SPVS/VPMA Congress, which is supported by Boehringer and Citation, will be opened this year by Benjamin Mee, motivational speaker, journalist and the man behind the bestselling book and Hollywood blockbuster "We Bought A Zoo".
Other highlights in the CPD programme include:
The exhibition offers a range of suppliers with advice on marketing, management and business development.
For this year’s President's banquet the theme will be a touch of Moulin Rouge, with high energy festival and party band, RPJ, headed by Rick Parfitt Jnr. Congress will start on Thursday with a Congress Cabaret night, featuring Edinburgh Fringe regulars, Peablossom Academy.
To register and for full details of the programme and sponsors, visit www.spvs-vpma-events.co.uk
The course is led by Gary England, Professor of Comparative Veterinary Reproduction, University of Nottingham. Gary is an RCVS and European College of Animal Reproduction recognised Specialist in Veterinary Reproduction.
Improve says the course has been developed to address a growing interest among first opinion practitioners in developing their knowledge and skills in canine reproduction, so as to provide a higher level of service to their clients and to encourage responsible breeding.
The course will take place on 28 and 29 September at the Guide Dogs National Breeding Centre in Warwickshire.
David Babington MRCVS, Managing Director of Improve International, said: "It's unusual to find courses covering this topical subject which also include practical components. We have constructed the programme to ensure that it provides a balance between small group presentations and practical sessions with plenty of time for discussion and hands-on practice, enabling attendees to implement their new skills straight away."
Further details are available at: https://www.improveinternational.com/uk/course/canine-reproduction/
Photo: Ultrasound of dog with prostatic disease
The extension, which is due for completion before the end of the year, will allow the centre to offer a range of new services, including a new radioactive iodine unit for treatment of hyperthyroidism in cats, a larger echocardiography suite for cardiac patients, an endoscopy suite, an ophthalmology procedure room, a dedicated operating theatre for minimally invasive procedures and 41 new kennels.
Toby Gemmill, clinical director at Willows, said: "The expansion represents a really exciting time for Willows and has been carefully planned to maximise the space we have available to us.
"We are already extremely well placed to offer a wide variety of specialist treatments and this extension will provide us with the space to build on our gold level cat-friendly clinic status with a radioactive iodine unit for treatment of hyperthyroidism in cats, along with dozens of new kennels and range of specialist treatment rooms."
The extension is part of a major investment drive by the Linnaeus Group, of which Willows is a part, which will see it plough around £9 million into its sites across the UK.
Lynne Hill, chief executive of the Linnaeus Group, said: "We are extremely proud of the practices within the group and are fully prepared to support them financially, and in any other way, to ensure they continue to offer the very best facilities and treatment for our clients and patients."
The challenge is part of Merial’s #CALFMATTERS calf pneumonia vaccination awareness campaign.
In total, the group aims to walk over 70,500 miles and raise £15,000 for Farm Africa, a charity which helps farmers and communities in developing countries by giving the advice and products they need to lift themselves out of poverty.
So far the challengers have covered one fifth of their total target, and completed the equivalent of several iconic distances including the Appalachian Trail, Lands End to John O’Groats, and ‘virtually’ crossed entire countries including Australia, China and Japan.
The participants have committed to the challenge by upping their physical activity. Merial has provided them with Fitbit fitness trackers to record their daily steps, which count towards the virtual teams’ total progress. The goal is 141 million steps in 20 weeks.
Robert Smith MRCVS from Farm First Vets is one of the highest steppers of the group. He recently scaled Ysgyryd Fawr (The Big Skirrid), one of the Black Mountains in Wales’ Brecon Beacons, for the challenge. He said: "I used to think of myself as a coiled spring ready for action, but the steps challenge has forced me to realise there is plenty of scope to increase my activity levels significantly. Hopefully when it is all over I will see the benefits and feel physically fitter for it."
Robert has taken the challenge one step further by encouraging his wife, two daughters, and Farm First Vets practice staff to join him in the challenge, with an added incentive. Between now and the BCVA Congress on 19th October, Farm First Vets will donate £50 to Farm Africa for every member of Robert’s team who completes the #CALFMATTERS challenge. Additionally, for every member of staff that achieves an average of 10,000 or more steps per day, the practice will donate £50 to XL Vets’ and BCVA 50th Anniversary charity, Send a Cow.
If you want to support those taking part in the challenge, you can do so at: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/calfmatters.
The practice has assembled a team of post-graduate certificate holding veterinary surgeons, supporting specialists, nurses and front-of-house staff to offer a comprehensive range of services, including advanced orthopaedic and soft tissue surgery and outpatient diagnostic imaging.
In order to make its service more accessible, the practice has also developed a number of innovative aspects to its service, including a 'fixed price fix', a guaranteed 'same week solution' and an interest-free credit payment option.
Lead veterinary surgeon Ross Allan (pictured right) said: "We consider the launch of Roundhouse Referrals to be one of the most exciting developments in the provision of advanced veterinary services to clients in the West of Scotland for many years.
"While there are existing referral options, we want to remove some of the current challenges that prevent vets and pet owners from accessing these services.
"We all know how frustrating waiting lists can be for vets and their clients, and by creating the 'same week solution' we pledge to arrange an appointment and provide a referral consultation within one week, something we feel will be reassuring to referring vets and clients.
"In addition, we are delighted to improve provision for pet owners with financial restrictions such as low value or no insurance policies. Roundhouse Referrals has been established to address these concerns through the provision of a high quality, highly accessible service and 'same week solution' for referring veterinary practices, and through such services as our 'fixed price fix' and interest free credit.
"Similarly, we are committed to the principle of an easy-to-use service for referring vet and client: price certainty, the personal touch and great communication."
Roundhouse Referrals says it can undertake an extensive range of investigative and surgical orthopaedic procedures including: fracture repair; lameness investigation; growth deformities; arthrodesis; arthroscopic surgery and ligament or tendon injury. Its soft tissue services include: endocrine surgery; ENT; gastrointestinal; hernia surgery; oncological; thoracic; urogenital; vascular; wound management and reconstructive surgeries.
The practice also says it undertakes to work in partnership with referring veterinary practices to provide an easier referral system that will always return satisfied clients to the referring practice.
For further information, contact 0141 649 1316 or visit: www.rhr.vet
The College says that although professional bodies advise their members to value their own wellbeing and seek help if unwell, there has been an absence of senior professionals who have felt able to say 'been there myself'.
By asking senior medical professionals to share their stories of overcoming struggles with mental health, &me aims to encourage other medical professionals to seek help, in part by showing that such experiences do not exclude people from achieving leading roles in healthcare.
With the addition of Dr Cathy Wield in August, there are now seven ambassadors for the &me campaign, and all of their stories can be read at www.vetmindmatters.org/&me:
Lizzie Lockett, Director of the Mind Matters Initiative, said: "Over the past eight months we have seen an incredible level of support for our &me ambassadors. Our Facebook post about Rob Pettitt, for example, reached nearly 25,000 people, many of whom posted stories about Rob helping them navigate veterinary school and better understand their own mental health issues. These kind of role models really do help reduce stigma, and we thank every one of our ambassadors for having the courage to share their own experiences with mental health."
Louise Freeman, Vice-Chair of the Doctors’ Support Network, said: "The &me campaign has really shown how the medical professions can work together when it comes to mental health. Medical professionals face many of the same challenges, and we needn’t face them alone – instead we can work as one to tackle stigma and speak openly about mental health issues. And it’s not just in the UK that health professionals can feel as if they are ‘not allowed’ to experience mental health problems. As a direct result of the &me campaign, health professionals from around the world including Australia and the U.S. have been in contact with DSN to confirm that they have similar issues within their local health culture."
The campaign is still interested in hearing from not only doctors and veterinary surgeons but also nurses, veterinary nurses, dentists, pharmacists and other healthcare professionals who want to open up about their experiences of mental ill health. To participate in the campaign, please email Dr Louise Freeman on vicechair@dsn.org.uk.
On social media tweets about the campaign are sent from @vetmindmatters and @DocSupportNet twitter accounts using the hashtag #AndMe.
Andrew Montgomery, veterinary adviser for MSD Animal Health, says this is a very positive outcome for the industry: "It is estimated that 90% of UK herds have been exposed to bovine viral diarrhoea1 (BVD), costing the UK cattle industry up to £61 million each year2."
The new Summary of Product Characteristics for Bovilis BVD states that following primary immunisation, consisting of two vaccinations given 4 weeks apart to cattle over the age of 8 months, and a further vaccination 6 months after this, revaccinations can be given at up to 12 month intervals.
Andrew said: "The fundamental principle of control, is to identify and remove persistently infected (PI) animals from a herd, and stop PIs being created using a trusted and proven vaccine.
"Providing primary immunisation has been finalised 4 weeks before the start of gestation, Bovilis BVD is licensed to protect the foetus against transplacental infection, preventing the creation of a PI calf which is hugely significant for BVD control.
"The convenience of being able to vaccinate on a herd level without having to assess pregnant animals on a case-by-case basis provides the flexibility to tailor vaccination schedules to the farm system, which for many vets and farmers comes as a convenient solution."
MSD says Bovilis BVD also has the advantage of not interfering with antigen ELISA or PCR testing and can be jointly administered with other routine vaccines.
For example, Bovilis BVD can be mixed and administered with Bovilis® IBR Marker Live when given as a booster dose to cattle from 15 months of age, or can be administered on the same day as Leptavoid-H in cattle from 8 months of age.
For further information, refer to the product data sheets at www.noahcompendium.co.uk and SPCs and/or speak to your local MSD Animal Health area manager.
References
The online academy offers a range of materials to help veterinary surgeons, nurses and receptionists further their knowledge of obesity as a disease, support the running of weight clinics and ultimately help reduce the number of overweight cats and dogs.
The academy includes Weight Management Online, an interactive course which is designed to improve the management of obesity in practice. The course offers eight hours of CPD and additional support from Royal Canin's dedicated Weight Management Team via an online forum.
The course modules are: Obesity is a disease; Body Condition Scoring; Feeding for weight loss diets; Communicating the positives of weight loss; Running a weight loss clinic; and Success is a team effort.
Each module contains additional downloadable reading material and/or learning tools.
Courses run from 11th September to 1st October 2017 and 13th November to 3rd December, with three weeks given to complete the six modules.
Louise Brennan, a Weight Management Specialist at Royal Canin, said: "The prevalence of pet obesity is increasing in the UK, with at least 59% of all dogs and 39% of all cats overweight or obese¹. We have recognised the need to provide further education to help veterinary staff understand the seriousness of the disease and how to communicate this to owners."
Veterinary surgeons and RVNs that complete Weight Management Online within a three week time frame will be invited to complete the second stage, allowing them to become a Royal Canin Weight Management Counsellor.
For more information, contact your Royal Canin Veterinary Business Manager.
Reference
Matt Yarnall from Boehringer Ingelheim said: "This is fantastic news for Bovela which offers a truly unique and innovative way of controlling BVD in a herd, something that is now clearly being appreciated by farmers and vets alike."
The company says over 5 million doses of Bovela have now been sold across Europe2 showing how quickly farmers have understood the benefits of a single dose vaccine that provides a full 12 months of live vaccine protection.
Matt added: "Feedback we have from vets and farmers throughout Europe shows two main things. Firstly, for those who haven’t controlled BVD before, there is the realisation of how much better herd health can be and secondly, for those who have previously struggled with multiple primary course vaccines or those that should be boosted every six months, there is relief at Bovela’s easy-to-follow regime."
Adam, who is one of only 17 ECC Specialists in the UK, will be developing an ECC service at Lumbry Park.
Following graduation and an internship at the Royal Veterinary College, Adam worked in hospital and emergency general practice. He completed his residency in Emergency and Critical Care in 2013 becoming board certified the same year. He also completed a Master’s in Veterinary Medicine at the Royal Veterinary College.
Adam became an RCVS Recognised Specialist in Emergency and Critical Care in 2015. In his most recent role, he was Group Head of Emergency and Intensive Care for four RCVS-Recognised hospitals and branches and oversaw standards of out-of-hours provision to 50+ sites. He also led the development of the first specialist 24-hour veterinary intensive care unit in central London.
Ray Girotti, Hospital Director, said: "Adam will be working with our multi-disciplinary team to offer a dedicated point of contact for emergency referrals, a move which will enhance the provision of critical care for our sickest patients. We are delighted to welcome a Specialist of his calibre to Lumbry Park."
Adam said: "The leadership on all issues relating to patient care shown by CVS’ Clinical Advisory Committee was inspiring and, with its full support, I have been offered an unrivalled opportunity to develop a leading ECC service at Lumbry Park. I’m really looking forward to my new role and to participating on the Clinical Advisory Committee to enhance ECC services right across CVS."
Eilona's is one of 50 new jobs created by the company in the last 12 months alone, across a range of positions including veterinary surgeons, nurses and client care co-ordinators.
Eilona said: "White Cross Vets has an unrivalled reputation for offering exceptional pet care, as well as being recognised as a great place to work, which really appealed to me. To become the group’s 200th employee is fantastic and I’m really looking forward to the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead."
Tim Harrison, Managing Director of White Cross Vets, said: "Welcoming 50 new team members into the White Cross family in the last 12 months is a major coup and we’re delighted to have created a 200 strong team with Eilona’s appointment. We are already planning to expand our team further over the coming months, with three new practices due to open before the end of this year, which makes it a very exciting time for us."
Ben trained in medicine at Oxford and London before becoming a household name through his weekly Bad Science column published in the Guardian between 2003 and 2011.
Ben is the author of three books. His first, Bad Science, published in 2008, sold over half a million copies worldwide and is published in 31 languages. His second, Bad Pharma: How Drug Companies Mislead Doctors and Harm Patients was published in 2012 and his third, a volume of collected journalism entitled I think you’ll find it’s more complicated than that, in 2014. He currently works as an academic in epidemiology.
In his lecture, Ben will be talking about how quacks and charlatans misuse evidence, and the placebo effect, to bamboozle the public. It's an issue of particular interest for the veterinary profession, given the growing focus on evidence-based medicine.
The lecture is open to all London Vet Show attendees and will take place in the BVA Congress Theatre at London’s ExCeL between 12.30 – 1.30 on Friday 17 November.
BVA President Gudrun Ravetz said: "We know that many people’s first point of call is the media or Dr Google when trying to decide what pet to purchase or how to treat their animal’s - or their own - health! So, I’m sure veterinary colleagues from all areas of the profession will find Dr Goldacre’s insight both engaging and inspiring in their day-to-day and working lives."
Other BVA Congress sessions at London Vet Show 2017 include Nudge, nudge – how can we change owner behaviour for better welfare?; Veterinary workforce crisis: what’s really going on? and Veterinary Surgeons Act: an open and shut case?. BVA Congress sessions as well as associated BVA Farm Animal, BVA/BEVA Equine, and BVA Career Development Streams count towards CPD.
BVA members can get access to the full BVA offering, as well as the usual London Vet Show programme, for 15% less than the lowest advertised price. To book, enter your BVA membership number and the code BVA 8 to claim your discount when you book online at www.londonvetshow.co.uk
Photo: John King 2012
Matt, who contracted Lyme disease early last year, has been out giving interviews about how he was bitten by a tick, his experience with Lyme disease and why he is supporting the Big Tick Project. He said: "It was a really scary time for me and my family, and I was shocked to find out that a tick bite in Chiswick – such a tiny creature – caused me to end up needing heart surgery. Even though I am free from Lyme disease now it really has impacted me. I still have to take daily medication and I now adjust my lifestyle in a number of ways."
Amanda Melvin, Marketing Manager at MSD Animal Health said: "This recent campaign is part of a series of high profile media campaigns that we’ve organised to help pet owners understand the risks posed by ticks and the importance of seeking advice from vets. Vet are central to this campagn.
"During our attendance this summer at DogFest and Countryfile Live we asked pet owners about their awareness of the risks. While this was very rough data the message that came back consistently was that many pet owners didn’t realise that not all flea treatments could also provide protection against ticks.
"We are therefore urging them to talk to their vet and vet nurses to better understand the treatments they are paying for. The conversation is important as the risks can be high."
For further information, visit: www.bigtickproject.co.uk
There are three awards, two ruminant and one companion animal, of up to £4,000 each. Each project needs to be completed within 1-2 years and the veterinary practitioner proposals will be judged by university academics to ensure independent assessment.
Michelle Townley, Veterinary Advisor at MSD Animal Health (pictured right), herself a winner of an MSD bursary in 2001, said: "Our existing Research Bursaries are well-known amongst practitioners focusing on ruminants, having run for 6 years. For the first time, however, we are offering a broader level of support which includes both ruminant and companion animal practitioners. Our aim is to engage as many people as possible as we view our investment in research, and the pursuit of new knowledge, as the lifeblood of the veterinary industry."
The deadline for entries is 30th November 2017.
For further information, visit: www.msd-animal-health.co.uk/researchbursary.aspx.
Dr Sabela Atencia DVM MVM Dip-ECVIM CA MRCVS is an internal medicine specialist who holds the European Diploma in Small Animal Internal Medicine.
During her research for her Masters degree on muscular dystrophy in the Japanese Spitz breed, she contributed to knowledge of the underlying mutation of the disease, facilitating the development of a genetic test.
Sabela enjoys all aspects of canine and feline Internal Medicine, but is particularly interested in endoscopy, endocrinology and genetics.
Dr Owen Davies MA VetMB MVetMed MANZCVS(SAM) MRCVS, a veterinary medical oncology clinician, holds a Masters degree based on research into canine lymphoma.
Owen is interested in all aspects of medical oncology, especially haematopoietic malignancies, targeted therapy for cancer and paraneoplastic disease. He has recently completed a residency in veterinary oncology at the Royal Veterinary College and has just passed the DACVIM examinations in Oncology.
Dr Elisabetta Mancinelli DVM CertZooMed Dipl ECZM (Small Mammal) MRCVS is a European Veterinary Specialist in Zoological Medicine (Small Mammal Medicine and Surgery) and an RCVS Recognised Specialist in Zoo and Wildlife Medicine.
She was the first veterinary surgeon to undertake the European College of Zoological Medicine (ECZM) Residency in Small Mammal Medicine, which she completed at The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, Edinburgh.
Elisabetta will lead and further expand the established exotic pet service at the Hospital.
Acting Hospital Director, Professor Stuart Carmichael said: "As we continue to extend the range of services and expertise we offer to our clients, we are delighted to welcome these three distinguished professionals to the team here at Highcroft. They will make a great contribution and it’s great to have them aboard."
Highcroft Veterinary Referrals is based at 615 Wells Road, Whitchurch, Bristol and can be contacted on 01275 832410.
Photo: Left to right: Dr Elisabetta Mancinelli, Dr Owen Davies, Dr Sabela Atencia
The redesign includes an overhaul of the layout, structure and navigation of all the College’s websites: Professionals, Animal Owners, Find a Vet and RCVS Knowledge.
Some of the main changes are:
Ian Holloway, Head of Communications, said: "We’re delighted to be launching our new-look site today and hope all the improvements we’ve incorporated will make using the site a much better experience for veterinary professionals and animal owners alike.
"Working closely with our website provider, NetXtra, over the past nine months, we’ve been able to develop a new-look site with vastly improved design, structure and navigation, whilst avoiding the major expense of building a completely new website from scratch.
"We’re very grateful to them, and to all those vets, vet nurses and members of the public who have helped us with user-testing and content mapping to improve the site as much as possible for everyone who uses it."
Anyone with any comments or feedback about the new-look site is invited to send it to communications@rcvs.org.uk.
The program, which was set up in response to calls for more support and better teaching on the essential non-clinical skills veterinary graduates need for success in veterinary practice, begins in September and is open to any veterinary surgeons who are up to three years post graduation.
VetX features 12 months of intensive teaching, mentoring and peer support for up to fifty graduates and so far has vets from both the UK and USA signed up for places. The class of 2017 will be mentored directly by Program Director Dr. Dave Nicol, who bills himself as one of the most experienced vet coaches on the planet!
Dave said: "I've been running 'in practice' mentoring and training schemes for vets for almost a decade, VetX takes this experience and brings the content online so I can reach, support and help more graduates than ever before.
"Our young vets are crying out for better support and training in the non-clinical skills. They want to learn better communication skills. They want to know how to make dealing with clients and people easier and they want to know how to handle life as a vet so they enjoy it, not get burned out. VetX provides all of these things and more."
Dave says he has set up the scholarship as a way of giving something back to the profession, because he was lucky enough to have been given help from many amazing mentors who gave freely of their time and expertise: "Opening up two fully-funded places for vet graduates on the program is my way of saying thanks - of paying it forwards."
If you are a veterinary surgeon who has graduated in 2015 or later and are interested in applying for a fully funded scholarship in the VetX class of 2017, visit www.drdavenicol.com/vetxscholarship to learn more about the course and apply for a scholarship place. Demand is likely to be high so don’t delay.
Applications will close at midnight on September 7th 2017.
The VMD, which reclassified the product following a request from Zoetis, says that increasing the availability of this anthelmintic should help it to be incorporated into strategic worm control programmes on farms in line with best practice guidance on worm control. This could result in long term health benefits for sheep, for example by reducing the development and spread of anthelmintic resistance, thereby prolonging the effective use of anthelmintics.
However, both the British Veterinary Association and the Sheep Veterinary Society have expressed concerns over the move.
BVA Junior Vice President John Fishwick said: "We know that resistance to anthelmintics is increasing in grazing animals worldwide and needs to be addressed to avoid a potentially disastrous situation of being unable to tackle parasites. The reclassification of Startect Dual Active from POM-V to POM-VPS is in direct opposition to the trend in Europe, where we are seeing increased control over dispensing of anthelmintics in species where resistance is posing a serious threat to animal health, welfare and profitable production; we're extremely concerned that we might start seeing resistance develop in Group 4 as a result.
"BVA believes that the prescribing of anthelmintics requires a level of control best provided by a veterinary surgeon who has the animals under his/her care, and is based on a sound clinical diagnosis. The drugs are best used as part of a flock health plan drawn up by farmers in conjunction with their vet in order to protect animal health and welfare and safeguard the efficacy of these products for the future."
Sheep Veterinary Society President Kathryn Dun said: "Group 4 anthelmintics should be used only as part of a careful designed strategy for the individual farm and it is imperative that this strategy is worked out with a vet and is part of a flock health plan for that farm. The products need to be used, in the correct way, to help prolong the life of our other anthelmintics.
"We are unlikely to have any further new groups of anthelmintics in the foreseeable future, so education of those buying and selling these products is crucial to ensure the longevity of the effective action of them against sheep parasites."
Further information on BVA's policy on anthelmintics can be found here: www.bva.co.uk/news-campaigns-and-policy/policy/medicines/anthelmintics
The object of the exercise is simply to find out whether a significant number of veterinary professionals feel that they have been bullied, and look at the impact it has had on them.
If a significant number of people say they have, the hope is that the survey will trigger constructive discussion on the subject, both amongst key opinion leaders in the profession and in practice.
One of the biggest challenges in measuring the incidence of bullying in practice is the highly subjective definition of the word. For this reason, the survey asks whether you've been on the receiving end of very specific types of behaviour, ones which most people would agree are at best unconducive to a happy and effective working environment, and at worst, outright bullying.
VetSurgeon.org Editor Arlo Guthrie said: "Early responses to the survey have already shown, if we didn't know it already, that bullying is going on, and how bullies can make life utter hell at work. We just don't yet know the scale of the problem.
"Either way, there are two ways I think this survey could make a difference. Firstly, by discussing the subject openly, so it creates an environment in which bullying behaviour is less likely to happen. Secondly, I suspect that a significant amount of bullying may happen as a consequence of poor communication. For example, if one member of the team thinks another is underperforming but is uncomfortable having a candid but constructive discussion. If there is no other process in place to resolve the issue, they may resort to other types of behaviour which can have a profoundly negative effect on their colleague."
To take part in the survey, please visit: http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/3783698/Behaviour-In-Practice
Produced by Knowledge’s Library and Information Service, inFOCUS watches all relevant veterinary journals and provides concise summaries of the most important, interesting or practice-critical primary and secondary material.
Subscribers to inFOCUS are sent a bi-monthly email containing the summaries – including the bottom line for implementation in practice – and the option to read the original articles.
The new service aims to remove the time constraints associated with identifying the most vital research.
A Clinical Review Team, made up of experts and specialists from across the veterinary community, assesses journals to find the best items based on relevance, quality and potential impact, and then reviews and summarises the literature for each edition of inFOCUS.
RCVS President Stephen May said: "inFOCUS is a crucial and long-awaited provision available to everyone involved in veterinary care.
"By removing the barriers to accessing and reflecting upon latest research and commentary, this innovative way of bringing you must-know updates further enforces the move towards evidence-based veterinary medicine, of which RCVS Knowledge is a champion.
"Whether you’re someone who regularly checks veterinary publications or you rarely get the chance to analyse the available material, make sure inFOCUS is on your reading list."
As well as the six-times-per-year email, inFOCUS will be viewable online, where editions from previous months will be housed and individual summaries categorised by animal type. Though initially focused on small animals, literature from across the broad spectrum of veterinary practice will be highlighted.
You can subscribe here to have the latest inFOCUS updates sent directly to your inbox.
Also, if you're interested in helping to ensure that the most important research reaches the veterinary community, you can apply to join the Clinical Review Team here.
Sean became interested in animal welfare science as an undergraduate veterinary student, when he was awarded a Universities Federation for Animal Welfare (UFAW) Vacation Scholarship to investigate the welfare of caged zebra finches housed under typical pet shop conditions.
Six years later, having been instrumental in developing BVA policy in supporting a ban on the importation of wild-caught birds into the European Union to be kept as pets, Sean represented the position in Brussels and an EU-wide ban was introduced in 2007.
As BVA President in 2015/16, Sean initiated and led the production of BVA’s Animal welfare strategy. Developed through consultation with representatives from across the profession and other sector stakeholders, 'Vets speaking up for animal welfare' lays out a number of strategic actions based on the veterinary profession’s unique opportunity and responsibility to advocate animals' best interests at individual, community and political levels.
The strategy aims to further expand BVA’s animal welfare advocacy; provide tools and support to BVA members in areas such as veterinary ethics; and foster collaboration with other animal welfare-focused partners such as the recently launched BVA/British Cattle Veterinary Association (BCVA) position paper promoting analgesic use alongside local anaesthesia for routine surgical procedures on calves. To help build BVA’s international animal welfare agenda, Sean has recently been appointed as a member of the FVE Animal Welfare Working Group.
Another important project during Sean’s BVA Presidency was the jointly led BVA/RCVS Vet Futures project. He assisted in developing the Vet Futures report, which identifies veterinary leadership in animal health and welfare as one of the six key ambitions in its 2030 vision for the veterinary profession. While President he also produced an online video with the international animal welfare organisation World Animal Protection on the importance and relevance of animal sentience to the veterinary profession.
British Veterinary Association President Gudrun Ravetz, said: "Improving animal welfare has always been the focus of Sean’s veterinary career, through veterinary practice and policy and developing the profession’s role in advancing animal welfare. Since his undergraduate research and subsequent postgraduate studies in animal welfare, he has undertaken a wide range of overseas volunteer projects and continues to champion and promote understanding of animal welfare at individual, community, national and international levels on a daily basis.
"Sean also led on BVA’s landmark Animal welfare strategy, championing the role of vets as advocates of animals’ best interests and sending a clear signal that the veterinary profession will be a considerable force for good, for animals and for an increasingly compassionate society in the years ahead.
"Sean has made a difference to the lives of many animals with his dedication to animal welfare. I am delighted that Sean is being recognised on an international stage for his fantastic work in the field of animal welfare with this important award."
On receiving his award, Sean said: "It is excellent that WVA has further underpinned its commitment to animal welfare, in line with global society’s expectation of our profession as animal welfare leaders, through the establishment of the Global Animal Welfare Awards. It’s a great honour to be a recipient, which is tribute to my driven and forward-looking colleagues at BVA and PDSA. I thank them, as well as the many other organisations, institutions and individuals who have given me invaluable opportunities and encouragement during my career to date."
Having had a three-month sabbatical working at Fitzpatrick, Jonathan decided to relocate from New Zealand where most recently he'd been Head of the Companion Animal Group at Massey University.
Jonathan said: "My prime passion is working directly with animals and their families in a supportive and exceptional clinical setting. I enjoy pushing boundaries and not accepting the status quo. I want to identify better ways of improving outcomes for patients, and minimising the impact of the disease (or its treatment) on an animal’s quality of life. My sabbatical at Fitzpatrick Referrals exposed me to their tremendous energy and real passion for patient and client care. From the moment the clients walk in the door, I feel there is an embrace that lets people know we truly care and want to do the best for their animal friend. I am looking forward to discovering what we can achieve together. Cancer management is such an important opportunity, with the power to change both animal and human lives positively. The direction and focus of Fitzpatrick Referrals in this area is already incredibly exciting.”
Clinical Director of Oncology and Soft Tissue, Professor Nick Bacon said: "On Jon’s first day of his sabbatical, he jumped right into the team and made an immediate positive impact. He hasn’t looked back. He carries with him such a good energy, which we all absorb and hopefully reflect back. His knowledge of implant design for dealing with defects in the mandible and elsewhere is exceptional and I am looking forward to watching that develop. I am also very pleased that Jon’s wife Sharyn is able to join the team; she is very experienced in the field of advanced imaging in humans, including Fluoroscopy and PET-CT. This is already benefitting our patients as we improve our diagnostic and treatment abilities, and get ready for the future."
Jonathan has active research interests in several clinical areas including soft tissue sarcoma, injection-site sarcoma, endoprosthetics and haemangiosarcoma. He also supports the concept of One Medicine as his PhD research into soft tissue sarcoma, haemangiosarcoma and endoprosthetics has a potential relevance in improving the understanding of treatment paradigms for humans and animals.
The associations signed a memorandum of understanding to that effect at BVA Members' Day last week.
As part of the memorandum, BVA and BVNA have agreed to identify opportunities to work together to represent the views of veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses to the media, policymakers and general public and to raise the profile of the veterinary professions and the wider veterinary team.
The two associations have also agreed to work together to deliver joint events and support each other’s members.
British Veterinary Association President, Gudrun Ravetz said: "This memorandum really captures the importance of the veterinary family, my Presidential theme, in terms of us all working together to achieve the best possible outcomes for animal health, welfare, public health and our professions.
"At community level, we could not achieve a fraction of what we do if vets and vet nurses did not pull together and, at national level, one strong veterinary voice will achieve so much more if we work in unison.
"I am delighted that BVA and BVNA have had the strategic foresight to formalise our close working relationship, with many more opportunities to come for collaboration that will best represent the voices of our members."
British Veterinary Nursing Association President Samantha Morgan said: "BVNA are very pleased to sign this agreement to formally recognise the close relationship both professions have and therefore both representative bodies have.
"This is going to be a symbiotic relationship, with both professions and representatives retaining their own unique identity but forming a single, strong voice. This is a proud milestone for BVNA, something we have worked towards and we believe this formal understanding between both of our representative bodies is a positive step in the veterinary nurse profession.”
The memorandum between BVA and BVNA is agreed for a period of three years and will be regularly reviewed during that time.
Candidates will have the option of receiving a PGDip Veterinary Physiotherapy after two years, and will be able to practice as veterinary physiotherapists with either qualification.
The course will be delivered at the University’s Sutton Bonington campus at weekends, so that it can fit around people's existing work commitments.
Leading the course at Nottingham will be Dr Richard Payne, Assistant Professor of Veterinary Anatomy. He said: "This is an exciting expansion of our postgraduate provision and will allow us to build on our reputation for delivering first class teaching in our excellent facilities.
"The course will be run on a weekend basis over two academic years, which will allow students to continue to work in their current employment. It is very much hands-on and is designed for musculoskeletal practitioners, veterinary nurses and veterinary surgeons, but also for those who want to expand or change their career opportunities."
The course was developed by Canine and Equine Physiotherapy Training (CEPT) and has been delivered by them since 2008, but is being transferred to Nottingham due to an increasing number of applicants.
The University says much of the practical teaching will be delivered by qualified veterinary physiotherapists, both on campus and at their own practices.
Students will be qualified as veterinary physiotherapists after two years, while the third year for the MSc will revolve around research work for a dissertation based on a topic relevant to veterinary physiotherapy.
Modules will cover a range of topics including the foundations of clinical practice, anatomy and physiology, the foundations of clinical practice, applied clinical skills and clinical reasoning and reporting. Students can expect to come away with a range of practical skills such as physiotherapy, electrotherapy and exercise programming.
The course will be open to applicants with a degree (BSc or above) in a science or animal-related subject and with evidence of at least eight weeks of animal handling experience.
More information about the course, and how to apply, can be found at https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/pgstudy/courses/veterinary-medicine-and-science/veterinary-physiotherapy-msc-pgdip.aspx
Photo courtesy University of Nottingham
Under the RCVS Code of Professional Conduct veterinary surgeons are expected to demonstrate that they are keeping their skills and knowledge up-to-date by engaging in at least 105 hours of CPD over a rolling three-year period.
As part of the auditing process the 1,071 vets will be asked to share their CPD records for 2014 to 2016, either by allowing the College to access their online Professional Development Record or by sending the College a copy of their CPD record card.
The audit will focus on six groups:
The College says that if any of the veterinary surgeons who have been audited are found to be non-compliant they will be asked to explain why and send a plan stating how they will make up the hours in order to become compliant.
The deadline for sharing records is Tuesday 31 October 2017.
As part of the auditing process the College is reminding veterinary surgeons that CPD encompasses a wide range of recorded activities, which can be clinical or non-clinical, including private reading/study, webinars, mentoring, clinical audit and discussion groups as well as attending seminars and workshops.
Don't forget that reading content and participating in forum discussions on VetSurgeon.org can count towards your annual requirement, using the 'Claim CPD' feature at the top of each page.
Those with any questions about the auditing process or what constitutes CPD can contact Jenny Soreskog-Turp, RCVS Education Officer, on cpd@rcvs.org.uk.