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Veterinary Guide puts Pain Control into Ruminant management Regime

PRESS RELEASE

May 2005

As well as being a welfare issue, pain has an adverse effect on ruminant demeanour leading to losses in performance, including reduced growth rates and milk yield.

Until now, information on pain and its management has been difficult to locate as the published literature is scattered and not readily accessible.

But, in partnership with Merial Animal Health, Wildlife Information Network (WIN) has been able to produce the latest volume in its electronic encyclopaedia – Pain Management in Ruminants.

Available over the internet and on CD-ROM for in-field use, heavily hyperlinked and well referenced, it will help veterinarians, students, farmers, researchers and others to understand the neurophysiology of pain, reasons for pain relief and when and how to provide it.

"As a company grounded in the principles of animal well-being ("cow comfort") and production, we believe that pain management is a crucial part of the modern veterinarian's toolkit," says Andy Forbes, head of European technical services for ruminants at Merial Animal Health. "Farmers and veterinarians must be aware of all the implications of any painful condition, not forgetting effects on the 'bottom line'. This easy-to-use information resource can only help them work more closely together to ensure high standards of welfare and productivity at all times."

Pain Management in Ruminants reviews behavioural and physiological responses to pain, reasons for pain relief and reasons for failure of such relief. It includes details of the detection of pain in common painful conditions and in clinical and management procedures (such as caesarean section and castration), and the prevention or alleviation of pain for such conditions and procedures. Details are given of 24 analgesics, their pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics and means of delivery across the full range of ruminant species.

Merial Animal Health constantly strives to provide up-to-date, independent advice on the optimal use of its products in the context of ruminant husbandry and farming practices. It is anticipated that this initiative will provide a timely update for animal health professionals, who in turn can benefit from the expertise of WIN.

Pain Management in Ruminants is available to members of WIN on CD-ROM for in-field working and via the Web-based encyclopaedia. Individual membership of the Wildlife Information Network charity costs £31.50 including P&P ($US52.50/€52.50) to include one CD-ROM of the subscriber's choice from the published list plus unlimited single-user access to the password-controlled Web-based electronic encyclopaedia and the electronic library.

Corporate or institutional membership, which includes a 'starter-pack' selection of every CD-ROM published by the charity and copies of all new volumes published during the period of membership, costs £470 per annum (€770) including VAT and postage for EU countries, or USD $675 including postage for the rest of the world. It also entitles holders of institutional subscriptions to nominate another institution in a developing country, who will similarly benefit from full membership of the WIN charity.

Applications should be made to info@wildlifeinformation.org.

Ends:

Issued by Wildlife Information Network, East Midland Zoological Society, Twycross

For further information please contact:

Iain Boardman: +44 (0) 1827 88 11 22 or e-mail: iboardman@wildlifeinformation.org

NOTES TO EDITORS

  1. The Wildlife Information Network (WIN) is a charity dedicated to making information on the health and management of captive and free-ranging wild animals and emerging infectious diseases available to wildlife professionals and decision-makers worldwide. WIN was set up 12 years ago by Yorkshire-born Suzanne Boardman, then a veterinarian at London Zoo who was receiving requests for information and technical support from all corners of the world. The information existed, but was fragmented and, in emerging countries, very difficult to obtain. WIN was inaugurated as a paper network of newsletters and collated information. It became a registered charity (No. 1048059) in 1995. Suzanne Boardman is now the Director of Twycross Zoo - East Midland Zoological Society and Iain Boardman is the Chief Executive of WIN.
  2. Wildpro© Multimedia is the software developed and used by WIN to provide information on the health and management of captive and free-ranging wild animals, and emerging diseases, on its Electronic Encyclopaedia and Library. It is a living document, with new information being added constantly through the development of new modules. It is researched, developed and published by WIN to provide information to decision-makers worldwide, and users include wildlife managers, researchers, government officials, veterinarians, field biologists, zoologists, laboratory diagnosticians, zoological collections, conservation and welfare organisations, universities, and students of a wide variety of disciplines. Information is made available on the Internet and by CD-ROMs.

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    • West Nile Virus
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  3. The Pain Management in Ruminants CD-ROM is available for review.