Veterinary associations have welcomed the European Commission announcement

that Britains bluetongue status will be reclassified as a Lower Risk Zone (LRZ)

for bluetongue virus (BTV8) and are asking members to get the message out to clients as soon as possible.

 

At the annual

British Veterinary Association Animal Welfare Foundation

(BVA AWF) Discussion Forum delegates voted for the most important animal welfare priorities, which the new Defra ministerial team should focus on.

With lamb prices buoyant, sheep producers are being urged to realise full value for the 2010 crop by making sure finishing lambs on the farm are vaccinated against pasteurellosis and the main clostridial diseases. 2010 lambs will remain vulnerable to pasteurella and clostridial diseases unless they are vaccinated from three weeks of age.“Losing lambs to easily preventable diseases this summer really is throwing money away,” says Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health ruminant veterinary adviser Drew McGurren MRCVS. He explains that the colostrum lambs receive from the ewe shortly after birth only gives them protection for a limited time against pasteurellosis and diseases like pulpy kidney, braxy, blackleg and tetanus. “It’s true that if ewes are vaccinated properly with Heptavac-P Plus in the run up to lambing then the lambs will also gain immunity.

The British ministry of defence has killed 119 pigs since 2006 in bomb tests designed to improve the treatment of soldiers suffering blast injuries.
Explosive tests by the ministry has saved the lives of British soldiers, cabinet member Quentin Davies, a junior defence minister, explained. He said the research has 'saved many lives in the theatres of Iraq and Afghanistan'.

The Disciplinary Committee of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons has directed that the name of an Essex-based vet be removed from the RCVS Register, having found him guilty of attempting to obtain medicines dishonestly.

James Alexander Lockyear, a graduate from Pretoria University in South Africa, was charged with two offences. The case was heard in his absence, although the committee did not draw any adverse inference from this.