VetCell Bioscience has become the first UK-based stem cell centre to be authorised under the Veterinary Medicines Regulations.
Following a rigorous series of inspections and reports by Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) Inspectors VetCell, in conjunction with their UK laboratory partner Biobest, were officially authorised as an equine stem cell centre on 1 October 2009.
David Mountford, Chief Operating Officer of VetCell Bioscience said: "To have received formal authorisation so swiftly reflects the high standard of our operation and our ability to lead the field in the increasingly competitive sector of stem cell technology."
Stem cell therapy involves implanting millions of the animal's own stem cells and autologous growth factors directly into the injured tendon or ligament. The service VetCell Bioscience offers is the collection, storage, processing and supply of stem cells suitable for administration back into the donor animal.
According to the company, there is considerable interest from the human sector and studies in human medicine, for the treatment of Achilles tendinopathies, could begin as early as next year.
250 mainly menopausal-aged veterinary surgeons and nurses took part in the survey.
Over 80% said the menopause had affected their health. Nearly half said the impact on their mental health had been moderate to severe. Overall, 76% said they were concerned about the impact of the menopause on their health, life and work.
You can read the full survey report here.
The most commonly reported physical symptoms, affecting over three quarters of respondents, were fatigue, irritability and difficultly sleeping. Hot flushes, night sweats and joint pain were also very common. Anxiety was the most common mental health impact, with some individuals experiencing clinical depression and, rarely, suicidal ideation.
Workplace measures said to be helpful included flexible working, help with heavy lifting and provision of fans or air conditioning. Diary management to allow breaks, and openness and understanding amongst colleagues were also valued.
Liz Barton, editor of Veterinary Woman said: “As a predominantly female workforce, we cannot ignore the profound impact the menopause can have both on individuals and veterinary teams. The effects last for an average of seven years and impact a majority of women mid-career. As a profession we have an opportunity to lead this conversation as it’s beginning to open up across the wider media."
Awareness of the impact of menopause was wide-ranging across age categories, but averaged 4.3 out of 10 for those 40 years old and under, and increased to 7.4 out of 10 for those aged 41 and over. Even with relatively high levels of awareness among respondents, 90% said they would like to know more about the impacts from either personal and/or business and human resource perspectives.
SPVS President, Anna Judson (pictured right), said: “Having experienced the effects of the menopause working as a practice owner, I wish I had known more about the impact and that I was not alone in how I was feeling. It’s time to break these taboos, open up the conversation and put in place measures to mitigate the impacts. In so doing, we will not only help individuals to continue to thrive in their careers, but also help practices to retain experienced staff at this challenging time of life."
A free access webinar discussing menopause impacts and how to mitigate is available free at: https://www.veterinarywoman.co.uk/2020/11/menopause-and-the-effect-on-veterinary-professionals-and-teams/
Bringing together people working at the cutting edge of small animal and equine osteoarthritis treatment with the companies driving technology, supplies and services, the Veterinary Osteoarthritis Congress is open to both VOA members and non-members, including veterinary surgeons, nurses, physiotherapists and others engaged in hydrotherapy and rehabilitation.
Day 1 has two small animal streams – session headings include ‘Managing OA’ and ‘Dealing with chronic pain’; and an equine stream looking at ‘Multidisciplinary management of OA’, ‘OA treatment options’ and ‘Unusual presentations’.
On day 2, ‘Biomodulation in OA’, ‘Working dogs’, ‘Mobility clinic’, and ‘Feline OA focus’ will run alongside sessions on ‘Rehab in action’, ‘Surgery in OA’ and ‘Dietary supplements’.
There’ll also be case presentations and interactive sessions on both days, with demonstrations and lectures from some of the leading firms.
Seven sessions in each stream offers two days of CPD.
After the first day’s sessions there’ll be a happy hour followed by a gala dinner in the Kings Hall. The event is being sponsored by Animalcare (Platinum), TVM UK and the Canine Hydrotherapy Association (Gold) with more to be announced soon.
Professor Stuart Carmichael, co-founder and director of the VOA, said: “Exciting developments are happening in veterinary OA, so we felt now is the right time to put this event on.
"There’s nothing specialist about osteoarthritis treatment and management: every small animal and equine practice deals with OA every day.
“There’s a real need and enthusiasm for bringing the latest thinking to as wide an audience as possible, so VOACON offers sessions for all members of the practice, whatever their interest is, along with rehab and physio teams.
"It’s actually been pretty difficult fitting everything in, but we’re confident we’ve got a great programme offering real, practical CPD that will benefit practices, their clients and their patients.”
Delegate rates for VOA members are:
Non-members (who can join the VOA when booking to qualify for members’ rates):
Rates include a hot buffet lunch, congress book and CPD certification.
To book or to download the programme, visit www.vet-oa.com/voacon.
The one hour ‘Wake up to inappetence: practical solutions for the cat that won’t eat both in the clinic and at home’ breakfast meeting is being presented by Sam Taylor, feline specialist advisor at ISFM.
The session will focus on practical management for both in- and out- patients, covering when to use appetite stimulants and place a feeding tube and how to support caregivers.
Sarah Musgrave, brand manager for Mirataz at Dechra said: “Inappetence in cats is extremely common and has many underlying causes.
"Appetite stimulants, such as Mirataz, can play a significant role in supporting cats with unintended weight loss while further investigations are underway.
"Our breakfast meeting at ISFM Feline Congress will cover the practical management of inappetence in cats and provide delegates with hints and tips to take back to the clinic."
https://icatcare.org/congress-2023-dublin/programme.https://www.dechra.co.uk/mirataz
Vetoquinol, makers of Sedalin (acepromazine), has published a free clipping guide for horse owners.
The company says the launch of the guide has been timed to coincide with the horse clipping season, when owners may be considering sedating horses to make things safer for themselves and their horses.
The guide refers owners to their veterinary surgeon for professional advice if sedation is appropriate.
The company has also produced promotional practice posters: ' Less Stress more Success'
For your poster and accompanying guides, contact your Vetoquinol Territory Manager or Teleservices directly on 01280 825424. You may also wish to put a link to a downloadable version of the guide on your practice website: http://www.vetoquinol.co.uk/clippingguide.pdf
A new study published in Equine Veterinary Journal's (EVJ) in partnership with the American Association of Equine Practitioners, has shown that a wireless, inertial sensor-based system can effectively measure a horse's response to a flexion test.
The authors say that opinions on the value of flexion tests in assessing equine lameness have been divided for many years, but their research should turn what has always been regarded as a subjective process into a wholly objective one.
Flexion tests are used routinely in horses with subtle or imperceptible lameness, to exacerbate the problem and make it apparent to the observer. The test involves applying a short period of pressure to the joints of the limb before re-examination, and evaluating any change in gait. However, flexion tests rely on the ability of the observer to identify and interpret changes in the horse's gait and in that respect these tests are subjective and not necessarily consistent between observers.
The research study was conducted by orthopaedic surgeons based at the University of Glasgow's School of Veterinary Medicine1. A total of 17 healthy adult horses, all in work, were fitted with sensors before being trotted in a straight line. The sensors measured vertical pelvic movement asymmetry for both right and left hind limb strides and the average difference in maximum and minimum pelvic height between right and left hind limb strides. A hind limb was randomly selected for 60 seconds of proximal flexion, after which the horse was trotted for a minimum of 10 strides. Response to the flexion was blindly assessed as negative or positive by an experienced observer.
John Marshall, lecturer in equine surgery at the University of Glasgow, who led the study, said: "A positive response to flexion resulted in significant changes to objective measurements of pelvic symmetry, supporting the use of inertial sensor systems to objectively assess response to flexion tests."
Professor Jim Moore, North American Editor of the EVJ, said: "The introduction of an objective approach to documenting lameness examination will not only help vets and trainers to investigate equine lameness more accurately. It will also serve as an unbiased method of communicating lameness examination findings among vets, trainers, farriers and other professionals."
The next phase of research will be to establish cut-off values for objective assessment of other equine lameness diagnostic procedures, such as nerve blocks.
Reference
The Congress, which is organised by Improve International, has separate streams for small animal medicine and small animal surgery and a dedicated veterinary nursing stream.
There will also be an exhibition of the latest innovations in veterinary products and services running alongside the lectures.
Helen Richmond, Head of Publishing at Improve said: “While technological innovation has made online congresses much more engaging and accessible over the last year, we felt the time was right to bring Vets North back in a face-to-face environment. Many of our previous delegates have already told us how much they are looking forward to being able to learn and enjoy some social time together again.
“As usual this year’s programme will include presentations and lectures from global experts, who will give advice and share knowledge that can be implemented in practice immediately. We would like to thank Elanco as our lead sponsor of this year’s Vets North and we also thank our other partners and sponsors for their support and loyalty during this difficult year.”
"Naturally, keeping delegates safe is our highest priority so we are working with the venue to ensure that the Government’s recommendations are implemented to the full and that Haydock Park is a COVID-secure venue.”
Early Bird tickets are available until the end of June.
For more information visit www.vetsnorth.com or call 01793 20805.
Royal Canin is offering Dyson Animal handheld bagless vacuum cleaners (normally retailing at £130) with orders of over £500 at Congress this year.
The Royal Canin Veterinary range will be on display, including the latest additions for cats, Renal Special Dry and Renal with Tuna.
Delegates can also find out more about Royal Canin’s programme of on-site in-practice staff training on nutrition, Pet Health Counsellor courses and extensive support material for veterinary nurses, receptionist courses, display material for the waiting room, and a helpline to ensure that vets and their teams have quick access to the most up to date information.
Everyone who drops in on Royal Canin will also be able to enter a free draw to win a flight in a hot air balloon.
Virbac has announced the reintroduction of chews as part of its dental range.
VeggieDent chews are available in packs of 15 in sizes suitable for small, medium and large dogs. The chews contain chlorhexidine and have a texture and shape designed to optimise plaque removal by physically abrading the tooth surface during chewing.
Product manager Chris Geddes said: "The gold standard of dental hygiene is regular brushing, but that isn't always possible, and products such as this are ideal for those difficult cases."
For further information please speak to your Virbac representative, phone 01359 243243 or email admin@virbac.co.uk.
The College says it has become increasingly recognisant of how a blame culture can lead to a fear of making mistakes, something which can have a negative impact on both the mental health and wellbeing of members of the profession and, ultimately, animal health and welfare.
The anonymous online survey, which is being conducted by the Open Minds Alliance, is described by the College as a major step towards moving to a learning culture which has a greater focus on openness, reflective practice, learning and personal development.
Nick Stace, RCVS Chief Executive Officer, said: "Moving towards a learning culture is one of the key aims of our Strategic Plan 2017-19 and we have already started to make some progress in this area with our Mind Matters Initiative, for example. This survey will help establish a baseline against which we can measure any improvements over the course of the next three years.
"As a regulator this is part of our attempt to be much clearer about the kind of culture we would like to see in the professions; one that encourages members of the veterinary team to learn from each other, and from their mistakes, and to be more open about when things do go wrong in order to better manage public and professional expectations.
"By moving towards a learning culture we can also hopefully reduce levels of stress and mental ill-health within the profession, as practitioners will feel they can be more open about their mistakes and take steps to improve their practice – rather than feeling like they cannot talk about what goes wrong, which can lead to fear and anxiety.
"This is no easy task – particularly when public expectations of what veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses can and should do is increasing – but we hope that by being brave and open about this new ambition we can galvanise veterinary associations, educators, practices and individual veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses and make a real difference."
The survey will also be asking to what extent members of the profession feel that the College, as the regulator, contributes to any blame culture and where improvements could be made to the concerns investigation and disciplinary process to help combat it.
Eleanor Ferguson, RCVS Registrar and Director of Legal Services, added: "It is a common misconception that if you make a mistake then this will be investigated by the College and you will end up in front of a Disciplinary Committee.
"However, we recognise that mistakes can and will happen and that expecting 100% perfection is unrealistic. The real professional conduct issues arise when members of the profession try to cover up their mistakes, whether that is to professional colleagues or clients, which often does far more damage than if the person was open and honest about what had gone wrong.
"We do also accept that there is always room for improvement in our own processes and if there are positive steps we can take to make the investigation and disciplinary process less onerous for members of the professions then we would like to hear your suggestions."
Click here to take part in the survey.
The survey is the second stage of a three stage review recommended to RCVS Council by the College’s Standards Committee in 2019, after it looked at the implications of new technologies for both animal welfare and veterinary regulation.
The main areas under consideration include the provision of 24/7 emergency cover and the interpretation and application of an animal being under the care of a veterinary surgeon. The review also encompasses remote consulting.
In stage one of the review, the RCVS commissioned a research agency to conduct a series of focus group discussions with veterinary professionals working in a variety of roles and sectors. The information gleaned from the discussions was then used to develop the questions for this survey.
The survey will ask veterinary professionals to reflect on what, for them, should underpin good regulations and guidelines for practice.
It will then ask respondents how these principles should be applied in particular situations relating to 24/7 emergency cover and 'under care' before inviting their views on how they would like regulations on these two areas to deal with any tensions between different desirable regulatory aims.
The survey results will be used to help produce any changes to the RCVS Code of Professional Conduct and its supporting guidance concerning ‘under care’ and the provision of 24/7 emergency cover, which will then be put out for full public consultation later this year.
Chair of the RCVS Standards Committee, Dr Melissa Donald, said: “This review addresses fundamental questions about how we should continue to interpret ‘under care’ in a profession, and a society, that is largely unrecognisable to the one that first defined the term, and, at the same time, how we can continue to provide 24/7 emergency cover for those animals under our care.
“The original Vet Futures report also emphasised the impact that technological advances may have on the veterinary professions, so we must ensure we have in place a regulatory framework that gives consideration to these potential changes whilst ensuring animal health and welfare remain at its heart.
“These are challenging but hugely important questions on which we are hoping to receive as much feedback as possible. I do understand the huge pressures my vet and vet nurse colleagues continue to work under at the moment, so would like to thank them in advance for taking a little time out of their busy days to send us their views.”
The survey will open on Wednesday, 19th May 2021 for all UK-based veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses.
All responses will be used and reported anonymously, so respondents will not be identified.
The survey will be open for four weeks, closing at 5pm on Wednesday, 16 June 2021.
It should take 15-20 minutes to complete, but can be returned to and completed in stages if preferred.
Further background information about the Under Care Review is available at www.rcvs.org.uk/undercare.
The Small Animal Medicine Society (SAMSOC) and the BSAVA have together produced a new poster containing guidelines for the appropriate use of antibiotics in practice.
In recent years, alongside wider recognition of resistant bacteria such as MRSA in animals, the veterinary profession's use of antibiotics has been under the spotlight as a possible factor contributing to the increasing prevalence of bacterial resistance seen in human patients. Veterinary surgeons are faced with the dual problem of treating more and more resistant bacterial infections, whilst the threat of withdrawal of the right to prescribe certain antibiotics hangs over the profession.
SAMSoc and the BSAVA say they feel the time has come for the veterinary profession to take a coordinated responsible approach to its prescribing practices.
Ian Battersby of the Small Animal Medicine Society (SAMSoc) has sought to address the need for rational guidelines for the most appropriate antibiotics, for the correct duration, to maximise clinical efficacy but minimise selection of resistant bacteria. Collaboration with BSAVA resulted in a set of helpful prescribing guidelines in poster form, being sent to members of both associations. A limited number of copies will also be available from the BSAVA Balcony at Congress 2012, and BSAVA has dedicated the October issue of its membership magazine, companion, to the subject.
Ian said: "Of course these PROTECT guidelines are suggestions based on current knowledge and in the future we hope they will be further refined as our experience grows. This is an evolving situation and hopefully more work will be undertaken, in particular looking at treatment durations, allowing further refinement and optimization of practice policies. The key principles are that by implementing a prescribing protocol in our practices we are treating our prescribing privileges responsibly and maximizing the efficacy of the presently available agents for the benefit of both veterinary and human patients now and in the future.
"I would like to particularly thank everyone who has helped with this project; Andrew Jagoe, Professor Ian Ramsey, Tom Maddox, Jon Camillari, Alison Woodward and Dr Tim Nuttall, and BSAVA for facilitating the production of the poster".
Special interest groups on VetSurgeon are areas where discipline-specific news, forum discussions, CPD events and clinical images are curated in one place. They also help members with shared interests connect with each other and interact with experts in the field.
In the Small Animal Medicine Group, I am delighted to welcome two contributing experts. Firstly, Andy Kent from Willows Referral Centre, who is already well-known on VetSurgeon for his helpful, knowledgeable and thoughtful contributions. Secondly, the pharmacist Andrea Tarr who, as the founder of Veterinary Prescriber, is something of a font of knowledge.
All VetSurgeon members with an interest in small animal medicine are warmly invited to come and join the new group. You need to login, navigate to the section here, and press the 'join' button on the left hand side (you may need to rotate your mobile phone to see it). You can also subscribe to a monthly or weekly digest of content added to the section.
Whilst you're there, I'm going to offer a bottle of good wine (ie not any old plonk) to the member who starts the most interesting discussion in the forum over the next couple of weeks. It could be a general topic, or, better yet, an interesting case discussion. If the latter, it doesn't matter how old it is. If you have an interesting case in your personal archives, dig it out and share it!
Don't forget ... sharing content and contributing to the discussion it starts (or indeed just reading content in the group) can count towards your annual CPD requirement. Just click the 'Claim CPD' button at the top of the page and the system will keep a record of the page you were on, the time you spent and how you found it useful.
The Small Animal Medicine Group is the second special interest group launched so far, after the Small Animal Dentistry Group. Watch this space, there are more on the way ...
Xavier (pictured right), who graduated from Cardenal-Herrera University in Valencia, Spain, in January 2006, has joined Southfields from the Royal Veterinary College, where he was working on the high profile Mitral Valve Repair Programme.
Xavier moved to the UK in 2009 to specialise in cardiology, first spending two years in Scotland where he completed a general and a cardiology internship at the Universities of Glasgow and Edinburgh, before beginning a cardiology residency at the University of Liverpool which he completed in March 2016.
He then continued at the University of Liverpool as a lecturer in cardiology for 16 months, before becoming a cardiology clinician at the Royal Veterinary College.
Henry L'Eplattenier, clinical director at Southfields, said: “We’re extremely pleased to welcome Xavier to Southfields and look forward to him progressing his career with us.
“He’s a very talented cardiologist who brings with him a wealth of expertise and experience which makes him a very valuable addition to our world-class team.”
Xavier said: “The move to Southfields is a wonderful opportunity for me and I’m really energised and motivated for the challenge ahead.
“This is one of the leading veterinary referral centres in the UK and it is set to become even better when we move into a new, purpose-built building boasting the finest facilities and most up-to-date equipment.
For more information, visit www.southfields.co.uk.
Anne is originally from New York City and obtained her veterinary degree from Purdue University in 2011.
She completed her rotating internship at Louisiana State University, followed by two research fellowships at Michigan State University and Nihon University.
She then completed her residency at the RVC, before achieving diplomate status of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (Cardiology) in 2017.
Anne's interests include treatment and management of congestive heart failure, feline cardiomyopathy and cardiac interventions.
She said: “I’m delighted to be joining the cardiology team at DWR at a very exciting time, supporting the recently-launched open-heart surgery service.
“We’re one of very few hospitals in the world to be able to offer this treatment, so being a part of this is a great challenge, both personally and professionally.”
For more information visit www.dickwhitereferrals.com
The ‘Midgeater' device introduced by Calor in 2003 to combat biting midges causing irritation to humans, has now been successfully tested by leading scientists as a monitoring device in the fight against bluetongue.
Leading midge scientist Dr Alison Blackwell, who is the Managing Director of University of Edinburgh based Advanced Pest Solutions, presented her company's findings in her keynote speech to the Royal Entomological Society in Belfast on November 19th.
The current method of trapping midges when monitoring the deadly bluetongue virus is a light trap, but Alison and her team have established that a modified Midgeater can be more effective in catching the main midge species that carry the virus.
Alison said: "During trials this year, we found that Calor fuelled Midgeater traps modified with a simple ‘black' light source and fitted with an octenol / ammonia bait, proved to be far more effective at catching the main species of midge known to carry the bluetongue virus than the light traps which are currently used to monitor midge populations in relation to the disease".
Farmers throughout the UK recently commenced a vaccination programme to protect their animals from the only strain of the bluetongue virus that has so far been encountered in the UK, serotype 8, but there is still a real need to carefully monitor biting midge populations, as other strains of the virus are approaching our shores.
Alison added: "In the last few weeks serotype 1 and serotype 6 have been found in Northern Europe and there are currently no vaccines available in the UK for these types of the bluetongue virus, so it is important that we remain vigilant and monitor midges throughout the UK".
Advanced Pest Solutions have tested their modified Midgeater traps in England and Wales. The English, project which was carried out at a specialist bull breeding facility, also included the use of the Barrfly air curtain, from fellow Scottish business Innovent.
Alison explained: "Innovent's air curtain is designed to prevent midges passing through it into sensitive areas. The insects simply aren't strong enough to fly through the air currents it produces.
"The air curtain, combined with the Calor supplied traps and APS's consultancy and analysis creates a comprehensive ‘assess, protect and stop', midge management system that businesses can use to reduce the exposure to the risks of midge borne diseases."
Dechra Veterinary Products has added to its Veterinary Essentials range of veterinary-licensed post-patent products with the launch of Fiprocat and Fiprodog, a fipronil spot-on solution for the treatment and prevention of on-animal flea infestations in cats and dogs.
Available in packs of 3 or 6 pipettes, Fiprocat and Fiprodog are only distributed through the veterinary channel. Dechra highlights the product's convenient self-standing pipette. which it says makes the process of applying the spot-on easier.
Dechra says it offers a wealth of client support material, and practice promotional support to go with the product.
Fiprocat and Fiprodog can be used as part of a treatment strategy for the control of Flea Allergy Dermatitis (FAD).
Rob Simpson at Dechra said: "Fipronil has been used in the treatment and prevention of on-animal flea infestations for many years and is one of the most commonly used treatments in practice. Fiprocat and Fiprodog join R.I.P Fleas Extra to offer a cost effective complete flea solution to tackle both on-animal and environmental flea infestations."
On top of that, over 25% of vets said they don't talk to their farmer clients about the disposal of empty pharmaceutical waste.
The survey also found that while veterinary surgeons are aware that both glass and shatterproof plastic vials are incinerated, over 65% of those questioned believed that glass vials were more environmentally friendly, when in fact, the company says its CLAS (Ceva Layered Anti Shatter) shatterproof plastic vials have 33% less impact on the environment from cradle to grave2.
Ceva is producing a range of support materials, including tailored social media and newsletter content, to help vets to raise awareness of their pharmaceutical waste disposal service and drive improvements across the industry.
Peter Keyte, ruminant business unit manager at Ceva Animal Health said: "As an industry we should be doing all that we can to improve our environmentally friendly credentials.
“Ceva will continue to invest in innovative eco-friendly technology for livestock injectables and pioneer improvements to help ensure best practice throughout the industry.”
For further information, or to request a pharmaceutical waste disposal service support pack, contact your local Ceva account manager or call 01494 781510.
References
Horiba says subclinical hypocalcaemia (SCH) is a significant and under-diagnosed metabolic problem in dairy cattle affecting up to 50% cows annually.
After lactation, total calcium levels in the cows’ blood drop which can lead to sub-optimal health and yield.
The webinar will be presented by James Husband BA, VetMB, DipECBHM, DCHP, MRCVS, who will offer the benefit of his research and experience on the subject.
At the end, there'll be a Q&A session.
During the webinar, Horiba will also introduce its patient-sideLAQUAtwin Ca-11C pocket meter, which measures blood ionised calcium levels fast and is currently on special offer until 30th June 2022.
To register, visit: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/6274625209458361872
Supreme Petfoods Ltd has published the results of tests on small animal petfood which, according to the company, highlight significant problems with the on-pack declarations and contents of a number of the leading brands.
The tests, which were carried out by Campden BRI on behalf of Supreme Petfoods, discovered:
Issues regarding high sugar levels which are not required to be declared under current rules. The highest average levels of sugar were found in Wagg Optimum (4.57%), Beaphar Care + (5.00%), Burgess Supa Fruiti (5.10%), Beaphar Extra Vital (5.35%) and Burgess Excel (4.04%).
In the company's press release, Chris Childs, Managing Director of Supreme Petfood, commented: "The results greatly concerned us. We were shocked to find food that is marketed for rabbits - ie: herbivores - had traces of mammalian and avian DNA in it. In my opinion, this can only be compared to vegetarian food being contaminated with meat. This was our main concern amongst many other issues revealed."
That strikes me as overstating the case somewhat. Aside from the fact that bunnies don't get quite as het up about their diets as vegans, the report does not define what 'trace DNA contamination is'. Going on the shock expressed by Mr Childs, I'm expecting a pork chop or a drumstick in every bag of Burgess Excel at the very least.
Molly Varga, BVetMed, DZooMed (Mammalian), MRCVS told VetSurgeon.org that she would expect rabbits to be exposed to trace amounts of animal DNA naturally and that the amounts found in the tests were not likely to have any effect whatsoever on the health of rabbits. Nevertheless, she did feel that the report highlighted important issues concerning the fibre and sugar content of various diets.
As a consequence of the report, Supreme Petfoods is calling for an overhaul of the rules and regulations which apply to pet food for small companion animals. The company suggests the introduction of an accredited quality scheme aimed specifically at pet food for small companion animals, containing strict conditions for the production, packaging and marketing of food for herbivores.
In response, Burgess Pet Care issued a statement expressing considerable reservations as to the timing, purpose and potential negative outcome for the welfare of pet rabbits of Supreme's report. Commenting on behalf of Burgess, Sharon Redrobe, Head of Veterinary Services, Bristol Zoo Gardens, and Head of Rabbit Clinic, Bristol, said: "Any research into small animal health should focus on the crucial role of fibre in a balanced feeding plan and how this can be communicated to rabbit owners, so discussions centring around the detailed contents of pellets are irrelevant in my opinion to this central welfare issue."
To read Supreme's report, click here.
Open to all in the veterinary profession, the event offers up to ten hours of CPD, and covers a range of topics such as orthopaedics, ECC, medicine, wellbeing, and education.
There will also be practical sessions to attend on both days on transfusions, CPR, and physio.
Speakers include:
There's a commercial exhibition, and social events including the Ceilidh at the annual BSAVA PetSavers Gala Dinner on Friday evening.
Prices start at £85 +VAT for a day pass, with early bird rates offered to both BSAVA members and non-members until 27th July.
Additional discounts are available when sending the whole practice team.
https://www.bsavaevents.com/bsavaalba23/en/page/home
AmpliSpec LAB Mastitis uses isothermal amplification technology, which means laboratories can use less expensive equipment.
It also uses the company's lyophilised bead platform, designed to make the test stable and easy to use.
Biotangents says its new test will offer notable cost, speed and accuracy benefits over the traditional culture and PCR testing used by animal health laboratories and veterinary clinics around the world.
CEO Fiona Marshall said: “With 93% sensitivity and 95% specificity, this is a highly sophisticated assay that will help farmers, vets and laboratories to better treat mastitis.
http://www.biotangents.co.uk
The recommendation follows the analysis of data collected as part of the company's Talk About Laminitis disease awareness initiative, which has seen more than 47,000 horses tested for PPID since it was launched in 20121.
The data revealed that, regardless of presenting clinical signs, a horse aged 15-20 is three times more likely to have PPID compared to a horse under 10, and this risk increases with age. For example, a horse of 20-25 is six times more likely to have PPID compared to a horse under 10 and a horse that is 25-30 is 10 times more likely to have PPID.
Boehringer says that despite the high prevalence of PPID in the older horse population, the clinical signs of the disease are insidious in onset and owners may simply associate them with the ageing process.
One study demonstrated that in a single population of horses over the age of 15 only 1.6% of owners reported signs of PPID2. However, when the same group of horses were examined by a veterinary surgeon, 21% were found to have signs of the disease.
Dr Jo Ireland, veterinary surgeon at the University of Liverpool, said: "It is often difficult for owners to spot the signs of PPID as they frequently associate them with the ageing process. However, PPID is now the fifth most commonly diagnosed disease in horses in the UK3.
"We are therefore encouraging veterinary surgeons to routinely test horses over 15 years of age or those that are displaying signs of PPID with an ACTH test."
The 'Talk About Laminitis' disease awareness initiative runs from June until the end of October and aims to raise awareness of the underlying hormonal causes of laminitis – PPID and Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS). As part of the scheme, the laboratory fees for the blood test which detects PPID (the basal ACTH test) are free.
Redwings’ head of veterinary and care, senior veterinary surgeon Nicky Jarvis, said: "Any initiative that decreases the incidence of laminitis developing in an older equine is invaluable. Laminitis is an extremely distressing condition for both the horse and the owner and the long-term consequences can be devastating. Knowing the underlying cause is a huge help in tackling the disease and we would encourage anyone to take advantage of this offer and get their veteran checked out."
For further information about 'Talk About Laminitis', visit www.talkaboutlaminitis.co.uk or contact your local Boehringer Ingelheim account manager.
Clare (pictured) who is currently the General Dental Council’s Interim Executive Director for Legal and Governance, will be joining the RCVS as its most senior legal officer at the end of March 2025.
A qualified solicitor, Clare started her practice as a Solicitor Advocate in criminal law, before undertaking roles in regulatory bodies in the healthcare and financial sector.
She joined the General Dental Council in March 2023 and has been in her current role there since March last year.
When she joins the College, Clare will have a dual role.
As Registrar she will be responsible for keeping, maintaining and publishing Registers of veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses, including oversight of the various mechanisms via which veterinary professionals can join the Register, what they need to do to stay on the Registers, how they may leave or be removed and registration appeals.
As Director of Legal Services, she'll provide leadership and guidance on legal matters within the organisation, including guiding RCVS Council through the development of oral and written legal advice, as well as sitting on committees and working groups in order to ensure the College’s activity is within its legal remit and represents best practice.
RCVS Chief Executive Officer Lizzie Lockett said: “I am sure the RCVS, the professions and the public will benefit from her very relevant experience from senior roles within the General Dental Council, Nursing and Midwifery Council, and Financial Conduct Authority, as well as her private sector legal experience.
“She joins the College at a time of change, with our continued push for new veterinary legislation, the ongoing Competition and Markets Authority investigation of the sector, and a new strategic plan for the College due to be approved this spring.
“The Registrar is the senior legal figure within the organisation, and I am looking forward to Clare contributing her legal expertise on these significant areas of work.
"She joins our very capable legal team, who I am sure will benefit from her leadership, as she will benefit from their sector expertise.”
Clare said: “I am delighted to join the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons to contribute to the valuable work of safeguarding the interests of the public and animals by supporting veterinary professionals to provide the highest standards of care.”
VetSurgeon.org extends a warm welcome to Clare and wishes her all the very best in her new position.
One small but nevertheless important point is that perhaps a better aim would be to support veterinary professionals in providing just a 'high' standard of care, rather than the 'highest' standards.
It's this constant striving for the 'highest' standards from both a regulatory and clinical perspective that is driving up the cost of veterinary care and making it unaffordable.
Woodley Equipment has expanded its support team with the appointment of Greg Woloszczuk as the new Wet Chemistry Product Support Specialist.
Greg joins Woodley from the veterinary industry where he worked for 5 ½ years as a Service Manager. He will focus on all areas of customer service, pre and post sales, along with organising servicing, repairs and maintenance of the Woodley wet chemistry analysers.