In the study, which was supported by MSD and led by Rosie Lyle of Bishopton Veterinary Group, 18 farmers placed temperature loggers in the fridge where they normally store vaccines. Temperatures were then monitored between February and April. Throughout this period, 89% of loggers recorded a temperature outside the 2–8°C range at least once, and 43% recorded temperatures outside this range more than 50% of the time.
The authors say that these findings raise potential concerns about vaccine efficacy.
Rosie found that 55% of the loggers recorded a temperature over 8°C, and 39% recorded a temperature below 2°C.
Across all the fridges monitored, the maximum temperature recorded was 12°C and the minimum was -11.5°C.
Rosie said: "This is a surprisingly wide range. Obviously, these findings are concerning for farmers as we know that both too high and too low temperatures can impair vaccine efficacy.
"Live vaccines tend to be particularly sensitive to elevated temperatures, whereas inactivated vaccines are more affected by freezing, especially when the adjuvant contains aluminium salts".
"It’s important for both farmers and vets to be aware of potential concerns about vaccine efficacy, given the possible impact on herd health and the potential for vaccine failure to reduce trust in vaccines and herd health recommendations".
In light of Rosie’s findings, other XLVets practices are now encouraging farmers to take action to improve medicine storage, including using max/min thermometers or temperature loggers to track fridge temperature, as well as taking steps to maximise the efficiency of each fridge.
Susan Goodfellow, Marketing Manager at XLVets, said: "We wouldn’t have known that this is an important issue to highlight to farmers without collecting the information, so Rosie’s study was very valuable.
"In the XLVets community, we support clinical leadership with these kind of projects – we actively collect data and make sure that farmers can benefit from the latest findings. As a group of independent practices working together, we can achieve much more than we could in isolation."
The project, which has been supported by Zoetis, came about after 45 vets from 35 CVS practices identified osteoarthritis (OA) as the main clinical area their practice team wanted to develop over the next 18 months.
As a result, the VOA and CVS came together and signed a Memorandum of Understanding under which the VOA will support CVS with training, resources and research.
The goal is to improve the care of OA patients by engaging the whole practice team and clients in their pets’ care.
Professor Stuart Carmichael, VOA Director said: “VOA’s aim is to provide access to the latest research, evidence and technologies and facilitate a multi-professional collaboration supporting practices wishing to improve their management of osteoarthritis.
CVS practices participating in this project will become eligible for accreditation by the VOA in recognition of the training they've undergone.
As the project develops, CVS says it will assess the results of the initiative, learning more about strategies that can improve and enhance management of OA.
This should translate into the development of better long-term approaches for the management of OA that can be used across the profession.
Meantime, the Veterinary Osteoarthritis Alliance (VOA) has a practice accreditation scheme which is available to any practice which is looking to improve its management of OA.
Further information is available at: vet-oa.com
The model for the forecast was developed by the College with the Institute of Employment Studies using data from the RCVS Registers, the 2019 and 2024 Surveys of the Professions, Office for National Statistics data for projected economic growth and the PDSA’s Animal Wellbeing (PAW) Reports.
However, the model does not take account of the impact of the increasing costs of veterinary care on pet ownership trends, the full effect of which may not yet have been felt.
The main predictions of the model are:
Lizzie Lockett, RCVS Chief Executive Officer, said: “In 2021, there were clear concerns about there being a workforce crisis within the veterinary professions, and while that certainly seemed to be the case, and is likely to continue to be so in the short-term, according to this model the future picture for the professions looks much better in most areas of veterinary practice.
“However, government service/public health looks to be an area where there is still a significant shortfall in supply, which is concerning considering the importance of government vets in food safety, disease prevention and international trade and we are willing to continue to work with government to find ways to remedy this shortfall.
“We are aware that there may be some concerns about the implications of the model, particularly concerning the potential oversupply of veterinary nurses.
"While we stand by the robustness of the data, demography is not destiny, and with the planned enhancement of the veterinary nurse role, and the likelihood of suppressed demand due to prior shortages, it is likely that the number of veterinary nursing roles will expand to encompass the number of veterinary nurses available to work in it.
“Finally, we are aware that there are also some limitations to the model in its current form, for example, in terms of regional data.
"This is a work in progress, and we will continue to update and improve the model as and when new data allows.”
The workforce modelling report is available to download from www.rcvs.org.uk/publications
The British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) has released the results of a survey carried out earlier this year which has found that there may be up to 5 times as many veterinary graduates wanting to work in equine practice as there are jobs available.
The survey was carried out amongst the 2,500 vets and vet students who are members of BEVA to help ascertain manpower requirements of equine practices in the UK.
Of the 819 new veterinary graduates in the UK in 2012, BEVA says it estimates conservatively that between 10-15% intend to work in equine practice. Meanwhile, the extrapolated results of the survey suggest that in 2012 there was less than 1% growth in full time equine vet positions and as few as 24 new permanent jobs available in the UK.
BEVA says that in line with the survey's suggestion of restricted opportunities, some of its members are also finding that internships, commonly the domain of new graduates to gain paid, supervised experience in practice, are now often taken by vets with some post-graduate experience. Furthermore, unpaid externships, which traditionally gave vet students valuable work experience, appear to be being filled by unemployed veterinary graduates wanting to gain experience in order to improve their chances of securing a job in equine practice.
Tim Mair, a partner at Bell Equine Veterinary Clinic in Kent said: "Earlier this year we had more than 80 applications for just one internship. Several years ago we would expect 50 or so applications for an advertised intern post but now, without advertising at all, we are constantly receiving applications, not just from new graduates but also from those who have been qualified for a year or more."
Charlie Schreiber, a partner at Donnington Grove Veterinary Surgery in Berkshire, said: "We take on an average of two externs a month and over the past four years have had more than 350 applicants but their calibre is noticeably changing. We used to hear primarily from students but now it tends to be recent graduates or those who have already done a job in mixed practice and are keen to move into equine but can't find an internship."
Andrew Harrison, a partner at Three Counties Equine Hospital in Gloucestershire, said: "In addition to the numerous applications we received for our recently advertised internship position, we are inundated with unsolicited enquiries about job opportunities from recent veterinary graduates from across the globe. Our most recent advertisement for an equine veterinary nurse has attracted interest from a handful of recently qualified vets desperate to find work. This employment problem is not confined to internships; some of our recent interns have found it very difficult, if not impossible to find a job in horse practice, once they've completed their internship."
Amanda Piggot, a recent graduate, has first hand experience of the challenge of finding a suitable placement. She said: "I have always wanted to work in equine practice and my approach has been very strategic. It took me five months to find my current position at Kessock Equine Vets in Inverness, which necessitated moving 500 miles further north than I ideally wanted. For my next position I applied to Liphook twice and had no luck but I have now been accepted by Rossdales for a two year internship."
According to the British Veterinary Association (BVA) the problem isn't confined to equine practice. The Association's President Peter Jones said: "The findings of the BEVA survey make sober reading and reflect the growing concerns in the wider veterinary profession about opportunities for new graduates in all types of veterinary practice.
"The issue has recently been brought into sharp focus by the announcement of a new veterinary school opening at the University of Surrey in 2014, with many BVA and BEVA members worried about an oversupply of veterinary graduates into an already competitive market. We are expecting the results of the RCVS survey of recent graduates shortly and, alongside the findings of the BEVA survey, they will provide an evidence-base to build on as we continue to assess the UK veterinary manpower implications of potential new veterinary schools in the future."
BEVA is keen to help both potential employees and employers tackle the situation as constructively as possible. BEVA President Keith Chandler said: "BEVA is proud that equine practice is attractive to so many younger members of the profession and it can provide a rewarding and fulfilling career. However we urge all stakeholders to ensure that current and prospective veterinary students are fully aware of the very limited opportunities in equine practice. Most of all we urge the students themselves to consider carefully their career path and prospects before making their final decisions."
Next month the RCVS will be releasing details of a survey of vets who have graduated within the past five years and how easy they have found it to find a job that meets their needs.
The RCVS has published new guidance for veterinary surgeons on 24-hour emergency first aid and pain relief, providing greater definition of the professional and legal responsibilities of veterinary surgeons in the provision of emergency care, as well as owners' responsibilities for their animals.
Two sections of the supporting guidance to the Code of Professional Conduct have been updated - Chapter 2 'Veterinary care' and Chapter 3 '24-hour emergency first aid and pain relief' - placing a greater emphasis on owners' legal responsibilities for their animals while obligating veterinary surgeons to provide full details of their 24-hour emergency cover provision to clients.
Although veterinary surgeons are professionally obliged to take steps to provide 24-hour emergency first aid and pain relief, the new supporting guidance clarifies situations where delaying or declining attendance to an animal may be appropriate. It is hoped this will assist and empower vets to decline to attend an animal away from practice where they feel it is unnecessary or unsafe.
The changes are the culmination of an evidence-gathering process with both members of the profession and animal owners about each group's expectations around the provision of 24-hour emergency care.
This process began with a call for evidence at the end of 2013, which garnered some 656 pages of written evidence, as well as a petition on home visits with over 2,800 signatures. Following this, in March 2014 there was a three-day hearing in which 15 organisations and 10 individuals were invited to attend to give evidence to the RCVS Standards Committee. Also taken into account were more than 1,000 responses from veterinary surgeons taking part in the Survey of the Professions and an online survey with 1,250 animal owners.
After a thorough review of the evidence the Standards Committee developed the new supporting guidance, which was agreed in principle by RCVS Council in its June meeting.
Gordon Hockey, RCVS Registrar, said: "Following the considerable disquiet within the profession following the Disciplinary Committee's decision on the Chikosi hearing in June 2013, we decided that only a thorough evidence-gathering process with all parties could resolve the apparent gap between the expectation of the public regarding 24-hour emergency care and the profession's ability to meet this.
"We are very happy with the way that this process was carried out and would like to thank the many individual veterinary surgeons and animal owners, as well as representative organisations, who have contributed to this outcome.
"By making the legal and professional obligations of veterinary surgeons and the welfare obligations of animal owners clearer we hope that this new guidance should allay some of the frustrations and concerns of the profession."
The new supporting guidance for Chapter 3 '24-hour emergency first aid and pain relief' can be viewed at www.rcvs.org.uk/247care, while the additional guidance for Chapter 2 'Veterinary care' can be viewed at www.rcvs.org.uk/vetcare
A webinar in which Gordon Hockey and Clare Tapsfield-Wright, former Chairman of Standards Committee, explain the guidance in greater detail takes place at 8.30pm tonight.
Visit www.thewebinarvet.com/rcvs to register.
NOAH Chair Gaynor Hillier said: "The production and supply of veterinary medicines is totally dependent on complex international supply chains that must continue to function effectively after Brexit, their unique status being recognised in the recent government White Paper.
"Raw materials will need to arrive at manufacturing sites and veterinary medicines will need to be transported across borders to meet market requirements. Any border delays, additional complex processes or increased costs will risk medicines availability for UK vets, farmers and all our animals."
According to a recent NOAH member survey, less than 15% of companies say they are prepared for a 'hard Brexit' with the vast majority of respondents saying they are not fully prepared should there be a reversion to WTO rules on 30 March 2019.
NOAH says this is not through lack of effort or unawareness of the need to act, but due to the magnitude of the complex tasks involved in such a specialist sector, coupled with uncertainty over what a 'no-deal' Brexit will look like.
In contrast, almost 60% of companies said they are prepared for a transition period to December 2020. Even then, NOAH says the proposed transition period will not be enough in some cases.
The survey examined product availability in the UK: almost 55% of respondents reported potential availability issues for the UK market impacting more than 40% of their products. The full spectrum of types of products (from vaccines to painkillers: from antibiotics to wormers) across all animal species (farm, equine and pet) are potentially at risk, with particular concerns raised around the supply chain for vaccines.
The British Small Animal Veterinary Association has announced the appointment of Dr Frances Barr as Academic Director, tasked with developing the new BSAVA postgraduate qualification in association with the Open University, ready for launch in 2012.
Frances is a European Specialist in Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging, and a double diplomat of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and the European College of Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging. She has worked both in practice and as an academic, with 26 years working in Higher Education, and has a long history of working as a BSAVA volunteer, eventually taking on the presidential mantle in 2007.
BSAVA says it aims to provide the best possible educational offering to the profession, particularly to those in practice. Grant Petrie, BSAVA President, said: "Producing a postgraduate qualification is a natural progression to BSAVA's current CPD offering - there is clearly a need for it and we have a strong legacy as a provider of quality CPD. We want to make sure that the profession is served well - with a programme designed by vets for vets. As a charity with education at the core of our remit, BSAVA is best positioned to create something that will keep investing in the knowledge and talent of the profession. However, we always knew that we would need an exceptional individual to oversee the programme, and, in Frances Barr, we know we have that person."
Frances said: "This will fill a really important need. Many practitioners have a real appetite for learning more about their particular area of interest. Of course, they can currently do this with general CPD courses, but this new qualification will provide a structured and focussed learning programme which is flexible enough to fit around the busiest lifestyle, yet challenging enough to make the qualification a personal achievement, one that will be well respected by the whole profession."
She added: "The proposed new certificates in small animal medicine and surgery will comprise a combination of traditional taught courses, a wide-range of web-based material that will include interactive sessions, and workplace-based projects. This is the way forward for practitioners and will lead the profession into a more secure future."
The qualifications will be aimed primarily at the general practitioner, so they are not designed to replace the European Diploma system or aspiring to provide specialised knowledge. Instead they will be created very much for the interested, busy practitioner for whom an accredited residency programme is not an option. Grant Petrie said: "Encouraging small animal practitioners to embark on a clinically useful, challenging yet achievable, highly regarded postgraduate qualification sits very well with the BSAVA's remit to promote excellence in small animal practice through education and science."
The BSAVA postgraduate programme will launch in 2012, with more information about registration available at Congress 2011 and online from April next year. Frances Barr will begin working with the Open University and the BSAVA team in November.
UK veterinary surgeons strongly prefer recommending branded treatments, according to a survey conducted by specialist advertising agency Masius.
The survey, conducted amongst members of www.vetsurgeon.org, received 725 responses. It gave a conclusive insight to veterinary surgeons' opinions on branding, with 87% of respondents saying that they prefer to recommend a branded POM-V over a generic equivalent.
While branded treatments are clearly preferred over generics, vets recognise that higher prices can be an issue for clients. Price is justified mainly through a higher level of trust in the quality of the product (through extensive trialling). They also cite the added support in the event of client usage issues and the value that clients attach to brands. The cascade is a further factor, requiring the use of licensed drugs.
When it comes to supplements, vets are still in favour of brands, but less so - as the cascade is not a factor. On the issue of price differential, most vets felt that a premium of 10-25% is justifiable for a brand over a generic.
Jonathan Posner, Business Director at Masius said: "As well as the quantitative data, we also got some interesting qualitative comments as well. Looking at these, one can see a range of opinions - from the vets who value the easier client acceptance of brands, to those who feel that their professional care of the patient is paramount and that a generic should be used where it delivers the same benefit as a brand. Client ability to pay was also mentioned as a factor - a generic being more likely to lead to compliance for a client on a tight budget."
The fact that branded products come with better information and marketing support was agreed by the large majority (93%) of respondents.
All the participants in the survey were entered into a draw to win an iPad 2. The winner of the draw was Megan Wood MRCVS (pictured right) from Fife. She said: "The iPad is brilliant; I love it, and am a lucky lady!"
330 people who took part in the survey were presented with a list of management and leadership skills. Those of the respondents who are leaders were asked to rate their confidence in applying the skills, whilst those in non-management positions were asked to rate their line manager's skills. Both sets of respondents were also asked to place the skills in priority order.
The management skills were: Setting clear tasks and objectives. Providing clear roles and responsibilities. Communicating clearly and effectively. Monitoring and evaluating. Planning and organising. Effectively managing difficult situations.
The leadership skills were: Providing rationale and explaining why. Regularly providing and seeking feedback. Building trust. Providing guidance and training. Creating development plans and opportunities.
Interestingly, the survey found a close correlation between how the leaders and the employees prioritise these things, with management skills being perceived as more important overall than leadership skills.
Communicating clearly and effectively was deemed the most important skill of all (ranked 9 out of 10 by both groups). Meanwhile, creating development plans and opportunities for others was prioritised the least (ranked 3.7/10).
But hang on a moment. If both the managers and the employees agree that creating development plans and opportunities is the least important thing, then surely it is? In other words, if employees say that creating development plans is unimportant, then surely it is unimportant, and if leaders think the same, they would appear to be right.
Maybe, maybe not. Perhaps employees don't know what's good for them, and leaders don't know what employees don't know what is good for them. If you take my point.
Veterinary leaders were then asked to rate their confidence in applying the listed leadership and management skills. The skills which elicited the largest number of 'not confident' responses were: monitoring and evaluating performance, regularly providing and seeking feedback, and creating development plans and opportunities for others.
The skills with which leaders were most confident were: communicating clearly and effectively, building trust, and providing rationale and explaining why.
Again, there was a close correlation between prioritisation of these skills and confidence levels.
VMG Vice President Richard Casey said: “The survey has helped us to identify priorities for learning and development both at our 2020 Congress and during our joint CPD programme next year. It is striking that the very skills required to motivate colleagues to remain in veterinary medicine and to support them in doing so are the ones which so many veterinary leaders admit that they lack confidence. Given the challenges the profession faces, it is also concerning that they appear to be undervalued both by veterinary leaders and the team members who report to them.
"Delegates to SPVS-VMG Congress and our other 2020 CPD events will benefit from a wealth of evidence-based lectures from experts on all aspects of veterinary leadership and management, enabling them to improve their own performance and contribute to an overall raising of standards of leadership and management across the veterinary sector."
Peter Brown, Senior Vice-President of SPVS, said: "We know that veterinary students receive an excellent clinical training and, in recent years, universities have started to include more non-clinical skills on the curriculum. However, these results suggest that when professionals move into more senior roles, be it leading a team or running their own practice, they find they still need to acquire new skills. SPVS’ role has always been to equip veterinary professionals to be effective leaders and SPVS-VMG congress is an excellent opportunity to both hear inspiring speakers and meet and learn from fellow leaders within the profession."
The VMG-SPVS 2020 joint Congress takes place from 23-25 January at the Celtic Manor Resort, Newport, and will feature dedicated streams on effective leadership, management mastery, practice profitability, preparing for a digital future and sustainability in practice.
Details on the VMG-SPVS 2020 CPD Programme can be found here: https://spvs-vmg-events.co.uk/cpd-events/
Membership of the Dechra Academy is free and gives access to content from key opinion leaders examining topics such as diagnosis and treatment, monitoring and best practice.
The Academy covers subjects like anaesthesia, analgesia, endocrinology, dermatology and fluid therapy relating to exotics, equines, companion animals and food-producing animals.
The Academy includes webinars, eLearning, eBooks and videos, all of which provide CPD credits with downloadable certificates.
Dechra is currently running a new series of webinars through the Academy about how to successfully manage cases with the constraints of the coronavirus outbreak as part of its enhanced support for veterinary professionals.
Roddy Webster, Country Manager for the UK and ROI, said: "The Dechra Academy offers a vast range of valuable training support materials developed and led by our technical veterinary advisors and industry key opinion leaders. The platform reinforces our commitment to supporting the veterinary profession in the development of veterinary skills and knowledge.
“The refreshed Academy is more intuitive and flexible to use with improved functionality and navigation that makes it easier to access training as and when it suits the user.
“A community of more than 30,000 veterinary professionals are already benefiting from the learning opportunities available through the Academy and we would encourage anyone looking for exceptional and free CPD support to sign up now.”
To register for free access to the Dechra Academy, visit: www.dechra.co.uk/academy.
The service will be run by Dr Eloise Quince BVetMed CertAVP(SAM-F) PgCertVPS MANZCVS MRCVS and Dr Kate Allgood BVetMed CertAVP(SAM) MRCVS.
The practice says radioactive iodine therapy is the treatment of choice for hyperthyroid cats as it provides a permanent cure in up to 95% of cases.
It is administered by an iodine injection under the skin in a specialised unit by a trained vet and nurse.
The practice says a benefit of RI is that it treats ‘ectopic tissue’ that may be present outside of the thyroid gland, for example in the chest, which is not treated by surgical methods of thyroid removal.
Normal thyroid tissue is also spared, so that there is normal thyroid function post-treatment.
Though some blood tests need to be taken post-treatment, there is no need for ongoing blood samples and the monitoring of the thyroid function once successful treatment has occurred.
Elissa Norman, Clinical Director, who initially developed the idea for the iodine unit said: “The iodine unit first started as a scribble on a piece of paper and a dream of our team back in 2017 and it has taken a huge amount of dedication and effort from a large team of people to get to the point of opening in 2023.
"Radioactive iodine offers a lifetime cure for our hyperthyroid cats and we are delighted to be able to bring this service to the cats of East Anglia.”
To refer a cat patient, vets should email iodine@veterinary-hospital.co.uk.
The materials available include a scour management guide for farmers and a more detailed version for vets. They encourage a focus on three main areas for improved, sustained disease control: maximising calf immunity; identifying any causal agents and how to effectively manage an outbreak of calf scour on farm.
MSD Animal Health veterinary adviser Dr Kat Baxter-Smith (pictured right) said: "Even with good disease prevention protocols in place, calf scour outbreaks can still occur. But when they do, remedial action should focus on these three key areas to resolve the outbreak as quickly as possible and reduce the chances of another costly event happening in the future.
The company highlights a 202 survey of more than 300 farms, which found that over 80% of UK calf rearing units had seen a case of scour in the previous 12 months; with 50% of farms admitting to experiencing calf deaths due to the disease1. Costs are estimated at £57.94 per case but this does not include the longer-term impacts of the disease on future calf productivity.2,3
References
Voting for this year’s election will take place from 15th March until 5pm on Friday 23 April 2021 and the 14 candidates are:
This year, four candidates will be elected to serve a four-year term.
For the first time, the RCVS Council election will be carried out completely online.
Eleanor Ferguson, RCVS Registrar and Returning Officer for the election, said: “Due to the coronavirus pandemic and the issues that it has caused regarding disruption to the postal service, the RCVS has gained permission from the Privy Council to temporarily amend our Election Scheme, a document that governs how we run our elections, to allow voting to take place entirely online this year. This means that physical ballot papers will not be distributed to veterinary surgeons eligible to vote this year.
“The small number of veterinary surgeons for whom we do not hold an email address will receive a letter with instructions on how to vote online, in addition to their security code to allow them access to their unique voting website. If they need further help there will also be the opportunity for them to call Civica Election Services, which runs the election on our behalf, who will assist them with casting their vote.”
Ahead of the start of the election, the RCVS is also inviting members of the profession to submit one question each for the candidates. The candidates will then be asked to record a short video of themselves answering two of the questions of their choice which will be published when the election starts.
Questions can be submitted by emailing vetvote21@rcvs.org.uk or via the RCVS Twitter account (@theRCVS) using the hashtag #vetvote21.
The full candidate biographies and manifestoes have already been published on the RCVS website and are available to view at: www.rcvs.org.uk/vetvote21
Members of the profession have until Wednesday 24 February 2021 to submit their question.
Dogs Trust, the UK's largest dog welfare charity, has teamed up with leading cardiac rehabilitation experts at Harefield Hospital to help patients in their final phase of coronary recovery.
The recovery programme, Hounds Help Hearts, is, according to the charity, a UK first and encourages post coronary patients to walk dogs as part of their recovery.
The Cardiac Rehabilitation team at Harefield Hospital aims to improve the physical, social and psychological well being of people after a heart attack or similar cardiac event. Among the recommendations for an ongoing healthy lifestyle, patients are being introduced to Dogs Trust Harefield where they can help staff, canine residents and themselves by walking some of the 150 dogs in their care. The charity hopes that heart hospitals UK wide will follow suit.
Hounds Help Hearts is part of a wider initiative to promote The Dog Prescription - a research document that highlights the ways dogs can improve human health. Dogs Trust is urging GPs all over the UK to prescribe a daily dose of dog with The Dog Prescription after research highlights the health benefits of dog ownership for both children and adults.
Lynda Evans, senior nurse /modern matron at Royal Brompton & Harefield NHS Foundation Trust, said: "Walking is one of the best forms of exercise for patients recovering from a cardiac event and what better way to do it than alongside a grateful canine companion. We have been running the 'Care For Your Heart' Rehabilitation Programme for more than 20 years and as a leading specialist heart and lung hospital we are always looking for new ways to help patients to enjoy the best possible quality of life when they return home. We are delighted to be working with Dogs Trust on this initiative and partnering patients with dogs to help them reach their full potential through interaction and physical exercise."
The Dog Prescription highlights the mental and physical benefits of dog ownership and interaction and names dog ownership as an aid to the recovery of post coronary patients
Clarissa Baldwin, Dogs Trust CEO said: "We undertook this research as we were aware of the health benefits of dog ownership but wanted to fully evaluate its potential. Amongst its ten points (which are not exhaustive), the prescription details health benefits including the fact that dogs can aid the recovery of post coronary patients. We want to spread the word about the health benefits of dogs and we hope that GPs and hospitals will start to encourage patients to engage with dogs for a healthier and happier lifestyle"
You can read the full research here.
Ceva Animal Health has launched Marboxidin chewable tablets for dogs and cats for the treatment of micro-organisms susceptible to marbofloxacin, including skin and soft tissue infections (in cats and dogs), respiratory tract infections (in dogs and cats) and urinary tract infections (in dogs).
Containing marbofloxacin as its active ingredient, Marboxidin has a taste-masking lipid coating to ensure that its bitterness is not detected. In palatability trials over 90% of dogs and 80% of cats voluntarily consumed Marboxidin chewable tablets from the hand or in food1. Ceva says that Marboxidin is also very cost-effective, with an ongoing discount using the new CevaSave rebate scheme.
Marboxidin chewable tablets are available in three tablet sizes (5mg, 20mg and 80mg).
For further details, contact your Ceva Territory Manager or telephone the customer support team on (01494) 781510.
An environmental photojournalist, Mr Gekoski has won various well-known wildlife photography awards and is regularly featured in the press, most recently for his book Animosity: Human - Animal Conflict in the 21st Century.
Aaron will join BVA President James Russell, Association of Veterinary Students (AVS) Senior Vice President Izzie Arthur and two other judges nominated by the competition sponsor iM3 Veterinary Dentistry. The BVA photography competition has already had over 200 entries for this year's award since it launched in January. Split into three categories, entrants are asked to focus on images that capture the human-animal bond in day-to-day veterinary work, as well as photos of pets or wildlife taken outside of the working environment.
Submissions for each category can be taken on a phone or a high-spec camera, and should take into account responsible animal interaction and positive animal health and welfare.
The three categories are:
Aaron said: “It's a huge honour to be a judge for the BVA Veterinary Photographer of the Year Award, the most prestigious photographic competition for the veterinary profession. The competition helps shine a light on the invaluable and relentless work carried out by vets around the world; work that may otherwise go unnoticed. I look forward to bringing my experience as an environmental photojournalist to the judging process."
The BVA Veterinary Photographer of the Year Award 2021 closes at 11.59 GMT on 8th March 2021. Winners will be announced in April. They will receive a £250 John Lewis voucher and their pictures exhibited by BVA.
Find out more and submit your entries at www.bva.co.uk/photo-comp
Until the arrival of Computed Tomography (CT) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), radiographs were the only feasible option. More recently, the availability of bigger, wider and more adaptable scanners has allowed horses to be examined in a standing position, significantly improving diagnostic and treatment strategies and avoiding the need for general anaesthetic.
Against this background the collection considers the advantages of cutting-edge modalities and draws comparisons with more readily available tools such as radiography.
Given the increase in use of CT in horses and the contamination hazards faced particularly by horse handlers, two practical articles in the collection describe the role of equine head CT, how to set up standing equine CT and the radiation exposure risks.1,2
The most revolutionary recent advance in diagnostic imaging for dental disease in horses is CT. However, a study of horses with diseased mandibular cheek teeth found that while CT is useful to identify defects in the bone and tooth it is far less useful for the identification of inflammation and tissue destruction which is far better served by MRI.3
The structure of the equine head is complex and subject to great variation so several articles focus on practical anatomy and interpretation of radiographs of this region.4.5 Advanced diagnostic techniques are helping with clinical and surgical approaches to problems with the equine head. The sphenopalatine sinus is challenging to assess radiographically because of its tricky position but CT can help overcome this obstacle. One of the studies describes how CT can help unravel the pathology of various equine sinonasal tumours. Other articles cover less common pathological conditions including the historical, clinical, diagnostic imaging findings and outcomes of five horses with pneumocephalus. 6,7,8
Practitioners recognise MRI as the gold standard for neurologic imaging because of the excellent soft tissue detail but the size of horses and the size of scanners makes it a challenge to use. An additional constraint is the longer acquisition time compared to CT. Notwithstanding these limitations three studies in the collection display the various benefits of using MRI for the spine and neck, including the evaluation of 84 equine head disorders, the diagnosis of cervical stenotic myelopathy, and the assessment of two foals with closed head trauma.9,10,11,12
Despite the significant advances in imaging, the horse’s back is still defying conventional systems, primarily because of its size, concludes a spinal evaluation article. New technologies such as robotic fluoroscopy and cone-beam CT, may provide a cross-sectional method to evaluate the equine spine, but for now radiographs are still better to help evaluate findings of spinous process impingement seen on scintigraphy. The take home message here is that the wide variety of abnormalities seen on scintigraphy and radiography in horses with and without back pain makes a diagnosis more likely to be achieved by physical examination rather than the imaging findings.13
Anthony Pease, associate editor of the EVJ said: "Advanced imaging is still in its infancy with sequences still being developed to help optimise the time and detail needed for diagnosing complex musculoskeletal and neurologic disorders. Continued research in a controlled environment and comparing to histopathology will allow clinicians to further their knowledge and understanding of the CT and MRI findings in the equine patients."
"We are urgently looking at what these new national lockdowns will mean for veterinary professionals and services, and we are liaising with the Chief Veterinary Officers.
"We aim to issue updated guidance in the coming days but can confirm that we will not be reverting to emergency-only work, as we saw at the start of the first UK-wide lockdown last March.
"Instead, we are developing guidance to support veterinary professionals to carry out work that is essential for public health and animal health and welfare, in the context of the very strong ‘stay at home’ messages from both governments.
"We recognise that this continues to be a very challenging and difficult time for our colleagues, and we want to thank veterinary teams across the UK for continuing to work safely so that we can all play our part in stopping the spread of Covid.
"Once again we thank animal owners for their understanding and ask them to continue to respect their vets’ decisions at this time. The range of services available will vary between practices so that vets can work in Covid-safe ways to keep their colleagues and clients safe."
Davies Veterinary Specialists, the small animal referral hospital based at Higham Gobion in Hertfordshire, has reported treating four cases of serious lungworm (Angiostrongylus vasorum) infection over the past couple of months, all within around 30 miles of each other.
The practice says it usually sees only two or three lungworm cases a year, at most. It is thought that the increase in cases could be the result of a lack of knowledge amongst some owners about the right wormers to use, as well as the fact that lungworm appears to be getting a stronger foothold in some areas, possibly due to factors such as climate change.
One of the cases referred to DVS was a Cocker Spaniel called Honey belonging to Irené O'Hanlon-Marin from Beaconsfield. Vets initially believed the dog's symptoms of neck pain, breathlessness, shaking and lethargy to be the result of a recent head injury. Serious alarm was raised when Honey appeared to suffer a fit three weeks later, became unable to walk and lost her vision in one eye. She was immediately referred to DVS as an emergency.
Peter Smith, Neurology Specialist at DVS, said: "Honey was in a pretty serious condition when admitted here and would, I suspect, have died if she'd been left another few hours. She's now back home and much improved, and appears to be regaining her sight."
Irené O'Hanlon-Marin said: "It scares me to think how little I knew about lungworm and the fact that I need to use a specific wormer for it. We have been so lucky with Honey but I am determined to help prevent other dogs going through what she suffered so we all need to help spread the word about the dangers of this parasite."
The other three cases referred to DVS were from High Wycombe, Pinner and St Albans. The practice reports that all patients have recovered well.
Essential 6 spot-on is designed to moisturise the skin and strengthen its barrier function to help manage kerato-seborrhoeic disorders (dandruff, bad odours, dry or greasy coat, excessive hair loss) and atopic dermatitis in ferrets, rabbits, rats, hamsters, guinea pigs and gerbils.
Essential Mousse is a rinse-free and soap-free repairing cleanser, used to cleanse and deodorize the animal as often as necessary. In particular, the company highlights its application in clinic, for cleaning up after anal gland expression, incontinence or vomiting, for use in animals that cannot be bathed, and as a customer courtesy before discharge.
The complete Dermoscent range, including the new small mammal products, is available in the UK through Vet Direct.
Henry Schein stocks the 4 variants for cats, dogs and small mammals of Essential 6 spot-on.
More information can be found at the Dermoscent website www.dermoscent.com, where visitors can access clinical studies and watch Wayne Rosenkrantz’s webinar: "Current Treatment Options for Canine Atopic dermatitis".
The charity says it estimates there has been a ten-fold increase in fertility clinics in the past two years, and it is now aware of at least 339 dog fertility businesses across the UK.
Such clinics, which typically offer artificial insemination, progesterone testing, cytology and ultrasound scanning, are often operated by lay people, rather than veterinary professionals.
There have been concerns about the seeming indiscriminate use of breeding procedures by some fertility clinics, and about links to low welfare breeding operations.
Naturewatch says some fertility clinics have been found selling and administering prescription medicines and offering to perform operations.
The charity now wants to understand what veterinary professionals think about this new industry, and is running a short survey until 21st August 2022.
In particular, Naturewatch wants to know who you think should be permitted to perform commonly offered breeding procedures.
It also wants to hear your thoughts about possible solutions.
Are canine fertility clinics inherently problematic?
Or could canine fertility clinics - if operated ethically and regulated properly - bridge the gap between breeders and the veterinary profession?
Complete the survey here: https://action.naturewatch.org/canine-fertility-clinic-survey-for-veterinary-professionals
The ophthalmology service, which offers cataract surgery, corrective eyelid surgery and corneal disease management amongst other things, is headed by RCVS and US Ophthalmology Specialist, James Histed (pictured right)
The hospital, which has doubled in size to 30,000ft², now has a purpose-built theatre complex, a new reception and waiting area, 12 additional consulting rooms and a new rehabilitation centre equipped with a water treadmill and a large arena for treatment and gait analysis.
It also has a new lecture theatre where SCVS can deliver its CPD programme and parent company IVC can deliver its intern and residency programme.
The company says that its redevelopment has focused on employee wellbeing, to which end there is a new staff area for the 200-strong team a place to gather, dine and relax.
Kennel space for staff dogs has also been increased to support SCVS’s ‘bring your dog to work’ policy.
The new hospital facility is fully operational and open 24/7 for referrals, supporting colleagues from surrounding vet practices.
www.scvetspecialists.co.uk
Janssen Animal Health has announced that it has acquired the distribution rights for a range of sedatives and anaesthetics for small and large animals, including Dexdomitor, Domitor and Antisedan.
Janssen aquired the marketing and distribution rights, which were previously held by Pfizer Inc, from Orion Corporation.
Dr. Enno Gottschalk , Janssen's European Director Marketing and Sales said: "This acquisition of distribution rights results in the perfect combination of proven and effective products with the outstanding service and technical selling capabilities of Janssen Animal Health. The products include the sedative Dexdomitor and Domitor, as well as the antagonist Antisedan. Among large animals, predominantly horses, the sedative injection Domosedan is now on offer as part of the Janssen Animal Health portfolio."
Kit was appointed by RCVS Council at its June meeting, making him responsible for maintaining an overview of the College’s financial affairs, ensuring the College’s financial viability, and making sure proper records and procedures are maintained.
Kit replaces Dr Amanda Boag who was elected Junior Vice-President by RCVS Council at its March meeting. He has been an RCVS Council Member since 2013 and currently sits on the Standards Committee, as well as lecturing, writing and other projects such as teaching at the local primary school. He also works three days a week seeing clinical cases in both referral and primary care practices.
Kit said: "I am very honoured to have been appointed Treasurer, and look forward to continuing Amanda’s careful stewardship of the College finances with the support of other Council members and the team at Belgravia House.
"Due to uncertainties surrounding the impact of Brexit and increasing inflation, RCVS Council decided at its June meeting to increase the annual renewal fees for veterinary surgeons. I am confident that this will keep the College finances in a healthy state, and I look forward to building on Amanda’s legacy ensuring that the College remains steady over the course of my tenure."
At RCVS Day Amanda will also be made Junior Vice-President, and Dr Stephen May will take up the position of RCVS President for 2017-2018.
The group is being set up to ensure that the College meets its objective of working in the public interest, initially as a 12-month pilot.
Louise Allum, RCVS Council Member and Chair of the Public Advisory Group, said: “Animal owners and keepers play an essential role in supporting animal welfare, and it is therefore not only right, but necessary, that we actively seek to inform the public of our activities and take their opinion into account when making wide-reaching decisions.
“With the profession's help, we are inviting animal owners and keepers from all backgrounds - from companion animal, to equine and farm – to be a part of our Public Advisory Group to help us actively engage with members of the public and to ensure that the veterinary profession continues to meet the needs of clients and animals alike.
"We also hope that, by involving animal owners and keepers in our work, we can improve the ways in which we communicate our messages to veterinary service users."
Lizzie Lockett, RCVS CEO, added: “Through the Public Advisory Group, we hope to gain greater insight into the experiences and opinions of animal owners and keepers to determine how we can work together to achieve what is essentially, a joint goal.
"We all care deeply about animal health and welfare and should therefore be united in our mission to uphold high standards.
“We are looking for a pool of around 30 individuals, including, but not limited to, owners and keepers of companion animals, and equine and production animals, to join our group.
"We are asking veterinary professionals to help us recruit animal owners and keepers from all walks of life, by kindly sharing information about this initiative with anyone they feel would be an appropriate, enthusiastic and engaged member of the Group.”
For more information on the Public Advisory Group, including terms of reference and how to apply, visit www.rcvs.org.uk/pag or email Lisa Moffatt on l.moffatt@rcvs.org.uk.
The deadline for applications is 7 June 2023.