The Royal Veterinary College is calling for dogs diagnosed with osteoarthritis to take part in a revolutionary study in which their movement will be monitored by a state-of-the-art recorder.

The recorder (pictured right), which is attached to the dog's collar, uses miniaturised sensors based on those found in smart phones. It can distinguish between different activities independent of the dog's location, allowing constant recording of movement in the dog's home environment, to complement the traditional clinical assessments carried out as part of the trial.

The study is being carried out to assess the efficacy of the joint mobility supplement Yumove in reducing the clinical signs of osteoarthritis. This will be the first time that the real effect of a joint supplement has been measured.

Dr. John Howie, co-founder of Lintbells, the company that makes Yumove, said:  "This is the first time the real effect of a joint supplement has been measured and it will be a very fast trial. Yumove is a supplement that has been specifically formulated to include glucosamine, chondroitin and Omega 3 from green-lipped mussel, which all work together to increase joint mobility and provide an anti-inflammatory effect."

The research is being led by Dr Matthew Pead the RVC's Academic Director of Professional Assessment and Development. He said: "The results of this study will have important clinical implications for the understanding and treatment of canine OA, with the ultimate aim of advancing the treatment of this difficult and degenerative disease for the benefit of many thousands of dogs."

Any veterinary surgeon with a patient in their practice that might benefit from this study is invited to refer them. Further details are available the Clinical Investigation Centre at the Royal Veterinary College - email cic@rvc.ac.uk or phone 01707 666605.

A study carried out at the University of Leicester's School of Psychology has found that disagreeable younger people are more likely to prefer aggressive dogs, confirming the conventional wisdom that dogs match the personality of their owners.

Researchers found that low agreeableness was the best predictor of a preference for those dogs seen as more aggressive, such as bull terriers or boxers. Individuals low in agreeableness are typically less concerned with others' well-being and may be suspicious, unfriendly and competitive.

However, the study found no link between liking an aggressive dog and delinquent behaviour, or the possibility that liking an aggressive dog is an act of 'status display' to show off or attract romantic partners.

Dr Vincent Egan, lead researcher on the study, said: "This type of study is important, as it shows assumptions are not the whole picture. It is assumed owners of aggressive dogs (or dogs perceived as aggressive) are antisocial show-offs. But we did not find persons who expressed a preference for aggressive dogs had committed more delinquent acts, or reported showing off more.

"However, we did find a preference for a dog with an aggressive reputation was related to being younger and being lower in agreeableness (i.e., being less concerned with the needs of others, and being quicker to become hostile)."

The study looked at the reasons why some people prefer aggressive dog breeds. Professor Egan explained: "A lot of human behaviour involves status display and dominance, and evolutionarily this helps with finding mates. Basic personality also influences a lot of our behaviour. By measuring both at the same time, we could see whether they each had an influence on liking aggressive dogs, or whether one was due to another.

"We were surprised mating effort did not have an influence here, but think it might be because we looked at a wider age range. A preference for a non-aggressive dog may also make a statement about a person; liking a pedigree Labrador or a clipped Poodle may be as much a statement as having a pit-bull with a studded collar."

In the study, participants indicated their preference for different types of dogs, and filled in personality tests. The dogs were independently rated according to how aggressive people perceived them to be. Bull terriers were rated as most aggressive, followed by boxers; retrievers and cocker spaniels were seen as least aggressive.

Analysing the findings, the research team found that certain personality factors indicated a preference for dogs perceived to be more aggressive. Low agreeableness and higher conscientiousness were related to a preference for aggressive dog breeds. Younger people were also more likely to prefer the aggressive breeds.

Surprisingly, the results indicated a small effect suggesting that those who liked aggressive dogs showed signs of conscientiousness - being careful, reliable and thoughtful about their actions. This contradicts the perception that owners of aggressive dogs are always irresponsible.

Dr Egan said: "These results with conscientiousness were unexpected, but the effect is a small one, and needs to be repeated in a different group of people. Studies of this kind tend to only look at a restricted age ranges, which may exaggerate findings which do not occur across the entire lifespan, so we believe a stereotype is always true, whereas it may only be true under certain conditions. Our study employed a broader age range.

"We were surprised to find a small association between a preference for aggressive dogs and greater conscientiousness (i.e., valuing and following rules). However, dogs also prefer rules and firm boundaries themselves. We speculate that cheap dog-training classes would be enjoyable and beneficial for both dog and owner."

The findings were published last week in the journal Anthrozoos.

Burgess Excel has announced the launch of a new app for Android and Apple devices called The Fibrevore Handbook.

The free app, which is available from Apple here, and from Google for Android here, contains a guide to the veterinary care of rabbits, guinea pigs and chinchillas:

• Health: common health problems, health conditions, symptoms, treatment, infectious diseases
• Anatomical Drawings & references - great for explaining existing conditions of patients to pet owners
• Radiographs of the skull and abdomen - perfect in-practice reference guide
• Husbandry - general information on housing, handling and more 
• Diet - information on digestive systems, correct feeding and diet
• General information - biometric details, habitat, breeds and other information

In addition the Fibrevore Handbook contains links to a range of Academic Articles, CPD courses and information on Burgess Excel and its products.

Burgess says the app will be updated on an on-going basis with further research findings, articles, images and general information

Electoral Reform Services (ERS), the independent body that carries out the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons' Council election, has offered reassurance that the election was fair, in spite of a number of voters being sent duplicate ballot papers.

According to the College, ERS designs and prints the ballot papers, and receives back votes via the post, internet and text message, but it does not distribute the ballot papers: this was carried out by a separate mailing house contracted directly by the RCVS. Although the exact number of voters who received duplicate papers is not known, it may have been up to 289, as that was the shortfall of voting papers at the mailing house. 

ERS carried out a review of voting patterns, including issues such as multiple votes coming from a single IP address, and concluded that it was not possible to say there had been instances of dual voting. Even in the small number of cases where there was a suggestion of dual voting, if those particular votes had been discounted it would not have affected the outcome of the election.

In a letter to the College, Adrian Wilkins, ERS Senior Consultant said: "Our view is... that although a number of members were sent two ballot papers, there is no firm evidence of fraud, and that the result is an accurate reflection of the views of the members of the Royal College. Our recommendation is consequently that the result should be declared as per our election report of 30^th April 2012."

As a consequence, the RCVS returning officer, Gordon Hockey, Acting Registrar, declared the election results on 30 April.

Merial Animal Health has announced the launch of its new feline vaccine Purevax Rabies in the UK and Ireland.

Merial says the product offers a simple but elegant solution to rabies vaccination, without the need for adjuvant. According to the company, the non-replicative vector is processed by the cat's immune system in the same way as a live virus, triggering both a powerful cell mediated and humoral response without the need for adjuvant. However, because the vector cannot replicate effectively in mammalian cells, there is no risk of any reversion to virulence.

Merial's Veterinary Technical Manager Kevin Whelan, said: "This is a perfect complement to our existing range of advanced technology vaccines, which already offer the benefits of highly effective protection, including updated FCV strains, without the need for adjuvant. It also represents Merial's continued commitment to the development of innovative products for the animal health market".

The vaccine is licensed for use in cats from 12 weeks of age, and administration of a single injection has been shown to provide protection against disease.

Contact your local Merial Representative or the Merial Technical Support line on 0870 6000 123 for further information.

Research commissioned by Bayer Animal Health has revealed that dogs really do look like their owners.

The research, which is being used to promote Drontal Bone, the company's new bone-shaped wormer, was conducted amongst 3,000 British dog-lovers. It found that the overwhelming majority of owners share at least one common physical attribute with their pet, whilst one in ten owners could be described as the spitting image of their dog, sharing six or more physical attributes:

• 27% of petite owners have small or toy dogs.
• 29% of overweight owners admit their dog also carries a few extra pounds
• 12% of owners and canines were mutually described as obese
• 61% of dogs with closely cropped fur, such as Jack Russells and Boxers, have owners sporting short hair styles
• 26% of people with long locks also owns a canine with tumbling tresses, such as an Afghan Hound or Shih Tzu.
• 19% of owners with curly of frizzy hair own a dog with similar tresses such as a Labradoodle or Bichon Frise.
• 34% of dark-haired mutts also has an owner with brown or black tresses, with the same amount of light haired humans sharing the tone with their pooch.
• 29% of owners with highlights or lowlights owns a mutt with tri-colour fur
• 23% of dogs with grey hair have owners with matching locks, such as a Schnauzer.
• 47% of dogs and owners were described as friendly and playful
• 39% admit that their dog is as grumpy as them.
• 25% of canines have inherited their owner's timid personality
• 16% admit they both have a naughty side.

As part of the campaign, Bayer has launched the Give Your Dog a Bone competition, a nationwide search to find the UK's "Top Dog". The competition is split into four video and photographic categories, with one open exclusively to dogs that have formed a special bond with their owner. Top dogs can enter via the competition website - www.giveyourdogabone.co.uk - where owners can upload photos, videos, and explain in under 100 words why they think their pet should win a Drontal 'Bonies' award.

Give Your Dog a Bone Judge Emma Milne MRCVS, said: "When dogs seem to have the same characteristics as their owners, it could be because people subconsciously choose a pet that resembles themselves. It is often found that more energetic breeds, such as s Red Setter have an owner who is sporty and most happy when taking their pet on long country walks, while a glamorous owner who enjoys grooming themselves might choose a dog which also requires lots preening, such as a Maltese Terrier. The Give Your Dog a Bone awards give us the chance to recognise the unique traits and talents that make dogs such an important part of our lives. With four very different categories, this competition will be wide open to dogs of all shapes, sizes and personalities!"

The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons has announced the results of the RCVS Council and Veterinary Nurse Council elections.

A record number of candidates stood in the RCVS Council election this year, and the results were much closer than usual.

Two candidates entirely new to the Council have been elected, one of whom - Amanda Boag - received the highest number of votes. The other - Chris Barker - also did well, coming in third place overall.

Three existing RCVS Council Members have been re-elected for a further four years, and Stephen May, who was formerly an appointed Council Member from the Royal Veterinary College, was also voted onto Council for the first time.

Of the three candidates standing for election to VN Council, one existing Member - Kathy Kissick - has been returned, and one new member - Elizabeth Figg - has been elected.

All successful candidates will take up or resume their seats at RCVS Day on 6 July 2012.

Turnouts for both elections remained low, with just 3,625 veterinary surgeons (15.1%) and 743 veterinary nurses (7.5%) choosing to exercise their right to vote.

By comparison, in 2011 voting figures were 3,887 (15.9%) and 723 (7.6%), respectively.

Veterinary surgeons' and veterinary nurses' use of online and text voting, rather than postal voting, increased again this year from 25% to 30.6%, and 12.9% to 20%, respectively.

The British Veterinary Nursing Association and the Society of Practising Veterinary Surgeons have launched a waiting room poster to help practices raise awareness of the status of their VNs and promote the welfare benefits that VNs can help provide.

Rolled copies of the A2 posters are available in a tube for £2.50 (to cover postage). Folded copies are free or you may download the poster here. 

Contact the BVNA office on 01279 408644 to request a copy.

Pfizer Animal Health, maker of the equine wormers Equest and Equest Pramox, has unveiled www.wormingyourhorse.info, a new website which aims to make it easier for horse owners to understand and follow the most up-to-date principles of sustainable worm control.

Based on the company's Manage, Test, Plan, Dose campaign, Pfizer says the new website is designed to take the confusion out of equine worm control with clear, logical and easy-to-understand guidance and advice.

The four main sections use diagrams and text to explain how and why it's important to manage the worm challenge on the pasture; the role of faecal worm egg counts (FWECs); how history and management play a part in planning the best worm control programme and how to choose and use the right wormer at the right time of year.

There's an interactive and educational parasite page that shows the parasites that can affect the health of your horse. There are click through buttons on parts of the horse's anatomy revealing details about the appearance of each particular parasite, their lifecycle and the symptoms they can cause. In addition there's a section on frequently asked questions which provides no-nonsense answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about worm control.

Paul Blanc, Pfizer's equine brand manager said: "In developing our new website we have listened carefully to what horse owners really want and need to know. The result is a source of plain-speaking, unbiased facts and advice, providing horse owners with the most current thinking on sustainable worm control in a format they can really identify with."

The Government has announced that it is extending existing dangerous dogs laws to apply to private property, closing a loophole in the current law which only applies to public land.

Jim Paice, Minister of State for Agriculture and Food, said: "We've all heard the stories of snarling dogs not being properly kept under control or heard from health workers, postal workers or social workers who are at risk of serious injury from out of control dogs while just doing their job, attending to people in their homes.

"Today we are announcing a comprehensive package of measures that tackle the problem head on, which will better protect legitimate visitors to private property and will enable the police to take action before someone is hurt or killed."

The plans also put forward proposals to allow the police, when dealing with any dogs which are subject to proceedings under the Dangerous Dogs Act, to take a common sense decision as to whether the dog really needs to be kept away from their owners until the outcome of proceedings.

Mr Paice added: "Our plans must strike the right balance between protecting the public from dangerous dogs and ensuring that safe and properly looked after pets don't need to be wrenched from their home unnecessarily.

"We're giving the police more discretion to take common-sense decisions where dogs are clearly not a threat by ending the requirement that they be seized and kennelled, at great cost to the taxpayer and distress to the owner involved, while a decision is taken on whether to exempt the dog from being destroyed under the Dangerous Dogs Act."

Other measures announced today include:

• Consulting on whether to micro-chip all dogs to help tackle the problem of irresponsible owners and ease the overwhelming number of strays that are put down as the owner cannot be identified
• Providing £50,000 for local and community projects involving animal welfare organisations, the police, local authorities and community groups to promote more responsible dog ownership in estates, youth clubs and schools
• Providing £20,000 for the training of expert police dog legislation officers in each force
• Issuing new guidance to help the courts deal more effectively with seized dogs

However, the proposals do not go far enough for Dogs Trust, the dog welfare charity. Clarissa Baldwin, the charity's CEO said: "The Government has spent a great deal of time examining this legislation since it came to power and whilst we accept DEFRA has done their best to look at this issue, unfortunately, their best is no where near good enough.  Not good enough to better protect the public or good enough to improve animal welfare.

"Government must tackle this problem head on with completely new legislation rather than just tinkering around the edges.  We're extremely disillusioned that there is nothing in the consultation on measures that will actually help to prevent dog attacks, which is surely what the aim of these proposals should be.  We seem to be waltzing along on this issue rather than the quick step we need to meaningful reform.

"We consider that the introduction of compulsory microchipping of all dogs, not just those born after a certain date, is the only way that we will see immediate welfare benefits and a reduction in the number of stray dogs in the UK.  

"Microchipping will not prevent dog attacks but it will allow the owner of a dangerous dog or a dog that was dangerously out of control to be identified by enforcement agencies. The act of microchipping is also a key intervention, providing an opportunity to advise owners about responsible dog ownership and the law."

The University of Bristol and Companion Care have launched The Great Pet Travel Survey 2012 to assess disease risks in the UK following the simplification of Pet Travel Scheme rules.

Companion Care and The University of Bristol say that there is a great deal of concern about what risks changes in the Pet Travel Scheme Rules pose to the health of the human and dog population in the UK.

Robert White-Adams MRCVS from Companion Care said: "At present there is minimal data available to answer this question as current data logging is minimal and paperwork checking at ports can be variable. We therefore have little idea of how many UK-resident dogs travel abroad, where they visit, how long they stay and what they are doing whilst abroad.

The survey will collect and analyse information about the travel patterns of UK resident dogs, in and around mainland Europe, over the last decade.

Robert added: "The data to be collated by the survey will fill the data void and enable us to provide a quantitative assessment of the disease risk, as well as gaining an understanding of owner awareness of risks face by dogs travelling in Europe.

Owners of dogs with Pet Passports are being encouraged to fill in the short questionnaire, which is available now at  http://www.greatpetsurvey.co.uk/.   All completed questionnaires will be entered into a prize draw to win £100 of Pets at Home vouchers!

The questionnaire will be live online until 30th June 2012 and all data will be analysed by the University of Bristol.

Dr Morgan said: "Without this information we have only a vague idea of the risks that the loss of border controls may pose. The answer could be that there is little additional risk or it could be that the UK dog (and human) population could face some severe disease threats. As it stands now, we just don't know enough to make an informed judgement."

Virbac Animal Health has launched CaniLeish, the first vaccine for canine leishmaniosis in the European Union.

Leishmaniosis is a vector-borne parasitic disease caused by infection with protozoa of the genus Leishmania (L infantum in Europe). Leishmaniosis is transmitted by the bite of infected sandflies. In south-western Europe 2.5 million dogs are believed to be infected^1,2 with the parasite and the disease is spreading northwards,³ as more people travel with their dogs or import infected animals from endemic areas.⁴  So far preventative methods have been limited to reducing the habitat of sandflies, minimising the physical contact of dogs with sandflies and using insecticides on dogs (sprays, spot-ons, repellent-collars, etc).

According to Virbac, CaniLeish's ability to protect dogs was demonstrated in an experimental challenge study, where the benefit of vaccination was still evident after one year.⁵ In an extreme condition natural challenge trial lasting two years under environmental conditions rarely encountered in reality, 93% of dogs vaccinated with CaniLeish did not develop symptomatic leishmaniosis. CaniLeish provides a fourfold reduction in the risk of developing this fatal disease. ⁶ Its safety profile has been shown in laboratory testing and field trials.⁷ In addition, Virbac says it contains no whole parasites that could be virulent in any host.

David McGahie BVMS Bsc (VetSci) MRCVS, Medical Department Manager at Virbac SA, said: "The development of this vaccine is a key milestone in the battle against this challenging disease which is a major problem in many regions of the world. Although in the past it was considered a rather exotic disease here in the UK, the advent of the Pet Travel Scheme means it has become increasingly important as a problem for dogs which regularly travel abroad to endemic regions."

CaniLeish can be given to dogs as young as six months of age: the primary course consists of three injections given over six weeks. Dogs should be re-vaccinated annually, with a single dose administered one year after the third injection and annually thereafter.

References:

1. Baneth G, KoutinasAF, Solano-Gallego L, et al. Canine leishmaniosis: new concepts and insights on an expanding zoonosis: part one. Trends Parasitology 2008; 24: 324-330
2. Moreno J, Alvar J. Canine leishmaniasis: epidemiological risk and the experimental model. Trends Parasitol, 2002; 18 (9):399-405
3. Maroli M, Rossi L, Baldelli R, et al. The northward spread of leishmaniasis in Italy: evidence from retrospective and ongoing studies on the canine reservoir and phlebotomine vectors. Trop. Med. Int. Health, 2008; 13: 256-264
4. Shaw SE, Lerga AI, Williams S, et al. Review of exotic infectious diseases in small animals entering the United Kingdom from abroad diagnosed by PCR. Vet. Rec. 2003; 152: 176-177
5. McGahie D.  CaniLeish^®: Development of a new preventive tool. How do you produce a vaccine which really works? Proceedings of the symposium "Advanced management of Canine Leishmaniosis" Southern European Veterinary Congress 2011, Barcelona, pp 13,14
6. Oliva G, Nieto J, Foglia Manzillo V, et al. Evidence for protection against active infection and disease progression in naïve dogs vaccinated with LiESP/QA-21 (CaniLeish®) exposed to two consecutive Leishmania infantum transmission seasons. Proceedings BSAVA/WSAVA/FECAVA congress 2012, Birmingham.
7. McGahie D.  Results of safety trials with CaniLeish^®. What can be expected?. Proceedings of the symposium "Advanced management of Canine Leishmaniosis" Southern European Veterinary Congress 2011, Barcelona, pp 15,16
8. Guerin PJ, Olliaro P, Sundar S, et al. Visceral leishmaniasis: current status of control, diagnosis and treatment, and a proposed research and development agenda. The Lancet Infectious Diseases 2002; 2: 494-501
9. Gramiccia M, Gradoni L. The current status of zoonotic leishmaniases and approaches to disease control. International Journal for Parasitology 2005; 35: 1169-1180