The 'Obesity Care in Practice' webinars are designed to help you recognise obesity, create individual weight-loss plans and turn failing cases into successful ones.
The webinars will be presented by Georgia Woods RVN, CertCFVHNut, VTS (Nutrition). Georgia is clinic nurse at the Royal Canin Weight Management Clinic at the University of Liverpool Small Animal Teaching Hospital. She has been dealing exclusively with obese pets and nutrition for the past five years.
Georgia said: “Pet obesity is on the rise and it’s one of the biggest challenges that veterinary professionals face. It reduces pets’ quality of life and leads to a range of illnesses that shorten life expectancy. This two-part webinar will help veterinarians, veterinary nurses and practice managers to effectively manage pet obesity and make a difference to the lives of their patients."
The first webinar: Obesity Care in Practice – Essential Elements, takes place on Tuesday 22nd September at 8pm.
The second webinar: Tailored plans and problem cases, takes place on Tuesday 20th October 2020 at 8pm.
To register for the free webinars, visit: https://www.thewebinarvet.com/pages/register-royal-canin-weight-management-series/
The company is encouraging owners to post a simple 'thank you' on Facebook with the hashtag #thankuvets.
Boehringer has also produced a thank you video, depicting a day in the life of an equine vet during these tough times.
Warren Ball, Equine Brand Manager at Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health, said: “This year has been a year like no other, but equine vets throughout the country have carried on regardless of the challenges they face and are deserving of a huge thanks from all who need them.”
"Our ‘Thank You Vets’ initiative will show how appreciated each and every vet is by bringing together owners, trainers and others in the equine community."
To watch the video and see the thank you messages from owners, visit: https://www.facebook.com/equitopmyoplast/posts/2188633904615007
What a lovely initiative. Makes a change from the usual griping on Facebook.
The course covers wound management, making decisions on dressings, drain management, how to complete biopsies and fine needle samples, how to complete a number of suture patterns and how to remove cutaneous masses and complete other surgeries under Schedule 3 legislation.
The course includes eight hours of practical skills training on cadavers as well as 2 hours online training, covering suture selection and legislation.
On completion of the course, CVS nurses are able to recognise what nurses can complete under Schedule 3 legislation, identify the correct dressing for each stage of wound healing, identify the equipment and correct technique for a range of biopsies, complete a number of different suture patterns, and remove cutaneous masses and complete other surgeries under Schedule 3 legislation.
Each nurse has a skills checklist to inform their ongoing training needs and is encouraged to have regular, informal meetings with a local mentor – who is able to support their learning.
The next Surgical Schedule 3 Course is scheduled for 21st March 2024.
Karen Learmonth, LED Nursing Lead at CVS said: “I am excited about the opportunity that Surgical Schedule 3 provides for nurses within CVS to further their skills and knowledge.
"Advocating nurses’ involvement in Schedule 3 procedures supports improved patient care and provides nurses with rewarding careers.
“It’s fantastic to see so many nurses completing the course to date and we’ll further develop nurse utilisation in 2024 where we’ll rollout both ultrasound and lab skills training.
"We hope this will encourage nurses to utilise all aspects of their role in line with Schedule 3 guidelines.”
Fran Wood, an RVN at Albavet - Rogers, Brock & Barker said: “I have been loving doing surgery and felt the course was the best CPD I have ever been on!
"It has given me the confidence to complete stitch ups, tail amputations and many other procedures.”
One of the critical factors in allowing vet nurses to use all their skills is having vets who are comfortable delegating.
To that end, CVS has vets who have pledged to support nurses to achieve this work.
The group has also published guidelines for its vets to provide clarity around effective delegation under Schedule 3.
The researchers say their analysis shows more needs to be done within the profession to acknowledge, raise awareness of and dismantle the systemic and often overlooked forms of racism that exist.
For the qualitative study, all BAME veterinary professionals and students in the UK were asked to complete an online questionnaire, containing open questions about their experiences.
The questionnaire was was distributed online, in veterinary schools, veterinary organisations and the media, with responses analysed using inductive and deductive approaches.
The findings identified three main themes regarding BAME people’s experiences in the sector.
The first was alienation and insecurity, ranging from blatant rejection, or being deliberately patronised, such as:
"In practicals in the vet school, I’ve noticed more and more times that students would rather work on other stations and not want to work on stations me and my friends (who are also from ethnic minority backgrounds) are working on, even when the other stations are full. This has happened on multiple occasions."
or
"On work experience, the vet I was shadowing at the time would ask me questions like, “Are you integrated into society yet?”, and “What do you eat?”. I am a British citizen who was born in the UK, and so were my parents, so I found this particularly confusing."
through to more subtle forms of "othering":
"People assume that you aren't British and are different, whereas I would say since I was born and grew up in Britain that I identify as British. People ask me if I can speak another language, or like, do I eat my ethnic food all the time?
"An older couple once probed, “Where are you from?”, I said [name of UK city], they asked again, I said I grew up in [name of UK county], and they asked one more time and I said I have Caribbean heritage. I find this is a common form of racism amongst older people and often they’re not trying to be hurtful, but they’re curious and don't understand how it would make someone feel uncomfortable.
The second theme was homogenisation and inferiorisation, for example when BAME people are labelled, often incorrectly, according to perceived ethnicity:
"I've had lay colleagues refer to me as ‘the Chinese vet’ in front of clients and other colleagues rather than address me by my name – and it's weird because I grew up in Australia."
"Clients often asked to book in with the Singapore vet, but commonly referred to him as ‘the Chinese vet’ on the phone instead of his name, or if they forgot his name. I believe the nurses corrected these clients, but sometimes the clients would ‘jokingly’ comment that it's ‘the same thing’."
The final theme was the disappointment and futility felt by many of the participants, and the impact on their job satisfaction:
"Job satisfaction worsens when I learn that my colleagues (nurses or vets) are unaware of the impact of their words and do not understand what constitutes racism, e.g., use of the word ‘golliwog’, even when not used to describe a specific person. The judgement placed on someone due to their ethnicity creates an unpleasant atmosphere which impacts job satisfaction."
Dr Christine Thuranira-McKeever, Vice Principal (Equity, Diversity and Inclusion) and Director of Distance Learning at the RVC, said: “At the RVC, we are committed to fostering equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) within the sector and have implemented several initiatives – aligned with our Strategic Plan in which EDI is a core component – to encourage participation from underrepresented groups.
"This includes the RVC For All campaign and Veterinary Gateway Programme to broaden access to veterinary education; the RVC's Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Committee and Race Equality Task Group to focus on addressing racial disparities and shaping policy; and Animal Aspirations, founded in 2019 by RVC students, to support individuals from minority backgrounds.
“However, there is more to be done, and the findings of this study emphasise a significant need for the veterinary profession to come together and do more to acknowledge and raise awareness of the systemic and often overlooked forms of racism, to challenge and dismantle them, and to empower those who are affected.”
Reference
Merial is inviting all equine veterinary surgeons that are going to BEVA Congress this year to the launch of updated ProteqFlu, its equine flu vaccine which now includes protection against the latest Clade 2 strains, including Richmond 07.
Speakers at the event include specialist Dr Richard Newton (pictured right), Head of Epidemiology and Disease Surveillance at the Animal Health Trust (AHT), and Dr Romain Paillot Head of Immunology at the AHT. Dr Newton will explain why the inclusion of the Clade 2 strain is so important for horse health, and the equine industry as a whole.
Louise Radford MRCVS from Merial said: "We're all incredibly excited as the event will mark the launch of the UKs first and only fully updated equine flu vaccine that contains both a Clade 1 and Clade 2 antigen. The new ProteqFlu® vaccine fully represents the latest 2014 OIE recommended EIV strains."
The launch is being held at the Hotel Du Vin, Birmingham on Thursday 11 September 2014. Presentations will cover 'A virological and immunological perspective on Clade 2 & EIV', 'How technology makes the difference' and independent vaccine trial results.
The evening starts at 6.30pm and includes dinner and evening entertainment.
To book, contact, Jo Gater-Willats, or Merial Customer Support on 0800 6000123.
The new service is available to any practice, regardless of which practice management system you use, or which healthcare provider you are with. You can specify your product catalogue and are not tied to particular products or manufacturers. You can also decide how you want to manage client delivery charges and how to treat health care plan clients.
OurVet.Shop can also be used to take payment for services, such as telephone or video consultations, and because it allows for one-off ordering, clients aren’t forced to sign up to a 12-month subscription with an unknown third party.
Lastly, the service is tailored to your practice’s brand and personalised to every client and their pets. The company has also produced marketing materials for use in social media, on websites and in client communications.
Jamie Crittall, co-founder of Virtual Recall, said: "As a veterinary practice owner myself, these last few months have been tough – I mean really tough.
"Nine years ago, Charlie Barton and I created Virtual Recall from a desire to communicate with our clients in a personal & timely manner. Not being able to find a solution, we built one and iRecall was born. Since then it has helped over 1,500 practices communicate with over 5 million clients & their pets worldwide.
"Now, here we were again - desperate to ensure that my patients got the healthcare they needed, but no home delivery service that I wanted to put my practice’s name to, I turned to my team at Virtual Recall to create a solution - that was not just right for my practice but every practice.
"So, we did what we do best – we put ourselves in practices’ shoes and created a smart solution that would help them safeguard animals’ health, enhance their relationship with their clients, and provide them with a life-line to help get through this crisis and build a stronger future. It couldn’t come with any compromises."
For more information, visit: www.ourvet.shop
The FAQs cover everything within the College’s guidance on veterinary medicines, including questions around controlled drugs, their storage, destruction and prescription, supplying medicines under the cascade, and prescriptions in general including topics such as what written information to provide, broach dates, and repeat prescriptions.
Lisa Price, RCVS Head of Standards, said: “Queries about veterinary medicines are some of the most frequent questions that our Standards & Advice Team deal with and we recognise that this is quite a complex and potentially confusing area of practice, with information being contained in a variety of places including the RCVS Codes of Professional Conduct, the Veterinary Medicines Regulations and the Practice Standards Guidance.
“We felt it would be helpful to try and draw much of this information into one place and provide answers to questions applicable to common scenarios that veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses encounter within everyday practice.
“The 17 questions and answers have all been approved by the RCVS Standards Committee and we hope members of the professions find them useful.
"We are also open to feedback and suggestions for further questions to be added to the FAQs and you can contact us on advice@rcvs.org.uk if you have any.”
The full FAQs can be found at www.rcvs.org.uk/medicines-faqs
The RCVS Code of Professional Conduct’s chapter of supporting guidance on veterinary medicines can be found at: www.rcvs.org.uk/medicines
Petlog is announcing details of National Microchipping Month at BSAVA, which this year will include a special offer through which pet owners can update their registered details free of charge, and a 10% discount on SureFlap microchip cat flaps to all veterinary practices that agree to stock SureFlap and take part in the June initiative.
Celia Walsom, Petlog Executive said: "On top of the launch of National Microchipping Month 2011 we will be releasing details about the 'Petlog's Featured Practice' competition, our social media campaign enabling veterinary practices to send in images of themselves with their happy customers: selected images will be featured online and there will be a unique prize for the overall winners.
She added: "Visitors to the Petlog stand will also be able to pick up their own personal copy of the Kennel Club's Veterinary Practice Guide to Dog Health on a handy disk."
Meanwhile, you can see SureFlap on stand 203 at Congress or visit: www.sureflap.co.uk/trade.
The charity says that many of the calls and emails were linked to the coronavirus pandemic.
Vetlife Helpline Manager Dr. Rosie Allister said: "It has been a very difficult time for many people in the veterinary community, and we are glad so many people have been in touch.
"As well as calls relating to the effects of the pandemic, other stresses haven’t gone away and we are still offering support for people experiencing stress, concerns about mental health, work demands, support at work, and many other concerns.
"It is a privilege to support the veterinary community and I would like to reassure anyone thinking about contacting Vetlife Helpline that we are here to listen confidentially. Anyone who thinks they might need to talk can contact by phone or email.”
The Vetlife Health Support service also saw a record number of referrals.
Katie Moore, Chair of Helpline and Health Support said: "Given the extraordinary challenges faced by our profession both in 2020 and now in 2021, it is not surprising that not only Vetlife Helpline but also Vetlife Health Support have experienced their busiest 12 month period, with a large increase in referrals to our Health Support service over recent months. I would strongly encourage anyone who is concerned about any aspect of their mental health to get in contact as soon as possible.”
The charity is also appealing for help with donations and fundraising to meet the extra demand. Donations can be made at https://www.vetlife.org.uk/donate/, and anyone who is planning a fundraiser is urged to contact the charity. If you are interested in volunteering, there are a number of ways to get involved. For more information, visit: https://www.vetlife.org.uk/volunteer/.
Vetlife Helpline is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year on: 0303 040 2551 or via anonymous email at: https://helpline.vetlife.org.uk/
Emeritus Professor Leslie Vaughan DSc DVR FRCVS, President of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons in 1987-8, has died.
Qualifying from the Royal Veterinary College in 1949, Professor Vaughan held various posts within the RVC, including House Surgeon, Lecturer and Reader. He was awarded a personal chair in 1972 as Professor of Veterinary Orthopaedics, becoming the Professor of Veterinary Surgery and Head of Department two years later. He was Vice-Principal from 1982 to 1991.
Having formally retired in 1991, Professor Vaughan continued to see small animal orthopaedic cases referred to the Queen Mother Hospital (QMH) at the Royal Veterinary College until he finally ‘put down his scalpel' at the end of 2007. During these 16 years, not only was he involved in both undergraduate and postgraduate teaching on rotations, but claimed no payment personally for his work: he donated any fees to the RVC's Animal Care Trust to support further development of the QMH. It is fitting that the third and final phase of the QMH was opened this week by HRH the Duchess of Cornwall. This was the culmination of a major project that Professor Vaughan helped initiate in the mid-1980s.
Professor Vaughan, who was 81, became a Fellow of the RCVS in 1957 for a thesis entitled: A study of the clinical and pathological aspects of the intervertebral disc protrusion in the dog.
Dr Jerry Davies, RCVS Treasurer and former colleague of Professor Vaughan said: "Leslie Vaughan had an international reputation in veterinary orthopaedics, both as a clinician and a researcher, that included small animal, equine and even farm animal species.
"Those remarkable achievements were equalled by his skills as a teacher. He had an ability to instil in his students the fundamental principles of diagnosis where meticulous clinical observation and examination must precede the careful selection of adjunct investigations such as radiography and laboratory testing. The extraordinary number of veterinary surgeons, both past and present, that will have benefited from his teaching over no less than 58 years will never be surpassed".
The funeral will be held at St John's Church, Harpenden, Herts (http://www.stjohnsharpenden.org.uk/), at 11.30 am on Monday December 1, 2008.
The first, 'Factors that determine the success of a mastitis treatment' is tomorrow, Thursday 30th April, at 7:30pm. It will be presented by veterinary surgeon and researcher, Sofie Piepers.
The second webinar is titled 'Communication skills for effecting behaviour change with a focus on mastitis treatments'. Presented by Owen Atkinson, a vet with experience of the dairy industry around the world, the webinar will start at 7:30pm on Tuesday 5th May.
There will be opportunities to ask questions of both speakers at the end of each session.
For more information, visit: https://www.boehringer-academy.co.uk
The two cases came from Bristol and Kingsbridge, Devon, taking the total number this year to five countrywide.
David Walker, American, RCVS and EBVS European specialist in small animal internal medicine, who leads the team at Anderson Moores, said: “We’re very sad to confirm two further cases of CRGV.
"Unfortunately, we find ourselves at the time of year when cases are most commonly identified."
There were 47 confirmed cases in 2020 and 28 in 2021.
The two new cases bring the total to 284 since the disease was first detected in the UK in 2012.
Anderson Moores has launched a website dedicated to Alabama Rot, which offers advice and information for owners and veterinary professionals, including a live map of confirmed cases across the UK: www.alabama-rot.co.uk.
The government estimates that up to 5,000 primates are currently kept outside of licensed zoos in the UK. Marmosets are by far the most commonly held primates in the UK, with capuchins, squirrel monkeys, lemurs and tamarins also among the most common species.
The new proposals will mean that specialist primate keepers who do not hold a zoo licence will need to obtain a new specialist private primate keeper licence to ensure they are meeting the required high welfare standards. These plans will also place welfare restrictions on the breeding and transferring of primates.
The BVA has welcomed the consultation. BVA Senior Vice President, Daniella Dos Santos said: “For a long time, we have called for a ban on private individuals keeping primates as pets. As vets, we have significant concerns as to whether the health and welfare needs of primates can ever be met under these circumstances.
“Primates are long-lived, intelligent and socially complex animals whose needs are extraordinarily difficult to meet in captivity and we can think of no circumstances where a primate would benefit from being kept in this way.
“We welcome the Government’s move to open a public consultation on this and hope that it does indeed result in a ban. If the UK wants to maintain its reputation for some of the highest standards of animal welfare in the world and if the government wants to fulfil its promises of enhancing the welfare of animals as we leave Europe then we must put an end to the keeping and trade of primates as pets.”
To take part in the consultation, visit: https://consult.defra.gov.uk/animal-health-and-welfare/primates-as-pets-in-england/consultation/intro/
Virbac Animal Health has launched a twitter-based early warning system to alert vets and dog owners of cases of canine parvovirus (CPV) in their area. It is to go live on 1 November 2012.
@parvoalert is a twitter feed that updates followers on the geographic location of cases of the disease using the first half of the relevant postcode. The company is asking vets and owners learning of a case to tweet the first half of the postcode where it occurs to @parvoalert. Virbac will then retweet it to everyone else following @parvoalert. The company is also advising vets and owners to check the feed regularly for news of cases. The service is free.
Virbac says that when it hears of a case, it will also provide practices in 'at-risk' areas with a 'Parvo-alert' Pack, containing a range of tools and support materials to help them alert dog owners. These include waiting room posters, leaflets, stickers and template text for newsletters.
The Veterinary Director of Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, Shaun Opperman, said: "As recent viewers of ITV1's 'Paul O Grady: For the Love of Dogs' may have seen, parvovirus causes dreadful suffering to dogs. Unfortunately many people still aren't vaccinating their dogs, so we see cases on a regular basis and it's vital that owners vaccinate their dogs, are aware of the disease and remain vigilant for the early signs."
Simon Boulton MRCVS, Product Manager at Virbac, said: "One of the problems in tackling canine parvovirus is that little information is shared on the frequency and location of cases so, in some ways, it's a hidden problem. While it's not as common as some other infectious diseases, when outbreaks occur, as they did earlier this year in South Wales and Oxford, the disease proves fatal in around half of diagnosed dogs."
Once @parvoalert is established, Virbac says it aims to build it into a comprehensive web-based CPV resource, featuring background on the prevention and treatment of the disease; comment from veterinary experts and downloadable practice support materials.
Simon continued: "It's heart-breaking for owners to lose their pets in this way and to see them suffer from a disease that could easily have been prevented. We hope @parvoalert will help to raise awareness of the fact that CPV continues to represent a significant threat to unvaccinated dogs. It will benefit all practices in areas affected as they will receive a Parvo-alert Pack, which they can use to encourage their clients to get their dogs vaccinated and look out for signs of the disease."
According to the Pet Food Manufacturers Association, there are an estimated 1M pet rabbits in the UK. They are commonly presented for treatment in practice and clients are beginning to expect complex workups and high levels of veterinary care.
Ivan, who qualified from the RVC in 1999, has been taking on first and second opinion rabbit cases for over 12 years and was instrumental in developing the v-gel anaesthetic device for rabbits and other species (www.docsinnovent.com). Jo has worked in first opinion practice since 2007 and was the Blue Cross Veterinary Nurse of the Year in 2014. Asides from her nursing experience, Jo has been teaching rabbit husbandry and nursing to owners and nurses directly and also via the Rabbit Welfare Association since 2012. Jo and Ivan have also taught rabbit anaesthesia at the Western Veterinary Conference in the USA for the last 3 years as well as lecturing for the Rabbit Welfare Association in the UK.
Ivan said: "We’re trying to get rabbit medicine to be seen as an important CPD subject for vets and nurses. We’re going to be offering day courses and conferences with an enjoyable and challenging mix of small group teaching, problem solving, practical teaching and conventional lectures - making sure that all our courses offer a really enjoyable day out as well as being first class CPD. Our first course is on the 13th October in Berkshire and we’ll be offering many more courses and conferences in the future!"
For more information about LagoLearn and its rabbit CPD, visit: http://www.lagolearn.com
The College says its Veterinary Graduate Development Programme (VetGDP), which will be replacing the Professional Development Phase (PDP), has been developed in response to detailed feedback from the profession during the 2018-19 Graduate Outcomes consultation, which looked at how graduates could be better supported during their transition into working life.
One of the main changes will be the introduction of VetGDP Advisers for all new graduates enrolling onto the programme, to provide one-to-one support and advice to help build the confidence and skillsets of new vets.
Practices wanting to employ veterinary graduates from summer 2021 will need to have at least one trained VetGPD Adviser in the workplace. This will involve a short, free online training course and will contribute to their practice being recognised as an RCVS-Approved Graduate Development Practice (for non-clinical settings they will be called RCVS-Approved Graduate Development Employers).
Dr Sue Paterson, Chair of the RCVS Education Committee, said: “When we conducted the Graduate Outcomes consultation, one very clear message that came across from graduates was that they felt there was a need for more bespoke, hands-on and one-to-one guidance from a designated person in their practice.
"The role of VetGDP Adviser is to help graduates identify areas of strength and areas for improvement, to closely monitor and provide feedback on their performance, and to support them in finding their feet as a newly-qualified professional. We hope all this will help increase their confidence and competence and, crucially, ensure we are doing more to retain our young vets in the profession and that this investment in our young talent will, in turn, benefit practices and the profession at large.
“Ahead of the introduction of VetGDP next summer, we want to give the profession advance notice of the coming changes and ask members of the profession who have been on the UK-practising Register for at least three years, and who are passionate about supporting the next generation of vets, to consider becoming VetGDP Advisers.
"We will be introducing free formal online training for VetGDP Advisers from April 2021 but we are asking vets to register their interest as soon as possible so they can find out more about what the role will entail and how it will support new graduates.”
The training will comprise approximately 20 hours of e-learning using a mixture of different methods including case studies, reflective exercises and recorded presentations and will cover topics such as giving effective feedback to support, encourage and motivate; coaching techniques; the provision of guided reflection; goal-setting; reviewing progress; and mentoring.
The training is being provided online by the RCVS and can be undertaken flexibly at any time. It can also count towards the annual continuing professional development (CPD) requirement.
Once an individual has completed the training, and committed to providing the equivalent of at least one hour of support each week per graduate employed, they will receive VetGDP Adviser status. The role will include observing their graduate’s practice and providing feedback and guidance where appropriate.
Veterinary practices with at least one employed VetGDP Adviser will also be formally recognised as an RCVS-Approved Graduate Development Practice, which will indicate that they are able to employ new graduate veterinary surgeons and have the necessary support and development structures in place.
Dr Linda Prescott-Clements, RCVS Director of Education, added: “Developing VetGDP has been a significant step forward in supporting graduates to establish fulfilling veterinary careers. I would like to thank all those members of the Graduate Outcomes Working Group, the Education Committee and RCVS Council who have been involved in putting together the programme, as well as all those veterinary professionals and students whose feedback was crucial in shaping the direction of travel.
“The programme recognises that the profession would like to see a range of ways to support graduates in the workplace, involving a balance between professional and clinical skills. The need was for a programme to reflect their everyday work and professional development in the workplace, with a much greater focus on structured and meaningful support. This support is crucial in developing them beyond their Day-One Competences into becoming confident, capable and independent veterinary professionals.
“As all new vet graduates from summer 2021 will be required to undertake the VetGDP, practices and other workplaces taking on new graduates will need to have at least one VetGDP Adviser and RCVS-Approved Graduate Development Practice status. The online training is not onerous, it is free of charge and takes approximately 20 hours; furthermore, it can be counted towards CPD hourly targets for the year. We envisage that the VetGDP Adviser role will be highly rewarding, with the personal satisfaction of knowing you’re helping to shape and support the next generation of vets.
“Please do make sure to take a look at the full range of resources that we have produced about VetGDP and familiarise yourself with the coming changes.”
To aid understanding of the VetGDP, the RCVS has produced a number of resources, including FAQs, further information for those who are interested in becoming VetGDP Advisers, and information for students, which can be found at: www.rcvs.org.uk/lifelong-learning/vetgdp
From early 2021, the RCVS will be holding online video seminars with final-year veterinary students from all eight UK veterinary schools to discuss VetGDP in further detail.
Anyone with further questions about VetGDP should contact the RCVS Education Department on vetgdp@rcvs.org.uk
Marc Abraham MRCVS, the Paul O’Grady Show’s resident vet is setting up a new website for pet owners www.thepet.net, described as being the first to use the power of social networks (think Facebook), to bring pet owners together to share and rate pet experiences, and help each other find the best their pet can get.
I think it'll fly, and if it does, it will be one for many in the profession to keep a close eye on. Reputations can (and have) be made or lost on these kinds of websites.
What's more, previous community sites for pet owners based on the more simple forum model have shown the danger of attracting, well, the nutters. I've seen at least two populated almost entirely by raw meaty bones evangelists firing false (or at least unproven) accusations at everyone from pet food manufacturers to individual vets. Worse than that, the same people seem to advocate alternative therapy for just about every medical condition under the sun. 'Heart failure you say? Wave some of these crystals over its tail'.
I can see pet owners flocking to this kind of site in their hordes. But for it to have any kind of credibility within the profession, I fear Mr Abraham will have to be absolutely ruthless in weeding out those who will inevitably try to use the site as a soapbox for extremist viewpoints. That'll be a challenge. I have first hand experience of just how tenacious some of these people are!
Biogal Galed Labs has announced the launch of the PCRun Canine Babesia gibsoni molecular detection test kit.
Existing PCRun molecular detection test kits include one for canine Leptospira, Ehrlichia canis, Anaplasma platys, Parvovirus, Babesia canis, Leishmania, Feline Panleukopenia and Feline Mycoplasma haemofelis.
The company says that the major benefit of these tests is in having a PCR result inside 75 minutes, rather than waiting for up to a week for a result from a specialised laboratory.
For more information, see: http://www.biogal.co.il/about-biogal/pcrun
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.
Ceva Animal Health has produced a new booklet explaining the discharge procedures for horses that have been treated with Equidronate (formerly called Tildren), a bisphosphonate infusion used for the treatment of bone spavin.
Ceva says the new booklet is designed for vets to give their clients to help convey the most effective post-treatment management protocol. It explains what Equidronate is, how it works and how it is administered. It goes on to cover how owners can help to monitor progress once exercise has commenced, by completing the specially created assessment forms contained within the booklet every couple of weeks.
According to the company, trials published earlier this year show that horses suffering lameness caused by bone spavin can show marked improvement following treatment with an Equidronate infusion, in combination with controlled exercise.
Copies of the new leaflet are available free of charge from your Ceva sales representative. Leaflets on understanding bone spavin, understanding navicular disease and understanding sacroiliac disease are also available.
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.
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
Dechra has launched a two hour online CPD session on skin and ear cytology for veterinary surgeons and nurses.
The module was created in conjunction with Peter Forsythe BVM&S DVD MRCVS RCVS Specialist in Veterinary Dermatology.
Senior Brand Manager at Dechra Veterinary Products, Larry King, said: "Cytology is a key to diagnosing otitis externa, a common condition seen by vets and nurses but one which can be challenging to manage.
"Carrying out cytology will assist them in deciding on the appropriate approach to control the infection. Our online CPD module, presented through a series of videos, will explain cytology step by step from initial presentation to organism identification."
Peter Forsythe added: "It is difficult to practice good dermatology without doing cytology, which is inexpensive, quite quick to do and is a great aid in the diagnosis of skin disease. These videos cover the investigation of pyoderma, Malassezia and otitis externa, but actually this is just the tip of the iceberg and the same techniques can be used for investigation of a range of other inflammatory skin diseases."
The free of charge CPD, available at www.dechra.co.uk/academy, includes downloadable resources and a short quiz to support the module, with a certificate upon completion.
Ceva Animal Health has launched Libeo, a new four-way break, palatable furosemide for the management of heart failure in dogs.
According to the company, furosemide - a diuretic - is the most frequently used treatment for the management of heart failure because it helps reduce pulmonary oedema and its quick onset of action is associated with a noticeable reduction in clinical signs.
However, Ceva highlights the fact that long-term under or over-dosing can have profound health implications for the patient, and says that current recommendations are to reduce the dose to the minimum effective dose as soon as the animal is stable and only increase it if required due to deterioration in heart function.
Ceva says that unlike other furosemides, Libeo has been designed solely for the veterinary market - specifically to facilitate easy and accurate dosing.
The four-way break tablet is available in a traditional 40mg tablet size as well as a unique 10mg size for small patients. The clover-shaped tablet is chicken-flavoured, designed to make it easier for owners to dose their pets and help improve long-term owner compliance. Each box of Libeo contains 120 blister-packed tablets, removing the need for someone to have to count out tablets.
Rob McLintock MRCVS, Companion Animal Business Unit Manager at Ceva Animal Health said: “87% of vets in the UK believe that the dose of furosemide given to pets by their owners is adversely affected by how difficult it is to split the tablets1. This is especially likely to affect pets whose owners are less dextrous or have difficulties using their hands. Libeo is both easy to administer and effective, thereby improving owner compliance and the long term health and welfare of their pets.”
The nine-page booklet is being distributed electronically to all BEVA members, together with a guide on spotting some of the warning signs horses may display, written by equine veterinary surgeon and behaviourist Gemma Pearson.
A report commissioned by the BEVA in 2013 indicated that an equine vet could expect to sustain between seven and eight work-related injuries that impeded them from practicing, during a 30-year working life.
Data available from the Health and Safety Executive suggests that this is a very high number of injuries compared to other civilian occupations, including those working in the construction industry, prison service and the fire brigade.
The new guide has been produced ‘by horse vets for horse vets’ with BEVA members contributing their views, experiences and suggestions to early drafts.
It provides information for those handling and involved with equine veterinary care; to make workers consider the steps that they can take to make their activities as safe as reasonably possible by assessing a situation and implementing measures to limit the risk that vets and others are exposed to.
The guide also aims to challenge prevailing attitudes and culture. It outlines how to make ‘on the spot’ or ‘mental’ risk assessments and when to stop if a procedure becomes unsafe.
The guide is accompanied by an illustrated leaflet Signs of Increased Arousal Combined with a Negative Effective State. Written by Gemma Pearson, BVMS Cert AVP (EM) MRCVS who specialises in equine behaviour and learning theory, it explains signs of increased arousal including facial expressions, stance, movement and response.
David Mountford, CEO of BEVA said: "The new guidelines have been carefully developed to ensure that they are as pertinent, pragmatic and helpful as possible for vets in practice. Hopefully they will help to make the equine veterinary workplace a little safer."
The new guides can be downloaded at: https://www.beva.org.uk/workplacesafety