The Veterinary Wound Healing Association (VWHA) has become the third veterinary association to make a new home on VetSurgeon.org.
VWHA President Jacintha Wilmink said: "We're very excited about joining VetSurgeon.org and how it will allow our members to connect with each other and share information quicker and more easily than ever before".
In common with the other associations, the VWHA is making its content available for all VetSurgeon members to access, however only VWHA members can submit cases to its section for discussion, or participate in the VWHA forum. Jacintha added: "We hope that the cases and discussions in our section of the site will be of value to all practitioners, and that many more of you will want to join the association and participate".
Information about the benefits of joining the VWHA is available here.
Companion Care is launching a new division to develop a network of joint venture surgeries on high streets around the UK.
Thus far, 62 out of the company's 66 surgeries have been located inside Pets at Home stores. The company says it plans to more than double the number of surgeries over the next 5 years, both within Pets at Home stores and on the high street.
The new surgeries will be branded Companion Care Vets. According to the company, they'll be full service practices featuring the latest equipment, situated in locations which offer clients easy access. Managing director, Jane Balmain, said: "The in-store model we operate has been very successful and offers a unique business proposition based around the customer footfall in Pets at Home stores. We will continue to accelerate the growth in numbers of in-store surgeries as the Pets at Home store footprint expands. "While in-store has been hugely successful and the driver in our growth, we know that there are many vets and veterinary nurses who are interested in a joint venture partnership but whose preference is to have a more traditional looking standalone surgery. To enable us to launch partnerships with these professionals we are developing a standalone surgery network plan. We already have 4 very successful standalone surgeries and we feel now is the right time to develop the stand alone concept as a mainstream business proposition." While the new surgeries will be standalone, Companion Care says they will be affiliated with local local Pets at Home stores to drive client registration and business development.
Jane added: "These stand alone surgeries will offer a unique business proposition due to our Pets at Home relationship. We believe that with this new venture we can offer any potential partner the best of both worlds: a superb in-store surgery with footfall of thousands of customers a month, or a standalone new surgery linked to local store(s) to develop the business. I don't believe any other company can offer this unique proposition."
Is this the warm up for the mother of all high street battles between Companion Care and Vets4Pets?
The VCMS, which is administered by Nockolds Solicitors, was formally launched by the RCVS as an alternative dispute resolution service in October 2017 following a year-long trial.
The aim of the service is to resolve, by mediation, disputes between clients and veterinary practices that do not meet the threshold of serious professional misconduct that is needed for the RCVS to investigate a concern through its formal processes.
Since the service’s trial, which started in October 2016, the VCMS has given preliminary mediation advice on how to resolve a case in more than 1,700 instances with over 580 cases having gone to full mediation of which 89% have concluded with a resolution.
Eleanor Ferguson, RCVS Registrar and Director of Legal Services, said: "From the perspective of both the public and the profession, the establishment of the VCMS has been a "win-win" situation. For the public it has provided them with an additional route to solve those complaints which wouldn’t cross the threshold to progress in the concerns investigation process.
"For the profession it has provided a more appropriate format for resolving a client dispute that doesn’t involve the time, effort and formal process of an RCVS investigation for those cases that will never amount to serious professional misconduct. I think this has been demonstrated by the fact that the vast majority of the profession are willing to engage with the VCMS process, even though it is entirely voluntary.
"The VCMS has also had a positive impact on the College and its concerns investigation process, allowing us to focus greater resources on those cases that do meet our threshold of serious professional misconduct. This has had a very clear impact on the speed with which we either close cases or move them on to the next stage of consideration by the Preliminary Investigation Committee (PIC), which, again, is important to both the public and the profession."
The College says that around 90% of cases investigated at Stage 1 of the process are now either closed or referred to PIC within four months – the College’s key performance indicator at this stage. This compares to around 50% of these cases being closed or referred within four months at Stage 1 in 2016.
The College also says that in total (including both preliminary and full mediation cases), 86% of the cases dealt with by VCMS were successfully mediated and feedback from both clients and veterinary practices has been largely positive. In client feedback from the third quarter of 2018, 93% said they would use the VCMS again and 79% considered it to be fair, while the equivalent figure amongst veterinary practices was 94% and 87% respectively.
Jennie Jones, a partner at Nockolds Solicitors who heads up the VCMS, said: "It is a good sign that mediation is largely working as it should when both parties are reporting similar satisfaction rates and we pride ourselves on negotiating resolutions that are acceptable and beneficial for both the clients and the practices.
"It is great to see that our efforts are also having an impact on the RCVS concerns investigation system by allowing it to concentrate on more serious cases."
More information about the RCVS concerns investigation process, including the different stages of an investigation, can be found at www.rcvs.org.uk/concerns
Further information about the VCMS can be found on its website at www.vetmediation.co.uk or by calling 0345 040 5834.
The AHT has secured an award of £580,000 from the Wellcome Trust to fund the development of a new diagnostic test for Strangles which takes only 30 minutes.
It's been achieved in part by 'Breaking the Strangles Hold' - a two-year fundraising campaign run by the Animal Health Trust (AHT) and The British Horse Society (BHS),
Money donated from the general public, along with funding from The Horse Trust, has already allowed scientists at the AHT to develop a diagnostic blood test which gives results in 24 hours. The blood test was launched in February 2008 and since then more than 6,700 samples have been tested.
HRH The Princess Royal, who launched the 'Breaking the Strangles Hold' campaign, said: "As an owner who has seen my own horse's affected by this terrible disease, it's wonderful to see such progress being made in a relatively short time.
"The screening test enables owners to know within 24 hours if any of their horses have been exposed to this bacterium. Previously available tests would have taken three to four days. The test is making a real difference in welfare and economic terms for all those involved in the equine industry. It truly is groundbreaking."
The success of this diagnostic work, along with other AHT research, has attracted further funding for the project from the Wellcome Trust in the form of a £580,000 Translation Award.
Professor Andrew Waller, Head of Bacteriology at the AHT, said: "The main problem with Strangles is the time taken to diagnose it. The current blood test is a big step forward, but the culture and DNA tests, which are often used in the initial stages of an outbreak can take a couple of days to get results."
The Translation Award means the AHT can reduce the time taken to perform its DNA diagnostic test and ultimately produce a point-of-care test that vets can use on site to get a diagnosis in 30 minutes. Earlier diagnosis will allow owners to isolate horses sooner and minimise the spread of infection. It will further reduce welfare problems for horses and the cost to their owners.
The AHT and Atlas Genetics will design and validate the point-of-care diagnostic test over the next two years. It is hoped that the test could be mass produced and widely available by 2012.
Professor Waller added: "This technology will be fantastic. It will be hugely beneficial for other diseases too, of both veterinary and clinical importance. Without the money raised through the 'Breaking the Strangles Hold' campaign, we wouldn't have made as much progress. On behalf of horses and horse owners worldwide, I'd like to thank everyone who has donated."
The 'Breaking the Strangles Hold' campaign reached its fundraising target of £250,000 in just two years, demonstrating how important to horse owners it is to get to grips with this terrible disease.
For more information, see: http://www.strangles.org
Protek Biochem Ltd., a company set up by champion horse-rider Debbie Topping, has won the rights to sell Envirocair Veterinary, a new range of disinfectants and sanitisers targeted at dogs, cats and other domestic pets, as well as horses and farm animals.
The product is claimed to kill 99.99% of all viral, bacterial and fungal infections, and lasts for 14 days.
Debbie said: "I did not consider myself a businesswoman, just a normal horse-rider and animal lover. However, I was so impressed when I tried Envirocair Veterinary that, when I was offered the opportunity to become the main UK distributor, I jumped at the chance."
According to the company, the product is being used by a number of the horses and trainers heading to the London Olympics in 2012. It is now being rolled out across the rest of the UK's animal care sector.
Debbie says that veterinary surgeons, farmers, dog kennels, animal rescue centres, breeders and others will all be able to benefit from the new product: "Envirocair Veterinary doesn't harm skin or irritate the respiratory tract, so you don't need to get dressed up in special clothing every time you use it.
"Used properly, it quite literally kills the threat of major animal diseases such as parvovirus in dogs, which can otherwise be fatal in less than 72 hours.
"It's not an exaggeration to say that Envirocair will protect the health and even save the lives of countless numbers of animals across the UK."
Debbie signed the distribution agreement with the manufacturer Biotech International Ltd last month, before officially launching Envirocair Veterinary this week.
For more information on Protek Biochem Ltd or Envirocair Veterinary, visit http://www.protekbiochem.com/.
Ceva Animal Health has added a new CPD module to its Cardio Academy website which focuses on common heart diseases in cats.
The 20 minute online seminar is hosted by Virginia Luis-Fuentes, Professor of Veterinary Cardiology at the Royal Veterinary College. After viewing the module, you can claim a CPD certificate by answering questions relating to the session.
Fraser Broadfoot MRCVS, product manager at Ceva, said: "Cardio Academy is going from strength to strength with over 1500 UK vets registered to the site which now includes 15 hours of free on-demand cardiology CPD with leading specialists."
For more information, visit: www.cardioacademy.cevalearn.com.
The Veterinary Benevolent Fund (VBF) has announced the retirement of its President Dr. Lydia Brown, who had served the maximum of nine years as a trustee and member of the VBF Board.
Lydia became a director of the VBF following the merger of the Fund with the Vet Helpline (VHL) and the Veterinary Surgeons' Health Support Programme (VSHSP) in January 2005.
A past-president of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) and former chairman of the RCVS Trust, Lydia was a driving force behind the establishment of the VSHSP in 1999. This support programme was developed in response to the genuine need for a confidential service to treat veterinary surgeons with a wide variety of addictive conditions. Since then she has been involved in the expansion of the Helpline service from a telephone service to an increasingly-widely used email service.
The charity says that it is as a result of Lydia's thoroughness, sympathy and understanding, that very many veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses have been helped to recover from many forms of addictive conditions and health problems.
The campaign came after the company surveyed livestock farmers in January, February and March this year, and found that cattle producers are struggling to implement changes.
The survey, which received 190 responses, investigated the extent to which beef and dairy producers are aware of methods to sustainably control parasites, how many are following best practice techniques, and what advice and support they need to make a change.
Sioned Timothy, Ruminant Technical Manager at Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health said: “Reassuringly, 70% of respondents who are the main decision maker indicated that they were either very concerned or a little concerned about wormer resistance on farm. This level of awareness is positive since wormer resistance is on the rise, and the livestock industry must make changes to parasite control if we are to safeguard the effectiveness of wormers."
However, the survey indicated that farmers are not asking professionals such as their vet or SQP for advice on parasite control as much as they could. Only 55% of main decision maker respondents asked their vet for advice on parasite control planning as part of overall herd health planning, and that dropped to 21% for specific parasite control advice.
In addition, only 65% of main decision makers sought advice from an SQP when purchasing worming or fluke products, despite SQPs being qualified to provide parasite control advice at the point of prescription and supply.
Positively, over 60% of main decision maker respondents had already implemented some methods of sustainable parasite control, including quarantining and treating bought-in animals, managing pasture use, and calibrating and testing dosing guns.
However, more than half of the same respondents were aware of but had not implemented several other methods, including weighing or tracking growth rates of youngstock, testing individuals or groups of animals for parasites, and using preventative methods such as vaccinating for lungworm.
Sioned pointed out that nearly 25% of main decision makers had not implemented the calibration or testing of their wormer dosing guns, and a further 12% were not even aware of the practice. She said: “These producers are missing a simple opportunity to ensure that their cattle are dosed correctly. Under-dosing is one of the factors that drives resistance to anthelmintics on farm, and over-dosing increases costs unnecessarily.”
When respondents were asked why they haven’t implemented changes to their parasite control methods, 22% said they did not believe they needed to make changes, 20% don't have the necessary equipment or buildings, 37% said the cost of installing new/better equipment was a barrier, and 32% cited the cost of additional diagnostic tests or treatments.
The survey did highlight some positives. Victoria Hudson, Senior Brand Manager at Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health, said: “Respondents indicated a good appetite for change provided they could access the appropriate advice and support, including implementing weighing and tracking growth rates of youngstock (53%), testing for parasite burdens in individual animals (52%) and testing for parasite burdens in groups of animals (43%).
“Just over a third of respondents felt they might be able to quarantine and treat bought-in cattle, manage pasture, and use vaccination or other preventative measures. However, only 31% of main decision maker respondents felt they could make the easiest and simplest change: calibrating and testing dosing guns before use.”
One method of sustainable parasite control, targeted selective treatment, where the best performing animals in a group are left untreated, was not well understood or implemented by respondents (30% had implemented, 36% were aware of it but had not implemented, and 33% were not aware of it), and just under 35% felt that even with advice and support they would not be able to implement this method within the next three years.
Victoria said: “Unsurprisingly, over half of main decision maker respondents cited they needed funding to support new equipment/infrastructure to help them make changes to their parasite control practices, but there is a desire for more advice and support.
“Nearly 49% want help in understanding the parasite challenges on their farm, 54% want advice on which changes will most benefit their cattle, and just over 33% want more information on the different types of wormer products.
“However, survey results were conflicting on how farmers would get this advice and support since only 13% wanted more visits from their vet, and 11% from their SQP, despite these professionals being best placed to provide advice at an individual farm level.
“It shows that there is more work to do to help beef and dairy producers make the most effective and sustainable changes to parasite control. This is why we have launched Change One Thing, a campaign to support farmers in understanding and implementing the options available to improve the sustainable control of parasites.”
The campaign is also calling on farm vets to Change One Thing, relating to the information, support and advice that they give livestock farmers.
Victoria said: “It can be difficult for vets to have conversations with farmers about making changes to their parasite control practices, so we urge them to think about changing their approach to discussing the topic, especially if their client/customer has so far resisted making any changes.
“Being inquisitive, and asking questions, can be more effective than ‘telling’, and it’s important that farmers believe in the need to make the change, and that they can practically do it. Even small changes can make a big difference, and testing and trailing strategies tailored to an individual farm will help the farmer to see the benefits for themselves.”
Boehringer says that changes that farmers could make to improve their parasite control in a sustainable way, include:
Resources for farmers, vets and SQPs to Change One Thing are available on the Beat the Parasites website: www.beattheparasites.com/change-one-thing.
The charity says it estimates there has been a ten-fold increase in fertility clinics in the past two years, and it is now aware of at least 339 dog fertility businesses across the UK.
Such clinics, which typically offer artificial insemination, progesterone testing, cytology and ultrasound scanning, are often operated by lay people, rather than veterinary professionals.
There have been concerns about the seeming indiscriminate use of breeding procedures by some fertility clinics, and about links to low welfare breeding operations.
Naturewatch says some fertility clinics have been found selling and administering prescription medicines and offering to perform operations.
The charity now wants to understand what veterinary professionals think about this new industry, and is running a short survey until 21st August 2022.
In particular, Naturewatch wants to know who you think should be permitted to perform commonly offered breeding procedures.
It also wants to hear your thoughts about possible solutions.
Are canine fertility clinics inherently problematic?
Or could canine fertility clinics - if operated ethically and regulated properly - bridge the gap between breeders and the veterinary profession?
Complete the survey here: https://action.naturewatch.org/canine-fertility-clinic-survey-for-veterinary-professionals
The upgraded site uses 'machine learning', a type of artificial intelligence based on pattern recognition, to offer personalised content. The technology is now commonly used in consumer sites, such as Netflix and Amazon, but until now has not been used in the veterinary world. Content is further personalised for those vets and nurses that complete their profile on the site.
The upgrade was commissioned after Boehringer carried out a user experience survey of its old website, which revealed that whilst vets appreciated the CPD and educational materials, many were trawling through content that was not of interest to them or struggling to find what they wanted.
Jemima Mead, brand manager at Boehringer, said: "We aimed to create an engaging portal – a one-stop shop for vets who want to access high quality CPD and/or relevant information about any of our products. Vets are busy people so need to find relevant information quickly – giving them more time to focus on their clinical responsibilities. Our new slick site, tailored to their individual professional preferences, provides a valuable service that simply has not existed before."
Forte highlights that Utertab's intrauterine administration allows it to act directly in the target tissue. It is presented in a perforated blister pack for better sealing.
Dr John Henderson, Large Animal Product Manager at Forte Healthcare Ltd said: "Given the need to use appropriate first-line antibacterial drugs where possible we are delighted to bring vets a new Tetracycline pessary, ‘Utertab’, for the treatment of metritis and retained foetal membranes.
"In-situ therapy for these conditions has more recently been neglected in favour of injectables but still has much to recommend it. We look forward to highlighting these benefits over the next few months."
For further information on Utertab 2000mg, contact your local Forte Territory Manager or enquiries@fortehealthcare.com.
"We are urgently looking at what these new national lockdowns will mean for veterinary professionals and services, and we are liaising with the Chief Veterinary Officers.
"We aim to issue updated guidance in the coming days but can confirm that we will not be reverting to emergency-only work, as we saw at the start of the first UK-wide lockdown last March.
"Instead, we are developing guidance to support veterinary professionals to carry out work that is essential for public health and animal health and welfare, in the context of the very strong ‘stay at home’ messages from both governments.
"We recognise that this continues to be a very challenging and difficult time for our colleagues, and we want to thank veterinary teams across the UK for continuing to work safely so that we can all play our part in stopping the spread of Covid.
"Once again we thank animal owners for their understanding and ask them to continue to respect their vets’ decisions at this time. The range of services available will vary between practices so that vets can work in Covid-safe ways to keep their colleagues and clients safe."
Jonathan Hill, UK country manager at Dômes Pharma said: "Dômes Pharma is really excited to be extending our pet anxiety range to help vets manage cases in this complex area.
https://domespharma.co.uk/products/fluoxevet/
He takes over the role from Huw Griffiths at the end of BEVA Congress 7th -10th September 2022. Roger Smith becomes President Elect.
Following graduation from The University of Bristol in 2001, David worked in farm animal and equine practice in Somerset before completing an internship at Liphook Equine Hospital.
A three-year Horserace Betting Levy Board residency at The University of Glasgow and Liphook Equine Hospital enabled him to train as a specialist in equine internal medicine and to gain a masters by research into equine asthma and an RCVS certificate in equine medicine.
David spent several years at Liphook Equine Hospital in Hampshire and had spells at The Royal Veterinary College, London and Charles Sturt University in Australia before moving to Rainbow Equine Hospital in Yorkshire where he led the internal medicine and laboratory services as a director and subsequently a clinical director following the hospital’s acquisition by the VetPartners group.
David returned to his Westcountry roots in 2020 and now combines work as an independent equine medicine and therapeutics consultant with running the family farm on the edge of Exmoor.
He is chair of BEVA’s health and medicines committee.
During his presidential year David is keen to continue build on his recent work around antimicrobial and anthelmintic resistance as well as expanding BEVA’s global outreach to support more equine vets and have a greater impact on equine welfare.
He said: “I’ve had a great time being part of the profession for the past 20 years and I am now in a position to give something back.
“Huw has driven much activity in the past year around recruitment and retention and I hope to be able to build on this and action results from the recent survey, under Huw’s continued supervision. I am also determined to maintain momentum around BEVA’s antimicrobial and anthelmintic resistance work as well as step up collaboration internationally on these and other projects to extend BEVA’s global outreach.
“Around 99% of the world’s horses are cared for by around 1% of the world’s vets so we are not going to change things overnight; however, BEVA has so much to offer and we should use our resources to support equine welfare, irrespective of where equine vets and their patients live and work.”
The initiative was first launched in 2018 as a small-scale pilot.
Following a hiatus during Covid, and subsequent adaptations and expansion, the 2022 programme saw 12 new graduate vets from PDSA and 22 from Vets Now take part.
Dr Aoife Reid, Head of Edge programmes and Clinical Career Progression at Vets Now said: “We recognised that within ECC practice, surgical cases are less common.
“When they do happen, though, they are high-stakes and are usually lifesaving.
"So, it’s important to maintain the surgical skills of our veterinary surgeons.”
Meanwhile, while each of PDSA Pet Hospital’s perform hundreds of surgical procedures every week, working in collaboration with Vets Now’s 60-plus clinics and hospitals gives new graduates exposure to more intensive and time-critical emergencies.
They encountered case presentations that are more commonly seen in emergency situations, including dystocia, seizures and dyspnoea; and developed their skills utilising point of care ultrasound and blood gas analysis with more critical patients.
Gemma Renwick, PDSA Area Veterinary Manager said: “This a scheme has really positive mutual benefits and provides a greater level of understanding of how each other works.
“It makes for a smooth transition between the day and the night service; which results in a much better experience for both clients and pets.”
Before attending, vets get a taster of what to expect through short webinar-style videos. They each then spend three shifts working alongside the other veterinary teams.
The Vets Now clinicians perform several surgeries in one shift, something that would rarely happen in all but the busiest of emergency clinics.
They also benefit from discussing cases when they may be more used to working in a solo environment and receive feedback from an experienced PDSA Clinical Coach.
Vets Now says feedback from both sides has been hugely positive, with participating vets saying they felt welcomed and supported.
Aoife said: “Within the veterinary industry, although it’s a small and close-knit community, we rarely see organisations collaborating in this way.“
"So, it’s great to work together to help benefit both our vets and the clients.”
Production company Keo Films is on the hunt for a veterinary surgeon that wants to take a year out and help set up a new community in a remote part of the British Isles for a high profile TV documentary series.
The documentary is essentially a social experiment to see whether it is possible to begin again, away from the conveniences and technology of the modern world.
Keo Films, which was behind such programmes as River Cottage and Welcome to Rio, tells VetSurgeon.org that they've already had applications from people working in a variety of fields, including doctors, builders and engineers. For obvious reasons, they are very keen to recruit a veterinary surgeon.
There is no payment for appearing in the documentary. Still, it might be just the thing for someone who needs a break from it all. And who knows, it might lead to a second career opening supermarkets at the weekend!
If you're interested, or know someone else who might be, contact eden@keofilms.com or call 020 7490 3580
An environmental photojournalist, Mr Gekoski has won various well-known wildlife photography awards and is regularly featured in the press, most recently for his book Animosity: Human - Animal Conflict in the 21st Century.
Aaron will join BVA President James Russell, Association of Veterinary Students (AVS) Senior Vice President Izzie Arthur and two other judges nominated by the competition sponsor iM3 Veterinary Dentistry. The BVA photography competition has already had over 200 entries for this year's award since it launched in January. Split into three categories, entrants are asked to focus on images that capture the human-animal bond in day-to-day veterinary work, as well as photos of pets or wildlife taken outside of the working environment.
Submissions for each category can be taken on a phone or a high-spec camera, and should take into account responsible animal interaction and positive animal health and welfare.
The three categories are:
Aaron said: “It's a huge honour to be a judge for the BVA Veterinary Photographer of the Year Award, the most prestigious photographic competition for the veterinary profession. The competition helps shine a light on the invaluable and relentless work carried out by vets around the world; work that may otherwise go unnoticed. I look forward to bringing my experience as an environmental photojournalist to the judging process."
The BVA Veterinary Photographer of the Year Award 2021 closes at 11.59 GMT on 8th March 2021. Winners will be announced in April. They will receive a £250 John Lewis voucher and their pictures exhibited by BVA.
Find out more and submit your entries at www.bva.co.uk/photo-comp
The event, which was cancelled last year because of the Covid-19 pandemic, is the first opportunity for the profession to get back together after the past two turbulent years. To mark BEVA’s 60th Birthday, special celebrations are in the pipeline as well as the 13th International Equine Colic Symposium taking place during the event.
BEVA President Lucy Grieve said: "We are all so excited that BEVA Congress is back this year, albeit that it will be a little bit different. You can expect the same event we all know and love but with a few new measures in place to ensure we can all stay safe during these uncertain times. We are also offering a virtual option for those that can’t attend in person, so that no one misses out.”
Congress Committee co-chair Tim Barnett said: “My co-chair Ceri Sherlock and I have been working hard over the past few months to put together a programme that rivals anything we’ve had before. You can expect lectures, discussion and debates on a number of topics including learning from mistakes, working in teams, and a dedicated stream of nursing lectures.”
This year Lucy has selected teamwork as the theme for BEVA Congress 2021, in celebration of the Association’s 60th anniversary. She said: “In modern day veterinary medicine, no one person can satisfactorily deliver all that is required.
“Without a team approach, from vets, nurses, practice managers, farriers and paraprofessionals the potential to maximise the health and welfare of horses cannot be fulfilled.
"This year, we intend to celebrate 60 years of teamwork and how we can do far more to serve our patients as a harmonious team than if we work alone.”
Early bird tickets for BEVA Congress are available from 19th April until 16th August 2021. Tickets provide access to all three lecture halls and exhibition halls as well as the virtual congress hub. They also include a complimentary ticket to the 13th International Equine Colic Symposium.
Early bird BEVA member prices are £499 for vets and £187 for vet nurses for all 3 days (with concessions available for those in their first three years of graduation or on a lower salary). Virtual tickets are £99 for BEVA members.
BEVA has introduced a 'peace of mind' bookings policy to reassure those whose personal situation may change between booking their ticket and the event.
Full details of the BEVA Congress programme will be announced shortly. To find out more and to book your tickets visit http://www.bevacongress.org/
The Prime Minister's website has received a petition for a new law making it compulsory to microchip pets in the UK.
If you wish to support this petition, please click here and add your name: http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/MicrochipPets/
The full petition reads:
"I am a responsible pet owner and have both my parrots and dog microchipped. I genuinely believe that all pets (where possible) should be microchipped.
I feel that it should be mandatory and is part of being a responsible pet owner. This should act as a "licence". I strongly beleive that this course of action will protect many discarded, stolen and mistreated pets every year as there will be no escape for the owners as the pet can be traced back to them.
I appreciated that due to size and temperament some pets may not be able to be microchipped, but certainly dogs, cats, horses, valuable / larger birds, rabbits etc should be.
I hope you agree that £30 for a microchip is good value, if owners cannot afford this then they shouldnt be considering a pet in the first place.
Please can you give this idea serious consideration as I feel we must do something to protect the pets that do not have a voice in our society."
The BVA and RCVS have announced the formation of the Vet Futures Action Group to take forward the ambitions and recommendations in the Vet Futures report ‘Taking charge of our future: A vision for the veterinary profession for 2030’ launched in November 2015.
The call for applications attracted more than 80 candidates with many more expressing an interest in helping to take the project forward.
The Action Group will be tasked with working collectively to turn the report’s 34 recommendations into clear actions with buy-in from across the veterinary profession and a timetable for activity.
The Action Group is made up of the BVA and RCVS Presidents and Junior Vice-Presidents, seven veterinary surgeons, a veterinary nurse, and a co-opted veterinary student:
The members of the Group joining the BVA and RCVS officers were selected by the Vet Futures Project Board for their mix of experience and expertise across the Vet Futures ambitions and themes (Animal health and welfare; Veterinary professionals’ wider roles in society; The health and wellbeing of veterinary professionals; Diverse and rewarding veterinary careers; Sustainable businesses and user-focused services; and Leadership), as well as in veterinary education, veterinary regulation, and veterinary nursing.
BVA President Sean Wensley said: "The Group has a very important task ahead and we are confident that we have an excellent group of people with the right balance of skills, experience and expertise to take forward the Vet Futures recommendations and turn them into concrete actions.
"We have had an incredibly positive response from the profession to the launch of the report and we hope organisations and individuals will now step up to work with the Action Group and take ownership of the activity for the good of the whole profession."
RCVS President Bradley Viner said: "We were overwhelmed by the response from the professions with ten applications for every place, and many more offers of support. The Project Board was particularly impressed by the high quality of the applications and the breadth of experience demonstrated by the candidates from all parts of the profession.
"It was incredibly difficult to select the members of the Group from such a strong field but we are pleased that we have captured the variety within the profession as well as the enthusiasm to drive the project forward. We sincerely hope everyone who expressed an interest will remain engaged with the project as it progresses this year."
Vet History is part of a five year project to improve access to and awareness of the wealth of material held by the College, which began with the appointment of a qualified archivist in October 2015 and the creation of the online database which includes descriptions of material catalogued to international archive standards. The catalogue will be fully searchable with biographical profiles for major persons featured in the collections.
The papers of the prolific veterinary author and army veterinarian Major General Sir Frederick Smith (1857-1929) are amongst the first collections to be fully catalogued and described online. The material covers the length of Smith’s career from case notes recording treatment of army horses in India in the 1880s to correspondence from the last 20 years of his life, in which he wrote a four volume history of veterinary literature. Smith was involved in the Army Veterinary Service during the Second Anglo-Boer War and the First World War, and his honest and candid accounts of the loss of horses by the Army illustrate fascinating aspects of veterinary, social and military history.
Chris Gush, Executive Director, RCVS Knowledge said: "The launch of the Archives catalogue covers a critical and fascinating time in the nation’s history, both for the advances in veterinary science and its role in marinating a functioning British military presence in the 19th century. Through this unparalleled collection, RCVS Knowledge can be an invaluable source of information for academic research and the general public."
The RCVS Vet History project is ongoing, and further collections will be catalogued periodically over the next four years. Visitors are encouraged to check the catalogue regularly, and follow RCVS Knowledge’s Twitter feed for news and updates.
To see behind the scenes of the Project, and find out more about highlighted items, follow the Historical Collections blog here.
The RCVS Vet History Project is supported by The ALBORADA Trust.
The study titled “Diagnosis and treatment of gastro-oesophageal junction abnormalities in dogs with brachycephalic syndrome” included thirty-six client-owned brachycephalic dogs (French bulldogs, pug and English bulldogs) in a prospective, randomised trial.
Antacid treatment (omeprazole (1mg/kg PO q24 hours) and magaldrate (5-10mL/dog PO q8-12 hours)) was randomly prescribed in 18 dogs before and after surgery, while the other 18 dogs did not receive any gastrointestinal medical treatment.
Digestive clinical signs and gastro-oesophageal junction abnormalities (GJA) were assessed and scored at presentation, at the time of surgery and at recheck. GJA were assessed during endoscopy in standard conditions, as well as during endotracheal tube obstruction. All endoscopic procedures were recorded and reviewed by a single, blinded reviewer.
In order to assess whether endotracheal tube obstruction manoeuvre accurately detects GJA, the procedure was also performed during the examination of the gastro-oesophageal junction in a group of 10 control dogs. Control dogs were healthy or had diseases that were not expected to interfere with gastro-oesophageal junction dynamics, and were anaesthetised for independent purposes.
Dr Emilie Vangrinsven, corresponding author for the paper said: "Although results of multivariate analysis failed to demonstrate a direct effect of antacid treatment, a significant interaction between antacid treatment status and improvement of digestive clinical score throughout the endoscopies was present, meaning that treated animals seem to improve faster and have lower clinical scores after surgery than untreated animals. Furthermore, a significant improvement in GJA-obstruction score was present in the treatment group only.
"In contrast to standard endoscopy, the obstruction manoeuvre during endoscopy allowed detection of GJA in dogs, even in the absence of clinical signs. We were concerned that the obstruction manoeuvre may induce false positive results for the diagnosis of dynamic GJA; in the control group, GJA during obstruction manoeuvre were found to be negligible suggesting that this technique does not significantly overestimate the presence of GJA.”
Nicola Di Girolamo, Editor of JSAP said: "Based on this study, antacid treatment administered to brachycephalic dogs undergoing surgery may be beneficial. It should be noted that a direct influence of antacid treatment on digestive clinical and lesion scores could not be significantly demonstrated, which may have been because of the lack of an actual difference, or as a result of the small sample size.”
The full article can be found in the March issue of the Journal of Small Animal Practice and can be read online here: https://www.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jsap.13279
Reference
Photo: Professor Ian Ramsey
The refreshed packaging keeps the same colour scheme, but the graphics indicating the product uses stand out better.
The company has also added an area on the side of the carton for owners to note the date each dose is given.
What can I say, it's a slow news day.
Pet insurer esure has released the results of a survey of vets bills, carried out amongst 3000 pet owners.
Whilst the intent behind surveys like these may be laudable (i.e. to encourage more pet owners to insure their pets), they do the profession no favours, emphasising the high perceived costs of veterinary care rather than the good value that it generally represents.
This survey highlighted that:
esure's research showed that English Setters are the mostly costly breed of dog, forcing their owners to shell out £6,955 on vet bills, including injections, surgery and emergency treatments, in a lifetime.
Despite the potential for big bills, just a third (31 per cent) of pet owners have pet insurance and almost a quarter of those with cover admitted they were considering cancelling it to save money during the current credit crunch.
According to esure, many dog owners may be choosing to cancel or not even buy pet insurance because they are significantly underestimating the cost of treating common ailments and injuries. 29 per cent of pet owners surveyed think that the average vet bill for a dog with diabetes would be under £200, when it is actually £1146 including ongoing treatment*. To repair a dog's broken leg, 11 per cent of pet owners think that the average vet bill would be less than £100. It is actually more than five times that amount at £560*.
Mike Pickard, Head of esure pet insurance said: "Sickness, injury and long-term illness can affect any breed of dog, at any time, which is why it's crucial for pet owners to have insurance or ample savings to cover an unexpected vet bill of any size. With many pet owners underestimating the cost of treatment for common ailments, a hefty vet bill may stretch household finances to the limit - especially in the current credit crunch. Pet owners should plan ahead for all eventualities when it comes to their dog's health."
VET BILLS FOR THE TOP 10 MOST POORLY DOG BREEDS:
* Based on all claims received by pet insurance specialist, Thornside in 2008. http://www.bdml.co.uk/about-thornside.html