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Racing authority amends rules on influenza vaccine
All horses that enter the racecourse must have been vaccinated against equine influenza by a veterinary surgeon.
New rule also added on extracorporeal shockwave therapy

The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) is alerting horse owners, trainers and veterinary surgeons of two important changes to its rules of racing.

Rule (E) 18 has been amended so that horses will not be permitted to run in the event of a failure to comply with any of the requirements for vaccinations against equine influenza.  

Under the BHA’s rules of racing, all horses that enter the racecourse must have been vaccinated against equine influenza by a veterinary surgeon, to control infectious disease and protect equine welfare.

Currently, in the event of non-compliance, the horse may not be permitted to run unless it has, in the opinion of the veterinary officer, received at least a vaccination against equine influenza. The BHA says this effectively permits horses to run when they have not been vaccinated correctly, which could present a risk to other horses at the site.

The rule is now worded:
'18.7 In the event of failure to comply with any of the requirements of this Rule in respect of a horse which is on Racecourse Property
'18.7.1., unless the Stewards have given their permission the horse will not be permitted to run in any race; and
'18.7.2 the Trainer or the Owner of the horse are liable to Disciplinary Action'.

In addition, the BHA has introduced a new rule that will require horses to be stood down from racing for five days after extra-corporeal shockwave therapy.

ESWT is used in equine orthopaedics to treat a number of conditions, and involves directing shock waves onto the injured area.

The new rule is worded: '11.C The horse must not have been administered extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) on the day of the race or on any of the five days before the day of the race in which the horse is declared to run.'

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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.