Vets will be able to contact mentors via phone and email.

The equine welfare charity Redwings has launched a new scheme to support veterinary surgeons dealing with complex cases of strangles.

The Guttural Pouch Scoping Support Scheme was launched at this year’s British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) Congress, where the charity handed out cards containing a scannable QR code.

The scheme offers a range of assistance to veterinary surgeons, including confidential one-to-one telephone calls with a clinical mentor and a dedicated WhatsApp group or email to share images and videos.

The mentors are experienced in using endoscopy in a variety of situations, including post-infection screening, strangles carrier diagnosis, chondroid removal, management of persistently infected equines and guttural pouch flushing.

They can also offer practical advice on the scopes and accessories suited to particular cases and provide information on the latest best-practice guidance, research findings, and new products.

The charity has been offering advice on strangles for some time, but this year has formalised the support as part of its Stamp Out Strangles Campaign.

Nic de Brauwere, head of welfare and behaviour at Redwings, said: “If you are a vet who is dealing with a tricky strangles case, would like to skill up on guttural pouch endoscopy or are unsure which scoping tools are best in different situations, then we are here to help.”

At this year's congress, Redwings also contributed to the Infectious Disease Panel, with Helen Whitelegg, research and and policy officer at the charity, appearing as one of the speakers.

Talking about the panel, Dr Whitelegg said: “We're delighted to be able to talk to vets about the Human Behaviour Change approach we use to campaign on strangles. We know that information alone has limited impact, so we're working to make practical biosecurity a simpler, more achievable part of everyday horse care.”

Veterinary surgeons can contact Redwings’ Scoping Support Scheme by emailing scoping@redwings.co.uk or calling 01508 481008.

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