Early-bird registration is now open for BSAVA Congress 2024, which will return to Manchester Central on 21st-23rd March 2024. 

Open to everyone in the profession, Congress '24 will include over 130 hours of CPD across 32 different modules covering topics such as advanced diabetes, dermatology, nursing clinics, EDI and more.

The programme format caters to a variety of learning styles, from lectures and panel discussions to interactive sessions and free CPD workshops. 

There'll be over 120 exhibitors in three commercial exhibition, offering insights into some of the latest industry innovations, from pharmaceuticals to cutting-edge equipment.

Andy Green, Chair of the Congress Committee said: "We know it's a significant commitment for individuals to give up one to three days, plus travel time, to join us, and we don't just aim to educate; we want our attendees to enjoy the experience.

"Our aspiration is not just to meet their expectations but to exceed them.

"The veterinary profession faces challenges, but we have so much to celebrate, and what better place to come together with many like-minded individuals to remind yourself why you wanted to be in this profession in the first place." 

Early bird registration is open until 31st January, and prices start at £93 +VAT for BSAVA members for a one-day pass.

www.bsavacongress.com

Scientists from the Animal Health Trust, The Roslin Institute and the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies at the University of Edinburgh have launched a study which aims to create a diagnostic test that will allow breeders to assess genetic risk for hip and elbow dysplasia in their dogs.

Dr Sarah Blott, from the Animal Health Trust, said: "Currently the screening process for hip and elbow dysplasia is costly and requires dogs to undergo general anaesthetic so they can be x-rayed.

"Through our study we hope to create a non-invasive DNA-based test that will allow breeders to test much earlier than is currently possible and without the use of GA."

The Labrador Retriever is the most popular dog breed in the UK and worldwide. There were more than 40,000 puppies registered with The Kennel Club in 2010. The development of a DNA test will benefit dogs around the world by enabling breeders to make more informed breeding choices.

According to the Animal Health Trust, the introduction of a DNA test to identify genetic risk of hip and elbow dysplasia will:

• improve welfare as it will not require dogs to undergo anaesthesia or be exposed to x-rays to test for the diseases
• allow breeders to test dogs much earlier than is currently possible. Currently dogs cannot be tested until they are 12 months old (BVA/KC scheme)
• improve the ability of breeders to select against these debilitating diseases 
• result in much quicker progress towards the goal of eradicating hip and elbow dysplasia.

Dr Pam Wiener, from The Roslin Institute, said: "We're very grateful to the BBSRC for funding this study. If we are able to gather enough information and samples there is a very real possibility that in the next few years we will be able to develop a DNA test that will make a major contribution towards eradicating hip and elbow dysplasia in Labrador Retrievers.

"It is also likely that we will be able to use what we learn from the Labrador Retriever study to benefit dogs of other breeds and to prevent other diseases."

To collect information for the study a simple questionnaire is being sent, through The Kennel Club, to owners of Kennel Club registered Hip Scored Labrador Retrievers who were born between 2004 and 2007. The study group is hoping to obtain questionnaires and samples from at least 2,000 Labrador Retrievers.

If you have a Kennel Club registered Hip Scored Labrador Retriever aged between four and seven years old and would like to participate in the study, please visit the AHT website (www.aht.org.uk/labrador.html) or email melissa.fitzgibbon@aht.org.uk

Once questionnaires have been received, the AHT will send each participant a DNA sampling kit to enable owners to provide a DNA sample from their dog through a simple mouth swab. Owners providing the first 1,500 analysed DNA samples will receive a free genetic profile for hip and elbow dysplasia on their dog.

Hamilton Specialist Referrals in High Wycombe has launched a cardiology referral service run by European and RCVS recognised specialist in Veterinary Cardiology, Andrew Francis.

First opinion practices can refer dogs and cats for routine echocardiography, ECG analysis and full cardiac work-up. In addition, orthopaedic and neurological cases referred with a pre-existing murmur, arrhythmia or cardiac condition will also benefit from screening at the centre.

Andrew was awarded the ECVIM-CA diploma in Small Animal Cardiology in 2013 and brings with him a wealth of experience from both referral practice and the pharmaceutical industry. He said: "I am delighted to be joining the expanding team at Hamilton Specialist Referrals. The desire for the team to provide patients, clients and staff with the best experience possible is close to my heart and I'm looking forward to being a part of that journey."

Director, orthopaedic surgery specialist Michael Hamilton, said, "We're excited to welcome Andrew to the team. His expertise and experience will be invaluable for providing a comprehensive cardiology service, not only to our referring practices, but also for our existing caseload where a cardiac problem is suspected."

For more information, visit: www.hamiltonspecialists.vet. 

Public Health England (PHE) is urging veterinary surgeons, nurses, other healthcare professionals and the public to become Antibiotic Guardians by visiting antibioticguardian.com and pledging to make better use of antibiotics, to help make sure they work now and in the future.

The website first asks users to choose whether they would like to make a pledge as a member of the public or as a healthcare professional or leader.

Those who pledge as a Healthcare Professional > Veterinary Practitioner can select one of the following pledges:

• If there is a need to prescribe antibiotics I will use narrow spectrum drugs wherever possible
• I will display posters and reading material in my waiting room to help public understanding on antimicrobial resistance
• I will ensure that there are effective cleaning and disinfection protocols in place to minimise the spread of bacteria between patients within the veterinary practice premises
• When dispensing antibiotics I will explain the importance of following the labelling instructions and giving the full course
• If a treatment does not appear to work, I will advise a different course of action and report the treatment failure to the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD)

Those who pledge as a member of the public can elect to do so as an adult, a family member, a pet owner or a farmer.

The available pledges change according to category and those who respond will be asked if PHE can follow-up to confirm they did keep their pledge.

The campaign forms part of activities that support European Antibiotic Awareness Day (EAAD). Dr Diane Ashiru-Oredope, Lead for EAAD 2014 at Public Health England, said: "Everybody can help to tackle antibiotic resistance and we really urge people to help us do this. There is a lot to be done but we can start by making inroads into inappropriate prescribing.

"There are 2 elements to this. One is that we need patients to not always expect to receive an antibiotic for those self-limiting illnesses which are typically caused by viruses. This generally includes those where the symptoms include coughs, runny noses, muscle aches and fever. And the other is for GPs not to feel pressurised into prescribing antibiotics when they aren't really necessary.

"Community pharmacists and their teams also have a key role and should be seen as the first port of call for many winter illnesses caused by viruses. They can also help to manage patients' expectations by explaining the normal duration of these symptoms, what warning signs to look out for and providing effective over the counter treatments that will help relieve the symptoms.

Nicholas Brown, President at the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy (BSAC), said: "Recently published research in BSAC's Journal, Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, confirms that despite government recommendations to reduce prescribing for viral illnesses there are still many GPs who do this. Of course GPs don't want their patients to feel unwell but there are many medicines which are available over-the-counter which can really help to reduce symptoms and make people feel better.

"We want to encourage everyone to self-treat as much as possible when it is safe and appropriate to do so. By using antibiotics only when they are needed we can all help to make sure that we keep our antibiotics working for everyone in the future.

"Antibiotic resistance is one the biggest threats to public health and PHE is delivering 4 key aspects of the 5-year UK strategy to help combat antibiotic resistance. These are improving infection prevention and control practices to reduce the number of infections in patients; optimising prescribing practice, improving professional education, training and public engagement and enabling better access to and use of surveillance data."

Children learn lots of important lessons about life, sickness and death from animals and veterinary practitioners. There seems to be an important role here for the profession to educate adult animal owners why antibiotics need to be used carefully both in pets and in humans.

In the most recent Petplan Pet Census, an annual study of pet ownership in the UK, 97% of vets reported that a lack of funds had led to owners choosing euthanasia over treatment.  

Whilst some cases are the result of one-off ‘emergency' treatment, manageable long-term conditions are often at the root of much unnecessary euthanasia because owners simply cannot afford the cost of ongoing treatment. Reported increases in pet obesity and diabetes, arthritis and behavioural problems have all been cited in the Pet Census as common causes of increased and ongoing vet bills.

Vets have been reporting a rise in diseases that are related to obesity in companion animals for some time and with the Petplan Pet Census panel of almost two hundred (198) UK veterinary practices reporting that more than one third (36%) of all dogs and one quarter (29%) of cats they treat are obese, the future for many pets looks bleak. More than half (53%) of vets say that cases of cat and dog diabetes are on the increase. Obesity is actually bucking the trend of more historically significant diseases, including kennel cough and feline leukaemia, which are either remaining static or decreasing. 

The number of pets with behavioural problems is also on the rise, with more than half of vets (55%) reporting an increase and most (95%) practices offering support for these animals. Effective treatment is not a quick-fix solution and requires changes to the owner's lifestyle and lengthy work with experts in the field. 

Petplan Vet of the Year, Brian Faulkner said: "I think it is a common misconception that the predicament forcing pet owners to euthanase their pet is the out-of-the-blue, one-off vet fees for emergencies. But in fact we are noticing that owners whose pets have on-going illnesses such as diabetes and even behavioural problems that are very manageable are being faced with the dreadful decision to have to euthanase than face the ongoing financial burden.  It's even more devastating when the owners have actually taken out an insurance policy but the nature of the policy only covers treatment of any one condition for up to one year.  I always advise people to make sure their policies do not cap the time period over which any one condition is covered to avoid this very problem as more comprehensive insurers are then unable to offer cover on a pre-existing condition."

Simon Wheeler, Head of Marketing at Petplan, said: "We receive over 8,700 claims per week and of the top ten claims, six could be recurrent manageable conditions, such as diabetes or arthritis - the very animals that are currently most at risk of being euthanased."

Research announced simultaneously by Sainsbury's Finance has reached similar conclusions. Sainsbury's found that:

• 51% of vets have put down a pet cat or dog in the past five years because the owners couldn't afford to treat them
• 80% of vets have had an uninsured dog or cat owner decline a course of treatment because they couldn't afford it
• 1.6 million people have had to put down at least one pet dog or cat over the past five years because they can't afford treatment. In total, the research shows that 927,000 dogs and 822,000 cats were put down for this reason between 2003 and 2008.

Sainsbury's believes that there are two main reasons for this tragic problem: advances in veterinary care leading to increased costs, and the large number (55%) of pets that remain uninsured.

Ed's note: Isn't it time that pet insurance became compulsory?

Paisley-based Laura Benson RVN has been suspended for nine months by the RCVS VN Disciplinary Committee for stealing from her veterinary practice and asking a colleague to input false clinical records about her pet.

Ms Benson faced six charges.

The first was that between January 2018 and November 2019 she took a number of bags of dog food and two horse wormer syringes from the practice without paying for them. 

Charge 2 alleged that between November 2018 and November 2019 she took a number of items of animal food and one or more boxes of horse wormer and paid less than the correct amount for them.

Charge 3 was that between October 2018 and November 2019 she arranged for or allowed a friend to receive a discount on items from the practice, without consent from the practice.

Charge 4 alleged that in December 2019 she asked a veterinary surgeon colleague to input details of treatment and/or medicine for her cat into the clinical records of another of her animals that was also registered to the practice.

Charge 5 was that in relation to charges 1, 2 and 3, her conduct was dishonest.

Charge 6 alleged that in relation to charge 4, her conduct was dishonest, potentially compromised the integrity of a professional colleague and was potentially detrimental to animal welfare.

At the outset of the hearing, Ms Benson admitted to charges 1,2,3,4 and 6 of the allegations and the Committee accepted these admissions. The Committee considered evidence from Ms Benson’s colleagues including witness statements, written testimonial and clinical records for her animals.

When asked about taking items from the practice, Ms Benson explained that she did not intend to take items without paying for them and that she had not realised how much she had taken. She also explained that she had paid back in full what she owed to the practice. The Committee considered that Ms Benson’s conduct had involved a degree of premeditation as she had repeatedly taken items over an extended period. They also considered that there had been a potential risk of injury to animals resulting from Ms Benson’s request to incorrectly write up her animal’s veterinary records.

The defence attested that no actual harm had come to any animal because of Ms Benson’s actions and that she previously had an unblemished career in veterinary nursing. She had also admitted most of the charges against her and paid for the items she had taken in full.

Cerys Jones, chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: “The Committee considered that in the case of Ms Benson, there had been a potential risk to animals had her pet’s records been incorrectly completed, although no harm resulted. The request to alter the records had been a short, single event, but the taking of items had been repeated over a period.

"The Committee also considered that Ms Benson had abused the trust placed in her as a senior nurse with managerial responsibility. We took into account that there was some evidence of Ms Benson being overloaded by work, but there was no evidence of any health condition during the time of the misconduct which might explain her actions.”

The Committee therefore found Ms Benson guilty of serious professional misconduct and decided that a nine-month suspension from the Register was the most appropriate sanction.

Cerys Jones said: “The Committee accepted that Ms Benson had developing insight in making her admissions and we give her credit for her long unblemished career. She admitted to a large part of the allegation, expressed remorse for her actions and has repaid the practice. We have also heard a number of positive testimonials which spoke positively of Ms Benson’s recent conduct.

“However, dishonesty is a serious matter in relation to professional practice and taking no action in response to the serious nature of Ms Benson’s disgraceful conduct would not be proportionate or serve to protect animals and maintain public confidence in the profession.

“Having carefully considered matters, the Committee decided that the appropriate and proportionate sanction, was to suspend Ms Benson’s registration for nine months.”

Ms Benson has 28 days from being informed of the outcome of the hearing to appeal the Committee’s decision.

Pfizer Animal Health has launched Vet Support+ a dedicated veterinary business consultancy team with a brief to boost the profitability and productivity of veterinary practices across the UK. 

Staffed by a team of seven business consultants who have undertaken academic and practical training to add to their experience in the veterinary industry, Vet Support+ will offer tailored support to practices in a format which aims to offer flexibility and a rapid return on investment. The services range across the three critical areas of business operations, client relations and staff management.  Consultants will initially focus on supporting practices operating in the companion animal sector, extending their service to the dairy sector early in 2011.

According to Pfizer, the Vet Support+ service has been developed in response to detailed research among practices to understand their requirements for business advice and support.  It's launched against a backdrop of continued stagnation in the veterinary sector according to latest data from the Fort Dodge Index benchmark of practice performance.  Vet Support+ will operate independently of the pharmaceutical business with no sharing of information or data.

Vet Support+'s consultants are based across the UK in order to be convenient for practices in any part of the country. 

The team is headed by Laura Jenkins, who has held a range of senior roles at Pfizer UK. Laura said:  "Many vets working in practice relish the clinical side of their work for which they have trained so hard.  It can therefore come as a shock to many that they also find themselves responsible for running the business side of the practice for which they may have received virtually no guidance during their training.  They have a real need for objective, practical advice they can trust, which is based on a detailed knowledge of the market.  Many also appreciate 'hand-holding' and coaching through the tough process of making changes required within the practice in order to put it on a more stable and successful footing.  The continuing challenges of the economic climate make it imperative that practices take bold steps now to ensure not only that they're able to withstand the continued recession but are well-positioned to take advantage of the upturn when it comes.

"Our Vet Support+ consultants are highly experienced in the veterinary market and have received very positive feedback from the practices they've worked with during a pilot of the service.  They're focused on demonstrating significant value to their clients and achieving early results on the bottom line. They'll be looking to build a close relationship with their client practices, acting as a coach and 'critical friend' as they help them plan for a successful and profitable future." 

For further information on the Vet Support+ service please contact Laura Jenkins on 01737 330705.

Southfields Veterinary Specialists in Essex and Davies Veterinary Specialists in Hitchin are launching a new dentistry and maxillofacial surgery service later this month. 

The service will be headed by José C. Almansa Ruiz DVM (Hons) MSc (Vet) MRCVS. 

José qualified from the Universidad Complutense de Madrid in 2008, before completing an honours degree in dentistry and maxillofacial surgery while working in an after-hours veterinary emergency hospital in Madrid.

In 2009, he relocated to South Africa where he undertook an internship in dentistry and maxillofacial surgery at the academic hospital of the faculty of veterinary science of the University of Pretoria. In 2011, he relocated to the UK and, in 2012, began the European Veterinary Dental College diploma. 

In 2015, he returned to South Africa, working in referral hospitals, before being appointed as an extraordinary lecturer in veterinary dentistry and maxillofacial surgery at the Faculty of Veterinary Science of the University of Pretoria in January 2018. 

This summer, José will sit the exams to become a European Specialist in Veterinary Dentistry.

Tim Richardson, managing director of both Southfields and Davies, said: “We look forward to welcoming José to the teams at both Southfields and Davies. He brings with him a wealth of experience and knowledge in his field and is a highly-respected clinician. 

"The launch of dentistry and maxillofacial services at our multi-disciplinary referral centres is another exciting addition and we’re looking forward to accepting referrals from colleagues across the profession as we continue to lead the industry in the breadth of treatments that we can now offer.” 

José said: “I’m delighted to be joining the teams at Southfields and Davies, and my plan is to establish and really grow a dentistry and maxillofacial surgery service over the coming 12 months. 

“I would like to start offering reconstruction techniques for those patients undergoing mandibulectomies, while I have been hoping for some time now to begin using 3D printing as part of the planning for big surgeries. 

“We will be offering a very complete and advanced veterinary dentistry service. From the maxillofacial surgery point of view, fracture repair procedures will see the introduction of non-invasive techniques for repair of maxillomandibular fractures. 

“Craniofacial trauma cases will be worked up more in-depth together with anaesthesia, diagnostic imaging, ophthalmology, critical care and neurology, which will offer a truly multidisciplinary approach.” 

For more information, visit www.southfields.co.uk or vetspecialists.co.uk. 

Petplan has expanded its partnership business and is now offering 6 weeks free insurance vouchers to pet owners who have their animals microchipped with Bayer's Tracer.

Simon Wheeler, Head of Marketing at Petplan said: "We are delighted to be working with Tracer. Through this partnership, we hope that more pet owners will realise the importance of taking out insurance and microchipping their pets. Vets could also benefit from this partnership, as owners who insure their pets are far more willing to consult their vets and do so more frequently, meaning a more regular income stream from insured clients."

The insurance voucher will insure dogs, cats and rabbits for vet fees covering illness or injury (up to £2000), advertising and reward (up to £250) and boarding fees (up to £250) in the event of the owner being hospitalised.

Donna Cable, Assistant Product Manager at Bayer HealthCare said: "This is an exciting new development which allows us to highlight the importance of pet insurance in conjunction with microchipping for all pets. Our relationship with Petplan is an example of how two market leaders in the veterinary industry are working together to promote responsible pet ownership."

The new agreement will give pet owners piece of mind. In the unfortunate event of their pet going missing, Tracer could locate their pet and Petplan would pay to advertise the missing animal and offer a reward.

For more information about Petplan, please visit www.petplan.co.uk or call Petplan Vetline on 0800 316 8800 to become a registered Petplan practice.

Six individuals have been announced as the winners of the second annual Ceva Animal Welfare Awards, honoured for their contributions to the prevention and reduction of animal welfare problems in the UK and abroad.

All winners were originally nominated by friends, colleagues or family. The judging panel consisted of panel chairman and veterinary surgeon Chris Laurence MBE, Ross Tiffin of the International Cat Care (formerly the Feline Advisory Bureau), Dennis Baker, OBE, Chief Executive at Wood Green, the Animal Charity and media vet, Joe Inglis. Marc Abraham also assisted in the Volunteer categories.

Dr. Pascal Raoul, Ceva's Head of Global Pharmaceuticals, said: "Ceva is delighted to host these Animal Welfare Awards as they help to highlight the incredible affection and care that people have for animals. With 6 billion people living in megacities in the future, companion animals will often be their major link to nature. The benefits that animals have on improving human health are well documented; in turn we all have a duty to protect them and this evening we have seen some of the best examples, from professionals, members of the public, young and old as to how that should be done."

Timothy Phillips, a Plymouth-based vet from the Elm Veterinary Group (above right), was awarded the Chris Laurence Vet of the Year Award for his 15 years of charitable work in the Greek Islands with Friends of the Strays of Greece. Tim performs surgeries and other treatments, helping to establish a re-homing system, with dogs fully vaccinated and declared healthy by the vets before being flown out of Greece.

Veterinary Nurse Scott Parry of Bridge Veterinary Surgery was awarded Welfare Nurse of the Year for his work with the RSPCA's Brent Knoll Animal Centre. Scott has spent hours of his own time raising funds and helping with the rehabilitation of a number of traumatised dogs. He also recently assisted in an RSPCA visit to a travellers' camp to vaccinate more than 50 dogs following an outbreak of Parvo Virus on the site.

Other award winners included Logan McKerron, aged 6, who was awarded Young Person of the Year for his fundraising for Hearing Dogs for Deaf People; Kim Taylor, co-founder of the charity Animal Care Egypt, was awarded the Charity Professional of the Year accolade for her work setting up a large animal hospital helping more than 26,000 animals every year; Faye Stacey of People4Ponies in Devon was awarded the UK Volunteer of the Year Award for the large part she has played in stopping ear cutting, notching and tagging of equines in the UK; Jen White has been named International Volunteer of the Year for her work with the Gambia Horse and Donkey Trust.

Ceva Animal Health has launched VetInterMed (www.vetintermed.ceva.com) - an information resource about cardio-nephrology for veterinary professionals.

Ceva says the new service is designed to help veterinary surgeons improve their consultations and client compliance with:

• Information on advances in the diagnosis and treatment of the main cardiovascular diseases and therapeutic solutions
• Materials to help raise awareness among dog and cat owners

• Tools to improve pet owner compliance

The site includes a considerable amount of video content, including talks by Cardio Academy's international experts, advice and demonstrations of blood pressure measurement, and training in radiography and echocardiography procedures and interpretation. The videos are supplemented with a number of reference publications to support and assist veterinary surgeons in everyday clinical and diagnostic procedures in the areas of cardiology, nephrology and hypertension. There are also interactive tools to help in the selection of treatments according to the stage of the disease or clinical objectives.

There are a number of communication tools which can be used during a consultation to support the veterinary surgeon's advice, manage client expectations and improve adherence to their recommendations. They can also be e-mailed to the pet owner so they can share the assessment with other family members.

An instant fitness test and an application for measuring resting respiratory rate allows owners to actively participate in the medical assessment of their pets and become more involved.

Finally, in order to maintain contact with pet owners between follow-up visits, the site offers several customisable clinical fact sheets and template newsletters containing content such as seasonal advice for a pet that has a heart condition.

For further information, contact your local Ceva account manager or visit www.vetintermed.ceva.com

Animal health specialist Fort Dodge Animal Health has announced the appointment of David Bartram BVetMed MRCVS DipM MCIM CDipAF as Technical Services Manager for Large Animals. David rejoins Fort Dodge after eight years, having previously been a Business Unit Manager for its Cydectin business.

David Bartram graduated from the Royal Veterinary College in London in 1988 and, after three years in large animal practice, moved into the pharmaceutical industry where he has worked for the last 16 years. His most recent role was at Lilly, where he worked in Finance in the human sector of its pharmaceutical business. David has post graduate qualifications in marketing and finance. He replaces Susan Corning who has moved to a new role with Fort Dodge in Italy.