Pets'n'Vets has launched Totally Grad!, a new veterinary graduate programme designed to helping new grads embark on a fulfilling veterinary career in independent practice.

The programme offers a structured and heavily supported first year in practice, including hands-on surgical training and seminars from Advanced Veterinary Practitioners, at the Pets'n'Vets' Roundhouse Veterinary Hospital in Glasgow.

Totally Grad! also includes a mentor plan and additional monthly benchmarking and seminars and support.

Oliver Jackson, partner at Pets'n'Vets said: "We are well aware that many larger veterinary entities run new graduate programmes and we are proud to say that Totally Grad! offers great advantages that come with our independent structure.

"Independent practice can offer a rewarding working environment for new graduates – particularly progressive practices such as ours. We  can offer new graduates not only the close-knit, friendly, helpful, stable, first-opinion experience, but also provide opportunities for career growth and development.

"We have the facility for graduates to explore their particular areas of interest. Indeed, in our practice it is possible for a new graduate to change our way of working – the decision-makers are available and listening. We now have many vets working with us who have come through the practice from our graduate system and who have gone on to help shape our practice.

"The success of our Laparoscopic and Cardiology clinics can be attributed to those vets, as can various other client service initiatives and ways of working. New blood brings new ideas and we welcome that."

Totally Grad! will also be open to fellow independent practices.

Oliver added: "By opening up our Totally Grad! programme, we are offering a simple, accessible facility to those fellow independent practices able and willing to provide a mentor and allow their graduate vets to be out of their practice for one or two days per month over a 12 month period. It fits perfectly with our Roundhouse Referrals offering which offers advice, CPD and support to local practices."

Any independent practices interested in participating in the programme can contact oliver.jackson@petsnvets.org while final year students interested in learning more about the programme can visit the website at www.totallygrad.co.uk and/or email Karen W at hello@totallygrad.co.uk

Vets Now has launched a new library of free Emergency and Critical Care (ECC) CPD webinars, and a new emergency support line for its partner practices. 

The webinars already available cover subjects like cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), emergency diagnostics and traumatic brain injury, presented by experienced emergency vets Aoife Reid, Liron Levy-Hirsch and Jacqueline Seymour. 

More content is due to be added to the library in the coming weeks, including guest webinars from TVM UK on rodenticide and seizure management, and from clinical psychologists Dr Jo Becket and Dr Jess Brown on “thrive, not just survive” and “when stress gets too much”. There will also be a session from ECC specialist Tobias Grave (pictured right) on how to deal with some of the most common pet emergencies. 

Tobias will also be on hand to help veterinary surgeons and nurses whose practices use Vets Now for their out-of-hours service with both general advice and a second opinion on potentially complex cases via the new support line. 

Tobias said: “Covid-19 is bringing fresh challenges to vets and vet nurses every day. With clinicians seeing a caseload which is mainly emergency and often having to triage patients over the phone or by video consult, it’s never been so important to come together as a profession.

"Both our webinars and our specialist support line for practices who use our service will help equip vet professionals with the skills and knowledge needed to deal with challenging emergencies in practice."

You can find Vets Now’s library of free ECC webinars here.

The BVA has joined forces with the RSPCA in calling on the Government to repeal a legal exemption that permits animals to be slaughtered without pre-stunning, causing unnecessary pain and suffering.

The latest figures from 2017/18 reveal that over 120 million animals were slaughtered in England and Wales without being stunned first¹.

In an open letter to Environment Secretary Michael Gove, the BVA and the RSPCA urge the UK Government to change legislation in England which currently allows non-stun slaughter for religious purposes, and provide further public transparency on this issue by releasing the comprehensive 2018 slaughter survey results, which Mr Gove himself signalled would be published by Autumn 2018.

Until such legislation is in place the RSPCA and BVA are calling for: 

• meat to be labelled with the method of slaughter, e.g. stunned or non-stunned, so consumers are fully informed about the meat that they are buying.

• non-stun slaughter to only be permitted at levels that meet local religious community demand for this type of meat in the interests of limiting animal pain and suffering.

• a ban on export of meat from non-stunned animals or live animals destined for non-stun slaughter.

• an immediate post-cut stun for cattle, sheep, goats and deer to reduce the period of pain and distress.

The letter follows a recent, high profile decision to ban the slaughter of animals without prior stunning in the Flanders region of Belgium which came into force at the start of the year. Belgium joins several other European countries, including Iceland, Sweden, Switzerland and Denmark in making this decision, demonstrating that a full ban on non-stun slaughter is possible within EU law.

RSPCA chief executive, Chris Sherwood said: "Until there is a change in the law to end non-stun slaughter, there are several measures the UK Government could introduce to reduce the suffering involved in this practice. For example, by ensuring trade deals with other countries do not include non-stun meat or live animals for non-stun slaughter, clear labelling should be adopted to enable consumers to make an informed choice about the meat they buy and how it was slaughtered."

BVA President Simon Doherty said: "The UK Government has repeatedly stated it would prefer to see all animals stunned before slaughter but has taken no action to address this critical welfare issue that affects millions of animals every year. It is doubly disappointing that data that would have provided a valuable benchmark for levels of non-stun slaughter in the UK has yet to see the light of day despite assurances throughout last year that it would soon be made public.

"There is a huge groundswell of support for a ban on non-stun slaughter, and recent developments in Belgium show that decisive change is possible where public support is matched by political will. Michael Gove has made clear that he wants to maintain and build on the UK’s reputation as global leader on animal welfare; banning non-stun slaughter is a surefire way of showing he will deliver on this commitment.

"If slaughter without stunning continues to be permitted in the UK, then meat and fish from this source must be clearly labelled, to help customers make informed choices about the food that they buy and eat."

You can sign the open letter at: www.rspca.org.uk/endnonstun and join the online debate using the hashtag #EndNonStun.

Yorkshire-based Richard Sutcliffe MRCVS has been suspended for six months after being convicted of common assault, and for conducting surgery and administering POM-V medicine to a person.

The first charge related to his conviction on two counts of common assault by beating two individuals at an incident in December 2016, as a result of which he was made subject to a community order and a restraining order, as well as being fined and made to pay a victim surcharge and costs.

The second charge related to him undertaking, or attempting to undertake non-emergency surgery on the eyelid of one of the individuals referred to in the first charge, and administering, or attempting to administer, a Prescription-Only Veterinary Medicines to the same person. 

The third charged related to an allegation that he had supplied the same individual with a Prescription-Only Medication other than in accordance with a valid prescription.

The second charge and third charges related to incidents which occurred some considerable time before the assault, not as a consequence of it.  

At the outset of the hearing Mr Sutcliffe admitted the first and second charges against him and that these constituted serious professional misconduct. He denied the third charge. In relation to that charge the Committee found that, having considered the totality of the evidence, it was unable to be sure that the College had proved the allegation to the requisite standard of proof, namely so that the Committee was sure. Accordingly Charge 3 was dismissed.

The Committee decided that the convictions in the first charge rendered Mr Sutcliffe unfit to practise veterinary surgery and that his conduct in Charge 2 constituted serious professional misconduct.

The Committee then went on to consider sanction.

The Committee considered the aggravating features for both charges. For the first charge it considered the actual injury to one of his victims and risk of injury to the other, noting also that both of his victims were vulnerable people and one was a child, and that the overall incident during which the assaults occurred lasted over a seven hour period.

For the second charge, aggravating factors were that the non-emergency surgery performed by Mr Sutcliffe was wholly inappropriate, that there was a risk of injury to the individual on whom he performed the surgery and that his conduct was reckless.

The mitigating factors considered by the Committee were that Mr Sutcliffe recognised the gravity of the findings against him and demonstrated insight into the allegations, that the incident in charge 1, though prolonged, was an isolated one, that the incident in charge 2 was consensual and did not result in actual harm and that neither charge had any connection with Mr Sutcliffe’s veterinary practice, nor did they affect client care or animal welfare. 

Professor Alistair Barr, chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: "As recognised by the Committee, the respondent has displayed insight as to the seriousness of his behaviour. Having regard to the evidence of all the character witnesses and the written testimonials the Committee accepts that the respondent’s conduct as set out in charges 1 and 2 was wholly out of character and, therefore, there is no significant risk of repeat behaviour. The Committee considers that the respondent would be fit to return to practise, having regard to his excellent track record as a veterinary surgeon to date, after any period of suspension.

"Having regards to the aggravating and mitigating factors in this case, the Committee has decided that it is sufficient to maintain public confidence in the profession and declare and uphold proper standards of conduct to give a direction for suspension of the respondent’s name from the Register of Veterinary Surgeons.

"The Committee considers that the period of suspension must be sufficient to mark the seriousness of the charges but must be proportionate and fair in the circumstances of the case. The Committee has therefore concluded that the appropriate period of suspension is six months."

Mr Sutcliffe has 28 days from being informed of the Committee’s decision to appeal to the Privy Council.

Vétoquinol has released the results of a survey of 1000 dog owners, which looked into their attitudes towards long-term medication for their pet¹.

Owners were asked to rate how important various factors were to them when it came to giving medicine long term to their dog. They were also asked to consider what they felt was most important to their vet when it came to choosing a medicine.

• Effectiveness: 85% of dog owners felt that effectiveness was highly important.
• Side effects: 77% of dog owners said a limited range of side effects was either highly important (47%) or important (30%) in deciding their preference for a particular medication for their dog. Interestingly, owners thought that veterinary surgeons are slightly less concerned about side effects than they are: only 34% of owners think side effects are highly important to their vet). 
• Easy of administration: Only 24% of owners rated how easily a medication can be given as highly important. 28% said it was of medium importance.
• Established brand: 30% of dog owners felt this was of medium importance, and 24% felt this of least importance.
• Cost: surprisingly, the cost of medication was found to be one of the least important factors, with only 14% saying it was highly important to them.

Vétoquinol says the fact that dog owners rate the effectiveness of a medication much more highly than the cost means there is very little reason to compromise on treatment based on a presumption of what clients will want to pay. These findings are also largely very positive in that they suggest that dog owners believe that in many areas vets are making decisions based on criteria that are important to owners. The area where there is the greatest mismatch is over the risk of side effects of medication.

Pet owners think that vets may take the risk of side effects from long-term medications less seriously than the owners themselves might prefer. It suggests that the risk of potential harm, no matter how small the risk of actual harm is, may be more unacceptable to the dog owner than vets and nurses might otherwise presume. When prescribing long-term medication there is a need to talk about the risks associated with medication more openly and to take the client's attitudes to risk into consideration.

^1. A survey of 1048 dog owners, carried out by petbuzz, on behalf of Vétoquinol, March 2011

MoneySuperMarket.com has conducted a survey of pet owners which revealed that 40% would consider giving their pet a GLP-1 style weight-loss injection if it was recommended by a vet. 

The company conducted the survey of 404 owners after news that the bio-pharma company Okava plans to trial a weight-loss drug for dogs that mimics the effects of weight-loss drugs like Wegovy, tapping into a potential $10 billion market.

Of the pet owners who responded, it was the younger group aged 25-34 who were most receptive to the idea of a weight-loss drug for their pet (56%).

That figure fell to 21% of 45–54-year-olds and 20% among those aged 55 and above, most of whom were probably holding up their hands in horror: "Whatever next".

Alicia Hempsted, pet insurance spokeswoman from MoneySuperMarket, said: “If GLP-1 style treatments for obesity become available for dogs in the future, it’s likely that owners will have to pay out of pocket for them, which may affect their availability."

https://www.moneysupermarket.com/pet-insurance/ 

Photo: www.depositphotos.com

Ceva Animal Health has launched Hepatosyl Plus, a development of the liver support supplement for cats and dogs.

Hepatosyl Plus contains the same ingredients as the original product but now also includes Silybin. According to the company, Silybin is the most active isomer of Silybum marianum (milk thistle) which acts as an antioxidant by increasing cellular superoxide dismutase. It joins S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe) and Vitamin E to create a triple antioxidant approach to liver support, helping to neutralise free radicals within the liver. Ceva also says Hepatosyl Plus is the only liver supplement to contain Vitamin K, which is needed by the liver for the production of clotting factors II, VII, IX and X, making it ideally suited for pre- and post-anaesthetic liver support.

Hepatosyl Plus is available in 50mg, 100mg and 200mg sprinkle capsules.  For anaesthetic support, Hepatosyl Plus should be administered for one week prior to and following anaesthesia.  For long-term use, the capsules should be given once daily for 2-3 months and then reduced to every other day for ongoing maintenance.

For further information, please contact your local CEVA Animal Health territory manager or call 01494 781510.

The British College of Veterinary Specialists (BCVSp) has approached the RCVS Practice Standards Group (PSG) to look at the feasibility of a new Practice Standards Scheme (PSS) accreditation strand: Veterinary Specialist Hospital (Multidisciplinary), or VSH(M).

The BCVSp says the aim of its proposal is to identify practices that offer a multi-disciplinary referral service, to incorporate standards for specialist care and to define training, veterinary and nursing qualifications, behaviours and facilities which optimise management of cases with complex problems and those requiring advanced diagnostic and/or therapeutic approaches.

Terry Emmerson Hospital Director at North Downs Specialist Referrals and BCVSp trustee said: "Increasing numbers of veterinary graduates are choosing to pursue training leading to post-graduate diplomas and RCVS recognition as Specialists.

"Many vets and nurses are working in groups that allow a multidisciplinary approach to be offered to animals with complex problems. We hope that we can devise a new accreditation strand to give the animal-owning public the ability to distinguish multidisciplinary specialist hospitals from general veterinary hospitals in order to make informed choices regarding the veterinary care they wish to access for their animals."

BCVSp has proposed that prior to entry into the new strand, VSH(M)s would first be required to meet the Core, GP and Veterinary Hospital requirements in all of the modules (Small Animal or Equine as appropriate) and achieve Awards Points at Outstanding level in the relevant modules. BCVSp has put forward an outline plan which is currently being considered by the PSG in which VSH(M)s will be required to offer a minimum number of services but there will also be scope for individual units to highlight particular areas of expertise.

Celia Marr, BCVSp Chairman said: "A key element of the strand we are working on is that each service will be led by RCVS Specialists ensuring on-going accreditation of the experience and expertise within the range of services that together underpin a multidisciplinary approach to case management. We have consulted widely amongst our members to reach consensus on the standards each specialist service should be aiming for."

She added: "We hope to work together with the PSG to develop an accreditation within this strand over the next few years, however working through the current PSS modules to Awards Points level is not easy. Specialist-staffed hospitals aiming for the multidisciplinary strand will need to start planning their approach as soon as possible."

Mandisa Greene, Chair of the Practice Standards Group, said: "The RCVS Practice Standards Group welcomes BCSVp’s proposal and the passion of the group for developing this new accreditation level. Both the PSG and the RCVS Standards Committee will be working with the BCVSp to consider the proposal's feasibility, how the accreditation level might be achieved, potential levels of interest and other criteria in the coming months. It is critical that specific criteria which BCVSp and the RCVS Practice Standards Group develop together are clear, transparent and testable."

Photo: Newmarket Equine Hospital

Vetoquinol UK Limited has launched Kefloril, containing 300mg/ml florfenicol for use in cattle and pigs in 100ml and 250ml vials. 

In cattle, Kefloril is licensed for preventative and therapeutic treatment of respiratory tract infections. In pigs, Kefloril is licensed for the treatment of acute outbreaks of respiratory disease. Kefloril has the added benefit of traceability stickers which are attached to each vial, designed to make it easier and quicker to record and monitor on-farm usage.

Vetoquinol says the addition of Kefloril to its anti-infective domain provides a cost-effective treatment for respiratory cases this winter.

White Cross Vets in Sheffield is to star in The Pets Factor, a new television series being broadcast on CBBC later this year.

The show follows veterinary surgeons and nurses going about their day-to-day work, consulting and operating on a variety of cases from the routine to the extraordinary. 

The ten-episode series stars Cat Henstridge, who many will be familiar with for her social media posts as 'Cat the Vet', and her husband Dave Hough who is the Clinic Director at the practice.

Cat said: "I know from the reactions I get on my website and social media channels that there is a huge level of interest in what we do, and the TV programme will help to bring those real-life stories directly to a younger audience, as well as offering exclusive behind the scenes access to everything that happens in our busy veterinary practice."

Dave added: "We are thrilled to be showcasing the fantastic work of our dedicated and talented team. What we see every day is so varied, and we are driven by our love of pets and the ability to help heal them. It’s a real delight to think that our work will be seen on television, and hopefully inspire the next generation of vets, nurses and support staff to work in this really rewarding profession."

Ceva Animal Health, maker of Amodip, has announced that it will be running Feline Hypertension Month in May to raise awareness of hypertension and improve the detection and management of high blood pressure in cats.

As part of the campaign, veterinary practices are being urged to measure their feline patients’ blood pressure from seven years of age and above, as recommended by ISFM (International Society of Feline Medicine) ¹. 

Ceva says it will also continue the Mercury Challenge, its study of feline blood pressure, throughout 2019 to help increase veterinary professionals' confidence in measuring blood pressure and identifying feline hypertension.

The company says that since June last year, 128 practices and over 1,000 cats have participated in the challenge. You can registered to take part at: mercurychallenge.ceva.com,  where there's a chance to win diagnostic tools to help diagnose feline hypertension.

Dr Rosanne Jepson, American, European and RCVS Specialist in Small Animal Internal Medicine at the Royal Veterinary College, said: "It is great to see that so many cats (over 1000!) and practices in the UK have been involved with the Mercury Challenge promoting the measurement of blood pressure and detection of hypertension.

"I would urge as many practices as possible to measure blood pressure; it’s simple, quick and easy to perform and means that we can help prevent target organ damage which at its most severe can leave cats sadly blind for the rest of their life. With careful identification and treatment this can so easily be prevented."

To help raise awareness of Feline Hypertension Month, Ceva has produced a range of marketing materials including waiting room displays, a pet owner leaflet and veterinary marketing packs, which are available upon request. 

The initiative will be supported with an extensive PR campaign aimed at pet owners, including a radio day starring CBBC’s Rory the Vet.

For more information, contact cevauk@ceva.com or visit mercurychallenge.ceva.com.

References

1. Taylor et al., ISFM consensus guidelines on the diagnosis and management of hypertension, JFMS 2017 19(3): 288-303.
2. Conroy et al., Survival after diagnosis of hypertension in cats attending primary care practice in the UK, JVIM, 2018 32(6): 1846-1855.

VetSurgeon.org, in association with Swann Morton, has launched a new system designed to help veterinary surgeons, students and other members of the profession forge useful contacts in their local area.

First you need to complete your VetSurgeon Profile, in particular the last four sections: "Qualified at", "Interests", "Interested in collaborating on" (aka goals) and "Memberships".

Then visit VetSurgeon Connect and click the button marked "Share My Location". This will activate the map beneath, allowing you to see local colleagues with common interests. It will also pin you on the map, but only in front of logged in members of the site with whom you have a common interest.

One area of common interest is the connection between general practitioners and referral practitioners. Referral practitioners who have shared their location are pinned on the map and can be seen by general practitioners (who can also filter them by discipline).

It is hoped that this will help create a more vibrant referral marketplace, as it offers referral practitioners who do not have big marketing budgets a way to connect with local general practitioners.

The system also matches VetSurgeon members by a number of other criteria. So for example, if you specify 'Qualified at' in your profile, it will display anyone else who went to the same vet school. If you display a leisure interest like cycling in your profile, it'll display other vets in your area who also like cycling.

If you display a clinical interest, such as oncology, it'll show you others in the area with the same interest.

The same thing happens with 'Interested in collaborating on', which connects you with others working towards the same goals, which can be business goals like practice ownership or a learning goals, such as CPD or being a mentor/mentee.

Lastly, if you specify your membership of a special interest veterinary association, the system will show you other members who are in your area.

VetSurgeon Editor Arlo Guthrie said: "It’s kind of a professional matchmaking service designed to make it easier than ever before for veterinary surgeons and others to hook up and collaborate on all sorts of different things.

"It may be you think you know everyone you need to know in your area already. But so often we think we know people, then find out we didn’t know about a shared passion for something, whether it be a professional or a leisure interest. Indeed, I think the system could be just as useful in connecting members to go on a bike ride together as it is to help them collaborate on CPD or on achieving additional qualifications."

Chris Taylor from Swann-Morton said: "We are really pleased to be part of this initiative which should help to bring the veterinary community closer together through shared experiences and knowledge."

Arlo added: "I’m very grateful for Swann Morton’s support. If you are too, you can show it by visiting the company's website and having a quick browse of the latest products in its veterinary range at www.swann-morton.com."

Dechra Veterinary Products has launched Equibactin vet, a broad spectrum oral antibiotic paste that can be used to treat a wide range of infections in horses.

Equibactin vet contains sulfadiazine and trimethoprim, and is indicated for use in the treatment of infections, particularly respiratory tract infections associated with Streptococcus spp. and Staphylococcus aureus; gastrointestinal infections associated with E. coli; urogenital infections associated with beta-hemolytic streptococci; and wound infections and open or drained abscesses associated with Streptococcus spp. and Staphylococcus aureus.

The new product has been designed to provide accurate administration to all sizes of horses or ponies. One syringe provides a complete dose for 600kg bodyweight and is subdivided into 12 markings, to help keep track of dosages.

Dechra Brand Manager Emma Jennings said: "Equibactin vet has a proven antibiotic combination with a synergistic effect² making it an excellent first line broad spectrum antimicrobial treatment for most Gram positive and negative aerobes.

It can be administered without food which improves the oral bioavailability, offering equine veterinary surgeons a quick and efficient treatment when it comes to targeting these infections that are often experienced in day-to-day practice.

"With its ease of use and three-year shelf life, we anticipate that Equibactin vet will quickly become a popular product when it comes to maintaining equine health."

For more information, visit www.dechra.co.uk/products/equine.

References

1. BEVA Protect ME: Antimicrobial Guidelines. Practice Policy Template: Dose and routes of administration of common antimicrobials www.beva.org.uk
2. Haggett, E.F. and Wilson, W.D. (2008) ‘Overview of the use of antimicrobials for the treatment of bacterial infections in horses’ Equine Veterinary Education 20 (8); pp. 433-448
3. Bogan, J.A; Galbraith, A; Baxter, P; Ali, N.M. and Marriner, S.E. (1984) ‘Effect of feeding on the fate of orally administered phenylbutazone, trimethoprim and sulphadiazine in the horse’ Vet. Rec. 115, pp. 599-600