A study carried out by epidemiologist Dr. John Tulloch at the University of Liverpool in collaboration with CVS, has revealed the scale and complexity of work-related injuries in UK companion animal veterinary practices and highlights a need for improved safety protocols and cultural change across the veterinary profession.

The research surveyed 647 UK-based employees of CVS’ companion animal practices between December 2022 and March 2023.

Participants included veterinary surgeons, veterinary nurses, patient care assistants, receptionists and administrative staff.

The survey explored injury prevalence, the context in which injuries occurred, and the behaviours of injured persons.

Over 77% of respondents reported experiencing a work-related injury at any point during their career.

Injury rates were highest among veterinary surgeons (58.3% injured in the last year) and veterinary nurses (60.2%).

Most injuries occurred in clinical areas such as consulting rooms, prep areas, and wards.

Unsurprisingly, animal-related injuries were the most common, particularly involving cats and dogs during restraint or clinical procedures.

However, a significant number of injuries to receptionists and administrators also involved restraining animals, highlighting the multi-faceted nature of these roles.

Clinical examinations were the most common activity occurring at the point of injury for vets.

Another common situation for vet and nurse injuries were when animals were recovering from anaesthesia.

Nearly 10% of all injuries in the study were needlestick-related, often linked to handling practices.

The study also uncovered a strong culture of presenteeism, where staff continue to work despite injury, often due to fear of letting colleagues down or their dedication to their patients.

Between 16 and 23% of staff attended hospital for their most recent injury and more than 25% needed more than seven days to recover from their injury. 

Despite this fewer than 14% of respondents took more than seven days off work.

When outlining reasons for the injury occurring, particularly during animal restraint, participants attributed their injury on a colleague’s actions or a miscommunication.

Around half of respondents said they would not change their behaviour if faced with the same situation again, even after being injured.

Thematic analysis revealed a weak safety culture, particularly among veterinary surgeons, who were the least likely to report injuries.

Many viewed injuries as inevitable or not worth reporting.

Dr. Tulloch said: “This research highlights the everyday risks faced by veterinary professionals, particularly those in companion animal practice.

"While many injuries are accepted as part of the job, our findings show that many are preventable with the right training, equipment, and safety culture.

“Our study calls for a shift toward a positive safety culture, built on open reporting, shared responsibility, and reflective learning.

"It highlights the need for targeted interventions in high-risk areas such as animal restraint, anaesthetic recovery, and sharps handling.

“Achieving this safety culture shift requires strong organisational leadership across the profession and a commitment to fostering a work environment where all staff feel they speak openly and take accountability for workplace safety.”

Imogen Schofield, Director of Clinical Research at CVS, said: "As a result of the research, CVS has set up a working group looking at how we can reduce the top causes of accidents and improve the under-reporting figure.

"We are also looking at how we can use information held within our practice management system to understand more fully rates of accident per consult numbers or numbers of needlestick injuries per injections given.”

CVS says the full findings of the research will be shared with the wider veterinary community in due course, to support industry-wide improvements in occupational health and safety.

Vetoquinol has launched a pain monitoring system along similar lines to those used in humans, which can be used by vets and owners to measure pain over time and assess different treatment strategies in dogs.  

According to the company, it is widely accepted that all mammals experience pain¹and that under treatment is a big issue. Guidelines in treating human pain issued by NICE state that: 'evidence suggests that pain caused by advanced disease remains under-treated'. Veterinary medicine faces a harder task in recognising and treating pain effectively as it relies on behaviour rather than verbal communication.

In human medicine, Client Specific Outcome Measures have been used to assess treatment strategies focussing on identifying the degree of difficulty performing daily tasks on an individual patient to patient basis. Vetoquinol says its pain monitoring system is based on similar principles.

Robert Simpson, Product Manager for Cimalgex said: "The objective assessment of clinical outcomes are a continuing challenge in veterinary medicine; this is particularly true in chronic painful conditions such as osteoarthritis. Use of our Client Specific Outcome Measures form will allow vets and pet owners to more efficiently assess treatment to ensure that the patient is receiving appropriate analgesia.

The form can be adapted to give bespoke outcome measures which are agreed in consultation with the owners. This activity will increase interaction with pet owners and could increase loyalty to the practice; it could also be really useful in geriatric clinics etc as a method of assessing pain outside of consultations in practices."

To find out more or to request a monitoring pad for your practice, contact your Vetoquinol Territory Manager or call 01280 825424.

The RCVS President and Principal of the RVC, Professor Stuart Reid, has announced that he is to run the London Marathon on 26 April, in aid of the RVC Animal Care Trust, the Veterinary Benevolent Fund (VBF) and Mind.

The RVC Animal Care Trust will use the funds to assist the student bodies at all of the UK veterinary schools. The VBF, through Vetlife, the Vet Helpline and the Veterinary Surgeons' Health Support Programme, offers specific assistance to members of the veterinary team. Mind has been working with the profession and the veterinary schools at all levels in developing approaches to mental health and wellbeing.

Stuart said: "As President of the RCVS and Principal of the RVC I feel that I am in a privileged position and I would like to take every opportunity to help break down the stigma associated with mental health and wellbeing, and to raise what I can to assist these three excellent charities in dealing with what is, sadly, a major issue for us.

"Most of all, I am doing it for the nine people I know personally who are no longer with us, and the many more who have found, and will find, help in time."

If you'd like to help Stuart meet his sponsorship target of £10,000, you can sponsor him at: uk.virginmoneygiving.com/StuartReid.

The Evidence-Based Veterinary Medicine Learning Consortium has announced the launch of a new online tutorial (www.ebvmlearning.org) designed to make evidence-based veterinary medicine (EBVM) accessible to the veterinary profession worldwide.

The online tutorial, funded by the RCVS Knowledge Target Grants initiative and led by Dr Kristen Reyher at the University of Bristol along with Drs Rachel Dean and Marnie Brennan from the Centre for Evidence-based Veterinary Medicine at the University of Nottingham, begins with an introductory module and then focuses on the five key areas of EBVM:

• Ask - how to formulate answerable questions;
• Acquire - how to obtain relevant information;
• Appraise - how to evaluate the available evidence;
• Apply - how to apply the evidence to clinical practice;
• Assess – how to measure the effect of any implemented changes.

The learning resource, which can be used on various platforms and devices, is suitable for students and practitioners for self-study, and can be used as a stand-alone tutorial or as individual teaching modules to support other EBVM teaching or continuing professional development.

The online tutorial uses best educational practice and includes formative multiple choice questions, short tasks and recommendations for further study. It is intended to be a source of knowledge, bringing together the essentials of EBVM into one place, and highlights many other links to resources and organisations that are available to further learners’ knowledge about the subject.

Dr Kristen Reyher, Senior Lecturer in Farm Animal Science in the School of Veterinary Sciences, who led the project team, said: "It is hoped that the development of this resource will increase awareness of EBVM in the veterinary profession, and allow practitioners the opportunity to develop the skills needed to utilise EBVM in everyday clinical practice."

Future aims of the project team include designing methods of cataloguing and disseminating evidence synthesis to support clinical decision-making and evidence-based veterinary practice, improving and standardising the teaching of EBVM to undergraduate and postgraduate students at veterinary schools internationally, and building a community of practice in this area.

As yet another Chancellor of the Exchequer bites the dust and the economic turmoil highlights the gulf between rich and poor, VetSurgeon.org is offering vets a chance to find out about the causes of inequality in special forum discussion with Sebastian Chambers, author of 'The A-Z of Inequality - How Governments help the rich and how to reverse it'.

Providing a service for everyone from the richest to the poorest, veterinary surgeons probably have a better insight than most to the effects of inequality in society.

Whilst most people can probably think of one or two government policies which contribute to inequality, Sebastian's fully-referenced book is perhaps the first to identify the entire alphabet's worth, and collate them in an easily digestible format (it's only a 45 minute read).

The book is available in hardback on Amazon for £10, or as an e-book for £5.99

Sebastian is on VetSurgeon.org to answer your questions about and discuss how government policies create inequality in society, here: https://www.vetsurgeon.org/001/nonclinical/f/off-duty-discussions/30455/the-a-z-of-inequality 

Although you certainly don't have to have bought or read his book to take part in the discussion, you should find it £5.99 well spent.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Z-Inequality-Sebastian-Chambers-ebook/dp/B09ZVN1HDW 

The Veterinary Practice Management Association (VPMA) has produced a new webinar on the subject of client debt management and made it available for members and non-members alike. 

The 45-minute webinar: Debt Management: Prevention Is Better Than Cure is presented by Mike Brooks from veterinary-specialist debt recovery agency, dsl.

VPMA President Renay Rickard (pictured right) said: "Debt can affect any business, but, because of the role vets play as care-giver in an emotionally-based animal-owner relationship, we are particularly vulnerable. This is something that is commonly brought up by members at our regional meetings and events, and it’s a real dilemma for them how to juggle being strict with payment policies against owner expectations and misperceptions of the cost of veterinary medicine.

"This has been a very popular topic in both our regional meetings and with our webinar and we wanted to open it up to more people to help them tackle this topic in their practices. The feedback on this webinar has been very positive. Mike gives clear guidance on how to set up payment protocols that will minimise debt in such a way that maintains the client-practice relationship. There’s also information on how to recover existing debts. It makes sense to prioritise tackling this issue as if we’re not paid, then we can’t deliver the service that we are expected to, and that our patients need.

"We’re pleased to open this webinar up to all practices as a Christmas gift, and hope it will also highlight the support that is available through VPMA membership."

The webinar can be accessed through a link on the home page of the VPMA website www.vpma.co.uk.

A new study from the University of Surrey, published today in the journal PLOS One, has identified the specific effects of a malformation which affects affects toy breeds.

According to researchers, Chiari malformation has become prevalent as a result of selective breeding and affects many toy dog breeds which have been bred to look more doll-like, including Griffon Bruxellois, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Chihuahuas and their crosses. 

Researchers took brain, skull and vertebrae measurements of 155 Griffon Bruxellois and compared dogs affected by the condition with normal Griffons. They discovered that Griffons with the disease had taller foreheads and that it had also caused the shape of the brain to change, with severely affected animals having their cerebellum pushed underneath the main part of the brain. 

The researchers say that although it can be asymptomatic, in many dogs Chiari malformation can cause headaches, problems with walking or even paralysis.

The condition can also affect humans and the University is working with human geneticists at the University of Montreal, in the hope that better understanding of the condition will lead to improved treatment for both dogs and humans. 

Lead author, Dr Clare Rusbridge from the new School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Surrey, said: "Chiari malformation can be described as trying to fit a big foot into a small shoe. It can be very painful, causing headaches and pressure on the brain and can result in fluid filled cavities in the spinal cord. Our latest discoveries will be significant in driving this research forward and hopefully allow us to identify which genes may be associated with the condition.

"Our next steps will be to apply our technique to other breeds with Chiari malformation and investigate more sophisticated ways of screening, so that risk of disease can be detected more easily, at an earlier age and with a single MRI scan. 

"We want to engage breeders and give them practical advice about the condition, but it is also important that the public recognises that breeding dogs in a certain way to influence how they look might not be in the animal's best interest. There are responsible breeders out there, who have invested in screening and who are breeding for health as well as producing attractive puppies, and it is vital that people only look to buy from them." 

The RCVS has launched its new Fellowship scheme and is now accepting applications from veterinary surgeons who have made a meritorious contribution to their particular field.

The new Fellowship scheme was launched with three routes to membership: meritorious contributions to knowledge; meritorious contributions to clinical practice; and meritorious contributions to the profession.

The changes were approved by RCVS Council at its June 2015 meeting, following a public consultation on how the Fellowship could be developed to move it away from being an examination-based award, to becoming a learned society.

Dr Bradley Viner, President of the RCVS, said: "I am very proud to announce the launch of the new Fellowship scheme and I hope that, as a learned body, the Fellowship will help advance and develop clinical and professional standards by sharing their knowledge and expertise with the profession.

"The move from being an examinations-based award to the three new paths to entry is a significant development as it will widen the reach of the Fellowship, particularly to those who are working in clinical practice.

"I would strongly encourage all those who feel they have made a meritorious contribution to any of these three areas to apply as I am very hopeful we will be able to award our first group of new Fellowships at RCVS Day on Friday 15 July."

The criteria for achieving Fellowship includes sustained contribution to scholarship; producing a body of creative work that has been disseminated to others; indisputable advancement of their subject; providing leadership to the profession; and, advancement of the public understanding of the profession.

Each application will be assessed by a Credentials Panel to see if it meets the proposed criteria. Applications approved by the Panel will then be put to the Fellowship Board, which will meet once a year to consider the overall list of proposed applications. 

The closing date for initial applications is Wednesday 11 May. Application forms for the three different routes to Fellowship, as well as further details about criteria and a list of relevant doctorate programmes, can be found at www.rcvs.org.uk/fellowship

All current Fellows, including Honorary Fellows, will retain their FRCVS/HonFRCVS status.

Researchers from the Waltham Centre for Pet Nutrition have published two studies which reveal, for the first time, the most common bacterial species associated with gum disease in cats.

Working with veterinary dentists and the Harvard affiliated Forsyth Institute, researchers used DNA sequencing technologies to identify 267 bacterial species present in feline dental plaque and build a database detailing the differences between bacterial populations in healthy cats and those in cats with gum disease.

Dr. Ian Davis, Oral Health Researcher at WALTHAM, part of Mars Petcare, said: "This knowledge is a first step in understanding the potential for improving oral health of cats through dietary interventions that target disease-associated bacteria."

The studies also revealed that the bacterial species in feline plaque were more similar to those observed in canine plaque than to those found in humans. This suggests that interventions targeted at bacteria which cause oral disease in humans are unlikely to be effective in cats, and there is more potential to learn from interventions that work well in dogs.

Dr. Davis added: "It’s important for pet owners to know that cats are just as susceptible to gum disease as dogs and understand the importance of maintaining a good oral hygiene routine; ideally including tooth brushing and dental treats or a specific dental diet".  

The first study was published in Veterinary Microbiology in February 2015. The second was published on 25th November in PLOS ONE, and can be downloaded here: http://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0136986.

46% of veterinary surgeons working in the UK decided to become a vet while they were still at primary school, according to new figures released the British Veterinary Association (BVA) to celebrate World Veterinary Day this Saturday. 

The most recent BVA Voice of the Veterinary Profession survey revealed younger vets were more likely to decide on a veterinary career at a young age, with 53% of those under 35 settling on veterinary medicine by the age of 10. However, more than a quarter of vets (28%) said they had decided to become a vet as young as eight years of age.

76% of the vets surveyed said that their choice was driven by an interest in caring for animals.

51% said they were motivated by an interest in science, with a primary focus on clinical practice.

32% mentioned the variety of work that a veterinary career would provide as an influencing factor – with the majority (58%) reflecting that their career choice had met this expectation, rating their job variety/interest as excellent or very good.

British Veterinary Association President Gudrun Ravetz said: "It’s lovely to hear that so many of my fellow vets made the decision as early as I did. Veterinary medicine is a long-standing ambition and a cherished vocation for many vets as well as a challenging and rewarding career.

"I had definitely decided that I wanted to become a vet by the time I was seven. That’s what I would always say I wanted to be when asked by adults. Like most of the vets surveyed I was influenced by loving and caring for the pets in my home. The only vets I knew were those we visited with the dog but I can’t ever remember wanting to be anything else."

Merial has launched a new website where you can test your NSAID knowledge and get the chance to win a £50 book voucher. There’s a new winner every month. 

The website, http://www.osteoarthritisindogs.co.uk is designed to help practice staff understand more about canine osteoarthritis (OA) and effective management of the condition. The site covers every aspect of canine OA, including treatments and non-pharmacological management strategies. There is also a section for dog owners where practice staff can direct their customers for further information.

Merial product manager Claire Parry-Baggott said: “The practice section is password protected but registration is quite straightforward. The test itself consists of 10 multi-choice questions and your test results are returned within a matter of a few seconds.”

Claire added: "Canine osteoarthritis is a challenging area on its own but is further complicated by the choice of NSAIDs that serve the market. All NSAIDs inhibit the COX-2 enzyme which plays the key role in the development of pain and inflammation. However, traditional NSAIDs also inhibit COX-1 to widely varying degrees. This is a beneficial enzyme that plays an important role in normal physiological functioning. The resulting unwanted side-effects of COX-1 inhibition may hinder therapy, however this is not yet recognised by many vet practices.

“This site will help vets and practice staff better understand canine OA, whilst giving a clearer picture of how different NSAID’s interact with COX-1 and COX-2. The new generation NSAID – firocoxib (Previcox®), selects COX-2 whilst sparing COX-1 and so is a real step forward in the treatment of canine OA.”