Southfields Veterinary Specialists has appointed Domingo Casamian-Sorrosal, a double-diplomate in veterinary cardiology and small animal internal medicine, to its growing team of specialists.

Domingo, pictured on the left with Southfields clinical director Henry L’Eplattenier, will join the Essex referral centre as head of cardiopulmonary service at the start of February.

After qualifying in Zaragoza in his native Spain, Domingo completed an internship and several years in practice in the UK, before joining the University of Bristol small animal hospital as a resident.

He then completed a three-year training programme in small animal internal medicine, followed by a four-year programme in cardiology to become an RCVS diplomate and specialist in veterinary cardiology and small animal internal medicine (ECVIM). 

After being appointed as head of cardiology and respiratory medicine at Bristol, Domingo joined Dick White Referrals before his move to Southfields. 

Domingo said: "I’m delighted to be joining such a progressive and forward-thinking practice as Southfields. It is clear everyone at the practice is dedicated to continuing its growth and dedication to providing the highest possible level of care."

Southfields’ operations manager Daniel Hogan said: "The arrival of Domingo adds another hugely talented specialist to our growing team of experts. He is, without doubt, at the top of his profession and his passion and dedication are traits which will fit perfectly at Southfields as we continue to grow."

Domingo is also a visiting lecturer in cardiology and respiratory medicine at the Catholic University of Valencia, while he is an active clinical researcher and has published widely in many areas of cardiology and respiratory medicine. His areas of special interest are arrhythmias and interventional cardiology.

For more information about Southfields Veterinary Specialists, go to www.southfields.co.uk. 

The Blue Cross is urging horse owners and riders to taking part in next week’s National Equine Health Survey (21-28 May 2018).

The ten-minute online survey aims to gather a snapshot of horse health over the period of a week.

The results help to identify trends in endemic equine diseases and help the Blue Cross steer equine awareness, education and research.

This year the survey includes some welfare questions to help guide knowledge in response to what the charity calls 'the UK’s horse welfare crisis'.

The National Equine Health Survey is run by the Blue Cross in partnership with the British Equine Veterinary Association. Dodson and Horrell is helping to cover the costs of running the scheme.

Supporters of the survey include the British Horse Society, Horse Trust, Redwings and the Pony Club.

Medal-winning riders Mary and Emily King, and Yazmin Pinchen (pictured right) also support the survey. 

Visit www.bluecross.org.uk/NEHS or email NEHS@bluecross.org.uk to register and take part, which carries the chance of winning prizes including Star Lister Clippers, a Lister Adagio Trimmer and some Burford Ariat boots.

The British Veterinary Zoological Society (BVZS) has issued new guidelines for veterinary surgeons working in the field of British native wildlife rescue and rehabilitation.

The guidelines are designed to support veterinary surgeons, veterinary nurses and wildlife rehabilitators, in order to promote and achieve the best possible care and welfare for indigenous British wild animals in accordance with UK law.

The Society says that guidelines are needed because:

• All veterinary surgeons in practice are at some point likely to be presented with injured or orphaned British wildlife.
• Full care to the point of successful release of suitable cases back to the wild requires good collaborative working relationships between veterinary professionals and wildlife rehabilitators.
• Wildlife casualties are covered by the Veterinary Surgeons Act and Veterinary Medicines Regulations. Therefore veterinary surgeons and nurses have legal as well as ethical responsibilities for the care of these animals.
• Wildlife carers and rehabilitators also have responsibilities, and may benefit from clarification of these at the interface between veterinary medicine and general animal care.
• Failure to fulfil these responsibilities may lead to action by the RCVS, as well as prosecution under the Animal Welfare Act, 2006 or other wildlife legislation.

Mark Stidworthy, BVZS President (pictured above right), said: "The rescue and rehabilitation of wildlife by veterinary surgeons and wildlife professionals is highly valued by the British public, making a positive contribution to local communities, the health and welfare of individual animals and to conservation. We hope these guidelines will inform best practice in this area and ensure its continued success."

Theresa Amory, Chair of the British Wildlife Rehabilitation Council (BWRC) said: "BWRC aims to support and promote the professional integrity of wildlife rehabilitators. While we recognise that meeting all of these guidelines may be difficult (particularly for smaller scale rehabilitators) we hope that they will enable rehabilitators to work alongside veterinary partners with increased awareness and confidence in their own working policies and procedures."

Michael Stanford, BVZS Senior Vice President, Veterinary Defence Society Claims Consultant said: "The BVZS Wildlife Guidelines should ensure all stakeholders involved with wildlife rehabilitation are acting in the best interests of animal welfare, with the added reassurance that they are acting in accordance with UK law."

Liz Mullineaux, veterinary surgeon and one of the authors of the guidelines said: "Working with British wildlife has always been challenging, for both vets and rehabilitators, in terms of what is ethical, legal and of an adequate clinical standard. These guidelines clarify many of those things, describing best practice and achievable standards for this area of work."

The guidelines can be downloaded from: http://www.bvzs.org/images/uploads/BVZS_Good_Practice_Guidelines_for_Wildlife_Centres_011016_.pdf 

Virbac has been appointed as the exclusive distributor of Syvazul BTV3, a bluetongue vaccine made by Spanish pharmaceutical company, Syva, the first doses of which have already arrived in the UK.

The announcement came hot on the heels of announcements from Ceva and Boehringer that they too had vaccines in the pipeline.

Syvazul BTV3 is licensed to reduce viraemia, prevent mortality and reduce clinical signs and lesions in sheep and for the active immunisation against bluetongue virus serotype 3 in cattle.

Like all vaccines currently available for this serotype, the vaccine will not prevent infection and vaccinated animals will still be subject to bluetongue movement controls and trade restrictions currently in place.

Administered as a single 2ml dose subcutaneously in sheep and as two 4ml intramuscular doses 3 weeks apart in cattle, Syvazul BTV3 contains inactivated Bluetongue virus, serotype 3 (BTV-3), strain BTV-3/NET2023.

The vaccine is licenced for use during pregnancy and lactation in both sheep and cattle.

The onset of immunity is 28 days after the primary vaccine in sheep. A single booster revaccination dose of 2ml for sheep and 4ml for cattle is recommended after 12 months.

Presented in two pack sizes, 80ml and 200ml, Syvazul BTV3 vaccine has a shelf life of 2 years from manufacture and a broach life of 10 hours.

Licensing for use will be geographic, based upon high risk counties or by specific licence from the APHA.

Elanco is highlighting new research which shows that using monensin in dairy cows at high risk of developing subclinical ketosis reduces curative antibiotic use by 25%.

According to the company, good herd management before calving is known to mitigate antimicrobial use in cows suffering from subclinical ketosis related conditions, but to date little research has quantified it.

The new research, by the University of Toulouse, was presented to leading cattle vets, academics and representatives of the pharmaceutical industry by veterinary cattle health specialist, Professor Didier Raboisson at the European Buiatrics Forum in Rome in October.¹ It showed that using a monensin bolus in cows at high risk of getting subclinical ketosis led to a 25% reduction in antibiotics to treat and cure conditions associated with the metabolic condition.

Fiona Anderson MRCVS of Elanco said: "Responsible use of antimicrobials must be the target for veterinary medicine. Reducing use by whatever means could help improve the antimicrobial resistance situation. This new study shows that using monensin, which is available in the form of a Kexxtone bolus, is a powerful way to cut antibiotic use in the dairy herd. This is in addition to monensin already proven to be a valuable tool to reduce the risk of ketosis and subclinical ketosis and its associated losses in dairy herd productivity and profitability."

Subclinical ketosis is very common. It can affect up to 30% of cows in early lactation with a large variation between herds.² It can be very costly for a dairy herd. A study from 2015 found that for a 100 cow herd with 30% ketosis, the direct and indirect costs can be around £10,416 or around £347 per affected cow.³

Cows affected by subclinical ketosis are at a higher risk of getting mastitis and metritis. They are also at higher risk of developing displaced abomasum, retained placenta and cystic ovaries and consequently face a higher culling risk. Subclinical ketosis also lowers milk production, reduces conception rates and lengthens calving intervals.⁴

If ketosis is an issue in a dairy herd, targeted administration of monensin in a Kexxtone bolus to cows at high risk of developing ketosis reduces the incidences of ketosis by 74%.⁶

The bolus is given three weeks before calving and provides coverage during the main risk period for the condition. Kexxtone uses monensin to improve rumen function and increase glucose delivery. This ultimately increases the energy available and buffers the dairy cow against the tendency to drop into negative energy balance.⁵

To make a big difference to clients’ profitability, Fiona encourages vets to not just consider the traditional nutritional intervention and the emergency treatment of ketosis cases, but to develop an effective strategy to highlight cows at risk of subclinical ketosis and to take targeted preventative action. She said: "Vets who can offer positive interventions to subclinical ketosis and its associated losses in the dairy herd are going to be increasingly important to their clients’ herd health planning."

References:

1. Raboisson EBFProceedings 2015 Reducing the curative antibiotic use up to 25 per cent by controlling subclinicalketosis
2. Berge 2014 JDS A field study to determine prevalence of ketosis and herd management in EU
3. Raboisson 2015 The economic impact of subclinical ketosis at the farm level Tackling the challenge of overestimation due to multiple interactions
4. McArt 2012 JDS Epidemiol SCK & LeBlanc 2012 ReproDomAnim Interactions of metabolism inflammation and reproducive tract
5. Elanco clinical trial AA9CEU0801
6. Green 1999 JDS Impact monensinCRC on SCKh

York-based Dr Michael Richard Jones has been suspended by the RCVS Disciplinary Committee for two months, for making dishonest entries in horse passports and subsequently making dishonest entries in the same horses’ clinical records.

The Disciplinary Committee heard three charges against Dr Jones.

The first and second charges were that, in March 2018, Dr Jones made signed entries in the passports and made corresponding entries in clinical records of four horses indicating that he had administered an influenza vaccination booster to each horse on 15 March 2018 and in relation to another horse a tetanus booster, when in fact he had administered the vaccination boosters on 21 March 2018, and that his conduct was misleading, dishonest and undermined the integrity of a vaccination process designed to promote animal welfare.

The third charge was that, on or around 21 March 2018, Dr Jones failed to make any entries in the clinical records for a horse in relation to an examination on 21 March 2018.

At the outset of the hearing Dr Jones admitted the facts in the first and second charges, and accepted that his actions were misleading, dishonest and that they undermined the integrity of a vaccination process. However, he disputed certain aspects of the written statements of the College’s witnesses. In particular he wanted his conduct to be taken in the context of the pressures that he was working under on that day, primarily that he was in a stressed state having had to euthanase a valuable stallion at the conclusion of his previous client appointment.

Dr Jones did not admit the third charge, explaining that he did not remember examining the horse on 21 March 2018 as alleged.

Based on Dr Jones' own admissions, the Committee found the first and second charges proven. 

Regarding the third charge, the Committee heard evidence from the horse’s owner who said they were present during the examination taking place and the Committee was satisfied that the respondent did examine the horse on 21 March 2018 and that he had a duty to make a brief clinical note on the examination. As Dr Jones admitted that he made no such note, the Committee found the charge to have been proven to the requisite standard.

Having found the charges proven, the Committee then went on to consider whether or not Dr Jones’ proven conduct amounted to serious professional misconduct. The Committee, having considered the aggravating and mitigating factors, found that Dr Jones’ conduct as found proved in relation to both charges one and two, did constitute serious professional misconduct.

However, with regards to charge three, the Committee accepted that the respondent simply forgot that he had examined the horse and, therefore, the Committee was not satisfied that the failure to compile a record entry covering the horse’s examination constituted serious professional misconduct.

The Committee then considered what sanction to impose on Dr Jones in relation to the facts found proven in charges one and two. In doing so it took into account the 78 written testimonials and 4 character witnesses called on behalf of Dr Jones.

Ian Green, who chaired the Committee and spoke on its behalf, said: "The Committee’s decision on sanction has been based on an acceptance that the respondent’s conduct on this occasion was out-of-character, as the evidence of his character witnesses and the contents of the letters submitted in his support by his clients and other veterinary colleagues assert. The Committee also accepts that the respondent self-reported himself to his employer and to the College and has made a full and frank admission of his wrongdoing.

"Consideration was given to whether the sanction of a reprimand and/or warning as to future conduct would adequately reflect the gravity of the misconduct, however, after careful reflection it was concluded that such a sanction could not be justified. The reason is that acts of falsification involve acts of dishonesty by a professional person acting in a professional capacity, and the gravity of the matter arises not simply from the dishonesty but also from the possible consequences of the false certification. It should be clearly understood by members of the veterinary profession that, in appropriate false certification cases, the sanction of removal from the Register is one which may well be imposed."

The Committee therefore decided that suspending Dr Jones from the Register for two months would be the most appropriate sanction.

VetSurgeon.org has introduced a new policy of zero tolerance of bad manners in its forums. 

It's believed that VetSurgeon.org and VetNurse.co.uk, which run on a platform that predates Facebook, may be the first online communities to require good manners. 

Under the new policy, anyone who posts anything in the forums which is sarcastic, belittling, snide, rude or unkind towards another member will face immediate removal from the website.  

This marks a very radical change to the previous policy in which members were free to say pretty much what they wanted.

VetSurgeon.org Publisher Arlo Guthrie said: "For years, I felt the right to free speech trumped all, and would rarely intervene.

"When I did, the worst anyone faced was a temporary suspension. 

"As time has passed, I've realised the limitations of the written word, especially the short-form, hastily-written word, which can cause real distress. 

"We all moderate our language offline, it's just a question of realising that we need a different set of standards online, to account for the lack of facial expression and immediacy of reply, and the public nature of the discussion.

Some people have questioned the new policy, and whether it will stifle proper debate.

Arlo added: "I believe not. It is perfectly possible and OK to disagree with someone, and express that disagreement forcefully, without being sarcastic.

"On the contrary, I think that allowing bad manners has a far more chilling effect on free speech, because it scares off opinions from the majority of more moderate members"

Others have asked whether this new policy is the consequence of the new partnership with Improve International, or proposed new laws surrounding social media. 

Arlo said: "Again, no. It was a very personal decision I reached after years of wrestling with the problem. It was precipitated by a series of unkind posts and I just thought 'enough's enough'.

"That said, I am really excited about the prospect of working with Improve to grow the community as somewhere its members can come for high quality clinical content and authoritative opinion, which for sure would be hard to achieve if we don't have a friendly, collaborative atmosphere."

Another issue raised about zero tolerance is whether it is fair that there may be no second chance.

Arlo said: "I've tried loads of things over the years. Warnings. Red cards. Suspensions. None of them work. People just push the boundaries. 

"But the moment I said 'zero tolerance', it seems people get the message and moderate themselves accordingly."

"I'm delighted. I want people to think of VetSurgeon.org as somewhere everyone can come for authoritative advice and support, confident of a friendly welcome and the highest standards of online behaviour."

Katharine Power MRCVS has been cleared of serious professional misconduct by the RCVS Disciplinary Committee.

Dr Power faced a number of charges relating to alleged clinical and communications failings surrounding surgery carried out on two separate dogs on two separate occasions.

The first concerned laryngeal tieback surgery carried out on Harvey, a Tibetan Terrier in March 2018, and the second concerned oesophageal surgery carried out on a boxer dog, Boss, in October 2018.

The College withdrew a number of the charges at the start of the hearing, and more later after hearing from witnesses. 

Of the remainder, Dr Power admitted that she had not undertaken pre-operative radiographs before proceeding with the laryngeal surgery, had failed to perform the surgery appropriately (she dissected excessive tissue and had inappropriately placed sutures), and had undertaken the surgery when it was outside her area of competence.

In relation to the oesophageal surgery, Dr Power admitted failing to provide a referral report and/or clinical records to the veterinary practice he was referred from, despite requests from the practice.

The Committee found that the majority of the charges which had not been withdrawn or admitted by Dr Power, not proven.

However, the Committee found that in addition to the admitted charges, Dr Power had subjected the dog undergoing oesophageal surgery to an excessive 9.5 hours of anaesthesia.

The Committee then went on to consider whether the proven charges amounted to serious professional conduct.

Counsel for the College submitted that Dr Power’s conduct breached the part of the Code of Professional Conduct relating to veterinary surgeons keeping within their area of competence and referring responsibly; and providing veterinary care that is appropriate and adequate.

In terms of aggravating factors, the College submitted that there was both actual injury to the animal, as well as actions that posed a risk of injury, that Dr Power financially benefitted from the alleged misconduct as she was paid to perform a procedure outside her competence, and that she occupied a position of increased trust and responsibility as she advertised herself as a practitioner who accepted referrals and was competent to perform soft tissue surgery.

Dr Power’s counsel submitted that the charges that had been found proven amounted to clinical and administrative failings and that this was not a case of a veterinary surgeon deliberately or recklessly acting outside of their capabilities, but rather a case where a diligent and responsible veterinary surgeon had fallen short in discrete areas of her clinical practice and had reasonably believed at the time that she was competent to perform the surgery.

The Committee found that although the conduct within the proven charges fell short of what would be reasonably expected of a veterinary surgeon, it did not fall so far short that her conduct constituted serious professional misconduct.

Paul Morris, chairing the Disciplinary Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: “The Committee understood that it had a responsibility to consider the wider public interest, taking into account the view of a reasonable member of the public in possession of all the relevant facts and information.

“The Committee considered that such a member of the public would understand that veterinary surgery is a challenging profession. It was of the view that such a member of the public would not expect perfection, but understand that any professional practitioner may make mistakes in the course of their practice.

“It is the judgement of this Committee that the respondent’s conduct does not constitute disgraceful conduct in a professional respect.”

The full findings of the Disciplinary Committee can be found at www.rcvs.org.uk/disciplinary

Creature Comforts, the start up which promises to revolutionise veterinary care using tech, has opened its first clinic in Notting Hill Gate, London. 

The new, four storey, architecturally-designed clinic is full of natural light and includes calming and spacious staff breakout areas. 

By combining a beautiful work environment with seamless technology, the company believes it can transform working conditions and job satisfaction for vet teams.

On the tech side, the Creature Comforts has created a proprietary app which allows triage to be handled online and for staff to work flexibly.

The company says the app also reduces the administrative burden, a contributory factor for staff burnout.

Creature Comforts says most clients subscribe at a cost of £20 per pet per month, giving them unlimited consultations, instant bookings and live chat via the app (as well as annual vaccinations and discounted routine treatments).

This should mean animals are seen more frequently, and conditions can be identified and treated earlier.

Memberships will be capped to control vet team caseload and to ensure a good customer experience.

The company is also addressing Competition and Markets Authority concerns, with prices for routine treatments listed on its website, upfront estimates for procedures, and a business model hinged on unlimited access to expertise (i.e. consultations, instant in-app bookings and live chat) at no extra cost for subscribed members.

Creature Comforts says its vet team benefits from a share of their clinic’s profits, above industry-standard pay, compensated overtime, a well-balanced staffing ratio, manageable working hours and scheduled breaks. 

Dr Russell Welsh, COO and co-founder of Creature Comforts, said: “It’s an incredible feeling to see a plan come together in a sector that’s so ripe for transformation.

"We want to bring the passion, joy and fun back to our profession, and this is an opportunity to do things differently and vastly better, with a fresh and carefully-considered business model founded on the principles of health and happiness.

"This is vet care as it should be."

https://www.creaturecomforts.co.uk

Bayer Animal Health has announced that it will launch Seresto, a new POM-V collar for cats and dogs that kills fleas and repels and kills ticks for up to eight months, in March.

According to Bayer, Seresto is the first treatment to provide repellency against ticks in both cats and dogs, and represents the fruit of a multidisciplinary effort incorporating the company's research into insecticides, polymers and veterinary parasiticides. The end result is a polymer-based collar that transfers the active ingredients to the lipid layer, from where they are spread by the animal's neutral oils.

Bayer Animal Health group product manager, Caroline Braidwood, said: "Seresto is simple to use on both cats and dogs. And because it is long lasting, it offers pet owners an alternative to those struggling to maintain a monthly routine. Bayer believes in innovation and Seresto is an enhancement to our product portfolio that meets the needs and requirements of pet owners and vets alike in the treatment of ticks and fleas."

Seresto contains two active ingredients - imidacloprid for fast action against fleas and flumethrin, which repels and kills ticks.

Caroline added: "Thanks to Seresto's unique polymer structure the active ingredients are safely locked away in the collar's matrix, and are released directly from the collar surface into the lipid layer of the animal at just the dose needed, ensuring optimal protection is sustained for up to 8 months."

Bayer says that because of its repellent (anti-feeding) effect, Seresto reduces the risk of vector-borne disease transmission - a first for cats. The company also says that because the active ingredients are stored on the inside of the polymer, it doesn't matter if the pet is shampooed and the lipid layer stripped off - the active ingredients are quickly replenished by the collar. 

Seresto is odour-free and has a safety release mechanism to prevent strangulation. It is available in three sizes, Seresto Cat for cats less than 8kgs, Seresto Small Dog for dogs up to 8kgs and Seresto Large Dogs, for dogs over 8kg.

For further information about Seresto, contact your Bayer territory manager or call 01635 563000.

Sainsbury’s Bank Pet Insurance has launched has launched an online tool to help people pick the right pet, after it conducted research which found that 22% regret their choice of breed. 

The survey found that 51% of cat and dog owners didn't research their pets breed before buying. Of the 22% who then regretted their decision, 31% said it was because they didn’t have enough time to look after the animal, 18% because they turned out to be allergic to the animal, and 16% because they didn’t like their pet’s personality.

Apparently dog owners were more likely to regret their new pet (26%) than cat owners (16%).

Sainsbury’s has therefore launched the Pawfect Match tool, designed to help future pet owners to make informed decisions when choosing the most suitable breed for them. The pet picker asks you a number of questions about your circumstances and makes a number of suggestions based on how you answer. 

Sainsbury's campaign is being fronted by Scott Miller MRCVS, who said: "I am saddened to hear that so many pet owners are regretting the animals they have chosen as companions. Dogs and cats come in all shapes and sizes, and have different temperaments. Looking after a pet is a huge commitment so it is important that people undertake adequate research before buying a pet to ensure it is a happy experience."

COMMENT

I tried Sainsbury's pet picker and it recommended a Basset Hound as the first choice. Fair enough. I always think they look like the living embodiment of the word 'hangdog', which is not really my cup of tea. Luckily, the tool makes more than one suggestion. One of the criteria I'd specified was 'quiet and calm', so the second recommendation, a whippet, was fine. But the third caught my eye. A Border Collie. What? Whaaaaaat? Quiet and calm? A Border Collie. Are you having a laugh? I thought Border Collies usually need to be sent to some sort of asylum.

Still, if Sainsbury's tool encourages more people to think harder about their choice, that's no bad thing. But they might like to rethink the Border Collie recommendation. 

Vets Now has opened bookings for its Emergency and Critical Care Congress, taking place on Thursday 9th and Friday 10th November 2023 at the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds.

Dr Stephen Hearns, a consultant in aeromedical retrieval (human) medicine, who delivers pre-hospital critical care for major trauma patients, will open Congress as the keynote speaker.

He'll also present a limited-seat session where he’ll focus on performance under pressure.

Joining Stephen in the speaker line up are Simon Cook from the RVC, Megan Brashear from Purdue University Veterinary Hospital, Tim Travail, Chloe Fay, Dan Tipney, Jenny Guyat, Ashton Hollworth and Dr Craig Joyce, an educational psychologist who will be offering his insights into dealing with imposter syndrome.

This year, participants will have the opportunity to follow a trauma case from arrival to departure on the first day of Congress, gaining real-time insights into the decision-making process and management strategies.

On day two, speakers will delve into lessons learned, allowing attendees to deepen their understanding of emergency and critical care practices 

Simon said: “Get ready for a fantastic speaker line-up, an array of workshops and learning experiences, a bustling exhibition hall and more opportunities than ever for veterinary and nursing delegates to reconnect with old friends and make new ones. 

"Brace yourselves to absorb knowledge and tips from some of the world’s leading veterinary experts discussing emergency and critical care.”

The ECC Congress programme for 2023 is open to veterinary professionals of all levels, including veterinarian surgeons, vet nurses, students and graduates.

Tickets range in price from £50+ VAT for exhibition-only tickets, up to £520+ VAT for a vet to attend for 2 days plus the Gala dinner.

https://www.vets-now.com/congress/ 

Vets Now has launched a new small animal surgical residency programme following a recent £1.5m expansion at its Glasgow hospital.

The expansion, which was completed last year, added a whole floor dedicated to emergency and critical care, a new specialist oncology treatment area and additional theatre space.

Davinia Arnott (pictured right), a European and RCVS Specialist in Small Animal Surgery, is leading the new residency programme. She said: "To be awarded the ability to run a residency, you have to be accredited to the highest possible standard, and there is a range of stringent ECVS criteria that we needed to meet.

"We were able to put ourselves forward following the expansion of our hospital and all the new facilities we have added. We are all really proud to be in a position to offer this new small animal surgical residency.

"We now have four theatres so we can do multiple surgeries at the same time, allowing us to greatly increase our caseload. We can also do fluoroscopy for orthopaedics and soft tissue. We just didn’t have that capability before.

"To achieve specialist status, the standard is exceptionally high so we’ll only have one resident every three years. This is to ensure they’re mentored and guided properly throughout."

Leo Roses is the first small animal surgery resident to join the new Vets Now programme. She began her three-year tenure in January after completing a surgical internship in the hospital. Leo, who is originally from Majorca and has also worked for Vets4Pets, Fitzpatrick and PDSA, is realising a long-held dream by embarking on a surgery residency.

She said: "I realised during my degree that I wanted to specialise in surgery. I did two surgical internships before coming to Glasgow to do a third. I applied for a position here because I was aware of the incredible reputation of the surgeons and had been told they were really keen to teach."