Molecare News Summer 2016 Two years on at Molecare... Equine update... AMR and the O’Neil Report... smaXtec update... Ensuring optimum In this issue: fertility in rams... Scan now – save later... Lungworm in cattle... Bluetongue. Looking ahead the big challenge for all in the animal health Two years on at industry will be the increasing awareness of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) and the pressure that will be coming on Molecare to reduce antibiotics use. Ultimately we will have less choice over antibiotics and we will have to prove a need before Time has flown by – In August it will have been prescribing. We do believe that by working with your vet you can implement more preventative strategies to improve two years since St David’s Farm Practice and health and reduce antibiotic use. Mole Valley Farmers announced the Molecare joint venture. In that time we have successfully Our equine services have also been developing. If you merged the two veterinary practices and have require specific equine veterinary care, St David’s Equine Practice will now be providing the equine veterinary services continued to grow. for Molecare in the Newton Abbot, Cullompton and South The TB tender and the subsequent 30% reduction in fees had Molton regions. They provide excellent routine healthcare the expected negative impact on the business. Our aim was at competitive prices but also have access to high quality to continue to provide a quality TB testing service and we diagnostic equipment and treatment facilities at their clinic if have achieved that. With other local veterinary practices it is needed. dropping TB testing we have picked up work. Next year will We would like to thank all our clients for their continued see another TB tender and we are expecting to see fees support. Across the three Molecare practices, we have a reduced again! team of extremely dedicated and experienced vets - please We were excited to hold our first Molecare Dairy Conference contact us if you would like any advice or more information in April – which was a great success. With the focus on about the services we provide. innovation in the dairy industry, presentations included Cow Signals, Transition Health, an insight into Fleckvieh cross Molecare Dairy Conference, breeding and also an exciting debate led by Chris Walkland April 2016 on the current and future dairy market. Moreover, the smaXtec bolus technology was also launched at the event and the system has been implemented with success on a number of farms already. The introduction of this technology under the Molecare brand signals our aim to be at the forefront of animal health developments. Animal health and performance continues to be our main focus. With the requirement for veterinary involvement in Herd Health Plans and the National Johne's Action Group looking to focus the UK dairy industry on positive Johne's disease action plans we have plenty of work to do. There is also a national BVD scheme – BVD Free England - being rolled out from July. Neither of these schemes are funded but are being led by the industry. Please ask for more information – within our teams we have a lot of experience in Johne's and BVD control. St David’s Farm Practice in partnership with Mole Valley Farmers molecarevetservices.com Equine update AMR and the O’Neil Equine veterinary services in the South Report – what are the Molton, Cullompton and Newton Abbot areas consequences for Mole Valley Farmers are now offering equine veterinary services to complement the farm animal service provided farming? by Molecare Farm Vets in the Cullompton, Newton Abbot and South Molton areas. Rather than supply these equine Tony O’ Loughlin BVSc MRCVS services directly, Mole Valley Farmers have arranged for them to be supplied by a long established equine In 2014 David Cameron commissioned the Independent veterinary practice in South Devon, St David’s Equine Review on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR). This is in response Practice. Customers enquiring about equine veterinary to the rising levels of AMR and the enormous threat it cover will be directed to St David’s Equine Practice. poses to global human health. They have published 8 papers and the final review was published in May this St David’s Equine Practice have a 40 year history of year. The review was chaired by economist – Jim O’Neil veterinary care for horses, ponies and donkeys in the – and covered the use of antimicrobials in humans and South West. Six equine only veterinary surgeons provide agriculture and the consequences of AMR if not controlled. a locally based service in the South Molton, Cullompton, The term antimicrobials covers antibiotics but also antivirals, Newton Abbot and Okehampton regions backed up with antifungals and parasiticides. Antibiotics are the main excellent clinic based facilities in the main clinic between concern. Exeter and Exmouth. The practice focus is to provide The main aim of the review was to establish a way forward routine healthcare services to clients at competitive prices to protect antimicrobials and their effective future use in with the expertise and facilities to diagnose and treat human health. The use of antimicrobials in agriculture is more complicated cases when needed. Low cost routine included as the report concluded there is a link between use visits are carried out regularly in the different zones of the in agriculture and the increasing AMR issue in humans… practice region and a number of offers are available to make the cost of routine healthcare procedures such as “The issue of antibiotic use in agriculture and its impact vaccination and dental treatment more affordable. The on drug resistance has been recognised by the World main clinic houses a full surgical theatre with specialist Health Organisation (WHO) as part of its Global Action Plan, surgeons, in-patient facilities and round the clock nursing requiring its member countries to develop National Action care, the only bone scanning unit south west of Bristol Plans to tackle AMR which incorporate considerations of University, digital radiography and ultrasound, gastroscopy animal usage. It has also been recognised by both the UN’s and a practice laboratory. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE).” The current estimate of deaths globally from AMR is 700,000/ year. If AMR increases as it is doing for certain pathogens then the projected deaths in 2050 are 10 million/year – the biggest cause of death ahead of cancer and any infectious disease. This may be a “worse case” scenario but it is possible, hence the review and the need for urgent action. The review delivers 10 interventions that each detail specific areas. These areas cover public awareness, sanitation, vaccine use, research, diagnostics and combined global action. One intervention is focused purely on agriculture. Intervention 3: Reduce unnecessary use of antimicrobials in agriculture and their dissemination into the environment The 3 action points within this intervention are… 1. 10 year targets to reduce unnecessary antibiotic use in agriculture. 2. Restrictions and/or bans on certain types of highly critical antibiotics. 3. Improved transparency from food producers on their use For more information on the services available from St of antibiotics. David’s Equine Practice please contact the main clinic on 01392 876622 option 2. Our office staff, Claire Hawkins and Antibiotic use targets will be set with the aim of reducing the Zoe Hodgson or nursing staff Janie McDonald and Arianne amounts used. This will be measured by mg product/kg Attfield will be pleased to answer your questions. You can liveweight. There are no targets set yet but Denmark and also visit www.stdavids-equine.co.uk for more information Holland already use this within their pig industries. In 10 years on our summer offers and zone visits. they halved their use of antibiotics – within an increasingly Molecare News Summer 2016 productive industry – with no negative health or production need to be informed by up-to-date surveillance information effects. and a rapid diagnostic test wherever one exists.” The main target will be the use of antimicrobials as growth The third action point calls for improved transparency – this promoters – where they are included at lower doses within will mean open records. If we are to measure use and assess feed/water to improve performance. Prophylactic use responsible use then this is a consequence. This may be a – where they are used to prevent disease – will also be contentious point but as responsible food producers, we will targeted. A current example in the dairy industry is the use have to embrace this. of dry cow therapy – this is now coming under review and selective dry cow therapy is advocated. The principle is that What does it mean for the UK farming we can only use antibiotics where clinically justified. industry? “There are circumstances where antibiotics are required in The fundamental challenge will be to manage our agriculture and aquaculture – to maintain animal welfare antimicrobial use sensibly and to work to reduce it. As vets and food security. However, much of their global use is not committed to the future of our livestock industry, we work for treating sick animals, but rather to prevent infections or with our clients to actively reduce antibiotic usage. Simple simply to promote growth.” measures like effective vaccine programmes can make big improvements in health. Management and environmental The review recognises that the health and welfare of investment do reduce disease and improve health and animals is important and we must continue to treat sick production leading to reduced antibiotic use. animals, but we should be looking to reduce the therapeutic use of antibiotics to treat sick animals by improving the We will not have a choice.