surgeon that wants to take a year out and help set up a new community in a remote part of the British Isles for a high profile TV documentary series.

The documentary is essentially a social experiment to see whether it is possible to begin again, away from the conveniences and technology of the modern world. 

Keo Films, which was behind such programmes as River Cottage and Welcome to Rio, tells VetNurse.co.uk that they've already had applications from people working in a variety of fields, including doctors, builders and engineers. For obvious reasons, they are very keen to recruit a veterinary surgeon.

There is no payment for appearing in the documentary. Still, it might be just the thing for someone who needs a break from it all. And who knows, it might lead to a second career opening supermarkets at the weekend!

If you know a vet who might be interested, get them to email: eden@keofilms.com or call 020 7490 3580

Kirk Thompson, a Newcastle-based practitioner, has been struck off by the RCVS Disciplinary Committee after being found guilty of manslaughter, assault and drug possession.

Following a trial at Newcastle Crown Court in April 2014, Mr Thompson - who according to the Guardian had at one point been tipped for the job of Chief Veterinary Officer - was convicted of the manslaughter of David Kochs at Mr Thompson’s flat during a crystal-meth-fuelled 'extreme' sadomasochistic gay sex session. He was also convicted of assault causing actual bodily harm (also on Mr Kochs) and possession of methylamphetamine, a Class A controlled drug, both offences occurring on the same night. Mr Thompson was subsequently sentenced to a total of fifteen years’ imprisonment.

Whilst the RCVS opened a case against Mr Thompson in February 2014, it only received confirmation from the Supreme Court of the final conclusion of his subsequent (and ultimately unsuccessful) appeals against his conviction and sentencing in October 2015. The Disciplinary Committee therefore served a Notice of Inquiry on Mr Thompson in November 2015.

Mr Thompson admitted the convictions but did not attend the hearing, due to his current imprisonment, nor was he represented at it; he also declined the opportunity to attend by video link. After due consideration, the Committee decided that the Notice of Inquiry had been properly served and that it was in the interests of justice to proceed in Mr Thompson’s absence.

The Committee was satisfied that Mr Thompson had been convicted of the three offences listed in the charges and concluded that he was not fit to practise as a veterinary surgeon. 

Speaking on behalf of the Committee, its chairman Professor Alistair Barr said: “[We are] satisfied that the type and nature of [Mr Thompson’s] criminal conduct falls seriously below the standard expected of a member of the profession. [We have] noted that Mr Thompson recognises the disrepute his actions have brought on the profession ... and consider that [his] conduct is fundamentally incompatible with being a veterinary surgeon.

“In the circumstances, [we have] concluded that, in the public interest, there is only one proportionate sanction that could be imposed, namely the removal of Mr Thompson’s name from the Register.”

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

The RVC has published the results of a new study which shows that the owners of short-muzzled or brachycephalic dogs are either unaware of the suffering of these breeds, or deluding themselves.

The study, which was conducted in in collaboration with the University of Edinburgh and Nottingham Trent University, looked at the relationship between the owners of over 2000 Pugs, French and English Bulldogs and their pets.

The researchers found that while 20% of the brachycephalic dogs in the study had undergone at least one corrective surgery, only 6.8% of owners consider their dog to be less healthy than average for their breed.

Furthermore, despite 17.9% of owners reporting breathing problems and 36.5% reporting overheating, a staggering 70.9% of owners still considered their dog to be in ‘very good health’ or ‘the best health possible'.

The average age of the dogs in the study was a youthful 2.17 years, which suggests a particularly steep and recent increase in ownership, and points towards a looming health crisis as they age and their disorders worsen. 

The study also revealed that the dog-owner relationship is influenced by expectations in advance of owning a short-muzzled dog.

Dogs whose behaviour, maintenance and veterinary costs were worse than expected prior to ownership led to owners reporting ownership of their dog to be a greater burden.

With more brachycephalic dogs being relinquished to rescue centres across the UK, the researchers say realistic expectations of ownership are crucial to maintaining long-lasting relationships between owners and short-muzzled dogs. 

Dr Rowena Packer, Research Fellow at the Royal Veterinary College and leader of the study, said: "With the UK experiencing a brachycephalic crisis, a greater understanding of the relationships between owners and dogs of these breeds is vital.

"Emotional forces may trump rationality, with owners clearly loving their dogs but considering high levels of disease as healthy for these breeds. With the welfare of many thousands of dogs at stake, along with emotional and financial burdens on their owners, research that unravels these complex relationships is much needed."

Dr Dan O’Neill, Senior Lecturer at the Royal Veterinary College and Chairman of the UK Brachycephalic Working Group, said: "After almost a decade working on brachycephalic dogs, I have come to realise that the issue is as much a human problem as it is a dog problem.

"As humans, we design, breed and choose the dogs we own but our dogs have to live, for better or worse, with those outcomes. With such great power comes great responsibility. Deeper understanding of the human reasons for our choices can help us make better decisions and to improve the welfare of our ‘best friend’."

Bill Lambert, Senior Health and Welfare Manager at the Kennel Club, said: "By contrasting perception and reality, this research provides vital insights which can help advance practical tools and resources to enable better understanding of the health conditions these popular breeds can suffer from and inform puppy buyers’ and owners’ decisions. Similarly, it highlights how crucial it is that all those who care about dog welfare continue to work collaboratively to raise awareness of brachycephalic-related conditions, and encourage puppy buyers to do thorough research and go to a responsible breeder who prioritises health. This is the remit of the Brachycephalic Working Group, made up of vets, welfare organisations and breed clubs, who will no doubt use the insight from this paper to inform future work."

Reference

1. Packer RMA; O’Neill DG; Fletcher F; Farnworth MJ (2019). ‘Great expectations, inconvenient truths, and the paradoxes of the dog-owner relationship for owners of brachycephalic dogs.’ PLoS ONE. http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0219918

Photo: Charles Bradbury

Research published this week by the Society for Companion Animal Studies (SCAS), with funding from the Pet Food Manufacturers' Association (PFMA), confirms what many veterinary professionals will already know from first-hand experience - many elderly people are suffering from distress after being forced to give up much-loved pets to move into care.

The study of 234 care homes and sheltered housing units in six UK cities revealed that only 29% routinely allowed pets, despite the growing body of evidence of the health and social benefits of pets to older people. And many of these facilities specifically excluded cats and dogs even though these are the most commonly kept species of pet. The importance of pet ownership seemed to be largely ignored with only 24% of facilities asking potential residents whether they have a pet and only 35% having any formal policy about pets.

Chairman of SCAS Elizabeth Ormerod BVMS MRCVS said: "Many vets will already be aware that the importance of pets to older people cannot be understated; for some they are their best friend, their family and their only lifeline to the outside world.  People of all ages should have the right to benefit from animal companionship, as long as this is managed responsibly. So we're encouraging all housing and residential care providers to develop clear and carefully considered pet policies."

The SCAS study was carried out by psychologist Dr June McNicholas B.Sc.Ph.D, a renowned researcher of the human-animal bond.  She contacted 44 veterinary surgeries in the study area to investigate the implications of these pet policies for animals, and veterinary surgeons reported that they were presented with between two and four pets per month for euthanasia for the known reason that an elderly owner was going into care.  This equates to over 1,000 pets per year in the study area alone and many thousands more across the UK. 

Elizabeth Ormerod continued: "Sadly, it is common practice for animals to be given up to an animal shelter or presented at a veterinary practice for euthanasia because their elderly owners are going into care.  The impact on the owners is devastating.  But vets should be aware that many care facilities do now take pets and if not, it may be possible to rehome them through charities like The Blue Cross."

Vets questioned in the study said that they tried to avoid the euthanasia of healthy pets except when they were very elderly or infirm and would therefore be difficult to rehome.  But both vets and vet nurses expressed concerns that pets were sometimes brought in by the relatives of an elderly owner, who may have been unaware of the fate of their beloved pet.

The ‘Pets and Older People in Residential Care' research findings are published in full on a dedicated area of the SCAS website (www.scas.org.uk/petsforlife), which also offers essential information for veterinary practices, care home providers and older people who are thinking about moving into care.  This includes: 

• Information on finding care facilities that will allow pets
• Guidelines on preparing a ‘case for support' for taking a pet into care
• Contact details for animal welfare organisations who can help to rehome pets
• Free phone and email support for owners coping with pet loss through the Pet Bereavement Support Service (jointly run by SCAS and The Blue Cross)

A leaflet has also been produced with key advice for older people and contact details for more information.  This is being distributed to veterinary surgeries but is also available to download free from the website or it can be ordered by calling SCAS on 01993 825 597.  A SCAS publication ‘Older people and pets: a comprehensive guide' is also available to order online or by phone for £12.50 plus postage.