Figures produced by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons show that almost half of the first cohort of newly-qualified vets to sign up to the Professional Development Phase (PDP) have now completed it.     

The PDP is a web-based database that enables new graduates to develop, and reflect on, their professional skills during their first year in clinical practice. Completing the PDP became a professional obligation for all newly-qualified vets from 2007 onwards.  Of the 636 vets who graduated in 2007, 586 (92%) signed up to PDP and 290 have now completed.  Of the 616 vets who graduated in 2008, 546 (88%) have so far registered for the PDP.

Freda Andrews, RCVS Head of Education, said: "Undertaking PDP is a professional requirement for every newly-qualified vet working in clinical practice. The first vets to undertake PDP seem to be taking around 15 months from signing up to signing off.  Properly completing PDP counts as the first year's CPD and we strongly recommend that this year's graduates sign up as soon as they have found their first clinical role."

The PDP is also open to any vet returning to practice. 

To find out more about PDP requirements, log onto www.rcvs.org.uk/pdp, to enrol, email pdp@rcvs.org.uk.

Texas-based diagnostics company Volition Veterinary has announced the results of a proof of concept study for its Nu.Q Vet Assay which found that a single assay detected almost 70% of both canine hemangiosarcoma and canine lymphoma

Together, these two cancers account for almost a third of all canine cancers. 

Dr. Heather Wilson-Robles, an Associate Professor at Texas A&M University and Chief Medical Officer of Volition Veterinary Diagnostics said: "The proof of concept results in these two very prevalent canine cancers give us confidence to move forward with other Nu.Q Vet assays in our pipeline, and with the larger range of cohorts and trials we have collected and planned.

"Clearly, we still have work to do as this single assay did not detect one of the other top five canine cancers, canine osteosarcoma, which was the third cancer tested in this study. However, I am delighted to see such positive results in these two significant cancers and look forward to reporting further data over the coming quarters with additional Nu.Q Vet assays, this time tested on an automated platform.”

Dr. Terry Kelly, Chief Scientific Officer of Volition America said: “It is exciting to see such strong results from our first Nu.Q Vet study conducted at Texas A&M University Veterinary Hospital. It is also interesting to note the similar patterns of detection seen in both canine and human samples confirming that the Nu.Q platform does appear to be useful in more than just human diagnostics.

"As with human diagnostics, there are currently no accurate, simple, affordable cancer screening tests available in veterinary medicine and yet 25% of dogs will develop cancer at some stage of their life. I look forward to completing the planned trials and to launch our first Nu.Q Vet product in the U.S. that we expect to occur in 2020."

RCVS Knowledge has announced two new categories for its annual awards, which are now open for applications.

The awards, which which celebrate initiatives that advance the quality of veterinary care and demonstrate a commitment to using an evidence-based approach, will be open for applications until 13th January 2023.

The two new award categories are Antimicrobial Stewardship and Canine Cruciate Outcomes.  

The Canine Cruciate Outcome Awards are to recognise and celebrate individuals and teams who are using Quality Improvement initiatives alongside RCVS Knowledge’s Canine Cruciate Registry (CCR) to monitor and improve their canine cruciate surgery outcomes.

Applications are invited by surgeons and teams who are using the CCR.

The Antimicrobial Stewardship Awards, which are divided into farm animal, equine, and companion animal categories, aim to showcase practical examples where individuals and teams are improving responsible antimicrobial prescribing.

In addition, the charity is looking for entries for its existing awards for students and those who have implemented Quality Improvement (QI) techniques.

The Veterinary Evidence Student Awards enables students from around the world to enhance their academic and research skills by writing a Knowledge Summary and submitting it for publication to Veterinary Evidence, RCVS Knowledge's open access, peer-reviewed journal.

The Quality Improvement Awards showcase the implementation of Quality Improvement techniques which drive improvement within the professions.

www.rcvsknowledge.org/awards

VetCT has launched a survey to explore opinions on artificial intelligence (AI) in veterinary medicine.

The 10 minute survey seeks to capture the current level of understanding and feelings around the deployment of AI tools across the veterinary industry.

VetCT says the purpose of the survey is to start some discussion and identify areas where training and support could help veterinary practitioners.

Julien Labruyère, Chief Innovation Officer at VetCT (pictured), said: “AI is here to stay and will increasingly become part of all aspects of veterinary medicine.

"Indeed, it’s vital to help us solve some of the workforce pressures the profession is facing globally.

"We will increasingly be using the outputs of AI tools to inform our clinical decisions, and yet the mechanisms and algorithms can be something of a black box of mystery.

“We want to understand the needs of clinicians in understanding how to apply AI safely, effectively and with confidence to support good clinical practice and ultimately, improve animal welfare.

"The results will be published and freely accessible.

"Our hope is to encourage a collaborative effort to support veterinary teams with embracing the full potential of AI, yet also providing the safeguards and education to the clinicians applying this technology to their patients.”

The survey is here: https://bit.ly/VetCT_AI_Survey.

The Veterinary Management Group (VMG), the professional association for people in leadership and management roles in the veterinary sector, is inviting applications for a number of places on its board.

In particular, the association says it is looking for people with expertise in the following areas:

• Veterinary nursing
• Early-career veterinary development
• Not-for-profit fundraising
• Marketing and communications
• Psychology 
• Human resources and/or employment law
• Business finance/commercial modelling and or investments
• Finance director – officer role

VMG President Rich Casey (pictured right) said: “During the last two years alone, we have launched a new suite of ILM-accredited Award in Veterinary Leadership and Management (AVLM) qualifications, together with our evidence-based Leadership Standards Framework. 

"We have also announced our intent to support the specific needs of our members more closely through our own congress and other initiatives, as well as helping to guide the wider veterinary profession through the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.

“We’re proud of what we have achieved so far but we have much more to do. 

'We are looking for several new directors with specific skills to help us offer the highest level of support we can to our members in 2023 and beyond.”

The deadline for applications is 3 October 2022.

https://vetmg.com/vmg-new-director-search 

According to a new study, 93% of owners of flat-faced dogs – including the Pug, French Bulldog and English Bulldog – would opt for the same breed again, despite experiencing common and severe health problems in their pets.

The research, led by the Royal Veterinary College in collaboration with the University of Edinburgh and Nottingham Trent University, also revealed that 66% of owners would recommend their flat-faced breed to others.

Although previous RVC studies found that owners are initially attracted to brachycephalic breeds due to their distinctive appearance, this latest study has revealed that behaviour traits are a core component of why owners ‘love’ their breed and would recommend them to others; essentially, owners come for the looks, but stay for the personality.

In order to gain a deeper understanding of these views, the study, which included over 2,000 owners of Pugs, French Bulldogs and English Bulldogs, asked owners to describe which aspects of their current breed they would or would not recommend in their own words.

The main reasons for owners recommending their breed included:

• The perceptions that these dogs were loving and affectionate, loyal, comical, ‘clown-like’ and playful.
• A belief that they were suitable for households with children.
• A perception that flat-faced breeds are ‘lazy’ and require little exercise, so are suited to sedentary lifestyles with limited space.

Conversely, aspects of their breed that owners would not recommend included:

• High maintenance requirements.
• Impacts on owner lifestyle including excessive hair shedding and loud snoring.
• Health problems being common and high vet bills.
• Behavioural traits including stubbornness, neediness, and aggression.
• Only a small number of owners cited concerns over ethical and welfare issues associated with breeding flat-faced dogs, such as irresponsible breeding practices and suffering associated with their body shape, as a reason that they would not recommend them.

Dr Rowena Packer, Lecturer in Companion Animal Behaviour and Welfare Science at the Royal Veterinary College and leader of the study, said: "With a multitude of stakeholders trying to tackle the current brachycephalic boom in the UK, our results are of real concern to these efforts. Understanding how breed loyalty develops towards brachycephalic breeds, and whether it can be changed once established, is key to reducing the popularity of short-muzzled breeds. If first time owners of flat-faced dogs choose these breeds for the rest of their lives, then the current crisis could continue for decades.

"Although strong focus has been placed upon dissuading new puppy buyers from purchasing brachycephalic breeds, as they are now some of the most popular breeds in the UK, attention should also be turned to current owners. Priority should be given to developing evidence-based strategies to help these owners consider lower risk, healthier breeds when acquiring future dogs. Our novel findings start this process by highlighting the key behavioural characteristics that this owner group value."

Veterinary Woman is running a campaign to put challenging health topics on the agenda throughout October and into November.

The campaign comprises of a series of live interviews, articles and surveys aimed at exploring the impact of breast cancer, menopause, infertility and baby loss women, and men, and how the veterinary profession can better support people having to cope with these issues in the workplace.

The campaign includes free access articles and live online sessions with VetYourBreasts campaign organiser, veterinary surgeon Anna Beber, as part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month; VetMINDS co-founder, vet Nat Scroggie, on 12^th October during Baby Loss Awareness Week; Dr Karen Morton, consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist on World Menopause Day 18^th October; and SPVS Senior Vice President, Catriona Curtis, talking about her personal experiences with infertility on 2^nd November during National Fertility Week.

A survey on the impact of the menopause, particularly on working life, is being run in partnership with SPVS in the run up to World Menopause Day. The survey seeks to gain a broad understanding of both awareness and experience across the profession, and responses are encouraged from all ages and genders, whether personally affected or not. The survey can be accessed here until 15^th October: https://bit.ly/2FVXIkv

SPVS President, Anna Judson, 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. There is a growing appetite to tackle these issues and we want to hear from anyone affected by the menopause, in order to put the right support mechanisms in place. We're proud to sponsor the menopause webinar and partner with Veterinary Woman on raising awareness about health issues, which are often brushed under the carpet."

Liz Barton, editor of Veterinary Woman, said: "I have been incredibly moved to see the deep empathy and encouragement amongst veterinary colleagues beginning to open up about the impact of health challenges, particularly at work. When I realised the campaigns in October were topics we need to talk about more as a profession, it seemed right to use this as a platform to tackle some of the hidden, emotive health challenges we bear throughout our life and work. We are looking for partners to help us develop the conversations and practical assistance for individuals and practices, to better support those who are silently living with these burdens."

Companies and organisations wishing to support the work should contact liz@veterinarywoman.co.uk. Individuals can register for updates about how to access the sessions by joining the Veterinary Woman email list for updates (www.veterinarywoman.co.uk), or following Veterinary Woman on social media.

The RCVS has published a revised complaints procedure on RCVSonline.

The procedure represents the culmination of 12 months of work from the College's Preliminary Investigations Committee, with the aim of making the decision-making processes more transparent.

There are four information packs about the complaints procedure, all of which are available on RCVSonline. These are for complainants, veterinary surgeons who are complained about, those involved in decision-making at the RCVS and additional guidance for Lay Observers who provide independent, lay input to the process.

View an introduction to the RCVS complaints procedure and download the protocols by clicking here

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Bayer Animal Health, maker of Advocate, has announced that it will be running its 'Be Lungworm Aware' campaign in April.

The company says the campaign aims to help raise awareness of Angiostrongylus vasorum amongst dog owners and support the veterinary practice as a source of further information. The initiative will be backed by a national TV and print advertising campaign.  Media vet Joe Inglis will also be supporting the initiative and will be talking about Angiostrongylus vasorum during a series of radio and web broadcasts.

Bayer has produced new support materials, including an updated lungworm PR pack. The materials are designed to allow veterinary practices to educate owners on the disease, whilst helping to raise the profile of the practice in the local community.

Meanwhile, the research carried out by the company has revealed some interesting insights into dog owners' understanding of lungworm.

Despite awareness being fairly high with nearly half of owners claiming to know about the condition, 84% of this group did not know any of the clinical signs associated with the infection, while only 60% were aware that the disease could be fatal if left untreated.   Understanding of how dogs become infected was also relatively low with only 24% of owners recognising the role of slugs and snails as the intermediate host for the parasite.  As well as playing a vital role in alerting owners to the emergence of the disease, the veterinary practice was cited as the primary source of information that owners would refer to if they needed advice on treating this parasite.

Eric Morgan from the University of Bristol said: "Angiostrongylus vasorum appears to be continuing its spread to new locations in the UK. It is therefore important that dog owners are educated on the infection and the signs to look out for, to enable them to seek treatment before it is too late."

For further details, or to order the new practice materials, please contact your Bayer representative or ring 0845 2574798 quoting 'Be Lungworm Aware'.

Scientists from the Institute for Animal Health, Pirbright, UK Met Office and the Jersey State Veterinary Service and Jersey Meteorological Department, are working together on an early-warning system to help defend cattle against the spread of 'bluetongue' disease, according to a study published today in Weather.

The team is fusing meteorological data with ecological information to anticipate when disease carrying midges are likely to be carried on the wind from the continent to the UK and Channel Islands.

Lead author Dr Christopher J. Sanders from the Institute for Animal Health said: "The bluetongue virus, BTV, represents a major and unprecedented epidemic which has spread across Western Europe since 2006. While accurate estimates of costs incurred are not yet available, it is estimated that these could be in the order of many tens of millions of pounds."

BTV is carried by small biting midges, Culicoides, one of the smallest species of biting flies found on livestock. One bite from a midge fully infected with BTV can be enough to lead to infection in cattle and sheep, which can be fatal.

Since 1998 the range of the African species of biting midge has expanded from the Mediterranean basin resulting in an overlap with the range of European species. This enabled European species of midge to pick up virus from infected animals for the first time and go on to transmit it in Southern Europe. However, the arrival of BTV in northern Europe in 2006 was independent of this northwards movement of BTV, jumping north rather than from a gradual spread, and was reliant on transmission only by European midges common and widespread in the area.

In 2006 the disease was found in Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and Germany; 700 km north of previous European outbreaks. In June 2007 the disease was once again reported in Germany and by October 2008 24,000 cases were reported in France alone. In September 2007, the first cases of BTV were discovered in the UK, where fortunately the outbreak was small.

The danger that the disease may again spread to the UK from across the channel is of special concern to the Channel Island of Jersey, which maintains a world renowned cattle industry, but is at heightened risk of infection if the disease becomes established along the Cherbourg peninsula or the Normandy and Brittany coastline.

The risk comes from the possibility that the tiny midges can be carried on the wind from the French coast to the Island. To monitor this threat the team set up midge light traps in farms across the island to monitor midge activity and to identify the presence of any potential vector species.

The results were then collated and analysed alongside data from the Jersey Meteorological Department, which allowed the team to pinpoint when livestock were at risk from a number of locations on the mainland. This information was fed into the UK Met Office early-warning website which has also been used on the mainland to help predict and defend against the disease.

"Environmental conditions, especially temperature, wind speed and direction have a significant impact on the biting midge in terms of activity and abundance," concluded Sanders. "Monitoring the midge population in Jersey will provide the farming community on the mainland with knowledge of when the midge season commences in the diseased areas of the near continent."

Longbridge-based Blaise Veterinary Referral Hospital is to host its first CPD event: a day focusing on the liver, on Wednesday 13th September 2023 at Herbert's Yard.

The sessions will be delivered by Andrew Kent, clinical director at Blaise and a small animal internal medicine specialist, Lara Dempsey, head of soft tissue surgery, Jacques Ferrerira, head of anaesthesia, Mike Farrell, head of orthopaedic surgery, and neurology clinician, Emma Suiter (pictured).

The talks will cover:

• Diagnostic approach to liver disease (including liver biopsies)
• Gall bladder mucocoeles
• How should we help pet owners understand complex problems?
• Pain management in patients with liver disease (and other chronic diseases)
• Metabolic causes of seizures
• Portosystemic shunts - the medic, the surgeon, the anaesthetist and the neurologist
• The orthopaedic surgeon’s approach to liver disease.

Client communication will also be covered, together with some orthopaedics for those with an interest in that area.

Andy said: “We’re building an incredible team at Blaise and are very excited at the prospect of sharing the specialist knowledge that our clinicians have with our wider veterinary community.

"Treating liver conditions can be incredibly complex and our educational programme presents an unrivalled opportunity to deep dive into this part of an animal’s body and how best to approach it.”

Tickets are available for £48 from https://www.ivcevidensiareferrals.com/Delivering-the-Best, with all profits going to the charity StreetVet.

Blaise Veterinary Referral Hospital in Longbridge is IVC’s first purpose-built pet hospital and will be open to accept referral patients from November 2023.

www.blaise-referrals.com

http://herbertsyard.com 

MSD Animal Health UK has announced the launch of Bravecto, which it says is the first and only treatment available for fleas and ticks in dogs that is rapidly effective and offers 12-weeks duration of efficacy.

Bravecto (fluralaner) is the first of a new generation of systemically active ectoparasiticides, the isoxazolines, and will only be available on prescription through veterinary practices.  

The new product will be available in five strengths of pork liver flavoured palatable chew for different size dogs - one chew per weight band - which MSD says are readily accepted from the hand.

Jolian Howell, marketing and technical lead at MSD Animal Health UK said: "Bravecto is a truly unique and exciting innovation which will transform the effective treatment of fleas and ticks - providing protection like never before from a single dose. It is the first in a new generation of products that offer a full 12-week protection and will help keep the treatment of fleas and ticks within veterinary practices."

He continued: "Estimates suggest that flea and tick treatments are applied for just 2.8 months per year so just one dose of Bravecto will immediately deliver much improved levels of treatment for dogs in veterinary care, which is good for the animal and good for the vet."

MSD Animal Health says it is investing in the launch of Bravecto with a major marketing and practice support package which aims to raise awareness of fleas and ticks and drive pet owner footfall into practices for flea and tick control.

The new product will be available after BSAVA Congress, where MSD will be giving visitors the opportunity to learn more about it.

Zoetis (maker of Cerenia, the anti-emetic) is using social media for its latest campaign to remind owners that vets have a solution for dogs that suffer from travel sickness.

The company highlights research which shows the problem is more common than one might think, with 62% of dogs experiencing travel sickness for the first time as puppies. What's more, 1/3rd of owners say they would travel with their dogs more often if they didn't get car sick.

Stephanie Smith, Marketing Manager for Cerenia said: "While less than half of vets in the UK report seeing at least one canine motion sickness case each month, we know that over one third (34%) of dogs that travel experience motion sickness. That's a lot of opportunity for vets to provide pets and owners with some relief."

To spread the word, the company has set up an educational microsite: www.nonstoptravelfun.co.uk which it is now promoting with an online social media campaign, including twitter #nonstoptravelfun and targeted bloggers and pet sites. The company has also been advertising the microsite on Facebook and Google, which I'm told has driven thousands of visitors over the past fortnight.

Stephanie added: "Motion sickness can impact the whole family, making travelling an unpleasant experience. Our new campaign aims to raise awareness for the issue and encourage pet owners to seek veterinary help for the problem, so they can enjoy non-stop travel fun, without the sickness."