The vaccine will be available to order directly from Merial on receipt of a Special Import Certificate (SIC) issued by the VMD to the named vet. The SIC is only required once but needs to accommodate all potential doses required, enabling Merial to supply to direct orders from the practice.
The product is available in 10 dose packs at a net price of £89.00 per pack.
For further information, contact Merial Customer Support Centre (UK) on 0870 6000 123 or your local equine territory manager.
Ceva says the aim of the course is to enable vets to get the most out of their ocular exams and gain confidence in identifying ocular lesions associated with feline hypertension.
The course is presented by Dr Ben Blacklock BVSc (Hons), Dipl. ECVO, MRCVS, senior lecturer in veterinary ophthalmology at the University of Edinburgh.
It comprises of 10 short videos grouped into four sessions, along with a self-assessment quiz to consolidate learning for each module.
The course counts for a total of two hours’ CPD.
Course content includes: the patient/equipment set up and getting the most from an ophthalmoscope; determining what is normal and what is abnormal during ocular examinations; an overview of ocular pathologies associated with hypertension; avoiding common pitfalls and mistakes; and hints and tips on how to take photographs of the fundus on a mobile phone.
To register, visit www.veterinarywebinars.com/community/ceva.
Six mixed-practice veterinary surgeons with over 200 combined years of experience have published a book of veterinary tips which they have collected from practising vets all over the UK in order to raise funds for VBF - the charity that supports veterinary professionals.
Alan Jeans, one of the authors, said: "The tips are ideas and techniques that we all use every day in practice but are the kind of thing that you only learn on the job. A range of vets from recent graduates through to veterinary teaching staff have checked the tips for suitability and, although many of the tips are aimed at new or recent graduates, vets of all ages and levels of experience will find plenty of very useful advice.
"The collection started as a 10-tip presentation on an annual CPD sailing trip in Turkey (pictured right) and grew from there. Throughout our careers we have all been impressed by the way that VBF has stepped in to help some of our colleagues in the profession through personal difficulties so we are delighted that we have found a way to fundraise for them."
Nick Short, VBF Director, said: "We are so grateful to all the authors listed in the book for their efforts on VBF's behalf. The tips can either be purchased as a complete collection in paperback by sending a suggested donation of £10 to VBF, 7 Mansfield Street, London W1G 9NQ or you can subscribe to receive regular e-tips on the Vetlife website at www.vetlife.org.uk.
We will also be taking pre-orders at BCVA Congress where VBF is going to be on the BCVA stand this year together with some of the veterinary surgeons who collected the tips.
Bradley Viner reviewed the book. He said: "I defy anyone, however long qualified, to honestly say that they did not learn something worthwhile from this little treasure of a book. And the cartoons are a great giggle as well!"
The book also received good reviews from two BVA Past Presidents. Peter Jinman said: "This little gem of a book is a distillate of the 'art' of veterinary medicine written by those who daily use the science for the benefit of animals under their care." Carl Padgett said: "A great little book. Easy to read and full of those tips that rarely make the covers of academic texts. Tricks old and new that help get the job done written by those that are doing the job."
To achieve the accreditation, Dechra’s Digital Learning team’s educational content, processes and services were reviewed and benchmarked against key opinion indicators by an LPI consultant.
Dechra Academy was first established in the UK in 2010 and has since launched in over 20 additional countries across the world.
Last year, over 5,000 veterinary professionals in the UK completed over 9,000 courses and there is currently over 60 hours of free CPD content available across the company’s therapy areas including endocrinology, dermatology, analgesia and anaesthesia, nutrition, equine analgesia and anaesthesia and locomotion.
The company has just launched the first of two courses in its ‘Purffect Partner’ series, which focuses on identifying and treating unintended feline weight loss.
A further four case studies will be added in the coming months.
www.dechra.co.uk/academy.
Dr. Lauren Finka, a researcher at the University of Lincoln, has developed L-CAT, a new tool for assessing behaviour in cats at rehoming centres and help match them to the ideal new home.
During the course of her PhD studies, which were part funded by COAPE (Centre of Applied Pet Ethology), Lauren discovered inconsistencies in the current models and perceptions of behaviour traits used in re-homing cats.
For example, one of the most common behaviours associated with affection towards humans is the activity of rubbing. Initial results suggested that this is often very inconsistent, as are several other behaviours that were previously thought to to be important in assessing a cat's underlying temperament. Dr Finka’s studies showed that it all depends much more on the specifics of the physical and social context of interactions and that these may change on a daily basis. It was found that on one day a cat might rub against a person ten times, but the next day rub against the same person only once.
The Lincoln Cat Assessment Tool (L-CAT) was developed during this research. COAPE says it is the first of its kind to offer a suitably robust, reliable and easy-to-use way of assessing behaviour in cats at re-homing centres, as well in predicting new owner satisfaction based on those assessments.
The organisation goes on to say that the potential welfare implications of this research are substantial, enabling cats to be properly but rapidly assessed, optimally managed, and suitably matched with would-be owners and thus shortening the length of time cats might spend in the re-homing centre.
L-CAT was tested to establish the possibility of predicting the future behaviour of cats after they had been adopted, as well as gauging how satisfied owners were likely to be with their cats. COAPE says the results generally confirmed that these outcomes were indeed possible, meaning re-homing staff could also use L-CAT to help manage the expectations of owners and potentially improve their satisfaction.
For more information, visit: www.coape.org
The first opinion Linnaeus Group practice, which also holds RCVS hospital status, is run by a team of nine vets, 14 nurses, nine receptionists and four animal care assistants.
It was given an outstanding rating for client service, inpatient service, patient consultation service and team and professional responsibility.
Maureen Geraghty Sathi, Practice Manager at Maven said: "We’re always asking ourselves how could we do this better? Everyone has to be on board or it would not work."
The practice had a focus team look at awards and the improvements it would need to make to achieve the required standards. Amongst the various things that were highlighted as exceptional were:
A genuinely separate cat waiting area and cat consult room.
An extensive pain monitoring system with pain scoring for all patients in hospital and an outpatient system which enables clients to monitor and chart their pets pain levels at home and review them with their vet.
Daily clinical rounds which involve the entire clinical team as well as management and a member of the customer care team. Aside from discussing clinical cases for the day this platform also enables daily review of any significant events or morbidity and mortality cases to be highlighted and time allocated for review.
A system whereby vets at the practice email clients in advance of any surgical procedure with information on the procedure itself as well as any potential risks associated with the procedure allowing time for further discussion with the client as needed
Consistent use of surgical and GA checklists to maximise patient safety.
In the final report, the RCVS practice standards assessor wrote: "The structures and management in place were of the very highest order. I was really impressed by the commitment of this practice to provide the very highest standards of clinical care to its clients."
Maureen said: "I am massively proud of the team, to see the pride in how they work. It is lovely to be told that you are working to an extremely high level and genuinely reflects the standards of the team day by day."
However, when asked by VetSurgeon.org which audience - veterinary professionals, it's staff or the public - it was referring to, or what threats to safety and wellbeing were posed by X, the College refused point blank to answer.
So the real motivation remains unclear.
On the one hand, it could be a ridiculously over-sensitive move to protect its unknown audience from opinions that its staff find objectionable.
On the other hand, it could perfectly well be argued that short form social media reduces every discussion or debate to "I'm effing right and you're effing wrong", which is not appropriate for a scientific profession.
Equally, one could also argue that engaging in polarised debate online is not terribly good for one's wellbeing.
Or one could just argue that it's a terrible platform owned by a strangely meddlesome and interfering American.
However, given the College's strange refusal to expand on the reasons for its withdrawal, the first explanation seems more likely.
But who knows?
https://www.rcvs.org.uk/news-and-views/news/rcvs-statement-on-x-formerly-twitter/
Vet Sustain works to inspire and enable veterinary professionals to become leading forces in sustainability and improve the health and wellbeing of animals, people and the environment.
To that end, the company produces tools, training and communications for veterinary professionals centred around its six Veterinary Sustainability Goals (SDGs):
Gudrun Ravetz, Chair and Director of Vet Sustain, said: “We are very pleased to announce IVC Evidensia as a strategic partner of Vet Sustain.
"Veterinary professionals sit at the One Health triumvirate of people, planet and environment every day and working with IVC Evidensia will allow Vet Sustain to continue work on ambitious projects to support veterinary professionals to be active sustainability champions.”
You can find out more about IVC's Sustainability Report here: https://ivcevidensia.com/how-we-work/sustainability/
The association says the new Recognised Internships significantly enhance its existing programme which just listed available internships in equine practice.
Over the past year BEVA has worked with veterinary practices across the UK to develop a set of core skills that should be covered during an internship.
These standards sit alongside BEVA's existing Employment Toolkit which outlines what a new graduate should be considering when applying for a job (such as working hours, pay, CPD allowance).
Roger Smith, BEVA Junior Vice President said: “The new programme gives practices constructive guidance to provide a positive and inspirational introduction to a career as an equine vet, rather than the perhaps rushed and unintentionally unstructured, labour focused junior positions that have been experienced in times past.”
BEVA Chief Executive David Mountford said: “We are delighted that nearly 40 equine veterinary practices have already signed up to our Recognised Internships initiative.
"It is such a positive sign that as a profession we are all committed to ensuring we can offer the best start to those entering the profession.”
https://www.beva.org.uk/internships
Practices interested in joining the scheme should contact Fiona Cunnington - fiona@beva.org.uk
Norbrook Laboratories Ltd has launched Propentofylline, a new product designed to reduce lethargy and improve general demeanour and exercise tolerance in older dogs.
Michelle Jones, Brand Manager at Norbrook said: "We launched Propentofylline to the UK market at the recent VPMA Congress where it was warmly received by the delegates with plenty of positive comments on both the lively design of the campaign and the opportunities for use of this product in practice. The product is indicated for improving dullness, lethargy and general demeanour in dogs to essentially give them a new lease of life."
Available in 50mg and 100mg tablets, Norbrook says Propentofylline can be prescribed to help boost a dog's willingness to exercise and improve exercise tolerance.
Speaking at the launch of the product at the VPMA Congress, Ms Pauline Graham, VPMA President from Capontree Vets said: "Propentofylline, as an active ingredient, is widely prescribed by vets with its properties that assist increased blood flow, particularly to the heart and skeletal muscle. Also increasing the blood flow to the brain and therefore its oxygen supply, it is a well recognised treatment for older, lethargic dogs to help encourage brightness as well as tolerance and willingness to exercise. I am pleased to see Norbrook offering this product as another high quality and cost-effective addition to their small animal range."
Michelle added: "Veterinary practices can avail themselves of a range of promotional support material for our Propentofylline product including a technical brochure and waiting room posters. We will also have an introductory offer which our Territory Managers will be pleased to discuss with their clients."
The Association says it has produced the leaflet after seeing an increasing number of dogs diagnosed with clinical or subclinical infection, along with reports of its zoonotic impact.
The document outlines the most important considerations concerning B. canis including transmission, diagnosis, management, public health implications and legislative requirements.
It takes into consideration information available from relevant Government Departments.
BSAVA says the document is by no means exhaustive but is intended to provide useful information and signpost to further resources.
www.bsavalibrary.com/brucella_canis
Photo: Walker16/Wikipedia. CC BY-SA 4.0.
For the study, 12 month's worth of anonymised data from CVS practices was analysed2.
The study concluded that lower engagement between a practice and its staff or clients, recent parental leave, shorter practice employment tenure, and younger age were all associated with an increased likelihood of support staff resignations.
Lower practice client engagement, which CVS says is a proxy for client satisfaction, was associated with increased odds of support staff resigning3, highlighting the potential impact of client incivility on veterinary colleagues who are typically in customer facing roles.
Reduced employee engagement – measured by a ‘employee net promoter score’ (eNPS), where colleagues rate how likely they would recommend the practice as a good place to work4, also correlated with increased resignations.
Within CVS, eNPS has been demonstrated to be positively correlated with the frequency of line manager discussions.
The current data suggests that consistent measurement of employee engagement in a veterinary setting at regular intervals throughout the year can have benefits for line managers in identifying increases in the risk of resignations and practice attrition, allowing them to take proactive steps to improve engagement.
A recent record of taking parental leave was also associated with greater odds of resigning in the following 12 months than staff who have not taken parental leave in the previous 12 months5.
Qualitative studies in other professions highlight the need for greater flexibility in working hours and focused managerial check-in support.
Therefore ‘return to work’ interventions may present an opportunity to improve retention.
Conversely, the increased length of employment tenure was associated with decreasing odds of support staff resignations6, potentially highlighting the role for long service reward schemes, such as the long service holiday awards CVS introduced a couple of years ago. Whilst employee age was associated with the odds of resignations, with a 1% decrease in the odds of support staff resigning with each additional year of age7.
Imogen Schofield, Director of Clinical Research at CVS, said: “Support staff are integral members of the team.
"These key roles contribute to the efficient and effective functioning of a veterinary practice.
"Despite the important roles of support staff, little research exists on these team members and there is no data describing reasons for their attrition.
“This research was done to help the wider industry to understand how we can reduce support staff resignations.
"It aims to identify demographic, payroll and engagement factors associated with resignations.
"We believe it adds valuable insights to previous survey-based research by organisations such as the British Veterinary Receptionist Association.
“Reflecting on our research from 2021, we have introduced a Zero Tolerance Policy to protect our colleagues against intrusive, offensive, violent or aggressive behaviour from clients.
"We have launched monthly interactive Receptionist Support Sessions, giving receptionists the opportunity to connect with their peer network, share experiences and ideas, and feel supported.
"And we are now focussing on developing our support staff through creating new Receptionist and Patient Care Assistant Career Pathways.”
References
Co-edited by Paddy Dixon and Vicki Nicholls, the collection comprises ten studies on physiology, disease, diagnosis and treatment techniques in equine dentistry. The editors say it gives veterinary surgeons free access to some of the most important current research in the UK.
The studies include:
Professor Celia Marr, Editor of the Equine Veterinary Journal said: "Care of the horse’s teeth is fundamental to good health. To this end a strong working knowledge of equine dentistry should be seen as an essential cornerstone for every equine practitioner. This diverse collection has the convenience of being easily accessible, online and in one place to help keep vets fully abreast of the excellent research currently being conducted in the UK."
Vicki Nicholls, incoming president of BEVA, continued: "Advances in equine dentistry continue to gather pace and it has been a pleasure and privilege to work with Paddy Dixon collating the most current dental research that will be relevant to all equine practitioners with any level of expertise."
The equine dentistry collection is available free online at: http://bit.ly/2bBDuMW.
The company surveyed 1979 pet owners last December and found the main reason they didn’t take their cat to the vet more often was because the animal appeared to be healthy and therefore didn’t need medical attention.
The second biggest barrier to more regular vet visits was cost. Although almost half of the cat owners surveyed had pet insurance, almost a quarter said cost prevented them from taking their cat to the vet more often.
Despite there being 760 cat-friendly clinics across the UK and Ireland, 13% percent of owners said the stress put them off making more frequent trips to the vet.
If they were unable to take their cat to the vet, 40% said they would arrange for a vet home visit, 29% said they would search for information online and 26% would turn to friends and family for advice.
The survey also found that 11% of owners believed that their cat was overweight. However, according to a 2018 study, 39% of cats are overweight in the UK, which would suggest that over a quarter of cat owners surveyed were unaware that their cat was above a healthy weight.
Tom graduated from the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) in 2017 and joined Synergy Farm Health full-time in 2018, after completing his postgraduate diploma (PGDipVCP) with the RVC.
Nominated by his practice, Tom is described as a fine example of a dedicated caring professional who is passionate about sustainability, has a keen sense of his clients’ needs, and has developed strong working relationships with the farms under his care.
The judging panel found that Tom uses data effectively in herd health planning to highlight areas of improvement, working in partnership with his clients to promote disease prevention and profitability.
Tom’s clients spoke of his knowledge and caring attitude and how much he is valued as part of their team.
Tom said: “It was a privilege to be a part of the awards and to see farmers and businesses acknowledged - farmers don’t always get the recognition they deserve and seeing British dairying showcased was amazing.
"I hope winning is reward for the time and effort colleagues at Synergy put into young vets too, and that I can put it to good use supporting clients and working with other organisations within the dairy industry.
"My aim as a vet has been simply to support clients the best I could, both clinically and emotionally, so to have won made it a fantastic night and one I won’t be forgetting!”
The runner up as Charlie Mays of LLM Vets, who the judging panel praised for making effective changes on farm towards preventive healthcare and using data to assist with health and profitability.
Charlie also lobbies government to support the interests of the farmer and the industry.
Sabrina Jordan from Virbac said: ‘Virbac has been supporting dairy vets with products and services for over 50 years and recognise the commitment of young dairy vets to the profession.
"The standard of nominations into this category was outstanding, and our winner and highly commended nominees are a true credit to the veterinary profession, both are shining lights of the future’.
The Fédération Équestre Internationale (FEI) has added Metacam for Horses to its 'list of detection times'.
According to the manufacturer, Boehringher Ingelheim Vetmedica, Metacam (meloxicam) is the first preferential COX-2 inhibitor to be added to this list, and has stated plasma and urine detection times of 72 hours administered intravenously or orally1. This is the shortest urine detection time of the NSAIDs available for use in horses, and compares to the 168-hour (7 days) detection time for phenylbutazone stated by the FEI.
Craig Beck, equine sales and marketing manager for Boehringer Ingelheim in the UK and Ireland said: "We have been very happy to work in partnership with the FEI to provide the robust data that has supported the FEI in their analysis of Metacam. Metacam is an important addition to the FEI list, that will help vets treating competition horses. There is now a modern and proven NSAID which extends the therapeutic options available to vets."
Metacam is licensed in horses for the alleviation of inflammation and relief of pain associated with musculo-skeletal disorders or colic.
For further information, please contact your Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica territory manager or call 01344 746959.
1 Detection Time agreed with the European Horse Racing Scientific Liaison Committee (EHSLC)
The ‘Advances in Diabetes’ module, taking place at BSAVA Congress 2024 in Manchester Central, will offer delegates the chance to hear first-hand from the clinical researchers and specialists who have used these drugs, such as Dr Ellen Behrend, Prof Ian Ramsey, Prof Stijn Niessen, and Dr Anna Lena Kramer.
Stijn said: “Although not suited as a sole therapeutic for dogs, the current data suggests that a majority of diabetic cats could be treated with once daily oral formulations of these drugs.
“Some of the past barriers to successful long term diabetic treatment included the owner having to inject insulin twice daily and having to watch for hypoglycaemia.
"These lifelong impacts on the owner’s lifestyle are now being taken away.”
Delegates will also be able to learn about advances in the monitoring of canine diabetes, such as the use of Freestyle Libre monitors and haemoglobin A1c, as well as a review of recent developments and management practices for ‘complicated’ cases.
Stijn added: “Gone are the days that we saw diabetes mellitus as a disease; instead, it is the consequence of one or many diseases.
“As such we now ought to approach diabetic cases with a much more open mind and being willing to try and determine the exact aetiology of the diabetes mellitus, doing so can pay off and prevent a diabetic case from becoming a complicated case.”
Ellen added: “Although diabetic ketoacidosis is no more common with the use of SGLT2-inhibitors, it is more likely to be euglycemic with a blood glucose <13.9 mmol/L.
"The recognition of euglycemic ketoacidosis and the correct approach of treatment is crucial.”
Stjn concluded: “Each patient is an individual and therefore diagnosis, treatment and monitoring practices should be adapted to the individual pet-owner combination.
Vets must adjust their approaches significantly when using these drugs, the ‘Advances in Diabetes’ module will provide an in-depth look at these adjustments.”
Delegates will also be able to get their hands on the brand new fifth edition of the BSAVA Manual of Canine and Feline Endocrinology, which includes a chapter on feline diabetes mellitus that discusses various treatments including the use of SGLT2-inhibitors.
Jacquie Rand, author of the chapter said: “SGLT2-Inhibitors will be a game-changer for diabetic cats and their owners. However, it is important that cats are diagnosed earlier in the disease process while some insulin secretory capacity is present, for these to be used as the sole drug therapy.”
The BSAVA Manual of Canine and Feline Endocrinology will be available to purchase on the BSAVA Publications Stand in the Exhibition Hall. ‘Advances in Diabetes’ will take place on Thursday 21st March in the Exchange Hall.
Registration for BSAVA members starts at £115 +VAT for a one-day event pass.
https://www.bsavacongress.com.
Illustration: What a presentation about SGLT2-Inhibitors might look like (this has been photoshopped)
Woodley Equipment Company has announced that Veterinary Parasep Faecal Filters are now available exclusively from the company.
According to the Woodley, the filters have been developed in conjunction with an independent leading veterinary Institution and offer an improved method of determining Worm Egg Counts (WEC) on cattle, sheep and horses. Flotation methods for WEC can require several Specific Gravity solutions to cover different parasites. The two common flotation methods, ‘Modified McMaster' and ‘Improved Modified McMaster', both use Saturated NaCL and are both catered for with Veterinary Parasep.
Woodley says the key advantages of the new filters are:
For a more information about The Veterinary Parasep please email sales@woodleyequipment.com or call the customer service team on +44 (0) 1204 669033 ~ Option 1.
Alternatively, visit http://www.woodleyequipment.com/.
Intervet /Schering-Plough Animal Health has announced plans for a third National Vaccination Month Campaign to take place in May.
The campaign, which is aimed at owners of unvaccinated animals, is being fronted by TV presenter and wildlife expert Chris Packham. Intervet / Schering-Plough says it hopes the initiative will counter falling rates of pet vaccination that have been seen since the credit crunch.
In the lead up to National Vaccination Month, the company will be running a pet health awareness national and regional PR campaign backed up by print and TV advertising.
Pet owners will be able to download a voucher for a discounted vaccination in May from http://www.nvmonline.co.uk/. As well as dogs, cats and rabbits, horses will be included in the scheme for the second time.
During the last National Vaccination Month in June 2009, 1022 surgeries participated nationwide and an additional 40,000 animals were vaccinated as a result - 8,000 up on the first campaign run in 2008. According to Intervet / Schering-Plough, many practices saw more than 100 vouchers being redeemed.
The 2009 campaign came after more than a quarter of vets surveyed by Intervet reported concerns about falling levels of vaccination because of the credit crunch. Following the recession and public fears over the deficit, there are concerns that pet owners will cut back even further.
Angus Robinson from Intervet / Schering-Plough Animal Health said: "Research shows that the main reason why people don't vaccinate their pets is a lack of awareness of disease risk. We are also concerned that given the current pressures on household budgets, more people are deciding to cut back on vaccinating their animals with the real risk that this may have a potential effect on levels of herd immunity in the longer term."
He added: "We listened to practices which took part in NVM 2009 and have invested in improving the website to offer a simpler system for surgeries to download and log vouchers for their clients. The site will also drive pet owners to participating vets more quickly. Social media has taken off in a big way since our first campaign in 2008 and we will also be using Facebook and Twitter this time to reflect that. We are hoping that this will reach younger pet owners as data from our last campaign showed that pet owners in their 20s and early 30s were the age group least likely to vaccinate their animals."
Jane Carter of the Drove Veterinary Hospital in Swindon said: "National Vaccination Month is a golden opportunity to communicate the key preventative healthcare messages to new and existing clients. There was a significant outbreak of parvovirus in our area last summer which got a lot of publicity so we are expecting people will really catch onto the campaign this time."
Intervet / Schering-Plough Animal Health veterinary customers planning to take part in National Vaccination Month 2011 can log onto www.nvmonline.co.uk to complete the registration process.
The majority of posters, leaflets and other displays in veterinary practice waiting rooms are more effective at building ambience than increasing the turnover of the practice or selling a particular product or brand, according to a new survey carried out by veterinary marketing agency TMA.
The national survey of more than 100 veterinary practice managers found that:
TMA says it believes practices are missing out on a major marketing opportunity by not changing their displays more often, not being more selective about what is displayed, and not making the most of interactive or digital display technology.
Helen Cawthra, Managing Director of TMA believes that product manufacturers are also missing out on a major opportunity. Significantly less than half of all display and point-of-sale material in vets' waiting rooms is provided by suppliers. On average, 64% is sourced by the veterinary surgeons themselves.
Helen said: "Two thirds of respondents claim that they hardly get any materials from suppliers. The same number claim they would be more likely to put up more if they were provided with it.
"It is all very well building ambience and providing loyalty but in today's market, it is important that vets take hold of every opportunity to generate revenue in every way possible. Vets and the manufacturers are both missing out."
Preliminary results, which recorded a decline in the quantities of antimicrobials prescribed from 2014 to 2018, were published in 2022.
A further audit has now been undertaken in all 22 of the company's first opinion practices to investigate the age, breed and estimated weight of each horse, the clinical indication for antibiotic use, the drugs prescribed, their dose rates, the route of administration and whether culture and sensitivity were used to guide antimicrobial selection.
Data collection was completed in August 2022.
This secondary audit was conducted using a ‘point prevalence’ survey, in which each CVS Equine first opinion Quality Improvement Lead gathered information about all systemic antibiotics prescribed by each of their practices on one day a month for 12 consecutive months.
The project yielded information on 331 cases where systemic antimicrobials were prescribed.
Complete data about the first line-drug selection were available for 261 prescriptions.
The commonest prescribed antimicrobial was sulfadiazine/trimethoprim (41%), followed by oxytetracycline (23%), procaine penicillin (16%), doxycycline (13%), gentamicin (4%), metronidazole (1%), ceftiofur (1%) and enrofloxacin (1%).
Highest priority critically important antimicrobials (ceftiofur and enrofloxacin) were only prescribed in four horses (clinical indications for these included possible sepsis, skin infection, lower respiratory tract infection and a wound complication – in none of these cases was the first-line drug selection based on the results of culture and sensitivity.
Overall, the clinical indications for antimicrobial use were recorded in 246 cases; the commonest indications were cellulitis/lymphangitis (27%), uncomplicated wounds (19%), surgical prophylaxis (15%), respiratory infections (11%) and skin infections (8%).
Hattie Lawrence, Director of CVS Equine, said: “Though the impact of this work is yet to be documented, there is anecdotal evidence that it has raised awareness amongst our veterinarians of the importance of antimicrobial stewardship.
"Taken together, the results of both pieces of work will be used to help develop and inform clinical audits and clinical guidelines of antimicrobial use in horses.”
Reference
BCF has announced the launch of the Vita CR x-ray system from Carestream (formerly known as Kodak).
According to the company, the system provides high quality x-ray images, seamless integration into your existing workflow and improved productivity.
BCF says the Vita is ideal for practices looking for an affordable move from chemical to digital radiographic processing and offers:
Elly Pittaway, Veterinary Surgeon and Director at Broadlane Vets in Coventry said: "The Vita produces excellent quality images, is small, compact and really easy to use. It has changed things dramatically, especially for the nurses who no longer have to use nasty chemicals with wet processing. The vets find it easy to take x-rays so are encouraged to take more as it no longer takes the time it used to."
Kimberly Palgrave, the new in-house vet at BCF said: "At BCF, we understand that the ability to take high-quality x-rays quickly and accurately improves both clinical diagnostics and practice workflow. With the Vita x-ray system you can forget about the cost of purchasing and storing film and chemicals as well as health and safety issues associated with the handling and disposal of processor chemicals.
"Using the latest technology that the Vita offers you will reduce not only the number of repeated x-rays taken due to poor radiographic technique or processing faults, but also time spent performing routine equipment maintenance. This results in improved efficiency of your staff, saving you time and money. Faster image production may also enable a shorter duration of anaesthetic/ sedation to be used, improving patient care."
For more information, visit www.bcftechnology.com or ring BCF on 01506 460023.
The Kennel Club has announced the results of some research which shows that children's pester power was behind the decision to buy a dog for one in four households1.
One in ten said their children chose the breed or crossbreed that they ended up buying. One in ten also said they buy dogs as presents, something which the Kennel Club highlights as a concern in the run up to Christmas.
The Kennel Club's Discover Dogs survey, which has been conducted to highlight the event of the same name which takes place at Earls Court on 9th and 10th November, has also revealed that too many people are buying a dog without realising that there are great differences between the care needs of the different breeds and crossbreeds. One in ten admitted that they did no research about their chosen breed but bought their puppy because of the way that it looked. A further 40% said that they chose their puppy because they liked the way that the breed looked overall.
According to Kennel Club Breed Rescue organisations, 'wrong breed' and 'can't cope' account for 15% of the dogs that need to be rehomed, a situation that could be easily avoided with the right research2. Only 17% of people in the Kennel Club's Discover Dogs survey say that their choice of dog was influenced by whether it would suit their lifestyle.
To try and address this issue, the Kennel Club has launched a Discover Dogs homework pack for children, to help them to do vital research about dog ownership.
Caroline Kisko, Kennel Club Secretary, said: "Children have a major influence on their parents' decision to buy a dog in the first place, and then over which type of dog they buy. In the lead up to Christmas we want families to be thinking carefully about whether a dog is right for them, and if so which breed would suit their lifestyle, rather than buying on a whim, and this is what the Discover Dogs event is all about.
"We have released the Discover Dogs homework packs to help children get all of the information that they and their parents need to make the right choice about their lifelong companion. This ranges from the type of dog they buy, where they buy it from, and what that dog will need throughout its life."
Children under 12 years old go free to the Kennel Club's Discover Dogs event, where they will be entertained in the Young Kennel Club Kids' Zone with fun dog displays, face painting, treasure hunts and much more.
The Young Kennel Club is open to children aged 6-24 years old and it helps young dog lovers to learn new skills, understand more about dogs, to build confidence and to make new friends. The homework pack can be found at www.discoverdogs.org.uk/buyingadog.
The first is Design Hub, a self-service marketing portal which allows practices to choose from a variety of designs for posters, social media posts and other collateral and brand them with the practice logo. The portal includes a planner which details noteworthy dates, veterinary campaigns and events that practices might want to include in their marketing plans.
Member practices using the new portal during February also have the chance to enter a competition to win £500 Love2shop vouchers.
The second resource is a pets portal which the company says will make it easier to access live information about pets enrolled on its health plans, make administrative changes, process refunds or cancellations and soon, add new pets.
From July the pets portal will compatible with tablets and other mobile devices, so practice staff can move out from behind the desk and have conversations with pet owners in the waiting or consulting rooms.
Paul Bates, Practice Development Specialist, said: "We had already identified that practices wanted to be able to register plans and change details online. It was important for us to also ensure that the tool we developed had the desired functionality and was robust enough to handle large volumes of data being entered simultaneously across the country.
"We also wanted it to be fit for purpose so that if we want to develop more advanced features going forwards, we don’t have to recreate the wheel and can build on what we have already. The portal will be really useful in its own right and gives us a great launching pad for future development."
To access the new portals, email: pethealthplanscomms@denplan.co.uk, or contact your Simplyhealth Professionals Practice Support Advisor or Business Development Consultant.
For more information about Simplyhealth Professionals visit http://www.pethealthplans.co.uk/vets.
The partnership includes a minimum donation of £10,000 which the company hopes to bolster with additional volunteering and fundraising support.
Gerard Ensink, Head of Animal Health UK and Ireland at Boehringer Ingelheim said: “We are truly delighted to be supporting StreetVet.
“There is already so much passion for the charity within our company.
"Even before we announced this charity partnership, several of our colleagues have been volunteers with StreetVet in a personal capacity.
"We look forward to supporting StreetVet and believe that together we can make a real difference to individuals and their pets who are experiencing homelessness.”
https://www.streetvet.co.uk