Vet Times Podcast

An EBVM manifesto was launched in June 2019 with the aim of ensuring the profession continually improves by embracing and advancing evidence-based veterinary medicine. Rachel Dean, of VetPartners, and new BEVA president Tim Mair discussed the manifesto’s objectives with equine vets at BEVA Congress. Here, they explain the work carried out so far and their objectives going forward.

Launched in 2011, the PDSA Animal Wellbeing (PAW) Report has been instrumental as an annual barometer of animal welfare issues in the UK. The 2019 report is just out, and Sean Wensley, PDSA senior vet surgeon for communication and education, talks about its past achievements and future plans. – Produced annually in conjunction with research agency YouGov, the PAW Report is recognised as a rigorous and in-depth assessment of the well-being of the UK’s pets. The Animal Welfare Act 2006 – referred to in the podcast – places a legal duty of care on the owners and keepers of animals to provide for their welfare needs. These cover health, behaviour, companionship, diet and environment. A full link to the legislation is http://bit.ly/2lNL4K8 The latest PAW report focuses on a fall in pet vaccination rates, with 66% receiving primary vaccinations in comparison to 84% in 2016. The full report is available for download at http://bit.ly/PAWReport A news story on the 2019 PAW Report featured in the 9 September is

Veterinary Times editor Paul Imrie speaks to farm vet and consultant Rob Drysdale about bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD) and efforts across the UK to eradicate the persistent animal health problem in cattle herds. - Rob Drysdale founded Westpoint Farm Vets in July 2000, and was managing director through to January 2014, when the business was sold. He works as an independent veterinary consultant to dairy and beef farms across the UK and Europe, as well as the pharmaceutical and farming industries. Since undertaking a Nuffield Farming Scholarship, Rob has developed his own fully integrated dairy beef supply chain – StraightLine Beef (https://www.straightlinebeef.co.uk) – rearing 400-plus calves per month, and will finish 4,800 cattle in 2020, many from TB-restricted holdings. The BVDzero Congress 2019 (http://bit.ly/BVDzeroCongress), organised by Boehringer Ingelheim as part of the BVDzero collaboration against bovine viral diarrhoea, was held in July in Cowbridge, Vale of Glamorgan. The event featured speake