The Feline Advisory Bureau (FAB) has changed its name to International Cat Care in order to better reflect the work the charity does to help improve the lives of cats both in the UK and internationally.

Along with the name change, the charity has developed a completely new visual identity, which has been applied to its new website (www.icatcare.org).

Claire Bessant, CEO of International Cat Care, said: "We continue to evolve as a charity and we are increasingly working internationally to help vets and local communities provide better care for cats. While our mission and core values will remain the same, we needed a strong brand identity to better reflect this work and to help us engage more directly with consumers and vets."

Underneath the International Cat Care umbrella, there are three core areas which are designed to help streamline the charity's work and make it easy for vets, professionals and consumers to engage in the right way. The three areas are:

• Cat care ADVICE
  Essential guidance for owners and cat carers on how to keep cats happy, healthy and safe.

• Cat care IN ACTION
  Practical solutions for improving the welfare of abandoned, neglected, stray and unowned cats.

• Cat care FOR VETS
  Trusted worldwide resource on feline healthcare, provided through our veterinary division the International Society of Feline Medicine.

The charity's new website will continue to host information and advice on virtually every aspect of cat care, but also showcases the charity's work internationally. Most recently, the team has been in Sudan teaching vets about the safe handling and neutering of cats, with a special emphasis on street cats.

Claire Bessant continued: "We really wanted to achieve a clear and succinct explanation of who we are and what we do, and we think the new name and visual identity perfectly sums this up.  It's been such a rewarding process because the rebrand has been so positively received by our dedicated staff, members and supporters."

International Cat Care will be officially unveiled on the first day of this year's BSAVA Congress, where vets and the media will be invited to the stand to see the new identity for the first time, and for a glass of celebratory champagne.

To meet the team and find out more about the rebrand, visit stand 704 at the BSAVA Congress.

The RCVS is seeking applications for a paid, part-time parliamentary internship from veterinary surgeons and students who have completed the third year of a veterinary degree.

Applicants are also required to demonstrate a commitment to the advancement of the veterinary profession in the UK.

The internship is to support the activities of Professor the Lord Trees, with the successful applicant expected to work three days a week whilst Parliament is sitting (around 150 days a year). The role is for one year, starting in October, and is London-based, with a salary of £15,000 (not pro-rata). A housing allowance may also be available.

Applicants should send a CV and covering letter to Lesley Evans, Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, 62-64 Horseferry Road, London SW1P 2AF or email l.evans@rcvs.org.uk. The deadline for applications is 22 April 2013, with interviews taking place in late May/early June.

Further details about the role are available at www.rcvs.org.uk/about-us/work-for-us.

The Royal College is calling for views on the Day One Competences required of newly qualified veterinary surgeons, via an online survey.

The survey can be accessed from the RCVS website (www.rcvs.org.uk/consultations), and can be completed until 31 May.

The College says that the survey is the first step in a review of the Day One Competences, which define the level to be expected of new veterinary graduates when they first qualify. The competences set out in broad terms what is required of new graduates at the end of their veterinary degree, and provide the foundation for curriculum design and student assessment in UK veterinary courses.

RCVS Council member David Catlow, who chairs the Working Party undertaking the review, said: "The Day One Competences are deliberately general as they aim to convey the important principles that all students must master by the time they graduate, regardless of the precise curriculum they have followed, so they are safe to practise in a range of veterinary contexts from day one after they graduate.

"As it is over ten years since these competences were confirmed, we are reviewing them to ensure they remain valid, and to seek to ensure they reflect current and likely future expectations."

The Working Party will report to the Education Policy and Specialisation Committee (EPSC), and includes representatives from the veterinary schools and the British Veterinary Association (BVA), as well as a recent veterinary graduate.

Since being confirmed by the RCVS, the Day One Competences have also been adopted across Europe, through the European Association of Establishments for Veterinary Education (EAEVE), and in countries such as Australia.

Loseley, the ice-cream maker, has announced that it has developed a new way of making flavoured ice-cream by adapting the diet fed to its cows.

The first variety to be made using the new technique is 'Eton Mess', for which the company's herd is being fed a diet of strawberries and meringues.

Loseley says its cattle - which are housed at the Beechdean Dairies farm in Buckinghamshire - have already been feeding on the ingredients found in the much loved pudding for over a year, to ensure their milk supply is infused with the strawberry and meringue flavours. Apparently, huge amounts of strawberries are having to be air-freighted into the UK in order to ensure an uninterrupted supply through the seasons.

Andrew Howard Managing Director of Beechdean Dairies said: "We have been perfecting the quantities in the cattle feed for over 18 months to perfect the Eton Mess flavour. The cows need to be fed just the right quantities of meringues, strawberries, fat and hay to make the perfect Eton Mess ice cream. We believe ice cream should be great quality, tasty and interesting. Our products will always deliver against these criteria."

Vince Bamford, Fast Moving Consumer Goods Editor at The Grocer, the UK's leading grocery trade magazine said: "Loseley's flavour development process is cutting edge - I have tasted the product and it is delicious. It is an exciting innovation for the ice cream category."

Vets4Pets has announced the opening of its 93rd practice in Kidderminster

The joint venture partnership was opened by husband and wife vets, Edd and Olivia Pring.

Edd and Olivia met at the Royal Veterinary College, where they both studied and graduated in 2002. Now married with two young children, Edd and Olivia wanted to be able to provide a secure future for their young family. Olivia said: "Being a vet is a time-consuming career choice; the hours can really eat into your personal time. Having the ability to open our own practice, spread the work load, not work weekends, have no out of hours AND  get business support, means we will be able to do what we love and see our lovely boys grow up".

Vets4pets said it worked particularly hard to find the right property for the new branch. Mark Hanson, Partner Relationship Manager, Vets4Pets said: "Edd and Olivia had recently moved to Kidderminster to be close to family, knowing this we wanted to ensure their practice wouldn't be too far away for them to travel every day. We worked closely with them seeking out sites that would both suit their needs and the criteria that all Vets4Pets practices must adhere to, ensuring the practice's success."

Once a site was made available Edd and Olivia were able to get involved with the design elements of their new practice allowing them to have input on how the practice would function.

Edd said: "It's very nice to be in a purpose-built practice that you have been able to have input into the design and layout, but with the backup of people who have done it all before; learning from their mistakes! We really enjoyed meeting all the other local JVPs who seem like great people. It made us think, if they can do it so can we! Meeting the teams in Nottingham and Peter Watson and the teams in Guernsey was really useful; it was great to see Peter is still so passionate about the business and that we have a great, highly experienced team behind our new business".

The RCVS has appointed Nicola South to the new role of Customer Experience Manager, a new role intended to help improve the experience for vets, veterinary nurses and the public in their dealings with the College.

Nicola said: "I'm extremely excited and proud to be joining the staff at the RCVS, and at such a significant time, just as the First-Rate Regulator initiative is underway, which will lead to a change of focus in how we deliver our services to meet all of our customers' needs. My arrival has been met by a staff made up of extremely dedicated and passionate individuals, and I'm really looking forward to working as a team to deliver an improved customer experience for everyone."

CEO Nick Stace said: "Nicola brings to the College a wealth of customer service experience gained from the hotel and tourism industries. Improving our customer service delivery is a priority, and I am delighted to have Nicola on board who will help to champion these improvements across the organisation."

Nicola joins the RCVS from Orbit Group Ltd, where she was Service Excellence Advisor for the East and South Region.

Elanco Animal Health has announced the launch of Kexxtone this month, a new treatment which it claims can reduce the incidence of ketosis in dairy cows by 74%* following a single treatment.¹

Kexxtone is a targeted solution for any dairy cow or heifer that is expected to develop ketosis around the period of calving. It is administered as a bolus,and provides coverage during the main risk period for the condition.

Ketosis often goes undetected because the signs are not immediately apparent. However, it is a common condition, affecting around 30% of cows² and has a negative impact upon cow health, fertility and milk production. Ketosis can result, on average, in milk losses of around 350-500 litres per cow⁴ per lactation. The cost of production losses and disease related consequential losses due to subclinical ketosis has been estimated at around 250-600 EUR per cow.⁵

Elanco says this new approach is likely to significantly expand the array of options open to vets actively involved in dairy herd health management. Kexxtone comes with the benefit of a zero day milk and meat withdrawal³ and the formulation is based on monensin - a molecule with a long history of beneficial use. 

According to the company, Kexxtone uses novel technology to allow a continuous and regular release of the active ingredient into the rumen which forms a gel when exposed to rumen fluid. This gel is progressively released into the rumen by a pressure sensitive spring in the Kexxtone device. The active ingredient shifts the microbial balance in the rumen to produce more of the glucose precursor propionic acid, therefore increasing glucose delivery and ultimately increasing the energy available to the cow. This improvement in energy utilisation buffers dairy cows against the tendency to drop into negative energy balance during the transition period around calving and early lactation - the major cause of ketosis.

Mike Steele, Technical Consultant at Elanco said: "Kexxtone offers an exciting opportunity in which everyone wins - vets who can offer positive interventions able to make a big impact on the bottom line, are going to be increasingly integral to their farm clients' herd health planning framework. It's no longer just about nutritional intervention and emergency salvage; it's about being able to proactively easily measure the true herd prevalence of ketosis and where appropriate, take preventative targeted action to really make a difference."

Kexxtone is available to order now from veterinary wholesalers - for further information contact the Elanco Territory Manager or call Elanco Animal Health on 01256 353131.

References

1. CVMP assessment report of an application for the granting of community marketing authorisation for Kexxtone (EMEA/V/C/002235)

• Elanco Farm Audit 2011, No. GN4FR110006.

• Kexxtone® Summary of Product Characteristics,

• Ospina 2010. Association between the proportion of sampled transition cows with increased nonesterified fatty acids and ß-hydroxybutyrate and disease incidence, pregnancy rate and milk production at the herd level. J. Dairy Sci. 93:3595-3601.

• Adapted from Esslemont 2012. The Cost of Ketosis in Dairy Cows, World Buiatrics Congress, Lisbon, Portugal

The RCVS Disciplinary Committee has severely reprimanded and warned as to his future conduct a veterinary surgeon who failed to make sufficient enquiries about the location or condition of a cat; unreasonably refused to provide it with first aid and pain relief; and failed to provide it with adequate 24-hour emergency care.

Following a three-day hearing, the Committee found Marcus Kutschera, of South London Emergency Veterinary Centre, Streatham, guilty of serious professional misconduct in relation to events on 16 May 2011. Mr Kutschera was Clinical Director of the practice, which provided out-of-hours emergency services to several London veterinary practices. At about 1.45am, the practice received two telephone calls from a representative of a registered charity about a cat, which the caller considered should be seen by a veterinary surgeon as soon as possible. The charity was itself a client of one of the practices whose out-of-hours emergency services were provided by the South London Emergency Veterinary Centre. The cat was later euthanased by the RSPCA.

After listening to a recording of a telephone call between a representative of the charity and Mr Kutschera, during which Mr Kutschera failed to ask about either the condition or location of the cat, the Committee was in no doubt that the caller believed Mr Kutschera would not see the cat unless he was able to pay when it was presented. The Committee said that, once the telephone call had been received, the primary responsibility of the veterinary surgeon was the welfare of the animal, and Mr Kutschera had no good reason not to see the cat or to follow the procedures set out in the Guide to Professional Conduct 2010. If he had made proper inquiries, he would have been able to make a provisional diagnosis that the cat was likely to be euthanased. Mr Kutschera was guilty of unreasonably refusing to provide first aid and/or pain relief to the animal, and of failing to provide adequate 24-hour emergency care.

The Committee concluded that Mr Kutschera's conduct fell far short of that to be expected of a veterinary surgeon. Although he did recommend that the cat should be taken to the RSPCA, his primary concern was the ability of the client to make a payment on presentation of the cat, and not the animal's welfare. He had a responsibility for ensuring that proper emergency cover was provided.

In mitigation, the Committee noted that the event was a single, short telephone call between Mr Kutschera and the client in the early hours of the morning, and there was no evidence to suggest similar behaviour on his part on other occasions. Mr Kutschera accepted that he made no inquiries into the cat's condition or location, and the Committee accepted that he had shown some insight into what went badly wrong. He said that he had subsequently changed his practice when speaking to clients on the telephone. The Committee also took account of the impact on Mr Kutschera of the case hanging over him since the complaint was made in August 2011 and, as the cost of the Disciplinary Committee inquiry was not covered by his professional indemnity insurance, he had taken on a substantial financial commitment to pay for legal representation.

Professor Peter Lees, chairing and speaking on behalf of the Committee said: "The primary purpose of the sanction is not to punish but to protect the welfare of animals, maintain public confidence in the profession and uphold proper standards of conduct. Whilst there are undoubted financial issues that can arise in the operation of an out-of-hours service, the primary responsibility of the veterinary surgeon is for the welfare of the animal."

The Committee recommended that Mr Kutschera undertake, within 12 months, continuing professional development training, with a particular emphasis on animal welfare, ethics and client care, in the context of providing out-of-hours services. It imposed on Mr Kutschera the sanction of a severe reprimand and a warning as to his future conduct.

Elanco Companion Animal Health has announced that Comfortis (spinosad) flavoured chewable flea control tablets have been licensed for cats.

In addition, the company has extended its range with the addition of two new sizes for toy dogs and smaller cats.

Comfortis chewable tablets for dogs and cats are fast-acting, monthly oral adulticides that start to kill fleas in cats and dogs in 30 minutes and, according to Elanco, rapidly achieve 100% efficacy.

Comfortis chewable tablets for dogs and cats kill adult fleas for a month and Elanco says the fast speed of kill means that adult fleas are killed before they can lay eggs, making Comfortis effective in preventing new infestations.

Patrick Bourdeau, Dip ECVD-Dip EVPC, of the Veterinary School of Nantes (Oniris), France said: "Comfortis offers a highly effective format to those owners who have not had relief with other forms of flea control. The tablet offers a high level of convenience to owners to ensure both cats and dogs receive immediate relief from flea infestation.

"This is especially pertinent to the nearly 30% of cat owners who have reported problems with administering other forms of flea treatment, including spot-ons, which can have an effect on efficacy¹. This includes the animal escaping when they sense a topical treatment is about to be administered or during actual administration³".

He added: "Comfortis is a highly effective treatment for flea control for cats and dogs, and one that will aid with compliance because it is easier to administer correctly."

Charlotte Mayne MRCVS, principal and veterinary surgeon at The Mayne Veterinary Clinic in Colchester, Essex, said: "We have used Comfortis chewable tablets for cats in practice, with 94% of clients who were prescribed the product for their pet being able to administer Comfortis and 80% of owners able to give the treatment so easily that they did not need to pill it².  Indeed, all the clients who were able to administer the treatment said they would use it again with comments such as 'it's brilliant - the best product ever' to 'my cat ate it like sweets' and we had 'lots of dead fleas'."

Comfortis chewable tablets for dogs and cats are available in 90mg, 140mg, 270mg and 425mg packs of six.  Comfortis chewable tablets for dogs is also available in 665mg, 1040mg and 1620mg packs of six.

For further information on Comfortis, please contact your Elanco Companion Animal Health key account manager or phone 01256 353131.

References

1. Bourdeau et al (2011) Perception by owners, GEDAC
2. The Mayne Veterinary Clinic.  67 cats.

Bayer Animal Health, maker of Advocate and organiser of the Be Lungworm Aware campaign, is warning that last year's damp summer and the mild winter conditions may lead to a continued spread of Angiostongylus vasorum in the UK.

Biodiversity & Conservation Officer for The Natural History Museum, Professor Fred Naggs, said: "An increase in the number of slug and snail populations this year would suggest there will consequently be a continued spread of the parasite. However, this depends on a number of factors: (i) the number of slugs and snails around last year, of which there were many (ii) the level of precipitation throughout the year, as slugs and snails will breed continuously when temperatures are mild to warm and there is adequate relative humidity. According to many reports in the press, last year was one of the wettest on record (iii) the survival of slugs and snails over the winter. As this winter has not been particularly harsh, reasonable numbers of slugs and snails should have survived."

In addition, a study by the RVC as shown that A. vasorum is spreading beyond the traditional geographic distribution with 20 per cent of veterinary practices across the country reporting at least one case of A. vasorum. ¹

To help raise awareness of the parasite, veterinary surgeons and nurses are being encouraged to support the 'Be Lungworm Aware' campaign. The scheme will offer support and education to owners and participating vet practices throughout this month, which has been labelled 'Lungworm Awareness Month'.

Caroline Braidwood, Group Product Manager at Bayer Animal Health said: "While dog owners are becoming more aware of A. vasorum, there is still a real lack of understanding as to the warning signs associated with the condition and how to prevent or treat it. Some owners still believe that Lungworm can be prevented by using normal intestinal wormers which is not the case - Advocate is the only product that can prevent A. vasorum, and from the first application. Our aim with the 'Be Lungworm Aware' campaign is to drive pet owners to their vet practice, where they can then be informed of the danger of the parasite and educated about correct preventative treatment."

Practices can request a range of materials including a practice press pack by calling their Bayer Territory Manager. The pack is designed to promote the awareness campaign to local dog owning clients and includes a regional press release, images and other collateral including leaflets, posters and a campaign DVD for display in waiting rooms.

For more information on lungworm, visit www.lungworm.co.uk

Reference

1. Royal Veterinary College survey 2012, 1,419 veterinary practices

The RCVS Council and Veterinary Nurses Council elections are now underway for 2013, and ballot papers and candidates details have been posted to all veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses eligible to vote.

Gordon Hockey, RCVS Registrar, said: "At a time when the College is experiencing a period of significant change, it's more important than ever that the Councils have the right personnel to help steer us along the path to becoming a first-rate regulator. The annual Councils elections represent a key opportunity for veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses to ensure this happens."

This year, 13 candidates, five of whom are current Council members, will contest the six available seats on RCVS Council, and four candidates are contesting the two available places on VN Council, including one existing member. The candidates are as follows:

RCVS Council

• Niall Connell
• Jerry Davies*
• Bertie Ellis
• Lewis Grant
• Chris Gray*
• Peter Jinman*
• Tom Lonsdale
• Peter Robinson
• Kit Sturgess
• Paul Torgerson
• Chris Tufnell*
• Bradley Viner*
• Tom Witte

VN Council

• Sue Badger
• Andrea Jeffery*
• Amy Robinson
• Helen Tottey

*denotes existing Council member

For the first time this year, the College is organising an online hustings for RCVS Council candidates to allow veterinary surgeon voters to put their questions to them directly. This will be run as a free, live webinar by 'The Webinar Vet' and will take place on Tuesday, 19 March at 7pm. Questions need to have been submitted in advance as there are too many candidates to hold a debate, but veterinary surgeons can still register to listen to the hustings at www.thewebinarvet.com/rcvs. The hustings will also be recorded and available to listen again via the same web address until the voting deadline.

Votes in both elections may be cast online, by text message or by post, and must be received by 5pm on Friday, 26 April 2013. Details of how to vote are printed on the ballot papers and candidate information is also available on the RCVS website at www.rcvs.org.uk/rcvscouncil13 and www.rcvs.org.uk/vncouncil13.

Anyone in need of a replacement ballot paper for RCVS Council should contact Ian Holloway (i.holloway@rcvs.org.uk / 020 7202 0727), or for VN Council, contact Annette Amato (a.amato@rcvs.org.uk / 020 7202 0713).

To ensure independence, the elections are being administered by Electoral Reform Services.

Kruuse has launched a range of seven specialized sterile surgical disposable drapes and gowns developed for the surgery team working in equine clinics or hospitals.

The company says its new surgical sets have been designed so they include a comprehensive set of sterile drapes, towels, instrument covers and adhesive tapes needed to perform particular procedures:

• EQUIVET Laparoscopy Set
• EQUIVET Laparotomy Set
• EQUIVET Arthroscopy Set
• EQUIVET Extremity Set
• EQUIVET Bilateral Extremity Set
• KRUUSE Camera Drape
• EQUIVET Colic Gowns compliments the new series. Available in 4 sizes (M, L, XL, and XXL)

Andrew Groom, Managing Director, Kruuse UK Ltd. said: "This exciting new range of products increase the Kruuse's equine product portfolio and develop further our commitment to provide specialist species available products to support the veterinary practitioner."