Vets can now take part in a dedicated veterinary blog called ‘Under The Radar’

The blog features a panel of large animal clinicians, who are working in the field right now – Aurelie Moralis from Northern Ireland, Paddy Gordon of Shepton Veterinary Group and livestock nutrition expert Finbar Mulligan who works with the UCD Dairy Herd Health Group. The blog’s aim is to facilitate the sharing of knowledge and encourage large animal vets to discuss their experiences of sub-clinical disease in livestock.

Sub-clinical disease is not a problem that farm vets usually go out on calls to – at least not knowingly anyway. Instead, it tends to initially go undetected, adversely affecting productivity and silently sapping farm profits. The perfect analogy – it tends to go ‘Under the Radar’.

Take part in the blog on Vetpol

Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) and European Commission to ban direct antibiotic advertising to farmers

The VMD has supported the Alliance to Save Our Antibiotics and brought in regulations to ban direct advertising of antibiotics to farmers. Regulations will be brought into effect from the end of 2013, though the Alliance is calling for an immediate ban.

The UK is the only EU country that allows antibiotics to be advertised to farmers. The practice has been called ‘dangerous’ and propagates inappropriate prescriptions and broader resistance to antibiotics.

Lowering antibiotic use is a key issue faced by the One Health Initiative, a scheme that seeks to unite veterinary, human and industrial medicine against growing problems such as antibiotic resistance.

MSD Animal Health presents results of a vaccine against Schmallenberg virus to protect sheep and cattle

MSD Animal Health announces the successful development of a candidate vaccine against the Schmallenberg virus. Immediately after the first cases appeared at the end of 2011, MSD Animal Health started the emergency development program.

The vaccine is based on wild-type Schmallenberg virus that has been inactivated and contains an adjuvant that stimulates the immune response. In the studies to date, safety and efficacy has been demonstrated in calves, lambs and pregnant ewes.

“During the trials, all vaccinated animals were protected against Schmallenberg virus infection (complete blockage of viremia), whereas all controls developed viremia after challenge”, said Veronique Moulin, research scientist at the virological R&D department at MSD Animal Health.

More information on Schmallenberg.

Animal welfare initiative to improve the lives of millions of dairy cows across the UK

A new animal welfare tool is being launched to help improve the lives of millions of dairy cows across the UK.

This standardised system of direct observation has been developed as part of the AssureWel project, led by the RSPCA, the Soil Association and the University of Bristol. It is a quick and simple way to assess the welfare of dairy cows which can be used by farm assurance schemes, farmers, vets and other animal welfare professionals.

Inspectors from RSPCA’s Freedom Food and the Soil Association will now undergo training in the AssureWel welfare measures for dairy cows and by July 2012 all their dairy inspections will include these new welfare assessments. The results will be discussed with producers and, if needed, advice will be given on how to improve welfare even further.

Read more for more information

Sheep farmers have been told to be prepared to deal with the threat of blowfly strike as the weather warms up

Wendy Phillips, a vet with the Arrowfield Veterinary Group, in Herefordshire, said both ewes and lambs will be at risk, especially if they are dirty, as weather conditions change.

“Blowfly can emerge very quickly, with eggs hatching within 12 hours. The advice is now to treat your flock and treat them early. Some thought is needed when choosing the most appropriate pour-on at this time of the year.

Helen Langham, Product Manager with Novartis Animal Health, said she had already received reports of strike earlier this month at a farm near Saltash on the Cornwall-Devon border, with another report coming in last week of a strike case further up the country in Worcestershire.

“The message for dealing with blowfly is to treat preventatively. We had some reports of strike as early as March but things then went quieter during the colder wet period. Farmers should not be lulled into a false sense of security though. Now the weather is warming up again, we will see optimum conditions for strike,” she said.

Novartis also identified a significant risk from nematodirus due to changing weather patterns last week.

Novartis Animal Health recommend vigilance as changing weather could increase risk of nematodirus worms

Changing temperatures increase the risk of nematodirus worms, which require a period of cold weather followed by an increase of over 10 degrees to hatch. Nematodirus is especially dangerous to lambs, with a high mortality rate if measures are not taken to protect lambs whilst grazing.

Novartis advises direct action by using products such as the white drench Rybocen to control nematodirus and other roundworms.

For more information visit Farm Animal Health

Animal Welfare Foundation’s (AWF) annual Discussion Forum to focus on the use of animals for human benefit

The AWF’s Discussion Forum will highlight the use of animals in horse racing, livestock shows, hobby farming and ‘super dairies’.

The event will take place in London on 14 May 10:30 – 17:00. View the full programme

For full information visit the BVA-AWF site.

Atypical bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) confirmed in California

BSE (nicknamed ‘Mad Cow disease’) has been confirmed in central California for the first time since 2003, the fourth ever case of BSE found in the US.

A food safety crisis has not been announced and there is no reason to suspect an outbreak or danger to public health.

Vets may be called on to reassure the public or to advise farmers. Please read more for a list of vital facts on BSE.

BVA urges co-operation in contract disagreement

Vets at Grants Veterinary Services Limited were left without pay following a contract change by the Food Standards Agency on welfare standards at abattoirs.

Eville & Jones, the service provider the contract was given to, have since paid the outstanding veterinary salaries.

Research conducted by Bristol’s School of Veterinary Sciences find direct link between farm upbringing and immunological disease

The study, supported by DEFRA and the British Pig Executive, has found a solid link between early life in a complex farm environment and an increased number of regulatory T-lymphocytes.

The reasons for this are still not entirely known and additional tests are to be carried out to analyse extraneous factors.

Read the full study at Wiley Online Library.