Bayer has unveiled a major TV marketing campaign to promote Drontal.
An advertising campaign featuring the Drontal Schnauzer will run for two months. In addition, the company is sponsoring the TV series The Dog Whisperer, which is due to be aired from October to December this year.
The company is also launching a competition to enable owners to show off their pets and win a number of prizes. They include appearing in a double page spread in Your Dog and Your Cat magazines, holidays at pet-friendly hotels, digital cameras, shopping vouchers, pet accessories and much, much more! Pet owners will be able to submit photos, videos and stories to http://www.mypetsuperstar.com/ which has four competition categories:
Dan White, Drontal product manager said: "My Pet Superstar aims to celebrate the unique traits and talents that make us love and take pride in our pets. Visitors to the website will be able to vote for their favourite entries and even post these to their Facebook and Twitter accounts. With four very different categories, this competition will be wide open to all dog and cat owners. Our motto is that healthy pets are happy pets, and we will use the competition to remind dog and cat owners about the benefits of regular worming.
Practices can get involved by displaying waiting room materials including A4 static window posters, shelf wobblers and mobile hanging devices by calling 0845 257 4798.
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
Genitrix has launched Dentagen toothpaste which, the company says, uniquely both cleans teeth and inhibits the formation of plaque.
Dentagen toothpaste is based on RF2, a plant extract, which is clinically proven to inhibit the formation of dental biofilm or plaque. It has been formulated to a dentrifrice abrasivity (RDA) index of 34 to ensure that it removes plaque while causing no damage to the enamel layer of the teeth. The toothpaste is packaged with a free finger-brush to help introduce the pet to having its teeth brushed. It costs £5.50 for a 70g tube.
The toothpaste completes the range of Dentagen health products - the fastest growing dental products in the UK (according to GFK data in May 2010).
Genitrix says Dentagen is the only veterinary dental system to combine a procedure carried out in practice with a variety of aftercare regimes to ensure owner compliance. In 2008, Genitrix launched the Dentagen plaque protection system. It consists of a RF2-impregnated wax provided to practices in a syringe and applied to the gingival layer and the buccal area of teeth of dogs or cats at the end of dental procedures. Pet owners then maintain the protective coating by using the new Dentagen toothpaste or other products in the range - either the RF2-impregnated vegetable-based palatable Dentagen chews or Dentagen Aqua, a palatable liquid containing RF2, which is added to a pet's drinking water on a daily basis.
Rob Watkins, Genitrix' Marketing Director, said: "Brushing has long been recognised as the 'gold standard' when it comes to dental health care so we felt it was important for the Dentagen range to include this option. Regular brushing makes a significant contribution to the maintenance of oral health and the RF2 in the Dentagen toothpaste actually suppresses plaque formation between brushing which is a further benefit. It sets a new efficacy standard for pet toothpaste.
However, while many owners understand the importance of dental health, many of them find actually brushing their pet's teeth difficult - especially those with cats. This is why the Dentagen range includes a variety of options. It enables pet owners to select the method that is right for them and their pet and thus maximise the likelihood of their compliance with a good preventive health regime."
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
Animal training and behaviour experts have joined forces to try and end bad practice by poorly trained individuals.
The Animal Behaviour and Training Council is being launched to regulate the education and training of those working in the animal behaviour modification sector.
The new organisation brings together leaders in the veterinary, welfare, rehoming, animal training and behaviour therapy fields. It aims to set standards for the knowledge and skills required to be a recognised professional.
The agreed standards will be used to assess the competency of practitioners before they are included on the Council's national register of animal trainers and behaviour therapists. The details will be publicly available to help people to find an appropriate expert.
The standards will also help those seeking a career in animal behaviour or further developing the skills of those already practicing the profession.
Council chairman David Montgomery said: "Regulation of this industry sector is long overdue. The formation of the council has been met with widespread enthusiasm and support from professional organisations both in the UK and overseas."
Organisations represented on the Council already include major charities such as RSPCA, Guide Dogs and The Blue Cross, with interest being expressed from organisations in Europe, Australia and Brazil.
Senior lecturer in companion animal behaviour and welfare at Bristol University Dr Rachel Casey said: "There is currently a plethora of groups and individuals providing dog training which makes it difficult for owners to choose the right one to suit the needs of their pet.
"We believe that the ABTC will aim to solve this problem and will be a very important step forward in raising standards in animal training and behaviour."
For more information visit: www.abtcouncil.org.uk
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."
The Dogs Trust has released the results of its 2010 Stray Dog Survey, which shows that 51% of stray dogs picked up by local authorities in the UK were reunited with their owners.
According to the charity, this compares with 42% last year and is only the second time the figure has gone through the 50% barrier since survey records began in 1997.
Where the method used to return stray dogs was identified, the proportion of dogs returned through microchipping was 35% - up from 31% last year.
Dogs Trust is repeating the call for the introduction of a compulsory microchipping system for all dogs in the UK. It believes this will help reunite even more owners with their lost pets, trace abandoned pets back to irresponsible owners and ultimately reduce the number of healthy dogs unnecessarily put to sleep in the UK.
The annual Stray Dog Survey, conducted by GfK NOP on behalf of Dogs Trust, shows an overall increase in instances of straying from 107,228 to 121,693. However, taking into account the number of dogs reclaimed or returned to owner (45,329 in 2009 and 61,908 in 2010) we can estimate that this year the number of dogs actually abandoned (approximately 59,785) as opposed to being wanted pets that simply strayed has fallen by 3%.
There has been a considerable decline in the number of dogs being put to sleep by Local Authorities due to ill health, aggression (under the Dangerous Dogs Act) or simply for want of a home. Down from 9,310 in last year's survey to 6,404 this year. Dogs Trust is delighted at the progress Local Authorities have made in bringing down these numbers and their efforts in rehoming and returning so many dogs to their owners.
Dogs Trust Chief Executive Clarissa Baldwin said: "Dogs Trust is encouraged to see that although the instances of straying in the UK has increased in the last two years, the percentage of these dogs being reunited with their owners has increased and, more importantly, the numbers being put to sleep has fallen drastically.
"We are delighted to see that microchipping is having a serious impact on the stray dog situation in the UK. Dogs Trust runs subsidised microchipping campaigns across the country and in particular those areas with the biggest stray dog problems. A compulsory microchipping system would undoubtedly improve the situation further."
Dogs Trust says the introduction of compulsory microchipping would:
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
Time is running out to nominate your fellow staff members for this year's 'Petplan Pet Insurance Advisor Award'.
The award recognises the hard work and dedication that Pet Insurance Advisors (PIAs) do to highlight the importance of insurance to pet owners so that they are protected financially.
Donna Lewis, President of The British Veterinary Nursing Association said: "The PIA in a practice is an important role for a member of staff to fill and the award is just as relevant as the Vet Nurse of the Year or Receptionist of the Year award. The Petplan PIA Award recognises the individual who fully understands and works to help educate clients and staff about insurance, it is also recognises their passion for their role."
To nominate your dedicated PIA for Petplan's PIA of the Year Awards, please visit www.petplan.co.uk/pia. The PIA of the Year will receive a new laptop and their practice will receive £100 in vouchers!
Nominations close on 3rd September and the nominees will be judged by industry professionals. The winner will be announced at the annual BVNA Congress on 9th October.
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 4th 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.
Norbrook has launched Loxicom 0.5mg/ml oral suspension for small dogs, indicated for the alleviation of inflammation and pain in acute and chronic musculo-skeletal disorders.
Loxicom Oral Suspension comes in a clear 15ml bottle which allows vets and clients to monitor levels of the product and re-order when necessary.
Loxicom 0.5mg/ml for Dogs comes with two sizes of syringe, a 1ml syringe graduated from 0.25kg-5kg to treat even the smallest of dog breeds accurately, and a 5ml syringe graduated from 1kg-25kg to treat small and medium dog breeds. The syringes plug securely into the bottle to ensure a tight-fitting connection and minimal leakage when administering the product.
This new oral suspension joins the range of 1.5mg/ml oral suspensions for Dogs and 5mg/ml injections for Dogs and Cats, launched in 2009, and the 0.5mg/ml oral suspension for Cats launched earlier this year at the BSAVA Congress.
Bayer Animal Health has launched four short youtube films about parasites, fronted by celebrity veterinary surgeon, Scott Miller.
The press blurb says the films "will provide pet owners with an amazing and educational journey into the world of parasites and highlight the need for the control of these often unwelcome pests", which I would normally translate as: "will provide anyone with too much time on their hands with a rather dull five minute advertisement for our flea treatment".
But no. The big surprise is that in addition to the slick production values, these films actually are rather interesting. I've just watched the first, and learned a bit about the vampire bat. There's some compelling infra-red footage of some of them feeding on a sleeping horse.
Elsewhere in the You Tube clips, Scott discusses other parasites including fleas, ticks and worms, and shows the harm they can inflict if owners don't sufficiently protect their cats and dogs with appropriate treatments. On that score, he urges owners to seek veterinary advice. Scott also discusses the threats posed by the increasing urbanisation of foxes and by exotic diseases that are now being found much further north as a result of climate change.
Matt Frost, UK marketing manager at Bayer Animal Health, says: "The clips, all of which are around four minutes in length, provide an opportunity for pet owners to learn more about parasites in a novel and entertaining way. We hope that viewers will learn more about the inherent dangers some of these creatures pose to pets and the steps that can be taken to protect against them.
The other clips can be viewed online at www.youtube.com/user/parasitesundercover1. You might even like to embed them from youtube into your own practice website.
BEVA Congress Registrations this year show that many more vet practices are now recognising the benefits of Veterinary Nurses attending Congress (8-11 September 2010) and are actively encouraging their VN teams to attend, say the organisers.
Apparently, Veterinary Nurse registrations are already looking healthy compared to 2009.
BEVA Congress hosts a Vet Nursing day each year, with themed lectures aimed specifically at the profession and presented by a combination of vets and vet nurses. Pete Ravenhill MRCVS, partner at Willesley Equine Clinic (now part of B&W Equine Group Ltd) at Tetbury, Gloucestershire, who will be speaking at Congress this year, is always keen for as many of his practice's VNs as possible to attend. He said: "We tend to send three or four of our vet nurses each year, as a part of their annual CPD budget. In our experience they come back informed and enthusiastic, having received masses of information and ways to apply it in their own day-to-day jobs. It also enables our Vet Nurses to realise how much we value them as professionals and how heavily reliant the quality of our service is on their skills and professionalism."
This year the VN day will run on Thursday 9 September and will encompass a broad programme, including Ethics in Nursing. This sensitive topic promises to generate strong interest and debate as well as extend knowledge on making decisions on euthanasia and how to manage bereavement issues.
James Yeates BVSc BSc CertWEL of the department of clinical veterinary science at the University of Bristol, will be exploring Coping with sick horses - when is enough enough. He will consider how improvements in quality of life can be maximised with the use of pain assessment tools, quality of life methodologies and welfare-based care plans. He will also examine the risk of perpetuating suffering, how best to assess and balance the welfare harms and benefits and how best to communicate assessments to owners.
Belinda Johnston, MA VetMB MRCVS, at West End House vet practice at Higham, Suffolk, will explore the topic of Bereavement management - supporting the grieving owner. She will explain the normal grief patterns that can be expected and why it is so important to provide compassionate, empathic care for grieving owners and how practices need to have a clear, proactive idea of how they handle bereaved clients.
Other subjects to be covered on Vet Nursing day at BEVA Congress include Complementary Therapeutics and Rehabilitation, Medical Nursing and Nutrition and Supportive Care. The full day counts as 7 hours of Vet Nursing CPD.
BEVA Congress runs from 8-11 September 2010 at the International Convention Centre, Birmingham. For further information and to register visit http://www.beva.org.uk/
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:
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.
CEVA Animal Health has published a trial which, according to the company, shows that horses suffering lameness caused by bone spavin can show marked improvement following treatment with a Tiludronate infusion, in combination with controlled exercise.
Bone spavin is a chronic aseptic osteoarthritis of the distal tarsal joints which, says CEVA, is considered to be one of the most common forms of hindlimb lameness in the horse.
The double-blind, multicentric, placebo-controlled trials were carried out on a total of 108 pleasure horses, show jumpers and eventers of a variety of sizes and breeds, all of which had been clinically diagnosed with bone spavin. The horses were rigorously selected, having to show clinical signs of spontaneous lameness of at least six weeks but less than a year's duration and had to be in daily exercise. Horses suffering proximal suspensory desmitis were excluded.
Horses were defined as suffering from bone spavin if they displayed a chronic hindlimb lameness which improved with distal tarsal joint analgesia and showed radiographic evidence of bony changes associated with bone spavin in the distal tarsal joints. The horses were treated at day zero with a single Tiludronate infusion or a placebo and reassessed 60 days later after a period of controlled exercise.
Eighty seven horses completed the trials, comprising 42 Tiludronate treated horses and 45 placebo cases. By day 60 approximately 60% of the Tiludronate treated horses had improved in lameness by two grades or more, scored on a ten point system.
Horses with bone spavin experience abnormal bone remodeling changes, occasionally with excessive bone resorption in the tarsal bones. Tiludronate works by regulating this bone remodeling through a decrease in the resorptive process, slowing down the degradation of the bone structure when the condition is progressing and alleviating the pain associated with abnormal bone lysis.
CEVA has recently produced a leaflet specifically to help horse owners to understand the diagnosis and treatment of bone spavin. For copies of this leaflet and CEVA's comprehensive veterinary brochure on the product please contact CEVA Animal Health on 01494 781510 or visit the website at http://www.tildren.com/
Tiludronate infusion in the treatment of bone spavin: A double blind placebo-controlled trial
Reference M. R. GOUGH*, D. THIBAUD† and R. K. W. SMITH‡ (*CEVA Animal Health, Bucks, UK; †CEVA Animal Health USA, Kansas, USA; and ‡Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, The Royal Veterinary College, University of London, UK). Equine vet. J. (2010) 42 (5) 381-387 doi: 10.1111/j.2042-3306.2010.00120.x
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.
The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons has called for comment on a new draft health protocol which aims to deal compassionately with veterinary surgeons who have health problems, such as alcohol or drug addiction or mental health issues, while continuing to protect the public interest.
According to independent legal advice sought by the College, such an approach is appropriate and necessary in order for the RCVS to fulfil its regulatory responsibilities - similar systems exist within other regulators.
RCVS President Peter Jinman said: "At present, where veterinary surgeons suffer from health problems that affect their fitness to practise, they may be referred to a formal and public Disciplinary Committee inquiry and stopped from practising. But it is recognised that this is not always in the public interest, which could be protected by a more compassionate approach, involving medical help, workplace supervision and continued practice, subject to conditions."
As a result, the draft Protocol has been developed by the RCVS Preliminary Investigation and Advisory Committees. It formalises and builds on steps taken by the Preliminary Investigation Committee in the past to help veterinary surgeons to recover from health problems affecting fitness to practise, without referral to the RCVS Disciplinary Committee. Often those veterinary surgeons are also receiving help from the Veterinary Benevolent Fund's Veterinary Surgeons' Health Support Programme.
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.
A similar protocol would be introduced for Registered Veterinary Nurses when the equivalent disciplinary system comes into force next year.
The draft protocol, together with recommended changes to the RCVS Guide to Professional Conduct to support the change, is available online (www.rcvs.org.uk/healthprotocol) and comments are requested by 8 October 2010. The comments will be considered by Advisory Committee and then RCVS Council.
Comments should be sent to Simon Wiklund, Advisory Manager, on s.wiklund@rcvs.org.uk. A hard copy of the consultation document is available on request.
Petplan is calling for nominations for this year's 'Petplan Pet Insurance Advisor Award'.
The award is to recognise the hard work and dedication that Pet Insurance Advisors (PIAs) do to highlight the importance of insurance to pet owners so that they are protected financially. You can nominate a PIA at your practice by visiting www.petplan.co.uk/pia. The winner will receive a new laptop and their practice will receive £100 in vouchers.
Petplan Marketing Manager Alison Andrew said: "At Petplan we are proud to recognise the dedication and hard work that Pet Insurance Advisors put in to give their customers informed and up-to-date advice. So please get your nominations in!"
230 vets took part in the survey1.
75% reported that they see rabbits affected by dental disease regularly.
GI stasis came in second place at 54%, followed by obesity at 52%.
They were followed by respiratory tract infections (21%) mobility disorders (19%), urinary disease (10%) and pododermatitis (10%).
Purina says the three most common diseases are all intrinsically linked to the feeding of poor-quality diets and despite substantial improvements in nutritional knowledge among rabbit owners, 57% of rabbits are still being fed inappropriately.
Claire Hamblion, Supreme’s Marketing Director said: “Owners want to do the right thing, but all too often lack of awareness about nutrition leads to poor health and wellbeing.
"The great news is that progress is being made.
"Well over half of UK rabbit owners now take their pet to the vet at least once a year2, and 79% of vets say that nutritional knowledge among rabbit owners has significantly improved.
"We’re keen to build on this and are proud to offer not just high-quality species-specific nutrition but a range of educational materials as well as free samples to help veterinary teams engage with owners”.
References
A leather and brass dog collar once owned by Charles Dickens is one of a number of items coming under the hammer at a sale of 'dog art' at Bonhams New York on 16th February.
You'll have to have deep pockets, though: with a nameplate inscribed 'C. Dickens, Esqe,, Gad's Hill, Place, Higham.' the collar carries an estimate of $4,000 - $6,000.
If you're feeling really flush, you could also pick up a painting by the foremost dog artist John Emms. Amongst the six Emms lots to be offered, a painting titled The Bitchpack of the Meath Foxhounds is expected to fetch $500,000 to $700,000.
The illustrated auction catalogue for the sale is online and available to view at: http://www.bonhams.com/dogs
Practices will be able to offer customers increased support for their worming programmes in 2010, as part of a new initiative from Eqvalan® manufacturer, Merial.
Eqvalan product manager Claire Edmunds said: "The SMART worming campaign is designed to encourage owners to Simply Monitor, Assess Risk and, if necessary, Treat with the most appropriate wormer.
"We know that worming can be confusing for horse owners, so the SMART approach is designed to help them manage their worming programmes more easily, whilst also ensuring that wormers are used in a way that may help prevent the development of resistance.
Practices purchasing Eqvalan Duo during February and March can get 4 tubes free when they purchase 20. In addition, to kick start the SMART campaign for each order on the above offer, Merial will supply 20 free Worm Egg Count vouchers worth £10/€10 each. For those practices with their own testing facilities, the company is also offering promotional support to help encourage increased uptake and client buy-in.
Claire added: "As well as continuing with the successful free worm egg count campaign available for practices during February and March, owners will also have access to a personalised on-line planner, as well as text and email alerts.
"The campaign is being supported with new point of sale material and a prominent consumer advertising campaign. In addition we also have an extensive VN SQP CPD training programme planned for 2010.
"With the consensus of expert opinion on the future of worming firmly behind the use of targeted programmes incorporating worm egg counts, there has never been a more important time to get closer to clients and help them with their worming strategies."
If you would like further information, please contact your local territory manager or call the Merial Customer Support Centre on 0845 601 4236.
Last year's pass rate has been maintained by VN candidates taking their Level 3 Practical exams - with the number of VN students sitting exams having seen an increase across the year.
The RCVS sent out the results of the Level 3 Practical exams last Wednesday, to the 352 student VNs who sat the exam in November. A total of 348 candidates took the small animal option and four candidates the equine.
With 64% of candidates succeeding, the pass rate was similar to December 2008.
The number of VN candidates overall has increased significantly compared with 2008, with 1188 candidates taking exams in 2009, and 878 in 2008. There has also been a welcome increase in the number of VN students enrolling with the RCVS; student enrolment figures for 2009 were up by 5%, at 1,114, compared with 1,060 in 2008.
RCVS Head of Veterinary Nursing, Libby Earle said: "Congratulations to all those who have now qualified. Once you've received your certificates - and completed your 3,290 hours' training at approved training practices - you can List as Veterinary Nurses and join the Register to start careers as qualified professionals."
A list of all the successful candidates is available from RCVSonline (http://www.rcvs.org.uk/), along with information about how VNs eligible to List and Register can do so.
The new service was reported in The Times, in an article titled "How much should your vet cost? Pet owners bitten by untamed fees."
Since launch, VetHelpDirect has offered owners information to help them pick a veterinary practice, including reviews, ratings (including a value for money score), RCVS accreditation, cat/ rabbit friendly status, health plan details and how out of hours cover is provided.
It has now added some basic information about each practices' charges, specifically the first consultation fee, a dog castrate and health plans, and then categorised them according with £££££ signs to indicate how far above or below the average they sit.
Susie said: “Most practices will give out these prices over the telephone, but there’s no way for the client to find them without directly getting in touch, something people are less and less likely to want to do nowadays.
"Our research data suggests that people want to find this information online, just as they would in any other service industry.
"When they can’t find any information at all on pricing, there can be a perception of secrecy that can do damage to the vet-owner relationship.”
Susie added: “True comparison for vet practices is of course very complex and no basket of services is ever going to capture the whole complexity.
"Every practice is different, from facilities and team qualifications; to the time allotted for consultations; to monitoring equipment for surgery; and of course the level of investigations undertaken which can also vary from vet to vet.”
“We can’t solve all this straight away but we started from a good place, over the years we have built up more information about vet practices than any other website.
"The aim is to provide commonly requested prices for owners to easily access and to add more and more detail on the vet practices over time so that owners can make the most informed choice on the vet that's most appropriate for them and their pet”.
VetHelpDirect says it will soon be adding prescription fees and out of hours consultation, and a much wider range of species-specific fees in the near future.
The company also points to the Competition and Markets Authority investigation into pricing in the UK, highlighting that in its 2019 Report into Funerals in the UK, the CMA noted that weaknesses in the sector included the fact that less than 40% of funeral directors posted any form of pricing online, and those that did were frequently not in a form that made for easy comparison.
Susie says the veterinary sector has an even lower rate of online pricing transparency.
To add your pricing information to VetHelpDirect, email: info@vethelpdirect.com.
COMMENT
Whilst greater transparency over pricing in almost any field is surely to be welcomed, it seems questionable whether comparing prices for consultations and standard procedures will be of much help to pet owners, because things like the level of investigations, how defensively a clinician practises and the owner's own relationship with risk are likely to have a far greater impact on the bill than whether a consult costs £20 more or less up the road.
There is perhaps also a risk of practices rated as '£££££ / more expensive than average' will be seen as just that. Expensive and nothing more.
It's not like a restaurant where £££££ usually means particularly delicious.
Whilst this may not matter much whilst so many practices are having to turn away business, it may become more important in the future.
Bayer Animal Health, maker of Advocate, has announced that it will be running its 'Be Lungworm Aware' campaign in April.
The company says the campaign aims to help raise awareness of Angiostrongylus vasorum amongst dog owners and support the veterinary practice as a source of further information. The initiative will be backed by a national TV and print advertising campaign. Media vet Joe Inglis will also be supporting the initiative and will be talking about Angiostrongylus vasorum during a series of radio and web broadcasts.
Bayer has produced new support materials, including an updated lungworm PR pack. The materials are designed to allow veterinary practices to educate owners on the disease, whilst helping to raise the profile of the practice in the local community.
Meanwhile, the research carried out by the company has revealed some interesting insights into dog owners' understanding of lungworm.
Despite awareness being fairly high with nearly half of owners claiming to know about the condition, 84% of this group did not know any of the clinical signs associated with the infection, while only 60% were aware that the disease could be fatal if left untreated. Understanding of how dogs become infected was also relatively low with only 24% of owners recognising the role of slugs and snails as the intermediate host for the parasite. As well as playing a vital role in alerting owners to the emergence of the disease, the veterinary practice was cited as the primary source of information that owners would refer to if they needed advice on treating this parasite.
Eric Morgan from the University of Bristol said: "Angiostrongylus vasorum appears to be continuing its spread to new locations in the UK. It is therefore important that dog owners are educated on the infection and the signs to look out for, to enable them to seek treatment before it is too late."
For further details, or to order the new practice materials, please contact your Bayer representative or ring 0845 2574798 quoting 'Be Lungworm Aware'.
Both veterinary professionals and clients can nominate people and practices for one of five awards.
Every professional nominated in the awards will be sent a personalised certificate.
An independent panel of judges from within the veterinary industry will then narrow down the entries to a shortlist of three finalists for each award, who will all be invited to awards ceremony in Manchester on Thursday 21st March 2024.
Bella von Mesterhazy, Sales and Marketing Director at Petplan, said: “Every year we think we’ve seen it all, but then we’re overjoyed by the sheer volume of and enthusiasm behind the latest nominations.
"So for anyone who’s considered nominating before but hasn’t got round to it, this year’s the time to get involved, as we all come together to champion the immense success of the UK’s veterinary industry, whilst celebrating the awards quarter-century anniversary.”
petplan.co.uk/vetawards
Nominations close on 8th January 2024.