Deltanil, which contains deltamethrin for control of external parasites in dairy cattle and sheep including lice and flies, is now available in an additional 2.5ltr HDPE plastic bottle presentation. Virbac says the new 5 year shelf life significantly facilitates effective stock management.
Neoprinil, a nil milk withhold pour-on containing eprinomectin for control of external and internal parasites in cattle, now comes in 1ltr, 2.5ltr and 5ltr bottles.
Both products are still available in the Farmpack/Flexibag presentations, which Virbac says gives suppliers, retailers and farmers a range of application options to cover all on-farm situations.
Dr. Rosie Reyneke, Technical Product Manager - Farm Animal, Virbac UK, said: "The range now caters for farms of any size across the entire breadth of sheep, beef and dairy communities and provides farmers with the options to make a choice that suits them.
"We are also delighted to be able to help simplify stock management with the additional shelf life now in place for Deltanil"
For more information, ring: 01359 243243, email: enquiries@virbac.co.uk or visit: https://uk.virbac.com.
The proposed framework has grown out of the VN Futures research project, run jointly with the BVNA, which identified developing a structured and rewarding career path for veterinary nurses as one of the key demands of the profession.
It has been developed by the VN Futures Post-Registration Development Group in conjunction with the RCVS Veterinary Nurses Education Committee and Veterinary Nurses Council.
The College says the proposed framework is designed to provide accessible, flexible and professionally relevant post-registration awards for veterinary nurses in order to provide an enhanced level of veterinary nursing practice, while also providing specific modules that veterinary nurses at all career levels can study independently for their continuing professional development (CPD).
Julie Dugmore, Director of Veterinary Nursing at the RCVS, said: "One of the strongest messages that came out of the research we conducted with the British Veterinary Nursing Association prior to the publication of the VN Futures Report was that there was a need for a more structured and rewarding career path for veterinary nurses.
"Throughout the VN Futures roadshow events nurses felt they were often entering a career cul-de-sac after a certain amount of time in practice and so the need for further post-registration qualifications which promote excellence and recognise advanced knowledge, skills, competency and experience in designated areas were strongly expressed.
"We have taken this feedback and developed it into a comprehensive framework for two defined post-registration qualifications and are very interested in hearing what both veterinary nurses and veterinary surgeons have to say about all aspects of what we are proposing.
"Once we have collated the responses, we will incorporate the feedback into the framework for further consideration by the relevant committees and VN Council. The eventual aim is that these qualifications will, once sufficiently bedded in, lead to the development of an Advanced Veterinary Nurse status so that members of the VN profession with the sufficient skills and experience will get the recognition they truly deserve."
The two new qualifications included in the framework are a Graduate Certificate in Advanced Veterinary Nursing and a Postgraduate Certificate in Advanced Veterinary Nursing. Details of the courses’ structure, candidate assessment criteria, accreditation standards, student support, candidate eligibility rules, the RCVS enrolment process and the procedures for certification will be set out in a framework document as part of the consultation process.
The document also includes a prospective list of designations for the two courses covering areas of advanced veterinary nursing knowledge such as wellness and preventative health; rehabilitation and physiotherapy; anaesthesia and analgesia; triage, critical care and emergency nursing; pharmacology; animal welfare; education and teaching; management and leadership; research; and, dentistry.
The consultation will be launched in early July with an email sent to all veterinary nurses and veterinary surgeons containing a link to the survey and asking for their views on the proposals. Details of the consultation, once launched, may also be found at www.rcvs.org.uk/consultations
The VN Futures Report is available to download from www.vetfutures.org.uk/vnfutures
The original survey was sent last year to more than 5,000 UK-registered veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses who gained their qualification from a non-UK EU institution, with a response rate of around 55%.
This year the Institute for Employment Studies (IES), on behalf of the RCVS, contacted over 6,000 veterinary surgeons and almost 50 veterinary nurses – including those previously surveyed as well as EU registrants who have joined since the last survey – who trained in non-UK EU countries to seek their views on the implications of Brexit for European veterinary professionals.
Chris Tufnell, RCVS Senior Vice-President and Chair of the College’s Brexit Taskforce, said: "The aim of this survey is to gain a greater understanding of the views and expectations of our EU colleagues now that certain elements of the UK’s withdrawal process from the European Union, as well as the timing, have become clearer. The survey will also be looking for the views of colleagues on how the College has addressed the challenges of Brexit so far.
"It is particularly important that those who responded to last year’s survey do so this year because the aim is to get a sense of how their views and plans are shifting as the Brexit process moves forward."
As with last year’s survey, the views collated through the consultation will help the College understand the immediate and longer-term impact of the UK’s exit from the EU, gather evidence that could be used to make a case for special treatment of veterinary professionals with regard to future immigration policies and allow the College to provide informed advice to European veterinary professionals as they make decisions about their future careers.
Dr Tufnell added: "I would strongly encourage EU veterinary professionals to respond to this survey, even if they didn’t do so last year, as their views really do matter to us and really do have an impact on our Brexit policies and the views we put forward to the government in these critical times."
The deadline for sending responses to the IES is Wednesday 18 July 2018 and all data will be managed and analysed by IES, an independent not-for-profit research institute, on a confidential basis with no individual responses being seen by the RCVS.
The College says it intends to conduct a third survey when the terms of the UK’s withdrawal from the EU, and the impact of this on non-UK EU nationals, are better defined.
The new methods, published in Applied and Environmental Microbiology, use a simple swabbing technique to gather samples from the environment which FMD-susceptible animals such as cattle, sheep and pigs commonly make contact with, such as water troughs.
Researchers say the technique requires very little expertise, which makes the sampling method far more accessible, allowing a higher frequency of samples to be collected and processed during an outbreak.
FMD virus is able to survive long periods of time in the environment in the right conditions (up to three months depending on environmental factors such as pH, temperature and relative humidity), so sampling areas where infected animals may have shed virus allows scientists to detect the presence of FMD even if the animals on the farm are no longer showing clinical signs.
The researchers say that novel surveillance techniques such as this can help support a robust response to outbreaks in FMD-free countries, and can also be implemented in endemic areas, such as parts of Asia, Africa and the Middle East, as part of surveillance programs to supplement current information about the spread of FMD.
Dr Claire Colenutt, who led the research at Pirbright said: "Current surveillance methods rely on the recognition of FMD infection in susceptible animals in addition to the collection of samples from the animals which requires veterinary expertise. In keeping the approach simple, samples can be taken by individuals without prior expertise, increasing the number of potential samples, and relieving pressure on veterinary services."
Photo: FMD. Dr. D. Denev
For the study1, which was carried out by Professor Stephen May and Dr Liz Armitage Chan, Senior Lecture in Veterinary Education (pictured right) at the Royal Veterinary College, twelve new grads were enrolled in a private social media discussion group, and their identities investigated through narrative inquiry.
The authors found that participants typically adopted one of two professional identities: the academic identity or a broader 'challenge-focused' identity.
Those who identify as academic prioritise and place greatest value on things like definitive diagnosis and best-evidence treatment.
The problem, say the authors, is that although there are opportunities for this, they are rare in general practice, where a veterinary surgeon's typical work environment more frequently involves seeing lots of clients who aren’t interested in a diagnostic work-up for unnoticed issues in their pets; who can’t afford further treatment; have pets with conditions that don’t require treatment; and themselves need emotional support.
Vets who therefore exclusively value patient diagnosis from an academic viewpoint foremost are therefore more likely to feel career dissatisfaction.
Meanwhile, the other professional identity type is one where a sense of achievement is linked to overcoming the full range of professional challenges thrown up by the work environment in which vets typically operate as well as their technical competence at their job. These vets are therefore more suited to work in all types of practice.
Liz said: "The negative impact on wellbeing of an identity emphasising diagnosis and treatment was a surprising outcome, but it is easy to see how this identity develops. So much of veterinary education is focused on this area and it has always been the focus of students’ exams: if a student is ambitious and wants to achieve top grades and high-level faculty recommendations, they will inevitably prioritise their attention in this way."
The authors say the research has important implications for veterinary and other clinical degree programmes, and has already influenced the structure of the curriculum at the RVC to ensure students are well prepared for the veterinary workplace and can make an informed choice about where they choose to work.
Liz added: "Now we recognise the detrimental effect this can have on our graduates’ wellbeing, we have implemented changes to our curriculum and exams, so students are encouraged to think more holistically about the veterinary role and identify the different ways career satisfaction can be achieved. It is important to recognise that all the graduates experienced stress as they encountered complex contextual challenges, but for those who saw these challenges as part of their identity, this stress turned into a sense of satisfaction at a challenge overcome, rather than being ongoing and debilitating."
Reference
Sam Joseph, co-founder of StreetVet said: "It is especially important for the dogs belonging to the homeless and vulnerably housed to be microchipped and not just because it is now a legal requirement, a registered microchip is often the only way for them to provide evidence of keepership."
We are so grateful to Animalcare for providing StreetVet with identichip microchips as we are now able to ensure that all the dogs that we treat are chipped and registered to their owners. Animalcare will also allow free, life-long change of address for microchips implanted by StreetVet meaning the homeless owners can easily change the registration details if they are able to find accommodation or if they move again in the future. This amazing support will give real peace of mind to the owners of the dogs we treat."
James Beaumont from Animalcare Ltd: "Animalcare provides the UK’s most advanced pet microchipping service through identichip, which has led the way for nearly 30 years. I’m pleased that Animalcare can support such a worthy cause, and hope this is the start of a long relationship with StreetVet."
Photo: Jade Statt of StreetVet and James Beaumont of Animalcare Ltd at BSAVA Congress.
The finance was raised via a private placement with Sun Life Investment Management.
The College says it chose to finance via the private placement market due to the supportive buy and hold nature of the investor base, the strong demand within it for high quality higher education credits and the negotiated nature of the market.
In the top three of the QS world university rankings and with a strong financial performance history, the RVC’s £45 million senior unsecured note offering generated significant investor interest both within the UK and North America; with the offer four times over-subscribed, the RVC was able to take advantage of highly competitive long-term interest rates.
The secured funding will allow capital developments on both of the College's campuses.
Professor Stuart Reid, the RVC Principal, said: "I am absolutely delighted that we have secured this innovative blue chip financial backing in a deal which reflects our international reputation and leadership in the veterinary and biomedical sciences. We now look forward to investing in the next phase of capital development at the RVC, securing our position for years to come."
Candace Shaw, Head of Private Fixed Income, Sun Life Investment Management, said: "We are pleased to support the continued growth of the RVC, a specialised higher education institution with a renowned reputation both in the UK and internationally. The financing of the RVC represents a sound investment and aligns to Sun Life’s long-term investment objectives in this sector."
Ella, a Bloodhound Doberman cross, is the first cold scent dog to work with anti-poaching units in the Eastern Cape of South Africa.
She has been trained specifically to work on crime scenes which are more than a day old and can follow poachers’ tracks to determine their entry and exit points to reserves, as well as their shooting positions.
Medivet says that during her first year, none of the reserves where Ella has been active have lost a single rhino. A number of court cases are also ongoing in other reserves as a result of evidence she has uncovered at crime scenes.
The cost of training Ella, her handler, support vehicle and accommodation has all been funded by the Medivet Rhino programme and by the generous donations of Medivet clients, through the Pennies digital charity box scheme.
To date, Medivet Rhino has raised more than £315,000 via Pennies to help fund this rhino protection programme.
Dr William Fowlds from the Wilderness Foundation Africa (and former Medivet employee) said: "As a cold scent tracking dog, Ella brings a formidable skill set to our anti-poaching units. Her ability to track human footsteps across a variety of terrains, day or night, is a significant deterrent to those thinking of killing our rhinos. In addition, her gentle nature makes her an endearing member of the team so, even though she’s a working dog, we can sneak a little cuddle in every now and again."
He added: "Ella is a game changer in our efforts to protect rhinos. The difference she has made to our work in just one year means that we are now working with our partner, the Chipembere Rhino Foundation, to extend our canine resources. We are indebted to Medivet and its clients for supporting our work by giving us this wonderful dog."
Dr John Smithers, Senior Partner and Project Co-ordinator for Medivet Saving the Rhino, said: "We could not be prouder of Ella’s work to track poachers during her first year in the Eastern Cape of South Africa.
"With her incredible sense of smell, she has brought a new dimension to rhino protection in this region, and all of the agencies involved in protecting this iconic species benefit from her presence.
"We are deeply grateful to all our clients and staff who have supported Medivet Saving the Rhino (through Pennies and other donations) and wish Ella and her support team another successful year ahead."
At this year’s event, sessions include ‘Backyard pigs – Notifiable Diseases and Zoonosis’, and a discussion on the role of paraprofessionals in the sector led by Simon Hall, APHA’s Director for EU Exit and Trade.
Drop-in Q&A sessions, workshops offering practical advice and guidance on the revalidation process and a strong focus on the Cymorth TB programme in Wales also feature.
The conference programme includes dedicated lecture streams aimed at large animal, small animal and equine practitioners and, with more than 8,000 OVs due to revalidate their qualifications in March 2019, Improve says lecture content has been tailored to cover areas of key relevance for them.
An exhibition of products and services for OV’s runs alongside the conference.
APHA’s recently appointed Veterinary Director, Dr Andrew Soldan (pictured right), said: "Having recently taken on the role of Veterinary Director for APHA, I am very much looking forward to meeting up with our OV’s and exploring some of the key challenges facing us all, as we seek to control animal disease threats at home and from abroad."
David Babington MRCVS, Business Development Director at Improve International, said: "This conference has established itself as an annual fixture in the OV diary and it remains the only event dedicated to their needs. This year’s packed programme will again highlight the growing importance of OV’s, particularly as we look ahead to the post-Brexit era."
For more information on the Official Veterinarian Conference and Exhibition or to register visit: www.officialvet.com
Jurox says Alfaxan Multidose is the bioequivalent to unpreserved Alfaxan, however the preserved formulation reduces the risk of microbial contamination, providing repeatable and reliable anaesthesia.
Alfaxan Multidose is available in two presentations of 10ml and 20ml, with the 20ml presentation priced at an equivalent price per ml as the current 10ml Alfaxan unpreserved presentation.
Jurox says there has been unprecedented interest in the new product, with the company taking pre-orders for the 20ml presentation from 60 different accounts at BSAVA this year.
Richard Beckwith, country manager at Jurox, said: "The introduction of Alfaxan Multidose to our anaesthesia and analgesia portfolio ensures that Alfaxan is more versatile than ever.
"The Alfaxan range continues to provide greater certainty and control during anaesthetic procedures, contributing towards better patient stability and a stress-free experience for the team."
For more information, visit www.alfaxan.co.uk, contact your local Jurox technical sales representative, telephone the customer services team on 0800 500 3171 or e-mail: info@jurox.co.uk.
First you need to complete your VetSurgeon Profile, in particular the last four sections: "Qualified at", "Interests", "Interested in collaborating on" (aka goals) and "Memberships".
Then visit VetSurgeon Connect and click the button marked "Share My Location". This will activate the map beneath, allowing you to see local colleagues with common interests. It will also pin you on the map, but only in front of logged in members of the site with whom you have a common interest.
One area of common interest is the connection between general practitioners and referral practitioners. Referral practitioners who have shared their location are pinned on the map and can be seen by general practitioners (who can also filter them by discipline).
It is hoped that this will help create a more vibrant referral marketplace, as it offers referral practitioners who do not have big marketing budgets a way to connect with local general practitioners.
The system also matches VetSurgeon members by a number of other criteria. So for example, if you specify 'Qualified at' in your profile, it will display anyone else who went to the same vet school. If you display a leisure interest like cycling in your profile, it'll display other vets in your area who also like cycling.
If you display a clinical interest, such as oncology, it'll show you others in the area with the same interest.
The same thing happens with 'Interested in collaborating on', which connects you with others working towards the same goals, which can be business goals like practice ownership or a learning goals, such as CPD or being a mentor/mentee.
Lastly, if you specify your membership of a special interest veterinary association, the system will show you other members who are in your area.
VetSurgeon Editor Arlo Guthrie said: "It’s kind of a professional matchmaking service designed to make it easier than ever before for veterinary surgeons and others to hook up and collaborate on all sorts of different things.
"It may be you think you know everyone you need to know in your area already. But so often we think we know people, then find out we didn’t know about a shared passion for something, whether it be a professional or a leisure interest. Indeed, I think the system could be just as useful in connecting members to go on a bike ride together as it is to help them collaborate on CPD or on achieving additional qualifications."
Chris Taylor from Swann-Morton said: "We are really pleased to be part of this initiative which should help to bring the veterinary community closer together through shared experiences and knowledge."
Arlo added: "I’m very grateful for Swann Morton’s support. If you are too, you can show it by visiting the company's website and having a quick browse of the latest products in its veterinary range at www.swann-morton.com."
Davies says its Cardiac Electrophysiology Laboratory, headed by Pedro Oliveira (pictured right), is one of only four centres in the world to perform the procedure, and it has usually required human medical support. The fact that they've been able to operate independently means the procedure should now start to become more readily available.
The procedure involves introducing special catheters via peripheral veins into the heart, where they are used to record the electrical activity of the heart muscle, thereby allowing the identification of the source and mechanism of cardiac arrhythmias.
Once the abnormal tissue is found, it is destroyed using intense localised energy delivered by another specialised catheter: radiocatheter ablation.
This technique is common in human medicine but very rare in veterinary medicine because of the level of specialisation needed.
In the past, the cardiology team at Davies needed the support of a consultant and a cardiac physiologist from the human field to help carry out the surgery. Having now done it unaided, Pedro is confident that in time Davies will be able to help considerably more patients, promptly after diagnosis.
Pedro said: "In three years we have treated one cat and 19 dogs. Several cases did not survive long enough for surgery despite a waiting time of only a few days to up to two weeks from referral to the procedure. Most of these dogs were puppies. This is incredibly frustrating as if performed early these procedures are curative for most patients."
Davies says that to date it has had a procedural success rate of 100%, with recurrence of the arrhythmia in just one dog. The remaining dogs were cured from their arrhythmias and recovered fully except for two dogs that had sustained too much heart muscle damage and continued to suffer from congestive heart failure.
Pedro added: "Hopefully in the future severe muscle damage can be avoided by early referral when the arrhythmia is detected. If you diagnose a cardiac arrhythmia, especially supraventricular tachycardia, please consider this treatment option because it is very likely to be curative."
The Davies cardiology team can be contacted at cardiology@vetspecialists.co.uk.
Incidentally, Pedro has also co-authored (with Ruth Willis and Antonia Mavropoulou) a new book on electrocardiography. Guide to Canine and Feline Electrocardiography will be published in September 2018 and is available for pre-order on Amazon now, priced at £89.99.
Batches 060K80412C1A-UK1-2 and 060K80412A1C-UK1-2 (expiry 12/06/2019) have been recalled due to incorrect storage requirements during shipment.
For further information, contact Jerome Martineau at: jerome.martineau@filavie.com, or telephone: +33 2 41 754616
For decades, animal welfare and public health issues have been reported at a variety of animal establishments. The Animal Protection Agency says that inconsistent inspection methods and a lack of objective guidelines have contributed to a situation it describes as unacceptable.
The new report, ‘Guidelines for Inspection of Companion and Commercial Animal Establishments', which was part-funded by the APA and is published in Frontiers in Veterinary Science1, offers guidelines for animal husbandry (including invertebrates, fishes, amphibians, reptiles, mammals and birds) and inspection protocols for a variety of commercial and non-commercial establishments.
Space for animals, responsible handover, facility layout and human health and safety are among the issues detailed in the publication, which also offers a scoring tool.
The APA says the publication is believed to be the most objective information resource of its kind anywhere in the world. It is freely accessible to anyone, whether for formal governmental, professional managerial or private use.
Lead author and biologist Clifford Warwick said: "Clear, definitive and objective guidance for animal care and facility inspection has long been needed to enable responsible authorities to oversee animal health and welfare with confidence, and hopefully many will welcome and find helpful this new report."
Co-author and veterinary expert Mike Jessop MRCVS said: "Animal welfare and improved public health are the clear winners from a standardised inspection system that is applicable to all companion animal establishments. Moving to a more objective and evidenced system of inspection is long overdue. The same principles and protocols are readily adaptable to encompass inspection of any animal holding facility."
Animal Protection Agency Director Elaine Toland said: "Britain has been called a 'nation of animal lovers', and many want the best for their pets. But there is also a nation of 'animal traders and keepers' out there who often aim to provide the most 'cost effective' and therefore lowest possible standards of space, habitat and general care that they can get away with, and that mindset needs to change."
The Care About Cushing’s website is designed to give horse owners the information they need to spot the signs of Cushing's, thereby prompting diagnosis by their veterinary surgeon.
The online resource includes monitoring tools, personalised alerts, owner guides and webinars. It also offers downloadable self-assessment checklists on Cushing’s disease and laminitis to take owners through the signs to look out for.
Owners whose horses have been diagnosed with Cushing’s are encouraged to sign up as a Care About Cushing’s member to keep up-to-date with the latest information about the disease and create a personal profile for their horse in order to monitor progress. One of the membership benefits is an 'ask the expert' section where members can ask questions about Cushing’s disease and laminitis.
The Care About Cushing’s resource supports Boehringer’s ‘Talk About Laminitis’ initiative to raise awareness of the signs of laminitis and its link with Cushing’s disease.
Talk About Laminitis now runs throughout the year and as part of the campaign the laboratory fees for the blood test which detects Cushing’s (the basal ACTH test) are free.
Liz Barrett, equine business head at Boehringer, said: "Our Talk About Laminitis disease awareness initiative has been hugely successful in highlighting the link between laminitis and Cushing’s disease and helping to diagnose Cushing’s. So much so that Cushing’s is now in the top five equine diseases recorded in the UK1."
For further information on Talk About Laminitis or Care About Cushing’s, visit www.talkaboutlaminitis.co.uk, www.careaboutcushings.co.uk or contact your local Boehringer territory manager.
The Easy to Give Awards are given to pharmaceutical companies that have made it easier to give medication to cats:
Dechra for Felimazole coated tablets for cats
Zoetis for Stronghold Plus spot-on solution for cats
Zoetis for VibraVet Paste
Bayer for Seresto flea and tick collar for cats
The Cat Friendly Awards recognise products which have made a difference to cat wellbeing:
ProtectaPet for cat fencing solutions
Coastline Global for Kit4Cat Cat Urine Sample Collection Sand
Sure Petcare for its SureFlap Microchip Pet Door Connect with Hub
The Distance Education Awards recognise the best students on the International Society of Feline Medicine’s Vet Nursing courses
Sarah Hayward and Rachael Hodgeson for best results achieved in the Certificate in Feline Nursing
Margaret Hodgeson for the best result received in the Diploma in Feline Nursing
In addition, International Cat Care made a special award in 2018 for products and ideas which have made major contributions to the ability to help cats in the field of Trap, Neuter, Return (TNR). The Innovation in Humane Cat Population Management Award was given to MDC Exports for its traps, restrainers and transfer baskets.
Lastly, the winner of the 2018 iCatCare Photography Competition winner, awarded to the overall winner of the charity’s ‘Kittenhood’ photo competition, was Lindsey Chadwick.
Photo: Liz Rawlings and Craig Sankey from Dechra with their Easy to Give award for Felimazole
The programme gives farmers and veterinary surgeons access to new resources, enabling a coordinated and consistent approach to farmer training in the responsible use of antibiotics.
The development of the AMBP Programme has been led by NOAH in partnership with a group of stakeholders from across the industry including farmers, vets, the Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture Alliance (RUMA), the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD), the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and leading academics, to create a training programme for all those working in the sheep, dairy, beef and pig sectors.
NOAH says the programme will raise awareness, knowledge and understanding of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and help drive best practice in a consistent manner across UK farms when it comes to using antibiotics.
Training modules are available for farmers to access via the NOAH website or directly through an online Lantra eLearning platform.
In addition to the direct farmer offering, veterinary surgeons will also be to access resource materials, enabling them to deliver training to their clients. This veterinary resource centre will follow soon.
NOAH Chair, Gaynor Hillier, said: "We know that there is a real demand for this type of accessible training and we’re delighted to be able to lead the way in making it available.
"This new collaborative, cross-sector strategy on training will support both farmers and vets, demonstrating that our farmers have the skills to use antibiotics responsibly, providing reassurance to consumers and policy makers. NOAH is happy to be building on existing antibiotic stewardship achievements within the farming sector as ensuring best practice is vital to safeguard the future efficacy of antibiotics for us all.”
Biosecurity Minister Lord Gardiner said:
"The UK is at the forefront of global efforts to tackle antibiotic resistance. Recent statistics show there has been a 27 per cent drop in use of antibiotics in food-producing animals in the UK since 2014 - meeting a government commitment two years early.
"Our farmers and vets must be commended for driving down antibiotic use in livestock to this all-time low - setting an excellent example for others around the world to follow. But it is vital we continue making progress.
"We welcome this new responsible use of antibiotics farmer training programme, which will support the animal medicines industry to take another positive step towards tackling resistance, safeguarding antibiotics for future generations."
Photo: Lord Trees introduced the launch event and outlined his support for the AMBP programme.
The Disciplinary Committee heard that Mr Samuel had been convicted of five animal welfare offences at Leeds Magistrates' Court in January 2016. The charges related to causing unnecessary suffering to a number of animals including twelve dogs and four cats, and failing to take steps to ensure that the needs of the animals for which he was responsible were met. The animals were kept at the Armley Veterinary Practice, for which Mr Samuel was, at the time, practice principal.
Mr Samuel was sentenced to 12 weeks' imprisonment suspended for 12 months on the condition he completed 150 hours' unpaid work and paid a fine of £100. He was also ordered to pay costs of £500 and a victim surcharge of £80. He was also made subject to a disqualification order for three years.
Dr Samuel subsequently appealed against his conviction in April 2018. His appeal was dismissed in respect of five of the charges but was upheld in respect of one charge, which, as a result, did not form part of the College’s case.
Dr Samuel declined to attend the hearing in person and was not represented before the Disciplinary Committee. In considering the facts of the charges against Dr Samuel the Committee found them proven.
The Committee then went on to consider whether the proven charges, both individually and cumulatively, rendered Dr Samuel unfit to practise as a veterinary surgeon.
The College’s case was that the convictions concerned animal welfare and therefore went to the heart of his practice as a vet, that Dr Samuel behaved in a manner incompatible with being a veterinary surgeon, that he failed in his core responsibility as a veterinary surgeon to protect and act in the best interests of animal welfare, and that he maintained he had no responsibility for the animals on his practice premises – an assertion referred to as ‘an extraordinary position for a veterinary surgeon to take’.
Ian Green, chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: "ust as the judgment of the Crown Court and the Magistrates Court had found, the Committee also found that Dr Samuel must have known that the animals were in distress and were in a neglected state. The Committee was sure that Dr Samuel must have been aware of the animals notwithstanding his continued denial. The Committee concluded that Dr Samuel was unfit to practise because of the facts underlying the convictions. Dr Samuel had an overriding duty of care for the animals and to take action in relation to their health and welfare because they were living under the roof of his veterinary practice."
In considering its sanction against Dr Samuel, the Committee concluded that removal from the Register was the most appropriate option. It took into account the fact that the animals were found starving in a cellar without water, that Dr Samuel had not demonstrated insight into the serious nature of his offences, that he continued to deny responsibility and, furthermore, found no evidence that he no longer posed a risk to animals in the future.
Ian Green added: "The Committee decided that the behaviour found proved was fundamentally incompatible with being a veterinary surgeon because in this case there had been a serious departure from standards as set out in the RCVS Code of Professional Conduct for Veterinary Surgeons…. Furthermore, there had been serious harm caused to a number of animals and a risk of harm to a number of other animals."
Dr Samuel has 28 days from being informed of the Disciplinary Committee’s decision in which to make an appeal to the Privy Council.
The Committee’s full decision and findings can be found here
Bovalto Respi Intranasal protects against the two main respiratory viruses – RSV and PI3, using modified live viral strains that have been shown to protect against experimental challenge from recent field isolates1.
The vaccine is delivered as a single shot, from 10 days of age and provides immunity for 12 weeks, from 10 days after vaccination2.
In order to overcome the challenges of effective delivery, Boehringer is offering dedicated administration packs, available directly from its ruminant specialist team.
The packs include a vaccinator, a set of nozzles that deliver the vaccine at the optimum droplet size and a soft Bovalto Respisafe applicator which fits against the calf’s nostril. The aim is to make sure that vaccination is a comfortable process for both farmer and calf, as well as addressing the challenge of the delivery of vaccine to the desired area in the nasal passages.
Correct administration of the vaccine ensures that the spray is delivered effectively to the mucosal surface and local lymphoid tissue, achieving the optimal immune response. If the droplet size is too big, the vaccine may be deposited lower in the airway and run out of the nose. If droplet size is too small then the vaccine may be carried to the back of the throat and swallowed. Time and money is spent vaccinating calves so the process needs to be as efficient as possible to give optimal protection.
Matt Yarnall, brand manager at Boehringer Ingelheim said: "The UK BRD vaccine market is growing each year but, as a management tool, vaccination remains quite low down the list of actions, according to the 2017 Calfmatters survey.
"If adding to the Bovalto range encourages more farmers to vaccinate against pneumonia so improving calf heath and lowering antibiotic use, that can only be a step in the right direction."
References
The new study, which was conducted by the RVC's VetCompass Programme found that 33% of deaths in dogs aged under 3 years (roughly 21,000 dog deaths in the UK) are caused by undesirable behaviours which may reflect poor training by owners, or be caused by undiagnosed medical conditions.
The study also found that male dogs and smaller dogs were more likely to die from undesirable behaviours than female or larger dogs and that certain breeds were hugely predisposed.
It is hoped that this research can raise awareness of the most common undesirable behaviours in dogs and encourage owners to improve the health and welfare of their animals through better choices when getting a puppy and improved training afterwards.
The RVC conducted this study using its analytics programme, VetCompass, to explore the de-identified data of a quarter of a million dogs in the UK.
From this data, the researchers identified 1,574 dogs that had died before the age of 3 years.
Analysing the patterns of deaths, they found that:
33.7% of all deaths in dogs (or roughly 21,000) aged under 3 years in the UK are due to undesirable behaviours
The most common undesirable behaviours that led to death were aggression (54.0% of deaths) and road traffic accident [which may have behavioural components such as straying and poor recall] (39.0% of deaths).
Crossbred dogs were 1.4 times more likely to die from an undesirable behaviour than purebred dogs.
Dogs weighing under 10 kg were more than twice as likely to die from an undesirable behaviour as dogs weighing over 40 kg.
Compared with the Labrador Retriever, the breeds with the highest risk of death from an undesirable behaviour were the Cocker Spaniel (8 times the risk), West Highland White Terrier (5.7 times the risk), Staffordshire Bull Terrier (4.5 times the risk), and Jack Russell Terrier (2.7 times the risk). The Labrador Retriever was chosen as the baseline breed as it is a common and well-known breed.
Male dogs were 1.4 times more likely to die from an undesirable behaviour than females.
Of the dogs that died from an undesirable behaviour, the owners of 12.9% dogs had sought veterinary behavioural advice.
Behavioural drug therapy was used in 3% of dogs that died from an undesirable behaviour.
12.2% of dogs that died from an undesirable behaviour had been previously rehomed.
76.2% of the dogs that died from an undesirable behaviour were euthanised (i.e. put to sleep).
The paper raises severe concerns about the high numbers of dogs that are put to sleep due to undesirable behaviours which accounts for over three-quarters of all dogs that die from undesirable behaviours.
Dr. Dan O'Neill, Senior Lecturer at the RVC and supervisor of the study, said: "This study is the biggest study ever undertaken on behavioural reasons for deaths in young dogs in the UK.
"It suggests the importance of good socialisation of puppies by breeders, of sensible breed selection by owners and of careful dog training after acquiring a dog, to ensure that the lives of dogs and owners are fulfilling for all parties involved.
"Dogs with behaviours that their owners find unacceptable are at risk of compromised welfare, either because of their own underlying emotional motivations for the behaviour (e.g. anxiety or fear) or because of how their owners might seek to resolve the problem (e.g. the use of punishment such as beating or electric shock collars).
"Greater awareness of the scale of this issue can be the first step towards reducing the problems and making the lives of thousands of our young dogs happier."
The group won the award in recognition of how it put social media at the heart of the its 80th birthday celebrations, offering employees 80 prizes over 80 days with daily draws broadcast on Facebook Live and uploaded to YouTube. The prizes included a weekend for two in New York, European holidays, festival tickets, a 40” smart TV, an extra week holiday, an Apple watch, a chance to be the MD for the day and more.
The IoIC’s judging panel praised the campaign’s recognition of staff, fun and innovation, as well as saying there was so much to love about the award entry and one even said it brought a lump to their throat.
Justin Phillips, head of marketing at White Cross Vets, said: "Celebrating our 80th birthday, with more than 200 team members spread across the North and Midlands, meant we had to come up with an accessible event, that would bond everyone and reinforce our reputation as the employer of choice within the veterinary industry.
"Broadcasting 80 prize draws in 80 days on Facebook Live ticked every box and was a fantastic spectacle that all our team members engaged with and talked about every day."
"The IoIC awards is one of the marketing industry’s most prestigious events, in a spectacular venue and surrounded by a wide range of global brands. These awards celebrate success, reward endeavour, inspire creativity and nurture best practice within the marketing community. For our campaign to have been recognised and rewarded by our peers is a huge source of pride within our business and has put a spring in the step of every single team member."
VetSurgeon Editor Arlo Guthrie said: "I've always admired the marketing and communications that comes from Justin and the rest of the team at White Cross. I think it's because as well as being fun, it's always sincere, something which is so often lacking in contemporary marketing communications. Anyway, with a little luck IVC will recognise the talent they've taken on, and sprinkle a bit of the White Cross magic across the rest of the group!"
Other category winners included household names like Oxfam, Volkswagen, Barclaycard, Sainsburys, Pets at Home, EDF Energy, Rolls Royce and Carlsberg.
The charges related to the unexpected death of a cat called Hope during an operation to explore a growth in her mouth, and Dr Dantas-Holmes' subsequent communication with the animal's owners.
Dr Dantas-Holmes accepted that Hope’s death was most likely due to her failing to flush fluid through the giving set attached to an intravenous drip, leaving air in the tubing and causing some air to enter Hope’s bloodstream when the cannula was placed and the giving set’s control opened.
The first set of charges related to Dr Dantas-Holmes’ initial phone call to Hope’s owners ten minutes after Hope’s death, in which she said that Hope had died because of a reaction to anaesthetic drugs. Dr Dantas-Holmes failed to mention that the cause of death was still to be determined and failed to mention that a likely cause was in fact an air embolism and/or a complication relating to the intravenous drip.
Following her initial phone call to the owners Dr Dantas-Holmes viewed CCTV of her actions.
The owners then came into the practice later in the day, and the communications during that time constitute the second set of charges: that, during this meeting, Dr Dantas-Holmes didn’t correct her earlier statements about the cause of Hope’s death, and that she didn’t mention that there was an ongoing investigation or that a likely cause of death was an air embolism and/or complication.
The third set of charges related to Dr Dantas-Holmes’ subsequent clinical records, in which it was alleged that she failed to include references to the findings on review of the CCTV footage of Hope’s death, and the possibility of an air embolism and/or complication relating to the intravenous drip.
The fourth and final set of charges were that her conduct was misleading, and/or dishonest.
With regard to the first set of charges, the Committee found that Dr Dantas-Holmes did tell the owners that Hope died because of a reaction to the drugs, but that given the short nature of the phone call to the owners and the distressing circumstances there was no duty to discuss the investigation, or to mention the likely cause being an air embolism.
Concerning the communications with the owners when they came to the practice, the Committee found that Dr Dantas-Holmes did fail to mention that anaesthetic drugs might not have been the cause, and that she also failed to mention the investigation. Dr Dantas-Holmes had agreed with the Practice Manager, however, that she would not discuss the possibility of an air embolism or complication, and so that charge was not found proved.
On consideration of whether Dr Dantas-Holmes had failed to include relevant findings in the clinical reports, the Committee found both charges proved, and, in relation to the final set of charges, the Committee found that while Dr Dantas-Holmes had misled Hope’s owners, it was unintentional, and she had not been dishonest.
Ultimately, the Committee found Dr Dantas Holmes not guilty of disgraceful conduct in a professional respect.
Stuart Drummond, chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: "The findings of this Committee demonstrate that there were errors and omissions in communications with the owners. When communicating with a client it is the professional’s responsibility to ensure that the client has heard and understood what has been said. The importance of good and effective communication is particularly important when an unforeseen and shocking event occurs such as it did in this case.
"The particular circumstances of this case demonstrate how important it is to communicate effectively and the need for the veterinary surgeon to ensure that their clinical records for which they are wholly responsible, are complete.
"The Committee concluded that its findings demonstrated a departure from professional standards but that the falling short was not so grave as to amount to disgraceful conduct in a professional respect."
Virbac says there is mounting evidence of a growing change in the attitude of pet owners towards permanent castration, that research has shown that 25% of pet owners are concerned or very concerned that neutering could be harmful for their dog1. The permanency of surgery has been cited as the reason why 67% of owners with entire male dogs have not yet opted for the procedure2.
Hence the campaign to raise awareness of Suprelorin, the company's reversible alternative to surgical castration, which uses visual metaphors to explain that there is: 'more than one way to crack a nut'.
The video is also broadcast on the campaign website: www.morethanoneway.co.uk.
Veterinary practices are invited to participate in the campaign by contacting their Virbac Territory Manager to order waiting room and client materials, or to book a Suprelorin lunch meeting for their practice.
Suprelorin Product Manager Claire Lewis said: "Pet owner attitudes are definitely changing so by offering a choice when it comes to castration, veterinary practices have the opportunity to not only increase their overall castration rate, but also enhance their relationship with their clients."
All bar one of the suspended drugs contain the NSAID flunixin. The other affected drug is the antibiotic, Tribrissen:
Allevinix 50 mg/ml Solution for Injection for Cattle, Pigs and Horses (Ceva Animal Health)
Cronyxin Injection, 5% w/v Solution for Injection, for cattle and horses (Cross Vetpharm Group Ltd)
Finadyne 50 mg/ml Solution for Injection for cattle, pigs and horses (Intervet UK Ltd)
Flunixin 50 mg/ml Solution for Injection for Cattle, Horses and Pigs (Norbrook Laboratories Limited)
Meflosyl 5% Solution for Injection for horses and cattle (Zoetis UK Limited)
Norixin 5% Solution for Injection for cattle and horses (Norbrook Laboratories Limited)
Pyroflam 50 mg/ml Solution for Injection for Cattle, Horses and Pigs (Norbrook Laboratories Limited)
Tribrissen 48% Suspension for Injection for horses, pigs and cattle (Intervet UK Ltd)
The British Equine Veterinary Association says that the decision to suspend the drugs was taken without consultation with the veterinary profession, and is urging the VMD to overturn the suspension in horses not destined for the human food chain, to reduce the potential impact on equine welfare.
Jonathan Pycock, BEVA president said: "BEVA is fully supportive of all attempts to promote food safety, however flunixin is widely viewed as the gold-standard pain killer in horses and is commonly used in horses undergoing both elective and emergency surgery, for the crippling pain associated with laminitis and for severe forms of colic.
"BEVA is calling on the VMD to immediately enable limited batch release of flunixin for use in horses not destined for the human food chain in the interests of animal welfare. The equine veterinary profession has always been open to consultation with the VMD on a range of important matters relating to responsible medicine use, antibiotic resistance, horse identification, passports and the horse meat issue. BEVA is perplexed as to why the VMD failed to consult with the equine veterinary industry on the animal welfare impact of withdrawing such an important drug.”
The College was ranked seventh in the medium-sized company or organisation category (50 to 449 employees) of the Best Workplaces for Women initiative.
This year is the first that the Great Place to Work Institute has run this initiative and, in making its rankings, it looked at a number of factors including the number and proportion of women in leadership positions, pay parity between men and women, workplace policies and how they support female employees, as well as training and development and mentoring.
Amanda Boag, RCVS President, said: "I am delighted that the RCVS has been recognised for being an excellent and supportive place for women to work and pleased that the hard work of the team at Belgravia House in this area has been publicly rewarded in this way.
"One of the key themes of my Presidential year is diversity and I think it is very important that, as a regulator, we reflect the veterinary profession (which is currently 63% female for veterinary surgeons and 98% female for veterinary nurses) as far as possible. With two-thirds of the staff at the RCVS being women it demonstrates that the College is largely reflective of the profession it serves.
"However, it’s not just about the numbers and with 60% of the Senior Team at the RCVS being women, including the CEO and Registrar, it demonstrates that the College has developed a culture in which women can shatter the glass ceiling and pursue leadership roles.
"Also, with policies such as flexible working hours, encouragement of home working, shared parental leave and enhanced maternity and paternity pay, the College goes the extra mile to support working parents."