The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has launched Working with dogs in health care settings, the first ever nationwide protocol for animals in health care, in order to encourage more hospitals to explore animal therapy.

The protocol provides evidence-based best practice criteria so that hospitals and other health settings can introduce animals into the care environment.

By following it, the RCN says services will be able to ensure the safety of patients and health care staff as well as the animals and their owners, while allowing patients to reap the benefits that interaction with animals can bring. 

Publication of the protocol was prompted by an RCN survey last year which found that although the majority of respondents thought animals were hugely beneficial to patients, most nurses said animals were not allowed in their workplace.

The survey found that nine out of 10 nurses believe animals can help improve the health of patients with depression and other mental health problems with 60% of respondents also acknowledging that animals can help speed patient recovery.

Amanda Cheesley, RCN Professional Lead for Long-term Conditions and End-of-Life Care, said: "Anyone who’s worked in this area can see the amazing impact animals have on the health of adults and children alike.

"However there are so many myths around the dangers of having animals in health care settings that most organisations are too concerned to try it out.

"This protocol will help to dispel these fears by supporting hospitals to include animals in the care they deliver in a safe and professional way.

"We hope that it will encourage all health services to consider how animals can help their patients and help us to remove the taboo from what is a really remarkable area of care."

The protocol has been welcomed by the British Veterinary Association. Simon Doherty, BVA Junior Vice President, said: "This new protocol highlights the importance of the bond between humans and animals. It also serves as a welcome reminder at the start of Mental Health Awareness Week of how caring for and interacting with ‘man’s best friend’ can help to relieve stress and enhance wellbeing and a sense of companionship.

"It’s positive that the working group consulted with a wide range of organisations on welfare and safety considerations in developing this protocol, as ensuring the wellbeing of both humans and animals in these settings is paramount. As a fellow member of the UK One Health Coordination Group, BVA is very pleased to see a joined-up and forward-thinking approach to this important area of work."

Photo: Therapy Dog Visiting Young Female Patient In Hospital, Monkey Business Images / Shutterstock

The Veterinary Management Group (VMG) has announced that candidates who want to sit its Certificate in Veterinary Practice Management (CVPM) this year have until 1 August to apply.

Achieved by VMG members who have demonstrated an ability to effectively manage a veterinary practice, hospital or unit, the CVPM is aimed at experienced managers and members of the veterinary team in a leadership or management role. The qualification tests the knowledge of candidates in areas including management, HR, communication, marketing and financial planning.

VMG Director Georgina Hills (pictured right) said: "Effective veterinary leaders require expertise in all aspects of running a successful business, as well as a deep understanding of the veterinary sector and the CVPM is unique in testing their knowledge across the board. It is increasingly recognised as a benchmark for excellence and we are delighted to have seen an uplift in applications last year."

Further details on the CVPM and the application form are available here: https://www.vetmg.com/education/cvpm/

Elanco Companion Animal Health has launched of Dexdomitor 0.1 mg/ml, adding to its range of alpha-2 agonists and antagonists. 

Produced and manufactured in partnership with Orion Corporation, Elanco says Dexdomitor 0.1 mg/ml contains all the properties of dexmedetomidine in a formulation that allows accurate and convenient dosing for the smallest patients. It can be used as a sedative for non-invasive, mild to moderately painful procedures and examinations which require restraint, sedation and analgesia in dogs and cats.  It can also be used for deep sedation and analgesia in dogs in concomitant use with butorphanol for medical and minor surgical procedures and as a pre-medication in dogs and cats before induction and maintenance of general anaesthesia.

Dexdomitor 0.1 mg/ml has been designed to provide accurate dosing in very small dogs (up to 5kg) for sedation and pre-medication, small to mid-size dogs (up to 20kg) for pre-medication, and small cats (up to 3kg) for sedation and pre-medication.

Ed Whittle MRCVS, technical consultant at Elanco Companion Animal Health said: "With nearly a quarter of dogs weighing less than 6kg and nearly three-quarters weighing less than 23.1kg¹, Dexdomitor 0.1mg/ml is ideal for small animals that require low concentration doses of dexmedetomidine for convenient and accurate dosing".

Elanco has has also produced a sedation and pre-medication dosing guide to educate veterinary professionals on the recommended doses for its range of alpha-2 agonists and alpha-2 antagonists.

For further information contact your Elanco Companion Animal Health key account manager or email elancoCAH.uk@elanco.com.

Carefree Credit, the company which provides a credit facility for practices to offer clients to pay for unexpected veterinary bills, has announced that from this month, practices can offer the facility to clients without themselves going through the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) authorisation process.

In the past, all practices that offered Carefree Credit to clients had to complete the FCA authorisation process, something which involved completing a 48 page online application and a wait of 12 weeks for approval. Although Carefree Credit provides guidance with the process and around 700 practices have enrolled successfully, it was not the ideal solution for practices who wanted a quick solution.

From now on, those practices that are happy to offer interest-free credit for a maximum period of 12 months can do so without going through the FCA process.

Stewart Halperin MRCVS, the founder of Carefree Credit, said: "For those of you who have looked at a client finance option for your practice but have been put off by the thought of going through the FCA authorisation process, this will make things much easier."

For more information, visit www.carefreecredit.co.uk/  

Veterinary anaesthetist Carl Bradbrook BVSc CertVA DipECVAA MRCVS is encouraging veterinary practices to use safety checklists in an article published in Jurox's Anaesthesia1st online newsletter this month.

Carl's article: 'Are you using a safety checklist in your practice?', focuses on the benefits of introducing a safety checklist in practice to reduce patient morbidity, mortality and to improve communication between members of the veterinary team.

He explains how a checklist helps eliminate the need to memorise every single step of a protocol and self-limit any errors that may eventually lead to a fatal or near-fatal incident, and how it should contain a limited number of elements, allow quick completion and most importantly be relevant to the situation.

The article includes information on how to introduce a safety checklist, steps to consider and how to use one in practice. 

It also contains links to downloadable tools including the Association of Veterinary Anaesthetists (AVA) safety checklist and implementation booklet and information on the association’s ‘Safer Anaesthesia Project’.  An editable safety checklist will also be available to download from the ‘Anaesthesia1ST’ blog that practices can adapt to their own requirements.

Richard Beckwith, country manager of Jurox (UK) said: "Our hugely popular Anaesthesia1ST newsletter features state-of-the-art, practical and easy to read articles to help veterinary professionals deliver 1^ST class anaesthesia to all patients. Our latest edition will challenge practices to consider safety checklists as an essential part of their pre-anaesthetic routine in order to reduce the risk of mistakes."

To sign up to the Anaesthesia1ST newsletter visit the Alfaxan website – www.alfaxan.co.uk, contact your local Jurox technical sales representative or email Jurox at info@jurox.co.uk.

The RCVS Operational Board has announced that it will ask Council to review its decision to remove postgraduate postnominals from the Register, following the largely negative response from the profession to the idea, including a petition from Derbyshire surgeon, Victoria Lilley.

The original decision was made by Council in June 2012 as part of a package of measures aimed at developing clarity around postgraduate skills and knowledge.

The College says that the removal of postgraduate postnominals from the Register was intended to help dispel confusion amongst the public and some members of the profession about the level of various qualifications, by introducing the Advanced Practitioner status alongside the existing Specialist list.

Chairman of the Operational Board, CEO Nick Stace, said: "Over the last few days we have listened to the disquiet amongst the profession - which has included direct contact with staff and Operational Board members, a petition and discussion on fora and social media - and feel that we should address some misunderstandings but also give Council the opportunity to review the decision at its 5 June meeting.

"Many good points have been made by members of the profession and I am pleased that the Operational Board has agreed to reflect on them and consider whether there is a better way to achieve the clarity we were seeking for the public and the profession.

"The introduction of Advanced Practitioner status is a positive move for both the profession and the public, and underlines the College's commitment to lifelong learning.

"It is important to have the profession's support for the direction we are taking in advancing standards across the sector."

The College has also provided some Q&A's concerning the original decision made by Council in 2012, as follows.

1. When did this process start?
   A Specialisation Working Party was set up in spring 2010 under the chairmanship of Professor Sir Kenneth Calman to review routes to specialisation, and clarity around postgraduate qualifications. It was, in part, in response to a report produced by Professor Philip Lowe, on behalf of Defra, around veterinary expertise in food animal production, although the Working Party's remit went wider.
2. Was the profession consulted?
   The recommendations of the Working Party were sent out to consultation amongst the profession and the public in November 2011. The story featured on the front page of the November 2011 issue of RCVS News, which was sent to every member of the College, and received media coverage. We received 290 responses: 265 from individuals and 25 from organisations or groups of individuals.
3. To what has Council agreed?
   Council unanimously agreed recommendations from the Specialisation Working Party in June 2012. As well as recommending increasing scope of the Specialist list, changing the wording in the Code of Professional Conduct, and setting up the Advanced Practitioner status, it was agreed that: "The RCVS should simplify significantly the listing of postnominal letters for qualifications against Members' names in the published Register and on the RCVS website (Find a Vet). Official lists should show only the registerable degree (eg BVMS, or DVM, or BVetMed etc), followed by either MRCVS or FRCVS, and indicating whether the individual is on the list of specialists or the list of advanced practitioners. Thus: i. John Brown BVSc MRCVS ii. Jane Smith BVM&S MRCVS Advanced Practitioner in Small Animal Surgery iii. Peter Jones, MVB, FRCVS, RCVS Specialist in Anaesthesia" This change would only have taken effect once the Advanced Practitioner list was in place and had bedded in.
4. Why was this proposal made?
   There were three key reasons for the decision in 2012: a) A qualification marks knowledge acquired at a specific point in time and is not necessarily an indicator of current knowledge and skills. Meanwhile, the status of Advanced Practitioner or Specialist will be revalidated every five years and require the individual actively to keep their knowledge and skills up to date. b) Market research has indicated that members of the public were unsure about the various postnominals and what they stood for. Veterinary surgeons are also confused about the level of different qualifications. c) It is increasingly difficult to adjudicate on which postnominals should be included in the Register, and new requests are made on a regular basis, including qualifications that are not straightforward to assess in terms of their quality or relevance. While it may seem easy to say that just RCVS postgraduate qualifications should be included, since we began phasing out the RCVS Diplomas and encouraging veterinary surgeons to take European ones, this has been less clear-cut.
5. Is the RCVS removing our qualifications?
   No. There has never been an intention to remove anyone's qualifications.
   The original decision in 2012 was not to print them in the Register or include on the RCVS website. Individuals would have been free to use them as they wished, for example, in practice marketing, on stationery etc.
6. How are veterinary nurses affected?
   There is no change to the position for veterinary nurses.
7. Is the RCVS devaluing non-modular certificates?
   Both modular (CertAVP) and non-modular certificates are valid for those wishing to apply to join the Advanced Practitioner list. Those with the non-modular certificates are asked to complete either the RCVS 'A' module in the CertAVP or other equivalent modules or 100 hours of CPD that covers the same ground, over their first five-year accreditation period.
8. Is Advanced Practitioner status just a money-making exercise for the RCVS?
   The Advanced Practitioners status is being introduced to give a clear signal to the profession and the public that a practitioner has developed their skills and knowledge in a specific area, and is committed to maintaining them. An administration fee is paid to the College to join and remain on the list, in the same way that it is for Specialists. It is not a money-making scheme and the fees are set to cover costs.
9. What's happening now?
   The RCVS Operational Board met on 24 April and considered the decision that had been made by Council in June 2012 and the subsequent unhappiness amongst the profession that had been catalysed by recently-published information about the Advanced Practitioner status. The Board felt that although the rationale behind the original 2012 decision was sound, the issues that the change aimed to address could now be tackled in other ways. It has therefore requested that Council review its decision at its 5 June meeting. A paper will be developed which outlines possible routes forward, which will be available on the RCVS website in due course.

Ascot-based Johanna Headley MRCVS from Sunninghill Veterinary Centre has won this year's Petplan Vet of the Year Award.

Petplan's Veterinary Awards are designed to celebrate the nation’s most outstanding vets, vet nurses, practices, practice managers and support staff who are nominated by their colleagues and clients for continually going that extra mile, keeping pets healthy and giving owners peace of mind. 

The independent panel of judges said that Johanna's nomination stood out for her ability to create a balance between leading a practice which maintains incredibly high clinical standards along with a welcoming, caring ethos with patients at the heart of everything they do.

Johanna said: "I’m absolutely ecstatic! I wasn’t expecting to win at all, so this is a real surprise – I just want to say thank you to those who nominated and all my staff for supporting me every day. What a brilliant feeling!"

The other big winner on the night was 387 Veterinary Centre. Two members of staff, Nicky Smith RVN and Joanne Civil, won 'Veterinary Nurse of the Year' and 'Veterinary Practice Support Staff of the Year' respectively, and the practice also took the overall 'Veterinary Practice of the Year' award.

'Veterinary Practice Manager of the Year' went to Anne Corson of Pennard Vets in Tonbridge. 

Krka has launched a 3-pack range of Selehold, its selemectin-based spot-on.

Krka says the new pack, available for cats and for toy, small, medium and large dogs, is designed to offer practices greater dispensing flexibility and to encourage quarterly visits and compliance with healthcare plans.

Selehold is presented in a pipette with a colour-coded cap and transparent tube to enable the owner to check when the full dose has been given. Each pipette is individually wrapped for ease of use and dispensing.

Ms Sabrina Jordan, Country Brand Manager for Krka, said: "We aim to optimise the value we give to our customers by offering them highly effective, tried and trusted, affordable generic medicines with added value.

"Selehold has proved a popular addition to our parasite control range because of its ease of use and cost-effectiveness.

"With many of our customers focusing on encouraging owners to visit the practice quarterly and to sign up to a healthcare plan for their pet, the 3-pack version of Selehold works well as it enables the practice to offer clients a high quality, good value solution that supports this compliance framework."

Chief Veterinary Officer Christine Middlemiss is urging veterinary surgeons employed in government roles and private vets undertaking government work (OVs) to take part in a wellbeing survey being conducted by the Association of Government Veterinarians.

The aim of the survey, which closes on 16th June, is to recognise and help raise awareness of the multiple challenges faced by veterinary surgeons undertaking roles for Government as a distinct subset of the veterinary profession.

The Association of Government Veterinarians says that following the survey, it'll be producing a report which identifies issues which affect government vets' wellbeing, identifies existing tools to promote wellbeing within Government and considers developing new ones if necessary. It will also consider best practice and any gaps in the wellbeing services currently available that vets in Government roles would benefit from.

To take part in the survey, visit: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/vetswellbeing

You can read more about the survey here: https://vets.blog.gov.uk/2018/04/06/how-are-you-feeling-association-of-government-vets-wellbeing-survey-launched/

Photo: Christine Middlemiss introduces the survey.

Norbrook Laboratories has launched powder and paste versions of Noroquin - its glucosamine-based supplement range - for horses.

Noroquin contains the active ingredients glucosamine, chondrotin sulphate, manganese sulphate, zinc sulphate, absorbic acid and N-Acetyl-D-Glucosamine, designed to maintain healthy cartilage, promote joint management and keep horses mobile.

Michelle Jones, Brand Manager at Norbrook said: "In recent years, horses are increasingly competing longer which means maintaining the longevity of the horse is vitally important for long term success. 60% of lameness is related to osteoarthritis and is regarded as the major cause of disability in the athletic horse.

"With increasing reliability on nutritional supplements and concerns from horse owners about their aging horse, our Noroquin for Horses range can be offered as alternative to traditional pain management products indicated for musculoskeletal ailments or alongside them as a completely safe addition to a joint management programme."

Michelle added: "The Noroquin paste for horses is a highly palatable apple flavored paste that can be fed directly to the horse as a tasty treat and offers an alternative to traditional methods while the Noroquin powder for Horses is a highly palatable powder that can be mixed with food. The product is available in handy single-use sachets for accurate dosing and waterproof 1kg tubs."

Noroquin Powder and Paste for Horses joins the newly launched tasty tablets for dogs and cats and powder for cats in the Noroquin range.  It is available from wholesalers.

ioLight, a British startup, has announced the launch of the first professional-quality hi-res pocket digital microscope.

The ioLight microscope fits in a jacket pocket and the company says it is both simple to use and robust. It unfolds to record and share 5MP still images and real time HD video at a magnification of x200 on an iPad Air. The resolution is 1 micron or 1/1,000 mm, powerful enough to see the structure of plant and animal cells.

The microscope uses standard microscope slides and has adjustable top and bottom illumination for use on both biological and opaque samples.

Iolight says it is particularly good for live samples which deteriorate on the journey back to the lab, and it works anywhere, even without a WiFi or mobile phone network.

Andrew Monk, who founded ioLight with business partner Richard Williams, said: "It takes just a couple of minutes to get a great image on the microscope, anywhere from a river bank to a factory floor. This makes microscopy simpler for everyone, from experienced professionals to student scientists."

The ioLight microscope can be ordered now from www.iolight.co.uk, priced at £840 including VAT.

A survey by the Gluck Equine Research Centre at the University of Kentucky and Spillers, published in the Equine Veterinary Journal¹, has revealed the main reasons why horses are retired.

The survey of 2717 horse owners, 56% of which were leisure owners and 35% professionals, found that most horses (62%) were retired between 15-24 years of age, mainly for health reasons. 

Mares had a higher risk of retirement than geldings, which the researchers say may be due in part to mares used for breeding not doing much structured exercise.

Just over 1 in 6 horses in the study were affected by low muscle mass according to their owners. 

Age, sex, osteoarthritis, laminitis, pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID), and primary use were identified as risk factors for low muscle mass. 

Geldings had a higher risk of low muscle mass than mares, which the researchers say may be a result of low testosterone. 

Horses with owner-reported veterinary-diagnosed PPID, osteoarthritis and laminitis had a higher risk of low muscle mass.   

Primary use was identified as a risk factor for low muscle mass, with retired horses having a higher risk than horses used for competition or pleasure riding. 

Owner-reported low muscle mass was perceived to affect welfare and the ability to work in the majority of senior horses. 

Alisa Herbst, who led the study, said: “A prolonged working/active life may not only be desired by owners but is also likely to provide health and welfare benefits to the horse.

"We hope the results of this study may be useful for veterinarians caring for senior and geriatric equines, by helping to achieve this."

“The information may aid in the investigation of diseases affecting senior horses and in establishing senior horse-owner education programs.

"The low muscle mass risk factor list may assist vets in identifying horses at risk of low muscle mass to be selected for close monitoring.

“Vets may also consider inclusion of an objective measurement of muscle atrophy, such as the muscle atrophy scoring system (MASS)***, in annual wellness exams, so that atrophy can be identified and managed as early as possible."

Sarah Nelson, Product Manager at Mars Horsecare added: “This survey has highlighted several interesting retirement trends.

“With a better understanding of when and why senior horses are being retired we hope, eventually, to be better placed to monitor for, prevent (where possible), and treat the underlying conditions early on, to help horses stay active and healthy for longer.”

https://www.seniorhorsehealth.com  

Reference

1. Herbst A. Coleman M , Macon E, Brokman A, Stromberg A, Harris P , Adams A (2023) Retirement risk factors, exercise management, and muscle mass in U.S. senior horses Equine Veterinary Journal in press.