Companion Care Vets has launched a Graduate Development Programme to develop veterinary graduates into future partners in the business.

According to the company, seven graduates have so far joined the scheme. Five are from the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies in Edinburgh, one is from The Royal Veterinary College in London and one studied at the Univesitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Each has gone through a rigorous recruitment process devised by the Companion Care Vets HR team, and will be placed in one of the groups established surgeries, where the company will give them an understanding of the entire business from clinical to personal, commercial to management.

Jane Balmain, Managing Director of Companion Care Vets said: "One of my ambitions for Companion Care Vets is to ensure we play a significant role in developing standards in the veterinary profession and I believe that supporting talented veterinary graduates is key to this.

"Our rapidly expanding business is passionate about providing the highest level of pet healthcare and client service and we are proud to be able to help veterinary professionals realise their ambitions and full potential."

Placements last three years, during which Companion Care says each of the graduates will be closely mentored and their clinical learning will follow the framework developed by the RCVS as part of their Professional Development phase. Business support will be given via secondment to Companion Care's support services departments and theory based learning. All graduates are placed in practice from day one, building on their clinical experience.

One of the graduates, Katie Denholm said: "This graduate programme is a brilliant opportunity for me to put what I have learnt at University into practice. What really excited me was the modern surgeries, opportunity to be really hands-on and the added business-advice that will help me to realise my dream of one day, and I hope in the not too distant future, becoming a partner in my own practice."

Katie has been placed at Companion Care Vet's Chelmsford surgery, where veterinary surgeon and Joint Venture Partner Simone Dent said: "This scheme is a fantastic opportunity for graduates to gain all important clinical experience alongside the commercial aspects of a veterinary career. Being a vet these days affords enormous opportunities to build a successful business that provides satisfaction, financial reward and work-life balance. Katie will be given every opportunity to blossom as an integral part of our team learning, and having fun, every step of the way."

To find out more about the Graduate Development Programme please visit www.ccvets.co.uk or email graduates@companioncare.co.uk

Norbrook Laboratories has announced the launch of Cefimam LC intramammary ointment for the management of mastitis.

Norbrook's large animal vet adviser Stephanie Small MRCVS said: "With such a broad range of treatments to choose from, vets are able to choose the product which best fits the situation. Cefimam® LC brings a powerful antimicrobial to the mix with high penetration for more difficult mastitis cases. Only three applications are required, which means fast resolution and rapid return of affected animals to production.

"This company firmly supports the large animal sector: as well as our commitment to making effective treatments affordable, we are investing in the future of the industry. We have worked closely with leading dairy vets to produce best practice materials for farming clients, and there are more educational tools in development."

Amongst these is a new guide called The Best Practice Guide for On-Farm Mastitis Control which you can now get from your Norbrook Territory Manager.

Cefimam LC is now available at all veterinary wholesalers in packs of 24 x 8g intramammary tubes.  

For further information on Cefimam® LC, contact Senior Product Manager Chris Geddes MRCVS on 01536 741147

Luis Sainz-Pardo, a Spanish vet who migrated to the UK, has started VetAbroad, a new company which will offer advice and support to practices employing foreign vets, and training to non-UK practitioners in order that they are better equipped to work in this country.

Luis says it's not unusual for practice owners and managers to have concerns about how best to mentor and support non-UK veterinary graduates. Teamwork and a sense of what it means to be part of the UK veterinary community are essential. But cultural differences, professional obligations and coping with regional accents and idioms, all present significant challenges for both the non-UK vet and the practice employing them. Luis says he's experienced these challenges from both sides of the fence: first as a vet migrating to the UK and later as the owner of one of the first practices to achieve BSAVA practice standards. 

To help foreign vets coming to the UK, VetAbroad has launched a new e-learning course Working as a foreign vet in the UK that trains non-UK vets to practise in the UK. It is suitable for graduates who've recently started to work here, those preparing for work in the UK and graduates who have been in the UK for longer but would benefit from brushing up on the expectations of UK regulatory bodies, clients and practices.

The 140-hour course includes a significant audio element to ensure competence in the understanding of spoken English. It addresses all aspects of life as a vet in the UK, including culture, necessary adaptations, the RCVS Code of Conduct, teamwork & productivity and client & patient care. The course ensures that graduates know what they need to fulfil their obligations of professional conduct, to respond appropriately to UK clients and to fit with the needs of busy UK veterinary practices.

To help practice owners and managers that employ foreign vets, VetAbroad offers a mentor scheme to help deal with their issues or concerns. For a nominal monthly fee, the mentor is able to counsel, provide advice, identify training needs, or liaise between the two parties, taking into account cultural differences, common misconceptions and barriers to communication. VetAbroad says the percentage of vets not adapting to the UK system is close to 50% and providing appropriate support is likely to improve employee retention, client satisfaction and productivity.

For more information, visit www.vetabroad.com 

The International Society of Feline Medicine has announced that two 'giants of feline medicine and infectious disease' will headline its European Feline Congress, which is open to all and taking place in the beautiful Croatian town of Cavtat from 26th-30th June.

Richard Malik from the Centre for Veterinary Education at the University of Sydney and Mike Lappin from Colorado State University, known for their amusing and questioning presentations, will be joined by experts including Jayne Sykes, Séverine Tasker, Donato Traversa and Francesca Mancianti to present the latest information about the diagnosis and treatment of a veritable smorgasbord of feline infectious diseases, including heartworm, leishmaniasis, toxocara, aspergillus, bartonella, coronavirus, erlichia, anaplasma, rickettsia, lungworm, mycobacteria, FeLV, FIV, haemoplasmas, cryptococcosis, GI disease and  emerging feline pathogens.

Together with a mini-symposia organised by the congress sponsors – Idexx, Hill’s, Ceva, Bayer and Boehringer Ingelheim – the five-day event is worth 25 hours of feline CPD.

If you need more in-depth knowledge of feline infectious diseases, there are also three masterclasses planned.

The venue looks drop-dead gorgeous too. Set on a small wooded peninsula embraced by two harbours, Cavtat has a pretty waterfront peppered with restaurants, pebbly beaches and an interesting assortment of artsy attractions, making it one of the most desirable tourist destinations in the region. ISFM says it's a great base from which to explore Dubrovnik and the surrounding area.

The welcome party will take place at the congress hotel’s waterfront restaurant on Thursday evening.

Tickets cost £475 for ISFM members and £605 for non-members. Masterclasses are an additional £50 each.

That seems like an absolute steal to me, and I'm not even a vet. Where do I sign?

Ah, here it is: https://icatcare.org/isfm-congress

MSD Animal Health has announced that it is to support StreetVet, the award-winning charity offering veterinary outreach services for homeless people, with free product and volunteers, as part of the UK launch of its Bravecto Care Programme.

MSD says the new Bravecto Care Programme involves collaborating with charitable organisations and raising awareness of their mission in order to help save and improve lives of dogs and cats around the world.

StreetVet has become the first of these partnerships for MSD Animal Health in the UK, which will be supplying the charity with Bravecto and Nobivac vaccines.

Amanda Melvin, Marketing Manager for MSD Animal Health Companion Animal said: "The bond between people and their dogs can be a profound one so supporting StreetVet is a perfect collaboration for us through our Bravecto Care Programme . Every vet and vet nurse will understand the value of this vital human animal bond and our team at MSD Animal Health is excited to be providing product and looking forward to volunteering on the streets with the StreetVet team."

StreetVet co-founder Jade Statt said: "Life on the streets makes it difficult for these owners to access the care they need for their dogs, so to ensure the health and vitality of these pets we need to go to them. Having the support of MSD Animal Health helps make that care work easier and allows us to access even more homeless people as the problem grows."

For more information, visit: www.streetvet.co.uk.

Ceva Animal Health has launched Feliway Friends, a new pheromone to help reduce tensions and conflicts in households with more than one cat.

The company highlights a 2014 survey which found that 44% of cat owning households have more than one cat, with nearly a third of those questioned stating that they had experienced fighting and aggression between pets in the household¹.

Feliway Friends is a synthetic copy of the cat appeasing pheromone (CAP) naturally produced by nursing queens to support their kittens after birth. The company says this pheromone helps cats feel safe and secure, and maintains a harmonious bond between them.

Ceva says Feliway Friends is clinically proven to significantly decrease the intensity and frequency of signs of tension in households with more than one cat. According to another study, 84% of cat owners believed there was a significant improvement in how their cats got on after using the product². 

Feliway Friends and Feliway Classic can be used at the same time if the owner is experiencing conflicts alongside other stress-related behaviour problems such as urine marking, scratch marking and general anxiety.

Available as a 30-day diffuser and refill, Feliway Friends lasts for up to 30 days and covers an area of up to 70m².  

Claire Russell, Feliway product manager at Ceva Animal Health, said: "Inter-cat aggression is a major problem in multi-cat households, with many cats experiencing stress in the home due to sharing resources. Feliway Friends is a great support to encourage harmony in multi-cat homes. By introducing the cat appeasing pheromone and educating owners on resource management and how to create a cat friendly home, we can significantly improve feline relationships in our UK multi-cat homes.’’ 

Ceva Animal Health has launched a range of marketing materials to support the launch of the new product, including an eight-page pet owner leaflet and poster. Practices can also request an online toolkit which includes: images, website content, social media assets and articles to help educate clients facing aggression between household cats. 

For information on FELIWAY visit www.feliway.com/uk. 

References

1. Feliway brand equity research, Burke 2014
2. De Porter et al. (2014) Evaluation of the efficacy of a new pheromone product versus placebo in the management of feline aggression in multi-cat households. Proceedings of the ACVB/AVSAB Veterinary Behavior Symposium pp17-18

The London Cat Clinic has announced the launch next month of what it says is the UK’s first and only dedicated ophthalmology clinic for cats.

The clinic will be headed up by Dr Ursula Dietrich, an RCVS Specialist in Veterinary Ophthalmology, who will be stepping down as senior lecturer in veterinary ophthalmology at The Royal Veterinary College to take up her new post.

Ursula has held a number of prestigious positions including Chair of the Scientific Committee of European College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists from 2007-2012, member of the Examination Committee of the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists from 2002-2006 and Associate Editor (Ophthalmology) of the Journal of Small Animal Practice since 2012-18. She also holds Diplomas from the American and European Colleges of Veterinary Opthalmologists.

Ursula said: “I am thrilled to take on this new role, heading up The London Cat Clinic’s new opthalmology centre. The clinic is doing wonderful things in feline veterinary care as the largest specialist practice devoted solely to cats in the UK. The ophthalmology service is the next exciting development in achieving our goal of being a centre of excellence in feline veterinary medicine."

London Cat Clinic Founder, Dr Jeremy Campbell, said: “We are delighted to welcome Dr Dietrich to the team, as she brings with her a wealth of experience in the field of feline ophthalmology. She will be a wonderful asset to The London Cat Clinic, as we embark on an exciting new chapter.”

For more information about referring a case to The London Cat Clinic, visit: https://www.thelondoncatclinic.co.uk/

Ayrshire-based veterinary surgeon and farmer Melissa Donald has been elected as the RCVS Junior Vice-President for 2021-22 and will take up the post at the College’s Annual General Meeting in July 2021.

Melissa graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 and, after working as a food animal intern at Iowa State University in the United States for a stint, in 1990 joined a two-person traditional mixed-animal veterinary practice on the Ayrshire coast. Over the next 25 years she developed it into a 4.5 person small-animal practice with a focus on dentistry, before moving away from clinical work in 2015.

Melissa was first elected to Council in 2016 and re-elected in 2020 and, since joining, has sat on a number of committees including the Education Committee, Finance & Resources Committee, and Preliminary Investigation Committee/Disciplinary Committee Liaison Committee. Since 2019 she has chaired the Standards Committee where she has led the Review of ‘Under Care’ and Out-of-Hours Emergency Cover and also chairs the Certificate in Advanced Veterinary Practice Subcommittee.

As well as her work with RCVS she has also been President of the British Veterinary Association’s Scottish Branch and is currently a Non-Executive Director of the Red Tractor Assured Food Standards Scheme and a Trustee of the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Outside of work, she enjoys running, swimming, cooking, reading and hopes to have the patience one day to write children’s books.

Melissa said: “I’m delighted and humbled to have been voted in as JVP from July. Thank you to my peers on Council and, as with everything I have done in my career, you, the profession, will see me put all my energy and commitment into the role.

"Themes that I'm keen to develop as a member of the RCVS Officer Team will be: communication, as that can always be improved; community, including within the profession, within the workplace and within the society in which you live; and continuing with the ‘blame culture’ theme originally set out in Chris Tufnell's presidency by looking into how we can use veterinary human factors to improve patient safety."

Other appointments that were confirmed by election at the same meeting of Council was Dr Niall Connell MRCVS as RCVS Treasurer, a role he will take up at the July AGM after completing his year as Senior Vice-President.

Niall: “It is a tremendous honour for me to be elected Treasurer. The RCVS has an exciting strategy which I am looking forward to playing my part in ensuring we remain on a sound financial footing, supporting projects within the RCVS Strategic Plan and continuing to play a wider role within the RCVS Officer Team.”

In terms of committee chairs, Dr Sue Paterson FRCVS was reconfirmed as Chair of the Education Committee, Dr Melissa Donald was reconfirmed as Chair of the Standards Committee and current RCVS President Dr Mandisa Greene MRCVS was elected as Chair of the Advancement of the Professions Committee, replacing Professor David Argyle in that post from July 2021.

Following Professor Argyle stepping down as Junior Vice-President earlier in March 2021, an election to replace him as Junior Vice-President for the remainder of the presidential year will take place in April 2021. Subject to the usual approval from Council, this person will take up the position of RCVS President 2021-22 following the AGM in July.

IVC Evidensia has released the results of a survey of 90 veterinary professionals who visited BEVA 2023, finding there was a disparity between the importance of sustainability to them personally and how effectively their practice is working sustainably.

In response to the question ‘How important is sustainability to you personally?’, 57% of respondents said it was very important making it the most popular choice.

However, in answer to the question: ‘Is your practice team actively working to improve sustainability?’, 20% of respondents said ‘Always/wherever possible’ and 42% said ‘Most of the time’, leaving 38% not actively working to improve sustainability.

IVC says the conclusion to be drawn is that sustainability is a personal priority, but this isn’t always translating to practice and more can be done.

To help with this, the company will shortly Positive Hoofprint, an Equine and Farm specific toolkit to help practices become more sustainable, with resources, checklists and practical advice for prioritising environmentally friendly initiatives.

Mark Tabachnik, UK Head of Equine for IVC Evidensia, said: “It’s clear from our survey that sustainability is still being treated as a secondary concern in practice, and this is something that IVC Evidensia is actively seeking to change.

“With our Positive Hoofprint about to be launched, there has never been a better time to prioritise our sustainability goals and to embed them in our own practices.

“This will give colleagues the tools they need to care for the planet, so we can fundamentally change equine veterinary to be more environmentally conscious for the future.”

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.

Ceva Animal Health is urging vets to encourage their farming clients to test for enzootic abortion of ewes (EAE) if they have experienced an abortion rate of over 2% in their flock or if two or more have aborted over two to three days irrespective of the size of flock.

The company has published data from its 2021 Assure Ewe subsidised testing scheme, which found that 48% of farms that submitted samples after last year’s lambing season tested positive for EAE¹ caused by Chlamydia abortus.

This, Ceva says, mirrors the results from the 2020 testing initiative, demonstrating that EAE remains a significant issue on UK farms.

Katherine Timms BVetMed (Hons) MRCVS, ruminant veterinary advisor at Ceva Animal Health said: “EAE is a significant problem on UK farms, and it can be exceptionally expensive and frustrating to deal with, as infected sheep aborting and shedding have the potential to cause an abortion storm the following year.

“Any abortion outbreak should therefore be identified and managed as quickly and effectively as possible to help prevent the rest of the ewes in the flock from becoming infected.

"Vaccination and strict biosecurity provide the best protection against EAE and farmers can vaccinate their ewes from five months of age until four weeks prior to tupping, as long as the ewe is not in lamb.”

For further information, contact your local Ceva Animal Health account manager or visit www.enzooticabortion.co.uk.

Reference

1. Ceva Animal Health’s Assure Ewe initiative tested 600 sheep in 2021

Vets Now has substantially increased the duration of full pay maternity leave for its staff. 

Under the new policy, introduced this month, women who joined the company more than two years ago are entitled to six month's maternity leave on full pay, while those who have been with the company for less than that are entitled to three months at full pay and three months at half pay. 

After six months, statutory rates will be paid. 

Meanwhile, new fathers are now entitled to four week's paternity leave on full pay. 

Mark Ross (pictured right), CEO of Vets Now, said: “Several staff wrote to me about this issue and I agreed to look into it.

"Our previous maternity policy was six weeks full pay, six weeks half pay, followed by statutory rates, while men received 1.5 weeks of full paternity pay, so this is a huge leap forward. The changes cover maternity leave, shared parental leave, adoption and surrogacy.

"Our business has been tremendously successful in the past few years, thanks to the incredible hard work of our people, and we’re always looking at innovative ways of reinvesting our profits back into the business so it’s our people who benefit most. 

"We’re also hoping to put in place other improvements and among the initiatives we’re looking at are providing better support for staff returning to work after a period of leave, better provisions for nursing mums, a dedicated resource for parents who are struggling, and additional leave during the first year of returning to work. 

"We want to make Vets Now a great place to work for all of our staff, no matter what stage they’re at in life."