The RCVS has pledged £20,000 for the Vetlife Health Support Service through its 'Mind Matters' initiative.

The charity reports that 2020 was its busiest year ever, with 3,921 calls to its Helpline - a 25% increase over 2019.

Similarly, Vetlife's Health Support service saw a record number of referrals in 2020. There were 190 referrals made over the year, compared to 149 in 2019.

At the same time, the charity says it has seen a decrease in income, putting a strain on its resources. 
 
The pledge from the RCVS comes in addition to the annual donation of £100,000 made by the Mind Matters Initiative towards the Health Support service. On top of this, the Mind Matters Initiative also helps to fund other essential running costs for the charity, including the Helpline call directing service and by its contribution to the annual Helpline training for volunteers.

Graham Dick, Vetlife President (pictured right) said: “The last 12 months have brought significant challenges for Vetlife as restrictions in fundraising have combined with a significant uplift in demand for our Vetlife Helpline and Health Support services. Against this background the substantial ongoing financial support provided by the RCVS through MMI, both for the costs of professional mental health support and for the necessary call-handling facilities which underpin our Helpline, continues to be an invaluable contribution to the wellbeing of the veterinary community we serve."

Virbac has announced that Canine Prostate Awareness Month, its initiative to highlight the prevalence of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH), will be running again in November, and is urging practices to join in.

The initiative is timed to coincide with Movember, the fundraising initiative for male prostate disease and testicular cancer. Virbac says it hopes CPAM will remind owners that men are not the only ones to suffer from prostate disorders. Indeed, more than 80% of entire male dogs over the age of five are thought to suffer from BPH¹.

As part of CPAM, Virbac is providing participating practices with promotional materials including owner educational and display materials, a template press release for local media, and free branded slip leads to pass on to owners who have had their dog checked.

Chris Geddes MRCVS, Senior Product Manager, said:  "CPAM is a well-supported initiative and, running it at a time when  the media spotlight is already on the dangers of prostate cancer in men, means we can spread the message that owners should also be monitoring older dogs for signs of prostate disease." 

Virbac has introduced Odelis CPSE, the first ELISA test to screen for, diagnose and monitor BPH. It is available from three UK diagnostic laboratories. According to the company it is a cost-effective, precise and reliable alternative to rectal palpation. It also offers Ypozane, a tablet treatment for BPH, which takes effect within a week and lasts for six months.

Chris added: "The problem with BPH is that the majority of dogs suffer in silence. It is a painful condition that goes unnoticed until it reaches an advanced stage, where the owner notices blood in the urine or painful urination. 

"We're providing practices with all the materials they need to promote the campaign in their locality and hope that those getting involved will find it effective in terms of bringing clients into the practice for advice on BPH. We've also organised coverage in national dog magazines to drive clients to practices."

Practices that diagnose a dog with BPH during CPAM are asked to contact Virbac with details as it plans to collate a series of case studies from the initiative. Love2Shop vouchers to the value of £50 will be provided for the five most pertinent case studies submitted by the end of 2013.

For further information on CPAM, email cpam@virbac.co.uk, contact your Virbac Territory Manager or call the company direct on 01359 243243.

Reference

1. O'Shea J.D. Studies on the canine prostate gland: Factors influencing its size and weight. J. Comp. Pathol. 1962 72: 321-331.

The RCVS has released the results of a survey it conducted which has found that the vast majority of recent graduates from UK veterinary schools consider extra-mural studies (EMS) to be an essential component of the veterinary degree.

The survey was launched earlier this year in order to help the RCVS build up a picture of how EMS placements are currently working and whether graduates felt that they had gained knowledge and experience from placements that they could not have learnt from their core studies. Some 287 veterinary graduates from 2012 and 2013 participated in the survey, the overwhelming majority of whom (95.6%) agreed that EMS was essential.

Furthermore, the majority of the recent graduates said that they had found EMS placements to be beneficial in terms of the variety of clinical skills, professional skills and working practices they encountered. The only area in which a large number of graduates (42.9%) said that they did not find EMS placements useful was in gaining experience of out-of-hours and weekend work.

Despite the overall positive results, however, a number of concerns about EMS were raised. Issues included variable quality of placements; significant numbers of respondents feeling they were not able to gain as much 'hands-on' experience from placements as they would like; costs of accommodation and travel; and a lack of farm/mixed animal practices for placements.

Other key findings included the fact that the vast majority of veterinary students identified and booked their own placements at EMS practices and that their placements were at the type of practice they were looking for.

Christine Warman, RCVS Head of Education, said: "We launched this survey as an information-gathering exercise to see how EMS placements are currently working, following our last review of EMS in 2009 - and the results have certainly been very interesting.

"What is clear is that the current system is working well and that there is no need for an immediate review or urgent action. Most graduates found the experience gained on placements useful for their studies and find that EMS sets them up well for their first job in practice.

"However, there are a number of issues that we will keep a watching brief over and we plan to repeat the survey every two years in order to monitor these."

The full results of the survey are available to view at www.rcvs.org.uk/emssurvey2014.  Detailed guidance on EMS placements for students, university staff and EMS practices is also available at www.rcvs.org.uk/ems.

Any queries about EMS can also be directed to the RCVS Education Department on education@rcvs.org.uk or 020 7202 0704.

MSD Animal Health has launched a new campaign against equine flu, which includes various materials to help practices spread the word about the importance of vaccination. 

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.

References

1. www.equiflunet.org.uk
2. www.beta-uk.org/pages/industry-information/market.information.php

Village Vet is set to become the first veterinary group to have its clinics recognised as 'Cat Friendly' under the International Society of Feline Medicine's (ISFM) WellCat For Life programme, sponsored by Purina.

Working in partnership with Purina, each clinic is undergoing a bespoke 'moggie makeover' to help make visits as stress-free as possible for cats and their owners.

Founder of Village Vet, Brendan Robinson said: "We understand how stressful trips to the vets can be for both our feline friends and their owners. Cats account for 45% of our client base, so it is our goal to make visits to our practices as relaxed and stress-free as possible.

"The Hampstead practice, for example, is introducing a specialist cat ward situated well away from the sight and smell of dogs, with large, glass-fronted kennels that cut down noise and keep the cats hidden from each other.

"Another important change is the introduction of dedicated 'feline advocates' across each practice whose role is to 'think cat' and maintain the gold standard cat care. Front of house staff are also being trained to help owners make their cat as comfortable as possible in the waiting room, by directing them to the cat only waiting areas and offering towels to cover the baskets so cats feel safe and secure."

To help implement the changes, Purina has funded and organised practice visits with feline specialist Andrea Harvey. During her time with Village Vet, Andrea visited each practice to help train the 'feline advocates' and run workshops with vet nurses and front of house staff.

Rea Johnston from the Maida Vale Village Vet has been appointed as a 'feline advocate'. She said: "Here at Village Vet, we have always understood the importance of catering to cats' specific needs. But Andrea really helped inspire the team to think of practical changes that could make a real difference to our clients and their pets. Our support staff now have much greater confidence and it's making a big difference to our clients."

Claire Bessant, CEO at ISFM said: "As territorial animals, cats can become stressed as soon as they leave their home, so by the time they get to the vet practice they can be extremely anxious. This stress can manifest itself physically, which in extreme cases can affect diagnosis of certain conditions.

The Cat Friendly Clinic self-assessment scheme is open to any veterinary clinic that deals with cat patients. It lays out numerous requirements regarding the design, equipment and facilities within the clinic. Importantly, it also covers the quality of care provided to cats, the level of understanding of cats and their needs in the clinic, and interaction between the clinic and cat owners.

Reaching a gold or silver standard allows practices to display the Cat Friendly Clinic logo. For more information, visit: www.wellcat.org.

With less than one month to go before all cats are required to be microchipped, Michelle Townley MRCVS, veterinary advisor to HomeAgain, has shared six ways to address the more common concerns that pet owners have about microchipping: 

Tip 1 – Make sure that pet owners understand the functions of a microchip properly
Michelle says: "Some customers I’ve spoken to wrongly believe that microchips function as GPS trackers. To help manage pet owners’ expectations I always stress the importance of a microchip in lost pet recovery scenarios, where they serve as a permanent form of identification."

Tip 2 – Stress the importance of pet owners updating their contact details with their microchip provider
Michelle says: "Pet owners often think that updating contact details with their vet will automatically sync these changes with the microchip database. It’s vital to inform owners that they must separately update their contact information with their microchip database.  I’d recommend regularly reminding pet owners to check and update their microchip registration."

Tip 3 – Reassure pet owners that microchips are safe for their cats
Michelle says: "I’ve had some owners express worries about allergic reactions or rejection of the microchip by their cat's body. So it’s worth taking the opportunity to dispel this myth  during routine wellness exams by explaining microchips are made from inert, biocompatible materials designed to be nonallergenic and nontoxic. 

Tip 4 – Make sure to discuss the longevity of microchips with pet owners
Michelle says: Microchips are designed to last the lifetime of the pet without needing a power source and that their functionality can easily be verified during any veterinary visit. If you find an owner expresses concerns about this, you could offer to check the microchip as part of regular health checks to demonstrate its reliability.

Tip 5 – Emphasise how every cat needs a microchip – regardless of age or activity level
Michelle says: "All vets will know even indoor or elderly cats can escape or wander off and older cats can become disoriented more easily. It is worth reminding owners that microchipping is a safeguard, ensuring their pet can be identified and returned home if lost. The new law means that pet owners can also face a large £500 fine if their cat isn’t microchipped."

Tip 6 – Explain how not all microchips are the same and the importance of getting the right one
Michelle says: I often explain that microchips vary in terms of the technology they employ, such as the new 'Thermochip' by HomeAgain that also measures a cat’s subcutaneous temperature. It’s worth talking pet owners through the different microchips available and the database options so they can make an informed choice.

http://homeagain.co.uk/Cats 

Biogal Galed Labs, a manufacturer of veterinary diagnostic products, has published a series of instructional videos for its PCRun point-of-care molecular detection kits, currently available for canine Leptospira, Ehrlichia canis, Anaplasma platys, Parvovirus, Babesia canis, Babesia gibsoni, Leishmania infantum, Feline Panleukopenia and Feline Mycoplasma haemofelis.

Biogal’s CEO, Mr Amos Gershony said: "We placed a large effort behind creating these videos, so that our customers could visualize how simple it is to receive a PCR result in 1 hour."

The videos are:

1. PCRun Introduction
2. PCRun DNA Rapid Extraction Kit
3. PCRun Nucleic Acid Detection Device
4. Zymo Prep for PCRun Reader
5. PCRun Molecular Detection kit + PCRun Reader
6. PCRun Reader

North Yorkshire-based Amelia Briggs MRCVS has been reprimanded and warned by the RCVS Disciplinary Committee after she was found to have been dishonest in documentation relating to her official avian influenza surveillance visits. 

Dr Briggs faced four charges and admitted to her conduct in the first three at the outset. 

They related to three official Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) clinical investigation report forms she submitted following three official avian flu surveillance visits she'd undertaken as an Official Veterinarian (OV).

The three surveillance visits all took place during an outbreak of avian influenza in North Yorkshire and were on behalf of the APHA.

Dr Briggs admitted that she'd certified on each of the three forms that she had inspected specific poultry, that she had seen no clinical signs of avian influenza in the poultry and that in her opinion avian influenza did not exist and had not existed in the previous 56 days.

Dr Briggs also admitted that that she had subsequently submitted the three forms to the APHA.

The fourth charge alleged Dr Briggs conduct in certifying the three forms had been dishonest and that her actions risked undermining procedures, regulations and rules designed to protect animal welfare and public health.

Dr Briggs denied that she had been dishonest in any of her actions but admitted that her conduct had risked undermining procedures designed to protect animal welfare and public health.

Dr Briggs explained that in two cases she had relied on information given to her by the keepers of the poultry and in the remaining case it was possible that she had not visited the correct location of the poultry, had posted a letter through the wrong door and had then accidentally submitted a pre-populated inspection form to APHA.

Having heard evidence from the relevant poultry keepers, fellow Official Veterinarians, officials from the APHA and Dr Briggs herself, the Committee gave its determinations on dishonesty.

In relation to the first two charges, which concerned the visits that did take place, the Committee found Dr Briggs had been dishonest both in submitting the inspection forms to the APHA and also in certifying that she had seen no clinical signs or history of avian influenza in both cases.

The Committee concluded that an ordinary decent person would regard the submission of a signed form which contained false information as dishonest.

It also concluded that Dr Briggs had deliberately signed an official form which contained information which she knew to be untrue.

However, the Committee found that Dr Briggs was not dishonest in asserting on these forms that she was of the opinion that disease did not exist based upon the information provided to her by the poultry keepers.

In relation to the third charge, where Dr Briggs did not visit the property concerned, the Committee did not find it proven that she had been dishonest, having heard her evidence that, in this case, she had accidentally submitted a pre-populated inspection form.

The Committee next considered whether the admitted and proven charges amounted to serious professional misconduct.

Paul Morris, chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf said: “In considering the seriousness of the misconduct, the Committee took into account the fact that the misconduct had involved dishonesty, that there had been a risk of injury to animals and humans (though this risk had not materialised), and that the misconduct had occurred when the respondent, as an Official Veterinarian, occupied a position of increased trust and responsibility.”

He added: “The Committee considered that honest, accurate and careful veterinary certification was a fundamental component of the responsibilities of a veterinary surgeon.

"The matters which the Committee had found to be proved fell far short of the standards expected of a registered veterinary surgeon and amounted, in the Committee’s judgment, to disgraceful conduct in a professional respect.”

In considering the sanction for Dr Briggs the Committee heard positive character testimonials from former employers and clients, as well as a representative from the APHA who said that Dr Briggs had shown contrition for the breaches while recognising that there was unlikely to be a repetition of the conduct and that Dr Briggs was a relatively new and inexperienced vet at the time of her actions.

Mr Morris said: “In the Committee’s judgement the circumstances of the incident were a mitigating factor in the sense that the respondent was working in a pressurised environment, and in a field of practice which was unfamiliar to her.

"The Committee had heard a considerable amount of evidence from various witnesses that the surveillance system created, to monitor the prevalence of avian influenza was one which placed considerable pressure on OVs and, perhaps inevitably, had some shortcomings.

"The respondent had not worked with poultry before so her inexperience in this area fed into this situation.

“The Committee took into account the fact that no actual harm had occurred and there was no financial gain to the respondent.

"The matters with which the Committee was concerned formed a highly unusual, and short-lived, episode in the respondent’s career.”

The Committee also considered that Dr Briggs had made open and frank admissions regarding most of the charges against her and had also shown genuine contrition over her failings.

In light of this, the Committee considered that a reprimand and warning as to future conduct was the most appropriate sanction.

Mr Morris added: “False certification can never be acceptable.

"Veterinary surgeons should never certify any matter which they know, or ought to know, not to be true.

"However, the Committee considered that this case was at the lower end of the spectrum of gravity of false certification cases, that there is no future risk to animals and that the respondent has demonstrated insight.

"In relation to the public interest, the Committee considered that a reasonable and fully informed member of the public would recognise that, in all the circumstances of this particular case, a reprimand and warning as to future conduct would be sufficient to satisfy the public interest.”

www.rcvs.org.uk/disciplinary

Vets Now has won the 'Social Entrepreneur of the Year' award in the Scottish Business Awards for Pet Blood Bank UK.

The charity was initiated by a Vets Now employee, Wendy Barnett, following a change in legislation which created the opportunity to establish a pet equivalent of the human national blood transfusion service. After a trial through Vets Now, Pet Blood Bank UK was set up in 2007 as an independent charity, with a loan and ongoing fundraising support from Vets Now.

Pet Blood Bank UK collects blood from donor dogs, processes it and supplies it to the veterinary profession to use in cases such as traumatic injuries or where major surgery is required.  Last year 164 specially organised dog donor sessions were held where owners are encouraged to bring along their dog to 'donate a pint'.  Each donation has the potential to save up to four lives. Nearly 9,000 units of blood have been collected in the past five years.

The charity, which has an education and animal welfare remit, charges veterinary practices just the costs incurred in collecting, processing and storing the blood. As well as providing blood, the Pet Blood Bank UK team are experts in transfusion medicine and receive numerous calls through their advice service. Regular lectures, educational talks to the profession and guidance is given to enquiries from all over the world on how to set up a blood bank.

Wendy Barnett, who is now Head of Clinical and Professional Services at Pet Blood Bank UK, said: "At the heart of our charity is a real desire to ensure that should a dog need blood there is a supply available and I'm delighted that our work, and the support of our many doggy donors and their owners, has been recognised through this award. 

"Literally thousands of dog lives have been saved as a result of the service and this has been a real collective effort with Vet Supervisor Jenny Walton and the team here contributing to our success. However, we can't rest on our laurels. Demand from vets has been such that we've had to increase our donor sessions considerably. Like humans, there is a less common dog blood type and we desperately need dogs with negative blood type - such as Greyhounds, Weimaraners, Flat Coat Retrievers, Airedales, Boxers, Dobermans and German Shepherd Dogs to donate at our sessions." 

Richard Dixon, founder of Vets Now, said: "Wendy was instrumental in setting up the charity and through her vision and leadership donation sessions have grown from one to three a week, with a 38% increase in donations year on year. We are proud of what Wendy has achieved and the role that the charity now plays in providing much needed blood and guidance to veterinary practices the length and breadth of the UK."

A group of veterinary surgeons and cat behaviour consultants in the USA have published a state-of-the art review of food puzzles used to improve feline wellbeing in this month’s Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery.¹

The authors say that domestic cats are very similar in their behavioural needs to their closest ancestor, the African wildcat, and an indoor-only lifestyle, unless managed appropriately, can give rise to health issues (such as obesity and diabetes) and problem behaviours (including aggression, house-soiling and attention-seeking).

One approach to mitigating these potential problems, they say, is with the use of ‘food puzzles’ – devices which release food when an animal interacts with them, originally developed to provide enrichment for captive zoo and laboratory animals. 

Food puzzles take advantage of cats' natural instincts to work for their food. There is a wide range of puzzles on the market: some are mobile (rolled or pushed with the cat’s nose or paws), others are stationary, and they can be used with either wet or dry food. Creative and/or cost-conscious cat owners can even make their own DIY food puzzles by, for example, cutting holes in egg boxes or water bottles. 

The authors reviewed existing empirical evidence of the physical and emotional benefits imparted by food puzzles, and collated details of over 30 cases from their own practices where food puzzles were introduced to aid with a specific health or behavioural concern.

Examples include an obese 8-year-old male domestic shorthair cat who lost 20% of his bodyweight within 12 months of puzzle implementation; a 3-year-old British Shorthair male cat, whose impulsive and frustration-based aggression towards his owner instantly improved and resolved completely within 6 months; and a 2-year-old domestic shorthair cat whose fear of people (his owners included) significantly improved following the addition of both mobile and stationary food puzzles, to the point that he would come when called and was relaxed for cuddles.

The article aims to provide veterinary professionals with the information they need to advise clients on the subject. It is free to read here.

Reference

1. Dantas LMS, Delgado MM, Johnson I and Buffington CAT. Food puzzles for cats: feeding for physical and emotional wellbeing. J Feline Med Surg 2016; 18: 723–732.

As part of its Black History Month activities, the RCVS has put together a series of video interviews with black and mixed heritage newly-qualified and student vets and nurses, talking about what inspired them to join the veterinary profession and how they got to where they are today.

The interviews give an insight into the career advice the interviewees got from their school, what steps they took to secure their place to study for their qualification, what hurdles they had to overcome and what can be done to address issues around the under-representation of some groups within the profession.

The College says the aim is to help inspire school age children to consider a veterinary career through frank conversations with role models who have chosen a vet or vet nursing career.

The first film is an interview with Rheanna Ellis, a 2021 Nottingham Vet School graduate who is now working as a veterinary surgeon at a West Midlands practice. In her interview she talks about her passion to become a vet from a young age, how she went about researching and preparing for her job, and the importance of perseverance.

To help promote the videos and the College’s ongoing work on diversity and inclusion, the RCVS has partnered with the official Black History Month campaign and website which will also be hosting the videos. 

Many of the interviews have been carried out by Mandisa Greene, RCVS Senior Vice-President, who helped lead the RCVS Black History Month activities last year as the College’s first ever black President.

Mandisa said: “It’s important that we demonstrate commitment to diversity and inclusion and have a role in acknowledging and accentuating diverse voices within the professions. Throughout these video interviews I’ve had the opportunity to speak to some inspiring newly qualified and student veterinary professionals who are all clearly very passionate about supporting animal health and welfare.

“I hope that school children from all backgrounds who watch these videos will get the chance to see how rewarding and enjoyable a veterinary career can be and that they’ll be inspired to consider becoming a vet or vet nurse in the future.”

The RCVS will be publishing more video interviews on its YouTube channel through October and beyond.