The leaflets are designed to be used as part of the veterinary consultation and provide information to help owners understand what is involved in the examination, including the reasons for the procedure, the preparation required, any associated risks, and what happens during and after the examination.
They are available in a PDF format which can be printed and stamped with the veterinary practice details or emailed to clients.
Philip Lhermette, Principal of Elands Veterinary Clinic, specialist in minimally invasive surgery and Past President of the BSAVA said: “Minimally invasive surgery is becoming commonplace in general veterinary practice and is much sought after by clients, especially for routine procedures such as bitch spays.
"It is important that clients are properly informed of all the risks and benefits of a minimally invasive procedure and these leaflets provide the first opinion practitioner with an ideal means of providing such information in a succinct and easily understood format."
The new leaflets are available via the BSAVA Library here: https://www.bsavalibrary.com/content/cilgroupprocedures.
Access to the entire range of client information leaflets (including canine and feline behaviour, exotic pets, and medicines) is available for an annual subscription of £40.
BSAVA members have access to these leaflets as part of their membership benefits.
If you have any suggestions for further client information leaflets, email: publications@bsava.com.
The webinar is the first of several events which will focus attention on patients owned by the estimated 80% of owners who feel that their pets with canine osteoarthritis (OA) may be suffering from off-days that can be associated with breakthrough pain¹.
During the session, Matt will explain the impact breakthrough pain has on the pet and owner and how to approach it more effectively using analgesic and rehabilitation tools and strategies.
James Beaumont, Marketing Manager at Animalcare, said: “Veterinary surgeons have told us that they estimate that nearly half of their canine OA cases on daily NSAIDs experience breakthrough pain.²
"Additionally, a proportion of pet owners state their dogs experience off-days and believe their pet suffers as a result of the condition³."
Animalcare says that some of the main factors in osteoarthritis breakthrough pain can include variable plasma drug levels between doses, intermittent treatment protocols or poor owner adherence with the vet’s recommendation, flare-ups and disease progression.
To register for the event, visit: https://tinyurl.com/43bm8mdx. All those who register will also be able to view a recording and enter a free prize draw for the chance to win tickets to attend London Vet Show live in November.
The interviews give an insight into the career advice the interviewees got from their school, what steps they took to secure their place to study for their qualification, what hurdles they had to overcome and what can be done to address issues around the under-representation of some groups within the profession.
The College says the aim is to help inspire school age children to consider a veterinary career through frank conversations with role models who have chosen a vet or vet nursing career.
The first film is an interview with Rheanna Ellis, a 2021 Nottingham Vet School graduate who is now working as a veterinary surgeon at a West Midlands practice. In her interview she talks about her passion to become a vet from a young age, how she went about researching and preparing for her job, and the importance of perseverance.
To help promote the videos and the College’s ongoing work on diversity and inclusion, the RCVS has partnered with the official Black History Month campaign and website which will also be hosting the videos.
Many of the interviews have been carried out by Mandisa Greene, RCVS Senior Vice-President, who helped lead the RCVS Black History Month activities last year as the College’s first ever black President.
Mandisa said: “It’s important that we demonstrate commitment to diversity and inclusion and have a role in acknowledging and accentuating diverse voices within the professions. Throughout these video interviews I’ve had the opportunity to speak to some inspiring newly qualified and student veterinary professionals who are all clearly very passionate about supporting animal health and welfare.
“I hope that school children from all backgrounds who watch these videos will get the chance to see how rewarding and enjoyable a veterinary career can be and that they’ll be inspired to consider becoming a vet or vet nurse in the future.”
The RCVS will be publishing more video interviews on its YouTube channel through October and beyond.
Delivered in a case-based style, the course will give students the chance to work through cases and apply practical theory before treating feline patients.
There are four modules: the consultation, further investigations, treatment, and post-operative and preventative care.
ICC says the emphasis is on providing practical skills that can be used in clinic.
On completion, students will have the confidence to identify a range of dental abnormalities, persuade cat owners to consent to further investigation and treatment, and formulate and carry out the ideal treatment plan for each cat.
Dr. Matthew Oxford BVM&S GPCert(SAS) MRCVS, who helped develop the course, said: "Dentistry is poorly represented in undergraduate veterinary courses, with feline specific dentistry perhaps only having one or two lectures, yet dentistry accounts for roughly 25% of all general surgery.
"This transformational course uses a very practical approach to case management taking vets from the initial consultation, through anaesthesia, dental radiography, surgery, and then postoperative care.
"Cases are worked through with extensive teaching material supplemented into cases to provide a pragmatic, case-based approach.”
Pre-registration for the course is available until 1st November with an early bird price of £299 (+VAT) available using the discount code NEWCBL50 at the checkout.
For more information, to check eligibility and prerequisites, and to sign up, visit https://bit.ly/3GpFXo4
The College says the reforms will make for a clearer and more streamlined process, and offer an alternative, more compassionate way of resolving cases that might otherwise go to a full Disciplinary Committee hearing.
The College will now establish ‘Stage 1 Preliminary Investigation Committees (PICs)’ to replace the current Case Examiner Group stage of the concerns investigation process.
Eleanor Ferguson, RCVS Registrar, said: “Setting up Stage 1 PICs will streamline and clarify the early stages of the concerns investigation process and could also potentially, once sufficiently bedded in, reduce the amount of time taken for a number of cases.
“Currently, Stage 1 of a concerns investigation is carried out by a Case Examiner Group who determine if there is an ‘arguable case’ for serious professional misconduct before referring it on to the Preliminary Investigation Committee.
"However, under these reforms, the Stage 1 PICs will close cases where there is no realistic prospect of finding a case of serious professional misconduct.
"Where cases require formal statements and/or expert opinion they will be referred on to Stage 2 PIC to determine if, based on the additional evidence gathered, a case is serious enough to warrant referral to either the Charter Case Committee [see below], or a full, public Disciplinary Committee hearing.
“In essence this change means that there will be one consistent threshold of seriousness in all our investigations, meaning it is likely that fewer cases will be unnecessarily referred to Stage 2 of the process.”
The second reform involves the implementation of the new ‘Charter Case Protocol’ to provide an alternative way to resolve suitable cases meeting certain criteria which, though they meet the threshold to go to the Disciplinary Committee, it is considered that the public interest can still be served without a full hearing.
The ‘Charter Case Committee’ to which these cases will be referred will be able to issue written warning notices.
Eleanor added: “The establishment of the Charter Case Protocol and Committee is important for the RCVS in being able to get the balance right between upholding professional conduct standards and protecting animal health and welfare and public confidence in the professions, while also being a compassionate regulator.
“The type of cases we envisage being dealt with by the Committee are those where the conduct of the veterinary surgeon or veterinary nurse has fallen far short of what is expected of them under the Code, but where there is no ongoing risk to animal welfare or public confidence, and where the level of insight and contrition about their conduct is such that it can be resolved without the need for an onerous, stressful and expensive Disciplinary Committee hearing.
"We estimate that the Charter Case Committee will deal with around 20 such cases per year.
“Of course, the most serious cases of professional misconduct, for example around dishonesty and criminality, will continue to be referred to Disciplinary Committee hearings.
“It is worth noting that Charter Case Protocol and Committee are working titles, describing the fact that we are implementing this process under the remit of our Royal Charter.
"RCVS Council has agreed that the name should be changed in due course to something that better reflects its function and remit."
Unlike the Disciplinary Committee, the Charter Case Committee will not issue to the press the full details of cases as a news article.
Instead, it will publish a warning notice on the RCVS website summarising the area of concern, the relevant sections of the Code that were breached and supporting guidance it referred to, and the reasons for issuing the warning.
These warning notices will remain on the RCVS website for a maximum of two years and will not change the registration status of the individual.
The College says that the reforms are likely to take some months to implement and it will be looking to recruit additional Preliminary Investigation Committee members in due course.
There are 10 candidates standing this year and vets can vote for up to three of them until 5pm on Friday 21st April 2023:
The biographies and statements for each candidate are available at www.rcvs.org.uk/vetvote23 where each candidate has also answered two questions of their choice submitted by members of the profession.
The three candidates who receive the most votes will take up their four-year terms on RCVS Council at the RCVS Annual General Meeting on Friday 7th July 2023.
Any veterinary surgeons who have not received their voting email should contact CES directly on support@cesvotes.com stating which election they intend to vote in.
Animalcare has launched Florgane, a novel, patented, long acting florfenicol 300mg/ml suspension which the company says has significant advantages over existing organic solvent-based florfenicol products on the market when used for the treatment and prevention of bovine respiratory disease (BRD).
Florgane is an aqueous, low viscosity advanced formulation, which, claims Animalcare, means that it is easier to inject even at temperatures as low as 5°C. Low temperature syringeability is important, as a large number of calves may need to be treated during colder weather at a time when the challenge from infectious agents is greatest. A syringeability study apparently demonstrated that Florgane is up to five times faster to administer when compared to the leading florfenicol non-aqueous formulation.
A paper on the treatment of naturally occurring respiratory disease with Florgane was presented recently at the British Cattle Veterinary Association (BCVA) Congress in Torquay. According to the company, the multi-centre field studies in Belgium, Germany and Italy, in over 400 cattle with bodyweights ranging between 73-180kg, demonstrated that Florgane given by a single intramuscular injection, at a 25% lower dose of 30mg/kg, is as efficacious as non-aqueous florfenicol 40mg/kg administered by subcutaneous injection, measured by treatment success and relapses.
Post mortem examination at day 27 (meat withdrawal of 37 days) confirmed that, despite being given via the intramuscular route, Florgane is well tolerated at the site of injection due to its aqueous base and physiological pH. Maximum volume per injection site is 15ml allowing calves up to 150kg to be treated.
Animalcare adds that a further advantage of Florgane is that it persists in plasma above the MICs for the three most common pathogens for significantly longer than conventional extended action 300mg/ml florfenicol solution preparations - thereby prolonging bacterial killing time. Therefore, owing to its improved bioavailability and excellent pharmacokinetics, Florgane can be given at an easy to remember dose of 1ml per 10kg.
Tony Liepman, Marketing Manager at Animalcare said: "Using Florgane will result in faster administration, resulting in less stress for the calves and a saving in time and money for the farmer."
Florgane is presented in polypropylene 100ml and 250ml multi-dose vials with a three year shelf-life.
For more information, visit www.animalcare.co.uk
For the first time BSAVA is running a Case Report Competition to be held at the annual Scottish BSAVA Congress (26-28th August 2011 at the Edinburgh Conference Centre).
Veterinary surgeons, nurses and students are invited to submit abstracts of no more than 400 words detailing a case and interesting discussion points.
Cases will then be selected for a short presentation at the congress
Successful selection will entitle the presenter to free congress registration on that day.
At the end of the session, a BSAVA manual of the winner's choice will be awarded to the case report deemed favourite by the audience.
Abstracts should be submitted via email by the 15 June 2011 and notification of acceptance will be given by the 30 June 2011.
Please send any enquires or submissions to Gerard McLauchlan (g.mclauchlan.1@research.gla.ac.uk) or Yvonne McGrotty (yvonne.mcgrotty@vets-now.com).
VetSurgeon member Viki Edmondson MRCVS is taking part in a drive to help 13-year-old Octavia Woodward, who was born with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), raise £100,000 to help The SMA Trust.
Viki, a well-known vet in the carriage driving world, will be joining Octavia on 'Octavia's Mad Marathon', a five-day, 110 mile carriage drive from Windsor to Wincanton.
Octavia will be driving her pony, Diddy, with her mother Henrietta as co-driver. Meanwhile, Viki will be driving a pair of Gelderlander horses. They'll be leaving the main ring at the Royal Windsor Horse Show with a support crew at 3:30pm on 13th May.
Viki graduated from Bristol Veterinary School in 1993. Since 2001 she has run her own equine practice plus a small animal surgery from the Newdigate, Surrey farm she shares with husband Peter. Viki has known Octavia since she was born and it was Viki who paired up Diddy with Octavia and encouraged her to progress from walking round the roads to the excitement of "off-roading". Viki will be providing support and encouragement to Octavia during the trip - of course with any veterinary help being close by.
To support Viki and Octavia, visit: http://www.justgiving.com/vikithevet
The Animal Medicines Distributors Association (AHDA) and the Animal Medicines Training Regulatory Authority (AMTRA) have both come out against the BVA's call for all anthelmintic medicines to be reclassified as POM-V, which would prevent them being prescribed by Suitably Qualified Persons (SQP).
Ian Scott, Secretary General of AHDA, said that instead of launching an attack on SQPs, the BVA should be working with them and animal owners to tackle anthelmintic resistance: "The BVA has written to the VMD to ask that all anthemintics be classified to POM-V only. This will monopolise the supply and distribution of anthelmintics for vets only. It effectively places the blame for anthelmintic resistance squarely on SQPs.
"An attempt by BVA to create a division between vets and SQPs demonstrates that the BVA is out of touch with its members.
"Both prescribing channels must work together to tackle the problem and AHDA has been working hard with vets at national and local level to ensure customers receive consistent, high quality, up-to-date and relevant advice from both channels.
"What is worrying is that the BVA attack also infers that farmer producers and equine owners are incapable of making decisions that not only affect their livelihood but cast doubt on their ability to care for their animals' welfare."
Meanwhile, Stephen Dawson, Secretary General of AMTRA said: "The large majority of SQPs deal with parasite control on a daily basis, having trained and been examined to a syllabus developed with BVA input. SQPs have to undertake compulsory continuing professional development, the majority of which includes good practice in parasite control. Therefore AMTRA has every confidence that qualified SQPs have excellent knowledge of parasitology to advise their clients on the correct choice and use of anthelmintics.
"It is important to recognise the hard work, knowledge and dedication of thousands of SQPs throughout the UK. The implication of what BVA say is that they are laying a proportion of the blame for resistance to these medicines at the door of SQPs. But the evidence isn't there: countries in Europe and elsewhere with different prescription systems, mainly though vet-only channels, still have major resistance problems. Prescription of antimicrobials by veterinary surgeons hasn't prevented concerns about prescribing practices and developing resistance. The key point is good advice from the prescriber and how they are then used in practice, rather than who prescribes them. The challenge for us all is not just to seek excellence in prescribing but also in usage on farm, something SQPs are ideally placed to do with their frequent farmer contact.
"I would urge all parties to work in partnership to ensure that best practice in prescription and use is followed by all prescribers and users. It is up to all prescribers to act responsibly, but to single out one group over another is unjustified. A pseudo-monopoly by vets on supply would do nothing to help farmers in difficult times."
Mr Dawson also expressed doubts about permanent POM-V status for new livestock anthelmintics: "While we fully support VMD's and VPC's need to be sure that the risk associated with wider availability of a new product is low, AMTRA considers that the current division in distribution classes and consequent low uptake of the newer products means that the much bigger risk is that widespread reliance on the three aging classes may be followed by reliance on just the two new classes when the older classes become unusable. Much better to have responsible prescription of all five classes now, by appropriately trained SQPs, vets and pharmacists, to ensure that there is a prospect of long term availability of effective parasite control."
The RCVS has issued a summary of the key decisions made at the June Council meeting.
The summary is below, but for those who prefer, Nick Stace has done a four-minute piece to camera:
24/7 & PostnominalsCouncil agreed in principal to changes to the supporting guidance of the Code of Professional Conduct regarding 24/7 emergency care and to put the brakes on a decision regarding the removal of all postnominals from the RCVS Register of Members.
AccountsAlso at the meeting, Council agreed to the 2013 Annual Report and Financial Statements, which is this year in a new format - the Statement of Recommended Practice, Accounting and Reporting by Charities (SORP 2005) - on the recommendation of the Audit and Risk Committee. The Annual Report will be available to download shortly (www.rcvs.org.uk/publications).
In addition, Council agreed a freeze on retention fees for both veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses for 2015 - the fifth year in a row, and an effective decrease over this period of over £40 for veterinary surgeons.
CharterCouncil also agreed to an amended version of the proposed new Royal Charter, which will now go to the AGM on 11 July 2014 for endorsement by members. The updated text, together with an explanation of the changes, can be found at www.rcvs.org.uk/newcharter.
Governance reviewNearly a year on from the introduction of the new Operational Board and other governance changes designed to streamline decision-making, Council took the opportunity to review how this new structure was working. It agreed that, going forward, the Operational Board would appoint members of all committees and that papers for Council meetings should include minutes of all committee meetings.
Council also agreed that the Operational Board should take responsibly for registration matters, which are currently within the remit of the Standards Committee. Terms of reference for the Audit and Risk, Specialist Recognition Appeals and Standards Committees will be revised. Whether the Education Committee should be responsible for all decisions on the recognition of registerable degrees (as opposed to Council in its entirety) will be discussed further at the November meeting of Council.
Registration RegulationsThe planned discussion on updated Registration Regulations was postponed until the November meeting, as feedback is awaited from the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).
Alternative dispute resolutionCouncil agreed to the trial of an alternative dispute resolution service to start before the end of the year. The service will help the College to deal with complaints which, while they do not give rise to issues of serious professional misconduct, may have some substance. The trial will be carried out with Ombudsman Services and will focus on concerns relating to small animals received by the Professional Conduct Department. It will be limited to no more than 150 cases at a cost not to exceed £120,000.
Risk RegisterCouncil discussed and approved an updated Risk Register. The Risk Register is confidential.
Practice Standard Scheme updateCouncil gave approval for the general direction of travel of the review of the Practice Standards Scheme, including a new modular framework; an IT system that would be available to all practices, not just those in the Scheme; new training and assessment for inspectors; and increased practice fees to cover these developments.
Also at the meeting, Amanda Boag was elected Treasurer, a post she will take up at RCVS Day on 11 July.
Reports were also presented from the Audit and Risk, Education, Preliminary Investigation and Disciplinary Liaison, Standards, Preliminary Investigation and Disciplinary Committees, and the Veterinary Nurses Council.
Finally, on behalf of Council, President Neil Smith gave thanks to retiring Council members Christine Shield, Peter Robinson, Clare Tapsfield-Wright and Caroline Freedman, also thanking Peter Lees, in his absence.
More detail about these topics, and other issues discussed at Council, will be available in the minutes in due course. The papers for the Council meeting can be viewed at www.rcvs.org.uk/about-us/rcvs-council/council-meetings/5-june-2014.
See also the June issue of RCVS News, which can be downloaded from www.rcvs.org.uk/publications shortly.
The company says there will be experts on hand to answer 'highly anticipated' questions about the new something.
In addition, Royal Canin Weight Management Specialists will be on the stand to help veterinary professionals tackle the number of overweight and obese cats and dogs in the UK.
The company says it'll be providing guidance and training opportunities for veterinary surgeons and vet nurses seeking support on obese and overweight pets, helping them to carry out thorough assessments and implement tailor-made treatment programmes.
As part of its continued support of the Guide Dogs charity, visitors to the stand will also be able to have a go at reading special kibble braille signs and get tips on making veterinary services more accessible.
BVA’s advice comes as the four nations of the UK launch contact tracing programmes to move from blanket lockdown restrictions to a more targeted approach, in line with strategies to ease lockdown restrictions.
Although slightly different across the UK, each programme will ask those who test positive for coronavirus to identify people they have been in recent contact with and those people will be contacted and asked to self-isolate for 14 days.
Relevant contact appears to be spending more than 15 minutes within two metres of another person or being in direct face-to-face contact (less than one metre) with them. At present, the schemes are voluntary, but may become mandatory at a later stage.
Northern Ireland: Test, trace, isolate, supportEngland: NHS Test and TraceScotland: Test and ProtectWales: Test Trace Protect
Employees in self-isolation are entitled to Statutory Sick Pay for every day they are in isolation, as long as they meet the eligibility conditions. Further roll out of testing may enable people to return to work sooner that 14 days if they receive a negative test.
BVA President Daniella Dos Santos said: "The next step in the Covid-19 response is shifting to a more targeted approach, but it’s clear that this could have a very significant impact on individual veterinary practices if a member of the team tests positive. The nature of veterinary work means we are in close contact with our colleagues in order to work safely with animals.
“Many veterinary teams will be understandably anxious about the impact on their ability to staff a full rota to maintain 24/7 care. And there are significant concerns about the impact on animal health and welfare if practices are unable to provide veterinary services.
"Our advice is to continue working in fixed pairs or small teams as much as possible to reduce your contact with different individuals and continue to practise good hygiene and biosecurity.
"We continue to ask neighbouring practices to work together to support those impacted by self-isolation and ensure full geographical cover for veterinary services.
"We recognise some veterinary professionals will be worried, but we urge everyone to comply with the contact tracing programmes."
Advance25 Courses provide 25 hours of CPD in important areas of small animal practice, including Small Animal Medicine Cases Challenges, Emergency Medicine, Abdominal Ultrasound and Thoracic and Abdominal Radiology.
Advance25 courses run for a 6 week period, with tutor support. Recorded and live sessions are combined with discussion of multiple cases. Course materials are then accessible for 12 months.
Susie Coughlan, Managing Director of CPD Solutions said: "We appreciate that there is a high demand for quality online options at the moment, with many vets limited to online CPD.
"With the new Advance25 courses we’ve added more tutor support and ongoing interaction for those who are looking for a more immersive experience providing extended CPD hours. We’re really excited about these courses, which are launching now and running in the autumn. They should help vets make a real difference in their practices; they’re fully flexible and will fit with many people’s family and work commitments.’
For more information and to enter a prize draw to win a free Advance25 course, visit: https://www.cpd-solutions.com/advance25
BEVA Congress 2021 will now take place from September 4th-7th 2021.
The decision to cancel Congress 2020 was taken by BEVA Council and the Congress programme committee because of the unpredictable circumstances of the coronavirus pandemic.
Tim Mair, President of BEVA said: “The overriding factor in our decision-making process was to protect everyone attending Congress. We are chartering unknown territory at the moment and the additional planning requirements needed to run a large event like BEVA Congress with social distancing measures in place will take time.
“We intend for September 2021 to mark an exciting, fresh start for the profession following the harrowing experiences of 2020. It should be safe for our international speakers and delegates to attend by then, getting us all back on track with networking and world-class CPD to inspire us for the new post Covid-19 world.”
Tickets for BEVA Congress 2021 will be available later this year, more information from: www.bevacongress.org.
A one-day seminar entitled ‘One World, One Disease,’ will take place at the Royal Society of Medicine (RSM), Wimpole Street, London, on 24 June 2008.
The event, which has been jointly organised by the RSM and the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS), will examine some of the effects of climate change on patterns of animal health and the impact of this on humans. The meeting will provide an understanding of the complexity of the global changes that we face, and will work towards the integrated approach needed to manage the serious problems that threaten animal and human health.
About two-thirds of new infectious diseases that threaten humans come from animals. With global climate change, this looks set to increase. Now more than ever, it is important that veterinary and medical colleagues come together to discuss disease control strategies.
Speakers will include RCVS Senior Vice-President Professor Sheila Crispin, who has been instrumental in organising the conference, Caroline Lucas MEP, Professor Bob Watson, Defra’s Chief Scientific Adviser, the RVC’s Professor Quintin McKellar and Lt Col Tim Brookes from the Health Protection Agency, among others.
All are welcome. Tickets are available from the Royal Society of Medicine online at http://www.rsm.ac.uk/academ/e10-oneworld.php
Veterinary surgeon Andrew Reeder, Director of the Stonehenge Veterinary Hospital, in Durrington, near Salisbury, was the lucky winner of a Sony Pocket e-Reader in the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons' prize draw at the London Vet Show in November.
The competition was mounted to launch an online quiz to test members' knowledge of the Guide to Professional Conduct. All those who completed the quiz on the RCVS stand at the event were entered into a prize draw: the RCVS would like to stress that it was a random draw, in spite of the serendipity of Andrew's surname!
"This is brilliant, I so rarely win anything!" said Andrew. "I'd recommend that all RCVS members should have a go at the quiz - it's quick, easy to complete and certainly makes you think."
Over 600 people have tackled the quiz so far. Those who fancy testing their knowledge of the Guide should visit www.rcvs.org.uk/guidequiz. The quiz is anonymous, but the College will be collating data to help focus future communications activities and see where extra guidance may be required. On completion of the quiz, it is possible to review answers and view the relevant section of the online Guide.
Her Royal Highness, the Princess Royal opened a new ward for canine cancer patients at the University of Edinburgh's Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies Hospital for Small Animals last week.
The Kennel Club Charitable Trust provided £30,000 towards the 26-kennel ward, which is specifically designed to provide recuperative care and comfortable kennelling facilities for dogs at the University's Hospital for Small Animals.
The facilities the new dog ward provides will complement the School's £3 million Riddell-Swan Veterinary Cancer Centre, which opened last year. The cancer care centre houses state-of-the-art equipment including a computerised tomography (CT) scanner and a linear accelerator that can provide radiotherapy treatment.
Caroline Kisko, Secretary of the Kennel Club, said: "The Kennel Club Charitable Trust is extremely pleased that the money it has given to the University of Edinburgh has helped to ensure that its Canine Cancer Care unit could be built.
"The Trust has supported the groundbreaking research being conducted by the University, which is helping to improve our ability to diagnose and treat cancer in dogs, for some time. The Cancer Care Unit will help in a different way, by providing post-treatment and after care for dogs that have been through cancer therapy.
"People love their dogs as a member of their family, so this is a vital part of the care process. It is comforting for them to know that there are comfortable kenneling facilities where their dogs will receive the recuperative care that they need, as well as the potentially life-saving treatment.
"The Charitable Trust has given millions of pounds to projects which help to improve the health and welfare of dogs across the UK. This unit has established the University's place as a leader in conducting not only lifesaving but also life enhancing work for dogs, and the Trust exists precisely to help projects such as this realise their goals."
The canine oncology support ward replaces the old feline ward, and the cats have been moved to a new ward further away from the dogs to help prevent cats from becoming stressed by the noise of barking.
Professor Elaine Watson, Head of the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies said: "The dog ward, along with our new feline ward enhances the facilities for animals receiving treatment at the School's Hospital for Small Animals and we are very appreciative of the tremendous support from the Kennel Club Charitable Trust."
Ceva Animal Health has rebranded its nutraceutical supplements for cats and dogs under its Logic brand.
The new Logic range, which previously included the company's dental products, now includes Logic Diar-Stop (previously known as Diarsanyl Plus) for digestive health, Logic Flexivet, a joint supplement and Logic Senilife, a nutraceutical which Ceva says has been shown to manage the signs of brain ageing.
The range is available in consumer-friendly packaging and a merchandising unit is available to showcase the products in practice.
Claire Russell, consumer product manager at Ceva Animal Health said: "The new Logic range provides veterinary practices with an extensive portfolio of respected veterinary strength supplements and dental products, with more exciting and innovative products to come in the pipeline."
For further information on the Logic range, visit www.logicforpets.co.uk, contact your local Ceva Animal Health territory manager or call Ceva's customer support team on 01494 781510.
MSD says Lawsonia intracellularis is found on many finishing farms throughout the UK, and can affect weight gains, feed conversion ratios (FCR) and lead to increased mortality.
The new vaccine means that if piglets are vaccinated at three weeks, they will be protected against the bacteria from seven weeks.
Rubén Del Pozo Sacristán, technical manager for pigs at MSD Animal Health, said "Lawsonia intracellularis is present on most UK farms and can hamper a farm’s true potential as it spreads rapidly in faeces and on people or rodents, but symptoms can be hard to identify, as they’re often similar to many other diseases.
"Acute forms are often noticeable with symptoms such as diarrhoea or an increase in mortality, but the subclinical form, which is most common, can be hard to identify. Diarrhoea is not always present and often indicators are an increase in FCR and a reduction in weight gain leading to variation in pig performance, but this is similar to many other health issues.
"Administering an intramuscular vaccination will ensure every animal receives the correct dose, compared to other administrative routes. Porcilis Lawsonia can help reduce the clinical signs, production losses and mortality caused by Ileitis."
For more information on Porcilis Lawsonia, refer to the SPC sheet.
One set of guidelines deals with intoxication from pyrethrins commonly found in flea control products or ant powders, whilst the other covers macrocyclic lactone poisoning which most often occurs due to accidental ingestion of large animal anthelmintic products.
Both intoxications are commonly associated with severe neurological symptoms.
Will Peel, Product Manager at TVM UK said: "Our guidelines have proved very useful to veterinary staff and we have received requests from vets to add new guidelines for antiparasiticide intoxications. Our focus is on helping veterinary staff provide the best possible care for their patients so we hope that these new guidelines will prove beneficial."
The guidelines can be downloaded free from https://www.tvm-uk.com/vet-resource-library.
The new Mars Equestrian Veterinary Research Scholar Programme offers the opportunity to conduct research alongside some internationally-renowned experts in equine health and veterinary welfare while pursuing two advanced credentials: the Graduate Certificate in Animal Welfare and Behavior at Penn Vet during year one, followed by the Master of Research (MRes) program at the RVC in year two.
The RVC says the new format offers an exclusive opportunity for the candidate to refine their critical research skills and expand animal welfare knowledge while learning on location at both the RVC in England and Penn Vet’s New Bolton Center in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, United States.
The RVC’s MRes programme gives students the chance to develop into scientists who can work well across interdisciplinary teams, tackling problems of practical relevance to veterinary and medical science. Many of the courses’ graduates go on to work in some of the world’s leading scientific research institutes, as well as within industry and government.
Professor Richard Bomphrey, Interim Vice Principal for Research at the RVC said: “I am delighted that the RVC is able to support this new transatlantic initiative for veterinary graduates following a generous donation from Mars Equestrian. It strengthens the ties between the RVC, the University of Pennsylvania and Mars Equestrian while providing an outstanding training and research opportunity. We look forward to welcoming the successful scholar and helping them to make an impact in equine research."
The Veterinary Research Scholar program is open to interested UK, US and international candidates holding a veterinary degree (DVM/VMD/BVSc or equivalent). The chosen candidate will receive an annual stipend and tuition as well as travel expenses.
The programme will commence in September 2021 in the United States before moving to the UK in October 2022 until its conclusion in September 2023.
The deadline to submit applications for consideration is 30th June 2021 or until an acceptable candidate is identified.
Applications should be sent to the Penn Vet’s Dr. Kyla Ortved atkortved@vet.upenn.edu.
Three bursaries are available - two in ruminant and one in companion animal research, each worth up to £4,000.
Annabelle Mohring, Veterinary Advisor at MSD Animal Health said: "We appreciate that the last 18 months have been challenging for many veterinary surgeons and adding new research to this may not be considered a priority. But with the pace of change rapidly increasing, improving business skills and scientific knowledge will become more important than ever for the profession.
"Research forms the foundation of the industry and being awarded a bursary has proved to be a career-changing experience for some participants. We're now welcoming applications as part of our investment in the veterinary community."
Each project should be completed within one to two years and the veterinary surgeon proposals will be judged by objective third party university academics to ensure independent assessment.
The deadline for the MSD Animal Health Veterinary Surgeon Research Bursaries is 30th November 2021.
For further information, visit: www.msdahresearchbursary.co.uk.
Photo: Hattie Barnes who was awarded the 2020 Veterinary Surgeon Bursary in the companion animal sector. She was awarded £4,000 for her analytical, cadaver-based study to investigate different draping protocols in elective orthopaedic surgery. Hattie is currently undertaking a 3-year residency in Equine Surgery at the University of Liverpool.
Now, when you advertise a job on VetSurgeon.org, the system can send a message to all your employees (and any contacts in the profession) asking them to pass it on if they know anyone suitable, and to share the advertisement on their other social networks, such as Facebook.
As a further option, practices can also now offer a cash reward for a successful introduction leading to the post being filled. In that case, the message sent to employees and contacts lets them know that there’s a reward for their help.
VetSurgeon.org Editor Arlo Guthrie said: "Since we relaunched VetSurgeon Jobs, I’ve noticed a correlation between the number of times that job advertisements are shared by email or on Facebook, and the success that practices have in filling the vacancy.
"Of course, there is nothing to stop you emailing staff and contacts yourself, or offering a reward. But I suspect many don’t, and my hope is that this new feature will really help focus the mind, streamline the process and ultimately help you find the person who'll fit in with your team."
"Share & Reward is another feature exclusively available on VetSurgeon Jobs, alongside the VetSurgeon Locums Map and Find Our Jobs on VetSurgeon (a badge for your website that links to just your jobs).
"There's more on the way!"