The British Veterinary Association has welcomed the European Parliament vote to improve the labelling of food, including new country of origin labelling and a requirement to label meat from animals slaughtered without stunning (according to certain religious traditions).
The BVA believes that all animals should be stunned before slaughter, for welfare reasons. However, as long as slaughter without stunning is permitted the BVA has argued for any meat from this source to be clearly labelled to enable all consumers to fully understand the choice they are making when buying such products.
Meat from slaughter without stunning currently enters the mainstream food chain without being labelled as such, leaving consumers unaware.
The European Parliament also voted to extend country of origin labelling to all meat, poultry, dairy products and other single-ingredient products as well as all meat, poultry and fish when used as an ingredient in processed food. Importantly, meat labels should indicate where the animal was born, reared and slaughtered.
The UK enjoys some of the highest animal welfare standards in the production of food and the improved country of origin labelling will allow consumers to make a more informed choice.
The BVA is calling for one clear EU welfare label that takes into account the welfare of animals use in food production from birth to slaughter, including the production system, transport and method of slaughter.
Professor Bill Reilly, President of the BVA, said: "This is a huge step forward in improving the welfare of animals at slaughter. The more consumers understand these issues, the more consumer power can make a difference.
"The BVA has argued for some time for meat from animals slaughtered without the more-humane method of stunning should be labelled as such and we are delighted that the European Parliament supports this view.
"However, there are many issues associated with the welfare of animals in food production and the BVA would like to see the development of a clear welfare label that consumers recognise as a mark of higher animal welfare.
"Currently there are too many different labels that mean different things, which can be confusing for shoppers. One higher welfare label would go a long way to improving consumer choice and animal welfare."
Annual renewal fees for veterinary surgeons will remain at the same level as in 2021: £364 for UK-practising members, £182 for members practising outside the UK and £60 for non-practising members.
The removal of the alternative fee payment arrangements means there will no longer be the option to pay in instalments and the fee needs to be paid in full by the usual deadline of 1 April.
RCVS Treasurer Niall Connell said: “We understand that many veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses will have been impacted financially over the last couple of years, and we appreciate that this has been a very difficult time for the professions.
"We are pleased that we are able to keep fees static for a second year running, whilst maintaining a strong programme of strategic projects that help to set, uphold and advance standards within the professions.”
The partnership is designed to help Petgevity policyholders make their cover go further by lowering ongoing medication costs, while keeping more of their insurance “claims pot” available for the unexpected.
Petscribers compares prices from government-accredited online pharmacies, offering claimed savings of between 30–50% on long-term or repeat prescriptions, which Petscribers says account for around 40% of ongoing claims.
Emma said: “As vets, we see firsthand how quickly a pet’s health can change and how fast the bills can stack up when it does.
"By helping owners save on regular medication, we’re protecting what really matters: their ability to afford care when their pet truly needs it.”
petscribers.co.uk
www.petgevity.co.uk
Photo: Emma Pemberthy (L) and Angela Jones (R)
Underlying the strategic plan are what the College says are its four updated values of compassion, collaboration, clarity and courage.
The plan lays out four strategic ambitions, each focused on one of its stakeholder groups, each one under the banner of 'Stronger Together'.
Veterinary professionals: "The RCVS will help veterinary professionals meet high standards and champion accessible, team-based veterinary care, delivered in settings that support professional autonomy and leadership."
This includes reviewing the Code of Professional Conduct and supporting guidance, achieving new veterinary legislation and ensuring that educational standards and career pathways meet the diverse needs of society.
Animal owners and keepers: "The RCVS will support animal health and welfare and public health by enabling access to veterinary care informed by the needs of consumers and service users."
This includes supporting and informing the public in how to get the best from veterinary professionals, with increased transparency, agency and choice.
Society at large: "The RCVS will champion the role that veterinary professionals play in One Health and public health, take a leadership role on environmental sustainability and biodiversity, and continue to look at how it can play a role in the global veterinary professions."
This includes leading the conversation on issues such as the cost of veterinary care, building enthusiasm for veterinary work in the minds of the next generation of potential professionals and ensuring veterinary professionals responsible for public health are well supported with robust standards and safeguards.
Staff team and governance: "The RCVS will attract and retain the diversity of talent and skills to deliver what’s needed now and anticipate what might be next and build a culture that allows people to thrive."
This includes developing an infrastructure for success, including the new RCVS headquarters, and underpinning structures for finance, communications and digital, creating a working culture with sound values and supportive management.
Lizzie Lockett, RCVS Chief Executive Officer, said: “The overall theme of the plan recognises that there are many other individuals and organisations that have a stake in our mission to inspire confidence in veterinary care and protect the public interest by ensuring animal health and welfare, and public health, are advanced through thriving world-class veterinary professions.
“This is where the ‘stronger together’ comes in, recognising that, in our role as a royal college that regulates, we are very well placed to bring people and organisations together to meet our common purpose of improved animal health and welfare and public health in a collaborative, proactive way.”
www.rcvs.org.uk/strategy25
Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica has re-launched its Vetmedin website: www.vetmedin.co.uk.
Boehringer says the new site has been designed as a resource for veterinary professionals to help educate clients with dogs suffering from congestive heart failure. It includes an animation about heart disease, together with hints, tips and videos covering exercise, diet, treatment and how to monitor the condition.
To support the relaunch of www.vetmedin.co.uk, Boehringer is offering veterinary professionals a £25 money-off voucher towards the NEW edition BSAVA Manual of Canine and Feline Cardiorespiratory Medicine. To qualify for the voucher you need to recommend www.vetmedin.co.uk to two separate dog owners being prescribed Vetmedin for congestive heart failure in their pets and then record any feedback at their next appointment. Faxback forms on which to record this feedback are being sent out to all vets around Valentine's Day but extra copies are available from Boehringer direct.
The company says a Vetmedin eCPD professional resource will also be launching on the new site later in the year, featuring an online radiograph viewer, technical dossiers and information on published studies such as QUEST.
For further information, please contact your Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica territory manager or call 01344 746959.
BCF Technology is offering up to 35% off a variety of ultrasound and x-ray equipment until the end of February.
The offers are available on x-ray generators and ultrasound products such as the Medison Sonovet R3, GE C5 and Zonare.
For more information, visit the BCF website: www.bcftechnology.com, or ring 01506 460023.
Offers end 24th February and are subject to availability.
The RCVS is hosting a free webinar at which it will explain changes to the guidance on 24-hour emergency care at 8.30pm on Monday 28 July.
Veterinary surgeons, veterinary nurses and other practice staff are all welcome to attend.
The webinar - 24/7 Emergency Care - A New Emphasis - will be led by RCVS Registrar and Head of Legal Services Gordon Hockey and Clare Tapsfield-Wright, former RCVS Council member and Chair of the RCVS Standards Committee. They will be explaining changes to supporting guidance of the Code of Professional Conduct and their impact on the responsibilities of practices and practice staff, as well as the public.
The changes to the guidance resulted from an extensive evidence-gathering process with both the profession and animal owners in respect of their expectations on the provision of 24-hour emergency veterinary cover.
The new supporting guidance, which was developed by RCVS Standards Committee after a thorough review of the evidence and approved in principle by RCVS Council in June, now places a greater emphasis on owners' legal responsibilities for the welfare of their animals as well as an obligation on veterinary surgeons to provide more information to clients about their out-of-hours service.
Furthermore, the new guidance will assist and empower vets to decline to attend an animal away from the practice when unnecessary or unsafe. The new guidance will be published online shortly.
To register for the free webinar, hosted by the Webinar Vet, please visit www.thewebinarvet.com/rcvs. A recording of the webinar will be made available to listen to again.
Vétoquinol - maker of Epiphen, the anti-epileptic phenobarbital for the control of epilepsy in dogs - has added a new client brochure and a fridge magnet to its Epiphen support packs, designed to help owners understand the condition and make it easier for them to comply with daily dosage requirements.
The new brochure is called What I need to know and is written for clients that have been prescribed Epiphen for their pet for the first time.
Abbie King, Product Manager for Epiphen, said: ''The inspiration for the new brochure came after spending time at the Animal Health Trust in Newmarket and realising how much information an owner needs to take in when their dog is diagnosed with epilepsy."
The new brochure covers the important information owners need to help them understand and manage their dog's epilepsy, including how Epiphen works, what they can do to help their dog, how to monitor seizures, where to find further information and frequently asked questions.
The Epiphen Treatment fridge magnet is designed as a quick reference guide to prescribing information that is needed every day when living with a dog with epilepsy. The magnet leaves space for the owner to write in their dog's name, dosage details and timings and their vet's phone number. Vétoquinol says it is especially helpful as a reference if more than one person is caring for the dog.
The new items enhance the existing Epiphen support pack, which comprises an owner manual, medication record and seizure diary, dog tags, seizure report pads, free serum level monitoring vouchers and a free, online resource at www.epiphenonline.co.uk
Vétoquinol also invites practitioners who are dealing with challenging cases to take advantage of its free Ask the expert scheme on 0800 169 8197 or email a case history to epiphen@vetoquinol.co.uk.
To order the new Epiphen support materials, ring 0800 1698197. Alternatively, visit: www.vetoquinol.co.uk to find out more.
Purina has launched a FortiFlora veterinary support pack designed to help veterinary professionals advice owners about their pet's intestinal health and balance.
The support package includes a "Training Toolbox" with Lunch and Learn sessions to help guide veterinary professionals through the introduction of Fortiflora to an owner. It explains the indications, ingredients, benefits and summarises the added value in prescribing to animals with specific health issues. In addition, there are leaflets for owners explaining what probiotics are and how they can help support a pet's intestinal health on a daily basis, as well as some testimonials from owners explaining how Fortiflora has helped their pets. Promotional bunting and posters are designed to raise awareness in the waiting room, and for a short time there is a promotional pillow pack available to allow clients easy access to a short course of FortiFlora.
In a recent survey of pet owners conducted by Purina, 66% of respondents said their dog had suffered with digestive problems and 80% said they would be willing to make a change to their dog's diet to improve their digestion.1
Purina says that providing a supplement such as FortiFlora is also recommended as a nutritional supplement to help with diarrhoea associated with stress, antibiotic therapy, diet change and acute enteritis. The company claims it can also help with situations associated with stress such as moving house, vet visits and shows.
Chris Nickson, Senior Brand Manager at Purina said: "Intestinal upset is a very common problem for dogs as our research highlighted. The aim of this support pack is to help vet practices initiate the conversation with owners to ensure they are aware of the benefits that a nutritional supplement like FortiFlora can offer."
FortiFlora is suitable for use in cats and dogs of all ages. Animals should be fed one sachet of FortiFlora per day sprinkled over the pet's regular food.
For more information or to request a FortiFlora support pack, call Purina on 0800 212 161.
Reference
Ridgeway Research Ltd has a surplus supply of short-dated Target IgG kits on special offer.
The kits are to test for passive transfer to foals via colostrum. Each kit contains 20 tests and normally costs £74. They have been reduced to £20 to clear. The use by date is end February 2010.
If you are interested, please email jo@ridgewayresearch.co.uk, or ring 01594 530809 for further information.
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
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.”
The roles were confirmed by Buckingham Palace this month as part of a recent review of royal patronages.
RCVS President Dr Sue Paterson FRCVS said: “We are delighted that His Majesty the King is our new Royal Patron, continuing his mother’s support for the veterinary professions.
“We know that His Majesty is a keen advocate for animal health and welfare, the environment and biodiversity, and so his interests align very much with ours in areas such as sustainability, tackling antimicrobial resistance, and in supporting veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses to best meet their professional standards.
British Veterinary Association President Dr. Anna Judson said: “We’re honoured to welcome His Majesty King Charles as our Patron.
"This ongoing royal commitment recognises the vital contribution vets make to animal welfare and their critical role in society, from taking care of the nation’s pets through to ensuring animal welfare in food production, public health and international trade.
"On behalf of our members, we’d like to thank His Majesty for his commitment to BVA, our profession and the work we do.”
According to the company, participating practices more than doubled the number of blood pressure checks they conducted, within 12 months.
The CVS’ clinical improvement project initially looked at how effective its first opinion small animal practices were in screening older cats for hypertension.
In line with the veterinary industry norm, it found that less than two per cent of cats over the age of seven were receiving an annual blood pressure check.
This initial research also found that the common barriers to conducting blood pressure checks by vets and veterinary nurses in practice were due to time constraints, availability of equipment and simply remembering to discuss blood pressure checks with owners.
Each CVS site chose two people to lead the initiative at their site, to aid communication and delivery.
A document was created to help, providing background, aims, summary of resources and planning sections.
Contributory factors preventing delivery of blood pressure checks were outlined and practices were encouraged to identify additional barriers and resources needed.
A suite of resources were then produced to support the practice team - from reception to veterinary surgeons - in improving annual blood pressure check rates.
The resources included new clinical frameworks and veterinary guidelines on how to treat hypertension; in-practice educational resources to highlight the benefits of hypertension screening and information sheets and blood pressure diaries to help clients manage their pets condition.
To upskill and develop colleagues in how to identify and treat hypertension and resulting conditions, a collection of training materials was created and training sessions held.
These included a series of webinars which explained why hypertension is important to identify, how to overcome common challenges encountered when looking for hypertension in cats, how to use the ophthalmic exam to help diagnose hypertension and how to treat hypertension.
Three in-person CPD days were hosted with the support from Ceva six months into the project where feline specialists Sarah Caney and Samantha Taylor shared the latest evidence base in this field and practices were encouraged to share barriers, queries and tips, so that ideas could be taken away to make blood pressure screening a simpler process in practice.
Practices were also encouraged to organise lunch and learn CPD sessions, to share best practice and generate discussion within their team.
In addition, a website was created to host all resources in one place, including webinars, clinical frameworks, client resources, a discussion forum and data.
An audit of each participating practice’s blood pressure check data was conducted at the start of the project.
Results were then shared with each participating practice every month - including the total number of blood pressure checks performed each month and the percentage of cats over the age of seven who had an annual blood pressure check.
Twelve months after its nation-wide launch, results reveal that the number of blood pressure checks have more than doubled (110%) within participating CVS practices and an additional 5,984 blood pressure checks have been performed year on year.
A number of practices were able to implement systems that allowed them to perform over 40 blood pressures each month.
The number of cats on amlodipine (the first choice medication to treat hypertension in cats) increased by 303 patients year-on-year, hinting many more cats had been diagnosed with hypertension.
Kate Allgood, Hub Clinical Lead at CVS who was responsible for the hypertension clinical improvement project, said: “There is a huge benefit in treating hypertension.
"No one wants to see a cat suddenly become blind due to hypertension that wasn’t recognised in time.
"So many associated longer-term feline complications and conditions can be avoided if annual blood pressure checks in cats over the age of seven are routinely performed.
"Increasing blood pressure screening is not a simple task though, and this focus has allowed space and time for practices to give this topic the recognition it deserves; to identify and implement systems that make it easier to identify patients at risk, discuss with clients and perform these checks with ease.
"We have created a robust clinical structure, produced some easily accessible materials and supported our practices to make small and simple changes that add up.
"Our practices have done an outstanding job at delivering this project to date and I look forward to seeing what can be achieved in the future. We strongly believe that this work will contribute towards providing some of the best clinical care for cats in the veterinary profession.”
The programme covers everything from diagnostic imaging and ophthalmic emergencies to using echocardiography to help with day-to-day decision-making in practice.
SCVS says the programme has been made possible by the addition of a new lecture theatre during SCVS’s recent expansion, which was supported by the hospital's owners IVC Evidensia.
Stephen Collins, SCVS Hospital Director and IVC Evidensia’s National Cardiology Lead, said: “We’re proud to announce one of the UK’s most comprehensive CPD programmes and share the vast knowledge that our specialist team has with the rest of the veterinary community.
“Our programme is packed full of informative and practical sessions that every vet can benefit from - whether that’s specialist skill development or improving everyday advice and practices in clinic.”
A full list of CPD events is available here: https://www.ivcevidensiareferrals.com/events-and-cpd.
www.scvetspecialists.co.uk
Intervet/Schering-Plough has announced that the license for Leptavoid-H has been improved allowing concurrent use with Bovilis BVD.
Intervet/Schering Plough says that given both vaccines are typically administered in the busy pre-turnout period, this will ease on-farm workload and should help to ensure that all primary courses or boosters take place sufficiently in advance of the period of risk.
Each vaccine is to be given by separate routes and sites, to animals of 8 months or older. The concurrent use in cattle may result in fewer animal interventions, less stress and better welfare.
The studies, undertaken by Intervet/Schering Plough's R&D division in the UK, focussed on both the safety and efficacy aspects of the concurrent administration of Leptavoid-H with Bovilis BVD. The company says no systemic adverse events occurred, there was no effect on the outcome of pregnancy or milk yields and the efficacy in cattle was not compromised.
Leptavoid-H is licensed to reduce the shedding of Leptospira interrogans serovar hardjo in urine. Leptavoid-H is the only Leptospirosis vaccine licensed to improve herd fertility when Leptospira hardjo is the cause of herd infertility, and the only vaccine proven to protect stock against both strains in the UK.
Six individuals have been announced as the winners of the second annual Ceva Animal Welfare Awards, honoured for their contributions to the prevention and reduction of animal welfare problems in the UK and abroad.
All winners were originally nominated by friends, colleagues or family. The judging panel consisted of panel chairman and veterinary surgeon Chris Laurence MBE, Ross Tiffin of the International Cat Care (formerly the Feline Advisory Bureau), Dennis Baker, OBE, Chief Executive at Wood Green, the Animal Charity and media vet, Joe Inglis. Marc Abraham also assisted in the Volunteer categories.
Dr. Pascal Raoul, Ceva's Head of Global Pharmaceuticals, said: "Ceva is delighted to host these Animal Welfare Awards as they help to highlight the incredible affection and care that people have for animals. With 6 billion people living in megacities in the future, companion animals will often be their major link to nature. The benefits that animals have on improving human health are well documented; in turn we all have a duty to protect them and this evening we have seen some of the best examples, from professionals, members of the public, young and old as to how that should be done."
Timothy Phillips, a Plymouth-based vet from the Elm Veterinary Group (above right), was awarded the Chris Laurence Vet of the Year Award for his 15 years of charitable work in the Greek Islands with Friends of the Strays of Greece. Tim performs surgeries and other treatments, helping to establish a re-homing system, with dogs fully vaccinated and declared healthy by the vets before being flown out of Greece.
Veterinary Nurse Scott Parry of Bridge Veterinary Surgery was awarded Welfare Nurse of the Year for his work with the RSPCA's Brent Knoll Animal Centre. Scott has spent hours of his own time raising funds and helping with the rehabilitation of a number of traumatised dogs. He also recently assisted in an RSPCA visit to a travellers' camp to vaccinate more than 50 dogs following an outbreak of Parvo Virus on the site.
Other award winners included Logan McKerron, aged 6, who was awarded Young Person of the Year for his fundraising for Hearing Dogs for Deaf People; Kim Taylor, co-founder of the charity Animal Care Egypt, was awarded the Charity Professional of the Year accolade for her work setting up a large animal hospital helping more than 26,000 animals every year; Faye Stacey of People4Ponies in Devon was awarded the UK Volunteer of the Year Award for the large part she has played in stopping ear cutting, notching and tagging of equines in the UK; Jen White has been named International Volunteer of the Year for her work with the Gambia Horse and Donkey Trust.
The BVA is now reaching out to non-members with a three-month, no strings attached, free trial. The offer ends on 31 August.
Over the past few years the BVA membership package has changed significantly in response to the needs of veterinary surgeons across the UK at all stages of their careers.
Harvey Locke, BVA President, said: "The well-documented stresses that put members of our profession at risk of mental health problems are unacceptably high. With their focus on conflict resolution and individual support, however, we hope the BVA legal services will come to be seen as a safety net for BVA members should things go wrong at work.
"These kinds of employment issues can be hard to talk about so we hope by highlighting a few stories it will encourage others to seek the help they need from the BVA.
"The three-month free trial is an opportunity for the BVA to reach out to non-members and show them the impact of our complete membership package - from the legal and employment services and free and discounted CPD to our popular publications and money-saving financial services."
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
Speakers at the free event will include feline expert Dr Andy Sparkes, BVetMed, PhD, DipECVIM, MANZCVS, MRCVS and the immunologist who led the Purina research behind Liveclear, Dr Ebenezer Satyaraj, PhD.
Andy will address the consequences of feline allergy. He says that in majority of cases, cat-allergic owners will choose to tolerate ongoing symptoms of allergy, rather than relinquish their cats, even when they have severe symptoms.
Ebenezer will talk about the research behind Pro Plan Liveclear and how it will allow veterinary surgeons and nurses to help support these clients.
Libby Sheridan, MVB MRCVS, Purina Veterinary Technical Affairs Manager, UK & Ireland said: "This innovation is safe for cats who continue to produce the major cat allergen, Fel d 1, which is found mainly in the cat's saliva and sebaceous glands.
"Our researchers found that the Fel d 1 protein could be neutralised through feeding a nutritious cat food coated with an innovative egg product ingredient containing anti-Fel d 1 antibodies1 which helps reduce the active allergen transferred to hair and dander during grooming, and ultimately helps reduce active Fel d 1 in the environment.2
"Now the science has resulted in a commercially available product that could have a big impact on the quality of life of the cat and their owner. We'll be sharing the research behind this at the symposium so that clinicians can evaluate the potential benefits."
Any member of the practice team can register for the event at www.veterinarywebinars.com/purina, and will be entered into a prize draw to win an iPad. There will also be a number of goody bags available as additional prizes.
More information about the science is available at www.purinainstitute.com.
Recent graduate, Sophie Gumble, from Head & Head Vets in Helston, Cornwall, has won a week for two in a luxury cottage in Cornwall.
Sophie won the prize after entering a draw run by Vetlife at the Veterinary Defence Society recent graduate meetings and the SPVS Lancaster Final Year Students’ Seminar last year.
The competition is run annually to raise awareness amongst younger members of the profession about the support that Vetlife provides through its support services: Vetlife Health Support, Vetlife Helpline and Vetlife Financial Support.
The prize, which was generously donated by former Vetlife Director Nicky Paull, will be offered again at the VDS reunions in 2016.
Sophie said: "I am a 2014 Liverpool graduate from Herefordshire, who entered the competition at the VDS reunion. The weekend was very useful and a great opportunity to catch up with friends and revive crazy dance moves!
"It has been a big move down to Cornwall. The busy life of a new vet, coupled with many weekends racing up the M5 to help with the family farm, has meant I am yet to really get the chance to enjoy and explore what the county of pasties and Poldark has to offer! I am excited to now have the chance to explore new parts of this wonderful county!"
Ceva Animal Health has launched a new TV advertising campaign to raise awareness of the benefits of the veterinary behavioural product, Feliway.
The new advertisement, features the new 'Feliway' purple cat playing happily in the home with its family.
The advertisement will appear on the major UK channels including More 4, E4, ITV 1, Sky Channels and the Discovery Channel for one week from 16th September 2013, with an additional three weeks coverage during October 2013. Behind the scenes' footage of the filming of the advertisement can also be viewed on the Feliway YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtAXd5mReYc6JGufxRirvng?feature=watch
A Feliway video on demand and YouTube campaign will be available to viewers between 16th September 2013 and 21st October 2013 and will be repeated between 15th November 2013 and 2nd December 2013.
An Adaptil video on demand campaign will be aired between 21st October 2013 and 11th November 2013 to raise awareness of Adaptil in the run up to and during the firework season. The video on demand will be available across ITV player, Sky Anytime On Demand, 4oD and YouTube.
For more information, call 01494 781510 or contact your local Ceva territory manager.
Two veterinary surgeons from the Animal Health Trust have won international awards for outstanding work in diagnostic imaging at 16th International Veterinary Radiology Association (IVRA) meeting held in Bursa Turkey.
Dr Sue Dyson, Head of Clinical Orthopaedics at the AHT, was awarded the IVRA J Kevin Kealy Award, which recognises members of the IVRA who have made substantial, scientific contributions to veterinary radiology.
The Award, established in 2003, is named in honour of Emeritus Professor J. Kevin Kealy, organiser of the first meeting of the IVRA, the first President, and an Honorary Member of the Association.
Sue has lectured internationally and published more than 200 refereed papers in scientific journals, as well as being a major author and editor of four books. On receiving the award, she said: "I was hugely surprised to receive this award and feel extremely honoured."
Past president of the IVRA, Peter Lord, said: "It is hard to imagine that equine diagnostic imaging today would be the same without the contributions of Sue Dyson and her colleagues. She is an outstanding recipient of the J Kevin Kealy Award."
Ruth Dennis, Head of Diagnostic Imaging (pictured above right), was awarded the European Association of Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging (EAVDI) Douglas and Williamson Award, established in 1983, to recognise outstanding achievement within the field of veterinary diagnostic imaging.
Ruth was President of the EAVDI between 2000 and 2002 and her long standing contributions to the association have been recognised with this award.
Ruth said: "I am very honoured to receive this award, especially since, as a vet student in Cambridge in the late 1970s, I was taught by Sidney Douglas and David Williamson, who were pioneers of veterinary radiology."
Nuria Corzo-Menendez, current EAVDI President, said: "Ruth's contributions to veterinary diagnostic imaging are vast and we will always be grateful for such great additions to our field."
The new Aberdeen clinic will be based at Ardene House Veterinary Hospital, Kingswells in Aberdeen and will provide the out-of-hours cover for a number of veterinary practices in the Aberdeen area, treating their clients' pets at nights, weekends and bank holidays.
Vets Now was founded in 2001 when vet Richard Dixon, saw a gap in the market for not only providing an alternative to the 'on call' service which vets are required to provide by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, but to providing a dedicated emergency service for pets, similar to A & E for humans. Vets Now now treats around 100,000 small animal emergencies every year with clinic teams working purely out-of-hours, to ensure that they are always fresh and ready to provide life saving treatment to pets who are injured or critically ill.
Richard said: "Vets Now has a clinic in Edinburgh and we have recently opened the first of our Vets Now Hospitals in Glasgow which combines emergency care with a range of specialist referral options, serving the whole of Scotland so we're looking forward hugely to extending our service in Scotland by bringing the dedicated emergency service to Aberdeen."
Vets Now will be working with Ardene House Veterinary Hospital, Abervet, Ashgrove Veterinary Centre, Bridge Veterinary Group and Swan Veterinary Practice to deliver their Out Of Hours emergency care.
Veterinary practices who would like to find out more about using the new Vets Now service in Aberdeen should contact Vets Now on 01383 620064.
The route covers a distance of approximately 400 miles.
Oscar said: “My goals for the event are to raise awareness about mental health within the veterinary profession and demonstrate how being in the countryside can boost wellbeing. Along the way, I’m keen to fundraise as much as possible for Vetlife.
“Vetlife has done so much for the veterinary profession with regards to making mental health support more accessible.
"Having that knowledge that they are there personally provides a lot of comfort in what can sometimes be quite a lonely and isolating profession.”
Fellow cyclist and Vetlife trustee Danny Chambers said: “I know how painful it is to cycle up Cheddar Gorge in North Somerset, so I am in awe that Oscar is cycling a 400-mile route around that terrain to visit every vet practice in Somerset in 2 days.
"I’m sure in his brief visits to each practice he’ll get a warm welcome and some sustenance to help him along to his next pit stop!
"Thank you to Oscar for his enthusiasm and support.”
Oscar is inviting others in the veterinary community to join sections of the journey along the way.
For more information on how to get involved with the cycle, visit the Somervet Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1930480070643515.
Donate to the fundraiser via the Somervet JustGiving page: https://www.justgiving.com/page/ride-somervet