Shockwave therapy, or Extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) to give it its full nomenclature, sends mechanical shock waves into the affected area to stimulate the natural healing process by triggering the body’s own repair mechanisms.
The therapy is being spearheaded at Willows by Kinley Smith (pictured right), an RCVS and European specialist in small animal surgery. He said: "Shockwave therapy is a whole new line of treatment and has proved a spectacular success.
"It’s an excellent technique for dealing with certain orthopaedic conditions and there’s no invasive surgery, no wound to heal and no risk of infection so it really is a win-win-win procedure.
"It is particularly effective in the treatment of ligament and tendon injuries.
"There can be immediate pain relief for the dog; after two weeks we start to see lasting benefits and in four weeks we normally see a clear improvement.
"The added bonuses are we can normally reduce any medication; the dog can enjoy more exercise plus it is not as costly as undergoing an operation.
"Surgery is still essential in some of the more acute, problematic cases but shockwave therapy has been a terrific development in helping us provide an alternative treatment in a lot of soft tissue, muscle and bone conditions."
For more information, visit www.willows.uk.net.
Following legislative changes, the British Veterinary Association has updated its 'Good Practice Guide to Handling Veterinary Waste' for England and Wales.
Supported by the Environment Agency the Guide primarily consists of a quick-reference poster enabling vets to categorise and segregate veterinary waste in line with Environment Agency requirements. The poster defines the types of hazardous waste, outlines the types of containers required and sets out the appropriate classification codes.
The Guide is complemented by more detailed web guidance which incorporates useful templates to download.
BVA President Carl Padgett said: "All businesses have a duty of care to ensure that all waste is stored and disposed of responsibly, that it is only handled or dealt with by those authorised to do so and that appropriate records are kept of all waste that is transferred or received.
"The BVA Guide has been a popular resource for the profession since we first launched it in 2008 making it considerably easier for vets to comply with Hazardous Waste Regulations. The revised poster is hopefully an incentive for practices to check if their requirements have changed and ensure they're still up-to-date."
The poster and web advice are available at http://www.bva.co.uk/activity_and_advice/1641.aspx and BVA members will receive a hard copy of the poster to display in their practice.
Vétoquinol has announced the return of Navilox powder (isoxsuprine hydrochloride), the only medication specifically licensed in the UK for use in cases of navicular disease in horses.
Navicular disease is a chronic degenerative condition of the navicular bone and associated structures. It is a syndrome with a complex pathogenesis which combines various underlying causes. Vétoquinol says it is a common cause of lameness in the middle aged riding horse.
Robert Simpson, Navilox Product Manager said: "Navilox has been sorely missed by equine vets in the UK which is why I am thrilled to be able to announce that it is available again."
To order Navilox powder, call Vétoquinol on 01280 825424 or contact your wholesaler directly.
Policyholders will get unlimited access to Joii Pet Care’s video consultations with UK veterinary surgeons, which usually cost £24 per call.
Pet owners with Asda Money pet insurance will also be able to access Joii Pet Care’s symptom checker, which is designed to help pet owners pinpoint issues from their home.
Paul Hallett, co-founder of Vet-AI, said: “We’re delighted to announce this major partnership, which completely opens up access to professional vet care for thousands of pet parents who will benefit hugely from accessing regular, preventative veterinary care from the comfort of their homes.
“Many pet owners are now facing high vet bills and difficulties accessing in-practice veterinary care.
"Both Markerstudy Broking and Asda Money share our commitment to put animal welfare first, and collectively we’ll ensure more owners have easily accessible choice to receive the very best care for their pets.”
The charge against Dr Irvine was that in July 2017, he failed to discuss with the owners alternative treatment options to dental surgery under general anaesthetic, or the risks of dental surgery under general anaesthetic, and failed to obtain informed consent from the owners for the surgery.
Dr Vasilev was also originally charged with failing to discuss alternative treatment options or the risks of the surgery and failing to obtain informed consent. However, at the outset of the hearing, as a result of new information which came to light, the RCVS opted to offer no evidence in relation to these charges. Mr Vasilev was separately charged with failing to maintain clear, accurate and detailed clinical records in relation to his treatment of the dog.
At the outset of the hearing, Mr Irvine denied all aspects of the charge against him; while Dr Vasilev admitted all aspects of the remaining charge.
The Committee heard how Rupert's dental surgery under general anaesthetic was recommended by Mr Irvine on 10th July and performed by Dr Vasilev on 11th July 2017. After the surgery, Rupert was discharged, but vomited in his sleep that same night. He was brought back to the practice on 12th July, where Dr Vasilev administered antiemetic and antibiotic medication.
However, Rupert continued to vomit over the next five days, and was seen by the practice on 17th July and then on 18th when blood tests were conducted. Rupert’s condition deteriorated as he continued to vomit and lose weight and he was brought back to the practice on 22nd July where he was euthanased by Dr Vasilev.
The Committee heard evidence from Rupert’s owners as well as two expert witnesses. It found the first aspect of the charge against Mr Irvine proven on the basis that there was an inadequate discussion with the owners regarding the option of delaying the dental treatment on Rupert because of his recent ascites caused by congestive heart failure.
The Committee found the second aspect of the charge against Mr Irvine proven on the basis that he had not discussed the risks of Rupert undergoing general anaesthetic given the recent diagnosis of congestive heart failure, following which (in relation to the third aspect of the charge against Mr Irvine), it was therefore found proven that he had failed to gain informed consent.
With all aspects of the charge against Mr Irvine being proven, and with Dr Vasilev admitting the charge against him, the Committee went on to consider if the proven and admitted charges against both amounted to serious professional misconduct.
In respect of Mr Irvine, Stuart Drummond, chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: "The Committee was not persuaded that the failure to obtain informed consent from [the owner] and discuss matters further with her on 10th July 2017 in the circumstances of this case would amount to serious professional misconduct which would bring the profession into disrepute.
"In the Committee’s judgment, the breach of standards, whilst amounting to professional misconduct, was not serious professional misconduct, in the context of other discussions which had taken place…. The Committee further decided that a finding of serious professional misconduct in this case would be disproportionate having taken into consideration the discussions that Mr Irvine had with [the owner] prior to 10th July 2017 and the fact he was dealing with a complex and changing case.
"The Committee therefore found that Mr Irvine was not guilty of disgraceful conduct in a professional respect."
The Committee noted that Dr Vasilev had admitted breaching the Code of Professional Conduct for Veterinary Surgeons in respect of failing to keep adequate clinical and client records.
However, in mitigation, the Committee considered a number of factors including that, in failing to maintain adequate notes related to Rupert’s treatment, Dr Vasilev had followed the standard of notetaking in the practice as set out by Mr Irvine who was practice principal; that Dr Vasilev had only worked with Mr Irvine in the UK and his record-keeping was limited to working in one practice; that Dr Vasilev admitted his failures at an early stage of the proceedings; that he had made efforts to avoid repetition in the future by undertaking webinars and research; and, that he had shown insight into the need to ensure full communication and detailed note-taking.
Stuart Drummond added: "In relation to Dr Vasilev, the Committee was satisfied that [his] standard of record-keeping was in breach of the Code of Professional Conduct for Veterinary Surgeons and that the breach… amounted to professional misconduct.
"The Committee concluded that the breaches overall, when considering the context and number of mitigating factors, were, in the Committee’s view, insufficient to amount to serious professional misconduct…. Accordingly it found Dr Vasilev not guilty of disgraceful conduct in a professional respect."
The full facts and findings from the case can be found at www.rcvs.org.uk/disciplinary.
Neptra has been approved for the treatment of acute canine otitis externa or acute exacerbations of recurrent otitis caused by mixed infections of susceptible strains of bacteria sensitive to florfenicol (Staphylococcus pseudintermedius) and fungi sensitive to terbinafine (Malassezia pachydermatis), by the European Commission.
Mario Andreoli, Head of Marketing at Bayer Animal Health, said: "Otitis externa is a common disease in dogs and a leading cause why owners take their dog to a veterinarian.
"Neptra offers a key advantage, unlike competing products, it requires just one dose, administered by the veterinarian in the practice."
No at-home applications by the dog owner are required. The treatment stays in the hands of the vet who has full control over compliance.
Mario added: "With Neptra we provide a high-quality veterinary treatment that is convenient for the dog owner and ensures the well-being of dogs with a proper, effective application."
VetSurgeon understands the new product will be available in the UK in January 2020.
The company says that CircoMax Myco offers the longest lasting combined protection on the EU market against PCV2 and M. hyopneumoniae pathogens. This reduces the PCV2 viral load in blood and lymphoid tissues, PCV2 fecal shedding, lymphoid tissue lesions associated with PCV2 infection, and lung lesions associated with M. hyopneumoniae infections.
Pig protection was demonstrated against porcine circovirus genotypes 2a, 2b and 2d and lasts for at least 23 weeks after vaccination in fattening pigs for both PCV2 and M. hyopneumoniae.
Monica Balasch, Director, Global Biologicals Development at Zoetis, said: "Porcine circovirus type 2 has demonstrated high mutation and recombination rates and is known to be rapidly evolving in Europe and worldwide. Commercial PCV2 vaccines have been efficacious in controlling the clinical disease, but there is a growing genetic gap between field viruses and vaccines. So far, all vaccines in Europe have been based on one single genotype, PCV2a, while today the most prevalent viruses found belong to other genotypes: PCV2b and especially PCV2d.
“We believe that there is a need for new vaccines, like CircoMax Myco which includes two PCV2 genotypes for a broader coverage. We found excellent results showing reduction of body weight gain losses in field trials in the EU. This innovative one-dose vaccine is a new tool for veterinarians and producers that may improve their PCV2 and M. hyopneumoniae control programs, especially in the face of multi-genotype PCV2 infections.”
Alvaro Aldaz, Director, Global Commercial Development, Swine, Zoetis, said: "For many years, intensive vaccination has contributed to selective pressure and emergence of new PCV2 genotypes. European pig farms are often infected with more than one genotype and subclinical disease is frequent. Commercial vaccines are all based on PCV2a genotype while CircoMax Myco is the first vaccine that includes two PCV2 genotypes (a & b), and the inventive M. hyopneumoniae purified fraction. It is formulated with MetaStim for active immunization, resulting in 23 weeks of protection against these threats."
CircoMax Myco contains inactivated recombinant chimeric porcine circovirus type 1 containing the porcine circovirus type 2a open reading frame 2 (ORF2) protein, inactivated recombinant chimeric porcine circovirus type 1 containing the porcine circovirus type 2b ORF2 protein and inactivated Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae, strain P-5722-3.
Krka says Milprazon Chewable is the first wormer in its category with proven palatability for dogs based on EMA Testing Guidelines.
In a study¹, more than 85% of dogs ate the tablet ‘voluntarily’, with 75% taking it unprompted from their food bowl.
Milprazon chewable is available in a range of presentations suitable for puppies from two weeks old (0.5kg) and kittens from six weeks old.
Milprazon comes in colour-coded packaging for easier dispensing.
Will Ridgway, Krka’s National Sales Manager said: "Milprazon Chewable is a premium product.
"It offers pet owners the reliability of Milbemycin oxime and Praziquantel, together with enhanced palatability, while supporting practice profitability."
Reference
Trodax is used to treat the mature and late-immature stages of the liver fluke Fasciola hepatica in both cattle and sheep. It is also indicated for the treatment of Haemonchus contortus infections.
Findlay MacBean, Business Head for Ruminant, at Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health said: “Manufacturing problems have led to Trodax being out of stock since late 2020 and it is with regret that we have to confirm that we are no longer able to manufacture the product.
"As one of the largest animal health businesses in the world we are committed to improving the lives and health of animals. We have a strong research and development focus, and a pipeline of potential products, including antiparasitics. We recognise that the discontinuation of Trodax may pose challenges for cattle and sheep producers where resistance to other flukicides has been confirmed.
“Our technical services team are on hand to support veterinary practice and animal health merchant customers as we make this change to our portfolio. Customers who have a technical enquiry should call 01344 746957 or email vetenquiries@boehringer-ingelheim.com.”
Boehringer says that its other wormer and flukicide brands are not affected and that Ivomec Super Injection, which contains ivermectin and clorsulon, provides an alternative treatment option for adult liver fluke in cattle and is also effective against gastrointestinal worm species, lungworm, and key external parasites.
Following the news on Friday that a Bulldog and Pekingese had failed their vet checks at Crufts, a further four animals have failed: Chervood Snowsun, a Clumber Spaniel; Secret Charm Avec Dibest, a Mastiff; Ithani, a Neapolitan Mastiff and Ch Buzz Lightyear At Dereheath, a Basset Hound. All were disqualified from winning Best of Breed, or representing their breed for the remainder of the competition.
The veterinary checks have been introduced by the Kennel Club to ensure that Best of Breed awards are not given to any dogs that show visible signs of problems due to conditions that affect their health or welfare.
Dog World magazine appears to have got hold of a copy of the Clumber Spaniel's Veterinary Health Check Record, and interviewed the owner:
The vet checks have, predictably, polarised opinion. The owners of the Bulldog Mellowmood One In A Million have already setup a facebook page: 'A group dedicated to honoring the win of Ch Mellowmoods One in a Million AKA Jenny who was wrongfully stripped of her Best of Breed win at Crufts based on a political move by the Kennel Club.'
Elsewhere, there has been a considerable amount of support for the vet checks:
Fitzpatrick Referrals has announced the launch of a new cancer and soft tissue surgery referral service headed by Professor Nick Bacon (pictured right) and Dr Laurent Findji.
Professor Bacon and Dr Findji are American and European Board-Certified Surgeons respectively, with extensive experience in cancer care and soft tissue surgery innovation.
Professor Bacon joins the service directly from his post as Head of Oncology at the University of Florida, College of Veterinary Medicine. He will also take up the position of part-time Chair of Oncology at the new University of Surrey School of Veterinary Medicine.
Dr Findji joins the team from his prior role as director of the VRCC in Essex, bringing his expertise in cancer and soft tissue surgery advancements.
Professor Noel Fitzpatrick, founder of Fitzpatrick Referrals, said: "With these two eminent and globally recognised Specialists leading the new service, the UK will now be able to provide an innovative approach and comprehensive diagnosis, treatment, management and prognosis for all cancer and soft-tissue patients. The service will also be able to use the additional expertise available through the University of Surrey and both Specialists will be available for referring vets to discuss cases and to offer advice on the innovative treatment options available."
Professor Stuart Carmichael, the new service's director, said: "We would only introduce a service like this when we know it can provide the best options, the most comprehensive care and the highest level of expertise available. This is a referral service which will change the way that cancer patients are dealt with in the UK."
Noel added: "It's a testament to the reputation of Fitzpatrick Referrals and the University of Surrey, our partner in education, that we have been able to attract talents as great as Nick and Laurent. This is an exciting time not only for the hospital, but also for first-opinion practices throughout the UK who can avail of this world-class opportunity to offer a potentially life-saving service to their clients for their patients."
The service will operate initially from a self-contained clinic at the existing Fitzpatrick Referrals Orthopaedic + Neurology Hospital in Surrey and will be accepting patients from 1st October.
The webinar, which will be streamed live at 8pm on Wednesday 20th November and will be available to watch for six months thereafter, is being presented by James Husband, an RCVS Specialist in cattle health & production.
Topics will include oxidative stress, its impact on cattle performance and the role of trace minerals in immunity and cattle health. The webinar will also cover the current complexities of oral supplementation including absorption and mineral antagonism, along with offering information about the latest innovation to boost trace mineral availability during high demand periods in the production and breeding life cycle.
To register for the webinar, visit: https://www.thewebinarvet.com/pages/register-free-role-trace-minerals-cattle-health-performance-new-veterinary-approach-boost-trace-mineral-availability/
All vets who view the webinar, either live or as a recording on the website, will be able to download a CPD certificate.
The survey, which this year had a record 1605 respondents, covers everything from basic earnings, bonuses and dividends to benefits such as accommodation, car allowance and pensions.
The survey found that the median salary package for all vets in 2021 was £48,325; £3000 more than in 2020.
For all nurses the median package was £24,227 in 2021 and for head nurses the figure rose to £31,013.
The median daily rate for a locum vet was £350 in 2021, a rise of over 16% since 2020.
The hourly locum rate increased by 36% to £41 per hour.
Similarly, locum nurse daily rates have risen by over 30% since 2020 to £144 and their hourly rate increased by 14% to £20.
New grad vets' salary packages actually dropped by £800 in 2021, to £32,700.
However, the 2021 new grad hourly rate increased to £15.66 from £15.04 in 2020.
SPVS says this could indicate that newly qualified vets are earning less because they are working, on average, three hours less a week.
This may suggest that they are prioritising their work life balance, with time off being more important than an overall salary.
SPVS also highlights a growing gender gap in salary.
81% of the respondents were female, and the median full time salary difference between men and women was 21%, compared to 15% in 2020.
SPVS hypothesises that this could be because there are more male vets in more senior positions, rather than because of gender per se.
The question, therefore, is why there are more male vets than females in senior positions.
The survey showed very similar numbers of males and females doing both clinical and non-clinical post graduate training. But more than twice as many men than women go on to take up positions of leadership or seniority, or in referrals.
More research is needed to understand why females are doing the extra training, but apparently not using it to further their career.
As in 2020 SPVS has also looked at satisfaction with remuneration, hours worked, conditions, support and prospects and is using this data to create a separate report which will be available soon.
For more information, visit: https://spvs.org.uk/spvs-survey/
The research, conducted with the Blue Cross, analysed data from over 2,000 UK dog owners and identified perceptual barriers to welfare reforms.
The study revealed that many owners normalise health issues associated with brachycephalic conformations, including breathing difficulties, eye conditions, and skin infections.
One in seven owners of extreme brachycephalic dogs said that 'nothing' could dissuade them from owning these breeds, particularly those with a strong preference for flat faces and those that did not believe brachycephaly reduced a dog’s lifespan.
Owners of extreme brachycephalic dogs, such as French Bulldogs, found the perceived trait of 'laziness' to be highly desirable, despite the fact that an inability to exercise is often a symptom of brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS).
The researchers propose a series of interventions to overcome these barriers and make campaigning more effective, including:
Dr. Rowena Packer, lead researcher, said: "Future strategies to tackle the brachycephalic crisis must do more than presenting purely health-based data in generic public locations, and instead, positively offering possible alternate breeds, myth-busting false beliefs and leveraging human stories of brachycephalic owners to have greater impact.
"Additionally, specifically targeting these messages on social media and puppy-selling platforms may increase their efficacy.”
EnteroZoo is a dietary supplement composed of organic mineral and purified water in a gel suspension. Enteromed says it works by binding bacterial toxins as it passes through the animal's digestive tract, thereby helping to maintain a healthy gut and intestinal balance.
Enteromed says that compared to old classic adsorbents, such as clay or charcoal, EnteroZoo can be used long-term and is gentle on an animal's intestines.
The company points to a new in-vitro study from Brighton University School of Pharmacy & Biomolecular Sciences which has shown that EnteroZoo adsorbs E. coli, Shigella and C. difficile toxins1 – common causes of gastrointestinal infection and diarrhoea.
EnteroZoo is suitable for all animals including pregnant and nursing females. It is tasteless and odourless and the company says animals generally accept it without any problems. It can be administered in various ways: directly into the mouth, mixed into feed, put on a treat, mixed in an appropriate amount of water or administered with a plastic syringe into the oral cavity.
For more information, contact: enterozoo@enteromed.co.uk, or visit: www.enterozoo.co.uk
Mr Wood was convicted of three offences which involved the download of 38 videos and 13 indecent images of children, at Portsmouth Magistrates’ Court in December 2017.
In January 2018, he was sentenced to a three-year Community Sentence for each offence, to run concurrently, and was made subject to a five-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order.
He was also fined £1,000 and ordered to pay costs of £340 and a victim surcharge of £85.
Mr Wood was also placed on the barring list by the Disclosure and Barring Service and required to register with the police pursuant to the Sexual Offences Act 2003 for a period of five years.
Mr Wood appeared before the Disciplinary Committee, admitted his conviction and accepted that it rendered him unfit to practise veterinary surgery.
In determining the sanction, the Committee says it took into account a number of mitigating factors: his conviction involved no actual harm or risk of harm to an animal; there was no financial gain; he had engaged in open and frank admissions at an early stage; he was experiencing mental ill-health at the time of the offence; he had taken subsequent steps to avoid a repetition of such behaviour; there had been a significant lapse of time since the incident; and he showed insight into the harm caused by his offence.
The Committee also considered that the purpose of a sanction is not to punish, but to protect the welfare of animals, as well as maintain public confidence in the profession and declare and uphold proper standards of conduct. On consideration of the appropriate sanction, the Committee decided that postponement of judgement was not appropriate, and that taking no action was not an option.
The Committee then considered whether a reprimand or warning was appropriate, but they considered that would not match the gravity of the offence – a period of suspension would also mean Mr Wood would automatically return to the Register after the period of time without the College being able to review his fitness to practise, rendering it an inappropriate sanction. The Committee therefore determined that the removal of Mr Wood from the RCVS Register was the only way to protect the wider public interest and maintain confidence in the profession.
Ian Green, chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: "The Committee has not taken this decision lightly, and, lest it be misinterpreted, it has not taken it in order to satisfy any notional public demand for blame and punishment.
"It has taken the decision because in its perception, the reputation of the profession had to be at the forefront of its thinking and ultimately it was more important than the interests of the Respondent.
"The decision is not simply based on the fact that these offences were of a sexual nature but because they were repeated frequently over a significant period of time, and at the time, the Respondent knew on his own admission that what he was doing was wrong.
"Accordingly, the Committee had decided that removal from the Register is appropriate and proportionate in this case. The Committee will direct the Registrar to remove the Respondent’s name from the Register forthwith."
Mr Wood has 28 days to appeal the Committee’s decision after which, if no appeal is received, the Committee’s judgment takes effect.
Hysolv says the vaccine, which was developed by IDT Biologika, has been used successfully in Germany, where 1.7 million doses have been prescribed. The company says field trials have shown that vaccination not only protected against clinical signs of influenza but also resulted in improvements in reproduction and piglet performance.
Two 1 ml doses of the inactivated vaccine can be injected intramuscularly three weeks apart to pigs from 56 days old, providing immunisation to the majority of animals within seven days.
Hysolv director, Geoff Hooper said: "Swine flu can be devastating to a herd and this vaccine will broaden protection, particularly when used with our existing vaccine Respiporc FLU3, which we are strongly advising."
Respiporc FLU3 protects against three other strains of swine flu (H1N1, H1N2 and H3N2). Hysolv says that when used together, the two vaccines protect pigs against the most relevant strains in the British Isles.
Geoff added: "There have been several flu pandemics throughout the years – the latest in 2009. It is not possible to predict the emergence of a pandemic strain accurately but this vaccine combined with Respiporc FLU3 will greatly decrease the chance of pigs becoming infected."
One of the consequences of veterinary price inflation has been a backlash from owners against vets, vet nurses and receptionists, so the first film kicks off by explaining why large vet bills are not the fault of the vet standing in front of them when their dog gets ill.
Currently, a further eight films are now in production, each looking at a different reason why the costs of veterinary care have increased and suggesting ways that owners can mitigate the impact. They are:
VetSurgeon.org Publishing Editor, Arlo Guthrie, who presents the films, said: "Above all, the aim here is to foster a better understanding between veterinary professionals and owners.
"I do hope the vets, nurses and support staff who have been bearing the brunt will feel my films are helpful.
"If you do feel they make useful points, then you need to share and 'like' the hell out of them on all the different social media platforms, in order that they reach the largest number of people.
"And if you have feedback about the content, or ideas for other topics we should cover, then come and post here: https://www.vetsurgeon.org/f/non-clinical-questions/31062/why-have-vet-bills-gone-up-so-much/245723"
The film is available here:
TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@vetsurgeon.vetnurse/video/7426457335880617248
YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/lg_EeamSbSI
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/reel/927062139289036
LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/vetsurgeon-org_veterinarysurgeon-veterinarynurse-activity-7252420794004205568-LzE3/
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DBM5i2XtfOB/
In 2020, BSAVA Congress will have been held at the ICC Birmingham for thirty years. However, recent years have seen ever greater competition from the London Vet Show, so the plan to revitalise the event further north at an award-winning new venue with such good transport links seems to make a lot of sense.
Manchester Central's size also means that unlike in Birmingham, the commercial exhibition, lectures and demonstrations will all take place under one roof, maximising the use of delegates' time.
Angharad Belcher, Head of BSAVA Congress said: "We’ve had a first-class experience in Birmingham, and we could not have asked for more from the venue. We know that 2019 and 2020 will continue to be popular, however, it’s time to move BSAVA Congress forward and revitalise the offering to our delegates and exhibitors by bringing everything into one building. The move to Manchester enables us to invest even more in speakers and delegate experiences, to make BSAVA’s education programme truly unsurpassable."
BSAVA President Philip Lhermette said: "It’s very much a new city for a new Congress and celebrations will be in order. Manchester lends itself perfectly to a timely transformation for Congress. We will be completely re-branding the event, modernising the CPD programme and making the best possible use of every minute of every delegate’s time over the full four days. We have been working closely with the city and venue in practical terms to offer a whole suite of options to delegates and exhibitors, from irresistible new socials and extensive accommodation choices, to easy transport routes."
Shaun Hinds, CEO of Manchester Central said: "After getting to know the association and their vision, it was clear that they wanted to transform the experience of their delegates. The ambition of the association matches that of the city and Manchester has the perfect blend of venue and vibrancy to develop the BSAVA Congress of the future. We’re delighted to be welcoming them in 2021 and we’ll work hard with the organisers to create a unique and remarkable experience for their delegates, exhibitors, partners and all visitors."
Ceva Animal Health has launched Amodip, described as the first ever cat-friendly amlodipine licensed for veterinary use for the treatment of hypertension in cats.
Amodip is a chicken-flavoured, two-way break chewable tablet; its 1.25mg tablet size is designed for accurate dosing of cats, with a two-way break for administering 0.625mg to smaller cats. Each box contains 100 tablets in blister packs.
Ceva says these features should make it easier for pet owners to be compliant with the recommended treatment protocol and ensure that each cat is getting the right dose, reducing the risk of side-effects.
Amodip will be supported by videos and literature on how to measure hypertension in practice easily and with less stress, written by the International Society of Feline Medicine (ISFM).
For further information or to request copies of the ISFM hypertension materials, contact your local Ceva Animal Health territory manager or call 01494 781510.
Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health is to launch CICADA-Live, the second phase of its national initiative to monitor the awareness and regional prevalence of important diseases in cats, dogs and rabbits.
First launched in 2007 as a quarterly survey, the ground-breaking CICADA-Live project has now been developed to offer up-to-the minute data on infectious companion animal disease reports that can be updated and accessed by vet practices around the clock. The new scheme is now able to provide a real-time overview of companion animal infectious diseases being diagnosed in UK veterinary practices.
CICADA-Live is focusing on more than a dozen key infectious diseases of dogs, cats and rabbits. They include canine parvovirus, infectious canine hepatitis, canine distemper, leptospirosis, kennel cough, angiostrongylosis. For cats, CICADA-Live will monitor feline panleucopaenia, cat flu, feline leukaemia virus infections. For rabbits the focus will be on myxomatosis, rabbit viral haemorrhagic disease, E.cuniculi, and fly strike.
The service is officially launched on 1st June to coincide with Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health's National Vaccination Month 2009, and is open to all first-opinion UK companion animal veterinary practices.
The system's developer, John Helps, Veterinary Manager at Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health said: "Whereas our first edition of CICADA was useful in providing benchmarks so that seasonal and long term trends could be identified and communicated to both vets and pet owners, the further potential of a live on-line database is enormous in raising awareness of current pet disease risks to the public."
According to the company, there has been a lack of knowledge regarding the local and national incidence of small animal infectious diseases in the UK, and those sporadic reports that do occur are typically anecdotal and can prove hard to substantiate. It is feared that the lack of co-ordinated good quality information has potentially lead to pet owners being lulled into a false sense of security by a low awareness of disease risks.
John added: "Lack of data on the incidence and prevalence of even the most common infectious diseases has been an important issue faced by small animal practices reducing their ability to highlight these risks. A staggering lack of owner awareness to infectious disease threats in turn contributes to complacency among pet owners.
"Evidence suggests that some infectious diseases, such as parvovirus, may be on the increase in some areas and there continues to be a concern regarding the number of animals that remain unvaccinated.
"Not only will Cicada-Live provide the means for improving a gap in our collective knowledge but it will also prove invaluable in the promotion of good preventative healthcare.
"We have long believed that better epidemiological surveillance would an important tool in understanding trends in small animal infectious disease and with CICADA-Live, for the first time we have a tool to give us a better appreciation of what first opinion practices are currently seeing."
The CICADA-Live website, http://www.cicadasurvey.co.uk/, is simple to access and update. Registrations are limited to one per practice branch. A straightforward one-page survey format minimises the time investment, with no strict requirement to review written case records.
Once signed in, participating practices will be asked to complete the survey once every 6 months in order to grant continued access to maps and tables showing recent reports. In addition practices can set up e-mail alerts to give notification should disease reports be received in their area.
For further information about CICADA-Live from Intervet please contact Intervet /Schering-Plough Animal Health's Veterinary Support Group on 01908 685685. Or contact John.
The aim of the competition is to highlight top tips for pet owners and the benefits of building a den to help calm and reassure dogs during the fireworks festivities.
Practices that want to take part in the in the competition need to post pictures of their dens and waiting rooms on the Ceva Animal Health Facebook page in October. The winning practice will receive a £200 voucher and there are 10 runner up prizes of luxury chocolate hampers.
Abigail King, behaviour product manager at Ceva Animal Health, said: "Our hugely popular fireworks display competition encourages veterinary practices to create eye-catching and imaginative displays that help educate pet owners on what can be done at home to help calm and reassure pets with firework fears."
Ceva has a range of marketing materials for veterinary practices to use in the competition, including waiting room materials.
For further information, contact your Ceva territory manager.
Rominervin contains 10 mg/ml romifidine hydrochloride, equivalent to 8.76 mg romifidine, presented in a 20 ml vial.
It can be used as a sedative to facilitate handling, examination, minor surgical interventions and minor procedures or as a premedication prior to administration of injectable or inhalation anaesthetics.
Rominervin can also be used in combination with synthetic opiates such as butorphanol to provide deeper sedation or analgesia.
Dechra Brand Manager Emma Jennings said: "Rominervin is highly effective as it has a longer duration of action than other alpha-2 agonists1. It starts to work within one to two minutes with maximum sedation achieved between five and 10 minutes.
"It is yet another valuable addition in our equine anaesthesia and analgesia range that has been designed to provide vets with the therapies they need to operate successfully in day-to-day practice."
Rominervin can be used in conjunction with Dechra’s equine anaesthesia and analgesia app, designed to help veterinary professionals choose optimal anaesthetic protocols and calculate anaesthetic drug doses and administration rates.
For more information visit: www.dechra.co.uk/products/equine
Michael qualified from the University of Glasgow in 2009 and then worked in first opinion practice in Buckinghamshire and Northern Ireland. He then returned to the University of Glasgow in 2012 to further his training and experience in oncology by completing four years of additional training. He completed an ECVIM residency in oncology in 2016 and became a Diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Internal Medicine and a European Specialist in Oncology in 2017. Michael worked at a private referral practice in Surrey prior to joining Fitzpatrick Referrals. Earlier this year, Michael was awarded a Masters degree in Veterinary Medicine. This additional qualification researched canine mast cell tumours.
Michael said: "I am absolutely delighted to have joined Fitzpatrick Referrals Oncology and Soft Tissue hospital. I have had a long-standing ambition to work as part of the fantastic team here since visiting the hospital during my specialist training in 2015. At this visit, I immediately felt at home in a group of people driven to deliver the very best compassionate care for dogs and cats.
"My ambition is to develop the very best ways to minimise the impact that cancer has on animals. I know that Fitzpatrick Referrals is the best environment for me to be able to achieve this. Throughout the hospital, there is an amazing positive attitude and a collective drive to improve the overall care we can give to pets with cancer. I am also excited by the opportunity to be able to help others to achieve their goals in improving cancer care for pets."
The tool is available to all practices, free of charge.
The downloadable and printable guide chart, which has been created by a number of specialists, will help veterinary surgeons, nurses and receptionists to identify urgent, potentially urgent, non-urgent and delayable cases to help limited veterinary resources be used to best efficiency without compromise to animal health or welfare.
The chart, which can be printed and put on a practice wall or referred to as a webpage via a mobile phone or tablet, has a number of supporting resources produced by the same specialists.
Sue Paterson, BSAVA President, said: “During these exceptional and worrying times veterinary surgeons need as much practical help and support as possible.
"We are hugely grateful for the indefatigable support of an enthusiastic group of volunteers who have rapidly produced this triage tool, which we are now able to share. It should enable patient queries to be processed, reliably and efficiently, allowing for emergency patients to be seen as a matter of urgency, within the current government and RCVS guidelines."
The triage tool is free to download and share: https://www.bsava.com/TriageTool
BSAVA is working on a number of other initiatives to support veterinary professionals during the current crisis, including new guidance on obtaining consent remotely for veterinary treatment. for more information, visit: https://www.bsava.com/adviceforCOVID19