Ceva Animal Health UK has launched a new Galastop iPhone application to calculate the optimal date for spaying in order to reduce the risk of post-operative false pregnancy.

Enter the end of oestrus date (when the last season finished), and the app will calculate when to spay, i.e. 16 weeks later.

Ceva says it is important not to spay a bitch during a false pregnancy as post-operative chronic pseudopregnancy may develop, which can last longer and be more resistant to standard treatment. However, some cases of false pregnancy can be silent and difficult to detect. Product manager at Ceva Animal Health UK, Fraser Broadfoot MRCVS, said: "It is commonly recommended to wait until 12 weeks after the end of oestrus before spaying. However, silent pseudopregnancy can still occur at this stage so, to be on the safe side, many specialists are now recommending spaying later at 16 weeks after the end of oestrus."

Click here for more details, and to download the app in iTunes.

For further information, please contact your Ceva Animal Health UK representative or call the veterinary support team on 01494 781510.

Kruuse is to launch a new Manuka honey dressing at BEVA 2011 in September.

Kruuse says that honey has been used as a topical anti-microbial agent and dressing for over 2000 years, and that honey derived from the nectar of the Manuka tree (Leptospermum scoparium) has its own unique chemical properties. Manuka honey contains glucose oxidase imparted by the bees during its collection and storage. This enzyme facilitates low level release of hydrogen peroxide when in the presence of wound exudates and thus supports cellular proliferation and metabolism through an antioxidant effect. The high sugar and low pH content creates a high osmotic potential which gives honey excellent debridement and anti-inflammatory properties.

The company says that one of the biggest difficulties with the use of honey in wound dressings is ensuring that once applied it stays over the wound area. Many attempts to coat dressings have been unsuccessful; often the active honey ingredient is left within the packaging severely reducing the effectiveness of the dressing. Kruuse says its Manuka dressings have the active honey impregnated 'within' the dressing, which ensures precise and easy application even if wearing surgical gloves.

The Kruuse Manuka dressings range comes in impregnated adherent (Kruuse Manuka AD), non-adherent dressing (Kruuse Manuka ND) and 15g tube of Manuka G.  Each dressing comes in 3 sizes 5x5 cm , 10x12.5 cm and the KRUUSE Manuka roll (10x100 cm) a unique product ideal for large vertical wounds. E.G. Equine forelimb.

Kruuse also says that the antimicrobial potency in Manuka honey is rated by a standardised rating known as Unique Manuka Factor (UMF). The higher the UMF the better the antimicrobial effect.  A minimum UMF of 10 is required to ensure sufficient effect in the wound environment, Kruuse Manuka Honey Wound Dressings have a Unique Manuka Factor of 15.

There is a restricted annual supply of Manuka honey as this unique product supply is controlled by a small number of producers in New Zealand. Many current honey products available use blends of Manuka honey with other poorer quality honey, these are often less effective. Kruuse Manuka uses 100% Manuka honey in all its dressings with the profits of the sale being returned directly to the Maori tribe that oversee the production of Manuka honey.

Andrew Groom, Managing Director Kruuse UK Ltd. said: "I am very excited that we have been able to secure a direct connection to supply this unique product with the knowledge that the Maori suppliers will see the returns for generations to come whilst this new range of dressing will add huge versatility for day to day wound management!"

A new online CPD provider, www.vetnurseonline.co.uk, is gearing up for launch in September.

The company says it'll provide easily accessible and affordable CPD in a traditional lecture style, presented by a range of experienced lecturers, most of them VNs themselves.

Amongst the range of lectures designed for veterinary nurses are things like patient care, diagnostics, welfare and ethics, equine, exotics, professional development, medical and surgical. The company says the range will be added to regularly.

Vet Nurse Online says the main benefits of its new service are: choice, convenience, simplicity, and the fact that you get a printable CPD certificate for each lecture.

There is a special introductory offer of annual membership for £120, of which £10 goes direct to charity – to a school for orphans in Malawi, actively supporting education worldwide where it’s needed most.

Ceva Animal Health UK is now providing Logic Oral Hygiene Gel sample sachets to veterinary practices free of charge, to enable clients to try before they buy on their cat or dog

In addition, to help veterinary practices promote the importance of dental hygiene, new waiting room display materials are also available.

To obtain your free Logic sample sachets or waiting room display material, please telephone 01494 781510 or e-mail customerservicesuk@ceva.com.

Bayer Animal Health has announced that following the success of its educational TV advertising campaign, which ran earlier this year and promoted the need to worm cats, a second advertising campaign will now run in September.

Bayer (makers of Profender Spot-on solution) says its first campaign, which ran in May, had the principal aim of driving pet owners to their vet to ask about spot-on worming for their cats.

As part of the same campaign, research was conducted on cat behaviour by interviewing cat owners and attaching 'cat cams' and 'cat navs' to nine cats around the country. The results were analysed by cat behaviour expert Roger Tabor and can be found on the website www.spotonwormer4cats.com/, both as a short video documentary and a 24-page report, entitled 'The Secret Lives of Cats'.

A consumer PR campaign was also run in parallel with the TV advertising, which Bayer says was very successful in attracting entrants to a competition to find the cat with the biggest personality. Winners of the Cats with Cat-titude competition have now been announced and profiled on www.spotonwormer4cats.com.

Dan White, Profender product manager, said: "Post campaign market research revealed there was a 5% increase in the awareness of spot-on cat worming.

"The second phase of TV advertising - using the same advert but without the online competition - will start on 4^th September and will build on the success of the previous advertising. And over the following three weeks, it will be broadcast on ITV1, ITV2, Channels 4 and 5, and Sky One, and is expected to reach 7 million of our core target audience."

Veterinary practices can obtain a subtitled version of 'The Secret Lives of Cats' documentary to play in their waiting rooms, and a wide selection of support materials, by contacting their Bayer Territory Manager.

Neil Forbes FRCVS, Specialist in Avian Medicine at Vets Now Referrals, has been dealing with a rather interesting case: an owl that swallowed a sock.

John Dowling, the owner of a falconry business and keeper of the 13 week old Indian eagle owl called Lydon noticed he was not eating properly, and then looked dazed and confused when taking part in the Stonehouse Horticultural Show & Summer Jolly. After the show, Lydon looked like he was trying to vomit but couldn't, so John took him to Vets Now Referrals in Swindon for a consultation.

Neil examined Lydon and found there was a hard swelling in his abdomen. Radiographs confirmed a bloated and very full stomach. The decision was taken to operate on Lydon to remove whatever was inside. Fearing a growth or tumour, Neil was rather surprised to find instead a smelly old sock in Lydon's stomach. With the sock successfully removed, Lydon was able to go home a few hours later, none the worse for his experience.

Lydon's owner, John, said: "Lydon is a hand-reared Indian eagle and is often in and around the house. The sock is a toy he has played with since he was a owlet, and never did I think he would, or could, have eaten it!

"I was obviously surprised when Neil found the sock in Lydon's stomach but more relieved than anything. I feared the worst but was delighted to find out it wasn't something more sinister."

Neil said: "Never in my 28 years of avian medicine experience have I treated an owl that swallowed a sock, it's just unheard of. Thankfully John brought Lydon into our clinic for a consultation upon suspicion something wasn't quite right and we were able to remove the sock preventing further health deterioration.

"We would always advise owners of pets to be careful when leaving items around the house, as you can never predict how mischievous pets can be."

The Forestry Commission, together with other agencies and landowners, is stepping up efforts to find out why some dogs have fallen ill while on countryside walks.

Over 50 cases of so called Seasonal Canine Illness (SCI) occurred during the autumn of 2009 and 2010 in Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire, East Anglia and Warwickshire, although there have been reports from further afield.

Symptoms include severe vomiting, diarrhoea, shaking / trembling and high temperature, and have generally been displayed by animals within 24 hours of walking in the countryside, especially in woodlands. A small number of dogs have died. The cause of Seasonal Canine Illness remains unknown.

Jo Atkinson, from the Forestry Commission, said:  "Although no cases have yet been reported this year, we are working with our many partners to get a clearer picture of the distribution and reasons behind this upsetting sickness. Both dog owners and vets can play their part too in helping protect cherished pets."

Moves to tackle the illness include:

• Agencies including the Forestry Commission and Notts County Councilhave teamed up to ensure that data collection on incidents is co-ordinated to achieve a much better picture of any outbreaks. It is likely that cases have gone unreported in previous years.
• The Animal Health Trust is asking dog owners who have walked in affected areas to fill in a questionnaire at www.aht.org.uk/seasonal_illness.html even if dogs did not fall ill.
• Nottingham University Veterinary School is to carry out two research projects to try and develop a test for a possible toxin which may be to blame.
• Landowners are seeking to work with vets to learn about cases more rapidly so they can inform people using their sites for dog walking.
• The Veterinary Poisons Information Service will monitor reports for unusual cases which could be SCI.

Veterinary surgeons are asked to:

1. Report suspected cases in Nottinghamshire to enquiries.sherwood@forestry.gsi.gov.uk
2. Report suspected cases from elsewhere in the country to the Veterinary Poisons Information Service
3. Collect and store samples for possible use by Nottingham University.
4. Encourage pet owners to complete the Animal Health Trust questionnaire.
5. Display the questionnaire prominently in surgeries.

Vethelpdirect.com, the website founded by VetSurgeon.org member, Susie Samuel MRCVS, has launched a new system called VetReviews which allows your clients publish a review of your service directly from your own website.

To use the system, you (or perhaps more likely your website person) embed a small form on your website, called a widget, as shown on this example: www.baytreevets.co.uk (bottom right hand side).

Clients then click the link in the widget to submit a review of your practice, or to read existing reviews.

To ensure fair play, each review is checked by a person who removes any spammy or malicious reviews, and looks for any signs of fraudulent multiple reviews being submitted by one person.

In the event of a negative review, the practice is given 5 days to respond before the review is published, which means the review isn't displayed without the practice's side of the story.

However, as Susie points out, a single negative review is not necessarily a bad thing; most people are able to put one bad review into context. Indeed, a small number of negative, or less positive reviews tends to make the glowing ones seem more credible.

VetReviews are optimised for inclusion in Google search results, which should also help your search engine visibility.

For more information about VetReviews (which is a free upgrade for existing customers), email: vets@vethelpdirect.com, or telephone 0845 4961 204.

Ceva Animal Health has added a new presentation to its Cardio Academy CPD website, entitled: Echocardiography: Common Views.

In the 30 minute multimedia presentation, cardiology specialist Anne French discusses the most common echocardiographic views used in the diagnosis of the cardiac patient.

Veterinary professionals can then receive a CPD certificate by completing a quiz about the session. 

In addition, you can still access the the first five sessions, covering the Pathophysiology of Mitral Valve Disease, by Adrian Boswood, Clinical Examination of the Cardiac Dog, by Gérard Le Bobinnec and three sessions discussing Thoracic X-rays by Nicole Van Israël.

For further information, please contact your local Ceva account manager.

The NOAH Code of Practice Committee, chaired by Mr Guy Tritton, has found Dechra Veterinary Products in breach of three items of the NOAH Code, following a complaint.

The complaint related to an advertisement and detailer promoting Felimazole with the wording "Are you taking a heavy-handed approach to hyperthyroidism?" and "with Felimazole, you don't have to!"

The Committee took the view that by implication this referred to Vidalta because Vidalta is the only other licensed oral treatment on the market for hyperthyroidism.

As a result, the Committee found both promotions in breach of Clause 4.3 because of the implication that Vidalta is less safe than Felimazole.

The Committee did not consider the promotions disparaged the manufacturer as there is no evidence to show it is unsafe.

The Committee also found that the table in the detailer (page 4) suggesting that one dosage of 5 mg per day of Felimazole has the same efficacy as two doses of 2.5 mg, (which is contrary to the dosing statement within the SPC: "If, for reasons of compliance, once daily dosing with a 5 mg tablet is preferable, then this is acceptable although reduced efficacy can be expected compared to a twice daily regime.") was misleading, contrary to Clause 4.3 of the Code.

Full details of the Committee's rulings are on the NOAH website at www.noah.co.uk/code.  The full report of this particular case will be available shortly.

Virbac Animal Health is launching an initiative to highlight the prevalence of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH), a condition suffered by more than 80% of entire male dogs over the age of five¹.

The campaign will take place during November - or 'Movember' as it's called by the thousands of men who grow moustaches during the month to raise funds for male prostate and testicular cancer. Virbac says it hopes the campaign will remind dog owners that men are not the only ones to suffer from prostate disorders.

As part of the campaign, the company will be providing participating practices with promotional materials including free dog leads, owner educational and display materials, a press release for local media and practice educational materials.

Chris Geddes MRCVS, Virbac Product Manager, said: "It's estimated that 20% of the country's eight million dogs remain uncastrated throughout their lives. As dogs age, their prostates enlarge, eventually causing symptoms including constipation, lameness and difficulties in urination. However, most of the time clinical signs are absent or vague so diagnosing BPH can be a challenge."

According to Virbac, the traditional rectal examination technique can be an ordeal for both dog and clinician. It's also sometimes inaccurate even in experienced hands and is impossible in very small or large breeds. As a solution, the company has recently introduced Odelis CPSE, the first ELISA test to screen for, diagnose and monitor BPH, available from three UK diagnostic laboratories. The company says it's a cost-effective, precise and reliable alternative to rectal palpation. Virbac also offers Ypozane, a simple tablet treatment for BPH, which takes effect within a week and lasts for six months.

Chris added: "BPH is a serious threat to the health of entire dogs as they get older but owners are often unaware of the potentially serious health problems it can cause if left untreated.

"We hope that, by running our Prostate Awareness Campaign at a time when the media spotlight is already on the dangers of prostate cancer in men, we can help spread the message that owners should also be monitoring older dogs for signs of prostate disease. 

"We're providing practices with all the materials they need to promote the campaign in their locality and hope that those getting involved will find it effective in terms of bringing dog-owning clients into the practice for advice on BPH."

For further information on the Prostate Awareness Campaign and to get your free pack please contact your Virbac Territory Manager or contact the company direct on 01359 243243.

Reference
1. O'Shea J.D. Studies on the canine prostate gland: Factors influencing its size and weight. J. Comp. Pathol. 1962 72: 321-331.

The RCVS Charitable Trust is offering up to 5 grants to veterinary nurse training centres to purchase equipment worth up to £5,000.

Applications may be made for equipment which is directly used for veterinary nurse training of care and treatment of animals. All RCVS accredited UK veterinary nurse training centres are eligible to apply.

Tracy Mayne, RVN and Trustee, said: "Traditionally we directed our equipment grants only to the veterinary schools, but last year we extended the eligibility to include veterinary nurse training centres, and in 2011 we decided to dedicate the funding solely to veterinary nurse training, as part of celebrating 50 years of the profession.''

All applications must be received by 5pm on Monday 31 October 2011.

Further information including full application criteria, is available from www.rcvstrust.org.uk/grants/

A survey of 246 veterinary surgeons and nurses attending a lunch and learn webinar sponsored by Supreme Petfoods has revealed that they rate high fibre as the most important factor in making a recommendation for rabbit or guinea pig food.

High fibre was the top factor for 53% of respondents and rated as being much more important than monocomponent kibbles (27%), or a recommendation by an exotics expert (18%).

Supreme says it has addressed this concern by increasing the fibre content of its Science Selective Rabbit food to 23% fibre - the highest of any concentrate for small furries in the UK. The new VetCarePlus range, based on the monoforage technology developed by the company, contains up to 34% fibre. Fibre is vital for small furries, playing an active role in gastro intestinal health, dental health, weight management and behavioural factors.

The survey also revealed that vets and nurses are feeling optimistic about the impact of small furries on veterinary practice. 70% of respondents felt that, even in the face of the recent recession, small furries/exotics had made a growing contribution to their business profits over the last five years and 90% felt that there was potential for them to make an even bigger contribution to practice profits in the future. The biggest barrier to more small pets being brought forward for treatment was felt to be the cost of treatment relative to the cost of the pet - 55% felt that this was the most significant stumbling block - but another 45% felt that lack of education and an inability to recognise illness were the main factors.

Supreme's Marketing Manager Claire Hamblion has recently launched a trial programme in a limited number of practices to provide the tools needed to help grow the small pets sector. She said: "Our experience to date indicates that having the right tools and providing a warm welcome to owners of small furries that projects a willingness to treat them, can make a difference. We would love to hear more from those who have successfully grown this part of their business and those who are looking to expand their capabilities in this exciting area." Interested parties, or those who would like to pre-register for the further roll out of Supreme's business programme can send an email with their contact details to b2b@supremepetfoods.com.

The company says it has been delighted by the positive response to its lunch and learn webinar format, and more events are being scheduled for the winter months. Those interested in attending future events, or receiving educational material, can register their interest by email at cpd@supremepetfoods.com to receive priority notification of dates and availability.