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
The Society for Practising Veterinary Surgeons (SPVS) has published its 2015 Fee Survey, which has revealed an increasing divergence between fees charged for routine and unroutine procedures in small animal practice.
SPVS says that small animal practices accounted for the largest proportion of responses to its survey, and that 75.9% of them had increased their fees during the last 12 months. When comparing a 'bundle' price comprising a kitten vaccination course, puppy vaccination course, cat spay, dog spay and consultation, the increase was 4.09%. However SPVS notes that this increase may be artificially low, as it relates to the sort of procedures that are regularly quoted and may therefore be constrained by the marketplace.
Perhaps more revealingly, whilst routine procedures such as vaccination had risen 3.3%, non routine procedures had risen by considerably more: pyometras were up 15.6%, cat dentals were up 17.5% and out-of-hours callouts were up 18.6%.
Equine fees showed an overall drop of 3.5% on the bundle price comprising initial routine examination, five-stage PPE, routine dental examination and float, a colic examination and the cost of sedation / waiting. Although many of the individual equine procedures showed a fee decrease, 79% of equine practices reported that they had increased fees over the past year. The largest decrease in equine fees was for sedating a horse and waiting while the horse was clipped or treated by an equine dental technician, with the fee charged being 12.5% less than last year and ranging from £12.50 to £93.82. Conversely, conducting an ultrasound scan of a mare for pregnancy had increased by 17.3% and ranged from £20 to £62.36.
For large animal vets, the fees are more tightly constrained by the commercial realities of farming and the range of fees quoted tends to be lower. This year, the overall price rise for the bundle of fees comprising routine calving, foot trimming, elective Caesarean and hourly rates for fertility work and herd health schemes was 4.1%. However, only 47.8% of large animal practices reported an increase in fees charged over the last twelve months. The largest increase reported was for paring the hind feet of a cow without sedation, which was up 24.4% and ranged in price from £19 to £70, while issuing a prescription to a farm animal client had decreased by 1.6% and ranged in price from 0 to £48.
Nick Stuart, SPVS president said: "We all know the industry is facing real challenges and this is reflected in the fee survey, with equine practices in particular decreasing many of their prices on last year. However the survey also shows that the fees vets charge vary widely, particularly in the small animal sector. While some of this can be accounted for by differing overheads, it does provide a fascinating insight into the various financial models that exist and challenges practice owners to review how they construct their fees. It also suggests that there is scope for practices to grow their profitability and understanding the market will help them with this.
"We have a new benchmarking service from Veterinary Insights that will help practices to set more accurate fee levels and we will be developing our fee survey further so that it dovetails with this service. I would urge practices to join SPVS and access the invaluable data we produce to help them grow their businesses."
For more information, a copy of the survey, or to join SPVS visit www.spvs.org.uk
CEVA Animal Health has now introduced Colibird, the UK's first colistin-based soluble antimicrobial approved for poultry.
According to the company, colistin is an important active in the UK's antimicrobial armoury, with a potent bactericidal action against Gram-negative bacteria, including enterobacteria and more particularly E. coli. Colibird is only one of a handful of products approved for layers that has a zero egg withhold. It also has almost zero levels of resistance, even with bugs variously resistant to other antimicrobials and is easily and efficiently administered in drinking water via header tanks or dosing pumps.
For further information please contact the large animal sales team or CEVA Animal Health Ltd, 90 The Broadway, Chesham, Bucks, HP5 1EG.
Invicta Animal Health has launched an enhanced version of the ChroMyco Duo dermatophyte test.
The tests use a new round plate with an improved lid design. In addition, the plates are wider and deeper providing 25% more culture medium.
According to the company, the dual plate test with Dermatophyte Test Media (DTM) on one side and an Enhanced Sporulation Agar (ESA) on the other greatly reduces the risk of false positive results.
The test is performed by veterinary staff taking a pluck of fur or skin scrape from the lesion and inoculating both sides. After three to six days of room temperature incubation, if dermatophytes are present, the DTM will turn red and the ESA will turn blue-green.
Rob Watkins, Managing Director of Invicta, said: "We always listen and respond to customer feedback. The new design plates provide reduced condensation levels and by being easier to inoculate will enhance the usability and hence reliability of the test."
The price remains unchanged at £32.00 for 5 tests, from veterinary wholesalers.
For more information call 01403 791313 or email mail@invictavet.com.
B&W Equine Group has opened a brand new, state-of-the-art equine clinic at Breadstone in Gloucestershire.
The new facility opened on 1 October 2011. It cost over £2.2 million and is, according to the company, one Europe’s most advanced diagnostic and surgical centres.
B&W Equine Group was created in 2008, following a merger between Willesley Equine Clinic and Bushy Equine Vets. The 23 vet practice has four local equine clinics in Breadstone, Cardiff, Failand and Willesley.
The new clinic, located on a four acre site at Breadstone, close to the M4 and M5 intersections, provides state-of-the-art diagnostics and advanced laboratory facilities. It houses the only equine MRI scanner in Wales and the South West, as well as a CT scanner and scintigraphy unit. Orthopaedic and colic theatres, adult and neonatal intensive care suites and separate isolation units have all been custom-designed and are supported by five examination rooms and two knock down boxes.
Clinical and referral services are led by RCVS and European Recognised Specialists in surgery, orthopaedics, diagnostic imaging and internal medicine and include gynaecological management of breeding mares and pre-season disease screening. The on-site laboratory is one of only 30 in the UK to be certified by the HBLB to test for CEM and EVA.
Ian Camm, BVSc CertEP MRCVS, Group Director, said: “We are all extremely excited about the new clinic but our day-to-day first opinion work remains a top priority. For all our local clients it’s very much a case of business as usual but the fact that we have invested in the latest portable equipment, including video endoscopes, digital radiography and ultrasound scanners, means we can undertake more specialist work at client’s yards, as and when needed.”
For further information, visit www.bwequinevets.co.uk.
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.
Novartis Animal Health has launched a new website providing product information, news, up to date advice and insights into key issues facing the farming industry.
Nikki Crossley, Associate Brand Manager at Novartis Animal Health, said: "This new site is set to offer our customers a fantastic new resource and learning space as well as an opportunity to interact with us as a company. We aim to provide a service which is not typically associated with animal health companies and bring key elements of the industry closer together."
Farmers, vets and SQPs are invited to register at: http://www.farmanimalhealth.co.uk/.
Speakers at the event will include Andrew Sparkes, BVetMed, PhD, DipECVIM, MANZCVS, MRCVS (pictured right) and Ebenezer Satyaraj, PhD.
BSAVA Congress delegates can register for the free symposium, which also includes lunch, at www.tickettailor.com/events/purina/349478.
Libby Sheridan, MVB MRCVS, Purina Veterinary Technical Affairs Manager, said: "Veterinary professionals often see the consequences of sensitivities to cat allergens - which for some, it may even mean relinquishment of the pet with all the emotion attached around that event. This symposium will focus on the consequences for cat welfare and how the profession can help support their cat-owning clients through a breakthrough approach."
The new approach is based on neutralising the major cat allergen in cats' saliva, Fel d 1, through feeding a cat food coated with an egg product ingredient containing anti-Fel d 1 antibodies.
This, says the company, helps to reduce the active allergen transferred to hair and dander during grooming, and ultimately helps reduce active Fel d 1 in the environment.
Dr Sparkes is a diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Internal Medicine and the founding and current co-editor of the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, the official journal of ISFM and the American Association of Feline Practitioners. He will be sharing his review of the literature around feline relinquishment.
Dr. Satyaraj is a member of the American Association of Immunologists and the American Veterinary Immunology Association and a reviewer for several journals including the British Journal of Nutrition and Arthritis & Rheumatism. He is also a Fellow of the Academy of Science in St Louis and a leading scientist at the Purina Institute. Dr Satyaraj will be focusing on the studies supporting this important area of research.
The symposium provides 1.5 hours of certified CPD. More information about the science is available at www.purinainstitute.com.
Programme highlights for BVA Live this year include:
British Veterinary Association President Anna Judson said: “This has been an incredibly challenging year for the profession, with the review by the Competitions and Marketing Authority (CMA) prompting increased scrutiny of the value of veterinary care.
"We know that all veterinary professionals strive to provide the best possible care for the animals they see and we hope our focus on contextualised care at BVA Live provides a timely opportunity to explore this concept in more depth and consider how it can be applied in practice to support both decision-making and communication with clients.”
https://bvalive.vetshow.com
Ceva Animal Health has added a new session to its Cardio Academy CPD website entitled 'Thoracic X-rays: Normal Features'.
In this 30 minute multimedia presentation, the cardiology specialist Nicole Van Israël discusses how the normal thoracic radiograph should appear, as well as the differences observed between breeds. Participants can then receive a CPD certificate by completing the quiz for this session. The Cardio Academy CPD website is free of charge and can be accessed by visiting http://www.cardioacademy.cevalearn.com/.
The first three sessions in the series can still be viewed on the website. They cover the 'Pathophysiology of Mitral Valve Disease, by Adrian Boswood, 'Clinical Examination of the Cardiac Dog', by Gérard Le Bobinnec and 'Thoracic X-rays: How to Proceed' by Nicole Van Israël.
Liverpool based online CPD provider, The Webinar Vet reports that more than 350 veterinary surgeons from over 30 countries registered for its first virtual Veterinary Congress held earlier this month.
The one day congress consisted of six streams with top speakers from the UK, Australia and the USA covering radiology of the chest, cardiology, endocrinology, feline internal medicine, practice management and dermatology, totalling 18 hours of CPD.All six streams can still be accessed by delegates after the congress.
Anthony Chadwick MRCVS, founder of The Webinar Vet said: "Delegates were able to watch two streams on the day and then the other lectures at their leisure. And those who were unable to attend on the day, they can still register to access the congress.
"I was so pleased with the way the congress went. We had internationally renowned speakers being beamed into our homes without us having to go out in the cold wet weather to drive somewhere. Many of the early bird delegates also enjoyed the Fairtrade goodies we sent them in the post to enjoy during the coffee breaks."
Joe Hollins MA VetMB MRCVS, senior veterinary officer on the Island of St Helena has been based there since 2009, and believes that the Webinar Vet CPD has been a lifeline. He sent this message to the team: "Many congratulations to you and your team for putting together what must be deemed an historic event, the first ever virtual international veterinary congress. It's no mean feat. Your masterly control of proceedings, your cool, calm response to small technical glitches, the background coordination of proceedings by your staff; all this combined to create a useful, instructive, purposeful day.
"The fact that you manage to attract world class speakers says it all. My isolation in St Helena from 2009 initially presented me with major concerns regarding my CPD commitment, but The Webinar Vet has resolved any issues - and some. In fact my access to CPD has been greatly enhanced, and whether I was in the UK or not, I would encourage anyone involved in the profession to enrol."
Veterinary surgeons can buy recordings of the event at www.theinternationalwebinarvet.com
Elanco Companion Animal Health has announced that Comfortis (spinosad) flavoured chewable flea control tablets have been licensed for cats.
In addition, the company has extended its range with the addition of two new sizes for toy dogs and smaller cats.
Comfortis chewable tablets for dogs and cats are fast-acting, monthly oral adulticides that start to kill fleas in cats and dogs in 30 minutes and, according to Elanco, rapidly achieve 100% efficacy.
Comfortis chewable tablets for dogs and cats kill adult fleas for a month and Elanco says the fast speed of kill means that adult fleas are killed before they can lay eggs, making Comfortis effective in preventing new infestations.
Patrick Bourdeau, Dip ECVD-Dip EVPC, of the Veterinary School of Nantes (Oniris), France said: "Comfortis offers a highly effective format to those owners who have not had relief with other forms of flea control. The tablet offers a high level of convenience to owners to ensure both cats and dogs receive immediate relief from flea infestation.
"This is especially pertinent to the nearly 30% of cat owners who have reported problems with administering other forms of flea treatment, including spot-ons, which can have an effect on efficacy1. This includes the animal escaping when they sense a topical treatment is about to be administered or during actual administration3".
He added: "Comfortis is a highly effective treatment for flea control for cats and dogs, and one that will aid with compliance because it is easier to administer correctly."
Charlotte Mayne MRCVS, principal and veterinary surgeon at The Mayne Veterinary Clinic in Colchester, Essex, said: "We have used Comfortis chewable tablets for cats in practice, with 94% of clients who were prescribed the product for their pet being able to administer Comfortis and 80% of owners able to give the treatment so easily that they did not need to pill it2. Indeed, all the clients who were able to administer the treatment said they would use it again with comments such as 'it's brilliant - the best product ever' to 'my cat ate it like sweets' and we had 'lots of dead fleas'."
Comfortis chewable tablets for dogs and cats are available in 90mg, 140mg, 270mg and 425mg packs of six. Comfortis chewable tablets for dogs is also available in 665mg, 1040mg and 1620mg packs of six.
For further information on Comfortis, please contact your Elanco Companion Animal Health key account manager or phone 01256 353131.
References
This year's National Equine Health Survey, conducted by the Blue Cross and supported by Zoetis, has revealed that 20% of owners who claimed to have treated for encysted small redworm (ESRW) used a wormer that was not indicated to treat the parasite.
3,669 horse owners took part in the survey, which was conducted in May 2014. It contained 25 questions on general horse health, care and management and was validated by Professor Josh Slater at the Royal Veterinary College.
Zoetis says the findings suggest that horses are being left at serious risk (untreated, encysted small redworm may develop and emerge en masse from the gut wall, causing diarrhoea and colic with a mortality rate of up to 50%1).
The company is now running an encysted small redworm awareness campaign at www.esrw.co.uk, where owners can test their knowledge before discussing the best treatment options with their vet.
1. Dowdall S.M.J. et al (2002) Veterinary Parasitology 106, 225‑242
The Veterinary Karting Championship, organised by NVS, is proving a huge success, according to the company. At the half way stage of the championship, around two hundred drivers have already participated in regional events in Manchester, Edinburgh, Essex, Surrey and Reading.
Drivers arrive following evening surgery and change from veterinary uniforms into their race suits. All drivers receive race and safety briefings before heading off to meet their team mates and get a feel for the track during the practise session.
Racing lasts for an hour and a half, during which time teams have to use clever strategies and tactics to remain in pole position and avoid eviction from the track for foul play. At the end of the evening, all competitors get a goody bag and jacket, with each member of the winning team receiving a bottle of champagne, a trophy and certificate.
Caitrina Harrison, Sales & Marketing Director at National Veterinary Services, said: "All the evenings have been great fun and have certainly shown the competitive side of the veterinary profession. The ladies have definitely given the men a run for their money, especially in Scotland. Some drivers have been so inspired by the events that they are looking to host their own inter-practice championships next year."
The teams that have qualified so far for the National Final are: Manchester Bears, Essex Panthers, Scottish Bears (pictured), Reading Bears and Camberley Elks. There will be a break from racing over the festive period, with the next regional heat taking place in Bristol on Tuesday 18th January. Further heats will then be held in Birmingham, Loughborough, Aylesbury and Leeds, followed by the National Final on Sunday 20thMarch in Milton Keynes.
Caitrina Harrison continues: "NVS would like to thank the event sponsors for their support, which has been invaluable in making the championship happen. The championship sponsors are Agria Pet Insurance, Hill's Pet Nutrition, Dechra
To celebrate the launch of its brand new keep reproduction simple advertisement campaign, CEVA Animal Health is giving British Cattle Veterinary Association (BCVA) Congress delegates the chance to win an iPod by entering a special spot the sperm competition.
BCVA Congress runs from 26-28 November 2009 in Southport. Delegates just need to spot five sperm lurking in the banner-sized cartoon for CEVA's GnRH product Ovarelin®. The correct answers will be entered into a draw to win an iPod.
The company says its new ad campaign brings together a series of cartoons with a clever play on words to highlight the importance of a simple protocol for success with reproduction. You can follow this irresistibull series in the farm media throughout the autumn.
For further information contact your local CEVA representative or CEVA Animal Health Ltd, 90 The Broadway, Chesham, Bucks, HP5 1EG, www.ceva.uk.com
All existing BEVA members will have their membership automatically extended until 30 June 2020. The association is also inviting vets and vet nurses who are not already BEVA members to join as online members free of charge until 30 June 2020.
BEVA President Tim Mair said: “In this extraordinary time of global crisis our profession, as with many industries, is under immense pressure. By offering free membership we are giving equine vets easy access to a wealth of supportive resources and online CPD to help them through these dark times.”
BEVA membership includes:
The association is also looking at other ways to support the profession, which has included making all BEVA Congress 2019 webinars available to members via the BEVA online learning platform.
To sign up from Monday 30 March 2020 visit: https://www.beva.org.uk/Join-BEVA
Participation in this year’s survey was similar to previous years with 5,235 people taking part and returning records for 15,433 horses. Most horses were kept in livery or a private yard and used for leisure and hacking and the majority within the age range of 5 to 10 years.
A broad variety of breeds were represented, including natives, thoroughbred types and warmbloods.
59% of horses were recorded as healthy and 41% with one or more health problems, compared to 62% and 38% respectively in 2016.
The top five disease syndromes recorded this year were:
Of the 5.5% of horses recorded with back problems 26% were also showing signs of lameness. While the details of the results do not confirm that the two are necessarily connected, these findings reflect the outcome of recent studies conducted by Dr Sue Dyson, Head of Clinical Orthopaedics at the Centre for Equine Studies at the Animal Health Trust.
Sue said: "It is a common observation that horses with lameness stiffen the back as a protective mechanism and develop muscle pain which may be misinterpreted as a primary back problem. We have shown objectively that abolition of lameness by diagnostic analgesia results in an immediate increase in range of motion of the back. The current data supports this close relationship between lameness and back pain."
The Elekta Infinity linear accelerator is the only one of its kind for pets in England.
CVS says it allowing the centre to offer “cutting edge” image-guided radiation treatments for cancer in cats and dogs – meaning fewer, shorter sessions, fewer side effects and the best possible chance of improved outcomes for the animal.
Delphine Holopherne-Doran, Clinical Director at Bristol Vet Specialists, said: “Our new hospital is now at the forefront of cancer care in animals.
"We have invested in this state-of-the-art technology to bring cancer treatment in pets to the next level.
“Our unique linear accelerator allows us to offer advanced image-guided treatments - for example intensity-modulated or stereotactic radiation therapy.
"The advantage of these treatments is that high dose rates of focused beams are delivered with high precision over a shortened treatment course, with greater safety for the patient’s healthy tissue.
“It has now drawn many tumours into the realm of treatability, it is improving the quality of life for patients, and it is making it easier for owners to manage their pet’s treatment and aftercare.”
Still, the installation of the linear accelerator will probably have cost the same again, and then you've got the running costs.
That's not an inconsiderable cost per patient.
Data from the survey will be used as a comparison to previous years (2019 and 2020), to determine whether the changes in puppy buying in the UK seen during the COVID-19 pandemic have returned to their pre-pandemic baseline or persisted into 2021.
Dr Rowena Packer, Lecturer in Companion Animal Behaviour and Welfare Science at the RVC said: “The COVID-19 pandemic led to changes in the way many of us bought our household goods, with online ordering and delivery a common feature of lockdown life.
"The pandemic also led to changes in the way the UK bought puppies during 2020, due to the many restrictions to travel and social contact during this period.
"Many of these so-called ‘Pandemic Puppies’ became much-cherished companions, helping households cope with lockdown life; however, there are concerns that some owners were duped into buying from unscrupulous breeders.
"We are interested in whether pandemic-related changes in puppy buying persisted into 2021, so we can best support owners of puppies bought during this period going forward."
For more information, visit: www.rvc.uk.com/Pandemic-Puppies-of-2021-research
The survey is at: www.rvc.uk.com/Puppy2021-survey
This brings the total reported the UK so far this year to eight, following 28 last year and 287 in total.
For a map of all confirmed cases and information for veterinary professionals and pet owners about CRGV, visit: www.alabama-rot.co.uk.
Every year, the RCVS invites members of the veterinary profession to apply to join the RCVS Fellowship.
Becoming a member of the Fellowship is a recognition of an individual’s contribution to the professions and their commitment to advancing the scientific achievements of the veterinary sector.
Everyone that applies to join the Fellowship needs to demonstrate the impact they have had throughout their career on the veterinary professions.
The Fellowship Credentials Panel is responsible for reviewing and scoring Fellowship applications and making recommendations for who should be approved.
Angharad Belcher, Director for Advancement of the Professions, said: “Being part of our Fellowship Credentials Panel is a great opportunity to see the huge amount of dedication to the profession that prospective Fellows have shown throughout their careers, and to then celebrate their achievements when they are successfully welcomed to the Fellowship later in the year”.
To apply to join the Fellowship Credentials Panel, download and complete the application form (https://www.rcvs.org.uk/fellowship/credentials-panel-recruitment-2022/), then email it to Ceri Chick, Senior Leadership Officer at c.chick@rcvs.org.uk with a CV by 5pm on 28 February 2022.
XLVets, the collaborative group of 45 independent small animal practices, has announced the launch of 'Scratch Below the Surface', a campaign to raise awareness of skin conditions amongst pet owners.
As part of the campaign, practices within the group - which aims to establish itself as a nationwide 'quality mark' for independent care - will be offering skin check clinics for owners who are concerned that their pet may be suffering from a dermatology issue.
Paul Sands, BSc, BMedVet, CertVD, MRCVS, veterinary dermatologist from Scarsdale Veterinary Group, explained the rationale for focusing on skin conditions: "Skin conditions in dogs and cats have many underlying causes and may require a range of treatments and long-term management strategies to keep a pet healthy and itch-free. Summer can be a particularly bad time for sensitive pets as pollens and other allergens are at their highest in the warmer months.
"The Scratch Below the Surface initiative aims to help pet owners recognise the signs of skin conditions in their pets and encourage them to talk to their vet about preventive measures to carry out at home, such as flea and tick control. They will also receive support from their veterinary team in planning long-term management strategies for pets with ongoing skin conditions."
Practices in the group will also be collecting data about the types of dermatology conditions seen, geographical variances, and common and unusual cases.
XLVets says it will be producing case studies, blogs and articles, designed to benefit practices both within the XLVets group and the wider veterinary community.
To find out more about the campaign, visit: www.xlvets-pets.co.uk.
To find out more about joining the XLVets group, telephone 01228 711788.
Dechra Veterinary Products has launched a new CPD programme covering Feline Hyperthryoidism, Canine Hyperadrenoncorticism and Otitis Externa.
The CPD is available both as face-to-face sessions, and online at http://www.dechra.com/
The face-to-face sessions are taking place at various locations throughout the country and run until the end of June 2011. There is no charge for veterinary surgeons and nurses to attend, and each session counts as two hours CPD.
The Feline Hyperthyroidism CPD session will cover pathophysiology, clinical signs, diagnosis and treatment options. The Hyperadrencorticism CPD will focus on the diagnosis and treament of hyperadrenocorticism. The Otitis Externa CPD event will focus on the approach to acute cases, with subjects including ear anatomy and physiology, causes of otitis externa and treatments available. Two cases studies, developed in association with Peter Forsythe, an RCVS Recognised Specialist in Veterinary Dermatology, will provide practical advice on how to manage dogs with otitis externa in practice.
To find out more about Dechra's CPD sessions or reserve places, call Lisa Isherwood on 01939 211 200.
Medivet has announced the appointment of John Bower MBE BVSc MRCVS to its Panel of Enquiry set up following coverage of the company on Panorama.
Mr Bower has been President of the British Veterinary Association, the British Small Animal Veterinary Association, and the Veterinary Practice Management Association.
Mr Bower said: "Medivet is a large partnership with numerous branches and I am looking forward to helping the partners assess and review the management of their practice to eliminate the sort of incidents and situations that were alleged in the Panorama programme. This panel will look deeply into the management and I have been convinced by the partners that they are determined to take appropriate measures where necessary."
Adi Nell, Medivet central partner and fellow member of the panel said: "We are delighted that John Bower is to be a part of our panel. John is not only an eminent vet of unquestionable ethical standing, but he set up and ran a medium-sized veterinary partnership for 38 years. His expertise will be crucial to Medivet, as the panel carries out its investigations and makes its recommendations over the next few months."
Mr Bower, who retired from general practice in 2007, is currently Veterinary Advisor to Petplan Insurance Company and a trustee of two national charities - Hearing Dogs for Deaf People and The Petplan Charitable Trust. Mr Bower was awarded the BSAVA Melton Award for meritorious contributions to Small Animal Practice in 1991, the MBE in 2010 for services to the BVA:AWF, and has authored or co-authored a number of books including Veterinary Practice Management, The Dog Owner's Veterinary Handbook and The Cat Owner's Veterinary Handbook.