The company says Dormazolam works in synergy with other induction agents to provide an extended duration of anaesthesia without adversely affecting the quality of recovery 2,3,5.
Benzodiazepines are commonly incorporated into anaesthetic regimens to alleviate issues seen with the administration to ketamine alone2,3,4, including inadequate muscle relaxation2,3,4, anaesthesia not lasting long enough2 and induction failure2.
Despite the issues caused by the sole use of ketamine, it remains the primary anaesthetic induction agent of choice for more than 90% of equine vets2.
Dechra Brand Manager Emma Jennings said: “Using Dormazolam as part of an equine anaesthesia protocol will give optimal general anaesthetic conditions every time, including a rapid onset of action1.
"Anaesthetic co-induction with ketamine and midazolam has been shown to provide a superior quality of anaesthesia compared to ketamine alone3 and midazolam is equally as effective as diazepam when used as a co-induction agent alongside ketamine4. It also cuts down on the number of ketamine ‘top-up’ doses required compared to using ketamine3 alone.
"Additional benefits include no clinically significant differences in cardiopulmonary function1 or recovery times1 between midazolam and diazepam and it can be mixed in the same syringe as ketamine for ease of use4.”
Emma added: “The introduction of Dormazolam provides an exciting new option for equine vets. It delivers enhanced anaesthetic and surgical conditions by improving anaesthetic induction quality2,3,4 and giving better surgical relaxation scores2,3,4. It also reduces involuntary movements because, as a co-induction agent, midazolam only causes minimal cardiovascular and pulmonary depression2,4.”
Dormazolam is available in a 20 ml vial. It has a shelf life of four years and a broached shelf life of 28 days.
For more information, visit: www.dechra.co.uk/therapy-areas/equine/anaesthesia/analgesia.
References:
Dilaterol is an oral syrup containing 25 mgs/ml clenbuterol hydrochloride, indicated to treat respiratory disease in horses. It causes intense bronchodilation, inhibits histamine release and increases ciliary mucous clearance. It can be used as a frontline or adjuvant therapy.
Dilaterol is administered via food and comes in a 355 ml bottle with a pump dispenser for easy and accurate dosing.
Emma Jennings, Equine Brand Manager at Dechra said: “We are very pleased to have added Dilaterol to our comprehensive range of equine therapies as it is an established and effective treatment for bronchial conditions.
"It is particularly useful in cases of respiratory allergy, bronchospasm and equine asthma and is already regarded as a valuable tool for veterinary professionals."
Dilaterol will be available to order through wholesalers. For more information, visit www.dechra.co.uk.
The 2020 OV Conference will offer up to 25 hours of CPD with lectures, workshops and Q&A sessions from world-class speakers in streams covering small animals, farm animals and equines. There will also be exclusive offers from industry sponsors and online networking opportunities.
The OV Conference provides an opportunity for OVs to discuss current topics of interest and recent developments in their work. Themes this year will include notifiable diseases, biosecurity and disease control, and export certification.
In addition to the live lectures, delegates will be able to view recordings of all the sessions on-demand for three months following the conference. The CPD on offer counts towards OV revalidation qualifications with the event open to all vets, as well as animal health paraprofessionals, nurses and practice managers.
David Babington MRCVS, Business Development Director at Improve International, said: "Moving the OV Conference online has given us an opportunity to harness the technology we use regularly in all of our veterinary training to bring OVs an exceptional but affordable CPD experience.
"Our excellent speakers are looking forward to sharing the latest updates in all aspects of OV work with our delegates and to discussing the challenges ahead, particularly in the light of the COVID-19 pandemic and with the UK moving inexorably towards leaving the EU at the end of the year.
"We’re looking forward to meeting our delegates old and new online at the OV Conference in September.”
The full programme and tickets are now available from https://officialvet.com
The first 150 tickets will get an ‘Early Bird’ 25% discount from £160 to £120+ VAT using the code UK.OV.EARLYBIRD.
The awards celebrate outstanding veterinary surgeons and nurses, practices, practice managers and support staff who’ve been nominated by their clients and colleagues for their hard work, dedication and going that extra mile to keep the nation’s pets healthy.
This year, there were over 37,000 nominations. The finalists are:
Practice Support Staff of the Year
Practice Manager of the Year
Practice of the Year
Vet Nurse of the Year
Vet of the Year
James Barnes, head of sales and partnerships at Petplan, said: “We’re delighted to announce the finalists for the annual Veterinary Awards, which honours the exceptional work carried out by some of the best veterinary professionals in the country. Congratulations to all the 2020 finalists on this fantastic achievement.
“We understand that that this remains an extremely challenging time, which is why we would like to bring the veterinary profession together so we can say thank you for your ongoing dedication to the care of pets. This is particularly true when we consider the devoted teams and individuals continuing to care for the nations pet during the COVID-19 outbreak. Whilst we might not be celebrating together in person this year we hope as many people as possible will join us online for this exciting celebratory event.”
The awards will be hosted on Facebook @PetplanUK on Thursday 28th May 8.30pm. For more information: https://www.petplanvet.co.uk/veterinary-practice-insurance/veterinary-awards.
Squamous cell carcinoma affects horses’ genitalia, eyes, or skin around the eyes. The tumours typically have a guarded to poor prognosis, and the therapeutic approaches available have variable success rates. Euthanasia on welfare grounds is necessary in a significant number of cases.
Before this new research was published, pathologists and researchers Dr Alejandro Suárez-Bonnet and Professor Simon Priestnall, both from the RVC, had already undertaken research which showed that equine squamous cell carcinoma affecting the penis frequently acquires the ability to degrade the extracellular matrix and become much more biologically aggressive2. This is known as ‘epithelial to mesenchymal transition’.
This new study, recently published in Scientific Reports, is the product of a multi-institutional effort, which used both “classical” anatomic histopathology assessment and artificial intelligence to demonstrate a correlation between chronic inflammation, equine papillomavirus infection and progression of equine penile squamous cell carcinoma.
Several additional cancer-related signalling molecules, which are important in researchers’ understanding of human penile cancer, were also studied and the results obtained will lead to a much better understanding and treatment of the cancer.
Simon Priestnall, Professor of Veterinary Anatomic Pathology at the Royal Veterinary College, said: “Equine squamous cell carcinoma is the second most common type of cancer in horses, with a variable prognosis, so we are delighted to have made this breakthrough that provides a greater understanding and can lead to more effective treatments for horses and their owners.
"The RVC has always recognised the value of collaboration, and Alejandro and I enjoyed working alongside the teams at KCL, the University of Edinburgh and UCL. This project shows what can be achieved when different organisations work together with a common aim and we hope the similarities between the tumour in horses and people can offer a true One Health benefit."
Dr Alejandro Suárez-Bonnet, Lecturer in Comparative Pathology at the Royal Veterinary College, said: "I am so pleased with the results of this study, which will hopefully pave the way for improved prognosis of horses diagnosed with equine squamous cell carcinoma.
"Our work is not over, however. Thanks to the help of a grant from the Horse Race Betting Levy, Simon and I are leading a Master’s degree project investigating equine penile, ocular and vulvar squamous cell carcinomas from a broader perspective.
"Our hope is to identify if variability exists between equine papillomavirus infectious status, morphological and microscopic difference, and cancer progression, with the aim of identifying potential therapeutic targets as well as diagnostic markers with prognostic implications for maximum benefit to the British equine population.”
References
The apple-flavoured, gastro-resistant granules can be mixed with dry feed to make administration easier for owners.
Animalcare says that up to 37% of leisure horses and 93% of race horses are reported to be affected by gastric ulcers1, for which the most prescribed treatment is omeprazole.
Equizol’s granule formulation has been developed to support owners who find syringe administration difficult or wasteful. It is presented in packs of 28 sachets, each containing sufficient omeprazole to treat 200 kg body weight. Owners mix the appropriate number of sachets into a small amount of the horse’s feed.
Animalcare Product Manager James Beaumont said: “Offering innovative product solutions which better meet our customer’s needs is our goal and Equizol is a perfect example. Our established equine healthcare range includes products for pain management, infusion therapy and microchips. Now, with the launch of Equizol, we are offering an innovative, easy-to-use and cost-effective solution to the common problem of gastric ulcers, based on tried and trusted omeprazole. We are delighted to add it to our range.”
Reference
The CPD event takes place this Thursday 9th April, from 9:30am to 5:30pm, using the Zoom video conferencing platform. The organisers say that the agenda is still being finalised, but will be split into three streams: Farm Animal, Equine and Small Animal.
Confirmed speakers include:
Although the event is free, participants are asked make a voluntary contribution at justgiving.com/fundrasing/vets-for-nhs.
To register for the event, visit www.vetsfornhs.co.uk
Vets for NHS is supported by Boehringer Ingelheim, MSD Animal Health, Nimrod and the Scottish Vet Fair.
All existing BEVA members will have their membership automatically extended until 30 June 2020. The association is also inviting vets and vet nurses who are not already BEVA members to join as online members free of charge until 30 June 2020.
BEVA President Tim Mair said: “In this extraordinary time of global crisis our profession, as with many industries, is under immense pressure. By offering free membership we are giving equine vets easy access to a wealth of supportive resources and online CPD to help them through these dark times.”
BEVA membership includes:
The association is also looking at other ways to support the profession, which has included making all BEVA Congress 2019 webinars available to members via the BEVA online learning platform.
To sign up from Monday 30 March 2020 visit: https://www.beva.org.uk/Join-BEVA
The charity says that it had already been suffering a period of 'dire financial constraints' and the economic effects of coronavirus are now having a direct effect on funding.
The charity's Trustees and Executive Committee is still trying to find emergency funding to try and save the organisation, failing which it will close on the 31st March.
The two-day collaborative workshop was hosted by the Jockey Club Estates, Newmarket and sponsored by The Gerald Leigh Charitable Trust and the Beaufort Cottage Educational Trust, together with a number of other industry contributors.
Injuries to the racehorse fetlock are rare: it is one of a number of racecourse musculoskeletal injuries which are collectively estimated to occur in around 8 of every 10,000 race starts in the UK. Nevertheless, fetlock injury can be extremely impactful and can be career-ending in some injured horses.
On the first day of the workshop an expert panel discussed how diagnostic imaging prior to racing can contribute to risk reduction.
Radiography is currently the most widely available tool used to identify tiny fractures which will heal effectively, providing exercise is reduced. However, advanced imaging such as standing MRI, standing CT and PET scanning, have the potential to identify pathology even earlier. At the workshop, the expert panel reviewed existing knowledge and discussed how to generate the research evidence, which is essential if these novel technologies are to gain a place in effective pre-race risk assessment programmes.
The following day a larger group of stakeholders reviewed the expert panel’s conclusions and discussed the need for greater transparency, education and communication amongst the racing industry stakeholders, all of whom share responsibility for ensuring racing continues to collaborate and enhance racehorse safety and welfare.
Prof Celia Marr, Editor of Equine Veterinary Journal, who chaired the meeting said: “Racing has an excellent safety record and the injuries we are talking about are extremely rare. The low prevalence of fetlock injury makes it very difficult to pinpoint the affected individuals. But it is essential that we continue our efforts to do so ever more effectively because if silent injury is not detected it can progress to become much more serious."
Pete Ramzan, Partner at Rossdales LLP, who co-ordinated the workshop said: “There was a great need to get some of the key experts leading these new technologies together in the same room to correlate their findings and work out how to translate them into tangible reductions in serious injury rates. One of the somewhat unexpected outcomes of the discussions was that despite the fact that we are riding the crest of a wave of technological advances, basic radiography still has much to offer; better education around the application and interpretation of radiographs has real potential to allow vets like myself at the coal face to detect injuries at an early and recoverable stage”.
Photo: A radiograph showing of a racing thoroughbred’s fetlock joint. The arrow points to linear radiolucency in the parasagittal groove of the lower cannon bone, a finding that is frequently detectable before progression to serious injury. Image courtesy of Dr P. Ramzan, Rossdales LLP, Newmarket.
However, despite keeping this POM-V drug to hand, only 7% said they would seek advice for minor wounds and over 25% said they would not contact the vet even if their horse was lame.
This, says the company, raises concerns about the appropriate use of bute in wounded horses and suggests that practices should be providing first aid training for horse owners, covering basic wound management and when to seek veterinary advice.
The survey, which was posted on social media groups for horse owners, showed they were most likely to call out a vet if their horse had a deep wound (96% of respondents). However, only a third would seek veterinary advice for a wound that is bleeding.
Vita, which makes the veterinary-exclusive Omnimatrix skin cream, said that 84% of owners keep a topical treatment for minor wounds in their first aid box, but some use barrier creams that do not provide an antiseptic environment.
Tara Evans RVN, Head of Sales at Vita, said: "It is great to see that owners are equipped with a first aid box for their horses. However, our survey highlights that many are not seeking veterinary advice, even if their horse is lame. This raises concerns over horses receiving appropriate treatment in a timely manner. There is an opportunity for practices to review first aid boxes with owners to ensure they're stocking appropriate supplies, and discuss appropriate wound management."
Vita has created an owner guide for wound management in horses which you can download and give to clients, here: https://www.vita-europe.com/animalhealth/news/wound-healing-in-horses/
Apparently, there were over 100 times more recorded outbreaks of equine flu across the UK in 2019 than the year before1, and numerous equestrian events were cancelled as a result.
The company says that despite this, as of 2019, only about half of all UK horses are vaccinated2.
Blaise Scott-Morris MRCVS, Equine Marketing and Technical Manager at MSD Animal Health said: "Last year’s outbreaks of equine flu rocked the equine world, raising important animal welfare issues and costing the racing industry millions.
"Furthermore, they highlighted the need for good preventative healthcare and, in particular, vaccination. It’s vital that more owners are encouraged to vaccinate and those that already have, to keep up with their annual vaccinations and health checks so we don’t experience the same suffering again."
MSD's campaign invites horse owners to join the movement to #fightequineflu, and there is a range of materials to help practices promote the campaign and encourage clients to talk about vaccination and preventative healthcare, including an educational infographic poster, a social media pack and new resources on the Chameleon appointment reminder system.
MSD will itself be promoting the campaign on social media (Facebook: @Keeping Britains Horses Healthy, Instagram: @KeepingHorsesHealthy), and through partnerships with consumer channels such as Horse and Country TV.
There is also a new information resource online at www.kbhh.co.uk/achoo, which offers horse owners links to a range of other educational preventative health materials and horse care advice.
To request your Fight Equine Flu practice pack, speak to your MSD account manager.
Currently fewer than one in ten veterinary students opt to go into equine practice. BEVA says it hopes that the new scheme will provide a broader base of students with an insight into the world of equine veterinary medicine and open more eyes to what’s great about being an equine vet.
Katie Roberts the President of the Association of Veterinary Students said: "This is a very exciting opportunity for students. Anecdotally, we know that some students can feel very daunted by equine practice, especially if they don’t come from a traditionally horsey background. Being able to become involved with BEVA at no cost means that they can get a true taste of the equine veterinary world in addition to their experiences on EMS, and I’m sure this will pique the interest of our members."
As part of their free membership, students will also have access to:
The initiative has been made possible with sponsorship from Baker McVeigh, CVS Group, IVC, Newmarket Equine Hospital, Rossdales, VetPartners, and XLVets.
For further information about student membership of BEVA visit: https://www.beva.org.uk/Join-BEVA/vet-student
The guidelines, which have produced by a panel of clinicians and analgesia researchers, summarise the current evidence and offer expert opinion and best practice recommendations for the use of analgesics for common scenarios.
Recommendations include:
Professor Celia Marr, Editor of the EVJ said: "The BEVA primary care clinical guidelines provide up-to-date clarity on the fundamental aspects of equine pain management for the clinician and are essential reading for all those in first opinion ambulatory roles."
The guidelines are the first in a series being produced for primary care vets by BEVA. They can be downloaded here: https://beva.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/evj.13198
The scheme uses a traffic light colour system of vaccination reminder stickers which veterinary surgeons can place on the front of passports at each vaccination appointment. If the 6-month pilot is a success, the initiative will be rolled out across the UK in the summer.
BEVA says that despite the best efforts of numerous equine welfare charities to address the obesity issue, a significant proportion of owners are either not recognising obesity in their horses, or not being motivated to take action.
For this reason, the Association decided to try and confront the problem in a different way, using knowledge gained from the Behavioural Insights Team (BIT) – a government think tank specialising in behavioural economics and psychology.
Lucy Grieve, President Elect of BEVA and part of the Association’s obesity campaign working group, said: "Determined to look at new ways to positively engage with horse owners, we harnessed the BIT’s experience of what methods work most effectively and came up with a simple, practical scheme revolving around vaccination visits, which could be affected by vets themselves."
The idea is to use the routine annual or six-monthly vaccination visit as a time to assess a horse’s body condition. After the vaccination is given and the body condition assessed, a colour-coded vaccination reminder is stuck to the front of the passport, both to remind the owner when the next vaccination is due and to start a conversation about body condition.
A green sticker indicates a ‘healthy’ body condition. Amber means the horse is carrying too much fat tissue and needs moderate changes to diet, exercise, management, rugging and clipping regimes. Red implies that the horse is carrying excessive amounts of fat tissue which are placing the horse in morbid danger.
Amber or red stickers provide the opportunity to talk about the potential impact on the horse’s health and what needs to be done.
If there isn't enough time to talk about it during the appointment, the sticker includes a colour-specific QR code which the owner can use to access additional information via their smartphone in their own time.
One of three short, colour-specific videos will explain the reason their horse has been designated the colour of sticker on their passport, leading to a link to more specific advice on what the owner needs to do next. Having swotted up on the background information beforehand, the owner can then discuss the various management options with their vet at a convenient time.
Lucy said: "The first challenge is helping owners recognise when their horse is overweight. Once this has been established then we can make a plan to correct the problem as a team.
"The owner needs to be on board and committed in order to carry out the tough task of reducing the weight of their horse. We hope that owners will be ‘nudged’ by the sticker intervention to consider the information they have been offered and start to tackle the problem before it causes life-threatening disease."
Nine equine veterinary practices were invited to participate in the pilot scheme, including Loch Leven Equine Practice in Kinross. Managing director Liz Somerville said: "We have been focusing on equine obesity for the last couple of years including running a #FitnotFat campaign last year to try to highlight the growing obesity problem in our horses. Unfortunately, it sometimes feels that we are banging our heads against a brick wall so when BEVA came up with a new approach to try and get the message through to our owners it was too good an opportunity to miss."
BEVA says that at the end of the pilot, it will assess how well the project has worked for the vets involved, what proportion of owners used the QR codes, visited the advice pages and sought guidance from their vets.
For more information, visit: https://www.beva.org.uk/Resources-For-Vets-Practices/Clinical-Practice-Guidance/Obesity-in-horses
Rominervin contains 10 mg/ml romifidine hydrochloride, equivalent to 8.76 mg romifidine, presented in a 20 ml vial.
It can be used as a sedative to facilitate handling, examination, minor surgical interventions and minor procedures or as a premedication prior to administration of injectable or inhalation anaesthetics.
Rominervin can also be used in combination with synthetic opiates such as butorphanol to provide deeper sedation or analgesia.
Dechra Brand Manager Emma Jennings said: "Rominervin is highly effective as it has a longer duration of action than other alpha-2 agonists1. It starts to work within one to two minutes with maximum sedation achieved between five and 10 minutes.
"It is yet another valuable addition in our equine anaesthesia and analgesia range that has been designed to provide vets with the therapies they need to operate successfully in day-to-day practice."
Rominervin can be used in conjunction with Dechra’s equine anaesthesia and analgesia app, designed to help veterinary professionals choose optimal anaesthetic protocols and calculate anaesthetic drug doses and administration rates.
For more information visit: www.dechra.co.uk/products/equine
The research is being conducted by Sarah Mansell under the supervision of Dr. Malgorzata Behnke. They say this parasite hasn't been studied in depth in the UK since the 1970's, because the symptoms can be controlled by routine worming measures. However, as the industry moves away from routine worming as a measure of reducing the risk of parasites developing resistances to treatments, a condition such as this which is now considered to be quite rare in the UK can start to re-emerge.
Sarah is asking vets to fill out a short questionnaire to assess awareness of Onchocerca Cervicalis in veterinary practices. The survey includes specific questions about the parasite as well as questions about cases of unresponsive skin conditions because a similarity in symptoms can lead to misdiagnoses that could, in fact, turn out to be Onchocerca Cervicalis.
Sarah said: "Hopefully the findings will raise awareness of this problem and help shape future research in this area."
She added: "I want to get vets thinking about this issue much more than perhaps they are at the moment."
To take part in the survey, visit: https://harper-adams.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/assessing-the-awareness-of-onchocerca-cervicalis-amongst-e-2
Neil, a Senior Lecturer at the University of Edinburgh Royal Dick School of Veterinary Studies, is an equine veterinary surgeon who has worked in large and small animal practice in the UK and Australia. Neil is clearly multi-talented: on top of his many and various career achievements, he was in the Cambridge Footlights and has performed in four Edinburgh Fringe Festival shows. He also plays the piano.
Danny is another multi-talented veterinary surgeon, currently working as an equine locum and well-known in the profession as an RCVS Council Member, the founder of Veterinary Voices and a campaigner against irrational forms of veterinary medicine such as homeopathy.
Ian Fleming is a Senior Vet at the PDSA, standing as an independent candidate for the Halesowen and Rowley Regis constituency.
If I was a betting man, my money would have to be on Neil: Penrith and the Border has been held by the Conservatives since 1950, most recently by Rory Stewart. Danny, on the other hand, needs to overturn a 7200 Conservative majority in his constituency, something which the latest polls suggest is a bit of an outside bet. Still, stranger things have happened.
Evidence-Based Veterinary Medicine Matters: Our Commitment to the Future represents the first time that such a broad and influential group has united in support of a single issue in the veterinary profession.
The publication contains a number of case studies which illustrate the impact that evidence can have – and has had – on animal health and welfare. It also provides a rationale for veterinary professionals to contribute to the evidence base and put evidence into practice, to the benefit of animals, owners and veterinary teams themselves.
The signatories to the commitment are:
Animal and Plant Health Agency
British Cattle Veterinary Association
British Equine Veterinary Association
British Small Animal Veterinary Association
British Veterinary Association
British Veterinary Nursing Association
RCVS Knowledge
Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS)
Royal Veterinary College
University of Bristol
University of Cambridge
University of Liverpool
University of Nottingham
University of Surrey
Veterinary Policy Research Foundation
No sign of the BAHVS, I see.
Jacqui Molyneux, Chair of the Board of Trustees of RCVS Knowledge, said: "Evidence-Based Veterinary Medicine Matters is a milestone publication for the professions, representing the first time the majority of the key institutions have aligned under the same EBVM banner.
"A celebration of decades of incredible discoveries, achievements and improvements in animal health, it also serves to remind us that even the earliest forms of veterinary medicine were underpinned by evidence."
UK Chief Vet Christine Middlemiss said: "What’s the evidence? An evidence-based approach is vital in all areas of our profession, whatever is keeping you awake at night. For me, it is the threat of African swine fever and avian flu. The evidence I rely on comes from our specialist surveillance monitoring and testing, veterinary epidemiologists and disease modellers. It enables me to make timely, proportionate risk-based decisions that stand up to scrutiny.
"If you are managing veterinary care in practice, the evidence you rely on to underpin your standards of clinical care comes from multiple sources too. Evidence-based veterinary medicine allows us to refine and tailor strategies to be effective and efficient, making full use of existing and new technologies.
"The profession has taken great strides towards embracing evidence-based veterinary medicine and building on this will strengthen the links between clinical decision-making, policy development and future research."
Chris Gush, Executive Director of RCVS Knowledge, added: "We are impressed by the contributions from our co-signatories, which clearly demonstrate the phenomenal impact on patient outcomes that conducting research and using evidence can have. We are also delighted that Sense about Science, a flagbearer for evidence, transparency and rational thinking, has joined with us to highlight the many benefits EBVM can bring.
"The publication also makes a strong case for much-needed funding for research to grow the evidence base, which would put powerful, robust data into the hands of veterinary professionals as they make critical decisions that can affect patient outcomes.
"It is our hope that the calibre, diversity and sheer number of the organisations putting their name to this commitment will galvanise all vets and their teams to expand their use of evidence in practice."
Rebecca Asher, Deputy Director at Sense about Science, said: "This is a showcase of game changers in veterinary care and we hope it will inspire and motivate everyone in the profession.
"We were delighted that RCVS Knowledge approached us to collaborate with them and other leading institutions in the veterinary research community to affirm their commitment to an evidence-based approach to veterinary medicine.
"Everyone expects treatment for humans to be underpinned by evidence. We now expect the same of the whole veterinary community when it comes to the treatment of animals."
The full commitment and portfolio of case studies can be read in Evidence-Based Veterinary Medicine Matters, available for free online: bit.ly/EBVMMatters.
Sarah is a Professor of Veterinary Surgery at the University of Nottingham’s School of Veterinary Medicine & Science, and leads the Nottingham Equine Colic Project, which works with organisations such as the British Horse Society to raise awareness of the condition.
Sarah's talk, 'Generating an evidence-based educational campaign on colic', will discuss new evidence from the project, and how it led to the REACT colic campaign. She will also be sharing experiences of how the campaign has worked and asking whether we can change people's attitudes and behaviours.
The evening starts at 6.15pm with food and refreshments with Sarah's talk starting at 7pm, after which there will be an update on the College’s latest projects and initiatives. That'll be followed by a question and answer session with senior officers and staff from the RCVS - including RCVS President Dr Niall Connell, and Chair of RCVS Veterinary Nurses (VN) Council Racheal Marshall.
Dr Connell said: "Thank you to Professor Freeman for agreeing to speak about the colic project which, through its Colic Awareness Week, is helping to raise knowledge of the early signs of colic amongst horse owners, allowing them to get their horses treated in good time and saving their lives.
"I also look forward to talking to members of the profession about some of the issues currently on their minds – the evening is very much led by what those who attend want to discuss – from mental health, to our under care review, to the Practice Standards Scheme. Attending the event can also count to up to three hours towards your continuing professional development (CPD) requirement."
The event is open to all members of the practice team including veterinary surgeons, veterinary nurses, practice managers and others. The event is free and places can be booked via the RCVS website at www.rcvs.org.uk/nottingham.
In the afternoon before the event, between 12 noon and 5pm, the College will also be holding a series of free 45-minute Practice Standards Scheme (PSS) surgeries with PSS Lead Assessor Pam Mosedale.
The surgeries are open to both RCVS-accredited practices and those considering joining the Scheme and allows delegates to discuss the assessment process, how to apply for awards, how to meet particular requirements and any other questions they may have about the PSS.
Places at the surgeries are limited and will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. They can be booked at: www.rcvs.org.uk/PSSsurgeries
The toolkit has been developed in conjunction with the RSPCA and includes a welfare workflow, quick download guides and welfare case forms. It can be downloaded here .
Merry Smith, a BEVA council member who led the project on behalf of BEVA, said: "Welfare assessments can sometimes be intimidating and it’s natural to feel vulnerable, particularly when circumstances are difficult. Our new Welfare Case Toolkit gives you access to the information and resources, even when you are on the road, to support you in dealing with a welfare case."
The interactive Welfare Workflow provides a step-by-step guide to what happens when a vet is called upon to provide an opinion on the health and welfare of the animals involved. It has been produced in a mobile-friendly format or can be printed out and kept in the car. Supporting the Workflow is a series of quick downloads, covering all aspects of the process:
Approach to the welfare case
Letter of instruction
Section 18 of the Animal Welfare Act (2006) certificate
Witness details sheet
Witness statement form
RSPCA vet exam form
Guidance notes on how to complete a vet exam welfare case form
Caroline Allen, Chief Veterinary Officer at the RSPCA said: "Vets are absolutely critical to the work of the RSPCA and while we know many vets get a lot of satisfaction from this work saving animals from cruelty and suffering, we know that this work can sometimes be daunting and the law confusing. We are delighted to have worked with BEVA on providing this guidance and hope it is the first step in us providing more support to vets doing this vital work- we literally couldn't do it without you"
The Welfare Case Toolkit is available free to BEVA members https://www.beva.org.uk/Resources-For-Vets-Practices/Clinical-Practice-Guidance/Welfare-guidance/Welfare-toolkit
This year the event delivered more than 90 hours of CPD lectures, workshops and practicals across six separate streams, over three days. Over 100 veterinary industry leaders showcased their wares in the commercial exhibition hall and there were a number of social events for delegates.
Delegates awarded the scientific programme an average score of 4.7 out of 5 stars, and 94% of delegates said they will put what they learnt into practice and use it in their day-to-day role. 94% also said Congress was good value for money.
Swissvet, a company which makes power dentistry equipment, won the Veterinary Practice Best New Exhibitor Award. CEO Dr Ruedi Steiger said: We have distributors throughout Europe, but it is the first time Swissvet has exhibited at BEVA. It has been a fantastic experience and I am thrilled to have won this award. I definitely plan to come back next year."
Next year’s BEVA Congress will be held in Birmingham from 9-12 September 2020. For further information visit www.beva.org.uk.
Photo: David Boughey
The survey is open to all veterinary surgeon members and participants will be entered into a free prize draw to win £500 of BEVA CPD vouchers.
As we all know, antibiotic resistance is increasing throughout human and veterinary medicine, and there are few new antibiotics being produced. As BEVA says, it’s therefore imperative for vets to protect the usage of antimicrobials to maintain their effectiveness for the future.
To that end, the purpose of the survey is to help fill in gaps in knowledge about how antimicrobials are being used and also the current landscape of resistant infections encountered in equine practice.
The survey has been designed by Amie Wilson and Dr Gina Pinchbeck at the University of Liverpool and Tim Mair the incoming President of BEVA.
Tim said: "This survey will assess any changes in prescribing of antimicrobials in equine practice since the last survey in 2009. In addition, we will collect data on the current frequency and types of antimicrobial resistant infections seen by clinicians in all areas of equine practice and what infection control and audit practices are currently using to combat this."
The survey results should lead to a greater understanding of the role of antimicrobial treatment in the overall epidemiology of antimicrobial resistance in horses and will help protect antibiotics for the future of equine and human health.
To take part in the survey, visit: https://liverpool.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/beva-questionnaire-2019-final
The results will be announced to coincide with European Antibiotic Awareness Day on 18 November 2019.
If you have any questions about the survey you can contact the researchers direct: Amie Wilson, University of Liverpool A.wilson3@liv.ac.uk; Dr Gina Pinchbeck, University of Liverpool ginap@liv.ac.uk; Tim Mair, British Equine Veterinary Association tim.mair@btinternet.com
Tim took over the role from Renate Weller at the end of BEVA Congress last week. Lucy Grieve, of Rossdales Veterinary Surgeons became President Elect.
After leaving Bristol in 1989, Tim worked in mixed practice before joining Bell Equine in 1993, becoming a partner in 1995. He led the hospital services at Bell Equine, as well as supervising the practice’s residency, intern and extern programmes, until it was bought by CVS in 2016. He continues to work as a clinician at Bell Equine whilst also working as the Equine Veterinary Director of CVS.
Tim is an RCVS Specialist in both equine internal medicine and equine soft tissue surgery and is a founding diplomate of the European College of Equine Internal Medicine; he became an Associate of the European College of Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging in 2011. He is an honorary Professor of the Royal Veterinary College and became a Fellow of the RCVS in 2016.
Editor of Equine Veterinary Education, the official journal of the British Equine Veterinary Association and the American Association of Equine Practitioners for the past 23 years, Tim has particular interests in clinical research, clinical standards and evidence based medicine, and has published widely in the professional veterinary literature, as well as authoring and editing several textbooks. He has been a member of the RCVS Practice Standards Group since 2012.
Tim has been chair of BEVA’s Education Committee since 2014, and says that during his presidential year he is keen to continue to develop BEVA’s educational activities for members at all stages of their careers.
In particular, he says he is particularly looking forward to supporting recent graduates in equine practice with relevant CPD and mentoring. He also hopes to advance the use of evidence-based veterinary medicine, and promote quality improvement in equine practice.
Tim said: "Equine practice is continuing to change and evolve with some rapidity. An important part of my focus will be on our Equine Veterinary Horizons Project, looking at anticipated advances over the next 10-15 years, what they will mean to individual practitioners and to practices and how we can adapt to and accommodate them to best advantage."
For further information visit www.beva.org.uk.
Nerfasin vet is available in two concentrations - a 100 mg/ml (10%) solution for cattle and horses and 20 mg/ml (2%) solution for cattle, horses, cats and dogs.
Nerfasin vet is on sale in 25 ml vials.
For more information visit: www.dechra.co.uk.