Zoetis reports that its stock of Equip Artervac, its Equine Viral Arteritis (EVA) vaccine, is due to expire on 13th December, and new stocks are not expected before February 2019.

Equip Artervac is indicated for the active immunisation for horses against equine arteritis virus to reduce the clinical signs and shedding of virus in nasal secretions following infection.

Zoetis says it is working hard to resolve the situation and apologises for any convenience caused.

For more information, contact your Zoetis Account Manager or the Zoetis Technical Team on customersupportUK@zoetis.com or 0845 300 9084 choosing option 1. 

The Kennel Club has announced that the Crufts Best of Breed (BOB) winners in two of the high profile breeds - the bulldog and the Pekingese - failed their veterinary checks, so the breeds were not represented in the utility and toy group judging.

The British Veterinary Association says it welcomed the Kennel Club's initiative to put the veterinary checks in place for the BOB winner in the 15 high profile breeds at all championship dog shows starting at Crufts this year.

The 15 breeds have been identified as having particular health problems often due to poor conformation as a result of having been bred with exaggerated characteristics. The veterinary checks ensure the BOB winners are not suffering as a result of their conformation, such as eye problems, skin disease, lameness or breathing difficulties, which should have been identified by the judge.

Carl Padgett, President of the BVA, said: "Breeding dogs with exaggerated features must be tackled robustly. The veterinary checks are sending out a strong message that dogs with health problems will not win in the show ring, and only visibly healthy dogs will be rewarded.

"Dog showing can be a force for good for dog breeding and education but the veterinary checks on the first two groups at Crufts have highlighted the health problems that all too often affect man's best friend.

"We hope this strong action by the Kennel Club will be a wake-up call to those breeders and judges that still need to embrace the message that health should always be at the top of the agenda."

An article by Consultant Biologist Clifford Warwick DipMedSci CBiol CSci EurProBiol FOCAE FSB in the current issue of the Journal of AWSELVA (the Animal Welfare Science, Ethics and Law Veterinary Association) is calling for greater scrutiny of the relationship between the veterinary profession and exotic pet trading.

The article, entitled 'Veterinary accountability and the exotic pet trade', was co-authored by biologist Catrina Steedman BSc(Hons) MSB and veterinary surgeon Emma Nicholas MA VetMB MRCVS

The authors accuse some vets of serving their own vested financial interests by directly aligning themselves with exotic pet trading. They say that these vets are effectively causing the wild-capture and intensive breeding, cramped storage, transport and sale of hundreds of thousands of fish, amphibians, reptiles and other animals.

The article points to scientific evidence showing that stress, disease and premature mortality commonly accompanies 'wild pets' at all stages of the trade and private keeping process.

The authors argue that promoting the trade in exotic animals runs counter to the veterinary profession's obligation to provide impartial guidance for the benefit of animal health and welfare, and that the issue of vets selling or promoting exotics in the home requires greater scrutiny for possible conflicts of interest and for contributing to harmful practices.

Lead author, Clifford Warwick DipMedSci CBiol CSci EurProBiol FOCAE FSB said: "By their nature, vets want to be and are obliged to be part of a solution to animal and human health and welfare matters. That a vet might have a hand in selling or promoting exotic pets is, in my view, tantamount to being part of a problem. And whether or not that represents a formal conflict of interest or questionable practice, I think the spotlight will continue focusing until there are no shaded areas."

He added: "In my view, the avoidance of unnecessary harm is a general responsibility we should all share, but I think veterinarians, like some other professionals, have a special responsibility in this regard. However, unnecessary harm is largely unavoidable with the exotic pet business. Whether wild-caught or captive-bred, animal suffering, species and environmental degradation, and public health concerns frequently go hand-in-hand with all stages of exotic pet trading and keeping practices."

Co-author Catrina Steedman BSc(Hons) MSB said: "Many vets are understandably critical of the exotic pet trade and its minefield of animal welfare, public health and environmental problems. It is unfortunate that a few vets, possibly with vested interests, feel it is appropriate to condone and even promote a trade that has such obvious negative consequences for animals and people."

Co-author, Emma Nicholas MA VetMB MRCVS said: "Vets have a responsibility to be approachable and impartial; animal welfare and also public health must be their priorities at all times. I believe it is pertinent that as a profession, we open the discussion as to how we best improve the welfare (health and quality of life) of existing exotic pets, and also educate and inform potential owners of "wild" or exotic animals of the associated welfare and public health considerations."

The article concludes that vets should '...occupy a detached position with no interest in the success or failure of the 'business' of exotic pet-keeping' and that 'any vet who recommends or endorses buying or keeping an exotic pet arguably imparts guidance that is not fully consistent with ensuring good animal welfare or human health'.

The race to become the cuddliest, fluffiest, puppy-friendly political party got a little bit closer yesterday as Labour launched a 50 point draft policy document outlining its plans for action on animal welfare.

Titled 'Animal Welfare For The Many, Not The Few' (uh?), the policy proposes appointing an Animal Welfare Commissioner to ensure Government policy across Whitehall is informed by the latest scientific evidence on animal sentience.

The proposed policies in the document include a number of things the Conservatives have already been working on, such as:

• Prohibiting the third party sale of puppies. All puppies will need to be sold with their mother on site.

• Increasing maximum sentences for those convicted of animal cruelty.

• Introducing mandatory CCTV in all slaughterhouses.

• Enshrining the principle of animal sentience in law, covering all policy areas to prevent practices that expose animals to cruel and degrading treatment.

• Introducing a ban on ivory trading.

However, Labour propose a number of additional ideas which are now open for a public consultation, including:

• Improving accessibility to vets for those on low incomes/receiving financial support, working with organisations like the PDSA to explore how access to affordable vet care can be expanded.

• Banning the use of animal shock collars, including sale and importation.

• Expanding mandatory microchipping to cats.

• Consulting with landlords and tenants on the ability for tenants to keep pets as default unless there is evidence that the animal is causing a nuisance.

• Ending the badger cull.

• Strengthening the Hunting Act, closing loopholes that allow for illegal hunting of foxes and hares.

• Banning Foie Gras (which the Conservatives say is impossible under EU rules which Labour has said it wishes to continue following post-Brexit) 

• Mandatory labelling of domestic and imported meat, including country of origin, method of production and slaughter (stun or non-stun)

• Requiring motorists to report accidents where an animal has been injured.

• Banning wild animals in circuses.

Sue Hayman MP, Labour’s Shadow Environment Secretary, said: "Labour is the party of animal welfare. From bringing in the ban on fox hunting to tightening the rules on the transport of live animals, Labour has always been consistent in our leadership on matters of animal welfare.

"Today we’re making proposals for real, long-term progress. Our vision is one where no animal is made to suffer unnecessary pain and we continue to drive up standards and practice in line with the most recent advances and understanding."

Conservative MP Steve Double said: "Labour are belatedly playing catch-up with the huge progress made by this Government on animal welfare.

However, Labour wouldn’t even be able to deliver some of these promises because they want to keep following EU rules after Brexit.

From introducing mandatory CCTV into slaughter houses to increasing the maximum sentence for animal cruelty ten-fold, the Conservatives will continue taking the action needed to ensure animals receive the proper protection they deserve."

The Disciplinary Committee of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons has dismissed a case against a Staffordshire veterinary surgeon, having found that his convictions under the Criminal Justice Act 1988 and the Public Order Act 1986 did not make him unfit to practise veterinary surgery.

At the one-day hearing, the Committee heard that Mr Richard Conlon of Warrendale Veterinary Care Centre, Biddulph, was convicted of one instance of common assault and one public order offence involving threatening, insulting or abusive language, both of which occurred during an altercation in a public house in Biddulph on 28 November 2009.  The court ordered Mr Conlon to pay two fines of £300 each, a victim surcharge of £15, and £700 of court costs.

As the facts involved in Mr Conlon's offences had been proved by the court that convicted him, and Mr Conlon admitted to his convictions, the Committee considered only whether these offences made him unfit to practise veterinary surgery.

The Committee was advised that although the convictions were unrelated to Mr Conlon's professional practice, any criminal conviction may call into question a veterinary surgeon's fitness to practise if the conduct for which they are convicted raises doubts over their capability as a veterinary surgeon. Convictions that damage the wider public interest in the good reputation of the profession and public confidence can also raise questions about fitness to practise and may be considered.

Speaking on behalf of the Disciplinary Committee, Vice-Chairman Professor Sheila Crispin said: "In reaching our decision, it is important to emphasise that the Disciplinary Committee does not condone Mr Conlon's behaviour in any way. We accept the submission of the College 'that it is incumbent on any veterinary surgeon to act with decorum and not to engage in any violent, aggressive or intimidating behaviour,' and, on any view, for a veterinary surgeon to get involved in a brawl in a public house is unacceptable behaviour.

"In the Committee's judgment this was a one-off incident of brief duration with no premeditation on Mr Conlon's part; fortunately no significant injury was suffered by anybody involved. From the nature of the charges and the sentence of the court, it can be seen that this was at very much the lower end of seriousness and, as is accepted by the College, involves no concern about Mr Conlon's ability to practise as a veterinary surgeon."

The Committee ordered the charges be dismissed.

Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health has announced two new awards for veterinary surgeons which will be presented at the company's 2018 Expert Forum on Farm Animal Wellbeing in Sapporo, Japan (28th August - 1st September).

The Ruminant Wellbeing Achievement Award will be offered to a practising veterinary surgeon or a researcher in veterinary science, animal science or related disciplines to recognise his/her achievements in advancing the well-being of ruminants.

The Ruminant Wellbeing Research Award  will be offered to a recent PhD graduate in veterinary science, animal science or related disciplines that made an exceptional contribution to the scientific knowledge on ruminant well-being.

The winners will be awarded with a €10,000 cash prize. Travel expenses to attend the meeting and awards ceremony (which coincides with the World Buiatrics meeting) will also be covered.

Scott Deakin, Metacam brand manager at Boehringer said: "Farm animal wellbeing is at the heart of efficient and effective production and Boehringer is delighted to have led the way in raising the importance of this over the last 10 years and is committed to doing so for the next 10 years and beyond.

"By linking with the World Buiatrics Association for the first time and offering two awards at the Wellbeing Forum, we believe the company is offering an exciting and valuable opportunity for vets and we look forward to receiving a large number of interesting applications."

Veterinary surgeons can apply directly or nominate a colleague at: www.farmanimalwellbeing.com.

An independent jury will decide on the winner. 

The deadline for applications is 28^th February 2018. 

The BSAVA has shared 18 ways veterinary surgeons can manage time more effectively.

The tips, put together by Tessa Plagis (communication advisor at St. Anna Advies), Alan Robinson (director of VetDynamics) and Rebecca Robinson (coach at VetDynamics and senior clinician in veterinary anaesthesia at the AHT), are being shared to set the scene for Congress 2023, where international experts will be exploring how time management at organisational, systems, teams and an individual levels can lead to drastic improvements in performance, job satisfaction and wellbeing.

The Association points to the demands on the profession caused by the fact that veterinary professionals have been saying 'yes' to everything for years: yes to more clients, more patients and more overtime.

This, says BSAVA, is taking its toll: experienced practitioners and recent graduates are leaving the profession, and many more are suffering mental and physical health issues associated with sustained high stress.

Tessa Plagis, communication advisor at St. Anna Advies, said: “We are at a tipping point and can’t keep doing what we’ve always done. If we want sustainable veterinary businesses going forward we need to change the structure of how we work.”

Tessa says the issues are both organisational and individual: “Many veterinary professionals struggle to give boundaries.

"We are people pleasers and tend to say ‘yes’, even if that means compromising other important aspects of lives, such as family.

"This set against a background of too few vets, which means that there’s nobody to help us out when there’s too much to-do.”

To find out more about time management, book your ticket for BSAVA Congress at: https://www.bsavaevents.com/bsavacongress2023/en/page/home, and in the meantime, here are Tessa, Alan and Rebecca's time management tips. 

Tessa's tips

• Measure what’s happening now. Double appointments, vets running over, late closing time; pinpoint the problem and get insight into its scale by analysing the current situation.
• Measure how long it takes to do routine procedures from start to finish. Is everyone sticking to their roles and fulling utilising their expertise?
• Keep to time in consults by prioritising and not always doing those extras. When a client comes in for a vaccine but also wants you clip claws, empty anal glands and look at a lump, assess which is urgent and what needs to be dealt with in a second appointment. This does need to be a team-wide approach, otherwise you tend to hear ‘but the other vet will do it.’
• Cluster appointments.  For example, have a morning of cat spays rather than bouncing from a dental to a castration to a spay.  It’s more efficient and has the advantage of giving you, and the nursing team, comparable outcomes to monitor, making anomalies easier to spot.
• Learn to say ‘no’. Focus on what is possible, rather than what’s not.  Instead of ‘we’re fully booked today, the next appointment is tomorrow,’ try ‘the next available appointment is tomorrow.’ Don’t rearrange your schedule to fit theirs.  It’s doesn’t work in the long term.
• Introduce firebreaks. A good technique that stems from human medicine accounts for emergencies. Another tip, which requires a team-wide approach.
• Make clients aware of the length of appointments. ‘We’ve booked you in for a 15min appointment at 4pm on Thursday,’ for example.  It sets expectations at the start.

Alan's tips

• Simplify the jobs and their outcomes. In consults, outsource non-clinical elements, to other internal teams. Vets are compassionate and will take on the responsibility for the management of emotions when they don’t have too and without due regard for their own needs.  Compliance is another area which doesn’t necessarily need to fall to the vet.  Multi-functional teams can support and assist, offering an ‘ecosystem of care’.  The financial side of consults can be moved outside of the clinical sphere through pet clubs, insurance and full subscription models.
• Develop efficient systems. Draw from other businesses, lean, six sigma and business design reengineering processes are efficient and proven.  Do things you have to do well, delegate, outsource or automate other elements. Simply stop doing those things you don’t need to do.
• Consider reducing the number of active clients per vet.  We’ve found the optimum is between 500-700.  It means more time with fewer people. While it is hard to say no to the ever-increasing demand, there are ways to develop a strong client base. Healthy pet clubs ensures you’ve clients who are engaged in preventative care and are committed to the well-being of their animals, for example.
  “There’s a lot of work happening in the realm of mental health at the moment,” notes Alan. “But we’re treating stress as an individual problem not an organisational or system one.”

Rebecca's tips

• Set long-term goals for you and your business. One important aspect of effective time management is knowing that you’re achieving the right things.
• Invest in your team. By building a team and using it in a constructive way, I’ve found it’s helped my own time management.  I’ve gone from trying to organise me and my time to realising that by helping others, I can improve my own work life.
• Prioritise your own tasks. By prioritising what I need to do, I can help my team feel more valued and motivated to prioritise what they need to do.  It means we end up with a more productive team.
• Try not to get embroiled into the other’s to-dos. While they might be both important and urgent, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to action them. Helping them to do it themselves has made a massive difference to them and me.
• Set SMART goals and boundaries for achieving them. Make sure everybody knows the outcome that you are working towards.  It prevents people from going off in a completely different direction to the one you’re expecting.
• Don’t rely on your head to remember everything. It’s too busy, so write it down. Likewise, draft your case notes at the time of the consultation.
• If it takes less than 2 minutes, just do it. Don’t try and remember the to-do all day, it requires a lot of energy and means you’ll be actioning it when you’re already feeling exhausted.  
• Take time for a little self-care. Rather than trying to keep going until you grind to a halt, make a little time for yourself.  You’ll be more productive overall.

The National Office of Animal Health (NOAH) has published the 2019 edition of its Compendium of Data Sheets for Animal Medicines and updated the accompanying app.

A free copy of the compendium has been sent to every veterinary practice in the UK, and it is also available online at: www.noahcompendium.co.uk. A special edition of the book commissioned by AMTRA will also be available for its SQPs shortly.

NOAH chief executive Dawn Howard said: "The NOAH Compendium, in all its formats, remains a major part of NOAH’s efforts to ensure appropriate access and responsible use of medicines for all animals. We are pleased it is even more comprehensive this year, as we continue to expand its list of contributors.

"Every NOAH member, as well as the non-member participants in the NOAH Compendium, is a signatory to the NOAH Code of Practice on Promotion, which demonstrates their commitment to operate above and beyond any regulatory requirements."

She added: “As well as product datasheets, the Compendium includes another vital resource – the contact details for each participating company. Company veterinary and technical advisors have detailed knowledge about their company’s medicines. The NOAH Code includes the requirement for NCAH qualification for NOAH staff in technical dialogue with prescribers and users of animal medicines – meaning their advice can be regarded as a valuable and trusted resource. They are ready to talk to prescribers about the use of a medicine in a particular animal or in a particular situation, as well as to explain any queries about the data sheet."

Veterinary practices that have not yet received a copy, perhaps because they are new or have changed address in the past year should contact NOAH (noah@noah.co.uk). 

Extra copies are also available to order, for £47.50. Special prices are also available for bulk orders.

Eurovet Animal Health has launched a new product, Bovocycline 2000 mg pessary for cattle.

Bovocycline 2000 is the only veterinary licenced antibiotic pessary for the treatment of retained foetal membranes in cattle. It is licenced for the treatment of post parturient disorders in cattle, for administration after dystocia, retained foetal membranes (RFMs) and endometritis.

According to Eurovet, the incidence of retained foetal membranes in cows varies from zero to 25 per cent, but the average is around 4 per cent in most herds. RFMs result in reduced cow fertility and a higher risk of culling due to poor fertility. Pessaries are still considered the preferred treatment for vulval discharges in cattle by farmers.

Ruth Vernon, Technical Services Manager for Eurovet said: "The control of post partum problems in cattle is rarely straight forward, but it is great to have a veterinary licensed treatment designed specifically for this purpose, in one pessary that contains 2000mgs tetracycline".

For more information please contact Eurovet Animal Health. Tel: 01223 257933. E-mail: office@eurovet-ah.co.uk www.eurovet-ah.co.uk

RCVS Knowledge has announced the winners of the inaugural Veterinary Evidence Student Awards, which were launched last year to engage veterinary students in evidence-based veterinary medicine and to recognise high-quality research from undergraduates.

First prize went to the University of Edinburgh’s Molly Vasanthakumar (pictured right) for her Knowledge Summary comparing the ecological impact of woven versus disposable drapes. Molly found that there is not enough evidence that disposable synthetics reduce the risk of surgical site infections when compared to reusable woven drapes, based on her assessment of the available literature.

Molly said: “The Veterinary Evidence student competition gave me an opportunity to identify a specific issue, find and appraise the evidence and then apply it to a practical setting.

"Winning the competition has given me a chance to further my skills in evidence-based veterinary medicine [EBVM] and also raise awareness of an incredibly important and topical issue."

Molly received her prize at RCVS Day, and her published paper can now be read in Veterinary Evidence: http://bit.ly/MollyVasanthakumar

Second prize went to Honoria Brown of the University of Cambridge, whose paper asked: "Can hoof wall temperature and digital pulse pressure be used as sensitive non-invasive diagnostic indicators of acute laminitis onset?"

Honoria said: "Writing this Knowledge Summary was the perfect chance, not only to develop my ability to navigate and analyse databases, but also to present my findings for the benefit of other clinicians who face these issues.

"I feel that these skills will be very useful to me later in my career, and I am grateful to Veterinary Evidence for providing me with the opportunity."

Jacqueline Oi Ping Tong from the University of Edinburgh won third prize for her critical appraisal of the evidence for whether a daily probiotic improved clinical outcomes in dogs with idiopathic diarrhoea. She said: "This experience makes me recognise the importance of evidence-based veterinary medicine to the veterinary community; it connects scientific research to everyday practice.

"It was a great opportunity to engage in EBVM early in my veterinary career, and start learning how to critically appraise the current evidence."

Jacqueline and Honoria’s Knowledge Summaries have been accepted for future publication in Veterinary Evidence. 

All submissions were subjected to the same standards and peer-review process as normal journal submissions.

RCVS Knowledge’s Executive Director, Chris Gush, said: "EBVM and its application into practice starts as part of the undergraduate degree, and we are delighted to encourage and champion student involvement.

"This new initiative from our journal taps into the student body’s potential to help grow the evidence base, whilst preparing the next generation of veterinary professionals for when they graduate."

The Veterinary Evidence Student Awards are running again for 2020 and are open for submissions.

The awards are open to all undergraduates studying veterinary medicine, veterinary nursing or bioveterinary science (and equivalent). More information can be found here: http://bit.ly/VEstudentawards

ioLight, the world's first portable high resolution digital microscope, which premiered at the London Vet Show last year, has won a European Product Design Award 2017 and raised a further £320K in equity funding on the Crowdcube platform.

In 2014 ioLight co-founders, Oxford physicists Andrew Monk and Richard Williams, filed a patent application for a pocket-sized digital microscope with a performance that compares with expensive laboratory microscopes. They asked Cambridge Industrial Design to realise the product, briefing them that the device would need to deliver images with one micron resolution (required to view human or animal cells) onto a smartphone or tablet, be pocket-sized, easy to use, and economical to build in medium to high volumes.

One of the biggest challenges was in making the unit pocket-sized, which meant it had to be foldable, something which could have led to a loss in the rigidity needed to achieve high resolution images. This challenge was overcome with the use of a single hinge which the company says makes the ioLight both portable and robust.

Alex Jones, Managing director of Cambridge Industrial Design said: "We recognised immediately this was a great idea but the design brief was certainly a challenge. Fortunately, challenges can sometimes bring out the best in designers. The final design is a real success both aesthetically and ergonomically, and this award is a fantastic acknowledgement for the design process and the final product that we have created together with ioLight."

ioLight is also celebrating another success: closing its second round of equity funding after raising £320k from 335 investors on the Crowdcube platform (128% of the initial target). 

The company says the new funding will allow it to promote the microscope to a wide range of target markets including veterinary surgeons, education, laboratory and field research, museums and public engagement as well as to international markets. 

Andrew Monk, ioLight’s co-founder said: "The product is so simple to use that it is the ideal communication tool for explaining science to the public, students and customers. The microscope lets everyone see the same image so the discussion is about the picture not the tools. It’s a perfect fit for government public engagement campaigns, which are well funded at the moment. We are absolutely delighted that this funding provides us with the opportunity for both product development and to reach out and make microscopy available to so many more people."

Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health is now supplying Cepravin dry cow antibiotic treatment in a new 'flexi-cap' tube which offers two ways of infusing the product into the cows' teats.

According to the company, the new cap is easier to remove and can be quickly flicked off with a fingernail, whilst the shorter, thinner nozzle option may reduce the chances of damaging the teat canal and teat end. Farmers can be assured that administering Cepravin dry cow therapy with a shorter, thinner nozzle still delivers the antibiotic where it needs to be, and at the correct dose.

Jennifer O'Connor, vet adviser at Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health said: "The teat canal is a vital barrier to infection. A gentle infusion technique is essential to avoid causing damage, reducing its ability to close properly and form a keratin plug to help keep infection out. We are delighted to be introducing an innovative development for one of the UK's most widely used dry cow tubes."