The Working Equid Veterinary Manual has been published by international equine welfare organisation The Brooke.

It offers advice on care for working horses, donkeys and mules including treatment of colic and wounds, and infectious diseases, such as glanders and epizootic lymphangitis.

Tamsin Hirson, The Brooke's senior vet advisor, said: "There are 100 million horses, donkeys and mules used by people in the developing world to support themselves. However, more than half of working equids will suffer from exhaustion, dehydration and malnutrition because of excessive workloads and limited health services."

Keepers at Edinburgh Zoo are celebrating the birth of the zoo's first ever baby banteng calf, who is already happily cantering around the enclosure.

Banteng are listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List, with habitat loss and hunting said to be the two greatest threats to the species. Native to south-east Asia, banteng are very close to extinct in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos.

Lorna Hughes, team leader for hoof stock and primates at the zoo says the calf, who has been named Kala, is doing well. "He's going from strength to strength and is already proving very popular with our visitors - he certainly has a lot of character!

"This birth is a positive step in helping towards the conservation of these endangered animals as well as educating visitors about their plight." (Image credit Katie Paton)

After raising 50,000 during last year's event, Vet Charity Challenge is back in September 2014. This year, participants will be raising money for Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, SPANA and Cats Protection. The challenge involves teams of four walking or running, cycling and kayaking, as well as some orienteering and mental and physical tasks. It is set to take place on Saturday, September 27 at St Francis School, Pewsey, near Marlborough in Wiltshire. Registration will open in April and booking early is recommended to avoid disappointment. For further information see the Vet Charity Challenge website.

Sir Roger Moore's call for a boycott of a new department store over its plans to sell foie gras, has led to a dramatic u-turn this week.

Fortnum and Mason abandoned plans to sell foie gras at its Dubai store, following a campaign by People for the Ethical Treament of Animals (PETA).

A PETA advertisement, featuring former James Bond actor Sir Roger, and recorded in Arabic, was released just days before the u-turn and attracted widespread media attention within the United Arab Emirates.

PETA said an undercover investigation of the farms in France that were due to supply foie gras to Fortnum and Mason, revealed that product did not meet halal requirements.

Islamic law states that animals must not be under stress or in discomfort before slaughter and must not be diseased, mutilated or deformed.

Foie gras production involves huge amounts of grain and fat being pumped into the stomachs of geese through metal pipes rammed down their throats.

Their distended livers can swell to up to 10 times their normal size and press against their lungs, causing them to pant constantly.

Ralph Fiennes, Dame Vera Lynn, Ricky Gervais and MP Zac Goldsmith are among the high-profile people who joined Sir Roger in his call to for the store to abandon its plans to sell "torture in a tin".

Avian experts and veterinary surgeons agree that there is no humane way to produce foie gras.

"Fortnum and Mason's decision not to sell foie gras in Dubai represents a significant step in getting this 'torture in a tin' out of all its stores", Sir Roger said.

"The company is tacitly acknowledging that this vile victual has no place in its future plans, and the next logical step would be for Fortnum to make this a company-wide policy."

You can view Sir Roger's PETA advert here.

For more information on PETA click here. Image by Frantogian

A pot of 10 million is now available for small and medium size businesses to help fund innovative energy efficient products.

The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) Energy Entrepreneurs Fund, is available for projects that result in decreasing carbon emissions, produce energy from waste and reduce consumer bills.

The closing date for expressions of interest for is on Monday - visit www.gov.uk

For information about the ways that The University of Nottingham can help email melanie.watts@nottingham.ac.uk or phone 0115 846 7668.

Image by Chuck Coker

Close to 120 expert speakers from around the world, are set to address the BSAVA Congress.

The countdown is on for the congress which will be held from April 3 to April 6 at The ICC/NIA in Birmingham.

More than 3,000 delegates and 250 exhibitors have already booked for the event.

The congress has been part of the veterinary industry calendar since 1958.

"BSAVA Congress remains relevant and essential for the whole profession because it is created entirely by the very people it seeks to serve" says Farah Malik, a veterinary surgeon and Congress Chair who leads a team of 30 enthusiastic volunteers.

"So with a rich history and great experience comes a desire to give vets, VNs and practice managers four days that have a very real impact when they get back to work."

Among the speakers will be international respected cardiologist John Bonagura, dermatology expert Karen Moriello, and clinical anatomist and television presenter Prof Alice Roberts.

Topics include practical haematology, feline medicine cases, spinal surgery, practical investigation of abdominal disease and autoimmune skin disease in cats.

The big issues stream will look at pet travel, microchipping, and a session with chief veterinary officers from across the UK. There will also be presentations on the challenges of rabies eradication with Sarah Cleaveland and Luke Gamble.

In Neurology without an MRI, Holger Volk will lead a host of UK neurologists to demonstrate how practitioners can save both time and money by investigating these cases without using expensive equipment.

A series of streams covering controversies will debate the latest in orthopaedics and endocrinology.

There is also a congress banquet on Friday, and entertainment on Saturday night featuring comics Marcus Brigstocke and Rhodri Rhys, as well as live band Lawson playing their chart topping hits before a late night disco.

BSAVA President Prof Michael Day said: "A new element for congress this year is our Student Bursary Scheme and Student Day.

"For the first time, we are offering 50 student bursaries to enable clinical veterinary students to attend congress as full delegates and we are providing travel and accommodation expenses for these bursary recipients. I hope that this will be valued by our colleagues of the future."