Chanelle has launched Insistor 10 mg/ml solution for injection for dogs and cats, a premedication for general anaesthesia or neuroleptanalgesia in combination with a neuroleptic drug.

Insistor, which contains methadone hydrochloride, is now available in the UK in a 10ml bottle for use in dogs and cats, POM-V.  

Chanelle says Insistor can also be used for analgesia in animals experiencing post-operative pain or pain caused by trauma.

Chanelle’s Head of Sales and Marketing, Killian Gaffney, said: "Insistor joins Chanelle’s extensive anaesthetic, analgesic and sedative range. Insistor (methadone hydrochloride), Butador (butorphanol) and Bupaq (buprenorphone) complete the 360° Opiod suite of products from Chanelle.

"We are pleased to add Insistor to our portfolio of products, which builds the offering to veterinary surgeons of anaesthetic products."

Vetoquinol UK has launched Dolpac®, its new wormer for dogs.

Dolpac® is a broad spectrum anthelmintic for dogs containing pyrantel, oxantel and praziquantel. Individually these ingredients are effective against individual worm species and the combination of all three provides specific activities against the most common roundworm and tapeworm species.

According to the company, clinical studies carried out in accordance with internationally recognised guidelines have shown that Dolpac® provides an excellent ability to reduce parasitic infection.

"Dolpac® offers vets and their clients an easy to use worming alternative at an affordable price," explains Mark Leddy, Vetoquinol's Marketing Department Manager. "Our aim is to help to increase the number of dog owners worming their pets at the correct frequency, which will not only protect their dogs, but their children as well. We have introduced a number of features to help achieve this objective, there are three tablet sizes to cover all weight ranges and the tablets are flavoured and easy to give, and there are dispensing envelopes in every pack. We also provide a dosing wall chart and a client worming guide."

For more information, contact your Vetoquinol representative or visit the Dolpac website, http://www.dolpac.co.uk/, which offers information for both vets and clients.

The School of Veterinary Medicine and Science (SVMS) at the University of Nottingham is launching a new three-year master’s degree in veterinary physiotherapy, starting in September 2018.

Candidates will have the option of receiving a PGDip Veterinary Physiotherapy after two years, and will be able to practice as veterinary physiotherapists with either qualification.

The course will be delivered at the University’s Sutton Bonington campus at weekends, so that it can fit around people's existing work commitments. 

Leading the course at Nottingham will be Dr Richard Payne, Assistant Professor of Veterinary Anatomy. He said: "This is an exciting expansion of our postgraduate provision and will allow us to build on our reputation for delivering first class teaching in our excellent facilities.

"The course will be run on a weekend basis over two academic years, which will allow students to continue to work in their current employment. It is very much hands-on and is designed for musculoskeletal practitioners, veterinary nurses and veterinary surgeons, but also for those who want to expand or change their career opportunities."

The course was developed by Canine and Equine Physiotherapy Training (CEPT) and has been delivered by them since 2008, but is being transferred to Nottingham due to an increasing number of applicants.

The University says much of the practical teaching will be delivered by qualified veterinary physiotherapists, both on campus and at their own practices.

Students will be qualified as veterinary physiotherapists after two years, while the third year for the MSc will revolve around research work for a dissertation based on a topic relevant to veterinary physiotherapy.

Modules will cover a range of topics including the foundations of clinical practice, anatomy and physiology, the foundations of clinical practice, applied clinical skills and clinical reasoning and reporting. Students can expect to come away with a range of practical skills such as physiotherapy, electrotherapy and exercise programming.

The course will be open to applicants with a degree (BSc or above) in a science or animal-related subject and with evidence of at least eight weeks of animal handling experience.

More information about the course, and how to apply, can be found at https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/pgstudy/courses/veterinary-medicine-and-science/veterinary-physiotherapy-msc-pgdip.aspx

Photo courtesy University of Nottingham

A vision for improving horse welfare has been set out following research carried out by the University of Bristol’s School of Veterinary Sciences and funded by World Horse Welfare.

It is hoped the findings, which were unveiled at the House of Commons yesterday, will enable the welfare priorities of the UK’s 800,000 horses to be addressed.

This is the first time welfare organisations, breeders, the equine industry and the veterinary profession have come together to agree on a strategy to best improve the welfare of horses in the UK.

The equine welfare study found the welfare needs of many horses are not currently being met and the report has highlighted four welfare priorities. 

Dr Siobhan Mullan, Research Fellow in Animal Welfare Science, Ethics and Law at the University of Bristol and one of the report’s authors, said: "Bringing together the views of people associated with horses in England and Wales has provided an overview of horse welfare, from the day-to-day concerns of equine caregivers to identifying four priority challenges to equine welfare.

"This research has also identified how equine welfare can be improved, by addressing both the priority challenges, and a wider set of industry and horse-based needs."

Roly Owers, World Horse Welfare Chief Executive, added: "This research report provides a vital insight to the UK’s equine sector, mapping out the welfare landscape from a wide range of sector experts and stakeholders.

"In order for World Horse Welfare and others to most effectively address the welfare challenges facing UK equines, we need to better understand today’s welfare priorities and this research will provide a valuable guide to help in driving the focus of our educational initiatives and resources over the next few years.”

The priority welfare challenges and solutions outlined in the report are:

Unresolved stress/pain behaviour
Problems associated with unresolved stress/pain behaviour affect large numbers of horses, often for long durations with variable severity of suffering caused to individual horses.

More academic research is needed to fully understand the links between behaviour, stress and pain, and objective measures of stress and pain in horses should be developed. Vets, riding instructors, the Pony Club, riding clubs and the equine press have a role in educating horse caregivers about signs of stress and pain and the appropriate responses. Academics and experts also have a role in tackling this issue through evaluating the effectiveness of intervention programmes.

Inappropriate nutrition
Overfeeding and obesity are the main welfare problems associated with nutrition and affect large numbers of horses, often for a long time with varying severity of suffering.

Vets have a key role in tackling the problems associated with inappropriate nutrition. A consistent approach by all vets is needed, to prevent horse owners choosing vets that don’t challenge owners about their horses’ nutrition. Feed companies can also play an important role in tackling this issue, although many feed companies already offer appropriate nutrition for a range of horses and exercise situations. Better owner education, based on existing good research, would ensure the right nutritional choices are made for individual horses.

Inappropriate stabling /turnout
Welfare of horses is compromised when the amount of time spent at pasture/stabled does not meet their individual needs, when they are kept in social isolation or when they are exposed to unsuitable grazing conditions. Welfare problems associated with incorrect stabling/turnout affect large numbers of horses for a long time with variable levels of suffering.

Although all horse owners make choices relating to the amount and type of stabling and turnout experienced by their horses, livery yard owners could play a role in addressing this issue. For example, by encouraging different approaches to management, including group housing and the use of all-weather turnout facilities. Strengthening legislation is another possible way for improvement but a ‘one size fits all’ approach would be inappropriate. For example, for some horses, turn out to pasture may not always be suitable.

Delayed death
Horses may be kept alive inappropriately resulting in firstly, prolonging welfare problems, such as continued suffering of a horse in pain. This affects relatively large numbers of horses, for short periods of time with the severity of suffering often being severe. Secondly, an increased risk of suffering, for example where horses are unwanted by their owners, become low value and subsequently aren’t cared for well.

One way for improvement could be by putting pressure on the EU to make changes to the passport regulations. In particular, legislation changes that would enable horses who had received medications, including Phenylbutazone, to be slaughtered to enter the human food chain after a six month withdrawal period. In addition, challenging negative attitudes of horse owners towards timely euthanasia is important.

The research, undertaken over a four year period, was to understand the welfare status of horses in England and Wales, identify priority welfare issues and explore horse owner and industry experts’ perceptions of these issues.

Stakeholders from across the equine industry contributed to the research: from vets to farriers and welfare charities to governing body representatives, participants represented a wide-reaching cross section of horse care roles and responsibilities.  

The RSPB has reported the results of two studies which revealed that a greater diversity of birds of prey, including some eagles, are killed eating carrion contaminated with diclofenac.

The RSPB says that these findings strengthen the case of banning the use of veterinary diclofenac in livestock across Europe, including Spain and Italy where the drug has already been approved.

In the first paper¹, published in the journal Bird Conservation International, scientists present results of tests carried out on two steppe eagles found dead at a cattle carcass dump in Rajasthan, India. Both birds had diclofenac residue in their tissues and exhibited the same clinical signs of kidney failure as seen in Gyps vultures experimentally given diclofenac. 

Steppe eagles are closely related to the golden eagles found in the UK, the vulnerable Spanish imperial eagle and other globally vulnerable or declining Eurasian eagles. Scientists now fear that all species in this genus, known as Aquila, are susceptible to diclofenac. With fourteen species of Aquila eagle distributed across Asia, Africa, Australia, Europe and North America, this means that diclofenac poisoning should now be considered largely a global problem.

Dr Toby Galligan, RSPB conservation scientist and one of the authors of the paper, said: "We have known for some time that diclofenac is toxic to Gyps vultures, including the Eurasian griffon vulture, but we now know it is toxic to an Aquila eagle too. This suggests that the drug is fatal to a greater number of birds of prey in Asia, Europe and around the world. We had suspected as much from observed declines in non-Gyps vultures in Asia, but this study confirms our worst fears."

In another paper², published in Bird Conservation International, Dr Galligan led an examination of recent population trends in Egyptian and red-headed vultures in India. That study shows population declines of similar timing and scale as the declines observed in Gyps vultures, providing indirect evidence that these species have been impacted by diclofenac as well. 

After years of campaigning by conservationists, the governments of Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Pakistan banned veterinary formulations of diclofenac between 2006 and 2010. Recently, experts have recorded a slowing of Gyps vulture declines as a result of the bans. However, formulations of diclofenac intended for use in humans are still widely available and illegally used to treat livestock, the carcasses of which are the main food source for vultures in South Asia.
 
It was announced in March that veterinary diclofenac had been authorised for manufacture and use in Italy and Spain and had been distributed to other European countries. Since then, a coalition of organisations including the Vulture Conservation Foundation, the RSPB and BirdLife International have been campaigning for this decision to be reversed.

Dr Galligan continued: "In light of recent developments in Europe, our findings take on an even more worrying meaning. All of Europe's charismatic Aquila eagles, like the Spanish imperial eagle and, closer to home, the golden eagle, are opportunistic scavengers and therefore could be at risk of diclofenac poisoning.  As we have seen in South Asia, wherever free-ranging livestock are treated with diclofenac, population declines in vultures and eagles can occur. The European Commission needs to recognise this problem and impose a continent-wide ban on veterinary diclofenac before it can impact on our birds."

Last week, the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) announced measures against the drug. 

In a statement the VMD said: "The UK's Veterinary Medicines Directorate is taking the issue of diclofenac's risks to vulture populations seriously. As a precautionary measure the VMD will not approve any requests from vets to import products containing diclofenac. Furthermore, the VMD has agreed not to issue any export certificates which name diclofenac-containing products in the list of products to be exported."

Sacha Cleminson, Head of International Biodiversity Policy at the RSPB, said: "The announcement from the Veterinary Medicines Directorate is a welcome signal to Europe that the UK is taking the issue seriously. This new evidence underlines the need for a ban across Europe, and ultimately beyond." 

References

1. Diclofenac is toxic to the Steppe Eagle Aquila nipalensis: widening the diversity of raptors threatened by NSAID misuse in South Asia. Anil K. Sharma et al Bird Conservation International Online. 26th May 2014.

2. Have population declines in Egyptian Vulture and Red-headed Vulture in India slowed since the 2006 ban on veterinary diclofenac? Toby H. Galligan et al. Bird Conservation International Online. 1st April 2014.
   

The British Small Animal Veterinary Association has announced that it is expanding its membership package for VNs

VN membership was launched in 2012 and BSAVA says it has been working hard over the last year to create a package that meets the needs of VNs, in particular those who are keen to expand their clinical knowledge.

Included within membership, BSAVA is now offering a free notebook being launched at Congress, access to all the associations apps (including the Formulary, available for iPhone and Android), a free new legal helpline, and from 2013, a complimentary subscription to companion magazine. In addition, there are hundreds of hours of Congress lectures to download as podcasts, which BSAVA says can fulfil your annual CPD requirement.

VNs share the same discount rights as vet members, offering savings on all the manuals, additional training courses and BSAVA Congress. Membership also gives nurse members certain exclusive rights too - such as access to member-only content online, and the ability to upgrade a Congress registration that includes vet lectures.

The cost for VN membership is one third of the general membership fee: £72 a year. Nurses attending BVNA Congress can benefit from a special offer where they get 14 months for the price of twelve.

For more information, visit www.bsava.com or call 01452 726700.

Merial has announced that it has joined forces with the Animal Health Trust to hold Equine Flu Awareness Month in April. 

Organisers say that the aim is to increase awareness, understanding and virus surveillance of this highly contagious evolving disease.  

The AHT’s head of epidemiology and disease surveillance, Dr Richard Newton said: "The creation of Equine Flu Awareness Month is an important step forward for the equine industry. There have been 52 recorded outbreaks of equine influenza in the last two years, and whilst this may sound considerable, we believe it’s actually just the tip of the iceberg."

Equine Flu Awareness Month will integrate the Horserace Betting Levy Board (HBLB) Equine Influenza Surveillance Programme at the AHT with disease outbreak alerts and horse owner education to increase awareness of flu surveillance and vaccination.

The surveillance programme provides ongoing free sampling to all practices registered to the service. 

Richard added: "We are fortunate that the HBLB invests in this important scheme which also benefits the industry as a whole. We know that just 40% of the total UK herd is vaccinated, so when you consider that all racehorses and many other competing and performance horses are vaccinated under compulsory rules, that leaves the remainder of the herd even less protected and the total percentage well short of the 70% required in order to prevent an epidemic¹^,².

"All isolated viruses in the recent outbreaks are known to be of the Florida Clade 2 sublineage of H3N8 equine influenza, and nearly all outbreaks were in unvaccinated horses or in those whose vaccinations were not up to date³. 

"Historical models indicate that an epidemic occurs every 10 to 15 years⁴. The last large outbreak in the UK, which affected vaccinated racehorses, occurred in 2003, so surveillance of virus activity, vaccination and development of vaccines to match the circulating strains are key to preventing another outbreak.

"Many horses that don’t travel are still at risk of equine influenza, but frequently go unvaccinated. These animals are not only at risk of contracting and amplifying virus from their stable-mates that do travel, but are also at risk of airborne infection as equine flu is capable of travelling over a mile as an aerosol on the wind." 

Equine Flu Awareness Month will include a focus on practice vaccine amnesties and practice promotional tools with the objective to increase awareness among horse owners, for them to better understand the risks and signs of equine flu. 

Louise Radford MRCVS from Merial said: "In addition to the HBLB funded surveillance scheme providing free registration and virus testing, other services include Tell-Tail™ alerts for practices when there is an outbreak in the region, and Tell-Tail™ links to alert clients to outbreaks of equine flu and encourage them to vaccinate."

She added: "Tell-Tail™ Links is a great way to let your clients know when there is an increased risk of equine flu due to an outbreak in the area. When the first broadcast was launched, a text was sent from a practice in Cardiff to 777 horse owners and within 2 weeks, 47 new horses were booked in for a primary vaccination course." 

As part of the initiative, Merial is also running a draw to win one of three BEVA vouchers worth up to £1000. To enter, sign up or renew your Tell-Tail™ registration during April 2016 at: www.equinefluawareness.com. 

To sign up to the free HBLB Equine Influenza Surveillance Service run by the AHT, visit: www.equiflunet.org.uk

References

1. Baker D. Equine Vet J 1986;18(2):93–96. 
2. Merial Proactive Insight benchmarking 2015.
3. Equiflunet. Available at: http://equiflunet.org.uk/ (Accessed December 2015).
4. Elton D, Cullinane A. Equine Vet J 2013;45(6):768–769

MSD Animal Health has announced that this year's Horse Health Week will take place between the 26th and 30th September. 

The aim of the week is to focus equine practices on ‘Taking care of the small things that make a big difference’ with a toolkit of resources designed to help them promote their businesses and educate and promote the benefits of preventative healthcare. 

Peter Young, MSD Equine Business Manager said:  "This year’s Horse Health Week has been created to focus on the small things we can all do to help keep our nation’s horses happy and healthy.  We are encouraging equine vets to get involved and engage with their clients throughout the week with the support of our toolkit. This celebration of Britain’s horses and the things we can do to improve their health is a positive opportunity for vets to build client loyalty and attract new clients. I urge practices to do as little or as much as they can, but I urge them to do something!"

Horse Health Week is supported with a range of materials for both practices and clients, along with social media content, which vets can obtain on a USB stick from their MSD Animal Health Equine representative.

The toolkit includes a series of five animations – one for each day of the week. They each cover a different topic including; horse connections, the importance of hand washing, equipment at shows, isolation and vaccination. There is also a social media campaign for practices to run called #BonVoyageBuzz, and a survey that will gather the views of horse owners on preventative healthcare. 

For full details talk to your MSD Animal Health Account Manager, call MSD on 01908 685685 or refer to www.healthyhorses.co.uk/horse-week.

The RCVS and the BVA have published the Vet Futures report: their vision for how the veterinary profession should look in 2030, coupled with 34 recommendations for change.

The report, which represents the culmination of a year of engagement, consultation and research with the veterinary profession, veterinary nurses, members of the wider veterinary team, key stakeholders, animal owners and the general public, says that in 2030 vets should be a leading force for animal health and welfare and valued for their wider roles in society. They should be confident, resilient, healthy and well supported, and benefit from exceptional leadership. And there should be a broad range of diverse and rewarding veterinary careers, as well as thriving, innovative and user-focused businesses.

While the focus of Vet Futures has been on veterinary surgeons, Vet Futures engaged with the RCVS Veterinary Nurses Council and British Veterinary Nursing Association, as well as individual veterinary nurses, and the College says that many of the ambitions should resonate with members of both professions. It goes on to recommend that the veterinary nursing profession should build on the work of Vet Futures to develop its own clear vision and ambitions. 

The recommendations within the report include:

• Explore and consult on a sustainable structure for the veterinary degree, including the viability of limited licensure, allowing veterinary students to focus their studies and specialise during the veterinary degree
• Review the regulatory framework for veterinary businesses to ensure a level playing field, enable a range of business models to coexist, ensure professionalism in commercial settings, and explore the implications for regulation of new technologies (eg telemedicine)
• Deliver a coordinated, well-funded and evidence-based approach to mental health and wellbeing for the veterinary team
• Undertake a veterinary workforce study to assess the rewards, recognition and working conditions of vets and veterinary nurses, and the drivers of low and unequal pay
• Develop a public-facing awareness campaign to raise the profile of wider veterinary roles (including public health, research, government, industry and academia)
• Strengthen leadership for the profession by exploring options for bringing greater coherence to the support and representation of the veterinary profession and exploring ways to develop the next generation of veterinary leaders including by identifying and nurturing talent, and providing them with the skills and opportunities to succeed
• Explore options to develop an online animal welfare hub to better disseminate animal welfare research, evidence and tools, including the critical appraisal of common practices in the light of emerging evidence

Other recommendations include developing an animal welfare strategy for the profession, increasing collaboration with medical professionals and environmental organisations, adopting a more strategic long-term outlook for research funding, and exploring how to encourage a more diverse profession.

RCVS President Bradley Viner said: "The Vet Futures report is the culmination of a year of research and engagement with thousands of members of the veterinary and veterinary nursing professions, which has given us a very firm foundation on which to build our ambitions and recommendations. We are extremely grateful to every individual who has contributed in some way to the project, and helped us to seize the initiative.

"Over the years the veterinary profession has proved itself to be adaptable and able to face challenges head on, and we have no doubt that by working together we will realise our joint vision of a profession in charge of its future. Ultimately, we all want a profession that is confident in itself and one in which members are proud to call themselves veterinary surgeons."

Sean Wensley, BVA President, added: "Vet Futures has proved to be an exciting, engaging and truly ambitious project for the veterinary profession and it has created a fantastic level of debate and engagement.

"The report we are launching today is not the end of the story; it is the beginning of the next chapter. It is crucial that we maintain the momentum of the project so we will be inviting members of the veterinary professions to step forward and join a new Vet Futures Action Group to help us turn the recommendations into actions and drive forward activity."

The full report can be downloaded here.

Kruuse UK has expanded the well-known Buster range of "elizabethan" collars with the introduction of a Buster Comfort Collar. According to the company, this new design is softer and more flexible and features a soft rubber outer edge for better comfort for the animal and is kinder to its surroundings.

Prolonged use can make the edges of strong, rigid plastic collars brittle and ragged, especially with active animals, which is why the Comfort Collar was developed to alleviate this problem in such situations.

Manufactured out of environmentally-friendly 100 per cent polypropylene, these collars still feature the quick-fastening system found on the Buster Clic Collar and are fully transparent to allow the animal all-round vision. The Buster Comfort Collars are available in seven sizes ranging from 7.5 to 30cm.

Kruuse will be exhibiting at the BSAVA Congress 2008, stand number 205.

The Society of Practising Veterinary Surgeons (SPVS) has launched a new Profitability Survey to measure profitability levels across the nation’s veterinary practices and provide a benchmark for practices to assess their performance against.

Launched this month, the SPVS Profitability Survey is available to all practices, both members and non-members. It can be completed online using figures from the practice’s most recent set of accounts and the practice management system. All the data is kept completely confidential for practices to securely access their results online. 

Once they have completed the survey, participating practices will be given an overall practice profitability score from excellent, good, average, below average and poor. Practices will also be able to benchmark against Key Performance Indicators such as: the cost of drugs and supplies; the cost of personnel; and cost of overheads.

Peter Brown, SPVS Treasurer and author of the survey said: "We’re particularly pleased to be launching this Profitability Survey. As the saying goes, turnover is vanity and profit is sanity. Profitability is key to any business yet we’re often told that veterinary practices fare badly when it comes to this fundamental point. Knowing how your business is performing and how it compares to others should be a priority for all practice principals and one that our new Profitability Survey will be able to answer.

"We are delighted to be working with John Sheridan on this subject. John has long been a passionate advocate of the need for practices to understand their profitability and he has helped SPVS to develop this simple survey to provide practices with the key statistics they need. Furthermore, the pooled, anonymised data will be used by SPVS to help us tailor CPD and expert advice for members on this critical aspect of their business. The more data we have the more accurate analysis we will be able to provide so we would urge all veterinary practices to complete the survey."

SPVS’ existing Fee and Salaries Surveys have also been enhanced with improvements to the way data is entered and results presented through a dedicated website developed with Veterinary Insights. Published earlier this year, the Salaries Survey revealed that there is a widening pay gap between newly qualified vets whose median salary actually fell by 3.7% and more experienced vets who attained increases of between 2.6% and 10.8%. However, while newly qualified vets compared favourably with their equivalents in the medical and dental profession, those more experienced lag some way behind.

To take part in the new SPVS Profitability Survey visit www.spvs.org.uk

The Veterinary Record has published what the British Homeopathy Association is calling the first ever systematic review of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) in veterinary homeopathy.

The review was conducted by Dr Robert Mathie, research development adviser to the association, and Dr Jürgen Clausen from the Carstens Foundation, Germany.

They found 18 placebo-controlled RCTs of veterinary homeopathy, published in the peer-reviewed literature, that were eligible for detailed assessment. Of these, only two were judged to provide reliable evidence. The remainder were unclear or had a high risk of bias.

The two studies which were judged reliable were:

• CAMERLINK, I., ELLINGER, L., BAKKER, E. J. & LANTINGA, E. A. (2010) Homeopathy as replacement to antibiotics in the case of Escherichia coli diarrhoea in neonatal piglets. Homeopathy 99, 57-62.
  According to the authors, this study showed that homeopathy is effective for the prevention of diarrhoea in piglets.

• HEKTOEN, L., LARSEN, S., ØDEGAARD, S. A. & LOKEN, T. (2004) Comparison of homeopathy, placebo and antibiotic treatment of clinical mastitis in dairy cows - methodological issues and results from a randomized-clinical trial. Journal of Veterinary Medicine. A, Physiology, pathology, clinical medicine 51, 439-446. In this study, homeopathy was shown to be ineffective. 

Dr Mathie said: "Up to now, debates about the efficacy or effectiveness of veterinary homeopathy have been polarised by the absence of any systematic review of the subject. Our work clarifies the nature of the current RCT evidence."

Mr Mark Elliott, immediate past president of the British Association of Homeopathic Veterinary Surgeons, said: "This important study affirms that reliable evidence does exist and that more research should be done, particularly in light of current concerns about antibiotic resistance in production animals."

It seems a remarkable admission, that the entire veterinary homeopathy edifice rests upon one study in piglets. However, if that study did prove the efficacy of homeopathy, it would of course be an order of magnitude more remarkable than today's admission. 

So, no pressure then, Camerlink et al!

Merial is inviting equine veterinary nurses to take part in a campaign to educate horse owners about the risks and prevention of gastric ulcers, for the chance to win a team trip to BVNA Congress or a £50 Marks and Sparks voucher.

Dr Emma Batson from Merial said: "The campaign is all about education of horse owners on the risks of equine ulcers and what they can do to prevent them. Prizes will be awarded for the most creative and innovative marketing campaigns carried out by practices.

"Gastric ulcers are thought to be the most under-diagnosed equine condition, affecting one in three of the equine population¹, from racehorses to children's ponies. EVNs can help to deliver a serious message about equine gastric ulcers whilst also getting the chance to win prizes for their practice."

To help practices with their campaign, Merial has produced information packs which include advice on e-shots, in-practice displays, telephone campaigns, newsletter articles, local events, client evenings and risk assessment forms.

The campaign runs from now until the end of June, deadline for receipt of competition entries is July 15, 2013. To enter, practices can select any communication channels to help increase client awareness of gastric ulceration and how they can potentially prevent it.

For more information and to download a competition entry form visit www.equinegastriculcers.co.uk, email: innervision@egus.co.uk or contact your local Merial equine territory manager.

References

1. Murray MJ, Grodinsky C, Anderson CW, Radue PF et al. Gastric ulcers in horses: A comparison of endoscopic findings in horses with and without clinical signs. Equine Vet J 1989; 7 (suppl): 68-72