Andrew Robathan MP has opened Companion Care Vets latest surgery in Leicester, bringing the number of surgeries across the UK to 67.
The surgery is located within the brand new Pets at Home store at Fosse Park, and the joint veterinary partners are Shabbir Shariff and Sameer Bheda.
The surgery houses a full operating theatre, digital x-ray facilities, in-house laboratory and a hospital ward providing a full range of treatments from health checks to emergency operations.
Shabbir said: "I have always wanted to own my own surgery and jumped at the opportunity to work with Companion Care Vets."
Vet Futures has published the results of a survey of the profession in which only half of veterinary surgeons who graduated within the last eight years say their career has matched their expectations.
The online survey gathered views from 892 veterinary students (via the Association of Veterinary Students) and 1,973 veterinary surgeons who had graduated within the last eight years, during May and June this year.
Although 37% of graduates reported that their working lives had met their expectations, and a further 13% said it had exceeded them, this left 50% partly or wholly unsatisfied. Furthermore, 10% said they were considering leaving the profession entirely.
The RCVS and the BVA say the results should be a “wakeup call” to the profession.
Vets who have been qualified for five years or more were least optimistic about the future, rating their opportunities for career progression less positively than more recent graduates. They were also least likely to feel that their degree had prepared them for their current work. Meanwhile, only 34% of students felt that their degree was preparing them ‘very well’ for the work they wanted to do.
73% of students intended to work in the UK, with most aspiring to work in small animal/exotic or mixed practice, although one in 10 was as yet undecided. Of the students, 45% said they wanted to become practice owners or partners. Clearly the reality is proving less enticing, because only 25% graduates shared the same aspiration. In addition, nearly double the number of graduates said they wanted to work outside clinical practice (18%), compared to students.
When looking for a job, the three factors that both graduates and students agreed would have the greatest influence on their choice of career were intellectual satisfaction, location and a supportive environment.
This last requirement chimes with the fact that among the most popular suggestions for improvement to the veterinary degree were compulsory modules on managing stress, personal development and work-life balance, alongside more teaching of business and finance skills, and extra-mural studies (EMS) placements in a wider range of settings, such as industry.
BVA President, John Blackwell, said: “The drop off in career satisfaction for vets during this crucial first eight years in practice is something we can’t afford to ignore. It points to frustration over career development opportunities and dissatisfaction with support available in practice. For the veterinary profession to remain sustainable, and an attractive career choice for the best and brightest, we need to address these issues with some urgency.”
RCVS President, Dr Bradley Viner, said: “We clearly need to address the disconnect between expectation and reality for many recent graduates. Reviewing the educational foundation of the profession is a thread that runs through many of the proposed actions that will be outlined in the Vet Futures report due this autumn. The teaching and assessment of non-clinical skills – both as part of the undergraduate curriculum and within postgraduate education – will be important, as will be the promotion of non-clinical career pathways.”
The survey also covered issues such as students’ aspirations in terms of the type (size, ownership, sector) of practice in which they would like to work, and graduates’ future career plans. It also considers attitudes from both groups with respect to new technology.
The full research report “Voices from the future of the profession,” can be read at www.vetfutures.org.uk/resources.
BEVA has announced that tickets are now on sale for BEVA Congress and members who register before 4th August 2016 can benefit from big discounts.
This year, BEVA Congress is being held at the ICC in central Birmingham.
In addition to the clinical programme, tactics to achieve the elusive work life balance and the applicability of evidence based medicine are recurring themes over the three days of the event.
Five separate programmes will run concurrently in five adjacent halls, deploying a mix of traditional lectures, panel discussions and interactive forums to suit equine vets and mixed practitioners at any stage in their career. Vet nurses, farriers, equine physiotherapists and equine dental technicians can also attend specific sessions focused on their areas of expertise.
There will be daily practical sessions in the exhibition hall: Jonathan Anderson, Will Barker, Tim Barnett, Ollie Crowe, Richard Reardon, Neil Townsend and Thomas Witte will be demonstrating sinoscopy and gastroscopy techniques and delegates will have the chance to roll up their sleeves and get hands on with dead heads and digital models.
Programme highlights include a day of advanced orthopaedics in combination with the European Society of Veterinary Orthopaedics and Traumatology (ESVOT). The sessions will draw on canine and human experience, with speakers including Ian Wright from the Newmarket Equine Hospital, Peter Clegg from the University of Liverpool, Wayne McIlwraith from Colorado State University and Martin Waselau from Equine Hospital Aschheim, Germany.
There will also be career and practice development sessions exploring what you can do with your veterinary degree, how to look after your staff and how to take advantage of smartphone technology in practice. Evidence in surgery and critical appraisal tools will be explored in a series of presentations on two separate days across a wide range of conditions. Speakers will include Will Barker, Bruce McGorum, and Etienne O'Brien.
Kathy Clarke, Professor of Veterinary Anaesthesia at the Royal Veterinary College, will be giving the plenary lecture on from the difficult horse to the demanding surgeon; how effective sedation has revolutionised what is achievable in equine clinical practice. There will be a debate on the Friday with Victoria Harris chairing the promisingly divisive This house believes that lab tests are overused and abused.
There will also be comprehensive sessions on parasitology, laminitis, skin disease, anaesthesia and analgesia, colic, respiratory disease, sports injuries, standing surgery, ophthalmology, diagnostics, wounds, neurology and differentiating lameness from neurological disease, mare and foal, reproduction, dentistry, gastro intestinal disease and nutrition, cardiology and medicine.
Saturday’s vet nurse sessions will cover surgical management, emergency patients, the use of antimicrobials and adjunctive therapies. In addition, daily clinical research presentations will provide exclusive opportunities to hear about novel and exciting research projects.
There's a free BEVA Congress App with the full scientific programme and to help you manage your day. And if you are struggling for time or torn between several lectures you can use the BEVA Congress Encore Room which gives you the chance to play back missed lectures at your convenience.
For more information, visit www.beva.org.uk.
The series comprises of six half-hour modules presented by leading European Specialists, starting with ‘Feline anorexia in clinical practice’ by Tommaso Furlanello Dr Med Vet, PhD, EBVS European Specialist in Veterinary Clinical Pathology and clinical director at San Marco Veterinary Clinic and Laboratory in Veggiano, Italy.
In the subsequent five sessions, participants will be able to work through a variety of real-life, interactive patient case studies presenting with complex underlying conditions, include sessions on chronic kidney failure (CKD) and cancer.
Completing the first two modules unlocks the remaining four modules needed to gain ‘Purrfect Partner’ accreditation.
The series counts for three hour's CPD.
www.dechra.co.uk/academy
The free app is designed to help to track changes and improvements in a dog’s health during treatment.
The app uses questionnaires to monitor clinical signs and quality of life and includes reminders for when checkups with routine blood tests should be carried out, which Dechra says are recommended at 10 days, 4 weeks, 12 weeks and every 3 months thereafter.
The app also sends pet owners daily reminders to administer medication to their dog.
Sarah Musgrave, companion animal brand manager at Dechra, said: “Continuous and consistent monitoring is key to finding the right Vetoryl dose for a dog with Cushing’s and restoring its health.
"The new Cushing’s syndrome treatment and monitoring app is a useful tool to help owners quickly and easily record and track any medical and lifestyle changes in dogs being treated with Vetoryl, which can then be shared with their vet during check-ups.”
To download the app, search for 'Cushing's monitoring' on either Apple's App Store or the Google Play Store.
Led by clinicians from Davies Veterinary Specialists, the Royal Veterinary College, and Willows Veterinary Centre and Referral Service, the study assessed the proportion of metronidazole use that was prescribed for non-antimicrobial purposes, and the rationale for it.
A survey was completed by 138 veterinarians, primarily in the UK and working in primary care small animal practice, who treated 332 cases (285 dogs and 47 cats) with metronidazole.
In 42% of cases, metronidazole was selected exclusively for non-antimicrobial targeted therapy, and was most commonly prescribed to treat acute diarrhoea, chronic diarrhoea, or giardiasis.
This, say researchers, is despite recommendations that antimicrobials are very rarely warranted for the management of acute and chronic diarrhoea.
The most common rationale cited by vets to justify metronidazole use was its supposed anti-inflammatory or immunomodulatory properties.
Other reasons included: treatment of suspected or confirmed anaerobic or susceptible bacterial infection, the patient being systemically unwell or having severe disease, treatment of protozoal infections, experiencing a previous positive outcome in a similar case or the same patient, anti-diarrhoeal action and owner or practice expectations.
Dr Justin Ng, lead author of the study, said: “These insights are alarming given that such practices frequently deviate from current antimicrobial use guidelines, potentially contributing to ongoing challenges with antimicrobial resistance and adverse effects on gastrointestinal health.”
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jsap.13910
Companion Care Vets has announced that it will open its 100th surgery in Llantrisant, South Wales on 7th September 2012.
The surgery will reside within the Pets at Home store in Llantrisant and will be owned and managed by Joint Venture Partner Rhian Bullock who has returned home to Llantristant after working and studying for many years in the USA.
Jane Balmain, Managing Director, Companion Care Vets said: "2012 has been quite a year for the business, we were named as one of The Sunday Times 100 Best Companies to Work For, becoming the first veterinary group to be awarded this accolade. Our growth has been such that we have recently launched a dedicated recruitment website, we have employed our 1,000th team member and to be opening our 100th surgery is testament to the hard work and dedication of our fantastic team."
Companion Care now has 117 Joint Veterinary Partners, 96 of whom are veterinary surgeons, 13 veterinary nurses, 7 practice managers and a receptionist and a further 953 colleagues employed by the group. The company says it has doubled in size in the past three years and is on track to do so again by 2015.
Jane said: "At present the majority of our surgeries are part of the Pets at Home in-store model but there are already five very successful standalone surgeries and the standalone surgery network plan is being developed to cater for those vets and veterinary nurses whose preference is to have a more traditional standalone surgery."
Rhian said: "A local girl, I have just moved back to Llantrisant and am really excited to be running my own practice in an area that I love. I set myself very high clinical standards and always involve the client in treatment and their pet's wellbeing. There is nothing that satisfies me more than well animals and happy clients."
Rhian and her team are involving the local community in the opening and will have guests from local branches of the Dogs Trust and the Cats Protection League present on opening day raising funds and joining in the celebrations.
Petplan has announced that nominations are now open for its 14th annual Veterinary Awards.
The awards recognise members of the veterinary community who have gone above and beyond in their daily role.
According to the company, one in three pets make an unexpected trip to the vet each year, making vets the unofficial 4th emergency service. A quarter of pet owners consider their vet a good friend with 42% on first name terms. 98% of Petplan customers have said that they trust their vet; with many saying that they are more trustworthy than police officers - coming second only to doctors.
Petplan's Head of Marketing, Isabella Von Mesterhazy said: "At Petplan, we hear from our customers every day about the exceptional service veterinary staff have given to pets in their care. The Veterinary Awards are an opportunity for Petplan to show our support to members of this profession and thank these hard-working individuals on a national scale. We want to encourage pet owners across the UK to nominate their veterinary stars this year to show their appreciation for all their tireless effort to keep the nations pets fit and healthy."
To make nominate a vet, vet nurse, vet practice and other members of the veterinary team visit www.petplan.co.uk/vetawards before 31st January 2013. The winners will be announced at the ceremony held in Birmingham on 4th April 2013.
Mark will be cycling the 100-mile route, the same as was used in the 2012 London Olympics, on Sunday 30th July.
Mark said: "Having worked in veterinary medicine for more than 20 years, I have have come to appreciate that it is a career with highs as well as lows. That some days are going to be pure gold, but others are likely to be emotionally tough and stressful. In those times mental health can be tested and that's where services like Mind really come into their own. I'd like to advertise their work and raise some money at the same time by cycling this event for them.
"I have wanted to support Mind for a long time and the Prudential 100 is a local event that gives me an opportunity to support their great work."
If you'd like to support Mark's efforts, you can do so at: http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/markturner31
The traditional approach is to use anatomical knowledge to inject pain relief in the area of the nerves to be blocked.
Liz is leading a move away from this approach to a more precise method which uses ultrasound guidance to visualise the nerves, allowing the local anaesthetic to be placed directly around the nerve itself.
For some nerve blocks, it is possible to block just the sensory branches of nerves, which means pets can walk better immediately after surgery while not feeling any pain.
Liz, a past president of the Association of Veterinary Anaesthetists, said: “Local analgesia is now at the forefront of our post-operative care and reliably improves the quality of a pet’s recovery and reduces the need for opioid pain relief, which can cause side effects.
“We’re using the latest techniques to deliver the nerve-blocking anaesthetics to exactly where they’re needed.
“For many of the nerve blocks, the use of ultrasound guidance allows more precise delivery and a complete blockade of the sensory nerves, which is why, here at Paragon, we’ve invested in state-of-the art ultrasound machine designed specifically for superficial and deep nerve blocks.
“This means we can provide more effective immediate post-operative analgesia for our patients and minimise the need for further pain killers.
“The nerves can be directly visualised and local anaesthetic directly placed around the nerve bundles.”
Liz is keen to highlight the advantages of the increased use of local anaesthesia in the treatment of animals. She added: “We’re hoping we’ll soon be able to publish some clinical research on the use of some of the blocking techniques used to demonstrate our clinical impression of their effectiveness in patient management.”
Grove Referrals, an East Anglian referral centre for orthopaedics, spinal surgery and ophthalmology, has announced the completion of £1 million refurbishment.
The project was overseen by ECVS diplomat James Tattersall (above, left next to Simon Gilbert and Gordon Brown), an orthopaedic surgeon at the practice, and the practice now offers the following facilities:
Practice Director Gordon Brown MRCVS said: "As a Referral Centre, it is important that we offer the very best to our patients. The refurbishment has created a fantastic working environment with the latest technology available if needed 24/7.
"Working in the building while such extensive work was underway wasn't easy but it's well worth it now that our vision for the practice has been realised. We're delighted with the new facilities we can offer and are looking forward to showing them to our veterinary colleagues and clients in the months ahead."
Grove Referrals is based at Grove House, Holt Road, Fakenham, Norfolk, NR21 8JG. The practice can be contacted on 01328 862137 or at grove.referrals@cvsvets.com
The British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) has clarified regulations on equine dental procedures following a survey which showed confusion, even amongst vets, over who is allowed to do what in a horse's mouth.
In the survey of BEVA members, more than half were unaware of the dentistry techniques that equine dental technicians (EDTs) are permitted to perform and the levels of veterinary supervision required.
In response, the association has put together a new information leaflet which explains the regulations surrounding equine dental care and describes where recommended practice differs from the letter of the law.
All diagnostic and treatment procedures in the horse's mouth are Acts of Veterinary Surgery under the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966. The only exception is the manual removal of small dental overgrowths and sharp enamel points with hand instruments.
However it is acknowledged that there are a limited number of procedures that, despite being considered Acts of Veterinary Surgery, may be delegated safely to suitably qualified EDTs without compromising the horse's welfare and safety. In 2009 the RCVS, with assistance from BEVA, BVDA and BAEDT, listed these processes and categorised all dental procedures into three groups:
Despite there being no legal basis supporting non-vets performing Category 2 procedures, the RCVS has stated that there would be no public interest in prosecuting vets who collaborate with suitably qualified EDTs to perform non-invasive (Categories 1 and 2) procedures.
BEVA recommends that, for their own protection, all vets who deal with horses:
Vicki Nicholls, equine vet at Wright and Morten in Cheshire, chair of BEVA council's Paraprofessional Committee and member of the British Association of Equine Dental Technicians (BAEDT) said: "The lack of awareness is alarming and clearly emphasises the need to make vets and equine dental technicians fully conscious of current regulations regarding equine dentistry. Non-adherence to the regulations is a serious matter and could lead to prosecution of the veterinary surgeon, EDT and/or owner."
The number of vets taking the BEVA/BVDA exam in equine dentistry has increased in recent years with about 15% of those who have passed the exam being vets. BEVA says this is indicative of the growing awareness, amongst owners and vets, of the importance of dental health. It also reflects a desire to develop and demonstrate both practical skills and a theoretical understanding of equine dental care to augment the vet's broader medical knowledge. Expertise in equine dental care has, for many veterinary practices, become a valuable asset.
Copies of the dental regulations information leaflet can be downloaded from the BEVA website at www.beva.org.uk. BEVA also runs regular dentistry CPD courses, details of which can be found on the website.
Image source: Rachel C from Scotland
The National Equine Health Survey is an online snapshot survey designed to uncover common health issues in horses, directly from horse owners themselves. Results of the survey are used to build a picture of equine health and disease in the UK and define priorities for future research, training and education.
Over the past six years the survey, in partnership with the British Equine Veterinary Association, has developed to become one of the UK’s most important endemic disease monitoring initiative. The results are referenced in leading veterinary and equestrian publications and papers and are regarded as valuable benchmarks for our general knowledge of horse health.
Blue Cross Education Officer Gemma Taylor said: "These majestic police horses have taken part in our survey and we hope that they will encourage others to follow suit and be ambassadors for horse welfare.
"The more data we can collect from the National Equine Health Survey the more robust our results will be, helping us to steer equine awareness, education and research to keep our nation’s horses healthier."
Last year survey records were returned for almost 17,000 horses, ponies, donkeys and mules and the six most notable disease syndromes identified.
To take part in the National Equine Health Survey, visit: www.bluecross.org.uk/NEHS
To find out more about Blue Cross’s rescue and rehoming work with horses and ponies visit bluecross.org.uk
The theme of Congress has been chosen to reflect the increasing importance of OVs in safeguarding the UK’s international trade and in protecting human health through disease surveillance and control.
Keynote speakers at this year’s event, which is organised association with the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), include Professor Nigel Gibbens CBE, the UK’s Chief Veterinary Officer; Dr Ryan Waters from The Pirbright Institute in Surrey and Dr Ian Wright, Head of ESCCAP UK & Guideline Director for ESCCAP Europe. It takes place at Alexandra House in Swindon on 21-22 September 2017.
Professor Gibbens said: "UK vets play a range of critical roles, protecting our country from endemic and exotic diseases, leading the frontline response to global challenges, such as antibiotic resistance, and safeguarding our animals to ensure our welfare standards remain the best in the world.
"I look forward to joining our OVs to celebrate this essential work and to explore the themes of this year’s conference - disease control and surveillance - which recognise the importance of vets to international trade and their contribution to our thriving food and farming industry."
David Babington MRCVS, Managing Director of Improve International, added: "This year’s OV Conference will, as usual, feature dedicated lecture streams aimed at large animal, small animal and equine practitioners. We hope the new workshops on the more specialist Official Controls Qualifications (Veterinarian), including those relating to the export of poultry (OCQ(V) AX); the export of food and animal by-products (OCQ(V) PX) and the export of germinal products (OCQ(V) GX), will prove a useful addition to our delegates."
For more information on the Official Veterinarian Conference and Exhibition or to register visit: www.officialvet.com
Veterinary nurses, veterinary surgeons, students and other veterinary professionals are all invited to take part in the anonymous survey and share incidents where they have witnessed discrimination or felt discriminated against.
The survey covers the nine protected characteristics under the Equality Act: age, gender reassignment, marital or partnership status, being pregnant, disability, race, religion, sex and sexual orientation. It also includes other forms of discrimination which might not fit under these characteristics, such as body weight and socio-economic background.
BVA Junior Vice President Daniella Dos Santos said: "The veterinary professions should be open, welcoming and supportive of everyone; however, it is clear from the reports we’re hearing that discrimination is still an issue. Worse still, we’re aware that some colleagues have faced a backlash when talking about their experiences of discrimination. This is completely unacceptable.
"If we hope to prompt meaningful change we need to fully understand the scale of the problems our colleagues are facing. To do that it’s important that we provide a safe, anonymous space for everyone to share their experiences. We hope this questionnaire will give people that opportunity and we would like to sincerely thank our colleagues for their willingness to share their personal experiences with us."
The survey was developed with the support of the British Veterinary Ethnicity and Diversity Society (BVEDS) and British Veterinary LGBT+.
BVA says it intends to gather further quantitative data on discrimination via its Spring Voice of the Veterinary Profession Survey 2019.
The questionnaire is open from 2 February until 2 March and should take around 10 minutes to complete. A link to the questionnaire is available here.
Carried out by the Royal Veterinary College (RVC), the Animal Health Trust (AHT) and Rossdales Equine Hospital, the study also revealed that the groups particularly at risk were native pony breeds and their crosses, as well as horses and ponies with a history of laminitis and those with lameness or soreness after routine hoof care.
This research, funded by World Horse Welfare, comes from the first ever online study that collected information on laminitis from a group of owners in real time.
The researchers say that the study is also the second largest to identify weight gain as a risk factor for laminitis. Data was collected from the owners of 1,070 horses and ponies in Great Britain, who reported their animal’s management, health and estimated weight via online questionnaires for 29 months.
Owners were encouraged to use a custom weight tracking tool designed by the study/research team to help regularly track changes in their animal’s weight and body condition. The uptake of this tool was high, with over half of participating owners using it.
The tool is freely available at: www.aht.org.uk/research/lameness/laminitis.
Other study findings included:
A high risk of laminitis was present in horses shod or trimmed at intervals of more than 8 weeks, and in those that took a long time to return to soundness after a bout of laminitis.
Diet, grazing management and health were factors closely associated with the development of laminitis and will be the subject of future investigation.
Researchers also noted that weight gain often occurred unintentionally, even when owners were aiming for their animals to maintain or lose it. This reiterates the need to consistently record weight and body condition in order to prevent undesirable weight gain.
Dr. Dee Pollard of the AHT, one of the study’s chief authors, said: "This is one of the largest, and the first, online laminitis studies where we collected regular information from the same group of owners in real-time. We assessed the relationship between laminitis and many potential management and health factors and identified those more likely to be present before a laminitis episode was reported.
"We now have good evidence to develop laminitis prevention guidelines, and a number of different avenues to explore in the future. We cannot emphasise enough how important systematic and regular weight and body condition monitoring are. It’s very easy to miss weight gain when you are just relying on your eyes and you see your horse or pony every day. You need to get hands on, feel for the fat deposits and take measurements, remember the figures don’t lie!"
Reference
As part of its review, the College had planned a series of focus groups of veterinary surgeons and nurses across the UK. However, these have had to be delayed both because of social distancing rules and because of the pressures that practice teams are currently working under. However, the agency tasked with hosting the focus groups is now exploring alternative options and it is hoped there will be a revised timetable soon.
In the meantime, the College says it now plans to commission an additional independent agency to survey veterinary surgeons about their experience of remote prescribing during lockdown.
In March, RCVS Council agreed to temporarily allow veterinary surgeons to prescribe prescription-only veterinary medicines remotely, without first having physically examined the animal, subject to a number of conditions and safeguards being in place.
This position is due for review by 30th June, and the College will be looking for feedback and data from veterinary surgeons about your experience of remote prescribing, in order to determine whether these arrangements can continue, with or without any extra safeguards.
Because remote prescribing is also one of the most important aspects of the planned under care review, feedback gathered now will help inform future discussions too.
RCVS President Niall Connell said: “We recognise the current conditions that veterinary practices are working under in no way represent normal practice life. Most practices will not have been set up to offer remote services and remote prescribing in a way that they might have chosen, given sufficient time and appropriate detailed guidance, if indeed there are any future guidance changes after the review.
"However, we feel it would be remiss of us not to seize the opportunity arising from this current crisis to ask about the experiences – good or bad – of those on the frontline of clinical veterinary practice in providing remote services to their clients.
"Whilst this will be no substitute for the formal evidence gathered by the research agency in due course, whatever data and feedback we can collate from veterinary practices at this unique time for our professions will, I’m sure, be extremely valuable to our ongoing discussions."
Dr Henry faced one charge, that in January 2020 she wrote and/or signed an undated letter confirming that a ewe had died in transit to the surgery due to dystocia and peri-parturient stress, when in fact she had euthanised the animal at the veterinary practice the day before. The letter, which was addressed 'To whom it may concern’, was on practice letterheaded paper and signed "Louise Henry MRCVS".
The second part of the charge outlined that her conduct concerning the letter was dishonest.
The Committee heard that the ewe was lambing and brought to the practice by a client. Dr Henry was on-call at the time and advised a Caesarean section. The client agreed and Dr Henry delivered two live lambs and one dead lamb.
Dr Henry was concerned about the welfare of the ewe post-surgery because of the risk of peritonitis and advised that the ewe should be euthanised.
The client agreed to the ewe being euthanised and then asked Dr Henry to write a letter in which it was stated that the ewe had died in transit on route to the practice. Dr Henry agreed to write the letter in which she falsely certified that the ewe had died in transit.
The letter came to light when the practice director found it in an insurance file. The practice arranged an investigatory meeting with Dr Henry where she admitted that writing the letter was an error of judgement. When asked about her conduct, Dr Henry explained that the client had subsequently been dissatisfied with the letter she had written and asked her to change it. She refused to amend the letter and told him that it was wrong of her to have written it in the first place and that she regretted having done so.
Dr Henry told the Committee that she valued integrity very highly and that she was deeply ashamed that she had been prepared to write the dishonest letter.
The Committee heard several testimonials from people who had worked with or studied alongside Dr Henry, who all attested to her skill as a veterinary surgeon and that they had no concerns about her integrity and honesty. She self-reported her actions from January to the RCVS and from the outset admitted the facts of the charge. During the hearing, Dr Henry submitted that her action of dishonest false certification amounted to disgraceful conduct in a professional respect.
Dr Martin Whiting, chairing the Committee, and speaking on its behalf, said: “The Committee considered that, in this case, the aggravating features were limited and the mitigating factors extensive. There was no premeditated dishonesty or financial gain involved, there was no actual harm or risk of harm to an animal or human and this was a single incident in an otherwise unblemished 13-year career. The Committee found that the shame and remorse expressed by Dr Henry were entirely genuine. Her conduct on this occasion was entirely untypical of her practise.
“After careful consideration, the Committee concluded that the substantial mitigating features permitted it to take the somewhat unusual course of issuing a reprimand in a case involving dishonesty. In taking this course, the Committee attached significant weight not only to the isolated nature of the event but also to the genuine insight shown by Dr Henry and the lasting impact this event has had upon her. In the Committee’s assessment, a reasonable and fully informed member of the public would, in this particular case, regard a reprimand as a sanction which protected the public interest in the profession and upheld its standards.”
The full documentation for the hearing can be found at www.rcvs.org.uk/disciplinary
Presented by Andy Moores and Alex Belch, 'Plates and Screws - An Introduction' is aimed at surgeons with no prior experience of applying plates and screws, and offers seven hours of CPD.
Andy said: "If you've ever wondered if orthopaedics is for you, or you just need an introductory course to get you started, this could be the perfect opportunity.
"The course should be particularly useful for junior colleagues: the tutors are very friendly and it's great value thanks to sponsorship from Veterinary Instrumentation and the BVOA.
Tickets cost £200 (plus £40 for non-members): https://bvoa.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Plating-registration-form.pdf
The BVOA 60th Anniversary Conference follows from 12th-14th October at the same venue.
Titled "Back to the Future, the conference features talks by Mike Farrell, Antonio Pozzi, Stuart Carmichael and others, covering subjects such as fracture repair, joint pathology, imaging techniques and osteoarthritis.
There'll also be a chance to look round HMS Belfast, and a gala black tie dinner.
Tickets start at £250 for a single day, up to £795 for the full conference package.
Bayer Animal Health has announced it'll be running the 'Be Lungworm Aware' campaign in April 2011. The campaign is targeted at dog owners to raise awareness of the risks associated with the lungworm Angiostrongylus vasorum.
A Bayer spokesman said: "Over the past years, the spread of A. vasorum has been cited by independent experts, and disease caused by this parasite is increasingly diagnosed. Previous lungworm awareness campaigns have been successful in increasing dog owner awareness of A. vasorum and how their dogs can become infected. However, there is still a lack of recognition as to the signs associated with this infection, so the continuing education of dog owners is extremely important."
The national 'Be Lungworm Aware' activity for April includes TV, radio and print advertising in the form of an educational 'public information' style feature. A national awareness day is also planned for 6 April, which will include radio broadcast and web chat TV, and feature veterinary surgeon Luke Gamble and TV presenter Jenni Falconer.
Bayer has produced a package of veterinary support materials to allow practices to take part in the campaign and raise awareness at a local level. Materials include: an educational waiting room wall display and DVD, and client leaflets. A PR pack has also been produced which contains useful images and information which can be used on websites and in newsletters, as well as a press release for issuing to the local media and radio stations. To order these support materials, practices should contact their local Bayer representative or ring 0845 2574798 quoting 'Be Lungworm Aware'.
The campaign is being fronted this year by a number of social media influencers, appropriately including Cat the Vet, aka Cat Henstridge (pictured right), Louisa The Vet and Alex And Bump.
Ceva has produced a number of materials to help practices get involved, including social media posts and templates which are now available from Ceva Territory Managers, or from the veterinary social media platform, Vet Social.
The company will also be launching an educational video that helps people recognise that older cats, and those with concurrent diseases, may have high blood pressure but show little in the way of recognisable signs.
Suzanne Page, Veterinary Surgeon and Amodip Product Manager at Ceva, said: “This year, in recognition of how busy practices are, we wanted to give veterinary teams resources that provide a straightforward and simple way to raise feline hypertension awareness.
"Hypertension is so difficult for owners to notice, so we are working hard with influencers to spread the word.
"There will also be leaflets to share and a new website for cat owners at www.catbloodpressure.com.”
For those wanting to brush up on hypertension, there's Ceva's free CPD course, led by Dr Sarah Caney, Feline Medicine Specialist and CEO of Vet Professionals, available here.
The two-year study aims to better understand the impact of the disease on horses’ and ponies’ quality of life and is hoped to improve monitoring and decision-making regarding treatment.
In particular, the study aims to develop a validated equine quality of life tool to assess the impact of the condition on an individual horse’s quality of life objectively.
This, it is hoped, will help support decision-making related to treatment and euthanasia options for horses and ponies diagnosed with PPID.
The research team is led by Aline Bouquet, PhD Candidate and Research Assistant, and supported by Professor Nicola Menzies-Gow, Professor in Equine Medicine and Professor Christine Nicol, Professor of Animal Welfare.
Participants can have horses and ponies with PPID as well as those without the condition and they must be older than ten years of age (the horses, that is)
The survey will take no longer than 15 minutes to complete, providing an assessment of the animal’s quality of life, clinical signs associated with PPID and any additional veterinary-related problems.
https://rvc.uk.com/PPID-survey-2023-stage1
https://www.rvc.ac.uk/research/projects/objective-assessment-of-the-quality-of-life-of-equines-with-pituitary-pars-intermedia-dysfunction
Richard Hepburn MRCVS has launched what is thought to be the world's first equine gastric ulcer study, designed to improve understanding and knowledge of ulceration in performance horses.
Mr Hepburn is conducting the InnerVision study of performance horses, which is being championed by the University of Liverpool, as part of his PhD.
21 appointed practices across the UK are participating in the study, and with each practice scoping between 10 and 20 animals, it will include well over 200 performance horses. Mr Hepburn said: "Gastric ulceration in sports horses is poorly understood, especially compared with racehorses. But what we do know is that it's a very important factor in the performance and well-being of many horses in training and competition."
2012 Paralympic Gold medallist Deb Criddle MBE also attended the launch event. She explained the difference that regular gastroscopy and ulcer management of Paralympic team horses had made to her success. Speaking about her Beijing ride, Pavaroti, she said: "If it weren't for the diagnosis and treatment of Pavaroti's ulcers I don't know what we'd have done. I would probably have had to withdraw him from training, so it made the difference between our partnership continuing or not".
Mr Hepburn expects a prevalence of approximately 60% and, keen to increase understanding of glandular ulceration, participants are being tasked to scope all areas of the stomach, pylorus and duodenum to ensure that every incidence of ulceration is diagnosed and recorded.
He says he is particularly eager to find out more about glandular disease, which hitherto has had little research: "Glandular disease appears to have a very different aetiology to squamous ulceration, and often presents with different signs. We also believe that prevalence of glandular ulceration is most common in sports horses."
"We hope that publication of this study will help all equine vets in their work with performance horses and the quest to prevent and manage equine ulcers," he added.
Merial is supporting the study with management assistance.
Members of the profession are of course more likely than most to receive information about violent incidents that constitute abuse against an animal, and research has shown that such cases are often the index case that trigger investigation into violent households.
Jennie Bartholomew, education coordinator at the BSAVA said: "Suspecting animal abuse can be an alarming and sensitive issue to confront but our training courses should give veterinary teams the skills and support they need to help deal with such cases."
The sessions will provide guidance on setting up a practice protocol and identifying a Safeguarding Liaison Officer (SLO) who will aid practice staff in suspected cases of abuse. Through the SLO, relationships with RSPCA officers, police domestic abuse officers and aid agencies can be set up to give staff expert support to call upon if they suspect animal or human abuse.
Freda Scott-Park is a BSAVA Past President and is one of the lecturers on the Links Veterinary Training Initiative courses. She said: "There are few veterinary practices that do not encounter animal abuse, not daily, but the incidence is increasing.
"Cases can be quite complicated to diagnose but often vets find they develop a sixth sense that something isn’t right. By defining the complexities and difficulties in diagnosis, the course aids vets, veterinary nurses and receptionists to understand how to proceed – to ask the right questions and how to seek help from the correct people.
"Information from the veterinary practices may allow human healthcare professionals to investigate troubled households, offering support to the family and potentially improving or saving a human victim’s life."
Three sessions have been organised around the country during 2019. They are free for BSAVA members, with a non-member price of £40.00.
Sunday 23 June: Wetherby Racecourse, Yorkshire
Monday 16 September: Woodrow House, Gloucester
Sunday 27 October: Jesus College, Cambridge
The 2020 OV Conference will offer up to 25 hours of CPD with lectures, workshops and Q&A sessions from world-class speakers in streams covering small animals, farm animals and equines. There will also be exclusive offers from industry sponsors and online networking opportunities.
The OV Conference provides an opportunity for OVs to discuss current topics of interest and recent developments in their work. Themes this year will include notifiable diseases, biosecurity and disease control, and export certification.
In addition to the live lectures, delegates will be able to view recordings of all the sessions on-demand for three months following the conference. The CPD on offer counts towards OV revalidation qualifications with the event open to all vets, as well as animal health paraprofessionals, nurses and practice managers.
David Babington MRCVS, Business Development Director at Improve International, said: "Moving the OV Conference online has given us an opportunity to harness the technology we use regularly in all of our veterinary training to bring OVs an exceptional but affordable CPD experience.
"Our excellent speakers are looking forward to sharing the latest updates in all aspects of OV work with our delegates and to discussing the challenges ahead, particularly in the light of the COVID-19 pandemic and with the UK moving inexorably towards leaving the EU at the end of the year.
"We’re looking forward to meeting our delegates old and new online at the OV Conference in September.”
The full programme and tickets are now available from https://officialvet.com
The first 150 tickets will get an ‘Early Bird’ 25% discount from £160 to £120+ VAT using the code UK.OV.EARLYBIRD.