National Office of Animal Health

...for the welfare of all animals

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The National Office of Animal Health (NOAH) represents the UK animal medicines industry: its aim is to promote the benefits of safe, effective, quality medicines for the health and welfare of all animals.

NOAH launches Pet Health Information website

The Pet Health Information website features a wealth of animal health information and advice to help owners and potential owners to make informed decisions about their pets’ healthcare. With a wide range of topics including information on buying a pet, health guides, travelling abroad with your pet and first aid, the site features information on a range of species from dogs through to fish.

The Pet Health Information website, launched by chairman of the Companion Animal Welfare Council (CAWC), Lord Soulsby of Swaffham Prior, is a NOAH initiative to help raise awareness of safe, effective and preventative healthcare for pets.
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National Pet Month 2008 a great success - and charity gears up for 2009 celebrations!
National Pet Month, which took place from  5 April - 5 May 2008 with the theme 'Great British Pets' was once more a great success. NOAH is proud to be one of the three trustee organisations supporting the charity (along with PFMA and Pet Care Trust) which once again was sponsored by Iams.

National Pet Month 2009 will run from 4 April - 4 May. Check out the National Pet Month website to see how to get involved.

Sid and Wiggle visit Selfridges for the National Pet Month Hall of Fame photo gallery which was displayed during NPM

Veterinary Residues Committee (VRC) issues consumer fact sheet
The independent VRC has published a fact sheet for consumers explaining the Committee’s role in overseeing surveillance for residues and its findings.

Research among consumers found that most were content that farmers needed to use medicines to protect the health and welfare of animals. However, some thought food was ‘pumped up’ with hormones and antibiotics. This is not true. So the VRC fact sheet, endorsed by both RUMA and Foodaware (the Consumers' Food Group) sets out  the real position.

Peter Jones is new NOAH Honorary member

Peter Jones has been made an Honorary Member of NOAH, in recognition of his contribution to NOAH and to the animal health industry.
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NOAH Annual Dinner

The NOAH dinner took place on 23 April 2008

NOAH raffle raises funds for BVA Animal Welfare Foundation

Phil Sketchley, NOAH chief executive, presents a cheque to BVA Animal Welfare Foundation chairman Carl Padgett. Many thanks to the NOAH members who kindly donated prizes and to guests for their generosity in buying tickets.


 Antibiotics for Animals
Animals, just like humans, can suffer from disease. Healthy animals mean healthy food. NOAH believes it would be a rejection of our responsibility towards the production of healthy food to deny animals access to medicines which keep them healthy. Animals need antibiotics too.
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'It shouldn't happen to a pet' winner rewarded
The story of ‘Spliff’ the Staffy has clinched the title of the National Office of Animal Health (NOAH) nationwide search for the most striking ‘it shouldn’t happen to a pet’ anecdote. Submitted by Vets4Pets in Grimsby, the practice received a prize of £500 towards the staff Christmas party. NOAH’s search prompted considerable interest from practices and pet shops around the country, highlighting the lack of awareness of pet health issues amongst owners.

In a campaign to raise awareness of the importance of animal health and welfare considerations amongst pet owners and potential owners, NOAH has launched the Pet Health Information website to enable them to make informed decisions about their pets’ healthcare.


Formal Code of Practice Reprimand for Pfizer Animal Health
The NOAH Board has issued a formal reprimand to Pfizer Animal Health following a breach of an Undertaking relating to the promotion of Spirovac®. Pfizer will be writing to all recipients of the offending material to apologise, and to correct any misunderstanding that may have arisen.
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2007 animal antimicrobial figures are the lowest yet
NOAH has welcomed the publication by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate of the 2007 figures for antimicrobial use in the UK. The report showed the lowest amount of antimicrobials used in animals since publication of the figures started 10 years ago.
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RUMA celebrates its 10th anniversary!
The RUMA (the Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture) Alliance - of which NOAH is a member  - held a seminar in London on 25 June called 'A responsibility to change - a challenge for RUMA'. Chaired by Bill Wiggin MP (Shadow Minister for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs), the event attended by around 60 leaders in British food production, focussed on why it was established, what it is doing now and its challenges for the future.


Back row - Gerardine Padbury; Bill Wiggin MP; RUMA director Tony Andrews (hiding!); founding chairman Brian Jennings; current chairman Peter Allen. Front row Prof Steve Dean; Dr Ian Brown; Declan O'Brien; Philippa Wiltshire

For more about RUMA look at the RUMA website www.ruma.org.uk or download the RUMA factsheet.

How much do we really love our pets?
New research has revealed that 91% of Brits say pets have a positive impact on children and over half believe pet owners are more responsible citizens. What’s more, seven out of ten surveyed believe that pet ownership makes you more intuitive to the needs of others, whilst almost two thirds (62%) say pet owners are more caring. And yet, additional research showed that, as a nation, we don’t give our faithful companions the due care and attention they deserve.

Research released by NOAH to mark the launch of the Pet Health Information website illustrates a shocking lack of awareness of pet health issues, such as worming and vaccination, amongst some pet owners.

Celebrity vet Scott Miller discussed the research in a series of radio interviews with NOAH chief executive Phil Sketchley

The research said pet owners fall into two categories – those who are ‘preventers’ and those who are ‘non-preventers’. Whilst both camps agreed that responsible pet ownership equalled love and attention resulting in caring, feeding and exercising their pets, disease prevention was often not seen as part of this love with only 55% of dogs and 46% of cats over two years of age being vaccinated against potentially fatal diseases. Click here for more..

Jobs and Vacancies in the Animal Health Industry
From time to time, this website publishes details of jobs and vacancies in the animal medicines industry.
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 NOAH chairman 2008/09

This year's NOAH chairman Howard Wilder (Genitrix - right) with extreme athlete Chris Moon, pictured at the NOAH Annual Dinner in April.
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New RUMA vaccination checklist
The vaccination of the first animals against Bluetongue virus has been very much in the farming – and indeed public – eye recently. It has been welcomed as a major breakthrough in fighting disease and securing good farm animal health and welfare.

But of course Bluetongue is not the only disease that can be prevented by vaccination, and cattle and sheep are not the only species that can benefit. All cattle, sheep, pigs and poultry can receive the benefits of vaccines to prevent them breaking down with disease. However for this to be as effective as possible vaccination must be done RIGHT.

To this end, the Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture (RUMA) has launched a check list to ensure the RIGHT Animals, receive the RIGHT pre-vaccination Management, and RIGHT Handling, using the RIGHT Vaccine, with the RIGHT Vaccine Care, and RIGHT Timing, using the RIGHT Route, at the RIGHT Site and the RIGHT Technique.
Click here to link to the RUMA website to find out more...

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