Canine Arthritis Management has announced the launch of a new training course for canine professionals, designed to help educate influencers. 

The CAMadvocate course (http://www.cameducation.co.uk), which is delivered online, consists of 10 modules with video presentations, course notes, downloads, owner-focused tools, further online learning, and social media uploads.

The course is designed to help canine professionals improve their understanding of canine arthritis, and to define their role in the identification, diagnosis, and management of the condition.

Hannah Capon MRCVS, the founder of Canine Arthritis Management said: "Dog walkers, groomers, trainers, kennel owners, etc., are all influencers! They have the ability to support a long-term veterinary-derived management plan. Or they have the ability to destabilise it!

"Owners listen to these people because they have more available time; they may appear less like a business and more like a friendly service or even a peer; or they may offer advice that seems more convincing. Whatever the reason, we should harness their powers and ensure they are disseminating reliable information whilst servicing their own needs!"

Canine Arthritis Management believes that a multidisciplinary team is required to better manage this disease, that this includes professionals outside the veterinary practice, and by harnessing their influence, the profession can educate more owners, identify this disease earlier, action appropriate management plans and give owners more years with their pets.

Hannah added: "I hope the profession will support this initiative and consider applying it to other chronic diseases that are prone to misinformation due to lucrative product sales."

Comment
A training course / qualification developed by a veterinary surgeon and designed to educate influencers. It's genius. Surely there's huge scope for this kind of initiative beyond canine arthritis? What do you think pet owners are most ill-informed about, where it could be really effective to better educate canine influencers, so that they in turn will pass it on. Post your thoughts here. 

Vets4Pets’ Graduate programme has become the first of its kind to be recognised outside of the profession for the work it does in supporting graduates with the transition from university to full-time practice.

The company has won the Institute of Student Employers (ISE) 'Best Graduate Onboarding and Induction Activities Programme.' (Dear god. Not to take anything away from Vets4Pets' considerable achievement, but is it just me that finds it like fingernails on a blackboard when people take a perfectly serviceable preposition like 'on board' and turn it into a verb?). 

Gordon Dunn, People Director at Vets4Pets, said: “As a leading UK veterinary employer, we view it as our personal responsibility to fully prepare graduates at the beginning of their career. This includes, but isn’t limited to, ensuring they are equipped with the right skills and behaviours to forge their own individual career pathway, and increase the chances of them remaining in the profession.

"The induction and onboarding of our graduates forms the lynchpin of our programme, and clearly sets out what is to come. Being recognised for the work we’re doing to develop the next generation of veterinary talent is a huge celebration for us and is a testimony to the investment made and hard work over the last few years to develop and evolve a world-class development programme. We’re extremely proud to be recognised for this achievement.”

The RCVS Disciplinary Committee has adjourned its hearing of an application for restoration made by a former Official Veterinarian who was struck off for falsifying certificates.

Laura Padron Vega was struck off in December 2018 after dishonestly backdating two statutory Certificates of Competence submitted to the Food Standards Agency under the Welfare of Animals at the Time of Killing Regulations 2015.

She was also found to have failed in her duties as an OV because she was unprepared for, and unaware of, the new regulations and did not take adequate steps to ensure that the two people for whom she had given veterinary certification were licensed to perform slaughter in accordance with the regulations.

At the outset of the restoration hearing, Ms Padron Vega admitted her guilt and made representations that she appreciated the seriousness of her actions and that there was no chance of her repeating them. She also produced a number of testimonials, including some from former veterinary colleagues, in addition to evidence that she had endeavoured to keep up-to-date with her continuing professional development while off the Register although this had been difficult due to her financial circumstances.

In considering her application for restoration, the Committee found that Ms Padron Vega had accepted the reasons for her removal from the Register and the seriousness of the findings. It found that she was unlikely to repeat the behaviour and that her conduct had been entirely acceptable since she was removed from the Register. It also considered her financial and personal circumstances, noting the difficulty she had in securing well-paid, full-time employment since her removal from the Register, and the impact that this had on her being able to keep up-to-date with her continuing professional development.

However, the Committee expressed concerns over her efforts to keep up-to-date with the knowledge and skills she would need to return to practice and said she demonstrated “no real appreciation of what she needed to put in place to demonstrate that she can return to work safely”.

In particular it found that the CPD she had undertaken was unstructured and insufficient and that therefore she had not done enough at the present time to demonstrate that she was fit to be restored to the Register, especially as she signalled that, if restored, she hoped to work in small animal practice, an area that she had not worked in for some time.

Cerys Jones, chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: “While the Committee did not consider that the applicant was in a position to return to practice at this point, it did consider that if the applicant applies herself to a properly structured and focused Return to Practice Plan and is able to produce evidence of how she has fulfilled the requirements of that plan, then her application could prove successful within a short time.

"The outcome of the plan for a return to practice will need to ensure the continued protection of the welfare of animals as well as the interests of clients whose animals she might be called upon to treat and, most importantly, the public interest which is founded on a belief that the veterinary certification processes are beyond question or doubt."

In order to allow Ms Padron Vega sufficient time to develop this plan, the Committee adjourned the restoration hearing for seven months (until July 2021).

Ms Jones added: “This adjournment will afford [Ms Padron Vega] an early opportunity to reflect on the concerns of the Committee… and to return with a properly supported programme for the future which will show her understanding of the problems that are likely to face her on her return to practice and her proposals to meet those inevitable difficulties.”

Veterinary surgeons can now nominate themselves as candidates in the 2021 elections for RCVS Council.

The full eligibility criteria, including FAQs and guidance notes, for veterinary surgeons who wish to stand for RCVS Council can be found at: www.rcvs.org.uk/rcvscouncil21. The deadline for nominations is 5pm on Sunday 31 January 2021.

Due to the ongoing postal problems caused by the coronavirus pandemic, RCVS Council has approved a temporary change to the RCVS Election Scheme this year to allow nominations to be submitted electronically, rather than in hard copy. This temporary change is currently before the Privy Council for final approval.

Eleanor Ferguson, RCVS Registrar and Returning Officer for the elections, said: "For prospective RCVS and VN Councils election candidates this will mean that, rather than having to send us hard copies of your nomination documents in the post, these can simply be emailed to the College along with the relevant digital photographs and electronic signatures."

The College has also updated its information and guidance for prospective candidates, including an informal ‘job description’, to help them better understand what it means to be members of RCVS Council, their responsibilities, commitments and how they help the College meet its strategic goals, as well as the principles and rules governing their conduct.

Prospective candidates for RCVS Council can also contact RCVS President Dr Mandisa Greene for an informal conversation on what it means to be a Council member on president@rcvs.org.uk.

Mandisa said: “As I have often said publicly, when I decided to stand for RCVS Council it was out of a mixture of fear and curiosity, the RCVS seemed liked some distant organisation that was often talked about, but not entirely understood, and that made me want to find out more. It is fair to say that, since joining RCVS Council, I have learned and experienced a great deal, have got to know people in our profession that I would otherwise never have had the opportunity to meet, and have been at the forefront of key discussions about how our profession is regulated and its future.

"Throughout my time on Council I have also been a working mother of two young children and so, for those who are concerned about how being a Council member can fit around personal and professional life, I can assure you that there is flexibility that allows you to carry out your Council work around other commitments.

"I do hope that, if you are interested in the future of our professions and having a say in our professional and educational standards and how we are governed, then please take the time to consider becoming a member of RCVS Council and don’t hesitate to get in touch with me if you want to know anything more."

There is one more Council meeting before the nomination period ends. It will take place online on Thursday 21st January 2021 and prospective candidates who would like to get a feel for it are welcome to attend as observers: contact Dawn Wiggins, RCVS Council Secretary, on d.wiggins@rcvs.org.uk.

The RCVS Disciplinary Committee has adjourned a hearing for a Gloucestershire-based veterinary surgeon after it refused his application to undertake to remove himself from the Register and to never apply to be restored.

David Chalkley MRCVS faces four alleged charges:

• That between 2011 and 2018 he was dishonest, misleading and had risked undermining government animal testing procedures by claiming to have subjected up to 16 animals to an ICT tuberculosis (TB) test when in fact some of these animals had died prior to the date he was supposed to have conducted the tests and that, furthermore, he had fabricated skin measurements for animals which had died before the date of the supposed test;
• In respect of TB tests conducted at a farm on 5 March 2018 and 23 March 2018, he failed to identify some or all of the animals tested;
• That on or around 23 March 2018 he was dishonest, misleading and had risked undermining testing procedures when he certified he had tested 280 animals to a TB test when he had not subjected them all to the test and that, in fact, between 16 and 127 of the animals had died before 5 March 2018, and that he had also fabricated the recorded measurements for some of those 280 animals;
• That between 2011 and 2018, he received payment of approximately £20,000 for TB tests when, as a result of the conduct set out above, he was not entitled to such payment.

At the start of the hearing Mr Chalkley made no admissions as to the charges but he had made an application for an adjournment based on undertakings to remove himself from the Register and never to apply to be restored to the Register.

In addressing the Committee on behalf of Mr Chalkley, his counsel said that Mr Chalkley denied all charges of dishonesty, that there was no evidence of harm to animals as a result of the alleged conduct, that there had been no complaint from the client and that he had repaid all the sums he had received for tuberculin testing on the farm in question.

His counsel also submitted that a full hearing would be expensive and time-consuming, and that it would serve no useful purpose as animal welfare and the protection of the public would be served by Mr Chalkley’s proposed undertakings.

Counsel on behalf of the RCVS confirmed that the College did not oppose the application and confirmed that the Animal Plant and Health Agency did not object. 

However, the Disciplinary Committee concluded that because the case concerned issues of alleged dishonesty in veterinary certification over a prolonged period of time and the importance of public trust in the accuracy and reliability of that process, there was a need to hold a full, public hearing into Mr Chalkley’s alleged conduct.

Ian Arundale, chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: “The Committee expressed no view as to whether the allegations could be substantiated or not and it recognised that the process of determining the allegations would be burdensome for many, particularly the respondent.

"It was satisfied, however, that a reasonable and fully informed member of the public would be disturbed to learn that allegations of this kind had not been the subject of a formal determination by the Disciplinary Committee. The respondent’s own interests had to take second place to this important public interest.

“The Committee therefore declined to accept the application to adjourn this inquiry [until an unspecified date] and directed that arrangements should now be considered for the listing of a hearing in this case.” 

It is expected that the full hearing will take place in spring 2021.

Sarah Tomlinson MRCVS, from Westpoint Farm Vets in Derbyshire, has been named Dairy Vet of the Year at the Cream Awards.  

The Dairy Vet of the Year award, which is organised by the British Dairying Magazine and sponsored by Krka UK Ltd, recognises a veterinary surgeon for going the extra mile in helping to create a more positive, forward-thinking dairy industry.

In addition to her work as a farm vet, Sarah is also Technical Director at the TB Advisory Service (TBAS), which involves her overseeing and delivering training for new advisors, chairing technical board meetings and delivering farmer meetings across the country. She also provides bespoke advice to farmers in High Risk and Edge Areas of England, and is known for her compassion and understanding for those suffering a TB breakdown.

She is also a member of the TB Eradication and Advisory Group (TBEAG) for England, which advises government policy makers on all aspects of TB control in England.

Lindsay Heasman, Project Manager at TBAS, said: “Sarah is an authority on TB and understands the responsibility that comes with this role. She uses her position for good at all times and is prepared to make statements that are not always universally popular. By standing by her beliefs and dispelling misconceptions, she has won the respect of farmers across the country. Her dedication has, at times, come at personal cost, but her passion for eradicating bTB and support for farmers in achieving this goal never wavers.”

Sarah said: “I am just a farm vet doing the same job every farm vet does daily across the country. Through necessity, seeing my clients being devastated by TB breakdowns every day, I felt passionate about doing something about it. TBAS, my colleagues I am lucky to work with, and TBEAG have given me the platform to do this. I am very humbled that the judges though me worthy of the Award amongst the other hard-working vets."

Photo: Giles Brandreth, Charlotte Read, Sarah Tomlinson and Sean Sparling

The Royal Veterinary College’s VetCompass programme has published the results of new research which shows that ownership of Chihuahuas is growing despite the breed being particularly prone to expensive dental problems and obesity.

According to the study¹, which looked at Chihuahuas treated in first opinion practice, ownership in the UK has increased over five-fold in the past decade from 1.0% of all puppies born in 2005 to 5.4% in 2016.

However, the study also found the breed was particularly susceptible to a number of health issues, including: dental disease (13.5%), obesity (5.9%) and retained baby teeth (5.7%).

Compared with other dogs, Chihuahuas were also more prone to aggression (4.2%), slipping kneecap (4.0%) and retained testicles (3.9%).

Other findings included:

• Males are more likely than females to show aggression, heart murmur, ear infection, conjunctivitis and upper respiratory tract infection. There were no disorders that were more common in females.
• The average adult Chihuahua bodyweight was 3.4kg.
• The average Chihuahua lifespan was 8.2 years. Females (10.2 years) generally outlived males (6.9 years).
• The most common causes of Chihuahua deaths were heart disease (18.8%), lower respiratory tract disorder 16.3% and traumatic injury (13.8%).

Dan O’Neill, senior lecturer at the RVC and author of the paper, said: "Chihuahuas are an old breed but the recent craze for them can cause some real welfare issues for this tiny dog. There is increasing evidence that unscrupulous breeders and dealers both inside and outside the UK are cashing in on this trend by making a lot of money but with little regard for the welfare of these puppies and breeding bitches."

Camilla Pegram, VetCompass epidemiologist at the RVC and co-author of the paper said: "Dental disease and retained baby teeth should be recognised as important health concerns for Chihuahuas, with preventative care for dental disease a key topic for discussion between vets and owners. In addition, many of the common or predisposed disorders, such as dental disease, retained baby teeth, sliding kneecap and retained testicle(s), often require surgical intervention. The Chihuahua’s small size increases its anaesthetic risk. Obesity has many detrimental effects, including increased anaesthetic risk, and aggression makes them challenging patients and pets, therefore nutrition, lifestyle and behaviour are also key areas for veterinary-owner discussions."

The full paper is open access: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12917-020-2258-1.

Reference:

1. O'Neill, D.G., Packer, R.M.A., Lobb, M., Church, D.B., Brodbelt, D.C. and Pegram, C. (2020) 'Demography and commonly recorded clinical conditions of Chihuahuas under primary veterinary care in the UK in 2016', BMC Veterinary Research. 

The British Equine Veterinary Association has announced it is offering free membership to veterinary students to help encourage more into equine practice.

Currently fewer than one in ten veterinary students opt to go into equine practice. BEVA says it hopes that the new scheme will provide a broader base of students with an insight into the world of equine veterinary medicine and open more eyes to what’s great about being an equine vet.

Katie Roberts the President of the Association of Veterinary Students said: "This is a very exciting opportunity for students. Anecdotally, we know that some students can feel very daunted by equine practice, especially if they don’t come from a traditionally horsey background. Being able to become involved with BEVA at no cost means that they can get a true taste of the equine veterinary world in addition to their experiences on EMS, and I’m sure this will pique the interest of our members."

As part of their free membership, students will also have access to: 

• BEVA’s Equine Veterinary Education journal online
• a special student rate to attend BEVA Congress - the largest equine veterinary conference in Europe
• the BEVA online learning platform – which hosts a range of equine veterinary learning resources
• BEVA’s practical veterinary apps
• exclusive discounts on a wide variety of everyday things from cinema tickets to grocery shopping through BEVA’s partnership with PG Mutual
• special student rates to attend half day CPD lectures that take place across the UK

The initiative has been made possible with sponsorship from Baker McVeigh, CVS Group, IVC, Newmarket Equine Hospital, Rossdales, VetPartners, and XLVets. 

For further information about student membership of BEVA visit: https://www.beva.org.uk/Join-BEVA/vet-student

Remote Monitoring Ltd has launched RemoteM, a new fridge monitoring system which it says has already saved a Yorkshire practice thousands of pounds. 

The system consists of a number of small wireless sensors which are placed in each fridge and which transmit data to a base station. It records a temperature history for each fridge, transmitting the data in real time to secure cloud storage, from where it can provide reports on the changing temperature in each fridge for compliance and regulatory purposes.

RemoteM is self-installed and battery operated, and it transmits data using the mobile phone network, so it is not reliant on a power source or working internet connection. Temperature alarms can be sent to one or more recipients, using email, automated voice calls or SMS. 

Dalehead Veterinary Group, which has practices in Settle, Bentham and Gisburn, began trialling the RemoteM system almost a year ago. 

Dalehead has six fridges at its Settle practice. Before installing RemoteM, practice staff needed to record daily readings of fridge temperatures, taken at different times of the day. As well as being a time-consuming process, it risked being inaccurate, as simple in-fridge monitors do not record all fluctuations in temperature.

Practice Manager Emma Spence said: "RemoteM has already saved us at least £4,000.

"One of our small animal vaccine fridges failed overnight, and the instant alarm meant we were able to respond immediately, with our on-call vet moving the stock to another fridge without risk of deterioration. At various times of year when we can have high values of stock in individual large fridges, this could have been even more critical."

The practice says the system has also proved useful in alerting staff to fluctuating temperatures in warm summer months, helping to ensure that vaccines and medicines are used in optimum condition.

For this reason, RemoteM sensors are also used outside fridges to monitor stock held at ambient temperatures, where the alarm trigger is set at 25 degrees to ensure stock does not exceed manufacturers' recommended storage temperature limits.

Another benefit of the system has been that Dalehead's insurer has said that with RemoteM, it is happy for the practice to continue to use its older fridges, instead of stipulating that they are replaced every three years. 

So, it's not just saving the practice money, then. It's helping reduce pollution too. 

For more information, call 0330 223 4553, email: info@remotem.co.uk or visit: www.remotem.co.uk.

The RCVS is looking for general practitioners to join one of two working groups to shape a new programme to support veterinary graduates into life in practice.

The College says the aim of the programme, which will replace the current Professional Development Phase (PDP), is to ensure that new graduates are fully supported in their new role and able to progress from day one competencies into confident and capable independent practitioners.

The new programme builds on the results of the Graduate Outcomes Consultation, a consultation which reported in 2019 to gather the views of the profession with regards to day one competencies, the PDP, extra-mural studies and clinical education for general practice.

The Graduate Outcomes consultation found that the profession felt that support mechanisms for new graduates needed to be strengthened, and the proposal to develop this new programme of support was approved by RCVS Council in January.

The first of the two working groups is the EPA Working Group, which is tasked with assisting the development of a bank of Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs). EPAs describe the everyday professional tasks carried out by vets in practice, covering a wide range of areas of clinical and professional practice which graduates and their mentors can access to build into their own e-portfolio.

The second working group is the Mentor Working Group, which will assist in shaping the role of the mentor in the new programme and create a training package for workplace mentors.

Sue Paterson, Chair of RCVS Education Committee said: "It is incredibly important for us to have input from veterinary surgeons who are working in general practice as they are well positioned to comment on how the development programme can effectively support graduates on a day to day basis."

The College is looking for veterinary surgeons working in practice and who have an interest in helping new graduates gain the best possible experience to join as members of these new working groups. It would be beneficial for applicants to have experience with mentoring and/or workplace training.

Successful applicants would be required to visit the RCVS for three half-day meetings over the period of a year and the RCVS would cover travel and subsistence expenses. There would be an additional time commitment to review and feedback on material via email.

Those general practitioners who are interested in applying should email Britta Crawford, RCVS Education Manager, via b.crawford@rcvs.org.uk giving a brief description of their current position and why they feel they would be an asset to the working group. The closing date for applications is 6 March 2020.

Ceva Animal Health, the maker of Amodip, is launching Hypertension Ambassadors, an online CPD course to update veterinary surgeons and nurses on feline hypertension.

Ceva says the course is aimed at vets and nurses who want to build their confidence and take the lead in finding hypertension in cats in their clinic.

The course is hosted by Sarah Caney BVSc DSAM(Feline) MRCVS, one of the UK's leading specialists in feline medicine, and will cover things like finding out which cats need screening for feline hypertension, how to become confident in recommending a blood pressure check to owners, hints and tips on taking a reliable blood pressure measurement and handling cats calmly to reduce ‘situational hypertension’.

The course consists of four 30-minute recorded sessions including course notes and self-assessment questions for each module. Once completed, the delegate will receive a Hypertension Ambassador pin badge and a certificate for four hours’ CPD. The first 500 delegates to complete the course will be offered either a cat hide or an eye atlas.

The course can be completed online at any time. There are also weekly feline hypertension live sessions at 1pm, from Wednesday 4th March until Wednesday 25th March. They offer the opportunity for you to ask questions, but they're also recorded so you can watch them any time thereafter.

Suzanne Page BVSc MRCVS, cardio-nephrology-hypertension product manager at Ceva Animal Health, said: "Our HypertensionAmbassadors’ initiative will educate veterinary professionals on every aspect of feline hypertension to enable them to confidently talk to their clients about the condition, measure blood pressure in a cat-friendly way and offer advice on the different treatments available."

For more information, and to register, visit www.veterinarywebinars.com/feline-hypertension-ambassador.

Zoetis has announced the European launch of Simparica Trio (sarolaner/moxidectin/pyrantel), a once-monthly ecto- and endoparasticide for dogs.

The chewable, prescription-only tablet contains sarolaner, which kills fleas and ticks; moxidectin, for the prevention of heartworm, lungworm disease and for the treatment of some intestinal worms; and pyrantel embonate, for the treatment of gastrointestinal nematodes (hookworms and roundworms). 

Professor Tim Geary, BSc PhD, Professor Emeritus, Institute of Parasitology, McGill University, Canada, and Professor, School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University, Belfast, a consultant to Zoetis, said: “Serious diseases that are preventable and of increasing prevalence threaten dogs in Canada and Europe. Simparica Trio today offers a better solution to preventing and controlling these parasites against the concern of their increasing prevalence."

Rob Kelly, President, International Operations at Zoetis said: "With Simparica Trio, we bring to market an advanced parasiticide solution, helping to deliver improved client satisfaction and patient protection.

"Thanks to its broad spectrum, Simparica Trio helps veterinarians and dog owners provide more complete parasite coverage with a single-monthly chewable tablet. The broad spectrum of Simparica Trio minimises the potential risk of parasite protection gaps."

Simparica Trio is indicated for dogs from at least eight weeks of age and 1.25 kg and will be available in six tablet strengths for dogs of all sizes.

For more information about Simparica Trio and full prescribing information, visit www.zoetis.com.

Purina has announced it is hosting a two-hour CPD symposium on Friday 3rd April at BSAVA Congress looking at how diet can be used to reduce the allergens shed by cats.

Speakers at the event will include Andrew Sparkes, BVetMed, PhD, DipECVIM, MANZCVS, MRCVS (pictured right) and Ebenezer Satyaraj, PhD.

BSAVA Congress delegates can register for the free symposium, which also includes lunch, at www.tickettailor.com/events/purina/349478.

Libby Sheridan, MVB MRCVS, Purina Veterinary Technical Affairs Manager, said: "Veterinary professionals often see the consequences of sensitivities to cat allergens  - which for some, it may even mean relinquishment of the pet with all the emotion attached around that event. This symposium will focus on the consequences for cat welfare and how the profession can help support their cat-owning clients through a breakthrough approach."

The new approach is based on neutralising the major cat allergen in cats' saliva, Fel d 1, through feeding a cat food coated with an egg product ingredient containing anti-Fel d 1 antibodies.

This, says the company, helps to reduce the active allergen transferred to hair and dander during grooming, and ultimately helps reduce active Fel d 1 in the environment.

Dr Sparkes is a diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Internal Medicine and the founding and current co-editor of the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, the official journal of ISFM and the American Association of Feline Practitioners. He will be sharing his review of the literature around feline relinquishment.

Dr. Satyaraj is a member of the American Association of Immunologists and the American Veterinary Immunology Association and a reviewer for several journals including the British Journal of Nutrition and Arthritis & Rheumatism. He is also a Fellow of the Academy of Science in St Louis and a leading scientist at the Purina Institute. Dr Satyaraj will be focusing on the studies supporting this important area of research.

The symposium provides 1.5 hours of certified CPD. More information about the science is available at www.purinainstitute.com.