Thousands of shipments of equine germinal product (semen, ova or embryos) are imported into the UK every year. It is a legal requirement for all imported equine semen to be accompanied to the place of destination (usually to the side of the mare) by an original, valid health certificate (ITAHC), issued in the country of origin.
The BEVA says that recently, consignments of equine semen have been imported without the appropriate health certificates meaning that there is no guarantee that the semen is free from the stated diseases or even that it is from the chosen stallion.
According to the Association, some well-known importing agents have been advising mare owners that these certificates are unnecessary and openly criticising veterinary surgeons who refuse to inseminate mares with uncertified imported semen.
The use of uncertified semen risks recipient mares being infected with diseases such as CEM or EVA, the potentially rapid spread of disease in breeding stock and eventual restrictions being placed on breeding premises. Recent outbreaks of Equine Infectious Anaemia (EIA) in Europe have increased the threat to the UK herd.
The personal and professional reputation of any veterinary surgeon involved with using uncertified semen is also in danger, with the RCVS likely to take a stringent line with any vets who disregard animal health laws and the high health status of British horses.
Malcolm Morley, Partner at Stable Close Equine Practice was recently placed in a difficult position with a longstanding client when semen arrived without the requisite documentation. Following a discussion between the semen importer and his client, where the client was told that Malcolm was being pedantic and that the client should find someone else to inseminate the mare, Malcolm contacted the importer saying: "We have no intention of inseminating the mare without the correct health papers. Please will you ensure that when you speak to the mare’s owner that you make it clear that you do not expect us to inseminate the mare in these circumstances and that the health papers should have been shipped with the semen."
Another BEVA member who wishes to remain anonymous said: "I have one very big client I think I may be about to lose because of my refusal to inseminate his mare without papers … (the importing stud) did not feel it worth a three hour drive to get papers done. The semen importer has made it clear to my client that (they believe) I am just being awkward."
Mark Bowen Senior Vice president of BEVA said: "Import agencies have placed additional pressure on the vets to inseminate mares without the necessary paperwork. Not only is this action illegal but places recipient mares under a direct threat from a notifiable and incurable disease. This seems particularly cavalier given the recent outbreaks of EIA across Europe."
Tullis Matson, Founder and Managing Director of Stallion AI Services said: "No one should be inseminating mares with imported semen that isn’t accompanied by the original health certificate. If the UK wants to retain its high health status and continue to utilise the international market it needs the breeding industry and the veterinary profession to use the disease controls that are currently place until such a time as we can implement more efficient system."
The BEVA says it is taking the following action:
CEVA Animal Health has announced that its live enzootic abortion vaccine, CEVAC® Chlamydophila, now has an added benefit. It can be used simultaneously with the only available toxoplasmosis vaccine. According to CEVA, infectious abortion, particularly enzootic abortion (Chlamydiosis), has been known to wipe out up to 50% of lambs. Strategic use of CEVAC® Chlamydophila, a live enzootic abortion vaccine, can not only prevent abortion but can also control excretion and the threat of infection.
The company says: "CEVAC® Chlamydophila makes practical and economic sense. A vaccination every four years will help your clients’ flocks remain chlamydiosis-free and the cost of treatment should work out at well under 75p per sheep per year. This is a tiny investment for your clients, to prevent the financial loss of an abortion. The fact that the product can now be used on the same day as the toxoplasmosis vaccine means that is now one of the most convenient and affordable methods currently available."
Ideally routine preventative measures should be taken prior to mating and when new sheep are introduced to the flock, to ensure abortion and infection rates always remain as low as possible.
All animals should be vaccinated in the first year, with replacements being vaccinated from six months of age, at least four weeks prior to tupping.
CEVAC® Chlamydophila is quick and easy to administer, using the special, multi-dose injector gun. One bottle of vaccine contains enough for 20 doses.
For further product information contact your local CEVA representative or CEVA Animal Health Ltd, 90 The Broadway, Chesham, Bucks, HP5 1EG or visit the website at http://www.ceva.uk.com/
Novartis Animal Health has assumed marketing responsibilities for the joint health supplement Dasuquin in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
Dasuquin is a veterinary formulation developed to deliver advanced cartilage support in dogs. It contains a combination of glucosamine hydrochloride, chondroitin sulphate, avocado/soybean unsaponifiables (ASU), and tea polyphenols. Novartis says these compounds work synergistically to protect the cartilage, thereby playing an important role in supporting and maintaining joint health.
Novartis highlights a 2007 study which, according to the company, demonstrates that the combination of ASU, chondroitin sulphate, and glucosamine hydrochloride delivers incremental benefits compared to the combination of chondroitin sulphate and glucosamine hydrochloride alone.1
Dasuquin is available in flavoured chewable tablets in 80-count containers. Dasuquin is available in two strengths: small-to-medium dogs weighing between 5 and 25 kg and for large dogs weighing over 25 to 50 kg.
Gaynor Hillier, General Manager UK & Ireland Novartis Animal Health said: "This is a fitting addition to our overall orthopaedic health offering for vets and pet owners. Dasuquin brings vets and dog owners advanced joint health support with the next generation of the popular Cosequin family."
Dasuquin is available from Novartis Animal Health in the United Kingdom and Ireland from licensed veterinary wholesalers. For more information on Dasuquin, contact your Novartis Animal Health Territory Manager
Reference:
VetSurgeon.org member, Martin Atkinson MRCVS has had his first book, A Test of Patients, published on Amazon Kindle (£6.59).
Described as the experiences and musings of a veterinary surgeon, the book is a collection of anecdotes collected over the period since Martin qualified from Liverpool in 1975 up until his more recent self-appointed sainthood (or not, as the case may be), as the owner of St Martin's Veterinary Clinic.
Martin said: "This book is a collection of short stories recording some of the more entertaining aspects of my veterinary career plus one or two fantasies and musings. It is meant to be amusing but also carries some serious messages. It is illustrated in a suitable quirky way by my daughter Alice.
"This book has been a labour of love rather than a commercial enterprise and has not been professionally proof read or edited so there are one or two typos and formatting bloomers including one in the very first sentence! I hope this dos not detract from the reader's enjoyment".
Limited signed copies of the book are also available direct from the author (£8.99 inc p&p) by emailing your details to: martin@gconnect.com.
Martin is donating earnings from the book to animal charities, including Cats Protection, BSAVA Petsavers, The Dogs Trust and the PDSA.
Using 14 years’ of race day veterinary reports, the study found that soft tissue injuries, respiratory conditions and gait abnormalities were the most commonly reported issues. Soft tissue injuries include wounds and lacerations. Those classified as 'gait observations' primarily relate to horses reported as lame, moving poorly or being stiff, but without a specific cause being identified. The majority of horses with respiratory conditions had epistaxis.
Researchers say the findings will help prioritize efforts and direct research to identify risk factors for the most common and/or severe conditions, with the aim of developing strategies to further reduce injuries and fatalities in British flat racing, building on its already strong record on equine welfare.
Sarah Rosanowski, PhD PGDipVCS BSc, at the Royal Veterinary College said: "It was not surprising to find that most veterinary incidents reported on race-day are relatively minor and not career-ending. This is of course a good thing.
"Although the good news is that the majority of injuries are not life-threatening, the fatality rates in British flat racing have remained relatively stable rather than declining over the past decade.
"The ongoing surveillance by the British Horseracing Authority is important as it provides a way to track the occurrence of veterinary events over time. Now that we have a baseline against which to monitor the effects of future interventions, there will be opportunities to further improve horse welfare and racing safety."
Reference
Dan, who is a novice runner, will be running the 13.1 miles between Newcastle and South Shields on Sunday 12 September. He said: “You’d think that lockdown would be the perfect opportunity to train hard and then breeze through the ‘world’s biggest and best half marathon’ but, perhaps like many others, I ate cheese and drank wine for 18 months, so the challenge is now really on.
“I’m raising funds to help save the rhino because the conservation of these magnificent animals is so important and I hope the added pressure of supporting the charity will propel me across the finish line. I’m also excited to be running in Newcastle at a time when Medivet is growing its presence in the North-East of England.
“Running in the rhino suit will be tough but it has an internal fan which I hope will keep me cool on the day. Let’s hope the weather will be kind!”
Donations to support Dan's fundraising can be made at https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/DanSutcliffe1
The idea is that by raising money through exercise, which is documented to improve mental health, you'll be helping to boost your own wellbeing as well as supporting the wellbeing of others.
To take part, you need to team up with colleagues, then decide on a challenge such as an overall distance or a total step count you want to hit.
Then create a fundraising page through Just Giving, so you can share the link and spread the word about your event.
If you share photos of your fundraising on social media, be sure to tag Vetlife.
You can buy running vests and t-shirts from Vetlife through it’s website (use code Vetlife40! for 40% discount).
Vetlife trustee Richard Killen said “It is well recognised how important physical activity is for wellbeing and what better way to promote within your workplace than participating in this event.
"Vetlife is a great charity with ever-increasing demands on its services and it is hoped that much needed funds can be raised through the VMOM campaign.
"Vetlife will be grateful for any contributions to its work.”
https://helpline.vetlife.org.uk/
Veterinary surgeon Noel Fitzpatrick, a pioneer of prosthetic implants, has launched what is being billed as Europe's most advanced neuro-orthopaedic centre for dogs and cats.
Fitzpatrick Referrals' £10m facilities at Eashing, near Godalming, Surrey, have been set up to offer a world-class "centre of excellence" in diagnosis, surgery and rehabilitation.
Facilities at the centre include:
Noel was the first veterinary surgeon to successfully apply a prosthetic limb to a dog where both bone and skin can grow into metal - a technique with far-reaching cross-over potential for human surgery. He believes in "pushing the boundaries" and creating solutions for conditions that may never have previously been treatable, and says the work being done at Eashing also provides valuable experience for medical science as a whole. Examples include cartilage resurfacing, limb-sparing cancer surgery and spinal vertebral fusion.
Professor Gordon Blunn of the Centre for Biomedical Engineering, Institute of Orthopaedics and Musculo-Skeletal Science at University College London said: "Orthopaedic conditions and diseases are common to both human beings and to animals. For example osteoarthritis is debilitating condition seen in humans, cats and dogs. Bone cancer which can lead to loss of life in humans and is usually associated with the peripheral skeleton is also seen in the peripheral skeleton of large dog breeds. Translation of ideas, orthopaedic practice and treatments, from humans to the veterinary field and visa versa has considerable advantages to all animals including dogs, cats and man. Noel Fitzpatrick is pioneering this concept and his work in limb reconstruction for dogs and cats has already had benefits in both veterinary and human orthopaedic practice."
DJ Chris Evans is one satisfied client. His dog, Enzo, a German Shepherd, was "written off" by other vets after becoming paralysed with two herniated discs. Noel fitted Enzo with two bolts to replace the collapsed disc and keep the vertebrae apart. The surgery was followed by extensive physiotherapy and hydrotherapy to enable Enzo to learn to walk again.
Chris said: "Noel lives out his dreams with boundless curiosity, ambition and genius, the product of which is hundreds, soon to be thousands, of fixed pets and happy owners - like me. I have huge respect for his endeavour, his integrity and his compassion and to me he's a superhero-vetman who will leave no stone unturned in his quest to heal, to create and to comfort. He thinks of solutions to medical problems that I'm sure no-one else could even dream of, let alone think of. Actually - I don't think he ever sleeps!"
Janssen Animal Health has highlighted that enforcement of the Veterinary Medicines legislation will require thousands of poultry owners to change the way they worm in the future.
The company says that in the past many poultry keepers with small to medium sized flocks have used Flubenvet® 2.5% Medicated Premixture 240 gram pack. However, going forwards, it will no longer be possible to do so unless individuals (or companies) are approved and registered to mix medicines into feed. The Flubenvet® 1% 60 gram pack for domestic poultry launched in 2008 remains widely available and can still be used without having to register. Each 60 gram pack is suitable to treat around 20 chickens.
Registered retailers are also only able to sell medicated premixtures for mixing into more than 30kg of feed to customers who are specifically registered with the VMD to mix these into animal foods.
Janssen Animal Health vet Nigel Underwood said: "We are advising all poultry keepers of this legislation. We must comply with the law and are simply not able to supply unregistered wholesalers, merchants, pharmacies of vet practices with medicated premixtures unless they are approved.. The new 60 gram domestic poultry pack of Flubenvet® 1% was developed specifically for the smaller poultry owner and is exempt from the legislation. It is available from vets, pharmacists and suitably qualified animal health advisers and poultry owners do not have to be registered to use it."
Virbac is launching a nationwide consumer campaign directing pet owners into practice with a special £1 off Indorex voucher promotion.
Indorex product manager Victoria Hudson said: "Participating practices also have the chance to win £250 worth of shopping vouchers for themselves. The practice returning the most client vouchers, plus two runners up, will each win Love2shop shopping vouchers which can be spent at thousands of high street stores, restaurants and attractions across the UK!"
Victoria added: "Indorex is such an easy product to use providing owners with 12 months protection against fleas in their home with just a single application. Even in the summer months, the product is UV stable so it can also be used in sunlit areas such as cars and conservatories."
Vouchers can be obtained from your local Virbac territory manager or downloaded at www.fleafreezones.co.uk/. Following customer redemption each £1money off voucher can be reclaimed by the practice with proof of purchase.
The Veterinary Marketing Association has 10 tickets available for its annual debate being held at the House of Lords on Tuesday October 12th, this year entitled: Internet Pharmacies - Opportunity or Threat?
The debate will be chaired by Professor Sandy Trees, and the panel will comprise:
The debate kicks off at 10:30am, and is followed by lunch at 12:30pm on the famous terrace, overlooking the Thames.
VetSurgeon members may buy tickets at the lower VMA member price of £120 + VAT, which includes the champagne reception and three course lunch with wine.
Click here for more information.
The Society of Practising Veterinary Surgeons (SPVS) has launched a new Profitability Survey to measure profitability levels across the nation’s veterinary practices and provide a benchmark for practices to assess their performance against.
Launched this month, the SPVS Profitability Survey is available to all practices, both members and non-members. It can be completed online using figures from the practice’s most recent set of accounts and the practice management system. All the data is kept completely confidential for practices to securely access their results online.
Once they have completed the survey, participating practices will be given an overall practice profitability score from excellent, good, average, below average and poor. Practices will also be able to benchmark against Key Performance Indicators such as: the cost of drugs and supplies; the cost of personnel; and cost of overheads.
Peter Brown, SPVS Treasurer and author of the survey said: "We’re particularly pleased to be launching this Profitability Survey. As the saying goes, turnover is vanity and profit is sanity. Profitability is key to any business yet we’re often told that veterinary practices fare badly when it comes to this fundamental point. Knowing how your business is performing and how it compares to others should be a priority for all practice principals and one that our new Profitability Survey will be able to answer.
"We are delighted to be working with John Sheridan on this subject. John has long been a passionate advocate of the need for practices to understand their profitability and he has helped SPVS to develop this simple survey to provide practices with the key statistics they need. Furthermore, the pooled, anonymised data will be used by SPVS to help us tailor CPD and expert advice for members on this critical aspect of their business. The more data we have the more accurate analysis we will be able to provide so we would urge all veterinary practices to complete the survey."
SPVS’ existing Fee and Salaries Surveys have also been enhanced with improvements to the way data is entered and results presented through a dedicated website developed with Veterinary Insights. Published earlier this year, the Salaries Survey revealed that there is a widening pay gap between newly qualified vets whose median salary actually fell by 3.7% and more experienced vets who attained increases of between 2.6% and 10.8%. However, while newly qualified vets compared favourably with their equivalents in the medical and dental profession, those more experienced lag some way behind.
To take part in the new SPVS Profitability Survey visit www.spvs.org.uk
The company has introduced a new online range of pack inserts for several of its key products including Vetoryl, Felimazole, Metrobactin and Thyforon so veterinary practices can download and print the latest pack inserts for the treatments.
The move will ensure that practices always have access to the most up-to-date information about the prescribed medication. Dechra says it will also save time as staff will not have to copy original documents from the pack.
The pack inserts will be available via www.dechra.co.uk and www.dechra.ie. In addition, Dechra has developed dispensing envelopes which are available at no charge from wholesalers in packs of 25.
Larry King, Marketing Manager, said: "Veterinary practices often dispense pharmaceuticals from bulk which involves having to copy original pack inserts for owners.
"By printing the online pack inserts, practices will no longer have piles of inserts to store and will be safe in the knowledge they are supplying the most up to date pack insert to their clients.
"When used together, the pack inserts and dispensing envelopes provide practices with an effective solution when dispensing from bulk."
The webinar programme includes both clinical and non-clinical topics.
Clinical topics include post mortem/diagnostics and calf pneumonia, parasitology – getting the basics right, and herd health planning – vaccination on farm.
Non-clinical topics include business skills, motivational interviewing techniques – facilitating effective communication between farmers and vets, and cow signals.
Webinars take place on the last Wednesday of each month, except August and December when there are no sessions.
Each webinar lasts for one hour, including a live question and answer session with the presenter. Those who are unable to view the live webinar will be able to access the content at a later date, but will not be able to pose questions.
To access the webinars, you need to register on Merial’s Nexus portal (merialnexus.co.uk). If you sign up in advance for individual webinars, you'll get reminder emails before they start.
According to the charity, the fire broke out in an adjacent building in the early hours of the morning and caused considerable damage before it was put out by the fire brigade.
Luckily, the building was unoccupied at the time and nobody was hurt.
Structural damage was caused to the building and the charity reports that much of its office contents were damaged or destroyed by fire, smoke or water, including its servers.
However, because of coronavirus, the charity had already put systems in place to operate remotely, so it expects to continue service more or less as normal.
Super early bird tickets are available till 28th May.
Rose’s programme recommendations are:
BEVA Congress programme will be embracing the overarching theme of “use it wisely or lose it forever”, chosen by BEVA President Bruce Bladon.
Bruce said: “Antibiotics is an issue which goes so far beyond equine practice and is one of the genuine threats to humanity.
"We must use these precious and finite resource wisely, or, quite reasonably, regulators will prevent us having access to them.
“But this theme resonates further, to the “social licence” which threatens the future of equine sport.
"Rather than platitudes about horse welfare, we now need to show the positive steps we can take to minimise equine injury.
"We need to be developing screening programmes and to be instrumental in safety programmes.
"Otherwise, we may lose equestrian sport forever.”
Individual super early bird BEVA members prices for a three-day pass are £539 for vets for all three days (with concessionary available for those in their first three years of graduation or earning less than £25,000).
Day tickets and practice passes are also available.
Super early bird ends on 28 May 2025.
http://www.bevacongress.org
MSD says Lawsonia intracellularis is found on many finishing farms throughout the UK, and can affect weight gains, feed conversion ratios (FCR) and lead to increased mortality.
The new vaccine means that if piglets are vaccinated at three weeks, they will be protected against the bacteria from seven weeks.
Rubén Del Pozo Sacristán, technical manager for pigs at MSD Animal Health, said "Lawsonia intracellularis is present on most UK farms and can hamper a farm’s true potential as it spreads rapidly in faeces and on people or rodents, but symptoms can be hard to identify, as they’re often similar to many other diseases.
"Acute forms are often noticeable with symptoms such as diarrhoea or an increase in mortality, but the subclinical form, which is most common, can be hard to identify. Diarrhoea is not always present and often indicators are an increase in FCR and a reduction in weight gain leading to variation in pig performance, but this is similar to many other health issues.
"Administering an intramuscular vaccination will ensure every animal receives the correct dose, compared to other administrative routes. Porcilis Lawsonia can help reduce the clinical signs, production losses and mortality caused by Ileitis."
For more information on Porcilis Lawsonia, refer to the SPC sheet.
YourVets, the network of privately owned small animal veterinary practices has opened a new clinic in Dagenham, Essex and is re-opening an expanded and improved practice in Wythall, Birmingham later this month.
YourVets already has five clinics operating throughout the West Midlands and Essex, with the philosophy of providing a friendly, caring and high-quality service at an affordable price.
YourVets says its Dagenham clinic is a new, purpose-built facility while the Wythall premises has been enlarged and improved to supersede the old Pet Vaccination Clinic. The Wythall clinic has also been re-branded under the YourVets name, to reflect that fact that its veterinary care has grown to encompass the full range of veterinary procedures, rather than just vaccinations.
The clinics are equipped with high-tech equipment and top-class facilities. They offer a walk in appointment service to provide clients with maximum convenience and flexibility and have easy access to YourVets' own affordable 24-hour emergency service. Owners can also register their pets and order prescriptions online, for added speed and efficiency.
Jonathan Stirling, Managing Director of the PVC/YourVets group, said: "At Dagenham and Wythall, as with all our clinics, visitors and staff will be able to benefit from outstanding facilities, including air conditioned buildings, easy parking and the very latest medical equipment in a relaxed, fun and welcoming atmosphere."
Faye Fraser, Practice Manager at the YourVets Coventry clinic, says: "I love my role at YourVets. It gives me immense satisfaction to know that so many pets and owners have access to our truly affordable prices and professional veterinary service. We all care deeply about the animals we treat, and my love for animals extends into my home life, too. I have two rescue cats Tarot and Sorrell, who both need lifelong medical care."
YourVets currently has clinics at Coventry and Nuneaton in the West Midlands and Rayleigh in Essex. YourVets Dagenham opened on 4th February 2012 and the new-look YourVets Wythall will launch on 12th February 2012, with a special open day.
For more information about YourVetsvisit http://www.yourvets.co.uk/.
Dorwest Herbs has launched its annual 'Dorwest Say Relax' fireworks phobia campaign, which includes free promotional packs for practices.
The promotional packs, which contain a poster, leaflets, flashing badges and a 'Dorwest Say Relax' t-shirt, being given free to the first 100 practices that request a product box (containing licensed Scullcap & Valerian Tablets and Organic Valerian Compound at a discounted price) from the company.
In addition, Dorwest is running a seemingly popular consumer facebook competition to find the most relaxed dog in the nation, the winner of which will be sent on a pet-friendly luxury weekend break.
Finally, the company is writing a blog written from the perspective of Merlin, the dog used in its logo - http://merlintakescontrol.wordpress.com - though quite who is going to read it, or why, is slightly beyond me.
The Animal Health Trust is calling for all small animal practitioners to help with a prospective survey study on breed differences in clinical features in canine hyperadrenocorticism.
The Trust is asking vets that diagnose a case of spontaneous hyperadrenocorticism to complete an online questionnaire at bit.ly/aht-cushing.
The questionnaire should take 10 minutes to complete and all the information will be processed anonymously. Each questionnaire submitted has a chance to win a £100 Amazon voucher. On completing the survey, participants can ask to be notified of the results of this study when available.
Researchers say they hope this data will help veterinary surgeons in the diagnosis of canine hyperadrenocorticism, and ask that everyone helps spread the word about the study.
If you have any queries about this study, please contact michael.bennaim@aht.org.uk
The ideas is to help ease new grads' transition into practice by giving them access to Specialist input for the management of their clinical cases.
The app provides a way for them to send case information (history, results, videos, photos) to a global team of Diploma-holding specialists across the entire range of specialties, from their mobile phone. They can then choose whether they want an instant call-back, a text chat, a written report or a virtual appointment.
To sign up for the free support, new graduates need to enter the code GRADUATE21 when they register on the app.
All new registrants will also be entered into a prize draw to win one of 50 ‘my first day’ survival kits – containing kit and goodies for their first day in practice.
Victoria Johnson, co-Director, said: “We know first-hand the pressures of starting your first vet job. We want to give all new graduates the reassurance that they always have instant access to specialist support, to help them grow and thrive in practice.
"Many practices have excellent in-house mentoring and clinical support, but there are times when it can be difficult to get hold of people when it’s busy. In addition, for challenging cases where referral may not be an option, the app enables vets to have specialist input and oversight within practice. Our mission is to help every vet be the best and feel their best every day, which is so important at the start of their career journey.”
Time on the app is automatically logged as CPD with quarterly certificates being generated for users. Additional services include the ability to book bespoke CPD, significant event reviews and live training sessions e.g. for procedures such as bone-marrow biopsy.
The app is downloadable for both iOS and Android systems.
For more information: https://www.vet-ct.com/gb/news/2021/jun/9/calling-all-new-vet-graduates
The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons is stressing the need for employers to check the registration status of the veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses they recruit.
This comes following several incidences where veterinary surgeons have been found to be either not registered or registered in the wrong category. For example, foreign nationals wishing to work in the UK must be registered as home-practising members, not overseas-practising members. The latter category is for those practising overseas who wish to retain their MRCVS status.
Furthermore, there have been some cases of veterinary surgeons registering as ‘non-practising' and going on to carry out veterinary nursing roles, in the absence of relevant qualifications or being listed/registered as a veterinary nurse. This may be happening in cases where overseas veterinary surgeons are struggling to find work in the UK, possibly due to language difficulties.
RCVS President Jill Nute said: "Vets and veterinary nurses have complementary roles within the practice team. If someone wishes to undertake a veterinary nursing role, they should be qualified and registered as such. Many skills are taught in the veterinary nursing training that are not included in the veterinary degree. Although some veterinary nursing tasks can be carried out by veterinary surgeons, they certainly must not be undertaken by those who are not on the RCVS Register of Veterinary Surgeons".
She added: "Ours is a self-regulated profession and it is important that employers play their part by ensuring that practice employees are appropriately qualified and registered".
The registration status of vets and veterinary nurses can be checked on RCVSonline at: www.rcvs.org.uk/checkregister or www.rcvs.org.uk/vnlist respectively.
A special interest group has been established for vets, veterinary nurses and chartered physiotherapists interested in the rehabilitation of diseased and injured animals. 'Physiovet UK' aims to provide practical training in the field of veterinary rehabilitation and pain management.
The group's inaugural CPD meeting takes place on Wednesday 20th May this year in Cardiff and will be led by specialist in small animal surgery (orthopedics) Steve Butterworth and veterinary rehabilitation specialist Lowri Davies. Sponsored by Hill's Pet Nutrition and Merial Animal Health, the meeting will cost £80 for members or £100 for non-members (ex VAT) for the day long event. Membership of the group costs £50.
Lowri Davies, a founder member of Physiovet said: "At this first meeting, the focus is on helping to develop a protocol for diagnosis and management strategies for conditions of the hock, shoulder and lumbosacral cases. Practitioners will recognise that these are commonly occurring conditions that are often managed conservatively but treatment need not stop with a prescription of 'rest'. We will be describing a range of active interventions that build strength, flexibility and general fitness appropriate to lame animals to help restore function and mobility."
For a downloadable registration form for the event, to join as a member or for further information about the group visit http://www.physiovet.co.uk/. Places at the meeting can also be booked by calling 01626 867614 or by contacting kathrin@linhayvet.co.uk.
The British Association of Veterinary Emergency & Critical Care has released the results of a survey into practitioners attitudes to 24-7 and OOH home visits.
360 veterinary surgeons took part in the survey, nearly all of whom have been practising for more than 2 years. 70% work in small animal practice, 12% at a dedicated OOH provider, and the bulk of the remainder in referral or mixed practice. 81% described the work they do as small animal first opinion, and 76% were employees. 35% said they had already responded to the RCVS call for evidence on the provision of 24/7 emergency cover.
26% said they work for a practice that outsources its OOH to a dedicated provider, and more than 85% of those said they would not return to an on-call system.
In terms of dedicated out-of-hours providers, a clear pattern emerged. Namely those practitioners who outsource their OOH feel that patient care, staff safety and professional well-being are all enhanced by dedicated OOH services, but that dedicated OOH comes at a cost of reduced value for money for the pet owner. Customer service between the different OOH provisions is perceived to be similar (on-call better 25%, same 48%, and dedicated better 27%).
Among those practitioners who work for a dedicated OOH service, dedicated OOH services perform best in all categories. 68% responded that OOH customer service is better with a dedicated OOH service compared to an on-call system (12% responded that on-call provided better customer service on average). 44% responded that customer value for money was better with dedicated OOH service compared to 19% who responded that customer value for money was on average better with an on-call system.
Among those practitioners who do their own on-call, customer service and value for money were perceived to be better with an on-call system (42% v 26% and 61% v 15% respectively). In the other categories dedicated OOH services again out-performed an on-call system.
Whether routine or emergency, 'owner demands' were felt to be the biggest reason for home visit requests (41% and 30% respectively). However, 'genuine clinical need' was the main reason cited by 19% of respondents as the main reason for emergency home visits. Inability to move the animal was given as the main reason by a further 28%.
Participants in the survey were asked to score (out of 10) how much their decision to perform a home visit was affected by the threat of a complaint, either to their employer or to the RCVS. Interestingly, 37% said a complaint to their employer weighed heavily on the decision (ranking it 8 or higher) where, by comparison, 52% said the threat of a complaint to the College ranked 8 or higher in their decision making.
69% of respondents said they make visits alone, either sometimes or always. When asked if they had ever felt threatened whilst performing an OOH visit, 48% said yes. This compared to 23% who said that they had felt threatened when performing a visit in normal hours.
When asked to rank (out of 10) the stress home visits cause, 7% said none at all and 36% said 8 or above.
72% said they believe that the profession should continue to be obligated to provide 24/7 for animals.
Respondents were then asked to say whether they support or disagree with the suggestion that the need to perform house visits is removed from the CoPC. 59% were strongly for the idea (scoring it up to 3), compared to 22% who were strongly against it (scoring it 8 or above).
Opinions about whether the College should clarify the need to perform house visits was far more clear cut. 77% strongly supported clarification (scored up to 3), whereas only 16% said there was no need (scored 8 or above).
However, an overwhelming 93% said that they would continue to perform visits in the case of genuine clinical need even if the Code of Professional Conduct was changed to make it dear that there was no risk of disciplinary action for not attending off-site.
The Waltham Equine Studies Group has announced the results of two pieces of research designed to improve understanding of the best nutritional support for older horses, whether they are healthy or diagnosed with Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction (PPID or Cushing's).
The first study: A comparison of nutrient digestibility between adult and aged horses, conducted by the Department of Large Animal clinical Sciences and Animal Science, Michigan State University and The Waltham Equine Studies Group, confirmed (in contrast to earlier work) that there was no difference in digestibility between healthy adult and aged horses when fed a variety of common equine diets.1
In the second study: Characterisation of the faecal bacterial community in adult and elderly horses fed a high fibre high oil or high starch diet, the Institute of Biological Environmental and Rural Sciences, Aberystwyth University, The Waltham Equine Studies Group and Michigan State University used the same horses as the previous study but this time looked at their gut microflora. The results showed that although no significant differences in individual species of bacteria were found, ageing was, however, associated with a reduction in bacterial diversity. This, say the authors, may in part explain why older animals can be at increased risk of intestinal disturbances.2
An abstract that summarised part of the Waltham Equine Studies Group's work on the effect of additional supplementation on aged horses with and without PPID was presented at the 2nd Dorothy Havermeyer Geriatric Workshop in the USA last November.3 This work, carried out in conjunction with Dr Amanda Adams at the University of Kentucky showed that age is key in influencing inflammation and metabolism rather than whether the horse is PPID positive or not.
Professor Pat Harris, head of the Waltham Equine Studies Group, said: "For the parameters we monitored, the research showed that it is being old that is the issue, rather than having PPID."
Clare Barfoot RNutr and the research and development manager at Spillers said: “This should give us a better understanding of the effects of diet and age on metabolism in order to determine optimal nutrition for the senior horse. Preliminary work suggests that this new research may change the way we think of feeding the older horse. Waltham’s work continues to ensure that Spillers feeds remain at the forefront of equine nutrition, for the better health of horses everywhere.”
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