The poster was put together by a team of 55 specialists and general practitioners led by Fergus Allerton.
It includes an outline of the new European Medicines Agency advice on categorising antibiotics, a new section on wounds and surgical site infections, updated advice on life-threatening infections and identifying/treating sepsis, and more advice for owners.
Fergus said: “The latest iteration of the PROTECT ME poster incorporates updated information and offers recommendations to support vets to optimise their antibiotic use.
"I hope this will be a valuable resource for vets in practice.”
The new posters will be distributed with Companion in December.
Free printable posters are available from: www.bsavalibrary.com/protectme
Printed copies can be purchased from the BSAVA store: www.bsava.com/store.
BSAVA members are also able to request free printed copies.
Sally Linghorn, Senior RVN at CVS and one of the team behind the initiative, said: “As far as we know, no other veterinary company has policy, support and specific training and guidance on this topic, in our female-biased profession.”
“We recognise how devastating pregnancy loss can be.
"Last year we launched a policy to provide special paid leave for pregnancy loss.
"But since implementing this we have noticed a gap.
"We felt our managers needed guidance and support on how to provide the more practical and emotional support on a day-to-day basis, if someone in their team experienced a loss."
The new guidance contains advice on how to understand each individual’s experiences and needs, help in the immediate situation of pregnancy loss at work, treat and record any time off directly related to a loss, understand how pregnancy loss can affect mental health, talk about pregnancy loss, facilitate a return to work and the importance of regular follow-ups and check-ins.
whatstherisk.co.uk has been created for all practice staff and contains advice from parasitologists Ian Wright and Eric Morgan.
Topics include advice on practical risk assessments, how risk-based prescribing can work with health plans as well as how to get owners involved to make risk assessment and personalised prescribing quicker and simpler.
Boehringer says that all the materials and advice have been developed in line with RCVS Practice Standards and the BVA's guidance on the responsible use of parasiticides.1,2
Sharron Woods, NexGard brands Franchise Manager said: “With knowledge about parasitic risk low among dog owners, alongside increasing scrutiny on the potential overuse of parasiticides, we’re delighted to be at the forefront of supporting vets, pet owners and the wider industry in driving best-practice risk assessment and responsible parasite control."
References
The company’s NEMO Cardiac Health Screening test detects heart disease using AI to analyse microRNAs - biomarkers that manage the immune system and its responses and act as regulators for disease progression or resolution.
MI:RNA says the new test, which can be taken from blood or urine samples, will help vets diagnose and monitor disease progression more effectively and give cats and dogs with heart disease 18 months more life.
Eve Hanks, CEO and founder of MI:RNA (pictured) said: “The use of precision medicine in veterinary diagnostics will help pet owners and breeders alike to ascertain where to direct their efforts and finances accordingly.
"There is massive potential to use this technology to help breeds who have real problems with heart and other diseases, and will consequently help owners and breeders to identify affected animals more quickly.
Professor Joanna Dukes-McEwan, Head of the Cardiology Service at the University of Liverpool said: "From our cardiac investigations, we knew exactly the underlying heart disease and the severity of this, so our data was used as a training set for the MI:RNA panel analysis.
"We have previously collected samples from dogs with myxomatous mitral valve disease and are currently collecting samples from cats with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
“I think the MI:RNA panels are most useful for vets in primary care practice to identify and confirm the severity of underlying cardiac disease in their patients.
"A simple blood test which could confirm that the cause of a heart murmur is MVD, and also indicate its severity, and whether the patient would benefit from treatment would be really helpful for primary care vets in practice.
"They might indicate which patients may benefit from referral, or indicate when a specific treatment is indicated.
"Future research with miRNA panels may also indicate novel pathways in progression of disease which might increase our understanding of the disease, or novel therapeutic options.”
According to the company, participating practices more than doubled the number of blood pressure checks they conducted, within 12 months.
The CVS’ clinical improvement project initially looked at how effective its first opinion small animal practices were in screening older cats for hypertension.
In line with the veterinary industry norm, it found that less than two per cent of cats over the age of seven were receiving an annual blood pressure check.
This initial research also found that the common barriers to conducting blood pressure checks by vets and veterinary nurses in practice were due to time constraints, availability of equipment and simply remembering to discuss blood pressure checks with owners.
Each CVS site chose two people to lead the initiative at their site, to aid communication and delivery.
A document was created to help, providing background, aims, summary of resources and planning sections.
Contributory factors preventing delivery of blood pressure checks were outlined and practices were encouraged to identify additional barriers and resources needed.
A suite of resources were then produced to support the practice team - from reception to veterinary surgeons - in improving annual blood pressure check rates.
The resources included new clinical frameworks and veterinary guidelines on how to treat hypertension; in-practice educational resources to highlight the benefits of hypertension screening and information sheets and blood pressure diaries to help clients manage their pets condition.
To upskill and develop colleagues in how to identify and treat hypertension and resulting conditions, a collection of training materials was created and training sessions held.
These included a series of webinars which explained why hypertension is important to identify, how to overcome common challenges encountered when looking for hypertension in cats, how to use the ophthalmic exam to help diagnose hypertension and how to treat hypertension.
Three in-person CPD days were hosted with the support from Ceva six months into the project where feline specialists Sarah Caney and Samantha Taylor shared the latest evidence base in this field and practices were encouraged to share barriers, queries and tips, so that ideas could be taken away to make blood pressure screening a simpler process in practice.
Practices were also encouraged to organise lunch and learn CPD sessions, to share best practice and generate discussion within their team.
In addition, a website was created to host all resources in one place, including webinars, clinical frameworks, client resources, a discussion forum and data.
An audit of each participating practice’s blood pressure check data was conducted at the start of the project.
Results were then shared with each participating practice every month - including the total number of blood pressure checks performed each month and the percentage of cats over the age of seven who had an annual blood pressure check.
Twelve months after its nation-wide launch, results reveal that the number of blood pressure checks have more than doubled (110%) within participating CVS practices and an additional 5,984 blood pressure checks have been performed year on year.
A number of practices were able to implement systems that allowed them to perform over 40 blood pressures each month.
The number of cats on amlodipine (the first choice medication to treat hypertension in cats) increased by 303 patients year-on-year, hinting many more cats had been diagnosed with hypertension.
Kate Allgood, Hub Clinical Lead at CVS who was responsible for the hypertension clinical improvement project, said: “There is a huge benefit in treating hypertension.
"No one wants to see a cat suddenly become blind due to hypertension that wasn’t recognised in time.
"So many associated longer-term feline complications and conditions can be avoided if annual blood pressure checks in cats over the age of seven are routinely performed.
"Increasing blood pressure screening is not a simple task though, and this focus has allowed space and time for practices to give this topic the recognition it deserves; to identify and implement systems that make it easier to identify patients at risk, discuss with clients and perform these checks with ease.
"We have created a robust clinical structure, produced some easily accessible materials and supported our practices to make small and simple changes that add up.
"Our practices have done an outstanding job at delivering this project to date and I look forward to seeing what can be achieved in the future. We strongly believe that this work will contribute towards providing some of the best clinical care for cats in the veterinary profession.”
Vets who want to stand as election candidates must submit their nomination forms by 5pm on Wednesday 31st January 2024.
There are places for three elected candidates on Council.
This year, the RCVS has put together downloadable information packs for prospective candidates.
The pack explains the role of an RCVS Council member and the candidate nomination process, and contains the candidate nomination and candidate information forms.
The RCVS Council pack is available to download from rcvs.org.uk/vncouncil24.
Eleanor Ferguson, RCVS Registrar and Returning Officer for both elections, said: “RCVS-registered veterinary surgeons of all backgrounds, at all career stages, and with all levels of experience are eligible to stand in the elections.
"So, if you want to help shape the future of veterinary regulation and our Royal College initiatives and activities, please consider standing in next year’s elections.”
Veterinary surgeons who are interested in standing for RCVS Council and who have any further queries should contact Dawn Wiggins, RCVS Council Secretary, on d.wiggins@rcvs.org.uk
The company points to data from the Animal Poison Control Center in the US which showed that in 2022, recreational drugs, including marijuana-based drugs, hallucinogenic mushrooms and cocaine made the list of top ten reasons for animals needing its help, knocking gardening products into 11th place.
In addition, the APCC reports a nearly 300% increase in calls about potential marijuana ingestion over the past five years
With this in mind, TVM has developed guidelines to support vets with these cases, both in terms of treatment options and tips on how to discuss the issue with clients and glean the information needed to help with the diagnosis and treat the animal.
TVM has also launched its new ‘Seasonal Suspects’ board kits to help vets educate pet owners on the common Christmas hazards commonly found around the house at this time of year.
The eye-catching waiting room display, which shows veterinary staff as seasonal superheroes, covers the dangers posed by items such as alcohol, batteries, plants and nuts, and advises pet owners on the necessary action needed should their pet digest any toxic substance.
TVM will also be sharing ‘Seasonal Suspects’ posts on its Facebook page for veterinary staff to share with their followers over Christmas.
For more information, email help@tvm-uk.com, call 0800 0385868 or contact your local Territory Manager.
For his research, Hugo visited the La Brea museum in Los Angeles, which gave him permission to study its collection of skeletal remains found in the La Brea tar pits.
“During my first visit, I concentrated on stifle diseases like cranial cruciate ligament rupture, which are very common in our modern-day dog companions.
"But in addition to cruciate disease, I also found OCD (osteochondritis dissecans) defects in the stifles and shoulders – which is again very common in modern dogs."
"My second visit was more focused on the changes in the spine of the dire wolf and the Sabre-toothed cat.”
"Some dire wolves had cruciate ligament ruptures, but it was uncommon compared to the most affected dog breeds.
"This is very similar to modern-day grey wolves which also suffer rarely from cruciate damage.
"In contrast, the prevalence of stifle OCD in these fossilised remains is amazingly high, especially in the sabre-toothed cat.
"This could indicate some degree of inbreeding, a factor which is predicated for species close to extinction.
“Malformations of the lumbosacral area are linked to inbreeding in modern grey wolves, and I found that the sabre-toothed cat also had a high prevalence of the same malformations we see in these wild modern inbred wolves, and some dog breeds today."
Hugo concluded: "The fact that some of the most common joint diseases in growing dogs can be found in the Ice Age under circumstances which could have caused inbreeding should alert pet owners and breeders to look out for inbreeding in our dog breeds.
"Careful evaluation and monitoring of dog breeding using DNA analysis could reduce painful joint damage."
The website, web-vetneurology.com, has an open access veterinary neurology literature section with up-to-date research on all aspects of neurological diagnosis and treatment.
The website also includes a case study section showing video footage and cross-sectional imaging studies of interesting and illustrative cases.
New, common and rare cases of clinical neurology presentations seen in cats and dogs are added every month.
There's also a range of webinars and podcasts.
The first podcast series - Neurology for Vets and Pets – aims to demystify veterinary neurology in small ‘bite-sized’ episodes, aiming to keep vets up to date on how to diagnose and treat the most common problems in practice and the clinical signs they will see in their cat and dog patients.
The second - Neurology for Specialists - is for vets who have a special interest in neurology, looking at the most challenging neurological problems in dogs and cats, and focusing on the latest publications - often presented by the authors of these studies.
Laurent Garosi said: “The reason behind this website is purely altruistic. We share a passion for neurology and - like the launch of our earlier Facebook page – we wanted to use this platform to share the fifty-plus combined years of experience we have between us.
“We do hope that we have created a comprehensive source of veterinary education and that it will act as an invaluable veterinary neurology resource for vets around the globe for many years to come.”
The website has been developed and supported by PRN Pharmacal in the United States.
The diffuser contains a blend of rose, lavender, and chamomile oils, which the company claims provides stress-relieving benefits during car journeys.
'On The Move' is part of the Calmex range, which includes a plug-in diffuser for the home and two nutraceuticals: a palatable tablet for dogs and a liquid formulation for cats.
Jackie Marshall, Technical Advisor at VetPlus, said: “We’re committed to developing products and solutions that allow vets to give their clients the best management options possible to ensure that pets are happy and healthy all year round.
“Combining the new in-car diffuser with the Calmex supplement and plug-in diffuser can be highly effective at supporting animals affected by many causes of stress, including loud noises, separation related anxiety, car travel, and environmental change.
"This gives vets the ability to recommend a truly multimodal approach to help animals cope better with stressful situations both in the home and on the move.
“The products can be used all year round to offer calming support for potentially distressing situations such as visits to the groomer, training and visits to the vet, as well as in the lead up to potentially stressful or busy events like Christmas or New Year’s Eve.”
VetPlus has also worked with behaviourists to develop a free app called Plasid.
Calmex users can access the app, which includes tracking tools, videos from behaviourists, and calming music to help stressed pets, by scanning the QR code on the product packaging.
www.vetplus.co.uk/product-category/brain-behaviour
Snowflake previously had a squamous cell carcinoma mass on the right lower eyelid, which was completely removed in 2018.
However, her owner noticed an abnormal growth in the left eye, and brought her back to the RVC.
On presentation, Snowflake was bright and in good body condition, weighing 71kg.
Both eyes were open and appeared comfortable and visual.
Ocular reflexes and responses were also present as expected and there was no evidence of recurrence of the squamous cell carcinoma on the lower right eyelid.
Snowflake was, however, diagnosed with mild cataracts in her right eye deemed unlikely to interfere with her vision.
In addition, the mass of her left third eyelid was nonpigmented and displayed a poorly defined mass-like lesion, with an irregular surface on the leading edge, appearing consistent with a squamous cell carcinoma.
The team, led by Dr Maria-Christine Fischer, Lecturer in Ophthalmology, Dr Sara Lawrence-Mills, Senior Clinical Training Fellow in Anaesthesia, and Dr Carolina Palacios Jimenez, Lecturer in Anaesthesia, decided to undertake surgery.
They removed the third eyelid under sedation and applied local anaesthetic blocks and topical tetracaine eye drops.
Cryotherapy was then applied to the wound edge as an adjunctive therapy.
The RVC says that to date, there are few publications detailing anaesthesia in reindeer and so this protocol was a novel approach to maintaining a safe level of sedation in a well-domesticated animal.
The College added that the use of these nerve blocks to facilitate ophthalmic surgery has not been reported before and is in the process of being published.
Snowflake’s third eyelid was submitted for histopathology, which confirmed the diagnosis of squamous cell carcinoma, which the team at the RVC was able to remove completely.
During the process, Snowflake’s daughter was with her so they both remained calm, and she has now made a full recovery and has enjoyed being reunited with her herd.
Maria-Christine said: “Snowflake had a cancerous mass on her third eye lid.
"Surgical removal of the third eyelid in a reindeer has not been reported before.
"We were pleased that we could perform the surgery with Snowflake under a standing sedation and with using local anaesthetics.
"As an ophthalmologist, I am committed to preserving vision so it’s rewarding that we were able to completely excise the tumour and did not have to remove the eyeball. It’s a very good outcome.
"I’m also pleased that Snowflake recovered quickly from the procedure, and we were able to share the protocol of the sedation and the local nerve blocks with other vets via a scientific publication.
"Sharing our knowledge will hopefully be beneficial for future ophthalmic surgeries in reindeer.”
* aka Mr Nick Dean.
Overall, there has been a 17% decline in Kennel Club registrations of all dogs so far this year.
However, new registrations of Pugs, French Bulldogs and English Bulldogs have declined by 42%, 39% and 34% respectively, putting these three breeds into the list of 'top five fallers' this year.
The Brachycephalic Working Group (BWG), which is made up of vets, national animal welfare organisations, scientists, and dog breed clubs has welcomed the news.
Dan O’Neill, Chair of the BWG said: “The drop in puppy registrations for these flat-faced breeds is a welcome step in the right direction, although these should be seen with some caution.
“We hope this is a sign that more and more puppy buyers, owners and breeders are considering the serious health and welfare implications for flat-faced dogs.
ukbwg.org.uk
Andrew, who graduated in 2002 from The University of Bristol, started as a farm vet in Devon and Cornwall, which is where he first became interested in cardiology.
He went on to undergo Specialist Training at The University of Edinburgh and then spent four years working in the pharmaceutical industry.
Andrew then spent almost two years as Head of Cardiology at a large referral hospital in Winchester, before leaving to co-found the first ever video consulting platform for pet owners, Pawsquad.
Since then, he has led teams in some of the largest specialist veterinary referral hospitals in Europe.
More recently, Andrew has run his own specialist-led visiting cardiology service, providing clinical consultancy services to 50 veterinary practices across the south of England for the last five years.
Andrew has been an EBVS European Veterinary Specialist in Small Animal Cardiology and a RCVS Recognised Specialist in Veterinary Cardiology for 10 years.
At Lumbry Park, Andrew plans to use his new role to provide specialist-led care to pets from across the South of England, and to provide cardiac clinical input for the multi-disciplinary team at Lumbry Park who manage patients with some of the most complex clinical problems in the country.
www.lumbrypark.co.uk
The initiative was first launched in 2018 as a small-scale pilot.
Following a hiatus during Covid, and subsequent adaptations and expansion, the 2022 programme saw 12 new graduate vets from PDSA and 22 from Vets Now take part.
Dr Aoife Reid, Head of Edge programmes and Clinical Career Progression at Vets Now said: “We recognised that within ECC practice, surgical cases are less common.
“When they do happen, though, they are high-stakes and are usually lifesaving.
"So, it’s important to maintain the surgical skills of our veterinary surgeons.”
Meanwhile, while each of PDSA Pet Hospital’s perform hundreds of surgical procedures every week, working in collaboration with Vets Now’s 60-plus clinics and hospitals gives new graduates exposure to more intensive and time-critical emergencies.
They encountered case presentations that are more commonly seen in emergency situations, including dystocia, seizures and dyspnoea; and developed their skills utilising point of care ultrasound and blood gas analysis with more critical patients.
Gemma Renwick, PDSA Area Veterinary Manager said: “This a scheme has really positive mutual benefits and provides a greater level of understanding of how each other works.
“It makes for a smooth transition between the day and the night service; which results in a much better experience for both clients and pets.”
Before attending, vets get a taster of what to expect through short webinar-style videos. They each then spend three shifts working alongside the other veterinary teams.
The Vets Now clinicians perform several surgeries in one shift, something that would rarely happen in all but the busiest of emergency clinics.
They also benefit from discussing cases when they may be more used to working in a solo environment and receive feedback from an experienced PDSA Clinical Coach.
Vets Now says feedback from both sides has been hugely positive, with participating vets saying they felt welcomed and supported.
Aoife said: “Within the veterinary industry, although it’s a small and close-knit community, we rarely see organisations collaborating in this way.“
"So, it’s great to work together to help benefit both our vets and the clients.”
Designed with the RCVS Standards and Advice team, the ‘Client confidentiality’ course explains the steps veterinary teams need to take when deciding whether or not to make a disclosure, and how to remain compliant with their professional obligations under the Code of Professional Conduct.
Senior Standards and Advice Officer, Victoria Price said: “Deciding to breach confidentiality is often a difficult decision with no right or wrong answer.
"The course should help learners to feel confident about what to consider in order to make justified and well-supported decisions.”
The course takes around one hour to complete.
academy.rcvs.org.uk
The RCVS said: "We understand that there are very strong opinions about the ban, and we respect the rights of individuals to make their own decisions.
"However, expressing these opinions can never justify or include the harassment and abuse of individual vets, vet nurses or their practice colleagues."
The BVA added: “The Government’s XL Bully ban is also placing additional pressure on veterinary teams who are doing their best in very challenging circumstances to help keep responsible XL Bully owners with their pets wherever possible.
"Their commitment extends to supporting clients with any decision-making around euthanasia in individual cases.
"It’s simply unacceptable for these professionals to face additional challenges through abuse, intimidation or threats.
"Such actions can have a hugely negative impact on individual vets and the wider team."
Resources:
Photo: Dlexus
The new range allows for gradually increasing support for the CKD patient according to the International Renal Interest Society (IRIS) stage, reducing phosphorous levels whilst avoiding early protein reduction and the associated lean mass loss correlated to a reduction in life expectancy.
Virbac says Veterinary HPM Kidney & Joint contains high quality protein, of which more than 85% is of animal origin, to support body condition and limit renal workload.
All of the products in the range contain Mobility Plus Complex, a mix of chondroprotective agents for joint support which are designed to increase joint flexibility and mobility with high levels of Omega 3 and DHA.
Dan Johnson, Product Manager at Virbac said: "CKD is the first cause of mortality at, or after, 5 years of age and osteoarthritis is highly prevalent but under-diagnosed in senior cats, with most cats being diagnosed at an advanced stage.
"So with Veterinary HPM Kidney & Joint, Virbac hopes to provide clinicians with a significant advancement in the nutritional management of these feline pathologies."
Veterinary HPM Kidney & Joint is presented in three dry and two wet formats:
Following stock challenges earlier in the year, the company is now urging vets to encourage farmers to vaccinate their flocks to prevent abortions during lambing.
Roy Geary, regional director for Northern Europe at Ceva Animal Health, said: “While we realise that the temporary delay of Cevac Chlamydia has been inconvenient to our valued sheep farmers we would like to thank all our customers for their patience and support during this challenging time.
"The vaccine supply is now available in the UK for the latter end of the season.
"Farmers tupping later in October should therefore be encouraged to vaccinate their flocks to protect their ewes from this devastating disease.”
www.enzooticabortion.co.uk
There will be 20 presentations from some of the world's leading experts, covering topics such as detection and diagnosis, advances in veterinary oncology, supportive care for the cancer patients, how to build a partnership with pet owners and, of course, feeding the cancer patient.
The presentations will be streamed live and available on demand afterwards, at https://learn.hillsvet.com/en_GB/hills-global-symposium-2023
Dr. Iveta Becvarova, Senior Director of Global Academic & Professional Affairs at Hill's Pet Nutrition said: "This year’s Hill’s Global Symposium will offer the latest advancements and innovations to help veterinary professionals support and counsel their clients, and provide the best care possible to the pets in their care."
Dr Pete Down, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education in UCLan’s School of Veterinary Medicine, said: “We recognise the multifaceted challenges the profession is facing at the moment, but many of us have spent significant time out in practice and recognise that it can be a fantastic career.
“Additionally, first-opinion vets provide essential services to the pet-owning public, equine, and farming industries.
"Our curriculum focusses on the provision of contextual-care and encourages vet students to see general practice as a fantastic career in and of itself.
"Also, whilst diversity in the profession has traditionally been a challenge, our student recruitment practices support an inclusive approach, recruiting students from a wide variety of backgrounds.”
The practically focused curriculum is ‘hands-on’ from year one and the university says it uses innovative digital technologies from the outset: its students will be among the first in the country to use specialist Anatomage vet tables.
Dr Heather Bacon OBE, Dean of UCLan’s School of Veterinary Medicine, said: “It’s a landmark day for the University as we’ve welcomed our first cohort of veterinary medicine students through the door.
"The demand for places on the first year of our BVMS course was huge and I’m thrilled we’ve been able to enrol so many enthusiastic student vets on to our programme.”
https://www.uclan.ac.uk/undergraduate/courses/veterinary-medicine-surgery-bvms
MI:RNA says that current testing practices for Johne’s disease mean that identification of the disease is difficult, with current sensitivities of around 10-40% and little to no ability to diagnose early stages of infection.
The loss of productivity due to Johne’s to the UK agricultural economy is estimated to be in excess of £10 million annually.
MI:RNA says it is the first diagnostic testing company to use microRNA assay technology.
MicroRNAs are newly discovered biomarkers that manage the immune system and immune responses and act as regulators for disease progression or resolution.
This, says the company, makes them excellent biomarkers of disease, and when combined AI, can significantly improve identification of Johne’s and other complex conditions, and predict disease outcomes.
MI:RNA says this development will allow veterinary surgeons, farmers and pet owners to test for a variety of conditions, not just Johne’s.
Target areas include heart and kidney disease, osteoarthritis and bovine tuberculosis, along with effective general wellness and preoperative screening.
Eve Hanks, founder and CEO of MI:RNA, said: “Increasing market and global pressures on bovine protein production means that animal health has never been more important.
"This is a key area of research and development for MI:RNA and biomarker science combined with our unique AI-powered modelling, means that we can significantly improve animal health and reduce greenhouse gas output.
“The breakthrough that we’ve already achieved in Johne’s testing is unparalleled, and has provided an opportunity for MI:RNA to pitch our business concept in the USA to the The Kansas City Animal Health Summit.
"Following our presentation, we have now progressed through to the final selection stage for European Innovation Council funding for our work on Johne’s disease.
“In terms of future applications, microRNAs can assist with vital drug discovery, progressing future diagnostic testing and understanding disease pathways more effectively.
"We’ve already made remarkable progress and we know that with the continued backing of our tech, AI and health experts and with the correct funding, that we can do so much more.”
The studies and articles include a look at the importance of ethics, artificial Intelligence in veterinary practice, retention in the veterinary nursing profession, canine corneal bacterial pathogens, canine appendicular soft tissue sarcomas and mast cell tumours, and autologous mesenchymal stromal cell treatment.
Professor Luisa De Risio, Clinical Research and Excellence Director at Linnaeus, said: “Innovation in clinical research can only happen if we embrace change in society – from new technology to improvements in animal welfare. As well as showcasing the latest research, our new report also brings together experts to consider the opportunities for our profession.”
https://bit.ly/42KFrMK
Tom graduated from the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) in 2017 and joined Synergy Farm Health full-time in 2018, after completing his postgraduate diploma (PGDipVCP) with the RVC.
Nominated by his practice, Tom is described as a fine example of a dedicated caring professional who is passionate about sustainability, has a keen sense of his clients’ needs, and has developed strong working relationships with the farms under his care.
The judging panel found that Tom uses data effectively in herd health planning to highlight areas of improvement, working in partnership with his clients to promote disease prevention and profitability.
Tom’s clients spoke of his knowledge and caring attitude and how much he is valued as part of their team.
Tom said: “It was a privilege to be a part of the awards and to see farmers and businesses acknowledged - farmers don’t always get the recognition they deserve and seeing British dairying showcased was amazing.
"I hope winning is reward for the time and effort colleagues at Synergy put into young vets too, and that I can put it to good use supporting clients and working with other organisations within the dairy industry.
"My aim as a vet has been simply to support clients the best I could, both clinically and emotionally, so to have won made it a fantastic night and one I won’t be forgetting!”
The runner up as Charlie Mays of LLM Vets, who the judging panel praised for making effective changes on farm towards preventive healthcare and using data to assist with health and profitability.
Charlie also lobbies government to support the interests of the farmer and the industry.
Sabrina Jordan from Virbac said: ‘Virbac has been supporting dairy vets with products and services for over 50 years and recognise the commitment of young dairy vets to the profession.
"The standard of nominations into this category was outstanding, and our winner and highly commended nominees are a true credit to the veterinary profession, both are shining lights of the future’.
In response to the question ‘How important is sustainability to you personally?’, 57% of respondents said it was very important making it the most popular choice.
However, in answer to the question: ‘Is your practice team actively working to improve sustainability?’, 20% of respondents said ‘Always/wherever possible’ and 42% said ‘Most of the time’, leaving 38% not actively working to improve sustainability.
IVC says the conclusion to be drawn is that sustainability is a personal priority, but this isn’t always translating to practice and more can be done.
To help with this, the company will shortly Positive Hoofprint, an Equine and Farm specific toolkit to help practices become more sustainable, with resources, checklists and practical advice for prioritising environmentally friendly initiatives.
Mark Tabachnik, UK Head of Equine for IVC Evidensia, said: “It’s clear from our survey that sustainability is still being treated as a secondary concern in practice, and this is something that IVC Evidensia is actively seeking to change.
“With our Positive Hoofprint about to be launched, there has never been a better time to prioritise our sustainability goals and to embed them in our own practices.
“This will give colleagues the tools they need to care for the planet, so we can fundamentally change equine veterinary to be more environmentally conscious for the future.”
Fluboral controls gastro-intestinal nematodes including Ascaridia galli (adult stages), Heterakis gallinarum (adult stages) and Capillaria spp. (adult stages) in chickens and Ascaris suum (adult and L4 intestinal stages) in pigs.
Dechra says Fluboral’s formula allows it to mix in drinking water quickly and easily with five seconds of stirring.
Fluboral has a guaranteed 24-hour stability without sedimentation of the suspension after dilution in drinking water and Dechra says there is no risk of inhomogeneous mixing.
Johnny Wells West, key account manager – pig and poultry at Dechra, said: “Fluboral is a welcome addition to our Solustab range of water-soluble products, providing effortless and efficient parasite control in drinking water to enable farmers and producers to start medication quickly and cost-effectively, as and when needed.”
https://www.dechra.co.uk/products/livestock/prescription/fluboral#Fluboral.