Sue, who is President of the European Society of Dermatology and an RCVS Specialist, says in a video interview that antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is making otitis externa cases difficult to resolve and that vets can help overcome the problem by rethinking their first line prescription choices.
In the video, created in conjunction with Elanco Animal Health (maker of Osurnia), Sue said: "It’s a sad thing to say but if everybody did manage cases of otitis externa appropriately first time, I probably wouldn’t have a job at all."
"Many of the cases I see as a referral clinician are longstanding cases with very severe, multiply-resistant infections. If we get these cases right on the first occasion with appropriate prescription of drugs, and we don’t hurt dogs so we can give ongoing treatment, then we’d never ever see pseudomonas infection again."
Sue believes part of the problem is that veterinary surgeons are incorrectly saving some of their best first-line treatments for difficult cases. This is perpetuating the antimicrobial resistance problem as cases are being inadvertently mismanaged.
She said: "Florfenicol, which is the active antibiotic in Osurnia, has excellent gram positive activity which makes it an ideal first line choice. However, there’s a misconception that florfenicol is a fluoroquinolone - which it isn’t - so vets are incorrectly ‘saving it’ rather than using it on the first occasion."
Sue also highlights that poor compliance, resulting from the patient’s behavioural problems associated with ear phobia, also has a long-term impact:
"We’ve seen many 'well behaved' dogs that have bitten their owners as a result of fear aggression; we’ve had dogs that have pinned their owners against the wall. I would argue very strongly that if you use long-acting products in dogs on the first occasion then you avoid creating that problem and these dogs don’t become difficult to medicate on a long-term basis."
Sue summarised two factors that vets need to consider when deciding on the appropriate treatment: the right active ingredients to target common first-line pathogens; and the method of application. She urged vets to consider using a long-acting product applied within the practice, removing the need for home treatment to reduce stress for both owner and the dog, improve long-term compliance and maximise clinical outcomes.
To hear Sue’s tips on how to treat cases of otitis, watch the video here – www.osurnia.co.uk
The kit contains a guide to effective ear cleaning, an illustrated step-by-step instruction guide on how to administer the Canaural, and a diary and consultation pack so owners can engage with the diagnosis and treatment of their pet’s ear infection.
The Healthy Ears Combi Kit comes in a resealable wipe-clean bag and is available free of charge from veterinary wholesalers.
Dechra Brand Manager Claire Morgan said: "The new kit will give owners more confidence in the important role that they play in their pet’s ear health and encourage them to engage in the treatment plan, thereby supporting veterinary professionals in the cycle of care.
"As well as serving as practical storage for the products, it acts as a reminder to dispense CleanAural as well as Canaural, as the self-cleaning mechanism of the animal’s ears is often compromised by infection.
She added: "CleanAural does not compromise the antimicrobial activity of Canaural1 so they are perfect partners for maintaining healthy ears."
Free Healthy Ears Combi Kit can be ordered via your veterinary wholesaler.
Reference
MSD Animal Health's equine division has launched a new series of materials to support its Keeping Britain's Horses Healthy Campaign.
For veterinary practices, there's a Vet Reception Pack designed to help receptionists educate owners why they should vaccinate and the benefits of preventive healthcare.
For yards, there are posters giving guidance and advice on prevention of Infectious Respiratory Disease and the steps which should be taken to control a potential outbreak. They can be tailor made for an individual yard.
Peter Young, MSD Animal Health Equine Business Manager said: "Our first wave of support materials focused very much on equine vets and owners - helping raise awareness of the importance of preventive healthcare and driving owners towards vets for advice. This phase of materials helps support yard owners and receptionists, aiming to fill some of those communications gaps where advice and guidelines on individual horse's vaccination requirements and yard protocols can play a vital role in preventing the spread of disease and controlling outbreaks."
Keeping Britain's Horses Healthy is a national campaign to educate horse owners on endemic infectious disease, vaccination, herd immunity and the importance of preventative healthcare. It includes a range of educational materials for veterinary surgeries and direct to owners. The campaign is supported by a national PR, advertising and social media programme, together with a dedicated website www.healthyhorses.co.uk. The website, aimed at driving owners back to their veterinary practices, includes a vet finder, exclusively for equine practices, and healthcare information.
For full details of the launch programme, talk to your account manager, call 01908 685685 or visit www.healthyhorses.co.uk.
Vets Now says that the move to holding the 4 day congress online has resulted in a surge in interest from international delegates, with veterinary surgeons and nurses from more than 20 countries, including Kuwait, Hong Kong and Australia, due to attend.
Speakers at the event this year include Dan Fletcher, Megan Brashear and Claire Sharp.
Dan Lewis, Vets Now’s national ECC lead, said: “The interactive platform we’re using is cutting edge and it provides so much more than just webinars. There will be live content, an interactive exhibition hall and more opportunities than ever for delegates to network and learn from some of the world’s leading veterinary experts discussing emergency and critical care.
"Our programme this year has been carefully tailored to provide an inclusive learning experience for vets and vet nurses no matter what stage they’re at in their career, from students through to specialists.
"We’ll obviously miss seeing everyone in person, but we’re very excited that we can gather together online for a one-of-a-kind experience.”
Full four-day tickets for delegates range in price from £60 to £175 and ticket-holders will be able to access all the sessions on-demand for up to a month following the event.
Click here to book your place at Vets Now’s ECC Congress. Registrations close on November 1. To book your place, visit: congress.vets-now.com
The survey is conducted every four to five years and asks vets to answer questions about a variety of subjects including demographic data (for example, socio-economic background, educational attainment, race/ethnicity, disability), work-related data (for example, employment status, location of workplace, type of workplace, hours of work, position in practice) and information about professional achievement (for example, hours of continuing professional development (CPD) undertaken and extra qualifications earned).
The survey, which is conducted on the College’s behalf by the Institute for Employment Studies, also ask respondents about their views on different aspects of their profession, including career plans, challenges facing the profession, and wellbeing.
This year, the survey also asks for your view of the RCVS, including its values, how it should communicate, and what it should prioritise in future years.
Lizzie Lockett, RCVS CEO (pictured right), said: "The results of the Surveys form a very important ‘snapshot’ of the profession at a given point in time, but they also prove useful for years to come in terms of how the College develops its regulatory and educational policy, the areas it chooses to focus on and the issues it chooses to tackle.
"The ensuing reports are also used by a myriad of other individuals, such as those in academia, government and representative bodies, as well as journalists. It’s therefore really important that we have as accurate a picture as possible. So although completing the Surveys is entirely voluntary, we strongly encourage members of the professions to take the time to complete them. It will, ultimately, help the development of appropriate and supportive policies for your profession."
In addition to the main survey, there will be an additional survey for MsRCVS who practise overseas. This survey aims to better understand why they continue to retain their MRCVS status, what this status means in the countries in which they work, global attitudes towards the RCVS and how the College could improve its communication with them.
Horiba Medical has announced it is the official exclusive UK distributor of the fully automated Vet abc Plus+ veterinary haematology analyser from scil animal care company GmbH, Germany.
According to the company, the compact Vet abc Plus+ provides a complete blood count (CBC), including 4-part white blood cell (WBC) differential, from only 10 µl of EDTA whole blood, in only 60 seconds.
The Vet abc Plus+ provides pre-installed settings to analyse samples from dogs, cats, horses, rabbits, mice, rats, cattle, pigs and sheep. For dogs, cats and horses, the Vet abc Plus+ provides a 4-part WBC differential blood count, including a differentiation of the leucocytes to identify lymphocytes, monocytes, granulocytes and eosinophils. Results are available in 60 seconds on screen or can be automatically printed out and transferred to the practice information system or clinical notes. For ease-of-use, the Vet abc Plus+ also incorporates a self-contained reagent and waste system which provides a clean operation whilst being easy to replenish.
Borne from an existing manufacturing partnership, scil and HORIBA Medical already have over 6000 veterinary haematology analysers placed globally. Horiba says the new UK distribution agreement enables UK veterinary professionals to not only procure the Vet abc Plus+ analyser, but also receive expert service and support directly from the manufacturer HORIBA Medical and its team of UK specialists.
For more information, visit: www.horiba.com/uk/medical
Congratulations to VetSurgeon members Mike Martin, Malcolm Ness and Mark Patteson, who were amongst the winners of the 2010 BSAVA Annual Awards.
Mike Martin actually collected two awards this year: The Dunkin Award for the author of the most valuable article published in the Journal of Small Animal Practice (Canine dilated cardiomyopathy: a retrospective study of signalment, presentation and clinical findings in 369 cases), and the Blaine Award presented by Royal Canin for outstanding contributions to the advancement of small animal medicine or surgery.
Malcolm Ness won the Simon Award for outstanding contributions in the field of veterinary surgery.
Mark Patteson picked up the Melton Award, presented annually by Royal Canin for meritorious contributions by veterinary surgeons to small animal veterinary practice.
Other winners included Iona Mathieson (Frank Beattie Travel Scholarship), Anne Vaughan-Thomas (deceased) (Amoroso Award), David Church (Woodrow Award), Luke Gamble (J.A. Wright Memorial Award), Olaf Reinhard Schaaf (Petsavers Award) and Steve Withrow (Bourgelat Award).
A new animal welfare report by the PDSA has revealed that millions of pets are more aggressive, overweight and misunderstood than ever due to fundamental gaps in pet owners' animal welfare knowledge.
The PDSA Animal Wellbeing (PAW) report, which captures the views of pet owners, the veterinary profession and children, reveals that 1.3 million dogs across the UK are displaying problem behaviour. It also highlights the consequences of an obesity epidemic affecting 18.5 million dogs, cats and rabbits, and draws attention to the 11.2 million pets not registered with a vet and therefore at risk of disease due to not being vaccinated or neutered.
The BVA is urging veterinary surgeons and nurses to read the report which identifies where owners are misinformed or unaware and highlights areas that everyone can work on with their clients to help achieve better wellbeing for pets.
Peter Jones, President of the BVA, said: "This is another excellent report from the PDSA offering real insight into clients' motivations. Understanding what drives owners' attitudes, as well as helping them to understand key health and welfare issues, should help us to clarify misconceptions in the consulting room and hopefully change behaviour at home.
"On the positive side, with pet obesity ever rising it is good to see that there is a slight increase in the proportion of owners starting to recognise obesity in their pets. This is, no doubt, in part due to the tireless work of charities like the PDSA and the veterinary profession as a whole.
"Sadly, despite most owners' awareness of the ill effect that bad nutrition has on their pet this has not led to them cutting out pet treats. The fact that few can identify a healthy body shape shows that much remains to be done.
"The section on preventive healthcare remains worrying with many owners seemingly not believing in the concepts of microchipping, neutering and vaccination. Vets have a real responsibility to help communicate these issues to the pet owning public for the benefit of both clients and their animals.
"The report very clearly identifies where owners are misinformed or unaware and highlights areas that vets in practice can work on with their clients to help achieve better wellbeing for pets.
"The report is very clearly laid out and well worth a read. We would encourage all vets to take a look and identify any new educational resources to promote in the practice, in newsletters and on websites in addition to the ones they already make available to clients. The AWF leaflets, the PDSA's own website, and the Education Alliance are all good starting points."
Click here for the report.
Ceva Animal Health has launched a new TV advertising campaign to raise awareness of the benefits of the veterinary behavioural product, Feliway.
The new advertisement, features the new 'Feliway' purple cat playing happily in the home with its family.
The advertisement will appear on the major UK channels including More 4, E4, ITV 1, Sky Channels and the Discovery Channel for one week from 16th September 2013, with an additional three weeks coverage during October 2013. Behind the scenes' footage of the filming of the advertisement can also be viewed on the Feliway YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtAXd5mReYc6JGufxRirvng?feature=watch
A Feliway video on demand and YouTube campaign will be available to viewers between 16th September 2013 and 21st October 2013 and will be repeated between 15th November 2013 and 2nd December 2013.
An Adaptil video on demand campaign will be aired between 21st October 2013 and 11th November 2013 to raise awareness of Adaptil in the run up to and during the firework season. The video on demand will be available across ITV player, Sky Anytime On Demand, 4oD and YouTube.
For more information, call 01494 781510 or contact your local Ceva territory manager.
Dechra Veterinary Products is offering CPD sessions as podcasts for the first time, as part of a new series of presentations on canine hyperadrenocorticism.
The Cushing's Challenge series, which will also be available as webcasts with supporting notes, is designed to challenge vets to update their knowledge on the syndrome.
There will be six presentations released on the company's online learning resource, The Dechra Academy, starting this month.
Dechra Veterinary Products Brand Manager, Craig Sankey said: "Although Cushing's is a common canine endocrinopathy, it can be challenging to diagnose and can mimic non-adrenal disorders. Test results can also sometimes be inconclusive which is why we've developed this series of CPD sessions to support veterinary professionals who want to update their knowledge.
"The Cushing's Challenge series will be the first time Dechra has used podcasts to deliver CPD, which can be downloaded and listened to on any MP3 player. They can also be viewed on a PC or tablet as a webcast with each of the presentations varying in length, from around 12 to 25 minutes long. By offering the presentations in both of these formats, we are able to offer flexible support to help busy veterinary professionals with CPD.
"The first episodes will focus on pathophysiology, clinical signs and routine lab tests with successive presentations released in the coming weeks. The next two in the series will cover diagnostic tests and then differentiation tests."
CPD certificates will be available at the end of the series via email.
The free-of-charge CPD is accompanied by client support materials for practices as part of Dechra's new Vetoryl campaign.
The Cushing's Challenge CPD is available at www.dechra.co.uk/academy,
The webinar will consider questions such as how practices can maintain turnover whilst sticking to the government and regulator guidelines, and how this can be done without compromising the customer experience.
Hosted by Past President of the British Veterinary Association Gudrun Ravetz, three additional veterinary business experts - Brian Faulkner, Alison Lambert and Alan Robinson - will come together to share their advice on how to minimise the impact that coronavirus has on the practice, the team and a practice’s clients.
Veterinary professionals can submit questions directly to the panel who will answer them during the live event.
To register for the webinar, visit the Boehringer www.boehringer-academy.co.uk.
The investment is being made to increase the speed at which concerns are either closed or referred, ensure that the process meets its service standards and reduce stress for the public and profession.
The decision to increase investment in the process was made by the College’s Operational Board in response to a steady increase in the number of concerns being investigated. The College forecasts that it will receive in excess of 1,000 concerns raised about the professional conduct of veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses this year.
The RCVS developed a simplified, three-stage concerns process in 2014 which included the introduction of targets for cases to be either closed or referred at each stage. In order to ensure that these targets can be met, the College will now be hiring five paralegals to assist the existing five case managers.
Eleanor Ferguson, Acting Registrar, said: "Currently we are only closing or referring just over half of concerns we receive at stage 1 (case examiner stage) within our four month target. In order for the system to run more smoothly we will be investing in extra staff to help clear the backlog and ensure that these targets are met going forward.
"Similarly, in order to deal with the increase in the number of cases being referred to Preliminary Investigation Committee (stage 2), we will be increasing the frequency of these committee meetings from one to two per month.
"It is important to add that this investment is not just about dealing with concerns more quickly but is also about quality of service and having more staff on hand will ensure that this quality is maintained in terms of how we communicate with complainants and members of the profession. Speeding up the process will reduce the stress and anxiety felt by all involved."
More details about the College’s concerns investigation process and its different stages can be found at www.rcvs.org.uk/concerns
239 members took part in the survey, 46% from independent practices and the remainder in corporates.
60% were clinical directors, partners or owners and 30% were in an assistant or associate role.
Other than COVID, the main barriers to providing EMS were not having enough time or energy to support a student (approx 46%), too much work to do (approx 37%), not enough veterinary staff (approx 33%), and not having housing for a student (approx 19%).
The top four things which respondents felt would improve the quality of EMS were a clearer understanding of students' needs (92%), longer placements to allow more confidence to build (84%), free training on how to coach students (78%) and more resources to help students and mentors (73%).
It was also suggested that because universities are effectively asking vets to do their job for them, they should be offering free CPD to help all vets deliver EMS effectively.
To enhance the EMS experience, SPVS has produced a pre-placement preparation form which outlines the practice requirements, an EMS induction form to help students consider their priorities and expectations for the placement and the a Skills Matrix which provides a framework to structure learning objectives and record progress.
For the full survey report and to access the resources, visit the SPVS website https://spvs.org.uk/ems-free-resources-gateway/
Specifically, they're using them as a sheep race of sorts, for patient restraint during fluoroscopic examinations.
Eastcott says the transparent barrier helps to keep patients as close as possible to the practice’s mobile image intensifier, while also limiting any sudden movement. This significantly improves the quality of images taken and reduces the amount of time taken per examination.
Nicholas Taylor, referral radiographer at Eastcott came up with the idea. He said: “Unlike us humans, animals don’t understand the need to remain still and the process of getting these images was becoming quite challenging and time-consuming. Often the length of the process would make the animal anxious and we would inevitably be going in circles.
"The idea came about when we were discussing how we could replicate the x-ray process in the human world, where machines are often very close to the patient’s body.
"We had a few spare desk barriers in the hospital and decided to give it go. We were so pleased at how easy it made the entire process, reducing the amount of time per exam, improving the quality of pictures and ultimately putting the patient at ease since they can see what is going on around them.”
The VetCT teleconsulting service, which can be accessed via the web and an app-based platform, provides advice from a specialist team.
Typically advice is provided as a written report within 24 hours, with options for text chat or telephone conversations when vets may want to discuss the case with a specialist.
The service can be accessed on a pay-per-case or subscription basis.
Until now, follow-up advice had been capped at two weeks.
Internal medicine specialist and Head of Teleconsulting at VetCT, Kate Murphy, said: “We are delighted to be extending our support for cases that require ongoing management, such as endocrine disorders or complex wound management.
"Our clients have fed back how valuable it will be to partner with us longer term for these patients, to provide guidance and reassurance that care is being optimised and help to keep owners engaged and happy.”
welcome.vet-ct.com/sales
The new clinic is led by Marie Kubiak, an RCVS Specialist and diplomate in Zoo and Wildlife Medicine and one of only a small number Specialists that are accredited for reptiles, birds, pet mammals, wildlife, zoo species, fish and invertebrates.
The open day offers a chance to see the new clinic, meet the team, find out how it can support your practice and discuss any challenging cases you have.
Light snacks and drinks will be provided.
RSVP: evolutionexoticsreferrals@gmail.com
https://evolutionexoticsreferrals.co.uk
Evolution Exotics Referrals, Tenbury Road, Cleobury Mortimer, South Shropshire, DY14 0AD
To claim the free product, visit www.daxocox.co.uk/trial and use the stock selector to pick the dose sizes to suit the patients you think Daxocox could help.
Animalcare Marketing Manager James Beaumont explained: “When you consider that recent data shows that up to 20% of dogs over one year of age could have some form of OA1, the scale of problem becomes clear – as does the threat to the welfare of our canine companions from OA pain.
“Owners already giving Daxocox to their OA-affected pets, have seen first-hand how it can significantly improve their quality of life.
"90% said that their dog’s osteoarthritis improved, with 84% reporting that their dog’s quality of life improved from “poor or fair” to “good, very good or excellent.”2
James added: “In a study carried out by Animalare, 88% of owners said that weekly NSAID dosing would be easier to remember, or mean they were less likely to miss a dose or that it would control their dog’s pain more effectively.3
“Used as a first line treatment for OA, Daxocox can provide a solid foundation to long-term pain management that suits vets, dogs and their owners.
"As such, we’re confident that once practices have tried it, it will become their canine OA NSAID of choice.”
For more information, visit www.daxocox.co.uk
References
Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health has announced that it is re-introducing Equilis StrepE, the only strangles vaccine for horses in Europe. The vaccine was voluntarily withdrawn from the market in 2007 for stability reasons.
Equilis StrepE, which has already been relaunched in the Netherlands, is now scheduled to arrive in Italy in September and the United Kingdom in October this year. Further re-launches in European countries are scheduled later in 2010 and beyond.
According to Intervet/Schering-Plough, three years of additional research and development have resulted in several improvements to the vaccine, including a better manufacturing process to ensure that the product maintains its characteristics throughout its shelf-life. A more user-friendly applicator has been developed, which enables the needle to slot into place, thereby making it easier to administer the vaccine.
Equilis StrepE is administered through a submucosal injection in the upper lip of the horse and provides immunity for three months following two initial injections, four weeks apart. The vaccine significantly reduces clinical signs of strangles and occurrence of lymph node abscesses in horses that are at risk of infection.
Dr. Peter Daels, veterinarian at the Keros Insemination and Embryo Transfer Center in Beselare (Belgium) said: "In our recipient embryo transfer herd, we have used this strangles vaccine on over 500 mares. After a few applications, the vaccine was easy to administer and did not cause any serious side effects. Despite a steady flow of new horses, only eight cases of strangles were noted - all were mild and most were newly acquired horses that had apparently been exposed shortly before vaccination. I believe that the vaccine provided solid protection against the disease, reduced the severity of clinical cases and eliminated the risk of a widespread outbreak in our herd."
Dr. Roberto Ragni-Alunni, Global Technical Manager Equine at Intervet/Schering Plough Animal Health said: "The re-launch of Equilis StrepE in Europe is an important milestone in our efforts to fully meet the needs of our customers in the equine industry. We continue to work in a very intense and comprehensive way to ensure adequate supply of our equine vaccine range".
Sanofi-aventis and Merck & Co., Inc. announced today that Sanofi-aventis has exercised its option to combine Merial with Intervet/Schering-Plough, Merck's Animal Health business.
The new joint venture will be equally-owned by Merck and Sanofi-aventis. The formation of this new joint venture is subject to execution of final agreements, antitrust review in the United States, Europe and other countries, and other customary closing conditions. The completion of the transaction is expected to occur in approximately the next 12 months.
Richard T. Clark, Merck Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer said: "Merck has been in the animal health business for well over six decades and through this new joint venture, we will bolster our diverse portfolio and create a new global competitor poised for growth.
"This new joint venture delivers on Merck's commitment to customer focus by creating one of the broadest portfolios of animal health products and services in pharmaceuticals and biologics for millions of customers who include farmers, veterinarians and pet owners. The planned joint venture will have an attractive geographical network of global technology and expertise to provide health solutions based on customers' needs, which often vary regionally."
The worldwide animal health market reached $19 billion in 2008. Products for companion animals accounted for 40 percent of total sales while products for production animals accounted for the remaining 60 percent of total sales. This market is expected to grow at around 5 percent per year over the next 5 years, driven by a growing demand for animal proteins, as well as a strong consumer needs for companion animal health care.
The companies said that both Merial and Intervet/Schering-Plough will continue to operate independently until the closing of the transaction.
BCF Technology has launched the portable 9020HF Orange x-ray generator from Eco Ray.
BCF says the 9020HF is ideal for equine and large animal applications because it is is just marginally heavier than the 8016HF generator, but more powerful, allowing it to achieve excellent images of regions such as the stifle and spine.
The new BCF Clinical Development Manager and in-house vet Kimberly Palgrave said: "This new generator really fills the gap in the range and is an ideal balance between weight and power. It is also bright orange so impossible to miss when tidying the kit away in the yard."
BCF is also the sole official distributor in the UK and Ireland for Eco Ray generators.
To see the full range of X-ray generators and other X-ray and ultrasound equipment available from BCF visit http://www.bcftechnology.com/ or call +44 (0)1506 460023.
The Company of Animals, makers of behaviour and training products, has announced the launch of a new Product and Training DVD, designed to be screened in practice waiting rooms. The DVD features the entire range of products from Company of Animals, including its multi-award-winning dog training devices, being demonstrated by pet dogs and their owners. It is presented by Animal Psychologist and founder of The Company of Animals, Dr. Roger Mugford. The Company of Animals says that playing the DVD during opening hours will grab the attention of your customers, raise their awareness of already popular products, and educate them about new ones. This DVD is free and available to all veterinary retailers. To order the DVD or for more information see: http://www.companyofanimals.co.uk/
Companion Care Vets has been named as one of The Sunday Times 100 Best Companies To Work For, the first veterinary organisation to receive the accolade.
Companion Care, which has 90 surgeries across the UK (the majority within Pets at Home stores) launched its joint venture partner model in 2001. The group received a "first class" one-star status from The Sunday Times, and was ranked at number 69 overall, a position determined by employee views, staff policies, processes and services.
Best Companies Accreditation is based around employee engagement and listed companies are noted for "excelling in every area throughout the workplace." Particularly recognised is an organisation's commitment to its most important assets - its workforce.
Jane Balmain, Managing Director of Companion Care Vets said: "We value every member of our team who have all worked tirelessly over the past 11 years to help our expansion into the market leader we are today. Without the commitment and expertise of every person within the organisation this would not have been possible and for us to receive this recognition, and on our first try, is outstanding."
Jane added: "To be the first veterinary organisation to receive Best Companies Accreditation is an honour and we will strive to continue to provide an exceptional working environment for our teams."
As part of the survey process 79% of Companion Care Vets' employees said their jobs are good for personal growth, 76% felt their jobs were secure and a fantastic 81% said colleagues are committed to taking care of each other.
With 109 Joint Veterinary Partners and a further 867 employees in the group, Companion Care Vets is one of the largest veterinary employers in the UK. The company plans to have 200 surgeries in place by 2015 which will create a host of career opportunities for vets and veterinary support teams around the UK.
Bayer Animal Health has announced that following the success of its educational TV advertising campaign, which ran earlier this year and promoted the need to worm cats, a second advertising campaign will now run in September.
Bayer (makers of Profender Spot-on solution) says its first campaign, which ran in May, had the principal aim of driving pet owners to their vet to ask about spot-on worming for their cats.
As part of the same campaign, research was conducted on cat behaviour by interviewing cat owners and attaching 'cat cams' and 'cat navs' to nine cats around the country. The results were analysed by cat behaviour expert Roger Tabor and can be found on the website www.spotonwormer4cats.com/, both as a short video documentary and a 24-page report, entitled 'The Secret Lives of Cats'.
A consumer PR campaign was also run in parallel with the TV advertising, which Bayer says was very successful in attracting entrants to a competition to find the cat with the biggest personality. Winners of the Cats with Cat-titude competition have now been announced and profiled on www.spotonwormer4cats.com.
Dan White, Profender product manager, said: "Post campaign market research revealed there was a 5% increase in the awareness of spot-on cat worming.
"The second phase of TV advertising - using the same advert but without the online competition - will start on 4th September and will build on the success of the previous advertising. And over the following three weeks, it will be broadcast on ITV1, ITV2, Channels 4 and 5, and Sky One, and is expected to reach 7 million of our core target audience."
Veterinary practices can obtain a subtitled version of 'The Secret Lives of Cats' documentary to play in their waiting rooms, and a wide selection of support materials, by contacting their Bayer Territory Manager.
The RCVS is seeking the views of veterinary surgeons, veterinary nurses and members of the public about proposals for a new Royal Charter which would clarify and underpin the role of the College and give it formal recognition as regulator of the veterinary nursing profession.
The new Charter, approved at a meeting of RCVS Council in November, would replace the 1967 Supplemental Charter, with the most far reaching change being a proposal to make veterinary nursing a formally regulated profession on a similar footing to veterinary surgeons. Veterinary nurses would become associates of the College and have the post-nominal letters RVN. The List and the Register of Veterinary Nurses would also be effectively combined, meaning that the 1,100 listed veterinary nurses would join the 10,500 already on the Register.
Under the proposals registered veterinary nurses would continue to need to fulfil certain responsibilities, including abiding by the Code of Professional Conduct and completing an average of 15 hours a year of continuing professional development, and would be subject to RCVS disciplinary procedures.
What's new is that individuals struck off from the Register for serious professional misconduct would no longer be able to give medical treatment or carry out minor surgery under veterinary direction.
As well as changes to the regulation of veterinary nursing, the proposed Charter would also more clearly state the role and remit of the RCVS, for example, in advancing standards through the promotion of continuing professional development and the Practice Standards Scheme.
Professor Stephen May, a member of RCVS Council who led the Legislation Working Party that developed the new Charter proposals, said: "The proposed new Charter represents an historic opportunity to affirm the role of the RCVS, and to provide a modern framework for the future regulation of the professions. I call on veterinary surgeons and nurses, together with other interested stakeholders, to read the consultation documents and support our proposals."
Speaking about the need for change, RCVS President Neil Smith added: "The consultation paper explains why it is time to replace the 1967 Charter with a new version which sets out the role of the College. The present Charter doesn't explain what objects the RCVS should set out to achieve, and it is silent about veterinary nurses. The remit of the College should include being the regulator for the veterinary nursing profession, and we want a new Charter to recognise registered veterinary nurses.
"We hope that the new Charter will provide a solid basis for the work of the College for years to come. We would urge members of the professions and the public to let us know what they think and help us to make sure that we have got it right."
The consultation paper, which contains further details about the proposed Charter, is available to download at www.rcvs.org.uk/consultations. Those who wish to have their say must respond to b.myring@rcvs.org.uk with their comments by Friday 7 February 2014.
The RCVS will also be organising a meeting and a webinar during the consultation period for those who wish to ask questions about the proposals. Those interested in attending a meeting should email b.myring@rcvs.org.uk. The webinar will be held early in 2014 - further details will be on www.rcvs.org.uk in due course.
It was the only organisation from the veterinary profession to be shortlisted.
The Antibiotic Guardian Awards were introduced this year by Public Health England (PHE) and aim to champion UK organisations and individuals who have demonstrated achievement in tackling antimicrobial resistance at a local, regional or national level.
BEVA first launched its Protect ME antimicrobial campaign in 2012 to coincide with European Antimicrobial Awareness day. The Association has launched additional resources each year to facilitate compliance and educate the public about the importance of antimicrobial awareness.
Mark Bowen, President of BEVA and co-author of the Protect ME toolkit, said: "It is a great achievement for a veterinary organisation to be recognised alongside the human health sector which invariably has significantly more resources to support antimicrobial stewardship. Protect ME has had a fantastic uptake from the equine profession and are proud of the impact that it is having. BEVA is grateful to all who have contributed to its success, especially Wendy Furness and Jacky Paton of the Scarsdale veterinary group, Derby who trialled it prior to launch and adopted it fully within the practice."
The BEVA Protect ME toolkit is free to BEVA members and can be downloaded at www.beva.org.uk.