Researchers from the University of Bristol have published the results of a study which has identified risk factors for syringomyelia (SM) and which could help breeders select away from characteristics which predispose dogs to the disease.

Syringomyelia, which more commonly affects toy breeds such as the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and the Chihuahua, causes fluid-filled cavities in the spinal cord. In these toy breeds, SM is usually secondary to a specific malformation of the skull called Chiari-like Malformation (CM).

The research looked at the relationship between head shape and the incidence of  CM/SM. Dogs were measured in several countries using a standardised "bony landmark" measuring system and photos analysed by researchers.

The researchers found two significant risk factors associated with CM/SM in the skull shape of the CKCS: brachycephaly (the broadness of the top of skull relative to its length) and the distribution of doming of the skull. The study suggests that brachycephaly, with resulting doming towards the front of the head, is associated with CM/SM.

Thomas Mitchell, the undergraduate student who conducted the study under the supervision of Dr Clare Rusbridge, said: "Dog breeders are very experienced at selecting for a certain conformation or appearance in dogs. Our findings may allow breeders to select away from the condition over fewer generations by choosing appropriate matings and offspring to continue breeding programmes. The identification of an appearance that might protect against developing the disease is a significant step forward in tackling this painful condition.

"The study also provides guidance to breed clubs, breeders and judges that have a responsibility to avoid obvious conditions or exaggerations which would be harmful in any way to the health, welfare or soundness of the breed.  It will also provide vets with verified advice to provide to breeders outside the show ring and to occasional hobbyists."

The study has been published online in the journal Canine Genetics and Epidemiology, and a video animation which shows the differences in head shape is available on YouTube.

The work was funded by a grant from the Kennel Club Charitable Trust and the Companion Cavalier Club provided a grant for the publication of the research.

Reference

• Syringomyelia: determining risk and protective factors in the conformation of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel dog, Thomas J Mitchell, Susan P Knowler, Henny van den Berg, Jane Sykes and Clare Rusbridge, Canine Genetics and Epidemiology 2014, 29 July 2014.

The Wiltshire headquarters of International Cat Care and the International Society of Feline Medicine were badly damaged in a fire last night. 

According to the charity, the fire broke out in an adjacent building in the early hours of the morning and caused considerable damage before it was put out by the fire brigade. 

Luckily, the building was unoccupied at the time and nobody was hurt. 

Structural damage was caused to the building and the charity reports that much of its office contents were damaged or destroyed by fire, smoke or water, including its servers. 

However, because of coronavirus, the charity had already put systems in place to operate remotely, so it expects to continue service more or less as normal.

The RCVS has bought new premises at 1-2 Hardwick Street, Clerkenwell, London.

Having sold Belgravia House – its Westminster offices since 1995 – to a private investor in March 2021 for £14.5m, RCVS Council agreed the purchase of the new building for £20.5m.

The additional cost has been funded from College reserves.

The new building is a converted Victorian warehouse with open-plan office space spread across six floors.

The new premises are large enough to accommodate more staff and for the College to host more meetings and events.

Alternatively, the space can be used for greater social distancing and hybrid working if needed.

The College says any unwanted space can be rented out.

Two existing tenants will continue to lease office space at the premises for the time being and some refurbishment work will need to be completed before the College and RCVS Knowledge teams can start moving in.

Following Council’s earlier decision to terminate the lease on Belgravia House at the end of March 2022, RCVS staff will continue to work either remotely, or in temporary office space leased from the workplace provider, WeWork, in Chancery Lane.

The College says this arrangement offers a significant saving over leasing back Belgravia House.

Chief Executive Lizzie Lockett said: “Like any property purchase, it has been an extremely long and difficult journey to get to this point, with many challenges to navigate along the way, but I am delighted that we are finally able to announce our new home.

“Whilst we will have to wait a while longer before we can enjoy everything 1-2 Hardwick Street has to offer, we are very much looking forward to welcoming members of the professions to visit our new offices, and being able to host a variety of meetings and new events there for them.

Cresilon Inc., the US maker of the haemostatic gel, Vetigel, has signed a distribution agreement for the UK with Covetrus-owned Veterinary Instrumentation. 

In addition to the UK, Vetigel will be marketed and distributed to veterinary surgeons throughout Europe and elsewhere via Veterinary Instrumentation's global distribution network.

Matt Lewis, Vice President of Sales at Cresilon said: "Our partnership with Veterinary Instrumentation will help us provide more veterinary surgeons with a revolutionary hemostatic gel that significantly improves the standard of care for pets and animals.

"Vetigel has been used by thousands of veterinarians thus far and helps veterinary clinics and animal hospitals save time, reduce operating costs, and improve patient outcomes."

https://vetigel.com
https://veterinary-instrumentation.co.uk 

CVS is launching a New Graduate Farm Vet Exchange Programme to give young vets with up to two years’ experience the chance to spend time at another farm practice to develop their skills.

Launching this spring, CVS says it's the only programme of its type in the veterinary sector.

The programme will be open to all of CVS's young vets and will operate within all 12 of its farm practices in the England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Each CVS farm graduate vet will be able to go on an exchange in their second year of the programme and every placement will last up to two weeks.

The subject matter of each exchange will be at the direction of the graduate rather than following a specific programme, so participating graduates have the freedom to explore their own areas of interest.  

Anna Bruguera Sala, Programme Co-ordinator and vet at Alnorthumbria Farm Vets, said: “The major benefits of our new graduate exchange programme is that it is open to all young vets of different levels of experience and provides bespoke learning opportunities tailored to each individual.

"It will also create connections, so experienced colleagues can support an exchange student with their new skillset when they are back within their own practice.”

www.careerswithcvs.co.uk

Life Technologies Animal Health has announced the launch of a new qPCR test to improve the diagnosis of mastitis and respiratory disease caused by Mycoplasma bovis.

According to the company, the TaqVet Mycoplasma Bovis (M. bovis) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) kit is based on a new target gene in the M. bovis genome and thus can distinguish better between infections caused by M. bovis and M. agalactiae - so there is less risk of false positive results and improved sensitivity and specificity.

The test is based on real-time PCR technology, and delivers results in two and a half hours.

Eric Sellal, Head of Animal Health EMEA at Life Technologies said: "The improved sensitivity of this new test means that veterinarians will be able to monitor dairy herds for sub-clinical infection using samples from the bulk tank. And of course it can also be used to diagnose mycoplasma infection in individual cases of clinical mastitis and respiratory disease."

Life Technologies says the test system incorporates a number of other improvements which simplify and speed up processing in the laboratory, including automatic extraction using magnetic bead technology.

It is estimated that bovine pneumonia costs the European industry around 500million Euros each year, with 30% accounted for by M. bovis. Other diseases associated with the organism include mastitis and arthritis.

Mycoplasma is slow and difficult to culture in the laboratory and current antibiotic treatment is not very cost-effective. Therefore, prevention is a cornerstone of M. bovis management.

The TaqVet Mycoplasma Bovis PCR kit will be made available in other EU countries and via Life Technologies Animal Health distributors according to local regulatory requirements (see www.lifetechnologies.com/lsi-animal-health) for details.

Kat Hart RVN, a teaching assistant at Harper Adams University in Shropshire is asking veterinary surgeons and other veterinary professionals to take part in an online survey about preoperative fasting in cats and dogs. 

Preoperative fasting to reduce the likelihood of gastroesophageal reflux, regurgitation, emesis and aspiration of gastric contents during anaesthesia is routine, but research on the topic is currently thin on the ground. 

The survey aims to obtain information on current preoperative fasting recommendations and protocols in dogs and cats which will enable the expansion of knowledge on common practice. Kat (pictured right) said: "It will also allow me to compare current practice to the literature to examine the use of evidence-based practice. It may also highlight areas requiring improvement in small animal practice to ensure patient health and welfare."

The anonymous questionnaire is aimed at a number of veterinary staff including registered veterinary surgeons, nurses, students, animal care assistants, veterinary care assistants and reception/administration staff, as all are involved in giving advice and instructions to clients on this topic.

Kat plans to share significant findings with the profession in due course.

To take part in the survey, visit: https://harper-adams.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/preoperative-fasting-duration-questionnaire

The survey will close on Friday 14th August 2020 at 5:00pm.

Please share this story with colleagues!

Premier Vet Alliance is hosting a one hour webinar: "The Future Practice – Harnessing Technology To Help Your Team" on Thursday 26th May at 7:30pm.

The webinar is presented by Will Stirling, partner at VetsDigital, a digital marketing agency which supports the veterinary industry across Europe.

Will will offer practical advice and guidance on the growing importance of applying digital marketing and the effect it can have on both team morale and the bottom line.

To register for the webinar, visit to: https://tinyl.io/5aIi

Donal Johnston MRCVS has been reprimanded and warned as to his future conduct by the RCVS Disciplinary Committee after admitting four separate charges related to fraudulent insurance claims.

Each charge related to fraudulent pet insurance claims that Mr Johnston had made for the treatment of animals when he was in practice in Banbridge, County Down, two of which were fictitious, and where he had arranged for the insurance claims to be diverted and paid into a personal bank account, rather than the practice’s bank account.

At an initial hearing, which concluded on  April 2022, Mr Johnston had admitted all the charges against him as well as admitting that his conduct was dishonest and amounted to serious professional misconduct.

The Committee was satisfied that his conduct amounted to serious professional misconduct, with Committee Chair Paul Morris saying: “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 in November 2022 the Committee considered what sanction to impose in relation to Dr Johnston’s actions.

At this point, the Committee decided to postpone its decision on sanction for a period of two years on the condition that Dr Johnston enter into undertakings to the Committee 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.

The hearing reconvened in October 2024 to decide on an appropriate sanction.

The Committee noted that Mr Johnston had complied with the undertakings and provided the Committee with the interim reports required of him.

He also continued with the therapeutic interventions and programmes specified, as well as implemented measures designed to minimise the risk of a relapse into gambling.

The Committee also noted that reports from the gambling support services, to which Mr Johnston had signed up, all spoke positively about his involvements and confirmed the progress he had achieved in managing his addiction.

The Committee also took into account a psychiatric report as well as evidence under oath from Mr Johnston’s wife who confirmed his compliance with the undertakings.

As a result, the Committee was satisfied that the prospects of a repeat of the conduct which led to the charges laid against Dr Johnston were now greatly reduced.

The Committee said it was less impressed with the evidence provided by Mr Johnston.

While he had largely complied with the letter of the undertakings he gave in 2022, it remained troubled by his apparent unwillingness or inability, on account of lack of effort, to fulfil the assurances previously given that he was in the process of changing his name to Johnston, from Fegan, on official documentation in order to be consistent with his legal name, when he had not done so.

The only formal name change in place was on the RCVS Register, and he had failed to alter his name on his driver’s licence, on his registration with the Veterinary Council of Ireland, his passport, bank accounts, and one of his email addresses.

As a result, the Committee did not find Dr Johnston to be an entirely satisfactory witness.

Paul Morris, chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: “Having made the progress that he has over the period since the commission of the charges found proved in 2019, the Committee considers that the imposition of a sanction of suspension on top of the period of postponement would be excessive, in the particular circumstances of this case.

“For the same reasons, as stated above, it is considered that it would be excessive now to impose a sanction of removal from the register.

“That process of reasoning has driven the Committee to the conclusion that the sanction of a reprimand and warning as to future conduct is what the facts and circumstances of this case call for.

"That is because the respondent can be under no illusion about the outcome were he to appear again before this Committee.

"A failure to take advantage of the exceptional course adopted by this Committee on this occasion would be regarded as a serious aggravating factor were he to appear before the Committee at any time in the future.”

https://www.rcvs.org.uk/concerns/disciplinary-hearings 

Bedfordshire-based Siew Loong Ng has been struck off by the RCVS Disciplinary Committee after being found guilty of clinical failures, poor record keeping and dishonesty.

Mr Ng faced seven charges:

• In July and August 2020, he failed to clean the wound of a collie bitch he was treating prior to surgery (not proved), failed to provide adequate analgesia (not proved) and failed to keep adequate records in relation to the dog’s examination, surgery and other procedures (found partly proved).
• Between February 2020 and May 2021, he failed to record what surgery was performed and/or the technique used in cherry eye surgery performed on one or more of six puppies (not proved)
  • he performed cherry eye surgery by amputating the Harderian gland without sufficient evidence of it being cherry eye and without attempting other forms of treatment first (admitted)
  • he failed to keep records of which puppies had been seen and received treatment (not proved)
  • he failed to record details relating to caesarean sections performed on 11 dogs (not proved)
  • he failed to record which puppy or puppies were examined and/or to make adequately detailed records for an animal which presented with cherry eye (not proved)
  • he failed to make adequate records relating to a dog or dogs presented in relation to gaining a health passport for Ireland as well as cherry eye and caesarean section (proved)
  • he failed to make adequate records in relation to litters of puppies which had been vaccinated in order to enable a reliable duplicate vaccination certificate to be supplied (proved)
• In or around April 2021, failed to make adequate clinical records in relation to a rabbit he treated (proved)
• In May 2021 he failed to offer a reasonable range of options for diagnosis and/or treatment of a labradoodle (proved), he amended clinical records for the dog at a later date without making it clear the changes were retrospective and, in doing so, was dishonest (proved) and misleading (admitted), and failed to maintain adequate clinical records for the dog (admitted)
• In June 2022, he undertook caesarean surgery on a six-year-old dobermann without trained assistance (admitted), without informing the owner with adequate notice he had no trained assistance (proved), and without offering referral to an out-of-hours service (admitted). He also failed to take adequate steps to treat the dog when her condition deteriorated after surgery (admitted), and failed to maintain clinical records (admitted)
• Between May 2020 and 30 June 2021, he intubated patients for caesarean section surgery after only sedating them and not under general anaesthesia (admitted), he began the surgery without trained assistance (proved), he failed to make adequate clinical records in respect of surgeries performed on 25 April 2021 (proved), he deleted the clinical records of two patients (admitted) and he failed to make and/or deleted clinical records in relation to five animals he performed caesarean surgery on (admitted)
• His conduct in relation to deleting the two clinical records was dishonest and misleading (admitted).

Mr Ng admitted some aspects of the charges against him, including that he had deleted two patient records and that this was dishonest and misleading.

The Committee then determined the facts of the rest of the charges after hearing evidence from witnesses and Mr Ng himself, as well as expert witnesses.

Having considered all the evidence, it determined which elements of the charges were proved, and which were not.

The Committee then considered whether the admitted and charges found proved amounted to serious professional misconduct.

In doing so it considered that the charges against Mr Ng fell into three broad categories – deficiencies in clinical care, deficiencies in record keeping, and dishonesty.

In respect of all three, it found the admitted and charges found proved amounted to serious professional misconduct.

In terms of aggravating factors, the Committee found that Mr Ng’s conduct had directly caused harm to animals and also created risk of further harm, and noted that there were three instances of dishonesty.

Paul Morris, chairing the Disciplinary Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: “The Committee noted that there were three instances of dishonest behaviour in relation to clinical records.

"The amendment of the clinical record in the labradoodle’s case was particularly serious.

"This alteration was made at a time when the respondent knew that the owner was dissatisfied with the treatment the dog had received and was complaining about the lack of therapeutic intervention.

"The alteration presented a false account of the owner’s attitude towards immediate therapeutic intervention.

"Conduct of this kind was liable to damage trust in the profession.”

In mitigation, the Committee took into account the sense of pressure Mr Ng felt following a financial dispute with his relative in respect of the veterinary practice, his long career as a veterinary surgeon and the high regard with which he was held by those who provided testimonials on his behalf.

The Committee acknowledged Mr Ng’s assertions that he now understood his failings and his expressions of remorse for the harm he had caused and that these indicated the beginnings of insight.

However, in respect of the clinical deficiencies, the Committee found that various aspects of Mr Ng’s approach to treating conditions such as diabetes and cherry eye were inadequate and out-of-date, and that there was little in his continuing professional development (CPD) record or his statements to suggest he had attempted to improve these deficiencies.

Ultimately, the Committee found that Mr Ng’s conduct was so serious that removal from the Register was the most appropriate sanction.

Paul Morris added: “The Committee has concluded that the respondent’s behaviour was fundamentally incompatible with being a veterinary surgeon.

"In view of the nature and gravity of the Committee’s findings in this case, removal from the Register is necessary to ensure the protection of animals and the maintenance of public confidence in the profession and the regulatory process.”

www.rcvs.org.uk/disciplinary

The Animal Health Trust has repeated its call for veterinary surgeons to take part in its survey study on breed differences in clinical features of canine hyperadrenocorticism.

40 veterinary surgeons have so far taken part in the survey, and preliminary results show that some breeds tend to present with fewer clinical signs than others, which fits with the study's initial hypothesis.

In addition, researchers say that the frequency of most of the clinical signs in dogs affected by hyperadrenocorticism, including polydipsia, polyuria, polyphagia, abdominal distention, alopecia, panting, comedones and muscle weakness, seem to be lower than previously reported in earlier studies published decades ago.

The AHT says it hopes the results of this study will help veterinary surgeons in the diagnosis of canine hyperadrenocorticism. However, in order to progress the study and draw firm conclusions, more responses from veterinary surgeons are needed. 

Michael Bennaim, veterinary surgeon at the AHT, said: "We need members of the veterinary profession to help us increase knowledge of this disease and to promote this study to their colleagues. The online questionnaire takes around 10 minutes to complete and all the information that is collected will be processed anonymously."

The AHT requests that the online questionnaire is completed for each case diagnosed with spontaneous hyperadrenocorticism . The questionnaire can be found at http://bit.ly/aht-cushing

Participants can request to be notified of the results of this study when available. Each questionnaire submitted has a chance to win a £100 Amazon voucher.

If you have any questions about the study, contact michael.bennaim@aht.org.uk.

Ceva Animal Health has launched a new travel size 20ml bottle of Feliway Spray to help cat owners keep their pet comfortable whilst travelling this summer.

To promote the launch Ceva is giving away thousands of prizes to Feliway customers, offering them the chance to win a top prize of a spa day at Champneys, cat carriers, soft toys and travel stickers, whilst stocks last. To take part, customers need to enter their unique pack code via the Feliway Facebook page to toss an online coin to see what they have won.

In addition, veterinary surgeries that purchase a 12 pack of the 20ml spray will get a second 12 pack free.

Julia Wood, product manager at Ceva said: "Transporting cats  even short distances, for necessary trips to the vet, cattery or to a local show, can easily become a nightmare for both the cat and the owner.  We've introduced the new travel size spray to make it even more convenient for cat owners when they are on the move and we hope the extra competition incentive will drive sales for veterinary clinics."