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VetSurgeon.org publishes a curated feed of veterinary news for practising veterinary surgeons, with a primary focus on the UK profession.
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Hill's says the new diet, which has been through three clinical trials over four years, contains nutrients to help strengthen the skin's natural barrier against environmental allergens and the Histaguard complex with bioactives and phytonutrients to help manage a dog's response to environmental allergens.
Prescription Diet Derm Complete also uses egg as its single intact animal protein source, which Hill's says avoids 96% of adverse food reactions1 and has shown the ability to dampen the inflammatory response in dogs and reduce itching.
Hill's says the new diet represents a real breakthrough, both because it simplifies treatment and because it's the first dietetic food for both adverse food reactions and environmental sensitivities.
Michael Unsworth, Hill’s Vet Affairs Manager, UK & Republic of Ireland said: "Supporting patients with skin sensitivities can be extremely challenging. Not only is it uncomfortable for the pet themselves, but it can cause a lot of distress for owners who just want to give their dogs a happy and healthy life. There can be a lot of pressure to find a quick, effective and affordable solution.
"Our new Prescription Diet Derm Complete is truly a ground-breaking product; the result of years of trials and clinical studies that has seen visible skin healing in dogs with AFR in as little as 21 days2 and not a single dog showing signs of recurrence after using the product.
"We’re thrilled to introduce this innovative, life-changing product to the market, to the benefit of dogs, dog-owners – and of course veterinary professionals - everywhere."
Accompanying the launch, there's a free webinar taking place at 7.30pm on Tuesday 23 February (tomorrow) for veterinary surgeons in which Sarah Warren BVetMed MSc (Clin. Onc.) CertVD MRCVS will look at the complex nature of canine allergic skin disease and the importance of individualised treatment plans. To register, visit: https://www.veterinarywebinars.com/hills/canine-dermatitis-hills/
For more information about Prescription Diet Derm Complete, contact your Hill’s representative.
Reference
The RCVS has advised that veterinary surgeons should delegate Schedule 3 work to veterinary nurse students only during students' training, following a series of queries from employers about such students locuming.
Veterinary surgeons have dispensations under Schedule 3 of the Veterinary Surgeons Act to delegate to student veterinary nurses in the course of their training, so that students can learn how to give medical treatments to animals.
Crucially, these dispensations apply only when the student is working as a student in their approved training practice or on a placement organised by their university, and is under the supervision of qualified staff.
These dispensations do not apply to any extra-curricula activity so, if working as locums, they are legally classified as unqualified lay staff
The RCVS is concerned that locum agencies do not always appear to know this and are placing locums in their capacity as students, or even "senior students." This has the potential to mislead employers and the students concerned, and result in illegal practice.
Liz Branscombe, Chairman of the RCVS Veterinary Nurses Council said: "We know that student VNs, especially those on university courses, often undertake locum work to supplement their earnings. However, beyond the training practice which employs them, or in a placement organised by their university, they can only carry out tasks that may be expected of an unqualified staff member, and cannot legally undertake Schedule 3 work."
Practices may check the details of a student VN directly with the RCVS or with the student's college. If you notice an agency promoting student VN locums, please contact the RCVS so that we can provide guidance.
Fitzpatrick says that the initial results from a study at the University of California Davis has shown a reduction of up to 40% in the volume of prostatic tumours following embolisation, along with significant improvements in the patient's quality of life (the ability to pass urine and faeces in particular)1. However, prostatic embolisation in veterinary patients has only been performed in a small numbers of centres globally and not previously in Europe.
Gerard McLauchlan (European and RCVS Specialist in Small Animal Internal Medicine, Fitzpatrick Referrals Oncology and Soft Tissue) first carried out the procedure in December 2018 and has since performed it on two more patients.
Fitzpatrick is now offering prostatic embolisation alongside targeted intra-arterial (IA) chemotherapy, a treatment which it has now given to over forty patients with urinary tract tumours in the past 24 months, leading to a reduction in tumour size of up to 30% and an improvement in clinical signs.
Gerard said: "We have been developing and refining new techniques for treating various cancers over the past two years at our oncology and soft tissue centre. Really excellent results have been seen so far in cases with prostate cancer treated with intra-arterial chemotherapy and embolisation is the next logical step for managing this condition.
"Prostatic embolisation has only been performed at two centres in the United States and has shown very promising results in terms of patients quality of life and overall survival.
"With a recent study documenting the mean survival of patient with prostate cancer receiving standard intravenous chemotherapy as being only 101 days these new techniques offer an amazing opportunity to truly change how we view and manage this condition."
The RCVS is encouraging veterinary surgeons, veterinary nurses and other members of the practice team to respond to a government consultation on changing the law to introduce English language testing for veterinary surgeons who have qualified from elsewhere in the European Union.
Under the proposals outlined in the consultation by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), the test would apply before an individual joined the Register and only where the RCVS had ‘serious and concrete doubts’ about their English language abilities. The plan to consult on this issue had been welcomed by RCVS Council at its June 2015 meeting.
Every year, around half of all new veterinary surgeon registrants are from outside the UK, the majority from other EU or European Economic Area (EEA) countries. These individuals fall within the scope of the Mutual Recognition of Professional Qualifications (MRPQ) Directive, which applies to all EU nationals wishing to practise in a regulated profession in another member state.
Last year, a revised version of the MRPQ Directive came into force, which made a number of changes, including clarifying and reinforcing the role of competent authorities such as the RCVS. One of these changes is that language testing is expressly permitted, but only where serious concerns have been identified.
Gordon Hockey, RCVS Registrar, said: “Under the current legislation the College is not able to bar someone from joining the Register, and therefore practising, on the basis of language ability, even where we may have serious concerns.
“I would encourage all veterinary surgeons, veterinary nurses and other members of the practice team to engage with this consultation and consider whether the College should have the right to impose a language test where it has serious doubts, more in line with medical doctors, and the form such testing would take.”
Under the proposals, applicants would be asked a series of questions concerning their language qualifications, experience and general ability to use the English language before registering. Depending on how they answer the questions they may then have to pass a language test before registering, or delay their application while they improve their language skills.
The consultation results will inform the College’s work with Defra to determine whether to proceed with implementation and, if so, to develop the most appropriate system of language testing. The College would implement language testing for veterinary nurses in parallel with any changes for veterinary surgeons.
Those who wish to take part in the consultation can do so at https://consult.defra.gov.uk/animal-health-and-welfare/vet_language_controls. The deadline for responses is Wednesday 30 September 2015.
Merial has announced that its canine NSAID, Previcox, is now now uniquely licensed for the relief of pain and inflammation associated with dental surgery in dogs.
According to the company, an estimated 70% of dogs over 2 years of age may have some degree of periodontal disease1, and painful extraction of teeth is often necessary for the successful management of this condition.
Merial says that Previcox has been demonstrated to control the pain associated with dental surgery, in a double-blinded, controlled trial2 in which dogs underwent maxillary canine tooth extraction. The results showed that Previcox treatment significantly reduced pain scores post dental surgery, making it the only NSAID with a specific claim for relief of post-operative dental pain. Results of physical examination and blood testing also confirmed the peri-operative safety profile of Previcox, with no treatment-related adverse effects noted during the trial.
To find out more, contact your Merial Territory Manager on 0870 6000 123. For more information about Previcox visit www.previcoxfordogs.co.uk
References
1 Wiggs RB and Lobprise HB. Periodontology. In: Veterinary Dentistry, Principles and Practice. Philadelphia: Lippincott-Raven; 1997. p1872 Merial Internal data PR&D0116401.
The RVC has published the results of a study which showed that dogs treated with pimobendan at the preclinical stage of mitral valve disease (MVD) remained asymptomatic for an average 15 months longer and lived for significantly longer than the placebo group.
The EPIC study (Evaluation of Pimobendan In Cardiomegaly), published open access in the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine1, is the largest prospective veterinary cardiology study carried out to date. The authors say that the quality of the data it produced rivals that of human clinical trials.
The study was double-blinded, placebo-controlled and randomised. It took seven years to complete and involved 360 dogs across 11 countries in four continents.
To qualify for enrolment in the study, dogs had to be 6 years of age or older, have a body weight ≥4.1 and ≤15 kg, have a characteristic systolic heart murmur of moderate to high intensity (≥ grade 3/6) with maximal intensity over the mitral area, have echocardiographic evidence of advanced MMVD defined as characteristic valvular lesions of the mitral valve apparatus, mitral regurgitation on the colour Doppler echocardiogram, and have echocardiographic evidence of left atrial and left ventricular dilatation, defined as a left atrial-to-aortic root ratio ≥ 1.6 and body weight normalized left ventricular internal diameter in diastole ≥ 1.7, in addition to radiographic evidence of cardiomegaly (vertebral heart sum > 10.5)
In fact, the study was terminated early following an interim analysis as the evidence was considered conclusive and it was deemed unethical to continue to withhold treatment from the placebo group.
Adrian Boswood, Professor of Veterinary Cardiology at the RVC (pictured above right), led the research. He said: "Thanks to the EPIC study results, vets no longer have to adopt a 'watch and wait' approach to suspected preclinical cases of MVD. When a typical mitral valve murmur is detected, vets should now investigate further to look for cardiac enlargement. If demonstrated, this suggests the patient will probably benefit from treatment with pimobendan before the onset of clinical signs.
"It's great that as a trusted treatment, pimobendan has a wealth of safety data behind it in addition to that gleaned from the EPIC study, which can help support vets when prescribing it in this new way."
Adrian added: "As far as evidence-based medicine goes, this is about as good as it gets. The size and design of the study places it in the top-tier. The study was designed and run by an independent team of investigators and sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim. We, as lead investigators, had the right to publish the results regardless of the outcome. This makes EPIC very special indeed."
In light of the findings, Adrian says vets should now consider testing early for signs of preclinical MVD, and in dogs with cardiomegaly secondary to preclinical MVD, consider the use of pimobendan to delay the onset of congestive heart failure and extend the asymptomatic period.
To read more about the EPIC study and results, visit www.rvc.ac.uk
Researchers from Nottingham Trent University and the Royal Veterinary College found that exertion or exercise – which could include dogs walking, playing or running with their owners – was responsible for three quarters (74%) of heat stroke cases. Many of these cases were in the summer months.
For the study, the researchers analysed the clinical records of more than 900,000 UK dogs. They found that 1,222 had received veterinary care for heatstroke at some point during their lives, almost 400 affected in a single year. 14.2% of them died as a result of their heatstroke.
Hot weather alone was responsible for 13% of cases, while travelling or being left in hot vehicles accounted for 5% of cases. Other triggers for heat stroke included undergoing treatment at a veterinary surgery or a dog grooming parlour, being restricted to hot buildings or trapped under blankets.
Male dogs and younger dogs were more likely to develop heatstroke triggered by exercise, with breeds including the Chow Chow, Bulldog, French Bulldog, Greyhound, English Springer Spaniel, Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and Staffordshire Bull Terrier at increased risk.
Older dogs and brachycephalic breeds, such as bulldogs and pugs, were at increased risk of getting heatstroke just by sitting outside in hot weather. Brachycephalics were particularly at risk of developing heat stroke if left in hot cars.
Emily Hall, a researcher and veterinary surgeon in Nottingham Trent University’s School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences said: "It appears that people are hearing the message about the dangers of hot vehicles, but campaigns to raise public awareness about heat-related illness in dogs need to highlight that dogs don’t just die in hot cars. Taking a dog for a walk or a run in hot weather can be just as deadly so consider skipping walks altogether during heatwaves, or be sure to take dogs out early in the morning whilst it’s still cool.
Dr Dan O’Neill, co-author and senior lecturer in companion animal epidemiology at The Royal Veterinary College, said: “The UK is currently in the midst of an ill-fated love affair with flat-faced dogs. Demand for breeds such as the French Bulldog, Pug and British Bulldog has soared during the Covid19 lockdown. I appeal to owners to put the needs of the dog ahead of their own desire to possess something that looks cute."
The group, which was convened by Boehringer Ingelheim, made its recommendation in a poster published at the National Mastitis Council meeting in Arizona1, prior to the launch of Boehringer's new teat sealant, Ubroseal.
The poster added that those animals that are likely to be infected need to receive antibiotic dry cow therapy (ADCT) in addition to a teat sealant.
Boehringer says various studies have shown that using an ITS reduces the risk of new intramammary infections and reduces the risk of clinical mastitis after calving, pointing to a meta-analysis of published papers which showed a 25% reduced risk of new infections and a 29% reduced risk of clinical mastitis for cows receiving ITS plus ADCT compared with ADCT alone
Boehringer’s veterinary adviser, Kath Aplin said: "Against the backdrop of targets from RUMA to reduce antibiotic use in the dairy sector3, adopting ITS for all cows could significantly reduce the need for antibiotics. An increase in the use of ITS is included in the dairy sector targets.
"We estimate that, currently, around 29% of the national herd is dried off without an ITS, so there is huge room for growth4."
Kath added: "With a 300-cow US study showing that a week after drying off, 47% of teats had still not formed a keratin plug5 and a New Zealand study showing that one in 20 cows had teats that remained open for 60 days6, it is clear to see that delayed teat closure is a very real problem in many herds. Teats remaining open after dry off make the udder highly susceptible to infection and delayed teat closure exacerbates the risk of acquiring an intramammary infection post-dry off4."
The expert group also recommended developing a herd plan, classifying herds as low risk or high risk and having a different approach to each.
High risk herds will have had a bulk SCC of >250,000 cell/ml in at least two of the last six months, they may also have a problem with Strep. agalactiae or could be experiencing an unavoidable risk period (a new building for example).
The priority should be to improve udder health management during both the lactation and dry period and any decision to abandon ADCT should be made with care and a full risk assessment.
The group said that in reality, it may be prudent to continue blanket ADCT until udder health has improved.
The group’s recommendations for low risk herds (<250,000 cells/ml in four out of the last six months) were to actively strive towards selective ADCT, supported by ITS for all cows.
The full recommendations are published in the proceedings of the NMC1 or can be obtained from your local Boehringer Ingelheim representative.
Kath said: "It has long been established that the mammary gland is highly susceptible to infection in the dry period and that the majority of clinical mastitis in early lactation is picked up during the dry period.
"Moving towards selective ADCT may not be appropriate immediately for all producers. However, the use of ITS for all cows on all farms will reduce new infection rates, assisting in the drive towards improved udder health and reduced antibiotic use."
Photo: Curious cattle on farmland in Cornwall UK. Shutterstock/Shzphoto
EnteroZoo is a dietary supplement composed of organic mineral and purified water in a gel suspension. Enteromed says it works by binding bacterial toxins as it passes through the animal's digestive tract, thereby helping to maintain a healthy gut and intestinal balance.
Enteromed says that compared to old classic adsorbents, such as clay or charcoal, EnteroZoo can be used long-term and is gentle on an animal's intestines.
The company points to a new in-vitro study from Brighton University School of Pharmacy & Biomolecular Sciences which has shown that EnteroZoo adsorbs E. coli, Shigella and C. difficile toxins1 – common causes of gastrointestinal infection and diarrhoea.
EnteroZoo is suitable for all animals including pregnant and nursing females. It is tasteless and odourless and the company says animals generally accept it without any problems. It can be administered in various ways: directly into the mouth, mixed into feed, put on a treat, mixed in an appropriate amount of water or administered with a plastic syringe into the oral cavity.
For more information, contact: enterozoo@enteromed.co.uk, or visit: www.enterozoo.co.uk
Veterinary surgeon Niall Taylor has signed a deal worth a reported £100 to become the new face of VetSurgeon.org.
As part of the deal, Niall will appear in magazine adverts for the community website in Veterinary Practice magazine. VetSurgeon publishers have so far not confirmed rumours that he will also be appearing on billboards alongside the M4, M1 and M25 motorways, and in TV ads after Coronation Street.
Niall said: "I'm donating my earnings from this contract to support our practice manager, Alyson Gough, who'll be running the London Marathon to raise money for SENSE, a charity which supports deafblind people. If any of my colleagues would like to join me in supporting this important cause, you can do so at: http://www.justgiving.com/Alyson-Gough
Niall replaces the outgoing face of VetSurgeon, Gillian Mostyn MRCVS. She said: "I've had a wonderful year. Being the face of VetSurgeon has opened so many doors for me. I wish Niall all the very best".
Mark, an Advanced Practitioner in Zoological Medicine, is well known in the profession, having lectured in the UK and internationally, as well as having numerous articles on exotic topics published in peer reviewed veterinary journals.
Mark said: “I’m really pleased to be joining Pennard Vets, which has seven sites across Kent, and is owned by its employees, which made it a particularly attractive place to join, as I now also own a stake in the business and can help shape the future of it. I can’t wait to meet our clients and their pets and hope to make a real difference to their lives.”
Andy Green, Director at Pennard Vets, said: “Mark is the most qualified vet in the South East of England working in exotics, and we are delighted he is bringing so much experience to Pennard Vets.
"We hope to become the go-to practice for all exotic pets in the South-East and believe that our new and existing clients will all benefit from Mark’s unique and thoughtful approach to veterinary care.”
www.pennardvets.com
The new briefing will summarise the latest veterinary innovations, resources and research which are of practical value to vets in practice. In other words, only what you strictly need to know.
Need to Know content will be curated by three practising veterinary surgeons: Liz Barton MRCVS (Small Animal, pictured right), Aoife Byrne MRCVS (Equine), and Rachel Tennant MRCVS (Farm Animal). It replaces InDigestion, VetSurgeon.org’s previous monthly newsletter which only linked to the most popular content on the site itself. By contrast, Need to Know summarises developments from all sources.
VetSurgeon.org Editor Arlo Guthrie said: "In these days of information overload, our aim here is to provide busy veterinary surgeons with a really succinct summary of anything that really matters, wherever it comes from."
Need to Know is the result of a new partnership between VetSurgeon.org and Vetsnet, a veterinary wellbeing resource hub set up by Liz to support her colleagues in the profession, and the bulk of any additional advertising revenue generated by the initiative will be ploughed back into Vetsnet.
Arlo added: "Since VetSurgeon launched back in 2008, content has been entirely curated by me. I like to think that has worked reasonably well. Still, having practising veterinary surgeons involved editorially is a big step forward in making sure our content is always useful and relevant."
Anyone subscribed to receive emails from VetSurgeon.org on registration will automatically receive Need To Know.
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Boehringer Ingelheim has announced that Vetmedin Chewable Tablets have been licensed for treating pre-clinical dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in Doberman Pinschers1.
Boehringer says DCM is the most common form of cardiomyopathy in dogs and the second most common form of acquired heart disease in dogs. Typically, up to half (25 - 50%) of Doberman Pinschers develop DCM in their lifetime and before congestive heart failure (CHF) develops, over a quarter (25 - 30%) of these dogs will suffer sudden death. Despite optimal treatment, survival time once in CHF is short at just 2 - 4 months, with a fatality rate of at least 90% after a year.
The new indication was granted following a study which showed that early intervention with Vetmedin at pre-clinical stages in Dobermans can significantly delay the onset of CHF, increasing life expectancy and quality of life for patients2.
Robert Lucy, Vetmedin brand manager, Boehringer Ingelheim UK, said: "The PROTECT study, and the resulting new indication for Vetmedin is groundbreaking. For the first time ever, we are now not only able to manage congestive heart failure, but to significantly delay it. By acting sooner, we'll be able to alter the course of disease progression, ultimately increasing survival and allowing more pet owners to spend more time with their beloved dogs. Key to this will be giving vets the support and confidence in recognising the subtle signs of pre-clinical DCM. We plan to support veterinary professionals with new educational materials, including a screening algorithm, to help the diagnostic process."
Traditionally, there have been no licensed therapies available to vets to slow the progression of heart disease during the pre-clinical stage. However, peer-reviewed independent data from PROTECT, the first study in veterinary cardiology of its kind, proves that early intervention with Vetmedin at pre-clinical stages in Dobermans Pinschers can significantly delay the onset of CHF, increasing life expectancy and quality of life for patients.
For the studies, the owners of 68 dogs treated with Librela and 44 cats treated with Solensia answered 22 questions in the case of dogs and 20 questions in the case of cats on VetMetrica, a digital HRQL instrument.
With a scale of 0-6, cats were rated on vitality, comfort and emotional wellbeing, and dogs on energetic/enthusiastic, happy/content, active/comfortable and calm/relaxed, over a period of 70 days.
The studies concluded that both Librela and Solensia produced a significant improvement in HRQL within 14 days of initial treatment, which was the first time the QOL impact was measured.
The improvement was maintained for the duration of the study.
Jacky Reid, BVMS PhD DVA, CEO of NewMetrica, now part of Zoetis, said: “Assessing and understanding how OA-related pain impacts emotional and physical well-being in particular circumstances, broadens the perspective in relation to pain management.
“HRQL measurements are not generally implemented in veterinary science at this time, so it’s exciting to see how it’s proving effective at adding value to existing functional measures.
"Particularly, helping us understand how pain management impacts the physical and emotional wellbeing of animals and will ultimately boost pet owner confidence.”
Oya Canbas, Zoetis UK General Manager, explained: “With an ever-growing bond between humans and animals, and pets leading longer lives, pet owners are more motivated than ever to support their pet’s wellbeing.
"However, not all are aware of the negative impacts of chronic disease, with signs of OA pain often mistaken as ‘normal’ signs of aging.
"This is why we need to increase awareness, to tackle under-diagnosis of OA pain.
"Common medications used to treat cases of OA pain that are diagnosed are often Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs).
"While effective, these can have limitations, such as for middle aged to senior pets which have other diseases, requiring multiple medications.
"Some will not tolerate NSAIDs, and not all pets respond to NSAID therapy.
"So, expanding prescription choices is a privilege.”
The students are being given the chance to treat cats, dogs and rabbits coming into the RSPCA centre under the supervision of its resident veterinary surgeon, Joanne Henstock.
The placement offers them valuable skills in dealing with animals which have received little or no veterinary care in the past and often arrive at the shelter in an extremely poor condition.
Ella Carpenter, RSPCA Animal Centre Manager, said: "The students are familiar with seeing pets which have been well cared for by their owners and it can be shocking for them to witness the state in which some of the animals arrive at our shelter.
"In particular, they see the, often life-threatening, impact it can have on an animal when it hasn’t received care considered to be fundamental veterinary medicine, such as flea or worming treatments.
"We commonly see animals that arrive with little or no medical history, so they can practice a back to basics, 'treat what we see', approach. And they learn about the challenges we face in providing the best possible care for large numbers of animals, many with complex medical needs, while working within the finite resources of a charity which relies entirely on public donations."
Malcolm Cobb, Professor of Comparative Veterinary Medicine and Deputy Head of the School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, said: "We are really excited to be working with the RSPCA at Radcliffe. There is a very large and varied case load for our students to assist with, learn from and help to manage, including some cases of neglect which they might not see elsewhere, and which can represent a significant clinical challenge."
Photo: Jo Henstock (Associate Vet RSPCA), Bramble the Beagle, Sophie Isaacs (Final Year Vet Student), © The University of Nottingham
Each OraStripdx comprises a dry porous pad, pre-treated with a mixture containing a thiol detection reagent, attached to a plastic backing.
The strip is gently swiped along the maxillary gingival margins, whereupon it changes colour from off-white to various intensities of yellow, representing the concentration of thiols present.
Animalcare says this visual result can support vets and veterinary nurses in explaining to owners the often-invisible early signs of periodontal disease, without the need to examine the animal under anaesthetic
Apparently, the WSAVA Global Dental Guidelines say that test strips have been shown to improve client compliance with dental recommendations.
Dr Colin Capner, Senior Technical Vet at Animalcare, said: “OraStripdx helps to prompt, and raise the profile of veterinary oral health conversations in practice, employing an easy to use, evidence based diagnostic test for periodontal disease that does not require a general anaesthetic.
"In demonstrating the presence of periodontal disease in dogs and cats to clients through a test strip colourimetric change, it bridges the gap between oral examination and the requirement for clinical veterinary intervention.
"Early detection of otherwise invisible periodontal disease will help to maintain good pet oral health and welfare, and facilitate awareness of the potential need for planned clinical treatments.”
On 30 November 2022, Animalcare is hosting a free webinar which demonstrates how OraStripdx can help drive positive oral health conversations.
You can sign up to the webinar at www.animalcare.co.uk/dentalwebinars.
The company has also created a range of dental care educational resources for veterinary healthcare team members and pet owners which are available for download at www.dental.pet.
First, the practice carried out an infection control audit to ensure its protocols were robust.
The audit covered the cleaning of clinical areas, non-clinical areas (including offices, reception desks, kltchens and bathrooms), and the personal hygiene of staff members (including hand hygiene and work wear).
Using using the Nationwide Laboratory practice cleanliness screening programme, Rosemullion then conducted environmental swabbing of 10 clinical and non-clinical areas around the practice, including theatre tables, kennels, telephones and door handles, to review contamination levels.
Results showed varying levels of bacterial contamination in both clinical and non-clinical areas.
Finally, Rosemullion assessed personal hygiene and the potential for cross-contamination between patients, colleagues and the environment.
Staff were asked to complete an anonymous ‘Hygiene Self-assessment Questionnaire’ which covered ten areas, including; disinfecting hands; wearing gloves, scrubs with short sleeves and dedicated work shoes, and changing into uniforms when arriving at work.
Amongst clinical staff, there was a 66.75% compliance.
The team then discussed the results, consulted a lab microbiologist and formulated an improvement plan, which included updating the practice cleaning processes (including the cleaning of new touch points), introducing new colleague uniform rules (including changing into uniform upon arrival at work), improving hand hygiene (including providing hand gels for all colleagues) and using sanitising wipes in all office areas.
One month after the policy revisions, swab tests were repeated. They found no bacterial growth in any of the 10 previously swabbed areas.
After two months the colleague questionnaire was run again.
It found clinical colleague compliance over eight personal hygiene indicators had jumped from 66.75% to 92.5% compliance.Abi Redfearn, Senior Veterinary Nurse at Rosemullion, said: “When we opened in 2021, we were keen to monitor our infection control - as part of providing a hospital level of care under the RCVS Practice Standards Scheme.
"With around 100 colleagues and hundreds of patients passing through our doors every week, we are an extremely busy practice – so infection control is paramount in maintaining high clinical standards.“By updating our protocols and taking simple steps - such as providing sanitising materials in high-touch areas – we’ve significantly decreased the risk of environmental contamination.
"Our project is now being used as an example to encourage other practices.”
'Potential role of veterinary flea products in widespread pesticide contamination of English rivers1, was carried out by Professor Dave Goulson and Rosemary Perkins MRCVS from the University of Sussex and co-authored by Martin (pictured right) and Wayne Civil from the Environment Agency.
For the study, they looked at 3,861 samples taken from 20 rivers around the UK between 2016 and 2018. Fipronil was detected in 98% of the samples and imidacloprid in 66%.
Currently, there are no environmental quality standards for fipronil or the compounds it breaks down into (fipronil sulfone or fipronil sulfide) or for imidacloprid in British surface waters.
The authors therefore used the acute and chronic toxicity limits for fipronil from a report from the Department of Environmental Toxicology at the University of California Davis2, and from Morissey et al (2015)3 for imidacloprid.
They found that the average fipronil concentration across the rivers sampled by the Environment Agency exceeded chronic safety thresholds five-fold. The overall pollution levels in English rivers indicate that fipronil and its toxic breakdown products pose a high risk to aquatic ecosystems.
While, in most rivers, imidacloprid was found to pose a moderate risk, in seven out of the 20 rivers sampled there was a high environmental risk.
The paper, published in Science of the Total Environment, noted that the highest levels of pollution were found immediately downstream of wastewater treatment works, which the authors say supports the hypothesis that significant quantities of pesticide may be passing from treated pets to the environment via household drains.
Professor Dave Goulson said “Fipronil and imidacloprid are both highly toxic to all insects and other aquatic invertebrates. Studies have shown both pesticides to be associated with declines in the abundance of aquatic invertebrate communities. The finding that our rivers are routinely and chronically contaminated with both of these chemicals and mixtures of their toxic breakdown products is deeply troubling.”
Bathing of pets treated with spot-on fipronil flea products has been confirmed as a potentially important route to waterways for fipronil via sewers. The washing of hands, pet bedding or other surfaces that have come into contact with treated pets are potential additional pathways for entry to sewers.
Rosemary said: “We’ve identified a number of steps that can be taken to minimise or avoid environmental harm from pet flea and/or tick treatments. These range from introducing stricter prescription-only regulations, to considering a more judicious and risk-based approach to the control of parasites in pets, for example by moving away from blanket year-round prophylactic use."
Martin said: "The profession urgently needs to adopt ‘responsible use of parasiticides’ similar to the way it is adopting responsible use of antimicrobials. The VMD needs to strengthen the environmental assessment of pet pesticide products in the authorisation process, and they are currently considering this issue. The VMD should also collate and publish annual sales figures for these pesticides as they do for antimicrobials."
He added: "My veterinary hospital has never had a ‘pet health plan’ to provide year round flea products, because we believe that year-round, intensive treatment for almost all dogs and cats does not constitute responsible use of such powerful pesticides."
Morrissey, C.A., et al., 2015. Neonicotinoid contamination of global surface waters and associated risk to aquatic invertebrates: a review. Environ. Int. 74, 291–303. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2014.10.024.
The pack includes a new leaflet written by the dog behaviourist, Gwen Bailey, and supported by Blue Cross, Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors (APBC), Wood Green, Puppy School, International Cat Care and Cats Protection.
The leaflet explains the signs of firework fears in both dogs and cats, how to keep pets calm and safe while fireworks are going off and the importance of ensuring that puppies become accustomed to loud and sudden noises gradually. It also highlights the benefits of pheromone support with Adaptil Calm Home Diffuser and Feliway CLASSIC Diffuser.
The company has also provided a leaflet holder, wall display, bunting and social media tool kit containing online banners, suggested social media posts, pet owner email text, PR and presentations.
Vouchers will be available for free Adaptil and Feliway for pet owners already purchasing product.
Abigail King, behaviour product manager at Ceva Animal Health said: "Our vibrant new fireworks marketing and display pack will help raise awareness of the signs of firework fears and the preventative measures that owners can carry out at home to help them keep their pets calm and safe during the fireworks season."
To request a copy of the fireworks marketing and display pack, contact your Ceva Animal Health territory manager or telephone 01494 781510.
Cancer Care for Pets offers both clinical and palliative care for pets with cancer, supporting the work of the first opinion team at Donaldson's and taking referral cases from far and wide.
Neil and Kirsty have worked in practice together in the Yorkshire area for seven years, working with owners and families to create treatment plans involving diagnostic investigations, specialised imaging, surgery, chemotherapy and palliative care.
Neil said: "As far as we know, we are one of very few services to offer this combination of veterinary and nurse-led consultations, where comprehensive cancer treatment and care plans are developed together with owners. We have worked hard to instil our team approach where, following surgery and treatment, the Cancer Care team, the owner and the referring practice are all involved in the pet’s ongoing care and wellbeing."
Kirsty said: “Neil and I do many of our consults together. Neil will give his clinical overview and I will help owners to process and understand the treatment and the next steps for their pet.
“It was incredibly important to us to create a friendly, welcoming environment in our new dedicated consultation area at the hospital. We need people to trust us and be honest about how fit and well their pet really is, in the knowledge we are not automatically going to tell them there is nothing we can offer them. Treating cancer is about life, not managing a death, and making sure that the pet’s life – even if it is limited – is as good as it can be.”
Neil said: "The Cancer Care for Pets team will be working alongside the wider Donaldson’s veterinary and nursing teams and we are keen to learn from each other. The facilities at the hospital are second to none, particularly our new purpose-built consultation area, the practice’s new CT scanner and the high spec operating facilities. Donaldson’s also has a well-respected rehabilitation and pain clinician with whom we can work closely to help our older patients to keep mobile, flexible and maintain activity levels.”
Neil and Kirsty are supported by a third member of the Cancer Care for Pets team, oncology nurse Jenna Carrick RVN.
Cancer Care for Pets is now accepting referrals. Contact: info@cancercareforpets.co.uk or 01484 242911.
Following the news on Friday that a Bulldog and Pekingese had failed their vet checks at Crufts, a further four animals have failed: Chervood Snowsun, a Clumber Spaniel; Secret Charm Avec Dibest, a Mastiff; Ithani, a Neapolitan Mastiff and Ch Buzz Lightyear At Dereheath, a Basset Hound. All were disqualified from winning Best of Breed, or representing their breed for the remainder of the competition.
The veterinary checks have been introduced by the Kennel Club to ensure that Best of Breed awards are not given to any dogs that show visible signs of problems due to conditions that affect their health or welfare.
Dog World magazine appears to have got hold of a copy of the Clumber Spaniel's Veterinary Health Check Record, and interviewed the owner:
The vet checks have, predictably, polarised opinion. The owners of the Bulldog Mellowmood One In A Million have already setup a facebook page: 'A group dedicated to honoring the win of Ch Mellowmoods One in a Million AKA Jenny who was wrongfully stripped of her Best of Breed win at Crufts based on a political move by the Kennel Club.'
Elsewhere, there has been a considerable amount of support for the vet checks:
The group’s Board, led by outgoing president, Renay Rickard and incoming president, Julie Beacham, decided to change the trading name to better reflect the diverse nature of the organisation’s membership and promote inclusivity.
The VMG says that in parallel with evolving models of veterinary business management, it has seen its membership expand to include clinical and non-clinical team members from practice, as well as those from industry and academia.
Renay said: "We are seeing a trend where the veterinary practice manager role is now complemented by - and in some cases superseded by - tiers of team leaders, many with management responsibilities and interests.
"This is reflected in our membership, which is increasingly diverse – we have growing numbers of members from the clinical side of practice, such as head nurses and vet team leads, as well as involvement from front-of-house and administration teams. In larger group practices, we have operations staff, marketing managers, finance teams and so on all joining up.
"Part of the success of our organisation is that we have attracted and catered for these diverse roles. Our New to Management series of CPD webinars last year was one example, and we will build on this in 2018, adding in new content. 2018 will also see a new structure for our regional group meetings, with roadshows and day events.
"This diversity in membership brings vibrancy and new ideas with it, vital to the life-blood of any organisation. Our aim is to be inclusive and cater for the needs of anyone with an interest in management through development and support."
The VMG has also launched a new website, www.vetmg.com with a private members’ area which offers various resources, from CPD to protocols.
Royal Canin has launched two new skincare diets.
'Hypoallergenic Wet' is a wet adaptation of its 'Hypoallergenic' range of diets, providing variety for the nutritional management of dogs with adverse food reactions. 'Anallergenic' dry food is for the dietary management of dogs with even the most severe dietary allergy.
'Hypoallergenic Wet' contains soy protein hydrolysate, so it can either be fed as a complete diet or interchanged and used as an addition to Hypoallergenic, Hypoallergenic Moderate Calorie or Hypoallergenic Small Dog. The wet food, available in a 400g can, can be recommended for short term feeding (for an elimination diet strategy) or for the lifelong nutritional management of dogs with adverse food reactions. Royal Canin says it is designed to be highly digestible through its low molecular weight peptides and is also appropriate for the dietary support of dogs with inflammatory bowel disease, chronic diarrhoea and Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency (EPI).
'Anallergenic' follows in the footsteps of Hypoallergenic but goes further - offering both hydrolysed proteins and a pure carbohydrate source, to which exposure is limited and therefore allergy would be rare. The diet comprises a unique protein source composed exclusively of free amino acids and very low molecular weight oligopeptides. Much like the Hypoallergenic range, Anallergenic is also formulated with essential fatty acids to help support skin health and a complex of nutrients to help maintain the barrier effect of the skin.
The fully balanced diet - suitable for the nutritional support of adult dogs either short or long-term - has proven results with 100% of dogs in a Royal Canin study showing significant improvement in their skin condition.
Gudi Stuttard BVSc MRCVS, one of Royal Canin's Veterinary Support Managers, said: "These two new products join our well-established 'Hypoallergenic' range, as well as our recently launched 'Skin Care' diets - for the nutritional management of dogs with dermatosis unrelated to food intolerance or allergy.
"By building on our portfolio of veterinary skin care diets, we aim to further strengthen our DermAlliance campaign, which is dedicated to assisting in the improvement of skin care knowledge in general veterinary practice."
Please visit www.royalcanin.co.uk for more information.
The new product, which is for the management of any condition where eye health is supported by providing additional moisture or lubrication, is suitable for dogs, cats, horses, rabbits and other animals.
Oculeze contains glycerine (0.8%), Aloe vera, chamomile and propolis extract, the latter of which contains polyphenols which Millpledge says have been shown to support corneal health by multiple mechanisms of action including modulation of the tear film and a reduction in inflammation, apoptosis and oxidative stress1.
Millpledge says Oculeze lasts longer on the ocular surface than non-lipid lubricants2 because it evaporates more slowly3.
This prolonged action means fewer administrations, which should help client compliance.
Oculeze comes in two sizes - a 10 millilitre bottle and a pack of ten resealable 0.6 millilitre vials, suitable for short term use and travel.
The 10ml bottle includes a filter, preserving sterility for up to three months after opening.
Oculeze is available direct from Millpledge or from your usual wholesaler.
https://millpledge.com/shop/oculeze
sales@millpledge.com
The new bottle size will last approximately 100 days when treating an average sized cat of 4 kg.
Amy Scott, brand manager for Semintra said: "The new 100 ml bottle size will ensure that Semintra is even more convenient for owners, whilst facilitating long-term compliance that fits in well with recommended recheck intervals for CKD."
Cats with CKD have an overactive renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS), which can lead to proteinuria and further progression of kidney disease. Semintra contains the active ingredient telmisartan – the only angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) licensed for use in veterinary medicine. Boehringer says it provides targeted, long-lasting suppression of the RAAS1.
Semintra is a once daily oral liquid. Now available in both 30 ml and 100 ml bottle sizes, it has a six month shelf life after opening.
For further information on Semintra visit www.boehringer-academy.co.uk or contact your local Boehringer Ingelheim territory manager.