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New scheme to help horse owners identify colic
Ninety per cent of horse owners struggle to spot the early signs of colic.

Research shows majority of owners struggle to spot the early signs

A novel scheme to help horse owners identify the early signs of colic has been launched by the University of Nottingham and the British Horse Society.

The ‘Vet REACT Colic Champions’ initiative comes in response to research that found one in three emergency veterinary call outs were due to equine colic, and that 90 per cent of horse owners struggle to spot the early signs of this deadly condition.

Backed by more than 60 veterinary surgeries, it will see vets across the United Kingdom raise awareness of colic further by giving their clients advice, presentations and resources. In turn it is hoped this will enable owners to develop their own plan should their horse develop the condition and need referral to an equine practice.

Emmeline Hannelly, welfare education manager at the BHS said: “It’s fantastic that so many vets are supporting our ‘Vet REACT Colic Champions’ scheme – we are delighted to be working with them! We hope that it will help even more owners to make informed decisions related to colic and in turn, improve equine welfare.”

Sarah Freeman, professor of veterinary surgery at the University of Nottingham said: “We are delighted to be working with vet practices on the ‘Vet REACT Colic Champions’ scheme. Their support and guidance have been a huge help in reaching such a wide population and we hope we can reach even more people in the future.”

Alex Kingdon, BVM BVS MRCVS from Avonvale Equine Practice added: “Being part of the ‘Vet REACT Colic Champions’ scheme is incredibly important to our practice. Colic is by far one of the most common emergency conditions we see, and the scheme has already had a huge impact on many horse owners.”

The Vet Champions scheme forms part of a wider initiative by the University of Nottingham and the British Horse Society to raise awareness of colic. More details about the campaigns can be found here

Image (C) Marie Rippingale.

 

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Cold-water dip to raise funds for Vetlife

News Story 1
 The veterinary mental health charity Vetlife is inviting the veterinary community to join it for a sponsored cold-water dip.

The event will take place at Walpole Bay, Margate, on 17 May during Mental Health Awareness Week. Participants of all abilities can join in the challenge and are advised to bring a towel, a hot drink, a snack, and warm clothes to get changed into afterwards.

Those taking part are being asked to try to raise 100 each to support the work of the charity.

Details about how to take part can be found here

Click here for more...
News Shorts
Defra to host bluetongue webinar for vets

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) will be hosting a webinar for veterinary professional on bluetongue on Thursday, 25 April 2024.

Topics covered will include the transmission cycle, pathology and pathogenesis, clinical signs (including signs seen in recent BTV-3 cases in the Netherlands), and control and prevention.

The session, which will take place from 6pm to 7.30pm, is part of Defra's 'Plan, Prevent and Protect' webinar series, which are hosted by policy officials, epidemiologists and veterinary professionals from Defra and the Animal and Plant Health Agency. The bluetongue session will also feature insights from experts from The Pirbright Institute.

Those attending will have the opportunity to ask questions. Places on the webinar can be booked online.