MerlinVet & Numnuts at The Highlands & Islands Veterinary Services Scheme Conference
February 12, 2025
MerlinVet’s Managing Director, David Taylor, and MerlinVet-cel’s Group Business Development Manager, Jane Hutcheon, recently attended the annual Highlands & Islands Veterinary Services Scheme Conference in Inverness.
The scheme’s aim is to ‘ensure the provision of an adequate veterinary service to prevent & eradicate animal diseases for all animals kept for agricultural purposes and belonging to crofters and others of like economic status.’ The Highlands & Islands Veterinary Services Scheme
supports large animal veterinary practices in remote areas of the Scottish Highlands and Islands to provide practical veterinary cover to crofters and their animals, which is vital in the role of preventing & identifying anim al disease.
Clarification on the Law in Scotland
Andrew Voas, Scottish Government Veterinary Head of Animal Welfare spoke on the updated legislation of lamb tail docking and castration. As distributors of Numnuts, the MerlinVet team were able to demonstrate to vets the advantages and ease of use of the device, thus being able to support their farmers when the time comes later in Spring. Andrew Voas reaffirmed that it is legal in Scotland to use rings for lamb marking up to 12 weeks of age provided that a local anaesthetic is used. Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) officers in attendance stated that now that there is a legal and approved means of applying local anaesthetic at the time of ringing, then farms who are ringing at over 7 days and not using local anaesthetic will be penalised.
This clarification brings significant relief to Scottish farmers and veterinarians seeking reassurance on the legality of using Numnuts. This innovative method minimises the pain and distress typically associated with traditional rubber ringing procedures. Scottish legislation allows this practice up to 3 months, ensuring adherence to animal welfare standards and providing a compassionate alternative to older methods.
Current legislation is more restrictive in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, with rubber rings for castration or tail docking being prohibited on lambs older than 7 days. We are hopeful that the situation will change - please consider petitioning your local MP or NFU Representative to align the legislation across the UK.
Numnuts®
Numnuts® is a 2-in-1 device that administers an Elastrator® ring along with a pre-calibrated dose of local anaesthetic. This device makes giving fast-acting targeted pain relief for castration and tail docking of lambs easy, fast, and safe. The Numnuts® Device allows farmers and vets to provide best practice without compromising on safety and efficiency. No other device exists that allows farmers and vets to provide targeted pain relief to lambs during tail docking and castration.
View more information on Numnuts here
Order Numnuts here
Other sessions also included the eradication of sheep scab, and Glasgow Vet School gave a demonstration of their calving simulator used for vet students and farmers. Hector Low from Stornoway Vets, pictured below with Jane, won the prize raffle competition on the stand, taking home a bottle of MerlinVet-branded Caorunn Gin.
We are thrilled to announce Samaxia as a new partner for MerlinVet-cel Buying Group, offering exclusive UK non-prescription pet health products to all members. As a dedicated family-run team, mother and son, Sam and Max (and occasionally roping in Justin – still smarting that his names not included in the company!) have passionately built Samaxia over the past two years. Committed to personalised service, Samaxia are excited to meet MerlinVet-cel members virtually or face to face. No matter where you are in the country, they’re happy to connect with you, ensuring your practice can fully benefit from their innovative health solutions for pets and unique novel practice disinfectants. . Discover the full range of Samaxia’s products below. Visit the Samaxia website here . Contact Samaxia here . MerlinVet-cel members can benefit from discounts on a number of products through Samaxia. To find out more, please check your latest MerlinVet-cel Member Newsletter or visit the Portal . If you're not yet a member of MerlinVet-cel, but would like to benefit from joining our Buying Group, please contact us today.
We have launched our new MerlinVet Group Website - a one-stop shop for all the Merlin Family. This includes easy links to ordering through our MerlinVet UK Warehouse and MerlinVet Export sites, viewing the benefits of our MerlinVet-cel buying group and MerlinSPS Health Plan Solutions, as well as MerlinSalus PAM personal anaesthetic monitoring. Use our website to find out the latest product news, learn more about all parts of Merlin, as well as view the events where you can meet the team in 2025. Get to know how we can help add some animal magic to your practice by visiting our new Group website today: https://merlinvetgroup.com/
Every workplace faces challenges, but with WorkNest by your side you don’t have to tackle them alone. As our trusted Employment Law, HR, and Health & Safety partner, WorkNest is here to help with your everyday queries, pressing concerns, and any unexpected issues that may arise. Resources at your fingertips: Your membership gives you access to a great range of useful resources to support you with Employment Law, HR and Health & Safety issues. You can find some of WorkNest’s recent and most popular documents below: Employment Facts & Figures Reference Guide 2024/25 Guide to the Employment Rights Bill Preventing Sexual Harassment at Work Checklist Guide to Fair and Unfair Dismissals Upcoming webinars – free to join: WorkNest regularly host webinars to keep you updated on key topics across Employment Law, HR and Health & Safety. Save the date for these two sessions in January: Employment Rights Bill | your questions answered 16th January, 2pm In this session, WorkNest will answer employers’ common queries and help you prepare for change, ensuring your business stays compliant in 2025 and beyond. Register here What’s in Store for Health and Safety in 2025? 30th January, 11am In this webinar they will explore the key changes and trends that employers and OHS professionals should watch out for in 2025. Plus, they’ll update you on the HSE’s priorities and review several significant prosecution cases from 2024 to help keep your workplace safe and compliant in the year ahead. Register here How to access support: You can contact WorkNest’s experts directly through the advice line to help you manage issues, which is included as a part of your membership. Call: 0330 912 4783 Email: vetcel@worknest.com Need support? WorkNest offers an unlimited fixed-fee service that delivers tailored, comprehensive Employment Law, HR, and Health & Safety solutions to organisations of all sizes. This includes hands-on guidance from a dedicated Health & Safety Consultant, covering workplace inspections, risk assessments, policies, and more. You’ll also benefit from personalised support from a dedicated team of Employment Law experts who can assist with employee issues and ensure your employment policies, contracts, and handbooks are robust, up-to-date, and provide maximum protection for your organisation. To find out more about this tailored service, contact WorkNest on 0345 226 8393 or email enquiries@worknest.com quoting MerlinVet-cel.
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