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Vets urged to change cattle injection method
“Based on our study findings, I strongly advise to inject all cattle in the neck where possible..."
Study finds current technique more likely to cause nerve damage 

Cattle vets and farmers are being urged to adjust their vaccination technique to reduce the risk of damaging the sciatic nerve in dairy cows.

New research from the University of Nottingham shows there is a high risk of damaging this nerve when injecting cows in the gluteal region. This is particularly true for cattle with a low body condition score, such as those that have recently calved.

In beef cattle, this area is avoided because of the value of primal cut meat; however, the site is still used for injections in dairy cattle owing to convenience.

Participants in the research - who had injected cattle in the gluteal region before - were asked to inject the left and right gluteal region in a cadaver, as if it were ‘a normal cow’. Researchers were surprised to find that 69 per cent of participants injected within 5cm of the sciatic nerve, while several injected right onto the sciatic nerve.

The study also revealed that the nerve is far wider than previously reported in textbooks. In the gluteal region, the nerve was 3.5-4.5cm wide. The depth of the nerve varied depending on the cow’s body condition, but the shallowest point between the skin surface and nerve was just 2.5cm.

Lead author Dr Wendela Wapenaar said: “Based on our study findings, I strongly advise to inject all cattle in the neck where possible; when this is not feasible and the gluteal region is used as a site for intramuscular injection then a more lateral location should be chosen.

“The region between the tuber coxae (hook bone) and the tuber ischium (pin bone) has a substantial muscle mass, and there are no underlying neurological structures at risk. This small change in injection technique may prevent nerve damage and we hope farmers and vets will take this advice on, so we may see less cows with sciatic nerve damage in the future and avoid inflicting pain unnecessarily.”

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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. 

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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.