news 2013

Overpopulation in cats is recognised to contribute to high numbers of cats entering rescue shelters each year. New research suggests that the high number of unwanted kittens may be due to common misconceptions held by cat owners. The research led by academics at the University of Bristol's School of Veterinary Sciences is published online in the Veterinary Record .

Academics at The University of Nottingham have launched two free internet resources for vets. Scientists from the Centre for Evidence-based Veterinary Medicine (CEVM) at the School of Veterinary Medicine and Science have launched BEstBETS for VETS ( www.bestbetsforvets.org ) and VetSRev ( www.nottingham.ac.uk/cevm/vetsrev ).

Ageing animals from their teeth goes back to the time that man first started keeping animals. New research has applied modern statistical techniques to investigate the association between the stages of dentition in cattle and their age to give a more detailed explanation of the differences between the sexes and various breeds of cattle in the UK.

Despite current recommendations by UK welfare organisations that cats should be neutered at four months, a new study from the 'Bristol Cats' study cohort has shown that 85 per cent of pet cats are not neutered by the recommended age possibly due to cat owners needing better information about when to neuter their cat.

A study has gained new insight into domestic dogs' fear responses to noises. The behavioural response by dogs to noises can be extreme in nature, distressing for owners and a welfare issue for dogs. The research by academics from the School of Veterinary Sciences at the University of Bristol, and funded by the RSPCA , is published in Applied Animal Behaviour Science .

The UK dog population is estimated to be around ten million, with dogs producing approximately 1,000 tonnes of excrement each day. New research has shown that dogs act as a major source of the parasite egg, Toxocara, which can potentially contaminate the public environment and infect humans.