Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA) has announced the formation of a new independent advisory group to recommend a future delivery model for veterinary surveillance in England and Wales.
The Advisory Group will be chaired by Dirk Pfeiffer, Professor of Veterinary Epidemiology at the Royal Veterinary College. According to the AHVLA, it will include representatives from government, the veterinary profession and the livestock farming and private laboratory industries and is being created so all those with an interest in veterinary surveillance can shape a future model and ensure that all issues are thoroughly considered.
Veterinary surveillance seeks to identify new or re-emerging threats to our livestock population and to public health. It involves a partnership approach between livestock keepers, private veterinary surgeons, the Scottish Agricultural College, industry bodies and AHVLA in order to effectively gather and assess intelligence.
AHVLA is seeking to identify ways to undertake veterinary surveillance both more effectively and at an affordable cost to the taxpayer. Work in this area has been on-going since 2010, and the merger of the former Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA) has created opportunities to review how veterinary surveillance can best be delivered.
The new model will aim to address capacity imbalances in the current service where provision sometimes outstrips demand. The independent advisory group are also expected to recommend how better and closer working methods across the partners can make the surveillance stronger as well as more cost effective.
Surveillance has historically been based on in-depth investigation of disease incidents with an emphasis on post mortem examinations carried out at AHVLA's regional laboratories. This system is a key element in the government's risk-based approach to the management of animal disease related threats.
AHVLA says that the current model, although successful in identifying diseases in the past, can be improved upon. A recent internal AHVLA report identified viable options for achieving better surveillance at the same or lower cost by, for example, exploring moving towards risk and intelligence based surveillance and improving the value added by working more closely in partnership with vets and their farmer clients and other sources of intelligence data.
In mid-January 2012, AHVLA will also be publishing, and publicising, an online survey aimed at individual veterinary practioners and livestock keepers. The survey will seek individual opinions on the inputs, mechanisms, outputs and value of surveillance in England and Wales Work is expected to run until spring 2012, following which recommendations on a way forward will be made.
Carl Padgett, President of the BVA, said: “Veterinary surveillance is an essential component in our animal health, public health, food security, and international trade work.
“The emergence of Schmallenberg virus in ruminants in northern Europe demonstrates the current value and ongoing need for a robust surveillance system to work both nationally and internationally.
“The BVA welcomes the establishment of the advisory group and particularly the wide range of veterinary expertise and experience that is represented on the group. It is important that views from both veterinary practitioners and veterinary scientists are fed into this review.
“While we understand that AHVLA and Defra must ensure value for money from the surveillance network, any future model must be shaped by good surveillance strategies, not the need to cut costs.
“We urge all practitioners in England and Wales to contribute to the discussions by completing the online survey.
“We look forward to engaging with the advisory group as it carries out the review and beyond.”
Animalcare Ltd has launched Marbocare (marbofloxacin) 100mg/ml solution for injection, a third-generation fluoroquinolone for the treatment of E.coli mastitis and bovine respiratory disease (BRD) in cattle, and Metritis Mastitis Agalactia in pigs.
The company highlights the product's unique flexible dosage regimen of once daily injections for 3 days against E.coli mastitis and BRD, plus a single intramuscular (IM) high dose (8mg/100kg) for BRD.
Animalcare says this regimen, coupled with the flexibility of administration afforded by all three injection routes (intravenous IV, subcutaneous SC and IM), a low volume dose and good syringeability, all combine to offer ease of use; resulting in a reduction in handling and less stress for the cattle.
Developed for veterinary use only, Marbocare has broad spectrum activity against Gram+ve and Gram-ve pathogens. Animalcare says the product is especially effective against E.coli mastitis and the key bacterial pathogens associated with BRD, as well as M.bovis.
Marbocare has milk withdrawal times of 36 hours after the last treatment following the 3 day course and 72 hours after a single shot for BRD. Meat withdrawal is 6 days after multiple injections and 3 days after the single shot.
Marbofloxacin has proven efficacy in a comparative international, multi-centre, controlled, randomised field trial1 in 62 dairy cows with E.coli mastitis. Marbofloxacin cure rates were significantly higher than the control product. In respiratory disease it showed a more rapid clinical response in comparison to tilmicosin2, ceftiofur3 and oxytetracycline4. Marbofloxacin was shown to be well tolerated, leading to a fast return to appetite, liveweight gain and associated welfare benefits.
Marbocare is also licensed in the treatment of Metritis Mastitis Agalactia syndrome in pigs, given by IM injection, with a 4 day meat withdrawal.
Tony Liepman, Product Manager from Animalcare said: "Marbocare is competitively priced whether used on its own or alongside a single-dose anti-inflammatory such as Emdocam (meloxicam)."
Marbocare is a POM-V licensed product presented in 50 and 100ml multi-dose vials.
References
Virbac is offering a free Rapid Romanowsky stain kit and Coplin jars to practices buying easOtic and Epi-Otic in a new promotion which runs until the end of October.
easOtic is Virbac's treatment for otitis externa. It features a 1ml airless pump for precise measurement and an award-winning bottle design to aid compliance by ensuring easy and accurate application.
Epi-Otic is Virbac's antibacterial and antifungal ear cleaner for use in routine cleaning. It is pH neutral and contains sodium docusate, which dries the ear canal after application.
Practices making a qualifying purchase of both products will receive the Stain Kit, comprising the three staining solutions and three Coplin jars, free of charge.
For further information, contact your Virbac Territory Manager.
The RCVS has announced that its new Royal Charter, which recognises veterinary nursing as a profession, is due to come into effect early next year once it has been signed by Her Majesty the Queen and received the Great Seal of the Realm.
The Charter, which was approved at a meeting of the Privy Council on 5 November, sets out and clarifies the objects of the RCVS and modernises its regulatory functions.
The Charter will also confirm the role of the College as the regulator of veterinary nurses and give registered veterinary nurses the formal status of associates of the College.
In addition, the Charter will also underpin other activities of the College such as the Practice Standards Scheme.
One of the key changes is that those qualified veterinary nurses who are currently on the List will automatically become registered veterinary nurses. This means that they will be required to abide by the Code of Professional Conduct for Veterinary Nurses, will be held accountable for their actions through the RCVS disciplinary process and will be expected to keep their skills and knowledge up-to-date by undertaking at least 45 hours of continuing professional development (CPD) over a three-year period.
In addition, the Charter will give formal recognition for VN Council to set the standards for professional conduct and education for veterinary nurses.
Kathy Kissick RVN, the current chair of VN Council, said: “A Charter which recognises veterinary nursing as a fully regulated profession is something that many veterinary nurses, as well as the British Veterinary Nursing Association, have been wanting for some time so I commend this development.
“This can only be a good thing for the profession, the industry as a whole and animal welfare because it makes sure that registered veterinary nurses are fully accountable for their professional conduct and are committed to lifelong learning and developing their knowledge and skills.
“Furthermore, the new Royal Charter is a significant step towards attaining formal, statutory protection of title, which would make it an offence for anyone who is not suitably qualified and registered to call themselves a veterinary nurse.”
From next autumn those former listed veterinary nurses who have become registered veterinary nurses will be expected to confirm that they are undertaking CPD and will also need to disclose any criminal convictions, cautions or adverse findings when they renew their registration.
A detailed set of frequently asked questions for listed veterinary nurses who will become registered veterinary nurses once the Charter is implemented can be found at www.rcvs.org.uk/rvn.
Although the date for signing and sealing the Charter has not yet been confirmed, once it comes into effect the College will be contacting all listed veterinary nurses by letter to outline the changes as well as putting an announcement on www.rcvs.org.uk.
Homeopathy is widely used in livestock, especially to replace or reduce the use of antibiotics in the treatment of infectious diseases, although its use is often seen as controversial. For organic agriculture, homeopathy is even promoted.
In the review, Dr Caroline Doehring and Professor Albert Sundrum from the University of Kassel, Germany, assessed peer-reviewed studies on the efficacy of homeopathy in cattle, pigs and poultry published between 1981 and 2014.
They analysed a total of 52 clinical trials, 34 with cattle, 12 with pigs and six with poultry. They were published in 48 publications.
Of these, 28 concluded that the homeopathic remedy administered was effective, 22 showed no efficacy and 2 were inconclusive.
Only 10 trials provided information on cure rates for the treatments. These varied to a high degree, while the remedy used did not seem to make a big difference.
Trials on pigs were frequently efficacious, while studies with cattle or poultry had a similar distribution of efficacious and non-efficacious treatment.
Double-blind randomised controlled trials reported efficacy of the homeopathic treatment almost as often as they reported lack of it.
Meanwhile, single-blind and non-blind randomised controlled trials, and observational trials were more likely to present evidence of efficacy, suggesting that positive outcomes may be due to bias.
Other study limitations, such as potential conflict of interests, low sample size, risk for selective reporting and bias, were found in the majority of trials.
While some clinical trials showed effectiveness, the authors of the review question the reliability of the evidence, because all studies had a range of limitations. For example, all clinical trials were conducted under very specific conditions and none were repeated under comparable conditions.
Therefore, the authors say the findings cannot be be used to recommend homeopathy: "The current evidence of studies providing evidence in favour of homeopathy lacks reproducibility and therefore cannot claim to have sufficient prognostic validity."
"Due to a lack of prognostic validity, replacing or reducing antibiotics with homeopathy currently cannot be recommended unless evidence of efficacy is reproduced by RCTs and proven in various farm practice conditions."
The Veterinary Capability and Capacity Project (VCCP) is co-chaired by the UK’s Chief Veterinary Officer Nigel Gibbens, RCVS Senior Vice-President Dr Chris Tufnell, and BVA Senior Vice-President Gudrun Ravetz. The project board also comprises the CVOs for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, Sheila Voas, Christianne Glossop and Robert Huey, as well as the Animal and Plant Health Agency and the Food Standards Agency.
The project’s objective is to work with the veterinary sector to better understand the UK’s workforce needs and ensure that both the Government and veterinary businesses can continue to protect animal health and welfare, safeguard the food chain and maintain levels of public health and public services, and enable trade in animals and animal products.
The project will include a joint BVA-RCVS submission to the Migration Advisory Committee’s call for evidence on workforce issues post-Brexit. Three working groups have been set up within the project to look specifically at issues of veterinary resources, recruitment and retention.
The UK’s Chief Veterinary Officer, Nigel Gibbens, said: "Leaving the EU provides us with an opportunity to develop gold standard policies on animal welfare. The UK Government is determined to get a good Brexit deal for Britain and Ministers have been absolutely clear we will maintain our world-leading animal welfare standards.
"The VCCP is a great example of collaborative working between government, professional bodies and regulators to prepare for our exit from the European Union.
"I am pleased the Prime Minister has set out the government’s aim to secure the status of the veterinary workforce as a top priority as we leave the EU. The UK’s vets - both Official Veterinarians and those in the private sector - play a key role in protecting our country from endemic and exotic diseases, tackling outbreaks when they occur, safeguarding our animals and tackling global challenges like antibiotic resistance."
Chris Tufnell said: "Since the vote to leave the European Union last year the RCVS has been working in partnership with BVA to highlight to Government and others the potential workforce shortages that could arise from a loss of non-UK EU-qualified vets, particularly in public health work where they tend to predominate. Our position was highlighted in our Brexit Principles published earlier this year and at an event organised by us and the BVA at the Palace of Westminster for MPs and Peers.
"We are very glad that Defra is working proactively with us and BVA to understand the scale of the issues and map out the risks and opportunities and to help us plan for a number of different scenarios in advance so that we do not find ourselves in a position whereby animal health and welfare or public health might be compromised by workforce shortages."
BVA Senior Vice President Gudrun Ravetz said: "Vets provide the foundation for the UK’s high animal health and welfare, and make an essential contribution to the UK economy and wider society. Veterinary teams up and down the country support the UK’s 11 million pet-owning households; not a penny of the UK’s £12.7 billion livestock industry could be realised without vets; and vets are vital to facilitating UK trade, through health certification and controls, so that consumers have confidence in the food safety and welfare of the products they buy.
"Non-UK EU vets make up around 50% of our new workforce each year yet, since the EU referendum; we are facing increasing problems in recruiting and retaining EU colleagues to the UK. The impact of the loss of even a small percentage of the veterinary workforce could have serious repercussions on the practices, communities and industries that vets serve. This profession-wide project is pivotal to ensuring we have a veterinary workforce that can serve the UK’s needs post-Brexit."
The BVA’s Brexit and the veterinary profession report can be found at www.bva.co.uk/news-campaigns-and-policy/policy/future-of-the-profession/brexit/
To read the College’s Brexit Principles in full visit www.rcvs.org.uk/brexit
The Prime Minister has set out the government’s offer for EU citizens in the UK and UK nationals in the EU on their rights and status after the UK leaves the EU: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/safeguarding-the-position-of-eu-citizens-in-the-uk-and-uk-nationals-in-the-eu
The government’s response to House of Lord’s EU Energy and Environment Sub-Committee’s inquiry into Brexit: Farm Animal Welfare also addresses veterinary capability post-Brexit:https://www.parliament.uk/documents/lords-committees/eu-energy-environment-subcommittee/Brexit-farm-animal-welfare/Gov-Brexit-farm-anim.pdf
The researchers say that the findings pave the way to generating new and important information about the development chronic kidney disease (CKD) and hypertension (HTN) in cats.
The RVC says that about 30% of cats aged 10 years or older have CKD, which equates to approximately 600,000 in the UK.
Of these, about 40% will also have hypertension.
The research team was led by principal investigator at the RVC, Dr Rosanne Jepson, alongside joint first author from Queen Mary University of London, Dr Helen Warren, and Professor Patricia Munroe.
The team examined the archives of 1,022 domestic cats seen at both the RVC’s Beaumont Sainsbury Animal Hospital and Bow PDSA Pet Hospital since 1992, looking for genetic associations with CKD and HTN using a genome-wide association study (GWAS) approach.
The GWAS approach used a special feline array to characterise over 63,000 genetic differences across the feline genome.
The team examined the influence of different genes on disease traits which may point to new ways of treatment as the pathways and proteins controlled by these genes can indicate novel mechanisms for disease development.
Researchers say that this study method has historically been used for rarer and breed-specific conditions where single genetic mutations might be occurring.
However, the findings show it could now be used to generate new information about common and complex diseases which are likely to be the result of genetic, lifestyle and environmental risks.
Rosanne Jepson, Principal Author of the paper and Associate Professor in Small Animal Internal Medicine at the RVC, said: “This was an exciting opportunity to explore potential genetic influences on the development of chronic kidney disease and systemic hypertension in cats, collaborating with key opinion leaders who work and have published extensively in this field in human medicine.
“These conditions are complex - meaning that there are many factors relating to genetics, lifestyle and environment that cumulatively determine whether an individual may develop either CKD or hypertension in their lifetime.
“This study has shown us, as proof of concept, that large scale genomic studies will be important for understanding the pathogenesis of such complex disease conditions and may help to identify novel pathways as targets for diagnosis and management in the future.”
Lord Rooker, Minister for Sustainable Food, Farming and Animal Health has announced seven new members to the Veterinary Residues Committee (VRC).
The VRC’s role is to advise the Chief Executives of the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) and the Food Standards Agency (FSA) on the formulation of the residues surveillance programmes and on the significance of the results in terms of consumer safety.
The seven new members who have been appointed to serve on the VRC from January 2009 until December 2012 are:
The appointments were undertaken in accordance with the Code of Practice issued by the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments.
A new study has found that the UK domestic cat and dog population is larger than previously reported by industry figures. Cats and dogs are amongst the most popular pets in the UK but it has been over 20 years since domestic cat and dog population estimates in the UK have been published in scientific peer-reviewed journals.
The paper published in the Veterinary Record by Dr Jane Murray in the Department of Clinical Veterinary Science at Bristol University and colleagues, aimed to estimate the number of UK domestic cats and dogs and identify the characteristics of their owners. The figures are also useful to the animal health and welfare professions, including rescue charities, which can use these and future estimates to assess population changes.
In 2007, a telephone survey of households randomly selected from the electoral roll revealed that cats and dogs were owned by 26 per cent and 31 per cent of households, respectively. The number of owned cats and dogs were predicted by two variables: the number of people in the household and the geographical location (London/rest of UK) of the household. UK census information and mid-year population estimates of the number of households and the average household size in 2006 in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland were used to estimate that UK households owned approximately 10.3 million cats and 10.5 million dogs in 2006.
Dr Murray said: "Our 95% confidence intervals were 9.4-11.3 million cats and 9.6-11.4 million dogs".
This compares with PFMA estimates of 7.2 million cats and 7.3 million dogs in 2007, and 8 million cats and 8 million dogs in 2009.
Characteristics associated with cat and dog ownership were also identified. Cats were more likely to be owned by; households with gardens, semi-urban/rural households, households with someone qualified to degree level, respondents who were female and respondents who were aged less than 65 years. Cats were less likely to be owned by households with one or more dogs.
The likelihood of dog ownership increased as the household size increased. Dogs were more likely to be owned by households with gardens, rural households and less likely to be owned by households with someone educated to degree level and households with cats or children aged less than 11 years.
Female respondents and those aged less than 55 years were more likely to report dog ownership than other respondents. Dogs were less likely to be owned by households with one or more cats.
Dr. Murray added: "The study has shown many common factors relating to cat and dog ownership, such as a garden and rural location, but it has also identified some notable differences.
"In particular, the difference in the level of education achieved by a household owning cats and dogs. The reason for this association is unclear. It is unlikely to be related to household income as this variable was not shown to be significant but it could be related to household members with longer working hours having less time available to care for a dog.
"Past reports have suggested that the number of pet cats exceeds the number of pet dogs in the UK. However, results from our study suggest that there are similar numbers of pet cats and dogs."
The researchers recommend the study is repeated in 2011, (the year of the next scheduled UK census), as any increase or decrease in population numbers will enable pet ownership trends to be monitored.
Eurovet has launched Octacillin Pig, a water-soluble amoxicillin powder for treating pneumonia caused by Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae and meningitis caused by Streptococcus suis.
Octacillin is widely used in poultry and has recently been approved for use in pigs. Eurovet says Octacillin Pig is ideal for delivery via automatic water systems, as it dissolves completely in hard or soft water and remains stable in solution for 12 hours. It has a withhold period of 2 days.
Pneumonia caused by Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae tends to affect pigs at 8-16 weeks of age and has a very short incubation period of just 12 hours.
Octacillin Pig will be available from early March.
For further information call 01223 257933.
Five graduates from St George's University School of Veterinary Medicine (SGUSVM), in the Caribbean island of Grenada, have passed the Statutory Membership Examination of the UK's Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons.
According to the University, SGUSVM graduates have traditionally demonstrated impressive pass rates on this rigorous exam, but this year's 100% pass rate by SGU students - compared with an overall 44% pass rate for candidates overall - is an exceptional result for SGU students, and only the second time it has been achieved in the school's history.
In order to practice veterinary surgery in the UK, all graduates with foreign or Commonwealth qualifications must pass the RCVS examination. The exam consists of two days of written papers, followed by clinical, oral and practical exams at a UK veterinary medical school. Thirty-five St George's graduates have passed into the RCVS since the School's inception in 1999.
The RCVS sets no quota for this Statutory Membership Examination, meaning those who meet the standards will pass, regardless of the number of candidates sitting the exam.
Austin Kirwan, St George's Associate Dean of UK and Ireland Clinical Affairs stated: "St George's School of Veterinary Medicine once again produces an excellent set of results with a 100 percent pass rate for the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons Statutory Membership Examination for those SGU students who sat the examination. This is a credit to the school in the quality of education it provides, but also an indication of the calibre of person SGU attracts in its student cohort - outstanding success abounds by thinking beyond."
Presenting the graduates with a membership certificate at the Ceremony of Admissions at Belgravia House in London, RCVS President Dr Jerry Davies said: "I was delighted to welcome so many of this year's successful candidates to the College. Whether newly graduated or long qualified elsewhere, all of those registering today have succeeded in meeting the educational and professional requirements that enable them to call themselves veterinary surgeons and to practise in the UK."
The RCVS Disciplinary Committee has accepted an application for restoration to the RCVS Register by James Main, who was struck off in 2011, following his administration of a prohibited substance to a racehorse and his subsequent attempts to conceal his actions.
At a Disciplinary Committee hearing held on 22 February 2011, Mr Main, a partner in the O'Gorman, Slater, Main & Partners veterinary practice in Newbury was found guilty of serious professional misconduct and his name was removed from the Register. The then-Committee established that, contrary to the British Horseracing Authority's (BHA) rules of racing, Mr Main had injected tranexamic acid into the racehorse 'Moonlit Path' on 19 February 2009, knowing that the horse was to race later that day. He was also found guilty of dishonestly concealing this injection in his practice records as a "pre-race check".
At yesterday's hearing, the Committee noted that the decision to remove Mr Main from the Register had sent a clear message to the profession of the importance of strict compliance with the BHA's Rules of Racing; it was the inevitable consequence of his breaches of those rules and his dishonesty in concealing the administration of the injection. In oral evidence, Mr Main said he accepted the findings and decision of the previous Committee, and he apologised.
The Committee also noted a number of changes since implemented at Mr Main's practice, including a pharmacy review to improve traceability of drugs; withdrawal of the use of tranexamic acid in the management of Exercise Induced Pulmonary Haemorrhage; and a cautious approach to drug withdrawal times. Mr Main's practice had also reviewed its processes to ensure its veterinary surgeons complied with all relevant rules, regulations and guidance, and that any requests by clients to breach these rules would be refused.
The Committee accepted evidence that Mr Main had worked in a management capacity in his practice since 26 March 2011, performing no clinical role, and had undertaken appropriate continuing professional development since being removed from the Register. It also noted the large volume of testimonials and public support presented at the hearing from both veterinary surgeons and clients in the horse world.
Furthermore, it noted that removal had been financially and emotionally detrimental to Mr Main, his family and practice and, if his name were not restored to the Register, there would be a continuing detrimental effect on his family finances and the practice.
Committee Chairman Professor Peter Lees said: "The Committee accepts that Mr Main has found the removal of his name from the Register a humbling and salutary experience and accepts his apologies. It is satisfied that he is very unlikely to breach the rules of racing in the future and does not consider that there is a risk to the future welfare of animals by restoring his name to the Register.
"The Committee does not consider that any further period of erasure would be of benefit either to the public or the veterinary profession."
The Committee directed that Mr Main's name be restored to the Register.
The RCVS has published the conclusions of The McKelvey Report, a review into the circumstances leading to a substantial overspend on the College's new database and development works at Belgravia House.
The review was carried out by Professor Bill McKelvey - a member of the College's Governance Review Group - and two of the College's Privy Council-appointed Council members to consider all aspects relating to the College's budgeting and expenditure process, and propose lessons that could be learned.
Whilst the full report has not yet been published, its conclusions highlight:
Overall, the report concluded that:
Weaknesses exist in the governance of the RCVS which pose significant risks to the proper conduct of its business. Executive staff have not been provided with a robust governance framework by the Council, and this has led to a number of unnecessary misunderstandings between Executive staff and Non Executive members of Council. These matters should be urgently addressed by Council in order to ensure that the confidence of ordinary members of the profession in their College can be restored.
Dr Jerry Davies, RCVS President said: "That such a review was required is regretted, but I would like to thank Professor McKelvey, Richard Davis and Judith Webb for their diligence in this work. Their recommendations will be a very helpful addition to the work that is currently underway to ensure corporate governance is fit for purpose and, in particular, that the management of capital projects within the College is optimised."
The full report is available here.
Suffolk veterinary surgeon Gerhard Putter is appealing for support for a gala evening on 14th March 2015 to raise funds for a bucket list set up by his colleague, vet Lisa Milella, who has been diagnosed with incurable Motor Neurone Disease.
Lisa, one of the world’s few specialist animal dental surgeons, has volunteered for charity International Animal Rescue (IAR) for many years. She is also a trustee of the charity. During her time working with IAR, she has worked in countries including India and Indonesia, treating animals including abused bears, orangutans and slow lorises, which have suffered cruelty at the hands of humans. Now, as her health deteriorates, she is unable to work herself, but she is devoting her remaining time to fundraising for IAR to ensure her work can continue when she is no longer here.
Gerhard, who works at the Mulbery Court Veterinary Centre in Sudbury and is also a specialist veterinary dental surgeon, has worked with Lisa many times. He is now hosting the gala evening at Stoke by Nayland Golf Club to support her fundraising efforts. Tickets cost £25.00 per person and include a buffet, entertainment, raffle and other attractions.
He said: "Lisa helped 'dancing bears' which had had their teeth knocked out with iron bars to make them easier to control; slow lorises which had their teeth clipped off by illegal traders before being sold as pets and even orangutans, which are sometimes beaten by their captors, leaving them with broken teeth and bruises. I've seen at first-hand how important her work is and have worked with her on a number of volunteer projects.
"Her diagnosis with MND is a terrible personal tragedy for her but she is focusing on the positive and trying to do what she can for these animals while she still can. The teams at Mulberry Court and the All Animal Dental Centre are determined to support her but the success of our Gala Evening depends on the generosity of people willing to support Lisa’s Mission to raise as much money as possible.
"We hope everyone will get behind us and buy tickets. We would also welcome gifts for our raffle and any other offers of help."
For more information, please email Gerhard Putter, at Mulberry Court Vet Surgery, allanimaldentalcentre@gmail.com or contact him on 01787 881888.
The traditional approach is to use anatomical knowledge to inject pain relief in the area of the nerves to be blocked.
Liz is leading a move away from this approach to a more precise method which uses ultrasound guidance to visualise the nerves, allowing the local anaesthetic to be placed directly around the nerve itself.
For some nerve blocks, it is possible to block just the sensory branches of nerves, which means pets can walk better immediately after surgery while not feeling any pain.
Liz, a past president of the Association of Veterinary Anaesthetists, said: “Local analgesia is now at the forefront of our post-operative care and reliably improves the quality of a pet’s recovery and reduces the need for opioid pain relief, which can cause side effects.
“We’re using the latest techniques to deliver the nerve-blocking anaesthetics to exactly where they’re needed.
“For many of the nerve blocks, the use of ultrasound guidance allows more precise delivery and a complete blockade of the sensory nerves, which is why, here at Paragon, we’ve invested in state-of-the art ultrasound machine designed specifically for superficial and deep nerve blocks.
“This means we can provide more effective immediate post-operative analgesia for our patients and minimise the need for further pain killers.
“The nerves can be directly visualised and local anaesthetic directly placed around the nerve bundles.”
Liz is keen to highlight the advantages of the increased use of local anaesthesia in the treatment of animals. She added: “We’re hoping we’ll soon be able to publish some clinical research on the use of some of the blocking techniques used to demonstrate our clinical impression of their effectiveness in patient management.”
The three presentations, which are between 30 minutes and an hour in length, are aimed at vets but may also be of interest to veterinary nurses. They cover: ‘Topical therapy in canine atopic dermatitis’ and ‘Antimicrobial resistance’ presented by Dr Tim Nuttall and ‘Emotional considerations in dealing with dermatology cases’ by Dr Sarah Heath.
The presentations will be available for download from 7th June 2021, and viewers will be able to enter into a prize draw to win a £50 Love2Shop voucher and a free Cytology Manual.
To pre-register, visit: https://www.thewebinarvet.com/pages/ceva-dermatology-tea-time-top-ups-bite-size-cpd-sessions/
The lives of pet rabbits in Britain, the UK's third most popular pet, are being drastically cut short due to owners' ignorance and misinformation, according to a survey for Rabbit Awareness Week (26th April - 2nd May 2010).
The survey revealed a widespread lack of knowledge about what pet rabbits need to live longer, healthier and happier lives. Almost half of the respondents believe that vegetables, fruit and carrots are the most important food for rabbits. In addition, 71% didn't know that fibre, in the form of hay and grass, is the most important food for rabbits, without which they can die.
More than 50% of those surveyed did not know that rabbits should be kept in pairs, and 90% of respondents didn't know that owning a rabbit is likely to cost more than £3,000 over the course of its lifetime.
Sean Wensley, senior veterinary surgeon at the PDSA, said: "Despite more than a million pet rabbits currently being kept across the country, the results of this survey add to our concerns that their welfare needs are sadly misunderstood.
"It is vital that owners understand the commitment involved in owning pet rabbits, both financially and in terms of the time taken to care for them properly. It is also essential that owners understand their rabbits' welfare needs, including their need to be fed a suitable diet, to have a large hutch and exercise run, to have company and to receive appropriate health care, including vaccinations against deadly diseases."
For more information, see: http://www.rabbitawarenessweek.co.uk
The Veterinary Marketing Association has announced a Practice Marketing Award, with a prize of £500 worth of CPD, for which entries are now being sought.
The award, which is sponsored by Merial, is open to companion and farm animal practices that can demonstrate effective marketing to their clients during the course of 2012.
For more information, visit: www.vma.org.uk/awards, or email: secretary@vma.org.uk for entry details.
Those veterinary surgeons being audited are being asked to share their records for 2013 to 2015 by either allowing the College to access their online Professional Development Record or by sending the RCVS a copy of their CPD record cards. The deadline for sharing records is Friday 14 October 2016.
The audit is focused on six groups:
If any of the veterinary surgeons who have been audited are found to be non-compliant (ie. less than 105 hours of CPD over a rolling three-year period), they will be asked to explain why and send a plan stating how they will make up the hours in order to become compliant.
The College says it is also keen to remind veterinary surgeons that CPD encompasses a wide range of recorded activities, which can be clinical or non-clinical, including private reading/study, webinars, mentoring, clinical audit and discussion groups as well as attending seminars and workshops.
More information about what counts as CPD can be found at www.rcvs.org.uk/cpd
Those with any questions about the auditing process or what constitutes CPD can contact Jenny Soreskog-Turp, Education Officer at the College, on cpd@rcvs.org.uk
Ed's note: Don't forget to claim your VetSurgeon.org CPD certificate detailing time you've recorded reading content and taking part in qualifying discussions on the site. Click 'My Account' and then the 'CPD' tab to view your records and create your certificate.
At the meeting, Simon Biles from Moore Scarrott gave a 30 minute presentation, which was followed by a one hour discussion.
The recording can be watched on VetSurgeon.org here https://www.vetsurgeon.org/001/nonclinical/m/meetings/138080, where you can also claim the time watching towards your annual CPD requirement. Press the 'Claim CPD' red button in the title bar towards the top.
To make it easier to find content that interests you, there are markers on the video timeline.
There is also a forum thread on vetsurgeon.org for further discussion of any of the points raised in the film. See: https://www.vetsurgeon.org/001/nonclinical/f/site-support-discussions/29784/vetsurgeon-zoom-ir35-locums-and-umbrella-companies
For more information about Moore Scarrott, visit: https://www.moore-scarrott.co.uk
Expanding on the training available in autumn 2022, which was launched based on the results of an extensive training pilot, MMI is offering a total of 14 sessions taking place both online and in person over the next few months. Sessions will be running from January to April 2023. The courses will cover areas that have been identified as priority topics from previous MMI surveys, feedback from the professions, and evaluation of the training pilots.
Mind Matters Initiative Manager, Lisa Quigley, said: “Mental health and wellbeing are impacted by a whole host of structural and societal factors and maintaining a healthy workforce goes far beyond supporting people on an individual level.
"Whilst it is undoubtedly important to provide people with the skills they need to look after themselves, we are aiming to expand on this by providing individuals with the skills and knowledge needed to recognise and address wider collective issues. For example, the importance of creating and maintaining a positive workplace culture.
Session dates and specific topics are as follows:
Mental Health First Aid (£30 in-person)
9am – 5pm
Psychological Safety and Civility (£20 in-person, £15 online)
In-person – 9am – 4pm
Online – 9am – 1pm
Sustaining Your Emotional Health (£15 in-person)
2pm – 5pm
For more information on the training courses, visit: https://vetmindmatters.org/training/
George won the Best Medicine Award for: 'Predictors of clinically significant bleeding in dogs with severe thrombocytopenia'.
Kathryn won the Best Practitioner Award for: 'Reflecting on first opinion clinical improvement project across 39 UK vet practices to support diagnosis and management of OA.'
Sebastian won the Best Surgery Award for: 'Complications and outcomes following surgical management of Achilles Tendon injury'
The Best Student Award was won by Michelle Demkova for: 'Lifting the flap on otitis externa in dogs under primary veterinary care in the UK – the VetCompass view'.
In addition, Clare Jones RVN won the Best Poster Award for: 'Confidence with CPR within Veterinary Professionals. Would standardised CPR training help confidence within Veterinary Professionals?'
Submissions for the 2025 Clinical Abstracts will open on 9th September 2024, and will close on 18th October, and those chosen will present their work at BSAVA Congress 2025, in Manchester on 20th – 22nd March.
https://www.bsavacongress.com/register-interest
A team of researchers led by Tim Mair, CVS Equine Veterinary Director and Specialist in both Equine Internal Medicine and Equine Soft Tissue Surgery at Bell Equine Veterinary Clinic, will review 100 cases of colitis in adult horses and 100 controls referred to seven equine veterinary hospitals in the UK: five CVS equine veterinary hospitals as well as Rossdales Equine Hospital and University of Liverpool’s equine hospital.
A set of diagnostic tests on blood and faeces will be performed in these cases.
The laboratory tests will include: small redworm serology, culture and PCR of faeces for Salmonella spp, PCR of faeces for Clostridioides difficile and Clostridium perfringens, ELISA of faeces for toxins of C.difficile and C.perfringens, PCR of faeces for coronavirus.
The clinical features, laboratory results, treatments and outcomes will also be recorded.
Tim said: “Acute colitis accounts for around 5% of admissions to referral hospitals.
"And of those who are referred with it, half will not survive but there is very limited evidence available.
"So it’s vital that we build our evidence-base of this life-threatening condition.
"We hope that the outcomes of our new study will lead to a greater understanding of the causes and better inform veterinary treatment of colitis in UK adult horses.”
The Colitis in Adult Horses study is supported by a research grant from CVS, and funding for the small redworm ELISA will be given from Austin Davis Biologics.
The study started at the beginning of 2024 and the first horses have been recruited.
The results of the study are expected to be published in 2025.
Research by the Kennel Club to promote Discover Dogs (Earl's Court, 14th & 15th November) has found dogs help one in twenty people find love, and one in three to make new friends.
More than four in five said the mere presence of a wagging tail has provided them with the courage or excuse to talk to a stranger - possibly because two-thirds agree that people with dogs seem more friendly and approachable.
The research was carried out in October amongst a representative sample of 530 dog owners. It found that nationally,:
33% have made a new friend when walking their dog
4% have met a partner when walking their dog
64% of dog owners feel people with dogs seem more friendly and approachable
16% say that their dog is the only one that they can trust
40% say that their dog is their best friend
19% spend more time on social networking sites than they do outside socialising
46% rarely meet people outside of their existing social group
Caroline Kisko, Secretary of the Kennel Club, said: "This research confirms that dogs enrich our lives in so many ways and, as well as helping us to make new relationships, they still retain the title of man's best friend. At Discover Dogs we can help people to find the right dog for them and to learn how to give them the best possible life, so that we can return the favour."
Novartis Animal Health has launched a 0.5L pack of the anthelmintic Zolvix to make the product more readily available for quarantine dosing, and for the smaller sheep farmer.
Novartis says that because Zolvix is a broad spectrum anthelmintic that has the ability to kill all common sheep gastro-intestinal nematodes, including those resistant to existing treatments, it has a key role to play in quarantine treatment to keep parasite infection down to a minimum.
Simon Harris, Endoparasite Brand Manager at Novartis Animal Health, said: "As the first of the new generation of the Orange or 4-AD anthelmintic group, Zolvix has demonstrated effectiveness in killing worms, even those resistant to other products.
"Sheep farmers are being encouraged to use Zolvix as a quarantine treatment that can significantly reduce worm burdens on farm. I would stress that it is essential guidelines are followed in order to preserve Zolvix's ability to combat nematodes that have acquired resistance to other classes of wormers.
"This new pack size is aimed at farmers who are introducing new stock to their flocks, but will also be convenient for the smaller sheep farmer and smallholders who don't require such a large quantity of product."
Novartis says that because Zolvix is a short-acting anthelmintic, it does not encourage resistance to develop through a long duration of action. It has a high margin of safety so can be used to treat sheep and lambs including pregnant or lactating ewes and breeding rams. Its short meat withhold period of just seven days allows flexibility when marketing lambs.