The Royal Veterinary College and the Animal Health Trust are trying to recruit 3000 horse and pony owners to take part in 'CARE about laminitis', a web-based research project that aims to reduce the threat caused by laminitis.

The four-year study, which is being funded by World Horse Welfare, is being conducted by PhD student, Danica (Dee) Pollard, based at the AHT. The main aims of the study are to:

• Estimate the frequency of owner-reported laminitis, including both horses that are diagnosed by a vet and those that aren't
• Further investigate factors which increase or decrease the risk of an animal developing laminitis, especially focusing on factors relating to management that can be changed by owners
• Provide owners with evidence-based guidelines that will reduce the impact of laminitis nationwide.

Currently the veterinary-reported frequency of laminitis in Britain, estimated between 2009 and 2011, shows that active episodes of veterinary-diagnosed laminitis occurred in nearly 1 in 200 horses/ponies registered with veterinary practices, and accounted for nearly 1 in 200 equine visits. Dee said: "However an overall lack of studies into the frequency of laminitis leaves little to compare these estimates with."

If you'd like to take part in the study, or invite clients to do so, visit: www.careaboutlaminitis.org.uk or email danica.pollard@aht.org.uk.

Ceva Animal Health has rebranded its nutraceutical supplements for cats and dogs under its Logic brand.

The new Logic range, which previously included the company's dental products, now includes Logic Diar-Stop (previously known as Diarsanyl Plus) for digestive health, Logic Flexivet, a joint supplement and Logic Senilife, a nutraceutical which Ceva says has been shown to manage the signs of brain ageing.

The range is available in consumer-friendly packaging and a merchandising unit is available to showcase the products in practice.

Claire Russell, consumer product manager at Ceva Animal Health said: "The new Logic range provides veterinary practices with an extensive portfolio of respected veterinary strength supplements and dental products, with more exciting and innovative products to come in the pipeline."

For further information on the Logic range, visit www.logicforpets.co.uk, contact your local Ceva Animal Health territory manager or call Ceva's customer support team on 01494 781510.

Elanco Animal Health has announced a revision to the canine Atopica SPC, designed to provide veterinary surgeons with more flexible treatment options for canine atopic dermatitis

The updated license now states that consideration should be given to the use of other measures and/or treatments to control moderate to severe pruritus when initiating therapy with Atopica.

Elanco says pruritus control can be provided by combining Atopica with anti-inflammatory doses of prednisolone, the safety and efficacy of which has been confirmed in a clinical study¹ included on the updated Atopica package leaflet.

The company says the changes to the SPC have been made in recognition of the importance of understanding the underlying cause of the itch and whilst treating dermatology cases can be a complex process, good clinical practice suggests a tailored multi-modal approach depending on the individual case.  This can be done in three stages:

• Good clinical diagnosis
• Short-term plan - consider all medications to treat secondary infections to get the pet feeling comfortable.  For example parasite control, antibiotics, antipruritics and antifungals as appropriate
• Long-term plan - treat the underlying cause of the disease as appropriate.  For example a multi-modal approach combining Atopica, regular shampooing, diet and essential fatty acids.

Alice Laurens, DVM MRCVS, dermatology marketing manager at Elanco Animal Health, said: "Dermatology cases can be difficult to treat, however the new flexible approach and the ability to combine Atopica with prednisolone will swiftly help to control pruritus in the short-term and keep the pet comfortable in the long-term."

Further information about common dermatological conditions in dogs and cats, together with a diagnostic tool are available at: www.vetassistdermatology.com.  

Reference

1. Dip et al. BMC Veterinary Research 2013 9:173

Mandisa Green has become the first black woman to be invested as the RCVS President at the first Annual General Meeting to be held online. 

In her opening address, Mandisa said: "When the College was founded in 1844, it would have been unthinkable that a woman, let alone a black woman, would become President of the institution one day. I am immensely proud of this achievement and, while it clearly demonstrates progress, there is still plenty to do in widening access to our professions.”

She said she hoped to use her position as President to act as a role model to young people from under-represented groups, to encourage them to consider careers in veterinary surgery, and to support those already in the profession. 

Mandisa, a graduate of the University of Edinburgh in 2008 and an elected member of RCVS Council since 2014, added: “I also take the Presidential baton from Niall to champion a more diverse and inclusive profession with renewed intention, and look forward to playing my part in our upcoming Diversity & Inclusion Action Plan. 

“As recent weeks and the Black Lives Matter movement have highlighted, there is more to be done, and we are committed to doing the work necessary. It is essential that we support all members of the veterinary team to work in an environment that is free from discrimination and racism.”

In another first at the RCVS AGM, Matthew Rendle became the first male veterinary nurse to chair VN Council. 

An ectoparasitology working group has been set up to provide a set of practical guidelines for veterinary surgeons across Europe.

The group, which has been established to bring together best practice strategies in the light of changing ectoparasite threats met for the first time earlier this year.

Headed by Doctor Marie-Christine Cadiergues, lecturer, researcher and Professor in dermatology at the National Veterinary School of Toulouse in France, and hosted by Virbac, the group of six leading independent experts from across Europe - including Dr Ross Bond from the RVC - has been tasked with developing strategies which can be applied by vets when advising their clients.

 Virbac's small animal ectoparasitology product manager Victoria Hudson explains that using evidence-based data where possible, the aim of the group is to produce a clear, practical set of guidelines: "These will cover treatment efficacy, practicability for client education and compliance, impact in terms of animal welfare, public health and potential resistance, and a decision tree covering a wide range of scenario presentations to define the optimal antiparasitic treatment options."

Dr Bond adds that despite the very common occurrence of flea and tick infestations in pets, control strategies can be challenging depending on individual circumstances of the case: "It is anticipated that these guidelines will assist busy veterinary practitioners in their selection of the optimal control strategy."

An initial report is expected in the press in a few weeks time.

A YouGov poll commissioned at the start of this month's National Vaccination Month Campaign by Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health has shown that pet vaccination rates nationally have remained stable between 2009 and 2011 despite the recession.

This could suggest that pet owners who do vaccinate generally accept that vaccination is not a discretionary item of spending which can be dropped in financially hard times. This is in contrast to worming, pet insurance and health checks, things which the survey found that between 6% and 9% of owners have cut back on.

Nevertheless, the survey supported industry data which shows that very considerable numbers of Britain's pets are left unvaccinated, with strong regional variations:

• North West: 43% of pets have either lapsed immunity or never been vaccinated.
• North East: 24% unvaccinated
• Yorkshire/Humber: 35% unvaccinated
• East Midlands: 24% unvaccinated
• West Midlands: 50% unvaccinated
• East of England: 28% unvaccinated
• London 35%: unvaccinated
• South East 29% unvaccinated
• South West 26% unvaccinated
• Wales 25% unvaccinated
• Scotland 20% unvaccinated

According to the YouGov survey, cost is a factor in more than 39% of cases where owners of a cat, dog, rabbit or horse are failing to vaccinate.

However, during National Vaccination Month, pet owners can download a voucher for a discounted vaccination offering savings of around £30 from participating surgeries throughout May. Unvaccinated and eligible dogs, cats, rabbits and horses are all included in the scheme and more than 2000 vet practices are taking part in the campaign nationwide.

Angus Robinson from Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health said: "The survey suggests that not only is there a demand for National Vaccination Month - 76% of those not vaccinating said they would take advantage of a scheme like this. But there is also a real need for client education. A staggering 91% of those polled said they would get their pet vaccinated if they were aware that there was disease in their area. Without wishing to scare people, we do need to alert pet owners to the fact that pet disease is out there. It is the kind of thing that they never think is going to happen to their beloved pet but when it does, it is devastating."

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."

The Animal Medicines Distributors Association (AHDA) and the Animal Medicines Training Regulatory Authority (AMTRA) have both come out against the BVA's call for all anthelmintic medicines to be reclassified as POM-V, which would prevent them being prescribed by Suitably Qualified Persons (SQP).

Ian Scott, Secretary General of AHDA, said that instead of launching an attack on SQPs, the BVA should be working with them and animal owners to tackle anthelmintic resistance: "The BVA has written to the VMD to ask that all anthemintics be classified to POM-V only. This will monopolise the supply and distribution of anthelmintics for vets only. It effectively places the blame for anthelmintic resistance squarely on SQPs.

"An attempt by BVA to create a division between vets and SQPs demonstrates that the BVA is out of touch with its members.

"Both prescribing channels must work together to tackle the problem and AHDA has been working hard with vets at national and local level to ensure customers receive consistent, high quality, up-to-date and relevant advice from both channels.

"What is worrying is that the BVA attack also infers that farmer producers and equine owners are incapable of making decisions that not only affect their livelihood but cast doubt on their ability to care for their animals' welfare."

Meanwhile, Stephen Dawson, Secretary General of AMTRA said: "The large majority of SQPs deal with parasite control on a daily basis, having trained and been examined to a syllabus developed with BVA input. SQPs have to undertake compulsory continuing professional development, the majority of which includes good practice in parasite control. Therefore AMTRA has every confidence that qualified SQPs have excellent knowledge of parasitology to advise their clients on the correct choice and use of anthelmintics.

"It is important to recognise the hard work, knowledge and dedication of thousands of SQPs throughout the UK. The implication of what BVA say is that they are laying a proportion of the blame for resistance to these medicines at the door of SQPs. But the evidence isn't there: countries in Europe and elsewhere with different prescription systems, mainly though vet-only channels, still have major resistance problems. Prescription of antimicrobials by veterinary surgeons hasn't prevented concerns about prescribing practices and developing resistance. The key point is good advice from the prescriber and how they are then used in practice, rather than who prescribes them. The challenge for us all is not just to seek excellence in prescribing but also in usage on farm, something SQPs are ideally placed to do with their frequent farmer contact.

"I would urge all parties to work in partnership to ensure that best practice in prescription and use is followed by all prescribers and users. It is up to all prescribers to act responsibly, but to single out one group over another is unjustified. A pseudo-monopoly by vets on supply would do nothing to help farmers in difficult times."

Mr Dawson also expressed doubts about permanent POM-V status for new livestock anthelmintics: "While we fully support VMD's and VPC's need to be sure that the risk associated with wider availability of a new product is low, AMTRA considers that the current division in distribution classes and consequent low uptake of the newer products means that the much bigger risk is that widespread reliance on the three aging classes may be followed by reliance on just the two new classes when the older classes become unusable. Much better to have responsible prescription of all five classes now, by appropriately trained SQPs, vets and pharmacists, to ensure that there is a prospect of long term availability of effective parasite control."

A one-day seminar entitled ‘One World, One Disease,’ will take place at the Royal Society of Medicine (RSM), Wimpole Street, London, on 24 June 2008.

The event, which has been jointly organised by the RSM and the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS), will examine some of the effects of climate change on patterns of animal health and the impact of this on humans. The meeting will provide an understanding of the complexity of the global changes that we face, and will work towards the integrated approach needed to manage the serious problems that threaten animal and human health.

About two-thirds of new infectious diseases that threaten humans come from animals. With global climate change, this looks set to increase. Now more than ever, it is important that veterinary and medical colleagues come together to discuss disease control strategies.

Speakers will include RCVS Senior Vice-President Professor Sheila Crispin, who has been instrumental in organising the conference, Caroline Lucas MEP, Professor Bob Watson, Defra’s Chief Scientific Adviser, the RVC’s Professor Quintin McKellar and Lt Col Tim Brookes from the Health Protection Agency, among others.

All are welcome. Tickets are available from the Royal Society of Medicine online at http://www.rsm.ac.uk/academ/e10-oneworld.php

Harrison Family Vets in Reading has become the first practice outside North America to achieve ‘Fear Free Veterinary Practice Certification’.

The Fear Free movement was founded in 2016 by US veterinary surgeon Dr Marty Becker.

Marty said: “Just like with humans, a pet can’t be optimally healthy unless they’re also happy.

"Fear, anxiety, and stress (FAS) raise the levels of hormones that are destructive to both the body and mind.

"Fear Free uses clinically proven protocols to remove or reduce FAS triggers, it takes steps to mitigate FAS so that the pet feels safe and calm during a veterinary visit.”

Since launch, over 320,000 veterinary professionals, pet professionals, animal welfare communities, and pet owners have registered for Fear Free’s programmes and courses, and Fear Free says it has become the accepted gold standard within North American veterinary practices.

Yvette Rowntree, Clinic Director at Harrison Family Vets in Reading, said: “This accreditation process has taken everything we do to the next level.

"With open and honest team conversations, development of realistic protocols and a subtle change in behaviours to ensure we always put the pet first within a supportive work environment, our entire team has worked hard to achieve this certification.”

Operations Director, Kristie Faulkner, from Harrison Family Vets, said: “Although it was possible for individuals to be Fear Free certified, this is the first time an entire practice has become certified.

"We have worked very closely with the Fear Free team during the past several months to enable detailed inspection and certification to take place, and we now intend for our other practices, in Dudley, Didsbury, Stockton, and Doncaster, to each reach this standard and become officially certified in the immediate future.”

Fear Free’s CEO, Randy Valpy, said: “Harrison Family Vets’ certification is part of the Fear Free expansion into the UK, New Zealand and Australia and we are absolutely thrilled to have the Reading practice as our first UK Fear Free Certified Veterinary Practice.

"We now plan to certify further practices in the UK and support veterinary professionals who have the relevant knowledge and techniques to practise quality medicine, as well as understanding how to develop the utmost consideration for patient’s emotional health as well.”

https://fearfreepets.com 

A new study from the Royal Veterinary College (RVC), London South Bank University and the British Veterinary Ethnicity and Diversity Society, has found racism continues to be a problem experienced by Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) members of the UK veterinary sector.

The researchers say their analysis shows more needs to be done within the profession to acknowledge, raise awareness of and dismantle the systemic and often overlooked forms of racism that exist.

For the qualitative study, all BAME veterinary professionals and students in the UK were asked to complete an online questionnaire, containing open questions about their experiences.

The questionnaire was was distributed online, in veterinary schools, veterinary organisations and the media, with responses analysed using inductive and deductive approaches.

The findings identified three main themes regarding BAME people’s experiences in the sector.

The first was alienation and insecurity, ranging from blatant rejection, or being deliberately patronised, such as:

"In practicals in the vet school, I’ve noticed more and more times that students would rather work on other stations and not want to work on stations me and my friends (who are also from ethnic minority backgrounds) are working on, even when the other stations are full. This has happened on multiple occasions."

or

"On work experience, the vet I was shadowing at the time would ask me questions like, “Are you integrated into society yet?”, and “What do you eat?”. I am a British citizen who was born in the UK, and so were my parents, so I found this particularly confusing." 

through to more subtle forms of "othering":

"People assume that you aren't British and are different, whereas I would say since I was born and grew up in Britain that I identify as British. People ask me if I can speak another language, or like, do I eat my ethnic food all the time?

"An older couple once probed, “Where are you from?”, I said [name of UK city], they asked again, I said I grew up in [name of UK county], and they asked one more time and I said I have Caribbean heritage. I find this is a common form of racism amongst older people and often they’re not trying to be hurtful, but they’re curious and don't understand how it would make someone feel uncomfortable.

The second theme was homogenisation and inferiorisation, for example when BAME people are labelled, often incorrectly, according to perceived ethnicity:

"I've had lay colleagues refer to me as ‘the Chinese vet’ in front of clients and other colleagues rather than address me by my name – and it's weird because I grew up in Australia."

"Clients often asked to book in with the Singapore vet, but commonly referred to him as ‘the Chinese vet’ on the phone instead of his name, or if they forgot his name. I believe the nurses corrected these clients, but sometimes the clients would ‘jokingly’ comment that it's ‘the same thing’."

The final theme was the disappointment and futility felt by many of the participants, and the impact on their job satisfaction:

"Job satisfaction worsens when I learn that my colleagues (nurses or vets) are unaware of the impact of their words and do not understand what constitutes racism, e.g., use of the word ‘golliwog’, even when not used to describe a specific person. The judgement placed on someone due to their ethnicity creates an unpleasant atmosphere which impacts job satisfaction." 

Dr Christine Thuranira-McKeever, Vice Principal (Equity, Diversity and Inclusion) and Director of Distance Learning at the RVC, said: “At the RVC, we are committed to fostering equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) within the sector and have implemented several initiatives – aligned with our Strategic Plan in which EDI is a core component – to encourage participation from underrepresented groups.

"This includes the RVC For All campaign and Veterinary Gateway Programme to broaden access to veterinary education; the RVC's Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Committee and Race Equality Task Group to focus on addressing racial disparities and shaping policy; and Animal Aspirations, founded in 2019 by RVC students, to support individuals from minority backgrounds.

“However, there is more to be done, and the findings of this study emphasise a significant need for the veterinary profession to come together and do more to acknowledge and raise awareness of the systemic and often overlooked forms of racism, to challenge and dismantle them, and to empower those who are affected.”

Reference

1. King, N., Cardwell, J.M., Lewis, E.G. et al. “It shreds me from within”: thematic analysis of the impact of racism on veterinary professionals and students in the United Kingdom. BMC Psychol 13, 585 (2025).
   URL: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-02481-x 

Key Note Ltd, has published Pet Insurance 2015, a report into the state of the UK pet insurance market which forecasts that premiums will rise by 46.7% by 2019.

The report notes that the percentage of adults in Great Britain owning at least one dog has increased by 2.1 percentage points over the past 5 years, and the percentage owning at least one cat is 2.5 percentage points higher than it was 5 years ago. Yet despite growth in the pet population, the increase in the volume of pet insurance policies (23.6% between 2010 and 2014) has been far exceeded by the increase in the value of premiums written (40.7%).

Key Note says claims inflation has been a major factor in rising premiums; despite gross written premiums for cats, dogs and other pets increasing by 13.3% between 2013 and 2014 alone, the cost of claims for the same animals rose by 14.7% over the same period, over and above the premium increases seen.

According to the company, rising claims are largely down to the increasing cost of veterinary treatment — as advances in pet medicine increase apace with those in human medicine, treating pets is getting more costly. Not only this, but other factors, such as the rise in overweight or obese pets and even antibiotic-resistant bacteria, both common problems in the human health service, are also pushing up the costs of veterinary treatment. 

In other general insurance markets, most notably motor insurance, which price comparison websites (PCWs) were initially set up to focus on, competition exerts a major downward pressure on premiums. However, the report says this is not always the case in the pet insurance market. This is because it can be difficult for those who have already claimed on pet insurance policies to switch insurers; the result of doing so is often that the condition the pet has previously been treated for is classed as ‘pre-existing’ in the new policy and therefore it, and related conditions, will not be covered under the new policy. This could leave pet owners liable to pay for veterinary treatment in full.

The situation has been further exacerbated by the high-profile withdrawal of a number of underwriters from the pet insurance market. The nature of the pet insurance market, though at first seeming diverse, actually involves a relatively limited pool of underwriters behind the numerous brands available. The report details how just four underwriters between them either underwrite or, at the very least, arrange and administer the pet insurance policies of 27 of the foremost brands in the pet insurance market.

Key Note forecasts that although insurance companies will see an increase in the volume of pets insured, this will not compensate for the relentless increase in the cost of claims which will be largely responsible for driving the cost of pet insurance up 46.7% by 2019.

The RCVS will be holding two online workshops to give an overview of its 1CPD platform and how to use it most effectively.

1CPD was launched in 2020 with the aim of providing an easy-to-use platform for veterinary surgeons to use to plan, record and reflect on their continuing professional development (CPD).

The workshops, which are taking place on Wednesday 9th December 2020, are designed to help those who are not yet familiar with the platform, or have some limited experience of it but would like some additional guidance.

The first workshop takes place at midday and is for those members of the profession who haven’t yet used the platform. The session will give an overview of how 1CPD works and the benefits of using it for planning, recording and reflecting on CPD. No prior knowledge is assumed, and complete beginners are especially welcome. There'll be an opportunity to ask questions. 

The second workshop takes place at 7pm and is for those who have some experience of using 1CPD but may have further questions, for example, about how to use some of its features such as the planning module and how to best make use of the reflective notes and comments feature.

Both of the workshops will last for approximately an hour each.

Susan Paterson, Chair of the RCVS Education Committee, said: “We’ve seen fantastic take up of the 1CPD platform in less than a year – with around 65% of UK-practising veterinary surgeons and an amazing 80% of veterinary nurses using it to plan, record and reflect on their professional development. The feedback that we receive has been overwhelmingly positive, with the even the more technically-challenged amongst us finding 1CPD intuitive.

"Although the numbers are very encouraging, there is a cohort of people who have not yet actively engaged with the platform and maybe are unsure about using it or are put off by the thought of having to learn how to use a brand new online system. The aim of these workshops is to guide and reassure those who are hesitant that the 1CPD system is very simple and easy-to-use with lots of useful features. In the long run, it will save you a lot of time and effort when it comes to recording your CPD because it’s there on your phone or tablet, ready to update as-and-when you need to."

Richard Burley, Chief Technology Officer for the RCVS, added: “We are very glad that the 1CPD platform developed by our team here has been so well received. We are continuing to improve and update the platform based on user feedback to improve its design and usability and would welcome any further constructive comments that members of the professions have about it. We do hope you those who are both unfamiliar with the system, and those who have used it but need further advice, can join us for these sessions to find out both how to use 1CPD and how to get the best out of it.”

To sign up to one of the workshops, visit: www.rcvs.org.uk/news-and-views/events/1cpd-online-workshop.

For those who aren’t able to make it on the day, recorded versions of all of the workshops will be made available to watch again after the event.

To download 1CPD as an app for use on iOS (Apple) or Android devices, or to access the web version, visit: www.rcvs.org.uk/1CPD