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.
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."
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.
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.
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.
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.
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/
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
The Blue Cross, Britain's pet charity, has presented its Veterinary Nurse of the Year Award to Anna Hatchett (below, centre) for her outstanding contribution to animal welfare, both within her veterinary practice and among the local community in Whitby, North Yorkshire. The award was presented during the British Veterinary Nursing Association (BVNA) annual congress in Kettering, Northamptonshire on 21 October by TV vet Scott Miller and Blue Cross director of veterinary services, Voigt.
Voigt (above, right) of The Blue Cross explained: "This annual award recognises the hard work and talent exhibited by veterinary nurses throughout the country. Anna's commitment to help educate people about responsible pet ownership demonstrates a real understanding of the important bond that people share with their pets." Anna was nominated by two vets, Edward Gillams and Kate Loomes, who previously worked with her at The Beck Veterinary Practice in Whitby, North Yorkshire. Mr Gillams remarked: "Anna has given the practice 10 years of selfless dedication and hard work. She always finds time to discuss pets with their owners, be it while running puppy parties, weight clinics or while in reception dealing with appointments." Ms Loomes added: "Anna is an exceptionally dedicated and talented nurse. She has an amazing memory for clients and takes time to enquire as to how their individual pets are. She doesn't hesitate to take in and care for stray and lost animals and works well over her working hours when animals are in need of help." Commenting on her award, Anna said: "I was very touched when I found out I'd been nominated and absolutely thrilled to have won. I have been a veterinary nurse for more than a decade now and can't think of a more rewarding job - it's just a case of doing what comes naturally!"
Pet Blood Bank UK (PBBuk), the first charity which collects, processes, stores and supplies pet blood products in the UK, has announced its Board of Trustees. They are: Phil Nuttall, former Head of the National Blood Service Sheffield Centre, Dr. Freda Scott-Park, immediate Past President of the British Veterinary Association, John Michael Hill, President Elect Society of Practising Veterinary Surgeons and Wendy Barnett, Executive Director of PBBuk. The five members of the newly convened board will ensure the long-term health and effectiveness of PBBuk and will play a key role in developing the business plan for the organisation as well as formulating strategy and supporting fundraising activity to ensure the charity has a sustainable future.
The Company of Animals has launched a new range of battery-powered, illuminated dog leashes and collars called Visiglo. Available in 5 designs ('Bones', 'Macaroni', 'Paws', sport stripe and flashing LED), these look to me at least like an accessory that could sell really well in practice. They look nice, serve a useful purpose (as well as making the dog more visible to traffic, the collars would presumably make it much easier to see where he's gone when out walking off the leash after dark). There's a video here.
Plus, with Christmas coming up, it's the ideal stocking filler for all those people that do their houses up like Blackpool Pier, and want the dog to look like a Christmas tree. Visiglo is (or will be shortly) available from the veterinary wholesalers.
An unprecedented outbreak of fleas and ticks in Britain, posing risks to human and animal health, is being blamed on climate change, the wet summer and tougher strains of pests. Experts also warn the problem is set to worsen as autumn provides ideal conditions for the disease carrying parasites. The warnings are made in a new report: "Infest-Nation: the ProMeris Parasite Report 2007" from Fort Dodge Animal Health. In it, a survey of environmental health officers shows one in six reporting a 200% rise in cases involving fleas and ticks in their borough in the last five years. One in four said their borough was now issuing warnings on the subject to the general public. More than one third of the nationwide sample of 2000 vets, environmental health officers and cat and dog owners questioned noticed a rise in ticks and fleas in the last five years. Key findings included:
Hot on the heels of research showing that pets are more pampered, comes the news from Debenhams Pet Insurance of a trend towards pets being given the same names as children. Whereas in days gone by a dog would perhaps wag its tail in response to ‘Rover' or ‘Bonzo', Debenhams online pet cover service has found that dogs covered under its policies are more likely now to be called ‘Jack', 'Max' or 'Charlie', all of which are amongst the most popular names for boys. Similarly, 'Sophie' is the 4th most popular name for cats, and the 6th most popular for girls. Anthropomorphism gone mad? Maybe. But it can only be good news for veterinary practice and standards of petcare if owners are increasingly viewing their pets as one of the family, or as a 'surrogate child'.
The RSPCA has just published the report: The Welfare State: Measuring Animal Welfare in the UK 2006, a statistical analysis of animal welfare in the UK. The annual report considers 35 animal welfare indicators relating to wildlife, farm animals, research animals and pets. Key findings concerning pets include:
Other main findings include:
There is more available on the website http://www.animalwelfarefootprint.com/, including a questionnaire to test your own 'animal footprint'.
Jane Barlett BSc Hons VN of Orwell Veterinary Group (pictured left, below), Ipswich, has won the "2007 Hill's Veterinary Healthcare Advisor of the Year" award.
The award was announced by Libby Sheridan, Veterinary Affairs Manager at Hill's (pictured right, below), at the VHA dinner dance at the BVNA Congress.
The final count isn't in yet, but it looks like it's been another record year for attendance at BVNA Congress. Organisers (pictured on the BVNA stand, left to right: Caroline, Angie, Hon. Secretary Lisa Cooper, Alison, Lisa) report that 2044 delegates had pre-registered. More showed up on the day.
TV vet, Dr. Scott Miller gave an entertaining and amusing speech at the Congress opening ceremony.
Following the launch of its equine range to the UK, Grand Meadows Animal Health has announced the launch of a range of canine food supplements, including: Mobility, Grand Tranquility, Grand Vitality, Grand Coat and Grand Complete. New stockists will also be given a 25% discount to kick off the relationship, and will be provided with a striking counter display. Grand Meadows products are distributed exclusively by Horse Specialities in the UK - contact Simon Haythornthwaite on 07899 953683 / 01772 682045, or info@horsespecialities.co.uk for further information.
Interesting research from The Pet Market, a new market assessment report from market intelligence providers Key Note Ltd., which shows that the decline in pet ownership over the last ten years is being offset by an increasing trend towards pampering pets. According to Key Notes exclusive research, the number of respondents that owned any type of pet fell from 48% in February 2005 to 40% in February 2007. However the total market for pet products, including insurance, was £2.2bn in 2006, and increase of 11.1% on 2002. Factors cited by Key Note as behind the drop in pet ownership included the trend towards smaller households and busier lifestyles. However, this has been offset by growing divorce rates, and an increase in people living alone who buy a pet for companionship. There has also been a trend towards having children later, with many people buying pets as 'surrogate children'. In both cases, owners seem to be prepared to spend more on their pet, for example buying them Christmas presents as they would for a friend or child. The survey also revealed that 89% of owners are prepared to spend 'a bit extra' on premium food for their pet, in order to ensure it provides all the nutrients it needs. Interestingly, it was those in the lower social grades that were prepared to spend more on pet food: 97% of DEs, versus 83% of ABs. Fewer than 7% said they looked for the cheapest pet food available. 58% of owners said they only bought accessories when absolutely necessary. Despite this, half bought items such as toys at least twice a year. Key Note predicts no major changes to these trends over the forthcoming 5 years. The full report can be bought from Key Note for £880. Telephone 0208 4818750, or email: sales@keynote.co.uk
Following the latest postal strikes, Petplan is warning vets and customers there may be some delay in policy information and claim cheques reaching them. Royal Mail has suggested that it may take three weeks for them to clear all outstanding items, which means that for Petplan, and other companies in the industry, insurance documentation, claim forms and claim settlements may be delayed. Simon Wheeler, Head of Marketing at Petplan said: "We're asking all vet practices to remind customers that there may be a delay in receiving insurance documentation by post. We're asking for patience and understanding as we know it is a frustrating time. Before requesting claims cheques, insurance certificates and other policy documentation are reissued, we would suggest your customers give the documentation a little more time to get through given the post backlog." Petplan has also recently launched an online Claims Tracking service, a new way for policyholders to find out how their claim is progressing by enabling them to view their claim status on the Petplan website. Online Claims Tracking will show clients when their claim form has been received, if it has been assessed and when it is expected to be settled. Petplan customers just have to enter their policy number and postcode on http://www.petplan.co.uk/claimsTracking/claimsTracking.asp. Alternatively Customer Services can be contacted as always on 0845 071 8000 between 8am and 8pm Monday to Friday, 9am and 1pm Saturday or by emailing petplan.info@allianz.co.uk
VRCC veterinary referral centre, the leading European veterinary cancer treatment centre, has announced that it has installed what is believed to be the first and only new 'Human' CT scanner in a UK private small animal veterinary centre, at a cost of nearly £500,000. The announcement came less than a year after the centre's 6 million volt linear accelerator went online - currently the only veterinary radiotherapy facility in the UK. Apart from routine scans required by all the clinicians at the centre, VRCC also takes referrals in medicine, surgery and oncology. Its CT will also be used in conjunction with the linear accelerator, offering sophisticated cancer treatments previously not available in the UK. In another first for VRCC, the centre has appointed Tom Jackson BSc Radiography (T), a therapeutic radiographer from Guys & St Thomas Westminster, a centre of excellence in oncology. Tom will be working under the direction of the centre's clinical director, Dr Susan North, the most highly qualified and experienced veterinary oncologist in the UK and the only qualified radiation veterinary oncologist in the UK. For more information about the referral services available from VRCC, visit http://www.vrcc.co.uk/, or ring 01268 564664.
Response Medical, a leading UK healthcare supplier, today launched SuretyTM Needle.
It's a new retractable safety needle developed specifically to address the growing threat of needlestick injuries - the second most common cause of accidents to NHS staff.
The Kennel Club has been working with Petlog and the people behind: http://www.themissinglist.co.uk/ to provide a new service to help track down missing pets. Not sure whether it'll take off or not. These sorts of initiatives rely on massive public awareness, and going on the volume of 'lost' and 'found' listings on the site, they still have some way to go.
Here's the latest horror to hit the shops in time for Halloween this year:
Form an orderly queue please, everyone.
The RSPCA has come out against Slentrol, Pfizer's new dieting drug for dogs, in the Daily Mail this week.
The charity's senior scientist, Dr Jane Cooper told the Mail that the drug could cause side-effects such as vomiting and diarrhoea, and that the tests needed to bring the drug to market had led to the suffering of many dogs, cats and other animals, some of which were subsequently put down.
Given that just about every drug has potential side-effects and all are required by law to undergo testing, it seems the only purpose of these highly emotive and calculated comments is to inflict the maximum damage to Pfizer.
In an ideal world, all dog owners would feed their pets correctly, and take them for a brisk walk every day. But we don't live in an ideal world, and the reality is that whatever the RSPCA has to say on the matter, there will remain a significant number of pet owners that only ever get off their backsides to go and get themselves a beer, and the dog a treat.
Is it right or responsible that the RSPCA should, through this kind of statement, deny these animals some relief from their owners? Is it responsible for the RSPCA to pan a drug the moment it comes to market, or would it have been a more pragmatic move for the charity to work behind the scenes to try and ensure that it is used appropriately?
To discuss these issues, and the broader question of lifestyle drugs, visit the VetNurse 'Life In Practice' forum now.
Horse owner Cate Ashton has launched a new website http://www.manage-my-horse.com/ for 'conscientious horse owners, yard managers and equestrian professionals'.
The impressive-looking (and free) site allows members to record almost every facet of their horse's life in one place - breeding, training and exercise journals, accident and rehabilitation records, health, wellbeing, worming, vaccination and medical information, weight and condition scoring, competition records and all expenses and income.
In addition there is a diary to store appointments, an address book for personal and business contacts and a forum. The feed section allows for management of diet and nutritional needs and the reporting section gives printouts and reports instantly.
Worth recommending to your clients?