A project which aims to standardise the assessment of veterinary nurse practical training across Europe will have life beyond its pilot phase, thanks to European VN training network, Vetnnet.

The announcement was made in September at an Oslo-based conference to mark the conclusion of the pilot phase of the Pan-European Practical Assessment System project (PEPAS).

During its two-year pilot, the Leonardo da Vinci-funded project developed 111 new stations for Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs), including mark-sheets and examiner notes, and trained over 50 veterinary nursing examiners from eight countries across Europe. The new OSCE stations have been trialled across 250 students by seven European veterinary nurse schools.

Vetnnet has now committed to continuing the project, enabling its members to access the OSCEs and associated training.

The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons was a main project partner in the pilot, with specific responsibility for training and quality assurance of the system. Victoria Hedges, RCVS VN Examination and Higher Education Quality Manager said: "It's great that the hard work put into the project by so many countries will continue to bear fruit.

"Feedback in Oslo was excellent and it was heartening to see that when examiners' marks were compared across countries, standardisation was very good. The feedback also helped us to see where students were not achieving the desire results, indicating where more training is needed."

See www.vetnnet.com for more information.

Vetoquinol has revamped its Epiphen complimentary voucher scheme for testing serum levels of phenobarbital, and is offering vet practices a chance to win £100 of high street vouchers.

New voucher pads will be posted to participating veterinary practices in August.  The re-vamped scheme also includes freepost envelopes to make the free serum monitoring programme more user-friendly.

Practices are being asked to send back the old vouchers, which can be found in both the 30mg and 60mg Epiphen packs, to take part in a monthly prize draw to win £100 of high street vouchers.  To enter, return the vouchers with the practice name on the back of each voucher.  There will also be a quarterly prize draw for a "Touch Screen" client education tool.

The old vouchers should be sent to: Voucher Amnesty, Vetoquinol, Vetoquinol House, Great Slade, Buckingham Industrial Park, Buckingham, MK18 1PA.

Pfizer Animal Health has launched a dedicated Equine Business Unit to provide a higher level of service and a comprehensive range of products to equine vets across the UK.

Created following the merger with Fort Dodge, the Pfizer Equine Business Unit is headed by Ben Lacey MA Vet MB MRCVS, who has previously held both technical and sales roles at Pfizer. Ben and his team have a brief to offer a breadth of product, support and flexibility not previously available to equine vets.

The product range offered by the Pfizer Equine Business Unit includes the Equest range of parasiticides; the Duvaxyn vaccines for Equine Herpes Virus, West Nile Virus and Rotavirus and products such as Equimidine and Torbugesic.  Also offered are existing Pfizer brands such as the Equip vaccine range, the antibiotic Excenel Sterile Powder, the NSAID Rimadyl for Horses and Depo-MedroneV.

Five experienced account managers with a strong track record in the equine sector have been appointed by Pfizer to build relationships with equine vet practices on a regional basis.  They are:

South East England                            Mark Baker
West Midlands, Cheshire, Wales        Laurie May
East Anglia, East Midlands                 Penny McCann
South West, South Wales                   Anna Cunningham
The North, Scotland                            Alexandra Cox

Ben Lacey said:  "Building our new team and combining the highly regarded products offered previously by both Fort Dodge and Pfizer has proved a stimulating process.  We've also worked closely with many of our existing practice customers to look at how we can develop the service we provide to them. 

"We're now able to offer a product range which I believe is unrivalled in the market and a highly committed team of equine professionals, who share a vision and passion for equine health.  We're looking forward to building our business with both existing and new customers in the months ahead."

SPVS has launched the Veterinary Business Excellence Awards, an initiative designed to honour outstanding veterinary practices that have demonstrated exceptional performance and innovation in areas that are crucial to the success of the profession.

There are four categories of award:

• Leadership Skills: Recognising practices that exhibit visionary leadership, strategic planning, effective communication, and the ability to inspire and motivate their teams.
• Team Dynamics: Celebrating practices that have a culture of collaborative teamwork, conflict resolution, and nurturing a supportive and inclusive work environment.
• Self Development: Honouring practices that prioritise continuous learning, professional growth, adaptability, and maintaining a healthy work-life balance.
• Management: Acknowledging practices that excel in resource management, financial stewardship, client relationships, and innovative practice development.

Veterinary practices who feel they have excellence to showcase are invited to submit their nominations via: https://spvs.org.uk/business-excellence-awards, highlighting why they deserve to receive the award against each of the selection criteria.

The deadline for nominations is 5pm on 31st October 2023.

The SPVS Board then will review submissions and shortlist the top 5 nominations in each category.

Shortlisted practices will be contacted by 5pm on the 15th November 2023, and invited to submit a more detailed statement of 750 words or a 90-second video, giving them another opportunity to showcase their accomplishments.

A panel of SPVS members will evaluate the final submissions and vote for a winner in each category.

Category winners will be announced before the end of the year, and will win full day + evening tickets to SPVS Congress 2024 on Thursday 25^th January 2024 for three team members, plus overnight accommodation at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole.

The overall winner will be announced at the SPVS Congress 2024 opening ceremony (25^th – 27^th January 2024).

CFH Docmail, a traditional print and posting service that you manage entirely online, has introduced personalised colour postcards to its range. 

Docmail mailings - whether a single letter or a personalised mailing to thousands - are written and created on-line by the originator, sent electronically to Docmail where they are printed and delivered via CFH's own Downstream Access (DSA) facility.

Whether for appointment reminders or other practice messages, the remarkable thing about this service seems to be the price: from 27p plus VAT for A6 colour postcards printed on both sides, including production and postage. The postcards can either be designed via a template on the Docmail website, or you can upload your own artwork. There's no minimum order, and Docmail mails the personalised cards out on a two day standard delivery to the address database that you provide.

Dave Broadway, managing director of CFH Total Document Management, creators of Docmail said: "Postcards are of course an established means of communication.  What's different about Docmail is that production and mailing costs are considerably cheaper than traditional methods.

"Our user friendly website is quick and easy to navigate, and you have total control over the contents of your mailing."

Fraser Robertson, Financial Director of Docmail customer Eye Tech Group said: "We've been using Docmail for our regular mailings for some time now, and the introduction of postcards will be invaluable for our appointment reminders. We estimate that Docmail is saving us over 60p per letter and crucially is also freeing up administrative time."

For more information, visit: http://www.cfhdocmail.com/vets/index.html

The Dogs Trust has responded to the RSPCA's proposal to re-introduce the dog licence

Clarissa Baldwin, Chief Executive of Dogs Trust said: "Dogs Trust is adamant that a return to the dog licence would provide no welfare benefit to dogs. Dog licensing is little more than a punitive tax on responsible dog owners who already contribute estimated £451 million to the public purse through dog related tax resources.*

"The dog licence is still a requirement in Northern Ireland yet only an estimated one-third of all dog owners currently have their dogs licensed. Despite this Northern Ireland still has the highest number of stray dogs per head of population of any part of the UK. The number of dogs put to sleep in the region represents a staggering 34% of the total UK figure.

"Dogs Trust recommends that a system of compulsory microchipping, linking dog to owner is effective in returning stray and stolen dogs to their owners and which would improve the traceability of battery farmed dogs."

Dogs Trust is the UK's largest dog welfare charity and cares for over 16,000 stray and abandoned dogs each year through its network of 17 Rehoming Centres nationwide.  

*Mintel research 2010 

Equine infectious anaemia (EIA) has been detected in a horse in Northumberland following importation from the Netherlands, Defra confirmed today.

The premises is currently under restriction and the infected horse will be humanely destroyed in line with existing regulations. The other horses on the premises are currently subject to epidemiological investigation.

The horse arrived in a group of six horses originating in the Netherlands and all have been tested for EIA as part of routine post-import testing. The other five horses in the group have all tested negative.

Chief Veterinary Officer Nigel Gibbens said: "This again shows the success of our post import testing regime. These were apparently healthy horses carrying a notifiable disease that we are keen to keep out of Great Britain. After considering the risk I have decided to take appropriate action and humanely destroy this horse."

Meanwhile, equine welfare charity World Horse Welfare is sending out an urgent plea to all horse owners across the UK and mainland Europe to work together in order to stop the increasing threat from this and a number of other diseases.

According to the charity, this case comes only eight months after the discovery of two horses suffering from the disease, which is notifiable, in Wiltshire. Those horses had been transported across Europe from Romania before being imported into the UK.  Since the end of August alone, there have been new outbreaks reported in Northern France (directly linked to horses imported from Romania), the Dordogne area, and Germany. 

World Horse Welfare Chief Executive Roly Owers said: "While World Horse Welfare welcomes the news that Defra has acted so promptly in dealing with this case, today's news is extremely concerning and demonstrates the changing environment we're living in. This is a real warning to us that we're sailing far too close to the wind.  The concerning question is where these horses came from given that Holland to date has not reported a case of EIA.

"With more and more horses moving across Europe, including the significant trade in low value animals, not just slaughter animals, we're facing an increasing threat from the spread of disease.  EIA is endemic in both Romania and Italy; Romania being one of the largest exporters and Italy being the largest importer of horses for slaughter in Europe.  In spite of the legal requirement for health certification before exporting horses from Romania, which were tightened in June 2010, there continues to be cases of EIA across Europe.

"World Horse Welfare advises owners to undertake rigorous checks when buying a horse from abroad and is discouraging anyone from importing Romanian horses. Owners should also ensure that any horse they buy or that comes on to their yard has a passport, is checked for a microchip and that isolation and biosecurity measures are strictly followed for any new entry onto the yard. If this disease spreads across the UK it could have catastrophic effects on our horse population.  Whether it's a child's pony or Cheltenham Gold Cup winner, disease does not discriminate."

Pfizer Animal Health is reminding horse owners of the importance of treating encysted small redworm larvae this autumn.

According to the company, these hidden, dormant parasites can account for up to 90% of the redworm burden in a horse (1). Furthermore, encysted small redworm larvae won't show up in a faecal egg count (FEC). Even if a horse has shown a negative or low count it could still be harbouring several million harmful larvae, hidden within the gut wall (2)

Encysted small redworm are a potential time bomb, with the ability to survive inside a horse for up to two years. They usually 'wake-up' in the late winter or early spring, developing and emerging from the gut wall all at the same time. Such a sudden mass emergence can cause a disease syndrome known as 'larval cyathostominosis', causing diarrhoea and colic with up to a 50% mortality rate (2). Treating encysted small redworm successfully in the late autumn or early winter is vitally important in order to prevent this serious risk.

Pfizer says that Moxidectin, the key ingredient of EQUEST, is recognised as the only single dose treatment for encysted small redworm. It has been shown to kill the larvae in-situ, without resulting in severe inflammation of the gut wall that other multi-dose treatments may cause (3). In addition, Moxidectin is licensed for persistent activity against small redworm over two weeks, killing larvae ingested as the horse grazes for up to two weeks after treatment.

Ben Gaskell, Pfizer's veterinary advisor said: "A responsible and sustainable worming programme involves good pasture management, regular diagnostic tests and targeted worming, carefully planned using specialist advice. However, it is also vital to remember the danger of encysted small redworm. Even if a horse's FEC is clear, there could still be a significant encysted small redworm burden that must be treated properly every year in late autumn / early winter."

1) Bairden K. et al (2001) Veterinary Record 148, 138-141
2) Dowdall S.M.J. et al (2002) Veterinary Parasitology 106, 225‑242
3) Steinbach T. et al (2006) Veterinary Parasitology 139, 115‑131

CEVA Animal Health is launching a new TV advertising and marketing campaign to promote its veterinary behaviour products, DAP and Feliway, in the run up to this year's firework season.

The campaign will feature a new animated character 'Dap the Dog', who will join 'That Purple Cat' in educating pet owners on the behaviours expressed by pets that are fearful of loud noises during fireworks, and the benefits of using DAP and Feliway.  The adverts will be aired throughout October on ITV2, E4, More4 and Channel 4 (London only) starting on Monday 4^th October and will be seen by 11.5 million ABC1 women.

A range of firework marketing materials have been produced to support veterinary practices and help educate owners who have noise phobic pets. These include client leaflets, an A4 leaflet holder, waiting room display materials and a firework poster all featuring the characters from the advert. CEVA's petfireworkfear website - www.petfireworkfear.co.uk/ - has also been updated to include the new TV advert, downloadable versions of all materials and tips on how to prepare pets for fireworks.  In addition, www.dapfordogs.com/ and www.feliway.com/ will feature a voucher offering pet owners a free 60ml spray when they purchase a DAP or Feliway diffuser from their local veterinary practice.

The support comes in light of recent research¹, carried out by CEVA, that revealed 80% of pet owners have had a pet that has been afraid of fireworks, with more than half of dog owners wanting to ban them altogether because they are too upsetting for their animals.

Julia Wood, product manager at CEVA Animal Health, said: "Fireworks are the most stressful event that a pet can experience and, in most cases, owners have noticed their animals becoming visibly unsettled with 49% of dogs shaking¹ and 65% of cats hiding¹.  The new TV advertising campaign and marketing support will educate pet owners on behaviours expressed by pets with a fear of loud noises and the importance of taking proactive action by using DAP and Feliway."

CEVA will be running its annual firework display competition amongst veterinary practices throughout October for the best decorated waiting room. 

For further information on CEVA's firework campaign or its marketing support, please contact your local CEVA territory manager or call CEVA Animal Health on 01494 781510.

Genitrix has taken on the exclusive UK distribution of the Oxbow Professional range of premium recovery diets for herbivores and carnivores. 

The Oxbow range was developed in the USA, covers a wide range of exotic species, and is offered in multiple pack sizes to ensure ease of use and cost effectiveness. Key products within the range include Critical Care, Critical Care Fine Grind and new Carnivore Care.

Carnivore Care is a recovery diet for carnivores including cats, ferrets, raptors and snakes, which are unwilling or unable to eat their normal diet. Developed specifically for carnivorous mammals, reptiles and birds, it contains easily digestible proteins, as well as high taurine and L-carnitine in a powdered formula which is easy to mix.  It can be self fed, fed by syringe or even by tube to cats, ferrets, raptors, and other carnivorous small mammals and reptiles. It is used for conditions including malnutrition, severe weight loss, appetite stimulation, gastroenteritis, pre and post surgical care and as a medication carrier.

Critical Care is a recovery diet for herbivores, including rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, tortoises and other herbivorous mammals and reptiles. Formulated to contain all essential nutrients, as well as timothy hay to ensure proper gut physiology and digestion, it can be self fed or fed by syringe and is used in cases including gastrointestinal stasis, severe weight loss, dental disease/post extraction, for gastric hair balls and pre and post surgery

Critical Care Fine Grind is a recovery food which is particularly suitable in cases where tube feeding is required. Formulated to contain timothy hay and essential nutrients, it is offered in a fine particle size to ensure easy flow through nasogastric tubes and syringes. It can be used to feed herbivorous mammals and reptiles unwilling or unable to eat due to illness, surgery or poor nutritional status.

John Chitty BVetMed, CertZooMed, CBiol, MIBiol, MRCVS of the JC Exotic Pet Consultancy said:  "In my opinion, the Oxbow Professional Line is the best recovery diet range on the market as it gives vets a variety of high quality options for multiple species. It can make really make the difference in a successful recovery."

Howard Wilder, Genitrix' Managing Director, said: "We're focused on delivering innovative products for companion animals and exotic pets which advance veterinary care and provide revenue opportunities for veterinary practices.

"The Oxbow range covers a uniquely wide range of species giving vets a flexible 'one range fits all' recovery care diet for convalescing pets, which has been well researched and formulated. We're delighted to launch the Oxbow Professional range in the UK and believe many veterinary practices will find it a beneficial addition to their armoury."

The findings of a Canine Vector Borne Disease (CVBD) prevention field study, published in Veterinary Parasitology today, have demonstrated the efficacy of Advantix in repelling ticks and sandflies, thus reducing the risk of potentially deadly diseases.

The study, conducted over two years by a team headed by Professor Domenico Otranto of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (Universitá degli Studi di Bari) Italy, with diagnostic support from a team led by Dr. Edward Breitschwerdt at the North Carolina State University, USA, found that dogs treated regularly with Advantix spot-on had a greater than 90% reduction in CVBD cases, including a 100% reduction in new cases of potentially deadly leishmaniosis and a 94.6% decrease in ehrlichiosis.

The study also found that Advantix provided 97.9% protection against tick infestation, compared to untreated dogs, where 100% were infested at the peak of the season. The level of protection offered by Advantix was apparently all the more notable because of particularly large numbers of ticks and sand flies and high prevalence of associated diseases like leishmaniosis or babesiosis in the area of the study.

Prof. Otranto said: "Our study shows the importance of protecting dogs with an effective treatment that repels as well as kills parasites like ticks and sand flies. Despite the high challenge faced by the dogs in our study, nearly all our treated dogs remained free from ticks throughout most of the study, and more than 90% remained free from CVBDs for the whole study time.

"Because we included naïve sentinel beagles in the study, we were also able to model what would happen to dogs travelling to areas where CVBDs are present. We found that by the end of the study, only the Advantix-treated beagles remained protected from infection, while 80% of the untreated beagles were infected with a CVBD. This demonstrates the very real need to protect dogs that are travelling to endemic areas."

According to Bayer, the study showed some interesting results with dogs that were positive with CVBDs when they entered the study. Of these, half of those treated with Advantix were negative for CVBDs at the end of treatment, compared with only 13% of untreated dogs. This suggests the potential for natural clearance of CVBDs if a repellent treatment is used to prevent new transmissions.

Bayer says the study was extremely comprehensive, studying both indigenous and introduced naïve puppies, monitoring for several CVBDs and working with Dr. Breitschwerdt's team in the USA to use highly sensitive molecular testing techniques to ensure optimal diagnostic accuracy. Dr. Breitschwerdt said: "This is the most comprehensive study, to my knowledge, ever conducted testing the efficacy of a repellent ectoparasiticide to prevent the transmission of a spectrum of CVBDs in young dogs."

Leading parasitologist Dr. Luis Cardoso of the University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Portugal said: "Thanks to this study we can see just how effective a treatment that repels as well as kills can be."

Dechra Veterinary Products has produced a pair of presentations, aimed at pet owners, for vets to use in receptions and at client events. The presentations cover canine hyperadrenocorticism, aka Cushing's syndrome, and feline hyperthyroidism.  

Matthew Olsen, Product Manager, said: "We are committed to delivering a wide range of support materials and tools to enable vets to provide help and information to their customers.  We have developed an owners' booklet on both Cushing's and hyperthyroidism and have now backed this up with PowerPoint presentations for vets to use with their clients.  Some veterinary practices are using technology to revolutionise waiting room displays and we have responded to their needs by producing a presentation they can use on their waiting room information screens."

The Dechra Hyperadrenocorticism presentation covers what Cushing's is, what causes it and what owners need to look for. The presentation also explains the treatment options available. The Hyperthyroidism presentation details what the condition is and gives information on the thyroid gland. It highlights what cat owners need to look out for, including weight loss in spite of a ravenous appetite, increased fluid intake and increased restlessness.  The presentation also advises people of what to do should they suspect their cat has hyperthyroidism and what the treatment options are.       

Garden Lodge Veterinary Clinic in Holywood, County Down, has used the Hyperthyroidism presentation at both its practices. Partner Tom Fitzsimons said: "We have used the presentation on our reception information screens.  The presentation has raised owners' awareness and shown them it is a manageable condition.  It's led to an increase in the number of cats we are now testing for Hyperthyrodism.  We also plan to run the Cushing's presentation in the future." 

Veterinary Practices interested in getting hold of a free copy of the Hyperthyrodism and Hyperadrenocorticism presentations should contact Matthew Olsen at Dechra on 01743 441 632 or email matthew.olsen@dechra.com

Genitrix has announced the reformulation of Cerusolve, which cleans and deodorises the external ear canal of cats and dogs. 

According to the company, the reformulation has enhanced Cerusolve's exfoliant and keratolyic properties and has given it a new fresh fragrance. Cerusolve ingredients now include:

• Tea Tree Essential Oil - a product with documented antibacterial properties.
• Aloe vera gel - a product documented for having hydrating, emollient and antipruritic properties
• Origanum - an essential oil documented for its anti-infectious, bactericide, paracitide and fungicide effects.

Cerusolve is presented in a 100 ml bottle with a soft canula for application.  It is priced at £5.65.

Genitrix Marketing Director Rob Watkins said:  "Cerusolve has proved itself in practice as a gentle but effective ear cleaner in dogs and cats. The reformulation has given us the opportunity to increase the acidity of the product following a recent study which suggested that topical acidifying products could be therapeutically beneficial for cutaneous yeast infections.

"We believe the new ingredients will enhance the product and, to celebrate its arrival, we're offering practices the opportunity to buy five bottles of Cerusolve and get one free."

Further details are available from Genitrix on 01403 786345.