Vetoquinol has announced that the vouchers it provides as part of the Epiphen practice support package for monitoring and management of serum levels of phenobarbital will now be provided directly from the veterinary wholesaler and sent with each order.

One or two vouchers are provided with the 30ml and 60ml packs respectively. The vouchers come complete with a pre-paid envelope in which to send samples directly to the laboratory. Each test is valued at £19.80

For further information, contact your local Vetoquinol Territory Manager.

The RCVS Trust is offering vets, veterinary nurses and their friends chance to win a stylish small car - and support this small charity - for a mere £2.00.

On offer in this better-than-the-average raffle is a Fiat 500, the 2008 European Car of the Year winner - and described by Jeremy Clarkson as "practical without being boring". 

You can buy tickets online at http://www.everyclick.com/rcvstrust until 21 August, or ask Sarah Briggs at the Trust (020 7202 0743 or s.briggs@rcvstrust.org.uk) for a book to sell to colleagues, friends and family.

Tickets will then be entered into the Small Charity Car Draw, organised by the Foundation for Social Improvement, with the Trust receiving over 95% of the ticket price. The draw will take place on 1 October 2009. 

The British Veterinary Association's Members' Services Group has devised a Vet Helpline sticker as a practical way to promote the help and support available to members of the veterinary profession suffering from anxiety or depression. It will be sent out with the 20th February edition of the Veterinary Record.

The suicide rate within the veterinary profession is around four times higher than in the general population and around twice that of other high risk groups including farmers and medical practitioners. Research has shown that long hours, the risk of professional mistakes and rising client expectation and administrative work lead to high levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms. Ready access to and knowledge of lethal means such as medicines and firearms may also be contributing factors in the increased suicide risk.

The Vet Helpline sticker acts as a constant reminder to veterinary professionals that a confidential helpline, manned by trained volunteers from the veterinary profession, is available around the clock on every day of the year to offer support and direct them to specialist help where appropriate. In addition to the Vet Helpline phone number the sticker also gives the number for the Samaritans and includes the address of the Vetlife website which is a "one stop shop" for all the help available.

BVA President, Professor Bill Reilly, said: "Please remember that if you're feeling depressed, lonely or under pressure, or are perhaps worried about a colleague, you can talk it over in confidence with trained volunteers from the veterinary profession. The Vet Helpline is there for all veterinary surgeons, nurses and students. 

"Ours is a small profession and sadly most of us know someone who has suffered mental ill health or taken their own life. We hope that by reminding colleagues how to get help and continuing to publicise the Vetlife website and the Veterinary Benevolent Fund support services the BVA can play its part in supporting vets in crisis."

The Equine Veterinary Journal has published a special early view article reviewing the science behind enhanced equine influenza vaccination schedules, in particular the replacement of annual boosters with a mandatory bi-annual vaccination programme.

The article argues that as the equine influenza (EI) vaccine supply returns to normal, there is sound scientific evidence why bi-annual vaccination schedules should be re-implemented promptly.

Whilst the scale and number of outbreaks has been relatively small since the introduction of mandatory EI vaccination by most competitive equestrian disciplines in the 1980s, disease events such as those experienced in the UK in 1989, 2003 and most recently in 2019 have demonstrated EI’s epidemic potential, even in vaccinated horse populations.

In their article 'Equine influenza bi-annual boosters: what does the evidence tell us?' Victoria Colgate and Richard Newton discuss what has been learnt from previous outbreaks and explain the evidence from mathematical models to show why bi-annual boosters are beneficial.

The authors say that epidemiological data from previous natural EI outbreaks have repeatedly demonstrated the impermanent nature of the protection provided by vaccination and observational field studies have repeatedly highlighted the potential for 12-monthly boosters to leave a vulnerable immunity gap at both the individual animal and population level.

Mathematical models of EI transmission confirm that six-monthly rather than annual EI booster vaccinations are preferable to establish and maintain effective population level immunity to EI.

Ideally vaccine strains should be updated in a timely manner to ensure inclusion of the most epidemiologically-relevant strains, however, this is a slow and expensive process for equine vaccine manufacturers.

In the absence of updated vaccine strains, bi-annual vaccination is strongly recommended to help compensate for antigenic drift between vaccine and circulating EI viral strains

Professor Celia Marr, Editor of the EVJ said: “Although the recent EI vaccine shortage has necessitated a temporary relaxation of competition vaccine schedules, we must now renew the message that six-monthly boosters are optimal and necessary.”

The Editorial can be found at https://beva.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/evj.13898 and is free to view.

Two related articles can be found here: https://beva.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/evj.13874 and here: https://beva.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/evj.13885 

Improve International has launched 'Fast-Track' Postgraduate Certificate (PgC) Programmes, designed for veterinary surgeons who wish to take an immersive approach to study and complete the taught components in either its Small Animal Medicine  or Small Animal Surgery  programmes in three months.

The new programmes are set to begin in October 2015 with each able to accommodate a maximum of 12 delegates drawn from across Europe.  In developing the content programme to suit a three month study period, Improve says it has added a range of features, including a dedicated mentor to support delegates.

The content for both the Small Animal Medicine and Small Animal Surgery Fast-Track PgC programmes is the same as the PgC programmes Improve runs over two years with the difference of the completion of the taught modules in three months. The programme then follows the normal PgC programme, with the completion of case reports, case studies and an examination, in order to gain a PgC. The Medicine PgC programme also includes additional practical sessions covering ophthalmology and diagnostic imaging, plus other core practical skills.  

Practical training sessions for the Medicine Fast-Track programme will take place at Improve's Training Centre in Swindon while classroom-based sessions will be held at the Farmers' Club on the Embankment in Central London for ease of access. Delegates undertaking the Surgery programme will also be able to undertake practical sessions at Improve's facility at the John Krebs Field Station, Wytham, near Oxford.  In addition to the tutored sessions, delegates on the Surgery programme will see practice with a subject expert for ten days, with the opportunity of scrubbing in to assist in soft tissue and orthopaedic surgical procedures.

To support delegates interested in the PgC Small Animal Medicine and Small Animal Surgery programmes, Improve has created a new website at www.vetpgc.co.uk.

David Babington MRCVS, Managing Director of Improve, said: "While vets generally take a PgC over a two year period in order to combine it with work commitments, there are circumstances in which it may be preferable to take some blocks of time out and complete the taught lectures  in a shorter period of intensive study. Vets can be applying the new techniques in their practice after just three months and can gain a PgC in just one year.

"We wanted to offer this alternative study route to vets and have been working for some time to develop a consolidated three month version of both our Medicine  and Surgery PgC training programmes.  We're delighted to able to launch these exciting new programmes  and look forward to welcoming our first cohort of delegates in October 2015."

For further information, visit www.vetpgc.co.uk  or www.improveinternational.com or call 01793 759159.

Dragon's Den star Jenny Campbell has been confirmed as the first of the keynote speakers for BSAVA Virtual Congress taking place from the 25th-27th March 2021.

Before becoming a dragon, Jenny worked in banking for 30 years and will be sharing her experiences as an entrepreneur and business leader. She became CEO of cash machine company Hanco, bought out the business, turned it around and sold it for £50 million.

Jenny is supportive of the move to host BSAVA Congress online. She said: “Veterinary communities, like other professions, have seen the value that online technologies can offer, both for networking and socials, as well as essential CPD. We should all embrace these changes and look at the value that they can bring.”

The Congress programme is currently being finalised and the organisers say the emphasis is on ensuring the experience is an interactive as possible for each delegate. It will deliver more than 100 hours of CPD, delivered by globally recognised speakers. 

BSAVA Congress 2021 Programme Committee Chair Andy Green said: ‘Whether a virtual or a live event our entire programme is proudly created by the profession, for the profession and we are committed to providing unrivalled education, with topical, clinically relevant and evidence-based content.”

There'll be a virtual commercial exhibition, where delegates will be able to chat with exhibitors from the comfort of their home or consult room. There will also be the ability to network with others in the profession, in face-to-face chat rooms.
 
Professor Ian Ramsey, President of the BSAVA said: “BSAVA Congress 2021 is going to be one of the most innovative in the history of our events.

"While the pandemic circumstances we continue to find ourselves in are far from ideal, we must continue to evolve and progress as a profession. BSAVA Congress is a unique highlight in our calendar for next year and it is shaping up to be a truly memorable event."

For further information and to register your interest click here: https://www.bsavaevents.com/bsavacongress2021/en/page/home

The RCVS Disciplinary Committee has reprimanded a veterinary surgeon for submitting a certificate of Clinical Inspection for Veterinary Inspectors ("TB52") for tuberculin tests he had undertaken on cattle, despite knowing that he had not fully complied with the standard operating procedures (SOP) for these tests.

At the outset of the three-day hearing, John Wilson admitted that, when acting as an Official Veterinarian (OV) he had not carried out tuberculin tests on cattle at a Wiltshire farm on 19 May 2011 strictly in accordance with the SOP required by the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA), an executive agency of Defra.

The admitted shortcomings were that on 19 May, the second day of testing, Mr Wilson had failed to confirm the identity of all the animals, failed to inspect the animals digitally (ie using his hands) and had not measured the fold of skin at the injection site of all the animals. The College argued that this was contrary to the directions of the AHVLA and, in subsequently signing the TB52 certificate, he was either dishonest or should have known that the certification was incorrect. Mr Wilson admitted that he ought to have known the certification was incorrect but denied dishonesty, because he believed that he had conducted the test in a satisfactory manner and had correctly identified all the reactors in the herd.

Mr Wilson was a veterinary surgeon of over 40 years experience and unblemished record, and the Committee found his account of events to be accurate and honest. He said the farm involved was unprepared and test arrangements were chaotic, with poor handling facilities, and he would have been concerned for the safety of the animals and their handlers if he had complied fully with the SOP. He had advised the farmer to delay the test but his advice was rejected.

The Committee accepted that the testing had been carried out under exceptional and difficult circumstances. It noted that Mr Wilson had identified a reactor and taken appropriate actions, knowing that the outcome would be the quarantining of the whole herd. He had made no financial or other gain, other than the nominal fee charged for the work. Although failing to comply with the SOP fell short of what was expected of a veterinary surgeon, because of these circumstances, and as he had acted in what he considered to be the best interests of the animals and personnel, these actions did not amount to serious professional misconduct.

The Committee found that, even allowing for these difficulties and concerns, in signing the TB52 certificate a few days later, without any qualification, Mr Wilson ought to have known that it was incorrect, and his actions fell far short of the standards expected of the veterinary profession. They did not however find that he had been dishonest.

The Committee stressed the importance attached to accurate and reliable certification, in maintaining the confidence of the public and the profession, and in ensuring animal welfare.

Professor Lees, chairing and speaking on behalf of the committee said: "The Committee is aware, as confirmed by AHVLA, that this is a single, isolated event and the first offence in some 40 years of the Respondent working as a LVI [local veterinary inspector] or OV. After considering all the mitigating factors.and, given the exceptional circumstances of this specific case, the decision of the Committee is to reprimand Mr Wilson."

VetCompass, a new veterinary research initiative at the Royal Veterinary College, has revealed that one in 60 Cavaliers are affected by syringomyelia.

The RVC says that until now, there has been little reliable evidence on the frequency and severity of syringomyelia in the overall dog population, which has limited veterinary surgeons’ ability to diagnose and manage the condition.

It's not just syringomyelia for which there is a lack of data. Scientists have for years struggled to identify the true extent and severity of diseases seen in the wider general dog population because the main source of veterinary health data on dogs has come from universities and referral hospitals.

While this referral data is useful, the types of animals and conditions that are referred to these referral centres is unrepresentative of the wider dog population, making it very difficult to extrapolate any findings to the general population. The vast majority of animals are managed perfectly well by the primary vet practitioners without ever being referred or even being ill at any one time. 

However, through VetCompass, the RVC is now collecting anonymised clinical data from first opinion veterinary clinics across the UK; data which is being analysed to answer a wide variety of previously unanswerable health questions. 

The VetCompass syringomyelia study published in the Veterinary Record is a case in point. It highlights for the first time the frequency and severity of syringomyelia seen in general practice in the UK.

At an overall dog population level, syringomyelia is not that common, affecting just one in 2,000 dogs. But among Cavaliers, the frequency of syringomyelia is much higher, affecting one in every 60 of the breed. VetCompass data reveals that almost 2,000 Cavaliers suffer from clinical syringomyelia in the UK at any one time. 

Syringomyelia is a severe condition for affected dogs, with the VetCompass study showing that 72% of affected dogs were recorded as showing pain. The study showed that these dogs would often yelp or scream when they were picked up or when their necks were touched. Many of them also showed ‘phantom scratching’ where they would try to scratch at their necks with their hindlegs but without ever even making contact with the skin. Some people refer to this action as ‘playing an air guitar’.  

The RVC is urging veterinary surgeons and owners alike to be aware of the symptoms of syringomyelia, so that clinically affected dogs can be recognised and treated earlier and better. Symptoms include:

• Sensitivity around the head and neck area
• Sleeping with the head raised
• Scratching or pawing the head or neck region
• Weak limbs
• Deafness

Dr Dan O’Neill, Companion Animal Epidemiologist at the RVC, said: "I loved being a first opinion practice vet for over 20 years where I could help animals on a one-by-one basis. But now, with VetCompass, we can help animals by their thousands. An example is this syringomyelia study which may lead to many affected dogs getting treatment much earlier and therefore making their lives so much better."

Professor Holger Volk, Professor of Veterinary Neurology and Neurosurgery, said: “These VetCompass data are an eye-opener; we very frequently see Cavaliers with clinical signs of syringomyelia at RVC’s referral hospital but now we know how common it is in the real world, outside of the referral world."

Dr Ludovic Pelligand, Senior Lecturer in Clinical Pharmacology and Anaesthesia, said: “VetCompass allows us to identify how Cavalier King Charles affected by syringomyelia are treated for pain every day, nationwide. This will help us to understand optimal management and we are currently working on new ways to monitor pain and working towards developing new treatment options to further improve their pain relief and quality of life in the future".

Purina Petcare has released the results of some research which suggests that the bond between dogs and their owners helped mitigate against some of the negative psychological impacts caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

For the research, Purina questioned 1535 current and potential dog owners using validated scales assessing depression, anxiety, happiness, attitude and commitment toward their pet, and perceived social support. 

67% of participants said they felt that COVID had had an emotional impact on them.

One-third of participants also felt that their health had been impacted by the pandemic, while 45% had experienced a financial impact. 

However, it was found that dog owners had higher perceived level of social support and lower depression scores.

Francois Martin, M.A., Ph.D., applied behaviour and welfare research section leader at Purina and lead Purina scientist on the project said: "Our research showed that dog owners fared better from a social support and emotional standpoint during COVID than people who like dogs but didn’t own one during the pandemic.

"Our work adds to a growing body of evidence demonstrating the power of the human pet bond, especially in times of stress.”

Libby Sheridan MVB MRCVS, Purina Scientific Affairs Manager for the UK and Ireland  said: "The research aimed to build on prior evidence that suggests that dogs can contribute to their owner’s positive affective state - a psychological term describing when people are in generally positive frame of mind like excited, enthusiastic, and inspired.

"Purina also set out to gain a better understanding of whether the power of the pet-owner bond continued to persist during the pandemic. Not only was the effect of dogs shown to be positive, it was also measurable and statistically significant.”

Purina says the results also provide an opportunity to reflect on the important contribution of veterinary professionals, many of whom continued to work throughout the pandemic to provide much needed services.

For full results, visit: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0260676 

Vets Now has opened bookings for its emergency and critical care Congress which takes place from Thursday 3rd to Friday 4th November 2022 at the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds.

The event offers over 80 hours of CPD across seven streams – with everything from hypotension and sepsis to breaking bad news to clients – as well as world-renowned speakers and networking opportunities.  

Søren Boysen from the University of Calgary in Canada and Sophie Adamantos from Paragon Referrals in Wakefield, are among several high-profile speakers at this year’s Congress.

Chief Executive for GB Snowsport, Victoria Gosling OBE, will open Congress as keynote speaker where she’ll focus on perseverance, resilience and teamwork.

Also speaking are Prof. John Williams, Richard Casey, executive director at the World Small Animal Veterinary Association and VDS trainer Elly Russell.

Arlene Connor, an RVN and head of clinical operations at Vets Now and IVC Evidensia has planned the programme alongside national ECC lead Dan Lewis (pictured right). 

She said: “We’re so excited to be returning to the Royal Armouries for our 19th Vets Now ECC Congress – around a theme which celebrates us all being together again.

"The past two years have been a challenge for all of us in the veterinary professions and we hope to mitigate that with a return to face-to-face learning and networking, as well as the chance to have some fun.

"Events like this can be hugely inspirational — for the organisers as well as the attendees — and we truly can’t wait to welcome everyone through the doors like old times.”

Dan added: “There’s a brilliant line-up of live speakers, workshops, a packed exhibition hall and more opportunities than ever for delegates to meet old friends and make new ones, as well as to learn from some of the world’s leading veterinary experts discussing emergency and critical care. 

“Our programme again this year has been carefully tailored to provide an inclusive learning experience for vets and vet nurses no matter what stage they’re at in their career, from students through to specialists. 

Tickets range in price from £45 + VAT for exhibition-only tickets, up to £470 + VAT for a vet to attend for 2 days plus the Gala dinner.

To book your ticket, go to www.vets-now.com/congress2022

Veterinary Evidence, RCVS Knowledge’s flagship journal, has launched an initiative that will allow practitioners to submit questions on the evidence gaps they encounter.

Dubbed the PICO Project, the scheme will initially run via a series of specialism-specific surveys that let respondents select individual species or topics and input the research questions they would like to see covered within Veterinary Evidence. 

Knowledge will make the list of submitted questions available online for the veterinary community to answer as Knowledge Summaries (Critically Appraised Topics), which will be peer-reviewed and published in the open-access journal.

Professor Peter Cockroft, recently appointed Editor-in-chief of Veterinary Evidence, said: "The practice of evidence-based veterinary medicine is an empowering process for practicing veterinarians that enables important gaps in knowledge to be identified. It is the bridge between research and clinical practice.

"If you have a clinical question that may shape the care of a patient, Veterinary Evidence may have the best current answer or will add the question to the growing archive of important information needs."

The first survey to launch – open now – will focus on equine practice, with possible subjects ranging from the likes of husbandry or vaccination to infectious diseases. 

To ask for the evidence on a particular area, choose your topic in the survey’s drop-down menus and fill in up to five related questions, preferably in Population Intervention Comparison Outcome format.

Livestock will be the focus for the next survey, due to open alongside the BCVA Congress in October. Further surveys will look at canines, felines and other specialisms.

To keep up to date with the list of PICO questions being answered or available to be answered, visit Veterinary Evidence and follow @RCVSKnowledge on Twitter.

If you wish to become an author of a Knowledge Summary for publication in the journal, contact the Managing Editor at Bridget@rcvsknowledge.org.

Bayer Animal Health has organised for prominent clinical microbiologist Dr Joseph Blondeau, from Canada's University of Saskatchewana, to tour the UK in May, giving talks to practitioners about effective antibiotic usage to prevent bacterial resistance.

Bayer's Technical Veterinary Adviser, Lucy Smith, will also be giving a talk: Maximise Treatment Success, which comes at the subject from the practical veterinary side.

Bayer Animal Health Marketing Manager, Dr Markus Edingloh said: "We are incredibly fortunate to work with such an eminent expert. Dr Blondeau is a leading authority on a new parameter that supports a dosing concept to minimise selection of bacterial resistance - the Mutant Prevention Concentration. Fortunately, he is also expert at presenting complex matters in an engaging and memorable way."

He added: "Lucy Smith will share her specific experience of Bayer's recently launched Veraflox (pradofloxacin), the first and only next generation veterinary fluoroquinolone, which has a broad spectrum of treatment which attacks Gram +, Gram - and anaerobic bacteria, in a highly efficacious way.

The evening events take place on: May 14th (Glasgow), May 15th (Derby), May 16th (Swindon) & May 17th (Surrey). Full details in the VetSurgeon Diary.

Each roadshow session is equivalent to 1.5 hours of free Continuing Professional Development (CPD).

To register to attend one of the roadshows, please email animal.health@bayer.com