João, who graduated from Portugal’s Oporto University in 2009, was recruited from the University of Liverpool, where he was a lecturer in Small Animal Cardiology.
Willows Clinical Director Toby Gemmill said: "This is an exciting time for us. As part of our new extension, our state-of-the-art cardiology suite is now open and fully operational, while we have also appointed a hugely knowledgeable and experienced cardiologist to join the team.
"It is further evidence of our continued commitment to invest in top talent and the best facilities so we can provide the highest standards of care and treatment."
João said: "I’m very pleased to have joined a centre of excellence like Willows and to be working in the fantastic new cardiology suite.
"I enjoy all aspects of medical and interventional cardiology but I have a particular interest in feline cardiomyopathies, cardiorenal syndrome and atrial fibrillation."
The 'Room For Rabbits' campaign follows research in which 38% of vets said they think rabbits’ environment is the most neglected welfare need1, with over a quarter of the UK’s rabbits being kept in inadequate housing conditions, and almost half of them living alone2.
The RAW survey also found that 90% of vets believe that rabbits’ welfare in the UK is improving3.
Room for Rabbits will throw a spotlight on rabbits’ environment, with a variety of initiatives during RAW including vet blogs and videos on how to adapt bunnies’ housing for all seasons, boredom buster ideas, a competition to encourage owners to create a RAW ‘gold standard’ environment, and downloadable packs containing resources for practices to create their own RAW campaigns.
Holly Castle, Senior Brand Manager at Burgess Pet Care, RAAG member and organisers of RAW, said: “We are delighted that RAW continues to have a positive impact, with our survey showing that 90% of vets believe that the welfare of the UK’s rabbits is improving - but there is always more than we can do.
“Since the previous RAW campaign, we have successfully launched RAAG, which recognises that the welfare of these wonderful creatures needs to be high on the agenda year-round.
"By bringing together the expertise of the RAW partners, RAAG is focused on encouraging everyone involved with rabbits to support the first Good Practice Code for rabbits’ welfare in England to ensure it becomes enshrined in law.
"One of the ways to achieve this is through initiatives like RAW, which is the UK’s largest welfare campaign of its kind.
“We recognise that vets’ practices were really stretched last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, which meant it was difficult to support campaigns like RAW.
"However, following a surge in demand for rabbit ownership in the UK during the past two years, it is vitally important that we educate more owners than ever before and continue to help improve rabbits’ welfare."
“The veterinary community plays a hugely important role in ensuring that owners have access to the right information, and we are urging practices to throw their support behind this year’s RAW to ensure that we reach as many owners as possible.
Professor Ian Ramsey, Past President of the BSAVA, which endorses RAW, said: "The BSAVA is once again delighted to support RAW and the theme of this year’s campaign.
"Rabbits remain one of the most misunderstood pets in the UK, but we are confident that vets across the UK will again show their support for this important campaign to improve the lives of pet rabbits.”
The RAAG is encouraging vets’ practices to sign up to receive updates about RAW at https://www.rabbitawarenessactiongroup.co.uk/raw-pack-reminder/.
Downloadable RAW vet packs will also be available from 6th June.
Vets Now is expanding its referral service with the acquisition of Great Western Referrals, a referral hospital in Swindon.
The acquisition is Vets Now Referrals' second permanent site to complement its original referral service in Glasgow and its first operation in England, allowing it to extend its specialised veterinary services across the South West.
Vets Now Referrals says it plans to enhance its new acquisition by improving the premises and extending the current referral team, beginning with the appointment of a new orthopaedic surgeon who will support the current RCVS and European Specialist in Veterinary Surgery: Hannes Bergmann DrVetMed DipECVS MRCVS.
As part of the acquisition, Great Western Referrals will be renamed Vets Now Referrals. It will offer a full small animal referral service with specialists trained in Surgery (Orthopaedics, Soft-Tissue, Spinal), Internal Medicine, Dermatology, Cardiology, Diagnostic Imaging, as well as Avian and Exotic Medicine. In addition, an independent out of hours emergency service will also be available from Vets Now at the hospital for all member practices in the area.
Vets Now Referrals will incorporate the specialist care currently offered for exotic pets, Great Western Exotic Vets. This service will continue to be run as Great Western Exotics and will retain the expertise of Neil A Forbes BVEtMed DipECZM(avian) FRCVS, an RCVS and European Recognised Specialist in Avian Medicine.
Richard Dixon, Founder of Vets Now Ltd said: "We are very excited to be extending our Referrals network and will be working hard with the local referring practices and their clients in the surrounding area. We want the local practices to have a strong and genuine say in how the business operates, and some of the early changes already planned have come from discussions with those practices."
"We have been hugely impressed by the exceptional levels of clinical experience within the existing team at Great Western Referrals, as well as their energy and commitment to deliver the best level of specialist care to pets. We will be building on this team and tailoring the service to individual practice needs. Through our acquisition we will also bring resources to help the service grow, bringing added security to the clinical team in Swindon."
"In addition to the referral service, we are very pleased that Vets Now will be operating its highly regarded and well established out of hours emergency service, which we believe will continue to benefit local member practices and their clients."
For further information about the service, visit www.vetsnowreferrals.com/ or call 01793 603 800.
Richard Dixon and Neil Forbes announce Vets Now's acquisition of Great Western Referrals.
Available for download now, the MobiVet Veterinary Formulary App is designed to make drug calculations and prescribing faster, easier and safer. It contains dose rate and interval data for over 250 drugs commonly used in small animal practice.
Searchable by drug name or trade names, with species-specific dosing information, the app calculates doses based on the patient type, weight, or body surface area as appropriate. MobiVet also provides a checklist of known relevant drug interactions for each medication, to prevent prescribing errors.
Stuart says an iOS version is in production.
To download the Android version, visit: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.project.user.drug_formulary&hl=en
The study, titled “The utility of combined urine dipstick analysis and specific gravity measurement to determine feline proteinuria”, assessed the utility of the urine dipstick alone and combined with the urine-specific gravity (USG) for detecting proteinuria in cats.
For the study, the clinical records of cats presenting to a referral hospital between January 2011 and January 2017 were reviewed retrospectively.
To be eligible for inclusion, feline urine samples had to have undergone a complete urinalysis including dipstick evaluation, USG and urine protein-to-creatinine (UPC) measurement.
A total of 121 urine samples were included and diagnostic agreement and test accuracy were calculated for the dipstick test alone and in combination with the USG, using different cut-off values for proteinuria. Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curves were also calculated.
Jorge Pérez-Accino, corresponding author for the paper, said: “The diagnostic agreement between the urine dipstick and UPC ratio was poor and did not improve if the USG was considered together with the dipstick.
"A dipstick result of equal or greater than “Trace” (0.1-0.3g/L) had a sensitivity of 81% and a specificity of 31% to detect proteinuria.
"With regards the ROC curves, the area under the curve (AUC) of the urine dipstick alone was poor (0.57). When combined with the USG results, this improved to fair (0.78) but the specificity and negative predictive value (NPV) were still low.”
Nicola Di Girolamo, Editor of JSAP said: “These findings indicate that clinicians should not rely on the results of the urine dipstick test in combination with USG in cats for detecting proteinuria. Instead other quantitative methods, such as UPC ratio, should always be performed to detect proteinuria in cats.”
The full article can be found in the September issue of the Journal of Small Animal Practice which is free for BSAVA members. It can also be read online here: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jsap.13184
The BSAVA has put together a collection of resources relating to urinalysis and proteinuria, available here: https://www.bsavalibrary.com/content/urinalysis--160
Reference
The new product contains astaxanthin (an anti-oxidant), fucoidan (a fucose-rich, sulfated polysaccharide) and indigo (a deodorant), which together are claimed to fight against gum infections, deodorise the mouth, and reduce the build-up of plaque and tartar.
Bob Ferguson, Commercial Lead for Accord Animal Health said: “We are excited to bring to the UK and Ireland market, Vivinicord Chews, a novel combination of natural ingredients designed to aid pet owners support their dogs’ oral health.
"Dental disease and associated infections are such a huge issue for vets and owners, we believe Vivinicord Chews can be a valuable part of the solution.
“Vivinicord Chews will only be available for owners to buy from their local veterinary practice, supporting our mission of building a sustainable partnership with our veterinary customers.”
Vivinicord comes in packs of 30 chews with a shelf life of 24 months.
For further info or stock enquiries, contact: info@accord-animalhealth.com / 01271 385 200
Ceva Animal Health is launching Fiprospot, a new spot-on for dogs and cats.
Fiprospot contains fipronil, with its proven efficacy against fleas in dogs and cats and against ticks in dogs. The product is packaged in a novel dosing pipette which can be placed on its stand before gathering the dog or cat for their treatment. There are five pack sizes available for Fiprospot: one for cats and four for dogs, with either three or six pipettes per pack.
To find out more about Fiprospot and other products in Ceva's antiparasite range, telephone the customer support team on (01494) 781510 or contact your local Ceva territory manager.
A 2021 German study reported the incidence of diarrhoea to be 18.5% and the most common disease observed in almost 14,000 neonatal calves examined on 731 dairy herds1.
Fencovis is indicated for the active immunisation of pregnant heifers and cows in order to stimulate the development of antibodies against bovine rotavirus, bovine coronavirus and E. coli expressing F5 (K99) adhesin and to increase the level of passive immunity of calves against neonatal diarrhoea caused by bovine rotavirus, bovine coronavirus and E. coli expressing F5 (K99) adhesin.
Boehringer says that in calves fed with colostrum and milk from vaccinated cows, these antibodies have been demonstrated to prevent diarrhoea caused by rotavirus and E. coli F5 (K99) adhesin and reduce the incidence and severity of diarrhoea caused by coronavirus.
Viral shedding in calves infected by rotavirus and coronavirus was also reduced by Fencovis.
Findlay MacBean, Business Head Livestock at Boehringer Ingelheim UK & Ireland, said: “We are delighted to announce the launch of Fencovis, the first vaccine that is licensed to prevent calf scour caused by Rotavirus and E. coli F5 (K99), and also reduce the incidence and severity of scour associated with coronavirus infection. ”
Fencovis is a suspension for injection which uses a non-oil adjuvant. It comes in a variety of presentations including a single dose pack.
A short film about Ami Sawran MRCVS, who simultaneously works as a vet, an actress and the editor of a lesbian magazine called Reprobait, is being released in Vue West End and Vue Piccadilly cinemas from today.
The film, being shown ahead of big screen blockbusters, is part of a series which make up 1000 Londoners, a project to create a digital portrait of the city.
Each film dips into the life of a Londoner for three minutes. The first ten films being shown over the next two months include one about an entrepreneurial hula-hooper from Hoxton, another featuring the last cloth trader in Shoreditch, one about a cage-fighter on the day of his first professional fight and another about a Big Issue seller who works on the Strand.
Rachel Wang, director of 1000 Londoners, said: “This release gives the people of London an opportunity to see these fascinating documentaries in the greatest way to watch any film in London – on the big screen in the West End. By making this possible Vue Entertainment have been extremely open and forward-thinking in their programming.”
The 1000 Londoners films are currently being released weekly on 1000londoners.com The latest film "Danny" looks below the city into Bazalgette's Victorian sewers, where professional 'flusher' Danny Brackley works. Forthcoming Londoners include an ex-SAS author, a third generation blacksmith from Stepney and a woman who has withdrawn from mainstream society to live on a canal boat.
Running in July, the campaign aims to raise awareness of hyperthyroidism in cats and hypothyroidism in dogs, educate pet owners to spot the symptoms and thereby encourage early diagnosis.
MSD Animal Health says it hopes the campaign will increase the number of pets being taken to their veterinary practice for diagnosis, and increase both return visits and treatment compliance.
Practices supporting Pet Thyroid Month will be supplied with resources to help them educate pet owners about the two conditions.
Caroline Darouj, product manager at MSD Animal Health, said: "Although hyperthyroidism in cats and hypothyroidism in dogs are well known conditions and diagnosis is generally straightforward, a large number of vets in Europe state that both disorders are under-diagnosed, due to the fact that pet owners don’t recognise the signs.
"We wanted to launch our Thyroid Month campaign to encourage pet owners to spot the early symptoms of thyroid issues in their pets and seek advice from their veterinary practices.
"Our aim is also to benefit and educate vets and vet nurses with regard to the use of Leventa and Vidalta in treating these manageable conditions in both dogs and cats."
To find out more about Pet Thyroid Month, visit www.vidalta.co.uk
Samantha, who was a recipient of the Malaysian Prime Minister’s Scholarship, has a degree in genetics, molecular biology and microbiology, and a PhD in cancer research from University College London.
She was diagnosed with ADHD at the age of 40, which led her to set up ADHD Girls, an organisation that helps people with ADHD access employment and works with businesses to help them understand ADHD.
Samantha's talk is part of a module on neurodiversity, which will open with an exploration of neurodiversity and the challenges of diagnosis, before looking at how you can better support those in practice teams, as well as neurodivergent clients and students.
The session will wrap up with a discussion about how to cultivate greater inclusivity and understanding around those who are neurodivergent within the veterinary professions.
Being neurodivergent means that your brain works differently from the average person, meaning there may be differences in social preference, ways of communicating, ways of learning and ways of perceiving the environment.
Samantha said: “No two brains are the same. But what if you were born with a brain that constantly makes you feel like everything you do differentiates you from everyone else?”
“My talk introduces neurodiversity in the context of society, casting light on ADHD and autism, and how this impacts the workplace and one’s quality of life, and what we can do to build a compassionate culture, starting with the conversations we have at work.
"I’m really excited to talk at the BSAVA Congress and meet other professionals in the veterinary field.”
After her lecture, she will be partaking in a panel discussion around the challenges of diagnosis of neurodivergence alongside Laura Playforth, a vet who has been diagnosed with both bipolar and autism and is currently Group Quality Improvement Director at IVC Evidensia.
Andy Green, Vice Chair of the BSAVA Congress Programme Committee chair said: “We are delighted to have Samantha delivering our keynote this year on such an important topic.
"Neurodiversity is becoming an increasingly important area of focus and understanding across society and we have a significant population of neurodivergent people working as vets, nurses and in other roles, many of whom may not as yet have a diagnosis.”
“We also need to recognise that many pet owners and clients are neurodivergent.
"Samantha is ideally placed to shine a spotlight on this subject, using her own story and life experience to deliver a greater understanding of what it actually means to be neurodivergent and how businesses/practices can understand, embrace and support neurodivergent members of the work force and community.”
Early bird tickets for BSAVA Congress 2023 are currently on sale with 3-day and 1-day tickets available to purchase. Get your ticket now: https://www.bsavaevents.com/bsavacongress2023/en/page/home.
Redonyl Ultra contains essential fatty acids, Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) and Biotin.
PEA is a naturally-occurring bio modulator which Dechra says has scientifically proven activity against the mechanisms that contribute to inflammation and pain, while Biotin is important for synthesis of fatty acids and support of optimal skin condition.
Dechra Brand Manager Claire Morgan said: "Redonyl Ultra is a great addition to Dechra’s extensive Dermatology range that allows an holistic approach to treatment, control and maintenance of dermatological conditions.
"Allergic skin conditions are among the most common causes of skin and ear disease in cats and dogs, and it is estimated that up to 15 per cent of dogs are affected by atopy. In situations where an allergen cannot be avoided, multi-modal therapy is useful to control the clinical signs."
Redonyl Ultra comes in a convenient bottle size of 60 skittle capsules, in two strengths for different sized animals. The capsules can be opened and given with food or ingested directly, or swallowed whole for flexible administration.
For more information, visit http://bit.ly/2iNa2Ik
The practice is one of few in the UK to use radioactive iodine (RAI) therapy, which, it says, has an average, a 95% success rate in treating cats with hyperthyroidism.
Stephanie Lalor MRCVS (pictured right), an RCVS Specialist in Feline Medicine at Willows said: "The new therapy is non-invasive and is the gold standard of treatment for cats with hyperthyroidism. It is safe and highly effective and a single injection can be curative. Patients do need to be screened for their suitability and ideally they are treated with medical therapy prior to the RAI.
"Due to the radioactive nature of the treatment, patients must stay with us for 15 days after the injection. Our patients stay in luxury cat condos during their hospitalisation and their day-to-day care is over-seen by our lead radioactive iodine nurse, Vicky Maund."
The new unit is part of a £1 million investment in Willows which includes a dedicated operating theatre for minimally invasive procedures, a range of specialist treatment rooms and more than 40 new kennels.
Toby Gemmill, clinical director at Willows, said: "We are already extremely well placed to offer a wide variety of specialist treatments and this extension has provided us with the space to expand our services further. The new radioactive iodine unit is very exciting and allows us to build on our gold level cat-friendly clinic status."
For more information, visit www.willows.uk.net.
Vetswest, the veterinary support services company, has been acquired by MWI Veterinary Supply, a subsidiary of the US multinational, AmerisourceBergen.
MWI already owns Centaur and VetSpace, and the agreement will allow it to further expand the range of services it offers the animal health profession in the UK.
Jim Cleary, Executive Vice President of AmerisourceBergen and President of MWI Veterinary Supply said: “This partnership reflects our commitment to the success of veterinary practices across the globe. We’re proud to welcome Vetswest to the MWI family as we continue to expand our services in our mission to be the best resource to the animal health profession.”
Vetswest offers group business support services for its 235 member veterinary practices including negotiating manufacturer terms and a proprietary IT system that supports pricing intelligence, inventory information and reporting on purchasing activity. The company also provides access to ancillary services for veterinary surgeons to help manage human resources, continuing professional development, insurance offerings, pension services and other areas which support the growth of member practices.
Vetswest's retiring managing director David Buckley said: “The resources of MWI and AmerisourceBergen will allow us to bring new innovation to the market and additional benefits to Vetswest members. I’m excited about Vetswest’s future under the leadership of Chris Sobey and as part of the MWI and AmerisourceBergen family.”
Chris Sobey, who will become the new managing director of Vetswest following his tenure as Vetswest’s business development director said: “Our goal has always been to improve efficiencies and services for our members through scale and with our new relationship with MWI and AmerisourceBergen, we will be well positioned to further this core mission of our organisation.’’
The CPD event is in two parts. The first is a webinar on Tuesday 30th April at 7:30pm by Dr Jo Murrell DipECVAA (pictured right) entitled: Analgesia for ovariohysterectomy in dogs and cats and the role of Comfortan.
Jo will present the results of studies she has conducted to investigate which opioid provides optimum analgesia for the procedure in both dogs and cats. In one study, she compared the analgesic effect of peri-operative methadone with peri-operative buprenorphine in dogs. In the other, she compared the analgesic effects of methadone with buprenorphine in cats undergoing ovariohysterectomy using the QUAD anaesthetic protocol.
You can register now for Dechra’s webinar, here.
The webinar will be followed by the opportunity to put follow-up questions to Jo in a special forum in the new Anaesthesia group on VetSurgeon.org, where she has become a VetSurgeon Contributing Expert.
The webinar entitles you to one hour of CPD, which you can supplement with any additional time spent discussing the issue with Jo in the forum, using the ‘Claim CPD’ button.
The event also marks the official launch of the new Small Animal Anaesthesia Group on VetSurgeon.org, and I would like to invite all members of VetSurgeon.org with an interest in anaesthesia to come and join the group here (press the ‘Join’ button on the left hand side; you may need to rotate your mobile phone to see it).
In addition, you may wish to subscribe to the digest which will alert you to any new anaesthesia discussions on a daily or weekly basis, as you prefer.
FirstVet says the funding will enable it to expand its service globally, including the United States, Germany, and France. It will also allow it to continue developing its product and introduce new features to improve the experience for pet owners and vets, such as new automation tools and integration with clinics' existing systems.
The latest round of financing takes FirstVet’s total funding to-date to €24.5M.
Founded in 2016 in Sweden, FirstVet currently has a presence in five markets: the United Kingdom, Norway, Denmark, Finland, and its native Sweden. The company says it has over 200,000 registered users and has provided consultations for over 150,000 pets since launch.
Currently, FirstVet consultations are offered free to millions of owners through partnerships with 20 insurance companies across all markets, including Bought By Many in the UK.
Co-founder David Prien said: "FirstVet is the first truly neutral stakeholder in the world to coordinate pet care. In what is a highly privatised industry, our reliable service provides value to the entire sector, and we are growing at an incredible rate."
The authors say that an association between acute kidney injury and general anaesthesia is well-defined in human medicine, but there is little information in the veterinary literature.
In their new study, called “Twelve previously healthy non-geriatric dogs present for acute kidney injury after general anaesthesia for non-emergency surgical procedures in the UK1”, Emma Rogers-Smith and her co-authors retrospectively analysed the medical records of 12 dogs that presented for acute kidney injury following general anaesthesia across three multidisciplinary referral centres and one primary care practice in the UK. Information obtained included signalment, general anaesthesia, surgical procedure and peri-surgical management.
The aim was to characterise common factors after a suspected increase in incidence of post-procedure acute kidney injury in animals without identifiable risk factors.
Emma Rogers-Smith, a resident in internal medicine at Davies Veterinary Specialists and corresponding author for the paper, said: “A suspicion that there was an increase in non-geriatric dogs suffering acute kidney injury (AKI) shortly after elective procedures led to this study.
"Whilst our data supported this suspicion, there was an increase in incidence, the change itself is not statistically significant and so we are unable to be conclusive.
"This study is limited by small sample size and retrospective nature of the data. At this time no definitive causal link between these cases has been found.
"As such, we are urging clinicians with similar experiences in the last 24 months to get in touch. We hope to ascertain if there is any commonality between these cases and, if possible, better define the incidence of AKI in non-geriatric animals following elective procedures.”
Nick Jeffery, editor of JSAP said: “Nowadays, most veterinarians consider general anaesthesia safe in dogs and routinely allay pet-owner concerns. Whilst AKI following general anaesthesia seems to be rare, it is worrying that a specific risk factor was not identified in any dog, despite a wealth of available clinical data. I would urge any veterinarians that have similar cases to contact the authors.”
Any clinicians with similar experiences during the last 24 months should contact Emma Rogers-Smith on emma.rogers-smith@vetspecialists.co.uk.
The full article can be found in the June issue of the Journal of Small Animal Practice, and here: https://www.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jsap.13134
Norbrook has announced the re-launch of its range of intramammary tubes for lactating and dry cows, to promote holistic herd health and responsible use of antimicrobials.
The company’s range, which includes products across a number of antibiotic classes, primarily targets clinical cases of mastitis in lactating cows, and removal or prevention of infection around the dry period.
Chris Geddes MRCVS, Marketing Manager at Norbrook, says the re-launch is focused on modernising the range and making it clearer for practice staff and farmers to avoid confusion between lactating cow and dry cow products: “We have a wide range of 11 products containing a variety of antimicrobials: for example Duofast is the only lactating cow product to contain trimethoprim and sulfadiazine. We are working with vets to promote responsible use by farmers, for example through the use of our teat sealant Noroseal for Selective Dry Cow Therapy."
The full range includes Duofast, Lactaclox, Cefimam LC, Combiclav, Noroclav and Multiject for the lactating cow; Cefimam DC, Noroclox, Bovaclox and Bovaclox DC Xtra for the dry cow; and teat sealant Noroseal.
Norbrook has also produced a best practice guide to mastitis control, available for vets in English and Polish, which can be shared with farmers.
Chris added: "We recognise the need to reduce overall use of antimicrobials, especially for disease prevention – as well as using non-antimicrobial products such as teat sealants. These practices, together with the recent focus on using older classes of antimicrobials, mean that as an industry we need to adopt a holistic and targeted approach to herd health management.
"We believe that by providing additional information to aid with prevention of disease, and re-launching our intramammary range to make it clearer when products should be used, we can help to achieve that."
Norbrook says the full range of products is in stock, but some wholesalers may hold components of the old range as the new range is phased in.
The survey, which takes about 5 minutes (I timed it), is designed to canvas opinion about the priorities for learning and development.
Rich Casey, Junior Vice President of the VMG (pictured right), said: "From marketing to HR to financial planning and all points in between, today’s veterinary leaders require expertise in every aspect of running a successful business.
"We want to create a truly valuable, constructive and evidence-based CPD calendar for next year. Views from those working in the profession will help us to fully understand what good leadership and management look like in the veterinary world and we will then make sure that the programme promotes best practice in these important areas. We thank everyone who takes the time to complete the survey."
The survey can be accessed here: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/VETCPDPR
Lecture topics will include interesting cases, the importance of systematic abdominal technique, the challenge of becoming ultrasound competent within a primary referral setting, basic anaesthetic nerve blocks, using ultrasound for appropriate medical management, how CASE can support competency based veterinary ultrasound training and more.
The session will end with a debate on whether it is time for a formal / stand alone Veterinary Ultrasound training programme and who should accredit such courses.
Speakers include Natasha Dickinson from Cave Veterinary Specialists, Niamh Casey from Village Vets, Miguel Martinez from Northwest Veterinary Specialists, Will Humphreys from the University of Liverpool and Nuala Summerfield from Virtual Veterinary Specialists.
The day costs £75 (sounds like a steal, if you ask me), and you can register here: https://www.bmus.org/meeting-booking/ultrasound-2019/
Unite and the British Veterinary Union (BVU) have written to the government asking for the Professional Standards Authority (PSA), which regulates such governing bodies as the General Medical Council, General Dental Council, and Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), to have 'scrutiny' of the RCVS.
In a letter to junior minister at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, George Eustice, the BVU chair Dr Shams Mir cited the case of Munhuwepasi Chikosi struck off the register of veterinary surgeons by the RCVS in June 2013.
Dr Mir said that this case was "widely seen by the veterinary profession as blatant miscarriage of justice and many expressions of 'outrage' were published in the veterinary press and online.
"One popular online veterinary forum recorded over a thousand posts criticising and challenging various aspects of the decision."
The current statutory duties of the RCVS, established by Royal Charter in 1844, are determined by the Veterinary Surgeons Act (VSA) of 1966, which Unite says is now 'outdated.
Dr Mir said: "BVU petitions the government to extend the remit of the PSA to incorporate the RCVS to ensure appropriate overview and scrutiny.
"The RCVS proposed new Royal Charter could be exploited by the RCVS to give itself proxy powers to introduce incontestable new regulatory measures."
Unite has asked for an urgent meeting with Mr. Eustice.
Unite professional officer Jane Beach said: "Our initiative is designed to safeguard the interests of both the public, and practicing vets and veterinary nurses in the UK.
"Basically, the way that the RCVS is presently constituted means that it is both judge and jury in disciplinary matters. It sets the rules and hands down the judgements - and we believe that an extra layer of scrutiny needs to be introduced which we would like to be the PSA."
The exhibition comprises 22 photographs showing a range of subjects from across the UK and overseas, including cattle during a TB testing day on the island of Arran, a surprising find during surgery, a look down the microscope at feline myofiber disarray and a practical session of bee veterinary medicine.
The photographs were selected from around 1,000 that were submitted to the association's photo competitions by its members in 2016 and 2017.
The exhibition was officially opened today by Neil Parish MP, Chair of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee (EfraCom) and BVA Honorary Member, at an opening ceremony attended by parliamentarians as well as many of the veterinary surgeons whose photographs feature in the exhibition.
Neil said: "These photos show the diverse range of things that vets are involved in. What we respect from BVA is that we get good clear, evidence-based advice when we need it."
BVA member and Director of Cambridge Veterinary Group Lucy Crosby was commended for her snake intubation picture last year. She said: "The exhibition is a really exciting opportunity for vets to show that their skills extend beyond the operating room to the arts.
"I personally feel privileged to have my photo shown here. The veterinary profession and what we do is diverse and it's important to broadcast to the general public just how important the profession’s contribution is to the country."
BVA President, John Fishwick said: "It's an honour to have the opportunity to exhibit our members’ photographs in the Palace of Westminster. Vets work in practices across the UK, in government policy, public health and food safety, industry and technology, the armed forces, and beyond.
"As a profession, we play a significant role in many areas of personal and political life; an issue that EU exit has brought into sharp relief. With the political landscape shifting so rapidly, it’s apt that we’re showcasing vets’ work to parliamentarians to make sure it’s at the forefront of their minds as they return for the New Year."
The exhibition will be open daily until Thursday 11 January in the Upper Waiting Room of the House of Commons, an area open to Members of Parliament, Peers and visiting members of the public.
To view the photographs exhibited, and many others from BVA’s photo competitions, visit BVA’s Flickr account: www.flickr.com/photos/britishvets/albums/
According to a report in last weekend's Mail on Sunday, documents leaked from Defra have revealed proposals for a range of measures designed to reduce the risk from dangerous dogs.
The proposals reportedly include:
The first of these looks like being a bit of a non-runner. Aside from the subjective nature of deciding what makes a competent owner, the cost is disproportionate to the size of the problem: 703 convictions for dangerously out of control dogs in 2007. The other two seem long overdue.
The BVA, the Mayhew Animal Hospital, Dogs Today magazine and the Kennel Club are amongst various organisations that have criticised Morrisons for its Christmas advert - which can be seen here - in which a child is seen passing a slice of Christmas pudding to the family dog.
BVA President Peter Jones said: "It is vital that advertisers use animals responsibly and we are disappointed to see the Morrisons Christmas desserts TV commercial depicting a small boy feeding Christmas pudding to his dog. Christmas pudding, Christmas cake and mince pies - because they contain raisins or sultanas - are potentially harmful to pets and in some cases can lead to kidney failure.
"While we accept that many pet owners understand what is and what is not appropriate to feed their pets, children watch adverts and can be easily influenced by what they see. Veterinary organisations and animal welfare charities work really hard to promote messages about responsible pet ownership and TV adverts such as this one, with huge audiences, can undermine this work."
But hang on a second. Watching the advert, the child isn't actually feeding the dog anything. Rather, the dog is passed a bit of pudding which it then goes and places in a flowerpot, causing the plant to wilt. The dog isn't being fed the stuff, it's being asked to get rid of it.
Surely what this advert is really saying is: nobody likes Christmas pudding, least of all children and dogs.
Mind you, it does look like all this fuss is proving a very effective public awareness campaign about the danger of feeding a dog raisins or sultanas.
Felpreva contains emodepside and praziquantel, with tigolaner, a novel bispyrazole active ingredient.
Felpreva is licensed for treatment of cats with, or at risk from, mixed parasitic infestations/infections.
Vetoquinol points to a survey revealed conducted last year in which 43% of cat owners said that giving parasite protection to their cat makes them feel guilty, stressed, or worried1.
Felpreva provides an option to reduce the frequency of treatments, lessening stressful interactions between owners and their cats.
Vetoquinol says that with Felpreva’s convenience and longer-lasting flea and tick protection, it aims to help support compliance and thus improve the wellbeing of feline companions.
Helen Hunter, Senior Product Manager at Vetoquinol UK, said: “The launch of Felpreva is a truly proud moment for Vetoquinol, demonstrating our expertise, passion, and commitment to innovation in this essential category of companion animal medicine.
"It will allow us to safeguard the health of cats by bringing longer-lasting protection, convenience, and ease of use – for both pet owners and veterinary professionals.
"At a time when vets are treating more pets than ever before, the need for a breakthrough endectocide solution like Felpreva has never been greater.”
Felpreva is in wholesalers now.
For more information, contact your local Vetoquinol representative.