The CVS practice aimed to change its prescribing culture by adopting an evidence-based, case-by-case approach and supporting its vets in only using antibiotics where absolutely necessary.
The practice identified the use of antibiotics in the treatment of cat bite abscesses (CBAs) as worthy of investigation.
Cefovecin, a third-generation cephalosporin and critically important antibiotic, is often used in the treatment of CBAs.
The practice first sought guidance from a dermatology specialist with an active research programme involving the study of antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
It then developed a clinical guideline advising that if a cat has a discrete abscess, with no pyrexia (raised temperature) and no cellulitis, antibiotics are not required.
White Lodge then conducted an eight-month clinical audit across its Exmouth Hub, with the aim of measuring the effect of the new guideline.
The practice treated patients with CBA’s with NSAIDS, lancing and flushing (if necessary), and cleaning of the abscess.
Owners were advised to flush the affected area at home once daily.
An antibiotic awareness leaflet was given to clients with an explanation of the reasoning behind not prescribing antibiotics.
Cats presented 5-7 days after treatment for a nurse re-examination.
A consultation template was created for both the vet at initial presentation and another for the nurse’s post treatment check, to gather standardised information.
The measure of successful treatment was whether, on re-examination, the CBA site appeared free from infection and wound healing was evident.
If the wound had not started to heal or if there was infection or pyrexia, the treatment was deemed to have failed and further treatment was provided.
Analysis of the results showed that of the 22 cats included in the audit, 19 (86%) did not need antibiotics to successfully treat the abscess.
There was also a 32.6% reduction in the number of times cefovecin was dispensed in the eight-month period after the audit started, compared with the previous eight months.
Emily Parr, Head Veterinary Surgeon at White Lodge, said: “We think, due to lack of confidence in treatment without antibiotics as well as client pressure or expectation, the profession tends to default to the prescribing of antibiotics.
“However, this clinical audit has given our veterinary colleagues increased confidence in treating CBA’s without antibiotics.
"There has also been an improved client understanding in accepting treatment without antibiotics.
"Clients have also been positive when minimal intervention has been required, particularly as it eliminates the cost of antibiotics.
"This has had a positive impact on the vet-client relationship and trust in our practice.
“Antimicrobial resistance is continuing to threaten the efficacy and treatment of an ever-increasing range of infections.
"So we hope that our CBA clinical audit outcome results will help to set a benchmark and shape clinical guidelines for the wider veterinary profession in this area.”
The reported behaviour patterns, seen on a weekly basis, included rabbits biting the bars of their run or hutch repeatedly, fur pulling, biting, growling and hissing.
The charity says that with more than 680,0001 rabbits living alone, despite being highly sociable animals, and thousands more living in small hutches with no opportunity for exercise or mental stimulation, it is no surprise owners and vets are seeing these issues on a regular basis.
PDSA veterinary surgeon Rebecca Ashman said: "Our figures highlight that lack of mental stimulation can have a huge impact on pet behaviour. What’s most frustrating is the fact that many of these issues could easily be avoided if rabbits were given the right conditions, diet and companions to live alongside."
For this reason, PDSA is backing Rabbit Awareness Week’s #BuddiesForBunnies campaign to get solitary rabbits paired up with suitable companions from rescue centres. The charity says the findings should be a call to action for the 57% of rabbit owners who own single rabbits.
Rebecca added: "Pets do so much to enrich and improve our lives, but by not meeting their needs, their physical and mental wellbeing can be severely compromised. "Sadly, rabbits seem to be the forgotten pet". They can’t speak up and tell us if they’re unhappy, but with the right information and education, owners can make positive changes to their pets’ lives."
Reference
The announcement comes as as findings from the BVA’s Voice of the Veterinary Profession survey showed that 45% of vets under 35 had concerns about their mental health in the last year. While under-35s were among the most likely to seek support, half of veterinary surgeons under 35 with concerns did not seek support and 45% of all vets reported that they weren’t sure, or could not recognise, the signs of mental ill health in a colleague.
A Vet Futures survey found that recent graduates actively look for and want supportive working environments in the early stages of their careers, with two out of five students and young graduates rating a ‘supportive workplace’ as a key factor in influencing career choice.
However, in the BVA’s Voice of the Profession survey, 70% of young vets said they did not feel supported in their professional development phase (PDP) during their first year of employment, indicating that more needs to be done across the veterinary profession as a whole to provide such supportive environments. The survey also revealed that 69% had no appraisal, 82% had no mentor and 77% had no time within standard hours of work to update their PDP record and case notes, with over half having none of these.
The BVA says it is investing in the Young Vet Network (YVN) to support recent graduate groups and help individuals make connections with other young vets in their regions. The BVA’s support includes funding to set up regional groups and run meetings, and a dedicated team to act as a point of contact for YVN groups to help to establish and facilitate new groups throughout the UK, both via social media and through physical meetings, and to signpost resources that are available to vets to help them in their early careers, including with their mental health and wellbeing.
As a member of the RCVS-led Mind Matters Initiative, the BVA is also calling on the profession as a whole to help support the next generation of veterinary surgeons and urging employers and managers to make use of a wide range of practical resources available to help with PDP and mentoring recent graduates. These include:
BVA President Sean Wensley said: "These statistics present a sobering challenge to the veterinary profession and it is essential that we all take steps to support our colleagues. We all have a role to play in making veterinary workplaces supportive and nurturing places for recent graduates. Through the Young Vet Network, BVA is taking a lead to help graduates fulfil their potential as veterinary surgeons, helping them cope with the pressures of the job in their early careers.
"We know we are not alone – there is some fantastic work going on, with some employers embracing PDP and practices making innovative and positive use of ideas such as reflective practice sessions. But clearly this isn’t happening everywhere and we need to make sure good practice is widely disseminated and replicated so we urge everyone to make use of the resources and guides available.
"By investing in students and recent graduates we are investing in our future as a profession. We need to ensure that all vets who need support have access to it and know where to seek help if they need it. I would encourage any colleague with concerns about their mental wellbeing to use the Vetlife helpline and confidential email service."
Anyone interested in setting up a YVN group, including funding support, should contact Tim Keen at timk@bva.co.uk or call 020 7908 6343.
They say this approach could lead to a reduction in the number of vaccines that need to be administered to each bird.
Vaccines that target multiple diseases are in high demand due to the many viruses that can circulate simultaneously in flocks. Protecting against the most dangerous diseases with one vaccine could reduce overall vaccination costs for poultry producers and decrease the number of times that birds need to be handled.
The researchers demonstrated that a gene editing system called CRISPR/cas9 can be used to insert a gene of the IBD virus into the currently used Marek’s disease vaccine virus. The added genetic material protects poultry against IBD in addition to the protection already offered by the Marek’s disease vaccine, meaning that bird owners would only need to use one vaccine instead of two.
Other vaccines generated by conventional methods can achieve a similar result, but by using the CRISPR/cas9 system the Pirbright researchers say they have been able to insert the IBD gene far more quickly, easily and accurately than the methods that have been used before. This will significantly reduce the time needed to generate new vaccines.
Professor Venugopal Nair, joint leader of the research at Pirbright said: "The method we have created with CRISPR/cas9 really increases the scope of how we edit the Marek’s disease vaccine to include other virus components. Now we have shown that the gene-edited vaccine protects against both Marek’s disease and IBD, we are looking at inserting more genes from other viruses."
The team intend to generate a vaccine that will be able to protect against multiple avian diseases and will next target two high consequence poultry viruses - avian influenza virus and the Newcastle disease virus. The flexibility of the new method also means that as the viruses evolve, the vaccine virus can be easily edited to include new genes which protect against emerging strains.
The Pirbright Institute says there has been huge commercial interest in using this technology to develop novel vaccines, so it intends to partner vaccine manufacturing companies to bring CRISPR/cas9 edited vaccines to market.
This scientific paper can be found in the Vaccine journal and was funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC); grant numbers BB/P016472/1 BB/L014262/1.
Photo: Cells infected with the Marek's disease vaccine virus, HVT, (green) expressing the inserted infectious bursal disease virus gene, VP2 (red). Cell nuclei are shown in blue. © Dr Na Tang, The Pirbright Institute 2018.
This year's competition saw over 400 applications from vets from across the profession with a passion for photography, judged by an expert panel which this year was joined by zoologist and wildlife photographer, Victoria Hillman and Guardian picture editor, Eric Hilaire.
Jennifer Dykes won first prize in her category for a photograph of two sheep seemingly 'in conversation' on a misty morning at Castlerigg Stone Circle in the Lake District. She called it ‘Conversations at Dawn (Sheep at Dawn Lakes)’.
Jennifer: "I am overjoyed that my image has been selected as the overall winner of the All Creatures Great and Small category, especially having seen the high calibre of photographs entered in previous years. I’d come across images of Castlerigg stone circle near Keswick before and so I dragged us all out of bed exceptionally early to try and capture the dawn. The combination of the early light and the mist provided the perfect backdrop to the foreground scene; the sheep seemingly completely unfazed by the presence of a few bystanders. Capturing their normality, amidst such beautiful surroundings, was my intention when taking this photograph."
Judge, Victoria Hillman said: "The composition draws you into the sheep, which are an integral part of the image without being front and centre. The light and mist bring a real atmosphere to the image that beautifully sums up the British countryside. It’s a very well thought out and executed image."
In the ‘One Veterinary Community’ category, Laura Caballero Pastor, a small animal vet from Gateshead, won first place. Her photograph depicts a vet helped by the community to vaccinate a dog against rabies in Nepal. She named it ‘One shot, two lives’ and said that the photo was taken during a project where she was part of a veterinary team working with the community to neuter, treat and educate on managing dog populations for rabies and other diseases.
Laura said: "Receiving recognition for this picture enforces my belief in the responsibility that the veterinary sector has to promote animal health to global communities and society. There is a thin line between humans and animals when we talk about diseases. Also, this photo encourages me to continue working on international projects and to be aware of all the amazing possibilities our profession has to offer."
Judge Eric Hilaire said: "With an expressive framing this meaningful picture has captured two important aspects of veterinary work. On one side, treatment, with this team vaccinating street dogs against rabies, on the other, prevention, with this girl holding tight on her booklet."
BVA President Simon Doherty said: "I was pleased to see such a strong portfolio of entries alongside an incredible diversity of subjects. Many congratulations go to our winners Laura and Jennifer, as well as the highly commended selections, and I’d also like to thank everyone who entered."
"I hope it will inspire more BVA members to dust off their cameras, and go and capture some great images for next year."
The winning and highly commended photographs will be exhibited at Brangwyn Hall in Swansea on Thursday 19th September as part of BVA’s Members’ Day. The images can be viewed here.
The events will cover a range of subjects designed to boost morale, positively influence wellbeing and reduce the impact of seasonal affective disorder (SAD). They will also demonstrate how to support employees and colleagues to ensure work is sustainable, productive and enjoyable and guide veterinary professionals through mechanisms to make working life a more positive experience, despite the current climate.
The series will feature 30-minute presentations by wellbeing professionals such as sports psychiatrist, Dr Claire Gillvray (pictured right), human factors specialist, Dan Tipney, and occupational psychologist, Prof Elinor O’Connor.
The full programme is:
Liz Barton, co-founder of WellVet, said: “WellVet exists to provide practical tools and a supportive network to help positively influence and improve wellbeing and boost morale. This programme of events is designed to answer specific challenges we’re experiencing – now more than ever in veterinary teams, and to bring us together for a bit of festive cheer."
Emma McAnally, territory manager at Boehringer Ingelheim. said: “During these challenging times, work and life in general can often seem overwhelming. We are delighted to support the WellVet Winter Wellbeing series to help improve wellbeing both in the work and home environments.”
For further information on the WellVet Winter Wellbeing series and for details on how to join visit www.wellvet.co.uk.
Norbrook Laboratories Ltd has launched Mycinor tablets (clindamycin), an antibiotic for treating soft tissue infections in dogs.
Rebekah Dudek, Norbrook Veterinary Advisor said: "Clindamycin is one of the leading prescription medicines used to treat soft tissue infections and offers very effective treatment particularly for dental and oral infections.
"Mycinor can be used to treat infected mouth cavities and oral infections and to provide antimicrobial cover prior to dental procedures such as tooth removal, scale & polish etc. Beyond dental expertise, Mycinor can also be used to treat soft tissue infections, skin infections in the form of superficial pyoderma and osteomyelitis bone infections. Mycinor is a fast acting antibiotic, rapidly absorbed into the body with effective levels within 30 minutes of administration."
Mycinor is available as 25mg, 75mg and 150mg in packs of 100tablets, and as a 300mg tablet in a pack of 150 tablets. Rebekah added: "Mycinor is a very effective and safe antibiotic and is ideal for long and short term treatments. It can be dosed once daily or at twice daily intervals if preferred."
For more information, visit www.norbrook.com
Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health has announced the launch of PORCILIS AR-T DF, an inactivated vaccine against progressive atrophic rhinitis in piglets with a new adjuvant which the company says is associated with fewer injection site reactions.
PORCILIS AR-T DF uses DILUVAC FORTE (DF), an aqueous vitamin E-based adjuvant and will replace PORCILIS AR-T, a similar vaccine containing an oil-based adjuvant. The newly formulated vaccine is approved to reduce the clinical signs of progressive atrophic rhinitis in their offspring. Progressive atrophic rhinitis is caused by a toxin from the bacteria Pasteurella multocida affecting bone-forming cells in the snout of the young piglet.
Marc Dickie, Senior Director, Global Swine Business Unit at Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health said: "The innovative PORCILIS AR-T DF vaccine combines the proven efficacy of the current PORCILIS AR-T with an improved safety profile and convenience for the veterinarian that is offered by the aqueous DILUVAC FORTE adjuvant. The new vaccine also demonstrates the commitment of our company to continuously improve our vaccines, thereby offering value-added benefits to our customers."
The RSPCA is asking veterinary surgeons to take part in a new survey which aims to build a true picture of the scale of the problem of illegally imported puppies being brought into the UK.
Amongst other things, the survey asks what you consider to be the greatest concerns regarding the poor breeding, dealing and illegal import of puppies and what you think can be done to tackle these and the associated problems.
You can take part in the survey here: www.surveymonkey.com/s/QQNBVFV
James Yeates, Chief Veterinary Officer, said: "RSPCA intelligence suggests that there is a growing illegal trade in puppies from other EU countries and is causing serious health and welfare problems. In many cases puppies are dying or becoming seriously ill. Risk factors appear to include being taken from their mothers too early, not being vaccinated and having to endure long journeys in poor conditions.
"However, it's very difficult to get a full view on the scale of the problem as many cases never get reported to the RSPCA. Vets are likely to be the first port of call when a puppy bought by an unsuspecting buyer becomes sick and may be faced with many of these cases - if sadly not all.
"We're interested in hearing from vets to get their evidence from practice and to hear their ideas about how we can tackle the lucrative illegal trade in puppies."
The weekly sessions will offer practical guidance for veterinary surgeons and nurses about how they can manage chronic cases in line with guidelines issued by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, the British Veterinary Association and the government.
Dechra’s Veterinary Technical Advisor Emily Casey BVM&S MRCVS will present the first webinar tackling Addison’s disease on Thursday April 2 from 1pm to 2pm and again from 7pm to 8pm. It will be available to watch again or download via the Dechra Academy.
It will include advice on how to stabilise patients and administer Zycortal while respecting government guidelines, including prioritisation of blood testing, use of telemedicine and provision of additional owner support. Each webinar represents one hour of CPD.
Dechra’s Technical Services Manager Jamie Walker said: “Since the outbreak of coronavirus began, we have received a large number of calls from practices wanting advice and guidance on how they should be managing chronic cases at this time.
"Our case management webinars will offer practical advice on a number of common small animal issues and aim to provide reassurance and support to veterinary professionals at this challenging time."
Further webinars will be held each Wednesday in April.
To register for the free webinars visit www.dechra.co.uk/events.
Jason (pictured right with Paul), said: "Let me tell you, that was hard! Nine days and 900km of mountain bike riding, with 250km technical single track and only about 10 km tar, but we did it! We are so proud to be able to contribute to a future for rhinos!"
The veterinary velocipedists were raising money for The Chipembere Foundation, which specialises in sourcing, testing and funding technology for monitoring rhinos. They fund K9 handlers and their tracking and apprehension dogs, as well as funding and providing anti-poaching teams with vital equipment needed to translocate rhinos across Southern Africa.
It costs about £38000 to translocate a rhino from South Africa to neighbouring Botswana where there is less poaching (for now). Satellite tracking leg collars cost £1500 with an annual service and VHF collars and transmitters costing around £220. Dog and dog handler training is in the region of around £5000 per dog and there are additional costs for kennels, transport vehicles and day to day items like bowls, brushes, leads etc.
If you want to support Jason and Paul in their efforts to make a positive difference to the plight of the fast-dwindling numbers of rhino, visit www.justgiving.com/teams/rhinocycle.
The training facility is over 800m2 and houses 18 working stations, three lecture rooms, the latest training technology, a leisure area and library with outdoor space and parking.
Heber Alves, CEO of the Improve International Group said: “It has been a goal of ours for a long time to open a new, top-of-the-range training facility for veterinary professionals in Germany.
"We are delighted to see this dream come true and we are very excited to now have the opportunity to work more closely with vets and veterinary technicians and help them grow their skillsets.”
www.improveinternational.com.
Prior to becoming COO, Tim was Managing Director of three referral hospitals owned by Linnaeus – Davies Veterinary Specialists, London Veterinary Specialists and Southfields Veterinary Specialists – and a number of its primary care sites.
Prior to joining Linnaeus, Tim worked in Iceland, where he was a vet for the Icelandic Government.
On his return from Iceland in 2016, he joined Village Vet and then progressed into a range of regional management and practice leadership positions across the industry.
Tim said: "I am proud to be part of our wonderful, unique industry that, although currently facing a number of challenges, continues to make such a difference to the lives of our patients and their owners every day.
“In my first vet role in mixed practice, I was fortunate to receive brilliant support, guidance and encouragement from my team.
"Since then, I have always wanted to do the same for my colleagues, particularly those who are just starting their careers.
“I have used my experience within the veterinary profession to support some fantastic teams at Linnaeus.
"Becoming COO is an honour and opportunity that will enable me to help even more people across the business.”
Kate said: "In recent days we have watched the unfolding events in Ukraine in horror, shock and with tremendous sadness.
"We are determined to offer as much help and support as we can to our Ukrainian veterinary colleagues fleeing this crisis and seeking refuge in the UK.
To that end, the College offers a financial support scheme for refugees which is immediately available for Ukrainian veterinary surgeons with refugee status.
The scheme enables refugee vets to take the RCVS Statutory Examination for free, offers financial support to attend exams, free access to the RCVS library and free membership of BSAVA, BVA, BEVA, BCVA and VMG.
In addition, whilst Russian-based business interests comprise less than 0.1% of the College's investment portfolio, it has instructed its fund managers to get rid of all Russian investments at the very earliest opportunity.
Meanwhile, veterinary dentist Bob Partridge has donated a day's takings from his Harrogate-based, Specialist-led small animal dental referral practice, VetDentist, to the British Red Cross Ukraine.
He said: "I got home late and exhausted, turned on the news, and knew that my “tough day” was as nothing compared to the troubles, the fear and the pain experienced by the people of Ukraine."
Other members of Bob's team followed suit, as did the team at Training-Progress, and they hope others will do the same.
Bob said: "Please put your money where your mouth (or keyboard) is!"
https://donate.redcross.org.uk/appeal/ukraine-crisis-appeal
Photo: CC BY-SA 2.0 Aleksej Leonov
Chris, who is moving from Willows, will develop both the medical cardiology service and deliver a new interventional cardiology service to complement the existing surgical offering at Paragon, which is investing around £145,000 in ultrasound equipment and operating facilities to support the service.
Chris said: “I’ve had a great time at Willows and couldn’t think of a better place than Paragon to continue my passion for all things cardiology.
“It’s an exciting time to be joining Paragon, which is growing phenomenally to service the region whilst it cements itself as one of the leading referral centres in the north of England.
“The investment and expansion which is taking place at Paragon will allow us to develop another globally-recognised cardiology centre within Linnaeus.”
For more information, visit: www.paragonreferrals.co.uk
Under the RCVS Code of Professional Conduct veterinary surgeons are expected to demonstrate that they are keeping their skills and knowledge up-to-date by engaging in at least 105 hours of CPD over a rolling three-year period.
As part of the auditing process the 1,071 vets will be asked to share their CPD records for 2014 to 2016, either by allowing the College to access their online Professional Development Record or by sending the College a copy of their CPD record card.
The audit will focus on six groups:
The College says that if any of the veterinary surgeons who have been audited are found to be non-compliant they will be asked to explain why and send a plan stating how they will make up the hours in order to become compliant.
The deadline for sharing records is Tuesday 31 October 2017.
As part of the auditing process the College is reminding veterinary surgeons that CPD encompasses a wide range of recorded activities, which can be clinical or non-clinical, including private reading/study, webinars, mentoring, clinical audit and discussion groups as well as attending seminars and workshops.
Don't forget that reading content and participating in forum discussions on VetSurgeon.org can count towards your annual requirement, using the 'Claim CPD' feature at the top of each page.
Those with any questions about the auditing process or what constitutes CPD can contact Jenny Soreskog-Turp, RCVS Education Officer, on cpd@rcvs.org.uk.
A new injectable antibiotic with nil-milk-withhold licensed to treat foul-in-the-foot in a single shot has been launched by Pfizer Animal Health.
Naxcel Cattle's active ingredient is ceftiofur in a patented sustained-release formulation. According to the company, one injection provides a full course of antibiotic therapy, giving seven days of therapeutic blood levels against the majority of inter-digital necrobacillosis ('foul-in-the-foot') pathogens.
Pfizer vet Dave Gilbert says the expectation is that Naxcel Cattle will make on-farm therapy easier and help improve treatment compliance and thereby first treatment success rates, compared to treatments which require repeat injections. "Having the full course in a single injection simplifies treatment protocols and eliminates a number of reasons for non-completion of treatment, such as forgetting a second or third dose, or not giving them because of apparent symptomatic recovery from the condition."
The site of injection for Naxcel Cattle is the subcutaneous area at the base of the ear (see Figures 1 & 2). Injection instructions are supplied in the product pack. Dave Gilbert suggests that provided cattle are adequately restrained during administration the injection technique is simple and straightforward. The dose rate is 1ml/30kg body weight and up to 30ml can safely be given into each site.
Figure 1. Subcutaneous administration of Naxcel Cattle at the posterior aspect of the ear where it attaches to the head (base of ear).Figure 2. Injection location for the subcutaneous administration of Naxcel Cattle at the posterior aspect of the ear where it attaches to the head (base of ear).
There will now be significant changes to the RCVS Council, as follows:
A gradual reduction in the number of elected members of RCVS Council from the current 24 to 13 by the year 2021.
A change of composition to include six lay members and two veterinary nurse members. Furthermore, the number of Council members appointed by each university whose veterinary degree is recognised by the RCVS will be reduced from two to one and Privy Council will no longer be required to appoint members. From 1 July 2020 university membership will undergo further changes as, from then on, veterinary schools will collectively appoint three members in total to serve on Council.
Members of Council will no longer be able to serve more than three consecutive four-year terms of office and, after serving three consecutive terms, they will not be eligible to re-stand as a candidate for two years.
Members of Council may be removed from office if they fail to satisfy any conditions about fitness to be a member, as determined by their peers on Council. If removed from office they will not be eligible to re-stand as a candidate for two years.
Introducing the LRO before the House of Lords last Tuesday, Lord Gardiner of Kimble said: "The proposed changes… reduce the size of Council and revise the balance of membership between vets and non-vets, including veterinary nurses and lay persons. They will bring the RCVS in-line with many other modern-day regulatory bodies and allow for greater efficiency, transparency and accountability to both members and the general public. For all the reasons I have outlined today, I commend the use of Legislative Reform Order to make changes that will benefit the veterinary profession."
The full text of the Legislative Reform Order can be found on www.legislation.gov.uk and the full transcript of the debate in the House of Lords can be found in Hansard Online (https://hansard.parliament.uk).
Professor Stephen May, RCVS President, said: "We have been looking at reform of Council as an issue of some urgency since 2013, in recognition of the fact that, with the formula-driven growth of Council, it was becoming unwieldy, which has an impact on the cost of each meeting and the frequency with which it could reasonably meet.
"This reform has been long in gestation and so we are glad that this has now been approved and that we can look forward to a more modern, agile and efficient governance structure, aimed as always at benefitting the professions, animal owners and animal health and welfare."
One immediate impact of the LRO relates to the results of this year’s RCVS Council election as the Ministerial sign-off now confirms that only the first three candidates (in order of number of votes) will take up their four-year terms at RCVS Day on Friday 13 July 2018. These are Susan Paterson, Mandisa Greene and Neil Smith, all of whom are current members who were re-elected.
The RCVS Veterinary Nurses Council agreed reforms to its own governance last year, including shortening the term of office from four years to three years; introducing a consecutive three-term limit for elected members; and, reducing the size and changing the composition of VN Council to six elected veterinary nurses, two appointed veterinary nurse members, two appointed veterinary surgeon members from RCVS Council, and four appointed lay members.
Currently used by more than 200 practices and 50 universities around the world, the Equinosis Q is a diagnostic tool that can further aid the subjective lameness evaluation on all types of horses and ponies examined in the field or in hospital settings.
Christina Frigast, MRCVS, Eickemeyer Product Development Manager said: "The inertial sensors sample 20x faster than the human eye making the Equinosis Q a valuable tool to the veterinarian in the evaluation of subtle and multiple limb lameness.
"It does not interfere with the routine lameness examination as trot up on straight line, lunging and ridden evaluations can be performed on both hard and soft surfaces.
"Data is wirelessly streamed to a tablet PC and compiled into a reader-friendly report displaying the timing and severity of lameness. The effectiveness of diagnostic blocks can also be assessed with the Equinosis Q, providing the veterinarian with a percentage of improvement. In addition, comparison reports can be used to monitor rehabilitation progress."
Contact Eickemeyer to book a free demo, or for further information, visit: https://www.eickemeyer.co.uk/Diagnostics-and-Education/Anatomy-Models/Lameness-Locator-vet.html?listtype=search&searchparam=lameness
watch?v=MS6UXQSq6q0
Researchers say that whilst widely discussed, many in the profession may not be aware that prevalence of the disease has been steadily increasing across all regions of the UK.
Since November 2012, 177 cases have been reported, with more than 90% between November and May. However, the cause of CRGV, which often presents as ulcerations to the dog’s skin and can lead to acute kidney injury (AKI) and potentially death, remains unknown.
Practices are being now asked to report suspect cases in a bid to gain vital insight into the disease and what may be causing it.
David Walker BVetMed (Hons) DipACVIM DipECVIM-CA from Anderson Moores (pictured right) is helping lead the research: "CRGV is a disease that impacts lots of breeds across the UK. Reports show there is seasonality to the disease and therefore an environmental cause is a possible component in its development.
"This research is part of the puzzle and will hopefully help to guide further work on this disease. By collecting more information on confirmed cases, such as walking habits and diet, we hope to build more understanding in order to better protect pets and inform treatment decisions."
To gather this information, Anderson Moores is asking practices to share a 10-minute online survey with the owners of dogs in which CRGV has been confirmed, as well as some control dogs following criteria provided with the survey link.
David said: "Many pet owners are aware of this disease and are concerned for their pets; if they are asked to help they are usually happy to do so. By offering a direct link to the survey, very little of the veterinarian’s time is needed to collate the information."
If you have a suspected case of CRGV, contact Anderson Moores on 01962 767920 or email medicine@andersonmoores.com
If the pet does not survive, then histopathologic assessment of tissue will be performed free of charge to confirm the diagnosis.
In confirmed cases the veterinary surgeon will be sent a link to a 10-minute survey to be completed by the owner.
Along with encouraging the owner of the confirmed case to take part, four unaffected control cases from the same clinic, on the same day, will also need to be recruited.
When a set of five qualifying surveys (one confirmed case and 4 control cases) are provided, practices can claim an Amazon Echo Dot, provided by Bayer, as a thank you for helping with the research.
The Suresign range consists of:
Shane Brewer, Veterinary Business Development Manager at CIGA Healthcare, said: "We are very excited to be branching out into the veterinary field with our very affordable veterinary rapid tests. With the recent increase in pet ownership over the previous year, it is important to offer vets and their clients an affordable alternative to the tests they are currently using."
Ciga says its tests are easy to perform and interpret, competitively priced and offer results in 5-10 minutes.
For more information (in due course), visit: www.suresignveterinary.com
The four organisations have written a template letter which anyone can send to any company they see using brachycephalic breeds, such as the Persian, or Scottish Folds, in its marketing materials.
The letter urges companies that use images of cats to work collaboratively with veterinary professionals and pledge to avoid using such breeds in the future.
Dr Nathalie Dowgray, Head of ISFM, said: “Seeing a cute cat in an advertisement can often be a trigger for people to seek out acquiring a cat of that breed without understanding the welfare concerns associated with some pedigree breeds.
"A rise in demand can lead to an increase in breeding practices that result in severe conformational issues and poorer welfare in these breeds.
"We encourage people to download this letter to use when they see breeds of concern being used in advertising, as health is always more important than looks.”
https://icatcare.org/app/uploads/2023/09/ISFM_FECAVA_FVE_UEVPAdvert_Letter.pdf.
The new machine is a modular system using low-flow anaesthesia for animals from 2-80kg.
The company says that compared to anaesthetic techniques which use high fresh gas flow rates, it functions without posing a risk to team members from the huge amounts of oxygen and inhalational anaesthetic agents that would otherwise be released.
In turn, this results in cost savings from unwasted agents, and a typical 5 to 10 times reduction in environmental damage.
Darvall founder, Dr Colin Dunlop, said: “For optimal outcome from anaesthesia, veterinary anaesthesiologists and veterinarians routinely make decisions about the physiological well-being of the patient, the environmental impact of their actions, the operational efficiency of their practice and cost-effectiveness.
"Having suitable equipment that uses low-flow anaesthesia will reduce the risk of hypothermia, improve team safety, reduce environmental emissions and reduce costs.”
“Low-flow anaesthesia not only reduces oxygen flows and inhalant agent consumption to less than 10% of high-flow, non-rebreathing systems, it can help reduce anaesthetic hypothermia because it uses warm gas when using the Darvall heated breathing circuits.
"Using our specifically designed modern system for veterinary patients addresses the traditional challenges associated with low-flow anaesthesia and hypothermia.
Darvall says the use of just one system will also simplify staff training and ensure familiarity.
https://darvallvet.com
At a hearing in April Dr Johnston had admitted all the charges against him, which related fraudulent claims for the treatment of animals, two of which were fictitious, where he arranged for the insurance claims to be diverted and paid into a personal bank account.
Dr Johnston had admitted all the charges against him as well as admitting that his conduct was dishonest and amounted to serious professional misconduct.
Committee Chair Paul Morris said: “The Committee has no hesitation in concluding that the respondent’s dishonest conduct will have severely undermined the confidence of the public in the veterinary profession and, further, that his conduct fell far short of the standards and conduct properly to be expected of a member of the veterinary profession.
"The Committee is satisfied that this conduct by the respondent brought the profession into disrepute.”
The proceedings were then adjourned to allow a psychiatric report and other mitigation to be prepared.
At its resumed hearing on earlier this month, the Committee considered what sanction to impose.
The Committee found that aggravating features of his misconduct were that it was premeditated, carefully planned and sophisticated in that it involved the creation of numerous and extensive false clinical records to support his fraudulent claims.
It also considered the fact that he implicated an innocent professional colleague who worked alongside him at the practice, that he abused the trust placed in him by clients, that the dishonest conduct was repeated and that it involved significant financial gain in excess of £13,200 to be further aggravating features of his conduct
In terms of mitigation, the Committee accepted that he had made early admissions regarding his conduct to his employer and the College and accepted responsibility.
The Committee also heard that he had made attempts at remediation involving repayments of some of the sums lost by the practice and insurers.
It also considered positive testimonials from family and professional colleagues and the fact that Dr Johnston had taken significant steps to deal with the gambling addiction that was at the root cause of his misconduct.
Having considered all the evidence, the Committee decided to postpone its decision on sanction for a period of 2 years on the condition that Dr Johnston agree to undertakings including refraining from any form of gambling, subjecting himself to a close regime of support and supervision, and repaying some of the sums he had defrauded.
Paul added: “In reaching this conclusion the Committee wishes to make it clear that it has taken an exceptional course in this case.
"Ordinarily conduct of the type covered by the charges which this respondent has accepted will merit the imposition of a sanction of removal from the Register or a period of suspension from the Register.
"In this instance the Committee has found it possible to take the course that it has because it is satisfied that the respondent was, at the time, suffering from a recognisable psychiatric compulsive addiction… and that the fraudulent attempts by the respondent to obtain funds with which to gamble would not have occurred but for this psychiatric condition.
“The Committee further considers that the undertakings offered by the respondent will serve to reduce the risk that he will relapse into gambling again, for his conduct will be closely monitored and he will accept continuing support and guidance from the organisations currently assisting him.
“The Committee is also satisfied of the requirements that neither animals nor the public will be put at risk by this proposed course of action; that the respondent has demonstrated insight into the seriousness of his misconduct and that there is currently no significant risk of repeat behaviour; that his practicing standards are not in need of improvement so long as he continues to fulfil his CPD obligations; that the undertakings offered are capable of being met, are appropriate and are measurable; that there is evidence that his underlying medical problem is being appropriately addressed, will be monitored and reported on; and that he has responded positively to the opportunities for support and counselling which have been offered to him.”
If Dr Johnston fails to comply with his undertakings the Committee will reconvene and consider the charges with the full range of sanctions at its disposal.
www.rcvs.org.uk/disciplinary
The survey was carried out by the Institute for Employment Studies (IES), which sent it to 5,572 veterinary surgeons who graduated from a vet school in the EU (excluding the UK) and who are registered as veterinary surgeons in this country, as well as around 100 non-UK EU-trained veterinary nurses.
The survey asked a range of questions about how these individuals felt that the vote to leave the EU had affected them, how they felt about their future working in the UK veterinary sector and how they felt the College had dealt with the issue of Brexit.
3,078 people (including 19 veterinary nurses) responded to the survey – a response rate of 55.3%. The average age of the respondents was 36. 60% were female and 87% were working full-time.
The largest group of respondents (22%) qualified in Spain. 14% qualified in Italy, 10% in Poland, 9% in Romania, 7% in Portugal, 6% in Germany and 6% in the Republic of Ireland.
The remaining 26% qualified in 18 different countries, each of which accounted for fewer than 5% of EU registrants. Although these figures relate to country of qualification and not the nationality of the individuals, in 91% of cases these were the same.
The majority of respondents (78%) worked in clinical practice. Of the 603 who did not work in clinical practice, 38% worked for the Food Standards Agency, 21% worked for the Animal and Plant Health Agency and 18% worked in higher education.
The main findings of the survey were:
RCVS President Chris Tufnell said: "This survey makes the strongest possible case that the Government must act fast to reassure our EU colleagues in practices, universities and industry that they are welcome to stay in the UK.
"EU vets and vet nurses make a massive contribution to the UK veterinary sector and the health and welfare of animals and humans.
"Beyond this commitment we will also be lobbying the Government that, after we leave the EU, suitably qualified vets from overseas are prioritised for UK work visas or equivalent, particularly if they are working in public health and the meat industry.
"I have written to Michael Gove, the new Secretary of State for the Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, outlining our position and our Brexit Principles and have invited him to visit the RCVS at Belgravia House to discuss these further. I hope that he accepts our offer so that we can have some constructive talks on these matters.
"On a personal note, I am very sorry to see that a significant proportion of respondents had experienced prejudice at work. This is simply not acceptable and we, as a regulator, have been conscious that ‘anti-foreigner’ rhetoric in the country at large could have an effect on hard-working and talented members of our profession, which is why we raised the matter in our letter to the Prime Minister last year."
The findings of interviews with a sample of non-UK EU-graduated veterinary surgeons working in the UK will be published over the summer. Meanwhile, over the next two years, IES will also be carrying out two further pieces of research that will track the opinions and intentions of non-UK EU-graduated veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses over time as Brexit policies are formed and the future status of non-UK nationals made clearer.
To read the IES report and the College’s three Brexit Principles in full, visit www.rcvs.org.uk/brexit