Alstoe Animal Health is launching Nelio, a four-way breakable flavoured tablet version of the ACE inhibitor benazepril hydrochloride at BSAVA Congress.
The Nelio range for the treatment of congestive heart failure in dogs and chronic renal insufficiency in cats is presented as a flavoured clover-shaped scored tablet, which is easily divisible into halves or quarters. Nelio is presented in 5mg and 20mg tablets for dogs and 5mg for cats. The company says the new product will allow for more accurate dosing by bodyweight.
In addition, Alstoe is introducing a 120mg sized Dolagis chewable flavoured tablet, which contains the largest amount of carprofen in a single tablet on the veterinary market. As with the 50mg version, the 120mg tablet can be broken into half and quarter portion doses. Alstoe says the combination of these two sizes now affords even greater versatility for veterinary surgeons who need to prescribe for different weights of patient.
The ‘2022 AAFP/ISFM Cat Friendly Veterinary Interaction Guidelines: Approach and Handling Techniques’ and the ‘2022 ISFM/AAFP Cat Friendly Veterinary Environment Guidelines’ cover all aspects of a cat’s veterinary experience, including the journey to the practice and interactions with veterinary team members, as well as the clinical environment.
The new guidelines cover things like:
Dr Nathalie Dowgray, Head of ISFM (pictured right), said: "We are extremely proud of our new guidelines; they have been a lot of hard work with large amounts of literature to review and multiple time zones to work across, but the effort has been worth it.
"We hope all veterinarians working with cats will take the time to read them and apply the concepts and ideas to their clinics and to how they personally interact with their feline patients.’
The guidelines are available at: https://journals.sagepub.com/page/jfm/collection/cat-friendly-special-issue
The practice is now accepting dental referrals, including for dental, oral and maxillofacial surgery.
Hannah said: “I am proud to join the Fitzpatrick Referrals team to extend their referral offering to include this very important aspect of small animal veterinary treatment.
"Working alongside a world-class team with state-of-the-art facilities is a fantastic opportunity.”
https://www.fitzpatrickreferrals.co.uk/services/dentistry/
The Royal Veterinary College is calling for dogs diagnosed with osteoarthritis to take part in a revolutionary study in which their movement will be monitored by a state-of-the-art recorder.
The recorder (pictured right), which is attached to the dog's collar, uses miniaturised sensors based on those found in smart phones. It can distinguish between different activities independent of the dog's location, allowing constant recording of movement in the dog's home environment, to complement the traditional clinical assessments carried out as part of the trial.
The study is being carried out to assess the efficacy of the joint mobility supplement Yumove in reducing the clinical signs of osteoarthritis. This will be the first time that the real effect of a joint supplement has been measured.
Dr. John Howie, co-founder of Lintbells, the company that makes Yumove, said: "This is the first time the real effect of a joint supplement has been measured and it will be a very fast trial. Yumove is a supplement that has been specifically formulated to include glucosamine, chondroitin and Omega 3 from green-lipped mussel, which all work together to increase joint mobility and provide an anti-inflammatory effect."
The research is being led by Dr Matthew Pead the RVC's Academic Director of Professional Assessment and Development. He said: "The results of this study will have important clinical implications for the understanding and treatment of canine OA, with the ultimate aim of advancing the treatment of this difficult and degenerative disease for the benefit of many thousands of dogs."
Any veterinary surgeon with a patient in their practice that might benefit from this study is invited to refer them. Further details are available the Clinical Investigation Centre at the Royal Veterinary College - email cic@rvc.ac.uk or phone 01707 666605.
Petplan is running its television advertising campaign from now until October.
The advert (below) is airing on Sky 1, Sky Atlantic, ITV2, ITV3, More 4, Gold and USA.
Suzanne Cheadle, Acting Head of Marketing at Petplan said: "As the UK market leader, it is imperative that pet owners recognise and understand who we are and what we stand for. We need to help pet owners understand not only why pet insurance is so important, but explain why they should choose Petplan over any other provider. In 36 years, there's not an illness or accident that we haven't seen, and our Covered For Life policies have been developed with unrivalled knowledge and experience."
Underlying the plan are three 'Brexit Principles', devised by the College and formally adopted by RCVS Council, which will guide the College’s relationship with the Government during the forthcoming Brexit negotiations.
The College says each Principle is supported by a number of specific policies that the College will lobby for in the coming months, all designed to positively engage with the post-referendum reality and with government policy.
The Principles are:
RCVS Chief Executive Nick Stace said: "It is crucially important for the College and the profession as a whole to think boldly about the post-Brexit future; we cannot expect government to give us all of the answers, instead we must work to find solutions ourselves so as to shape the future of the profession from within."
The College has also asked the Institute for Employment Studies (IES) to undertake research into the attitudes and intentions of all EU-graduated veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses currently working in the UK. They will all have receive a personalised email from IES with a link to this online survey, and their answers will help inform the College’s approach to Brexit. This research will help the College to understand better the impact that Brexit may already be having, how it can support EU veterinary professionals working in the UK, and build an evidence base regarding the potential impact that Brexit may have on the veterinary workforce.
For more information on the College’s Brexit activities, visit: www.rcvs.org.uk/brexit
The study, Urinary incontinence in bitches under primary veterinary care in England: prevalence and risk factors, which will be published in the Journal of Small Animal Practice, also found that other factors such as weight, neuter status and age also play key roles.
The authors hope that the study findings will provide an evidence base that allows veterinary surgeons to enhance their clinical recommendations for higher risk bitches.
The study was based on a population of 100,397 bitches attending 119 veterinary clinics across England. The main findings included:
The study also gave evidence on the welfare impact from urinary incontinence. Almost half of cases (45.6%) received medical therapy for the condition. In addition, of the bitches that died during the study period, urinary incontinence was recorded as either contributory or the main reason for death in 16.7 % of these deaths.
RVC veterinary epidemiologist and VetCompass researcher Dr Dan O’Neill said: "This urinary incontinence study has uncovered dramatic breed predispositions that have previously been hidden to vets and owners.
"Overall, about 3% of bitches were affected but this rose to over 30% in the Irish Setter and over 20% in the Dobermann with many other breeds also predisposed.
"Vets can now use these results to alert owners to typical clinical signs in order to ensure earlier treatment and better outcomes. The study also suggests increased risk in heavier and neutered bitches.
"Following on from this study, a VetCompass Masters project supported by BSAVA PetSavers is working to unravel these associations in order to identify potential preventive strategies, especially in those highly predisposed breeds."
The paper is available in Early View on Wiley Online Library ahead of publication in the JSAP at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jsap.12731/full
Reference
Photo: ©Diane Peace Collection / The Kennel Club
Eight veterinary surgeons have put themselves forward to compete for the three available places. They are:
The RCVS has uploaded each of the candidates’ biographies and election statements on to its website, at: www.rcvs.org.uk/vetvote20.
The elections will start from Monday 16th March when the ballot papers and candidates’ manifestos will be posted and emailed to all members of the profession who are eligible to vote.
All votes, whether postal or online, must then be cast by 5pm on Friday 24 April 2020.
As with previous years, the RCVS is also inviting members of the profession to get a better idea of why each candidate is standing by taking part in 'Quiz the candidates' and submitting a question which will then be put directly to the candidates.
Each candidate for both elections will be invited to choose two questions to answer from all those received, and produce a video recording of their answers.
Recordings will be published on the RCVS website and YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/rcvsvideos) on the week the election starts.
The College says only question per person is allowed, and any which it deems offensive, inappropriate, misleading, libellous or otherwise unlawful will not be distributed to the candidates.
Vets should email their question to vetvote20@rcvs.org.uk or send it to the College’s Twitter account @theRCVS using the hashtag #vetvote20 by midday on Friday 28 February 2020.
COMMENT
With the veterinary profession facing two of the biggest regulatory changes seen in most people's lifetimes, namely changes to the rules over remote prescribing without performing a physical examination and a possible change to the standard of proof used in disciplinaries, there has never been a more important time to make sure that practising veterinary surgeons are properly represented on Council. Nor has there been a time I can remember when a protest vote would represent such a shocking waste. Don't forget, you don't need to use all your votes. Use them wisely.
The hands-on course, which is worth 7 CPD hours, has been organised by Dr Nicola M Parry, Recognised Specialist in Pathology at the University of Surrey School of Veterinary Medicine. It will combine lectures, practicals, and a Q&A session to enable delegates to carry out a post-mortem, identify common (and not so common) pathologies, and draw conclusions about the cause of death.
The morning lectures will provide an overview of techniques that focus on how to approach the post-mortem examination of the adult horse and the foetus/foal, as well as how to examine the placenta. Potential findings will be discussed as well as some pitfalls to avoid during the post-mortem examination, and how to optimise sample submission. The lectures will be recorded, enabling sessions to be reviewed later.
Delegates will spend the afternoon in the post-mortem room, examining macroscopic specimens and learning practical approaches to a post-mortem examination in the field, and the collection of key specimens. The day will close with a Q&A session.
Speakers Dr Fabio Del Piero from the Louisiana State University and Dr Marvin J Firth from the University of Surrey will help delegates to:
Sarah Gaspar, the Learning Manager at BEVA said: “If you have ever been called out to a dead horse to find a distraught owner and not been sure how to identify the cause, this course is for you. We can’t remember any course ever having been run on this topic in the UK before; it is likely to be very popular so be quick to book.”
To find out more and to book click here: https://www.beva.org.uk/Education/CPD/Event-Details/eventDateId/1582
Speakers include Dr Ian Stroud, founder and veterinary director of Pet People, an independent small animal practice in Richmond, South West London, Jack Peploe, a veterinary IT expert and Certified Ethical Hacker, and Ciaran Milford, ezyVet’s EMEA sales manager, who has worked with every type of veterinary practice, from aspiring independents right through to established universities and corporate groups.
Lance Rice, creative director at ezyVet, who will moderate the webinar, said: “This webinar is for anyone who feels as though they’ve gone as far as they can in a senior vet or clinic director role, and thinks it might be time to follow their dream of opening their own practice.
“Our speakers are all vastly experienced and ideally positioned to explain what makes a successful launch, as well as the key mistakes and common traps that new owners fall into.
"Ian has a unique understanding of the challenges and opportunities involved with starting a veterinary practice.
"Jack is an expert in helping practices leverage technology to save time, whilst delivering exceptional patient care and bolstering their security posture.
"Ciaran is passionate about helping practices find the right solutions for their needs and business goals."
To register, visit: https://www.ezyvet.com/webinar/starting-a-vet-practice-uk
Andy Moores said: "Elbow replacement surgery, despite advancements in both the implant and technique, remains a complex procedure with a demanding rehabilitation process.
"However, for the right candidates, elbow replacement offers the potential for significant improvement in joint function and pain relief, transforming the lives of dogs that would otherwise suffer from permanent discomfort."
The third generation TATE elbow has had a complete redesign to overcome some of the issues associated with the first and second generation models, and the Iowa State system which preceded them.
There are around 15 surgeons qualified to perform the procedure in the world, three in the UK, and Andy is the only one in the South East.
Andy added: "The advancements in the TATE Elbow system represent a significant leap forward in veterinary orthopaedic surgery.
"End-stage elbow osteoarthritis is a horrible condition which can leave dogs in chronic pain and with no good treatment options.
"Being certified to perform third-generation TATE elbow replacements allows us to offer our patients the most advanced treatment options available, giving them the best chance for a pain-free, functional life."
www.mooresortho.com info@mooresortho.com
The Disciplinary Committee of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons has refused an application for restoration to the RCVS Register from a Kent-based former veterinary surgeon struck off in 1994 for disregarding basic hygiene at his professional premises and failing to properly maintain a Controlled Drugs Register or patient records.
In June 1994, the Committee found that Mr Warwick John Seymour-Hamilton, at that time the only veterinary surgeon practising at premises at 9 Orchard Grove, Orpington, Kent, was guilty of disgraceful professional conduct and should have his name removed from the Register. The state and condition of the premises were found to be such as to risk the health and welfare of animals taken to the premises, and bring the profession into disrepute. An application made by Mr Seymour-Hamilton for restoration made in 1995 was refused.
At a restoration hearing on 18 June 2010, Mr Seymour-Hamilton told the Committee that he sought restoration to the Register because he wished to further his research work into plants with potential medicinal properties. Restoration, he said, would improve his professional status by giving him more credibility, particularly in terms of recognition by the medical and veterinary professions.
Mr Seymour-Hamilton said that he had no intention of returning to clinical practice immediately, and neither the Committee nor the College had heard of any adverse conduct by the applicant since his removal.
However, Caroline Freedman, Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee, noted that if Mr Seymour-Hamilton were to be restored, the Committee would have no power to prevent him from returning to general practice.
Mr Seymour-Hamilton's response to questioning by the Committee raised a number of concerns with respect to the future welfare of animals should restoration be granted. He told the Committee that he had not undertaken any relevant Continuing Professional Development in the past 15 years, and said he lacked knowledge of current relevant legislation, for example, the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 and basic 'Cascade' prescribing requirements. He also said that he had not read the RCVS Guide to Professional Conduct in the past 15 years and that it would not be satisfactory for him immediately to return to general practice.
Ms Freedman said: "If the Committee were to reinstate the Applicant to the Register, it would have to be satisfied that he is competent and safe to practise immediately. The Committee has an obligation to protect the public and animal welfare and cannot simply accept his assurances that he would take steps to rectify his self-confessed shortcomings at some point in the future."
Having taken all the evidence presented into account, the Committee was not satisfied that Mr Seymour-Hamilton was fit to be restored to the Register and dismissed his application.
Three veterinary surgeons and an appointed RCVS Councillor have been awarded an OBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours.
Caroline Freedman, who has been appointed to Council from the University of Edinburgh since 2005, received a British Empire Medal for services to animal welfare in Edinburgh. Caroline will be officially retiring from Council at RCVS Day on Friday 11 July but will remain as a lay member of the Practice Standards Group - the coordinating body for the Practice Standards Scheme.
Three veterinary surgeons were also awarded OBEs in the Queen's Birthday Honours. Sarah Cleaveland, Professor of Comparative Epidemiology at the University of Glasgow, was honoured for her contribution to veterinary epidemiology. Robert Houston, former Chief Veterinary Officer for Northern Ireland, was recognised for services to veterinary science in the country and Professor Julie Fitzpatrick, the Scientific Director of the Moredun Research Institute and Chief Executive of the Moredun Foundation, was honoured for services to animal health and science.
RCVS President Colonel Neil Smith said: "I am delighted to see these very deserving people from the veterinary world receive their due recognition in this year's Birthday Honours.
"During her time on Council Caroline has provided a greatly valued lay perspective on the veterinary issues of the day and I am pleased that she will continue to give her valuable insight to the organisation through the Practice Standards Group.
"Professor Cleaveland is our guest speaker at this year's RCVS Day where she will be speaking about her vital work in tackling zoonotic diseases on an international basis, so I am delighted to see that her contribution to human and animal health is being recognised.
"In addition, Bert Houston and Professor Fitzpatrick have contributed a great deal to both the veterinary profession and animal welfare in UK, with the latter being a member of our former Research Subcommittee."
The company says that with an estimated 3.2 million UK households welcoming a new pet into their family home during lockdown1, many experienced and new dog owners will be unaware of the risks to their dog of CCC when it socialises, hence the new risk assessment tool, which is available at: https://www.msd-animal-health-hub.co.uk/KBPH/contagious-canine-cough-risk-assessment.
The risk assessment campaign will be supported with 'Does your dog ...' posters for vets, information and advice for dog owners on the website and a social media campaign encouraging dog owners to spread the information to other dog owners.
Carley Chutter, Nobivac(r) Product Manager at MSD Animal Health said: "With so many new dog owners now socialising more, taking their dogs on holiday and even considering taking their dogs into the office, protecting their dogs as they socialise is vital.
"Currently only an estimated 1 in 3 vaccinated dogs in the UK are also covered against Bordetella2 so the 'Ask us to protect your dog' resources offers the chance for practices to start the conversation about protection with clients.
"A common barrier to vaccinating against CCC is the belief that it is only necessary for dogs going into kennels, rather than all social dogs. Most dogs meet others, however, while out walking, during training, or while attending the vets, CCC is infectious even at low levels. Indeed, dogs can be asymptomatic but infectious.
"So, improving protection levels against this disease which is distressing for both the owner and dog, is important in both reducing the risk of outbreaks and the need for antibiotic treatment."
Nobivac(r) Respira Bb injectable vaccine against Bordetella bronchiseptica, gives 12 months protection when used as a single-dose booster in dogs previously vaccinated with Nobivac(r) KC. Dogs not previously vaccinated against Bordetella bronchiseptica require two doses administered four weeks apart. Duration of immunity is 7 months after the primary course and 12 months after a booster with Nobivac(r) Respira Bb. It may also be given 12 months after a primary course in cases where the 7 months dose is missed.
To support the use of Nobivac(r) Respira Bb a range of tools are available to practices and further information can be found at www.nobivacrespiraBb.co.uk, or contact your MSD Animal Health account manager.
References
Ceva Animal Health has announced the addition of a new CPD module to its Cardio Academy, covering the clinical significance of heart murmurs in cats.
Hosted by Virginia Luis-Fuentes, Professor of Veterinary Cardiology at the Royal Veterinary College, the online seminar provides guidance in deciding which heart murmurs are significant and working out which are more likely to develop complications, such as congestive heart failure or aortic thromboembolism.
According to the company, up to 40% of cats will have heart murmur at some point in their life, but are often clinically normal at presentation. To make things more confusing, says Ceva, 50% of cats with congestive heart failure do not have a heart murmur at all.
The module lasts for 20 minutes and, after viewing, delegates receive a CPD certificate by answering questions relating to the session.
To access this module, and 20 hours of online cardiology CPD, visit www.cardioacademy.cevalearn.com.
In June the College held a six-week consultation with the profession, asking for opinions on its proposal for an outcomes-based approach to CPD which would concentrate less on hours logged and more on interactive, reflective learning and measuring the impact that CPD has on the individual’s practice and patient health outcomes.
The proposed model for CPD had four key components: planning, doing, recording and reflecting. While an overall majority of the 3,357 people who responded to the College’s consultation agreed with the proposed changes to the CPD requirement, certain elements received less support than others. The lowest amount of support was received for the ‘reflection’ component with 35% of respondents disagreeing with it.
The RCVS Education Committee therefore decided that a pilot of a new outcomes-based approach should be held during 2017 with a group of volunteers, before making a recommendation to Council.
Professor Stephen May, who chaired the Working Group that developed the CPD proposals, said: "Because of the concern voiced by members of the profession responding to the consultation we decided that, at this stage, it would not be appropriate for the RCVS to move straight into this new way of doing CPD but that it would be more appropriate to hold a pilot. The idea is that we will explore some of the concerns around reflection and around the extra time and paperwork that people felt that a more reflective approach may lead to.
"We have taken all these comments into account and are now seeking to work with individual volunteers on this pilot. It is important to note that we are not only looking for volunteers who agree with what we are doing but also those who are apprehensive about it or even some who see it as something they do not support. We want to explore the full range of views and how we can move forward in changing our approach to CPD."
The pilot is expected to be launched in February next year and the College is now looking for volunteers who both support the proposals and have a ‘healthy scepticism’ about them. Volunteers will receive help and support throughout the trial and will also be invited to attend an introductory CPD meeting at the RCVS offices in February.
If you are interested in volunteering, contact Jenny Soreskog-Turp, RCVS CPD Officer, on cpd@rcvs.org.uk.
Further information, including the CPD Policy Working Party’s response to the consultation and the full interview with Stephen May, is available at www.rcvs.org.uk/CPDpilot.
The initiative comes after BEVA's new nurse committee ran a survey which found a poor understanding within the profession and amongst clients of what equine nurses can do.
Nurses said they believed they could be given more responsibility and do more within their roles and that there was a lack of opportunity for progression.
BEVA President David Rendle, who is championing this initiative, said: “RVNs are a significant an asset to any equine practice.
“They have invested a lot of time and effort to become highly skilled but in some instances their significant attributes are not being utilised to the full.
“Allowing RVNs to perform the clinical tasks that they are qualified to carry out under Schedule 3 of the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966, will provide better job fulfilment and career development as well as free up veterinary surgeons to carry out other tasks, all increasing the efficiency of the veterinary team.
“I feel, and the RVN survey results would seem to confirm, that veterinary surgeons and practice managers do not appreciate how much veterinary nurses are allowed to do in equine practice.
"We all know veterinary nurses have the ability; look at what they do in small animal and human nursing, but we have felt unnecessarily constrained by Schedule 3 of the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 and the associated RCVS guidelines.
"If you actually look at Schedule 3 it is clear that we can and should be letting our qualified equine nurses do far more.
“There are so many things in equine practice that nurses do better than vets.
"In addition to performing clinical tasks they can add wider value; they are generally (or are perceived by clients to be!) more patient, empathetic and caring so we should utilise these skills and get nurses to take on some of the roles that take more time and require longer client interactions – discussing parasite control programmes, running weight loss clinics, reviewing healthcare plans, making follow-up phone calls and visits to name just a few.
"Nurses can take a lot of pressure off vets and can add a significant revenue stream for the practice.”
On the 9th February, the BEVA will be hosting an online discussion forum for all members of the practice team to discuss the role of nurses and how their skills, experience and knowledge can be better-used.
It's free for BEVA members: https://www.beva.org.uk/Home/Events/BEVA-Events/Event-Details.aspx?eventDateId=1716
Marie Rippingale Chair of the BEVA Nurse Committee said: “Last year’s recruitment and retention survey revealed that 50% of nurse respondents were earning less than £25,000 per annum and 48% of nurses said they were likely to look for a new job in the next two years.
"When asked their top reasons for leaving, salary was the biggest reason, and common themes on what would help the retention of nurses included salary, work-life balance and career progression.
“The review of Schedule 3 is important so we can encourage delegation of tasks to RVNs.
"This will allow RVNs to demonstrate their value and worth, earning money for the practice and achieving job satisfaction at the same time. This will contribute positively towards the current retention crisis.”
To find out more about what equine veterinary nurses can do in practice visit https://www.beva.org.uk/nurses
Photo: Liphook Equine Hospital.
The theme for the 2025 conference is how to make veterinary work sustainable, creating teams that can reliably work at their best, feel positive about work, and feel supported and valued by their team.
Keynote speaker, Amanda Oates BA (hons), MSc Strategic HRD, C.C.I.P.D. (pictured) will be talking about the concept of restorative veterinary practice, and how it relies on establishing a restorative workplace culture.
There will be three streams at the conference.
In the first stream, VetLed founder and Training Director, Dan Tipney will be joined by guest speakers to help delegates understand how they can make a difference to the way they work using human factors tools and techniques proven in human medicine and other safety-critical professions.
In the second stream, VetLed’s Community Lead, Hannah Godfrey, will be joined by human behaviour expert Katie Ford to help delegates understand themselves as humans, to acknowledge and accommodate their own needs and the needs of others, and to work better as a team.
The third stream will be hosted by VetLed Managing Director, Cat Auden, and a Chartered Psychologist, Ergonomist, and Human Factors Specialist. In this stream, delegates who are already familiar with human factors concepts will be encouraged to think big, share ideas, and shape the veterinary profession.
Tickets: £190.80
https://www.vetled.co.uk/conference
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.
Dechra Veterinary Products has launched a new Instruments and Consumables catalogue for veterinary professionals. The new catalogue is available to view online or download via Dechra's website at www.dechra.com
The new catalogue features the range of instruments and consumables available from Dechra, including a new wound dressing Silflex. This dressing is an atraumatic soft silicone contact layer, which minimises trauma at dressing change and protects delicate skin. Other products include Activon Medical Grade Manuka Honey dressings, Portex Jacksons cat catheters, Surgivet Slippery Sam cat catheters, ET tubes and 3M Vetrap bandaging tape.
The Dechra catalogue also includes help and advice for veterinary professionals, including step-by-step instructions for using some products and case studies for the range of wound dressings.
Dechra Veterinary Products has added a new webinar: 'Otitis Externa - Recent advances in the treatment of ears' to The Dechra Academy, the online training suite from Dechra Veterinary Products.
Presented by Sue Paterson, MA VetMB DVD DipECVD MRCVS RCVS & European Specialist in Veterinary Dermatology, the webinar accounts for 1.5 hours CPD and covers such topics as ear anatomy, cytology and the creation of treatment plans.
Carol Morgan, Dechra Brand Manager said: "We are dedicated to providing educational resources to support the veterinary profession. The otitis webinar is the latest addition to our range of high quality key-opinion-leader-led CPD on The Dechra Academy."
The webinar is now available to view on demand at www.dechra.co.uk/academy.
Henry Schein Inc. has announced an agreement to acquire RxWorks Inc., the veterinary practice management software provider.
Founded in 1988 and with headquarters in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, RxWorks has 68 team members and an installed base of more than 1,500 veterinary clinics in 19 countries worldwide (primarily Australia, New Zealand, the UK and the Netherlands).
Henry Schein says RxWorks will become part of it's Global Animal Health Practice Solutions business, led by its current management team.
Stanley M. Bergman, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, Henry Schein, Inc. said: "RxWorks has an excellent reputation for helping veterinarians increase practice efficiency and improve quality health care through its innovative practice management software solutions.
"The addition of RxWorks further strengthens our growing practice management software solutions business, which helps deepen relationships in the regions served by RxWorks with our animal health customers, including large corporate customers. The addition of RxWorks will nicely complement our expanding animal health technology businesses. We look forward to welcoming our new colleagues from RxWorks to Henry Schein."
Nathan Basha, Chairman of RxWorks said: "RxWorks software is designed to facilitate consistency of patient care, enable practice growth, achieve enhanced profitability and optimize professional time, all the while improving the quality of life for patients. Aligning with Henry Schein, a global company committed to serving animal health professionals and bringing innovation to the marketplace, allows RxWorks to provide even further value to customers while expanding industry reach."
Henry Schein says it expects the acquisition to close in the second half of January 2016. Financial details and terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
The kit contains a guide to effective ear cleaning, an illustrated step-by-step instruction guide on how to administer the Canaural, and a diary and consultation pack so owners can engage with the diagnosis and treatment of their pet’s ear infection.
The Healthy Ears Combi Kit comes in a resealable wipe-clean bag and is available free of charge from veterinary wholesalers.
Dechra Brand Manager Claire Morgan said: "The new kit will give owners more confidence in the important role that they play in their pet’s ear health and encourage them to engage in the treatment plan, thereby supporting veterinary professionals in the cycle of care.
"As well as serving as practical storage for the products, it acts as a reminder to dispense CleanAural as well as Canaural, as the self-cleaning mechanism of the animal’s ears is often compromised by infection.
She added: "CleanAural does not compromise the antimicrobial activity of Canaural1 so they are perfect partners for maintaining healthy ears."
Free Healthy Ears Combi Kit can be ordered via your veterinary wholesaler.
The charity will be carrying out a study about the disease in collaboration with the Universities of Liverpool and Nottingham. However, because funding for research is limited, and because researchers want it to answer questions around PPID that owners and veterinary surgeons actually want to know, they are asking for your suggestions.
The AHT says that it wants to provide owners and vets with practical and applicable advice that will improve the wellbeing of their horses, based on scientific evidence. So whether that’s a question around how the disease is diagnosed, the best way to treat it or what the long term prognosis is, now is your chance to have your say.
If you own or care for a horse/pony with PPID or are a veterinary surgeon that treats them (or you have done in the past) please visit: www.aht.org.uk/PPID, to take part.
If you have any questions, contact the Project Investigator Becky Tatum by email: becky.tatum @aht.org.uk or by telephone: 01638 751000 Ext. 1241
HSR, which provides emergency and routine specialist orthopaedic and neurology services, now offers video consultations with a specialist and a pet transportation service. It has also introduced strict strict biosecurity and operational preventative measures.
Clare Hamilton, Managing Director, says, “Our priority is to continue to offer gold-standard service for both routine and emergency orthopaedic and neurological cases whilst doing our utmost to limit the spread of Covid-19 as much as possible. We are to all intents and purposes, ‘business as usual’ with additional hygiene measures to protect clients and staff”.
HSR is asking clients that if there is a chance that they have Covid-19 and/or have come into contact with anyone with the virus they do not attend the hospital in person, but instead contact via email or telephone to discuss their pet’s treatment on an individual basis. Clients visiting the clinic are being asked to wait in their cars until their appointment, whereupon the animal is collected from the car by one of the team for its clinical examination. The vets are then speaking to the clients by telephone to discuss and gain consent for any further investigation or treatment.
For vulnerable clients who are self-isolating and in need of their services, HSR is offering a pet ambulance service for collection and drop off of pets. They will then have a video consultation with the specialist. Medications will be posted out and advice given over email or telephone.
Clare added: “We are doing all we can to support colleagues and clients in what are unprecedented circumstances. We recognise the strain on many practices having to reduce the number of appointments in the face of staff shortages. We want to reassure vets that we are happy to offer advice and support with cases, and continue to take referrals during this difficult period. We also have free online CPD for practices via our website as meetings are postponed or cancelled”.
The practice advises clients and referring vets to check for further developments on social media, or sign up to their email list for updates.