Big benefits from new dual salmonella vaccine

A new live vaccine, AviPro Salmonella Duo, for poultry which provides simultaneous protection against two strains of Salmonella, S Enteritidis and S Typhimurium, in a single vial has been launched in Britain by Elanco Animal Health.

“AviPro Salmonella Duo is the first vaccine to have both Salmonella strains in the same vial and also the first to be licensed for turkeys and ducks as well as chickens,” commented Jessica Cross, Elanco’s poultry veterinary consultant.

Unlike inactivated vaccines, it is administered in the drinking water, rather than by injection. This offers producers significant advantages since the oral route allows mass administration without stressing the birds, saving labour and improving welfare. A three-dose programme provides immunity throughout lay.

Building on the success of the much-acclaimed AviPro Salmonella vac E and AviPro Salmonella vac T, which dominated the market, it provides an eight-week increase in the period of immunity to 62 and 68 weeks of age for S Typhimurium and S Enteritidis, respectively.

The strains are grown together through co-fermentation, so each titre has equal potency allowing both to colonise at the same rate providing early protection against each Salmonella.
“This development represents the third generation of vaccines, moving on from the early dead vaccines, individual live vaccines to the bivalent product,” said Jessica Cross. “Producers will welcome the simplified administration it offers.”

Salmonella is a major group of enteric bacteria, members of which can colonise the intestinal tract of animals and man. As well as causing severe economic loss to producers, it is an important cause of food poisoning in humans when contamination of eggs or meat occurs. Britain pioneered some of the world’s strictest Salmonella controls, the precursor to current EU regulations. A majority of Salmonella food poisoning outbreaks in the UK from eggs have been traced to imported eggs.

• Vets and producers can obtain more information on Salmonella control by visiting: http://salmonella360.com/

The scales are set for Pet Slimmer of the Year 2014

It’s no secret that pet obesity has become a rather weighty topic recently and one which is showing no signs of shrinking. This has made it ever more challenging for veterinary professionals to help achieve healthy weight goals for their clients’ pets, which is why Hill’s Pet Nutrition launched its Pet Slimmer of the Year 2014 competition. Championed by Drive Nutrition, the heavyweight campaign benefits vet nurses, their practices and pet owners; offering some very compelling reasons for everyone to get involved.

Most vet nurses will be familiar with two big barriers to successful pet slimming – lack of owner compliance and motivation. Luckily these are two hurdles which Pet Slimmer of the Year can help to overcome. Through offering a whole host of prizes as well as exclusive educational material and handy weight loss tools, participating practices will have no shortage of ways to support, incentivise and reward their clients pet slimming success.

The competition will see 16 regional winners slimmed down – quite literally – to one deserving canine and one feline champion who have triumphed in the battle against the bulge. Both overall winners will win a whopping £1000 worth of Love2Shop vouchers plus a year’s supply of Hill’s pet food. What’s more, the nominating vet nurse and their practice will receive £500 worth of the coveted vouchers, making sure everyone is rewarded for their endeavours.

Eight regional winners have already been chosen during the first judging phase, with the remaining eight still up for grabs. Nurses who nominate a regional winner will receive £150 worth of Love2Shop vouchers while all participating clients will automatically receive a free starter pack. Successful pet slimmers will be rewarded with a sought-after congratulatory goody bag worth £49^*, giving vets and nurses have a multitude of ways to motivate their clients.

Vet nurse, Alan Gallagher, from Sunbeam Veterinary Hospital in Cork, has entered 47 of his clients into the competition so far and believes the benefits of the programme are more than just skin deep, “I’ve been running weight loss clinics for years now and by far the best success I have achieved is through Pet Slimmers.  Clients absolutely love the motivation and really enjoy getting to know the practice team as a result of coming in for their regular weigh-ins – you can see they’re literally buzzing to find out the results each time! So, not only does it do wonders for the pet’s waistline but it’s a great way to strengthen relationships with your clients who are then much more likely to take your other healthcare recommendations on board. There’s literally no reason not to enter!”

Participating practices will be provided with a comprehensive range of educational materials for the waiting room and weighing scales areas designed to create awareness of obesity and inform owners of the benefits of pet weight loss by encouraging regular weight checks. There are also some handy tools to help practices manage weight clinics more effectively, including the Quick Reco online tool for creating healthy weight protocols, a healthy weight protocol mobile app, tape measure and measurement sheets – so keeping pets on the ‘slim’ and narrow has never been simpler. Participating practices are eligible for an exclusive deal on Hill’s^TM Prescription Diet^TM Metabolic and should ask their Hill’s Veterinary Territory Manager for more information.

Entries close on the 31^st of October, so to be in with a chance of achieving champion status in the slimming stakes nurses should visit Drive Nutrition at www.hillsvet.co.uk  or www.hillsvet.ie now and, with the clients’ permission, register their details online.

*Prices based on the canine pack

World’s first veterinary dual coil MRI – Hallmarq gives vets a clearer picture

After the recent launch of the innovative PetVet MRI, Hallmarq Veterinary Imaging has continued on its pioneering path to develop the first dual coil veterinary specific MRI. The ground-breaking feat of engineering incorporates the ability to use two RF receive coils simultaneously to give vets greater scope to investigate challenging anatomical regions and obtain superior images.

Just as two heads are said to be better than one, Hallmarq has demonstrated that combining two radiofrequency (RF) coils – the components responsible for receiving the electromagnetic waves – provides a significant boost in signal sensitivity across larger body areas. This is particularly advantageous for imaging bigger breeds of dog and for scanning difficult areas such as the brachial plexus region.

Dr Steve Roberts, Director of Hallmarq Veterinary Imaging, explains how the coils work in combination to gives vets a clearer picture, “Placing a second flex coil on the chest of the animal in addition to the spine coil overcomes the natural decrease in sensitivity that occurs with increasing chest depth. The patient is essentially ‘sandwiched’ between the two coils, resulting in great magnetic resonance images – even in those challenging larger breeds and for areas that are traditionally tricky to image well.”

As MRI RF coils are designed to fit closely around the area to be scanned, the shape of the coils is also vitally important says Steve, “Because PetVet is designed with the companion animal in mind and has a unique veterinary-specific, V shaped spine coil it gives superior coverage of the area when compared to the flat human spine coil that is often used in human MRI machines which are refurbished for the veterinary market.”

Eduardo Fraga Manteiga, radiologist at Southern Countries Veterinary Specialists, who has had been using the Hallmarq system for the past year, said, ‘The spine and flex dual coil system offers significantly improved performance when compared to its single coil counterpart. This case was the first clinical demonstration of the ability to use the multiple coil system in a veterinary MRI machine and showed promising results for future application. ‘

In addition to its enhanced features, the new system’s method of production is also of interest with cutting-edge 3D printing technology having been used to create the dual coil connector. The technique employs a process of multiple layering of material in accordance with a virtual image to recreate the object in tangible form. Taking a number of hours to ‘print’, the resulting product is a seamless, one-piece replica of its digital design.

The specialist PetVet MRI system will now come with the dual coil system as standard, adding to the many other advantages it holds over refurbished human scanners. For example, built-in RF shielding and no liquid helium loss means that the machine can be installed in a normal room without the need for expensive adjustments. In addition, as PetVet is specifically designed to meet the needs of veterinary practices and their patients, its superior diagnostics are supported by expert advice, maintenance and a more affordable pricing structure to make sure vets can maximise the benefits that the specialist small animal MRI system offers.

For more information about Hallmarq Veterinary Imaging or the PetVet MRI, please visit http://www.hallmarq.net/

Pet Diabetes Month set to inject some excitement into veterinary calendar

MSD Animal Health has confirmed that Pet Diabetes Month will take place in November for the sixth year running. The event is becoming an established staple of the veterinary marketing calendar. This year as well as raising awareness of pet diabetes, there is a real emphasis on detection of the condition through testing of cat and dog urine samples, with pet owners being encouraged to visit their local vet practice. MSD, the manufacturer of Caninsulin®, is also set to breathe new life into the campaign by kicking things off this autumn with a call to nominate pet diabetic carers for an award.

There will be two categories of award – one for the Pet Diabetes Professional Carer of the Year and one for owners – the Pet Diabetes Carer of the Year. Zorica Agbaba is Caninsulin® Product Manager, “A diagnosis of diabetes and decision to treat a feline or canine patient requires a lifelong commitment from the owner. It’s about time we celebrated the many loving pet owners who commit to giving their pet regular insulin injections and the practice staff who support them.”

She continued, “In veterinary practices there are outstanding individuals who make an extra effort to provide reassurance for pet owners when they may feel overwhelmed or fearful of their ability to cope with their pet’s diabetes. The Professional Carer of the Year could be a vet, vet nurse, animal nursing assistant or receptionist.”

Pet owners and practice staff can nominate in either category. All the details can be found at http://www.mypetonline.co.uk/petdiabetesmonth. The website will also be a central source of information about what’s going on during the campaign, tips on diabetes detection and prevention, plus lots of fun activities to get the attention of pet owners of all ages.

And there’s no need for practices to wait to register for Pet Diabetes Month, as they can sign up now at http://www.ukvetsonline.co.uk and they will be sent the required practice support packs once they become available in October.

Caninsulin® is an aqueous suspension of insulin containing 40 i.u./ml highly purified porcine insulin. Legal category POM-V. MSD Animal Health, Walton Manor, Walton, Milton Keynes, MK7 7AJ. For further information please contact your MSD account manager or Technical Product Support• Tel: 01908 685685 • Fax: 01908 685606

Hill’s™ spreads the joy with £15,000 prize fund as vet from Ireland wins the star prize

To celebrate the launch of its new Hill’s™ Prescription Diet™ c/d™ Urinary Stress, Hill’s has been running an exciting £15,000 prize fund competition open to vets and vet nurses from UK and Ireland throughout 2014. At the mid-way point the star prize has now been drawn and astounded vet Patricia Fagan from veterinary practice Paws a While Trim, in Co. Meath, Ireland has bagged two tickets to the 39th World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) Congress in Cape Town and a luxury safari experience of a lifetime, worth a whopping £10,000.

To enter the competition, vets or nurses simply have to recommend and trial Prescription Diet™ c/d™ Urinary Stress with a new case and share the proof of purchase with Hill’s. Although the main prize has already been awarded, every month until the end of the year will see a winner receive a state of the art MISCO Digital Handheld Refractometer worth £300.

For Patricia, entering the Hill’s competition means the chance for an undreamt of opportunity to go on the holiday of a lifetime. Initial disbelief prompted her first response, “I’m actually going to Cape Town? No way!” and she says that even now, as she makes her preparations to leave, she is still in shock.

“Even tickets to WSAVA alone would have been amazing, so to win such a fabulous trip as well, seems far too good to be true. It’s been a lifelong ambition of mine to see the big five in their natural habitat but I doubt I would ever have actually managed to organise and fund it myself – so thank you Hill’s for making it all a reality.”

Having just finished her first year of a two-year GP Cert in Medicine and Ophthalmology, her once in a lifetime trip couldn’t have come at a better time, giving her a break from a busy working schedule.

Patricia says FLUTD is a challenging disease and one that she sees regularly, “Many of my patients present with FLUTD which can be such a difficult condition to combat, causing distress for both owner and pet. We’ve had such great feedback about c/d™ Urinary Stress diet from our clients – it’s great to be able to recommend, so simple, safe and effective and it’s even better to be rewarded for recommending something I believe in. Never in a million years did I think I’d win the star prize though!”

The hard work and dedication of one of Patricia’s colleagues has paid off too, “My wonderful vet nurse helped me fill in the entry forms, so it really was no extra effort to enter the competition and as the trip is for two, I’m definitely going to take her – much to my husband’s dismay!”

Patricia says it’s impossible to pick one thing she’s looking forward to most, “I’ve heard that the flora and fauna of South Africa is spectacular at that time of year, which I’m really looking forward to, as well as seeing all of the animals. Even the thought of seeing a giant beetle or massive spider excites (and slightly scares) me. Witnessing the wild cats in their natural environment will be a bit of a change from the household feline but I can’t wait to get kitted out in some camouflage gear and hopefully see some up close!”

Hill’s™ Prescription Diet™ c/d™ Urinary Stress supports the management of the causes of FLUTD and has proved to be very popular in vet practices throughout the UK and Ireland since its launch at the start of 2014. Patricia thinks that exciting luxury holidays aside, there are many benefits to recommending Hill’s™ Prescription Diet™ c/d™ Urinary Stress, “Clients tell me their cats love the taste, so they really enjoy feeding the diet to them. I find that involving clients proactively helps strengthen that client-vet relationship and that’s something we can all feel good about.”

Which Vet Nurse will steer their way to success in Drive Nutrition 2014?

Hill’s™ Drive Nutrition competition is back – and this year Hill’s has selected a brand new iconic Fiat 500 as the ultimate prize. It’s sure to give the Hill’s stand the wow factor at BVNA congress where the winner will be announced in front of an excited audience. Hill’s is inviting delegates to come along and watch with bated breath as Drive Nutrition participants find out if this could be the moment when they win big!

Hill’s believes that vet nurses change lives and developed Drive Nutrition to say thanks for their hard work and dedication. Throughout the year, Drive Nutrition encourages participating nurses to demonstrate their nursing know-how by completing a whole host of fun online tasks including quizzes, trivia challenges and mini competitions to earn points and a whole host of prizes through the year. There’s a serious side too as the on-line programme highlights the importance of nutritional assessment for every pet, which is something vet nurses are integral in providing and at the centre of Hill’s nutritional philosophy.

All Drive Nutrition participants are in with a chance to win the main prize as just a single point qualifies them to enter. And although one nurse will be victorious after BVNA congress, there are still lots of prizes to bag on the Drive Nutrition site (www.hillsvet.co.uk/drivenutrition), meaning it’s not too late to take part.

This year’s grand prize, the fiesty Italian Fiat is a new modern-classic car that takes everything that’s great about its traditional heritage and brings it bang up to date. That means it has a lot in common with today’s veterinary nurses. And to add to that ‘too cool for school’ vibe, Hill’s is making sure that the car will yet again be given a funky fun loving ‘wrap’ featuring some furry friends. The top secret design is sure to turn a few heads at congress when it’s unveiled. Nurses who want to feast their eyes on the prize should simply swing by the Hill’s stand at P29 at congress.

The Drive Nutrition presentation is always a hub of anticipation and excitement and this year looks set to be similarly lively, with ‘lights, camera, action’ and free bubbly on hand to kick-start proceedings as onlookers get the chance to share in someone’s very special moment. Nurses should be sure to grab their slice of the action (and a free cup cake) by visiting stand P29 at BVNA congress at 3pm on Saturday 11th October where they will find out who could be caught at that jaw dropping moment ‘on camera’ when the winner of the life-changing prize is announced.

For vet nurses that haven’t entered, it’s not too late – they should just visit http://www.hillsvet.co.uk/DriveNutrition/ or http://www.hillsvet.ie/DriveNutrition/ to accelerate their way into Drive Nutrition 2014!

For more information visit http://www.hillsvet.co.uk or http://www.hillsvet.ie

Vets set to benefit from buying group merger, as VetShare and London Vet Forum join forces

Wayne and Ruth Gray, VetShare Directors

Veterinary buying groups VetShare and London Vet Forum (LVF) have joined forces, opening up even more opportunities for practices. The union will ensure that the resulting larger veterinary buying group has the resources and capabilities to compete in an industry that is increasingly made up of larger merged animal health suppliers. The new group will continue to be known as the VetShare Buying Group

The venture was prompted by a decision within London Vet Forum (LVF) to offer the business up for a merger or sale with the aim of enhancing benefits for its members by attracting the best discounts on pharmaceuticals and other vet practice services.

LVF carried out a rigorous selection process to find the best candidate for its members, shortlisting and interviewing likely prospects. VetShare come out on top principally for its clarity and very competitive discounts negotiated with the manufacturers.

VetShare and LVF also share some ways of working – members handle their own wholesaler invoice with the wholesaler-practice relationship remaining intact, allowing discounts to be rebated as a separate transaction. This means that members can continue to do business as before, while also benefiting from being part of the new larger, stronger buying group.

Vet Ruth Gray, VetShare Director, is excited about what the merged group can offer going forwards, “We are very pleased to have been chosen by the LVF directors to take their members into the future. We are the only major buying group without reps on the road and yet are now perhaps the largest buying group in the UK. We started VetShare initially to help our own practice achieve better discounts
with the assumption that if we set up the perfect model for us then it would probably also be perfect for others. In hindsight, I think our assumption was right and this merger will mean even better discounts with new and exciting opportunities for existing members of both groups”.

For more information on membership and the merged group, visit http://www.vetshare.co.uk or call Ruth on 0800 756 6636

Online opportunity unleashed for vet practices

A new free online opportunity for vet practices has emerged and it’s come direct from the heart of the veterinary community. Vetmart (www.vetmart.net) is the brainchild of Caroline and Jeremy Johnson MRCVS, who are both well known to vets. So far, the site has had views in six figures and is set to grow exponentially. Vet practices are already using the site for free, to list their services.

Like many businesses, veterinary practices have been under-fire from Internet sales and many have been forced to re-consider their business model. Competing without knowledge of the techniques and resources that drive online traffic has made it difficult for practices to compete with Internet giants. Vetmart uses the ‘stronger together’ model to allow small and medium sized veterinary businesses to be competitive in the online marketplace.

Caroline Johnson is Vetmart’s Sales Director, “Vetmart is highly successful at promoting animal related services from physiotherapy to photography. That’s great for practices because it’s a one stop shopping destination for anyone with an animal. It’s rapidly becoming the site to visit when you need to find a veterinary acupuncturist, pet walker or farrier, or just fancy getting away from it all with a pet friendly holiday. What better place to talk about pet health plans, hydrotherapy facilities or indeed any other piece of kit or service that would give pet owners a reason to seek you out. We would love as many practices as possible to have a presence here and for the profession to be ‘stronger together’.”

The site allows outlets to list as many services or products as they want at no cost. Visitors simply click through to find details and will also discover the practice address, telephone number, website and even a map so that they can find it easily.

For those who have not yet dabbled in the Internet it’s an ideal, no-risk way to see the impact having an online presence can have on their business and even existing online businesses can benefit. There’s a straight forward one page registration process to get started and then practices are free to choose which (and how many) services or products to list – whether that’s most popular, every day essentials or unique offerings.

The friendly team at Vetmart are happy to talk newbies through the process but the truth is that anyone who can buy something on line can list something on Vetmart: it really is that easy.

Ceva launches definitive reprodAction website

Ceva Animal Health has launched a new website http://www.reprodaction.com/uk to provide the ultimate in online cattle reproduction support for vets and vet students. The website is not only a substantial information resource but it also contains some practical, timesaving tools to help vets with their day-to-day reproduction consultations. For lighter-hearted learning, there is an entertaining reprodAction farm game where users can let loose with a PRID gun on a herd.

The website was launched at the British Cattle Veterinary Association Annual Congress earlier this month. One of its most popular elements is the ingenious profitability calculator, which helps vets advise clients by assessing the profitability of a fertility protocol after one breeding cycle in a specific herd. Fertility parameters can be introduced as well as the cost of drugs and the calculator will compare profits, whether using only oestrus detection, Ovsynch, pre-synch Ovsynch, a seven-day PRID protocol and a five-day progesterone protocol.

The About Reproduction section is a helpful refresher, covering the physiology of the cow, the reproductive cycle and causes of infertility. Dynamic animations include hormonal secretion and regulation inside the cow, the process of ovulation in the ovary and animated graphs that show follicular growth in relation to hormone levels. This information can be supplemented by dipping into the Video Pills section. Here, a series of short videos summarise the presentations given by international cattle reproduction experts at Ceva’s reprodAction Cattle Symposium in Madrid. The full proceedings can also be downloaded.

For a more entertaining, yet testing look at cattle reproduction the reprodAction Farm Game offers the challenge of achieving 100% fertility rates for the virtual herd, some members of which are a little temperamental.

The easy reference product section covers the entire reprodAction range. Information can be downloaded, including product detailers that define product actions, benefits and protocols.
“Our meticulous planning and attention to detail in the design of the new website have really paid off,” said Carol Atkinson, Ceva’s reprodAction range product manager. “Certain parts of the site need to be signed up to for access, including the Productivity Calculator. Vets have been particularly receptive to this section because it provides a practical and easy to follow projection of the various synchronisation protocols, making it much simpler to explain options and economic benefits to clients.”

Visit the site at http://www.reprodaction.com/uk For additional support and on ruminant reproductive management call Ceva Animal Health’s technical team on +44 (0) 1494 781510 or contact Ceva Animal Health Ltd, Unit 3, Anglo Office Park, White Lion Road, Amersham, Bucks, HP7 9FB.

RCVS news: Alternative dispute resolution trial launched by Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons

From Monday 3 November 2014 the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) will be undertaking a six-month alternative dispute resolution (ADR) trial as the first step towards developing a new consumer redress system for users of veterinary services.

Although the RCVS is obliged to investigate all concerns raised with it, the College is limited to dealing with only the most serious of concerns raised against a veterinary surgeon’s or registered veterinary nurse’s fitness to practise. This means that many of the 800 or so concerns received every year by the College’s Professional Conduct Department are closed with no further action.

Nick Stace, RCVS Chief Executive Officer and Secretary, explains: “It was clear from our consultations last year for the First Rate Regulator initiative that many animal owners who had made complaints were dissatisfied and frustrated with the fact that we were unable to take their, often very legitimate, concerns any further.

“It is for this reason that we decided to launch a trial in order to determine how we could develop an alternative scheme that, through conciliation, would try and resolve these disputes in a way that would be acceptable to both parties.

“Although this trial is small-scale we hope that it will provide the framework for a permanent ADR scheme which I believe would both increase consumer confidence in the profession and help maintain and preserve its reputation.

“We hope that the profession will actively support the trial, and any future scheme, as a way of resolving those intractable disputes which we know can hang over veterinary surgeons and practices and that they recognise that, ultimately, what is good for the consumer can be good for the profession.”

The trial will be administered by the Ombudsman Services, an independent and not-for-profit complaint resolution service, and limited to no more than 150 concerns raised about veterinary surgeons in regards to the treatment of a small animal. In most cases concerns referred to the trial will have no arguable case for serious professional misconduct. The trial is free to the users and voluntary, and consent will be sought from both parties before the concern is referred to the Ombudsman Services. The costs of the trial will not exceed £120,000.

Recommendations will be determined through conciliation between both parties and the Ombudsman Services will only be able to suggest, rather than impose, a solution that each party is entitled to accept, or not. Solutions could include, for example, financial accommodation up to the small claims court limit of £10,000 (although the average recommendation is around £100), the issuing of an apology or other practical action to remedy the situation.

The Ombudsman Services will be assisted in its investigations by veterinary advisers who will provide guidance on clinical and other veterinary matters.

The results of the trial, which will end in May 2015, will be presented at the June 2015 meeting of RCVS Council where steps will be considered for the development of a permanent scheme.

More details about the trial can be found at http://www.rcvs.org.uk/adr

Lucky Henley Vet Nurse Drives Home her Win

It was an excited group of staff, clients and patients that congregated outside of The Veterinary Centre in Henley-on-Thames to witness the arrival of a brand new Fiat 500 for lucky vet nurse, Lisa Reading. The trendy Italian car was the top prize for the Hill’s Drive Nutrition Competition and it has been an agonizingly long two weeks for Lisa since her surprise win was announced at the 2014 British Veterinary Nursing Association (BVNA) congress. The lorry rounded the corner with its precious cargo just as the sun broke the clouds, to smiles and cheers from the Henley crowd as they celebrated the well-deserved success of a local girl.

Lisa, along with thousands of other vet nurses across the UK and Ireland entered Drive Nutrition for a chance to win a whole host of prizes, including the highly-coveted car. By actively making nutritional recommendations to every pet, every time and completing various online games, tasks and mini-competitions; nurses collected points – each of which was an entry into the competition. This meant that the more points earned, the greater the chance of winning. However, just a single point could have been enough to clinch the car and this year, Lisa triumphed to bring home the top prize.

Even after seeing the car appear round the corner, Lisa couldn’t believe it was really hers, “It still feels like a dream – I don’t think it’ll sink in until I drive it home to show my boyfriend. Having a brand new car will certainly make a change from our ten year old Astra which is currently on its last legs.” Once the car was safely on firm ground, Lisa eagerly jumped in and proudly took her new wheels for a quick spin – but not before excitedly taking a photo of the ‘0 miles’ display on the dashboard. The distinctive duo were clearly already having quite an impact, stopping onlookers in their tracks as they tried to sneak a closer look. Lisa thinks she could get used to being a local celebrity, “It’s great to have so many people supporting me and the practice. I absolutely love the funky design and the fact that it makes the car stand out. The only downside is that people will be able to recognise my poor parking!”

Erik D’Arcy-Donnelly, veterinary surgeon at The Veterinary Centre, is thrilled that Lisa has won, “Like all of our vet nurses Lisa is dedicated, diligent and extremely caring; loved by clients and colleagues alike. She’s got a great sense of humour and is an absolute pleasure to work with. The car’s fun-loving look certainly suits her bubbly personality. I can’t think of a more deserving winner and am really looking forward to going for a drive with her.”
The annual competition has two aims: to raise awareness about the importance of giving good nutritional advice to every patient in every consultation and to say a great big thank you to all the hard-working vet nurses across the nation. Adrian Pratt, Head of the Veterinary Channel, UK and Ireland for Hill’s Pet Nutrition, was delighted to be able to hand the keys over and wave Lisa off on her first drive, “Vet nurses’ hard work and dedication really do change the lives of people and their pets, so we, at Hill’s, feel honoured to be able to reward their dedication and enthusiasm. We hope Lisa gets a lot of enjoyment from her new car – she’s certainly an extremely worthy winner.”

Without vet nurses like Lisa, the good work of veterinary practices like The Veterinary Centre in Henley just wouldn’t be possible and Hill’s remains committed to recognising and rewarding their hard work. There are still a whole host of other prizes to be won in this year’s Drive Nutrition competition, which ends on November the 26th, so vet nurses who haven’t entered already should visit http://www.hillspet.co.uk and http://www.hillsvet.ie to avoid missing out.

Ceva Animal Health provides ‘first class’ BRED for Cattle Repro Vets

Leading international bovine veterinary specialists are helping to change the way cattle reproduction is managed in the UK, thanks to a series of educational CPD workshops sponsored by Ceva.

The latest in the UK-wide series of Bovine Reproduction, Education and Discussion (BRED) Workshops, were held in Edinburgh and Bristol earlier this month. Both were attended to maximum capacity and were well reviewed, with delegates stating: “CEVA has raised the bar in the level of CPD for UK Veterinary Cattle Surgeons.” “First class cattle repro CPD,” “World class speakers, approachable, informative and practical workshops that will aid our protocols in practice.”

The two-day interactive sessions were presented by bovine reproduction and synchronisation specialists Dr Richard Pursley of the Department of Animal Science, Michigan State University, USA, Paul Fricke, Professor of Dairy Science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA and Katherine Timms, cattle reproduction Technical Advisor at Ceva Animal Health.

The workshops gave the invited veterinary delegates the opportunity to gain an exclusive insight, from world experts, into the advantages of bovine reproduction synchronisation protocols and the importance of getting to grips with the finer technical aspects of these techniques for best effect. Updates on new data in several different reproductive areas, together with updated tools to resolve reproductive problems in dairy cows enabled delegates to develop their technical and practical know how.

Carol Atkinson, Ceva’s reprodAction range product manager said: “We are excited about how well this initiative has been received. The workshops are now being seen as a valuable CPD tool to help UK vets successfully manage cattle reproduction and grow their livestock business.”

More BRED workshops will be scheduled for 2015. Find out more by watching the BRED video at http://www.reprodaction.com/uk/News-Events/October-2014

For support and further information on ruminant reproductive management call Ceva Animal Health’s technical team on +44 (0) 1494 781510 or contact Ceva Animal Health Ltd, Unit 3, Anglo Office Park, White Lion Road, Amersham, Bucks, HP7 9FB.

RCVS news: ‘Advance to Go’ with the RCVS at the London Vet Show

The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) will be promoting its new Advanced Practitioner status during the London Vet Show at the Grand Hall Olympia in November.

The RCVS will be on stand C67 at the show, which takes place on Thursday 20 and Friday 21 November, where delegates can play the ‘Advance to Go’ board game about the new accreditation and have the chance to win a Kindle Fire. This year’s deadline to apply to be an Advanced Practitioner is 30 November and applications can be made at http://www.rcvs.org.uk/advanced

Visitors can also browse College literature and staff will be on hand to answer questions on a range of different topics – from the new Royal Charter to recent changes to the complaints procedure.

During the event, the RCVS will also be running free 45-minute Practice Standards Scheme surgeries with inspectors Stuart King and Richard Killen, for those who wish to find out more about the scheme, prepare for an inspection or have any other queries.

To book a surgery, contact Fiona Harcourt, Events Officer, on f.harcourt@rcvs.org.uk or 020 7202 0773. Surgeries are assigned on a first-come, first-served basis.

Leading saddle maker to support Saddle Research Trust Conference

Albion Saddlemakers have confirmed their support for the forthcoming Saddle Research Trust International Conference. The well-known British manufacturer of competition saddles and accessories will be sponsoring the exclusive International Researchers’ Workshop, to be held on 30th November and 1st December 2014. This follows the public Conference on 29th November 2014, which is sponsored by the British Equestrian Federation and World Horse Welfare.

The 2nd Saddle Research Trust International Conference is the only event of its kind to be held, worldwide. It will bring together leading veterinary and scientific experts to examine the latest research on saddle-related equine welfare and performance issues and hear how results of new research affect horses and riders. It’s a unique opportunity for vets, therapists, trainers and riders, as well as horse owners themselves to gain collective access to the knowledge and opinions of internationally renowned experts and to participate in panel debate.

The morning programme will explore the impact that horse, saddle and rider have on each other. The pivotal session will be from Dr Sue Dyson, Head of Clinical Orthopaedics at the Centre for Equine Studies at the Animal Health Trust. During the afternoon various renowned international experts will examine the kinematics of the equine back and neck, the effects of saddle design and function and influence of the rider and the practical application of science. Richard Davison, Olympic dressage rider and former BEF World Class Performance Manager will then give his personal view of research before the full panel makes itself available for questions and discussion from the floor.

The following day a closed discussion Researchers’ Workshop will be held in Newmarket, giving the experts the opportunity to discuss a wide range of topics that are important to the future welfare and performance of horses and riders. The priorities in research and how it can be funded will focus the investigations over the following two years until the next meeting in November 2016. From how to objectively assess and measure saddle performance and evolve industry guidelines on saddle fitting, to the effects of different saddle designs on both horse and rider health issues, the workshop outcomes will plan to provide consensus statements to guide horse owners and industry professionals.

Anne Bondi, Saddle Research Trust Director said: “We are proud and delighted to have Albion on board as a sponsor. This valuable support will help further the cause of welfare beyond independent commercial interests and product development.”

Paul Belton, Chairman of Albion Saddlemakers continued: “As a saddle manufacturer, we believe in investing in our industry and are therefore delighted to sponsor the 2014 SRT Research Workshop. The increased knowledge and research will raise awareness worldwide, assisting in the future development of saddle fit, design, innovation and construction. Albion supports some of the world’s leading riders and trainers and we feel such a gathering of information will be very influential and will have a most positive benefit to our key partner – the horse.”

The Saddle Research Trust International Conference will be held in Cambridge on 29th November 2014 at Anglia Ruskin University. The conference is also supported by The British Equestrian Federation, World Horse Welfare and Horse & Hound and is approved by the British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA). Advance tickets are £100 or £150 on the door. Concessions are available. To find out more, buy tickets and to download a copy of the programme visit http://www.saddleresearchtrust.com, email research@saddleresearchtrust.com or telephone 07775 912202.

BBC Radio Presenter joins launch of charity dog walk at The Bathurst Estate

BBC Radio Gloucester presenter Mark Cummings and his lurcher Tyler will be leading the march for a charity dog walk on Sunday 26th October at The Bathurst Estate, Cirencester.

Dog owners will get a unique chance to walk their canine companions in the stunning grounds of Cirencester Park by the kind permission of the Earl of Bathurst – all to raise funds and awareness for PetSavers – an animal charity that helps treat pet diseases.

PetSavers is a Gloucester based charity committed to helping vets and researchers discover cures for the diseases that cause pets suffering. They are encouraging animal lovers and their four-legged companions to put their best paws forward and help raise money for the charity.

Dogs and their owners can start the walk at any time between 10am and 2pm and choose one of the two routes suited to different fitness levels and wheelchair and pram access. Fundraisers taking part in the event can walk any number of dogs, but all must be on a lead and owners must carry a container, bag and poop-scoop. After collecting their medal and goody bag on completion of the walk participants will be able to enjoy delicious refreshments on what the charity hopes to be a perfect autumn day.

Mark said: “I am delighted to be able to support the first ever charity dog walk run by PetSavers to raise money and awareness for animal health. I urge everyone to don their wellies and take part in this fundraising charity dog walk in aid of PetSavers to both support and highlight the fantastic work they continue to do.”

Registration on the day will open at 9:30 and entry is £10 per dog and the profits from any additional sponsorship that your canine companion may raise will go directly towards supporting crucial research of the conditions that affect small animals.

For more information please contact Emma Sansom on 01452 7267236 or email e.sansom@bsava.com or you can download a registration form from the PetSavers website http://www.petsavers.org.uk

RCVS Knowledge announces partnership with MORE TH>N for EBVM conference

RCVS Knowledge, the charity partner of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, has announced leading UK insurer MORE TH>N as the prime partner for the 1st International Evidence-Based Veterinary Medicine Network Conference taking place 23-24 October in Windsor, UK.

The inaugural event is the first major international conference to focus fully on advancing evidence-based medicine in the veterinary profession and will serve as a bi-annual meeting for the international EBVM Network.

Nick Royle, the charity’s Executive Director, says: “We’re delighted to have MORE TH>N as our prime partner for the EBVM Network’s first major conference – which marks an important moment in the development of evidence-based veterinary practice.

He continues: “200 veterinary professionals from around the world will come together to drive collaboration between practice and research. To have the backing of MORE TH>N at this critical early stage will help to grow this initiative over the next few years. We look forward to continuing this partnership to get EBVM established across the veterinary profession.”
Matt Poll, Commercial Director at More Th>n, says: “As one of the UK’s leading pet insurers, MORE TH>N is very proud to sponsor the first EBVM conference. The MORE TH>N philosophy is to protect the things customers love, as simply and helpfully as possible. We believe that evidence-based veterinary medicine is crucial in ensuring the best possible future care for pets.

He adds: “The EBVM conference is a key event in which to explore and discuss the evidence-based approach further. We are excited to be partnering with RCVS Knowledge with the aim of making pets lives healthier and happier.”

BSB PRODUCTS LAUNCH INTERSAND CITY CLASSIC CAT LITTER INTO THE UK

UK pet product distributor, BSB Products have introduced an innovative, hygienic cat litter into the UK market imported from Canadian manufacturer, INTERSAND.

Cat owners will be impressed by INTERSAND City Classic’s high-performance Litters from the moment they try them! These superior-quality litters meet all that is required in terms of cleanliness and, not only do they control odours, but they are also easy to maintain on a daily basis.

The INTERSAND City Classic range has a triple action function:-

INTERSAND City Classic cat litter forms firm clumps immediately on contact with faeces or urine and can absorb up to 400% of its weight in liquid. The clumps stay firm and do not crumble over time so they can be easily and effectively removed from the cat litter tray. There is no need to use litter liners and the tray can be simply topped up.

The fine clay absorbs, holds and neutralises odours. Available in Baby Powder and Lavender, the clump neutralises the odour and, on contact with moisture, gives off a subtle scent of its own. It is also available in Unscented.

Made of fine grains of 100% natural clay with blue zeolite make INTERSAND City Classic soft on a cats paws and 99.9% dust free in the home. Another great feature is that INTERSAND City Classic has low tracking which means no trail of litter from the tray throughout the home.

Available in 7 kg and 15 kg bags.

For more information and a list of stockists, please call BSB Products on 01737 767679