Dubbed the PICO Project, the scheme will initially run via a series of specialism-specific surveys that let respondents select individual species or topics and input the research questions they would like to see covered within Veterinary Evidence.
Knowledge will make the list of submitted questions available online for the veterinary community to answer as Knowledge Summaries (Critically Appraised Topics), which will be peer-reviewed and published in the open-access journal.
Professor Peter Cockroft, recently appointed Editor-in-chief of Veterinary Evidence, said: "The practice of evidence-based veterinary medicine is an empowering process for practicing veterinarians that enables important gaps in knowledge to be identified. It is the bridge between research and clinical practice.
"If you have a clinical question that may shape the care of a patient, Veterinary Evidence may have the best current answer or will add the question to the growing archive of important information needs."
The first survey to launch – open now – will focus on equine practice, with possible subjects ranging from the likes of husbandry or vaccination to infectious diseases.
To ask for the evidence on a particular area, choose your topic in the survey’s drop-down menus and fill in up to five related questions, preferably in Population Intervention Comparison Outcome format.
Livestock will be the focus for the next survey, due to open alongside the BCVA Congress in October. Further surveys will look at canines, felines and other specialisms.
To keep up to date with the list of PICO questions being answered or available to be answered, visit Veterinary Evidence and follow @RCVSKnowledge on Twitter.
If you wish to become an author of a Knowledge Summary for publication in the journal, contact the Managing Editor at Bridget@rcvsknowledge.org.
Running throughout October, it is Ceva's third TV campaign this year to raise awareness of the benefits of Feliway and Adaptil amongst pet owners.
The campaign starts with a Feliway Classic advertisement running from 3rd October until 16th October, followed by an Adaptil advertisement until 30th October, timed for the run up to the firework season.
The new TV advertising campaign will target 18.5 million pet owners and it will air on all the C4 channels, including Channel 4, E4, More4, Film4, Drama, Good Food, Really, W and Home, with two spots during the popular Channel 4 TV show Great British Bake Off, which has 6.7 million viewers.
The TV advertising campaign will be supported by a Sky Adsmart and social media campaign for ADAPTIL.
Claire Russell, product manager for Feliway and Adaptil at Ceva Animal Health, said: "Our autumn Feliway and Adaptil TV advertising campaign is our biggest, most extensive campaign to date. It demonstrates our commitment to raising awareness of how anxiety in pets can affect the relationship with their owners and how Feliway and Adaptil can help."
For further information, visit www.feliway.com or www.adaptil.com.
According to the BVA, the problem is usually related to the cost of treatment, with 90% of vets saying that they or a member of their team have been challenged over their fees or charges and 98% saying that at some time they feel under pressure to waive fees or accept the promise of late payment.
Predictably, the problem is more commonly reported by those working in companion animal or mixed practice, with 89% reporting some form of intimidating experience. Younger vets and female vets were also significantly more likely to have experienced some form of intimidation.
The survey has prompted the BVA and the British Veterinary Nursing Association to issue advice concerning how to deal with intimidating clients.
BVNA President Sam Morgan said: "These statistics make for sad reading, but are certainly not surprising. Working within practice we have all either been subject to or witnessed that 'difficult' client, but we must remember any form of harassment is unacceptable. It’s important not to feel alone in these situations and to ensure there is awareness and support throughout the veterinary team."
BVA President John Fishwick, said: "Every situation is different and has to be dealt with on an individual basis, but it’s concerning to see the figures around challenging client behaviour and fees. Owning an animal is an important responsibility and will cost tens of thousands of pounds over its lifetime.
"It’s important for everyone in the vet team to take pride in the healthcare and treatment they deliver, and, equally, they must feel valued for their services. These figures emphasise the importance of managing expectations around fees by ensuring a two-way discussion about options and costs so clients can make a decision in collaboration with the veterinary team."
The BVA/BVNA advice for dealing with intimidating clients is as follows:
Photo: Dimitry A / Shutterstock
Atilla was presented with the concerned owners of an eight year old Staffie at the end of August this year, having found blood in the dog’s urine. He said: "Fortunately the owners were extremely vigilant and noticed the blood. They phoned on a Sunday and arrived in the surgery as an emergency two hours later, bringing with them a urine sample. The urine was dark red and remained so when spun. I then carried out an in-house peripheral blood smear and found the Babesia piroplasms. Treatment started immediately with Imizol injections."
"Having just seen the dog two weeks later for its second injection, the lucky Staffie is thankfully doing very well. This dog was fortunate though as we were not seeing it regularly at the practice so it had not been receiving regular tick treatment. This meant it was exposed to the dangers of tick-borne diseases even though it hadn’t travelled outside the UK."
Hannah Newbury, Technical Manager at MSD Animal Health said: "This case is a reminder of the value of vets remaining vigilant to the possibility of Babesiosis being present in dogs that have not travelled outside the UK or had contact with dogs that have.
"It also highlights the need for vets to discuss parasite risk with owners to ensure that dogs are given regular tick-treatments throughout the year to reduce the risks to pets and owners.”
"As we learnt from the cases of canine Babesiosis in Essex last year, there are established populations of the tick Dermacentor reticulatus acting as vectors of the introduced pathogen Babesia which is a major concern for animal health. It also demonstrates the potential dangers from the inadvertent introduction of novel disease pathogens if vigilance and surveillance are not maintained."
The expert panel consisted of Peter Sandøe (Denmark), Professor of Ethics and Welfare; Helle Friis Proschowsky (Denmark), a veterinary surgeon working with the Danish Kennel Club; Laurent Findji (France/UK), Specialist in Soft Tissue Surgery; Gudrun Ravetz (UK) – Senior Vice President, British Veterinary Association; Kristin Wear Prestrud (Norway) – Veterinary Scientific Director of the Norwegian Kennel Club and Åke Hedhammar (Sweden), Professor Emeritus in Internal Medicine (companion animals), a veterinary consultant for the Swedish Kennel Club and a member of the WSAVA Hereditary Disease Committee.
Kristin Wear Prestrud said: "Vets should dare to speak out. We must educate owners on all health and welfare matters, whether we are simply advising them that their dog is overweight or if we need to give advice on breeding or refuse planned Caesarean sections."
The panel's recommendations are:
At a practice level, veterinary professionals should:
At an organisational level, the veterinary profession should:
Photo: ponpimonsa_bibi/Shutterstock
John said: "This is a great opportunity to raise awareness for what is a very serious problem in our profession - we all know someone within the veterinary community who has had mental health problems - and I am very proud that it is a strong community trying to tackle this issue.
"But it is not just about one day – we can’t forget about it for the rest of the year. We all live extremely busy lives and if we are not functioning as people, we are not going to function as professionals."
John says veterinary professionals must take a balanced and holistic view of their lives and develop strong teams at local, regional, national and even international level, to build resilience in dealing with stress and dispelling the stigma about mental illness that may prevent people seeking help.
Mental ill-health will affect one in four people over the next 12 months[i] and in England, one in six people experience a common mental health problem (such as anxiety and depression) in any given week[ii]. There are particular issues within the veterinary profession, with higher than average rates of suicide, and patterns of distress, anxiety and depression, among other illnesses.
The BSAVA will launch a new ‘Beyond the Clinics’ personal development stream at Congress next April, including a non-clinical series of lectures on physical and mental health, and, with RCVS, it hosts a series of Mind Matters CPD courses across all 12 regions – all of which were sold out in 2016.
John added: "I’m looking forward to inviting colleagues to Beyond The Clinics on the Sunday of Congress, which is a great opportunity for the whole profession to think more deeply about how we look after each other, by increasing knowledge about mental wellbeing, building resilience in dealing with stress and dispelling the stigma about mental illness that may prevent people seeking help.
"I’m also very proud of the BSAVA’s involvement in the Mind Matters initiative, set up by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. All 12 of our regions hosted sold out courses during 2016, which is part of the profession’s response to research showing that the stress of working in modern veterinary practices has taken a heavy toll on the mental wellbeing of many staff."
Limited places are available for the BSAVA’s Mind Matters regional meetings – more information is available at www.bsava.com/Education/CPD/Mind-Matters
The meetings provide training for all members of the practice team to help them recognise any signs of mental problems in their colleagues – and, perhaps, in themselves. The training aims to help individuals know how to communicate with people they are concerned about and offers tips on stress management and staying well.
John, who has suffered mental health difficulties himself, says it is important to reach out and respond as a profession to this serious problem.
"My main advice is to be aware of others, be supportive, understand and appreciate them, notice when someone isn’t acting normally, and also remember that you are in a team together with people to talk to and you should do that. You can’t take stress away completely but you can’t put everything on the practice owner, this is a whole team responsibility – upwards, sidewards and downwards."
References
Norbrook has verified that the pH of certain batches has increased over time and is out of specification.
This issue impacts the following batches:
A spokesperson said: "There has been no increased risk to animal safety identified but we take quality extremely seriously so we initiated a voluntary recall. We have informed all of the competent authorities and we are working with our distributor to advise immediate quarantine of any remaining inventory."
If you have any questions concerning the recall, contact Ms. Anita Vanderlaan Tel: +44 (0)28 3026 4435, Email: anita.vanderlaan@norbrook.co.uk
The practice, which is part of the Linnaeus Group, achieved 'outstanding' status in diagnostic service, in-patient service and emergency and critical care service, after scoring above 80% in each area during the RCVS assessment.
Ian Monteith, managing director of Calder Vets, and also Paragon Veterinary Referrals; a new £5 million plus state-of-the-art referral centre being launched in Wakefield at the end of the year, said: "The team here at Calder take great pride in providing the highest possible level of care for our patients and their owners, often using cutting-edge techniques. We have some hugely experienced and talented professionals who always go the extra mile to ensure our patients and clients have the best possible experience.
"Our veterinary specialists and caring support teams, are totally committed to ensuring Calder Vets continues to provide outstanding standards and as such we are very proud to have achieved these additional accreditations by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons."
The panel, chaired by veterinary ethicist Professor David Morton CBE, was established last year on a trial basis as a means of offering an ethical review process for practice-based research projects that may not have the same access to resources as clinical studies in academia or industry.
Since its establishment at the end of July last year it has received 23 applications, mostly concerning small animal clinical studies. However, due to demand from the profession, it will shortly be considering applications for equine or farm animal-based research and will be recruiting new panel members to cover these areas.
Eleanor Ferguson, RCVS Registrar, said: "Although the number of cases considered so far have been relatively small, the service has been very well received as a means of providing ethical review to those who might not otherwise be able to do so and so, therefore, might struggle to get papers published.
"Considering the importance of practice-based research we expect there to be an increase in the number of applications as word gets out about the service and so are happy to extend the trial for another year and for it to consider a wider range of applications."
Further details about the Panel, as well as guidelines for making applications and the application forms, can be found at www.rcvs.org.uk/ethics
For an initial discussion about submitting an application to the Ethics Review Panel, contact Beth Jinks, Standards and Advisory Officer, on 020 7202 0764 or ethics@rcvs.org.uk
All SPVS members who complete the survey online will be sent their own personalised survey results allowing them to benchmark their practice against the industry averages.
SPVS is also offering 3 months free membership to anyone who takes part who is not already a member.
VPMA and BVNA members can also complete the survey and the results will be published on their websites.
Peter Brown, SPVS President Elect who leads on development of the surveys said: "Whether you are recruiting, doing an internal pay review, looking for a new job yourself or trying to negotiate a pay rise, it helps to understand what the typical salaries are and the trends. Our new software allows you to easily compare your salaries to others in personalised results making it a valuable business tool."
SPVS is urging as many people as possible to take part in the survey as the more participants, the more reliable the results.
For more information, visit www.spvs.org.uk or call 01926 840318.
The report says the greatest threat to farm animal welfare standards post-Brexit would come from UK farmers competing against cheap, imported food from countries that produce to lower standards than the UK. Therefore, the Government's wish for the UK to become a global leader in free trade is not necessarily compatible with its desire to maintain high animal welfare standards.
Noting the UK's overwhelming reliance on non-UK EU citizens to fill crucial official veterinary positions in the UK, the Committee called on the Government to ensure that the industry is able to retain or recruit qualified staff to fill these roles post-Brexit.
Responding to the report, BVA President Gudrun Ravetz said: "The report offers strong leadership and a clear message, emphasising the consumer and cross-sector consensus that current animal health and welfare standards must be at least maintained in Brexit negotiations. Prioritising these standards in trade negotiations could guarantee a unique selling point for the UK. As the report recommends, as consumers we must make sure we do not compromise quality for cost-savings in order to avoid a race to the bottom for welfare standards. We now need clarity from the Government on how underpinning processes and overarching principles, like Article 13 which ensures animal welfare requirements are fully considered in policy-setting, will be incorporated into domestic law.
"The report supports our view that animal welfare should be considered a public good and we reiterate our calls following the Secretary of State’s recent speech that a replacement CAP scheme should encompass animal welfare, animal health, disease surveillance, biodiversity and environmental stewardship to benefit not only UK producers, but consumers and wider society too.
"The EU Committee’s recognition of the vital role vets play in animal health, welfare and public health is extremely encouraging. Official Veterinarians (OVs) working in abattoirs protect and reassure UK consumers, certifying and supervising the import and export of animals and animal products to third countries. As I outlined in my evidence to the Committee, some estimates suggest 95% of OVs working in UK abattoirs graduated overseas, mostly in the EU. However, we are already hearing of fewer applicants for veterinary public health roles since the referendum.
"There are significant concerns about the potential impact of a post-Brexit veterinary workforce shortage on the UK's £100 billion agri-food sector, in terms of risking business and consumer confidence as well as the UK’s future export capability. A strong, sustainable veterinary workforce is absolutely vital to safeguarding animal health, welfare and public health post Brexit."
Thousands of shipments of equine germinal product (semen, ova or embryos) are imported into the UK every year. It is a legal requirement for all imported equine semen to be accompanied to the place of destination (usually to the side of the mare) by an original, valid health certificate (ITAHC), issued in the country of origin.
The BEVA says that recently, consignments of equine semen have been imported without the appropriate health certificates meaning that there is no guarantee that the semen is free from the stated diseases or even that it is from the chosen stallion.
According to the Association, some well-known importing agents have been advising mare owners that these certificates are unnecessary and openly criticising veterinary surgeons who refuse to inseminate mares with uncertified imported semen.
The use of uncertified semen risks recipient mares being infected with diseases such as CEM or EVA, the potentially rapid spread of disease in breeding stock and eventual restrictions being placed on breeding premises. Recent outbreaks of Equine Infectious Anaemia (EIA) in Europe have increased the threat to the UK herd.
The personal and professional reputation of any veterinary surgeon involved with using uncertified semen is also in danger, with the RCVS likely to take a stringent line with any vets who disregard animal health laws and the high health status of British horses.
Malcolm Morley, Partner at Stable Close Equine Practice was recently placed in a difficult position with a longstanding client when semen arrived without the requisite documentation. Following a discussion between the semen importer and his client, where the client was told that Malcolm was being pedantic and that the client should find someone else to inseminate the mare, Malcolm contacted the importer saying: "We have no intention of inseminating the mare without the correct health papers. Please will you ensure that when you speak to the mare’s owner that you make it clear that you do not expect us to inseminate the mare in these circumstances and that the health papers should have been shipped with the semen."
Another BEVA member who wishes to remain anonymous said: "I have one very big client I think I may be about to lose because of my refusal to inseminate his mare without papers … (the importing stud) did not feel it worth a three hour drive to get papers done. The semen importer has made it clear to my client that (they believe) I am just being awkward."
Mark Bowen Senior Vice president of BEVA said: "Import agencies have placed additional pressure on the vets to inseminate mares without the necessary paperwork. Not only is this action illegal but places recipient mares under a direct threat from a notifiable and incurable disease. This seems particularly cavalier given the recent outbreaks of EIA across Europe."
Tullis Matson, Founder and Managing Director of Stallion AI Services said: "No one should be inseminating mares with imported semen that isn’t accompanied by the original health certificate. If the UK wants to retain its high health status and continue to utilise the international market it needs the breeding industry and the veterinary profession to use the disease controls that are currently place until such a time as we can implement more efficient system."
The BEVA says it is taking the following action:
In 2009, Chiara (pictured right) was the first to be awarded by examination the title of European Veterinary Specialist in Oncology after completing a one-year small animal internship at the University of Glasgow and a three-year residency in internal medicine and oncology at the University of Edinburgh.
Alongside her clinical work, Chiara is an honorary lecturer at the University of Liverpool and a multi-lingual specialist consultant, writer and lecturer at events in the UK and Europe. Her focus is on postgraduate training in small animal oncology and internal medicine and online education of pet owners and animal carers. Chiara is a member of the general and oncology examination committees of the European College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ECVIM).
She said: "My aim is to provide veterinarians and owners on a daily basis with the most up-to-date information on cancer diagnosis and treatment options so pets can spend more time with their families whilst protecting their quality of life and preventing suffering."
Samuela is a European Specialist in Veterinary Ophthalmology with a special interest in ocular pathology as well as corneal disease and surgery.
She said: "Working at Willows allows me to be part of a talented and passionate team, and a chance to become the best ophthalmologist I can. Willows offers a very high level of patient care, and working here gives me the opportunity for constant scientific and clinical development."
The rationale for completing a course of antibiotics has always been to prevent the growth of drug-resistant bacteria. However, the article says there is little evidence to support this idea, and that in fact, taking antibiotics for longer than necessary presents a greater risk of causing antibiotic resistance.
Responding to article, BVA Junior Vice President John Fishwick said: "We're very aware of the global threat antimicrobial resistance poses to human and animal health, and the UK veterinary profession is committed to the responsible use of antibiotics. Medicines should never be used to compensate for poor husbandry practices and routine habitual prophylactic use in healthy animals to prevent disease is a no-go.
"The article in the BMJ suggests that antibiotics should be used for as short a period as possible, and that we should move away from the concept of following a predetermined course. This may indeed be a very important advance, but it is far too early to determine how this would work in veterinary practice. We need to clearly establish the evidence supporting it.
"We support the researchers’ calls for clinical trials to determine the most effective strategies for antibiotic treatment. Until further studies are conducted, it is too early to change the way we prescribe medicines and vets should continue to prescribe as previously, only when necessary. It is also vital that clients continue to follow the directions given by their vets, both in terms of dosage and duration of treatment, carefully."
In a short video produced by Elanco Animal Health, Natalie highlighted how critical pet behaviour is to achieve a clinical cure: "Many of our cases that are referred for surgery are because the owner can’t apply treatment. However, we still treat the majority medically, alongside behavioural therapy.
"Prioritising your diagnostics in the consult, especially ear cytology, being able to identify subtle behavioural cues and potentially taking treatment back into the practice can all help achieve first-line treatment success."
Emily said: "Treatment doesn’t need to be merely 'tolerated'; it should be a positive experience. Just one bad experience can be hard to overcome so it’s important to get it right first time."
According to a survey commissioned by Elanco1, 45% of owners struggle to administer ear medications at home. 55% of those said the dog finds it stressful, while 43% said their dog hides from treatment.
Natalie said: "Owners often won’t admit that they struggle to apply ear treatments so it is up to us to ask the right questions and make them feel at ease in order to find out."
Emily added: "Owners often feel guilty and think they should be able to apply the treatment. We frequently underestimate how stressful this can be; having to apply treatment once a day to a painful dog is really difficult for any owner and can seriously affect the bond with their pet."
Natalie says treatment choices should be influenced by subtle behavioural cues in the consultation and in some cases veterinary surgeons should consider taking the burden of treatment away from the owner and into the practice in the first instance, to prevent negative experiences and unnecessary stress. She said: "We often find that applying a long-acting treatment in the consultation can make a big difference. It has less of an impact on the pet-owner bond and can help prevent behavioural issues that develop all too commonly."
Elanco highlights a recent clinical study2 which looked at the impact of Osurnia on quality of life, which concluded that: "A veterinarian-administered otic gel provided equivalent efficacy and higher QoL to dogs with otitis externa and their owners, compared to an owner-administered topical otic therapy".
Natalie said: "It’s our responsibility to proactively prevent the negative association with ear handling, making ear treatment a positive and easy experience. By thinking more about how we handle our patients and what we’re dispensing, potentially using a product that can be applied in the practice and less frequently, we can make the whole experience a lot better for dogs and owners."
In their report, RCVS assessors highlighted the calm and professional environment at Lumbry Park, which they said, taken together with the enthusiasm of the team provided a very positive overall feel. Its provision of separate dog and cat patient visiting rooms was also singled out as a good use of space and support for clients, especially with the potential for long stay cases.
Lumbry Park Hospital Director Ray Girotti said: "We wanted to participate in the Practice Standards Scheme to benchmark the service we offer to our patients and their owners against the best veterinary hospitals in the country. The whole team has worked together to get us to this stage and we are delighted that our efforts have been recognised by the RCVS with the award of Hospital status."
Modules for the first GPAdvCert – in Small Animal Orthopaedics – will begin in February 2018. Improve says it's the first of many 'next steps' programmes which it plans to launch under this new postgraduate level qualification.
The GPAdvCert in Small Animal Orthopaedics is aimed at veterinary surgeons who have completed their General Practitioner Certificate in Small Animal Surgery (GPCert SAS) or Postgraduate Certificate (PgC) in Small Animal Surgery.
Accredited by the European School of Veterinary Postgraduate Studies (ESVPS) and validated by Harper Adams University, the programme is delivered over 15 modules in three state-of-the-art European training centres - Sheffield, UK, Cremona, Italy and Madrid, Spain. Improve says delegates will learn from world-class clinicians and will be supervised in their practise of new surgical techniques and advanced procedures in a wet-lab environment.
David Babington MRCVS, Managing Director of Improve International (pictured right), said: "We felt there was a gap in the current structure for a postgraduate qualification which would allow students to advance their knowledge and practical skills in their chosen area and to add to their academic credentials. The General Practitioner Advanced Certificate is our solution."
Successful achievement of the GPAdvCert will enable delegates to progress from a Postgraduate Certificate in Small Animal Surgery (or equivalent) to the Postgraduate Diploma in Advanced Veterinary Practice Sciences in the UK, which is awarded by Harper Adams University. This can, in turn, be used towards the award of a Masters Degree (MSc) in Advanced Veterinary Practice Sciences.
David added: "Delegates for our first GPAdvCert in Orthopaedics for Small Animals will enhance their skills and confidence in dealing with more advanced orthopaedic procedures in-house and this will help them to reduce the number of patients which are referred, retaining a higher level of income for their practice. They will also develop skills which they can pass onto their team. We look forward to welcoming our first delegates next year."
Further details are available at: https://www.improveinternational.com/uk/course/general-practitioner-advanced-certificate-in-small-animal-orthopaedic-surgery/
The epidemic of respiratory disease in early 2010 was characterised by coughing and nasal discharge.
The disease spread through the population of 77,000 Icelandic horses within weeks, leading to a self-imposed ban on their export and significant economic cost to the country.
Initially, due to the speed at which the disease had spread, a viral cause was suspected. However, investigations by researchers at the University of Iceland showed that only Streptococcus zooepidemicus was consistently recovered from coughing horses and rare fatal cases of infection. However, this bacterium is also often found in healthy horses.
The AHT and the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute were brought in to investigate. Dr Simon Harris from the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute said: "To identify the culprit, we sequenced the DNA from 257 samples of bacteria from diseased animals and people. This showed that one specific strain of S. zooepidemicus, called ST209, was the likely culprit, and we also found this strain in a human case of blood poisoning. This study highlights, for the first time, how DNA sequencing can be used to identify endemic strains of bacteria and distinguish them from the cause of an epidemic infection."
Iceland is free of all major equine infectious diseases thanks to the ban on the importation of horses into the country in 1882. Consequently, Icelandic horses are particularly susceptible to any new bacteria or virus that crosses the border, and so strict biosecurity regulations are in place to help protect them.
Dr. Sigríður Björnsdóttir of the MAST Icelandic Food and Veterinary Authority, used information from owners and veterinary surgeons to build an epidemiological network. This enabled her to identify an equine rehabilitation centre where horses exercised in a water treadmill. The water treadmill is thought to have provided the perfect conditions for transmitting the disease as water was splashed up and ingested. Horses would complete their rehabilitation and return home, whilst incubating the disease, taking the infection with them.
The ST209 strain of S. zooepidemicus found in Iceland has also been recovered from a coughing horse in Sweden and an abdominal abscess in a Finnish horse trainer.
Dr Andrew Waller, Head of Bacteriology at the AHT, said: "There are a couple of theories as to how the strain entered Iceland. These bacteria are able to survive outside a horse for a week or so, which means the import of contaminated equipment or clothing is the most likely route by which ST209 entered Iceland. However, this particular strain could have even infected a human who travelled to Iceland, before spreading the strain back to a horse and triggering the epidemic.
"We are delighted to have helped uncover the likely identity of the cause of this epidemic. Our investigation highlights the ability of S. zooepidemicus strains to cause disease in animals and people. We found evidence that even endemic strains of S. zooepidemicus were likely causing cases of respiratory disease in Icelandic horses, illustrating that this group of bacteria causes more clinical problems in horses than was previously thought. We hope that raising awareness of the cause of this epidemic, and the likely involvement of a water treadmill as a key factor in disease transmission, will encourage veterinarians around the world to improve disease control precautions preventing future epidemics."
Mr Cortes had pleaded guilty to the offences in January 2017 at Cardiff Crown Court. In February 2017, he was sentenced to six months imprisonment suspended for two years with a requirement to complete unpaid work and rehabilitation activity and a victim surcharge. Following Mr Cortes’ conviction the matters were referred to the RCVS and Mr Cortes was subsequently referred to the Disciplinary Committee.
Mr Cortes did not attend at the Disciplinary Committee hearing and was not represented. The Disciplinary Committee, being satisfied that Mr Cortes had been served with the Notice of Inquiry and having considered and taken into account a number of separate factors, decided that it would be in the interests of justice to proceed with the hearing in his absence.
The Committee considered whether Mr Cortes’ convictions rendered him unfit to practise as a veterinary surgeon. Chitra Karve, chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: "The Committee has reached the conclusion that the respondent’s possession of this material which has led to his convictions was so reprehensible as to merit the description disgraceful. It considers that by possessing this material, the respondent has brought disgrace on the profession and will have undermined confidence in it. It therefore finds that the convictions have rendered the respondent unfit to practise veterinary surgery."
In considering the sanction the Committee decided that removing Mr Cortes from the Register of Veterinary Surgeons was the only available option. Ms Karve added: "The Committee has determined that the respondent’s behaviour is fundamentally incompatible with being a member of the veterinary profession. It therefore directs the Registrar to remove the respondent’s name… from the Register of Veterinary Surgeons."
The RCVS Inspiration Award is for a veterinary surgeon or veterinary nurse who has demonstrated the ability to inspire and enthuse others consistently throughout his or her career.
The award is open to those who have inspired and motivated individuals or groups or who have worked at a profession-wide level. It will recognise those who have gone 'above and beyond' what may normally be expected from a professional colleague or tutor.
The RCVS Impact Award is for a veterinary surgeon or veterinary nurse who has made a considerable impact that has affected the profession, animal health or welfare, or public health. Such impact could have been made through any field of veterinary endeavour, including clinical practice, research, education or veterinary politics.
Chris Tufnell, Senior Vice-President of the RCVS, said: "I am very excited to be introducing these two new awards for those veterinary surgeons and nurses who go above-and-beyond the call of duty for the benefit of their profession, animals and society as a whole.
"I am keen to emphasise that these two new awards are relevant for veterinary professionals from all walks of life and any stage of their career – these are not life-time achievement awards but are for those making a tangible difference whether that’s in their practice, their region or across the country as a whole.
"If you know someone like this then I would strongly encourage you to find out more on our website and fill out a nomination form."
These two awards join four others made by the College:
Nominations for all six honours are now open. Nomination forms and guidance notes can be downloaded from www.rcvs.org.uk/honours and any questions can be directed to Peris Dean, Executive Secretary, on p.dean@rcvs.org.uk.
The deadline for making nominations is Friday 22 September 2017.
The traditional method for detecting equine lameness is subjective, using expert visual evaluation of gait to identify the presence or absence and degree of asymmetries. The lame horse is described as having a disorder, defect or loss of function and this clinical diagnosis has associated welfare implications if the horse is still asked to perform.
The article explains how advanced computer technology is starting to change all this. Optic motion capture or the use of inertial measurement units (IMUs) is now enabling the detailed study and quantification of the horse’s gait; objective assessment against preset thresholds. The paper points out that while these digital systems can overcome the temporal and spatial limitations of the human eye they simply rely on one or a number of set gait parameters to decide about lameness and this can present obstacles.
Thresholds are forcibly based on a limited reference population, which doesn’t adequately reflect the millions of horses in the world. The individual environmental and mental conditions for each horse and its day-to-day gait variations are also not accounted for. On this basis to use the term ‘lame’ because a horse demonstrates a subtle gait alteration, causing it to fall below the threshold, could be inappropriate, particularly as it may not affect the horse’s welfare in any way.
Professor Celia Marr, Editor of the Equine Veterinary Journal said: "An important first step is for researchers and clinicians to start to discriminate clearly between 'asymmetry' and 'lameness' and not to use these as interchangeable terms when interpreting gait analysis data. Asymmetry is often, but not always, a hallmark of lameness, but is not a clinical term, whereas lameness is."
The first part of the charge was that, between 3 November 2014 and 10 December 2016 he did not provide CPD records to the RCVS requested in four separate letters dated November 2014, September 2015, November 2015 and November 2016. The second part of the charge was that, between 11 December 2016 and 26 July 2017, he did not provide the RCVS with his CPD records despite requests.
Dr Zukauskas admitted to the charge against him at the outset of the hearing.
The Committee considered whether Mr Zukauskas’ failure to respond to requests for his CPD records constituted serious professional misconduct.
The Committee found that he had breached the RCVS Code of Professional Conduct for Veterinary Surgeons by not responding to the repeated requests for information from the College, although the Committee noted that there had not been total silence. Mr Zukauskas had made email contact on at least two occasions in response to RCVS letters and gave evidence that he had attempted to phone the authors of the letters. The Committee also noted that in early February 2017 Mr Zukauskas had made repeated attempts to give the RCVS access to his online CPD account, which he had been updating to reflect CPD work that he had undertaken.
Mr Zukauskas’ explanation for his failure was that he had not fully appreciated the importance of the letters, that his English was poor, and that he failed to obtain appropriate advice about the content of the letters until recently. It was only in a witness statement dated 27 July 2017 that he finally disclosed his full CPD records.
The Committee noted Mr Zukauskas' admission in his evidence that his English was not good, particularly in light of the obligation, brought into the Code in February 2016, for veterinary surgeons to be able to communicate effectively in written and spoken English.
Chitra Karve, chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: "From that date, if not earlier, the respondent should have been concerned to understand English sufficiently well to address the correspondence from the College. Whilst the Committee did not consider that his conduct in this respect amounted to disrespect, it did consider that he had shown a disregard of his obligations.
"At all times he could and should have made appropriate efforts to respond to the correspondence from the College and obtain appropriate advice. In effect he put off dealing with these matters and put his head in the sand."
Regarding his failure to respond to requests between December 2016 and July 2017, Ms Karve added: "This caused the College a considerable amount of concern and extra work. Had he done so much earlier, much of this matter would have been avoided. The respondent was once again in breach of his obligations."
Having found Mr Zukauskas guilty of serious professional misconduct in relation to both parts of the charge the Committee then considered its sanction against Mr Zukauskas, taking into account the fact that the Veterinary Nurse Disciplinary Committee had recently suspended a veterinary nurse from the Register for a period of two months having found her guilty of similar charges.
In mitigation the Committee considered a number of testimonials from colleagues and clients, his hitherto long and unblemished career in the United Kingdom, and his open and frank admissions and subsequent efforts to avoid repetition of his behaviour. Language problems were also considered as an explanation for why the situation had occurred. However, it also considered the aggravating factor that the misconduct was sustained over a period of time and that there was unacceptable disregard for the obligations he had to the College as a veterinary surgeon.
In summing up Ms Karve said: "The Committee has determined to impose a reprimand. In doing so it acknowledged that the respondent has shown considerable insight into his behaviour. He had acknowledged that he has needed help in communicating with the College. It noted that he is a good and proficient veterinary surgeon in the work which he undertakes. He expressed remorse for his behaviour. He has carried out sufficient CPD and since December 2016 has been communicating with the College. The Committee considers it unlikely that he will transgress again.
"The Committee has decided that it is appropriate in this case to add a warning to the decision to impose a reprimand. It is mindful of the fact that other veterinary surgeons registered with the College have a duty to discharge their CPD obligations and they honour those obligations. Moreover, the conduct of the respondent has involved a considerable amount of work and expense for the College."
The warning was that in future Mr Zukauskas must respond in a timely and appropriate manner to any communications from the RCVS.
Part 1 of "Comparison of veterinary drugs and homeopathy", by Peter Lees, Professor Emeritis in Pharmacology at the RVC, Ludovic Pelligand, Senior Lecturer in Veterinary Clinical Pharmacology and Anaesthesia at the RVC, Martin Whiting, Lecturer in Veterinary Ethics and Law at the RVC, Danny Chambers, an RCVS Councillor currently working at Langford Veterinary Services, University of Bristol, Pierre-Louis Toutain, a European Veterinary Specialist in Pharmacology and Toxicology, and Martin Whitehead Co- and Clinical Director at the Chipping Norton Veterinary Hospital, is published in last week's (August 12th) edition of the Veterinary Record.
The paper considers some of the reasons why medicinal products work and the errors in human thinking which make them seem to work when actually they don't. It also takes a look at the history of veterinary and homeopathic medicine, which helps explain how something as scientifically implausible as homeopathy ever gained traction in the first place.
VetSurgeon.org Editor Arlo Guthrie said: "As the parent of a child with a severe, chronic and highly variable disease, I’ve had prolonged first-hand experience of just how easy it is to fall prey to the sorts of errors in human thinking that can make you believe a treatment is working when in reality it is not. It’s something I continue to have to fight against, despite being well-educated about things like cognitive bias and regression to the mean.
"I believe all veterinary surgeons, and doctors for that matter should constantly remind themselves of these errors and importantly keep them front of mind when advising clients. Not just so they can explain cogently why quack medicine offers nothing more than false hope and a thinner wallet, and why randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials are so important, but also to improve their own assessment of a patient’s response to treatment."
The paper can also be downloaded here: http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/content/181/7/170
Part 2 of the paper is due to be published in next week’s edition of the Veterinary Record.
STOP PRESS VetSurgeon.org has funded the Open Access publication of this paper, so both parts are now available for all to read here:Part 1: http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/content/181/7/170Part 2: http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/content/181/8/198
Photo: The father of homeopathy, Samuel Hahnemann, Wikipedia
Dr Westwood, who now lives in Australia, had been referred to the Committee in relation to a number of charges against him relating to the treatment of a cat at his former practice in Cardiff in October 2015.
He was not present at the inquiry and had requested that his solicitor, Tony Wilson, act on his behalf.
Mr Wilson made an application to the Committee that the hearing should be adjourned contingent on a form of undertakings being accepted. These undertakings were that Dr Westwood’s name be removed from the Register with immediate effect and that he never apply to be restored to the Register under any category.
The application was granted by the Committee, taking into account a number of factors. These included the fact that Dr Westwood has retired as a veterinary surgeon, that he has closed his practice and returned to his home in Australia with no intention of returning to the UK, and that animal welfare and the reputation of the profession have been protected as Dr Westwood will no longer be in practice.
The Committee noted that there were several precedents for concluding cases in such a manner, and that the application was not objected to by the complainant or opposed by the College.
Dr Westwood’s name was removed from the Register of Veterinary Surgeons with immediate effect as of Monday 14 August 2017.
The Brexit Barometer report draws on insights from 16 animal medicines companies and other stakeholders. 95% of those who contributed to the report, drawn up after NOAH’s Brexit event in May, said that they are optimistic about the future of animal health and welfare in the UK.
On the broader future of the industry, contributors to the report were more uncertain: 40% 'in the middle', 30% 'optimistic' and 25% 'pessimistic'. In contrast to animal welfare, contributors were most pessimistic about the future of trade and exports in relation to animal health.
While optimism about animal welfare remains high, NOAH says the animal medicines industry needs a continuation of its high standards of health and welfare to help tackle antibiotic resistance and to put the UK in a strong influencing position with our ability to trade. Six key measures in relation to health and welfare that Government needs to take to realise the opportunities were outlined in the report. They are:
• Maintaining the current Animal Welfare Acts and evolving them to secure the UK’s position from ‘Day 0’• Ensuring the industry is not disadvantaged by lack of veterinary medicines availability during the transition period and beyond, as new products come on the market• Ensuring that veterinary services are available in inner city and rural areas throughout the UK• Ensuring that a cross-border programme is in place to maintain cooperation between the UK and Europe• Recognising that animal diseases do not respect borders and to co-operate with our European neighbours to ensure that appropriate measures are in place to prevent and control disease outbreaks• Balancing first-class welfare standards with creating a level playing field for UK farmers and ensuring that British product does not become uncompetitive.
NOAH Chief Executive, Dawn Howard said: "While the Barometer showed that a large proportion of the industry was undecided when it comes to overall future of our sector, it tells us loudly and clearly that the sector sees a very clear opportunity for the UK to show leadership when it comes to animal health and welfare. What is vital now is that Government collaborates closely with industry and heeds its advice to realise this opportunity and leverage these high levels of optimism. We must not forget that veterinary medicines support the health and welfare of the UK’s livestock and pets and we stand ready to work with industry and Government to help make this happen."
BVA President Gudrun Ravetz said: "We have a unique selling point as 'UK PLC' around our high standards of animal welfare and food safety and these must be maintained in the wake of Brexit. This means tackling issues including veterinary involvement from farm to fork to underpin animal health, welfare and public health, through to guaranteeing working rights for vets and veterinary nurses. It is therefore vital that animal welfare is included in all trade negotiations."
The report can be read in full here: https://www.noah.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/NOAH-Brexit-Barometer-Summer-17-6pp-A4-vf.pdf