Isle of Wight based veterinary surgeon Dan Forster has had his mobile practice named as the best Business to Consumer Start-up at the inaugural Ready for Business Awards 2013.

Dan launched The Mobile Vet in June 2013, since when he has treated patients from across the Isle of Wight and allowed members of the community who may have been unable to take their pets to the vets for years due to illness or age-related conditions access care for their animals. He says his service has also reactivated many dormant patients who had not visited a vet for many years and had fallen behind with vaccinations, plus those who had decided not to visit because their pets were too nervous or aggressive. Apparently, the service has also gone down well with busy families and households with multiple pets. 

The judging panel included David Hitchcock of Barclays, Amanda Hurford from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and Titus Sharpe, chief executive of MVF Global and winner of the Sunday Times Tech Track 2013. They selected The Mobile Vet as the winner due to its innovative approach whilst still offering all the traditional veterinary services its customers require. The judges were also impressed by its potential for growth, not just in the South East, but possibly throughout the UK and its drive to continually invest in the latest equipment and create additional job opportunities.

Dan said: "We are truly delighted to have our achievements recognised with such a prestigious accolade so soon after launching The Mobile Vet. The help we received to get started and the on-going support available to us has made it possible to develop our idea into a thriving business operation and we now look forward to pushing ahead with our plans for the future."

Kevin Horne, chairman of the Cavendish Consortium added: "In what was a highly competitive category, The Mobile Vet stood out as offering a very difference proposition to its customers and demonstrated a clear understanding of the needs of its clients. We were impressed by the drive and determination shown by Dan and his colleagues to make what is an extremely novel idea a business reality and wish them, and all the other worthy finalists, well as they strive forward."

The newly-formed British Mobile Veterinary Association has announced that it will officially launch alongside the London Vet Show, at The Bird In Hand in Kensington at 7:00pm on the 19th November. 

The launch will include an inaugural general meeting (AGM) followed by a networking dinner with special guest, mobile vet colleague, author, LVS speaker and IAAHPC President, Dr. Kathy Cooney, DVM (USA). 

Co-Founder and owner of Vets2Home - Peaceful Pet Goodbyes Susan Gregersen said: "Having been a mobile vet for ten years, I am thrilled to see such a massive year-on-year increase in new mobile practices around the UK over the past 10 years and it seems a logical step to organise the growing number of colleagues operating this rather atypical and alternative practice model in an official Association.

Amy Bergs, owner of The Cat Doctor in Surrey and co-founder of the BMVA said: "It is our hope, through the BMVA and the online directory of mobile member practices, that we can help raise awareness among pet owners and vet colleagues alike about the valuable and high standard of services we offer to pets and their owners in their own home."

Susan added: "Offering veterinary health care to our patients in their own home, whenever possible, is a natural progression in a convenience-driven society and where companion animals are now regarded as fully fledged family members seeking only the very best in veterinary attention and health care. Demand for these services are clearly exploding as many owners now turn to dedicated, un-hurried and convenient services such as those offered by personal, flexible mobile vets and as comprehensive services are often offered in collaboration with local, forward-thinking full-service practices."

Amy, who is a cat-only mobile vet in her third year, added: "Providing quality at-home veterinary care is rewarding but not always easy, often requiring skills and techniques that can only be gained through experience. The ability to exchange and build professional knowledge in this developing, niche area is therefore invaluable and we hope all mobile vet colleagues in the UK will join us in this new initiative. By bringing together many like-minded individuals into an official association and online mobile vet directory, we aim to increase awareness of this alternative type of veterinary care – a goal which will benefit not only our members but also the patients and clients that appreciate our services."

For more information, membership enquiries or if you would like to attend the first AGM in London, contact Susan Gregersen on info@bmva.org.uk or call on 01273 842115. The BMVA and Online Directory can be found on www.bmva.org.uk  (don't get the letters jumbled up) which will be launched shortly after the inauguration.

The Royal Veterinary College has published a new study exploring the frequency and risk factors for hypothyroidism in dogs in the UK.

For the study, researchers from the RVC’s VetCompass Programme identified 2,105 hypothyroidism cases diagnosed amongst a study population of 905,553 UK dogs.

This revealed an annual frequency of one case in 400 dogs (0.23%) for the condition, with the most common breeds diagnosed being Standard Doberman Pinschers (x 17.02), Tibetan Terriers (x11.25), Boxers (x10.44) and Alaskan Malamutes (x 9.71).

The average age at first diagnosis was 7.65 years. 

Other findings included:

• The most protected breeds were French Bulldog (0.27), Pug (x 0.29), Yorkshire Terrier (x 0.38), Shih-tzu (x 0.38) and Jack Russell Terrier (x 0.40).
• Two breeds had no recorded cases of hypothyroidism – Cavachon and Cavapoo.
• The risk of having hypothyroidism rose as dogs aged, with dogs aged 11-13 years at 4.54 times the risk of hypothyroidism compared with dogs aged 5-7 years.
• The risk of hypothyroidism increased as adult bodyweight increased.
• Neutered females and neutered males were more likely to be diagnosed than entire females.
• Breeds with long skull (dolichocephalic x1.35) or short skull (brachycephalic x 1.15) conformation had higher risk of hypothyroidism compared to dogs with medium length (mesocephalic) skull conformation.

Dr Rebecca Geddes, Lecturer in Small Animal Internal Medicine at the RVC Queen Mother Hospital for Animals and last author of the paper, said: “It is great to have this data from UK primary care practices, which will help highlight high risk breeds to veterinary surgeons so they can diagnose and treat affected dogs as early as possible. Hypothyroidism is usually straightforward to manage with medication that can greatly improve quality of life in affected dogs.” 

Reference

1. O’NEILL, D. G., KHOO, J. S. P., BRODBELT, D. C., CHURCH, D. B., PEGRAM, C. & GEDDES, R. F. 2022. Frequency, breed predispositions and other demographic risk factors for diagnosis of hypothyroidism in dogs under primary veterinary care in the UK. Canine Medicine and Genetics, 9, 11. https://cgejournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40575-022-00123-8  

Dechra Veterinary Products has issued a recall for Prednidale 5 mg Tablets because of a microbial contamination.

The following batches are affected:

• 119501 Prednidale 5mg Tablets Expiry July 2021
• 120633 Prednidale 5mg Tablets Expiry October 2021

Dechra is contacting wholesale dealers and asking practices to examine inventory immediately and quarantine products subject to this recall.

For further information contact Ms Carol Morgan: carol.morgan@dechra.com .

SPVS is leading a ground-breaking new project which aims to find out how veterinary surgeons are treating a range of clinical conditions.

Two hundred practitioners are being sought to provide details of how they address clinical conditions in three study areas: small animal, equine and farm animal, on a new website: www.howdoido.org. The findings, which will be made anonymous, will eventually form the basis of a clinical benchmarking process, which will tie in with the growing trend towards evidence-based medicine.

SPVS's objective is to understand and support how clinicians work in practice and approach particular clinical cases. The Society is working alongside Dr Mark Johnson who carried out the Confidential Enquiry into Perioperative Equine Fatalities.

SPVS Junior Vice President Jacqui Molyneux said: "This is an exciting new study which will shed a lot of light on what we as clinicians are doing in practice with the eventual aim of developing a clinical benchmarking process.

"The project however will only be worthwhile if a significant number of practitioners take part, so we're encouraging vets to visit the website and find out more.  It will take no longer than ten minutes to fill in each clinical case."

Dechra is conducting a survey about strangles to better understand veterinary surgeons' approach to managing the disease.

The survey will assess vets’ experiences of the disease, biosecurity and the role of vaccination to help prevent strangles.

It includes questions on the number of strangles cases diagnosed in the last year, how the diagnosis was reached and in what instances they would recommend strangles vaccination.

The survey, which is approximately two minutes long, is at: https://forms.office.com/e/wH1UeVFmVW. 

All participants will be entered into a prize draw for a £50 Amazon voucher.

For further information on Strangles Awareness Week: https://www.redwings.org.uk/strangles/strangles-awareness-week.

Tramadol has become a controlled drug and has been added to Schedule 3 of the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001

The change to the regulations, which was made by the Home Office means that the drug is now subject to special requirements when writing prescriptions.

The RCVS says practitioners should also note that:

• Prescriptions for Schedule 3 controlled drugs are only valid for 28 days and are non-repeatable.
• It is an offence to supply a Schedule 3 controlled drug against a fax or email prescription; the original prescription must be obtained before the medicine is dispensed.
• If supplying a Schedule 3 controlled drug against another veterinary surgeon’s prescription, checks need to be made to ensure that the prescription has come from a UK address and that the signature is genuine.
• The date on which the drug was supplied must be marked on the prescription and the prescription retained on the practice premises for at least five years.

Although tramadol is exempt from Safe Custody Regulations, the RCVS advises that all Schedule 3 controlled drugs are locked away.

The Home Office has also reclassified ketamine as a Class B controlled drug. However, it remains under Schedule 4 (Part 1) of the 2001 Regulations meaning that the legal requirements for supply, storage and record keeping remain the same.

The RCVS therefore continues to advise that practice premises should:

• Record the use of ketamine in an informal register.
• Store ketamine in a controlled drugs cabinet.
• Destroy ketamine in the presence of an authorised witness.

Further details about the specific requirements for controlled drugs can be found in the Veterinary Medicines Directorate’s Guidance Note No 20 – Controlled Drugs.

Practice premises can also contact the RCVS Professional Conduct Department for further guidance on 020 7202 0789 or profcon@rcvs.org.uk.

The British College of Veterinary Specialists (BCVSp) has launched a new website, www.yourvetspecialist.org to promote the services of RCVS and European Veterinary Specialists to the pet-owning public.

The new website explains what Veterinary Specialists are, how they may be able to help, and how the referral process works. The BCVSp says it has been designed to be a useful resource which primary practices can direct their clients to if a referral is being considered.

As well as being able to search for a Specialist by location and by discipline, owners can also read some real life patient case studies following the referral, treatment journeys and outcomes of animals that have benefited from Specialist care and meet some of the Specialists via podcast links.

BCVSp Trustee Celia Marr said: "While most happy healthy animals will never need Specialist veterinary care, if they do we want their owners to know that we are here to help.

"There are many hundreds of Specialists working at the forefront of veterinary care and also those working in research, pathology and academia, helping to advance animal health and welfare, every day. We believe our new website should help to spread the word and make referral more understandable and accessible."

Visit the new website at www.yourvetspecialist.org 

Pet owners visiting the University of Edinburgh's vet school will be able to relax in peaceful outdoor surroundings, thanks to a project supported by the BBC's Beechgrove Garden.

The primetime gardening show's team, together with volunteers and friends of the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, have transformed a two-and-a-half-acre plot in the vet school grounds into a community garden.

The sloping landscaped garden features a network of paths surrounding flower beds, trees and bushes. Sculpted stone seats give visitors a place to relax. Clients of the Dick Vet are being invited to support the school by sponsoring a brick along a path that winds through the garden, or by sponsoring trees, plants or benches.

Lesley Watson, a Beechgrove Garden presenter, said: "We have had a lot of help from the community in creating this garden, in what was a huge site. The first part of the garden, next to the School buildings, is quite formal, but as it extends towards the hills beyond, it becomes a more relaxed space and starts to take on aspects of the wider landscape."

Professor Elaine Watson, Head of the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, said: "This wonderful garden is a fantastic place for our pet owners to visit and also a beautiful green retreat for our staff and students to enjoy."

Inez Priestly, a dog owner whose pets have been treated at the Dick Vet, laid the first brick in the garden's path of memories, in honour of her late Cavalier King Spaniel, Treacle. Mrs Priestly said: "The treatment my dogs have received at the Dick Vet has been beyond words - the vets always empathise with their clients and go the extra mile to help. I'm delighted to lay this first brick in the new garden and hope this will encourage others to do the same, as a way of thanking the Dick Vet."

(Photos courtesy Norrie Russell, University of Edinburgh)

Lumbry Park Veterinary Specialists, Axiom Veterinary Laboratories and Finn Pathologists have published a study which reveals the prevalent strains of bacteria in feline urine, and their sensitivity profiles.

For the study, urinalysis results from 2,712 UK feline urine samples submitted and analysed by Axiom and Finn over a period of 14 months² were reviewed.

Urine samples had to have been obtained by cystocentesis and signalment information recorded by their submitting vet³.

These samples did not have to come from cats presenting with FLUTD signs and the researchers therefore say that consideration should be given to a different (potentially even more increased) prevalence in cats presenting with LUT signs.

Bacterial urinary tract infections in cats with FLUTD are estimated to be present in around 8 – 19% of cases⁴.

However, FLUTD is one of the most common reasons for the use of antimicrobial drugs in veterinary medicine and is therefore an important condition to consider to minimise antimicrobial use and development of antimicrobial resistance⁵.

The study found that 15.7% of the samples had a positive culture, with E. coli (43.7%), other Enterobacterales (26.4%) and Enterococcus spp (14.9%) being the most common isolates identified.

Antimicrobial susceptibilities and resistance were also tested.

Notably, Enterococcus species were frequently found to be resistant to multiple antibiotics, and several other isolates demonstrated resistance to frequently used antibiotics.

The data showed Enterococcus spp. were much less susceptible to trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole (TMPS) than have been previously documented (with 94% of isolates resistant).

Additionally, other Enterobacterales had resistance against cephalosporins and penicillins.

The authors say that data surrounding cephalosporin resistance is particularly notable and problematic; recent data has indeed shown that the cephalosporin cefovecin is a commonly prescribed antibiotic³ for cats presenting with lower urinary tract disease.

The authors also say that data in this study adds to the existing evidence that the use of cephalosporins such as cefovecin may be ineffective in many cases (intrinsic resistance of Enterococcus spp) and therefore should be avoided unless cystocentesis and signalment results support their use.

The inappropriate use of antibiotics for bacterial cystitis could not only be ineffective to manage bacterial cystitis in cats but promote further antimicrobial resistance.

Clarisse D’Août, lead author of the research and Internal Medicine Specialist at Lumbry Park Veterinary Specialists, said: “Even though feline lower urinary tract disease is one of the most common reasons for vets to prescribe antibiotics, the prevalence of bacterial strains in the urine of cats with this condition, and their resistance to commonly used antibiotics, had not been widely studied in the UK to date.

"So we hope that this study can add to the current evidence to making well-justified and practical recommendations in practices about which antibiotics to choose and those to avoid.

"We see this ongoing susceptibility testing as clinically important to avoid the development of further resistant bacteria.”

References

1. D’Août, C.; Taylor, S.S.; Gelendi, S.; Atkinson, C.; Defauw, P. Bacteriuria in Cystocentesis Samples from Cats in the United Kingdom: Prevalence, Bacterial Isolates, and Antimicrobial Susceptibilities. Animals 2022, 12, 3384. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12233384 
2. Weese, J.S.; Stull, J.W.; Evason, M.; Webb, J.; Ballance, D.; McKee, T.; Bergman, P.J. A multicenter study of antimicrobial prescriptions for cats diagnosed with bacterial urinary tract disease. J. Feline Med. Surg. 2021, 24, 806–814.
   Burke, S.; Black, V.; Sánchez-Vizcaíno, F.; Radford, A.; Hibbert, A.; Tasker, S. Use of cefovecin in a UK population of cats attending first-opinion practices as recoarded in electronic health records. J. Feline Med. Surg. 2016, 19, 687–692.
3. January 2018 – February 2019.
4. Gerber, B.; Boretti, F.S.; Kley, S.; Laluha, P.; Müller, C.; Sieber, N.; Unterer, S.; Wenger, M.; Flückiger, M.; Glaus, T.; et al. Evaluation of clinical signs and causes of lower urinary tract disease in European cats. J. Small Anim. Pract. 2005, 46, 571–577. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1748-5827.2005.tb00288.x.
   Sævik, B.K.; Trangerud, C.; Ottesen, N.; Sørum, H.; Eggertsdóttir, A.V. Causes of lower urinary tract disease in Norwegian cats. J. Feline Med. Surg. 2011, 13, 410–417. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfms.2010.12.012.
   Teichmann-Knorrn, S.; Dorsch, R. Signifikante Bakteriurie der Katze: Bakterielle Harnwegsinfektion und subklinische Bakteriurie. Tierarztl. Prax Ausg. K Kleintiere Heimtiere 2018, 46, 247–259. https://doi.org/10.15654/TPK-180521.
5. Murphy, C.P.; Reid-Smith, R.J.; Boerlin, P.; Weese, J.S.; Prescott, J.F.; Janecko, N.; McEwen, S.A. Out-patient antimicrobial drug use in dogs and cats for new disease events from community companion animal practices in Ontario. Can. Vet. J. 2012, 53, 291–298. PMID: 22942447, PMCID: PMC3280785.
   Schmitt, K.; Lehner, C.; Schuller, S.; Schüpbach-Regula, G.; Mevissen, M.; Peter, R.; Müntener, C.R.; Naegeli, H.; Willi, B. Antimicrobial use for selected diseases in cats in Switzerland. BMC Vet. Res. 2019, 15, 94. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12917-019-1821-0.
6. Breed, age, sex and neutering status.

The BBC has confirmed the transmission dates and times for a new show which follows the patients and team at Wear Referrals in Bradbury, County Durham.

Called 24/7 Pet Hospital, the 10-part series will be broadcast every weekday morning at 10am until Friday 17 February.   

Ben Harris, Wear’s Clinical Director, said: “Opening our doors to the BBC will help us to show the public what happens in a specialist veterinary hospital when a pet is unwell – and highlight the incredible care they receive by vets, nurses and support staff.

"The programme follows all aspects of our work, from initial consultations to the moment pets are reunited with their owners."

You will be able to view all 10 episodes on iPlayer here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001hz7n/broadcasts/upcoming. 

The WikiQuiz project - a free online question and answer tool which enables vets, vet students and vet nurses to test their knowledge - is now online thanks to £4,770 of funding from the RCVS Trust.

WikiQuiz is a new resource to enable vets and students to structure and direct their learning, and links directly to information on WikiVet, the free research and academic collaboration resource put together by over 40 academics, veterinary surgeons and students from the Universities of Cambridge, Edinburgh and Nottingham, and the Royal Veterinary College (RVC).  However, unlike its namesake Wikipedia, WikiVet is designed to be an accurate, peer-reviewed source of information for the veterinary profession and tailored to the undergraduate veterinary curriculum. Some of the material is also of interest to veterinary nurses, in particular those pursuing advanced professional qualifications.

Nick Short, Head of E-Media at the RVC said: "WikiQuiz is purpose-built for vets and students to structure and direct their learning. The questions and answers in WikiQuiz will help vets and veterinary students and work out what topics they might need to study, and link them directly to relevant information published on WikiVet.

"The Wikipedia concept is familiar and popular with students and vets; however, the information on the site can lack quality and relevance", he continued.  "In creating WikiVet, we've used the look and feel of Wikipedia - but by making WikiVet available only to veterinary students, surgeons and nurses, introducing a peer-review system and appointing an editorial board to oversee the site, we can ensure the information published is relevant and accurate.

"We are hugely grateful to the RCVS Trust for supporting this project."

Cherry Bushell, RCVS Trust Director said:  "Veterinary undergraduates and veterinary surgeons alike need to be able to assess where there are any gaps in their knowledge as part of planning their learning and development.  The WikiQuiz resource helps them to do this.

"Using good quality online tools and information can save vets and students valuable time - which is one reason why we chose to support WikiQuiz.  The WikiVet project also fits very well with the online Library services provided to vets, veterinary nurses and students by the Trust."

Veterinary surgeons, students and nurses can apply for a free log-in to WikiVet at http://www.wikivet.net/.

A consortium of seven academics has been awarded a £1.75 million grant to understand how better diagnostics can encourage responsible antibiotic use in animals.

The award, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) working in partnership with the Department of Health and the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), is part of the cross-council 'Tackling antimicrobial resistance: behaviour within and beyond the healthcare setting’ call, part of the antimicrobial resistance cross-council initiative supported by the seven research councils in partnership with other UK funders including the Medical Research Council (MRC). 

The research team will be led by social scientists at the University of Exeter and includes two veterinary surgeons from the University of Bristol’s School of Veterinary Sciences, together with colleagues at the Innogen Institute of the University of Edinburgh, the British Veterinary Association and leading farm animal veterinary surgeons across the UK. 

The researchers say that better, smarter, more rapid and more accessible diagnoses - driving shifts in behaviour associated with diagnostic decision making - represent a critical step to delivering more effective uses of antibiotics in animal health. But improvements in diagnostic development and their relationship to prescription and treatment requires social, governance and technical innovations.

Professor Henry Buller, project lead from the University of Exeter’s School of Geography, said: "This is an exciting opportunity to provide a current assessment of diagnostic and treatment decision practices in the livestock sectors of the UK. Novel and innovative diagnostic tools are currently in development, and our research will generate better understanding of their development as well as the marketing and regulation of these new technologies."

Dr Kristen Reyher, Senior Lecturer in Farm Animal Science, who is the lead on the project at the University of Bristol’s School of Veterinary Sciences, added: "Our research team – the AMR Force – has a track record of working closely with farmers, veterinarians, retailers and government bodies to encourage responsible use of antibiotics. We are excited to have this amazing opportunity to collaboratively generate, evaluate and analyse behaviours and strategies around animal disease diagnosis and to show how innovation in the development of diagnostic tools along with diagnostic regulation and governance can lead to more sensible use of antibiotics across farming systems. 

"Working with our partners, we will identify pathways and possibilities for improved diagnostic practice and will trial new diagnostic tools on a series of farms. We are very excited to take our ideas beyond the UK as well, and will conduct pilot and capacity-building research in Tanzania and also partner with a project working in Bangladesh that is co-funded by ESRC and the Centre for Environment Fisheries and Aquaculture Science."

Professor Buller added: "Employment of new diagnostics doesn’t occur in a vacuum. Our team will evaluate the implications these innovations will have for the organisation, cost-effectiveness and efficiency of veterinary practice, as well as for veterinary training. We will identify the changes in behaviour, practice and knowledge necessary to accompany the more widespread adoption of practices that are deemed effective and will assess the regulatory and governance support necessary to encourage use of beneficial practices."

The interdisciplinary team will work alongside diagnostic tool developers and regulators, veterinary practices and professional bodies, farmers and treatment decision makers, veterinary laboratories, the food industry and government regulatory authorities to develop durable and innovative strategies for facilitating and advancing smarter approaches to the use of antibiotics in agriculture.

The work will cover the major livestock species, and will involve seeking opinions from veterinary surgeons across the country, through collaboration with the BVA. 

David Barrett, Professor of Bovine Medicine, Production and Reproduction at the University of Bristol’s School of Veterinary Sciences, said: "This is a fantastic opportunity to assess the adaptability and responsiveness of the different animal production sectors - poultry, pigs and cattle - along with a variety of veterinary structures to the trialled innovations in diagnosis and diagnostics, and will determine the likely benefits of these innovations for prescription practice, for animal health and for sustainable livestock production."

Photo: University of Bristol