Nurtured Pets has launched the Anti-Lick Strip Prevent^TM, Pro^TM and Pro C^TM, billed as an alternative to the clumsy and uncomfortable e-collar.

The Anti-Lick Strips deter animals from licking, biting or chewing of hot spots, granulomas and surgical sites. According to the company, they are also an effective deterrent to prevent such behaviours brought on by anxiety, boredom or even insect bites. 

Hayley Booth, product manager at Nutured Pets said: "The UK pet market has been crying out for products like these for years. The unique bandages have medical grade adhesive on one side and all-natural active ingredients on the other. The combination of cayenne pepper, lemon powder, clove oil and oregano delivers a natural deterrent to the animal's nose and tongue to prevent it from interfering with the affected area.

"The Pro and Pro C are made exclusively for vets; the Pro can be used for direct application onto the pet's fur, ideal for securing IVs or catheters, the Pro C has a stronger adhesive and is ideal for over-wrapping gauze and cast materials. 

"The Prevent then provides a profitable over the counter version for take home use. The preventative nature of these pet plasters may help promote healing and lessons the chance of infection, inflammation or re-opened wounds. In clinical trials, pets avoided the Anti-Lick Strip over 90% of the time proving these unique bandage strips really do work.

"The innovative features and benefits of the products themselves combined with extensive retail marketing support and highly visible point of sale display materials mean they're a must have for every vet practice."

For more information or a product sample, visit www.nurturedpets.co.uk or call 02476 302 222.

MSD Animal Health is inviting veterinary surgeons to apply for its 2018 Research Bursaries, with awards being offered for both ruminant and companion animal research projects.

The MSD Animal Health Research Bursary for Veterinary Surgeons offers three awards, consisting of two ruminant bursaries and one companion animal bursary, of up to £4,000 each.

Each project should be completed within one to two years and the vet practitioner proposals will be judged by university academics to ensure independent assessment.

The companion animal research bursary will be assessed by the University of Nottingham Centre for Evidence-based Veterinary Medicine and the ruminant research bursary applications will be assessed by academic staff from the University of Bristol School of Veterinary Science. 

Michelle Townley, veterinary advisor at MSD Animal Health (pictured right) said: "Our Vet Surgeon Research Bursaries have an important role to play in encouraging vet surgeons to continue to develop their research skills. New knowledge and good research skills form the life-blood of the industry so we’re keen to see proposals from both ruminant and companion animal practitioners. Being awarded a bursary has proved to be a career-changing experience for some participants so we’re keen to get as many applications as possible as part of our investment in the veterinary industry."

The deadline for entries is 30^th November 2018. For more information, visit www.msdahresearchbursary.co.uk.

Teleradiology company, VetCT, is calling for companies developing and deploying AI in the field of veterinary diagnostic imaging to impose the highest standards of self-regulation. 

In an AI position statement released on their website, the company highlights the opportunities and risks associated with the use of AI to interpret diagnostic images.

In the joint statement, company owners Victoria Johnson and Julien Labruyère (pictured right), said: “We strongly welcome the introduction of appropriately developed, tested and implemented AI tools into our profession, to provide solutions to improve resourcing and benefit animal welfare.

“There is a limited pool of veterinary radiologists and an ever-increasing need for expert interpretation of radiographs and more advanced diagnostic imaging modalities.

"This presents a huge opportunity for the development of AI and related technologies to better address demand, save time and potentially improve clinical knowledge and outcomes. 

"However, it is important to note that, unlike human radiology, there is no official framework for the regulation, governance and quality control of AI tools in veterinary radiology.

"This means that there should be a very strong onus on companies and individuals to adhere to the highest standards of medical tool development when creating AI solutions.” 

“If AI is released into veterinary practice without appropriate oversight or governance there is a significant risk of misleading results, misdiagnosis, and negative impacts on patient welfare.

"This, in turn, may undermine trust in AI and create a culture of hesitancy to adopt new technologies at a time when innovation is much needed to improve access to advanced care.”

The company is advocating for a series of self-regulatory measures to be applied by companies developing AI in order to safeguard both animal welfare and the liability of the veterinary surgeons using these tools in clinical practice.

The full position statement and a list of recommendations can be here: https://www.vet-ct.com/gb/our-services/ai-veterinary-radiology/ 

CVS has announced the official opening of Lumbry Park Veterinary Specialists, a new small animal referral hospital in Alton, Hampshire.

The hospital was officially opened last Saturday by the Town Mayor of Alton during an open day attended by local dignitaries, about a hundred vets and representatives from the veterinary industry and various animal charities. Dr Caner Salih, a consultant cardiac surgeon at the Evelina London Children's Hospital was a special guest.

CVS says it has invested more than £4.3 million to create one of the most advanced, multi-disciplinary specialist veterinary hospitals in the UK. It occupies 1,300 square metres and employs forty people, including nine referral clinicians (seven of whom are boarded specialists), support and admin staff. 

Lumbry Park offers a range of advanced diagnostics and treatments for dogs and cats across a range of specialties, including high-field MRI and CT scanning, key-hole surgery, interventional cardiac procedures, and joint replacements.  Cardiology specialist Dr Luca Ferasin is Lumbry Park's Clinical Director, reporting to Professor John Innes, CVS' Referral Director. 

Simon Innes, Chief Executive of CVS, pictured fifth from left, said: "The opening of Lumbry Park is a proud moment for CVS and the culmination of a huge amount of work by John, Luca and the team involved. They have worked together to create a fantastic environment in which our specialists can offer the highest standard of veterinary care to our patients and their owners and we are delighted to bring their expertise to veterinary practices and their clients right across the South East of England."

CVS Referral Director, Professor John Innes said: "The opening of Lumbry Park marks a major step for CVS in terms of investment in veterinary specialist services and we will work to ensure that it develops an international reputation for the standard of care it provides.  The Hospital is easily accessible and has the space and rural setting to provide a professional and pleasant environment for our patients, their owners, and our team.  Luca and his excellent team are raring to go and we look forward to welcoming our first patients next week."

Alton Town Mayor Mrs Pam Jones added: "I am delighted that Alton has been chosen as the location for such a prestigious veterinary centre and I am honoured to be asked to open it."

Bluetree Group, a Type IIR surgical face mask manufacturer, has published the results of a survey it conducted in July which has found that 35% of pet owners would consider changing their vets if they didn’t think their face mask met the standard required. 

Interestingly, the survey of 2000 people found that men were 11% more likely than women to change their veterinary surgery if they didn't like the look of the masks. There were also geographical variations in the levels of concern about masks, with Londoners (48%) and people from the South West (46%), the North East (41%) and the West Midlands (41%) being most concerned.

Still, there is some consolation for any practice that is using sub standard masks: 78% of UK adults wouldn’t know how to tell if a face mask was fake.

However, 26% of respondents said they would ask their vet to prove their medical grade face mask meets the certified standard and 22% of pet owners said they would expect their vet to wear a medical grade face mask during routine checkups for the foreseeable future.

James Kinsella, Director at Bluetree Group, said: “During such an unprecedented time, it’s no surprise that people are worried about the use of face masks. It is clear that the public has strong feelings about the quality of face masks in practices, with a third of pet owners saying they are worried about the standard of their vet’s face mask. It’s encouraging to see that where expectations are not met, people will seek an alternative.

"The majority of people admit they would not be able to identify a fake face mask, however it is encouraging that a third of those we spoke to would have the confidence to take action and change their vet if they didn’t think their face mask was up to standard."

For more information on Bluetree Group’s face masks, visit: https://bluetreemaskbox.co.uk.

Zoetis has announced the launch of Sileo (Dexmedetomidine hydrochloride), a new prescription-only medicine for the treatment of noise anxiety in dogs. 

Sileo provides a micro-dose of dexmedetomidine hydrochloride, a selective alpha-2 adrenoceptor agonist which Zoetis says helps a dog calm down or remain calm yet fully functional in situations involving fear-eliciting sounds.

Sileo is presented as an oromucosal gel formulation in a 3ml oral syringe that can be used to apply multiple doses.

Zoetis says that its user-friendly application means that, once prescribed, it can be given by the dog owner and used only when needed for each noise anxiety event. It takes effect within 15 - 60 minutes and last for 2-3 hours. Should the fear-eliciting noise continue, further doses can be given at two hour intervals up to a total of five times during each noise event.

The company says that even when the full dosing limit is used, the dog will remain functional during treatment; the clinical effects of dexmedetomidine are dose-dependent and the anxiolytic effect is reached before the sedative effect.

Animal behaviourist, Jon Bowen BVetMed DipAS (CABC) MRCVS, said: "Fear of seasonal loud noises such as fireworks, thunder and gunshots are known to affect around 50% of the UK dog population but the prevalence of fears of other everyday noises and the extent to which those fears contribute to nuisance and problem behaviour in dogs is something we are researching at the moment. Sileo is ideal as an acute anxiolytic for planned or expected events such as fireworks or thunder, but it has an even wider range of potential applications in planned events that involve stressful noise exposure including travel, social gatherings and even visits to the vet."

Sileo is available to order now via your veterinary wholesaler.

For more information contact your Zoetis account manager or customer support on 0854 300 8034 or visit www.zoetis.co.uk/Sileo. 

Vets attending the first veterinary-led European Equine Transport Forum, held in Brussels last November, have agreed that the profession needs to take a leading role to help enforce the current regulation governing the long-distance transport of horses, in order for equine welfare standards to be improved.

In support, the British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) Trust has announced the introduction of the BEVA Trust Equine Transport Enforcement Award of €1000, to be given annually to the individual or group doing the most to improve enforcement of the current transport regulation.

The Forum was initiated by BEVA President Madeleine Campbell in conjunction with the Federation of Veterinarians of Europe (FVE) and is sponsored by the BEVA Trust and World Horse Welfare. It attracted representatives from 38 nations; including a strong turnout from Eastern Europe where horses sourced for slaughter often start their journeys and Italy which is the end destination for the majority of these horses.

The plight of horses sourced for slaughter was the main focus for discussion and the key issues raised were:

• The practical enforcement of the current regulation at the beginning, middle and end of journeys
• Consistent enforcement of the current regulation across all Member States
• That horses transported for slaughter should receive the same regard for their welfare as competition and leisure horses
• The lack of adequate assessments of fitness to travel, leading to diseased horses being transported greatly increasing the risk of transmitting infectious diseases across Europe. These non-compliant shipments should be tackled through robust and thorough veterinary examination at each stage of the journey, coupled with rigorous identification procedures for every horse to ensure traceability.

Delegates also examined the long-term need to change the attitude of Italian consumers, raising awareness of the current welfare issues related to their preference for fresh meat, labelled as Italian produce. In addition they discussed the impact on equine welfare of increased profits in sourcing horses in Eastern Europe and then transporting them long distances for slaughter.

Dr Madeleine Campbell said: "The atmosphere throughout the day was one of collaboration and determination to succeed. Proper enforcement of the current regulation is the key to welfare improvements, as is the need for a system of best practice to drive a change in cultural attitudes about how horse meat is produced. A process of education is necessary so that consumers understand the welfare issues associated with long-distance transport and start demanding accurate information about where the meat which they are buying originally came from, and how far the horses travelled to slaughter. We are all in agreement that vets have a pivotal role to play in both education and enforcement, and that they want to play it."

Nominations for the annual BEVA Trust Equine Transport Enforcement Award are open and can be made via the FVE and the BEVA Trust. The award will be judged by the FVE Working Group on Transport, and will be awarded for the first time in November 2011. The programme, abstracts and presentations from the Forum can be found at: http://www.fve.org/events/index.html#conferences

Francesca Beorby, Head Veterinary Nurse at Putlands Veterinary Centre, has performed a clinical audit which has revealed that neutering patients premedicated with medetomidine and methadone were significantly less likely to become hypotensive than when ACP and methadone were used.

Francesca's initiative was recognised with a RCVS Knowledge ‘Highly Commended’ status at its 2024 awards.

The idea for the audit came about after Francesca noticed a trend for patients to become hypotensive during anaesthesia for routine feline neutering and need additional treatment.

CVS says clinical evidence suggests a minimum value of 60mmHg for perfusion of vital organs such as the brain, heart and kidneys. 

So a clinical audit was undertaken to look at perioperative blood pressure in both cats and dogs having routine neutering procedures.

The target was for patients to maintain a mean arterial blood pressure of 60mmHg during their anaesthetic.

The animals chosen for auditing were to be classed ASA 1 and under 5 years old.

They received a pre-operative health check including a blood pressure reading to ensure they were normotensive.

A first audit looked at a standard premedication protocol of ACP at a dose rate of 0.02mg/kg combined with methadone at a dose rate of 0.3mg/kg.

A second audit initiated a change to the pre-medication drugs, using 0.005mg/kg medetomidine combined with the same dose of methadone.

Both received anaesthesia induction with Propoflo at a dose rate of 6mg/kg for cats and 4mg/kg for dogs.

All patients under anaesthetic were maintained using isoflurane and kept at a surgical plane of anaesthesia appropriate for that patient.

The patients were monitored throughout their surgical procedure using an oscilliometric monitoring machine - for systolic, diastolic and mean arterial blood pressure – and measurements recorded on an anaesthetic chart.

The collected data revealed that in the first audit, where patients received ACP and methadone, 42% (50% of cats and 38% of dogs) had a mean arterial blood pressure lower than 60mmHg after the first five blood pressure readings post induction.

In the second audit, with medetomidine combined with methadone, only 11% of patients (0% of cats and 15% of dogs) with a mean arterial blood pressure lower than 60mmHg.

In addition to the reduction in hypotensive patients during anaesthesia when the medetomidine/methadone combo was used, Francesca says the audit suggests a link to hypotension with ACP used as a premedication in anaesthetised patients.

Francesca said: “My passion in veterinary nursing is anaesthesia. And there is always room for improvement and striving to achieve gold standard care.

“These results clearly show that a change from our current premedication protocol of ACP and Methodone to Medetomidine and Methadone decreased the number of patients having hypotension during anaesthesia. The change means fewer patients were at risk of developing the side effects associated with hypoperfusion of the vital organs.

“Our quality improvement initiative has made a really positive impact in practice for both patient care and clinical team.”

The BBC has confirmed the transmission dates and times for a new show which follows the patients and team at Wear Referrals in Bradbury, County Durham.

Called 24/7 Pet Hospital, the 10-part series will be broadcast every weekday morning at 10am until Friday 17 February.   

Ben Harris, Wear’s Clinical Director, said: “Opening our doors to the BBC will help us to show the public what happens in a specialist veterinary hospital when a pet is unwell – and highlight the incredible care they receive by vets, nurses and support staff.

"The programme follows all aspects of our work, from initial consultations to the moment pets are reunited with their owners."

You will be able to view all 10 episodes on iPlayer here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001hz7n/broadcasts/upcoming. 

Shams Mir MRCVS, Chair of the BVU, has launched a petition to the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons which asks that they do not allow remote prescription of POM-V medicines without a physical examination, as was proposed and discussed at the Council meeting held at the end of last year

The petition follows the news that IVC is to launch its own telemedicine service, joining three others already in the game, at least one of which is pushing for a relaxation of the rules surrounding the  prescription of POM-V medicines.

For clarity, veterinary surgeons are currently allowed to remote prescribe medicines for animals that meet the definition of 'under his care' (i.e. seen immediately before, or "recently enough or often enough for the veterinary surgeon to have personal knowledge of the condition of the animal or current health status of the herd or flock to make a diagnosis and prescribe").

In other words, there is nothing to stop bricks and mortar practices offering video consultations and prescribing medicines to those of their existing clients that they have seen recently enough. 

What Shams and the BVU are petitioning against is the idea of allowing companies staffed by veterinary surgeons to prescribe veterinary medicines for animals that they have never seen in the flesh.

They argue that remote prescribing will:

1. First and foremost risk animal patient welfare and herd health

2. Create a two-tier system of care within the profession

3. Break down the practice-based vet-client relationship 

4. Disrupt veterinary services due to complications related to out-of-hours emergency cover, transfer of patient and patient histories etc. of remotely treated patients

5. Cause clients to face increased costs by paying for telemedicine consultations and then requiring examination and treatment in practice

6. Negatively impact the financial condition of veterinary practices and professionals.

These all seem very possible consequences of allowing remote prescribing, indeed some have already come to pass in the world of human medicine following the launch of Babylon.

The counter argument is that remote prescription will improve access to veterinary care as people don’t have to flog down to the practice for a flea treatment and the cost of a consultation is reduced. There is surely truth in that.

The other point that is fundamental to this debate is the type of drug being prescribed remotely. With so many small animal parasiticides having already gone OTC, is it really necessary to talk to a veterinary surgeon before buying a POM-V flea treatment? Perhaps not.

However, that doesn’t necessarily present a case for remote prescribing such drugs; if they don’t need veterinary input, then you could equally argue they just need reclassifying.

So, should you sign this petition? Well, I think so, yes. Remote prescribing will come. It’s inevitable. But given the risks, surely the pragmatic starting point is to trial remote prescribing amongst existing clients of bricks and mortar practices, and only if that is successful to broaden it to non-clients of bricks and mortar practices.

If both those proved successful, and with technology advancing in the background, it might then be sensible to look at whether non bricks and mortar practices could remote prescribe. But that’s quite a big ‘might’.

Meantime, you can sign the petition here: https://www.change.org/p/royal-college-of-veterinary-surgeons-stop-authorising-prescription-of-pom-v-without-physical-examination-of-the-patient

You can discuss the petition with Shams here: https://www.vetsurgeon.org/nonclinical/f/6/t/28273.aspx

Improve International has launched the first volume of the Improve International Manual of Clinical Small Animal Internal Medicine.

The book is described as giving comprehensive information to support the diagnosis and treatment of commonly seen pathologies of dogs and cats, such as haematology, immunology, diagnostic imaging, respiratory diseases, cardiovascular medicine, reproductive system disorders, gastrointestinal disorders, as well as hepatobiliary and exocrine pancreas disorders.

Each chapter has been authored by an internationally recognised expert in their field.

Improve says its books support delegates studying for its Postgraduate Certificate, but are also a useful reference source for other veterinary surgeons.

John Douglass, General Manager of Improve International, said: "Following the positive response to our first textbook, the Improve International Manual of Small Animal Surgery, we felt it was important to follow up with a small animal medicine equivalent. We’re therefore very happy to unveil volume one of the Improve International Manual of Clinical Small Animal Internal Medicine and look forward to the launch of the second volume later this year."

He added: "Our textbooks focus on the practical application of current veterinary knowledge, offering top tips and key advice throughout expressed in an engaging and highly visual format to ensure that they are perfect for those in need of a quick ‘look up’ in practice.”

The new books can be bought from www.improveinternational.com/uk/books, www.5mbooks.com or from booksellers worldwide. They are also available in Spanish with translations into additional languages planned.

The London Cat Clinic has announced the launch next month of what it says is the UK’s first and only dedicated ophthalmology clinic for cats.

The clinic will be headed up by Dr Ursula Dietrich, an RCVS Specialist in Veterinary Ophthalmology, who will be stepping down as senior lecturer in veterinary ophthalmology at The Royal Veterinary College to take up her new post.

Ursula has held a number of prestigious positions including Chair of the Scientific Committee of European College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists from 2007-2012, member of the Examination Committee of the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists from 2002-2006 and Associate Editor (Ophthalmology) of the Journal of Small Animal Practice since 2012-18. She also holds Diplomas from the American and European Colleges of Veterinary Opthalmologists.

Ursula said: “I am thrilled to take on this new role, heading up The London Cat Clinic’s new opthalmology centre. The clinic is doing wonderful things in feline veterinary care as the largest specialist practice devoted solely to cats in the UK. The ophthalmology service is the next exciting development in achieving our goal of being a centre of excellence in feline veterinary medicine."

London Cat Clinic Founder, Dr Jeremy Campbell, said: “We are delighted to welcome Dr Dietrich to the team, as she brings with her a wealth of experience in the field of feline ophthalmology. She will be a wonderful asset to The London Cat Clinic, as we embark on an exciting new chapter.”

For more information about referring a case to The London Cat Clinic, visit: https://www.thelondoncatclinic.co.uk/