Tickets for BSAVA Alba, which will take place on 22nd – 23rd September at the MacDonald Inchyra Hotel near Falkirk, have gone on sale.

Open to all in the veterinary profession, the event offers up to ten hours of CPD,  and covers a range of topics such as orthopaedics, ECC, medicine, wellbeing, and education.

There will also be practical sessions to attend on both days on transfusions, CPR, and physio.

Speakers include:

• Ross Allan – Clinical Director of Referrals at Pets ‘n’ Vets, Glasgow
• Dr Rosie Allister – Vetlife and researcher at the University of Edinburgh
• Lara Brunori – ECVECC Small Animal Residency at Vets Now 24/7 Pet Emergency Hospital, Glasgow
• Emily Gorman – Senior ECC nurse and phlebotomist for the Pet Blood Bank
• Tobias Grave – ECC at Veterinary Specialists Scotland
• Professor Danièlle A. Gunn-Moore – Professor in Feline Medicine at Royal Dick School of Veterinary Studies and The Roslin Institute
• Luis Santos – Senior Clinician in veterinary anaesthesia at the University of Glasgow
• Charlotte Swarbrick – Senior Veterinary Physiotherapist and Teaching Associate
• Paul Wood – Programme Director for the veterinary school at Scotland’s Rural College

There's a commercial exhibition, and social events including the Ceilidh at the annual BSAVA PetSavers Gala Dinner on Friday evening.

Prices start at £85 +VAT for a day pass, with early bird rates offered to both BSAVA members and non-members until 27th July.

Additional discounts are available when sending the whole practice team.

https://www.bsavaevents.com/bsavaalba23/en/page/home 

Vetoquinol UK Ltd has launched a new flea and tick treatment for cats and dogs.

Flevox is a spot-on solution containing fipronil and comes in unique pack sizes of either single pipettes or large clinic packs of 36.

Product Manager Helen Walker said: "With only 55% of pet owners buying their flea and tick treatment from the vet, we recognise there is a huge opportunity to develop and grow this essential market.  In the modern age the consumer expects maximum flexibility, and that is what we aim to provide with Flevox.

Whether it be persuading the price-conscious customer away from buying their flea treatments in supermarkets and the internet, or encouraging those who don't treat their pet at all to give it a try without breaking the bank, we're confident we can help grow flea treatment sales in practice."

Vetoquinol says it is supporting the new product with a range of materials dedicated to veterinary surgeries, providing incentives to encourage client bonding and repeat business with your practice.

Helen continued: "We have also teamed up with the fantastic charity Dogs for the Disabled by making a donation for every pipette of Flevox sold.  We're really looking forward to raising the profile of this organisation where these amazing dogs give life changing independence to disabled people.  We're confident the donation will strike a chord with clients and really engage them with the charity, the Flevox brand and the practice".

To find out more, contact your Vetoquinol territory manager or visit http://www.vetoquinol.co.uk/ 

New research from the USA, published in the Equine Veterinary Journal (EVJ), has shown that a toxin from the box elder tree is the likely cause of Seasonal Pasture Myopathy (SPM), the US equivalent of the European disease known as Atypical Myopathy (AM).

According to the British Equine Veterinary Association, preliminary comparisons of these results with cases of AM in Europe suggest that the European condition may be linked to similar trees which could have an important bearing on the future prevention of the disease in Europe.

Seasonal Pasture Myopathy is a highly fatal muscle disease in Midwestern USA and Eastern Canada. A similar disorder called Atypical Myopathy is becoming increasingly frequent in the UK and Northern Europe. Outbreaks of both diseases tend to be seasonal, with most cases occurring in the autumn. Horses that develop SPM and AM are usually kept in sparse pastures with an accumulation of dead leaves dead wood and trees in or around the pasture and are often not fed any supplementary hay or feed.

The research¹ identified that seeds from box elder trees were consistently present in the autumn pastures of all 12 horses enrolled in the study. These horses were from 11 different farms and had all presented with the clinical signs of SPM, which include muscular weakness and stiffness, dark urine, periods of recumbency, colic-like signs and muscle trembling. The toxic amino acid hypoglycin A, which is known to cause acquired multiple acyl CoA dehydrogenase deficiency (MADD) was shown to be present in the box elder seeds and hypoglycin metabolites were identified in the serum or urine of all the horses. All but one of the cases proved fatal.

Professor Valberg DVM PhD of the Department of Veterinary Population Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, who instigated the study, said: "The fact that another acquired form of MADD in rats and humans is caused by hypoglycin A ingestion strengthens our conclusion that hypoglycin A is the likely toxic cause of SPM in horses. We are intending to conduct further studies to determine the factors that affect the highly variable hypoglycin A concentrations in box elder seeds."

Professor Valberg has established collaborative links with groups in Europe in order to investigate if a similar toxin is involved in European Atypical Myopathy. Working with Professor Vince Gerber and Dr Lucia Unger at the University of Bern, Professor Valberg has obtained seeds from a tree related to the Box Elder found on many pastures where Atypical Myopathy has occurred.

Professor Celia Marr, Editor of Equine Veterinary Journal said: "This is a really important step forwards. We don't yet know for sure that the cause of European disease, Atypical Myopathy, is the same as Seasonal Pasture Myopathy in the US. But the clinical signs and MADD aberrations are identical and both conditions have a high fatality rate. It remains to be seen whether this research will help European horses, but there is no doubt that it will allow American horse owners to prevent this devastating condition affecting their horses with immediate effect."

¹ Seasonal Pasture Myopathy/Atypical Myopathy in North America associated with Ingestion of Hypoglycin A within Seeds of the Box Elder Tree Stephanie J Valberg DVM PhD¹, Beatrice T Sponseller Dr. med. vet², Adrian D Hegeman PhD³, Jennifer Earing PhD, Jeffery B. Bender DVM MS¹, Krishona L Martinson PhD⁴, Steven E Patterson PhD⁵, Lawrence Sweetman PhD¹

The Council of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons has approved a new Health Protocol, which formalises a more compassionate approach to veterinary surgeons with health problems.

The Protocol will allow - in appropriate circumstances - veterinary surgeons (and, from next year, registered veterinary nurses) who suffer from health concerns affecting their ability to practise safely, to have the matter dealt with confidentially, without going to a full public Disciplinary Committee hearing.

It will allow individuals to access appropriate support and help away from the public spotlight, while ensuring that they do not put animals or the public at risk.

According to independent legal advice sought by the College, such an approach is appropriate and necessary in order for the College to fulfil its regulatory responsibilities - similar systems exist within other regulators.

The draft Protocol was the subject of consultation amongst the profession and the public over summer. Proposed amendments to the RCVS Guide to Professional Conduct, to support the introduction of the Health Protocol, were also approved in the November meeting.

RCVS Head of Professional Conduct, Gordon Hockey said: "The Protocol encourages anyone coming into contact with veterinary surgeons - including other veterinary surgeons, veterinary nurses, members of practice staff, clients and healthcare professionals - who have concerns about a veterinary surgeon's health to report those concerns to the RCVS as soon as is reasonably practicable.

"Veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses who are concerned about the health of a veterinary surgeon must also take steps to ensure that animals are not put at risk and that the interests of the public, including those of their colleagues, are protected."

Vet Futures has published the results of a survey of the profession in which only half of veterinary surgeons who graduated within the last eight years say their career has matched their expectations.

The online survey gathered views from 892 veterinary students (via the Association of Veterinary Students) and 1,973 veterinary surgeons who had graduated within the last eight years, during May and June this year.

Although 37% of graduates reported that their working lives had met their expectations, and a further 13% said it had exceeded them, this left 50% partly or wholly unsatisfied. Furthermore, 10% said they were considering leaving the profession entirely.

The RCVS and the BVA say the results should be a “wakeup call” to the profession.

Vets who have been qualified for five years or more were least optimistic about the future, rating their opportunities for career progression less positively than more recent graduates. They were also least likely to feel that their degree had prepared them for their current work. Meanwhile, only 34% of students felt that their degree was preparing them ‘very well’ for the work they wanted to do.

73% of students intended to work in the UK, with most aspiring to work in small animal/exotic or mixed practice, although one in 10 was as yet undecided. Of the students, 45% said they wanted to become practice owners or partners. Clearly the reality is proving less enticing, because only 25% graduates shared the same aspiration. In addition, nearly double the number of graduates said they wanted to work outside clinical practice (18%), compared to students.

When looking for a job, the three factors that both graduates and students agreed would have the greatest influence on their choice of career were intellectual satisfaction, location and a supportive environment.

This last requirement chimes with the fact that among the most popular suggestions for improvement to the veterinary degree were compulsory modules on managing stress, personal development and work-life balance, alongside more teaching of business and finance skills, and extra-mural studies (EMS) placements in a wider range of settings, such as industry.

BVA President, John Blackwell, said: “The drop off in career satisfaction for vets during this crucial first eight years in practice is something we can’t afford to ignore. It points to frustration over career development opportunities and dissatisfaction with support available in practice. For the veterinary profession to remain sustainable, and an attractive career choice for the best and brightest, we need to address these issues with some urgency.”

RCVS President, Dr Bradley Viner, said: “We clearly need to address the disconnect between expectation and reality for many recent graduates. Reviewing the educational foundation of the profession is a thread that runs through many of the proposed actions that will be outlined in the Vet Futures report due this autumn. The teaching and assessment of non-clinical skills – both as part of the undergraduate curriculum and within postgraduate education – will be important, as will be the promotion of non-clinical career pathways.”

The survey also covered issues such as students’ aspirations in terms of the type (size, ownership, sector) of practice in which they would like to work, and graduates’ future career plans. It also considers attitudes from both groups with respect to new technology.

The full research report “Voices from the future of the profession,” can be read at www.vetfutures.org.uk/resources. 

The UK's first online gastric ulcer risk assessment for horse owners has just been launched as part of the 2009 Gastric Ulcer Awareness Month (GUAM), organised by Merial Equine Health. 

Merial has developed the risk online questionnaire to enable owners to evaluate their horse's risk of ulcers. By logging on to the website http://www.gastriculcerrisk.co.uk/, owners, trainers and riders can complete a form which then returns the results via email. Where an animal is considered to be at medium to high risk, owners will be advised to consult their veterinary practice.

The company's Dr Emma Batson said: "Since the first GUAM in 2007, significant progress has been made in developing awareness and understanding of equine gastric ulcer syndrome.  

"However there is still more to do! Our goal is to move gastric ulcers further up the diagnostic process, such that the condition is an early consideration for all horses presented with the vague symptoms associated with ulceration. We know that due to the vague nature of the symptoms, many of horses are suspected of other ailments such as back and teeth problems, general poor performance, or behavioural issues prior to being diagnosed with ulcers.

"This new initiative has been developed through consultation with practising internal medicine specialists. We hope it will help to highlight more cases and encourage clients into the practice with horses that are at genuine risk of ulcers. Further diagnosis, treatment and management measures can then be considered in consultation with the client.

"The website also has a veterinary page so that follow up information and any gastroscopy results can be recorded by the vet. We hope that this feedback will help generate some valuable data for the industry."

To help you promote this initiative, Merial has produced an impactful poster for use in practice waiting rooms, along with educational literature. The poster will be available as a loose insert in various publications during April and May.

For those practices which require a referral scoping service, Merial can put you in touch with three specialist consultants; Rachael Conwell (North) Dr.Tim Brazil (Midlands/nationwide) and Richard Hepburn (South West) who each provide a mobile scoping clinic.

Merial is also promising support for the mobile scoping service for the five practices that direct the largest number of clients to http://www.gastriculcerrisk.co.uk/

A number of events are also taking place during the month for vets, trainers and horse owners, including the following CPD events:

• A CPD seminar entitled 'Inside Out' includes presentations on intestinal conditions, gastric ulceration, respiratory diagnostics, and Equine Metabolic Syndrome. Held on Tuesday 19th May 2009, at the National Water Sports Centre, Holme Pierrepont, Nottingham, the event will include sporting activities in the afternoon.
• A BEVA CPD gastroscopy training forum to be held on 12th May and hosted by B&W Equine Group at the Willesley clinic is already fully booked. However other initiatives include a seminar for racehorse trainers to be held in Yorkshire which boasts a demonstration of the new revolutionary remote endoscopy system and a photo call at Badminton Horse Trials.

GUAM is supported by BEVA and Dr Batson hopes that the 2009 initiatives will further boost awareness, understanding and diagnosis of this underrated condition.

Pfizer's Vet Support+ has launched the Practice Management Academy, which offers online training in the key management disciplines required to run a successful veterinary business.

There are twelve courses which cover four key areas of management: financial operations, staff management, client relations and marketing. Participants can choose to study individual courses, a specific area of management, or enrol in the full Practice Management Academy.

The courses are four weeks in length and contribute up to ten hours of CPD learning through a mix of interactive activities, case studies, questions and a student learning forum. 

Each course is also allocated a Pfizer Business Consultant to work as an online expert tutor, posing questions and stimulating forum discussion amongst the students. 

Pfizer says that the significant cost saving e-learning represents over external CPD is making the Academy a popular choice for all members of the practice team, especially those who may be taking on new management responsibilities or those looking for a refresher. According to the company, one large vet group has already taken twenty places on each of the courses to improve the practice management skills across its extensive team.

Ned Flaxman, Director Business Innovation said: "Using an E-Learning platform is a well-trodden path, ideal for busy individuals wishing to improve or gain new practice management skills  without leaving the surgery, or sofa. However, unlike some e-learning which can leave the participant feeling like they are gaining theoretical know-how only, and working in somewhat of a silo, our Academy offers an 'online campus'. This provides a flexible, convenient and supportive training environment for shared theory and practical learning with other colleagues from the veterinary profession under the guidance of e-tutors and experts."

For further details visit http://www.vetsupportplus.co.uk/

A new study, published in the latest issue of the Journal of Small Animal Practice (JSAP), has shown that hypocholesterolaemia is associated with mortality in cats and dogs and may be a negative prognostic indicator.  

'Period prevalence and mortality rates associated with hypocholesterolaemia in dogs and cats: 1,375 cases¹' determined the period prevalence of hypocholesterolaemia and the associated mortality rates in dogs and cats at the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, University of California, Davis.

The medical records of cats and dogs presenting to the hospital from 1st September 2011 to 30th August 2016 were retrospectively reviewed to identify all animals that had at least 1 cholesterol measurement; a total of 16,977 dogs and 3,788 cats were identified. Patient signalment and clinical information were collated from the medical records, including the primary disease processes in patients with moderate to severe hypocholesterolaemia. The period prevalence and mortality rate of hypocholesterolaemia were calculated.

The period prevalence of hypocholesterolaemia was 7.0% in dogs and 4.7% in cats. The mortality rate of hypocholesteraemic dogs and cats was 12% in both species, which was significantly higher than that of animals with normal serum cholesterol.

Steven Epstein, corresponding author for the paper, said: 'The odds of death in dogs and cats with hypocholesterolaemia were 3.2 and 2.5 times higher than in those with normocholesterolaemia respectively. Furthermore, there was a significant linear trend towards higher mortality in association with more severe hypocholesterolaemia in both species.

'Disease of the hepatic, gastrointestinal and lymphoreticular systems were most commonly associated with hypocholesterolaemia, and infectious and neoplastic disease were the most commonly associated pathophysiological processes in both species. In dogs with neoplasia, lymphoma was over-represented.'

Nicola Di Girolamo, Editor of JSAP said: 'These findings suggest that low cholesterol levels are associated with mortality in canine and feline patients. It is not clear whether hypocholesterolaemia is simply a marker for disease severity, or if it has active physiological effects contributing to poor outcomes. At this stage, it seems indicated to enhance intensity of diagnostic effort and therapy for affected animals.'

The full article can be found in the November issue of the Journal of Small Animal Practice which is free for BSAVA members. It can also be read online here: https://www.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jsap.13204

Reference 

1. A. W. K. Tan, S. E. Epstein and K. Hopper (2020) Period prevalence and mortality rates associated with hypocholesterolaemia in dogs and cats: 1,375 cases. Journal of Small Animal Practice, 61 (11). Available at: https://www.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jsap.13204

A new study published in Plos One by the Royal Veterinary College has revealed the most common health disorders of tortoises in the UK¹.

For the study, researchers reviewed the anonymised medical records of 2,040 chelonia on the College's VetCompass database. 

94.26% were recorded as tortoises, 3.63% terrapins and 2.11% turtles.

The most common tortoise species were Hermann’s tortoise, Horsfield’s tortoise and Mediterranean spur-thighed tortoise, while the most common terrapin species were musk turtle and yellow belly slider. 

The study found that the most common disorders in tortoises were beak abnormality (17.68%), overgrown nails (11.91%) and shell abnormality (9.67%), while the most common disorders in terrapins were top and bottom shell abnormalities (13.51%).

The researchers say that most of these disorders are externally visible making them easier to recognise and diagnose, however they also often correspond with inappropriate husbandry and can be related to internal diseases that are harder to identify and diagnose.

The average age of death in the study was found to be 7.32 years, which is below the expected lifespan of most species of tortoise, suggesting that many are dying prematurely.

Dr Jessica May Hornby, exotic veterinary surgeon and lead author of the study, said:

“This research has provided us with a base to start to understand what veterinarians are currently seeing in practice and therefore give an insight into the health of the chelonian population.

"People are no longer only keeping the more common species of pets, such as dogs and cats, so this data is vital to understanding where and how owners and veterinarians need further support and training to ensure these brilliant little guys get the veterinary care they need, especially when many should easily be outliving us!”

Reference

• Hornby JM, Hedley J, Brodbelt DC, Church DB, O’Neill DG (2025) Demography, commonly recorded disorders and mortality in chelonia under UK primary veterinary care: A VetCompass study. PLOS ONE 20(4): e0321038. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0321038 

Photo: www.depositphotos.com

Texas-based diagnostics company Volition Veterinary has announced the results of a proof of concept study for its Nu.Q Vet Assay which found that a single assay detected almost 70% of both canine hemangiosarcoma and canine lymphoma

Together, these two cancers account for almost a third of all canine cancers. 

Dr. Heather Wilson-Robles, an Associate Professor at Texas A&M University and Chief Medical Officer of Volition Veterinary Diagnostics said: "The proof of concept results in these two very prevalent canine cancers give us confidence to move forward with other Nu.Q Vet assays in our pipeline, and with the larger range of cohorts and trials we have collected and planned.

"Clearly, we still have work to do as this single assay did not detect one of the other top five canine cancers, canine osteosarcoma, which was the third cancer tested in this study. However, I am delighted to see such positive results in these two significant cancers and look forward to reporting further data over the coming quarters with additional Nu.Q Vet assays, this time tested on an automated platform.”

Dr. Terry Kelly, Chief Scientific Officer of Volition America said: “It is exciting to see such strong results from our first Nu.Q Vet study conducted at Texas A&M University Veterinary Hospital. It is also interesting to note the similar patterns of detection seen in both canine and human samples confirming that the Nu.Q platform does appear to be useful in more than just human diagnostics.

"As with human diagnostics, there are currently no accurate, simple, affordable cancer screening tests available in veterinary medicine and yet 25% of dogs will develop cancer at some stage of their life. I look forward to completing the planned trials and to launch our first Nu.Q Vet product in the U.S. that we expect to occur in 2020."

The BSAVA reports the highest ever attendance at Congress this year: 6,178 veterinary surgeons, nurses, practice managers and students, 6% cent higher than in 2011 (the last time the BSAVA hosted its own Congress).

According to the association, a significant number of international delegates attended this year with almost 60 countries represented - notably Scandinavia (186 delegates), Germany (56), the Netherlands (40) and the USA (31).

Other highlights included:

• Vets and vet nurses jointly acquired more than 100,000 CPD hours in a scientific programme which included subjects such as orthopaedics, neurology, anaesthesia and analgesia, dermatology, oncology and pain management.
• Nearly 300 exhibitors filled the National Indoor Arena.
• The top five most popular titles at the BSAVA Publications stand were: Feline Practice, Neurology, the Pocketbook for Nurses, the Pocketbook for Vets, and Practice Management.
• According to the Birmingham Convention Bureau,  BSAVA Congress brings in an estimated £15m to the regional economy. This includes accommodation, meals, events, entertainment, and travel around the cosmopolitan destination.

Outgoing BSAVA president Mark Johnston said the event was the highlight of his presidential year: "Last year we showed the world how well the BSAVA can organise a major veterinary congress. But what is pleasing is that the momentum we gained from hosting the World and European meetings has continued into this year.

"We had more delegates in 2013 than in the last purely BSAVA Congress two years ago and to accomplish that in these difficult financial times is a remarkable achievement."

Newly inducted BSAVA president Michael Day (top right) said he was looking forward to extending the international aspect of BSAVA. The Australian-born Professor who has lived in the UK for well over two decades said: "BSAVA has made huge contributions to veterinary practice in the UK, and already has a global reputation for Congress and publications - I believe we have such a wealth of resources and so I am convinced we have so much more to offer the world".

Pfizer VPS has launched a 'Pre-Sale Scab Treatment Certificate' so that sheep treated for sheep scab and protected against re-infestation beyond their autumn sale date can be formally certified as such.

A choice of two moxidectin-based treatments are eligible for use, one with 28 days and the other 60 days licensed persistency against the scab mite.

Pfizer VPS vet David Bartram explained that following treatment, the sale date must fall within the persistency window: "The idea is that farmers present their certificate at markets on sale day, then auctioneers announce the scab-protected status during their sales patter. Whether this adds to the sale price will be interesting to find out, but it's sure to be seen as a valuable attribute by buyers who won't need to treat for scab when they arrive home."

Details of the certification process are available from SQPs at animal medicine suppliers. The two eligible treatments are CYDECTIN 1% LA and CYDECTIN 2% LA for sheep.