First, the practice carried out an infection control audit to ensure its protocols were robust.
The audit covered the cleaning of clinical areas, non-clinical areas (including offices, reception desks, kltchens and bathrooms), and the personal hygiene of staff members (including hand hygiene and work wear).
Using using the Nationwide Laboratory practice cleanliness screening programme, Rosemullion then conducted environmental swabbing of 10 clinical and non-clinical areas around the practice, including theatre tables, kennels, telephones and door handles, to review contamination levels.
Results showed varying levels of bacterial contamination in both clinical and non-clinical areas.
Finally, Rosemullion assessed personal hygiene and the potential for cross-contamination between patients, colleagues and the environment.
Staff were asked to complete an anonymous ‘Hygiene Self-assessment Questionnaire’ which covered ten areas, including; disinfecting hands; wearing gloves, scrubs with short sleeves and dedicated work shoes, and changing into uniforms when arriving at work.
Amongst clinical staff, there was a 66.75% compliance.
The team then discussed the results, consulted a lab microbiologist and formulated an improvement plan, which included updating the practice cleaning processes (including the cleaning of new touch points), introducing new colleague uniform rules (including changing into uniform upon arrival at work), improving hand hygiene (including providing hand gels for all colleagues) and using sanitising wipes in all office areas.
One month after the policy revisions, swab tests were repeated. They found no bacterial growth in any of the 10 previously swabbed areas.
After two months the colleague questionnaire was run again.
It found clinical colleague compliance over eight personal hygiene indicators had jumped from 66.75% to 92.5% compliance.Abi Redfearn, Senior Veterinary Nurse at Rosemullion, said: “When we opened in 2021, we were keen to monitor our infection control - as part of providing a hospital level of care under the RCVS Practice Standards Scheme.
"With around 100 colleagues and hundreds of patients passing through our doors every week, we are an extremely busy practice – so infection control is paramount in maintaining high clinical standards.“By updating our protocols and taking simple steps - such as providing sanitising materials in high-touch areas – we’ve significantly decreased the risk of environmental contamination.
"Our project is now being used as an example to encourage other practices.”
Merial has launched Merilym 3, the first Lyme disease vaccine available in the UK.
Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne disease in Europe and there has been an increase of over 300% in the number of reported human cases in the UK since 20011. Caused by infection with bacteria from the Borrelia burgdorferi group, the disease is transmitted by Ixodes spp. ticks.
Merial says the vaccine contains inactivated antigens from Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto, Borrelia afzelli and Borrelia garinii, so provides broad spectrum immunity against infection. Vaccination with Merilym 3 induces high levels of antibodies against a key bacterial antigen, which are ingested by the tick during blood feeding and subsequently bind to the bacteria in the tick gut, reducing the risk of transmission from the tick to the host.
For use in dogs, the vaccine can be administered to puppies from 12 weeks old, with a primary vaccination course of two injections, three weeks apart, followed by annual boosters. It is available in packs of 10 doses.
For more information, speak to your local Merial Territory Manager.
Reference
Revozyn RTU, which contains 400 mg/ml Penethamate hydriodide, is the first ready-to-use injectable narrow spectrum Penethamate on the UK market. It can also be used to treat relapses of old infections.
Dechra says that the intramuscular injection works by diffusing through the blood vessels and accumulating in the udder tissue and milk, treating the whole udder effectively. Apparently the new formulation also features an ion trapping mechanism that results in high Benzylpenicillin concentration in milk and udder tissue.
Revozyn RTU comes in a 50ml multi dose vial. It has a 28-day shelf life after first use and has withdrawal periods of four days for milk and 10 days for meat and offal.
Dechra Brand Manager Emma Jennings said: "The treatment and control of mastitis is one of the largest costs to any dairy farmer. It affects productivity and cow welfare and we are delighted to be able to introduce this revolutionary product.
"Revozyn RTU can change the way that clinical and subclinical mastitis in dairy cattle is treated. Its narrow spectrum of activity means that the risk of antibiotic resistance is reduced and there is no need for additional animal handling, thereby saving time and protecting user safety.
“The flexible dosing of Revozyn RTU and 28-day shelf life also make it a cost effective option for farmers".
For more information, visit www.dechra.co.uk.
The article points towards the corporatisation of the profession, with 51% of practices now owned by private equity groups and 67% belonging to a group of three practices or more, as the main driver for an increase in vets' fees of over twice the rate of inflation between 2015 and 2020.
However, what the article focuses on, which is the issue of complex and very expensive treatments for pets, is a multifactorial problem which cannot be entirely blamed on corporatisation.
At its heart lie advances in science which now allow vets to offer ever more complex treatments and diagnostics which, when used in human medicine to prolong a human life might sometimes seem expensive, but when used to prolong the life of a dog, can occasionally seem a bit bonkers.
Indeed the article does point towards over-treatment being partly driven by 'celebrity vets advocating increasingly complex surgeries'.
Then there's the fact that both parties to the transaction are often heavily invested in the idea of doing whatever can be done to save the dog: the pet owner, who has anthropomorphised their pet since they first collected it, and the vet, who's entire career has been dedicated to doing their best for the patient in their care.
Then of course there's the inflationary effect of insurance on treatment.
After all, if the animal is insured, why wouldn't you throw the kitchen sink at it?
Things are complicated by the difficulty in estimating the cost of veterinary treatment at the outset, when so much depends on the unknown outcome of diagnostic tests, the progression of disease and the success or failure of treatment. It's not like quoting for a new exhaust system.
There's also the inflationary effect of the increasingly litigious and socially litigious world we live in. It would be no surprise if veterinary surgeons have become more likely to test for everything, when the consequences of missing something is a soul-destroying trial by social media.
And finally, there's the subjective value of money.
Nevertheless, the Daily Mail has a point.
Selling any product or service is about meeting clients' and customers' needs.
If you keep increasing the price of your product range until all you can offer is a Rolls Royce, sooner or later you're going to price yourself out of the market.
One other lesson for the profession from that article: 'No comment' is not a good look for a caring profession.
David, who was assisted by Dan Kenny and Kat Grzywa MsRCVS, said: “Penny presented with suspected ascites, given a large volume of peritoneal effusion. Her abdomen was very swollen and taut
“We performed a contrast-enhanced CT scan with an iodine-based contrast to help highlight the areas of the body we needed to examine and the results were startling.
“The mass was enormous. It almost completely filled the abdomen.”
CT images showed that the mass had originated in the right kidney, which had been displaced into the left side of the abdomen, and also compressed the rest of Penny’s internal organs.
There was no evidence of metastatic disease.
David added: “A right ureteronephrectomy was performed and the large cystic parts of the tumour were dissected free from the omentum, the peritoneum and the retroperitoneal vasculature.
“The surgery was really difficult because the mass was so large and heavy, and it required extra surgeons to hold and manipulate the mass, while its vasculature was dissected and ligated.
“The weight of the mass on the diaphragm also made the anaesthesia challenging but surgery went very well.
"Once the surgery was over, the weight of the mass was confirmed at nearly 5kg.
“Penny made a good recovery from the anaesthesia, her blood renal parameters remained normal throughout her recovery, and she was discharged 48 hours later. Histopathology later confirmed the mass to be renal carcinoma.”
Corona Detect is a first-line screening tool for detecting exposure to feline coronavirus (FCoV). It can be coupled with the Idexx FIP Virus RealPCR to follow up coronavirus-positive cats exhibiting clinical signs suspected to be FIP. The Idexx FIP Virus RealPCR evaluates for mutations of feline coronavirus to the pathogenic FIPV biotype.
Idexx says that this new two-tier diagnostic approach will help veterinary surgeons rule out or positively diagnose FIP, a condition which has hitherto been extremely difficult and frustrating to diagnose.
Simon Wootton, Idexx’s Companion Animal Group’s Northern European Marketing Manager said: "FIP is a terrible disease, so being able to screen and either confirm or rule out exposure to FCoV is an important additional step in the diagnosis options available to vets. With the ability to screen in minutes, practitioners will be able to decide whether to perform confirmatory and potentially invasive tests for the specific FIPV mutations. This obviously brings benefits to aid pet owners."
Further information is available on the company’s website – www.idexx.eu
The hearing concerned three separate charges against Mr Mallon. The first charge related to his treatment of a Labrador named Bailey on 15 September 2016 in which he was alleged to have euthanased the animal without the owner’s consent, after having been called out to her home following concerns about Bailey’s arthritis.
The second charge related to failure to keep adequate clinical records for Bailey between 14 March 2015 and 30 September 2016.
The third charge related to failing to respond adequately to communications regarding Bailey’s treatment from his owner between 15 September 2016 and 6 January 2017.
At the outset of the hearing, Mr Mallon admitted the charge relating to keeping inadequate clinical records. However, he disputed the College’s evidence regarding euthanasing Bailey without his owner’s consent. He claimed to have had previous discussions with the owner’s husband about euthanasia six months prior to the event, that he had been informed that the owner had mentioned a possible need for euthanasia in a phone call earlier that day and that, on attending the premises, the owner’s mother had mentioned a need to put Bailey down. During the course of the hearing, Mr Mallon accepted that these incidents could not have reasonably amounted to consent.
The Committee also heard and accepted evidence that the owner’s mother, who was present when Mr Mallon visited, had wished to contact her daughter to inform her about the planned euthanasia but that Mr Mallon proceeded to euthanase the animal regardless. The Committee also noted there was no contemporaneous clinical records nor any signed consent form for the procedure. Furthermore, the Committee found no evidence that there was a need to put Bailey down immediately and no reason why Mr Mallon could not have waited until the owner was present and had given consent.
Regarding the third charge, the Committee heard that the communications between Mr Mallon and the owner amounted to a telephone call on 15 September and a letter from the owner dated 16 September in which she asked a number of questions about Bailey’s treatment. The Committee accepted that, during the phone call, the owner had made a number of threats to Mr Mallon that had caused him to be fearful for himself and his property. Furthermore, the Committee found that there were a number of points in the subsequent letter to which he could have responded and the Committee noted that, when he was giving evidence, Mr Mallon expected the owner to apologise to him and withdraw the threats before he would engage with her complaint. The Committee therefore found the charge proved.
After finding the charges proved the Committee then went on to consider whether, individually and cumulatively, they constituted serious professional misconduct. It found this to be the case in respect of all three charges. Commenting on the first charge Jane Downes, chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: "He should have allowed the owner to come to an informed decision. He had an opportunity to obtain informed consent and he failed in this regard. By failing to take this opportunity he overrode the possibility of allowing [the owner] the right to choose whether to be present or to discuss Bailey’s prognosis."
The Committee then went on to consider the sanction for Mr Mallon and heard from a number of clients and professional colleagues who spoke to his skill, care, passion for animal welfare and high standing in his community. The Committee also considered 30 written testimonials from clients. In mitigation, the Committee also considered Mr Mallon’s otherwise unblemished 30-year career, the fact it was a single isolated event related to one animal and the fact that there was no evidence of systemic or repeated behaviour.
Jane Downes added: "The Committee concluded that the appropriate and proportionate sanction is a reprimand in this case. The Committee is confident that Mr Mallon will not repeat the conduct identified in this case again. The Committee wishes to advise Mr Mallon of the need to reflect on the outcome of this case, the need to have clear communication systems in place at this practice that are effective so as to avoid any possibility of miscommunication. The Committee further advises Mr Mallon of the need to be familiar and comply with all aspects of the Code [of Professional Conduct for Veterinary Surgeons] and its associated guidance, particularly in respect of keeping clinical records, informed consent and effective complaint management."
The independent practice, which was set up in 2010 by husband and wife team Richard and Sophie Aylett, will be a hard act to follow because not only did they achieve awards in all three areas for which they were eligible, but they were marked as "Outstanding" in all three.
For farm practices, the five possible awards are: Team and Professional Responsibility, Client Service, Advisory/Consultancy Service, Diagnostic Service and In-Patient Service. However, as an ambulatory first opinion farm animal practice, Meadows Farm Vets Ltd was only eligible for the first three awards.
Comments from the PSS Assessor included:
"Clinical governance was developing well in the practice. The recording of all surgeries in a file but also in an easy to see chart on the wall, colour coded re follow up was an excellent idea."
"Infection control & biosecurity were taken very seriously and all vehicles were immaculately clean & tidy."
"There was great support provided to new graduates and a comprehensive induction for new team members."
"The resources for farmers including written reports, training meetings, general meetings and comprehensive monthly newsletters were the best I have seen in a farm practice."
"The use and monitoring of a surgical checklist for all surgical procedures was impressive."
Practice Principal Sophie Aylett said: "We are extremely proud to have been recognised by the Royal College for our modern and innovative approach to farm practice. It has been a real team effort in working towards these Awards and we are very excited to be the first farm animal practice to have achieved all three Awards.
"To be marked as “Outstanding” in all three areas is testament to the great team of competent, confident and content vets and staff who are Meadows Farm Vets Ltd."
The CMA provisional decision was widely seen as less interventional than had been expected, largely demanding transparency over things like pricing, practice ownership and billing, which many practices had already implemented.
However, one provisional decision was that regardless of their status, all veterinary practices should inform owners that they can ask for a written prescription and explain that they may be able to have it fulfilled cheaper online.
Two of the largest online veterinary pharmacies are animed.co.uk, which is owned by CVS, and peddrugsonline, which is owned by IVC.
So in effect, the decision asked independent practices to direct their clients to competitor businesses.
What you might call a bitter pill to swallow.
In the light of the announcement, CVS issued a press release citing the "clarity" afforded by the CMA announcement and the fact that it does not think the CMA's proposed remedies will have a material impact, as factors behind its decision to seek a Main Market listing.
The company has also announced a £20m share buyback programme.
The company says Euthoxin 500mg/ml is a stronger dose than any other pentobarbital injection products currently available on the UK and Irish markets which means less volume per dose and a better return for veterinary surgeons.
Gareth Carr, commercial manager for Chanelle Vet UK, said: "Our aim is to support UK vets by offering high-quality products at competitive prices.
"We have developed Euthoxin with the veterinarian in mind to offer them a cost-effective, low-volume, reliable euthanasia for a wide spectrum of species."
Euthoxin 500 mg/ml launches officially on 3rd July and will be available from wholesale partners in vials of 100ml.
For further information, download the SPC here, visit www.chanellegroup.co.uk or contact your key account manager for information about a launch offer.
Only about a third of vets and a quarter of nurses believe in a God, according to a poll carried out amongst the members of www.vetsurgeon.org and www.vetnurse.co.uk
The poll offered four possible responses to the question: Does God exist? The results from 124 vets were:
Interestingly, the results were more polarised amongst vets than nurses. Fewer nurses described themselves as believers (24.4%) or atheists (39.5%), with many more describing themselves as agnostic (33.6%).
The VetSurgeon poll suggests that vets and nurses are less likely to believe in God than the general population. In 2004, a survey commissioned by the BBC found that 56% of Britons believed in God, and in 2005 a survey by the European Commission found that 38% of Britons believed in God.
When it comes to religion, it seems that vets have more in common with today's teenagers. A survey announced by Penguin books yesterday to mark the publication of 'Killing God' found that only 34% of those aged 13 to 18 believe in God.
Another survey in 2008 found that only 3.3% of Royal Society fellows believed in God, causing researchers to conclude that people with a higher IQ are less likely to have faith, a finding which tallies with a previous Gallup survey which showed that American postgraduate degree holders were less likely to believe in God than those who had been through high school only.
So, hard to tell whether the lack of belief in God amongst vets is due to superior intellect, or developmental problems!
Either way, good to see that the God complex is alive and well in the veterinary profession: 4.8% voted for the fourth option in the VetSurgeon poll, which was: "Don't be so silly, I AM God"
The reasons are: above average increases in veterinary salaries, advances in veterinary medicine which mean practices can now offer ever more complex but expensive treatments, veterinary practices becoming more business-focused and now charging fair prices for services that they have in the past subsidised, and the cost of providing out-of-hours care.
One reason for the increase in veterinary salaries is the fact that historically veterinary surgeons and especially nurses have been relatively badly paid, although for vets that was always mitigated by the expectation of practice ownership later in their career, something which is no longer a realistic prospect for many.
Veterinary salaries have also been driven higher by the reduction in EU vets coming to work in the UK post-Brexit, although the report shows that UK trained vets and vets from the rest of the world are starting to pick up the slack.
The BVA report says it recognises that it is 'challenging' for clients to accept that rising bills are in part because of increased salaries, but they need to increase further still, pointing to the fact that NHS consultants earn around £100K per annum after four years, whilst vets earn around half that.
The submission also points to developments in veterinary medicine and technology which allow for far better standards of care, but which come at increased cost, notably in advanced imaging, dental work and laboratory services which increasingly involves specialist input.
The BVA also highlights the fact that veterinary practices have become more business savvy, especially since the 1997 decision by the RCVS to allow people and organisations other than veterinary surgeons to own practices.
With that came an influx of business skills and a prioritisation of financial considerations.
Lastly, the report points to the ongoing burden of providing out-of-hours care.
Unlike in most European countries, British vets must provide 24 hour emergency first aid and pain relief to animals, the costs of which have increased considerably as practices which used to provide the service in house at a loss, have increasingly opted to outsource it to veterinary service providers which charge commercially realistic prices.
The submission also discusses the cost of prescriptions, noting how important it is that veterinary practices are able to charge for the time and work it takes to issue a prescription, which despite an above-inflation increase, still only costs around £18.
Finally, the BVA addressed the issue of transparency over practice ownership, saying that whilst it is not aware of any data concerning whether pet owners select a practice based on its ownership, it nevertheless "supports the principle of improved transparency of ownership to help increase customer awareness and enable consumers to make an informed choice".
British Veterinary Association President Anna Judson said: “In our submission to the CMA, we have explained the complex challenges facing the profession, alongside highlighting the value of veterinary care.
"The CMA’s review will provide valuable insights, but it is essential that any recommendations are informed with full knowledge and understanding of today’s veterinary landscape and the pressures the profession is operating under, including workforce shortages.”
COMMENT
In all, the submission seems a detailed and fair representation of the reasons for increasing veterinary costs, although there is no mention of the impact of the increasing regulatory burden (such as the cascade), other than, ironically, the need for more regulation at a practice level, as well as of individuals.
It will be very interesting to see what the Competition and Market Authority concludes.
After all, there is no reason whatsoever why veterinary practices shouldn't charge a price which reflects the costs of providing the service, or that veterinary professionals should not be paid reasonably for their knowledge, skills and experience.
The problem is that as the industry has started to charge a commercially viable rate for an increasingly higher standard of more advanced care, so the true cost of providing that care has become clear.
Maybe the industry is in danger of trying to sell a Rolls Royce service to marketplace of people who either can't afford or don't want to spend more than the cost of a Ford Focus.
If that is true, the only logical conclusion is that either society will have to accept that pet ownership is a luxury for a smaller group of people who can afford it, or the industry will have to adapt its offering, in other words offer a lower level of cheaper care in order that more people can experience the joys of pet ownership.
The latter of those will be ideologically challenging for a profession bound by its oath that "my constant endeavour will be to ensure the health and welfare of animals committed to my care", not to mention pet owners who often want the best that the profession can offer, despite not always having the wherewithal to pay for it.
https://www.bva.co.uk/media/5459/submission-to-cma-oct-2023.pdf
The RCVS has released the photograph of a man apprehended by Wiltshire police whilst working as a bogus veterinary surgeon at a practice in Swindon.
Peter Keniry, who had been practising under the name of a properly qualified and legitimately registered veterinary surgeon Shaun Kehoe, was arrested on 23 August and appeared in Swindon Magistrates' Court on charges of fraud and practising veterinary surgery unlawfully. He was released on bail.
Mr Keniry is no stranger to the College or the police, and has already been dealt with in 1998, 2001 and 2005 for similar offences. On each occasion, Mr Keniry has impersonated a member of the College whose name is legitimately on the Register, which makes it difficult even for practices that do check the credentials of prospective employees.
Gordon Hockey, Head of Professional Conduct and Assistant Registrar at the RCVS said: "We were alerted to the potential fraud on 23 August and immediately liaised with the police to facilitate Mr Keniry's arrest that same day. The next day, RCVS Council member Dr Bob Moore and I visited Swindon police station to assist the police.
"It appears that Mr Keniry has continued his pattern of re-offending, and we hope that by publicising his photograph any other practice that has employed him recently will recognise him and contact the RCVS Professional Conduct Department, and potential employers and locum agencies will keep his photograph to reduce the chances of this happening again."
The RCVS Professional Conduct Department can be contacted on: profcon@rcvs.org.uk or 020 7202 0789.
The one hour meeting will take place at 8:00pm on Wednesday 5th May. It will be recorded and available after the event. Simon will begin with a brief background to IR35 and how the system has worked historically. He will then explain what has changed and what the options are for locums (and the impact on their income). The meeting will consider things like the criteria that locums need to fulfill to qualify as sole traders, how to use CEST and alternatives to IR35. There will then be an opportunity to ask questions. All registrants are being invited to submit questions in advance, and the plan is that on the night, groups of four participants will be invited to put their questions to Simon together, in a sort of mini discussion. This'll be repeated as many times as possible within the hour. The meeting is the first in a series planned for VetSurgeon and VetNurse members to meet up, share ideas and make better connections with each other. To register, visit: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0rf-GurDIsGdP7UXuJn8TJChZiyXMbdKP_
For more information about Moore Scarrott, see: https://www.moore-scarrott.co.uk
The new product, which is for the management of any condition where eye health is supported by providing additional moisture or lubrication, is suitable for dogs, cats, horses, rabbits and other animals.
Oculeze contains glycerine (0.8%), Aloe vera, chamomile and propolis extract, the latter of which contains polyphenols which Millpledge says have been shown to support corneal health by multiple mechanisms of action including modulation of the tear film and a reduction in inflammation, apoptosis and oxidative stress1.
Millpledge says Oculeze lasts longer on the ocular surface than non-lipid lubricants2 because it evaporates more slowly3.
This prolonged action means fewer administrations, which should help client compliance.
Oculeze comes in two sizes - a 10 millilitre bottle and a pack of ten resealable 0.6 millilitre vials, suitable for short term use and travel.
The 10ml bottle includes a filter, preserving sterility for up to three months after opening.
Oculeze is available direct from Millpledge or from your usual wholesaler.
https://millpledge.com/shop/oculeze
sales@millpledge.com
References
The research, conducted with the Blue Cross, analysed data from over 2,000 UK dog owners and identified perceptual barriers to welfare reforms.
The study revealed that many owners normalise health issues associated with brachycephalic conformations, including breathing difficulties, eye conditions, and skin infections.
One in seven owners of extreme brachycephalic dogs said that 'nothing' could dissuade them from owning these breeds, particularly those with a strong preference for flat faces and those that did not believe brachycephaly reduced a dog’s lifespan.
Owners of extreme brachycephalic dogs, such as French Bulldogs, found the perceived trait of 'laziness' to be highly desirable, despite the fact that an inability to exercise is often a symptom of brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS).
The researchers propose a series of interventions to overcome these barriers and make campaigning more effective, including:
Dr. Rowena Packer, lead researcher, said: "Future strategies to tackle the brachycephalic crisis must do more than presenting purely health-based data in generic public locations, and instead, positively offering possible alternate breeds, myth-busting false beliefs and leveraging human stories of brachycephalic owners to have greater impact.
"Additionally, specifically targeting these messages on social media and puppy-selling platforms may increase their efficacy.”
Tranquinervin, which contains 10 mg/ml acepromazine, is indicated for anaesthetic premedication, tranquilisation and sedation.
Emma Jennings, Brand Manager at Dechra said: "Tranquinervin provides tranquillisation or a mild sedation for several hours, making it a valuable tool for many day-to-day veterinary scenarios.
"At low doses, acepromazine reduces anxiety which is beneficial for use in horses prior to shoeing or transportation. At higher dose rates, it is an effective sedative for use in situations like dentistry or handling. The relaxant effects also aid examination of the penis in horses and the treatment of tetanus and choke.
"There is also reduced anaesthetic risk reported following sole premedication with acepromazine in healthy horses1."
Tranquinervin is available in a 20 ml vial with a 56 day broached shelf life. It can be used in conjunction with Dechra’s equine anaesthesia and analgesia app which is designed to help you choose optimal anaesthetic protocols and calculate anaesthetic drug doses and administration rates quickly and easily.
For more information, go to: www.dechra.co.uk/products/equine
The pack includes a new leaflet written by the dog behaviourist, Gwen Bailey, and supported by Blue Cross, Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors (APBC), Wood Green, Puppy School, International Cat Care and Cats Protection.
The leaflet explains the signs of firework fears in both dogs and cats, how to keep pets calm and safe while fireworks are going off and the importance of ensuring that puppies become accustomed to loud and sudden noises gradually. It also highlights the benefits of pheromone support with Adaptil Calm Home Diffuser and Feliway CLASSIC Diffuser.
The company has also provided a leaflet holder, wall display, bunting and social media tool kit containing online banners, suggested social media posts, pet owner email text, PR and presentations.
Vouchers will be available for free Adaptil and Feliway for pet owners already purchasing product.
Abigail King, behaviour product manager at Ceva Animal Health said: "Our vibrant new fireworks marketing and display pack will help raise awareness of the signs of firework fears and the preventative measures that owners can carry out at home to help them keep their pets calm and safe during the fireworks season."
To request a copy of the fireworks marketing and display pack, contact your Ceva Animal Health territory manager or telephone 01494 781510.
Zoetis has announced the launch of Contacera (meloxicam) 15mg/ml oral suspension, a non-steriodal anti-inflammatory preparation for horses.
According to the company, meloxicam has been shown to hold advantages over Phenylbutazone for the alleviation of musculoskeletal inflammation and pain in horses over six weeks of age1,2,3,4.
Contacera can be mixed with food or syringed directly into the mouth to ensure compliance. It is available in 100ml or 250ml bottles, with a measuring dose syringe and a syringe adaptor. Contacera solution for injection is also available.
Penny McCann, Equine Product Manager, Zoetis UK Ltd, said: "Contacera is an exciting addition to our NSAID portfolio. Due to the potential clinical advantages of Meloxicam, Contacera gives vets an important additional option for NSAID management. It is a logical fit with the other products in our range and benefits from a choice of presentations."
For further information, contact your Zoetis Account Manager, visit www.zoetis.co.uk, or ring Zoetis' Customer Support: 0845 3008034
The RCVS Disciplinary Committee has agreed to adjourn multiple charges against an Essex-based veterinary surgeon who qualified in 1969, following his undertakings firstly to request removal from the RCVS Register and secondly never apply to be restored to it.
At the hearing, which had originally been listed for seven days, Geoffrey Raymond Oliver, 68, was charged with serious professional misconduct over allegations of his inadequate treatment of two dogs and a cat (belonging to three different clients) between 2010 and 2012; inadequate record keeping; failures to deal honestly or properly with his clients; and, failure to heed advice from the RCVS Preliminary Investigation Committee about the importance of proper communication between veterinary surgeons and their clients.
However, before the Committee heard evidence on any aspect of these charges, Mr Oliver lodged his application for adjournment. The Committee therefore made no findings on the charges, and emphasised they had neither been proved against, nor admitted by, him.
The Committee noted that there had been no adverse findings against Mr Oliver during his professional career, that his practice was now closed and that he had no intention of returning to practise in the future. Should he subsequently apply to be restored to the Register, the Committee would resume its consideration of the charges, along with his breach of the undertaking.
The Committee was advised that none of the complainants in the case - which could have incurred considerable time and costs - dissented from the proposed course of action.
Speaking on behalf of the Disciplinary Committee, its Chairman, Professor Peter Lees, said: "The Committee has concluded that no useful purpose would be served were it to insist on a full hearing [and it] would be a disproportionate waste of...resources [to do so]. The Committee is satisfied that [granting the adjournment application] protects the welfare of animals and...is in the public interest."
The Committee then accepted Mr Oliver's undertakings, including the removal of his name from the Register with immediate effect.
Professor Lees added: "So that he is in no doubt about the matter, the Committee reminds [Mr Oliver] that, when referring clients of his former practice elsewhere, he should be careful to avoid giving them any advice about the diagnosis or treatment of their animals."
Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica has launched Equisolon 33 mg/g oral powder, the first licensed oral prednisolone for the alleviation of inflammation associated with recurrent airway obstruction (RAO), otherwise known as heaves, in horses.
Clare Turnbull, equine brand and technical manager at Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica said: "Oral glucocorticoids are sometimes necessary for treating the inflammation associated with RAO. We feel it is important that when our customers need to use prednisolone for their cases, there is an equine specific product available to them that is easy to dispense and administer."
The company says Equisolon should be used in combination with environmental measures to treat RAO.
For further information on Equisolon, contact your Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica equine representative or call +44 (0)1344 746959.
Fitzpatrick says that the initial results from a study at the University of California Davis has shown a reduction of up to 40% in the volume of prostatic tumours following embolisation, along with significant improvements in the patient's quality of life (the ability to pass urine and faeces in particular)1. However, prostatic embolisation in veterinary patients has only been performed in a small numbers of centres globally and not previously in Europe.
Gerard McLauchlan (European and RCVS Specialist in Small Animal Internal Medicine, Fitzpatrick Referrals Oncology and Soft Tissue) first carried out the procedure in December 2018 and has since performed it on two more patients.
Fitzpatrick is now offering prostatic embolisation alongside targeted intra-arterial (IA) chemotherapy, a treatment which it has now given to over forty patients with urinary tract tumours in the past 24 months, leading to a reduction in tumour size of up to 30% and an improvement in clinical signs.
Gerard said: "We have been developing and refining new techniques for treating various cancers over the past two years at our oncology and soft tissue centre. Really excellent results have been seen so far in cases with prostate cancer treated with intra-arterial chemotherapy and embolisation is the next logical step for managing this condition.
"Prostatic embolisation has only been performed at two centres in the United States and has shown very promising results in terms of patients quality of life and overall survival.
"With a recent study documenting the mean survival of patient with prostate cancer receiving standard intravenous chemotherapy as being only 101 days these new techniques offer an amazing opportunity to truly change how we view and manage this condition."
EthyCalm is sprayed directly on the skin, or, for more fractious patients, can be applied with a swab.
Invicta says that unlike other products the effect is instant and EthyCalm leaves no residue on the skin surface.
The improved product, EthyCalm Plus, contains 50% more product (good for over 100 applications) and incorporates a new 'on-off' switch for easier application. It is also now packed in a 'no-roll' case to protect from damage.
Rob Watkins, Managing Director of Invicta, said: "EthyCalm has been an incredibly popular product with nurses and vets. As a small company we always listen to our customers and have taken the opportunity to incorporate suggestions for improvement. The result is EthyCalm Plus which offers significant enhancement over the original product".
EthyCalm Plus is available from veterinary wholesalers and for a limited time the price has been held at £25 each.
Dr Fures was convicted of driving with excess alcohol in the Dublin Criminal Courts of Justice in December 2018.
Later, when renewing his UK RCVS registration, Dr Fures told the RCVS Chief Investigator that on the day of his offence, he'd been on a flight from Frankfurt to Dublin which suffered engine failure, causing the pilot to perform a forced emergency landing in Amsterdam. There, he claimed, the passengers switched to an airworthy plane for the rest of the journey, during which he had several drinks to calm his nerves.
In a remarkably detailed and complex investigation, the RCVS Chief Investigator rang Lufthansa and discovered that the flight had not suffered engine failure and had flown direct from Frankfurt to Dublin without incident.
In May and July 2020, the RCVS Chief Investigator wrote to Dr Fures setting out the result of his investigations and research. In his responses Dr Fures accepted that his memory of the incident was wrong.
At the outset of the hearing Dr Fures made an application to the Committee enter into undertakings to voluntarily remove himself from the UK Register and to not apply to re-join. However, the Committee did not accept these undertakings in part on the basis that he was not of retirement age and intended to continue to practise in Ireland.
The Committee considered that if it were to accept his undertakings, then there would be no judgement or findings that could be passed on to the Veterinary Council of Ireland for consideration via its own disciplinary procedures.
Ian Arundale, chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: “The Committee decided that this is a case in which the public interest, confidence in the profession, and, potentially, the welfare of animals, demands that there be a full hearing, with determinations made by the Disciplinary Committee."
The Committee then went on to consider the facts of the case.
Dr Fures admitted that he had supplied the RCVS with false information about his conviction for drink driving but denied that this was dishonest at the time that he supplied the information. He accepted that the information he provided was wrong, in that his flight between Frankfurt and Dublin, while delayed by just over an hour, did not have to land in Amsterdam as he had previously claimed.
He said that his false statement was based on misremembering the circumstances and that he had genuinely believed his statement was true at the time it was made to the RCVS. He said that, due to shame over his conviction and the negative impact it had on the life of him and his family, he had created a false memory of the circumstances.
However, the Committee was not persuaded that there was any other explanation in this case, other than that Dr Fures deliberately and dishonestly gave false information to the RCVS, to excuse his behaviour.
The Committee then considered if the admitted and proven charges amounted to serious professional misconduct.
Ian said: “The Committee was of the view that Dr Fures’ actions in dishonestly giving false details to his regulator was serious. While it was the case that there was no actual harm or risk to animals arising out of his conduct, the Committee took into account that the dishonest account was given deliberately.
“In addition, it was sustained, in that it was relied upon and expanded upon on several occasions when the College sought further clarity. Dr Fures had the opportunity to correct the situation, and give the truthful account, but he did not do so. The dishonesty was designed to achieve personal gain to Dr Fures, in that he wished to minimise the actions which the College may take against him, and, in consequence, safeguard his career.
“Dr Fures’ action in dishonestly giving false information to his regulator struck at the heart of his obligation, as a registered professional, to be open and honest with his regulator. This obligation is necessary to allow the College, as regulator, to carry out its crucial and statutory functions in ensuring that it investigates concerns properly.”
In considering the sanction for Dr Fures, the Committee took into account the mitigating factors, including the fact that there were no previous regulatory findings against Dr Fures or any previous conviction for dishonesty, that he had demonstrated remorse for his actions, that there was no actual harm or risk of harm to any animal, that no concerns raised about Dr Fures’ practice, that there was no repetition of the dishonest conduct and that he had demonstrated some insight.
However, in terms of aggravating factors it considered that there was deliberate and sustained dishonesty and that he had sought personal gain as a result of his actions.
After considering various options, the Committee decided that a reprimand and warning as to future conduct was the most appropriate sanction for Dr Fures.
The full findings for the case can be found at: www.rcvs.org.uk/disciplinary
The Envirobed cubicle bedding study found that cow comfort is farmers' number one priority, rated 'very important' by 89% and 'quite important' by 9%. A close second, scoring 81% 'very important' and 13% 'quite important', was reducing mastitis bugs. Allied to this, number three was high absorbency bedding, scoring 71% and 16% respectively. Farmers taking part used a variety of different bedding materials.
The importance of reducing humidity in cow housing was also well recognised. To improve ventilation, ridge tiles have been removed by 38% and fans installed by 9% of farmers. Another 18% and 10% respectively are considering these two options.
Sally Russell from Envirosystems points out that keeping cows clean and comfortable doesn't need be compromised by this winter's shortage and high cost of bedding straw: "Although this is driving up the cost of sawdust and some other materials, there are exceptions.
"For example, some farmers with beef cattle and dairy replacements in straw yards are using a deep bed of Envirobed Original, made from 100% dried recycled paper. Others place a 15cm layer on the floor and top it off with straw.
"For cubicles, the usual material of choice is EnviroBed Premium, a blend of dried paper and kiln dried virgin wood sawdust. Per cubicle, the recommended daily quantity and cost are just 1kg at less than 10p."
Envirosystems says both materials are 95% dry matter and mildly alkaline 7.4 pH, helping create a dry and comfortable area that is unfavourable to disease organisms and fly eggs. They are also biodegradeable and compatible with all manure systems.
Envirosystems has given the findings of its research to farming unions, Dairy UK and AHDB Dairy with permission to use the data if it helps them promote an accurate and caring image of farming, contrary to misleading propaganda put about all too often by the industry's numerous critics.
Photo: Comfy Cow, copyright Ivor Davey