News

April 1, 2025
The British Business Awards 2025 , in association with NatWest, has announced MerlinVet in the top eight growth strategy businesses in the UK. MerlinVet will now go up against Dynisma Ltd, The PureGym Group, Babcock International, Nucleus Financial Platforms Ltd, RSK, Gap group and Popeyes. 143 companies across 18 awards are now vying for the top spot at the ceremony in Edinburgh on the 24 April 2025. You can view the full shortlist here . More than 300 companies entered the British Business Awards. The shortlisted businesses were chosen by an independent shortlisting panel. Each entry was carefully examined and judged on their positive impact to their workforce, sector and overall contribution to the British economy. The shortlist will now go forward to the main judging panel comprising of 18 independent judges, all key figures from British industry including Vinodka Murria OBE, Phil Urban, CEO of Mitchells & Butlers and Emma Crystal, CEO Coutts Bank. The awards are raising funds for beneficiary homelessness charity Social Bite, with a target of raising £1million through the event and a fundraising lunch happening earlier in the day, being organised with Gleneagles Hotel. The awards dinner will take place at the EICC on 24 April and tables are already in high demand with up to 2000 business leaders set to attend. Alan Jope CBE, former CEO of Unilever and Chair of the judging panel said: “In spite of the economic headwinds facing British businesses, our incredible shortlist shows that leading British companies are thriving and in turn are powering the economy and job creation through their hard work and resilience. It came across loud and clear from the hundreds of entries we received for the awards that businesses are having to innovate and adapt like never before. It’s been inspirational to see the incredible work that’s going on behind the scenes in companies of all shapes and sizes across the UK. “The 2025 shortlist reflects the hugely diverse range of businesses we have in this country, and I know our judging panel are going to have some tough decisions on their hands when it comes to determining our winners.” Guests at the British Business Awards are being treated to a fireside chat and a rare, unplugged music performance from the iconic musician and activist Sting. The evening will be hosted by comedian, presenter and TV star, Rob Brydon and feature a keynote address from the event’s patron Sir Bob Geldof, who is celebrating the 40th anniversary of Band Aid in 2025. For further information on the awards or to buy tickets visit: www.britishbusinessawards.co.uk About MerlinVet MerlinVet is a full-service veterinary solutions provider for practices in both the UK and abroad, with specialisms in fertility equipment, sourcing Special Import Products which other wholesalers cannot provide, and exporting veterinary products globally. With additional expertise in providing health plan solutions and developing new veterinary software, as well as gas exposure monitoring and our buying group, our deep sector knowledge can add a touch of animal magic to practices, and ultimately fulfil our main ambitions of supporting the veterinary industry while enhancing animal health and welfare. Find out more here
April 1, 2025
Please take a note of our Easter Hours for 2025. We will be closed entirely on: Good Friday – Friday 18th April 2025 and Easter Monday – Monday 21st April 2025 We will be back open as normal on Tuesday 22nd April 2025.
April 1, 2025
Have you seen our latest Clearance Products on the MerlinVet UK website? This includes a wide range of short-dated stock, amongst other products, which have been heavily discounted. Make sure you take a look today by clicking here.
February 12, 2025
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 animal 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.
January 22, 2025
Now available from MerlinVet UK, side kick is a horse-side blood testing device giving fast & reliable results in minutes. It is the most advanced handheld diagnostic device available for horse-side IgG testing. side kick features: Handheld, portable and designed for life on the road Accurate & rapid results: quantitative results within 5 minutes allowing for diagnosis & immediate intervention Smart-Calibrate™ enables automatic batch code reading No faff, no refrigeration and no lengthy delays waiting for lab results when time is of the essence Superpowered rechargeable battery via USB-C port Keep, share and review all results from the sidekick App side kick is a multi-test reader offering: Foal IgG Test – currently available Progesterone testing – coming soon ACTH testing – coming soon Offering horse side IgG testing at the moment, side kick can also be used for progesterone and ACTH testing in early 2025. You can view the IgG tests product specifications here . When a foal’s life depends on timely results, Sidekick gives you real-time data for an accurate diagnosis and on-the-spot treatment. Use Sidekick IgG tests as a routine protocol for screening foals that present an elevated risk of failure of passive transfer. Buy here. The side kick reader conveniently fits into your pocket and can be charged on the go via a USB-C port. Providing quantitive results in minutes, it is designed for life on the road. Find out how it works here . On the sidekick app, you can: automatically store test results; take notes and easily share them; run sidekick Smart Calibrate™ for automatic batch code reading. Buy the sidekick reader sidekick IgG tests View the sidekick information flyer
By Chris Gill January 8, 2025
Ewe-Go Energy & Calcium Drench for Healthy Ewes Twin lamb disease (low blood pressure) and low blood calcium are common problems in ewes before lambing and distinguishing between the two can be difficult, with ewes suffering from one problem being likely to be affected by the other to some extent. Ewe-Go is a complementary feed containing energy and calcium for combatting twin lamb disease and low blood calcium. Ewe-Go contains both energy sources (glycerol and propylene glycol) and calcium. The energy sources are converted to glucose by the ewe meaning all the energy is available to the ewe. It also contains calcium chloride as a source of calcium in the gut. Comes in flexi-packs so any drenching gun can be fitted for easy administration. Order now here Ultra Dri Disinfectant Powder Ultra Dri is a general purpose absorbent, dry disinfectant powder with a pleasant aroma, containing a DEFRA approved disinfectant, which enables it to act as an effective bactericide, fungicide and viricide. Ideal for lambing pens, cattle cubicles or stables. This bedding powder is designed for use in calving and lambing pens (as well as for poultry) It contains a fast acting, broad spectrum, DEFRA approved disinfectant, which is non-caustic & doesn’t dry or damage the cows’ skin Acts as a powerful ‘drying’ agent on the bedding in straw yards and on cubicles Effective against bacteria, viruses & fungi Remains active for up to 1 week Absorbs moisture to help keep beds dry Reduces ammonia Non-irritant; contrary to lime, Ultra-Dri Gold doesn’t burn Effectively kills most pathogens within 5 mins Continues working from day to day to provide effective control of bacteria Improves general hygiene of cubicles and bedded pens Perfect when faced with severe outbreaks of mastitis, very high somatic cell counts and other challenging situations Can be used for all classes of livestock including pigs, poultry, sheep & horses Can be used as a dairy cubicle bedding powder, on straw yards, calving boxes, calf pens & dry powder footbaths A pallet (40 bags) can be delivered, but quantities below 40 must be collected locally. Order now here
By Chris Gill November 18, 2024
RelyneGI, one of the most researched equine gastric supplements, has been reformulated with a higher quality beta glucan. The research suggests it’s better than ever and the best news is we can now offer it at an even better price! Why use RelyneGI? Relyne is a polysaccharide blend containing TGB-136™ Schizophllan Beta Glucan and hyaluronic acid aimed at providing a natural alternative to support gastric health in equine athletes. Polysaccharides have established themselves as protectants by their ability to confer defense to gastrointestinal mucosal tissues. Levels of epidermal growth factor (EGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) increase in polysaccharide-treated gastric tissues indicating that polysaccharides can help relieve gastric discomfort. Relyne’s new formulation contains the highly researched beta glucan TGB-136™. A double-blind study performed by Louisiana State University showed that RelyneGI significantly improved stomach health. Gastric Support Relyne aids in promoting gastric well-being in horses that may not respond to traditional therapies, as well as maintaining gastric health in equine athletes during training, travel and performance. Relyne is safe for continuous daily use while promoting healthy stomach pH and digestion. It does not alter gastric pH like PPIs and H2 blockers and therefore does not affect digestion and nutrient absorption. Ideal for long-term use in horses with risk factors for gastric discomfort. Maintaining peak performance in the equine athlete has never been easier. Relyne can be used in conjunction with other gastroprotectants, medications and supplements, making it an ideal choice for challenging cases. The new formula has resulted in a slight colour change for those familiar with the product, but this had no effect on palatability during research. Relyne has been thoroughly tested for banned substances and is Clean Sport Approved for horses in competition. Shop here
By Chris Gill November 12, 2024
What is Numnuts? Numnuts® is a 2-in-1 device that administers an Elastrator® ring (refer to your vet) along with a pre-calibrated dose of local anaesthetic (refer to your vet). This device makes giving fast-acting targeted pain relief for castration and tail docking of lambs easy, fast, and safe. No other device exists that allows farmers and vets to provide targeted pain relief to lambs during tail docking and castration. The Numnuts® Device allows farmers and vets to provide best practice without compromising on safety and efficiency. The device is robust, blood-free, and needle-safe. The modular design allows for parts to be changed to maintain good hygiene and efficient function. Numnuts® is a Scottish designed and developed product that has proven its reliability over five lambing seasons – Numnuts has been used by thousands of pioneering sheep farmers and vets and has been used to administer over 3 Million doses in Australia and New Zealand as of January 2024. “Numnuts is a fascinating product… I used myself first hand tailing lambs and I’m totally converted with the ease of use and very clear improvement in lamb behaviour.” Ivan Holloway, Technical Veterinarian Product Benefits Revolutionary patented device combines tail docking and castration with targeted pain relief, all in one handled unit Reduce labour time/cost Dual Stage Injector technology prevents accidental injections Easy priming Accurate Dosing No weighing or weight estimation required – simple one dose amount for all lamb sizes, for both tail & testes Needle Safe Simple needle changeover What’s In The Box? Numnuts® Device + Starter Kit comprising: 1 X unique bottle mount 2 X Fluid Junctions 1 X tray of 12 needles Durability Testing During development, Numnuts worked with farmers to define key elements such as ergonomics, function, weight, etc. They also gave us the challenge of making it last at least 100,000 cycles. So, to meet that challenge, we built a rig to test and improve the durability. “We marked our lambs this year with Numnuts and the improvement in our lambs’ recoveries was huge! Our lambs were on their feet, walking off and feeding from the ewes almost instantly. We will be using Numnuts next season!” Sally Paterson, Farmer and Vet Nurse, Geelong Please note: you must source your bottle of local anaesthetic through your own veterinary practice. The calibrated dose through the device is 1.5ml of anaesthetic. Recommended for lambs 4 weeks and older. The Numnuts device requires maintenance to ensure it remains reliable – please replace your needles & Fluid Junction regularly. Spares of these are readily available. Buy here
By Chris Gill November 8, 2024
BoviLab is a portable blood analyser from FarmLabo. This tabletop device brings you lab-quality results from anywhere, making blood analysis on-site quick and easy. BoviLab is designed for simultaneous testing of 6 parameters, including NEFA and BHBA, in just 7 minutes, providing highly accurate analysis on whole blood, heparin blood, or serum blood, with simple operation and automatic calibration. Ensuring low maintenance, durability, and portability, it is a reliable and efficient solution for comprehensive testing; from real-time data analysis to customisable reports, as well as tracking key health indicators, BoviLab can optimise cow transition management, maximising milk yield and quality. In stock and shipping today. BoviLab allows vets to support dairy farmers to improve transition management and ultimately improve overall cow health. With BoviLab, the vet can measure up to 15 key blood values in dairy cows. These include: – NEFAs (non-esterified fatty acids), which are produced during the breakdown of body fat – BHBA (beta-hydroxybutyric acid), which indicates whether subclinical ketosis is present, particularly in newly lactating cows – Urea – providing an indication of colostrum quality (precalving) and milk production (post calving) – the minerals calcium, magnesium and phosphorus, which indicate susceptibility to milk fever. There are now 3 types of slides available: A. Liver: ALB, AST, TC, GLU, GGT, TP B. Transitional phase: NEFA, BHBZ, IP, CA, MG, BUN (urea) C. Downer: CK, AST, Ca, IP, Mg, NEFA Product Highlights: On-Farm Convenience​ - Perform tests without the need for a laboratory. Rapid Results​ - Get comprehensive blood analysis in just 7 minutes. Comprehensive Analysis - Measure six key inspection items simultaneously (including NEFA & BHBA) User-Friendly - Designed for easy operation by anyone – simple operation, automatic calibration, low maintenance & durable Early Disease Detection - Identify health issues in cattle before they escalate Protective Case - Includes a protective hard case for on-farm use.​ Online data transmission Centrifugation is not required Lightweight (2kg) for easy transportation Support in interpretation of the results of measurements with optimal visualisation Buy now today
By Chris Gill November 7, 2024
The UK’s largest awards programme celebrating the best of British business, the British Business Excellence Awards are the UK’s largest and most prestigious business awards programme. All industries are represented with awards categories covering sustainability, diversity, entrepreneurship, technology, and of course, export. We’re incredibly proud and excited to have been nominated in The Department for Business and Trade Exporter of the Year Award , which focuses on organisations who have achieved international growth through exporting services and products.
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