Some big names from the art and entertainment worlds, including Cheryl Cole, Tracey Emin, Twiggy and Jamie Oliver are donating their own paintings and drawings of hares to raise money for two new operating theatres at Great Ormond Street Hospital.

One of these A4 canvases would be a great addition to a veterinary practice waiting room. It would be sure to create an interesting talking point, particularly if you specialise in leporids. 

If you're interested in buying one, they go under the auctioneer's hammer both online and at the 'Hare Ball' at the Dorchester Hotel in London on May 26th 2011.

The Hare Styling Celebrity Canvases Appeal is the brainchild of hairdresser Michael Van Clarke whose daughter Angelica was given a lifesaving operation at Great Ormond Street Hospital when she was just two days old. Now 15 years old, Angelica has drawn a hare to help raise funds for the hospital that saved her life. The hare has been reproduced on A4 canvases which have been sent to well-known names in the public eye inviting them to create an original artwork.

Other celebrities who have already donated include Stella McCartney, Tara Palmer-Tomkinson, Terry Venables and HRH Princess Beatrice The Duchess of York. Many more are expected ahead of the March deadline. All of the canvases will be displayed at a central London gallery exhibition and most will be included in a hard bound book printed to raise further money for Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity.

Michael Van Clarke said: “The pioneering work carried out at Great Ormond Street Hospital provides hope to extremely sick children and their families. My family knows first-hand the incredible difference the hospital can make and I am always looking for ways to show my gratitude. When we first came up with this Hare styling idea, we weren’t sure how it would be received, but we have been overwhelmed by the response from the recipients of the canvases.

"The fundraising potential of these canvases is huge and we are so grateful for the time and effort people have put in to creating them. We are also looking forward to handing over a big cheque to the charity once all the canvases have been sold.”

For further information or to see a selection of the canvases, please visit http://www.harestyling.com/.

The British Veterinary Association (BVA) is calling on the Veterinary Medicines Directorate to classify all anthelmintics as POM-V, so that they can only be prescribed by a veterinary surgeon, rather than by vets and Suitably Qualified Person (SQPs) as at present.

The BVA has written to the VMD to request that changes are made to the Veterinary Medicines Regulations. The BVA is also supporting the efforts of the Federation of Veterinarians of Europe in lobbying the European Commission for tighter rules to be in place across all European Member States regarding the accessibility of anthelmintics.

The BVA says that at a time when expert opinion is increasingly alarmed at the growth in resistance to anthelmintics in grazing animals, it believes that it is important that all anthelmintics be classified as POM-V so that their use is conditional on appropriate veterinary advice for all species.

Many experts in parasitology have cited the distribution of anthelmintics by SQPs in the past as one of the main reasons for the dangerous levels of resistance to anthelmintics in grazing animals in the UK at present. SQPs do not have the level of expertise that a veterinary surgeon has in veterinary parasitology.

BVA is an active member of the Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture (RUMA) Alliance and in 2010 BVA launched a poster and detailed guidance for vets on how to prescribe and use anthelmintics responsibly. BVA's CPD Group is also working on a programme of CPD to reinforce the responsible use of these medicines.

Peter Jones, BVA President said: "We know that resistance to anthelmintics is a major problem that must be addressed vigorously if the livestock industry is to avoid a potentially disastrous situation of being unable to tackle parasites in grazing animals.

"Anthelmintics should only be prescribed by a veterinary surgeon who has the animals under his/her care and based on a sound clinical diagnosis.

"We strongly supported the VMD's recent decision to continue to classify the new anthelmintic product containing monepantel as POM-V, but the UK stands alone in Europe in classifying other anthelmintics as POM-VPS.

"The UK must be brought in line with the rest of Europe and we need Europe-wide legislation to better control access to anthelmintics in order to safeguard the efficacy of these products in the future."

Ivan Crotaz MRCVS and Jo Hinde RVN have launched a specialist rabbit CPD company, LagoLearn, to help veterinary surgeons and nurses develop their skills so they can treat pet rabbits to the same level as cats and dogs.

According to the Pet Food Manufacturers Association, there are an estimated 1M pet rabbits in the UK. They are commonly presented for treatment in practice and clients are beginning to expect complex workups and high levels of veterinary care.

Ivan, who qualified from the RVC in 1999, has been taking on first and second opinion rabbit cases for over 12 years and was instrumental in developing the v-gel anaesthetic device for rabbits and other species (www.docsinnovent.com). Jo has worked in first opinion practice since 2007 and was the Blue Cross Veterinary Nurse of the Year in 2014. Asides from her nursing experience, Jo has been teaching rabbit husbandry and nursing to owners and nurses directly and also via the Rabbit Welfare Association since 2012. Jo and Ivan have also taught rabbit anaesthesia at the Western Veterinary Conference in the USA for the last 3 years as well as lecturing for the Rabbit Welfare Association in the UK. 

Ivan said: "We’re trying to get rabbit medicine to be seen as an important CPD subject for vets and nurses. We’re going to be offering day courses and conferences with an enjoyable and challenging mix of small group teaching, problem solving, practical teaching and conventional lectures - making sure that all our courses offer a really enjoyable day out as well as being first class CPD. Our first course is on the 13th October in Berkshire and we’ll be offering many more courses and conferences in the future!"

For more information about LagoLearn and its rabbit CPD, visit: http://www.lagolearn.com 

Zoetis has announced the launch of Apoquel (oclacitinib maleate), a new treatment for pruritus associated with canine allergic dermatitis and the clinical manifestations of atopic dermatitis. 

Uniquely, the new treatment inhibits the JAK enzyme, a protein that is integral to the signalling pathway of cytokines that are pro-inflammatory or have a role in allergic and itch response.

According to the company, pruritus affects about one in six dogs whose owners seek veterinary help, and about half of all itchy dogs will have an underlying allergic skin condition for which the new product would be indicated.

Zoetis says that because Apoquel targets the specific pathways of pruritus (itch) and inflammation, it is less likely to cause unwanted side effects than glucocorticoids and demonstrates anti-pruritic efficacy within four hours.

Pascal Prélaud, a dermatology specialist from Paris, who took part in the clinical development programme of Apoquel, said: "When a dog develops an itch related to an allergy, it can be life-disrupting for the dog and the entire family. I've learned firsthand the fundamental difference this treatment can make to a dog and its owners in stopping the itch, but without many of the side-effects that are common with steroids.

Zoetis reports that in clinical trials, Apoquel demonstrated a good safety profile and efficacy for the treatment of pruritus and resulted in improved skin lesions in dogs diagnosed with a number of allergic skin diseases as well as atopic dermatitis and treated either short or long term. The decrease in itch scores was observed by pet owners within 24 hours of administration, and pruritus continued to decrease compared to baseline until the end of the study.  Skin lesions scores assessed by veterinarians were significantly improved after one week and continued to improve long term during the studies (four months). 

Apoquel is a POM. Apoquel tablets, dosed at 0.4 to 0.6 mg/kg, are administered orally, twice daily for up to 14 days, and then administered once daily for maintenance therapy if medium- to long-term treatment is required, such as in dogs with seasonal skin allergy and atopic dermatitis. 

To mark British Food Fortnight (running until 2nd October) the BVA is calling for mandatory method of production food labelling, which it says could offer post-Brexit UK food producers and farmers a unique selling point.

BVA has added its voice to the Labelling Matters campaign for the introduction of mandatory method of production labelling of meat and dairy products. This would help consumers across the UK to answer the simple questions "How was this animal kept?" and "Did this animal die a humane death?", including stunning before slaughter.

A key element of the Labelling Matters campaign is that mandatory method of production labelling must be underpinned by robust welfare outcome safeguards, with on-farm welfare assessments ensuring that high welfare standards are being achieved.

Legislation for mandatory method of production labelling has been implemented already for shell eggs, which must legally be labelled either as “eggs from caged hens”, “barn eggs”, “free range” or “organic”. Labelling Matters wants to see this principle extended to meat and dairy products from other farmed animals.

The BVA highlights evidence which shows that consumers in the UK and across Europe want clear food labelling with information about animal welfare:

• The majority of European consumers are confused by current labelling and are often unable to tell what the welfare standards are for animals used in the product, according to European Product Labels Research commissioned by Labelling Matters
• 80% of EU consumers want labelling that clearly shows which farm system was used to produce their meat and dairy product
• 94% of vets believe UK consumers of meat and fish should be better informed about slaughter methods, BVA's own Voice of the Veterinary Profession survey found
• A study of 13,500 meat consumers across 27 EU Member States found that 72% want information about the stunning of animals when buying meat

BVA President Sean Wensley said: "For vets it's a top priority that the animals we rear for food have a good life and a humane death. Research shows that vets are not alone in caring about where their food comes from. Mandatory method of production labelling makes sense on a number of fronts: consumers can be clearly and consistently informed about how the animals reared for their meat and dairy products were kept, with on-farm welfare assessments assuring high standards. Mandatory method of production labelling would give unambiguous information to the high numbers of consumers who care about animal welfare when buying meat and dairy products and help ensure market support for British farmers who pride themselves on achieving the highest welfare standards."

The UK Brachycephalic Working Group (BWG) has published its five-year strategy to improve the health and welfare of both current and future generations of flat-faced dogs.

The five-year strategy outlines actions required from the group and its members until 2025, as well as focusing on changing wider public attitudes to extreme conformations in brachycephalic dogs.

It identifies three core challenges:

• Dramatically reducing numbers and popularity of dogs with brachycephaly
• Promoting a more moderate and healthier phenotype of the remaining dogs with brachycephaly
• Reducing the negative impacts of brachycephaly on the current generations of flat-faced dogs

Some of the actions committed to include working to prevent the inappropriate use of imagery of brachycephalic dogs in advertising, promoting relevant health testing schemes and sharing research with breeders and would-be owners, alongside developing and promoting a Brachycephalic Health Assessment veterinary consultation framework.

Dr Dan O’Neill, chair of BWG said: “BWG understands that the serious health problems associated with the flat-faced body shape can cause many dogs to suffer and considers that the health and welfare problems linked to breeding for a flat face are one of the UK’s leading canine welfare priorities.

"This new strategy lays out a plan to redress many of these issues and we call on everybody to ‘Stop and think before buying a flat-faced dog’.”

www.ukbwg.org.uk/?page_id=801

A comprehensive review published open access online in the Veterinary Record today has concluded that there is insufficient evidence to support the use of homeopathy in food producing animals as a way to prevent or treat infectious diseases.

Homeopathy is widely used in livestock, especially to replace or reduce the use of antibiotics in the treatment of infectious diseases, although its use is often seen as controversial. For organic agriculture, homeopathy is even promoted. 

In the review, Dr Caroline Doehring and Professor Albert Sundrum from the University of Kassel, Germany, assessed peer-reviewed studies on the efficacy of homeopathy in cattle, pigs and poultry published between 1981 and 2014.

They analysed a total of 52 clinical trials, 34 with cattle, 12 with pigs and six with poultry. They were published in 48 publications. 

Of these, 28 concluded that the homeopathic remedy administered was effective, 22 showed no efficacy and 2 were inconclusive. 

Only 10 trials provided information on cure rates for the treatments. These varied to a high degree, while the remedy used did not seem to make a big difference. 

Trials on pigs were frequently efficacious, while studies with cattle or poultry had a similar distribution of efficacious and non-efficacious treatment. 

Double-blind randomised controlled trials reported efficacy of the homeopathic treatment almost as often as they reported lack of it. 

Meanwhile, single-blind and non-blind randomised controlled trials, and observational trials were more likely to present evidence of efficacy, suggesting that positive outcomes may be due to bias. 

Other study limitations, such as potential conflict of interests, low sample size, risk for selective reporting and bias, were found in the majority of trials. 

While some clinical trials showed effectiveness, the authors of the review question the reliability of the evidence, because all studies had a range of limitations. For example, all clinical trials were conducted under very specific conditions and none were repeated under comparable conditions.

Therefore, the authors say the findings cannot be be used to recommend homeopathy: "The current evidence of studies providing evidence in favour of homeopathy lacks reproducibility and therefore cannot claim to have sufficient prognostic validity."

"Due to a lack of prognostic validity, replacing or reducing antibiotics with homeopathy currently cannot be recommended unless evidence of efficacy is reproduced by RCTs and proven in various farm practice conditions."

Success in Veterinary Practice by Dr. Bradley Viner DProf BVetMed MSc(VetGP) MRCVS is now available from Wiley Blackwell at £28.99. Teeside general practitioner Rob Reid BVM&S MRCVS has reviewed the book for members of VetSurgeon.org:

There are many self-help books available in a variety of fields, covering topics which range from stress management and emotional control through to furthering one's career and professional development. Until now, there has been no such publication that has covered these issues in the veterinary context, and it is here that Bradley Viner has identified a niche in the market with his new book Success in Veterinary Practice.

The aim of book is to help veterinary practitioners of all levels to develop and nurture their professional skills, both on a personal and at a practice level. The book will be of interest to vets in all fields and contains a lot of information that will be particularly relevant to vets who are embarking on the Professional Key Skills Module of the RCVS CertAVP. It may also be of interest to other members of the veterinary practice team and is also marketed at individuals who are considering a career in the veterinary field.

The book is organised into nine chapters, with the first eight providing content matter on areas such as personal development, communication techniques, improving clinical performance and developing leadership skills, with the final chapter summarising the information presented. The first eight chapters are structured in such as way that information is presented in a digestible format. The material is detailed enough to provide understanding without being overburdening and the summary and exercise sections presented at the end of each chapter help the reader to review what they have read and pick out the key ideas.

There were many areas of the book I found interesting and I liked the way that the author has looked at the psychological and sociological aspects of one's actions, both in relation to colleagues in the workplace and in relation to dealing with clients. From a personal point of view, I also liked the section on communication skills - an area which probably doesn't receive enough coverage in both undergraduate and postgraduate education.

On the negative side, there are some minor typographical errors and I feel some of the diagrams could have been better produced. The pure academics among us may also be somewhat critical about the author's stance towards the relevance of some aspects of clinical research. And of course some people may be put off by the price, with the truly cynical among us possibly seeing the close relevance of the content to the syllabus of the CertAVP 'A' module as a cunning marketing ploy!

As a general practitioner, however, I found the book to be informative and thought-provoking. I have found it has encouraged me to take a look at certain aspects of my work which I have almost done instinctively in the past, analyse my reasons for doing them and then look at how I can improve on these in the future, for the good of patients, my clients, the rest of the working team and of course for myself. It is certainly an interesting read, and I would recommend it to be of value to any vet who sees the term 'professional development' to mean far more than a simple sharpening of one's clinical skills.

RCVS Knowledge and Amplitude Clinical Outcomes are celebrating the acceptance of a virtual poster about their Canine Cruciate Registry at the National Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) Research Conference, paving the way for greater collaboration between human and veterinary researchers in the future.

RCVS Knowledge launched the Canine Cruciate Registry on the Amplitude pro registry platform last year.

The automated registry, the first of its kind in veterinary medicine, allows the profession to evaluate the success of surgical techniques, and practitioners to benchmark their performance.

In June, RCVS Knowledge  had a poster detailing the purpose, impact and aspirations of the registry accepted at the PROMs research conference, which before now typically only accepted submissions from the field of human medicine. 

This, says Amplitude, marks the first step in sharing information about running registries designed to identify best practice in the care and treatment of both animals and people.

Chris Gush, Executive Director of RCVS Knowledge, said: "RCVS Knowledge is proud to be leading the development of clinical audit and registries to support the veterinary professions on their journey to continually improve the care they deliver.

"Registries are key in supporting the professions in understanding first-hand information about our patients with certain conditions, both individually and as a group, contextualizing with information from their owners, and over time, to increase our understanding of that condition.”

European veterinary practitioners are to receive guidance on the appropriate use of the fluoroquinolone group of antibiotics in treating a wide range of common diseases in companion animals.

The advice has been drawn up by the REQUEST team, a multinational and multidisciplinary group of experts which met for the third time last November. Their recommendations have been designed to help ensure the continued availability of this class of antibiotics in both veterinary and human medicine.

The REQUEST initiative aims to achieve a consensus on when and how to prescribe fluoroquinolones, based on a detailed assessment of published scientific data by its panel of nine acknowledged international experts. Following earlier meetings in Lyon and Vienna they have reached a stage in this ongoing project in which they can offer specific guidance on the use of fluoroquinolones in treating three important conditions in dogs: pyoderma, bacterial diseases of the upper respiratory tract and lower urinary tract infections. They will also be offering guidance on the appropriate use of this class of antibiotics in cats to avoid the development of retinal toxicities, which may occasionally result from treatment with one particular fluoroquinolone drug, enrofloxacin.

The guidance will be presented in papers to be submitted to those scientific journals which will be easily accessible to veterinary practitioners throughout Europe. Further papers will be produced and translated into the main European languages giving guidance on fluoroquinolones use in other important bacterial conditions in dogs and cats.

In the later stages of the project, the team will be highlighting priorities for future research and will use its influence to encourage collaborative studies involving the animal health industry, practitioners, veterinary schools and other research institutions, which will validate and redefine the current recommendations. They will also advise on studies which may provide the information needed in those clinical areas where there is currently insufficient published data on which to base any practical advice, such as the use of fluoroquinolones in minor companion animal species.

The REQUEST initiative is supported by Vetoquinol, a global supplier of fluoroquinolone medicines to the veterinary community. Further support is provided by the healthcare consultancy StratAdviser Ltd, which gives assistance on methodology and other scientific matters and also guarantees the independence of the expert group.

Zoetis has announced that Trocoxil, the once-monthly treatment for canine osteoarthritis, is back in stock following a supply shortage.

The company says it has been working hard to ensure improved supply on a number of brands including Apoquel, Palladia and now Trocoxil, with animal welfare being the key consideration at all times throughout this process. 

Ned Flaxman, business unit director for companion animal, equine and innovation at Zoetis said: “It was a really difficult decision to stop production of Trocoxil in favour of Apoquel and Palladia but we felt that it was the right thing to do on animal welfare grounds. As soon as we had full stocks of these products we resumed the manufacture of Trocoxil and I am delighted to say that it will be back in stock in December.

"I would like to thank our veterinary clients for their patience and reassure them that we brought the product back to market as quickly as we could and do not anticipate any further stock issues."

Trocoxil chewable tablets are used for the treatment of pain and inflammation associated with degenerative joint disease in dogs aged 12 months or over.

For more information, contact your Zoetis account manager.

The BSAVA has published the full programme for this year's Congress, which will be held online from the 25th to the 27th March.

The programme includes more than 130 hours of CPD delivered by over 100 speakers from home and abroad, with talks for all members of the practice team. 

The UK speakers include Rebecca Geddes on kidney medicine and nursing; Amy Newfield on IV access techniques; Rob White on brachycephalic surgery and acute abdomen surgical techniques; Penny Watson on liver disease; Dick White on the surgical team; Butty Villiers on cytology for vets and nurses; John Chitty on several rabbits, small furries and exotics topics.

BSAVA President, Professor Ian Ramsey, said: “Following months of meticulous planning we are thrilled that the programme is now live

"The sheer range and high quality of our speakers and content, together with our new, more dynamic format takes webinar learning to a new level."

“Delegates will be able to develop their skills and knowledge on topics they see regularly in practice. To make things even easier we will be providing practical resources such as client handouts for delegates to take back to their clinics. This, coupled with many speakers sharing their own notes and practical resources means less note-taking and a quicker and easier way for delegates to share what they have learnt with their colleagues.”

There will be three keynote speakers; Jenny Campbell, a former Dragon on BBC’s Dragon’s Den, will be sharing her experiences as an entrepreneur and business leader. Two other keynote names will be announced shortly.

On the social side the focus is on bringing people together online to share light-hearted entertainment and laughter. Delegates can exercise their taste buds with some wine and whisky appreciation, throw some shapes with a virtual disco, exercise their bodies as well as their minds with yoga and unwind with some restorative meditation practices.

Ian added: “This year’s BSAVA Congress is going to be the most innovative ever and deliver like never before. There is plenty of relevant and engaging CPD for every practice professional, with all the convenience of a virtual event. If you haven’t already taken a look at the programme and registered, I urge you to do so now. With prices starting at just £99 +VAT for members it represents really great value.”

To register now visit https://www.bsavaevents.com/bsavacongress2021/en/page/home