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One in four vets see cats poisoned with permethrin
cat
PDSA vets see about 20 cases of permethrin poisoning in cats every month.
Bob Martin praised for removing products from general sales

Pet product manufacturer Bob Martin has been commended by animal charities for deciding to remove on-animal flea treatments that contain permethrin from general sales.

Pet owners wishing to buy these products will therefore have to obtain them through a vet, pharmacist or other suitably qualified person.

International Cat Care (iCatCare) called the move “a great day for cats in the UK” and “a substantial step forward.” However, the charity says this is a global problem, so there is more work yet to be done.

According to the PDSA, thousands of pet owners are accidentally poisoning their cats by applying dog flea treatments containing the insecticide permethrin, which can be fatal if given to cats.

The charity's vets are seeing around 20 cases of accidental permethrin poisoning every month. With many cases going unreported, experts fear this may be the tip of the iceberg.

Senior PDSA vet Sean Wensley says a lack of owner awareness is to blame, with “devastating consequences.”

PDSA is now backing a campaign launched by iCatCare last year. It calls for a change in the licensing of all products containing permethrin, meaning they could only be dispensed by a suitably qualified person, who could give advice at the point of sale. It is thought this would stop owners mistakenly buying unsafe products online or from pet shops.

iCatCare's chief executive Claire Bessant says cat deaths through permethrin poisoning are “often simply down to mistakes at the point of purchase, with pet owners mixing up cat and dog products, or just unaware that you cannot use a dog treatment on a cat...

“The saddest thing of all is that cats are dying because owners are trying to do the right thing and treat their cats for fleas.”

A recent survey by iCatCare found more than one in four vets have seen a case of cat poisoning by permethrin in the first six months of this year. Around half said they saw a case last year.

The most common cause of poisoning was dog spot-on products being mistakenly used on cats. However, a number of cases were the result of a cat coming into close contact with a dog that had been recently treated.

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Vets to run marathon for World Animal Protection

News Story 1
 Two recently graduated veterinary surgeons will be running the London Marathon in April to raise money for the charity World Animal Protection.

Alex Bartlett and Maeve O'Neill plan to run the race together if they are given the same start times.

Dr O'Neill said: "You're always limited in what you can do to help animals, so it is nice to raise money for a charity that helps animals around the world."

Dr Bartlett added: "I have never run a marathon before and am excited to run my first one for such a good cause!"

Both Dr Bartlett and Dr O'Neill have fundraising pages online. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
BSAVA releases new Guide to Procedures

The British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) has published a new edition of its Guide to Procedures for Small Animal Practice.

It has added four new procedures; cystostomy tube placement, endotracheal intubation, point-of-care ultrasound and wet-to-dry dressings.

BSAVA says that it is an essential step-by-step guide to diagnostic and therapeutic procedures performed in practice. The textbook includes new images and illustrations, as well as high-definition videos for use prior to procedures.

Nick Bexfield and Julia Riggs, editors of the new edition, said: "We have built upon the success of the previous editions by responding to the feedback received from the BSAVA readership, and hope this new guide helps to further increase the confidence and accuracy with which these procedures are performed."

Print copies are available in the BSAVA store, with a digital version in the BSAVA library.