David Barratt MRCVS, Professor of Bovine Medicine, Production and Reproduction at Bristol University and President-Elect of the BCVA, says that voluntary reductions in the use of Critically Important Antibiotics (CIAs) must be accelerated to future-proof the UK cattle industry against the threat of legislation and regulation.

Speaking at the MSD Animal Health sponsored National Mastitis Panel, David said that more widespread understanding of the issues is urgently required particularly amongst farmers and cattle vets if real progress is to be made. 

David said: "There are some notable examples of veterinary practices that have worked with their clients to eliminate the use of CIAs. These are the exceptions, but they illustrate what is possible. As an industry, we need to speed up the rate of change and make a concerted effort to ensure more responsible use of antibiotics becomes the norm, sooner rather than later."

David quoted the British Cattle Veterinary Association (BCVA) position on the responsible use of medicines, which includes the recommendation of minimal use of third and fourth generation cephalosporins, fluoroquinalones and colistin, with these CIAs being limited to use where it has been demonstrated by sensitivity testing that they are the only suitable option to avoid unnecessary suffering. 

"There has been agreement on this position amongst the veterinary associations, farmer organisations and milk buyers, but there needs to be more widespread awareness at producer level, particularly within the vet and farmer relationship. 

"Farms with a robust herd health plan, where challenges are reduced, will be in the best position to minimise use of CIAs. This takes time and is most effective where there is good cooperation between the farm and its veterinary practice.

"Achieving a significant reduction in the use of CIAs voluntarily will not only minimise the likelihood of disruptive and potentially punitive legislation but will put our cattle industry on the front foot and strengthen its position in global markets."

The BSAVA has announced the launch of the BSAVA Summit, a new 2-day CPD event in London which will tackle the major issues facing the profession and to which all vets are invited.

BSAVA Summit will take place from 16-17 December 2019 at the Royal College of Physicians in London and will involve a series of high-profile keynote speakers and interactive workshops.

The Association says the event will deliver CPD differently to other veterinary meetings, with most sessions run as facilitated workshops to enable delegates to lead and shape discussions. 

Confirmed facilitators include RCVS CEO Lizzie Lockett, BEVA President Renate Weller, Director of Clinical Research and Excellence in Practice at VetPartners Rachel Dean and Small Animal Medicine Specialist and Advanced Practitioner in Veterinary Cardiology Dr Kit Sturgess. Each day delegates can choose three out of a total of five workshops. Online forums will be used in the run up to BSAVA Summit to develop ideas and thinking for the workshops before the event.

Day one will focus on ‘The Profession Today’ and topics will include workforce issues, telemedicine, specialism, the future of advanced practitioners and regulation of the profession.

Day two will explore the future of ‘The Profession Tomorrow’ with topics including communication, over-diagnosis, over-treatment and innovation.

On the Monday evening delegates, speakers and facilitators will be able to network at a drinks reception in the library at the Royal College of Physicians. 

BSAVA President Sue Paterson said: "We have launched BSAVA Summit to address the rising demand for a space to debate important topics, challenge mindsets and question accepted benchmarks. Following feedback from our members and the profession, Summit will revolutionise veterinary conference norms with a free-flow approach to champion active debate, discussion and reflection.

"There is a growing need to tackle some of the ethical and professional problems that face vets today such as over diagnosis, the role of specialists in practice, and research in practice. Importantly, the format of the discussion forums means that whilst the debate is led by a facilitator, the delegates will drive the agenda to arrive at stimulating and satisfying outcomes.  It has been designed to fit with the new outcomes-based approach proposed by the RCVS where veterinary professionals are encouraged to plan their CPD, do their CPD and reflect on what they have learnt.

"The delegates are the key to the event, and Summit should attract people who want to be involved, want to input, want to make a difference and want to help drive the profession forward. I already have people eagerly emailing me wanting news of when the registration goes live.

"Summit aims to help delegates take a hard look at the way they work. Our aim is for each delegate to set themselves personal goals and we will be following up in 3 months to see if they have achieved them."

The BSAVA says that although the Summit is primarily targeted at experienced small animal practitioners, all vets, including equine and large animal practitioners, are welcome to attend. 

The full programme will be available and registration will open online on 17^th June.  BSAVA members will have an opportunity to book advance tickets, with general sale opening two weeks later.

For further information visit www.bsavasummit.com.

MDC Exports is launching a cat cage at BSAVA Congress which it claims will revolutionise the way cats are cared for in veterinary surgeries

According to the company, plastic cages currently in use tend to harbour germs where cats have made scratches in their surfaces. This cage, however, is the first of its kind to be made from stainless steel, which cats' claws cannot damage.

MDC claims the hygienic Cat Cage will protect animals from disease and infection during their stay in surgery making for happier, healthier patients. The company says the stainless steel Cat Cage is strong, durable and can be flame sterilized. The handles can also be colour-coded, for example, yellow means neuter, red means post-anaesthetic and green means ready to go home. Each stainless steel Cat Cage also comes with a two-year free replacement guarantee.

For more information, visit MDC Exports at BSAVA Congress 2011 on stand 123. All visitors to the stand will receive a complimentary NipLok - the quick-release tourniquet that can be operated one-handed

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has proposed new, stricter enforcement priorities to protect consumers from homeopathic drugs, particularly those marketed for serious conditions without evidence of any clinical benefit.

Despite the fact that homeopathic preparations are supposed to be diluted to the point where none of the original ingredient remains, the FDA says it has received increasing reports of products containing distinctly unhomeopathic quantities of things like belladonna being associated with serious adverse events.

The FDA has also had to issue warnings about homeopathic zinc-containing intranasal products which may cause a loss of the sense of smell and other homeopathic remedies which contain potentially toxic ingredients, such as nux vomica, which contains strychnine.

However, it is not just products with safety concerns that the new proposals are designed to address. Following in the footsteps of the NHS, the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council, The House of Commons Science and Technology Committee and more recently, the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and the European Academies Science Advisory Council (EASAC), the new FDA proposals highlight the risk from homeopathic remedies being marketed for serious diseases or conditions when they have not been shown to offer clinical benefits.

The proposals also highlight the risk to vulnerable populations that: "may also be at greater risk of harm as a result of foregoing the use of medical treatments that have been found safe and effective."

FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, M.D. said: "In recent years, we’ve seen a large uptick in products labeled as homeopathic that are being marketed for a wide array of diseases and conditions, from the common cold to cancer.

"In many cases, people may be placing their trust and money in therapies that may bring little to no benefit in combating serious ailments, or worse – that may cause significant and even irreparable harm because the products are poorly manufactured, or contain active ingredients that aren’t adequately tested or disclosed to patients.

"Our approach to regulating homeopathic drugs must evolve to reflect the current complexity of the market, by taking a more risk-based approach to enforcement. We respect that some individuals want to use alternative treatments, but the FDA has a responsibility to protect the public from products that may not deliver any benefit and have the potential to cause harm."

VetSurgeon.org supports the Campaign for Rational Veterinary Medicine.

Photo: Multicolored homeopathy tubes isolated on a white background. Lush. Shutterstock.

The following small animal medicine dentistry CPD events have been announced for 2019.

If you are speaking at or hosting a small animal CPD event in 2019, please email details to press@vetsurgeon.org for it to be considered for addition to this list.

This list includes events from CPD Solutions, Improve International, the Veterinary Poisons Information Service and the Small Animal Medicine Society.

TVM UK has developed a poster to help practices educate owners about the common dangers to their pets in the spring. 

The poster gives information about common dangers such as:

• Lilies, which can cause kidney failure in cats
• Chocolate and sweet treats containing Xylitol, which are in abundance at Easter time 
• Raisins, currents and sultanas found in hot cross buns which can cause kidney failure in dogs
• Garden dangers such as fertilizers and weedkillers, mouldy food used in composting, slug pellets and plant bulbs
• Adders, which, as the weather gets warmer, wake up from hibernation and can bite inquisitive pets

As well as focusing on common dangers, the poster also reinforces the importance of S.P.E.E.D when dealing with poisoned pets:

• Stop the pet eating any more suspected poison
• Phone the vets
• Emergency appointment 
• Evidence – bring labels/samples/vomit
• Don’t delay!

Will Peel, Product Manager at TVM UK said: "While most pet owners are mindful of the danger that certain foods and plants can pose, when you’re enjoying the spring sunshine and the long Easter weekend, it can be easy to overlook potential pet hazards. It’s vital to reinforce the dangers that can come with the warmer weather to help protect pets from poisoning which can cause serious illness or worse.’

To get your waterproof poster, contact your local TVM territory manager or email help@tvm-uk.com

FirstVet, the online veterinary consultation startup, has announced two more partnerships with pet insurers, through which pet owners will be offered free online veterinary consultations.

As a result, clients of LV=GI and Waggel will be able to book an online appointment with a veterinary surgeon within 30 minutes, without having to pay FirstVet's normal £20-30 charge. 

Waggel is FirstVet's 26th insurance partner globally, and its third in the UK. The company now has 150 veterinary surgeons working on the platform. 

Lucy Broadbridge, LV= GI Pet Product Manager, said: “At LV= GI we’re always looking for ways to help our customers protect what they love, so we’re very excited to be able to work with FirstVet to provide this service to our pet customers. With access to a vet from your smartphone or device, our pet customers will have peace of mind knowing that qualified veterinary advice is on hand 24/7, avoiding unnecessary time, cost and distress of visiting their vet if they don’t really need to."

Under current legislation, there is very little practical assistance that can be offered via an online consultation, other than recommending whether or not the animal needs to be seen by a veterinary surgeon in person. It may also be the case that the online consultation offers little more than a pet owner would get by ringing their normal vet. Nevertheless, online consultations will doubtless grow significantly in 2020, as the players line up to take advantage of any relaxation in the regulations that they hope will allow veterinary surgeons to prescribe medicines for animals they have not seen in person. 

Regardless of whether that happens, there is a value in face-to-face communication between a veterinary surgeon or nurse and a client, whether it be for triage or follow up consultations. Independent practices might therefore be well advised to start implementing this kind of technology in practice sooner rather than later, in particular looking at ways that online appointments could be scheduled (perhaps between normal consultations) so as to compete with the short waiting times offered by companies like FirstVet.  

New research conducted in collaboration with Spillers and published in the Equine Veterinary Journal has shown that even healthy older horses have increased insulin responses, compared to younger horses, in response to a starch rich or starch and sugar rich meal.

This, says Spillers, suggests that older horses, whether or not they have been diagnosed with insulin dysregulation, need an appropriate diet and management plan to help minimise the risks associated with insulin dysregulation such as laminitis.

The two studies^1,2, which were conducted in collaboration with Michigan State University, aimed to find out more about the relationship between insulin dysregulation, dietary adaptation, and ageing to help guide more appropriate feeding regimens for senior horses.

Both studies investigated tissue insulin resistance and the insulin response in healthy adults compared to healthy senior horses adapted to diets with varying levels and sources of hydrolysable and structural carbohydrate (starch, sugar, and fibre).

Results from both studies showed insulin responses tend to increase with age in healthy horses, regardless of the diet they had been fed prior to evaluation. The insulin response, for example, was highest in the senior horses fed a starch rich meal even when they had been adapted to such a diet. 

Clare Barfoot, RNutr, the research and development manager at Spillers said: "These studies confirm that even healthy older horses can have an increased insulin response compared to younger animals.

"This suggests that the energy sources used in the diet of senior horses and their effect on insulin dynamics need to be carefully considered.

"Practically, this means restricting the overall amount of starch and sugar in the diet especially for those horses that already have additional risk factors such as obesity, native breeding or PPID."

References

1. Rapson J.L. , Schott II H.C. , Nielsen B.D. , McCutcheon L.J. , Harris P.A. &  Geor R.J.   Effects of age and diet on glucose and insulin dynamics in the horse. Equine Veterinary Journal https://doi.org/10.1111/evj.12812
2. Jacob, S. I., Geor, R. J., Weber, P. S. D., Harris, P. A. and McCue, M. E. (2018), Effect of age and dietary carbohydrate profiles on glucose and insulin dynamics in horses. Equine Vet J. 50: 249 - 254. https://doi.org/10.1111/evj.12745

York-based Alstoe Animal Health, maker of Gleptosil and Vetergesic, has been acquired by French company Sogeval, a leading supplier of companion and livestock animal products.

Established in 1994, Alstoe was privatelv owned by the two original partners, John Nellis and lan Ryder.

For the last five years the company has been working with Sogeval to develop flavoured tablet pharmaceutical brands from Sogeval whilst the two companies have collaborated to make Vetergesic successful in France.

The business will continue to trade from the current premises for the foreseeable future and says it will maintain its high standard of customer service and product supply.

John Nellis said: "lt will be business as usual. We look forward to continued sales growth for our existing brands and the introduction of exciting new products in the future".

Dr. lan Ryder said: "Our companies have worked very well together in the past. The acquisition will bring fresh impetus to the business and ensure continued growth"

The current Alstoe team remains in place to assist with any enquiries. For further information contact info@alstoe.co.uk or telephone: 01347 878605

The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons has launched its new website, which also marks the first public outing for its new livery.

The College highlights the following key changes:

• A fresh, professional-looking design, with vast improvements to how information is organised, navigation and search facilities
• A multi-purpose home page, with 'quick links' to popular areas, photographic banners to highlight key responsibilities and ongoing activities, a ticker-tape feed for quick updates, news items, social media links and an RSS feed
• Information for veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses arranged thematically, rather than by audience - for example, 'Education', 'Advice and Guidance' and 'Registration' - to reflect the recent introduction of the Register for Veterinary Nurses, which brings the RCVS requirements for VNs closer into line with those for veterinary surgeons. This also responds to an increasing 'team' approach within practice
• A 'My Account' facility to enable veterinary surgeons to confirm their registration renewal details and pay their retention fees online - other functions will be added across the year
• A separate section for animal owners, with the popular Find a Vet search tool at its heart, plus expanded advice for animal owners when choosing, and using, a veterinary practice, and, in case of need, when making a complaint
• Dedicated sub-sites for the veterinary nursing awarding body - RCVS Awards - which is a separate organisation from the College, and for the RCVS Charitable Trust
• Improved search functions for the whole site, and dedicated search tools for Guides to Professional Conduct, publications, documents and the news archive
• Feedback forms and quick polls

The RCVS says the new corporate look is designed to be fresh, uncluttered and professional, and the new RCVS logo and strapline - "setting veterinary standards" - should leave visitors in no doubt as to the key purpose of the RCVS as a regulatory body. And whilst the new identity is modern in feel, the use of a shield device aims to maintain the link with the College's long history.

According to the College, the new brand was described by the veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses who helped to develop it as "simple, clear and clean, with a strong message" and "modern and approachable".

President Peter Jinman said: "The College has been accused of being 'confused and confusing' in the past. With the new identity we have endeavoured to clarify that the College is a forward-thinking regulator - despite being established when Queen Victoria was only recently on the throne, and working to 45-year-old legislation.

"Changing the logo, font and colours we use is only a small part of the process though. Our branding review included several layers of research and we now have a better understanding of how we have been perceived, how we would like to be perceived, and what we need to do to get there. This includes changing how we behave and communicate as an organisation, as well as how we position ourselves to the outside world."

The new look, which includes new logos for RCVS Awards, the RCVS Charitable Trust and the Practice Standards Scheme, will be rolled out across other communications elements as the year unfolds, to avoid the unnecessary wastage of materials branded with the old identity.

Meanwhile, the website is a living medium, and the College says it is keen to hear feedback from users about what they like, and what could be improved, to help inform further developments.

David Chalkley MRCVS has been suspended for three months by the RCVS Disciplinary Committee after it found him guilty of serious professional misconduct over bovine tuberculosis (bTB) testing at a Cheltenham farm in March 2018.

Mr Chalkley faced three charges against him. The first was that he failed to identify some or all of the animals tested with Intradermal Comparative Tuberculin (ICT) tests at the farm.

The second charge was that Mr Chalkley had certified that he had carried out ICT tests on 279 animals at the farm and recorded the results on the accompanying paperwork but had, in fact, not adequately identified some or all of the 279 animals and had fabricated the skin thickness measurements recorded for some of them.

In addition, the charge alleged that Mr Chalkley’s conduct was dishonest, misleading and risked undermining government testing procedures designed to promote public health.

The third charge was that between June 2011 and September 2018, Mr Chalkley received payment of approximately £20,000 for ICT tests when, as a result of his conduct in relation to ICT tests at the farm, he was not entitled to such payment.

At the outset of the hearing Mr Chalkley admitted the first charge, that he had not adequately identified some of the animals.

On the third day of the hearing, during his evidence to the Committee, he admitted that his certification of the ICT testing was therefore misleading.

He denied the rest of the charges including that his conduct had been dishonest and that it had risked undermining government testing procedures designed to promote public health.

In considering the charges against Mr Chalkley, the Committee heard that discrepancies regarding the tests that were carried out on the farm in March 2018 were originally raised by the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), on whose behalf Mr Chalkley carried out ICT testing in his capacity as an Official Veterinarian.

When Mr Chalkley gave evidence during the hearing, he explained that he had taken over TB testing for the farm in 2008 and that working conditions on the farm had been difficult throughout the whole period 2008 to 2018. He stated that due to the harsh weather conditions of early 2018, TB testing was difficult, and that the farmer needed to complete the test by March 2018 to avoid a financial penalty.

Mr Chalkley explained that one of the reasons for there being limited time available for him to carry out the test within the time required by the farmer was that he was due to provide veterinary cover at the Cheltenham races the following week and he was unable to find anyone else to cover the tests. Mr Chalkley also explained that during the tests on 5 and 8 March there had been limited farmhands available to assist in processing the cattle through the tests.

In the course of being asked questions by counsel for the RCVS, Mr Chalkley accepted that he had failed to identify some 45% of the animals he had injected on 5 March 2018 and had, in respect of each of the skin thickness measurements for those animals, randomly chosen a figure that he believed would be appropriate based on the breed, age and sex of the animal.

The APHA guidelines state that specific measurements should be made and recorded for each individual animal using callipers. Mr Chalkley said that he could not remember seeing the “pop-up” declaration which appeared when submitting the results to the APHA online and had never read it. He stated that he was not aware that he was making a declaration.  However, he accepted that as an Official Veterinarian he was confirming that he had carried out the test properly. While he agreed that he knew that the test contained inaccuracies, he did not accept that he was being dishonest when he submitted the results.

Having considered all the evidence put forward by the RCVS and Mr Chalkley in his own defence, the Committee found that Mr Chalkley had acted dishonestly in deliberately choosing not to take the measurements on 5 March and had instead submitted fabricated alternatives, and so risked undermining public health by failing to carry out his duties as an OV.

The Committee also concluded that Mr Chalkley had been acting dishonestly, as he  knew that he was submitting the test results as if they were the authentic outcome of a properly conducted test when in reality, they were no such thing.

The Committee did not accept Mr Chalkley’s evidence that he was unaware of the declaration which accompanied the submission of the test outcome. The Committee therefore found both the first and second charges proved.

In respect of the third charge the Committee found that this was not proven noting that the RCVS had not disproved Mr Chalkley’s explanation regarding his reasons for returning the £20,000 in fees he had received for carrying out TB testing at the farm from the APHA since 2011.

The Committee then considered whether the first two charges, both of which had been found proven, amounted to serious professional misconduct.

Ian Arundale, chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: “The Committee was prepared to accept that the respondent considered the risk arising from his actions as negligible. Nonetheless, in the Committee’s assessment a real risk existed due to the respondent’s actions and it was precisely the risk which the authorised testing procedure was designed to negate. The simple fact is the respondent could not be sure that each animal he assessed on 8 March 2018 had also been seen by him on 5 March 2018.

“However, the wider point with which the Committee was concerned related to the importance of any member of the profession or public being able to rely absolutely on the integrity of veterinary certification. Those parts of the Code and supporting guidance [concerning certification]… were unequivocal. It was very difficult to conceive of circumstances in which it could ever be justifiable to certify the outcome of a test which had not, in fact, been conducted in a way which was demonstrably valid and reliable. Such conduct was bound to be regarded as disgraceful by members of the profession and the general public.

“Honesty is the bedrock of appropriate certification and the Code and Guidance for the Disciplinary Committee is also unequivocal. Dishonesty in professional practice is always an extremely serious matter and the respondent’s responsibilities in the discharge of his functions as an Official Veterinarian were clear. On this occasion those responsibilities had been compromised.

“For these reasons, the Committee has come to the conclusion that the respondent’s conduct in relation to the facts found proved was disgraceful conduct in a professional respect.”

The Committee then went on to consider the sanction for Mr Chalkley.

The Committee heard oral evidence in mitigation, including from a former colleague who had worked with him in practice since 2006, as well as receiving a large number of written testimonials from various sources that attested to his honesty, integrity, willingness to help others, and charitable work in support of animal welfare.

Mr Chalkley’s counsel, in mitigation, highlighted his long and previously unblemished career, and characterised the conduct as an inexcusable but explicable error of judgement that was entirely isolated and out-of-character. Mr Chalkley’s counsel added that he had not done anything that he thought was seriously wrong, and there was no evidence that any harm had been done and that any risk to public health was not serious.

The Committee accepted that the conduct was isolated and out-of-character and that, furthermore, Mr Chalkley had made early and frank admissions to the APHA and that he had displayed a degree of insight, although the Committee was less confident that he truly understood the seriousness of the potential consequences of his dishonest conduct.

The Committee took into account the aggravating factors, including Mr Chalkley’s breach of trust of his position as an OV, the undermining of the integrity of veterinary certification, dishonesty and the potential public health impacts of his conduct.

Ian Arundale added: “The Committee considered that, having regard to the mitigating features which it had identified, a suspension order would be sufficient to send to the profession and the public a clear signal about the importance to be attached to accurate certification. The Committee considered that in the particular circumstances of this case, a period of three months suspension would be sufficient to achieve this objective.”

The full findings for the case can be found at: www.rcvs.org.uk/disciplinary

Norbrook Laboratories has launched Closamectin, a parasiticide which the company says will revolutionise cattle farming and parasite control in meat producing animals.

Closamectin Pour-on is a solution which can quite literally be poured onto the back of animals. It simultaneously treats fluke, worms and external parasites. The new product is the culmination of a six year research project costing £3.5 million and involving 80 scientists at the company's headquarters in Newry Co Down.

Norbrook says it will bring immense benefits for farmers whose cattle are often ravaged by parasitic attack. Fluke in particular can have devastating effects both on beef and dairy herds, seriously weakening, and in some cases killing the animals by destroying their livers. At the very least it collectively costs farmers around £17 million per annum by reducing the weight of beef cattle and the milk yields of dairy cows.

Fluke used to be confined to the western parts of Britain, together with Scotland and Ireland, but global warming has seen other parts of the UK experiencing the same mild and wet conditions on which the parasite thrives. Consequently it is on the rise.

Currently fluke is treated by injection or oral drench - both time-consuming and difficult processes for the farmers which can also be stressful for the animals. In contrast pour-on solutions can be applied swiftly and easily with no detrimental impact on cattle.

Norbrook has been awarded licenses for Closamectin Pour-on in both the UK and Ireland. This is a very significant market: the countries have a combined cattle population of 17 million. There are also plans to roll out the product in other countries.

Developing a pour-on to deal with these parasites has baffled scientists for 20 years. Alistair Couper, Norbrook's Chief Vet said: "This is the Holy Grail of farm animal veterinary medicine. It was a highly complex challenge for our research team. They had to develop a product which would treat different conditions simultaneously and have a molecular structure which could be absorbed straight through the skin. This is a ground breaking achievement and a brilliant piece of science"

Lord Ballyedmond, Chairman of Norbrook Laboratories said: "This is a very important milestone for Norbrook and for livestock and farmers worldwide. We have invested heavily in research and development and the results are there for all to see. We are delighted to have beaten other multinationals.  We have now developed the world's most effective remedy for parasite control in cattle that our entering the food chain. I am pleased to state that our business has grown this year indigenously at 12% despite the recession, beating our competitors. This tremendous breakthrough is a great testimony to the brilliance of our scientists in Newry and also to our policy of investing in research. "