Dechra Veterinary Products has announced that it has acquired Dilaterol, the oral bronchodilator for horses, from the Dutch veterinary pharma company, LeVet.

Dilaterol is an oral syrup containing 25 mgs/ml clenbuterol hydrochloride, indicated to treat respiratory disease in horses. It causes intense bronchodilation, inhibits histamine release and increases ciliary mucous clearance. It can be used as a frontline or adjuvant therapy.

Dilaterol is administered via food and comes in a 355 ml bottle with a pump dispenser for easy and accurate dosing.

Emma Jennings, Equine Brand Manager at Dechra said: “We are very pleased to have added Dilaterol to our comprehensive range of equine therapies as it is an established and effective treatment for bronchial conditions.

"It is particularly useful in cases of respiratory allergy, bronchospasm and equine asthma and is already regarded as a valuable tool for veterinary professionals."

Dilaterol will be available to order through wholesalers. For more information, visit www.dechra.co.uk.

Krka, the Slovenian pharmaceuticals company, is offering UK veterinary surgeons the chance to win an all-expenses paid luxury trip to its home country in a 'spot-the-difference' competition.

Two winners will be flown from a London airport to spend 2 nights at the Krka Terme Hotel Svoboda Strunjan, a night at the Grand Union Hotel Ljubljana and a night at the Grand Hotel Bled, plus car hire.

To enter, visit www.discoverkrka.co.uk and pick out the differences between the Dalmations. 

Ned Flaxman from Krka said: "I’ve only recently joined KRKA and I’m sure like many people I imagined Slovenia to be some far-off country in Eastern Europe. But it’s much closer than you might think - being only a couple hour’s boat ride from Venice.

"I would urge anyone to enter the competition to be in with the chance of winning this truly memorable trip. From the cliffs and stunning beaches of Strunjan to the lively and beautiful city of Ljubljana, Slovenia is a hidden gem just waiting to be discovered."

Jurox (UK) Ltd has launched AceSedate, a UK-licensed injectable acepromazine for horses.

AceSedate for horses contains 10mg/ml acepromazine as its active ingredient, which the company says means a lower dose volume is required compared to the non-UK licensed equine acepromazine options available.

The dosage of AceSedate is 0.03-0.10 mg per kg bodyweight, however Jurox recommends that the lower end of the dose range is always selected where possible. It can be administered via intramuscular or slow intravenous injection.

AceSedate is supplied in a multidose vial and the shelf life after opening the immediate packaging is 28 days.

Richard Beckwith, country manager of Jurox (UK) Ltd, said: "The launch of AceSedate means injectable acepromazine is now licensed in the UK for horses, giving vets peace-of-mind that a licensed product is now available. It is a welcome addition to our equine anaesthesia, analgesia and sedation portfolio."

For more information, visit: www.jurox.com/uk, contact your local Jurox technical sales representative, telephone the customer services team on 0800 500 3171 or e-mail customerservice@jurox.co.uk.

Researchers at the Animal Health Trust Equine Clinic have developed an ethogram to help veterinary surgeons, owners and riders identify when a horse is in pain, from its facial expressions when being ridden. 

According to the AHT, there is undisputed evidence that owners, riders and trainers have a poor ability to recognise signs of pain seen when horses are ridden. As a result, problems are labelled as training-related, rider-related, behavioural, or deemed 'normal' for that horse because 'that’s how he’s always gone'.

This, says the AHT, means pain-related problems are often disregarded, the horse continues in work, and the problem gets progressively worse. 

Dr Sue Dyson, Head of Clinical Orthopaedics at the AHT, believes it may be easier to educate riders and trainers to recognise changes in facial expression and behaviour rather than lameness. So she and her team set out to develop and test an ethogram to describe facial expressions in ridden horses and to determine whether individuals could interpret and correctly apply the ethogram consistently.

At this stage in the project, they concluded that their ethogram could reliably be used to describe facial expressions of ridden horses by people from different professional backgrounds (full paper here: http://www.journalvetbehavior.com/article/S1558-7878(16)30184-8/fulltext).

In the next stage of the project, Sue and her team sought to demonstrate that the ethogram could be used to identify lameness. 

The ethogram was applied blindly by a trained analyst to photographs (n=519) of the head and neck of lame (n=76) and non-lame (n=25) horses acquired during ridden schooling-type work at both trot and canter. These included images of seven lame horses acquired before (n=30 photographs) and after diagnostic analgesia had abolished lameness (n=22 photographs).

A pain score (0-3; 0=normal, 1-3=abnormal) was applied to each feature in the ethogram, based on published descriptions of pain in horses.

A total of 27,407 facial markers were recorded, with those giving the greatest significant difference between lame and sound horses including ears back, eyes partially or fully closed, an open mouth with exposed teeth and being severely above the bit.

Pain scores were higher for lame horses than non-lame horses (p<0.001). Total pain score (p<0.05), total head position score (p<0.01), and total ear score (p<0.01) were reduced in lame horses after abolition of lameness.

Severely ‘above the bit’, twisting the head, asymmetrical position of the bit, ear position (both ears backwards, one ear backwards and one to the side, one ear backwards and one ear forwards) and eye features (exposure of the sclera, the eye partially or completely closed, muscle tension caudal to the eye, an intense stare) were the best indicators of pain.

The researchers concluded that application of the ethogram and pain score could differentiate between lame and non-lame horses. Assessment of facial expression could potentially improve recognition of pain-related gait abnormalities in ridden horses (full paper here: http://www.journalvetbehavior.com/article/S1558-7878(17)30019-9/fulltext)

Sue and her team are now working on the development of a whole horse ethogram and its application to non-lame and lame horses, to help to differentiate between manifestations of conflict behaviour, in response to the demands of the rider, and pain. They are also working towards the development of a practical tool for recognising facial expressions, similar to that of a body condition score chart, which they say could dramatically improve the health and welfare of all horses.

Photo: Signs of pain include ears back (pain score of 3), intense stare, muscle tension and mouth. Courtesy Dr Sue Tyson. 

Ceva Animal Health, maker of Adaptil and Feliway, has launched its popular annual competition in which practices are invited to set up displays about fireworks in their waiting rooms and post a photograph on the company's Facebook page in October.

Additional credit is given if the display includes a den, and the top ten displays win a luxury chocolate hamper. 

Ceva says the aim of the exercise is to highlight preventative steps pet owners can take to manage their pets' firework fears and the benefits of building a den to help calm and reassure dogs during the firework festivities,

Claire Russell, pheromone product manager at Ceva Animal Health, said: "Our display competition is one of the highlights of the veterinary practice year with veterinary professionals creating innovative displays that capture the imagination of their clients and help educate them on the preventative measures that they can adopt at home to help manage their pet’s firework fears."

Ceva has a range of marketing materials for veterinary practices to use in the competition, including waiting room materials.

For further information, contact your local Ceva territory manager.

Veterinary surgeons, human healthcare professionals and experts from the maritime and aviation industries gathered at the Royal Society of Medicine earlier this month to discuss and share knowledge about the contributions of human factors to patient safety.

Amongst the speakers were Catherine Oxtoby MRCVS, Risk Manager at the Veterinary Defence Society, and Dr Huw Stacey, director of clinical services at Vets4Pets.

Dr Stacey explained how Vets4Pets and Companion Care practices are embracing a culture of sharing information when things don’t go according to plan in practice.

He said: "We all face challenges in the workplace, and this event focused on how different professions can share ideas and good practice and how they find solutions to any challenges.

"The culture of aviation and maritime is one of minimising risk and putting safety first, and it is fascinating to compare their approach to that found in medicine and veterinary.

"One common theme we discussed was the wellbeing of both professionals and patients or clients, with tiredness being at the top of the list of things that can negatively affect wellbeing and performance.

"Both aviation and maritime recognised that long shifts, particularly overnight, needed to be reduced in order to improve the outcome for everyone.

"In veterinary and human medicine, tiredness and long shifts are often worn as a badge of honour and being tired at work was something that should be admired, rather than addressed.

"But, tired vets are effectively neglecting themselves and their own wellbeing, which in turn leads to pets not receiving the best level of care in practice.

"This is something we’re taking seriously at Vets4Pets and Companion Care, and we’re currently looking at ways to decrease the risk of overworked and tired vets and vet nurses."

Another area of discussion was around the reporting of near misses and when things don’t go right, and how veterinary professionals need to identify and share the learnings from these events, not only within their practice, but with the wider profession too.

He said: "We need to continually emphasise the concept of a ‘just’ culture, to ensure our colleagues feel confident about reporting incidents open and honestly."

"It is not in the interests of the professional, the patient or the client to bottle things up, and at Vets4Pets and Companion Care we’re encouraging all of our practices to adopt the VDS VetSafe system, which provides a mechanism for sharing incident reports across the profession, enabling us all to learn from them to the benefit of our patients."

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has concluded that there are competition problems within the veterinary services market and proposed a series of remedial actions. 

However, many of the causes of above-inflation increases in the cost of veterinary care go well beyond the remit of the CMA and it therefore has limited scope to propose or enforce changes that will likely have any significant impact on costs.

The CMA concluded that the main barriers to healthy competition are: owners not being given enough information, barriers to owners being able to make appropriate choices and an out-of-date regulatory environment. 

To correct these issues, the CMA has proposed that veterinary practices should be compelled to: 

• provide price lists for specific services
• provide itemised bills
• provide written estimates for treatments over £500
• tell owners they can get their medicines elsewhere
• cap the prescription fee
• provide info for the RCVS 'Find a Vet' page
• make it clear if the practice is part of a group
• have a complaints process that meets certain criteria
• confirm every year to the RCVS that it is doing these things

Given that treatment inflation, rather than a lack of competition, is likely the biggest contributory factor to rising veterinary costs, it seems unlikely that providing price lists, itemised bills or written estimates will do much more than increase the administrative burden on veterinary practices.

What's more, it is very hard to see how price lists and estimates can ever be truly representative in such a complex area as medicine.

So these proposed measures are no more than rearranging deckchairs on the Titanic. 

To switch metaphors, the problem is less that pet owners don't know what they're buying and more that the veterinary profession is trying to sell caviar to people who only want or can afford a Big Mac and large fries.

Real change can only be driven by the veterinary profession - not just veterinary surgeons, but the regulator, universities, manufacturers and others, after reflecting on the real, rather than assumed needs of its clients and patients, together with the ethical issues in play.

A good starting point for that reflection is the new book Veterinary Controversies and Ethical Dilemmas, available now: https://www.routledge.com/Veterinary-Controversies-and-Ethical-Dilemmas-Provocative-Reflections-/Clutton-Murphy-Stephens-Taylor/p/book/9781032579863 

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/understanding-the-cmas-provisional-decision-in-its-vets-market-investigation 

Former vet Warwick Seymour-Hamilton, who was removed from the Register in 1994, has had his eleventh attempt at restoration rejected by the RCVS Disciplinary Committee.

Mr Seymour-Hamilton was removed from the Register after his Kent practice was found to have unhygienic and unsterile conditions as well as poor record keeping, although he has always disputed this, maintaining that he was not actually practising at the time of the inspection. 

Mr Seymour-Hamilton made an application for restoration on the basis that he did not want to be restored to the Register in order to practise veterinary surgery, but so that he could more easily achieve recognition from academics and drug companies for his work on herbal and natural remedies.

Mr Seymour-Hamilton's dispute over the original findings of the 1994 case was ruled inadmissible.

In considering his application, the Committee took into account the fact that he had not accepted the original findings from 1994 nor had he, over the course of his various applications for restoration, shown any insight into his original conduct or the serious concerns about his fitness to practice raised in previous restoration hearings.

It also considered that Mr Seymour-Hamilton had been off the Register for 29 years and would need to have demonstrated prolonged, intensive and formal training to ensure he met the Day One Competences required of a veterinary surgeon.

The College submitted that he had made no such attempts and so would pose a significant risk to animal health and welfare if he were allowed to practice again.

The Committee also considered that Mr Seymour-Hamilton had indicated that he had practised veterinary surgery while off the Register – including conducting two spay procedures in Calais, France – and had used his own animals to try out new and untested ‘herbal remedies’.

The College submitted that this indicated someone who didn’t have due regard to the importance of the current level of skills, experience and qualifications required in order to undertake veterinary surgery competently, and therefore posed a risk to animal health and welfare.

Dr Kathryn Peaty MRCVS, chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: “The College invited the Committee to consider that where, as here, some 29 years have passed since this veterinary surgeon has practised, there has been no intensive, and prolonged re-training, no acceptance of the original findings and no insight into concerns about his fitness to practise, there will inevitably be a serious risk to the welfare of animals and the wider public interest if the applicant is restored to the Register.

The Committee agrees, and considers that the applicant has not shown the required insight as to the steps he needs to take to return to safe veterinary practice.”

Accordingly, the Committee decided that it would not be in the public interest to restore Mr Seymour-Hamilton to the Register.

www.rcvs.org.uk/disciplinary

Eastcott Veterinary Referrals in Swindon has launched a neurology referral service for patients with conditions of the brain, spinal cord and neuromuscular system.

The new service is led by Virginia Crespo DVM PGDip MSc MRCVS and Alex Hamilton BA VetMB MRCVS, pictured right. 

Virginia qualified in 2012 from the Autonomous University of Barcelona, where she also served a rotating internship before completing an internship in neurology and neurosurgery at the Animal Health Trust in 2016. She finished a three-year residency in neurology and neurosurgery at Langford Veterinary Services in July, alongside attaining a Master’s of Science degree with Bristol University. 

Alex graduated from Cambridge University in 2005 and after five years working in both mixed and emergency and critical care practice, he completed a surgical internship at the Animal Referral Hospital, Sydney, in 2012. He then completed a European accredited neurology residency at Melbourne University and Willows Veterinary Centre, in Solihull, and has since worked in Australia and the UK as a neurologist.

Clinical director Duncan Barnes said: “We’re delighted to welcome Virginia and Alex to Eastcott to lead this new service.

"They will provide in-depth consultations and neurological assessments alongside a variety of advanced diagnostic procedures to identify the problem and prepare an appropriate treatment plan.

"Virginia and Alex will have access to Eastcott’s new 1.5T MRI scanner and the clinic’s CT scanner, as well as electromyography, to assess the function of the nerves and muscles, and cerebrospinal fluid analysis. 

"They will also work closely with another new recruit, Nicholas Taylor, who has joined us as referral radiographer, and other specialists across the hospital as part of a holistic approach to patient care."

For more information visit www.eastcottreferrals.co.uk.

Streetvet, the non-profit outreach practice delivering veterinary care for homeless people in London has announced it is to launch in Brighton and Bristol.

The practice was formed earlier this year by Jade Statt and Sam Joseph, two veterinary surgeons who, quite separately, had been inspired by the bond between homeless people and their dogs and decided to do what they could to help. Each hit the streets, Jade in Westminster and Sam in North London, offering healthchecks and basic flea and worm treatment to the homeless. Unbeknownst to each other, they worked under the same name of Streetvet.

Their paths crossed earlier this year, whereupon they decided to join forces and create a proper framework through which to deliver not just preventative care for the majority of animals that are well cared for and healthy, but treatment for those that need it. So Streetvet was born.

Since then, the practice has grown to a 65-strong team of volunteer veterinary surgeons and nurses providing a free, first opinion veterinary service across London, supported by drug companies, veterinary practices, animal welfare charities, social non-profit organisations and local councils.

Jade said: "We have vets out in the community at least 4 days a week and everything that can be done in a consultation room, we can perform on the street. This includes medicating, vaccinating, blood sampling, urine analysis, lump sampling, microchipping and more. 

"When we meet a dog that needs more advanced treatment we are able to take them to one of the practices that we work at to perform procedures including neutering, dental work, surgery, diagnostic imaging and even hydrotherapy.

"Being vets, we love animals, but much of our day-to-day work involves caring for their owners as well. Many of the owners that we meet are vulnerable people and one of the main benefits of having vets out on the streets is that we get to know the owners and their dogs and gain their trust.”

Streetvet will be launching in Brighton on Sunday 26th November and in Bristol on 2nd December. 

if you are in the Brighton or Bristol area and want to volunteer, offer practice support or get involved with fundraising, email: info@streetvet.co.uk. 

Veterinary professionals across the UK are also encouraged to email their interest in volunteering, to help StreetVet build its database and in time set up StreetVet UK-wide. 

A new white paper from Zoetis has identified three areas where the veterinary profession needs to make systemic changes in order to tackle the retention crisis, at a time when 48% of UK veterinary surgeons have considered leaving the field, and 75% of vets in the UK have taken time off work at least once in the last year due to work-related mental health issues.

Zoetis says that the problem appears not to be an endemic wellbeing issue for which the answer might be to develop greater individual resilience, but rather it is a symptom of the working environment itself, fuelled by structural, cultural and economic factors. 

This, the company argues, means that concentrating on individual resilience may be misguided, and a new approach is needed, one that addresses the environmental factors at play. 

The white paper identifies three areas for change: 

Firstly, a complete reimagining of the veterinary workplace with more flexible and sustainable working models. 

This includes considering more flexible work rotas, using technology to ease workloads, and enhancing the supporting role of veterinary nurses.

Indeed the most important factor in improving workplace wellbeing and professional satisfaction, cited by 27% of vets, was to better train veterinary nurses to take on more responsibility. 

Secondly, finding ways to adapt to meet growing and varied client needs. 

The white paper recommends enhancing communication training, adopting technology for better client management, and offering more support for vets when managing emotionally challenging conversations with clients.

Finally, the paper calls for a rethink over how vets are selected for in the first place.

Currently, the profession draws from a pool of 96% white, 29% fee-paying, largely female people who are not representative of the market they serve.

Greater diversity in the profession, Zoetis says, delivers social benefits, strategic advantages and workplaces with broader perspectives and greater psychological safety.

Stephanie Armstrong, Regional President at Zoetis, said: “Addressing retention in the veterinary field requires looking beyond individual well-being to systemic factors.

"By fostering better work environments and providing support, we can help ensure that veterinarians continue to provide vital services to our communities.” 

Zoetis is urging stakeholders across the veterinary and animal health sector to review the white paper’s insights and join a collective effort to implement solutions. 

https://www2.zoetis.co.uk/about-zoetis/news-media/knowledge-hub/transforming-veterinary-practice-for-the-21st-century 

The British Small Animal Veterinary Association has published a new edition of its Manual of Canine and Feline Musculoskeletal Disorders, revised and updated under the direction of a new editorial team.

The new editorial team is comprised of Gareth Arthurs and Rob Pettitt, both RCVS Recognised Specialists in Small Animal Surgery (Orthopaedics) and Gordon Brown (no, not that one), an RCVS Diplomate in Small Animal Surgery (Orthopaedics).

Given the considerable evolution in the diagnosis, understanding and treatment options for many orthopaedic disorders, this second edition includes the investigation of lameness, including the use of force plates and kinematics, the current understanding of elbow dysplasia and the wide array of available treatment options, and diagnostic and surgical arthroscopy.

New, advanced surgical techniques, such as tibial osteotomy for cranial cruciate ligament disease, cementless total hip replacement for hip dysplasia and replacement of the trochlear sulcus for patellar luxation have been covered, together with guidance on the level of training and experience necessary to achieve consistently good results.

The manual is divided into four principle sections:

• Lameness investigation

• Musculoskeletal disorders

• Principles of orthopaedic surgery

• Management of specific disorders, ordered by individual joints.

The joint-specific chapters all follow a similar format, comprising the main chapter and then, where relevant, imaging and operative techniques. 

Gareth Arthurs, one of three editors, said: "We feel privileged to have worked with such a broad range of talented authors whose combined international skills, knowledge and experience is impressive and very difficult to match. It has truly been a privilege to work with such a team of inspiring veterinary surgeons with expertise in various fields, and we are confident that the talent of each individual shines through their chapter".

The second edition of the BSAVA Manual of Canine and Feline Musculoskeletal Disorders is available from the BSAVA website: www.bsava.com or by phone: 01452 726700. The online edition is available from: www.bsavalibrary.com