Your current yearly vaccination protocol covers for myxomatosis, RVHD1 and RVHD 2. You may or may not be aware that a new strain of RVHD2 that has been detected in the recent months which is highly virulent. This strain has primarily been detected in Europe (Hungary, France, Netherlands and Italy), with over 50% of the cases being confirmed as this new highly virulent strain. The presence of this new strain has not been reported in the UK, however as reported from past experience with previous strains of RVHD it is only a matter of time.
The current yearly vaccination your rabbit gets has not been tested to confirm whether it provides immunity against this new strain. Therefore, a new vaccine has been manufactured for this reason. However it means that your rabbit would now require two vaccinations a year.
In order for us to be able to offer this to our clients and their pets we would need to run a scheduled vaccination session over one morning, which we are proposing to be a Saturday. There are two reasons for this:
1) The new vaccination is currently only available as a multi dose bottle, rather than the single dose vials your rabbit would normally get.
2) The new vaccination once opened must be used within 10 hours.
What is RVHD?
‘Rabbit viral haemorrhagic disease’ can be spread by direct and indirect contact:
Direct: coming into contact with infected and potentially unvaccinated rabbits
Indirect: coming into contact with infected clothing, kennels, hutches, equipment
Clinical signs:
Unfortunately, the most common sign is sudden death dependent on the strain (RVHD 1 80-90% and RVHD2/variant strain 50-80%). Often there is no indication that your rabbit has been unwell until it is too late.
If they have acquired an acute or subacute form then symptoms are variable: fever, inappetance, neurological symptoms, breathing issues, jaundice, bloody nasal discharge.
Treatment:
There is not specific treatment for this disease, only supportive care for the symptoms. The most effectove way to get on top of this disease is stringent infection control measures, early vaccination in young rabbits and remaining up to date throughout their lifetime.
Frequently asked questions?
My rabbit isn’t due it’s usually vaccination until the summer, should I wait?
The short answer is no. We would advise, as would The Rabbit Welfare Association, to get your rabbits vaccinated against this new strain promptly. This vaccination cannot be given at the same time as the previous vaccination, there should be at least a 2 week period between the two.
My rabbit isn’t up to date on any of their vaccinations, what should I do?
To book an appointment with one of our vets for their vaccinations, please contact us by telephone on 01206 851338, message us on 07360541569 or book your appointment online via our website at https://www.maynevets.co.uk/.
If your vaccinations are up to date, but you would like to register your interest in the new vaccine, then please contact us at Mayne Vets, once available we will be in touch.
We are aware that there is currently an apparent gulf between the cost of medication in veterinary practices compared to online pharmacies. This can result in clients feeling that their vets are “ripping them off” in some way. In reality, it is a comparison of two completely different business models.
At the minute, internet pharmacies can purchase medication in large bulk orders, direct from the drugs companies; have very low staffing and infrastructure costs; and, because they are sending the medication direct to the final user, have fewer regulations monitoring how they get that medication to owners. In contrast, veterinary practices, especially small independent businesses like ours, are too small to buy direct from the manufacturers and must purchase from a wholesaler. We do not get the manufacturer discounts that the internet pharmacies and big corporate veterinary clinics receive. Plus, as we are not the “end user”, the wholesalers must follow much stricter guidance with regards to storage and delivery of the medication to our clinics at a higher cost.
In addition, veterinary practices have much higher running costs. The income we generate needs to support reception, nursing and veterinary staff; high maintenance equipment and higher infrastructure costs. Traditionally, veterinary surgeries have tried to balance the generation of this income evenly across drug sales and consultation prices, but with the introduction of internet pharmacies that is beginning to shift. In some of the Scandinavian countries, vets no longer dispense anything other than emergency drugs. All other drugs go via prescription from a pharmacy, but to balance that they have had to vastly increase their professional fees to remain viable as a business. As this system also increases the number of businesses that need to be sustainable between “pet is unwell” to “pet is better”.
It will be interesting to see how things develop over the next 5-10 years in the UK, there will most likely be a shift in a similar direction over time unless a new model is developed. In the meantime, we appreciate that veterinary medicine is not cheap and would always recommend pet insurance to help alleviate any concerns.
A titre test involves a taking a blood sample from your pet to assess the level of antibodies present to some of the diseases we routinely vaccinate against. The level of antibodies detected will help us gauge the level of immunity your pet currently has, thus guiding our decision for vaccination or not. Currently this is commercially available at an affordable price for dogs.
What diseases can we test for?
We can test for Distemper, Hepatitis and Parvovirus, three of the diseases we routinely vaccinate for. We cannot test for Leptospirosis as this is a bacterial disease and harder to measure and we don’t routinely test for Parainfluenza virus as immunity to this disease is rarely thought to last longer than a year.
When would we titre test your dog?
Currently the vaccination program of every dog consists of two phases:
The “primary vaccination” phase in puppies which covers 2 injections 4 weeks apart and then a third injection one year later at the first year booster.
And then a “booster” phase that lasts the remainder of their life.
The “booster phase”:
At Mayne Vets, we rotate this booster phase on a three-year basis. We know that leptospirosis and parainfluenza immunity struggle to last longer than a year, so we continue the immunity to these diseases with a yearly booster, along with kennel cough if needed. However, we also know that immunity to Distemper, Hepatitis and Parvovirus lasts at least three years in most dogs. As such we don’t need to boost the immunity to these dogs until three years after the first year booster, so 4 years old in most cases. Provided your dog has completed the ‘initial vaccination’ phase fully then the first titre test would not be needed until they are 4 years old.
An example of a time line for titre testing:
8 weeks old 1st vaccination (primary course, all diseases)
12 weeks old 2nd vaccination (primary course, all diseases)
1 year old 1 year booster (primary course, all diseases)
2 years old 2 year booster (mini booster, leptospirosis and parainfluenza)
3 years old 3 year booster (mini booster, leptospirosis and parainfluenza)
4 years old 1 year booster OR titre test
How would it work?
Your vet will perform the annual health check and vaccinate for leptospirosis and parainfluenza (plus kennel cough if required) as normal. We would then take a blood sample from your pet and send it to a laboratory to test the levels of antibodies (immunity) for Distemper, Hepatitis and Parvovirus.
You will then be contacted with the blood results and can book a follow up appointment with a registered veterinary nurse for further vaccinations if the immunity result was inadequate. If the blood sample showed the current immunity to be adequate, we would discuss the pros and cons of holding off the follow up vaccine and potentially repeat the titre test the following year until an inadequate test result appeared.
What are the benefits?
Although it has been proven to be clinically safe to follow the base vaccine protocol we run at Mayne Vets, some owners prefer to limit the vaccines used on their pet further by titre testing.
What are the drawbacks?
The main drawback of titre testing is that it can only tell us the level of immunity your pet has on the day of testing. Testing cannot tell us how long that immunity will last and we are therefore unable to guarantee immunity until the next annual booster date.
If your dog does have inadequate immunity to one of the diseases tested then you will need to return to the clinic for a booster vaccination. An additional issue is that we are unable to provide individual vaccines to individual viruses. For example, if your dog’s immunity has dropped for Hepatitis, but not to Parvovirus or Distemper, we can only vaccinate for all three viruses in one multi-dose injection.
If you would like to discuss titre testing you dog further, please feel free to contact us at the clinic.
The purpose of this part of our article is to provide you with some information regarding the parasites we routinely treat in veterinary medicine and consideration of any potential risks when not treating for them. As mentioned in Part One, parasite treatment is an area of veterinary medicine currently under heavy debate, with many people raising concerns regarding what impact the drugs we use to prevent parasite infestation may or may not be having on the wider environment.
We have aimed to provide you information about most common parasites we tend to treat for in the UK, along with a summary of the risks involved. We haven’t written this as a “quick read” but have tried to provide a fuller explanation into the challenges we need to consider when treating our pets (a shorter summary can be found here or at the end of the article).
Fleas
The most common flea seen in cats and dogs is the “cat flea”. These fleas can be picked up outdoors and brought inside. Here they will merrily breed all year long, occasionally nibbling their human housemates while doing so (they often tend to have a favourite target!). Once established on our pets, a female flea can lay up to 50 eggs a day. These eggs can then hatch in the environment as larvae which like to find somewhere dark to hide. Here they form a pupae (like caterpillars). This pupal stage can last in the environment for up to a year before hatching out as an adult flea and starting the cycle all over again. When treating a pet for fleas, it is always important to remember to treat the household with a good quality house spray. It is also worth bearing in mind that even the best household treatments cannot kill the pupal stages and so once a flea problem has become established in a household it can take some time to resolve!
What is the risk to your pet?
The main problem fleas pose to your pets is that they can be incredibly irritating, particularly if your pet is allergic to the flea’s saliva. Fleas are also part of the tapeworm lifecycle and some pets with fleas subsequently go on to develop tapeworm infestations. Additionally, over time a large flea burden can also cause an anaemia to develop in your pet. Finally, fleas have been shown to carry bartonella, a species of bacteria that can cause “Cat Scratch Fever”.
Are they a risk to human health?
The most common concern clients have with flea infestation (other than seeing the fleas themselves!) is that family members have been receiving flea bites. However, there is also a disease seen in people, referred to as “Cat Scratch Fever”, which is caused by the infection of a bartonella species of bacteria. The bartonella bacteria can be transmitted via flea dirt in a variety of ways but the most common is via cat scratches. The symptoms of this disease in people are usually mild, but it can cause more serious complications in immunocompromised people. Due to the non-specific and often mild symptoms shown in people, it is hard to really know how commonly the disease is spread or its incidence within the UK.
What are the risks of not treating?
It is important not to ignore the risk of Cat Scratch Fever in households with immunocompromised people, however, the major concern with fleas to most of us is the annoyance factor of bites coupled with the length of time it could take to clear a household of infestation.
Who should consider treatment?
As mentioned, the cat flea is the most common culprit in UK households and so UK households with cats that go outside are more likely to encounter fleas. Many of us believe that dogs that live in cat free households are at lower risk of picking up fleas and so owners may consider not using preventative treatment. While this is probably true, there are no studies to confirm that this is the case. As such pet owners who chose not to treat should be aware that cat fleas can live quite happily on dogs and owners need to be aware of the challenges to treatment should their pet pick up fleas.
Roundworms
Dogs and cats tend to pick up roundworms by ingesting eggs from the environment including direct contact with other dogs; eating undercooked meat; or by eating other infected animals such as rodents, earthworms and birds. Once our pets are infected, the roundworm will complete its lifecycle, develop into adults, and start laying eggs of their own
What is the risk to your pet?
Roundworms rarely cause significant disease in adult dogs and cats, but infection can pass through the placenta and high worm burdens can cause significant disease in puppies and kittens.
Are they a risk to human health?
Yes, but the incidence of infection is hard to know. The roundworm eggs can be picked up via contact with contaminated soil and sand; eating unwashed fruit and vegetables; or by placing contaminated objects in our mouths. Classic examples of environmental infection could be contact with contaminated fur and bedding, or children playing in gardens or parks where infected dogs or cats have defecated.
Ingested eggs won’t develop to the adult stage in people but can cause disease. Again, symptoms of the disease in people are normally mild but worm eggs once ingested may develop to the larval stage and migrate to eyes, brain or liver causing serious problems. Children seem to be at more risk of this disease. Again, with the wide range of clinical symptoms and lack of routine surveillance, it is hard to know the exact incidence of this disease in the UK. It is thought that there are 1.4 billion people affected worldwide, and some studies have shown around 10.5 percent of people tested in European regions have been exposed at some stage. In addition, studies carried out in the UK have shown contamination in public parks all over the UK.
Who should consider treatment?
In the absence of regular worm egg counting, we would advise treating pets for roundworms at least 4 times a year. Households that are at greater risk, such as those with children or whose pets are regular hunters, should consider treating more regularly. It is also very important to help reduce environmental contamination by picking up faeces and disposing them promptly, both in the garden and in public areas. For those who do not wish to treat regularly, it is advisable to perform worm counts on your pets at least four times a year. Faecal egg counts can be performed either via your vet, or via a reliable commercial laboratory in which there is growing availability. But owners who chose this option need to be aware there is a chance their pet could become infected and shed eggs between tests.
Image from ‘Unsplash’
Tapeworms
Both cats and dogs can pick up tapeworm in the UK. Cats tend to pick up tapeworm from hunting or ingesting fleas and lice; dogs can also pick up tapeworm from eating infected carcasses (sheep, cattle, pigs and other livestock) or raw food diets that have been inadequately frozen. Cats and dogs are considered the “definitive host” for these tapeworm species and as such the tapeworms will develop to full maturity and release eggs. However, other mammalian species are involved in the transmission. When the tapeworm eggs are picked up by these “intermediate” hosts (birds/sheep/cattle/pigs) they won’t develop into mature worms. Instead, the immature stage of the tapeworm moves to organs such as the liver and lungs of these species and form cystic disease.
What is the risk to your pet?
Tapeworms are rarely associated with significant clinical signs of disease in pets. Tapeworm segments leaving the anus may cause anal irritation. However, it should be noted that tapeworm does cause more significant disease in the “intermediate hosts” including wild birds in the case of cats, and livestock in the case of dogs. This can have significant welfare impacts to these animals as well as an economic impacts in farming areas.
Are they a risk to human health?
The dog tapeworm present in the UK, Echinococcus granulosus, can cause significant health concerns in people but this rarely occurs in the UK. Like the “intermediate hosts”, this tapeworm infection can cause cystic disease in multiple organs in infected people. This disease is seen more commonly in more tropical climates, but there is thought to be 10-20 new cases in the UK every year.
Who should consider treatment?
Owners of pets that regularly hunt, have access to carcasses or are on raw food diets that have been inadequately prepared should consider treating for tapeworm monthly. Owners of pets that have had a significant flea infestation should consider treating for tapeworm as well as fleas. Pets that receive regular flea treatment and have limited access to hunting or raw food diets are at much lower risk and require less regular treatment.
Travel Considerations
In addition to concerns about tapeworms currently present in the UK, it should be noted that there are also tapeworm species currently in mainland Europe that pose more significant risk of ill health to owners. There are concerns in the veterinary industry that the current legislation regarding pet travel to mainland Europe is not be adequate to prevent the importation of these tapeworm species. As such, in addition to your legal requirement to treat your pet prior to returning to the UK, we would also recommend repeating this treatment after you’ve returned to the UK. This will cover for any potential exposure to tapeworm between the day of treatment while away and your return to the UK.
Ticks
There are several species of tick widespread throughout the UK. These ticks are most often found in wooded areas or areas with long grass, especially in the spring, summer and autumn months. Ticks are multi-host parasites, they attach themselves to one host to feed, then drop off to go through a development stage before attaching to another host. Most ticks in the UK attach to 3 different hosts in their lifecycle. Whilst ticks can cause some discomfort and localised infection, especially if not removed correctly, the main health concern with ticks is the potential of spread of disease
What is the risk to your pet?
In the UK we have several diseases that can be spread to our pets and ourselves via tick bites. The most well-known one of these is Lyme disease. Lyme disease can infect dogs, humans, and (more rarely) cats, causing various problems including fever, lameness and kidney disease. The symptoms of the disease can be significant and prompt identification and treatment is vital. However, other diseases include anaplasmosis in cats, babesia infection and tick-borne encephalitis.
Are they a risk to human health?
While people can pick-up tick-borne diseases, this would be due to a bite from a contaminated tick picked up in the same area as your pet found one, rather than transmission of disease from your pet. Lyme disease has been established in the UK for a long time and can cause a range of symptoms from mild fever through to paralysis if untreated. However, tick borne encephalitis is a relatively new arrival, having spread from mainland Europe, with only a few human cases being confirmed in the UK. It is a viral condition spread via tick bites that can cause a range of symptoms from mild flu-like symptoms up to meningitis. As of October 2024 the disease has been confirmed in ticks in Thetford Forest, Hampshire/Dorset Border, the New Forest and North Yorkshire Moors, but that list is likely to grow.
Who should consider treatment?
We should consider regular treatment for pets that access areas that are more prone to ticks such as long grass or wooded areas. Ticks are more prevalent in the spring, summer and autumn months. Regardless of whether you treat your pet or not, all owners should regularly check their pets for ticks and seek veterinary advice for the correct method of removing ticks using recommended tools to assist. Cats seem to be less susceptible to tick disease than their canine counterparts. It is not clear if this may be because they are less prone to picking up ticks, or if they are better at removing them before we find them; but cats are certainly capable of picking them up, especially if they like to visit animal burrows
Travel Considerations
There are many more disease risks associated with tick bites in pets that have travelled to mainland Europe than we have in the UK, and we would strongly advise discussing any travel plans with your vet. There are no compulsory steps in the travel legislation that will protect your pet against tick borne disease while travelling and some of the tick species in Europe can be brought back to the UK to live quite happily in your household.
One of the European ticks that can carry a disease called babesia has been established in the UK for many years but has not previously been known to carry the babesia infection. However, in 2015 and 2016 there were confirmed cases of Babesia in the UK in dogs that had not travelled to Europe prompting concerns that the disease could be established here if given the opportunity. Prompt identification and management of the affected area seems to have helped reduce its transmission, but it is still an area for concern.
Image from ‘Unsplash’
Lungworm in Dogs
Lungworm is spread to dogs via the ingestion of infected slugs or snails or via toys or bowls that have come into contact with contaminated slugs and snails. Once infected, the larvae develop into worms which reside in the heart and major blood vessel of the lungs.
What is the risk to your pet?
Symptoms of lungworm are variable but can include breathing problems and pneumonia as well as bleeding and neurological disorders. Symptoms can be mild initially but can progress to fatal disease if not identified and treated.
Is there any risk to human health
No
Who should consider treatment?
We know that lungworm presence in the UK can be very patchy, with the disease being much more prevalent in some local areas compared to others. Dogs that like to eat slugs and snails are at more risk and should receive regular treatment, but we should be conscious of the risk to all dogs if they have toys or bowls that are left outdoors. It is an area where more information on local exposure would massively help our understanding of risks to individual households. However, the only route to discovering that information is by regularly testing the pets that have not been treated for disease.
What are the next steps?
Thank you for investing so much time in reading this article, we know this hasn’t been a quick read! The next step is to consider what risks your pet is exposed to on a day-to-day basis and discuss any concerns with our team at the clinic. As it is clear, there is no “one solution fits all” and we are always happy to individualise the treatment plan for your pet and your household depending on what you are concerned about. To help with the costs we have a well-established Pet Health Club. Our Pet Health Club can provide you with an individualised vaccination and parasite treatment plan as well as unlimited vet and nurse consults among other benefits to help provide the care your pet needs.
For more information on this or anything else discussed in either of these articles, please feel free to contact us at the clinic. Otherwise, we hope they have been helpful and thank you very much for your time.
Best wishes,
The Team at Mayne Vets
More information can be found on the European Scientific Counsel Companion Animal Parasites (ESCCAP) website (https://www.esccap.org/)
(Summary table containing bite sized information on the article above)
Source
Risk To Pets
Risk to people
Fleas (Cat Flea)
Picked up outdoors or eggs brought into house after visiting infected households. Once established in a household, fleas can breed all year round and can take over a year to clear once discovered.
Irritation, Cat Scratch Fever, the symptoms of which can vary from mild flu like symptoms to serious disease in immunocompromised individuals.
Roundworms
Contact with contaminated soil, Eating undercooked meat Ingestion of other infected animals including rodents, birds and earthworms.
Rarely cause significant disease unless high worm counts in puppies and kittens.
Yes, but incidence is hard to know. Normally signs of infection in people are mild but larval forms of worms can travel to organs including eyes and liver.
Tapeworms
Fleas and Live Hunting, Eating infected carcass (livestock), Raw food diets that have been inadequately frozen.
Minimal risk to dogs and cats but can cause significant disease to other animals in lifecycle.
The dog tapeworm present in UK can cause significant disease in people but this is rare in UK.
Ticks
Picked up in long grass and wooded areas.
Tick borne disease would be greatest risk, including Lyme disease, anaplasmosis and babesia.
Tick borne diseases are also a risk to people including Lyme disease and tick – borne encephalitis.
Lungworm
Picked up from eating slugs or snails or contact with bowls or toys that been in contact with infected slugs and snails.
Yes, symptoms can vary from breathing problems and pneumonia through to bleeding and neurological disorders
We ask that you take the time to read the risks associated with general anaesthesia and surgery prior to your pet being admitted for their procedure.
Please note, we aim to minimise these complications as much as possible.
Pre-operative risks associated with surgery:
Minor side effects:
Redness and/or swelling
Reaction to the suture material
Bruising
Major side effects:
Sepsis
Hypothermia
Minor infection
Necessity for a second surgery
Bleeding
Herniation of the wound
Wound breakdown
Organ damage and /or trauma
Adhesion formation
Nerve damage
Death
Pre-operative risks associated with anaesthesia:
Potential side effects:
Nausea and/or vomiting
Restlessness
Drowsiness
Sore throat and/or coughing
Diarrhoea
Potential complications:
Compromised airway (this could be due to a number of reasons, such as: difficulty placing a breathing tube, inflammation of the airway, closure of the airway and/or specific breed related factors)
Regurgitation
Aspiration of stomach contents
Drug Reactions
Low blood pressure
Heart abnormalities (this could be a drop or elevation of heart rate during the procedure or a development of a murmur or arrhythmia)
Dogs and cats will need to have a late meal of wet or dry food at 10pm, this then needs to be removed at 10:30-11pm at the latest to ensure they are then starved before surgery. Water can be left down overnight, but taken up on the morning of the procedure.
Please keep cats indoors overnight with a litter tray so they don’t scavenge for food or hunt.
Coming in for a dental procedure:
Ideally, dogs and cats will need to have an small early meal of wet food at 6am, this then needs to be removed at 6:30am to ensure that they are starved before the procedure. Should your dog or cat not eat wet food, then the above instructions apply for feeding at 10pm.
Small Furries:
Small animals such as rabbits, guinea pigs and rats do not need to be starved, feed as normal. Ferrets should have their food withheld 4 hours prior to coming to the clinic.
Brachycephalic Breeds:
Certain breeds are more predisposed to gastric reflux, one of our nurses will contact you in advance should this apply and advise on any necessary pre-operative medication.
A veterinary nurse will aim to call you the day before your pet’s surgery to run through the admit form and answer any questions that you may have. This allows us to admit patients promptly on the day.
They will then allocate an admit appointment for the morning of their procedure, between 8:30 – 9:30am.
The day of your pet’s surgery
We ask that dogs are clean, have been walked outside and have toileted before coming to the practice.
If your pet has any special dietary requirements, such as a sensitive tummy or is raw fed, then please supply this on the day. We are happy for some bedding and toys to be brought in with your pet if you wish.
Small animals such as rabbits and guinea pigs may bring in a bonded companion for the day. Let our staff know ahead of the procedure. Please bring in their usual diet and greens, as it is important that small animals eat as soon as possible after surgery.
We ask that you are contactable throughout the day. These numbers will be confirmed with you. If you are not contactable, then all decision making regarding emergency and additional treatment will be left to the duty vet.
A veterinary nurse will call in the afternoon and update you on how your pet is recovering. We will then confirm Stray Rabbit’s home time.
Discharge appointments are between 3-6:30pm dependent on the day. If special requirements are needed, these will need to be arranged prior to or discussed on the day.
Pre Anaesthetic Blood Sample
Blood sampling allows us to identify any existing problems which would have an impact on the anaesthetic, such as kidney or liver dysfunction.
It allows us to establish normal baseline measurements to refer back to in the future should Stray Rabbit become unwell. These baseline measurements are very helpful should there be post-anaesthetic complications.
An additional cost of £74.00 applies.
Information on General Anaesthetics and Sedations
On admission we will give Stray Rabbit a health check and an intravenous catheter will be placed. We give a small dose of sedative to suppress anxiety and calm them: this dramatically reduces the amount of anaesthetic needed. Pain relief is also administered pre-emptively, dependent on the procedure.
Pain relief: We will most likely prescribe a pain relief, an anti-inflammatory drug for your pet to go home with. This will help reduce pain post-surgery, as well as reducing inflammation around the surgical site. Please let us know if you already have some at home and we can then advise on the correct dosage.
Anaesthetic induction: a small dose of short-acting anaesthetic is used to enable us to place an endotracheal tube, which supports the airway during the operation. This induction agent is an intravenous injection of a drug called Propofol.
Anaesthesia is maintained with oxygen and a gas called isoflurane. Isoflurane has very high safety margins. A Veterinary Nurse will monitor your pet through their anaesthetic. We use a multi parameter machines to monitor their blood pressure, carbon dioxide and oxygen levels and temperature.
Additional pain relief is given to your pet before they go home, if necessary.
Once the procedure is over, your pet is transferred into recovery for one-to-one care with a dedicated kennel nurse, who monitors and provides them with some TLC.
By carefully balancing the drugs given to your pet, we can ensure the safest and most pain-free operation possible.
Insurance
If your pet’s condition is covered by your insurance policy and you would like us to process a direct claim for the anticipated procedure, please contact the team to let them know. Direct claim requests need to be submitted to our team at a minimum of 7 days before the procedure is performed. This allows our team time to assess your insurance cover and submit a preauthorisation form to the insurance company where appropriate. You will then be asked to complete a direct claim agreement on the day.
Failure to notify the team of your wishes to settle your balance via direct claim may result in denial of a direct claim request or delay to your pet’s procedure.
If you are happy to pay the balance for the procedure on the day and for us to then make a subsequent insurance claim on your behalf, please refer to your insurance company as to how claims are processed and bring in a completed insurance claim form if required. Please be aware this may take up to 7-10 working days to be processed during busier periods.
There is a charge for processing insurance claims and pet owners are liable for any costs incurred for the treatment of their pet if their insurance company denies payment.
Out of Hours and Emergency Care
Out of hours care is provided by Vets Now Colchester. Mayne Vets do not have the facilities in place for hospitalising patients overnight. Veterinary advice can also be sort from Vidivet, exclusively for our clients. Please visit the website for more information: https://www.maynevets.co.uk/24-7-advice/
If you have any questions regarding the operation or information on these sheets please phone the clinic and speak to one of us on 01206 851338.
PART ONE: Where are we coming from and where are we going?
One of the more hotly debated topics in veterinary medicine at the minute is the use of parasiticides to protect our pets both from parasites and the diseases that these parasites may transmit to our pets and ourselves.
On one side of the debate, we have the parasitology experts who readily acknowledge that there is evidence that some of the products may be causing an environmental impact, and we should take care with their use, but point out we have a social obligation to be conscious of the impact that not treating for parasites may have. Not only on the welfare of our pets, but also the impact they can have on other animals including farm animals, wildlife and disease risks to the more vulnerable members of the human population.
On the other hand, those studying the environment are rightfully concerned that there is definite evidence that levels of the older generations of parasite drugs are building up in the environment and that these levels are having a negative impact on wildlife and the biodiversity of our planet. They are also concerned that, while there is currently little evidence to support the argument that the newer generation of parasite products are having an impact, if we wait for that evidence to arrive, it may be too late to act. As such we also have a social obligation to minimise the use of parasiticides wherever possible.
What we have tried to provide for you in this two-part article is a summary of what we know, what we suspect, and where we may need to gather more information. Part One will look at how we have approached parasite treatment in the past, what we know about the build-up of these products in the environment and what information we need to seek moving forward. Part Two will give more information about the parasites we would regularly treat in small animal medicine and the potential risks owners should be aware of when considering their personal treatment strategies.
A Quick Summary
As this is obviously a complex issue, we have started with a summary of the main three points:
We must stop using Fipronil and Imidacloprid products immediately
While the use of parasiticide drugs is under hot debate, there is little doubt from either side that these two drugs are causing real harm to the environment. They are possibly not the only issue but are certainly the two that there is a significant amount of evidence to show there is a problem. Their use in agricultural settings is already heavily regulated, however, there is significant evidence that their use in pet products is harming the environment. The levels found in wastewater coming from households is considered to be high enough to be causing an impact, and the drugs survive sewage treatment to make it into water environments. In addition to being found in our waterways, a new study has shown the levels of these drugs present in pet hair used to line nests may be causing a reduction in hatching of eggs in songbirds in the UK. In the absence of better government regulation in this area, it is down to vets and pet owners to ensure we are no longer using these products. Fipronil has been at the front line of treatment for fleas in dogs and cats for over a decade. It is currently present in several different products on the market. While these products are rarely prescribed in veterinary surgeries these days, Fipronil products are still one of the most popular “over the counter” products now available at pet shops and online without a prescription. On the other hand, Imidacloprid is still present in some parasite treatments prescribed by veterinary surgeons although many will no longer advocate their use due to environmental concerns.
If we want to reduce the amount of parasite products used, we will need to test more
For decades we have been using preventative treatment to reduce the risk of our individual pets catching parasites. It has been cheaper for the owner, easier and safer for the pet to do so. Now that we are moving away from the overuse of these drugs, it is important to realise there is a responsibility to ensure our pets are not infected. The only way we can do that is by regular testing for disease. The balance between regular testing and regular treatment is something that can be discussed with your vet to decide on an individualised parasite plan suitable to your pet.
We need to become more comfortable with the understanding that a reduction in use of preventative treatment for our pets may increase the level of risk to our pets and the wider human population
There is no getting away from the fact that the parasites our pets carry can result in disease risks both to themselves, their owners and the wider community. To be clear, these disease risks in the UK are low but the true level of their impact is hard to measure. It is important that any pet owner deciding on whether or not to treat their pet for parasites is clear on what these disease risks are, and how to minimise them. This is covered more in second part of these articles.
The Detailed Article
With the summary done, if you want to know more, please read on… It’s not going to be a short story… (maybe sit down with a cup of tea!) but we hope it will give a clear and full explanation of the challenges faced in this topic. This information is mainly considering the UK pet population and is a summary of where we are at in March 2025.
Where have we come from?: “Evidence based medicine” and “Do Least Harm”
Two of the tenants that form the foundation of responsible veterinary medicine are:
To make treatment plans based on all available evidence,
In the absence of sufficient evidence, to precede in a way that does the least harm.
One of the major challenges with deciding on appropriate parasite treatment protocols has always been the lack of definitive evidence on localised parasite risks. For example, we know Lyme disease, a disease transmitted by ticks, used to be mainly located in areas including the New Forest, the west coast of the UK and the highlands of Scotland. However, there is now evidence of it being found in tick populations throughout the UK, but little specific data of how prevalent it may be in any given area. We also know that lungworm has become established in the UK, especially in the south of England, but we don’t know how prevalent it is in local pockets around our local environment.
Given the serious health consequences of developing some of these parasitic diseases and the risk to human health in some circumstances, we as veterinary professionals and pet owners have traditionally decided the “least harm” route is to treat our pets with preventative treatment against these parasites to reduce the possibility of disease developing. This choice has been exacerbated by the fact it is usually cheaper for the owner to give preventative treatment to treat for parasites, than it is to test for the presence of the parasites themselves. Further to this, to make this treatment easier for most owners to give, companies have developed products that aim to treat all parasites in one tablet or spot on which can lead to over-treating for parasites that aren’t necessarily a concern for the individual animal.
What has changed?
The environment around us!
Again, the arguments around this area are heated and often contradictory. What we do know is that studies have shown a dramatic drop in the insect population within the UK along with a reduction in the biodiversity in our waterways. In addition, there are studies showing the level of drugs contained within some of the parasite treatments we use in the pet population have been found in our waterways (mainly fipronil and imidacloprid).
Now it is important to clarify that fipronil and imidacloprid have both been used in the agricultural industry for some time and this would have a significant impact on the levels found in waterways, but there is also evidence of these drugs present in waterways that were not near treated farms. A further study done in 2022 summarised that there was currently no clear evidence that parasiticides used in our pets were having a negative effect on the environment, but strongly stressed that this may be due to lack of evidence and called for in-depth regulatory investigation of the environmental risks of these drugs. A single study in 2017 also found moxidectin in waterways, and one Dutch study has shown evidence of flulaner in a water environment following a swim test with a dog that had been treated with that drug. Ultimately, a lot more research needs to be done to assess whether these drugs are truly having an impact on the environment.
We also need to see changes in the regulations surrounding what drug companies publish about their effects. While the use of parasiticides in agriculture are heavily regulated with regards to their environmental impact, there is less regulation regarding their use in pets. The argument being that the treatment of one dog or one cat has negligible effect on the environment, not taking into account the millions of pets being treated across the UK. This is something we believe needs to change.
So what to do next?
So while the cogs slowly turn in the regulatory bodies of the government and pharmaceutical industry, the question remains, what should we as pet owners be doing next?
Consider our individual household risk:
While the debate rages on as to whether and how much impact the use of parasite treatment used in the pet population has on the environment. It would seem prudent to reconsider the way we approach its use. We need to shift our thinking from simply “do least harm to the pet in our house” to also include “and do least harm to the environment around us” while also considering any potential health risk to the people living in our households and the local area.
However, this involves some difficult decisions and will ultimately come down to owners’ personal preference. There are risks that owners who chose to reduce their pet’s parasite prevention strategies should be aware of. Many of those risks are low, but again, it is an area that is hard to fill with absolute facts or figures.
With regards to discussing these risks, we have tried to summarise them as clearly as possible inPart Two of this article. Our goal has been to provide the information as clearly as possible, without being too alarmist! Our suggestion would be for you to read the information available, discuss it further on a one to one basis with your veterinary surgeon, and devise a parasite control strategy that you feel is best suited to your household.
Gather more information:
I suspect if you’ve read this far, you would agree that the most frustrating aspect of looking at the use of parasite treatments in pets is the persistent lack of information. We lack reliable information on:
how many cases of human illness derived from pet parasites are seen in the UK every year;
we lack data from the drugs companies about how these drugs are excreted into the environment and in what form (which they are currently under no legal obligation to research or provide);
we don’t have enough information about the prevalence of these diseases in our local environment.
We are collectively trying to navigate a sensible solution to the treatment of our pets while dealing with some significant information gaps. Now some of these measures are out of our hands. We need a clearer national (human and pet) disease monitoring systems; we need legislation changes for the drug manufacturers to publish more information about how these drugs are excreted; and we need continued environmental research into whether the use of these drugs are impacting the environment and to what level. Monitoring of parasiticide levels in waterways are still on going, but as far as we are aware, there is no testing being done on soil.
Test not treat:
However, the only way we can learn more about the prevalence of disease in local area is by testing our pets. This will take a shift in the mindset of pet owners and veterinary professionals alike. For example, it has been far cheaper for us to treat for intestinal worms rather than to test for them, so that is what we have generally suggested, and what clients have happily embraced. Similarly, we know that lungworm tends to exist in pockets in local areas, but it is only by testing our patients and forming a database of where pets have been, that we can start to form a map of where those pockets are.
Ultimately, the cost of these tests would need to be borne by the pet owners themselves. In an environment where the costs of providing veterinary medicine have escalated heavily in the last 4 years, we appreciate that the discussion of increased costs for veterinary care won’t be welcome to many. However, it is worth looking at the UK horse population as a good example of how positive change can be achieved.
Twenty years ago, horses were routinely treated for intestinal worms, but horse owners often struggled with accurately weighing and dosing their horses correctly. This led to a situation where horses may have been treated too often and with dosages of medications that were too low. We know that under dosing of parasite treatment can lead to the development of resistance and we were certainly seeing a developing issue in the horse population at that time. However, the industry responded very well and there has been a clear shift from “regular worming treatments” to “regular worm egg counts”.
This has subsequently led to appropriate dosing only when necessary which is not only beneficial to the horses themselves, but also to the reduction of developing resistance. While we would need to be more careful replicating this system in the pet population as there is a greater risk to people that are exposed to eggs produced by intestinal worms from our pets than those from intestinal worms in horses, a switch to regular worm counts rather than medicating could be possible if done correctly.
In summary
We need to consider making some major changes from funding of studies and regulatory changes from the government, right down to the way we discuss parasite treatment in our consult rooms and in our households with our pets. In the absence of concrete information, a lot of these decisions will come down to our personal assessment of risk. There are no right or wrong answers, but we would encourage you all to read the information provided, (avoid the misinformation found online!) then come and discuss your personal situation with a member of our vet team.
As the name suggests, this is the act of cleaning a pets teeth without the benefit of anaesthesia. Often with the use of sharp tools or an ultrasonic scaler. Just like in humans, this process requires the pet to sit still and not move their mouth during the procedure; an act that many humans find stressful enough, never mind our pets who don’t understand what is going on and why. At the end of the procedure you may end up with a pet with teeth that superficially look clean and shiny on the outer surface, but there are many potential problems to consider when assessing dental disease and the “shiny clean teeth” are most likely hiding the problem!
What can go wrong?
There are many concerns with anaesthesia free dental cleaning but the main three are:
Damage to teeth and gums: The periodontal tissue attaching teeth to gums is very delicate and can be easily damaged, especially if the patients moves their head while conscious during scaling with sharp or ultrasonic instruments. Damage to this tissue may lead to further dental disease or tooth loss.
Is the periodontal pocketbeing reached?: One of the most important areas of teeth to assess is the periodontal pocket. This is an area below the gum line that is the most impacted by dental disease. Assessment and cleaning of this pocket is a vital stage of any dental cleaning. It is not possible to do this effectively in a conscious pet. Cleaning and assessing this periodontal pocket below the gum line is considered to be an act of veterinary surgery and, as such, it is illegal for a non-veterinary surgeon to do, or to advertise this service.
What is being missed?: It is vital to remember that “cleaning” the teeth is only a small part of a dental scale and polish performed at a veterinary surgery. Many oral problems from dental disease through to early detection of oral tumours can only be diagnosed during complete general anaesthesia. Some even require the use of dental x-rays. While anaesthesia-free cleaning may result in clean looking teeth, it will also most likely delay the diagnosis of these diseases which may limit treatment options.
So why can I still see this service being advertised?
While the governing body of the veterinary profession, the RCVS, has powers to tackle and punish Veterinary Surgeons and Registered Veterinary Nurses that are acting in a way that is not in the best interest of the health and welfare of our patients. They have limited power to act on non-veterinary professionals advertising and performing acts of veterinary surgery illegally. Technically this would come under the remit of the Trading Standards, but they are notoriously slow to act within the veterinary field.
One of the hopes within the veterinary profession is that the CMA investigation may lead to updated legislation to improve the powers of the RCVS and close some of these loopholes. However, The RCVS and their standards committee have advised members of the public offering these services that they should be aware it is illegal for a non-veterinary surgeon to perform acts of veterinary surgery such as include cleaning under the gum line or tooth extraction. They are also reminding pet owners considering non-anaesthesia dentals that they have a responsibility under the Animal Welfare Act to avoid doing so.
More information on the RCVS stance on this can be found here: (https://www.rcvs.org.uk/document-library/a-statement-on-anaesthesia-free-dental-procedures-for-cats-dogs/)
What does a dental assessment at Mayne Vets involve?
When you book your pet in for a dental assessment with us, your pet will need to be placed under general anaesthesia, so the dental procedure can be performed far more safely and effectively. A dental assessment includes:
Full mouth dental x-rays
A dental assessment, to include probing, charting of the teeth and gums
Scale and polish of ALL surfaces of the teeth
These x-rays and dental charting will be assessed by one of our Veterinary Surgeons, who will then be able to provide feedback and advice on whether treatment, such as tooth extraction, is required.
If the dental assessment reveals that multiple or deep rooted teeth need to be extracted we will arrange this to be done as a second stage procedure. Doing this as a second stage procedure is better for:
– The patient as it reduces the anaesthetic risk for your pet by splitting the procedure over two shorter anaesthetics rather than one longer one.
– The owner as, following the assessment, they have a clearer understanding of what needs to be done, and why and at what cost before the second stage procedure has been started
– The veterinary team as it allows us to plan ahead for all the requirements for the anaesthesia but also, for the dental procedure itself, which can involve complicated and timely extraction of teeth in order for it to be done safely and correctly.
This February we are offering our clients 20% of dental assessments, spaces are limited to don’t forget to give us a call to get your pet booked in. Should your pet need to have a second stage procedure, Pet Health Club members get 10% off if booked in by the end of April.
As part of ‘National Pet Dental Month‘ we are offering our patients a FREE dental check with our wonderful Veterinary Nurses.
What will be included in the nurse dental check?
During a nurse dental check we can discuss with you the signs of dental disease, along with the treatment we are able to provide to treat it. More importantly we can discuss what steps you can start putting in place to prevent the dental disease returning, which we can then help you introduce with follow up checks if further treatment is needed.
Should they be recommended to book in for a dental assessment, we are offering 20% off throughout the month of February.
What if I am recommended to book in a dental assessment?
In order for us to carry out this assessment, your pet will need to be placed under general anaesthesia. A dental assessment includes:
Full mouth dental x-rays
A dental assessment, to include probing, charting of the teeth and interpretation of x-rays
Scale and polish of the teeth
We are offering 20% of dental assessments throughout February, so get yours booked in before the offer runs out!
Your pet will have x-rays taken of their whole mouth, an anaesthetic allows for us to do this safely and facilitate positioning for x-rays to be taken. The machine is positioned at a specific angle near your pet’s mouth, and an x-ray film is placed inside their mouth to capture the images. The process is painless and a full mouth series takes around 20 minutes to complete. Your pet will then have their teeth scaled and polished and a thorough dental assessment, involving charting, probing and scoring all surfaces of the teeth and gums. These x-rays and dental charting will be assessed by one of our Veterinary Surgeons, who will then be able to provide feedback and advice on whether treatment, such as tooth extraction, is required.
What if my pet requires a second stage procedure?
If the dental assessment reveals that multiple or deep rooted teeth need to be extracted we will arrange this to be done as a second stage procedure. Doing this as a second stage procedure reduces the anaesthetic risk for your pet by splitting the procedure over two shorter anaesthetics rather than one longer one. It also allows us to plan ahead for all the requirements for the anaesthesia but also, for the dental procedure itself, which can involve complicated and timely extraction of teeth in order for it to be done safely and correctly.
And finally as an owner, following the dental assessment, you will have a much clearer idea of what teeth need to be removed in that second stage dental and why, along with a far clearer estimate of what the cost of the procedure will be.
To help with these costs we are offering our Pet Health Club members a further 10% off their dental procedure should a second stage be required, if it is booked in before the end of April.
Our ‘Pet Owner Sustainability Series’ is going to cover many topics, hopefully sparking curiosity and allow us to consider how we can embrace the joys and benefits of our furry friends, in a more sustainable way. Have you ever stopped to consider the environmental impact of owning a pet? We’ve all heard the term carbon footprint and the effects that we as humans have on the planet, but what about your pet’s carbon paw print?
Pet food is the biggest contributor to your pet’s carbon paw print, from the ingredients used, its transport, importation and supply, to its packaging. According to Vet Sustain (a company dedicated to improving the environmental sustainability of veterinary practice and pet ownership), recent studies have shown the ingredients used to make up the contents of pet food amounts to 57% of the total carbon footprint of feeding our pets. Whereas we often see packaging and plastic as an important contributor, it actually only amounts to 12% of it’s carbon footprint. It is also worth remembering that often most pet food packaging is recyclable these days, whether through local schemes or at Pets at Home stores. Therefore, the focus should now be on what it used in our pet foods: are their produced in the UK, what are their environmental impacts, are they made by an eco-conscious company and do they take consideration into the welfare of the food producing animals used? And also how that food is stored, for example, does it need to be frozen?
Protein Sources
There is growing interest around alternative protein sources used in pet food, such as insect protein, cultured meats and algae, however more research is currently needed on their safety, nutritional value and true sustainability. The growth in the availability of insect protein based food, which do seem to have a significantly lower carbon footprint compared to other foods on the market, while also providing a novel protein source for pets with food allergies, but there is some debate within the industry as to the ethics of this protein type, especially around the area as to how “sentient” the insect grubs involved in the process are.
We know that animal protein sources, as with human diets, have more of an impact on the environment compared to plant proteins. There are vegetarian and vegan diets on the market, for both dogs and cats. It should be noted that dogs are ‘omnivores’, meaning their body systems are technically adapted to be able to be fed a vegetarian based diet. Whereas cats are ‘obligate carnivores’, meaning they require animal based protein in their diets. Therefore, we would not recommend feeding cats vegan or vegetarian diets they need certain amino acids in their diet which they can only get from animal protein sources.
The increased use of plant proteins may improve the sustainability of dog food. However, currently there is not enough research on the effects of these diets as to whether they meet the nutritional needs of our pets over an extended period of time.
What we do know
wet food has twice the carbon impact that dry food does
feeding your pet a raw diet can have up to 47 times more of an impact
high value meats have a higher impact than animal by-products
ingredients sourced from far away and from areas of deforestation will have a higher impact
lower impact meats like chicken, compared to beef, have a lower carbon impact
Not only do we want our pet’s food to be palatable and digestible, but when considering what you feed your pet does the pet food company:
support and recognise animal welfare in the production of its food