The Veterinary Marketing Association has announced a Practice Marketing Award, with a prize of £500 worth of CPD, for which entries are now being sought.
The award, which is sponsored by Merial, is open to companion and farm animal practices that can demonstrate effective marketing to their clients during the course of 2012.
For more information, visit: www.vma.org.uk/awards, or email: secretary@vma.org.uk for entry details.
Those who pay their fees after 30 April 2017 will be charged an extra £35 to renew their registration while those who have not paid by 31 May 2017 will be removed from the Register.
You will also need to confirm your registration details, confirm you've met the RCVS requirement for continuing professional development of 105 hours over a three-year rolling period and disclose any new or previously undisclosed convictions, cautions or adverse findings.
The annual renewal can be completed by logging into the ‘My Account’ area of the RCVS website (www.rcvs.org.uk/login). For those members who do not have a valid email address, or have requested a hard copy of the renewal form, a form has been sent by post.
Any veterinary surgeons who have not received their annual renewal form or security details for the ‘My Account’ area by 7 March should contact the RCVS Registration Department on 020 7202 0707 or registration@rcvs.org.uk as soon as possible.
Those with queries about paying the annual renewal fee should contact the RCVS Finance Team on 020 7202 0723 or finance@rcvs.org.uk
At the meeting, Simon Biles from Moore Scarrott gave a 30 minute presentation, which was followed by a one hour discussion.
The recording can be watched on VetSurgeon.org here https://www.vetsurgeon.org/001/nonclinical/m/meetings/138080, where you can also claim the time watching towards your annual CPD requirement. Press the 'Claim CPD' red button in the title bar towards the top.
To make it easier to find content that interests you, there are markers on the video timeline.
There is also a forum thread on vetsurgeon.org for further discussion of any of the points raised in the film. See: https://www.vetsurgeon.org/001/nonclinical/f/site-support-discussions/29784/vetsurgeon-zoom-ir35-locums-and-umbrella-companies
For more information about Moore Scarrott, visit: https://www.moore-scarrott.co.uk
ECC vet Shailen Jasani has launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise funds for further development of his pet bereavement website, www.theralphsite.com
The Ralph Site is a non-profit pet bereavement support online resource and Facebook community which Shailen set up in 2011 after the loss of his cat Ralph.
Shailen says that over the past three years, the site has proved to be a much needed resource, with many pet carers benefiting from what it offers and a growing number of practices referring their bereaved clients to the site for information and support, and a sympathetic and empathetic virtual ear. So far, the site has had approximately 60,000 visitors and the Facebook community now stands at an impressive 34,000 Likes.
Shailen manages the site by himself and has has also personally funded all of the expenses to date including design, development, on-going management and promotion costs, to the tune of £30,000.
However, he says he now needs further funds to make the site work properly on smartphones and tablets, improve the memorial section and promote it more widely to pet owners, for which he is turning to crowdfunding and hoping that members of the profession will support what he is doing, both with contributions and by helping spread the word amongst family, colleagues and clients.
Shailen said: "The issue of pet bereavement and the impact of pet loss on their carers is a serious one which is slowly but surely gaining increasing recognition. A resource such as the Ralph Site is invaluable for practices to be able to link and refer clients to. I very much hope colleagues will get behind my campaign."
To find out more about the campaign, visit: http://igg.me/at/theralphsite/x
The nine-page booklet is being distributed electronically to all BEVA members, together with a guide on spotting some of the warning signs horses may display, written by equine veterinary surgeon and behaviourist Gemma Pearson.
A report commissioned by the BEVA in 2013 indicated that an equine vet could expect to sustain between seven and eight work-related injuries that impeded them from practicing, during a 30-year working life.
Data available from the Health and Safety Executive suggests that this is a very high number of injuries compared to other civilian occupations, including those working in the construction industry, prison service and the fire brigade.
The new guide has been produced ‘by horse vets for horse vets’ with BEVA members contributing their views, experiences and suggestions to early drafts.
It provides information for those handling and involved with equine veterinary care; to make workers consider the steps that they can take to make their activities as safe as reasonably possible by assessing a situation and implementing measures to limit the risk that vets and others are exposed to.
The guide also aims to challenge prevailing attitudes and culture. It outlines how to make ‘on the spot’ or ‘mental’ risk assessments and when to stop if a procedure becomes unsafe.
The guide is accompanied by an illustrated leaflet Signs of Increased Arousal Combined with a Negative Effective State. Written by Gemma Pearson, BVMS Cert AVP (EM) MRCVS who specialises in equine behaviour and learning theory, it explains signs of increased arousal including facial expressions, stance, movement and response.
David Mountford, CEO of BEVA said: "The new guidelines have been carefully developed to ensure that they are as pertinent, pragmatic and helpful as possible for vets in practice. Hopefully they will help to make the equine veterinary workplace a little safer."
The new guides can be downloaded at: https://www.beva.org.uk/workplacesafety
The move comes as the whole agriculture industry, co-ordinated by agricultural and food industry alliance RUMA (which promotes responsible use of medicines in farming), looks to build on the recent 10% reduction in use of antibiotics to treat farm animals.
The BCVA’s Dr Elizabeth Berry, who prepared the recommendations, said that whilst the responsible use of antibiotics has been promoted for many years across farming sectors, there is still the potential to reduce use in some areas and to move away from products which are important for human health.
She said: "This is an official position from BCVA to our members but we would like to see all in the cattle sectors embrace these recommendations in the understanding that we need to play our part in increasing responsible use of antibiotics.
"Work still needs to be done to establish the levels currently being used in cattle so that appropriate targets can be set but there are measures that can immediately be adopted.
"So we are recommending reducing both the overall amount of antibiotics used in cattle practice and minimising the use of the high priority CIAs – namely third and fourth generation cephalosporins, fluoroquinolones and colistin. These drugs should only be used where they have been demonstrated by sensitivity testing to be the only suitable choice to avoid unnecessary suffering."
The BCVA, which has over 1,100 practising members covering around 85% of vets working with cattle, is also recommending that use of antibiotics as a preventative treatment is avoided wherever possible as long as animal welfare is not compromised.
Dr Berry added: "Where preventative treatment – or prophylaxis – is used it should be regarded as an interim measure whilst alternative management or vaccination strategies are implemented.
"For example, all cows which comply with recommendations for using an internal teat sealant should be considered for non-antibiotic treatments at drying off."
The BCVA continues to advise that every farm should have a herd health plan which embraces all of the disease control strategies appropriate for disease reduction on that farm. In addition, farm management best practice should be followed, such as the guidelines issued by Red Tractor farm assurance.
Dr Berry says BCVA further recommends that all herds should establish their BVD status and eradicate the disease where it is found. "BVD can have a detrimental effect on incidence of many diseases and its eradication will have a significant impact on the need for antimicrobial use.
"We also continue to recommend the use of diagnostics to identify disease so that appropriate treatments can be selected and vaccination programmes instituted to prevent or reduce the severity of disease."
BCVA’s confirmation of its official position has been welcomed by RUMA. Secretary General John FitzGerald says that while RUMA’s promotion of responsible use over the past 20 years means the UK remains among the lower users of antibiotics in farming in Europe1, more needs to be done.
"The BCVA’s position is clear and leaves no doubt that action needs to be taken,” says Mr FitzGerald. “It is underpinned by science, recognising that banning preventative use outright or access to critically important antibiotics is not an answer. Both are important tools in fighting disease and preventing suffering so we still need them – but we need to use them more strategically and only when no other options exist."
The complete list of guidelines can be downloaded from the BCVA website www.bcva.eu.
Eurovet has launched Octacillin Pig, a water-soluble amoxicillin powder for treating pneumonia caused by Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae and meningitis caused by Streptococcus suis.
Octacillin is widely used in poultry and has recently been approved for use in pigs. Eurovet says Octacillin Pig is ideal for delivery via automatic water systems, as it dissolves completely in hard or soft water and remains stable in solution for 12 hours. It has a withhold period of 2 days.
Pneumonia caused by Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae tends to affect pigs at 8-16 weeks of age and has a very short incubation period of just 12 hours.
Octacillin Pig will be available from early March.
For further information call 01223 257933.
Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA) has announced the formation of a new independent advisory group to recommend a future delivery model for veterinary surveillance in England and Wales.
The Advisory Group will be chaired by Dirk Pfeiffer, Professor of Veterinary Epidemiology at the Royal Veterinary College. According to the AHVLA, it will include representatives from government, the veterinary profession and the livestock farming and private laboratory industries and is being created so all those with an interest in veterinary surveillance can shape a future model and ensure that all issues are thoroughly considered.
Veterinary surveillance seeks to identify new or re-emerging threats to our livestock population and to public health. It involves a partnership approach between livestock keepers, private veterinary surgeons, the Scottish Agricultural College, industry bodies and AHVLA in order to effectively gather and assess intelligence.
AHVLA is seeking to identify ways to undertake veterinary surveillance both more effectively and at an affordable cost to the taxpayer. Work in this area has been on-going since 2010, and the merger of the former Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA) has created opportunities to review how veterinary surveillance can best be delivered.
The new model will aim to address capacity imbalances in the current service where provision sometimes outstrips demand. The independent advisory group are also expected to recommend how better and closer working methods across the partners can make the surveillance stronger as well as more cost effective.
Surveillance has historically been based on in-depth investigation of disease incidents with an emphasis on post mortem examinations carried out at AHVLA's regional laboratories. This system is a key element in the government's risk-based approach to the management of animal disease related threats.
AHVLA says that the current model, although successful in identifying diseases in the past, can be improved upon. A recent internal AHVLA report identified viable options for achieving better surveillance at the same or lower cost by, for example, exploring moving towards risk and intelligence based surveillance and improving the value added by working more closely in partnership with vets and their farmer clients and other sources of intelligence data.
In mid-January 2012, AHVLA will also be publishing, and publicising, an online survey aimed at individual veterinary practioners and livestock keepers. The survey will seek individual opinions on the inputs, mechanisms, outputs and value of surveillance in England and Wales Work is expected to run until spring 2012, following which recommendations on a way forward will be made.
Carl Padgett, President of the BVA, said: “Veterinary surveillance is an essential component in our animal health, public health, food security, and international trade work.
“The emergence of Schmallenberg virus in ruminants in northern Europe demonstrates the current value and ongoing need for a robust surveillance system to work both nationally and internationally.
“The BVA welcomes the establishment of the advisory group and particularly the wide range of veterinary expertise and experience that is represented on the group. It is important that views from both veterinary practitioners and veterinary scientists are fed into this review.
“While we understand that AHVLA and Defra must ensure value for money from the surveillance network, any future model must be shaped by good surveillance strategies, not the need to cut costs.
“We urge all practitioners in England and Wales to contribute to the discussions by completing the online survey.
“We look forward to engaging with the advisory group as it carries out the review and beyond.”
MSD Animal Health has launched a new range of vaccination equipment to help sheep and cattle producers administer its portfolio of farm animal vaccines as effectively, cleanly and safely as possible.
The new vaccinators all incorporate the Sterimatic system, which is designed to take the worry out of administering injections to livestock by delivering an accurate dose of any given product, whilst also cleaning and protecting the needle automatically. MSD says the Sterimatic system also decreases the potential for disease transmission, minimises the risk of infection and abscessing at the vaccination site, and reduces needle-stick injuries.
The new equipment is colour-coded and ergonomically designed for comfort in the hand and comes in clear, sterile bags that list the recommended vaccines for use with each vaccinator.
The new vaccinators are now available from animal health product wholesalers.
The theme of Congress has been chosen to reflect the increasing importance of OVs in safeguarding the UK’s international trade and in protecting human health through disease surveillance and control.
Keynote speakers at this year’s event, which is organised association with the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), include Professor Nigel Gibbens CBE, the UK’s Chief Veterinary Officer; Dr Ryan Waters from The Pirbright Institute in Surrey and Dr Ian Wright, Head of ESCCAP UK & Guideline Director for ESCCAP Europe. It takes place at Alexandra House in Swindon on 21-22 September 2017.
Professor Gibbens said: "UK vets play a range of critical roles, protecting our country from endemic and exotic diseases, leading the frontline response to global challenges, such as antibiotic resistance, and safeguarding our animals to ensure our welfare standards remain the best in the world.
"I look forward to joining our OVs to celebrate this essential work and to explore the themes of this year’s conference - disease control and surveillance - which recognise the importance of vets to international trade and their contribution to our thriving food and farming industry."
David Babington MRCVS, Managing Director of Improve International, added: "This year’s OV Conference will, as usual, feature dedicated lecture streams aimed at large animal, small animal and equine practitioners. We hope the new workshops on the more specialist Official Controls Qualifications (Veterinarian), including those relating to the export of poultry (OCQ(V) AX); the export of food and animal by-products (OCQ(V) PX) and the export of germinal products (OCQ(V) GX), will prove a useful addition to our delegates."
For more information on the Official Veterinarian Conference and Exhibition or to register visit: www.officialvet.com
The nomination period closes at 5pm on Wednesday 31 January 2018 with the election period set to start in mid-March and close at 5pm on Friday 27 April 2018.
Candidates need to submit a nomination form, contact details, a short biography and candidate statement and supply a high-resolution digital photograph to use in print and online materials.
In order for a candidacy to be accepted they will also need two nominators who should be veterinary surgeons on the RCVS Register but who are not current members of RCVS Council.
Registered addresses and original (hard copy) signatures of both the nominee and the proposers are required on the form in order for it to be valid.
The RCVS is also reminding candidates that the College is currently preparing for a change in its governance arrangements, including a reduction in the size of Council, as outlined in a Legislative Reform Order (LRO) that was agreed by Council members in March 2016.
As it stands, members of the profession are still electing six candidates to RCVS Council in the 2018 elections. However, if the LRO completes the legislative process and is passed by both Houses of Parliament, then only the three candidates with the most votes will take up their places as members of RCVS Council.
There will be no elections to VN Council this year as a decision was made to reduce the number of elected members.
More information on how to stand as a candidate for RCVS Council, as well as nomination forms, guidance notes and frequently asked questions, can be found at www.rcvs.org.uk/rcvscouncil18
The BSAVA has released the final figures showing that 6,331 veterinary surgeons, nurses, practice managers and students attended the event, up from 6,178 in 2013.
Outgoing BSAVA President Professor Michael Day was delighted that so many attended. He said: "What continues to set BSAVA Congress apart is simply 'quality'. The quality of the faultless organisation, the quality of the scientific content, and the quality of our exhibition and incomparable social programme."
A few other numbers from Congress this year included:
Sunday saw the inauguration of the new BSAVA President Katie McConnell. She said: "Like so many previous presidents, I look back on my early volunteering days with deep affection but it would have been a great surprise to my earlier self to be told that one day I would be the BSAVA President.
"During my presidential year I would like to meet as many BSAVA members as I can, hopefully in their own regions. I plan to travel to regional BSAVA continuing education meetings, not to stand up and lecture but to listen to individual members and find out what the BSAVA means to them. The BSAVA is run by members for members and the only way to shape its work is to become engaged with it."
Vet History is part of a five year project to improve access to and awareness of the wealth of material held by the College, which began with the appointment of a qualified archivist in October 2015 and the creation of the online database which includes descriptions of material catalogued to international archive standards. The catalogue will be fully searchable with biographical profiles for major persons featured in the collections.
The papers of the prolific veterinary author and army veterinarian Major General Sir Frederick Smith (1857-1929) are amongst the first collections to be fully catalogued and described online. The material covers the length of Smith’s career from case notes recording treatment of army horses in India in the 1880s to correspondence from the last 20 years of his life, in which he wrote a four volume history of veterinary literature. Smith was involved in the Army Veterinary Service during the Second Anglo-Boer War and the First World War, and his honest and candid accounts of the loss of horses by the Army illustrate fascinating aspects of veterinary, social and military history.
Chris Gush, Executive Director, RCVS Knowledge said: "The launch of the Archives catalogue covers a critical and fascinating time in the nation’s history, both for the advances in veterinary science and its role in marinating a functioning British military presence in the 19th century. Through this unparalleled collection, RCVS Knowledge can be an invaluable source of information for academic research and the general public."
The RCVS Vet History project is ongoing, and further collections will be catalogued periodically over the next four years. Visitors are encouraged to check the catalogue regularly, and follow RCVS Knowledge’s Twitter feed for news and updates.
To see behind the scenes of the Project, and find out more about highlighted items, follow the Historical Collections blog here.
The RCVS Vet History Project is supported by The ALBORADA Trust.
The Veterinary Capability and Capacity Project (VCCP) is co-chaired by the UK’s Chief Veterinary Officer Nigel Gibbens, RCVS Senior Vice-President Dr Chris Tufnell, and BVA Senior Vice-President Gudrun Ravetz. The project board also comprises the CVOs for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, Sheila Voas, Christianne Glossop and Robert Huey, as well as the Animal and Plant Health Agency and the Food Standards Agency.
The project’s objective is to work with the veterinary sector to better understand the UK’s workforce needs and ensure that both the Government and veterinary businesses can continue to protect animal health and welfare, safeguard the food chain and maintain levels of public health and public services, and enable trade in animals and animal products.
The project will include a joint BVA-RCVS submission to the Migration Advisory Committee’s call for evidence on workforce issues post-Brexit. Three working groups have been set up within the project to look specifically at issues of veterinary resources, recruitment and retention.
The UK’s Chief Veterinary Officer, Nigel Gibbens, said: "Leaving the EU provides us with an opportunity to develop gold standard policies on animal welfare. The UK Government is determined to get a good Brexit deal for Britain and Ministers have been absolutely clear we will maintain our world-leading animal welfare standards.
"The VCCP is a great example of collaborative working between government, professional bodies and regulators to prepare for our exit from the European Union.
"I am pleased the Prime Minister has set out the government’s aim to secure the status of the veterinary workforce as a top priority as we leave the EU. The UK’s vets - both Official Veterinarians and those in the private sector - play a key role in protecting our country from endemic and exotic diseases, tackling outbreaks when they occur, safeguarding our animals and tackling global challenges like antibiotic resistance."
Chris Tufnell said: "Since the vote to leave the European Union last year the RCVS has been working in partnership with BVA to highlight to Government and others the potential workforce shortages that could arise from a loss of non-UK EU-qualified vets, particularly in public health work where they tend to predominate. Our position was highlighted in our Brexit Principles published earlier this year and at an event organised by us and the BVA at the Palace of Westminster for MPs and Peers.
"We are very glad that Defra is working proactively with us and BVA to understand the scale of the issues and map out the risks and opportunities and to help us plan for a number of different scenarios in advance so that we do not find ourselves in a position whereby animal health and welfare or public health might be compromised by workforce shortages."
BVA Senior Vice President Gudrun Ravetz said: "Vets provide the foundation for the UK’s high animal health and welfare, and make an essential contribution to the UK economy and wider society. Veterinary teams up and down the country support the UK’s 11 million pet-owning households; not a penny of the UK’s £12.7 billion livestock industry could be realised without vets; and vets are vital to facilitating UK trade, through health certification and controls, so that consumers have confidence in the food safety and welfare of the products they buy.
"Non-UK EU vets make up around 50% of our new workforce each year yet, since the EU referendum; we are facing increasing problems in recruiting and retaining EU colleagues to the UK. The impact of the loss of even a small percentage of the veterinary workforce could have serious repercussions on the practices, communities and industries that vets serve. This profession-wide project is pivotal to ensuring we have a veterinary workforce that can serve the UK’s needs post-Brexit."
The BVA’s Brexit and the veterinary profession report can be found at www.bva.co.uk/news-campaigns-and-policy/policy/future-of-the-profession/brexit/
To read the College’s Brexit Principles in full visit www.rcvs.org.uk/brexit
The Prime Minister has set out the government’s offer for EU citizens in the UK and UK nationals in the EU on their rights and status after the UK leaves the EU: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/safeguarding-the-position-of-eu-citizens-in-the-uk-and-uk-nationals-in-the-eu
The government’s response to House of Lord’s EU Energy and Environment Sub-Committee’s inquiry into Brexit: Farm Animal Welfare also addresses veterinary capability post-Brexit:https://www.parliament.uk/documents/lords-committees/eu-energy-environment-subcommittee/Brexit-farm-animal-welfare/Gov-Brexit-farm-anim.pdf
The event, which is being organised by Colin Whiting MRCVS and his wife Lizzy (also MRCVS), is taking place at Killaworgey Farm, Black Cross, Newquay, TR8 4LU
Performing on the outdoor stage at the event are the Ceilidh Band and Spit Roast, a covers band.
Catering includes a licensed bar, wood-fired pizzas, log-roasted chicken, pulled pork burritos, pasties and cream teas.
There'll be a quiz night, fancy dress and an outdoor showing of the film Trainspotting.
And if all that weren't enough, you'll be just a stone's throw from Newquay and its nearby beaches, and about 30 mins drive from the Eden Project.
Colin said: "The whole vet world family is welcome.
"We've got people coming from Liverpool vet school straight from rotations, practices bringing their EMS student along: bands, bar, party field, outdoor roasts and burritos, indoor pasties and wood-fired pizzas, and - to cap it all - a 6-shower, 8-loo toilet block newly completed for the camping field, with a 2-metre urinal in the gents as well, but that's not so much of a selling point...
"Visitors are very welcome to come earlier or camp longer too; there's a warm welcome for all at Killaworgey."
Fore more information, visit: https://www.killaworgeyfarm.co.uk/
Novartis Animal Health has announced that it has assumed marketing responsibilities for the joint health supplement Cosequin in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
Cosequin, which contains glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate, is available in a range of presentations for dogs, cats, and horses.
The product, which was previously marketed by MSD, is the leading joint health supplement among veterinary surgeons in the US and Europe.
Novartis says Cosequin is an important addition to its Orthopaedic Health Category, which in 2009 introduced Onsior (robenacoxib), the first tissue-selective pain relief for cats and dogs.
Gaynor Hillier, General Manager UK & Ireland Novartis Animal Health said: "Our strategic intent is to expand our presence in orthopaedic health to address prevention, diagnosis, and treatment in a more comprehensive manner. Cosequin represents an important step toward achieving this objective".
Cosequin is available from Novartis Animal Health in the United Kingdom and Ireland, from licensed veterinary wholesalers. For more information on Cosequin, contact your Novartis Animal Health Territory Manager.
The traditional approach is to use anatomical knowledge to inject pain relief in the area of the nerves to be blocked.
Liz is leading a move away from this approach to a more precise method which uses ultrasound guidance to visualise the nerves, allowing the local anaesthetic to be placed directly around the nerve itself.
For some nerve blocks, it is possible to block just the sensory branches of nerves, which means pets can walk better immediately after surgery while not feeling any pain.
Liz, a past president of the Association of Veterinary Anaesthetists, said: “Local analgesia is now at the forefront of our post-operative care and reliably improves the quality of a pet’s recovery and reduces the need for opioid pain relief, which can cause side effects.
“We’re using the latest techniques to deliver the nerve-blocking anaesthetics to exactly where they’re needed.
“For many of the nerve blocks, the use of ultrasound guidance allows more precise delivery and a complete blockade of the sensory nerves, which is why, here at Paragon, we’ve invested in state-of-the art ultrasound machine designed specifically for superficial and deep nerve blocks.
“This means we can provide more effective immediate post-operative analgesia for our patients and minimise the need for further pain killers.
“The nerves can be directly visualised and local anaesthetic directly placed around the nerve bundles.”
Liz is keen to highlight the advantages of the increased use of local anaesthesia in the treatment of animals. She added: “We’re hoping we’ll soon be able to publish some clinical research on the use of some of the blocking techniques used to demonstrate our clinical impression of their effectiveness in patient management.”
The 2-day course, which includes both theory and practical sessions, will be taught by Ingrid Tundo, lecturer and head of the Dentistry and Oral Surgery Department at the University of Edinburgh (pictured right), at IM3's Advanced Centre for Education near Dublin on the 10th and 11th August 2021.
The course will cover all the basic aspects of veterinary dentistry including oral examination and charting, dental radiography, local anaesthetic techniques and basic oral surgery including extractions.
The cost of the course is £600 and there's a 15% discount for BVDA members (so if you're interested in the course, then joining the BVDA is a bit of a no-brainer).
To register, visit: https://www.bvda.co.uk/education/courses/essential-dentistry-for-vets, or email Rob Davis (BVDA Education Officer) at davis4ginger@yahoo.co.uk for further information.
Sandymoor Vets and Westbrook Vets are headed by Clinic directors, Dr Becky Crossfield and Dr Rhys Peters, supported by a team of 18 vets, nurses and receptionists at each practice and a six-strong head office support team providing finance, marketing, property and HR expertise.
North Star Vets which was launched by Dr Sean Cleary, Dr Richard Thomas and chartered accountant, Jane Platt, opened its first practice about 11 months ago.
The company is aiming to grow to 10 practices over the next four years.
Sea, said: “The ethos of North Star Vets is about giving the next generation of ambitious vets an opportunity to own a share of their own practice and to run it the way they want, without the risk and substantial capital investment that would usually be required to open their own site.
“Our practices also have the added benefit of our central resources spanning clinical, financial, HR, marketing, procurement and property expertise, which are all required to create a successful business.
"In addition, clients enjoy the service levels and continuity that owner managed businesses are renowned for.”
“We knew our offering would be attractive to high quality vets who have the ambition and drive to go beyond heading up a corporate practice, and want to take their career, experience and earning potential to the next level.
“Burford Lane Vets has been very successful achieving a monthly turnover of £100,000 within its first 12 months and we’re very pleased to follow this with the opening of Westbrook Vets and Sandymoor Vets.
"Both practices are in great locations and have undergone high quality fit outs that incorporate all the latest equipment and facilities.
"When this is combined with the knowledge, experience and enthusiasm of Becky and Rhys, it’s easy to see why both practices are proving popular, with almost 700 clients already registered at Westbrook Vets and more than 400 at Sandymoor Vets.
“We’re already planning to open two more sites in the North West, and are currently looking for high-calibre vets who want to be masters of their own destiny by becoming part of our unique co-ownership model.
"Anyone interested should contact us now.”
www.northstarvets.co.uk
Invicta Animal Health has launched a new identification service for ChroMyco Duo dermatophyte kits in partnership with Axiom Veterinary Laboratories.
Veterinary practices can now send positive ChroMyco plates to Axiom and receive a species identification report for the specially discounted price of £8.00.
Rob Watkins, Managing Director of Invicta Animal Health said: "We are delighted to launch this service in response to customer feedback. This enables practices to gain a positive dermatophyte diagnosis in as little as three to six days so that treatment can be commenced promptly. Then, by sending the plate to Axiom, the actual species can be subsequently identified.
Axiom, with its innovative microbiology department and dedication to quality combined with its reliable network of courier services and postal processing systems are the ideal laboratory to provide this service".
Submission forms are available free of charge from Invicta Animal Health 01403 791313. ChroMyco Duo dermatophyte test kits are available from wholesalers and priced at £25.00 for 5 kits.
Petplan has announced the finalists for the inaugural Petplan and Association of Dogs and Cats Homes (ADCH) Animal Charity Awards.
The awards have been set up by Petplan to celebrate the outstanding work of animal charities and not-for-profit organisations across the UK.
The finalists for each of the categories are:
Animal Charity Team of the Year
Animal Charity Volunteer of the Year
Animal Charity Employee of the Year
Simon Masding, Petplan's Head of Sales and Partnerships said: "Animal wellbeing is central to all we do at Petplan. We work with over 1,500 animal charities and give over £2million to assist them every year. The Petplan and ADCH Animal Charity Awards is another way for us to support and recognise the teams and individuals at charities dedicated to improving the lives of animals. We're delighted that these new awards have got off to a fantastic start with over 3,400 nominations from adopters, supporters, charity staff and volunteers."
Winners will be announced on the 2nd May in an awards ceremony in Stratford-upon-Avon. For further information go to www.petplan.co.uk/charityawards
Norbrook Laboratories Ltd has launched the 2013 - 2014 edition of its UK Veterinary Surgeon's Product Compendium.
The compendium contains data sheets for the complete range of over 120 Norbrook products which are available in the UK and Northern Ireland, including 17 new products which have been launched since the last compendium was issued.
The compendium is available from your Norbrook representative or can be downloaded from www.norbrook.com. Norbrook also offers an iPhone App through which users can access essential product information including pharmaceutical presentation, uses, dosage and administration, withdrawal periods, contraindications & warnings and pharmaceutical precautions.
Ceva Animal Health has announced the addition of a new CPD module to its Cardio Academy, covering the clinical significance of heart murmurs in cats.
Hosted by Virginia Luis-Fuentes, Professor of Veterinary Cardiology at the Royal Veterinary College, the online seminar provides guidance in deciding which heart murmurs are significant and working out which are more likely to develop complications, such as congestive heart failure or aortic thromboembolism.
According to the company, up to 40% of cats will have heart murmur at some point in their life, but are often clinically normal at presentation. To make things more confusing, says Ceva, 50% of cats with congestive heart failure do not have a heart murmur at all.
The module lasts for 20 minutes and, after viewing, delegates receive a CPD certificate by answering questions relating to the session.
To access this module, and 20 hours of online cardiology CPD, visit www.cardioacademy.cevalearn.com.
The interactive map, which has been launched as part of Ceva’s ‘For Flock’s Sake – Vaccinate!’ awareness campaign, uses data from the company’s on-farm testing for Chlamydophila abortus, the bacterium that causes EAE.
Ceva says the map shows that the disease is present across the UK, although cases may well be much higher than shown, as the map is only based on farms that the company has tested positive for the bacterium.
Positive EAE cases on farms are recorded by county on the map, so farmers can check for EAE in their area.
The map, available at www.eaemap.co.uk, will be updated regularly as new farms test positive for EAE.
Stephenie Clarke, product manager at Ceva Animal Health, said: "Our new EAE interactive map will be updated on an ongoing basis and will be a useful tool to ensure that farmers are up-to-date with EAE cases throughout the UK."
For more information, visit www.eaemap.co.uk, contact your local Ceva Animal Health account manager, call Ceva on 01494 781510 or email: cevauk@ceva.com.
The initiative was first launched in 2018 as a small-scale pilot.
Following a hiatus during Covid, and subsequent adaptations and expansion, the 2022 programme saw 12 new graduate vets from PDSA and 22 from Vets Now take part.
Dr Aoife Reid, Head of Edge programmes and Clinical Career Progression at Vets Now said: “We recognised that within ECC practice, surgical cases are less common.
“When they do happen, though, they are high-stakes and are usually lifesaving.
"So, it’s important to maintain the surgical skills of our veterinary surgeons.”
Meanwhile, while each of PDSA Pet Hospital’s perform hundreds of surgical procedures every week, working in collaboration with Vets Now’s 60-plus clinics and hospitals gives new graduates exposure to more intensive and time-critical emergencies.
They encountered case presentations that are more commonly seen in emergency situations, including dystocia, seizures and dyspnoea; and developed their skills utilising point of care ultrasound and blood gas analysis with more critical patients.
Gemma Renwick, PDSA Area Veterinary Manager said: “This a scheme has really positive mutual benefits and provides a greater level of understanding of how each other works.
“It makes for a smooth transition between the day and the night service; which results in a much better experience for both clients and pets.”
Before attending, vets get a taster of what to expect through short webinar-style videos. They each then spend three shifts working alongside the other veterinary teams.
The Vets Now clinicians perform several surgeries in one shift, something that would rarely happen in all but the busiest of emergency clinics.
They also benefit from discussing cases when they may be more used to working in a solo environment and receive feedback from an experienced PDSA Clinical Coach.
Vets Now says feedback from both sides has been hugely positive, with participating vets saying they felt welcomed and supported.
Aoife said: “Within the veterinary industry, although it’s a small and close-knit community, we rarely see organisations collaborating in this way.“
"So, it’s great to work together to help benefit both our vets and the clients.”