Prilactone®, the world's first aldosterone antagonist licensed for the treatment of canine heart disease, has been introduced by CEVA Animal Health.
Clinical trials have demonstrated that the product, which contains spironolactone, can improve quality of life and help to reduce the mortality risk in canine heart disease patients.
Fraser Broadfoot BVetMed GPCert(SAP) MRCVS explains "Spironolactone is considered as part of standard disease therapy in humans, where studies have demonstrated a 30% reduction in the risk of mortality when it is used in addition to ACE inhibitors and furosemide. The results of clinical trials performed by CEVA Santé Animale have demonstrated even more dramatic benefits in the dog. In short, the trials show that dogs with heart failure receiving Prilactone®, in combination with an ACE inhbitor and furosemide, demonstrated a 65% reduction in the risk of mortality compared with dogs receiving a placebo. Their quality of life was also improved." The beef-flavoured tablets are scored for easy breaking and come in three sizes for the precise dosing of all sizes of dog. In addition, the medication only needs to be given once daily with food and is designed to be given alongside standard first-line therapy for heart disease.
For further information about Prilactone®, please contact CEVA Animal Health on (01494) 781510.
Note 1 CEVA registration dossier. The trials were carried out on 221 dogs diagnosed with heart disease. The animals treated with Prilactone®, in conjunction with ACE inhibitors and /or furosemide over a period of 14-15 months, demonstrated a three times reduction in the risk of death compared with the placebo group. Note 2 Wood Mackenzie, Cardiovascular Insight, July 2007
During November the RSPCA is running a national survey to identify the animal welfare issues that worry the public, and the charity is offering a free designer t-shirt in return for taking part. To take part in the survey, call the RSPCA on 0300 123 8888 for a copy of its national animal welfare questionnaire to complete and post back. In return, you'll receive a T-shirt designed by Hemingway Design (pictured right). Wayne Hemingway was a judge at this year's RSPCA Good Business Awards and is against the use of animal fur in fashion. Commenting on the campaign, Louise Richmond, RSPCA said: "Foot and mouth and bluetongue are all over our screens at the moment but we want to find out more about what really concerns people about animal welfare. Whether it's fur in fashion, intensive farming, badger culling or dogs left in hot cars we want to know what it is that will best encourage the British public to back our campaign." For more information, visit: http://www.therspca.co.uk/tshirt/
Pet healthcare insurance provider, Pet Protect has analysed its 2007 claims for pet rabbits, concluding that that one in four relate to dietary issues and, in particular, obesity. Rabbits are now the third most popular of British pets, with nearly 2 million pet rabbits in the UK. An estimated 30% of domestic rabbits are obese, according to the Rabbit Welfare Association.
Throughout November and December Petplan is offering its Appointed Representative (AR) practices the chance to win an extra 5000 Portfolio credits worth £200, by arranging an annual policy using Petplan's RapidApp.
Using the individual practice number on the RapidApp, Petplan will automatically enter the surgery into the prize draw.
To redeem your credits, choose an item from the newly updated Portfolio catalogue and give the Petplan Helpline a call on 01920 462 100. Practices or staff can receive anything from Love2shop vouchers to an Apple iPod Video and there are 50 pages full of items that credits can be redeemed against.
Practices can still earn Portfolio credits every time they issue a cover note but only those using RapidApp will be entered into the draw. Furthermore, if you use RapidApp, the owner will benefit from the first two months cover absolutely free.
The Petplan Portfolio scheme rewards practices for introducing their clients to Petplan. The number of Portfolio credits awarded varies depending on whether practices issue an annual policy or a 6 week cover note, and practices can exchange credits for a multitude of items including practice equipment and high street vouchers.
To be included in the draw practices need to be an Appointed Representative (AR) of Petplan and issue cover through RapidApp. To discuss becoming an AR, please contact Petplan's exclusive veterinary support line, Vetline on 0800 316 8800 to arrange for a local Business Developer to contact you.
Claire Fraser, RVN, MBVNA, took over as President of the British Veterinary Nursing Association for the coming year at the BVNA AGM held on 21 October 2007 at the Annual BVNA Congress. Claire qualified as a VN in 1990 and worked in general veterinary practice for six years, when she took up the position of Lecturer and Course Tutor at the Berkshire College of Agriculture, where she gained D32/33 units and the FAETC. She then moved in 2000 to Guernsey where she worked as a practice tutor and set up and ran the PreVN (now ANA)/SVN training side. During this time, Claire became BVNA Regional Co-ordinator (RCO) for the Channel Islands, until 2003, when she was elected onto the BVNA Council. Claire moved back to the UK in 2004 and now works as an Internal Verifier for MYF Training in Aldershot. "I am extremely lucky to have a job I enjoy and an employer that allows me to be flexible, so I can fit in my new role as BVNA President," said Claire. "I have also achieved the V1 award, which has kept me up-to0-date with the quality assurance process and ensures that I continue to provide my assessors and students with the right support and guidance." The out-going President, Julia Gordon, who held this post for the past two years, moves to the advisory role of Senior Vice President.
At its recent meeting (8 November), RCVS Council agreed to the new arrangements proposed by the RCVS Awarding Body, which manages the veterinary nurse training scheme. It means that candidates will be able to take their multiple-choice question examinations on computer at one of 150 managed test centres across the UK - from the Hebrides to the Channel Islands.
The facilities will be open to VNs for four weeks during the year (a fortnight during July and two one-week blocks in March and November).
The RCVS Awarding Body is working with a company specialising in e-assessment to develop the new system, which will allow for the rapid analysis of data and speedier processing of assessment results.
There will be some increases in examination fees - £15 for the Level 2 exam and £77 for the Level 3 exam. However practices with more than one student are less likely to need locum cover (students can attend exams on different days) and travel and potential accommodation costs will be lower.
"This new approach will be much more flexible for candidates," according to Chairman of the RCVS Awarding Body Management Board, Neil Smith. "Previously, everyone had to come to one of only a few RCVS exam centres on a specific day. Now they can choose a date, time and venue to suit themselves - most candidates will be within 20 miles of a test centre. This should not only be more convenient and less stressful for most candidates, but will also be easier for those practices with more than one candidate to manage cover."
This adds to an earlier decision (May 2007) that, from 2008, veterinary nursing practical examinations will be held four times a year instead of twice, and over three-day weekends instead of during the week. Again, the aim is to make assessment more user-friendly for both candidates and examiners. Portfolios now need to be 100% complete as a condition of enrolment for the practical exam, superseding than the previous 60% completion requirement.
Four out of ten UK dogs will over-indulge this Christmas, according to a survey from Wholesome Nutrition Ltd, manufacturer of Britain's first weight-loss dog food, Formula K (http://www.formulak.co.uk/). As a result, a staggering 29% of the nation's dogs will be on a diet by the New Year.
Over one in four canines will munch mince pies this Christmas, while 17% will wolf down Brussels sprouts. The survey also suggests that 62% of dogs prefer sausages and 75% tuck into turkey. One in five dogs is partial to Christmas pudding and the same number love Christmas cake.
As a result of all this food, 43% of hounds will over-eat at Christmas, which is almost as bad as their owners - 57% of whom will over-indulge. At the end of the feasting festival, one-third of owners will go on a diet, where they will be joined by 29% of the country's dogs.
Kit Sadgrove, founder of Formula K, says: "People are treating their dogs as part of the family. As far as Christmas over-indulgence is concerned, this survey shows you can hardly tell man and his best friend apart!"
Dogs love garlic bread, chips with gravy and Yorkshire puddings. Their favourite Christmas foods include cat biscuits, roast potatoes, ice cream and Chewits.
There are no real differences among the regions. Scots and Welsh indulge their dogs just as much as people in the South. However, the message that chocolate is dangerous to dogs is getting through: only one person in a hundred says they would give it to their dog.
When it comes to Christmas Eve, three quarters of all dogs will receive a small Christmas stocking, and a whopping 88% will have Christmas presents. A mere 6% of owners sternly say they won't let their dogs have human treats.
"We're reminding dog owners not to over-indulge their four legged friend at Christmas," says Kit Sadgrove. "On our website at http://www.formulak.co.uk/ you'll find tips on preventing dogs from over-eating at this time of year. And when owners come to make New Year resolutions, ‘put the dog on a diet' may be a good idea."
The Feline Advisory Bureau has announced the winners of the 3rd annual 'East To Give Awards', given by a panel of experts to recognise products that are designed to be easy to give to cats. The winners are:
Convenia (Pfizer) Having a long-acting injectable antibiotic removes the need to give tablets at all for some conditions. This will be great news for owners unable to give tablets regularly for these specific problems. A single injection may be all that is needed in some situations.
Metacam for cats (Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica) For so long veterinary surgeons and cat owners have wanted an effective form of chronic pain control for cats. Now that Boehringer has produced Metacam for cats in its palatable drop form, treating arthritic cats has become much easier and drawn attention to this widespread painful problem. This is the first 'non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug' that has been licensed for long-term use in the cat.
ProMeris (Fort Dodge Animal Health) At a time when there is so much discussion about the limitations of flea treatments available in supermarkets, the panel was delighted to see the introduction of a new effective veterinary flea treatment applied by the spot-on method from Fort Dodge Animal Health.
Rilexine (Virbac) The potential problems of not completing a course of antibiotics are always a cause for concern. If tablets can be made palatable, this removes a cause for worry both for owners and in the wider context. The expert panel was pleased with its palatability among cats which tried it out.
Creature Comforts has this week announced plans to roll out its dog sitting brand nationwide. The company was set up in 2005 by Ailsa Price to offer dog owners in Chester, Wirral and Wales an alternative to placing dogs in kennels whilst on holiday. Many people are not at ease with leaving their pets in kennels and many also would rather not go on holiday than do so. Creature Comforts enables owners to leave their dogs in the comfort of a loving home environment with a designated host family who will care and love their pet as they do. The expansion of the business is to be spearheaded by the appointment of a network of franchises throughout the UK. Franchisees will be offered a defined geographical area with guaranteed exclusive rights to operate under the Creature Comforts name. The company says that its franchise offers a number of attractions over many other franchise systems, none less than the low start up cost totalling just £8750, and the high projected return on investment. In addition, the business is home based, cash positive, and requires no stock to be purchased. For more information about becoming a franchisee, visit: http://www.petsittinguk.co.uk/
British shoppers are not losing sleep over the quality of their meat, milk and eggs - at least as far as animal medicines are concerned. They know farmers and their vets do a good job, and trust them to use medicines responsibly, for the health of food producing animals. They do not feel the need to actively seek information about their use. While one fifth have no concerns at all about how their food is produced, factory hygiene and animals' living conditions are at the top of consumers' lists of priorities as far as food production from farm animals is concerned.
These were the conclusions of a recent survey, commissioned by the National Office of Animal Health (NOAH), which examined consumer attitudes toward animal medicines. A total of 1,000 adults, from a range of socio-economic groups across Great Britain, took part.
The survey found that animal medicines and vaccinations are of little concern to consumers, although there is a relatively high level of awareness among shoppers that they are used.
In total, 58% of consumers are aware that farm animals are vaccinated; 58% are aware that farm animals are treated with medicines; and 50% of consumers are aware that farm animals are given preventative medicines. Just 24% of those surveyed were not aware of any medicine use.
The research indicated that, for some shoppers, this lack of awareness was related to a general lack of interest in how food is produced. They make their purchase decisions based mainly on price and appearance.
For those shoppers who do have concerns, hygiene standards in food processing factories and animal living conditions on farms are the most important. Hygiene in factories is the primary concern cited by 22% of respondents, compared with just 4% citing animal vaccinations as their primary concern.
"These results are very encouraging for farmers, vets and the animal health industry alike: they indicate shoppers know they are using medicines responsibly and show a high level of trust by consumers in farmers, veterinarians and animal medicines. They also show that consumers are aware of the need for the careful and responsible use of animal medicines," said Phil Sketchley, Chief Executive of NOAH. "Consumers are reassured by the regulations that exist and the measures that farmers and the animal health industry take".
Pedigree® is launching a nationwide initiative in January 2008 to help raise money and awareness to benefit dogs in rescue centres.
Launching on 1st January 2008, The Pedigree Adoption DriveTM will be supported with a £4.5 million campaign, demonstrating Pedigree's commitment to raising money and awareness about the issue of homeless dogs in the UK.
For every Pedigree product sold the brand will donate money, raising up to £500,000 in the first three months. The campaign, fronted by a high profile television personality (to be announced), will create nationwide consumer excitement and awareness via TV advertising, press, outdoor poster sites, direct mail, in-store point of sale, promotional deals, and PR activity including show-casing the campaign at Crufts.
The Pedigree Adoption DriveTM campaign is the biggest ever brand initiative for Pedigree and is the first campaign that Pedigree in the UK will use packaging that carries the campaign messaging across the majority of the items in its range.
Consumers can engage and interact with the campaign by visiting http://www.pedigreeadoptiondrive.com/, a website inviting dog lovers to pledge their support for the campaign by purchasing a campaign T-shirt and follow the journey of the abandoned dogs featured in the advertising that are being cared for at Battersea Dogs & Cats Home. The site also hosts a search facility to help people who are looking to give a loving home to an abandoned dog, find local re-homing centres.
Karen Decruz, a veterinary nurse from Coastline Veterinary Practice in Lowestoft, Suffolk, has won £200 worth of "spa pamper day" vouchers in a "guess the pictures" competition run by Rig Veterinary Recruitment at the 2007 BVNA Congress.
Karen correctly identified all of the selection of nine veterinary or household items that were pictured close-up and at unusual angles. Her tie-breaker sentence "I deserve to win the spa pamper day prize because I'm an old, tired veterinary nurse who deserves a treat" was judged the best reason to win.
"There were many correct entries in this fun competition, but the judges thought Karen's entry was the most deserving," explained Justin Carpenter, Managing Director of Rig Vets.
Molar Ltd has carried off the award for Best Dog Health Product 2007/2008 for ProDen PlaqueOffTM Animal, at the Your Dog and Your Cat Product Awards in London.
John Leonard, Product Manager at Molar Ltd., said: "This is a great achievement for Molar Ltd and it is wonderful that readers of this magazine recognise how effective ProDen PlaqueOff Animal is at reducing plaque, tartar and bad breath in both cats and dogs."
ProDen PlaqueOff Animal is made from a specially selected seaweed and is so easy to use, just add to wet or dry food once a day. When used daily results can usually be seen within just 3 to 8 weeks and can be used pre or post scaling.
ProDen PlaqueOff Animal is available in 3 sizes; 60g, 180g and 420g. Point of Sale material is also available for practices, direct from Molar, so that clients can be made aware that the practice is stocking the product.
ProDen PlaqueOff Animal is available from Centaur, Dunlops, NVS and VSS (N. Ireland). For more information contact Molar Ltd on 01934 710022.
Petlog has launched the Petlog Premium Partner Programme (PPPP) - designed to establish a larger network of authorised agents, such as vets and microchip implanters, who can be contacted easily if a pet goes missing. An alert will then be emailed to the agent informing them of any lost pets within a 30 mile radius of their premises.
Litter Kwitter has launched a new training system to teach cats to use your loo, rather than a litter tray.
No, it's not April 1st. Click here to see a video of the system in action.
The company says that training a cat to use a loo could save owners £2000 in litter and 500kg in environmental waste over the lifetime of the cat.
Wonder whether you can get them to flush afterwards.
In the most recent Petplan Pet Census, an annual study of pet ownership in the UK, 97% of vets reported that a lack of funds had led to owners choosing euthanasia over treatment.
Whilst some cases are the result of one-off ‘emergency' treatment, manageable long-term conditions are often at the root of much unnecessary euthanasia because owners simply cannot afford the cost of ongoing treatment. Reported increases in pet obesity and diabetes, arthritis and behavioural problems have all been cited in the Pet Census as common causes of increased and ongoing vet bills.
Vets have been reporting a rise in diseases that are related to obesity in companion animals for some time and with the Petplan Pet Census panel of almost two hundred (198) UK veterinary practices reporting that more than one third (36%) of all dogs and one quarter (29%) of cats they treat are obese, the future for many pets looks bleak. More than half (53%) of vets say that cases of cat and dog diabetes are on the increase. Obesity is actually bucking the trend of more historically significant diseases, including kennel cough and feline leukaemia, which are either remaining static or decreasing.
The number of pets with behavioural problems is also on the rise, with more than half of vets (55%) reporting an increase and most (95%) practices offering support for these animals. Effective treatment is not a quick-fix solution and requires changes to the owner's lifestyle and lengthy work with experts in the field.
Petplan Vet of the Year, Brian Faulkner said: "I think it is a common misconception that the predicament forcing pet owners to euthanase their pet is the out-of-the-blue, one-off vet fees for emergencies. But in fact we are noticing that owners whose pets have on-going illnesses such as diabetes and even behavioural problems that are very manageable are being faced with the dreadful decision to have to euthanase than face the ongoing financial burden. It's even more devastating when the owners have actually taken out an insurance policy but the nature of the policy only covers treatment of any one condition for up to one year. I always advise people to make sure their policies do not cap the time period over which any one condition is covered to avoid this very problem as more comprehensive insurers are then unable to offer cover on a pre-existing condition."
Simon Wheeler, Head of Marketing at Petplan, said: "We receive over 8,700 claims per week and of the top ten claims, six could be recurrent manageable conditions, such as diabetes or arthritis - the very animals that are currently most at risk of being euthanased."
Research announced simultaneously by Sainsbury's Finance has reached similar conclusions. Sainsbury's found that:
Sainsbury's believes that there are two main reasons for this tragic problem: advances in veterinary care leading to increased costs, and the large number (55%) of pets that remain uninsured. Ed's note: Isn't it time that pet insurance became compulsory?
A new education provider has launched in Australia, offering online training for veterinary nurses in the UK.
Veteducation.com.au offers 4-6 week short courses for veterinary nurses who have completed their basic nursing qualification - but don't want to stop learning.
The company says that the response to its 2 pilot courses has been outstanding, with more than 70% of our students already enrolling in another course.
The courses: "Emergency Medicine for Veterinary Nurses" and "Critical Care for Veterinary Nurses" combined carefully prepared notes, 24-hour access to additional resources, message boards, and veterinary tutor assistance, plus the bonus of weekly live interactive tutorials, to help students through their course material.
All courses are completed from the comfort of your own home - no travel expenses, no need for locums, and no additional costs.
Veteducation.com.au has over 12 courses coming up over the next 2-3 years, beginning with "Anaesthesia for Veterinary Nurses" in February 2008.
You can join a mailing list at www.veteducation.com.au to keep updated on course dates.
AMTRA has cited a study by the Veterinary Poisons Information Service as highlighting the value of the SQP qualification.
The study found that 97% of cats wrongly treated with permethrin-based flea treatments for dogs showed signs of poisoning, with 10.5% being put down.
There are probably very few veterinary nurses in the land who aren't already aware of this problem, SQP-qualified or not. But it is a good example of a reason to get the C-SQP add-on qualification for VNs.
Petplan is inviting nominations for the 2008 Petplan Veterinary Awards, set up to celebrate excellence within practices throughout the country.
Nominations are being sought under four categories:
Vet of the Year Vet Nurse of the Year Receptionist of the Year Practice of the Year
Petplan will again be presenting the Special Recognition Award in 2008. The award celebrates those veterinary professionals who work in television, newspapers, magazines, or on the radio. Last year's winner Marc Abraham, vet on the Paul O'Grady Show, was recognised for his ongoing work in the media which raises the profile of the veterinary community and animal welfare.
A mailing will arrive with you soon containing the nomination forms that you and your clients can use to recognise a job well done, together with additional marketing materials such as posters and a leaflet dispenser. You can also nominate online at www.petplan.co.uk/vetawards, or download a nomination form.
In addition to the four main categories awarded on the night, Veterinary Business Journal also recognises achievement in practice with the hotly contested award for Practice Manager of the Year.
Simon Wheeler, Head of Marketing for Petplan says: "The Petplan Veterinary Awards continues to grow in stature each year and are a true reflection of the importance Petplan places on the working relationship between us and the profession. Reliable and transparent insurance provides the invaluable financial bridge between the profession and the owner to ensure that the best in veterinary care is available for our pets.
"The awards are now in their ninth year and we are never disappointed in our quest to discover veterinary staff that go far beyond the call of duty. Each year we are astonished by the response, with tales ranging from midnight rescues to simple acts of kindness and support."
Further announcements will be made in the press and on the Petplan web site. To order more nomination forms, email: vetawards@petplan.co.uk or call 0845 678 1063.
Nominations close February 15 2008.
CPD Solutions has announced the winners of the competition held on vetnurse.co.uk to find the best nursing stories.
The overall winner was Alison Devonshire from the Orwell Veterinary Group, who wins a free place on CPD Solutions' Nursing Exotic Animals course. The runners up were Carrie Apps from South Beech Veterinary Surgery, and Donna Lewis from Pet Care Veterinary Surgery. Both win a luxury champagne and chocolate gift box.
The stories were:
Winner: Alison Devonshire. "Superpug, Superpug!" It was only a few weeks ago that during a particularly hectic morning surgery me and my colleagues were in the prep room, gasping for a cuppa, after a morning of dentals, dematts and dog castrates, that a flustered receptionist called through to say that a client had phoned in on her way to the practice, with her dog who had just fallen from a second floor window.
Cups of tea were put on hold and the crash box was positioned ready, with trainee nurses squabbling over who would get to use the case for a fist aid procedure in their portfolio.
The duty vet and I waited at the reception to help the client in. She arrived soon after and appeared to be hysterical with concern over the bundle in her arms (who was proudly wagging his curled tail and trying to get down to check out the waiting room!) It was only at this point did myself and the vet notice, that the Dog, a large fawn pug, was wearing a lycra "Superman" suit! After gleaning some history from the client (yes, he had fallen from a second floor window and she found him lying on the lawn, motionless) we took the dog through to the prep room for a full clinical examination leaving the client with a sympathetic receptionist and a box of tissues.
Once in the prep room, realising that the poor pug was certainly in no imminent danger, did we allow ourselves a fit of giggles! Altogether now: "Superpug, superpug, does whatever a superpug does. Can he fly through the air? No he can't, he's a pug!"
I removed the offending costume and after a full clinical exam, superpug was evidently fit as a flea, infact he appeared to be quite excited by the whole debacle. We opted to keep him in for observation for a few hours to be safe and let him and his owner calm down.
Of course superpug was sent home and seen the next morning for a recheck, again he was absolutely fine. Again he was wearing his superpug outfit!
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Runner Up: Donna Lewis My story takes us back to winter almost two years ago now. It was a busy morning surgery, the same as most and I was duty nurse. Our receptionist came through to the cattery carrying a cat basket and plonked it on the table in front of me and said the Cats Protection League would like a normal cremation!!
I picked up the basket and carried it through to another room, opened the basked and had a look at what appeared to be a dead black and white cat. I removed it from the basket and my goodness it was frozen, absolutely never in all my years (almost 25 of them) have I seen a frozen body (well not one that hasn't been in the cold storage). The poor thing I thought, as I looked a little closer, I saw the slightest chest movement!! I couldn't feel a heart beat he really did appear to be frozen solid, then I thought I saw another very slight movement. I called for backup, this frozen cat that laid before me wasn't dead......well not yet anyway.
I then proceeded to defrost him. I wasn't really 100% sure if I should do it fast or slowly, so I warmed heat pads and got reflector beds and with the help of a hairdryer that I use to circulate warm air around the kennel, this cat started to defrost. By 5pm that very same day he was sitting up and eating.
This is one of the most amazing things I have ever seen. This cat stayed with us for a while and was taken home to live with my boss and his family. His name is very suitably "Frosty".
Runner Up: Carrie Apps I always knew there would be exotic patients at South Beech. I often sat in the waiting room with my own animals and figured that one out. Parrots and lizards were quite normal and I was expecting a few on my first day. I wasn't expecting Elvis.
Elvis was fairly small, about the size of a small dog, he was skinny and had gone bald. His owner had bought him in at the weekend, as Elvis was diabetic and had collapsed. Over the weekend Elvis was stabilised and was much stronger and, although he was still very weak from muscle wastage, he was still strong enough to need two nurses to pin him down, with another to hold an arm and a vet to take a blood sample, to measure his glucose.
Halfway through my first day the head nurse Rachel, asked me ‘have you seen Elvis yet?' I had no idea who she was talking about. ‘Elvis?' I replied. ‘He's in Consulting Room 1'. Rachel and Linda, another nurse, started telling the horror stories; ‘Elvis was nearly dead at the weekend but has perked up a lot now, he's very strong, it takes two of us to hold him, he bit his owners finger off and he had to have a blood test they have horrible diseases'. ‘Yeah' finished Rachel, ‘you can help us soon, we need to take blood for a glucose test. You can hold the arm.' After this, I was thinking, me? I have been here for 4 hours, I've never even seen blood being taken and you want me to help you get a raving Elvis out of his cage and hold an arm while you take blood. Well I suppose they wanted to see what I was made of, and I wanted to help them.
The two nurses prepared me well, explaining exactly what would happen. I was nervous when Linda and Rachel took him out. We were all done up to the eye balls in PPE (I was thinking, people keep these as pets?!? Rachel and Linda held Elvis down, wrapped in a towel, the vet pulled me out an arm and showed me where to raise the vein. He took the blood and I applied pressure to the injection site, to prevent haemorrhage. Safely back in his cage Elvis was being all sweet again, taking food from us and chatting.
It was definitely a first day to remember and 2 years on Elvis is doing well and still visits us, although he is much stronger now (we can't remove him from his carrier, it would probably take 4 nurses) and he is much hairier (we occasionally shave his arm through the cage so the owners can administer the insulin). But 2 years on I am still enjoying my job as a student veterinary nurse. Even though I learn something new every day, I will never ever forget my first day meeting Elvis, the Capuchin monkey.
Dogs which survived the devastating earthquake in the Zun Dao township of Sichuan, China have a new lease on life after the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) and local officials announced an agreement to end the cruel killing of dogs and instead address public health concerns through an IFAW sponsored anti-rabies vaccination and veterinary aid programme in the 20,000+ population.
"This agreement is a major breakthrough," said Jackson Zee, IFAW rescue leader. "Chinese media have been filled with reports of people evacuating with their pets, being comforted by their pets, and even saved by their pets after their homes collapsed, so we are delighted to see this next step as local officials are acknowledging that humane care of dogs, cats and livestock can benefit both animals and people."
After the devastating earthquake that claimed around 80,000 human lives, IFAW rushed close to £100,000 in aid and sourced over six tonnes of animal food for some of the hardest-hit areas within Sichuan province.
IFAW met with local government officials in Zun Dao and offered humane alternatives to the dog culls presently in effect in much of the devastated areas. Officials agreed to halt any dog culling operations in the area and are welcoming IFAW's efforts to address the present public health concerns by conducting an anti-rabies vaccination and veterinary care programme in the area.
Accompanied by local veterinarians, IFAW began visiting villages immediately and on the first afternoon provided food, collars, leads and appropriate vaccinations for at least 50 family owned dogs. There are an estimated 4,000 owned dogs and 1,000 strays in Zun Dao and surrounding villages and relief efforts are expected to increase in the coming days.
In addition to the efforts in Zun Dao, IFAW has been providing humanitarian aid in the region by meeting some of the most basic and urgent needs. From cooking oil to laundry detergent, mosquito repellents and toys for children, these much-needed supplies are helping families get back on their feet and take care of their pets and backyard farm animals. Desperately needed supplies such as 100 water pumps, fencing, generators and other supplies have also been rushed to Mianyang to help rescue animals in advance of anticipated flooding while additional support has been given to the acclaimed Giant Panda Nature Reserve in Gansu province.
IFAW is appealing for public support to increase the amount of aid for animals and people in the earthquake region. To donate or view more information on current rescue efforts, visit http://www.ifaw.org/.
Research from Bristol University confirms that Angiostrongylus vasorum is spreading in the UK, with 16 per cent of dogs involved in a recent study testing positive for the parasite's larvae(1).
The nationwide survey, funded by the RCVS Trust and Novartis Animal Health, was set up to determine the geographical distribution and typical presentation of angiostrongylosis in UK dogs and to elucidate risk factors for infection. The findings are based on examination of 630 faecal samples from dogs (500 sick and 130 healthy) around the country which presented in practice with a wide range of clinical signs for which there was no other obvious diagnosis.
"We received faecal samples from dogs with respiratory and cardiovascular disease, bleeding, neurological and gastrointestinal disorders," explained Eric Morgan, Veterinary Parasitology and Ecology Research Group, University of Bristol School of Biological Sciences. "We also received samples from a smaller number of apparently healthy dogs and examined all of them in the laboratory using the Baermann's test. The sample was analysed alongside an accompanying questionnaire that recorded history, clinical signs and the vet's index of suspicion that A. vasorum was the cause of the disease."
More than half (60 per cent) of the dogs that were positive displayed respiratory signs, including coughing. The next most common signs were cardiovascular (including syncope, lethargy and exercise intolerance). The most widespread combination of clinical signs was respiratory and cardiovascular. However, several dogs also presented with haemorrhagic signs and no respiratory involvement, and a wide spectrum of other signs such as diarrhoea, lameness and neurological disease.
Eric said: "Angiostrongylus vasorum is a great imitator and our research proves it can present in a wide variety of ways. Prompt diagnosis is vital but relies heavily on vets being aware of A. vasorum involvement. They should be especially suspicious of dogs that are coughing, lethargic, prone to collapse and presented in practice with unexplained bleeding."
Geographical extent Due to the survey relying on voluntary vet involvement, there was a strong bias in the regions represented, with high numbers of samples coming from South Wales and Surrey. Eric said: "Although these are known hot spots for A. vasorum, there were also positive samples from across southern England demonstrating that the parasite is much more widespread than we previously thought. It's important that vets outside of the known endemic areas regard this disease as a real threat, to ignore it because you believe dogs outside these areas are not at risk would be a very dangerous assumption indeed. You could already be missing cases."
Risk factors The most significant risk factor was age, with younger dogs more likely to be infected although cases were found in dogs up to 11 years old. "The age profile of positive cases did not vary by region, suggesting that there is no significant build-up of immunity in the dog population," Eric continues. "Several dogs became re-infected which also suggests that strong immunity does not develop following infection."
More than 40 breeds were represented in the survey with Staffordshire Bull Terriers and Jack Russell Terriers more commonly infected than other breeds. However, when considered alongside all the other risk factors the difference was not significant. "There are certainly no breeds which are resistant to infection, all of them can get it and are therefore at risk!"
Dogs that had not been wormed in the past six months were more likely to be positive (17 per cent of these were positive) than those dogs that had been regularly wormed (12 per cent). "It's important to realise that even in dogs that are regularly wormed, incidence is still high," concludes Eric. "Vets should pay particularly attention to the worming regimes that they routinely recommend and ensure that the products they prescribe have some activity against A. vasorum. They should also be prepared to consider A.vasorum as a diagnosis even in dogs that are routinely wormed. What we have to remember is that this is a tough worm to get rid of and one we need to take seriously if we are to prevent its spread."
Dechra has launched a new administration rate guide developed to help vets and nurses administer the haemoglobin-based, oxygen-carrying fluid Oxyglobin at the correct rate (in ml/kg/hr).
"The handy dosing wheel allows you to line up the weight of the dog with the rate of administration in one window and then the ml/hr and drips per minute will be shown in the window below," explains Carol Morgan, product manager at Dechra Veterinary Products. "This rate guide will help vets and nurses to quickly establish the rate they need when giving Oxyglobin to anaemic dogs. It is important, especially during critical care and emergency situations, that these figures are readily available."
Oxyglobin requires no typing or cross-matching and ensures no transfusion reactions or disease transmissions. Its effectiveness can be measured by a rapid improvement in clinical signs, increased plasma haemoglobin concentration and arterial oxygen content. In addition, it can be stored at room temperature and has a shelf-life of three years.
Further details can be obtained from Dechra territory managers or phone for your free Oxyglobin dosing wheel: 01743 441 632.
There's a lot going on at the Hill's stand at BVNA Congress this year, including some useful give-aways, and some great competition prizes:
Every visitor to the stand will receive a free umbrella (which should be useful, given the weather this year!).
Also on offer is free registration to the Veterinary Nutrition Academy - an on-line resource offering access to all Hill's courses, CPD and events. The first 200 nurses or trainees to register during congress will receive a set of pretty and protective lip balms.
There's also a free prize draw in which you could win a Nikon Coolpix 6 Mega pixel digital camera or one of 25 level 1 VNA courses on offer each day.
Last, but not least, Hill's says there is bags of information available on weight management and mobility, so nurses thinking about setting up clinics and looking for tools, ideas and support should definitely stop by.
Once business has been attended to, you can also have a go on a Nintendo Wii that Hill's will have on stand.
Petplan, the largest animal health insurance provider in the world, has announced the first of three winners for their ‘Get Noticed' waiting room notice board competition, which runs till the end of July.
The staff at Ayers Vets in Tyne and Wear were the winners but Petplan says it wasn't an easy decision. Their submission was up against some other very informative and educational notice boards but, as a result of their research and creative ideas, they were the proud winners of a fantastic hamper filled with white and red wine, organic chocolates, coffee, fruit cake and other delectable snacks.
Joy Cook, receptionist at Ayers Vets commented, "We're delighted to have won the competition. We always promote the benefits of pet insurance to as many pet owners as possible so it is great to be recognised for this. The notice board has certainly caught the interest of our clients and we've had lots of comments about how great it looks!"
Practices have the opportunity to create their own notice board using a kit provided by Petplan with a remit to educate their clients about the benefits of taking out pet insurance.
The competition challenged vet receptionists and vet nurses to create an interesting notice board on the theme of insurance and send in a photo of it to Petplan. The competition was open to all practices, regardless of their regulatory status.
The second winner will be chosen at the end of June and the final winner at the end of July.