WikiVet And Mars Petcare Collaborate To Provide Online Veterinary Resources On Preventative Healthcare

Brussels, Belgium, November 7, 2014 /3BL Media/ - WikiVet and Mars Petcare announced today a collaboration that aims to improve the quality and reach of reference materials freely available online to veterinary students, practising veterinarians and vet nurses through WikiVet’s innovative and expanding veterinary encyclopaedia. The collaboration will develop high quality training and reference materials on certain areas of preventative healthcare to increase awareness and complement the growing vet school curriculum in this area.

“Preventative healthcare for pets is a shared passion for both Mars Petcare and WikiVet. It can greatly improve the quality and length of a pet’s life by reducing the risk of developing serious, costly and sometimes fatal diseases,” said Dr. Stephen Harris, Research Manager, Oral Care, WALTHAM® Centre for Pet Nutrition, Mars Petcare. “We are excited to combine our deep expertise in the health and well-being of pets with WikiVet’s dynamic site to drive greater awareness of this important subject.”

The first WikiVet online materials will focus on cat and dog dentistry, an important part of both preventative healthcare and clinical treatment programmes. Research shows that while four out of five dogs over the age of three have periodontal disease, 90 percent of pet owners rate the condition of their own dog’s teeth and gums as good or perfect. The module will feature resources developed in partnership with the specialist veterinary dentist Lisa Milella (BVSc DipEVDC MRCVS), and endorsed by WALTHAM®, a leading scientific authority in pet nutrition and well-being.

“There is a gap in understanding about the importance of dental care and oral hygiene as a form of preventative healthcare,” said Nick Short, Head of the eMedia Unit, Royal Veterinary College. “By collaborating with Mars Petcare and Lisa Milella to develop these comprehensive resources, we aim to raise awareness amongst veterinary students, nurses and the wider profession of best evidence-based practice in dental care. We hope that this will have a positive impact on the support that the profession can offer owners to improve their pets’ health and well-being.”

To help provide veterinarians and vet students with more high-quality resources in this area, the materials will include an introduction to veterinary dentistry with an overview of oral anatomy, oral hygiene and dental surgical procedure. Additional specific encyclopedic pages on Small Animal Dentistry will include:

• Oral Examination – including practical tools such as downloadable dental charts and a dental diagnostic guide
• Intra-Oral Radiography
• Dental Instruments
• Dental and Oral Conditions
• Dental and Oral Medication
• Interactive materials including webinars and quizzes

The WikiVet Cat and Dog Dentistry chapter will be freely available online to all users of WikiVet through www.wikivet.net.

About WikiVet

WikiVet is a collaborative resource that aims to support and enhance veterinary education worldwide through the development of high quality web-based knowledge and learning content. Providing users with a comprehensive knowledge base, its goal is to become the most respected and largest online educational resource for the international veterinary community.

Launched in 2007, WikiVet was formed by four UK veterinary schools at the Royal Veterinary College, Edinburgh, Nottingham and Cambridge Universities. It has now grown to include over 20 additional international vet schools and partners. The site has more than 37,000 members from over 90 countries, and offers close to 5,000 pages of material. To find out more about WikiVet can be found at http://www.wikivet.net/

Mars Petcare

Mars Petcare is the world’s leading petfood and veterinary care business that strives to make A Better World for Pets® every day. Mars Petcare believes that pets make our lives better and that pet ownership brings joy and benefits which should be accessible to everyone. Mars Petcare has a total of 35 brands in our portfolio, including billion dollar brands PEDIGREE®, WHISKAS®, ROYAL CANIN®, BANFIELD®, and IAMS®. Other leading brands include: CESAR®, NUTRO®, SHEBA®, DREAMIES®, KITEKAT®, CHAPPI®, CATSAN®, FROLIC®, PERFECT FIT®, GREENIES®, EUKANUBA® and NATURA®. Key specialty brands include: Mars Fishcare: API®, Aquarian®, Rena®, Pondcare®; Mars Horsecare: Winergy®, Spillers®, Buckeye® Equivite® ; the WALTHAM Centre for Pet Nutrition®, a leading scientific authority on pet nutrition and wellbeing. Mars Petcare has more than 37,000 Associates worldwide. More information can be found at www.mars.com.

About Mars, Incorporated

In 1911, Frank C. Mars made the first Mars candies in his Tacoma, Washington kitchen and established Mars’ first roots as a confectionery company. In the 1920s, Forrest E. Mars, Sr. joined his father in business and together they launched the MILKY WAY® bar. In 1932, Forrest, Sr. moved to the United Kingdom with a dream of building a business based on the objective of creating a “mutuality of benefits for all stakeholders” – this objective serves as the foundation of Mars, Incorporated today. Based in McLean, Virginia, Mars has net sales of more than $33 billion, six business segments including Petcare, Chocolate, Wrigley, Food, Drinks, Symbioscience, and more than 75,000 Associates worldwide that are putting its Principles into action to make a difference for people and the planet through its performance.

Mars brands include: Petcare – PEDIGREE®, ROYAL CANIN®, WHISKAS®, BANFIELD® Pet Hospital, CESAR®, SHEBA®, DREAMIES® and NUTRO®; Chocolate – M&M’S®, SNICKERS®, DOVE®, GALAXY®, MARS®, MILKY WAY® and TWIX®; Wrigley – DOUBLEMINT®, EXTRA®, ORBIT® and 5™ chewing gums, SKITTLES® and STARBURST® candies, and ALTOIDS® AND LIFESAVERS® mints. Food – UNCLE BEN’S®, DOLMIO®, EBLY®, MASTERFOODS®, SEEDS OF CHANGE® and ROYCO®; Drinks – ALTERRA COFFEE ROASTERS™, THE BRIGHT TEA COMPANY™, KLIX® and FLAVIA®; Symbioscience – COCOAVIA® and WISDOM PANEL®.

For more information about Mars, Incorporated, please visit www.mars.com. Follow us: facebook.com/mars, twitter.com/marsglobal, youtube.com/mars, linkedin.com/company/mars