6 out of 15 dogs fail new vet checks

Two BVA members volunteered to carry out checks which ruled 6 breeds unfit to take part due to exaggerated and unhealthy features, particularly with their eyes. It’s hoped these checks will extend to all championship dog shows and throughout the public in general.

Harvey Locke, former BVA president commented:
“What has happened at Crufts this year should act as a catalyst for all vets in practice. Firstly, to be more proactive in educating their breeder and owner clients on the health consequences of breeding dogs for extreme conformation. And secondly, to ensure that any caesarean sections and surgical procedures to correct conformation problems performed on KC-registered dogs are reported to the KC.”

BVA scheme to edcuate breeders, owners and potential buyers on screening

The scheme is designed to screen dogs, particularly dogs intended for breeding, for chiari-like malformation and syringomyelia (CM/SM) (Vetstream listing). The condition is especially prevalent in King Charles spaniels and griddon Bruxellois.

We covered the scheme, which was announced last September, here.

BVA President’s dinner speech covers a range of issues

BVA President Carl Padgett presided over the dinner. The Rt Hon Caroline Spelman MP, Secretary of State for Defra was also in attendance.

Chief among them were calls for Defra and AHVLA to slow down and allow its veterinary surveillance review groups time to make full recommendations before acting.

Clearer calls were also asked for consumers to be able to differentiate between food products that contained animals which had been slaughtered without being stunned first.

The final key point was a call for Defra to act in stopping ‘pet supermarkets’, following the sheer number of cases caused by irresponsible breeding. This point included updating a code of welfare for both rabbits and dogs in the UK.

For the full details from the BVA please read more.

Government announces primary legislation to ban use of wild animals in circuses

The government has introduced a welcome primary legislation to ban wild animals in travelling circuses. The process of banning wild animals in circuses outright is slow however, and in the meantime extremely tough licensing standards have been placed on the use of wild animals.

The motion was met with a favourable reaction from the BVA.

Read the latest news on the ban on DEFRA.

BVA update Good Practice Guide to Handling Veterinary Waste

Medical waste must be dealt with safely and securely, however sometimes it can be difficult to know what waste goes where by accordance of Environment Agency requirements.

The BVA have released a new guide detailing exactly what goes where, what containers are required for certain types of waste and appropriate classification codes.

BVA members will receive a hard copy of the practice waste management poster soon. In the meantime visit the BVA for more information.

Member states must enforce the EU Animal Welfare Strategy or it simply won’t work

The BVA has welcomed changes by the European Commission’s new Animal Welfare Strategy but highlights the need for robust, transparent enforcement of proposed measures to ensure their effectiveness.

Member states typically suffer no penalties for failing to enforce proposals, there are no real economic incentives to upholding them leading to a dramatic effect on animal welfare.

The BVA, whilst positive about the new proposals, commented that they don’t do enough to protect companion animals and dairy cattle.

Read the proposals on the European Commission website.

AHVLA set up independent advisory group

The advisory group is to keep tabs on trends and emerging diseases within the veterinary profession, and is represented by vets, government officials and scientists. The group will be launching a survey mid-January to ascertain the mechanisms of surveillence across the UK.

The BVA has welcomed the establishment of the group and urges all veterinary practitioners to take part in the survey when it is made public.

For more information on the advisory group visit DEFRA.

The risks of antimicrobial resistance passing from animals to humans are lower than previously thought

New research published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B has found use of veterinary antibiotics carries a lower risk of resistance in human medicine than previous research indicated.

Carl Padgett, BVA president, commented:
“The researchers state that it is unlikely that the animal population is the major source of resistance diversity for humans.”

The BVA promotes responsible use of antimicrobials.

See more details and the full research report here.

European Antibiotic Awareness Day – Overuse of antibiotics is becoming a serious threat to public safety

The Bella Moss Foundation is heading a campaign to raise awareness of the overuse of antibiotics in pets, which is leading to a significant rise in cases of MRSA in owners. Owners aren’t aware that MRSA can be transmitted by pets, and too many vets prescribe antibiotics without careful consideration.

This needs to change.

The European Commission has released a 12-point plan to regulate the use of antibiotics. The BVA is generally supportive of the plan, though BVA President Carl Padgett has warned “regulations must not impede the ability of veterinary surgeons to prescribe and dispense medicines according to their clinical judgement.”

Send feedback and suggestions to themosses@btinternet.com. Your comments could be published in the Veterinary Times!

There is a lot of information to help both you as a vet and owners:
The Bella Moss Foundation is one of the only charities that helps owners and pets suffering from MRSA – and is a great source of information for owners

The BVA provides support material and posters to alert owners to the risk of MRSA

The European Commission supports a number of projects across Europe designed to tackle the issue

Lieutenant-Colonel Dr. Tiffany Hemming becomes new chair of Animal Welfare Foundation

Dr. Hemming will be leading BVA’s animal welfare charity following Carl Padgett’s departure. The Foundation funds research and educational activities to promote animal welfare within the UK.

Dr. Hemming previously served as commander of a medical squad for two years in Afghanistan, and currently holds the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel within the Territorial Army.

To find out more visit the BVA Animal Welfare Foundation.