Prizes worth up to £120 offered for best dog stories

The Kennel Club is asking dog owners to post their best stories to celebrate Discover Dogs in November. Each week a new theme will be introduced ranging from ‘dogs that changed your direction in life’ to ‘dogs that make you laugh’.

To enter simply post your story the Discover Dogs Facebook page.

Learn more about Discover Dogs.

How many patients can be realistically cared for in an average day?

Getting new clients and a steady flow of patients is a vital part of making a name for your practice and keeping yourself afloat financially. However is there a point when you have too many patients and can’t possibly provide adequate care for them all?

VIN.com looks at the case of a vet who sees 40-50 patients a day.

Could you spot the link between animal abuse and domestic abuse?

On average it takes 35 incidents of abuse before victims feel able to report it. There are many ways domestic abuse can be detected, and vets could play a key role in helping victims report cases.

The Medics Against Violence (MAV) and Domestic Abuse Veterinary Initiative (DAVI) has been launched in Scotland with the support of the Veterinary Defence Society (VDS) and the BVA to prevent cases of abuse through specialised CPD courses and practice literature aimed to identify abuse.

Vets are in an ideal position to notice both the condition of a pet and changes in an owner’s behaviour or appearance, and as trusted members of society vets can play a key role in making sure incidents of abuse are reported.

For more information visit the BVA.

Guidance notes will be available from the VDS shortly.

New survey on number of animals in care across the UK

An estimated 260 000 dogs and cats were taken in by care organisations throughout 2009, with a large number of these organisations at full capacity throughout the year the actual number of pets in need of care was probably significantly higher.

The study proves a need for better levels of care, owner education and neutering across the country.

For the full study download the most recent issue of the Veterinary Record.

Leading veterinary welfare charity PDSA has released a full report on pet care across the UK. The report can be read for free here.

Of particular use to vets are the bitesize pet guideline reports which display everything an owner needs to do to ensure their pet stays healthy and well looked after. These mini-guides are available as .pdf files and can be freely distributed to owners. They’re accessible, well designed and relevant to all clients — really good stuff from the PDSA. The guides can be accessed here.