The Veterinary Marketing Association has announced a Practice Marketing Award, with a prize of £500 worth of CPD, for which entries are now being sought.

The award, which is sponsored by Merial, is open to companion and farm animal practices that can demonstrate effective marketing to their clients during the course of 2012.

For more information, visit: www.vma.org.uk/awards, or email: secretary@vma.org.uk for entry details.

The RCVS and the BVA have joined forces with Defra on a project to assess the challenges and opportunities posed by EU exit, with the aim to develop a flexible and skilled veterinary workforce which meets the UK's needs for both the immediate and longer term future.

The Veterinary Capability and Capacity Project (VCCP) is co-chaired by the UK’s Chief Veterinary Officer Nigel Gibbens, RCVS Senior Vice-President Dr Chris Tufnell, and BVA Senior Vice-President Gudrun Ravetz. The project board also comprises the CVOs for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, Sheila Voas, Christianne Glossop and Robert Huey, as well as the Animal and Plant Health Agency and the Food Standards Agency.

The project’s objective is to work with the veterinary sector to better understand the UK’s workforce needs and ensure that both the Government and veterinary businesses can continue to protect animal health and welfare, safeguard the food chain and maintain levels of public health and public services, and enable trade in animals and animal products.

The project will include a joint BVA-RCVS submission to the Migration Advisory Committee’s call for evidence on workforce issues post-Brexit. Three working groups have been set up within the project to look specifically at issues of veterinary resources, recruitment and retention.

The UK’s Chief Veterinary Officer, Nigel Gibbens, said: "Leaving the EU provides us with an opportunity to develop gold standard policies on animal welfare. The UK Government is determined to get a good Brexit deal for Britain and Ministers have been absolutely clear we will maintain our world-leading animal welfare standards.

"The VCCP is a great example of collaborative working between government, professional bodies and regulators to prepare for our exit from the European Union.

"I am pleased the Prime Minister has set out the government’s aim to secure the status of the veterinary workforce as a top priority as we leave the EU. The UK’s vets - both Official Veterinarians and those in the private sector - play a key role in protecting our country from endemic and exotic diseases, tackling outbreaks when they occur, safeguarding our animals and tackling global challenges like antibiotic resistance."

Chris Tufnell said: "Since the vote to leave the European Union last year the RCVS has been working in partnership with BVA to highlight to Government and others the potential workforce shortages that could arise from a loss of non-UK EU-qualified vets, particularly in public health work where they tend to predominate. Our position was highlighted in our Brexit Principles published earlier this year and at an event organised by us and the BVA at the Palace of Westminster for MPs and Peers.

"We are very glad that Defra is working proactively with us and BVA to understand  the scale of the issues and map out the risks and opportunities and to help us plan for a number of different scenarios in advance so that we do not find ourselves in a position whereby animal health and welfare or public health might be compromised by workforce shortages."

BVA Senior Vice President Gudrun Ravetz said: "Vets provide the foundation for the UK’s high animal health and welfare, and make an essential contribution to the UK economy and wider society. Veterinary teams up and down the country support the UK’s 11 million pet-owning households; not a penny of the UK’s £12.7 billion livestock industry could be realised without vets; and vets are vital to facilitating UK trade, through health certification and controls, so that consumers have confidence in the food safety and welfare of the products they buy.

"Non-UK EU vets make up around 50% of our new workforce each year yet, since the EU referendum; we are facing increasing problems in recruiting and retaining EU colleagues to the UK. The impact of the loss of even a small percentage of the veterinary workforce could have serious repercussions on the practices, communities and industries that vets serve. This profession-wide project is pivotal to ensuring we have a veterinary workforce that can serve the UK’s needs post-Brexit."

The BVA’s Brexit and the veterinary profession report can be found at www.bva.co.uk/news-campaigns-and-policy/policy/future-of-the-profession/brexit/

To read the College’s Brexit Principles in full visit www.rcvs.org.uk/brexit

The Prime Minister has set out the government’s offer for EU citizens in the UK and UK nationals in the EU on their rights and status after the UK leaves the EU: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/safeguarding-the-position-of-eu-citizens-in-the-uk-and-uk-nationals-in-the-eu

The government’s response to House of Lord’s EU Energy and Environment Sub-Committee’s inquiry into Brexit: Farm Animal Welfare also addresses veterinary capability post-Brexit:https://www.parliament.uk/documents/lords-committees/eu-energy-environment-subcommittee/Brexit-farm-animal-welfare/Gov-Brexit-farm-anim.pdf

Norbrook Laboratories Ltd has launched the 2013 - 2014 edition of its UK Veterinary Surgeon's Product Compendium.

The compendium contains data sheets for the complete range of over 120 Norbrook products which are available in the UK and Northern Ireland, including 17 new products which have been launched since the last compendium was issued.

The compendium is available from your Norbrook representative or can be downloaded from www.norbrook.com. Norbrook also offers an iPhone App through which users can access essential product information including pharmaceutical presentation, uses, dosage and administration, withdrawal periods, contraindications & warnings and pharmaceutical precautions.

In case you've missed the start of the national celebrations, it's Feline Hypertension Awareness Month (FHAM), which offers an opener for dialogue with pet owners about the impact of hypertension on their cats.

The campaign is being fronted this year by a number of social media influencers, appropriately including Cat the Vet, aka Cat Henstridge (pictured right), Louisa The Vet and Alex And Bump.

Ceva has produced a number of materials to help practices get involved, including social media posts and templates which are now available from Ceva Territory Managers, or from the veterinary social media platform, Vet Social.

The company will also be launching an educational video that helps people recognise that older cats, and those with concurrent diseases, may have high blood pressure but show little in the way of recognisable signs. 

Suzanne Page, Veterinary Surgeon and Amodip Product Manager at Ceva, said: “This year, in recognition of how busy practices are, we wanted to give veterinary teams resources that provide a straightforward and simple way to raise feline hypertension awareness.

"Hypertension is so difficult for owners to notice, so we are working hard with influencers to spread the word.

"There will also be leaflets to share and a new website for cat owners at www.catbloodpressure.com.”

For those wanting to brush up on hypertension, there's Ceva's free CPD course, led by Dr Sarah Caney, Feline Medicine Specialist and CEO of Vet Professionals, available here.

Genitrix has repackaged its Dentagen plaque prevention chews to provide added value and convenience to pet owners. 

Packs of the chews, launched in 2008 as part of Genitrix' Dentagen dental range, will now be available in 'one month' packs in response to customer feedback.  The new, bigger value packs will also be priced more cost-effectively and will offer environmental benefits as the amount of packaging is reduced.

Dentagen dental chews are impregnated with a plant extract called RF2 which enables them to act as an 'anti-biofilm' treatment, modifying the membrane of oral bacteria to prevent them from producing plaque. The chews, which come in two sizes for large and small dogs, are designed to be given on alternate days and form part of the unique Dentagen Dental Care Programme.  Earlier this year, Genitrix also launched Dentagen Aqua, an innovative water additive treatment to control plaque and prevent bad breath in cats and dogs.

The new size packs of Dentagen chews, which will be available exclusively through veterinary channels, cost £6.35 for a pack of 14 small chews (one month's supply) and £8.09 for 14 large chews.

Research carried out by YouGov on behalf of the Dogs Trust, has shown that as the cost of living crisis develops, 68% of dog owners in the UK feel worried, to some extent, about how they will care for their dog in the next year, with 30% either ‘very’ or ‘fairly’ worried.

35% think the rising cost of living is already making it more difficult to give their dogs all they need.

By far the greatest worry was how they would manage to pay vet bills, which 49% named as their main concern.

The second biggest worry was affording dog food (17%), closely followed by insurance (15%).

Non-dog owners in the UK, meanwhile, were asked whether the rising cost of living would prevent them from adopting or buying a dog. Over half (54%) said that it would.

The Dogs Trust says this research mirrors its own experience, seeing a steady increase in the number of requests from owners who have decided to give up their dog.

It harks back to the year after the 2008 recession, when the increase in the number of stray and abandoned dogs reached over 25% in the UK.

Owen Sharp, Dogs Trust CEO, said: "We know from the experience of the 2008 recession that economic crisis can and will lead to people needing to give up their beloved dogs. Sadly, many loving dog owners simply won’t be able to afford to keep them.

“At Dogs Trust we’re rehoming and fostering dogs as quickly as we can - but as soon as we free up a kennel space, there’s a dog to fill it again.

“We’ve already taken 13,000 calls this year from owners who need to give up their dogs – a 58% increase on last year.

“We know that dog owners need immediate help and we’re working hard to find ways to support them - but it takes time.

“However, there are other ways we help, like our Hope Project, which aims to keep anyone experiencing a housing crisis and their dog together, and helping people find other services such as pet food banks or local charities that could ease the burden.”  

“We want dog owners to realise that they don’t have to wait until they are in crisis to call us for help.”

Trainetics, a human factors and leadership training and consultancy company, is launching a human factors course for veterinary professionals in January 2023, as part of which, delegates take control of a commercial jet in a flight simulator at Heathrow. 

Human Factors is the application of human psychological and physiological principles and limitations to the design of processes and systems to reduce human error, increase productivity and enhance safety.

Trainetics has operated in various sectors such as aviation, ergonomics and human healthcare for many years.

As part of its move into the veterinary sector, it is working with a team of team of well-known figures in the profession: Bradley Viner, Holger Volk, Vicky Lipscombe, Tom Cardy and Andy Fiske-Jackson.

Tom said: “The potential impact of human factors on the veterinary industry is huge. What we are able to offer delegates is a unique experience to improve their situational awareness and decision-making.

“It is something which I believe delegates will find incredibly insightful as part of their career progression and it can improve how we treat our patients every day.

“Within the veterinary profession, human factors is still relatively new, however, its true scope within the industry lies in understanding and applying systems-thinking methodology to our complex, adaptive profession.”

Holger said: “When I first had the chance to become consciously incompetent in a flight simulator at BA with Trainetics, it was a fantastic opportunity to learn about my own limitations and how to better overcome them.

“Part of the immersive experience is learning about human factors, situational awareness, decision-making, workload management, system performance and health and wellbeing.

“We can learn so much from the aviation industry and vice-versa, and these unique courses can provide real opportunities to better ourselves as a profession and as individuals.

www.trainetics.co.uk

Grove Referrals, an East Anglian referral centre for orthopaedics, spinal surgery and ophthalmology, has announced the completion of £1 million refurbishment.

The project was overseen by ECVS diplomat James Tattersall (above, left next to Simon Gilbert and Gordon Brown), an orthopaedic surgeon at the practice, and the practice now offers the following facilities:

• Two digital radiography / imaging suites
• 16 slice CT scanner
• Three positive pressure sterile theatres
• Two preparation areas
• Upgraded and expanded in-patient facilities
• Practice laboratory

Practice Director Gordon Brown MRCVS said: "As a Referral Centre, it is important that we offer the very best to our patients. The refurbishment has created a fantastic working environment with the latest technology available if needed 24/7.

"Working in the building while such extensive work was underway wasn't easy but it's well worth it now that our vision for the practice has been realised. We're delighted with the new facilities we can offer and are looking forward to showing them to our veterinary colleagues and clients in the months ahead."

Grove Referrals is based at Grove House, Holt Road, Fakenham, Norfolk, NR21 8JG. The practice can be contacted on 01328 862137 or at grove.referrals@cvsvets.com

The RCVS Disciplinary Committee has reprimanded Anglesey-based Louise Marie Henry MRCVS for writing a letter on behalf of a client that dishonestly certified incorrect details surrounding the death of a ewe.

Dr Henry faced one charge, that in January 2020 she wrote and/or signed an undated letter confirming that a ewe had died in transit to the surgery due to dystocia and peri-parturient stress, when in fact she had euthanised the animal at the veterinary practice the day before. The letter, which was addressed 'To whom it may concern’, was on practice letterheaded paper and signed "Louise Henry MRCVS". 

The second part of the charge outlined that her conduct concerning the letter was dishonest.

The Committee heard that the ewe was lambing and brought to the practice by a client. Dr Henry was on-call at the time and advised a Caesarean section. The client agreed and Dr Henry delivered two live lambs and one dead lamb.

Dr Henry was concerned about the welfare of the ewe post-surgery because of the risk of peritonitis and advised that the ewe should be euthanised.

The client agreed to the ewe being euthanised and then asked Dr Henry to write a letter in which it was stated that the ewe had died in transit on route to the practice. Dr Henry agreed to write the letter in which she falsely certified that the ewe had died in transit. 

The letter came to light when the practice director found it in an insurance file. The practice arranged an investigatory meeting with Dr Henry where she admitted that writing the letter was an error of judgement. When asked about her conduct, Dr Henry explained that the client had subsequently been dissatisfied with the letter she had written and asked her to change it. She refused to amend the letter and told him that it was wrong of her to have written it in the first place and that she regretted having done so.

Dr Henry told the Committee that she valued integrity very highly and that she was deeply ashamed that she had been prepared to write the dishonest letter.

The Committee heard several testimonials from people who had worked with or studied alongside Dr Henry, who all attested to her skill as a veterinary surgeon and that they had no concerns about her integrity and honesty. She self-reported her actions from January to the RCVS and from the outset admitted the facts of the charge. During the hearing, Dr Henry submitted that her action of dishonest false certification amounted to disgraceful conduct in a professional respect.

Dr Martin Whiting, chairing the Committee, and speaking on its behalf, said: “The Committee considered that, in this case, the aggravating features were limited and the mitigating factors extensive. There was no premeditated dishonesty or financial gain involved, there was no actual harm or risk of harm to an animal or human and this was a single incident in an otherwise unblemished 13-year career. The Committee found that the shame and remorse expressed by Dr Henry were entirely genuine. Her conduct on this occasion was entirely untypical of her practise.

“After careful consideration, the Committee concluded that the substantial mitigating features permitted it to take the somewhat unusual course of issuing a reprimand in a case involving dishonesty. In taking this course, the Committee attached significant weight not only to the isolated nature of the event but also to the genuine insight shown by Dr Henry and the lasting impact this event has had upon her. In the Committee’s assessment, a reasonable and fully informed member of the public would, in this particular case, regard a reprimand as a sanction which protected the public interest in the profession and upheld its standards.”

The full documentation for the hearing can be found at www.rcvs.org.uk/disciplinary

Over 1400 veterinary practices around the UK have now signed up to take part in Merial's Pet Parasite Action campaign.

Lynda Maris, NexGard™ Spectra Product Manager said: "The campaign, which is designed to raise awareness of the rising threat from ticks, lungworm and other parasites that can endanger the health of pets and their owners, is reaching millions of pet owners."

A radio day, during which presenter Jenni Falconer and Merial vet Mike Woodhouse (pictured) discussed parasites and called on owners to visit their practice, apparently reached nearly 3 million listeners via 16 radio stations from BBC Radio Guernsey in the south, to Waves radio in Peterhead and Aberdeen.

The campaign has also been promoted with advertising on Newslink, which broadcasts to 287 stations including: Kiss, Capital, Star, Magic, Talk Sport, Classic and Absolute.

Participating practices have been send campaign support packs and Merial has provided educational and competition social media content to share on Facebook and Twitter. According to the company, its campaign Facebook page has reached reached over 1 million unique users in the last 28 days. Over the same period, Merial says 25,000 unique users have received campaign content on Twitter. 

Practices can also direct clients to the campaign website www.petparasiteaction.co.uk.

Pet Parasite Action runs throughout June and July, so there's still time to get involved. For more information, contact your Merial Territory Manager, or call the company on 0870 6000 123.

Zoetis has announced that Vetscan Imagyst, its multi-purpose diagnostic tool, is getting 'AI Masses', a new capability which uses AI to analyse potentially neoplastic cells in lymph node and subcutaneous lesions.

The company says AI Masses will allow veterinary professionals to analyse lesions suggestive of cancer in-clinic and with a fast turnaround.

The AI technology, which has been trained by human clinical pathologists, should enable individualised treatment outcomes earlier for more cases.

Zoetis says AI Masses only needs a single round of sample preparation and the results can, at additional cost, be supplemented with an expert review from a network of specialists through Zoetis’ Virtual Laboratory.

Dr. Richard Goldstein, DVM, DACVIM, DECVIM-CA, Global Chief Medical Officer at Zoetis said: “Waiting for results can be stressful for pet owners – even more so when it involves a cancer screening.

"Our research shows that up to 75% of pet owners find abnormal results highly stressful.¹

"AI Masses is yet another point-of-care capability to deliver results in-clinic, further exemplifies Zoetis’ purpose to advance care for animals, shortening anxious wait times to allow for faster care decisions that help provide the best possible outcome.”

Pre-orders will be announced for US customers in Q2 2025.

VetSurgeon.org understands AI Masses will be coming to the UK some time in 2025.

https://www.zoetisdiagnostics.com 

Reference

1. StayWell Health Screening Report prepared for Zoetis, 2022

New research led by RCVS Specialist in Small Animal Orthopaedics, Steve Butterworth at Weighbridge Referral Centre, Swansea has found that tibial tuberosity advancement (TTA)-Rapid offers a good medium to long-term treatment outcome for canine cranial cruciate ligament failure - even in patients with tibial plateau angles of greater than 30⁰. 

Cranial cruciate ligament insufficiency (CCLI) affects 3% to 5% of dogs¹.

Past research has demonstrated satisfactory short (6-12 weeks)² and medium (mean 16 months)³ term outcomes for lame dogs treated with TTA.

However, Steve says there is limited research on longer (>16 months) follow-up periods.

It has also been speculated that dogs with tibial plateau angles (TPA) of greater than 30⁰ are not well suited for a TTA⁴. 

For the study⁵, the researchers reviewed patient records for a total of 149 TTA-Rapid procedures carried out in 120 dogs over an 80 month period. 

They also reviewed owner questionnaires that evaluated the outcome of at least six months after surgery, using a validated clinical metrology instrument, Liverpool Osteoarthritis in Dogs (LOAD). 

Follow-up questionnaires were received from owners of 64 of the 120 dogs (53.3%), with a median follow-up time of 37.5 months.

This cohort included a wide range of breeds, aged between 2&12 years and with bodyweights ranging from 6.3 to 41.8kg.

The dogs included 37 females and 27 males, and of the 79 limbs treated in these dogs, 41 were left and 38 were right.

The researchers found 26 of the dogs (40.6%) had a TTA performed with a TPA less than 30◦ and 38 (59.4%) with a TPA of 30◦ or more. 

Of the 79 procedures, meniscal injury was noted in 27 (34.2%), surgery to stabilise the patella was required in 11 (13.9%), there was one surgical site infection (treated successfully with a short course of antibiotics), one dog sustained a fracture of the tibial seven days after surgery, and one sustained a late meniscal tear 12 months after initial surgery (treated successfully by partial meniscectomy).

The outcome was judged to be satisfactory, based on frequency of lameness, in 63 (98.4%), while satisfactory outcomes were achieved in 61 (95.3%) based on severity of lameness and in 50 (78.1%) based on mobility score.

Statistical analysis showed that age, bodyweight, tibial plateau angle (TPA), meniscal injury, and concurrent patellar surgery did not influence the outcome, but time to follow-up positively correlated with mobility score (suggesting mobility declined with time from surgery).  

The researchers concluded that the long-term (median of 37.5 months) outcome for dogs undergoing TTA-Rapid for cranial cruciate ligament disease is satisfactory, with no risk factors associated with poorer outcomes identified.

The study also revealed no evidence to support the suggestion that dogs with TPAs of greater than 30◦ may be inappropriate candidates for TTA - after testing several parameters to judge outcome including frequency of lameness, severity of lameness, distance walked daily and mobility score.

Steve said: “This research is important in trying to ensure that decisions on whether to use this treatment modality, are based on sound clinical evidence.

"The only factor identified that influenced the outcome measure was that of time since surgery.

"All other factors, including TPA, had no effect on the outcome.”

References 

1. Hynes J, Manfredi JM, Shull SA. Cranial cruciate ligament disease is perceived to be prevalent and is misunderstood in field trial sport. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2023 Jul 14:1-6. doi: 10.2460/javma.23.01.0004. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 37451677.
2. Samoy Y, Verhoeven G, Bosmans T, Van der Vekens E, de Bakker E, Verleyen P, et al. TTA Rapid: description of the technique and short term clinical trial results of the first 50 cases. Vet Surg. 2015;44:474–84.
   Butterworth SJ, Kydd DM. TTA-Rapid in the treatment of the canine cruciate deficient stifle: short- and medium-term outcome. J Small Anim Pract. 2017;58:35–41.
   Dyall B, Schmökel H. Tibial tuberosity advancement in smallbreed dogs using TTA-Rapid implants: complications and outcome. J Small Anim Pract. 2017;58:314–22.
3. Boudrieau RJ. Tibial plateau leveling osteotomy or tibial tuberosity advancement? Vet Surg. 2009;38:1–22.
4. Boudrieau RJ. 2007 ACVS Veterinary Symposium - the surgical summit: pre-symposium laboratories: TTA Lab. October 18–21 Chicago, Ilinois. Published ACVS Germantown, MD, 2007.
   Williams N. Cranial cruciate ligament rupture and tibial tuberosity advancement. Veterinary Times. September 14, 2009. https://www.vettimes.co.uk/app/uploads/wp-post-topdf-enhanced-cache/1/cranial-cruciate-ligament-ruptureand-tibial-tuberosity-advancement.pdf.
5. Butterworth SJ, Schofield I. TTA-Rapid for treating the canine cruciate deficient stifle: Medium to long-term outcome and analysis of risk factors. Vet Rec. 2024;e3795. https://doi.org/10.1002/vetr.3795 

The 2020 RCVS Knowledge Awards, designed to recognise examples of continuous quality improvement (QI) in practice, are now open for applications and nominations.

Open to anyone working in a veterinary setting at any stage of their career, the competition rewards teams and individuals (clinical and non-clinical), who have achieved better outcomes through QI initiatives for patients, clients, the business or the working environment.

Individual winners will be crowned 'Knowledge Champions' and one team will become RCVS Knowledge’s 'Champion Practice'.

Each winner will also receive a £250 reward, tickets to the awards ceremony next calendar year and the opportunity to work with RCVS Knowledge to further promote their quality improvement work.

Candidates can nominate themselves or others for an award.

If you want to nominate a colleague, the deadline is 17^thOctober. The deadline to apply on your own behalf or that of your team/practice is 29^th November 2019.

Full details are available online: bit.ly/KnowledgeAwards.

Executive Director of RCVS Knowledge, Chris Gush said: "The 2019 awards shed light on the very good work those in the profession are doing to continually enhance quality, so we are delighted to bring the competition back for 2020.

"It is a great opportunity for individuals and teams to showcase their quality improvement initiatives. Whether it is clinically focused or aiming to improve procurement, we are keen to hear about the work that is underway."

Last year's awards highlighted inspirational QI projects such as a drugs audit that led to a ten-fold improvement in usage discrepancy; a quarterly clinical audit that enhanced nursing expertise and trust from veterinary surgeons; and the introduction of guidelines that coincided with the subsequent treatment of 2,639 additional animals.

The case examples submitted by each winner are available to download for free: 

• 'Champion Practice' Vets Now Macclesfield for its anaesthesia audit. 

• 'Knowledge Champion' Louise Northway RVN, Wendover Heights Veterinary Centre, for her anaesthesia audit.                         

• 'Knowledge Champion' Alison Thomas MRCVS, Blue Cross, for her case study: Creating clinical guidelines.

• 'Knowledge Champion' Angela Rayner MRCVS, CVS Group plc, for her case study: Controlled drugs process audit.

For more case examples and QI resources, visit: bit.ly/QIKnowledge