Willows Veterinary Centre and Referral Service in Solihull has come up with a novel idea to help its employees take time out from the fast-paced veterinary working environment: the wellbeing room.

The wellbeing room is designed to offer staff a comfortable space to relax during breaks, or before or after shifts. It has comfortable seating and a small library of books covering topics such as personal development, mindfulness and stress reduction.

There are also two 'jars of joy' staff can dip into which feature top tips for emotional, mental and physical wellbeing. Employees are also being invited to put forward their own top tips on wellbeing to share with colleagues. 

It is hoped that the room will also provide employees with a sanctuary from social media, emails and telephones. 

Sounds like a great idea to me, although the library titles look a bit uninspiring for my taste. My ideal wellbeing room would have a few John Grishams on the shelves, limitless music, a Sony playstation, oh, and a minibar.

The Purina Institute is hosting a free CPD webinar in which feline Specialists Sarah Caney and Andy Sparkes will present the latest research into the factors affecting feline hydration, on Wednesday 9th December at 8:00pm.

Nutritional researcher Brian Zanghi from the Purina Institute will also share some of his work, which has focused on nutrient-enriched ‘water supplements’ and the impact on voluntary water intake.¹

Purina says various studies have shown an association between increased water intake and improved outcomes in cases of feline lower urinary tract conditions.^2,3 Encouraging water intake may also benefit cats with renal disease or chronic constipation, as well as older animals with osteoarthritis who might be less keen to make repeated trips to their water bowls.

Libby Sheridan, MVB, MRCVS, Purina Veterinary Technical Affairs Manager, UK & Ireland, said: "The importance of good hydration is often under estimated and there are so many factors that can influence intake – from the position of the water bowl, to materials used in the bowl construction and even the level of fill. Deciding when and how to promote increased intake can be difficult and we hope this session will help vets and vet nurses to make those decisions.”

The lecture programme will include a review of clinical evidence, discussion of the benefits of increasing water intake and practical case-based advice from Sarah and Andy. The event will be recorded for registrants who cannot attend on the day and registrations are accepted until the event starts on the evening of 9th December.

Registration is now open at https://www.bigmarker.com/closerstill-media/You-can-lead-a-cat-to-water-but-how-do-you-make-them-drink. All registrants will be entered into a prize draw to win one of ten goody bags which will include a premium water bottle.

For more information, contact the Purina Veterinary Nutrition Team on 0800 212161.

References

1. Zanghi BM, Gerheart BS and Gardner CL (2018). Effects of a nutrient-enriched water on water intake and indices of hydration in health domestic cats fed a dry kibble diet. American Journal of Veterinary Research 79(7):733-744. DOI: 10.2460/ajvr.79.7.733
2. Gunn-Moore DA and Shenoy CM (2004). Oral glucosamine and the management of feline idiopathic cystitis. Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery 6(4):219-225. DOI: 10.1016/j.jfms.2003.09.007
3. Eisenberg BW, Waldrop JE, Allen SE, Brisson JO, Aloisio KM and Horton NJ (2013). Evaluation of risk factors associated with recurrent obstruction in cats treated medically for urethral obstruction. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 243(8):1140-1146. DOI: 10.2460/javma.243.8.1140.

Vita Animal Health has published the results of an online survey it conducted¹, which found that whilst 89% of owners agreed poor ear health can compromise a rabbit's quality of life, only 1% were aware that rabbits often show no or few symptoms of ear disease.

Tara Evans RVN from Vita said: "We wanted to raise awareness and start a discussion with rabbit owners about preventative ear care in rabbits, including how and when owners are cleaning their rabbits’ ears.”

91% of owners also agreed that cleaning is important for rabbits with ear health problems, but 49% have never cleaned their rabbit’s ears.

For the remainder, the most common reason owners gave for cleaning their rabbits’ ears was as a preventative measure (46%), followed by noticing signs of discomfort (25%) and following veterinary advice (25%). 

Tara added: “These results show us that owners are aware cleaning their rabbits’ ears is important which leaves us plenty of opportunities to educate on what owners should be looking out for.

"The survey showed that 57% of rabbit owners correctly identified lop ears to be a risk factor in ear health yet a contradictory 28% thought straight ears posed more of a risk.

"It is our job as veterinary professionals to share facts and impart our knowledge to our engaged audience.”

The survey looked into different options available for ear cleaning and identified that 51% of respondents would choose ear wipes, 25% home prepared solutions and 31% a designated rabbit ear cleaning product.

Tara said: “We want to be encouraging owners to be looking at their rabbits’ ears and cleaning them, however wipes can fail to provide a thorough clean and reach the deeper ear canal effectively, and homemade remedies may be irritating to rabbit ears.

"It is important to use an ear cleaner which is designed for and safe to use in rabbits, such as Omniotic.

"Our survey underscores the critical need for increased education and awareness surrounding rabbit ear health.

"It's essential for owners to understand the significance of regular ear cleaning in maintaining overall wellness and preventing potential diseases.”

www.vitaanimalhealth.com

Reference

1. Survey carried out by Companion Consultancy on behalf of Vita Animal Health, online between 22nd November and 13th December. 102 rabbit owners responded to the survey. 

Companion Care Vets has announced that it will open its 100th surgery in Llantrisant, South Wales on 7th September 2012.

The surgery will reside within the Pets at Home store in Llantrisant and will be owned and managed by Joint Venture Partner Rhian Bullock who has returned home to Llantristant after working and studying for many years in the USA.

Jane Balmain, Managing Director, Companion Care Vets said: "2012 has been quite a year for the business, we were named as one of The Sunday Times 100 Best Companies to Work For, becoming the first veterinary group to be awarded this accolade. Our growth has been such that we have recently launched a dedicated recruitment website, we have employed our 1,000th team member and to be opening our 100th surgery is testament to the hard work and dedication of our fantastic team."

Companion Care now has 117 Joint Veterinary Partners, 96 of whom are veterinary surgeons, 13 veterinary nurses, 7 practice managers and a receptionist and a further 953 colleagues employed by the group. The company says it has doubled in size in the past three years and is on track to do so again by 2015.

Jane said: "At present the majority of our surgeries are part of the Pets at Home in-store model but there are already five very successful standalone surgeries and the standalone surgery network plan is being developed to cater for those vets and veterinary nurses whose preference is to have a more traditional standalone surgery."

Rhian said:  "A local girl, I have just moved back to Llantrisant and am really excited to be running my own practice in an area that I love. I set myself very high clinical standards and always involve the client in treatment and their pet's wellbeing. There is nothing that satisfies me more than well animals and happy clients."

Rhian and her team are involving the local community in the opening and will have guests from local branches of the Dogs Trust and the Cats Protection League present on opening day raising funds and joining in the celebrations.

The Royal Veterinary College has carried out the first ever open-heart surgery to treat a stenotic tricuspid valve in a dog.

The three-year-old Labrador, Mabel, suffered from congenital tricuspid dysplasia. She was referred to cardiology specialists at RVC Small Animal Referrals where her tricuspid valve was found to be completely fused in the middle, with just two very small openings for her blood to flow through. 

In a procedure that took a little over an hour, the RVC team examined and worked on the valve. The College reports that Mabel’s surgery was a success and her stenosis was relieved.

Mabel was subsequently found to have a moderate amount of regurgitation into the right atrial chamber, but after a few more days of additional monitoring at the RVC she was able to return home. 

The surgery was carried out by Professor of Small Animal Surgery Dan Brockman at the Queen Mother Hospital for Animals. He was assisted by a team of RVC specialists to provide pre and post-operative care, including a perfusionist, a team of three anaesthetists, two surgery nurses, three surgeons and a cardiology veterinary specialist-in-training. In addition, Professor of Veterinary Cardiology Virginia Luis Fuentes and veterinary specialist-in-training Dr Rosie Payne were members of the Cardiology Service’s investigation into Mabel’s condition.

RVC students were also involved in the Mabel’s initial examinations at the hospital, providing them with an insight into the procedure. The examinations included cardiac ultrasound using the newest generation of cardiac ultrasound equipment, which is able to capture 3D and 4D images. The new ultrasound scanner was funded in part by the RVC’s charity, the Animal Care Trust. 

After the surgery, the emergency and critical care (ECC) team and the Cardiology Service took over Mabel’s care, with Professor Brockman remaining involved. This saw up to four senior ECC clinicians, a number of veterinary specialists-in-training and half a dozen highly trained ECC technicians working in shifts around the clock to care for Mabel and ensure a good recovery.  

According to the RVC, there have been previous attempts by veterinary surgeons to open stenotic valves with balloon valvuloplasty. However, because it is very difficult to tear the stenotic valve, this approach has not proved very successful. There is also a high risk when putting canines onto bypass. Canines have fragile blood vessels, and cannulae need to be inserted into several of these vessels, creating a danger that a major vessel tears. 

Commenting on why the RVC team decided to perform this procedure at this point, and on Mabel, Dan said: "Lots of things fed into this decision. First and foremost, we had a patient whose pathology made surgery the best solution. I explained to the owner and was very honest that this procedure would be really breaking new ground. Based on what the human paediatric cardiac surgeons will do, and our limited experience of balloon-valvuloplasty suggests this is the best approach for these dogs

"The operation itself is risky, much worse than most other operations. In our hands, for this type of disease, we have about an 80% chance of getting them through the procedure. The owner has to gamble what life the dog has left against the promise of a more normal quality of life and life-span following the operation."

In relation to Mabel’s prognosis if the surgery had not been undertaken, Professor Luis Fuentes said: "It is likely that the signs of right-sided heart failure would have been more difficult to control. Her ability to exercise would have become less and less, and she would have also been at risk of having abnormal heart rhythms associated with the enlargement of the right atrium. Generally we expect them to develop more and more signs as the disease progresses. These are difficult cases to manage on a long-term basis with drugs. Her life expectancy would have been substantially reduced.

"I thought Mabel was almost a perfect candidate to have the procedure here as Dan has a lot of experience replacing tricuspid valves in dogs with tricuspid dysplasia. In those cases there is usually leaking, but Mabel’s case was unusual in that she has minimal leaking and she was most affected by the stenosis. That means you may not have to implant any additional valve structure."

Speaking two weeks after the operation, owner Annabelle Meek, from Melton Mowbray, said: "Mabel has just come back in from wandering around the perimeter of my garden for the first time since before the operation. It’s more than half an acre and she has been ambling around happily following a scent.

"I would like to thank absolutely everybody. It’s been an enormous team effort on all sides. Every single person I met at the RVC, from the man on the gate to all the hospital staff, was so friendly. After she came home Dan Brockman phoned me every day to see how she was doing. The RVC should be very proud of what they have done for Mabel."

Success in Veterinary Practice by Dr. Bradley Viner DProf BVetMed MSc(VetGP) MRCVS is now available from Wiley Blackwell at £28.99. Teeside general practitioner Rob Reid BVM&S MRCVS has reviewed the book for members of VetSurgeon.org:

There are many self-help books available in a variety of fields, covering topics which range from stress management and emotional control through to furthering one's career and professional development. Until now, there has been no such publication that has covered these issues in the veterinary context, and it is here that Bradley Viner has identified a niche in the market with his new book Success in Veterinary Practice.

The aim of book is to help veterinary practitioners of all levels to develop and nurture their professional skills, both on a personal and at a practice level. The book will be of interest to vets in all fields and contains a lot of information that will be particularly relevant to vets who are embarking on the Professional Key Skills Module of the RCVS CertAVP. It may also be of interest to other members of the veterinary practice team and is also marketed at individuals who are considering a career in the veterinary field.

The book is organised into nine chapters, with the first eight providing content matter on areas such as personal development, communication techniques, improving clinical performance and developing leadership skills, with the final chapter summarising the information presented. The first eight chapters are structured in such as way that information is presented in a digestible format. The material is detailed enough to provide understanding without being overburdening and the summary and exercise sections presented at the end of each chapter help the reader to review what they have read and pick out the key ideas.

There were many areas of the book I found interesting and I liked the way that the author has looked at the psychological and sociological aspects of one's actions, both in relation to colleagues in the workplace and in relation to dealing with clients. From a personal point of view, I also liked the section on communication skills - an area which probably doesn't receive enough coverage in both undergraduate and postgraduate education.

On the negative side, there are some minor typographical errors and I feel some of the diagrams could have been better produced. The pure academics among us may also be somewhat critical about the author's stance towards the relevance of some aspects of clinical research. And of course some people may be put off by the price, with the truly cynical among us possibly seeing the close relevance of the content to the syllabus of the CertAVP 'A' module as a cunning marketing ploy!

As a general practitioner, however, I found the book to be informative and thought-provoking. I have found it has encouraged me to take a look at certain aspects of my work which I have almost done instinctively in the past, analyse my reasons for doing them and then look at how I can improve on these in the future, for the good of patients, my clients, the rest of the working team and of course for myself. It is certainly an interesting read, and I would recommend it to be of value to any vet who sees the term 'professional development' to mean far more than a simple sharpening of one's clinical skills.

The Veterinary Marketing Association has announced a Practice Marketing Award, with a prize of £500 worth of CPD, for which entries are now being sought.

The award, which is sponsored by Merial, is open to companion and farm animal practices that can demonstrate effective marketing to their clients during the course of 2012.

For more information, visit: www.vma.org.uk/awards, or email: secretary@vma.org.uk for entry details.

Horses and ponies that gain weight are more than twice as likely to develop laminitis than if they lose or maintain their weight, according to new research published last month in BMC Veterinary Research¹.

Carried out by the Royal Veterinary College (RVC), the Animal Health Trust (AHT) and Rossdales Equine Hospital, the study also revealed that the groups particularly at risk were native pony breeds and their crosses, as well as horses and ponies with a history of laminitis and those with lameness or soreness after routine hoof care.

This research, funded by World Horse Welfare, comes from the first ever online study that collected information on laminitis from a group of owners in real time.

The researchers say that the study is also the second largest to identify weight gain as a risk factor for laminitis. Data was collected from the owners of 1,070 horses and ponies in Great Britain, who reported their animal’s management, health and estimated weight via online questionnaires for 29 months. 

Owners were encouraged to use a custom weight tracking tool designed by the study/research team to help regularly track changes in their animal’s weight and body condition. The uptake of this tool was high, with over half of participating owners using it.

The tool is freely available at: www.aht.org.uk/research/lameness/laminitis.

Other study findings included:

• A high risk of laminitis was present in horses shod or trimmed at intervals of more than 8 weeks, and in those that took a long time to return to soundness after a bout of laminitis. 

• Diet, grazing management and health were factors closely associated with the development of laminitis and will be the subject of future investigation. 

• Researchers also noted that weight gain often occurred unintentionally, even when owners were aiming for their animals to maintain or lose it. This reiterates the need to consistently record weight and body condition in order to prevent undesirable weight gain.

Dr. Dee Pollard of the AHT, one of the study’s chief authors, said: "This is one of the largest, and the first, online laminitis studies where we collected regular information from the same group of owners in real-time. We assessed the relationship between laminitis and many potential management and health factors and identified those more likely to be present before a laminitis episode was reported.

"We now have good evidence to develop laminitis prevention guidelines, and a number of different avenues to explore in the future. We cannot emphasise enough how important systematic and regular weight and body condition monitoring are. It’s very easy to miss weight gain when you are just relying on your eyes and you see your horse or pony every day. You need to get hands on, feel for the fat deposits and take measurements, remember the figures don’t lie!"

Reference

1. BMC Veterinary Research: Pollard, D, Wylie, CE, Verheyen, KLP and Newton, JR (2019) Identification of modifiable factors associated with owner-reported equine laminitis in Britain using a web-based cohort study approach. BMC Veterinary Research 15:59. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12917-019-1798-8

Great Western Exotics is holding a CPD session on how to triage raptors online at 7:00pm on Tuesday 4th April. 

The session will be led by Adam Gregory, Head Nurse, who has experience gained around the world both as a veterinary nurse and a zookeeper. 

Adam will take attendees through the basic triaging steps to assess and review treatment that may be needed, as well as covering a range of common presenting problems.

Great Western Exotics says it will be a great opportunity for first opinion vets and nurses to become more familiar with the needs of these birds to ensure they receive the best treatment possible in emergency situations. 

To sign up to the talk, email Jess: GWEreferrals@vets-now.com.

https://www.gwexotics.com

Norbrook Laboratories Ltd has launched the 2013 - 2014 edition of its UK Veterinary Surgeon's Product Compendium.

The compendium contains data sheets for the complete range of over 120 Norbrook products which are available in the UK and Northern Ireland, including 17 new products which have been launched since the last compendium was issued.

The compendium is available from your Norbrook representative or can be downloaded from www.norbrook.com. Norbrook also offers an iPhone App through which users can access essential product information including pharmaceutical presentation, uses, dosage and administration, withdrawal periods, contraindications & warnings and pharmaceutical precautions.

A 17-year-old collie cross called Barney picked arguably the best place in the world for an old dog to fall into a canal last Saturday, when it was rescued by one of the teams taking part in the kayaking stage of the Vet Charity Challenge, an event where there were at least 150 vets on hand to help.

Barney had wandered off through an unlocked gate and fallen into the canal where he was spotted by a team from Kruuse UK. They managed to haul the struggling animal onto their kayak and take him down the canal towards a waiting group of vets and nurses. From there he was taken to Drove Vets in Swindon to make a full recovery.

Andrew Groom from Kruuse said, "It was sheer luck that we happened to be paddling past at that point. The poor chap was struggling on the steep banks of the canal and kept slipping back in. He was getting very tired and at risk of drowning, and judging by his gums and heart rate, going into shock."

Karien White from Drove Vets said: "Barney was a bit hypothermic when he was brought into us with a lot of bumps and bruises. We managed to warm him up and get him cleaned and after a little while his tail started wagging and he seemed very happy and friendly."

News of Barney was posted onto a Pewsey Facebook page which helped his worried owners trace him to the vets.

The Vet Charity Challenge took place on Saturday 27th September at St Francis School, Pewsey, near Marlborough, Wiltshire. The day consisted of 50 of teams of four orienteering, cycling and kayaking as well as undertaking mental and physical tasks. The charity raised over £70,000 in its first two years, with this year expected to boost the funds even more.

Gavin Mitchell, from founding sponsors, BCF Technology, said: "We never dreamt that while trying to raise money for our partner charities, that we would end up saving the life of a pet in such a direct fashion. Had Team Kruuse not been passing at that point, the dog would almost certainly have drowned. It highlights the real commitment and passion that the vet profession feels towards helping animals. Through our event we hope to reach out to help even more animals. People can donate directly to Vet Charity Challenge by contacting us via www.vetcharitychallenge.co.uk."

Folkestone-based Vlad Butnaru haș been struck off by the RCVS Disciplinary Committee after it found that he'd dishonestly signed a declaration on a horse passport application.

Dr Vlad Butnaru faced two charges, the first of which was that in May 2021, he had signed a passport and/or passport application for a horse and electronically signed a declaration stating that he “had read the above microchip, which had previously been implanted for the animal” when, in fact, the microchip had not been inserted into any horse and he had not read it.

The second charge was that, in relation to the matters set out in the first charge, Dr Butnaru’s signed declaration was false, and that he had acted dishonestly and misleadingly, he risked undermining procedures designed to promote animal welfare, and failed to take sufficient steps to ensure that the microchip number recorded for the horse was accurate.

Dr Butnaru admitted the first charge on all counts, and that the declaration he had signed was false.

He also admitted that his conduct was misleading and that he had failed to take sufficient steps to ensure that the microchip number recorded for the horse was accurate.

However, he denied that his conduct had been dishonest and that he had risked undermining a procedure designed to promote animal welfare.

In its decision, the committee noted that Dr Butnaru kept introducing new versions of what happened for the first time at the hearing and changed his account as he went along, as well as being evasive when answering questions.

The Committee therefore felt that Dr Butnaru could not be considered to be a reliable witness, and whilst it did not know the true reason why he was prepared to sign a false declaration on a passport application, it was satisfied that he'd made a false declaration dishonestly.

The Committee also found that Dr Butnaru had failed to take sufficient steps to ensure that the microchip number recorded for the horse was accurate as, if the passport had been issued on a false premise because of misleading information provided by Dr Butnaru, then it could not function as it was meant to which, in the Committee’s view, clearly risked undermining procedures designed to protect animal welfare.

The Committee found that Dr Butnaru had breached the parts 6.2 and 6.5 of the Code of Professional Conduct, as well as Principle 1 of the 10 Principles of Certification, namely that ‘a veterinarian should certify only those matters which: a) are within his or her own knowledge; b) can be ascertained by him or her personally; c) are the subject of supporting evidence from an authorised veterinarian who has personal knowledge of the matters in question; or d) are the subject of checks carried out by an Officially Authorised Person (OAP).’

The Committee found there were no mitigating factors.

Aggravating factors, on the other hand, were that Dr Butnaru had participated in premeditated misconduct, made financial gain from his actions as he was paid to make the false declaration, abused his professional position, and showed blatant or wilful disregard of the Horse Passport System and of the role of the RCVS and the systems that regulate the veterinary profession.

The Committee found that all proven charges amounted to Disgraceful Conduct in a Professional Respect.

On considering the sanction, the Committee once again considered the aggravating factors, as well as additional mitigating factors in that Dr Butnaru had no previous disciplinary history, showed limited insight by admitting to some of the charges, showed expressions of remorse, and was provided with a positive testimonial.

Paul Morris, chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: “The Committee was cognisant of the importance of a veterinary surgeon’s signature on any document.

"This should have been obvious to any veterinary surgeon, but particularly someone of Dr Butnaru’s 11 years’ experience (at the time of signing).

"The Committee was well aware of the impact and ramifications for Dr Butnaru of any decision to remove him from the Register, but had to weigh his interests with those of the public.

“In doing so it took account of the context and circumstances of the case, all matters of personal mitigation, Dr Butnaru’s previous unblemished record and the need to act proportionately.

"However, the Committee was of the view that the need to uphold proper standards of conduct within the veterinary profession, together with the public interest in maintaining confidence in the profession of veterinary surgeons and protecting the welfare of animals, meant that a period of suspension would not be sufficient.

"His actions were fundamentally incompatible with remaining on the Register and thus the only appropriate and proportionate sanction in all the circumstances of this case was that of removal from the Register.”

https://www.rcvs.org.uk/concerns/disciplinary-hearings 

Genitrix has repackaged its Dentagen plaque prevention chews to provide added value and convenience to pet owners. 

Packs of the chews, launched in 2008 as part of Genitrix' Dentagen dental range, will now be available in 'one month' packs in response to customer feedback.  The new, bigger value packs will also be priced more cost-effectively and will offer environmental benefits as the amount of packaging is reduced.

Dentagen dental chews are impregnated with a plant extract called RF2 which enables them to act as an 'anti-biofilm' treatment, modifying the membrane of oral bacteria to prevent them from producing plaque. The chews, which come in two sizes for large and small dogs, are designed to be given on alternate days and form part of the unique Dentagen Dental Care Programme.  Earlier this year, Genitrix also launched Dentagen Aqua, an innovative water additive treatment to control plaque and prevent bad breath in cats and dogs.

The new size packs of Dentagen chews, which will be available exclusively through veterinary channels, cost £6.35 for a pack of 14 small chews (one month's supply) and £8.09 for 14 large chews.