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Cattle lungworm survey launched
The survey will remain open all year.
COWS wants to better understand treatment efficacy. 

The Control of Worms Sustainably (COWS) group has launched a new survey to discover more about the treatment of lungworm in the UK.

It follows an industry workshop last year, hosted by COWS and supported by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate, where it was recognised that a standardised approach to assessing wormer efficacy was necessary.

Helen Carty, veterinary centre manager for Scotland's Rural College, explained: “In recent years, we have been aware of reports of suspected lack of efficacy of wormers to treat lungworm infections in cattle.

“But no-one is sure whether this due to growing resistance of lungworm to the wormers or is it solely down to poor administration, such as under-dosing or inappropriate timing?”

COWS hopes that the results of the survey will help them to learn more about when outbreaks of lungworm occur, the class of stock most affected, the clinical signs shown, and how well the cattle respond to treatment.

The survey will stay open throughout 2024. Veterinary surgeons can submit to it as many times as they wish to. The results will be published in 2025.

Ms Carty added: “We would like vets to supply information from lungworm outbreaks, tell us about any testing undertaken and response to treatment.

“We are not expecting to see a lot of survey forms coming in until the second half of the grazing season but want vets to be aware that the survey is available.”

The survey can be accessed here.

Image © Shutterstock

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Birmingham Dogs Home makes urgent appeal

News Story 1
 Birmingham Dogs Home has issued an urgent winter appeal as it faces more challenges over the Christmas period.

The rescue centre has seen a dramatic increase in dogs coming into its care, and is currently caring for over 200 dogs. With rising costs and dropping temperatures, the charity is calling for urgent support.

It costs the charity £6,000 per day to continue its work.

Fi Harrison, head of fundraising and communications, said: "It's heart-breaking for our team to see the conditions some dogs arrive in. We really are their last chance and hope of survival."

More information about the appeal can be found here

Click here for more...
News Shorts
Avian flu confirmed at premises in Cornwall

A case of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 has been detected in commercial poultry at a premises near Rosudgeon, Cornwall.

All poultry on the infected site will be humanely culled, and a 3km protection zone and 10km surveillance zone have been put in place. Poultry and other captive birds in the 3km protection zone must be housed.

The case is the second avian flu case confirmed in commercial poultry this month. The H5N5 strain was detected in a premises near Hornsea, East Riding of Yorkshire, in early November. Before then, the disease had not been confirmed in captive birds in England since February.

The UK chief veterinary officer has urged bird keepers to remain alert and practise robust biosecurity.

A map of the disease control zones can be found here.