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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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The RCVS has announced that the Codes of Professional Conduct for veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses have been updated to state that you should not refer to yourselves or others as 'veterinary nurses' unless registered.
In fact, the change occurred back in June last year, but was only announced via RCVS News and as a one-liner within the 'Overview of decisions made at RCVS Council'.
The announcement raises the pretty fundamental question of what ARE veterinary surgeons and RVNs to call their unqualified colleagues, if not veterinary nurses? How indeed are those unqualified staff working in veterinary practice to describe their job title to their friends, down at the pub?
VetSurgeon.org sought to clarify the situation with the College, and the first point to make is that the new part of the CoPCs refers only to the use of the words 'veterinary nurse' when used in conjunction. The words 'nurse' or 'nursing' are not protected at all.
The College says that it is not within its remit to instruct veterinary surgeons or registered nurses as to how they should address unqualified staff, but suggested: 'Care Assistant' or 'Auxilliary'.
However, Ben Myring, RCVS Senior Policy and Public Affairs Officer said: "There is nothing to stop someone calling themselves a 'nursing assistant' or a 'head nurse'".
The Codes of Professional Conduct obviously apply only to those who are regulated by it. The title 'veterinary nurse' in unprotected in law and can therefore be used by anyone else.
So, the immediate implications seem to be as follows:
Do you have any other suggestions as to how unqualified nursing staff should be styled? Post them below.
Dechra Veterinary Products has launched Celox Veterinary, a product which stops arterial or venous haemorrhage within 3 minutes, described as 'revolutionary' by the company.
Celox Veterinary is available in both a granule formulation and in two sizes of gauze. The granules can be poured into a wound. Once pressure is applied, a clot forms and arterial and venous haemorrhage is stopped within three minutes, independent of the body's normal clotting processes. Celox Veterinary Gauze has the granules ready bonded onto its surface for ease of use.
Dechra says the product works by bonding with red blood cells and gelling with fluids to produce a robust clot which sticks to moist tissue to plug the bleeding site. It can be helpful in treating a wide range of veterinary cases including:
Celox Veterinary is made from chitosan, a natural polysaccharide and by-product of the shrimp industry. It generates no heat while in use and small amounts of residual material left in the body are naturally metabolised.
Dechra Product Manager Rachel Horton said: "Wound care is an area in which Dechra is known for its innovative product range. We are delighted to take this to the next level by offering this revolutionary treatment to vets and believe it will soon establish itself as an efficacious tool when they are faced with significant injuries and severe bleeding."
For further information on Celox Veterinary, please contact your Territory Manager or call Dechra direct on (01939) 211200.
Kruuse has announced that it is to become the exclusive veterinary distributor in Europe for Kit4Cat, a globally patented hydrophobic sand for veterinary use.
Kit4Cat is a biodegradable sand with a natural non-toxic urine repelling coating which allows veterinary surgeons, veterinary nurses and cat owners to collect a urine sample for urinalysis without resorting to more invasive procedures. Kit4Cat is put in the cat's normal litter tray, whereupon it repels rather than absorbs the urine, allowing it to be collected with a pipette.
Andrew Groom, Managing Director, Kruuse UK Ltd., said: "This exciting agreement and product range further expands Kruuse's small animal product portfolio with its customers in Scandinavia, mainland Europe and the UK; increasing the already extensive range of feline products available to the veterinary practitioner."
Daniel Levitt, BA, MSM, CEO, Co-Founder & Board Member of Coastline Global, the makers of Kit4Cat, said: "This agreement will further expand our products presence within the veterinary industry, using Kruuse's strong relationships within veterinary practices, to promote less stressful ways of urine test collection prior to diagnosis and treatment of cats."
The guide reviews the definition and classification of pyoderma, history-taking and clinical examination, and diagnostic testing techniques. It also reviews current thinking on therapy options. Bayer says it hopes the practical and evidence-based guide will be an invaluable resource in veterinary practices.
Ross said: "With pyoderma cases appearing almost daily in veterinary consultations, it is vitally important that vets are well versed in treating cases appropriately and efficiently, particularly to ensure the responsible use of antimicrobials. Canine pyoderma commonly poses diagnostic challenges, due to its varied clinical presentation and tendency to be super-imposed on other skin diseases. We envisage that the article will provide readily accessible, clear and practical advice on diagnosing and treating the condition."
Bayer has also launched a new Veraflox website, where the first and second guides in the Education Now, Safeguarding Antimicrobials series (written by Simon Tappin, Head of Medicine at Dick White referrals, Matt Jones, Head of Microbiology at IDEXX, and Ross Bond), are also available for download in the Vet Training Centre section.
The website also offers a number of other resources in the Vet Training Centre, including webinars, case studies and videos.
Hannah Watts, Group Product Manager at Bayer, said: "The new Veraflox website has been built with the practical needs of vets in mind. We hope this will become a frequent resource for helping them overcome daily challenges in diagnosing and treating cases with an appropriate antimicrobial product."
In addition to being available for download at www.veraflox.co.uk, Focus on Pyoderma is also available in print by contacting your Bayer Territory Manager.
The company says that the packs have been redesigned to make it easier for pet owners to identify the variety of products available.
The new packaging has stronger imagery, simplified and larger product names to improve readability, and kibble shapes displayed actual size to reassure owners of smaller breeds that it will be suitable for their pet. Flavour profiles and breed sizes are displayed on all packs.
Hill's says the new range is also presented in optimised bag sizes for more convenient feeding. Small and Miniature and Mini dog foods have been combined into a new Small & Mini product, designed to cover the needs of all small dogs under 10kg.
For more information, visit: https://www.hillspet.co.uk/science-plan/new-look.
According to its latest Voice of the Veterinary Profession survey, 93% of vets are either ‘very’ or ‘quite’ concerned about the boom in unregulated canine fertility clinics.
Amongst vets who work in companion animal practice, 30% said they were aware of unregulated canine fertility clinics operating in their local area.
However, despite high levels of concern, 78% of vets said they didn't know how to report a clinic.
Even amongst those who do know how to report a clinic, only 8% had, which is about 2% of all vets.
BVA Senior Vice President Justine Shotton said: “Our survey reflects the magnitude of vets’ concern around canine fertility clinics popping up across the country with no veterinary oversight and should serve as a wake-up call for urgent regulatory action.
“While non-surgical procedures can play an important role in breeding programmes, we are clear that they must always be carried out under the advice and care of a vet and in the interests of dog health and welfare.
“We know that many fertility clinics often focus on the most in-demand breeds such as French bulldogs, which can struggle to mate and whelp naturally.
"BVA is very concerned about artificial insemination being used in such cases, as well as in cases where dogs with inherited diseases and conformation-related issues are used for breeding.
"We are also aware of worrying reports that some fertility clinics are advertising prohibited or dangerous procedures such as surgical artificial insemination.”
To report a fertility clinic:
Justine added: “I’d encourage vets to develop a practice protocol for reporting concerns of this nature and to make a note of the country-specific reporting mechanisms relevant to them.
"The more information the authorities have, the easier it is for them to take enforcement action.
"Working together we need to send a strong message that these animal welfare breaches are unacceptable.
“As veterinary professionals, we also need to work with, and support, our clients who are breeding responsibly and re-double our efforts to reach prospective puppy owners to help them make the right decisions when they choose a new pet.”
For the study, urinalysis results from 2,712 UK feline urine samples submitted and analysed by Axiom and Finn over a period of 14 months2 were reviewed.
Urine samples had to have been obtained by cystocentesis and signalment information recorded by their submitting vet3.
These samples did not have to come from cats presenting with FLUTD signs and the researchers therefore say that consideration should be given to a different (potentially even more increased) prevalence in cats presenting with LUT signs.
Bacterial urinary tract infections in cats with FLUTD are estimated to be present in around 8 – 19% of cases4.
However, FLUTD is one of the most common reasons for the use of antimicrobial drugs in veterinary medicine and is therefore an important condition to consider to minimise antimicrobial use and development of antimicrobial resistance5.
The study found that 15.7% of the samples had a positive culture, with E. coli (43.7%), other Enterobacterales (26.4%) and Enterococcus spp (14.9%) being the most common isolates identified.
Antimicrobial susceptibilities and resistance were also tested.
Notably, Enterococcus species were frequently found to be resistant to multiple antibiotics, and several other isolates demonstrated resistance to frequently used antibiotics.
The data showed Enterococcus spp. were much less susceptible to trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole (TMPS) than have been previously documented (with 94% of isolates resistant).
Additionally, other Enterobacterales had resistance against cephalosporins and penicillins.
The authors say that data surrounding cephalosporin resistance is particularly notable and problematic; recent data has indeed shown that the cephalosporin cefovecin is a commonly prescribed antibiotic3 for cats presenting with lower urinary tract disease.
The authors also say that data in this study adds to the existing evidence that the use of cephalosporins such as cefovecin may be ineffective in many cases (intrinsic resistance of Enterococcus spp) and therefore should be avoided unless cystocentesis and signalment results support their use.
The inappropriate use of antibiotics for bacterial cystitis could not only be ineffective to manage bacterial cystitis in cats but promote further antimicrobial resistance.
Clarisse D’Août, lead author of the research and Internal Medicine Specialist at Lumbry Park Veterinary Specialists, said: “Even though feline lower urinary tract disease is one of the most common reasons for vets to prescribe antibiotics, the prevalence of bacterial strains in the urine of cats with this condition, and their resistance to commonly used antibiotics, had not been widely studied in the UK to date.
"So we hope that this study can add to the current evidence to making well-justified and practical recommendations in practices about which antibiotics to choose and those to avoid.
"We see this ongoing susceptibility testing as clinically important to avoid the development of further resistant bacteria.”
References
Phil Kenward from Farm Vets South West in Bridgewater, Somerset has won a bottle of port from the Veterinary Benevolent Fund for submitting the best practical veterinary tip.
The tip was:
"Do not allow the owner's diagnosis of his problem to worry or influence you before you examine the animal yourself."
The competition was run to celebrate the launch of The Pocket Book of Tips For Practising Vets which can be ordered on-line from the Vetlife website to raise funds for the VBF charity.
Lydia Brown, President of the VBF, said: "This book has been a monumental effort by six mixed practice vets, to both share their experience with the profession and to provide very welcome funds for the veterinary profession's own charity, the VBF. We are currently raising money for the new Vet Helpline e-mail support service which will launch at the end of the year so we are extremely grateful to everybody concerned for all their efforts."
Stuart Jackson, from Carterton, Oxfordshire, and Austin Kirwan from Ormskirk, Lancashire are the first candidates to achieve the RCVS postgraduate Certificate in Advanced Veterinary Practice (CertAVP), since the change-over to a modular award system in November 2008.
Both vets were assessed for the award through Middlesex University, and will receive designated Certificates in Veterinary General Practice - CertAVP (Vet GP).
There are currently 400 veterinary surgeons signed up for Certificate modules and - as long as they maintain an annual enrolment with the RCVS - these candidates have up to ten years to complete the full qualification. Vets can pursue a broad-based general CertAVP, or by selecting specific modules and taking an overall assessment, gain a more focused, designated CertAVP. With either option, all the modules the vet passes are listed on the Certificate. Individual module assessments can also be taken and used to fulfil continuous professional development requirements.
Freda Andrews, Head of Education said: "We congratulate both of these veterinary surgeons on their success and hope that this marks the start of further modular postgraduate qualifications being awarded. The Certificate structure allows enrolled veterinary surgeons to take up to ten years to complete the qualification. To complete the assessments within two years, as these vets have done, is very challenging."
Stuart Jackson, Principal of the Jackson Veterinary Clinic in Oxfordshire, said: "I am proud to be one of the first to complete the new Certificate in Advanced Veterinary Practice. I initially decided to undertake the new course because it is the first, and long overdue, postgraduate qualification that specifically recognises general practice as an important part of our profession. Although some of the content is unfamiliar to some, the structure as a whole is well designed and provides a refreshing analysis of the everyday routine of being in practice. It has provided an increased understanding of both clients and staff and has resulted in a better and happier place to work."
More information about the CertAVP can be found at: www.rcvs.org.uk/modcerts.
Mrs Cole pleaded guilty to fraud in July 2024 at Crawley Magistrates’ Court and was sentenced to eight months in prison suspended for 12 months, 20 days rehabilitation activity and a £187 victim surcharge.
The College opened its own disciplinary investigation against Mrs Cole after receiving the certificate of conviction, which related to more than £13,000 of pet insurance fraud.
It then proceeded with the hearing in Mrs Cole’s absence as she had not responded to any of the communications sent to her by the College on the matter.
Having found the charge against her proven by the certificate of conviction, the Committee then determined that the conviction amounted to serious professional misconduct.
Dr Kathryn Peaty MRCVS, chairing the committee and speaking on its behalf, said: “The respondent’s conduct… was plainly dishonest and contravened a fundamental tenet of the profession.
"She abused her professional position in order to commit the offence.
"The dishonest conduct in this case related directly to the respondent’s professional life, as she was working as a veterinary nurse when she completed and submitted the fraudulent claims.
“Her conduct also constituted a breach of the trust owed to her employer and to the insurance company to which her dishonest claims were submitted.
"She put her professional colleagues at risk as their names were used on the clinical records which purportedly supported her dishonest claims.
“Her misconduct was repeated and sustained over a period of many years.
"Her modus operandi was sophisticated and premeditated.
“The respondent’s conduct clearly had the potential to bring the profession into disrepute and to undermine public trust in the profession.
"A member of the public would be rightly appalled to learn that a veterinary nurse had abused her position by submitting false claims in this way.”
The Committee found that there were no mitigating factors, and that aggravating factors included the premeditated nature of Mrs Cole’s fraud, the clear breaches of trust in respect of her colleagues, her clients and the insurance companies, the significant financial gain made from her fraud and the fact that the fraudulent activities were sustained and repeated over a period of four and a half years.
Kathryn added: “Taking into account the gravity of her misconduct, the need to maintain standards of probity in the profession, especially in relation to practice records and the submission of insurance claim documents, as well as the maintenance of public confidence in the profession, the Committee has resolved to direct the Registrar to remove the respondent’s name from the Register.
www.rcvs.org.uk/disciplinary
Fitzpatrick Referrals scooped two awards at last week's Vet Marketing Awards, held at the London Vet Show.
The practice picked up the Training Initiatives Award, in recognition of its CPD, Internship and Residency programmes, the launch of Fitzpatrick Learning Academy and the commitment of Fitzpatrick Referrals to pushing the boundaries to advance the veterinary profession.
Noel Fitzpatrick was also awarded the 2011 Science prize for his dedication and commitment to moving the profession forward through scientific and technological development, his research, philosophy and practice.
Organised by Grove House Publishing, who produce OvertheCounter magazine,Vet Marketing and Farm Business, the Vet Marketing Awards are designed to award best practice companies and individuals who are driving innovation in branding, communications and product development, in a way that promotes health and wellbeing for the good of practice, customer, and animals in their care.
Commenting on the Training Initiatives Award, the judges said: "The mission of Fitzpatrick Referrals is to deliver 'the best level of surgical, medical and compassionate care for small animals,' and they have certainly achieved this since the opening of their state-of-the-art practice in 2008. To offer their unparalleled level of care means a high level of training for their staff, and for vets and trainees from across the country. The judges were impressed that they offer more residencies, internships and fellowships than any other private practice in Europe, their commitment to CPD and the in-depth nature of their entry."
Presenting Noel Fitzpatrick with his Science Award, host of the awards ceremony, Alan Whibley, publisher of Vet Marketing said: "For the judges, this is was by far the winner in this category. Noel Fitzpatrick advances scientific and technological development in the veterinary profession, based on the moral and ethical obligation to adopt these new techniques responsibly. He pushes the boundaries, through technology, and also his support for his fellow veterinarians, through internships, CPD lectures and key note speeches, such as the one earlier today. He promulgates the moral imperative to ensure that whilst the client is fully aware of every procedure possible, that a pet is a member of the family and should be treated as such."
Northwest Surgeons, the Cheshire-based referral centre which is now part of Pets at Home, has announced the expansion of its clinical specialisms into the field of neurology, with the appointment of Dr Lorenzo Golini.
Dr Golini underwent residency training in neurology and neurosurgery at the University of Zurich where he remained as a clinician after his residency. He holds the European Diploma in Veterinary Neurology and a Master's degree in behavioural medicine. His main interests lie in epilepsy and MRI.
Dr Chris May, Northwest Surgeons' Managing Director said: "Neurology is a natural extension of the services we offer currently and is an area of growth in response to an increased demand from our referring vets. I am delighted to welcome Lorenzo to our team."
Dr Golini will accept referrals for both medical and surgical neurology cases, expanding on the case load seen by Northwest Surgeons' existing specialist teams which offer referrals in orthopaedic, soft tissue and spinal surgery and internal medicine. These services are supported by veterinary specialists in anaesthesia, pain management and diagnostic imaging.
For more information, visit: www.nwsurgeons.co.uk
Zoetis has announced that PropoFlo Plus is now back in stock following a huge surge in demand caused by supply issues with a competitor propofol.
Licensed for use in dogs and cats, PropoFlo Plus is an anaesthetic injection for the induction and maintenance of general anaesthesia for up to 20 minutes. It is used for dental treatment, biopsies, radiographs, mass removals and endoscopy.
Ned Flaxman, companion animal business unit director at Zoetis said: “Following an unprecedented demand for PropoFlo Plus, which we believe was caused by an out of stock situation from a competitor product, we have quickly ramped up production in order to return PropoFlo Plus to the market as quickly as possible. I am pleased to confirm that we now have sufficient stocks to supply the entire UK veterinary market for the foreseeable future”.
For further information, contact your Zoetis Account Manager.
The 12-month surgical guarantee covers professional fees, including consultations, anaesthesia and surgery, involved in rectifying a complication as long as the patient is in good health and the post-surgery instructions have been followed appropriately.
Clinical Director, Andy Moores, an RCVS-Recognised Specialist in Small Animal Orthopaedics, said: “We can never promise that surgery will be free of complications, but we are confident in our low complication rate.
"We are offering a surgical guarantee to demonstrate this confidence and to provide our clients with the reassurance that we will help them get through any post-surgical complications.”
Andy added: “Along with our highly competitive fixed-price fees we hope this guarantee will give owners financial peace-of-mind when their pet needs orthopaedic treatment at this difficult time.
"We do not know of any other specialist orthopaedic centre in the southeast that offers better value care.”
www.mooresortho.com
For free case advice, email: advice@mooresortho.com
There were ten candidates for the three available places.
6,087 veterinary surgeons voted, representing a 16.7% turnout.
This continued a decline seen since 2020, when there was a 26.2% turnout.
Alice McLeish scored 3,465 votes, Linda Belton 2,725 and Tim Hutchinson 1,571 votes.
Eleanor Ferguson, RCVS Registrar and Returning Officer for both elections, said: “Congratulations to all our successful candidates in this year’s elections and thank you to all those who stood for election this year.
"We look forward to welcoming our successful candidates to their elected places at this year’s AGM.
“While the turnout for the VN Council election improved slightly on last year, it was a shame to see the turnout for vets fall again.
"As part of our wider Council culture project, we are looking at how to increase engagement with our election processes across the board, from candidate nominations, to how we present information about the candidates, to how we encourage greater election turnout.
"We will be consulting with the group set up to look specifically at this issue in due course to see how we can improve turnout going forward.”
The full results for the RCVS Council election can be found at www.rcvs.org.uk/vetvote23.
The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) has launched the Accredited Internet Retailer Scheme, through which veterinary medicines retailers can now be accredited by the regulator.
The scheme, which is voluntary, involves an application process and site inspection to check ongoing compliance with the Veterinary Medicines Regulations.
The British Veterinary Association has supported the move, but called for the scheme to become compulsory. The BVA says it is also calling for more robust measures to stop prescription fraud and is in discussions with the VMD.
Harvey Locke, Past President of the BVA, said: "Our biggest concern with online medicines retailers has been that animal owners didn't know whether they were buying genuine, safe medicines that comply with UK regulations.
"This simple scheme launched by the VMD will allow customers to know within seconds whether the company they are using complies with the high standards set by UK legislation and the regulator.
"The scheme is a very welcome positive step in protecting the public from illegal sites, but in future we would like to see it becoming compulsory so that everyone can be confident that they are buying products that are safe for their animals and themselves."
The 2-day Change Catalyst Veterinary Retreat will take place at Roaches Hall on the Derbyshire/Staffordshire border from 15-17th May 2018, after which participants will receive three months of personal one-to-one coaching.
The organisers say that during the retreat, which is provided in partnership with Natural Change, participants will take part in a series of largely outdoor activities that draw on the potential of nature. They will also be introduced to some simple nature-based techniques to look after their wellbeing and to reflect on their personal or professional journey. Post-retreat personal coaching is included to help reinforce and embed these changes or assist in developing the insights gained during the retreat.
The retreat is aimed at veterinary surgeons who are at a career crossroads, making major decisions about the direction of their career or for those looking for an opportunity to help develop capacity, build resilience and to improve wellbeing. The organisers say it offers time and space to get away from everyday concerns, re-energise and focus on what really matters as well as helping vets reflect, refresh and reconnect with nature.
The retreat is open to a maximum of 16 participants who will work with two facilitators. The follow up coaching is one to one, personal, and confidential.
Director, Adrian Nelson-Pratt said: "Vets have well documented challenges with work-life balance that lead to a disconnection from the natural world. Feelings of isolation, loss of career direction or in the worst-case, deterioration in physical and mental health can follow.
"Having experienced the Natural Change process myself, I found it a deeply reflective and restorative experience. It allowed me the time and space to develop some new ideas and to re-invigorate myself.
"The Change Catalyst Vet Retreat is the result of this process for me and I think it’s a powerful tool to support vets on a personal and professional level. It’s also an appropriate contribution to your annual CPD requirement."
Tickets cost £1500 and are available at https://www.emerge-veterinary.com/join-us/the-change-catalyst/ or for more information contact: adrian@emerge-veterinary.com
The PAW Report, which monitors pet welfare issues across the UK, is produced in conjunction with YouGov. Over 63,000 pet owners have been surveyed since 2011, providing the most robust insight into the welfare of UK pets.
For the first time, each section of the report ends with a veterinary action area that highlights the main issues, suggests what veterinary surgeons and nurses can do to tackle them, and lists resources that are available to help.
This year's PAW Report shows that just 75% of dogs (7.0 million) and 65% of cats (6.7 million) received a primary vaccination course when young. These are the lowest levels ever recorded by the Report and compares with 82% of dogs and 72% of cats in 2011.
Only 66% of owners (5.6 million cats, 7.3 million dogs, 500,000 rabbits) surveyed in 2017 have protected their pet with annual booster vaccinations.
Rabbits remain the most neglected with only 50% receiving a primary vaccination when young, a decrease from 63% in 2016, and 55% not receiving their annual booster vaccinations.
PDSA Head of Pet Health and Welfare, Nicola Martin, said: "The decreasing number of dogs, cats and rabbits receiving primary and booster vaccinations is a great concern for the health and welfare of the nation's pets."
20% of both dog and cat owners and 10% of rabbit owners who hadn't vaccinated their pets gave 'too expensive' as their reason for not vaccinating.
Nicola added: "While the latest PAW Report confirms that many of us get pets for the companionship and love they bring to our lives, it also highlights many owners continue to misjudge the costs involved in owning a pet. Despite potential lifetime costs of dog ownership easily rising to £21,000, the Report revealed 98% of dog owners surveyed estimated that their dog would cost less than this over the dog’s lifetime. This shows that the veterinary profession and animal welfare organisations need to do more to raise awareness of the financial reality of pet ownership – including preventive care and veterinary treatment – before owners take on a pet."
Of those owners who hadn't vaccinated their pets, 14% of dog owners, 22% of cat owners and 32% of rabbit owners felt vaccinations were unnecessary. 24% of pet owners who hadn’t vaccinated their pets said that this is because their pet didn’t come into contact with other pets.
Nicola continued: "These findings show there’s a real lack of knowledge of the devastating diseases pets are susceptible to if they’re not protected through vaccination. It’s important we improve vaccination levels before we face a resurgence of pets suffering with vaccine-preventable diseases."
John Chitty, President of the BSAVA said: "The current vaccination levels in cats and rabbits are far below the levels expected to provide a 'herd immunity effect' with the consequence that significant reductions in these diseases are further away, and those pets not vaccinated are at even greater risk.
"In particular it is deeply worrying to see the fall in vaccinated rabbits. The recent advances in myxomatosis vaccines mean that it is now much easier and cheaper to ensure more complete protection of pet rabbits from what is a common and lethal disease. The advent of RHD-2 virus in the last couple of years also seems to have failed to stimulate more owners seeking vaccination for their rabbits, especially given the publicity that this has generated."
In response to the report findings, the PDSA is launching ‘Spread the word, not the disease’, a campaign to help raise awareness, spread the word about preventable deadly diseases, and encourage pet owners to get their pets vaccinated and ensure their boosters are up-to-date.
The PDSA is asking people to pledge their support at: www.pdsa.org.uk/spreadtheword
Nicola concluded: "It’s up to the veterinary profession to help educate pet owners on the importance and value of vaccination. This is an area which requires collaboration and a co-ordinated effort across veterinary bodies to ensure owners can make informed decisions about vaccination. By launching this campaign, we hope to raise awareness of the risks these diseases pose, and how important vaccinations are in protecting the long-term health and wellbeing of the nation’s pets."
The full report can be downloaded here: https://www.pdsa.org.uk/get-involved/our-current-campaigns/pdsa-animal-wellbeing-report
About the PAW Report
All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 4,153 dog, cat and rabbit owners aged 18+ who live in the UK. Fieldwork was undertaken between 23 February and 6 March 2017. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of the population by pet species (cat, dog or rabbit owners) and the owner’s gender, age and region.
Extrapolations to pet population figures are based on the following estimates of pet populations in the UK: 9.3 million dogs, 10.3 million cats, and 1.1 million rabbits.
The awards are designed to recognise successful implementation of quality improvement (QI) in veterinary practice, which can reduce avoidable errors, ensure practice is based on the best available evidence and, ultimately, save lives.
Entrants will need to demonstrate the impact that QI methods have had in their practice, such as increased efficiency, improved clinical or financial effectiveness, the development of a culture of continuous improvement, support in the use of evidence-based approaches, or a general bettering of excellence in care.
The awards are open to any member of a practice, including veterinary surgeons and nurses, practice managers, receptionists, locums, students, and more. You can also nominate a colleague, or vice versa.
Individual winners will get free tickets to an upcoming RCVS Knowledge event and be given a plaque pronouncing them a 'Knowledge Champion', while one team will scoop Knowledge’s 'Champion Practice' award.
RCVS Knowledge Executive Director Chris Gush said: "These awards are a great opportunity to celebrate the good work that is going on in practice and to highlight examples of quality improvement.
"I would encourage all – from quality improvement experts to QI beginners – to get involved and enter the awards."
The closing date to submit an application is 1st November 2018, allowing plenty of time for those interested in introducing a quality improvement initiative in their practice to do so and apply for the awards at a later date.
To learn more about QI and how you can get started, visit RCVS Knowledge's QI pages.
Alternatively, you can enter the awards here: https://knowledge.rcvs.org.uk/grants/available-grants/
This was the sixth time that Mr Warwick Seymour-Hamilton had applied for restoration after being removed from the Register in June 1994, the reasons for which related to the condition of his practice premises and his record-keeping following an inspection by the RCVS. His most recent restoration hearing took place in May 2017.
In his application Mr Seymour-Hamilton said that he wanted to be restored to the Register to aid his research into herbal medicines and, during the course of the hearing, he also challenged some of the evidence given to the Committee in the June 1994 hearing. In particular he challenged the assertion that his practice was open when it was inspected by the RCVS as, he submitted that, he had retired three weeks’ prior to the inspection due to ill-health.
Mr Seymour-Hamilton told the Committee that he did not wish to return to clinical practice but wished to restore his membership of the RCVS in order to prescribe his own herbal treatments and to obtain peer review that would allow his treatments to be licensed. Furthermore, he produced, during the hearing, a continuing professional development (CPD) record card in which he had logged 1,438 hours of CPD in 2017.
In considering his application for restoration the Committee dismissed his challenge to the details of his original hearing in June 1994.
Ms Judith Way, Chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: "The Committee has noted that this issue is ancient. It is not for this Committee to consider it. Moreover the finding of the Committee represents a determination which was not challenged by the applicant until one of the more recent restoration applications. He never appealed it. Nor did he attend at the original hearing. It acknowledges that the premises could well have been closed given their condition, but whether they were or not is not for it [the Committee] to decide. It is quite possible the applicant has persuaded himself of the position. This is not an issue which is a persuasive factor in this application."
Regarding Mr Seymour-Hamilton’s contention that he would use his RCVS registered status to further his research into herbal treatments Ms Way said: "The Committee accepted there were no direct public protection issues which caused it concern, although it did retain some anxiety that the applicant’s commitment to herbal medicine could govern the way in which he would wish to care for an animal. A more rounded veterinary approach, which involved a full evaluation of an animal’s condition, a coherent diagnosis and a subsequent discussion about treatment with the client is called for."
Turning to his CPD she added: "His CPD now has a bias for herbal medicine as does his extensive reading. The Committee was not satisfied that his skills are up-to-date and that he could practise veterinary medicine safely. The Committee was not satisfied that he would approach a sick animal with the full and rounded approach required of a veterinary surgeon. Nor did his confidence in this regard allay the concerns of the Committee. He expressed belief in himself on the basis of his practice which came to an end some 24 years ago."
The Committee did acknowledge that Mr Seymour-Hamilton’s removal from the Register had a considerable impact on him and that, not only is he ashamed of it, but he believes it is frustrating his ability to advance the cause of herbal medicine.
In conclusion, Ms Way said: "Taking all these matters into account, the Committee has concluded that the applicant has not satisfied it on all of the evidence that he is fit to be restored to the Register and so this application is refused."
Ben trained in medicine at Oxford and London before becoming a household name through his weekly Bad Science column published in the Guardian between 2003 and 2011.
Ben is the author of three books. His first, Bad Science, published in 2008, sold over half a million copies worldwide and is published in 31 languages. His second, Bad Pharma: How Drug Companies Mislead Doctors and Harm Patients was published in 2012 and his third, a volume of collected journalism entitled I think you’ll find it’s more complicated than that, in 2014. He currently works as an academic in epidemiology.
In his lecture, Ben will be talking about how quacks and charlatans misuse evidence, and the placebo effect, to bamboozle the public. It's an issue of particular interest for the veterinary profession, given the growing focus on evidence-based medicine.
The lecture is open to all London Vet Show attendees and will take place in the BVA Congress Theatre at London’s ExCeL between 12.30 – 1.30 on Friday 17 November.
BVA President Gudrun Ravetz said: "We know that many people’s first point of call is the media or Dr Google when trying to decide what pet to purchase or how to treat their animal’s - or their own - health! So, I’m sure veterinary colleagues from all areas of the profession will find Dr Goldacre’s insight both engaging and inspiring in their day-to-day and working lives."
Other BVA Congress sessions at London Vet Show 2017 include Nudge, nudge – how can we change owner behaviour for better welfare?; Veterinary workforce crisis: what’s really going on? and Veterinary Surgeons Act: an open and shut case?. BVA Congress sessions as well as associated BVA Farm Animal, BVA/BEVA Equine, and BVA Career Development Streams count towards CPD.
BVA members can get access to the full BVA offering, as well as the usual London Vet Show programme, for 15% less than the lowest advertised price. To book, enter your BVA membership number and the code BVA 8 to claim your discount when you book online at www.londonvetshow.co.uk
Photo: John King 2012
Consistent with previous surveys, lameness was shown to be more likely to be caused by conditions such as osteoarthritis in the limb rather than problems in the foot.
Blue Cross carries out NEHS in May each year in partnership with the British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA). It is sponsored by Dodson & Horrell and Zoetis and supported by the UK’s leading equestrian organisations and charities.
This year saw a 14% increase in participation compared to 2015, with survey records returned for almost 16,751 horses, ponies, donkeys and mules and 5635 people taking part. Most horses were kept in livery or a private yard and used for leisure and hacking.
Lameness has been consistently seen as the most common syndrome affecting horses in the NEHS results year on year. In the latest survey a total of 32.9% (24.4% in 2015) of horses and ponies with health problems were recorded as lame. Overall, as in previous years, lameness in the limb was more common than lameness caused by problems in the foot.
A breakdown of the types of lameness revealed that 47.4% were recorded as suffering from proximal limb lameness, 31.9% from causes of foot lameness other than laminitis and 20.7% from laminitis. Degenerative joint disease (including foot and proximal limb) was the most frequently reported single cause of lameness (41.2% of all lameness) and the most frequently reported joint affected by DJD was the hock (15.3% of all lameness).
Reports of foot lameness (excluding laminitis) more than doubled this year at 10.5% (4.5% in 2015) of all syndromes reported with pus in the foot being the most frequently recorded problem. This could possibly be attributed to the persistent wet weather during and prior to the survey, which can increase susceptibility to the condition.
Josh Slater from the Royal Veterinary College, who is a member of BEVA’s Health & Medicines Committee and analysed the NEHS data, said: "The data gleaned from the survey remains consistent year on year, confirming the reliability of our findings for benchmarking, referencing and research. This year’s increase in overall lameness may be in part attributed to the higher incidence of pus in the foot but may also be because owners are becoming more aware of lameness issues. Ongoing research on lameness has generated significant media coverage over the past year, helping to raise understanding of the importance of accurate diagnosis and treatment both from welfare and performance perspectives."
The six most notable disease syndromes identified in the 2016 National Equine Health Survey are:
Gemma Taylor, Education Officer at Blue Cross said: "The significant increase in participation again this year shows that owners and keepers of horses are really getting behind the survey and recognising its importance in safeguarding the future health and of the UK’s horses. Over the past year NEHS data has been referred to in leading equestrian and veterinary media, showing its credibility as a valuable benchmarking reference."
The 2016 NEHS survey results are now available. To download a copy visit http://www.bluecross.org.uk/nehs2016results and to register for next year’s survey please visit www.bluecross.org.uk/nehs
MMI seeks to address mental health and wellbeing issues within the veterinary profession, while the Doctors’ Support Network provides peer support for doctors and medical students with mental health concerns.
&me was launched this time last year at the Palace of Westminster at an event sponsored by Kevan Jones MP (Labour, North Durham,) who has spoken about his own experiences with depression.
Overall eleven &me ambassadors have volunteered their own stories with mental ill-health:
A number of &me ambassadors will be taking part in an ‘&me live’ session at BSAVA Congress, from 5-8 April 2018 in Birmingham, providing a short overview of their story before taking questions from the audience. The session will take place from 8.30 to 10.10am on Saturday 7 April and will be open to all those attending Congress.
Lizzie Lockett, RCVS CEO and Mind Matters Director, said: "The feedback our &me ambassadors have received is truly heartening.
"Steve Carter, for example, had both an ex-student and colleague comment on his story thanking him for all he’s done, while a Facebook post about Rob Pettitt reached nearly 25,000 people.
"The campaign highlights how it is possible to recover from mental ill-health and flourish in your career, with the aim of encouraging those at the start of their mental ill-health experience to seek appropriate help, whether that is something profession-specific, such as Vetlife or DSN, or their GP."
Louise Freeman, Co-Chair of the DSN, added: "Many healthcare professionals face similar pressures that can lead to mental ill-health, including long hours, intense pressure, and the nature of the job which requires practitioners to constantly provide care for others, without necessarily recognising the need for self-care at the same time.
"A recurring theme that we’ve seen from these ambassadors’ stories has been that they drew on support from friends and family, and we really hope that this campaign encourages other professionals to seek help if they feel they are struggling."
The campaign is interested in hearing from not only doctors and veterinary surgeons but also nurses, veterinary nurses, dentists, pharmacists and other healthcare professionals who want to open up about their experiences of mental ill-health.
To participate in the campaign, email Dr Louise Freeman on vicechair@dsn.org.uk.
Further information about the ‘&me’ campaign can be found at www.vetmindmatters.org/&me, and a blog by Louise, 'Me and #AndMe', can be found at www.vetmindmatters.org/me-and-andme/.
The Investigating Committee and the Disciplinary Committee are responsible for conducting desk-top investigations and disciplinary hearings in response to complaints, disclosures and notifications that may amount to serious professional misconduct by Registered Farriers.
As the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons did in 2015, the FRC is splitting off its disciplinary functions from that of its Council, meaning it now needs to recruit new members to perform the role.
More information is available in VetSurgeon Jobs, here.
Published by CABI and sponsored by Mars Petcare UK, Companion Animal Economics was developed by Daniel Mills, Professor of Veterinary Behavioural Medicine at the University of Lincoln, and Dr Sandra McCune, Human-Animal Interaction expert at Mars Petcare’s WALTHAM Centre for Pet Nutrition. It documents and examines available evidence on the direct and indirect benefits and costs of companion animals to society, including their influence on human mental and physical health, illness prevention and well-being.
Other authors include Dr Sophie Hall from the University of Lincoln’s School of Life Sciences, Professor Ted Fuller and Luke Dolling from the Lincoln International Business School, and Katie Bristow-Wade of Dogs for Good.
Professor Mills said: "Vets are well aware how important companion animals are to their owners, but it is important that they appreciate the positive impact that they can have on the physical, mental and social health of both individuals and society more widely. This book should help raise awareness of this and their economic importance in times of economic uncertainty."
Dr McCune said: "Almost half of households in the UK share their homes with animals cared for as companions – a relationship we consider to be valuable and enriching. At Mars Petcare, we’re committed to creating A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS™. That’s because we know that pets make our world better. This important report provides a modern day update on the impact of companion animals on the UK economy and society, without reducing the discussion to a simplistic cost-benefits ratio. Critically, it aims to raise awareness of the need for research to evaluate the complex routes by which pets make an economic impact on UK society."
The author says relatively little information on the economic impact of pets has been published since the 1988 seminal Council for Science and Society (CSS) report on Companion Animals in Society, which inspired Companion Animal Economics. Since then, trends in pet ownership and associated industries, have changed a great deal. The report’s methodology sought to capture this new context, including issues like pet tourism, pet obesity, and expanding veterinary services, identifying clear gaps where further high-quality data and additional research are needed.
When evaluating the contribution of companion animals to the UK economy, both positive and negative aspects were considered. The cost of NHS treatment for bites and strikes from dogs is estimated at £3 million per year. At the same time, the report also estimates that pet ownership in the UK may reduce use of the UK health service by up to £2.45 billion per year. This conservative conclusion is drawn through examining healthcare savings through reduced number of doctor visits.
Given the scale of the potential impact, the report concludes that research into companion animals and their economic impact on society needs further investigation and should be supported by government. While UK data were used in the report, many of the points raised relate to other industrialised nations, demonstrating the global nature of this issue.