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Introduction: The publication of J. J. Wirth's layman's handbook to healthier cattle farming practices in 1842 met with such unexpected demand even beyond the Canton of Grisons, that a second revised and updated edition was published by one of his successors in the charge of -cantonal veterinary officer, J. L. Wallraff, twenty years later. Through the analysis of these two mid-nineteenth century editions, one can observe how farming and herding practices changed in the Grisons, as concerns the developments in veterinary practices by both -professionals and laypersons in the treatment and prevention of injury, illness and disease in livestock. A comparison of the two editions demonstrates what -remarkable advancements in veterinary medicine were made in the mountainous Canton of Grisons in the second half of the 19th century, especially concerning epidemic controls within a short twenty-year span.

Introduction: The increasing professionalization and the cost pressure on farms combined with a decreasing availability of veterinary expertise procures the demand for treatments and interventions performed by non-veterinarians. A current survey resulting in 56 responses of food animal practitioners showed that a majority delivered pour-on anthelmintics, drugs for oral application and ointments after respective instruction to farmers. Udder injectors, antimicrobials and vaccines were handled more restrictively, but even hormones were committed by more than half of the veterinarians to livestock owners. In respect to interventions, most practitioners supported that farmers perform functional foot trimming, administration of boli, inseminations, dehorning and castrations of calves. By contrast, many veterinarians refused that farmers apply intravenous injections, insert a trocar or treat sole ulcers. In respect to the future development, implications of non-veterinarian interventions on animal welfare, consumer protection and drug safety have to be considered. Indispensable are qualification and skills of the person performing interventions which can be acquired by certificated training courses. Moreover, a basic conception and taking responsibility in particular for application of veterinary drugs is mandatory - in this respect, at present marked deficits exist among many farmers. Based on the current legal situation, several interventions can be delegated to non-veterinarians, but the technical responsibility for the proper implementation is due to the veterinarian. This includes an evaluation of interventions and treatments on a regular basis together with the farmer. On this basis, the assessment of clinical symptoms as well as the initial treatment can be useful and appropriate to ensure a rapid therapy especially in animals suffering from factorial diseases. Having in mind profound differences in respect to the competence of non-veterinarians, general procedures to deliver drugs and to delegate interventions have to be rejected. Advanced diagnostic procedures and the prescription of veterinary drugs remain an exclusive mission of the veterinarian.

Introduction: For a long time there has been a debate in Switzerland as to whether the veterinary farm animal service is still sufficiently guaranteed. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the supply and demand of veterinary services for cattle and pigs through a representative survey of veterinarians and farmers. The results revealed that the veterinary farm animal service was rated by the majority of both, farmers and veterinarians, to be good or very good. Veterinary service shortages exist partly in mountain and peripheral regions, in small areas in otherwise well-served regions and in the canton of Ticino. By contrast, about one third of farm animal practices are rather underutilized and would prefer to increase livestock numbers. The emergency service is currently very well guaranteed. Ninety-five percent of veterinarians and farmers stated that on-site emergency service is provided within an hour or less. The quality of veterinary services were also assessed positively by the farmers. While a third of respondents said veterinary care improved compared to five years ago, only two percent felt that veterinary care had deteriorated. Almost all veterinarians stated that vacancies in farm animal practices were difficult to fill adequately. The majority of practice owners do not receive enough applications from suitable candidates. In addition, the majority of applicants were not trained in Switzerland. The security of farm animal veterinary service is currently mostly good to very well guaranteed. However, there is a lack of veterinarians trained to meet the future needs of farm animal veterinarians.

Introduction: A retrospective study was conducted which analysed the patient histories of free-living birds of prey presented to the Clinic of Zoo Animals, Exotic Pets and Wildlife of the University of Zürich from 2009 to 2015. The data were compared with a previous study on the period from 1985 to 1994. The average number of cases presented per year increased from 55 to 109. Most cases are presented in the months of February, June and July. Surgical problems were most frequently diagnosed and occurred in 61.5% of the cases, with 66.5% of patients presenting with one or more fractures. Regarding medical cases (29.5%) the most frequent finding was unspecified weakness (47.8%). Ophthalmic pathologies were diagnosed in 9% of the patients. With respect to outcome 41.7% of the patients could be released, 47.3% and 11.0% had to be euthanized or died, respectively. In 6 of 9 of the most frequently presented species the rate of release increased significantly compared to the previous study.

In human oncology, novel targeted therapy focusing on monoclonal antibodies and tyrosine kinase inhibitors has become an attractive anticancer strategy. The introduction of antiangiogenetic drugs and metronomic chemotherapy has also increased the therapeutic arsenal. Chemotherapy still plays a key role in the treatment of many tumors affecting dogs and cats. However, novel anticancer strategies (including tyrosine kinase inhibitors and monoclonal antibodies, as well as antiangiogenetic treatments) are becoming relevant in veterinary medicine, too. The goal of this review is to describe new therapeutic strategies for cancer treatment in veterinary medicine, including less well-known chemotherapeutic drugs.

Three international panels have been established over the past 11 years to provide veterinarians with guidelines on the use of feline vaccines. These are the American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) Feline Vaccine Advisory Panel, the World Small Animal Association Vaccine Guidelines Group (WSAVA VGG) and the European Advisory Board on Cat Diseases (ABCD). The major recommendations of these three panels are summarised to show areas of agreement and areas of discrepancy. While the recommendations of the three groups are not fully aligned, all agree that core vaccines (those that every cat should receive) include panleucopenia virus (FPV), calicivirus (FCV) and herpesvirus (FHV-1) (with the addition of rabies virus where it is endemic or mandated by law). All the panels also recommend booster vaccination for the three core vaccines at intervals of more than one year in many situations (up to every three years for FCV and FHV-1 after the first booster, and at intervals no more frequently than every three years for FPV after the first booster), in view of the studies evaluating the duration of immunity for these vaccines. Precise recommendations vary though, and further studies are needed to provide additional information to clarify areas of discrepancy and further refine recommendations for the future. Ultimately the aim should be to vaccinate cats less frequently (based on a knowledge of the true duration of immunity conferred by vaccination), but to vaccinate more cats (and ideally every cat).

Companion animals are increasingly brought along by their owners to foreign countries. Thus, small animal travel medicine is becoming more important. The field includes both prophylaxis and metaphylaxis against various infectious diseases, as well as their diagnosis and treatment. Dogs returning from Southern Europe, but also from more tropical regions, may be infected with exotic pathogens. In addition, imported pedigree or working dogs, and especially stray dogs imported through welfare organisations, are at high risk. The present overview summarises the clinical and practical aspects of exotic parasitic diseases that may affect such dogs, and the risk of such diseases becoming autochthonously transmitted in Switzerland. Furthermore, the zoonotic potential of these infections will be considered.

Microdissection of chromosomes and subsequent amplification of the DNA material by PCR allow the development of libraries, region-specific DNA probes or chromosome painting probes. Veterinary medicine will benefit from this method in instances where clarification of numercal or structural chromosome aberrations is needed.

During this century the field of work for zoo veterinarians has dramatically changed. Preventive medicine at herd, group or even species level has gained importance. The therapy of single animals is no longer a priority. On the basis of recent developments progress for the future can be proposed. Effective conservation requires thinking and action by a combination of different specialists. Exchange of information at an international level will be of increasing importance. The continuing specialisation in veterinary and human medicine requires interdisciplinary co-operation. The ethics of research and medical interventions on zoo animals is of concern to the public and it is necessary to publicly advance the arguments for and against. The training of specialized zoo veterinarians should be increased.