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.

Elanco Animal Health - maker of Clik and Clikzin - is urging veterinary surgeons to highlight the risk of blowfly strike to farmers, as two new cases have been reported in West Sussex

According to the company, 88% of farmers say blowfly is the most widespread ectoparasite affecting sheep in the UK¹ and 94% of sheep farmers have been caught out by the parasite in the past².

The Met Office believes this winter may have been the warmest ever recorded, prompting fears that these favourable conditions will result in a more abundant blowfly population this year.

Fiona Anderson, Technical Consultant Manager at Elanco Animal Health, said: "It’s crucial we do not get complacent when it comes to blowfly – the costs of inaction can be devastating. It’s an extremely distressing disease to see in sheep, and obviously for the sheep themselves, so there’s no sense in taking the risk. Farmers should take control of the situation, before blowfly strikes their flock, by using preventative products with full fleece protection. Another benefit of using a preventative product early in the season is that killing flies from the first wave of the insects reduces the total number of flies for the rest of the season.

"Waiting for clear signs of the blowfly season before acting is a gamble. Farmers are extremely busy and blowfly strike can establish very quickly, so it would be very easy to miss an affected sheep."

Fiona added: "IGRs, such as CLiK and CLiKZiN, stop blowfly larvae developing into the harmful second and third stages that cause flystrike and stock damage. Using an IGR directly off shears saves time by avoiding the need to re-gather sheep and offering a longer period of protection." 

For more information on blowfly strike and prevention with IGRs, visit www.farmanimalhealth.co.uk

References

1. Survey of 53 sheep producers in UK, April 2013.
2. Survey of 130 sheep farmers, April 2016.

The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons has embarked upon the most extensive review of its veterinary nursing qualifications for many years, in order to meet the timetable for Ofqual's implementation of the Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) in summer 2010.

The new QCF aims to provide a more user-friendly and flexible system. Under the new arrangements, all qualifications will carry a 'value' in terms of their level and the volume of learning involved. It's a similar system to that used in higher education for a number of years.

The new national awards framework means that NVQs as such will disappear and the process of review opens up the whole qualification structure, allowing for the creation of a more flexible system to suit better the needs of the veterinary nursing profession and employers.

Head of Veterinary Nursing, Libby Earle said: "Future options include potentially placing more of the responsibility for education and basic skills on the colleges, leaving practices to concentrate on providing quality mentorship and work experience, with less emphasis on assessment. 

"Consideration will also be given to providing part of VN training and education within full-time further education, which is possible now that the lower age limit for VN students has been dropped."

The College is keen to hear the views of those involved with the delivery of training and employers of qualified nurses. A consultation letter has been sent to those involved and topics on which views are sought include the range and level of knowledge and skills delivered by the current awards, the impact of training on employers of student VNs, meeting the increased demand for qualified VNs, and providing VNs for mixed or equine practices.

Over the summer, evidence-gathering meetings will be held at the RCVS to explore the issues in more depth. Anyone who has not been sent a formal consultation letter and who would like to contribute is very welcome to submit their views. Please visit www.rcvs.org.uk/vnawardsreview for the consultation papers. Comments should be submitted by 30 June 2009.

The review of the RCVS awards will take place alongside Lantra's review of the National Occupational Standards (NOS) for VNs: the NOS describe what a person needs to do, know and understand in their job to carry out their role in a consistent and competent way.

MSD Animal Health has announced the launch of KBHH Yard Master – a new preventative healthcare and biosecurity app - as part of its ongoing Keeping Britain’s Horses Healthy (KBHH) campaign. 

MSD says KBHH Yard Master has been created to link vets and yards where the majority of horses in Britain are kept. It aims to play a key role in protecting the health and welfare of the herd and in safeguarding the yard’s reputation and business.

Peter Young, Equine Business Manager at MSD Animal Health said: "Good biosecurity is essential in building and maintaining the reputation of a yard which, in turn, impacts on owner satisfaction and retention. It remains, however, a poorly understood subject despite its importance. We’ve therefore invested in the creation of KBHH Yard Master to help vets, yard managers, their employees and horse owners focus on preventative health and biosecurity measures; making best practice seem more achievable and easier to implement.

He added: "We were also fortunate to have input from Professor Josh Slater, who has been heavily involved in developing the content, evaluation and grading system behind the app assessment."

KBHH Yard Master covers all aspects of biosecurity, including everyday husbandry practices, managing new arrivals, running isolation facilities, infection control and personnel movement. MSD says it will frame a dialogue with yard managers regarding preventative healthcare and biosecurity in situ and provide instant feedback on current practices and risk. Following the on-site assessment, a report can be sent to the yard manager with tailor-made recommendations and timings, detailing how they can improve their yard’s biosecurity performance.

Peter added: "Based on the data gathered through the KBHH campaign we know that approximately half of horses are vaccinated for ‘flu.  This means that there will be horses on yards, visited by vets, that are not vaccinated. KBHH Yard Master will help identify those horses and allow the vet to recommend appropriate vaccination schedules."

MSD has produced a range of supporting KBHH Yard Master materials to promote understanding, participation and compliance amongst yard staff and owners, including posters and downloadable booklets which explain aspects such as disease prevention, infection control and outbreak control.

A certificate of excellence is also available to be awarded to those yards which, following assessment, have a low overall biosecurity risk.  

For more information, contact your MSD Animal Health Equine Account Manager or call MSD on 01908 685685.

The RCVS Disciplinary Committee has suspended a Co. Tyrone veterinary surgeon from the Register for ten months, having found him guilty of serious professional misconduct relating to three convictions for contravening animal export regulations.

Whilst working as an Authorised Veterinary Inspector in Castlederg for the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD), William Manson had falsely certified that he had inspected three consignments of sheep presented for assembly at Plumbridge Export Assembly Centre on 16 and 23 August 2009. At this week's two-day hearing, Mr Manson admitted that the convictions he had received at the Strabane Magistrates Court on 26 November 2010 made him unfit to practise veterinary surgery, but said in mitigation that he had examined the sheep nearby at Landahussy, a site he considered more suitable for a large number of animals.

The Committee was satisfied that Mr Manson believed the Landahussy site to be more suitable for large deliveries; the Committee also was satisfied that he did carry out a visual inspection of the sheep at the Landahussy site on 16 and 23 August 2009. However, the information Mr Manson provided on the three certificates was false and misleading. Mr Manson had also been reminded of the importance of complying with government regulations in a disciplinary case in 2004, following convictions for failing to notify DARD about changes in the number of sheep for which he was claiming a premium. The then Committee dismissed the case, deeming the convictions a result of his "genuine but regrettable oversight".

Speaking on behalf of the Committee, Chairman, Prof Peter Lees said: "Mr Manson's actions in certifying that he had examined the sheep at an approved assembly centre when he had not done so amounted to a serious departure from professional standards. If there had been a disease outbreak on either the Plumbridge or Landahussy site, such actions would have rendered contact tracings unreliable and inaccurate."

In mitigation, the Committee accepted medical evidence and Mr Manson's testimony that he was at that time under exceptional stress. He was working long hours in difficult circumstances without an assistant, and was under considerable personal pressure as a result of his wife's serious illness. It also took into account his age (66), exceptional testimonials produced on his behalf, and the impact on the community he served.

Prof Lees said: "The Committee has concluded that the removal of Mr Manson's name from the Register is neither proportionate nor necessary in the public interest nor to protect the welfare of animals. A proportionate sanction in this case is to suspend Mr Manson's name from the Register for a period of ten months."

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 

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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Novartis Animal Health Inc. has completed an agreement with Luitpold Pharmaceuticals, Inc. that grants marketing rights for Adequan® Equine to Novartis in all major equine markets outside the U.S. The first launch of Adequan® Equine by Novartis will take place in Canada in June.

Adequan® Equine is indicated for treating joint dysfunction and lameness in horses caused by injury or degenerative problems. It is available for intramuscular and intra-articular administration. Adequan® is also indicated for treating joint dysfunction and lameness caused by injury or degenerative problems in dogs.

Mickey McDermott from Novartis' Communications Dept told VetSurgeon that the timing of Adequan's arrival in the UK depends on how long it takes to complete the registration transfers, but that the company hopes it'll be before the end of the year.

Maggie Fisher MRCVS, the parasitologist and chairman of ESCCAP (European Scientific Counsel Companion Animal Parasites), has highlighted studies which demonstrate an association between the common parasite, Toxocara spp. and human disease, and has called on the profession to help reduce the damaging and widespread effects of this parasite.

Maggie says that many in the profession may not be aware that Toxocara eggs aren't actually infective when they are first passed in an animal's stools, sometimes taking weeks to develop to this stage. Eggs persist long after pet waste has naturally washed away too, so the risk of infection still exists even in environments that appear to be clean and safe. Interestingly, there seems to be only a very loose (and according to some studies, entirely absent) link between owning a pet and an increased risk of human Toxocara infection, suggesting that most infections are acquired from the environment^1,2 . Education of pet owners about responsible pet ownership, including appropriate worming and picking up their dog's waste quickly is essential to reduce this environmental infection risk.

The parasite's larval stages cause disease in humans as they migrate through body tissues, with retinal damage a previously well identified consequence. However, Maggie has identified studies which suggest a whole range of common conditions that may also be attributable to Toxocara infection. One study³ included 425 children displaying signs of a persistent cough and 1600 asymptomatic children as controls. Blood tests confirmed that a statistically significant 32% of the symptomatic group were positive for Toxocara antibodies, compared to just 17% of the asymptomatic control group. What's more, when given a week's course of an appropriate anthelmintic, the vast majority of symptomatic children had a greatly reduced and frequently absent requirement for inhaled corticosteroids to control their symptoms when re-examined by the study team a year later.

Numerous other studies from around the world have shown similar strong associations with asthma, allergies and epilepsy. One nationally representative US study even showed an alarming association with Toxocara infection and reduced cognitive function in children² . Those that were positive for antibodies to the parasite on blood tests (proving prior exposure) scored significantly lower on tests assessing verbal and manual dexterity as well as maths and reading abilities² .

So, what should veterinary staff and SQPs be telling clients? Maggie says you should be advising pet owners to worm pets regularly (at least four times a year) with an effective anthelmintic from an appropriately young age (2 weeks of age for puppies and 3 weeks of age for kittens, because transfer of the parasite to puppies before birth and to kittens via milk is a feature of the parasite lifecycle). Reducing pets' access to raw food and hunting activities can also help. This is in addition to more general recommendations including cooking food well and making sure children wash their hands before eating.

Maggie said: "Vets, nurses and SQPs are perfectly placed to make sure that pet owners are aware of the risks and take precautions to protect themselves and the wider general public."

For further information about effective control of Toxocara and a wide range of other companion animal parasites, visit www.esccapuk.org.uk. To view all the presentations from the 'Everyday Parasites' CPD day, visit www.esccapuk-cpd.co.uk.

References:

1. Taylor, M.R., 2006. Ocular Toxocariasis. In: Toxocara, the enigmatic parasite. Holland, C.V., Smith, H.V., Eds. CABI Publishing, Ch. 9, 127-144.
2. 2. 3^rd US National Health and Nutrition Survey Walsh, M.G., 2010. Toxocara infection and diminished lung function in a nationally representative sample from the United Sates population. Int J Parasitol.41(2):243-7
   Walsh, M.G., Haseeb, M.A., 2012. Reduced cognitive function in children with toxocariasis in a nationally representative sample of the United States. Int. J. Parasitol. 42, 1159-1163
3. Bede, O., Szénási, Z., Danka, J., Gyurkovits, K., Nagy, D., 2008. Toxocariasis associated with chronic cough in childhood: a longitudinal study in Hungary. J. Helminthol. 82, 357 - 63.

Epiphen, Vétoquinol's canine anti-epileptic drug, has been re-launched with new packaging and a useful dosing syringe. 

"Some of our customers reported that they were having difficulty administering the drops accurately," explains Slavica Sobot, Product Manager. "So with this in mind, we have introduced a new plug-on syringe which will make it even easier for pet owners to dose accurately.  The syringe will prevent the risk of inaccurate dosing through ‘flooding' from the dropper."

For more information, please call the Vétoquinol help line on 0800 169 8197 or contact your Vétoquinol representative.

A new study carried out to look at the efficacy of spinosad (Comfortis) in cats has shown that they can acquire a flea infestation even when kept in a controlled laboratory environment. 

The study was conducted on a laboratory colony of 15 cats that had been kept strictly indoors for at least a year, four of which had presented to the dermatology clinics of the Small Animal Hospital of the Toulouse Veterinary School, two with miliary dermatitis lesions and two with symmetrical alopecia.

Further investigation revealed that despite these animals having been confined to quarters for so long, adult Ctenocephalides felis and flea dirt were found on coat brushing. 

All the cats were then combed meticulously twice at the start of the study using an extra fine comb and fleas counted before being replaced on each cat. In total 60 fleas were counted. On the cats showing no lesions there was an average of 5.2 fleas per cat and on the cats exhibiting flea allergy dermatitis it was less than one. Two of these cats had no fleas on them, probably due to excessive grooming caused by pruritus.

Spinosad was found to be 100% effective, with no adult fleas found on any cat from day 15 of the study through to day 90.

The cats with skin lesions were assessed for pruritus levels using the SCORFAD system, an extent and severity scale for feline hypersensitivity dermatitis. The SCORFAD value rapidly decreased throughout the study and achieved 98% reduction by day 90. The skin lesions in the flea allergic cats completely resolved during this time without the use of any other flea control or the use of anti-inflammatory products on the cats.

Researchers Maria-Christine Cadiergues and Charline Pressanti from Toulouse Veterinary School also noted a greater level of palatability than previously reported in clinical trials and there were no side effects in any of the cats.

Reviewing the study, David Grant MBE BVetMed CertSAD FRCVS said: "This study confirms that indoor cats, even in a tightly controlled laboratory environment, can still acquire an infestation of fleas. These can be brought in on the clothes of owners of cats if they have been in the garden, for example, particularly in the summer. 

"In addition, flea allergic cats may have few fleas on them due to excessive grooming caused by pruritus, and it is often very difficult to persuade owners of the diagnosis, even more so with indoor cats. This study provides precise data to support the above statement.

"This study also demonstrates that spinosad can be used as a stand-alone treatment for mild to moderate flea infestation in an indoor environment without the need for environmental insecticides or anti-inflammatory treatment of the cats. This would be a major consideration for many cat owners." 

Reference

1. Marie-Christine Cadiergues and Charline Pressanti, "Efficacy of Spinosad Tablets Administered to a Colony of 15 Indoor Cats Naturally Infested with Fleas," ISRN Veterinary Science, vol. 2014, Article ID 484308, 4 pages, 2014.doi:10.1155/2014/484308

CVS reports that it is upskilling its nurses in diagnostic imaging techniques - so that they can take X-rays and perform CT scans, MRI and ultrasound.

To date most of these imaging procedures have been performed by vets within the group’s small animal first opinion veterinary practices.

The company says its Foundations in Diagnostic Imaging for Nurses training is designed to give its nurses more clinical stature in first opinion practice.

The programme will teach nurses the workings of an x-ray machine, common X-ray positions and contrast material.

It will also cover the principles of CT and MRI, showing how to set up and operate each piece of equipment, and how to support patients through these imaging procedures.

Finally, the course will provide the training nurses need to be able to perform ultrasounds within the current RCVS legal frameworks.

CVS says it believes this is a first in the veterinary profession

Tara Ryan, Chief Veterinary Nursing Officer at CVS said: “Imaging is a brand new area that we are starting to delegate to our nurses.

"Having heavily invested in our small animal first opinion practices over the last decade, we have a wide range of imaging equipment at many of our sites.

“Excitingly, this programme will open up the ability for nurses to start to contribute more information - to help vets identify and diagnose conditions and diseases in patients.

"It is another big step that we are taking to empower our brilliant nurses and to enable them to make a great clinical contribution towards the care of our patients – and to be the nurses they want to be.”

CVS is prioritising the consulting room and Schedule 3 delegated tasks as important areas for improving what it calls 'nurse optimisation'.

The company recognises that 'buy in' from veterinary surgeons is vital to the success of its efforts to optimise the role of its nurses, and the group has also published guidelines to provide clarity around effective delegation under Schedule 3.