The British Veterinary Association is delighted to unveil the full programme for its most comprehensive annual event for many years, adding farm and equine clinical streams to the popular contentious issues programme of BVA Congress, at this year’s London Vet Show (LVS) on 21-22 November at London Olympia. And following its success at last year’s [...]

Invicta Animal Health has launched EthyCalm Spray, a cryoanalgesic for minor procedures. The active ingredient, ethyl chloride, acts as a local analgesic (pain relief) when sprayed or wiped onto the skin. The vapo-coolant is effective rapidly (in a few seconds) but the effect wears off quickly as the skin warms up again in a few [...]

BVA president speaks on role of vets in animal and public health at annual London dinner

BVA President Peter Jones highlighted the lead vets play in society and their importance in governmental policy-making process on matters concerning animal and public healthcare.

Travel regulations, puppy contracts and the recent horsemeat scandal were all mentioned during the speech which can be found on the BVA site.

Ratio of income to debt for new vets ‘ominous’

A report by the NY Times has revealed stark increases in student debt in the last decade, with median borrowing of $63 000 per year according to the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges.

This figure has not been met by increasing wages. Starting salaries have in fact fallen by 13% to an average of $45,575, with a lower total population of pets and rising medical costs resulting in too many vets and not enough jobs.

Unfortunately there are no simple solutions: vet schools need to make it obvious that new vets will face higher debt.

Vets agree that the current situation is simply unsustainable, thousands of students paying for more expensive training to do worse paid jobs just simply doesn’t add up.

For the full story visit the NY Times.

British Veterinary Association (BVA) and British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) comment on horse meat scandal

Defra Minister David Heath has announced the latest bute (phenylbutazone) test results. The presence of bute has been confirmed in 8 samples out of 206 tests.

Chief Medical Officer Professor Dame Sally Davies has stated that horsemeat containing phenylbutazone presents a very low risk to human health.

Responding to these latest developments BVA and the BEVA have issued the following statement.

Guidance notes are available via the BEVA’s Medicines Page.

Invicta Animal Health appointed exclusive UK distributor of EquiChek

EquiChek is a novel rapid screening test, using whole blood, to assess the level of Serum Amyloid A (SAA) which is a major acute phase protein of inflammation in horses.

Importantly, EquiChek is the first test which is able to provide a visual semi-quantitative result within 15 minutes. The test will display 4 lines for a normal level of SAA and sequentially fewer lines depending on the severity of the inflammation.

For more information visit Invicta Vet

Phenylbutazone presence in horses prompts RCVS to remind vets of responsibilities

A small number of horses have tested positive for the presence of phenylbutazone, which, if consumed, can be harmful to human health.

Defra and the FSA have asked for the assistance of the profession in ensuring that treatment with phenylbutazone is properly recorded in Horse Passports and have said that they are working together to understand the cause of the positive tests, and what longer term measures can be put in place to stop this happening.

Read more at RCVS.

British Horse Society to use posters on buses to avoid horse injuries

The British Horse Society is hoping that posters placed on the back of buses will help raise awareness of the plight of horses and riders on the road.

Ask any horse rider and they will tell you about an incident they have been involved in while riding on the road. The British Horse Society wants drivers to be aware of the need to be careful when they meet horses on the road. It is not only horse and rider that can be injured; a horse colliding with a vehicle can cause significant damage to a vehicle and its occupants.

To tackle this problem, the Society has recently trialled a pilot equestrian road safety advertising project in Lanarkshire, Scotland. The ‘Hit the Brakes, not my Horse’ poster was displayed in the region on the back of ten buses for four weeks. The project was enthusiastically welcomed by the horse owning community in the area and much interest has been expressed from other regions in running a similar project.

For more information visit Horse Accidents.

British Horse Society identifies additional risks to horses and consumers

The recent revelations concerning horse meat being identified in various meat products has highlighted concerns about meat traceability and equine welfare according to The British Horse Society.

The UK’s largest equine charity believes that a number of serious food hygiene issues need addressing as a matter of urgency. The 2012 Defra decision to withdraw funding from the National Equine Database, and the subsequent loss of that database, has given rise to concerns that it is possible for contaminated horsemeat to enter the human food chain.

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