Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica has announced that it will be launching Bovela, a new viral diarrhoea (BVD) vaccine, to farmers during April 2015.
Allan Henderson from Boehringer said: "BVD remains the most common viral disease affecting cattle throughout Europe, despite vaccines being available for over 15 years. We asked farmers why this was the case and, without exception, they remarked that current vaccine protocols are unwieldy, requiring precise timings making them hard to follow.
"Bovela is a unique one-shot vaccine that can be used in cattle from three months of age and also whether pregnant or not. Other, currently available vaccines require a two-dose primary course with boosters annually or even every six months thereafter."
BVD is spread within herds and to new herds through the presence of persistently infected (PI) animals. PIs can look relatively healthy and show no outward signs of infection but, as they were exposed to the virus as a foetus, have become virus carriers. If they are born alive, they will shed virus consistently throughout their lives so perpetuating the cycle of infection.
Alan said: "The foetal control delivered by Bovela gives absolute confidence that cows will not produce PIs. This, alongside the drastically improved convenience will undoubtedly make Bovela the natural choice for many farmers, both on beef and dairy farms."
According to Boehringer, around 60% of cattle in the EU test positive for exposure to the BVD virus and, although BVD type 1 is currently the most common form, outbreaks of BVD type 2, were confirmed in 2013 and 2014 in Belgium, Germany and The Netherlands. BVD type 2 is generally a more serious disease, with high levels of mortality and while the virus has been identified in UK, it has not yet been identified as the cause of serious outbreaks of disease in cattle.
Alan said: "Bovela is the first and only vaccine in UK which has been proven to protect cattle from BVD type 1 and 2. It has been in development for 17 years and, gained a marketing authorisation following assessment of an unprecedented quantity of data generated in both beef and dairy herds.
"Work has looked at the efficacy of Bovela in preventing the production of PI calves and against type 1 and 2 BVD as well as confirming its efficacy in young calves as young as three months of age as their natural maternal protection wears off. Trials also confirmed vaccine safety generally and during various stages of pregnancy. We do not believe that any other BVD vaccine has been tested as rigorously."
The recommendations were proposed by the Legislation Working Party (LWP), which was set up in 2017 to consider the principles governing any new legislation affecting veterinary regulation and come up with recommendations for what innovations could and should be included in any future replacement for the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966.
The LWP comprises members of RCVS Council, RCVS staff and representatives from the BVA and the BVNA.
The approved recommendations were grouped into five key headings: embracing the vet-led team; enhancing the veterinary nurse role; assuring practice standards; introducing a modern ‘fitness to practise’ regime; and, modernising RCVS registration processes.
The recommendations include:
Professor Stephen May, RCVS Council member and Chair of the LWP since its inception in 2017, said: “The scale of the changes that are recommended in this report are very significant indeed and, if implemented via new primary legislation, would really change the face of veterinary regulation, bringing it up to date with that of other healthcare professions, and ironing out many of the oddities and closing many of the gaps in our current regulatory regime.
"Changes to the legislative framework for veterinary regulation have been mooted for some time. While the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 has served the profession well for over 50 years, and we have been able to make some changes to it – for example, reducing the size of Council, the separation of the Disciplinary Committee from Council and introducing the concept of delegation to veterinary nurses via Schedule 3 of the Act. However, there are limits to how much we can continue to tinker around the edges, and it has become increasingly clear that new legislation is needed if we are to make progress.
"I have been very grateful to my colleagues on the Legislation Working Party for their hard-work over the past three years. There has been a lot of robust debate on how we can move veterinary regulation forward, but ultimately we have a consensus that there are significant deficiencies, imperfections and blind-spots in the current regime and, in order to ensure that the professions are able to best fulfil their mandate to protect animal health and welfare, and that the RCVS is able to meet its mission to set, uphold and advance veterinary standards, significant changes are needed.
"I am delighted that members of RCVS Council have agreed to put our recommendations to a full consultation and I look forward to seeing how this report and its, sometimes quite radical, recommendations will spark important debate of these big ideas.”
A full public consultation process on the recommendations is expected to take place later this year. After this has taken place, and depending on its outcome, and Council’s final decision on how to proceed, a full set of proposals on legislative reform will be put to the Department for the Environment, Food & Rural Affairs in the hope of seeking support for new legislation.
While RCVS Council approved, in principle, the report as a whole, there was a separate debate on some of the report’s recommendations concerning reform to the RCVS disciplinary regime which do not require changes to primary legislation, but could be made through powers granted to the College via its 2015 Royal Charter. Further details on this will be announced separately.
The full Report of the LWP is available to view in the papers for the June 2020 meeting of RCVS Council at: www.rcvs.org.uk/document-library/rcvs-legislation-working-party-report-to-council-2020
The RCVS has also published a blog from Professor Stephen May explaining, in more detail, the workings of the LWP and the rationale behind its recommendations. This is available to view at: www.rcvs.org.uk/news-and-views/blog/a-step-change-in-veterinary-regulation
Professor May’s presentation from the Council meeting is also available to view on the RCVS YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/rcvsvideos
Head nurse Nicola Atkins (pictured right) said: “We are very happy and proud to have achieved our silver accreditation for cat-friendly clinic status.
“To earn this internationally-recognised award, we had to prove that we met all of the ISFM criteria, including allocating a nurse and vet at each centre who are dedicated to caring for our cats and providing ‘cat only’ waiting areas to reduce their stress.”
“We provide cats with carefully-tailored care from our stress-free waiting areas and high standards of anaesthetic protocols, which deliver an enriched stay at our hospitals.
“This also reassures owners and makes them feel more at ease about visiting our clinics with their cats.”
For more information, visit www.veterinaryvision.co.uk.
The free app is designed to help to track changes and improvements in a dog’s health during treatment.
The app uses questionnaires to monitor clinical signs and quality of life and includes reminders for when checkups with routine blood tests should be carried out, which Dechra says are recommended at 10 days, 4 weeks, 12 weeks and every 3 months thereafter.
The app also sends pet owners daily reminders to administer medication to their dog.
Sarah Musgrave, companion animal brand manager at Dechra, said: “Continuous and consistent monitoring is key to finding the right Vetoryl dose for a dog with Cushing’s and restoring its health.
"The new Cushing’s syndrome treatment and monitoring app is a useful tool to help owners quickly and easily record and track any medical and lifestyle changes in dogs being treated with Vetoryl, which can then be shared with their vet during check-ups.”
To download the app, search for 'Cushing's monitoring' on either Apple's App Store or the Google Play Store.
Novartis Animal Health has launched a 0.5L pack of the anthelmintic Zolvix to make the product more readily available for quarantine dosing, and for the smaller sheep farmer.
Novartis says that because Zolvix is a broad spectrum anthelmintic that has the ability to kill all common sheep gastro-intestinal nematodes, including those resistant to existing treatments, it has a key role to play in quarantine treatment to keep parasite infection down to a minimum.
Simon Harris, Endoparasite Brand Manager at Novartis Animal Health, said: "As the first of the new generation of the Orange or 4-AD anthelmintic group, Zolvix has demonstrated effectiveness in killing worms, even those resistant to other products.
"Sheep farmers are being encouraged to use Zolvix as a quarantine treatment that can significantly reduce worm burdens on farm. I would stress that it is essential guidelines are followed in order to preserve Zolvix's ability to combat nematodes that have acquired resistance to other classes of wormers.
"This new pack size is aimed at farmers who are introducing new stock to their flocks, but will also be convenient for the smaller sheep farmer and smallholders who don't require such a large quantity of product."
Novartis says that because Zolvix is a short-acting anthelmintic, it does not encourage resistance to develop through a long duration of action. It has a high margin of safety so can be used to treat sheep and lambs including pregnant or lactating ewes and breeding rams. Its short meat withhold period of just seven days allows flexibility when marketing lambs.
This, says the company, will make vaccination easier for vets and clients.
Eravac is an injectable emulsion ready for administration without the need for reconstitution beforehand.
Each box contains 10 individual doses which can be given to pet rabbits from 30 days of age.
The follow up service ‘can be provided personally by the veterinary surgeon or practice, or by written agreement with a veterinary services provider which is local to the client (as with the current situation for [out-of-hours] care provision)’.
The new rule comes into force on the 1st November, to allow practices to make any necessary arrangements.
The RCVS Council also decided that the temporary derogation from the usual requirement to conduct a physical examination before an animal is regarded as ‘under care’ be reviewed as a standing item at each subsequent Standards Committee meeting, until the normal guidance provisions are fully restored.
The study titled “Electrolyte measurements differ between point-of-care and reference analysers in dogs with hypoadrenocorticism” investigated the performance of two point-of-care analysers (IDEXX Catalyst Dx and IDEXX VetStat) against a reference laboratory method for the measurement of blood sodium, potassium and chloride concentrations, as well as sodium-to-potassium ratios, in dogs diagnosed with and treated for hypoadrenocorticism.
Forty-eight dogs with hypoadrenocorticism were enrolled into a prospective cross-sectional study at the University of Glasgow. In total, 329 paired samples were measured on the Catalyst analyser and by the reference laboratory method called an ion selective electrode (ISE), while another 72 paired samples were tested on both the VetStat analyser and by ISE. The clinical effects of any difference in the electrolyte results were investigated.
Sam Fowlie, corresponding author for the paper, said: “Our results indicate that the sodium, potassium and therefore the sodium-to-potassium ratios, as well as the chloride concentrations measured by the Catalyst and VetStat analysers may not be used interchangeably with those from a reference laboratory analyser using an indirect ISE method. Both analysers tended to give higher results than the reference method for all analytes, except for potassium when measured on the VetStat.”
The clinical relevance of the disagreement between these methods was investigated by assessing how often the point-of-care analysers produced results which fell outside their reference range when the ISE method found them to be within reference and vice versa. For the Catalyst, there were 21 cases (6%) with discordant sodium results, 27 cases (8%) with discordant potassium results and 46 cases (14%) with discordant chloride results. The VetStat, meanwhile produced results which disagreed with the ISE method in 19 cases (26%) for sodium, 3 cases (4%) for potassium measurement and 9 cases (13%) for chloride analysis.
Nicola Di Girolamo, Editor of JSAP added: “This study reveals significant systematic differences (“bias”) between the three analysers in this study. Comparing numerical results from different analytical methods – be they point-of-care or reference laboratories – can be dangerous for patients. Clinicians should always use method specific thresholds and, if these are not available (for example the sodium-to-potassium ratios on some analysers), then they should exercise greater caution in their interpretation.”
The full article can be found in the October issue of the Journal of Small Animal Practice and be read online here, open access: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jsap.13205.
Reference
Photo: Ian Ramsey
Sophia Salmon MRCVS from Central CPD said: "All of the major corporate chains in the UK now deliver a significant proportion of their clinical and non-clinical staff training via online learning platforms. These systems form an important part of professional development, training standardisation and even performance evaluation.
"However, learning platforms can be expensive to procure and develop, as well as being time-consuming to maintain, and therefore may not be viable for smaller businesses."
Central CPD has used its experience providing online learning to several of the UK’s major corporate veterinary groups to create 'Central CPD On-Demand', which features over 1500 clinical and non-clinical CPD videos for vets, nurses, managers and receptionists.
There's a new practice subscription package which, developed with whole-team learning in mind, costs £2000 per year for up to twenty people (veterinary surgeons, nurses or management staff).
Central CPD says the new package allows individuals and practices to set their own learning plan for the year, and for mentors to build and supervise training programmes for other staff members.
Practices can add their own content, such as policy documents, in order to assist with the delivery of compulsory elements of staff training.
Central CPD says its service is a fraction of the cost of procuring and populating an off-the-shelf learning platform, and the company is staffed by vets and vet nurses who are available to provide one-to-one advice and support to help practices set up their team’s platform and get the most out of the system.
For more information, visit: https://centralcpd.co.uk/
Humanimal Trust is the only organisation in the UK with the sole purpose of progressing One Medicine, driving collaboration between vets, doctors, nurses and researchers so advances in both human and animal medicine can be achieved faster.
The seminar, entitled One Medicine in Action – Awareness, Collaboration and Change, follows on from the Trust’s inaugural symposium last year when a roadmap was created on how to develop closer links between human and veterinary medical and research professionals.
This year’s event will look at ways to put the roadmap into action through awareness raising, increased collaboration and change.
Professor Roberto La Ragione, Chair of Trustees at Humanimal Trust (pictured right), said “We know that when animal and human health professionals and scientists come together, great things happen.
"Last year’s symposium, which was part of our ‘Stronger Together’ campaign, was a huge success.
"It drew an audience from across the UK and Europe, as well as Chile, the United States, Singapore and Australia.
“Not only did it provide a real opportunity to explore ways to achieve more ethical and fair medical progress for all, but it also allowed connections to be made and relationships to be forged that wouldn’t otherwise exist.”
Miss Anna Radford, a Consultant in Paediatric Surgery at Hull University NHS Trust and Leeds Children’s Hospital, who is speaking at the seminar in May, said: “I was introduced to a diagnostics company working in the animal medical care field at last year’s symposium and through them, we have set up a new collaboration with the aim of determining whether this sort of diagnostic technology developed with companion animal medicine in mind, could potentially also be useful to help diagnose urinary, joint and cerebrospinal fluid infections in a busy NHS hospital setting.”
Other speakers at this year’s event include Dr Deborah Thomson, Founder and President of One Health Lessons, an organisation that inspires children and adults around the world to value the interconnection between human health and the health of the environment, plants and animals.
Dr Simon Doherty, a Senior Lecturer at the Institute of Global Food Security at Queen’s University in Belfast will highlight organisations that are successfully working together to improve the sustainability of dairy, meat and fish production to feed a growing global population, as well as the opportunities that exist for collaboration within the agri-food sector.
Dr Doug Brown, CEO of the British Society for Immunology, will share some of the most notable examples of joined-up approaches in human and animal health research from across the Society’s membership, with a particular focus on veterinary immunology.
The seminar, which will run from 2pm until 5.15pm BST, will end with a panel Q&A session, chaired by Humanimal Trust Trustee and Consultant Respiratory Physician at the University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Dr Ben Marshall.
Attendance is free and registration is now open to all human and veterinary medical professionals and students, and the allied health and scientific disciplines.
To find out more and register, visit www.humanimaltrust.org.uk
The awards are given to practices across the UK with the most four- and five-star reviews from their clients.
To select the winners, awards organisers analyse over 10,000 reviews left by pet owners on vet practice websites over a 12 month period.
Warren House Veterinary Centre scored over 900 outstanding online reviews from clients.
Swanspool Veterinary Clinic, Northamptonshire, came in second, and Willows Veterinary Centre & Referral Service, West Midlands, third,
Winners of various sub-categories included:
Susie Samuel, CEO of VetHelpDirect.com, said: “The BestUKVets Awards were established to reward vet practices for outstanding feedback from clients.
"We are delighted for Warren House Veterinary Centre (Small Animal Services) – having read so many of their wonderful reviews, it no surprise that they won.
"Local pet owners are very fortunate to have this practice in their area”.
www.bestukvet.co.uk
Photo: vethelpdirect.com
Bayer Animal Health, maker of Advocate, has announced that it will be running its 'Be Lungworm Aware' campaign in April.
The company says the campaign aims to help raise awareness of Angiostrongylus vasorum amongst dog owners and support the veterinary practice as a source of further information. The initiative will be backed by a national TV and print advertising campaign. Media vet Joe Inglis will also be supporting the initiative and will be talking about Angiostrongylus vasorum during a series of radio and web broadcasts.
Bayer has produced new support materials, including an updated lungworm PR pack. The materials are designed to allow veterinary practices to educate owners on the disease, whilst helping to raise the profile of the practice in the local community.
Meanwhile, the research carried out by the company has revealed some interesting insights into dog owners' understanding of lungworm.
Despite awareness being fairly high with nearly half of owners claiming to know about the condition, 84% of this group did not know any of the clinical signs associated with the infection, while only 60% were aware that the disease could be fatal if left untreated. Understanding of how dogs become infected was also relatively low with only 24% of owners recognising the role of slugs and snails as the intermediate host for the parasite. As well as playing a vital role in alerting owners to the emergence of the disease, the veterinary practice was cited as the primary source of information that owners would refer to if they needed advice on treating this parasite.
Eric Morgan from the University of Bristol said: "Angiostrongylus vasorum appears to be continuing its spread to new locations in the UK. It is therefore important that dog owners are educated on the infection and the signs to look out for, to enable them to seek treatment before it is too late."
For further details, or to order the new practice materials, please contact your Bayer representative or ring 0845 2574798 quoting 'Be Lungworm Aware'.
Liz set up vetsnet to bring together all the wellbeing, leadership and management tools being created by individuals, groups and veterinary organisations in one place, and then to curate, streamline and signpost resources to increase accessibility and use by everyone in the profession.
The Aviva scheme is open to anyone and offers the chance to get funding for an important cause within a community. If successful in its bid, Liz says it will allow Vetsnet to rebrand more clearly as a resource hub, increase ease of use and add user ratings, which in turn will help users to find the help they need when they need it.
Liz said: "I setup Vetsnet to meet needs experienced personally in practice life. Great work is being done to address the mental health and organizational issues within the profession, I wanted to curate, signpost and increase accessibility to the growing wealth of resources for all involved in the provision of veterinary services, to make it a happier profession."
Voting closes on 21st November. To add your support to the bid, go to https://community-fund.aviva.co.uk/voting/project/view/17-1093, register, opt out of mailing options and cast up to 10 votes for a single or multiple projects. Those with the most votes will be judged and finalists announced in the new year.
Although microchipping has been a legal requirement for dogs since April 2016, it is not currently required for cats unless they are travelling under the Pet Travel Scheme.
Cats Protection says microchipping should become a legal requirement for owned cats and is petitioning for change in the law. At the moment, it says, eight out of ten stray cats taken in by its adoption centres in England are not microchipped, making it virtually impossible to trace the owner.
Cats Protection’s Chief Executive, James Yeates, said: "Introducing compulsory microchipping of owned cats would encourage more cat owners to microchip their cats, meaning that lost cats can be identified and returned home rather than handed into rehoming charities as strays.
"It also means that injured cats can be quickly identified by vets and their owners can be informed and involved in their care.
"We’re delighted the Government has shown a commitment towards improving feline welfare and promoting responsible cat ownership in the UK by announcing this call for evidence."
Environment Secretary, Theresa Villiers, said: "Today’s call for evidence on cat microchipping will help the government understand how we can better protect this country’s much-loved cats and kittens. This government is committed to animal welfare and improving the lives of our companion animals."
The call for evidence will last for 12 weeks and respondents are being encouraged to respond as soon as possible. You can take part here.
The practice's first residents are Sara Cermeno Fernandez and Lucy Venman (pictured right), who began their programmes last month after completing successful internships.
Cave’s clinical director Nele Van den Steen, an RCVS and European specialist in internal medicine, said: “We are naturally very pleased to have achieved this milestone and are delighted to get started, with our first residents Sara and Lucy continuing their career development with us.
“To be approved for a residency programme, you have to show you can support the caseload required and provide the training which the residents will need.
“So, this accreditation shows we have the integrity and the capacity to support the programme, which is a notable achievement and a ringing endorsement of our work here at Cave.”
For more information, visit cave-vet-specialists.co.uk.
The webinars will be presented by specialists in their respective fields; small animal oncologist Sara Verganti and clinical pathologists Francesco Cian and Roberta Rasotto.
Each 30-minute session will focus on a specific aspect of MCT diagnostics followed by a multidisciplinary Q&A. The sessions, which all start at 7:30pm, are:
Dr Neil Mottram MRCVS, Technical Product Manager at Virbac said: "Mast cell tumours are the most common form of canine cutaneous neoplasia, although relatively simple to identify, knowing what diagnostic steps to take can be challenging. We believe this truly comprehensive bite size mini-series will provide vets with the confidence to navigate the diagnostic approach for their next MCTs."
For more information, contact your Virbac Territory Manager.
However, the report also indicates an opportunity for further uptake of teat sealant use as part of selective dry cow therapy.
The report is based on data collected from 940 dairy farmers and 156 vet practices.
Report author Christina Ford said: “The overall message from the report is exceedingly positive.
"79% of herds met the Ruma 2020 target by March 2021, and the decline in use of critically important antimicrobials was outstanding, a drop from 1.1 mg/kg PCU in 2018 to 0.02 mg/kg PCU in 2021.”
There was a large variation between individual herd results, which ranged from 0.28 to 87.51mg/kg PCU in 2021.
Christina said: “We found that it’s not always the same herds in the highest 25% antimicrobial usage year-on-year, nor is it necessarily the same farms consistently using the lowest quantities.
“There’s also no correlation at all when looking at different herd characteristics such as yield, herd size, breed.
"This demonstrates that it’s possible to make strides in reducing antimicrobials use in any farming system."
Senior clinical director at Kingshay, Tim Potter MRCVS says the report shows an opportunity for increased uptake of teat sealants to protect cows from infection without antibiotics.
“The teat sealant usage in 2021 was at 0.39 courses/cow, which was below the Ruma target of 0.7 courses per cow.
“Last year, 37% of herds were not using teat sealants at all, so there’s definitely room for improvement.
"Vets, farmers and wider industry need to work together to address the challenges around teat sealant use.
“Appropriate training around use of teat sealants is essential, as improper use and poor hygiene protocols can result in bacteria being trapped inside the udder, having the opposite effect on cow health and productivity.”
Tim says that vets are seeing increased demand from farmers for training in this area.
“As a result, VetPartners has invested in the training of our vets, and specific training aids to enable us to do this effectively, to ensure we’re able to support our farmers as best we can.”
The first annual Dairy Antimicrobial Focus Report can be downloaded from: https://www.kingshay.com/dairy-costings/dairy-antimicrobial-focus-report/
Novartis Animal Health has announced that it has assumed marketing responsibilities for the joint health supplement Cosequin in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
Cosequin, which contains glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate, is available in a range of presentations for dogs, cats, and horses.
The product, which was previously marketed by MSD, is the leading joint health supplement among veterinary surgeons in the US and Europe.
Novartis says Cosequin is an important addition to its Orthopaedic Health Category, which in 2009 introduced Onsior (robenacoxib), the first tissue-selective pain relief for cats and dogs.
Gaynor Hillier, General Manager UK & Ireland Novartis Animal Health said: "Our strategic intent is to expand our presence in orthopaedic health to address prevention, diagnosis, and treatment in a more comprehensive manner. Cosequin represents an important step toward achieving this objective".
Cosequin is available from Novartis Animal Health in the United Kingdom and Ireland, from licensed veterinary wholesalers. For more information on Cosequin, contact your Novartis Animal Health Territory Manager.
The study, which examined cattle farmers’ and veterinary surgeons' opinions of pain-induced distress associated with disbudding, analgesia and attitudes and the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), suggests that in particular, vets need to refine their understanding of farmers’ priorities, and how they guide clients on methods to improve calf welfare.
There have been a number of studies into the pain-induced distress resulting from the disbudding procedure. All methods of disbudding (apart from chemical cauterisation) in the UK require the use of a corneal nerve local anaesthetic blockade but there are currently no legislative requirements for the use of NSAIDs for disbudding – it is at the discretion of the farmer or veterinary surgeon carrying out the procedure. NSAIDs are routinely used in companion animals and equine practice, but less so in farm animals.
This new study, conducted by researchers at the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) in Hertfordshire and Aran Vet Clinic in Gwynedd, looked at the attitudes of farmers and vets on pain perception and pain management methods for disbudding. A total of 118 vets and 140 farmers contributed to the study. Of the respondents:
The study concluded that veterinary surgeons underestimate the influences of welfare and analgesic duration and effectiveness on farmers' decisions, and overrated cost impact. This perception could have a negative effect on veterinary recommendation.
The authors of the study therefore advise that steps should be taken to address the current inadequacies in the communications between vets and clients in conveying the practicalities and potential benefits of using NSAIDs.
Dr Troy Gibson, PhD, PGDipSci, BSc, Lecturer in Animal Welfare Science at the Royal Veterinary College said: "Despite the large amount of evidence of the benefits of NSAIDs for disbudding, it is disappointing that their use is still not widespread. This may partly be due to the only recent licencing of one NSAID for cattle. However, from our work it is clear that one of the key barriers to wider uptake is the breakdown in communication between veterinarians and their clients in conveying the cost, practicalities and potential benefits of NSAID use for disbudding. The wider use of NSAIDs in combination with local anaesthetics during disbudding would significantly improve calf welfare."
The full eligibility criteria, including FAQs and guidance notes, for veterinary surgeons who wish to stand for RCVS Council can be found at: www.rcvs.org.uk/rcvscouncil21. The deadline for nominations is 5pm on Sunday 31 January 2021.
Due to the ongoing postal problems caused by the coronavirus pandemic, RCVS Council has approved a temporary change to the RCVS Election Scheme this year to allow nominations to be submitted electronically, rather than in hard copy. This temporary change is currently before the Privy Council for final approval.
Eleanor Ferguson, RCVS Registrar and Returning Officer for the elections, said: "For prospective RCVS and VN Councils election candidates this will mean that, rather than having to send us hard copies of your nomination documents in the post, these can simply be emailed to the College along with the relevant digital photographs and electronic signatures."
The College has also updated its information and guidance for prospective candidates, including an informal ‘job description’, to help them better understand what it means to be members of RCVS Council, their responsibilities, commitments and how they help the College meet its strategic goals, as well as the principles and rules governing their conduct.
Prospective candidates for RCVS Council can also contact RCVS President Dr Mandisa Greene for an informal conversation on what it means to be a Council member on president@rcvs.org.uk.
Mandisa said: “As I have often said publicly, when I decided to stand for RCVS Council it was out of a mixture of fear and curiosity, the RCVS seemed liked some distant organisation that was often talked about, but not entirely understood, and that made me want to find out more. It is fair to say that, since joining RCVS Council, I have learned and experienced a great deal, have got to know people in our profession that I would otherwise never have had the opportunity to meet, and have been at the forefront of key discussions about how our profession is regulated and its future.
"Throughout my time on Council I have also been a working mother of two young children and so, for those who are concerned about how being a Council member can fit around personal and professional life, I can assure you that there is flexibility that allows you to carry out your Council work around other commitments.
"I do hope that, if you are interested in the future of our professions and having a say in our professional and educational standards and how we are governed, then please take the time to consider becoming a member of RCVS Council and don’t hesitate to get in touch with me if you want to know anything more."
There is one more Council meeting before the nomination period ends. It will take place online on Thursday 21st January 2021 and prospective candidates who would like to get a feel for it are welcome to attend as observers: contact Dawn Wiggins, RCVS Council Secretary, on d.wiggins@rcvs.org.uk.
The programme includes more than 130 hours of CPD delivered by over 100 speakers from home and abroad, with talks for all members of the practice team.
The UK speakers include Rebecca Geddes on kidney medicine and nursing; Amy Newfield on IV access techniques; Rob White on brachycephalic surgery and acute abdomen surgical techniques; Penny Watson on liver disease; Dick White on the surgical team; Butty Villiers on cytology for vets and nurses; John Chitty on several rabbits, small furries and exotics topics.
BSAVA President, Professor Ian Ramsey, said: “Following months of meticulous planning we are thrilled that the programme is now live
"The sheer range and high quality of our speakers and content, together with our new, more dynamic format takes webinar learning to a new level."
“Delegates will be able to develop their skills and knowledge on topics they see regularly in practice. To make things even easier we will be providing practical resources such as client handouts for delegates to take back to their clinics. This, coupled with many speakers sharing their own notes and practical resources means less note-taking and a quicker and easier way for delegates to share what they have learnt with their colleagues.”
There will be three keynote speakers; Jenny Campbell, a former Dragon on BBC’s Dragon’s Den, will be sharing her experiences as an entrepreneur and business leader. Two other keynote names will be announced shortly.
On the social side the focus is on bringing people together online to share light-hearted entertainment and laughter. Delegates can exercise their taste buds with some wine and whisky appreciation, throw some shapes with a virtual disco, exercise their bodies as well as their minds with yoga and unwind with some restorative meditation practices.
Ian added: “This year’s BSAVA Congress is going to be the most innovative ever and deliver like never before. There is plenty of relevant and engaging CPD for every practice professional, with all the convenience of a virtual event. If you haven’t already taken a look at the programme and registered, I urge you to do so now. With prices starting at just £99 +VAT for members it represents really great value.”
To register now visit https://www.bsavaevents.com/bsavacongress2021/en/page/home
The original survey was sent last year to more than 5,000 UK-registered veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses who gained their qualification from a non-UK EU institution, with a response rate of around 55%.
This year the Institute for Employment Studies (IES), on behalf of the RCVS, contacted over 6,000 veterinary surgeons and almost 50 veterinary nurses – including those previously surveyed as well as EU registrants who have joined since the last survey – who trained in non-UK EU countries to seek their views on the implications of Brexit for European veterinary professionals.
Chris Tufnell, RCVS Senior Vice-President and Chair of the College’s Brexit Taskforce, said: "The aim of this survey is to gain a greater understanding of the views and expectations of our EU colleagues now that certain elements of the UK’s withdrawal process from the European Union, as well as the timing, have become clearer. The survey will also be looking for the views of colleagues on how the College has addressed the challenges of Brexit so far.
"It is particularly important that those who responded to last year’s survey do so this year because the aim is to get a sense of how their views and plans are shifting as the Brexit process moves forward."
As with last year’s survey, the views collated through the consultation will help the College understand the immediate and longer-term impact of the UK’s exit from the EU, gather evidence that could be used to make a case for special treatment of veterinary professionals with regard to future immigration policies and allow the College to provide informed advice to European veterinary professionals as they make decisions about their future careers.
Dr Tufnell added: "I would strongly encourage EU veterinary professionals to respond to this survey, even if they didn’t do so last year, as their views really do matter to us and really do have an impact on our Brexit policies and the views we put forward to the government in these critical times."
The deadline for sending responses to the IES is Wednesday 18 July 2018 and all data will be managed and analysed by IES, an independent not-for-profit research institute, on a confidential basis with no individual responses being seen by the RCVS.
The College says it intends to conduct a third survey when the terms of the UK’s withdrawal from the EU, and the impact of this on non-UK EU nationals, are better defined.
Expanding on the training available in autumn 2022, which was launched based on the results of an extensive training pilot, MMI is offering a total of 14 sessions taking place both online and in person over the next few months. Sessions will be running from January to April 2023. The courses will cover areas that have been identified as priority topics from previous MMI surveys, feedback from the professions, and evaluation of the training pilots.
Mind Matters Initiative Manager, Lisa Quigley, said: “Mental health and wellbeing are impacted by a whole host of structural and societal factors and maintaining a healthy workforce goes far beyond supporting people on an individual level.
"Whilst it is undoubtedly important to provide people with the skills they need to look after themselves, we are aiming to expand on this by providing individuals with the skills and knowledge needed to recognise and address wider collective issues. For example, the importance of creating and maintaining a positive workplace culture.
Session dates and specific topics are as follows:
Mental Health First Aid (£30 in-person)
9am – 5pm
Psychological Safety and Civility (£20 in-person, £15 online)
In-person – 9am – 4pm
Online – 9am – 1pm
Sustaining Your Emotional Health (£15 in-person)
2pm – 5pm
For more information on the training courses, visit: https://vetmindmatters.org/training/
The 2009 edition of the NOAH Compendium Data Sheets for Animal Medicines is now being dispatched, free of charge, to each practice premises.
Meanwhile, the online version of the compendium (www.noahcompendium.co.uk), launched 3 years ago to provide a free and convenient source of information about animal medicines for both prescribers and consumers, has just had its 9 millionth page view. The site gets about 3000 visits a day.
Whilst it is possible to order additional print copies of the compendium, NOAH points out that the online version has the beauty of being updated every week with new products, indications and other data. Plus the site is searchable by active ingredient, species, therapeutic indication or text search.
NOAH chief executive Phil Sketchley said: "We try to make the online Compendium as useful and as quick and easy to use as it can be, and while we have received overwhelmingly positive feedback we are always interested to hear how you think it could work better for you, so we can keep this in mind for any future improvements".
The lives of pet rabbits in Britain, the UK's third most popular pet, are being drastically cut short due to owners' ignorance and misinformation, according to a survey for Rabbit Awareness Week (26th April - 2nd May 2010).
The survey revealed a widespread lack of knowledge about what pet rabbits need to live longer, healthier and happier lives. Almost half of the respondents believe that vegetables, fruit and carrots are the most important food for rabbits. In addition, 71% didn't know that fibre, in the form of hay and grass, is the most important food for rabbits, without which they can die.
More than 50% of those surveyed did not know that rabbits should be kept in pairs, and 90% of respondents didn't know that owning a rabbit is likely to cost more than £3,000 over the course of its lifetime.
Sean Wensley, senior veterinary surgeon at the PDSA, said: "Despite more than a million pet rabbits currently being kept across the country, the results of this survey add to our concerns that their welfare needs are sadly misunderstood.
"It is vital that owners understand the commitment involved in owning pet rabbits, both financially and in terms of the time taken to care for them properly. It is also essential that owners understand their rabbits' welfare needs, including their need to be fed a suitable diet, to have a large hutch and exercise run, to have company and to receive appropriate health care, including vaccinations against deadly diseases."
For more information, see: http://www.rabbitawarenessweek.co.uk