With the end of the vector-free period and the threat of more cases of bluetongue, organisations from across all elements of the livestock sector have come together to launch a Joint campaign Against Bluetongue (JAB), with the strapline ‘don’t hesitate, vaccinate’.

The organisations involved, which represent livestock farmers, livestock markets and meat and dairy processing as well as the veterinary profession, all fully support the joint industry/Defra vaccination plan for bluetongue and are committed to working together on the campaign to achieve the mass vaccination of bluetongue susceptible animals, including goats and camelids.

JAB is now embarking on a major campaign to urge all farmers with susceptible livestock to vaccinate their animals as soon as vaccine is available and the BVA, along with our relevant specialist divisions, is committed to ensuring that vets have all the information in advance so that they are in a position to deal with their clients’ questions.

According to BVA President Nick Blayney: "Colleagues should be aware and look out for meetings being organised around the country, courtesy of the VLA and others, and led by vets where they can learn the latest information. The BVA website also carries useful and up-to-date information and links  (http://www.bva.co.uk/policy/bluetongue_jab.asp). Practices are seen as the cornerstone of vaccine delivery, proper usage and monitoring for efficacy and BVA would encourage them to offer their clients the ability to register an interest in vaccine supply in advance of its arrival. Such a forward order book will speed up the delivery of the vaccine once it is available."

The British Veterinary Dental Association has officially launched its own new section on VetSurgeon.org to help its members share ideas and experiences amongst each other.

The new BVDA section on VetSurgeon contains a dedicated forum for discussing veterinary dentistry. There's also a photo and video sharing gallery in which to share and discuss interesting cases. Members can also catch up on association news and hold private 'conversations' between each other using VetSurgeon's sophisticated peer-to-peer networking system.

All veterinary surgeons can visit and read content in the BVDA section on VetSurgeon. However, only BVDA members can join and participate.

A downloadable application form for BVDA membership is available from the 'About us' section.  

Lisa Milella MRCVS, BVDA President said: "We're very excited about the potential that VetSurgeon offers us to share information about veterinary dentistry both amongst ourselves and with the wider profession" 

Arlo Guthrie, editor and publisher of VetSurgeon said: "I'm really pleased to welcome the BVDA to VetSurgeon. They now sit alongside the Small Animal Medicine Society on the site, and I hope will be joined by more veterinary associations in the future, so that they are all conveniently in once place for easy availability to all practitioners."

Click here to visit the new BVDA section on VetSurgeon.

The RCVS Day held last Friday saw the investiture of Professor Stuart Reid as the new President for 2014/15, the formal adoption of a new Royal Charter that recognises veterinary nurses, and a smorgasbord of awards.

Professor Reid, who graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987, began by outlining three things he wants to pursue during his term in office:

• To continue to push forward with improvements to the governance of the RCVS in light of the success of the Legislative Reform Order last year and its changes to the composition of the Preliminary Investigation and Disciplinary Committees.
• To further the amount of work the College does on a global stage, including the possibility of the RCVS helping to set standards of veterinary education outside of the United Kingdom.
• To look at the possibility of veterinary graduates being able to use the title 'Doctor' based on their registerable degree, as is the case in some other countries.

Jacqui Molyneux then stood down as Vice-President, replaced by Dr. Bradley Viner, who in turn was replaced as Treasurer by Amanda Boag.

After approving of the minutes of last year's RCVS Day and the Annual Report and Statement of Accounts for 2013, members of the College were then asked to vote on a motion to adopt the new Royal Charter. The motion, which was proposed by Professor Reid and seconded by Robin Hargreaves, President of the BVA, was passed unanimously. The proposed new Charter was delivered to the Privy Council that afternoon. According to the College, approval should be given later this year or early next.

Introducing the new Charter, Professor Reid said it would better define the objects of the College, provide a clear framework for the existing functions of the RCVS and give Council the power to create new classes of associate.

However, the greatest impact of the new Charter will surely be felt by veterinary nurses, as it formally recognises them as professionals and associates of the College for the first time. Professor Reid said: "Words like 'historic' should be used sparingly, but on this occasion it is justified. We now have some 12,000 veterinary nurses on the books, nine-tenths of them being registered veterinary nurses. Yet the present Charter does not so much as mention their existence.

"The new Charter gives the RCVS a formal duty to keep the Register of Veterinary Nurses and makes the Veterinary Nurses Council responsible for setting standards for their training, education and conduct."

After adopting the Charter, David Bartram, Mandisa Greene and Susan Paterson were formally welcomed on to Council. Amber Richards was welcomed onto VN Council, which Neil Smith is also joining. 

Outgoing President, Neil Smith, then conferred a range of awards including:

• The new Queen's Medal to Des Thompson OBE, a distinguished veterinary surgeon from Northern Ireland and past-President of the RCVS and several other organisations, including the British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) and the Society of Practising Veterinary Surgeons (SPVS).
• Honorary Fellowships to pathologist Andrew Holliman, Professor Maxwell Murray, Emeritus Professor of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Glasgow, and Donald Rutty, a former president of the Laboratory Animal Veterinary Association.
• Fellowships by Meritorious Contributions to Learning were awarded to Dr Alan Conley for his research on comparative reproductive endocrinology, and Dr Robert Hanna for his research into certain digenetic tremadote parasites in domestic ruminants.
• Veterinary diplomas in Cattle Health and Production, Small Animal Surgery (Orthopaedics), Zoological Medicine (Avian) and Zoological Medicine (Reptilian) were also awarded.
• 16 veterinary nurses were presented with Diplomas in Advanced Veterinary Nursing (DipAVN) small animal, and one equine.
• The VN Golden Jubilee Award to Hayley Walters, an Anaesthesia and Welfare Veterinary Nurse at the University of Edinburgh Hospital for Small Animals

Nick Stace, Chief Executive Officer and Secretary of the RCVS, then gave an update on what the College had achieved in the last year.  Among the achievements he noted was the introduction of a new system to reduce the time it takes to process complaints; the imminent launch of the new Advanced Practitioner status; and the development of a new Practice Standards Scheme, due to come into force next year.

He said: "In addition, we have listened and responded to fair criticism from the profession, including a very productive evidence-gathering session on 24/7 emergency care, which has resulted in important changes.

"I believe listening and responding is a sign of strength and confidence. We do not seek to be popular but to be sensible in how we regulate and respectful in how we carry out our Royal College duties."

He also outlined how he wanted the RCVS to be a "force for good" in the world by supporting the very best veterinary practitioners and ensuring that the public feels properly protected.

Hill's Pet Nutrition has announced that Canine i/d™ is now available again from wholesalers.

The company says that Canine i/d has been reformulated to improve texture quality, while still retaining the nutritional profile that makes i/d ideal for dogs with digestive problems and as a post-surgery recovery diet.

Hill’s Prescription Diet Canine i/d Recovery Packs are back early March; Hill's recommends use of regular i/d in the interim.

For more information, speak to your Territory Manager, or ring Hill’s Customer Services on: 0800 282438 (UK), or: 1 800 626002 (IRL)

Vet Futures, the joint initiative by the RCVS and BVA to stimulate debate about the future of the profession, is running an essay competition with a prize of an all-expenses-paid trip to the London Vet Show (London Olympia, 19th-20th November).

To win, you need to submit an essay of 1000 words or less which outlines an idea that will transform the veterinary/veterinary nursing profession by 2030. The College suggests that entrants might might look at a new business model, a new approach to education, a technological innovation or perhaps a way that the working lives of those in the practice team could be improved.

Anyone with an interest in the veterinary profession can enter the competition, including veterinary surgeons, nurses, practice managers and students.

The entries will be judged by the Vet Futures Project Board, which includes the Presidents and Chief Executives of both the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and the British Veterinary Association.

Entries will be anonymised then scored on a range of criteria, including originality, potential impact for the future and realistic prospects of change. The winning entry will be placed in a time capsule, to be opened by the veterinary profession in 2030.

The closing date for entries is midnight on Monday 31 August 2015, and the winner will be notified on Monday 7 September 2015.

The full rules and details of how entries can be submitted can be found on www.vetfutures.org.uk/essaycomp.

Vetlife is calling on all members of the veterinary community to lace up their boots and join the Northumberland Vetlife Day Hike on the 9th and 10th of May.

The two-day event, being held in collaboration with the Veterinary Voices Hiking Group, offers a great opportunity to enjoy the great outdoors, get together, and raise vital funds for this crucial charity.

The event is being led by passionate hiking enthusiasts and Vetlife trustees Robyn Lowe and Paul Horwood.

Each day's route will cover 12-19 miles of stunning Northumberland coastline, but participants can opt for shorter distances.

Robyn said: "The Northumberland hike is more than just a walk – it's about coming together as a community, supporting one another, and embracing the mental health benefits of being in nature.

"We hope to see as many people as possible join us, not only to enjoy the experience but to help us continue Vetlife's essential work."

While fundraising is not compulsory, participants are encouraged to try and raise £365 for the charity, symbolising the number of days Vetlife provides support for the community each year.

To register your interest, email fundraising@vetlife.org.uk.

Photo: www.depositphotos.com

Students at the University of Cambridge Veterinary School have again been revealing almost all for the 2009 Trust Charity Calendar. 

This year's calendar is comprised of shots taken in and around the veterinary school, with various animals and props used to spare the blushes of the models. There's also a suggestion for how vets might put their clients more at ease in the consulting room (see right), though I can't see it really ever catching on.

The calendar has been produced to help raise money for the HOPE appeal which is working to raise £2 million needed to pay for the extension of the Cancer Therapy Unit and the new radiotherapy machine.

It was organised by Fiona Jacobs who also posed. She said: "We are all very happy to be involved in producing something fun and light-hearted, which could potentially help us raise a large amount of money for a very worthy cause."

The calendar is available for £9 (£11 p&p). For more information on the Trust's work or to order a copy please contact 01223 764475 or send a cheque to: University of Cambridge Veterinary School Trust, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0ES.

MSD Animal Heath has launched a new dispensing pack to help veterinary practices develop retail sales for Cosequin DS, the joint supplement for pets.

The new dispensing pack, which doubles up as a display pack, contains 300 chews foil-wrapped for extra freshness in 30 packs of 10 strips, allowing Cosequin to stand in the waiting room or on reception.

The new pack, available now in wholesalers, replaces the previous 90, 120 and 180 DS chewable tablet pack sizes.

Elanco has launched the second issue of its dermatology e-newsletter 'Under The Skin', which focuses on fleas and the problem of flea infestations.

Guest edited by Dr Peri Lau-Gillard DerMedVet CertVD DipECVD MRCVS, European Specialist in Veterinary Dermatology, the newsletter reviews the flea life cycle and considers their role as parasite and vector.

Other topics covered include 'seasonal treatment or year round prevention', 'treatment failure - what to consider when the fleas are still alive', 'tips and tricks - flea combing and faecal examination for fleas' and information about spinosad, the active ingredient in Comfortis.

There is also a chance to watch the recent 'real world flea control' webinar presented by flea expert, Dr Mike Dryden, together with a film demonstrating the effect of treatment with a Comfortis tablet on adult fleas.

Issue three of Under The Skin will take a closer look at the flea's role in allergic skin disease and how to manage these sometimes complex and frustrating cases.

To register to receive Elanco's Under The Skin e-newsletter, visit www.thewebinarvet.com/elanco.

A new study from the Royal Veterinary College (RVC), London South Bank University and the British Veterinary Ethnicity and Diversity Society, has found racism continues to be a problem experienced by Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) members of the UK veterinary sector.

The researchers say their analysis shows more needs to be done within the profession to acknowledge, raise awareness of and dismantle the systemic and often overlooked forms of racism that exist.

For the qualitative study, all BAME veterinary professionals and students in the UK were asked to complete an online questionnaire, containing open questions about their experiences.

The questionnaire was was distributed online, in veterinary schools, veterinary organisations and the media, with responses analysed using inductive and deductive approaches.

The findings identified three main themes regarding BAME people’s experiences in the sector.

The first was alienation and insecurity, ranging from blatant rejection, or being deliberately patronised, such as:

"In practicals in the vet school, I’ve noticed more and more times that students would rather work on other stations and not want to work on stations me and my friends (who are also from ethnic minority backgrounds) are working on, even when the other stations are full. This has happened on multiple occasions."

or

"On work experience, the vet I was shadowing at the time would ask me questions like, “Are you integrated into society yet?”, and “What do you eat?”. I am a British citizen who was born in the UK, and so were my parents, so I found this particularly confusing." 

through to more subtle forms of "othering":

"People assume that you aren't British and are different, whereas I would say since I was born and grew up in Britain that I identify as British. People ask me if I can speak another language, or like, do I eat my ethnic food all the time?

"An older couple once probed, “Where are you from?”, I said [name of UK city], they asked again, I said I grew up in [name of UK county], and they asked one more time and I said I have Caribbean heritage. I find this is a common form of racism amongst older people and often they’re not trying to be hurtful, but they’re curious and don't understand how it would make someone feel uncomfortable.

The second theme was homogenisation and inferiorisation, for example when BAME people are labelled, often incorrectly, according to perceived ethnicity:

"I've had lay colleagues refer to me as ‘the Chinese vet’ in front of clients and other colleagues rather than address me by my name – and it's weird because I grew up in Australia."

"Clients often asked to book in with the Singapore vet, but commonly referred to him as ‘the Chinese vet’ on the phone instead of his name, or if they forgot his name. I believe the nurses corrected these clients, but sometimes the clients would ‘jokingly’ comment that it's ‘the same thing’."

The final theme was the disappointment and futility felt by many of the participants, and the impact on their job satisfaction:

"Job satisfaction worsens when I learn that my colleagues (nurses or vets) are unaware of the impact of their words and do not understand what constitutes racism, e.g., use of the word ‘golliwog’, even when not used to describe a specific person. The judgement placed on someone due to their ethnicity creates an unpleasant atmosphere which impacts job satisfaction." 

Dr Christine Thuranira-McKeever, Vice Principal (Equity, Diversity and Inclusion) and Director of Distance Learning at the RVC, said: “At the RVC, we are committed to fostering equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) within the sector and have implemented several initiatives – aligned with our Strategic Plan in which EDI is a core component – to encourage participation from underrepresented groups.

"This includes the RVC For All campaign and Veterinary Gateway Programme to broaden access to veterinary education; the RVC's Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Committee and Race Equality Task Group to focus on addressing racial disparities and shaping policy; and Animal Aspirations, founded in 2019 by RVC students, to support individuals from minority backgrounds.

“However, there is more to be done, and the findings of this study emphasise a significant need for the veterinary profession to come together and do more to acknowledge and raise awareness of the systemic and often overlooked forms of racism, to challenge and dismantle them, and to empower those who are affected.”

Reference

1. King, N., Cardwell, J.M., Lewis, E.G. et al. “It shreds me from within”: thematic analysis of the impact of racism on veterinary professionals and students in the United Kingdom. BMC Psychol 13, 585 (2025).
   URL: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-02481-x 

Greater collaboration between disciplines to promote the 'One Health' approach for people and pets could save the NHS 2.5 billion a year, according to Danny Mills, Professor of Veterinary Behavioural Medicine at the University of Lincoln.

Professor Mills, an authority on companion animal behaviour, cognition and welfare, made the claim at Purina’s 'Better with Pets' European Forum in Brussels, where experts in the animal and human relationship gathered recently to discuss the benefits that pets can have to public health.

Professor Mills highlighted how animal assisted activities and therapy (AAT), where animals are used to improve social, emotional and cognitive functioning, supporting recovery and rehabilitation, can play an important role in the cost saving. He also noted how pets have been shown to reduce anxiety in those with autism, while also easing the stress levels of parents and carers.

Attendees at the event heard  an example of AAT in practice at the Sant Joan de Déu-Barcelona hospital in Spain where a functional unit has been in operation for the past six years. Here, sick children receive AAT on the advice of a doctor, both in the emergency room and on an inpatient basis. The hospital reports that the dogs help the children to have a better life and cope more effectively with their illnesses. Purina called on the public health community to recognise the advantages of AAT and to play an active part in supporting this vital element of public health care.

The panel – which also included Andrea Meisser, Vice-President of the Institute for Interdisciplinary Research on the Human-Animal Relationship, Ruud Tombrock, Director for the Europe Region of World Animal Protection, and Andrea Gavinelli, Head of Unit at the European Commission’s Health and food safety Directorate General – noted that while the benefits of the bond between people and pets are widely felt, they are sometimes hard to quantify empirically.

Professor Mills noted that it can be challenging for researchers to have papers accepted by journals or funding bodies, making it difficult for policymakers to promote the benefits of pets for public health. The panel agreed that greater partnership between all disciplines – from researchers to veterinarians and policymakers – was crucial to advancing the understanding of the public health benefits of pets and people.

Discussing how policymakers could play a part in promoting the One Health approach, Mr Gavanelli called on the pet care community to work together to provide scientific examples and data highlighting economic and social benefits. He also noted that policymakers in Europe had an important part to play by taking a holistic approach to the issue.

Professor Mills said: "The benefits of responsible pet ownership are clear. I’ve seen pets have dramatic effects on autistic children. Understanding the subtleties and nuances of how people and pets work together is vitally important for the well-being of both, and has the potential to make a massive difference to public health. But it is crucial that the industry is given an opportunity to analyse this further. Ignoring the evidence is a far greater problem than dismissing the research as being at an early stage."