The course, which is led by Mental Health First Aid England, comprises of two day-long sessions, the first of which will take place on Tuesday 9th January 2024 from 9am – 5pm and the second on Thursday 11th January.
The course costs £40 per person, and is open to all those working in the veterinary professions.
Advancement of the Professions and Mind Matters Director, Angharad Belcher, said: “This day long training session will help people to gain an understanding of what mental health is and how to challenge stigma, to gain the knowledge and confidence to advocate or mental health awareness, provide them with the ability to spot the signs of mental ill health and the skills to support positive wellbeing, as well as give people the confidence to support someone who is in distress or may be experiencing a mental health issue.
“While these sessions are open to all working in the veterinary professions, we are particularly encouraging vets working in rural areas or in ambulatory work to get involved.
"All veterinary work has its challenges, but we know from MMI funded research conducted by Scotland’s Rural College that rural and ambulatory veterinary work comes with its own set of challenges which is often compounded by working alone or having relatively limited contact with colleagues.
"Those working in rural areas often play integral roles within their local communities and it is therefore important to provide people with the skills to not only look after their own mental health, but with the opportunities to learn how to best support their friends and colleagues too.”
https://vetmindmatters.org/training
The Registry’s dataset now contains the details of 1,319 canine cruciate surgical procedures, compared with 735 reported in 2023.
The report contains 3 years of data provided by 138 UK-based vets and their clients, and reports on cruciate surgery outcomes on dogs from all stages of life – from 3 months to 18 years.
The report provides a breakdown of the clinical outcomes of different surgical techniques, patient demographics, use of antibiotics, and more.
Some of the main findings in this year’s annual report were:
Mark Morton, Clinical Lead for the Registry, said: “It has been fantastic to see the CCR go from strength to strength this year with contributions from owners and vets across the country.
"Evaluating what we do and sharing this information with owners is really important.
"There is now sufficient data in the registry that vets can use the reporting functionality to see how they compare to anonymous data from the registry as whole.
"This allows everyone to look at where we can improve what we do to enhance outcomes for our patients.”
Steve Butterworth, veterinary surgeon at Weighbridge Referral Service, Swansea, and CCR contributor, said: “To better understand the long-term outcomes for different breeds of dog using differing surgical techniques we need the power of numbers and this will only be achieved by pooling our resources.
"The CCR offers the veterinary profession an opportunity to do this.
Any veterinary surgeon performing cruciate surgery in the UK can get involved in the CCR by signing up and logging surgical cases.
All data submitted by summer 2025 will be anonymised and become part of the next report in late 2025.
ccr.rcvsknowledge.org/annualreport
The two sets of guidance cover:
RCVS President Dr Mandisa Green said: “I would like to reassure my colleagues once again that we understand the extreme challenges and difficult decisions they are facing.
"The College has no interest in taking anyone to task for considered professional judgement, providing they act reasonably in the circumstances, can justify their actions and take reasonable notes.
"Sadly, we’re seeing the pandemic situation deteriorating again in the UK, but to varying degrees across the country. This presents a significant challenge in ensuring our guidance is clear and straightforward, while remaining relevant to as many people as possible.
"We sincerely hope this new guidance achieves that aim and supports veterinary professionals working to uphold animal health and welfare, while maintaining the safety of their teams and clients."
For more information, visit: https://www.rcvs.org.uk/setting-standards/advice-and-guidance/coronavirus-covid-19/
The Royal College has announced that a Legislative Reform Order (LRO) to reconstitute its disciplinary committees separately from its Council has been signed by Defra Minister David Heath, and will come into force on 6 April 2013.
The LRO will amend Part I of Schedule 2 of the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 (VSA) and require that the RCVS Preliminary Investigation and Disciplinary Committees are made up of veterinary surgeons and lay members who are not RCVS Council members, and who are appointed independently.
This will ensure that the same group of people is not responsible for setting the rules, investigating complaints and adjudication, and will bring lay people formally into the Preliminary Investigation Committee.
The LRO will also allow the RCVS to increase the pool of people available to investigate complaints and sit on disciplinary hearings, reducing the workload on the individual Committee members whose primary appointment is to RCVS Council.
The RCVS has been working on the LRO with Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) officials since late 2010, and the Order was based on consultations undertaken by the RCVS and Defra.
According to the College, the Order was commended at every stage of Parliamentary scrutiny as an effective means to address the single biggest deficit of the VSA and to improve how the RCVS regulates the profession. During debate in Grand Committee of the House of Lords on 10 January, the RCVS received considerable praise for its strenuous efforts to modernise under the constraints of the present legislation, and the LRO received unanimous support.
Following the Order coming into force, the first external members will join the Disciplinary and Preliminary Investigation Committees from July 2013. After a two-year transition period, members of the RCVS Council will become ineligible for membership of these committees. Information about how to apply to join these committees will be available shortly.
President Jacqui Molyneux said: "I am delighted the LRO has been made and I am immensely thankful for the hard work of the Defra team and my colleagues in the College. The LRO is the single biggest reform to the regulation of veterinary surgeons since the 1966 Act, and it will bring the RCVS in line with regulatory best practice and improve the perception of the independence of the RCVS disciplinary processes."
The RCVS Officers will be heading to Somerset, home ground of President Bob Moore, on Thursday 22 May for RCVS Question Time.
The Shrubbery Hotel in Ilminster is the venue for the final Regional Question Time of Bob Moore’s Presidential year, where he looks forward to seeing lots of familiar faces for a lively debate.
Veterinary surgeons, veterinary nurses and others involved in the profession are all welcome to attend the meeting, which kicks off at 6:30pm with a relaxing drink, a bite to eat and a chance to catch up with colleagues, followed by Question Time at 7:15pm. The meeting will finish at approximately 10:00pm.
Bob Moore will be chairing the meeting and the panel will be made up of the Officer team and Veterinary Nurses Council Chairman Andrea Jeffery, who will be answering your questions and concerns regarding the veterinary profession.
Hot topics expected to be raised on the night include the RCVS Practice Standards Scheme, a new Veterinary Surgeons Act, RCVS modular certificate, 24-hour cover, the Professional Development Phase and the non-statutory Register for veterinary nurses.
To book your place contact Fiona Clark at the RCVS on 020 7202 0773 or f.clark@rcvs.org.uk before 9 May 2008, or download an invitation at http://www.rcvs.org.uk/ and post it to the address supplied. All veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses living within reasonable travelling distance of the meeting venue will be sent a personal invitation.
If you are unable to attend the meeting, but have a question you would like to raise, please do write in.
Melvyn was instrumental in shaping the success of the Trap, Neuter, Return, method of controlling feral cat populations. After meeting 60's supermodel Celia Hammond, scientist Dr. Jenny Remfry, and Peter Neville, a research biologist for UFAW, acted on their requests for better and more humane traps and engineered his first trap - the Eziset.
Melvyn went on to develop a dog grasper and a wide range of other handling products widely used in veterinary practice. He then developed the Mikki Muzzle, on the back of which he launched Mikki Pet Products, adding a range of grooming products.
In 1998, Melvyn sold Mikki to focus on his real passion – developing high welfare animal handling equipment and products sold via MDC Exports.
Ian MacFarlaine RVN said: "His impact on the veterinary world is only eclipsed by how much of a contribution he's made to animal charities globally, not just in inventing stuff, but then discounting it readily (through good and bad economic times) and then if that wasn't enough, giving thousands of pounds worth of it away at the ICAWC conference every year.
"If you were privileged enough to know him well, then you'll miss the kindness, the mischievous humour and the occasional bad taste joke. But I can guarantee that a little bit of Melvyn is there in each and every one of your practices in the form of one piece of equipment or other."
Specifically, they're using them as a sheep race of sorts, for patient restraint during fluoroscopic examinations.
Eastcott says the transparent barrier helps to keep patients as close as possible to the practice’s mobile image intensifier, while also limiting any sudden movement. This significantly improves the quality of images taken and reduces the amount of time taken per examination.
Nicholas Taylor, referral radiographer at Eastcott came up with the idea. He said: “Unlike us humans, animals don’t understand the need to remain still and the process of getting these images was becoming quite challenging and time-consuming. Often the length of the process would make the animal anxious and we would inevitably be going in circles.
"The idea came about when we were discussing how we could replicate the x-ray process in the human world, where machines are often very close to the patient’s body.
"We had a few spare desk barriers in the hospital and decided to give it go. We were so pleased at how easy it made the entire process, reducing the amount of time per exam, improving the quality of pictures and ultimately putting the patient at ease since they can see what is going on around them.”
David says that whilst he was out there, he was told about attacks by Russian forces on stables in Bucha, Irpin and other equestrian premises north of Kyiv.
Ukraine vet Anatoly Levitsky who is working in Kyiv, said: “Not very big horse club was not far from Borodianka and owners were using their horses for hippotherapy of children with different pathologies.
"When war started, the lady who owned the stable and her child emigrated to Poland and her husband was conscripted into Ukrainian army.
"When Russian bandits in army uniform came to the village, they set fire to the stable and started shooting the horses that tried to escape.”
“Some horses ran away, others were wounded, and some were burned down.
"After the building was burned, Russian soldiers went away and horses that escaped were wandering around the village and trying to find the feed.
"Step by step, people living in the village collected the horses and keep one or two horses in their yards.”
David said: “It is hard to understand what could motivate anyone to perform these deliberate acts of cruelty.
"Random shootings, stabbings and burnings are widely reported and pictured on social media, we have no idea how many horses are dead and how many injured, but it has to be a significant number.
“Some of the lorry drivers I have met coming out have been shot at, shelled and beaten up, evacuating surviving horses.
"They are taking risks that we would consider totally unacceptable to move animals out and supplies in.
"I have nothing but admiration for the bravery of the Ukrainian people.”
“Ever conscious that there is an equal humanitarian need you feel very small and rather cowardly that you aren’t permitted to go into Ukraine to help the people and animals that require treatment.”
The British Equine Veterinary Association and American Association of Equine Practitioners are working together to support vets in Ukraine.
They say that they are not allowed to provide direct practical help, but they are doing what they can to get veterinary and humanitarian supplies to the vets they are in contact with.
They are also working to establish safe stables in the West of Ukraine to get horses and their owners away from likely areas of combat in the East.
Previously people have had no option but to turn horses into the woods prior to fleeing or they have stayed to look after their animals despite the risks to themselves.
BEVA, in association with the British Equestrians for Ukraine Fund, is calling for urgent support to help fund veterinary treatment, supplies and the safe relocation of Ukraine’s endangered horses.
To do this they need your urgent support. To make a donation visit https://www.worldhorsewelfare.org/support-us/appeals/british-equestrians-for-ukraine-fund.
To find out more you can listen to a podcast from David Rendle here https://beva.podbean.com/e/bevapod-episode-13/
Photo: Stabling reportedly burned down by Russian soldiers
Three members (one vet, one new grad and one nurse) are being sought to join a new engagement group tasked with raising awareness of the importance of CPD for veterinary surgeons and nurses, supporting members in how to reflect on their CPD as a way of consolidating learning, and considering plans for how the benefits of CPD and the VetGDP can be communicated to the professions.
The group will also oversee and update CPD and VetGDP guidance documents, as well as overseeing updates to the VetGDP Adviser and VetGDP Peer Reviewer training and guidance.
RCVS Council member Dr Olivia Cook MRCVS will be chairing the group.
She said: “The Engagement Group has been set up in recognition that, although the majority of the professions are engaged with meeting their CPD requirements and completing the VetGDP, there are still those who feel confused about the requirements or remain uncompliant for other reasons, and we would like very much to help them.
“Therefore, this is an exciting opportunity for anyone who wants to play an active part in advancing veterinary standards by ensuring that as many members of the professions as possible have the benefits of lifelong learning in their own practice and their ongoing work for animal health and welfare. In doing so they will help grow public confidence in the professions.
“From the VetGDP perspective, we’re particularly keen that there’s a strong peer-to-peer element, so that those who are doing the VetGDP, or have just recently completed it, are using their recent experience and understanding to evolve the policy and drive engagement.”
Applicants who are interested will have until Friday 30 August to apply to become members of the CPD and VetGDP Engagement Group and are invited to send a concise email to CPD@rcvs.org.uk explaining their experience and how they feel that can contribute to work of the committee.
The RCVS is looking for two Advanced Practitioners working in practice who have completed a designated CertAVP qualification to join the Certificate in Advanced Veterinary Practice (CertAVP) Subcommittee to help actively advance the standards and policies of the RCVS CertAVP.
Applicants who are interested also have until Friday 30 August to apply to become members.
Applicants are invited to send an email to certavp@rcvs.org.uk with a summary of their experience and what skills and knowledge you feel that you can bring to this committee.
Finally, the College is also looking to recruit examiners for the Statutory Membership Examination, from 2025 onwards.
Examiners need to have been Members of the RCVS for a minimum of three years and be familiar with the day one competences for new registrants and the standards expected of final year students and new graduates. Experience as an assessor or examiner is preferred, although not essential as training will be provided. The College is looking for examiners with knowledge across a range of species domains including equine, veterinary public health, farm and small animal.
Contact Jenny Soreskog-Turp, RCVS Postgraduate Lead, on j.soreskog-turp@rcvs.org.uk
The report says the greatest threat to farm animal welfare standards post-Brexit would come from UK farmers competing against cheap, imported food from countries that produce to lower standards than the UK. Therefore, the Government's wish for the UK to become a global leader in free trade is not necessarily compatible with its desire to maintain high animal welfare standards.
Noting the UK's overwhelming reliance on non-UK EU citizens to fill crucial official veterinary positions in the UK, the Committee called on the Government to ensure that the industry is able to retain or recruit qualified staff to fill these roles post-Brexit.
Responding to the report, BVA President Gudrun Ravetz said: "The report offers strong leadership and a clear message, emphasising the consumer and cross-sector consensus that current animal health and welfare standards must be at least maintained in Brexit negotiations. Prioritising these standards in trade negotiations could guarantee a unique selling point for the UK. As the report recommends, as consumers we must make sure we do not compromise quality for cost-savings in order to avoid a race to the bottom for welfare standards. We now need clarity from the Government on how underpinning processes and overarching principles, like Article 13 which ensures animal welfare requirements are fully considered in policy-setting, will be incorporated into domestic law.
"The report supports our view that animal welfare should be considered a public good and we reiterate our calls following the Secretary of State’s recent speech that a replacement CAP scheme should encompass animal welfare, animal health, disease surveillance, biodiversity and environmental stewardship to benefit not only UK producers, but consumers and wider society too.
"The EU Committee’s recognition of the vital role vets play in animal health, welfare and public health is extremely encouraging. Official Veterinarians (OVs) working in abattoirs protect and reassure UK consumers, certifying and supervising the import and export of animals and animal products to third countries. As I outlined in my evidence to the Committee, some estimates suggest 95% of OVs working in UK abattoirs graduated overseas, mostly in the EU. However, we are already hearing of fewer applicants for veterinary public health roles since the referendum.
"There are significant concerns about the potential impact of a post-Brexit veterinary workforce shortage on the UK's £100 billion agri-food sector, in terms of risking business and consumer confidence as well as the UK’s future export capability. A strong, sustainable veterinary workforce is absolutely vital to safeguarding animal health, welfare and public health post Brexit."
The BEVA Trust is the Association’s philanthropic arm and in 2015 members decided that it should provide support for voluntary projects to help improve knowledge and welfare.
Since then volunteers have been rolling up their sleeves to help out with castration and welfare clinics in the UK and veterinary training schemes around the world.
Over the past 12 months a total of 42 vets and vet nurses have volunteered their time at seven BHS Education and Welfare Clinics throughout the UK.
They have helped microchip, passport, vaccinate and castrate horses recognised by Welfare Officers as needing help.
So far 598 horses and ponies have received passports and 302 been castrated.
The Trust has seen a further ten volunteers travel across the globe, working on projects in Cambodia, the Gambia, Honduras, Kiev, Nicaragua and the Ukraine.
BEVA President Vicki Nicholls said: "We thank all of the volunteers that make our Trust such a success, with special mention to Luke Edwards from the University of Liverpool and Alice Horne from Ddole Road Veterinary Clinic who have both volunteered at four clinics. We must also remember the good work of our industrious BEVA Council members and our excellent speakers at Congress this September, who are all volunteers."
For further information on BEVA Trust volunteer projects email lara@beva.org.uk to be added to the BEVA Trust mailing list.
The RCVS has announced that the nomination period for the 2015 RCVS and VN Council elections has opened until 5:00pm on Saturday 31 January 2015.
Each year six RCVS Council seats are contested while two seats are available for VN Council. Successful candidates serve four-year terms.
Existing RCVS Council members Niall Connell, Professor Sheila Crispin, Mark Elliott, Lynne Hill, Dr Bob Moore and Professor the Lord Trees of the Ross are due to retire from Council next year but are all eligible for re-election. Elizabeth Branscombe and Elizabeth Cox are due to retire from VN Council but will also be eligible to stand again in 2015.
In order to stand, candidates for either RCVS or VN Council will need to complete a nomination form, submit a short biography, write a short personal statement and supply a high resolution digital photo.
Each candidate will also need to provide two nominations - for RCVS Council candidates this should be two veterinary surgeons on the RCVS Register who are not current RCVS Council members; for VN Council candidates nominators must be registered or listed VNs who are not current VN Council members.
The election period commences in early March 2015 and runs until Friday 24 April. Successful candidates for either Council will take up their seats at RCVS Day - the College's Annual General Meeting and Awards Day - on Friday 10 July 2015.
Gordon Hockey, RCVS Registrar, said: "After a record 19 candidates - of which over half were women - for last year's RCVS Council elections, and a good showing for VN Council as well, we hope to build on that momentum this year by attracting candidates of all ages and backgrounds.
"Through their participation in the Councils and their committees members can have a big impact on the future of their respective professions by developing policy and making decisions in areas of key importance such as education and professional standards."
Nomination forms, guidance notes and frequently asked questions for RCVS Council candidates can be found at www.rcvs.org.uk/rcvscouncil15. The equivalent documents for VN Council candidates can be found at www.rcvs.org.uk/vncouncil15.
Last year the RCVS produced two short videos outlining what is involved in being a Council member, the benefits it can bring and the amount of time it requires. These can be found at www.youtube.com/rcvsvideos
Prospective candidates are also invited to attend a 'Meet the RCVS Day' at Belgravia House on Tuesday 25 November where they will have the opportunity to find out more about the role of the College and RCVS and VN Council members as well as having a tour of the building and the opportunity to talk to staff.
Those who are interested in attending should contact Fiona Harcourt, Events Officer, on f.harcourt@rcvs.org.uk or 020 7202 0773.
Vetoquinol has published a waiting room poster which highlights canine pain, to support Cimalgex.
Robert Simpson, Product Manager for Cimalgex said: "This poster aims to highlight that pain may not be obvious to pet owners and that signs which the owner may believe to be age related, for example stiffness, may actually be behavioural signs of pain. The most common sign of pain is a change in behaviour and so this is an area which we believe needs to be highlighted to the pet owner1.
"This new poster uses a strong image to catch the pet owner's attention which, when combined with its simple message, will prompt the pet owner to ask for further information from the veterinary practice regarding pain to ensure the overall wellbeing of their pet. This poster complements our client leaflet in helping the veterinary practice to assist the pet owner to spot signs of pain which may not be very obvious."
To find out more or to request a waiting room poster for your practice please contact your Vetoquinol Territory Manager or call 01280 825424.
Reference
1. Hellyer P. et al. AAHA/AAFP Pain Management guidelines for Dogs and Cats. J. AM Anim Hosp Assoc 2007; 43: 235-248.
BCF has announced upgrades to the Easi-Scan bovine ultrasound scanner which include improved image quality and additions to the BCF Universal Googles (BUGs) range.
The BUGs range now includes a new LCD model and a monocular version. According to the company, the LCD version provides a softer, more familiar image and considerably lower price, while the monocular version is ideal for the small percentage of people that struggle to see a single image in a binocular style goggle.
John Dawson from Willows Veterinary Group, Cheshire said: "The LCD BUG has a softer image which I prefer. They give more differentiation of echogenic grading allowing more detail to be seen. When I first used them I thought they were going to be more expensive, but to get a better image at a lower price I was astonished."
Gavin Mitchell from BCF said: "These new product developments for Easi-Scan and BUGs are a great illustration of how we are committed to responding to our customers' feedback, opinions and recommendations. At BCF, we design, develop and manufacture our own equipment. It is so important to continually work closely with our customers, to continue to create world-leading ultrasound equipment."
For more information visit www.bcftechnology.com
The first course will be overseen by Jodie Hughes, an RCVS and European specialist in anaesthesia and analgesia. The hospital’s inaugural resident will be Luisa Oliveira (pictured right), who earlier completed a rotating internship at North West Veterinary Specialists in Cheshire, and, more recently, an anaesthesia-specific one at NDSR.
Jodie said: “Luisa’s residency will comprise mainly the provision of anaesthesia to multiple animal species, ranging from the ‘simpler’ procedures to the most critical and complex, which we frequently encounter in our interventional cardiac procedures and emergency work.
“A significant component of the training will involve the management of pain, both in the acute setting (in the peri-operative period) and in the chronic setting, whilst dealing with our pain clinic patients.
“Luisa will also be trained in the management of emergency and critical care patients and will undergo rotations in other services to better grasp their requirements.
“As we work exclusively with dogs and cats, we will work in close collaboration with several other hospitals in the UK and continental Europe, to complement Luisa’s training with other species.
“As part of this, Luisa will be exposed to multiple advanced techniques, including ultrasound-guided regional nerve blocks and interventional procedures in our pain clinic.
Luisa said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for me to work alongside an incredibly experienced and skilled team at NDSR.
The training programme has been developed by Rui Pinelas, RCVS and European specialist in anaesthesia and analgesia at NDSR, who is optimistic there will be further training opportunities in the near future.
Rui said: “This was something NDSR has been keen to implement for some time and we had been having ongoing discussions to choose the perfect time.
“In terms of logistics, it took around three months for us to set up this anaesthesia residency, which was largely spent organising our partnerships with the other training facilities and undergoing an evaluation as to whether our facilities and case load would meet the specialist board’s strict requirements, which we are delighted they did.”
Vets Now says that the move to holding the 4 day congress online has resulted in a surge in interest from international delegates, with veterinary surgeons and nurses from more than 20 countries, including Kuwait, Hong Kong and Australia, due to attend.
Speakers at the event this year include Dan Fletcher, Megan Brashear and Claire Sharp.
Dan Lewis, Vets Now’s national ECC lead, said: “The interactive platform we’re using is cutting edge and it provides so much more than just webinars. There will be live content, an interactive exhibition hall and more opportunities than ever for delegates to network and learn from some of the world’s leading veterinary experts discussing emergency and critical care.
"Our programme 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.
"We’ll obviously miss seeing everyone in person, but we’re very excited that we can gather together online for a one-of-a-kind experience.”
Full four-day tickets for delegates range in price from £60 to £175 and ticket-holders will be able to access all the sessions on-demand for up to a month following the event.
Click here to book your place at Vets Now’s ECC Congress. Registrations close on November 1. To book your place, visit: congress.vets-now.com
The programme starts at 9:00am on the 1st April with a keynote address by Professor Iain Chapple, Head of the Birmingham Dental School, and then spits into two streams, one for beginners, the other for advanced practitioners.
The beginners stream includes: 'Clinical examination and charting - a logical approach' and 'Malocclusions and Surgical extraction technique and complications', whilst the advanced stream includes: 'Canine Chronic Ulcerative Stomatitis', 'What are the Hidden Dangers in your Dental Unit?' and 'Case based Periodontal/ Gingival Histopathology'.
The BVDA Scientific Programme costs £140, and you can register here: https://www.bvda.co.uk/bvda/registersm
However, as BVDA President Paul Cooper MRCVS (pictured right) was keen to point out: "It does work out cheaper to join the BVDA and then get the member discount for the Scientific Programme!"
On the 2nd April, the association will also be running two drylab practical sessions (using models, not cadavers).
The first, with Tom Williams BVSc MANZCVS (Small Animal Dentistry and Oral Surgery) MRCVS and Megan Clark BDS (Hons) Bsc (Hons) AKC offers a practical overview of root canal treatment.
The second, with Alix Freeman BVSc MRCVS and Andrew Perry BVSc DipEVDC MRCVS offers an introduction to composites and non-invasive jaw fracture repair.
Each drylab costs £100, and registration is via the BSAVA Congress registration page: www.bsavaevents.com.
The new packaging uses fewer plastic components and a new cardboard box.
Sabrina Jordan, Virbac’s Equine Product Manager said: "The new cardboard component is a substantial step forward making the new packaging more environmentally friendly."
She added: "This new Equimax packaging has a fresh new look and is now available at wholesalers."
The new pass offers both physical and virtual tickets so that the practice rota doesn't have to stop any member of the team from attending.
BEVA says the new tickets also offer a saving of up to £113 per vet.
David Mountford, Chief Executive of BEVA said: “We know that not every vet at a practice can attend congress every year because someone is always going to have to stay behind and work.
"So, by offering a mix of physical and virtual tickets in the pass it means those staying at home to look after the practice can still benefit from the live stream as well as the six-month access to all the lectures afterwards.
"Congress always contains plenty of relevant and dedicated content for nurses, so the pass obviously includes nurse tickets too.”
Practice Passes are available for BEVA members in three packages: small (£599), medium (£1,333) and large (£2,666).
Individual early bird BEVA member prices are £499 for vets and £187 for vet nurses for all three days (with concessions available for those in their first three years’ post-graduation or on a lower salary).
Practice Passes and early bird tickets are available to purchase until Monday 1 August 2022.
Day tickets are also available.
Virtual tickets are £199 for vets and £40 for nurses.
For more information, or to book tickets, visit http://www.bevacongress.org
To claim the free product, visit www.daxocox.co.uk/trial and use the stock selector to pick the dose sizes to suit the patients you think Daxocox could help.
Animalcare Marketing Manager James Beaumont explained: “When you consider that recent data shows that up to 20% of dogs over one year of age could have some form of OA1, the scale of problem becomes clear – as does the threat to the welfare of our canine companions from OA pain.
“Owners already giving Daxocox to their OA-affected pets, have seen first-hand how it can significantly improve their quality of life.
"90% said that their dog’s osteoarthritis improved, with 84% reporting that their dog’s quality of life improved from “poor or fair” to “good, very good or excellent.”2
James added: “In a study carried out by Animalare, 88% of owners said that weekly NSAID dosing would be easier to remember, or mean they were less likely to miss a dose or that it would control their dog’s pain more effectively.3
“Used as a first line treatment for OA, Daxocox can provide a solid foundation to long-term pain management that suits vets, dogs and their owners.
"As such, we’re confident that once practices have tried it, it will become their canine OA NSAID of choice.”
For more information, visit www.daxocox.co.uk
References
For the randomised controlled trial, 528 dairy heifers were monitored for 34 months to investigate the effects of routine treatment with a NSAID at calving and during treatment for lameness, on the future probability of lameness and culling.
The cows were exposed to normal farm conditions and were split into four groups:
During the study, the probability of lameness was assessed by a lameness outcome score collected every 14 days.
Data on culling was also extracted from farm records.
438 animals were included in the final analysis which revealed that treating a cohort of cows following the group three protocol led to an absolute reduction in lameness of approximately 10% and severe lameness of 3%, compared with animals treated in accordance with conventional best practice (group one).
James Wilson BSc(Hons) PhD, foot health consultant and lead researcher on the trial, said: “It appears that through giving heifers a NSAID at critical time points, we have imparted a substantial, long-lasting benefit to them.
"When freshly calved heifers enter the herd for the first time, we understand that they are (typically) naïve to lameness and have good hoof health.
"By utilising NSAIDs strategically, we believe that we have preserved the functionality of the foot, thereby reducing the risk of lameness.
"This is a highly efficacious, cost-effective means of managing lameness on farm.”
Herd Health Consultancy says that in dairy cows, it is advisable to consider using a zero milk-withhold NSAID which is fully licensed to treat lameness in cattle to avoid any need to discard milk, however no NSAID is currently licensed in the UK to treat the pain associated with calving, so careful advice should be given to farmers based on the farm type and production methods.
https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2021-21329
Open to everyone in the profession, Congress '24 will include over 130 hours of CPD across 32 different modules covering topics such as advanced diabetes, dermatology, nursing clinics, EDI and more.
The programme format caters to a variety of learning styles, from lectures and panel discussions to interactive sessions and free CPD workshops.
There'll be over 120 exhibitors in three commercial exhibition, offering insights into some of the latest industry innovations, from pharmaceuticals to cutting-edge equipment.
Andy Green, Chair of the Congress Committee said: "We know it's a significant commitment for individuals to give up one to three days, plus travel time, to join us, and we don't just aim to educate; we want our attendees to enjoy the experience.
"Our aspiration is not just to meet their expectations but to exceed them.
"The veterinary profession faces challenges, but we have so much to celebrate, and what better place to come together with many like-minded individuals to remind yourself why you wanted to be in this profession in the first place."
Early bird registration is open until 31st January, and prices start at £93 +VAT for BSAVA members for a one-day pass.
www.bsavacongress.com
The day-long CPD course will everything from routine neutering and vaccination, to common presentations like gastrointestinal stasis, renal disease and osteoarthritis, through to more advanced surgical challenges, such as the management of auricular and dental abscesses, liver lobe torsion and small intestinal obstructions.
The day will be divided into lectures given by Marie and Richard, starting with the more common clinical scenarios before extending into the more challenging cases.
Delegates are also invited to prepare any tricky cases to discuss in an open session at the end of the day.
The course costs £300 per delegate, including tea, coffee and buffet lunch plus electronic course notes.
https://evolutionexoticsreferrals.co.uk/cpd-booking-form
The series will start on Sunday February 27th when Katie Ford MRCVS, who is also a life coach, will discuss the benefits of 'gratitude practice' in a 'Facebook Live' session starting at 8:00pm.
Thereafter, there will be a further seven 30-minute sessions:
Liz Barton, co-founder of WellVet, said: "We were blown away by the positive response to the Winter Wellbeing series and want to continue to build more tools and content to help people through what has already been a tough start to 2021. Our emphasis is on simple, practical, accessible tips to improve personal and team wellbeing.”
Emma McAnally, territory manager at Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health said: “Spring is the ideal time to hit refresh on your mental and physical wellbeing. So we felt that this series will help to shed the winter blues, re-energise the team and offer an opportunity for the veterinary community to come together and take forward positive wellbeing practices. We’re delighted to support WellVet again in bringing this Spring series to life.”
For further information on the WellVet Winter Wellbeing series and for details on how to join visit www.wellvet.co.uk.
The survey is conducted every four to five years and asks vets to answer questions about a variety of subjects including demographic data (for example, socio-economic background, educational attainment, race/ethnicity, disability), work-related data (for example, employment status, location of workplace, type of workplace, hours of work, position in practice) and information about professional achievement (for example, hours of continuing professional development (CPD) undertaken and extra qualifications earned).
The survey, which is conducted on the College’s behalf by the Institute for Employment Studies, also ask respondents about their views on different aspects of their profession, including career plans, challenges facing the profession, and wellbeing.
This year, the survey also asks for your view of the RCVS, including its values, how it should communicate, and what it should prioritise in future years.
Lizzie Lockett, RCVS CEO (pictured right), said: "The results of the Surveys form a very important ‘snapshot’ of the profession at a given point in time, but they also prove useful for years to come in terms of how the College develops its regulatory and educational policy, the areas it chooses to focus on and the issues it chooses to tackle.
"The ensuing reports are also used by a myriad of other individuals, such as those in academia, government and representative bodies, as well as journalists. It’s therefore really important that we have as accurate a picture as possible. So although completing the Surveys is entirely voluntary, we strongly encourage members of the professions to take the time to complete them. It will, ultimately, help the development of appropriate and supportive policies for your profession."
In addition to the main survey, there will be an additional survey for MsRCVS who practise overseas. This survey aims to better understand why they continue to retain their MRCVS status, what this status means in the countries in which they work, global attitudes towards the RCVS and how the College could improve its communication with them.