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Owners urged to update microchip details
Microchip
Battersea's report suggests that vets routinely offer to register or update the microchip database on behalf of their clients.

Report finds over half of strays have out-of-date contact information

Owners are being urged to make sure their dogs are microchipped and that details are up to date as new figures reveal only 65 per cent of strays have a microchip fitted.

The report, “Microchipping where it matters most - One year on,” is the first study carried out by Battersea Dogs and Cats Home since compulsory dog microchipping came into effect.

While the charity says the figure is a ‘welcome improvement’ from 45 per cent of stray dogs chipped when Battersea ran the same survey in 2016, it falls far short of the claim made by the government earlier this year (95 per cent).

The report of some 50 Local Authorities found that of those dogs with a chip, more than 50 per cent had out-of-date contact details, meaning that owners could not be traced. The charity is now calling for Local Authorities, charities, vets and dogs owners to work together to improve this.

“Battersea’s new report shows there’s a lot more work to do to ensure pet dogs are all microchipped,” commented Battersea’s chief executive, Claire Horton.

“Clearly, there is no one silver bullet to achieve a solution but if charities, Local Authorities, vets and dog owners work together with a shared goal, and follow the recommendations made in this report, Battersea believes many more dogs could be returned home more quickly and everyone will benefit."

The Battersea report suggests some simple and practical measures for improvement. These include all vets explaining the law full to their clients and routinely offering to register or update the database on behalf of their clients.

It also calls on dog owners to ensure they update database companies of any change in their contact details and register their dog)s and its microchip(s) with a compliant database.

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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.