News

ON THE MOVE

ASH KEOWN IS ON THE MOOOOVE

LAST MONTH ASH Keown moved from his role as NZVA Veterinary Manager (Large Animal) to join Fonterra as its Veterinary Technical Manager – part of Fonterra’s On Farm Excellence team. His role involves supporting farmers to continue to improve dairy cattle welfare in New Zealand.

“I’m really excited to be keeping my ties to the veterinary profession and NZVA members,” Ash says. “I hope to be able to strengthen the link between the dairy industry and veterinarians, and for us to work together to polish the animal welfare jewel in our crown.” Ash was a vital part of the NZVA veterinary team and will be missed. Best of luck Ash!

Ash can be reached by emailing ash.keown@fonterra.com. n

WE WANT YOUR CASE STUDIES!

We love to publish interesting and unusual case studies in VetScript! Have you had a patient needing an out-of-thebox treatment solution? Treated a species that’s not your run of the mill? Learned something new about a problem you see often? Let us know. Case studies should ideally be accompanied by highresolution photos. Contact the Editor at vetscript@vets.org.nz for more information. n

FUNDING FOR WILDLIFE PROJECTS AND COURSES

The NZVA’s Wildlife Society special interest branch is offering two grants to support veterinarians and other researchers in improving their skills in, or undertaking projects related to, preserving endangered wildlife.

THE PRACTITIONERS GRANT supports practising veterinarians to take part in CPD in the area of wildlife medicine. It can be used to fund a wide array of activities; previous grants have been used for practical placements, online courses and practice-based wildlife disease investigations.

All practising veterinarians are eligible to apply, and this year’s Practitioners Grant is valued at $2,200.

The Marion Cunningham Memorial Fund is awarded to students undertaking projects that are practicable and relevant to current wildlife concerns. The research should enhance veterinary contributions to the welfare and management of New Zealand’s wildlife and promote communication among both veterinarians and non-veterinarians with expertise in wildlife management and research. It should also encourage conservation, especially by veterinary contributions to the management of threatened species.

Students undertaking scientific research are eligible to apply and this year’s fund is valued at $2,700. If you have an idea that will either improve your skills as a wildlife veterinarian or benefit the profession’s knowledge of wildlife disease, please apply.

Applications for both grants are now open and close on 31 October 2020. Applying is easy – simply fill in the application form telling the Wildlife Society what you want to do with the money!

For more information and the application form, please visit www.nzva.org.nz/ page/wildlife or get in touch at wildlife@vets.org.nz. n

ANNUAL REPORT AVAILABLE ALL SEPTEMBER

THE NZVA

2019 annual report, Their Future, is Our Future, is now available athttps://cdn.ymaws.

com/www.nzva.org.nz/resource/ resmgr/docs/publications/nzva_

annual_report_2019.pdf. NZVA annual reports dating back to 2008

www.facebook.com/nzvavets

DAYS OF NOTE

are also available online. n SAVE THE KOALA MONTH

21 SEPTEMBER INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEACE

22 SEPTEMBER WORLD RHINO DAY

26 SEPTEMBER INTERNATIONAL RABBIT DAY

28 SEPTEMBER CANTERBURY ( SOUTH ) ANNIVERSARY DAY

ILLEGAL PRODUCTS REMOVED

AGCARM AND THE New Zealand Government are working to remove illegal animal medicines – including flea treatments, drenches and dips – from online auction and sale sites.

These products are being sold by national and international sellers in countries from Australia to the UK. Some are products not ordinarily sold in the relevant country and others have not passed New Zealand’s strict border biosecurity controls.

According to Agcarm, of all the markets notified Trade Me has been the most proactive in removing listings. Sites whose companies are based overseas, such as Facebook Marketplace, Amazon and eBay, have been harder to engage with.

Trade Me is now using a search query function to find infringing listings. It also requires all international sellers of animal medicines and pesticides (excluding Australia) to sign an agreement that prevents them selling unregistered products in New Zealand.

The Ministry for Primary Industries is also monitoring the situation closely and has asked Trade Me to remove listings.

According to Agcarm, there are four major factors to be considered when buying and selling registered agricultural compounds or veterinary medicines online: whether the product is a counterfeit; whether it meets New Zealand’s strict packaging and labelling requirements; whether the company has submitted the relevant data to allow it to be sold; and whether it can be legally sold without a prescription or correct handling.

Agcarm advises veterinarians and others buying such products to be sure they use trusted manufacturers and retailers. For a list of trusted companies, visit http://agcarm.co.nz/ membership/our-members.n

WHERE YOUR PET GOES, THEIR RECORDS GO

Practice management software provider ezyVet has partnered with VetDB to improve the connection between veterinary patients and their medical data.

THE VETDB PLATFORM links patients’ unique microchips with their correct medical data, enabling disparate veterinary services to collect, connect to and share that data. ezyVet customers can now connect directly with VetDB to verify patient details and match vaccination records.

According to VetDB’s Chief Operations Officer, Ross Wyness, around 65% of owners lose their pets’ vaccination certificates, and because the information often isn’t readily available this can lead to delays or repeat costs. “We decided to lock that information to pets’ microchips, forever,” he says.

The integration fits with ezyVet’s goal to speed up practices’ workflow and find new ways to improve the patient experience. “VetDB is a revolutionary platform entering the market that will help us achieve this,” says ezyVet Partner Manager David Chen. n

PRESCRIBING PRUDENTLY

THE NZVA HAS published a guide to the prudent use of antimicrobials in pigs. Written for current New Zealand conditions and practices, the guide aims to help veterinarians decide on courses of treatment for their porcine patients. Topics include: » the antimicrobial classification traffic light system » common diseases of pigs and the ages in which they are seen » authorising guidelines » recommended dose rates for antimicrobials in pigs.

The guide can be found at https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.nzva.org.nz/ resource/resmgr/AMR_Guide_Pigs.pdf. n

NZVA BOARD UPDATE

CONGRATULATIONS TO MARK Bryan, who has been re-elected as an NZVA Board member for a third term. He stood against one nominee for the only available elected position.

A total of 645 eligible members voted (a 30% response rate).

Retiring board members Peter Blaikie and Cath Watson stood down at this year’s Annual General Meeting on 26 August. The NZVA thanks Peter and Cath for their service to the association. n