Lanes Health, manufacturer of the mobility supplement, LitoVet, has announced the nominees for the inaugural Litovet Equine Scientific Achievement Award, part of the annual Animal Health Trust (AHT) awards.

The award which has been set up to recognise a person or group whose clinical or scientific work has made a substantial difference to the equine veterinary world will be judged by a panel of leading veterinary surgeons and scientists.

The nominees are:

Peter Clegg - MA VerMB PhD CertsES DepEVCS MRCVS.
Dr Clegg is Professor of Equine Surgery and Deputy Head of the Institute of Ageing and Chronic Disease, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, The University of Liverpool. Peter's current research focus is equine orthopaedics, in particular identifying the basic mechanisms of injury and repair in equine joints and tendons. He has supervised 13 successful PhD students and is currently supervising a further nine.

Andy Durham BSc, BVSc, DEIM, Dipl.ECEIM, MRCVS (RCVS & European Specialist in equine internal medicine).
Liphook-based Andy Durham exemplifies the premise that veterinarians in practice can maintain an active interest in current research, undertake clinically relevant research projects, interact with researchers on an international stage and  contribute to CPD through scientific papers, book chapters and lectures.

Tim Mair BVSc PhD DEIM DESTS DipECEIM MRCVS.
Dr Mair ha been innovative in veterinary practice (e.g., an early adopter of standing magnetic resonance imaging [MRI]), has an extensive publication list recently focusing on evidence-based medicine for colic, but spanning the full breadth of common medical disorders in horses. He has made an enormous contribution to veterinary practice within both Europe and America in his role as Editor of Equine Veterinary Education.

Chris Proudman MA VetMB PhD CertEO FRCVS.
Dr Proudman is Professor of Equine Studies at the University of Liverpool.  His research interests are related to the aetiology and surgical management of acute intestinal disease (colic) in the horse: specifically, the diagnosis of intestinal parasites associated with colic and understanding dietary determinants of colic.  Most recently this has involved using metabolomics and molecular microbiology to investigating the intestinal microbiota and its response to dietary change.

The LitoVet Equine Scientific Achievement Award can be granted to any individual or group that is currently undertaking, or has successfully implemented within the past ten years, one or more clinical or other research projects which has, or will, make a significant contribution to equine health and welfare.  

The award will be presented to the recipient, or recipients, at the UK Equestrian Awards held at the Lancaster London on Thursday 3 November 2011.

Bimeda has announced the launch of a new teat seal which the company claims offers a significant return on investment and an opportunity for veterinary surgeons to prompt farmers to re-evaluate their dry cow therapy and mastitis control.

Bimeda's vet and head of technical services, Padraig Hyland MVB said: "Boviseal is proven to dramatically reduce mastitis in the 100 days post calving¹. Adding competition to the market will encourage farmers to re-assess their dry cow and mastitis strategies.

"The UK launch of Boviseal is a great opportunity for vets to raise the issue of the damage and cost of mastitis, and the potential savings by the correct use of a seal. Boviseal is the number one selling teat seal in the Republic of Ireland, with 2/3 of the Irish dairy cows sealed annually²."

Padraig says the evidence of the value from combined sealing and antibiotic therapy is all too clear when it comes to dry cow therapy. He cites a case study at Waterwheel Farm in Donegal, Ireland which delivered a 300% return on investment: "Combined therapy might sound costly but this two year study saw annual mastitis cases fall dramatically, from 26 per 100 cows to 9 per 100³.

"Defra figures indicate that mastitis is the most costly disease problem that UK dairy farmers face, with a typical case costing £175.00 ⁴. When you compare that against the cost of treatment for the herd, there's no real counter argument in my opinion."

Boviseal contains 65% Bismuth Subnitrate. Padraig says the effectiveness of teat sealing is proven but correct administration is key: "It is important to note that the conventional practice of massaging into the udder after infusion is not employed - the teat seal must stay in the teat canal."

For details on best application practices, the company has developed a website, www.boviseal.co.uk with a video demonstration for correct infusion.

For further information, visit the website or contact Bimeda on 01248 725400.

References

1. Godden et al, 2003
2. GFK
3. Peter Edmondson MVB CERTCHP DIPECBHM FRCVS, Waterwheel farm, Ireland
4. Reading University/DAISY

Premier Vet Alliance, the provider of preventative health plans and home delivery services, is to launch a new training course which, for the first time, it has had accredited by The CPD Standards Office. 

The new course is called ‘New staff training course with Post2Pet’, and, as the name suggests, it will look at how to incorporate the home delivery option into a preventative healthcare plan.

Premier Vet Alliance says the course is suitable for any member of the practice team that wants to increase their knowledge about healthcare plans.

The course is 4 modules long with an assessment leading to 1.5 hours of completed CPD. It will launch towards the end of April. 

James Tudor, Head of Customer Experience at Premier Vet Alliance, said: "This is a fantastic resource and I am I so proud of the team who’ve developed this and helped practices to train staff efficiently and effectively.

"It’s opening up the future of training and we hope to gain guidance in developing our training provision by working directly with practices, to help keep the training relevant.

"We see real value in CPD accredited courses, especially where they help enable veterinary staff to increase their knowledge on maximising their clients’ compliance. They can also learn how to influence animal health, and drive other aspects of the business through health plans."

"This is just the beginning; we will continue to increase our CPD accreditations and share best practice across Europe and the United States."

For more information contact 0117 370 0300 or email pcp@premiervetalliance.co.uk .

The RCVS has launched a research project into the extent to which veterinary surgeons are able to meet its requirement that steps are taken to provide 24-hour emergency cover.

The College's 24-hour Emergency Cover Working Party (24-7 WP) has been considering the ongoing practicality of the current requirement in the Guide to Professional Conduct, and whether it should remain, be removed, or be amended in some way. The research aims to build a sound evidence base on which a decision can be made.

"Changes in practice profiles and owner demands, health and safety issues, the desire for an improved work-life balance, veterinary and animal density... all these factors affect the ability of veterinary practitioners to meet our 24-7 requirement. The Working Time Regulations - which prescribe maximum working hours and minimum rest periods - have also affected practices' ability to run out-of-hours services," according to RCVS President Jill Nute. 

"However, we are frequently reminded by members that the profession is proud to offer a 24-hour emergency service to animals and their owners. There seems to be no single majority view in the profession, so we need to understand exactly how people are meeting the requirement before any changes are made," she says.

To ensure that the research is independent and representative, the RCVS has contracted a specialist market research agency, Cognition Market Intelligence.

The first step is to build a robust and unbiased questionnaire that takes account of all of the issues. To this end, in-depth interviews will be carried out over summer with a small number of veterinary surgeons from a range of different practice types, and across different gender/age/role categories.

The 24-7 WP will then meet in September to hear the findings and agree the questionnaire, which Cognition Marketing Intelligence will then use during autumn as part of a quantitative phone interview exercise with 440 veterinary surgeons, again covering a spread of individuals, practice types and geographies. The phone interview approach will ensure that the views of a range of different practitioners are heard, which is not always the case with a paper survey.

Should changes to the Guide to Professional Conduct be recommended by the Working Party on the basis of the findings, a consultation exercise may be undertaken. 

The RCVS President has sent a letter to all home-practising members to explain the activities. She has urged veterinary surgeons to assist the research team, saying "your contribution will make a difference".

The Waltham Centre for Pet Nutrition has announced new research - published in BMC Vet Research¹ - which examined the progression of periodontal disease in miniature schnauzers and found that without effective and frequent oral care, dental disease developed rapidly and advanced even more quickly with age.

Over the course of 60 weeks, full mouth examinations were conducted on 52 miniature schnauzers ranging in age between 1.3 and 6.9 years. Prior to the study, each dog had a regular oral care routine that included tooth brushing. This was suspended a week before the initial dental assessment. Of the 2,155 teeth examined, all entered the study with some level of gingivitis, while only 23 teeth entered with periodontitis.

Every 6 weeks, levels of gingivitis and periodontitis were assessed around the whole surface of each individual tooth by measuring periodontal probing depth, gingival recession and furcation exposure. Teeth were assessed for the level of gingivitis (scored between 0 and 4) and periodontitis (PD1 - up to 25% attachment loss and PD2 - between 25 to 50% attachment loss). Teeth from only one dog in the study did not progress to periodontitis.

Researchers found that, without regular oral care, the majority of dogs developed the early stages of periodontal disease within six months and dogs above the age of four developed periodontal disease even faster. The degree to which periodontal disease progressed varied based on the type of tooth and location on the tooth.

Furthermore, the study showed that periodontitis developed regardless of the visible signs of gingivitis, which had previously been believed to reliably precede it. Therefore while a visual inspection may be sufficient to detect a disease like gingivitis, it is not useful in detecting the onset of periodontitis and may not reveal the areas at greatest risk for dental disease.

Dr Stephen Harris, leader of the oral care team at WALTHAM, part of Mars Petcare said: "We all want to do the very best for our pets' health, and the study showed us that there's more than meets the eye when it comes to small dogs' oral health.

"Some pet owners "lift-the-lip" and look at a dog's gums to get a sense of its oral health, but this research shows they could be missing important early signs of dental disease. The findings should encourage all dog owners to establish an oral care routine that consists of regular tooth brushing supplemented with dental chews and veterinary checks. It's important for all dogs, but we know that small dogs like miniature schnauzers are at an even higher risk of developing severe dental problems."

Reference:

1. A longitudinal assessment of periodontal disease in 52 miniature schnauzers. Mark D Marshall, Corrin V Wallis, Lisa Milella, Alison Colyer, Andrew D Tweedie and Stephen Harris. BMC Veterinary Research 2014, 10:166 

Improve International has launched a new accredited General Practitioner Advanced Certificate (GPAdvCert) for veterinary professionals across Europe who want to advance their knowledge and practical skills in a particular field.

Modules for the first GPAdvCert – in Small Animal Orthopaedics – will begin in February 2018.  Improve says it's the first of many 'next steps' programmes which it plans to launch under this new postgraduate level qualification.  

The GPAdvCert in Small Animal Orthopaedics is aimed at veterinary surgeons who have completed their General Practitioner Certificate in Small Animal Surgery (GPCert SAS) or Postgraduate Certificate (PgC) in Small Animal Surgery.

Accredited by the European School of Veterinary Postgraduate Studies (ESVPS) and validated by Harper Adams University, the programme is delivered over 15 modules in three state-of-the-art European training centres - Sheffield, UK, Cremona, Italy and Madrid, Spain. Improve says delegates will learn from world-class clinicians and will be supervised in their practise of new surgical techniques and advanced procedures in a wet-lab environment.

David Babington MRCVS, Managing Director of Improve International (pictured right), said: "We felt there was a gap in the current structure for a postgraduate qualification which would allow students to advance their knowledge and practical skills in their chosen area and to add to their academic credentials. The General Practitioner Advanced Certificate is our solution."

Successful achievement of the GPAdvCert will enable delegates to progress from a Postgraduate Certificate in Small Animal Surgery (or equivalent) to the Postgraduate Diploma in Advanced Veterinary Practice Sciences in the UK, which is awarded by Harper Adams University. This can, in turn, be used towards the award of a Masters Degree (MSc) in Advanced Veterinary Practice Sciences.

David added: "Delegates for our first GPAdvCert in Orthopaedics for Small Animals will enhance their skills and confidence in dealing with more advanced orthopaedic procedures in-house and this will help them to reduce the number of patients which are referred, retaining a higher level of income for their practice. They will also develop skills which they can pass onto their team. We look forward to welcoming our first delegates next year."

Further details are available at: https://www.improveinternational.com/uk/course/general-practitioner-advanced-certificate-in-small-animal-orthopaedic-surgery/ 

Research carried out by Improve International has found that 74% of veterinary students are not aware of the CPD options open to them after graduating.

The survey of 102 UK veterinary students, which was carried out by Charlotte French MRCVS (pictured right) in 2020, also revealed that 74% of respondents had engaged in extracurricular CPD whilst at university, including university presentations, online conferences, webinars and in-person congresses.

98% said they were willing to be involved in extracurricular CPD if it was available.

Charlotte said: "Students are interested in CPD and their career progression, they just need a little extra help in finding the right providers and sources."

The University of Surrey has appointed Devereux Architects to create a masterplan for its new School of Veterinary Medicine.

As one of the University's largest and most prestigious future development sites, the new school, which sits within the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, will comprise three complimentary and inter-related buildings totalling approximately 9000m2 - an Academic Building, a Veterinary Clinical Skills Centre and a Veterinary Pathology Facility.

The new building will be positioned at the corner of the new campus green at Manor Park. It will feature naturally ventilated office and teaching spaces along one side of the atrium and research spaces and lecture halls along the other. The roof of the atrium is shaped to guide rising, warmed air into the plant room where the heat can be extracted and reused.

The new academic building will provide world-class teaching and research laboratories, lecture theatres, and flexible break out spaces organised around a common shared atrium.

Professor Lisa Roberts, Dean of the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, said: "We were very impressed with the design concept for the new School of Veterinary Medicine that Devereux Architects presented at the tendering stage. We are looking forward to working with the professional team at Devereux Architects to deliver this major project for the University of Surrey."

The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons has completed its training of a number of volunteers recruited to trial a proposed new outcomes-based system of measuring and recording learning and development.

The trial is the result of a six-week consultation held by the College in June 2016, asking for the profession’s views on a proposed new system of CPD - one that concentrates less on hours logged and more on interactive, reflective learning and measuring the impact that CPD has on the individual’s practice and patient health outcomes.

The College says that while an overall majority of the 3,357 people who responded to the College’s consultation agreed with the proposed changes to the CPD requirement, certain elements received less support than others. The lowest amount of support was received for the ‘reflection’ component with 35% of respondents disagreeing with it.

The RCVS Education Committee and VN Council therefore agreed that a pilot of a new outcomes-based approach should be held during 2017 before making a recommendation to RCVS Council. The RCVS Council approved this proposal at its meeting on 10 November 2016, after which 117 volunteers were recruited, 60 of whom were able to attend the training days.

A veterinary surgeon who signed up for the pilot and works in veterinary industry, Gina Dungworth, said: "I really appreciate the acknowledgement of non-clinical CPD practices, and while I was originally sceptical of the proposed system the pilot day has so far been clear and helpful."

A veterinary nurse volunteer, Lindsey Raven Emrich, said: "CPD is such a varied part of a veterinary professional’s career, and it very much depends on the person how easy it is to do. I find myself doing a lot of reflection as a natural part of reading articles, and I’m hoping this new system will expand that way of thinking into other areas of CPD."

The volunteers will now pilot the new proposed system and report to Education Committee, VN Council and RCVS Council.

A new expert panel has been formed to evaluate pain management in canine osteoarthritis following a recent shift to a more integrated approach to pain and disease research.

In the past, pain and joint disease have been considered as separate areas of research, with pain perceived simply as a consequence of disease. Over the last few years, however, it has become increasingly apparent that the relationship is far more complex and that pain may be a driver of disease rather than just a consequence of it. The expert panel hopes to apply the new knowledge to the management of joint pain in veterinary practice.

The panel, which had its inaugural meeting in Paris recently, brings together acknowledged veterinary experts in the fields of pain and joint disease. Its focus will be on the assessment and management of pain in canine osteoarthritis (OA), with the objective of educating veterinary surgeons to better understand and manage pain in canine OA and thereby improve the well-being of pets that suffer from this common disease.

'Central sensitisation' is one of the latest theories that has been suggested to explain the complex interaction between pain and disease progression in canine OA. Duncan Lascelles, Associate Professor of Surgery at North Carolina State University, said that research has shown that the components of the pain pathway can change in response to a pain stimulus. Pain receptors 'up-regulate' in response to painful stimuli and become more sensitive to subsequent pain.

CNS sensitisation is likely a significant contributor to chronic or maladaptive pain; this pain leads to decreased mobility, reduced muscle support and reduced muscle function, thus leading to disease progression. In other words, joint diseases cause pain, which in turn feeds back to create more disease.

Professor Lascelles said: "The link between the clinical signs associated with OA and joint pathology is not a simple one and may be much more complex than we have previously thought.

"There is some evidence that COX inhibition reduces central sensitisation. And some evidence suggests that reducing central sensitisation may have a modulatory effect on disease progression by reducing signals going out to the periphery.

"The relationship between pain and disease progression is a very new area of research, and is at the forefront of our knowledge of how pain and joint disease are linked."

Professor John Innes, Head of Division, Small Animal Studies, University of Liverpool Veterinary School, told the meeting that OA is likely to be one of the major reasons for euthanasia of pet dogs in Europe. He and two co-investigators have performed a systematic review of the published evidence for the use of long-term, continuous NSAID treatment (at least 28 days) in OA. They found that this form of management is associated with better outcomes than short-term NSAID therapy, with no evidence of additional safety issues. This review is to be published shortly.

The expert panel comprises:

Prof Dr Stuart Carmichael, Vets Now Ltd. Formerly at: Veterinary School, University of Glasgow, UK
Prof Dr John Innes, Small Animal Teaching Hospital, University of Liverpool, UK
Dr Bernard Bouvy-Centre, Hospitalier Vétérinaire de Frégis, Arcueil, France
Prof Dr Jean-Pierre Genevois, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire de Lyon, France
Dr Carlos Macías, Centro Veterinario de Referencia Bahia de Malaga, Spain
Prof Dr Martin Kramer, Klinik für Kleintiere, Chirurgie , Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen, Germany
Dr Sabine Tacke, Klinik für Kleintiere, Chirurgie, Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen
Prof Dr Duncan Lascelles, North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Raleigh, USA
Prof Dr Herman A.W. Hazewinkel, Faculteit Diergeneeskunde, Departement Gezelschapsdieren, Utrecht, Netherlands
Dr Emilio Feltri, Anaesthetist and specialist in Pain Management, Ambulatorio Veterinario Associato, Tortona, Italy
Dr Peter Vandekerckhove, Specialist Surgeon Companion Animal, Wondelgem, Belgium

CVS Equine has made personal protective equipment (PPE) mandatory for all of its staff that handle horses.

From early 2025, all vets, nurses and technicians will be required to wear a hard hat in the vicinity of a horse, pony or donkey – whether in practice, on a yard, or at a client’s premises.

It follows a three-year research project collaborating with the University of Liverpool which revealed that 90% of veterinary clinicians have experienced an injury during their career.

It is hoped that the move will reduce injuries to the head – one of the most common traumas to be suffered by equine vets identified by the research, usually sustained when examining distal limbs.

CVS says that in the US, equine vets sustain on average eight serious injuries during their career, making it the second highest profession for non-fatal injuries.

The University of Liverpool research found that over 25% of equine vet injuries have led to hospital attendance.

Dr. John Tulloch, Lecturer and European Specialist in Veterinary Public Health at the University of Liverpool, who led the research, said: “Vet visits are not an ‘everyday activity’ for a horse.

"As a result, many horses will be on heightened alert, and some may be more prone to unpredictable behaviour.

“Vets are often in a vulnerable situation when examining a horse.

"And it’s difficult to pick up on a horses’ signals, especially when examining areas such as distal limbs.

“Our research found that many injuries happen when a horse kicks or pushes a person over and the person’s head makes impact with the ground.

"So, wearing a hard hat will be a big step towards preventing traumatic head injuries if this were to happen.”

Sophie Ignarski, Equine Director at CVS said: “All of our clinicians are at risk in their day-to-day work – whether they are newly qualified or very experienced.

"Other colleagues including nurses, vet techs and patient care assistants are similarly vulnerable.

“We decided to make wearing of hard hats mandatory in order to protect all of our colleagues and minimise the potential risk of head injury, understanding it can never be fully eliminated.

"We recognise that this policy shift represents a degree of change but hope that it serves to further support and progress the equine veterinary industry more widely.

“Our policy is evidence-based, utilising three years of rigorous research, and we will continue our efforts in the future to grow our knowledge and understanding of this important area.

"By doing so, we join other industries – such as construction – who have already adopted similar changes to the extent they are now established in their culture.”

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167587725001266