A vaccine to protect sheep and cattle from a virus spread by midges has been approved by UK government vets. The virus, which emerged in the Netherlands and Germany in 2011, can lead to sheep and cattle having stillborn or deformed offspring. The disease has spread to every county in England and Wales, and was [...]

Vetacademy January sale

If you’re starting to plan the year ahead or perhaps undertaking CE/CPD is one of your New Year’s resolutions, why not get a head start with Vetacademy?

Use the voucher code in the Vetacademy group to receive 10% off all Vetacademy modules and selected veterinary videos throughout January.

Visit Vetacademy to get started.

Reported Outbreak of Neurological Equine Herpes Virus (EHV-1)

THE BHA have warned trainers to be vigilant for signs of disease after it was announced that Victor Dartnall’s Devon yard had been temporarily closed due to the discovery of an outbreak of what is believed to be equine neurological herpes.

Professor Tim Morris, director of equine science and welfare at the BHA, said that horses may have been infectious before disease was diagnosed, although he said the risk of contagion was small.
He said: “We have been working with the trainer and his veterinary surgeon to ensure that the correct, robust security measures have been put in place.

For more information on all four types of EHV visit Vetstream Equis.

Two symposiums on the latest in reproduction research, development and nutrition

B&W Equine Group, Beaufort Embryo Transfer, West Kington Stud and Saracen Horse Feeds have joined forces to hold two Seminars on 7th March 2012 at the Hare & Hounds, Westonbirt, Gloucestershire, GL8 8QL.

Bringing together some of the top names in Equine Reproduction from all over the world, with the latest research and development in AI, embryo transfer, chilled and frozen semen, fertility and nutrition.

Full details and tickets are available by e-mailing Linda Hay.

The event is sponsored by Pfizer Animal Health and Dechra Veterinary Products

Expression of IDO proteins are critical in maintaining equine foetal development.

Exactly how a foetus is tolerated a mare’s immune system remains a mystery. Horses, like humans and primates, use indoleamine dioxygenase (IDO), a protein that prevents the immune system treating the foetus as a foreign body. For the first time research funded by The Horse Trust has been able to shed light on IDO within equine tissue.

The study used mares infected with equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) which showed high IDO expression before the foetus was lost, suggesting a strong link between IDO expression and viral abortion. For full information on EHV-1, take a look at the Vetstream listing.

Further research needs to be conducted, but this is definitely encouraging step in understanding equine pregnancy and preventing abortion.

There is no link between three cases of equine herpesvirus-1 in California and outbreaks across America in May, CDFA (California Department of Food and Agriculture) has found.

Equine herpesvirus-1 causes abortion, upper respiratory tract disease and neurologic disease which can spread quickly. For more details on the disease itself click here.

Fortunately in this case the chance of the disease spreading is unlikely due to swift action from vets. For full details click here for the full report from DVM360.

The Kennel Club has opened a petition to ban puppy farms and raise awareness of adoption. Overpopulation and overcrowding at shelters are made far worse by puppy farms, which are often run by inexperienced or unqualified breeders and sold to owners who can’t always provide a suitable home, nor particularly know what they’re doing.

The petition requires 100 000 signatures to be presented before the House of Commons. Regulations on the issue are anything but clear and overpopulation is a serious issue that desperately needs to be discussed by the government.

Please take a few minutes to add your name to the petition here.

Vetstream.com has altered its system requirements and subscribers to Canis, Felis, Lapis and Equis no longer have to install and use the Oracle plug-in. Vetstream is now available in all browsers and on all platforms.

Vetstream provides instant reference to thousands of conditions, treatments and techniques all of which are peer reviewed and published by eminent veterinarians. Vetstream is the perfect resource for busy vets who want to stay ahead.

Click here to read about changes to the Vetstream service.

False pregnancy causes discomfort to both owner and pet. Phantom pregnancy can cause a dog to become more aggressive and possessive, as well as develop a number of physical symptoms such as lactation and swelling.

It’s integral a dog is not spayed until 16 weeks after the end of the oestrus cycle to prevent false pregnancy from developing. This free app lays out exactly when a dog can be spayed and allows monitoring of the condition.

The app can be downloaded for free from the iTunes app store. Click here for more information on Galastop.

It’s the final call for comments on the draft new RCVS Code of Professional Conduct for Veterinary Surgeons, as the consultation closes on Friday, 24 June 2011. The new draft Code, which is intended to replace the existing RCVS Guide to Professional Conduct for Veterinary Surgeons, was produced by a Working Party set up by [...]