RCVS Knowledge has produced a series of free contextualised care discussion guides designed to help communication between veterinary professionals and clients.

The guides have been developed for vet teams to share with their clients and work through together, so that both sides are on the same page about owner values, pet welfare and behaviour, and diagnosis and treatment options.

A member of the veterinary team and the client can then work together to make decisions and provide quality care. 

One of the pet owners who helped develop the guides said: “I always get so worked up with vet consultations that I forget half of what they say, or feel like I didn’t tell them enough about my pet’s history.

"If the vet used these guides at my next consult, they would make me feel very at ease indeed!”

Pam Mosedale, Clinical Lead at RCVS Knowledge, said: “These guides offer a simple, actionable way to help deliver contextualised care in practice.

"To get started, run through the questions in the guide with a client, and see how this can help you devise a treatment plan with the information you’ve discovered.

"This helps you gain a fuller understanding of your patient’s care and wellbeing needs and your client’s circumstances and expectations.

"Ultimately, this will assist you in delivering quality care that aligns with the needs and expectations of your clients.”

There are three contextualised care discussion guides:

• The pre-consultation conversation guide for owners, which is designed to help pet owners prepare for a veterinary consultation and help the veterinary team identify any support areas they may need.
• Your pet’s wellbeing during treatment, which will help pet owners and the veterinary team identify how pets may react to certain treatments, and guide overall decisions on treatment plans.
• Conversation guide for delivering contextualised care, which  can be used to discuss treatment options with the owner, allowing for an in-depth discussion on what treatment will entail, and how this might impact both the owner and the patient. 

RCVS Knowledge is encouraging veterinary teams to adapt the guides to meet their individual needs. 

https://rcvsknowledge.org/contextualisedcare

COMMENT

Anything which helps clear communication between the owner and vet is surely to be applauded, and if owners are prepared to spend the time completing the pre-consultation guide, it would surely leave less room for error. 

However, arguably the greatest cause of friction between owners and vets is cost, and that is something only mentioned fleetingly, in the context of: 'Are there any other factors that may impact on the care of your pet? e.g planned holidays or financial concerns'.

Isn't it time to stop beating around the bush?

Isn't there an opportunity here for greater clarity over the level of spending a client is happy with?

Is there an acceptable form of words here to ascertain whether - regardless of whether they have financial concerns or not - the client is one of those who wants the cheapest solution to the problem, one for whom money is no object, or someone who sits somewhere in the middle?

Wouldn't that be more instructive than almost anything else?

DISCUSS HERE

Norbrook Laboratories has produced a new pet owner advice booklet: The Guide to Safe Flea Treatment with the help of the Veterinary Poisons Information Service.

The booklet, which sits alongside a range of marketing materials to support Pestigon, the company's new spot on for cats and dogs, details the dangers of certain spot on products when used in the incorrect species, the risks of buying veterinary medicines online and the benefits of implementing a complete flea treatment program to treat the household and animal.

Michelle Jones, Norbrook's Small Animal Brand Manager said: "For pet owners, an infestation of fleas can be a nightmare. The Guide to Safe Flea Treatment has been produced to help pet owners, under the advice of their vet, understand the potential issues that could be faced with purchasing decisions when dealing with flea and tick infestations."

She added: "Pestigon was launched recently as a POM-V product and is sold exclusively through veterinary practices. The Guide to Safe Flea Treatment is available as part of a wider number of support materials available from Norbrook Laboratories including a useful waiting room display pack which will help support vets when prescribing the product and discussing flea treatments with their clients. "

The Guide to Safe Flea Treatment and other supporting materials are available through your Norbrook representative. 

European Specialist in Veterinary Dentistry Lisa Milella, who revealed last year that she has been diagnosed with motor neurone disease, has now announced that she plans to end her life at the Swiss-based organisation, Dignitas, and is calling on MPs to support a Private Members Bill on assisted dying, due for a second reading next month.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, Lisa said: "In Britain, we give more dignity in death to our pets than we do human beings. I don't want to suffer a prolonged, lingering death. I want to be able to choose when I die – and I'd like to do that in my home, surrounded by my loved ones with dignity – but British law doesn't allow me to do that and that makes me angry."

Meanwhile, Lisa's campaign to raise money for International Animal Rescue has smashed its original target of £10,000 and now stands at £24,096.83, with a new target of £50,000.

Vets Now has announced its selection centre dates for young vets applying for a place on the new 'Cutting Edge' Emergency and Critical Care fast track programme.

With the 20 August deadline for applications fast approaching, Vets Now has confirmed that interviews for the first intake in October will take place on 25^th and 26^th August.  Applications received after this date will be considered only if the applicant meets the necessary criteria and is able to take up a place on the programme if extra places become available.

According to the company, the 'Cutting Edge' initiative is the first training programme of its kind in the UK. It'll see 40 vets who are likely to have graduated between 2006 and 2009 selected for a place on one of two 10 week fast track training programmes which will take them straight to the heart of emergency, working as a veterinary surgeon in a Vets Now clinic.

The induction courses will be held in October and January, each taking up to 20 vets through 10 weeks of intensive ECC training on a robust programme which has been designed by Vets Now Clinical Director and ECC Diplomate, Amanda Boag.

Amanda said: "The recruits who we select will embark upon an intensive period of training over the 10 week period which will give them the necessary skills and knowledge to launch their career in ECC. They will also receive ongoing support during their first two years as a Veterinary Surgeon in a Vets Now clinic with a very generous CPD allowance.  The initial 10 week period will be a combination of lectures and interactive seminars, practical training in our clinical skills laboratory and mentored work in our clinics. Developing clinical expertise and problem solving skills will clearly be the most significant component of the training but there will also be support and training in other vital skills including communication." 

She added: "Initial response to the programme has been very promising and we are delighted to see so many veterinary surgeons interested in developing their career in ECC."

Vets Now will continue to accept applications for the January intake to the 'Cutting Edge' programme throughout September and October.

Graduates who are interested in applying for a place on the 'Cutting Edge' training programme should contact the Vets Now recruitment team on 01383 841181 or email cuttingedge@vets-now.com

International Cat Care has launched the Cat Behavioural Health Programme, an online behaviour course to help veterinary professionals champion cat wellbeing.

Written by 16 internationally renowned cat welfare experts and endorsed by the European Society of Veterinary Clinical Ethology (ESVCE), the programme is the start of a journey to becoming an iCatCare Behavioural Health Practitioner and replaces the Advanced Feline Behaviour for Veterinary and Cat Professionals courses.

The modular course is designed to fit into a busy schedule and includes up-to-date cat welfare science (including areas of behaviour, cognition, emotions, human-animal interactions and genetics)

On completing each module, participants will earn certificates which build up to the Level 1 Cat Behavioural Health Practitioner, which comprises four learning modules and a final project module.

Planning is currently underway for Level 2, which will build on the skills acquired in Level 1 with a focus on people-centric skills, such as communication, professionalism and ethics, and will include practical case studies.  

International Cat Care says the programme will also help those interested in becoming an ABTC Animal Behaviour Technician, because it covers some of the knowledge and understanding requirements.  

Sarah Ellis, Head of Cat Mental Wellbeing and Behaviour at iCatCare and course director said: "Across the world are cats that are misunderstood due to a lack of caregiver understanding of their behaviour.

"Sadly, this can lead to inappropriate husbandry and interactions, which can, in turn, lead to problem behaviours.

"Preventative advice and early recognition of problem behaviours are both key to improving cat welfare.

"This programme allows anyone who works with cats, either directly or in a remote advisory role, to gain the knowledge and understanding required to help promote cat behavioural health.’   

https://go.icatcare.org/catbehealth 

Royal Canin has announced the launch of two new veterinary diets designed to tackle obesity in cats and dogs.

'Satiety Small Dog' is for adult dogs with an ideal weight up to 10kg. 'Satiety Wet' has been developed for those dogs who prefer wet food, or who are used to eating a combination of wet and dry food.

Satiety Small Dog is available in 1.5kg, 3.5kg and 8kg bags and contains a blend of fibres that Royal Canin says increases the volume of stomach contents and promotes satiety. The company says the new diet also contains specific nutrients which contribute to maintaining good oral health, and a high protein content to help maintain muscle mass during the weight loss programme.

Satiety Small Dog is designed to improve digestive tolerance in smaller breeds, as it has a different blend of fibre and higher levels of butyrate than Satiety Canine, which is formulated for the needs of medium and larger dogs. The diet contains less dietary oxalate which Royal Canin claims is of benefit to smaller dogs that are at a greater risk of developing calcium oxalate uroliths.

The second new diet, Satiety Wet for Dogs, is available in 410g and 195g cans. The diet has a high protein content (14.1g per 100kcal), and is enriched with nutrients, minerals and vitamins. Royal Canin also highlights what it says is a particularly innovative feature: a high fibre content in a canned diet.

Ian Williams, Veterinary Scientific Support Manager at Royal Canin, said: "Almost 60% of dogs and 40% of cats in the UK and Ireland are overweight or obese. With obesity comes an increased risk of animals developing conditions affecting the upper respiratory tract, cardiopulmonary system, joints and urinary tract. In cats obesity is also a major risk factor for Type II diabetes mellitus. In essence, obesity can lead to a decreased life expectancy and a reduced quality of life.

"Royal Canin has a proven track record of developing innovative diets to help these pets and the latest additions to our range really will complement the existing choice for vets and their clients."

Defra has announced the detection of Bluetongue (Serotype 1) (BTV1) in five imported cattle on a premises near Blackpool in Lancashire.

The animals originated from within the BTV1 and 8 Restricted Zone in the south west of France and were detected as a result of post-import testing carried out by Defra on all Bluetongue susceptible animals arriving from continental Europe. The animals' documentation complied with the EU Bluetongue rules governing the movement of livestock as the movement occurred at least 60 days after they had been vaccinated.

This is the first case of BTV1 infection in the UK and the five animals have been culled as they may pose a disease threat to other animals. One further animal from the same consignment has also been culled.  Test results for that animal were positive for bluetongue although it was not possible to determine the serotype.  

There is no evidence that BTV1 is circulating in the UK and no additional control zones have been declared.

This response is in accordance with Defra's Bluetongue Control Strategy. The premises are now under restriction while an epidemiological investigation takes place.  This will include further checks on the other animals present on the premises.

Chief Veterinary Officer Nigel Gibbens said: "This is the first case of BTV1 infected animals being imported into the UK. Taking into account the epidemiological evidence and the consideration of the risk represented to British livestock, I have taken the decision to cull these animals.

"This incident shows how important it is for farmers to consider potential disease risks when buying stock. Buyers need to consider how best to protect their own businesses and those of their neighbours and make sure they are clear about the stock they are intending to buy."

Defra continues to test all susceptible animals imported to the UK from continental Europe for all strains of Bluetongue and continues to urge industry to consider the risks and check the health and vaccination status of animals when sourcing any animals from within the UK or abroad.  

In line with EU legislation, and our UK Control Strategy agreed with industry, control measures are in place in UK and abroad to prevent the spread of Bluetongue from existing zones around Europe:

• Restricted Zones around infected premises where disease is circulating (such as the BTV8 Protection Zone in GB);
• Controls on movements of animals out of these zones to minimise the risk of disease spread by animal movement;
• Vaccination programmes to protect animals from disease and prevent its spread (as rolled out for BTV8 in GB in 2008);
• Surveillance to detect disease, including post import testing in UK to look for disease in imported animals.

Petplan has opened nominations for its Petplan Insurance Advisor (PIA) of the Year award.

Available for staff at veterinary practices who are an Appointed Representative (AR) of Petplan, this award recognises PIA's who are dedicated to promoting the benefits of pet insurance in their practice.

Staff can nominate themselves or their colleagues via the website www.petplanvet.co.uk  and are encouraged to provide examples of how the nominated PIA has improved practice performance.

The 2012 PIA of the Year will be crowned at the BVNA Congress on 6^th October and the winner will receive an iPad. Submissions close on 20^th September.  

Simon Masding, Petplan Head of Sales and Partnerships said: "This award celebrates the fantastic job our PIAs do communicating the importance of pet insurance to their clients. We know first hand from the time we spend in practice, just how many fun, innovative ways they find to highlight how having insurance helps keep pets healthy."

Postgraduate Glasgow student Hamaseh Tayari MRCVS, who holds an Iranian passport, was caught up in Donald Trump's ban on nationals of Iran, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Sudan and Libya entering the US last Saturday, as she tried to return home from holiday in Costa Rica via New York.

Talking to The Guardian, Hamaseh said: "This has really shocked me. We just discovered at the airport when we went to check in. I want people to know that this is not just happening to refugees. I am a graduate and I have a PhD. It has happened to a person who is working and who pays tax."

Hamaseh, who thought she'd have to find thousands of pounds to pay for an alternative flight home via another country, was quickly saved by a crowdfunding appeal by Women for Independence, which raised over £6000 in a matter of hours. The charity says it is donating everything in excess of the £2600 needed to get Hamaseh home to the Scottish Refugee Council.

Professor Anton Muscatelli, Principal of the University of Glasgow, said: "When I became aware on Saturday evening that one of our postgraduate veterinary students, Dr Hamaseh Tayari, was being prevented from travelling back from a holiday in Costa Rica through the United States and on to Glasgow I was both concerned and appalled. Concerned for the safety and well being of a young woman who, through no fault of her own, was stranded in Central America. Appalled because the reason for her predicament was not because she had done something wrong. Not because she was a danger to the security of the United States. But simply because she holds an Iranian passport."

He added: "Having spoken with Hamaseh I have been hugely impressed at how she is coping with the nightmare situation in which she finds herself. But I have been impressed too by the huge outpouring of support that has been shown across Scotland and the UK, particularly on twitter and through direct emails that have come in to the University from people who are outraged and want to help. All of this, I know, has greatly touched and heartened Hamaseh. I think it also confirms what we all like to believe is true. In this country we value individuals for what they are and the worth they bring, not for the stamp on their passport, the colour of their skin or the religion they practise."

Photo courtesy University of Glasgow

The RCVS is calling for comment on a proposed new Case Management Protocol for its Disciplinary Committee.

The new protocol provides additional guidance to all parties, ensuring that evidence is agreed or considered well before the hearing. Its emphasis is on the Committee being able to read skeleton arguments and bundles of evidence from respondents before the hearing takes place, which speeds up the process and enables decisions to be made more quickly. At present, this is not always possible, as the information is not always made available.

Gordon Hockey, Head of Professional Conduct said: "The new protocol formalises the standard procedural direction for cases to be heard by the Committee, with the aim of promoting the timely and efficient preparation of cases and the smooth running of hearings. This is in the interests of all parties."

The Disciplinary Committee hears between ten and 15 cases per year. Under the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966, the Committee can consider charges of serious professional misconduct, fraudulent registration and criminal convictions that affect a veterinary surgeon's fitness to practise.

A disciplinary system for registered veterinary nurses was set up in April 2011 and the nurses' Disciplinary Committee would follow the new protocol, as and when it is finalised.

The proposed new Case Management Protocol can be downloaded from www.rcvs.org.uk/about-us/consultations. Comments are welcomed from members of the veterinary team and from the public, by Monday, 8 August 2011, and should be sent to Carrie Gage, Clerk to the Disciplinary Committee, on c.gage@rcvs.org.uk.

Researchers at the Royal Veterinary College are seeking the help of veterinary surgeons in the UK who are treating dogs infected with Streptococcus zooepidemicus, a potentially fatal bacterial pneumonia-type disease which they say has been on the increase over the past five years.

The researchers are also trying to raise awareness of the signs of infection amongst vets and dog owners.

Streptococcus zooepidemicus is an infection that manifests itself similarly to human Toxic Shock Syndrome, causing a severe, bloody pneumonia in dogs. It has an acute onset and in a small proportion of cases the disease has been known to kill dogs within 24 hours of contracting the infection.

Outbreaks are sporadic, but particularly occur in situations where dogs mix in groups, such as rehoming or boarding kennels and in hunting and racing greyhound communities.

Although it is rarer in family pets, researchers are still keen to highlight the signs to owners, particularly if they regularly visit kennels or attend events where large groups of animals gather.

In the early stages, signs are similar to those of kennel cough, which is seen in similar environments. However, in Streptococcus zooepidemicus outbreaks, dogs rapidly become very ill and show very severe signs, with a mortality rate of up to 50% reported. In contrast to this, in more typical cases of kennel cough, most dogs will have a relatively mild illness and deaths are rare.

Researcher and veterinary pathologist Dr Simon Priestnall from the Royal Veterinary College said: "Although Streptococcus zooepidemicus was first identified in dogs in the 1970s, veterinarians and researchers have seen the number of cases spiral upwards over the past five years, particularly within rehoming kennels and the greyhound community. This suggests that the bacterium may have mutated to become more virulent and contagious.

"There is currently very limited public awareness of the problem. Signs for owners to look out for in their pets include a fever, which is usually accompanied by sneezing and nasal discharge which is often bloody, and their animal becoming lethargic. If owners notice the rapid onset of these signs, they are advised to seek veterinary help immediately. With prompt identification, medical treatment and supportive care, dogs can make a full recovery."

Dr Priestnall and his colleagues are working alongside the Animal Health Trust (Dr Andrew Waller) and the University of Nottingham School of Veterinary Medicine and Science (Drs Jenny Stavisky and Janet Daly) to investigate this potentially fatal bacterial pathogen.

They are developing a test that will allow them to determine, from a nasal or throat swab, how many dogs are suffering from the disease and how many are carriers. The hope is that by detecting patterns within the bacterial isolates or the infected dogs, they can uncover potential risk factors and limit the spread of the disease.

If you would like more information or to submit swab samples to help with the research into this disease, contact: spriestnall@rvc.ac.uk.

Dechra is hosting ‘The three things about Cushing’s I wish I’d known sooner’, a free one-hour webinar at 7pm on Wednesday 4th June.

The company says the webinar, presented by Dechra veterinary technical advisor, Emily Casey BVM&S MRCVS (pictured), will save vets' time and enhance their canine patients’ quality of life.

Emily said: “Canine Cushing’s syndrome can seem over-complicated, and we receive about 200 calls a month on the disease, so we’ve seen it all.

"Our new webinar will provide vets with a straightforward, no-nonsense approach to Cushing’s that will transform how they manage their next canine Cushing’s case.”

Delegates who join the webinar live will be entered into a prize draw to win a Littman Classic III Stethoscope.

https://go.dechra.co.uk/3-things-about-cushings