Ceva Animal Health has launched its 2013 ReprodAction desktop calendar, with a droll take on cycling cows.
The calendar is available free of charge to vet practices.
If you haven't received your calendar yet, contact Ceva Animal Health on 01494 781510 or email cevauk@ceva.com.
201 practices took part in the survey between 25th February and 4th March 2021. The main findings were:
Lizzie Lockett, RCVS CEO, said: “Although this survey took place in the midst of the lockdown and before the schools re-opened, there were some positive results here around staffing and the financial situation for practices. Hopefully this will mean that, as the restrictions ease going from spring into summer, many practices and practice staff will be in a position to return to a near-normal level of service and business.
"There were, however, still a few areas of concern, some of which will hopefully be resolved by the forthcoming easing of restrictions, for example, the difficulty in obtaining independent witnesses for the destruction of controlled drugs, with some 34% of practices reporting difficulties, compared to 20% in December.
“Once again, I would like to thank all those practices who responded to this and previous surveys, and continue to provide invaluable evidence and feedback about the current state of veterinary practice.”
The full results of the survey can be downloaded at: www.rcvs.org.uk/publications
The new Mind Matters Initiative (MMI) Kite App is the result of a collaboration with The Kite Programme. It offers a series of bespoke microlearning modules - known as 'kites' - about mental health and wellbeing.
Microlearning is a type of learning which delivers content in bite-size modules. It usually combines a mixture of interactive activities, images and videos, which can be worked through in as little as five minutes.
The first ‘Kites’ available on the app will cover subjects like breathing activities, mindfulness, time management and physical activity for mental health.
New modules will be added over the weeks and months ahead, in response to feedback from users.
Angharad Belcher, RCVS Director for Advancement of the Professions, said: “Veterinary professionals undertake vital work for animal health and welfare, but the intensity and pressure of their work can take its toll on mental health and wellbeing. Sadly, research shows that compared to the general population, veterinary professionals are more likely to experience mental health distress, including depression and anxiety.
“We recognise how hard it can be for veterinary professionals to fit wellbeing activities into their busy workdays and understand that everyone’s mental health needs are different. By collaborating with The Kite Program, we wanted to create a wellbeing platform that was accessible, flexible and had a range of activities to meet a variety of mental health and wellbeing needs. This app will be another useful tool for the professions, and we are pleased to be able to offer it free of charge.
“We are really looking forward to hearing feedback from the professions about the platform and creating more modules based on their wants and needs.”
The College highlights that users cannot input any personal information into the app and the only data it will hold is a record of active users.
To register for the app, visit: https://www.vetmindmatters.org/mmi-app.
The app will also be demoed at BEVA Congress 2021 (5th-7th September, Birmingham ICC).
Invetx specialises in developing protein-based therapeutics for chronic conditions in companion animals, with a focus on monoclonal antibodies (mAbs).
Dechra says these therapies have targeted modes of action and therefore are often more effective, provide an extended duration of activity and have fewer side effects, all of which help to extend and improve the quality of life for companion animals while decreasing the care burden for pet owners.
Jesper Nordengaard, Chief Executive Officer of Dechra, said: "I regard this acquisition as hugely important for Dechra, marking the start of a new chapter in our growth.
"It demonstrates our ambition to create further points of differentiation and relevance with veterinarians and pet owners alike, confidence in our ability to deliver highly innovative new products, and capacity to execute large scale transactions at speed."
Jesper added: “The half-life extension technology developed by Invetx allows for the generation of therapeutics that make treatment of chronic conditions far more convenient for pet owners and veterinarians through improved compliance.
"The pipeline of products currently being developed are all high value potential and will deepen our expertise in core therapeutic areas such as atopic dermatitis and osteoarthritis, allowing for synergistic product development, sales & marketing, and education efforts in the future.”
https://www.invetx.com
Dechra Veterinary Products, manufacturer and distributor of Equipalazone®, has launched a new website with up-to-date advice and guidance on the subject of equine pain management for horse owners: http://www.equinepainmatters.com/
Dechra says the website offers owners a place to go for information about pain in their horse including causes, diagnosis and the tools and techniques that their vet may use to treat pain. Owners will also be able to download anatomy charts and information leaflets on topics such as pain management, lameness, anaesthesia, sedation, euthanasia, the importance of microchipping and wound management.
Larry King, equine product manager at Dechra said: "This website is great for horse owners as they now have one place to go for information about equine pain matters. It will help them gain a better understanding of managing pain in their horses and the critical role that their vet plays in this area. Veterinary practices can also refer owners to it to support their consultation. This is the first website to put all this information together, so we are sure it will be popular.
"Cards with the new website address are available for practices to hand out to clients. "The website allows clients to browse the site in the comfort of their own home and is also ideal for practices with limited storage space for client information materials."
Dechra also encourages practices that have their own websites to link directly to www.equinepainmatters.com. Practices can order hand-out cards by contacting Dechra on 01743 441632 or email marketing@dechra.com.
Ceva Animal Health has launched a competition - open to veterinary surgeons and nurses - to support Cardalis (benazepril and spironolactone), its dual-acting treatment for heart failure in dogs.
To enter the competition, which will run till the end of April, visit www.cardaliscompetition.co.uk and answer 4 questions about Cardalis. There's a £400 Amazon gift voucher up for grabs.
Fraser Broadfoot, small animal product manager at Ceva Animal Health, said: "Cardalis is proving extremely popular and we are therefore very excited to offer veterinary professionals the chance to win a great prize by sharing their knowledge of the product."
Boehringer Ingelheim has announced the winners of its 16th annual awards for students who have shown the best aptitude for cardiology, orthopaedics and anesthesia over the course of the entire final year.
Bethan MacKenzie, Jennifer Scully, Emma Foster (pictured right with Tim Bentall from Boehringer) and Chris Middleton from The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies in Edinburgh picked up the awards after being nominated by the respective heads of departments at the college.
The prizes are awarded after discussion amongst all the staff involved with the rotation, specialist surgeons, residents receiving advanced training and the nursing staff. Each winner was awarded a book on veterinary medicine.
The ban on gatherings applies to birds at higher risk of avian flu including chickens, turkeys, ducks and geese, and restricts events such as livestock fairs, auctions and bird shows.
Since the disease was declared on 16 December it has now been confirmed all 2,500 birds at the farm have been destroyed, the farm has been disinfected and there have been no subsequent cases reported, though a 3km Protection Zone and a 10km Surveillance Zone around the site remain in place.
The ban is part of the Government’s measures to tackle the disease and reduce the risk of the virus spreading, which includes a requirement to keep all poultry and captive birds housed or otherwise separated from contact with wild birds and advice urging farmers and poultry keepers to ensure strict biosecurity standards.
The ban on gatherings does not apply to pigeons or aviary birds which are at much lower risk of passing the disease to domestic poultry. It will be kept under review and may be lifted or amended if the risk level changes.
Advice from Public Health England remains that the risk to public health from the virus is very low. The Food Standards Agency has also made clear bird flu does not pose a food safety risk for UK consumers. There is not anticipated to be any impact on the supplies of turkeys or other birds over Christmas.
Chief Veterinary Officer, Nigel Gibbens, said: "While we have seen no further cases of bird flu following the outbreak in Lincolnshire, we must continue to be vigilant and do all we can to protect against this highly pathogenic strain of the disease.
"This ban on gatherings is a proportionate step that will help protect our farmers and bird keepers from seeing their flocks infected with this disease that can have a devastating impact on poultry.
"The risk to human health continues to be very low and there is no impact on the food chain, but infection at a gathering could lead to rapid dispersal of infection to kept birds in many locations.
"Our Avian Influenza Prevention Zone remains in place across the country and anyone who has regular contact with birds should stay alert for signs of disease, maintain the highest biosecurity standards and take all reasonable steps to minimise contact between poultry and wild birds."
Bird keepers should report suspected disease immediately and must maintain high biosecurity standards by:
The full day programme includes:
• Gastroprotectants in veterinary medicine – Julien Bazelle• An update on steroid responsive meningitis arteritis and meningoencephalitis of unknown aetiology – Jeremy Rose• An update on feline viral infections – Dr Jane Sykes• Guiding clinical decision making in Cushing’s syndrome – Imogen Schofield• What can’t TKIs be used for? – Aaron Harper• Case experiences – Professor Michael Herrtage
The society is also inviting entries for its Case Report competition, the deadline for which is the 6th March 2020.
The meeting costs £130 for members, £180 for non members and £75 for interns, residents and those graduating in 2020.
For more information and to register, visit: https://www.samsoc.org/meetings/2020-spring-meeting
The meeting follows growing concerns expressed both within the profession and in the national media about the shortage of veterinary surgeons in the UK.
Lizzie Lockett, RCVS CEO (pictured right), said: “Workforce shortages within the veterinary sector has been a concern for some time, however, in the past few months there has been a ‘perfect storm’ of circumstances, which have come together to exacerbate the problem. The issues include the ongoing impact of the pandemic, burnout and fatigue within the profession; the UK’s exit from the European Union, which has seen a significant reduction in the number of EU vets joining the Register as well as an associated increase in the need for veterinary certification; and an increase in pet ownership, and therefore demand for veterinary services, over the course of the pandemic."
In advance of the meeting, which is due to be help in November, the College will be conducting research to better gauge the extent of the problem both nationally and regionally.
The meeting will then consider how recruitment, retention and return to work might address the problem.
Lizzie added: “While there has already been a lot of focus and discussions around recruitment and retention, something less spoken about is return, and the summit will consider the reasons why members of the profession may move away from clinical practice, and if there’s more scope for different ways of working that could bring people back into clinical practice.
“Ahead of the summit we will be reviewing all the latest data that we and other organisations have shared to better understand the gap between capacity and demand, the push and pull factors on decisions to either join or leave clinical practice and build a more evidence-based picture of veterinary workforce trends.”
The summit itself, the date of which is yet to be confirmed, will involve key veterinary stakeholders including the veterinary schools, veterinary employers and representative bodies, coming together to ensure that there will be a joined-up approach in finding solutions to the issues confronting the profession.
Lizzie said: “It may not necessarily be easy to identify all the solutions in one day, and they won’t all come from the RCVS, but opening up the conversation and getting the professions focused on taking appropriate action is an important first step.”
Meanwhile, RCVS President Kate Richards this week wrote to all vets and nurses to reassure them them that the RCVS was aware of the problem and the additional pressures they are under as a result.
In the letter she wrote: “In the face of current shortages, I would like to stress that we support practice teams in prioritising cases strictly according to the health and welfare needs of their patients, and in informing their clients of the need to do so.
“We would also urge veterinary surgeons to share their caseload as much as possible, delegating permitted procedures to their veterinary nurse colleagues wherever appropriate to do so.
"And, we would like to remind veterinary surgeons that their current 24/7 emergency cover obligations, as set out in the RCVS Code of Professional Conduct, are limited only to taking steps to provide 24-hour emergency first-aid and pain relief to animals according to their skills and the specific situation."
She also added that, while members of the profession may be anxious about a potential increase in the number of concerns being raised by clients because they are not able to offer the level of service they would ideally like to, the RCVS would always take into account the entire circumstances surrounding a complaint as part of its investigation process.
She also said that the College would also continue to raise awareness amongst animal owners of the acute challenges currently facing veterinary teams around the country, and to request their ongoing patience and understanding.
To assist the profession, a series of FAQs have been produced to help with different situations that vets may encounter at the moment, particularly around the provision of 24/7 emergency cover, and to provide further guidance on delegating procedures to veterinary nurses. These can be found at: www.rcvs.org.uk/news-and-views/news/
Supreme PetFoods has published a series of rabbit lectures for veterinary surgeons and nurses by world-renowned experts.
The lectures, which were held at London Vet Show last year, covered a variety of topics in rabbit medicine and surgery, including dental disease, digestive disorders, calcium metabolism, urinary disease and 'sticky bottom' syndrome. The round table of case-based discussions also provided an opportunity for the audience to have their questions answered by rabbit specialists and discuss the complexities of some example cases.
Claire Hamblion, Marketing Manager at Supreme Petfoods said: "The success of Think Rabbit Month really highlighted that raising awareness and expanding rabbit-related expertise is becoming increasingly important for vets. However, in comparison to cats and dogs, specialist information is less widely available - even though rabbits can often be the trickiest patients! This is why we're so thrilled to able to make contemporary thinking from world-class specialists available at the click of a few buttons."
In addition to the lectures, vets and nurses also have access to an array of free Supreme support materials including a series of professional waiting room videos and a variety of downloadable practice documents, available at http://www.supremepetfoods.com/vet-zone/.
Expert speaker, Molly Varga, BVetMed DZooMed MRCVS,RCVS Specialist in Zoo and Wildlife Medicine, whose lecture was entitled, 'Rabbits and Calcium: how much is too much?'said: "With current concepts in rabbit medicine and surgery rapidly evolving, access to convenient, concise and cutting edge information is crucial for the whole veterinary team. The only way this is possible is through initiatives such as this seminar series, which drives our knowledge and expertise forwards."
Other speakers in the seminar series included, Charly Pignon DVM (pictured right), Head of the Exotics Medicine Service at the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vétérinaire d'Alfort in France, Professor Anna Meredith MA VetMB CertLAS DZooMed MRCVS, Livia Benato MRCVS, Lecturer in Rabbit and Exotic animal Husbandry and Nutrition and Wendy Bament RVN BSc (Hons) MSc, Exotic Animal Veterinary Nurse.
Claire added: "Not only are these specialists regarded as academic leaders in their profession but they are also renowned successful speakers, which makes for superb presentations. The watch-again capability of the online seminars makes it easy for vets and nurses to dip in and out at their leisure, gaining maximum value for minimum effort."
The RCVS and the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) will be holding a free Masterclass offering practical guidance on the requirements of the Veterinary Practice Premises Register, on Saturday 4 April, at BSAVA Congress.
If you are concerned about medicines inspections and would like further information about complying, this is your chance to find out what you need to do.
By 1 April, all practice premises from which medicines are supplied should be registered with the RCVS. All such premises are then subject to inspection - by either Practice Standards Scheme inspectors, if accredited under the Scheme, or VMD inspectors. Will you be ready if an inspector calls?
Suitable for veterinary surgeons, veterinary nurses and practice managers, the interactive session will be held from 10am - 12noon, with presentations from VMD and the Chief Inspector of the Practice Standards Scheme, followed by group discussion and plenty of time for questions and answers.
Attendance at the Masterclass, which will be held in Hall 6 of the ICC in Birmingham, is free to BSAVA passholders.
For your free ticket, contact Fiona Harcourt on 020 7202 0773, f.harcourt@rcvs.org.uk, or during Congress visit the RCVS Stand, number 918, opposite the catering stand in the Exhibition hall.
The BSAVA's Scientific Committee has issued a policy statement on the management and treatment of firework phobias in dogs.
The statement says: "It is recognised that dogs may show signs of fear or phobia of the loud noises associated with fireworks. It is the duty of veterinary surgeons to recommend and support evidence-based therapies for this noise fear or phobia in order that they may improve the welfare of animals under their care"
The statement goes on to offer recommendations and guidance for short-term management and longer-term therapy, available here.
The company points to research which found that 89% of the veterinary profession wants to play a more active role in the sustainability agenda1.
For that reason, Boehringer says it put sustainability at the heart of Aservo EquiHaler, which uses no propellant gasses and the container for which is made from up to 50% recycled materials.
Now Boehringer has launched the first recycling programme for a prescription medicine in the UK to support the responsible disposal of the Aservo EquiHaler.
To join the programme, you need to visit: https://equihaler.uk/recycling, set up a TerraCycle account and register your practice. Boehringer says it only takes 10 minutes.
Once signed-up, a Boehringer Ingelheim Territory Manager will arrange for a collection box to be delivered, along with supporting practice display posters. When the box is full, there is a free pick-up service.
Practices that sign-up for the programme before 31st July 2021 will be entered into a prize draw, with the chance to win a year’s supply of ethically-sourced chocolate for their practice.
Reference:
CPD Solutions has launched four topic-specific veterinary webinar clubs for the veterinary profession, available to view at www.veterinarywebinars.com.
For veterinary surgeons, there are three clubs, one focussing on neurology, another on orthopaedics, and a final one on small animal practice. There is a fourth webinar club for veterinary nurses and technicians.
Susie Coughlan, Managing Director at CPD Solutions said: "We have given a lot of thought to setting up these clubs so that they reflect what people really need from their CPD. Neurology and orthopaedics are always incredibly popular topics and many vets have told us that they feel that in these subject areas, rapid developments and new techniques can really change their approach to cases."
Each club provides a monthly live webinar, in afternoons or evenings and all webinars are available for club members to view after the live event at their convenience. Susie said: "We decided to limit the available webinars to one a month during the annual membership period because with the best will in the world, many vets and nurses have only a limited time available to spend on CPD and there is very little point in paying for a multitude of webinars that they will never have the time to attend. Part of the appeal of webinars is their low cost and value for money, although we know many vets and nurses put flexibility as to when and where they view as the most exciting attribute of webinar clubs."
CPD Solutions is offering a special launch price of £247 + VAT to anyone who joins a webinar club for one year before 10th October (after which, the price rises to £327 + VAT per club). The offer includes a free CD/DVD which the company says is packed with content relevant to the club topic. All members can also access the full back catalogue of webinars relating to the topic.
For more details or to join a webinar club visit www.veterinarywebinars.com or call 0151 328 0444.
Bulk milk surveillance for stomach worm exposure in dairy cows has found high levels in 68% of herds, with "probable sub-clinical effects on health and production", according to Pfizer Animal Health.
Between September 2011 and March this year, 449 milk samples submitted by dairy vets and SQP animal health advisers were analysed independently for Pfizer VPS.
Pfizer VPS vet Andrew Montgomery says that stomach worm (Ostertagia ostertagi) is the species identified most often in dairy cows1,2. and known to suppress appetite3: "Numerous trials have found a yield response to worming treatment, typically in the region of 1kg/cow/day."4
"At 25p/litre, this would be worth £76/cow over a 305-day lactation, or about £16,500/year in a typical 200-cow herd. Some trials have also identified improvements in reproductive performance although this remains to be proven absolutely."4
When test results indicate that worming is justified, Andrew recommends a moxidectin pour on treatment in the late dry period to maximise the gain over the highest yielding, early part of lactation.
The bulk milk surveillance programme is ongoing, and free Pfizer test kits are available from participating VPS animal medicine suppliers and veterinary practices.
References
Virbac Animal Health is offering a client e-shot and text alert service for practices taking part in its Canine Prostate Awareness Month initiative this year.
Canine Prostate Awareness Month takes place during November 2012 following its debut last year when more than 400 practices signed up to support it.
Timed to coincide with 'Movember' when thousands of men grow moustaches to raise funds for male prostate and testicular cancer, Canine Prostate Awareness Month aims to highlight the prevalence of the disease in dogs and to encourage practices and owners to test for it. In addition to the new e-shot and text alert service, Virbac already provides post card reminders; free dog leads; educational and display materials and a press release for use by practices with their local media.
Participating practices that diagnose a dog with Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia during Canine Prostate Awareness Month are being asked to contact Virbac with details, as the company plans to collate a series of case studies from the initiative this year. The five best cases studies submitted before the end of the year will win Love2Shop vouchers to the value of £50.
Chris Geddes MRCVS, Virbac Product Manager, said: "There's a lot of interest already in this year's Canine Prostate Awareness Month so we're working hard to ensure it's even bigger and better than last year.
The serious message is that more than 80% of entire male dogs over the age of five suffer from Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia¹. Canine Prostate Awareness Month gives practices a reason to highlight the risk and encourage owners to test for it. Timing Canine Prostate Awareness Month to coincide with Movember is a good way to interest dog owners at a time when some might be considering the state of their own prostate."
For further information on Canine Prostate Awareness Month, email cpam@virbac.co.uk; contact your Virbac Territory Manager or contact the company direct on 01359 243243.
Reference
1. O'Shea J.D. Studies on the canine prostate gland: Factors influencing its size and weight. J. Comp. Pathol. 1962 72: 321-331.
Norbrook Laboratories has announced that Pestigon for Cats, the company's fipronil spot on solution against fleas and ticks, has been granted an extension to its licence which means it is now indicated against the Ixodes ricinus tick.
Previously, the cat product was only indicated for Dermacentor reticulatus.
The Pestigon dog spot on offers efficacy against the Dermacentor reticulatus, Rhipicephalus sanguineus and the Ixodes ricinus tick.
Michelle Jones, Norbrook's Small Animal Brand Manager said: "The extension of our licence for Pestigon in Cats is welcome news. The Ixodes ricinus tick is one of the most common ticks found in the UK. Pet owners need to be aware that choosing a treatment that kills ticks as well as fleas is vital, with ticks potentially spreading diseases such as lyme disease. We are therefore delighted that our Pestigon range now gives cat owners even more protection against fleas and ticks."
Michelle added: "Pestigon is only available through veterinary practices which means that pet owners have to visit their practice to purchase this flea and tick treatment. They can therefore receive expert advice at the point of purchase and discuss any concerns they may have."
Pestigon spot on is available from all wholesalers in packs of 3, 6 and 24. Norbrook also makes a household spray, Permaguard, and a range of customer support materials available from Norbrook Territory Managers.
Image: Ixodes ricinus Richard Bartz
The idea is that by raising money through exercise, which is documented to improve mental health, you'll be helping to boost your own wellbeing as well as supporting the wellbeing of others.
To take part, you need to team up with colleagues, then decide on a challenge such as an overall distance or a total step count you want to hit.
Then create a fundraising page through Just Giving, so you can share the link and spread the word about your event.
If you share photos of your fundraising on social media, be sure to tag Vetlife.
You can buy running vests and t-shirts from Vetlife through it’s website (use code Vetlife40! for 40% discount).
Vetlife trustee Richard Killen said “It is well recognised how important physical activity is for wellbeing and what better way to promote within your workplace than participating in this event.
"Vetlife is a great charity with ever-increasing demands on its services and it is hoped that much needed funds can be raised through the VMOM campaign.
"Vetlife will be grateful for any contributions to its work.”
https://helpline.vetlife.org.uk/
The event will offer vets and vet nurses six hours of CPD across five streams, covering topics such as initial fracture treatment, stick injury management, post-op orthopaedic patient care, and handling clinical complaints.
Simon Hagley, an Emergency and Critical Care specialist at Vets Now Manchester, has helped develop the program and will run a session on acute kidney injury.
He said: "We have one of the largest emergency caseloads in the country, therefore we’re well placed to share best practice with the profession to enable vets and vet nurses to feel confident when dealing with emergency cases. "
There will be 23 lectures over the course of the day, across five streams: CPR, Vet Stream, Vet Nurses Stream, Client and Colleague Communication, and Pathology.
The sessions will be delivered by experienced Vets Now clinicians, dedicated nurses, communication experts, and VPG experts.
Later in the year, the Vets Now 24/7 hospital in Glasgow will be offering free evening CPD events at the Hilton Doubletree, Westerwood, all focussing on ECC.
The first of these events, on 05 September 2024 will see Lead OOH Veterinary Surgeon John Sheppard from Vets Now, Glasgow run an out-of-hours session on ‘What happens after dark, shouldn’t leave you in the dark’.
The Manchester event is priced at £80+VAT per person, which includes refreshments, lunch, and on-site parking.
https://www.vets-now.com/professionals/vet-cpd-events-courses.
Hill's Pet Nutrition has released the results of a survey of how last year's graduates feel about clinical nutrition.
Despite teaching of clinical nutrition moving up the agenda for most vet schools, over one third of respondents said that they did not feel confident about applying their knowledge of pet nutrition to clinical cases. The remaining two thirds claimed to be reasonably confident but no respondent felt very confident in this area.
When it comes to advising clients 86 per cent would make a nutritional recommendation for their clinical cases but of those, half left it up to the nurse to decide on the brand of food. For 14 per cent of the new graduates, the decision was made to allow nurses to decide on the type of nutrition and brand.
The respondents were also asked about their preferred form of nutritional CPD support. Despite the advances in on-line CPD, the majority expressed a preference for face-to-face teaching in the form of in-clinic updates from reps, speaker tours and roadshows. However e-updates and on-line courses were preferred over paper correspondence courses.
Adrian Pratt, Veterinary Affairs Manager at Hill's Pet Nutrition said: "We recognise that our short survey dealt with only a small number of respondents but it gave us much food for thought. It's disappointing, for ourselves, but more so for the newly qualified vets, that a significant number don't feel confident about making nutritional recommendations. Having been in those 'new vet' shoes, I have to wonder whether this is a crisis of confidence or actually founded on a real or perceived lack of knowledge and also whether this is a finding that applies only to nutrition or affects other areas too. We would very much like to know the answers to these questions because we think that this could be a source of very considerable stress to the individuals concerned.
"Our survey doesn't really tell is whether this is resulting in vets delegating nutritional matters to their nurses because nurses are seen to have at least equivalent, or possibly greater knowledge of nutritional matters and are respected as fellow professionals, or whether these cases are being passed to the nurses with a sigh of relief because the vet doesn't feel able to deal with them. I also found it interesting that vets did not want to be seen to be actively recommending a particular brand, despite the wide variations in clinical evidence and nutritional make up between brands. I do wonder if there could be a perception here that 'brand' is a commercial decision that can be made by another member of the healthcare team, rather than a clinical decision."
Marge Chandler, DVM, MS, DACVN, MACVSc, DACVIM, DECVIM-CA, MRCVS is one of the two American College of Veterinary Nutrition diplomates in the UK (along with Dr Dan Chan) and believes that nutrition is well integrated at the R(D)SVS, "In addition to the general basics, we also teach the basics of small animal nutrition for healthy adult cats and dogs, kittens and puppies, with some emphasis on the special needs of cats. During the clinical lectures there is information provided for disease specific nutritional needs, for example with chronic kidney disease, liver disease, and gastrointestinal disorders. In their final year, our students are given an interactive tutorial on clinical nutrition for hospitalized small animal patients. In addition to this tutorial, we discuss the patients' nutritional requirements and supplementation during rounds, and there is a nutrition form for each medicine in-patient requiring supplementation."
For those who need access to good quality post-graduate CPD on the topic, Hill's has just launched the latest Veterinary Nutrition Academy (VNA) course. VNA Level 3 is all about applying nutritional principles to make a recommendation appropriate to a clinical case. Anyone who would like to brush up on the topic can register with VNA - registration and the course itself is free of charge. VNA also gives access to booking forms for Hill's roadshows and other events.
Adrian said: "While face-to-face training events are still proving to be highly popular, it is clear that travel time and cost can significantly hinder access to CPD particularly for those with family commitments or in geographically remote locations and our on-line training courses are continuing to grow in popularity."
Registration to VNA is free at www.myhillspet.com/vna. To complete registration the practice U number will be required and this is available by contacting Jane Quail at Hill's on 01923 814454.
New research, conducted by the WALTHAM-initiated Laminitis Consortium, has raised questions over the assumption that soaking hay will make it safe to feed to laminitis-prone horses and ponies1.
The Laminitis Consortium comprises world-leading equine veterinary, nutrition and research experts interested in collaborating on the important topic of laminitis. It includes the authors of this work: Dr Pat Harris of the WALTHAM® Equine Studies Group, Clare Barfoot of Mars Horsecare UK Ltd and Dr Annette Longland of Equine Livestock and Nutrition Services (ELNS).
Over-consumption of water-soluble carbohydrates (WSC) has been associated with the onset of laminitis. It has been recommended that hay with a non-structural carbohydrate (WSC and starch) content of less than 10% should be fed to obese animals as well as those at risk of laminitis2 and that hay should be soaked in water before being fed in order to reduce the WSC3,4,5. The study, which was completed earlier this year, examined the loss of water-soluble carbohydrates from nine different hays submerged in water for up to 16 hours. It was presented to the biannual Equine Science Symposium in America in May 2009.
Previous studies have shown that the prolonged soaking of chopped hay in large volumes of water can result in the leaching of nutrients, including soluble carbohydrates. However, because common practice in the UK tends to involve long-stemmed hay, soaked in relatively small volumes of water over varying timescales, the Laminitis Consortium's study aimed to replicate such a practice6.
The nine different hay samples were analysed for WSC and then soaked in cold water. The soaked samples were subsequently analysed at four intervals of 20 minutes, 40 minutes, three hours and 16 hours.
Clare Barfoot said: "The results showed a highly variable leaching of WSC and substantially less leaching than reported previously for chopped hay soaked for 30 minutes.3
"Very few samples reached below 10% WSC, despite prolonged soaking. The concern is that this strongly suggests that soaking may not be sufficient to render some hays safe to feed to horses and ponies prone to laminitis.
"Our current advice is that ideally you should analyse your hay before feeding it to an animal at high risk of laminitis and choose hay with the lowest WSC content you can find. Soaking hay provides an additional safeguard but should not be relied upon."
The study also highlights that if hay is soaked for extended periods, it may not meet the nutritional requirements of the animal because substantial amounts of other nutrients, protein, vitamins and minerals will also be lost 5. In such cases it is even more important that the horse or pony should receive a balanced supplementary feed.
The Laminitis Consortium is continuing its work in this area and hopes to be able to identify practices that will be of greater benefit to the horse owner faced with hay of unknown WSC content.
1Longland AC Barfoot C & Harris PA (2009) The loss of water- soluble carbohydrate and soluble protein from nine different hays soaked in water for up to 16 hours. J. Equine Vet Science 29 (5 ) p 383 - 384, 2 Frank N Equine Metabolic Syndrome J Equine Vet Sci 29 (5) p 259 - 267, 3Cottrell, E., Watts, K., Duarte, S. and Ralston, S. (2005). Equine Science Symposium, 2005, 4Kenny, D. (2007). Proceedings of the British Society of Animal Science. 5Warr EM, Petch JL. Equine Vet Educ 1993;5:169-171, 6Longland, A.C. (2009) In preparation.
Her Royal Highness, the Princess Royal opened a new ward for canine cancer patients at the University of Edinburgh's Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies Hospital for Small Animals last week.
The Kennel Club Charitable Trust provided £30,000 towards the 26-kennel ward, which is specifically designed to provide recuperative care and comfortable kennelling facilities for dogs at the University's Hospital for Small Animals.
The facilities the new dog ward provides will complement the School's £3 million Riddell-Swan Veterinary Cancer Centre, which opened last year. The cancer care centre houses state-of-the-art equipment including a computerised tomography (CT) scanner and a linear accelerator that can provide radiotherapy treatment.
Caroline Kisko, Secretary of the Kennel Club, said: "The Kennel Club Charitable Trust is extremely pleased that the money it has given to the University of Edinburgh has helped to ensure that its Canine Cancer Care unit could be built.
"The Trust has supported the groundbreaking research being conducted by the University, which is helping to improve our ability to diagnose and treat cancer in dogs, for some time. The Cancer Care Unit will help in a different way, by providing post-treatment and after care for dogs that have been through cancer therapy.
"People love their dogs as a member of their family, so this is a vital part of the care process. It is comforting for them to know that there are comfortable kenneling facilities where their dogs will receive the recuperative care that they need, as well as the potentially life-saving treatment.
"The Charitable Trust has given millions of pounds to projects which help to improve the health and welfare of dogs across the UK. This unit has established the University's place as a leader in conducting not only lifesaving but also life enhancing work for dogs, and the Trust exists precisely to help projects such as this realise their goals."
The canine oncology support ward replaces the old feline ward, and the cats have been moved to a new ward further away from the dogs to help prevent cats from becoming stressed by the noise of barking.
Professor Elaine Watson, Head of the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies said: "The dog ward, along with our new feline ward enhances the facilities for animals receiving treatment at the School's Hospital for Small Animals and we are very appreciative of the tremendous support from the Kennel Club Charitable Trust."