Recent updates to Vetstream (with free sample entries)

Laurent Garosi DVM DipECVN MRCVS, Davies Veterinary Specialists
has updated the following Neurology components in Canis:

Hepatic encephalopathy

Hydrocephalus: congenital

Vestibular disease: geriatric

Vestibulocochlear neutritides

For regular clinical updates don’t forget to sign up to the Canis, Felis, Equis, Lapis or Vetacademy newsletters on our Facebook page.

10% of practices across the UK joined Canine Prostate Awareness Month (CPAM) in November

Feedback on CPAM showed many owners were unaware of the dangers of canine prostate cancer and its prevalance. The campaign, one of Virbac’s most successful, educated owners and led to an increased number of prostate checks.

The campaign ran alongside Movember last November, in which thousands of men grew moustaches to raise awareness of prostate and testicular cancer.

Native British breed at risk of extinction

The English Setter has joined 24 other breeds at risk of extinction in the UK, numbering only 234 Kennel Club registrations last year, a 33% decline from 2010.

Celebrity culture and a desire for more exotic and ‘famous’ breeds are driving breeds such as The English Setter out of fashion and, ultimately, to extinction.

The Kennel Club has spoken out against owners who shun native breeds in favour of exotic ones, claiming few owners know or understand exotic breeds well enough to provide the right lifestyle for them. The Kennel Club blames the decline on ‘fickle tastes and celebrity culture’ – aspects of our society that are not easily combatted in mainstream culture.

For more information on The English Setter and Kennel Club services visit The Kennel Club website.

Dogs are more likely to catch Lyme disease in the UK than previous estimates suggest

Lyme disease is spread by infected ticks and causes flu-like conditions progressing, if untreated, to neurological problems and arthritis. The disease is transmissable to humans.

Lyme is growing in the UK, with 481 infected ticks in 100 000 dogs, a startling figure of 2.3% compared to previous estimates of as low as 1.79%.

Increased surveillance, awareness and tick-treatment is needed. Owners must be made aware of the dangers of Lyme disease, both to themselves and their pets.

Visit the Health Protection Agency to see full results of the study.

Dogs – A Healthy Future available now

The Kennel Club have released a 30 minute video showcasing the main issues that affect dogs and what is being done to combat them. The video includes details on hereditary diseases, puppy farms and general dog welfare.

See the film or recommend it to owners on the Kennel Club YouTube channel

Royal Canin team up with veterinary practices across the UK and Ireland to announce incredible dog and cat weight loss

Royal Canin’s weight loss competition saw over 170 entrants who lost a staggering 147kg in total. 12 finalists were selected by specialist obesity nurse Shelley Holden at Liverpool University and will appear in Royal Canin’s ‘Weight In Club Winners’ calendar.

Fudge, a large cross-breed, went from 77.7kg to 48.7kg, losing 37% of his body weight over a 10 month period. Both his owner and Julia Dray, the vet nurse who was instrumental in his fitness programme, win £500 and £1000 of equipment for her practice.

See the winner Fudge before and after.

Do you know everything you need to know about tail docking laws?

Tail docking laws can be confusing in the UK. There are areas where exemptions exist, and other areas such as Scotland where docking tails is outright banned. If a client or breeder comes to you with a docked puppy what advice can you legally give?

To avoid a difficult encounter in the consulting room, read the BVA-AWF guide for vets.

Pfizer announced that the European Medicines Agency’s scientific advisory committee for veterinary medicines (CVMP) has recommended granting a marketing authorization for the TruScient, a product designed to support the treatment of long bone fractures in dogs. The product is an implant containing the active substance dibotermin-alfa, a bone morphogenetic protein that promotes new bone growth. [...]

A man in Edinburgh has pled guilty to causing unnecessary suffering in his pet dog by not taking it to the vet. The 2 year old Staffordshire Bull Terrier died of asphyxiation after being fed.

The dog had previously suffered a condition that prevented it from eating. The man took the dog to the vet but a complicated procedure and administrative process left the owner unwilling to go back when the dog relapsed.

Is there a wider implication for vets here? The owner in this particular was described as ‘ill’ and ‘lonely’, but obviously found the visit to the vet stressful or potentially embarrassing. Is there anything the vet could’ve done to ensure the owner came back?

For the full BBC story click here.

An illness that is not fully understood is affecting dogs on countryside walks in East Anglia, Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire and Warwickshire. The cause of the illness is not currently known.

Symptoms present within 24 hours and include severe vomiting, diarrhoea, shaking and high temperatures. A small number of dogs have died on contracting the illness,

The University of Nottingham is currently carrying out research in an effort to identify what the source of the illness is, the current cause is assumed to be a naturally occurring toxin. Vets in affected areas can help by reporting cases and sending samples of vomit/blood to the University of Nottingham for analysis.

For more information click here.