The web based app, which has been launched in association with the BSAVA, provides a library of medical summaries drawn from global guidelines and peer-reviewed journals.
Vet2Vet co-founder Dr Zoe Coker said “There is rarely time during the working day to read all the necessary journals, articles and up-to-date texts. VETbytes collates all the evidence on a specific medical condition and consolidates it into a short synopsis called a Keep it Simple Summary (KISS)."
BSAVA President Professor Ian Ramsey said: “BSAVA is excited and proud to be involved in the VETbytes project, which should provide significant benefits and support for our members. Every busy small animal clinician should try out VETbytes as it is a real paradigm shift in mobile resources for vets.”
The VETbytes app currently covers more than 100 topics developed in consultation with more than 25 veterinary experts. Further benefits include drug (and CRI) calculators, a quick reference section and links to hundreds of source abstracts. The content encourages reflective learning and can be used towards CPD hours.
VETBytes is available on subscription with reduced rates for BSAVA members and free access for veterinary students.
To start a free trial or subscribe to the VETbytes app, visit www.vetbytes.co.uk.
Companion Care Vets has opened its first new standalone joint venture surgery in Ayr, Scotland.
At 3,071 sq ft the £300,000 surgery is the largest of the groups' 86 strong network and is the first standalone surgery to be opened under the joint venture partnership model that has been in place since 2001.
The surgery is located in a retail park environment, to give easy access for clients and their pets. It is a full service practice, which Companion Care says is fitted with all the latest equipment, including digital x-ray machines and a full operating suite.
Managing Director, Jane Balmain, said: "The opening of our first new standalone surgery in Ayr is a real milestone for us as a business because it opens up our offering to the vets and veterinary nurses who are interested in a joint venture partnership, but whose preference is to have a more traditional looking standalone surgery."
Whilst the Ayr surgery is standalone in its own right, due to the unique relationship Companion Care Vets has with Pets at Home, the surgery works in close partnership with the local Pets at Home store. This will help to drive client registrations and business development and further enable Pets at Home to develop the full pet care experience for its customers.
Jane added: "We believe that this new venture offers any potential partner the best of both worlds: a superb in-store surgery with footfall of thousands of customers a month, or a standalone new surgery linked to local store network to develop the business. I don't believe any other company can offer this unique proposition."
Veterinary surgeon, and joint venture partner of the Ayr surgery, Kirstin Fyfe says, "I am extremely proud to be opening the first standalone surgery alongside the Companion Care team and the facilities available to my team and I and local pet owners are fantastic. The latest equipment, coupled with a spacious and modern waiting area and the convenience of our location is what makes this a winning formula."
Six mixed-practice veterinary surgeons with over 200 combined years of experience have published a book of veterinary tips which they have collected from practising vets all over the UK in order to raise funds for VBF - the charity that supports veterinary professionals.
Alan Jeans, one of the authors, said: "The tips are ideas and techniques that we all use every day in practice but are the kind of thing that you only learn on the job. A range of vets from recent graduates through to veterinary teaching staff have checked the tips for suitability and, although many of the tips are aimed at new or recent graduates, vets of all ages and levels of experience will find plenty of very useful advice.
"The collection started as a 10-tip presentation on an annual CPD sailing trip in Turkey (pictured right) and grew from there. Throughout our careers we have all been impressed by the way that VBF has stepped in to help some of our colleagues in the profession through personal difficulties so we are delighted that we have found a way to fundraise for them."
Nick Short, VBF Director, said: "We are so grateful to all the authors listed in the book for their efforts on VBF's behalf. The tips can either be purchased as a complete collection in paperback by sending a suggested donation of £10 to VBF, 7 Mansfield Street, London W1G 9NQ or you can subscribe to receive regular e-tips on the Vetlife website at www.vetlife.org.uk.
We will also be taking pre-orders at BCVA Congress where VBF is going to be on the BCVA stand this year together with some of the veterinary surgeons who collected the tips.
Bradley Viner reviewed the book. He said: "I defy anyone, however long qualified, to honestly say that they did not learn something worthwhile from this little treasure of a book. And the cartoons are a great giggle as well!"
The book also received good reviews from two BVA Past Presidents. Peter Jinman said: "This little gem of a book is a distillate of the 'art' of veterinary medicine written by those who daily use the science for the benefit of animals under their care." Carl Padgett said: "A great little book. Easy to read and full of those tips that rarely make the covers of academic texts. Tricks old and new that help get the job done written by those that are doing the job."
The dentistry group is one of a number of special interest groups being launched on VetSurgeon.org in the coming months which ALL members are invited to come and join.
The new groups make it much easier to find and follow content that interests you. More than that, they bring together members with a shared interest in the subject, thereby facilitating the sharing of information, experience and knowledge. To that end, expert contributors to the new dentistry group include: Pete Southerden, Norman Johnston, Bob Partridge and Evelyn Barbour-Hill.
As elsewhere on VetSurgeon.org, reading content in the new groups or participating in discussions can count towards a VetSurgeon.org CPD certificate. Just press 'Claim CPD' at the top of the page, then collect the record and certificate from your profile.
As elsewhere on VetSurgeon.org, there's also the opportunity for you to express your appreciation of shared information you've found helpful, by pressing the 'Thank you' button above content. We'll be rewarding those members who are most thanked by members of the site for their help.
The new groups have been set up partly in response to the growth in Facebook groups for vets and the need for VetSurgeon.org to offer added value over Facebook if it is to compete for your attention.
By virtue of the number of its numbers, Facebook probably can't be beaten for general 'chit chat'. But for clinical discussions, it has some serious flaws.
Firstly, there's minimal curation of content and it's more or less impossible to filter irrelevant stuff. Because of that, and because Facebook displays post excepts, rather than headlines, you can end up having to scroll as far as Australia to find stuff relating to your area of interest.
By contrast, the listings of latest content by title on VetSurgeon makes it much easier to scan the content and find the stuff that interests you, particularly now content is grouped by clinical discipline.
Perhaps even more importantly, it's impossible to see the professional qualifications of the person who replied to you on Facebook, so you don't necessarily know if they have the faintest idea what they are talking about. VetSurgeon profiles are visible to all, and allow members to display their postgrad veterinary qualifications, amongst other things.
Lastly, the way discussions on Facebook are 'threaded' makes it very, very difficult to refer back and find who said something useful (you remember someone said something, but then, on a busy thread, you may have to expand 20 or 20 threads to find the thing you were after). That's not just a pain in the derrière, it means that any valuable information shared by specialists and experts is too easily lost.
The bottom line is that if you're looking for general chat, Fleecebook may be your best bet. But if you have questions about specific clinical disciplines, VetSurgeon.org is where you'll find better answers, quicker.
Petplan is calling for nominations for this year's 'Petplan Veterinary Awards 2011'.
The awards, which are now into their 12th year, are an opportunity for colleagues and pet owners to thank their local veterinary stars who go above and beyond the call of duty.
Alison Andrew, Petplan's Marketing Manager, said: "At Petplan, we work closely with vets and hear first hand about the incredible work that is carried out by the profession, so we believe that their invaluable care and support deserves special recognition. Nominating a colleague for an award is a fantastic way of expressing your appreciation for their hard work."
Alison added: "Last year, Petplan was inundated with over 1,800 nominations from across the UK, highlighting that more pet owners understand the great work vets do to help animals and their owners, and with 40% of pet-owners in the UK, stating that they trusted their vet more than their GP, it is not hard to see why the awards are so highly commended."
Closing date for entries is 4th February 2011. All finalists will be invited to a glittering awards ceremony in Birmingham on 31st March 2011, where the winners will be announced.
Winners will be selected based on the evidence given on the nomination forms by veterinary association presidents, so make sure you provide as much information as possible. To nominate today visit www.petplan.co.uk/vetawards
BCF has announced the launch of the Vita CR x-ray system from Carestream (formerly known as Kodak).
According to the company, the system provides high quality x-ray images, seamless integration into your existing workflow and improved productivity.
BCF says the Vita is ideal for practices looking for an affordable move from chemical to digital radiographic processing and offers:
Elly Pittaway, Veterinary Surgeon and Director at Broadlane Vets in Coventry said: "The Vita produces excellent quality images, is small, compact and really easy to use. It has changed things dramatically, especially for the nurses who no longer have to use nasty chemicals with wet processing. The vets find it easy to take x-rays so are encouraged to take more as it no longer takes the time it used to."
Kimberly Palgrave, the new in-house vet at BCF said: "At BCF, we understand that the ability to take high-quality x-rays quickly and accurately improves both clinical diagnostics and practice workflow. With the Vita x-ray system you can forget about the cost of purchasing and storing film and chemicals as well as health and safety issues associated with the handling and disposal of processor chemicals.
"Using the latest technology that the Vita offers you will reduce not only the number of repeated x-rays taken due to poor radiographic technique or processing faults, but also time spent performing routine equipment maintenance. This results in improved efficiency of your staff, saving you time and money. Faster image production may also enable a shorter duration of anaesthetic/ sedation to be used, improving patient care."
For more information, visit www.bcftechnology.com or ring BCF on 01506 460023.
The aim of the week is to help pet owners identify common symptoms of eye disease and to seek prompt veterinary attention where appropriate.
To support the initiative, TVM UK is supplying veterinary practices with a kit to create their own waiting room display to inform owners about the common symptoms of eye disease. Pet owners can obtain further, more in-depth information by scanning a QR code on their smartphone camera which takes them directly to the webpage www.tvm-uk.com/eyehealth.
There is also a ‘Who’s Got Their Eye on You’ mini quiz to help engage clients to see if they can spot one of their pets in the animal line up.
Will Peel, Product Manager at TVM UK said: "Eye problems in pets can sometimes be hard for pet owners to pick up so we have launched Pet Eye Health Awareness Week to raise awareness of common symptoms of poor eye heath so problems can be identified early and pet owners can seek veterinary advice quickly."
For more information, contact your local territory manager, email help@tvm-uk.com or call 0800 0385868. You can find additional eye-health related social media content at: www.tvm-uk.com.
Nurtured Pets has launched the Anti-Lick Strip PreventTM, ProTM and Pro CTM, billed as an alternative to the clumsy and uncomfortable e-collar.
The Anti-Lick Strips deter animals from licking, biting or chewing of hot spots, granulomas and surgical sites. According to the company, they are also an effective deterrent to prevent such behaviours brought on by anxiety, boredom or even insect bites.
Hayley Booth, product manager at Nutured Pets said: "The UK pet market has been crying out for products like these for years. The unique bandages have medical grade adhesive on one side and all-natural active ingredients on the other. The combination of cayenne pepper, lemon powder, clove oil and oregano delivers a natural deterrent to the animal's nose and tongue to prevent it from interfering with the affected area.
"The Pro and Pro C are made exclusively for vets; the Pro can be used for direct application onto the pet's fur, ideal for securing IVs or catheters, the Pro C has a stronger adhesive and is ideal for over-wrapping gauze and cast materials.
"The Prevent then provides a profitable over the counter version for take home use. The preventative nature of these pet plasters may help promote healing and lessons the chance of infection, inflammation or re-opened wounds. In clinical trials, pets avoided the Anti-Lick Strip over 90% of the time proving these unique bandage strips really do work.
"The innovative features and benefits of the products themselves combined with extensive retail marketing support and highly visible point of sale display materials mean they're a must have for every vet practice."
For more information or a product sample, visit www.nurturedpets.co.uk or call 02476 302 222.
Hill's Pet Nutrition is offering a series of free webinars about feline medicine, delivered by some of the best-known experts in the field.
The first presentation on feline liver disease will be delivered by Danièlle Gunn-Moore BVM&S BSc PhD MACVSc MRCVS, on the 26th January 2011. Martha Cannon BA VetMB DSAM(fel) MRCVS (pictured right) will present the next two webinars on Renal disease on 2nd March and Chronic Diarrhoea on 4th May. Both speakers are RCVS Specialists in feline medicine. Norman Johnston BVM&S, Dipl. AVDC, Dipl. EVDC, MRCVS, will be discussing stomatitis in the cat - a particularly problematic disease - on the 18th May. Norman is an RCVS, American and European Specialist in Veterinary Dentistry. The series will end on 8th June with Duncan Lascelles BSc, BVSc, PhD, CertVA, DSAS (ST), DECVS, DACVS, Associate Professor in Small Animal Surgery at North Carolina State, talking about osteoarthritis in the cat.
The events kick off at 8.30 pm and are hosted by the Webinar Vet (www.thewebinarvet.com). One initial registration provides access to the complete series, with scheduled e-mail reminders sent out prior to the latest webinar. To register, go to www.thewebinarvet.com/hills and enter your details as well as the code hillsnl.
Webinars are ideal for time pressed individuals who may not always be able to travel to a distant venue, yet still offer a 'real- time' and interactive experience. No special equipment is required, other than a reasonable standard PC or MAC and a broadband connection. The events are open to both vets and nurses but early registration is advisable to take full advantage of the whole Hill's Feline webinar series.
Chris has been an elected member of Council since 2009 and, during this time, has served on the Education Committee, the Examinations Appeal Committee and the Operational Board as Chair of the Education Committee and Junior Vice-President.
He graduated with a veterinary degree from the University of Glasgow at the relatively advanced age of 30 having first attained a degree in Agricultural and Environmental Science from the University of Newcastle. Following graduation he worked in a mixed practice in Herefordshire before buying an equine and companion animal practice in West Berkshire, which currently employs five veterinary surgeons and five support staff.
In his maiden speech, Chris called on veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses to be proud of themselves as people who are committed to the welfare of animals in their care and to not be so hard on themselves.
He also outlined several areas that he would like to prioritise during his presidential year. These included delivering the priorities set out in the Vet Futures Action Plan, exploring bringing veterinary paraprofessionals into the College’s regulatory remit, driving forward the College’s international profile and dealing with blame and fear culture in the profession.
He said: "I’ve seen first-hand in Africa and India what the delivery of veterinary care can do for the welfare of animals in these regions and the wellbeing of people that frequently depend upon them. As one of the richest nations in the world we will further investigate what we can do, through knowledge transfer and support, to help raise the standards of veterinary care in developing countries.
"Sadly we often hear that there are vets and nurses who live in fear of the RCVS. This is something of which I am personally ashamed. Being particularly mindful of the role that fear and anxiety play in mental health, I will do everything I can to replace this fear... I will encourage all hardworking vets and nurses, whichever field they are in, to wear their [MRCVS] ‘badge’ with pride. Feel good about what you do, feel great about what you do."
Chris’ first official duty upon receiving the presidential chain of office from outgoing President Dr Bradley Viner, was to welcome the new Junior Vice-President Professor Stephen May. He also praised Bradley for his calm authority, humour and wisdom throughout his year as RCVS President.
The company surveyed 1979 pet owners last December and found the main reason they didn’t take their cat to the vet more often was because the animal appeared to be healthy and therefore didn’t need medical attention.
The second biggest barrier to more regular vet visits was cost. Although almost half of the cat owners surveyed had pet insurance, almost a quarter said cost prevented them from taking their cat to the vet more often.
Despite there being 760 cat-friendly clinics across the UK and Ireland, 13% percent of owners said the stress put them off making more frequent trips to the vet.
If they were unable to take their cat to the vet, 40% said they would arrange for a vet home visit, 29% said they would search for information online and 26% would turn to friends and family for advice.
The survey also found that 11% of owners believed that their cat was overweight. However, according to a 2018 study, 39% of cats are overweight in the UK, which would suggest that over a quarter of cat owners surveyed were unaware that their cat was above a healthy weight.
References
Phovia is a two-part FLE system consisting of a chromophore gel that is applied to the affected skin and a blue light LED lamp.
When used together they produce light of varying wavelengths that penetrates the skin to different depths, which Vetoquinol says helps to control bacteria and reduce inflammation on the surface of the skin and stimulates regeneration in the epidermal and dermal layers.
The unit is portable, and applications take four minutes once a week.
After diagnosis and subsequent recommendation by a veterinary surgeon, any trained member of the clinical team can use Phovia.
For the study, which was led by Dr. Andrea Marchegiani, nine female dogs that had undergone unilateral or bilateral mastectomy for mammary neoplasia had half their wounds treated with FLE, whilst the other half served as the control and received no FLE.
To assess the potential benefits of FLE in reducing infection risk, swabs were taken for culture and sensitivity three, five and seven days after surgery.
The swabs from all FLE-managed wound portions showed no bacterial growth, in contrast to the control wounds, in which three dogs had positive culture results.
Andrea said: “For many reasons healing of surgical wounds can become challenging, especially after removal of mammary gland lumps.
"Veterinary clinicians have to face the three-fold challenge of meeting owner expectations of prompt and trouble-free wound healing, recognising those wounds in which healing may be prolonged or impaired and also following the principles of antibiotic stewardship.”
The study concluded that the research underscores the value of Phovia as a significant adjunct to conventional postoperative care in veterinary medicine, offering the dual benefits of reducing potential infection risks and lessening the home care burden for pet owners.
FLE’s application could potentially replace certain topical treatments and improve overall compliance by simplifying the administration of home therapies, thereby relieving pet owners of some responsibilities associated with postoperative care.
https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/14/8/1250
Reference
Animalcare has announced the UK and Ireland launch of Vitofyllin, a central nervous system stimulant for older dogs suffering from dullness, poor demeanour and unwillingness to exercise.
The launch of Vitofyllin is the result of a collaboration between Animalcare and three European partners.
The company says the project has enhanced its in-house expertise because the active ingredient for the product was unavailable in the market and had to be contract synthesised, a first for a new product development at Animalcare. The regulatory procedure was also the first time a bioequivalence bio-waiver had been successfully applied for and obtained in Europe. This made the development quicker, more cost effective, less risky and importantly avoided the need for animal testing.
Animalcare says that as in previous years, it has set itself a target of launching four new veterinary medicines during the year. This launch is the first of those planned for the new financial year.
Stephen Wildridge, CEO of Animalcare Group, said: "We are very pleased to be able to add our new generic medicine Vitofyllin to our range of licensed veterinary medicines. The launch represents the culmination of the biggest development project undertaken by Animalcare and is the product of successful collaboration with members of our European partnership network."
Barrettine Environmental Health has launched MiteMax, a new treatment for poultry red mite (PRM) with a physical mode of action.
Charles Phillips from Barratine said: "PRM poses a significant threat to laying hens particularly, with infestation costing the UK egg industry in excess of an estimated €3 million per annum through PRM control and lost production. In the UK, PRM is prevalent in varying percentages according to the rearing system used. Caged birds are estimated to have a variable 7.5 to 87.5 % prevalence. Free range systems are estimated to have 60 % prevalence of PRM, with organic systems higher at 78 %. Less intensive systems have a greater prevalence of PRM due to the higher number of cracks and crevices associated with a more enriched environment1."
MiteMax is applied directly to a shed’s inner surfaces via knapsack sprayer, rendering the surfaces sticky and permanently immobilising red mites that come into contact with them.
According to the company, the new product - which is designed to fit into and encourage integrated pest management practices - provides rapid knock-down of poultry red mite.
Charles added: "The physical mode of action of MiteMax makes it effective against pesticide-resistant mites. MiteMax is specifically formulated to penetrate surface dust making it highly effective at reaching mites harbouring deep in crevices."
In conjunction with robust cleansing practices, Ian Whelan an expert in physical insect control techniques says MiteMax fits neatly into an integrated pest management style of husbandry: "Using treatments with different modes of action together as part of a flock health plan ensures each one fulfils its potential."
MiteMax is available nationwide from Barrettine Environmental Health's appointed distributors.
Dechra says necrotic enteritis can be treated with a variety of therapeutic antibiotics but that the first choice antibiotics¹ for treatment are narrow spectrum antibiotics, like phenoxymethylpenicillin.
Phenocillin is an 800 mg/g powder for use in drinking water. It is lactose free, and Dechra says its high solubility makes it ideal for concentrated stock solutions and convenient for modern poultry farming. There is a zero withdrawal time so egg production is unaffected.
Dechra Brand Manager Emma Jennings said: “Necrotic enteritis is the most common bacterial disease in modern broiler flocks that can be financially devastating for farmers.
"The high concentration means easy dosage and handling with less waste and the lactose free formula reduces the risk of biofilm development resulting in a high quality and effective product, supporting the responsible use of antimicrobials.
"Phenocillin is a highly effective treatment and we anticipate it will become the preferred solution for veterinary professionals and end users to treat this disease that can very suddenly devastate broiler flocks."
For more information, visit: http://bit.ly/2nAboGU
Starting in 2022 ‘The context, consequence and prevention of veterinary workplace injuries: a qualitative and quantitative study in the UK’ study aims to explore the context, consequences and behaviours surrounding veterinary workplace injuries - to improve the safety of the profession.
The first phase of the research was a cross-sectional survey of 740 broadly representative veterinary professionals.
Initial analysis, published in Occupational Medicine1, explored how injuries and their context are perceived by veterinary profession.
Themes identified during this phase of analysis were:
CVS says the veterinary industry should take note of the discrepancy of perception of what constitutes work-related injury in its practices and reporting protocols.
Practices may need an individualised approach to minimise their workplace injuries: some may need to work on revisiting their ideas around acceptable risk, whilst others may be good at minimising work-related harm, but have a complex or blame-associated reporting system which needs to be simplified.
Dr. John Tulloch, Lecturer and European Specialist in Veterinary Public Health, at the University of Liverpool who is leading the research, said: “Injuries that occur within veterinary practice can tragically at times be life-changing and are often avoidable.
"The objectives of this study are to understand how veterinary professionals define injuries and to understand what injuries they do or do not deem reportable.
"The results of this stage of the research have been both startling and complex.
"They highlight a profession in drastic need of cultural change and personal attitudes, with respect to injury prevention and mitigation.”
Dr. Imogen Schofield, Director of Clinical Research at CVS, said: “Using these findings, we will be able to develop and strengthen injury prevention measures through safety policy, education, and training.
"We anticipate that this project will result in safer workplaces within the wider veterinary community and, indirectly, in improved animal treatment through a fitter, healthier and safer profession.”
CVS says the research will lead to the development of open access educational tools aimed at promoting injury awareness and prevention.
The tools will focus on understanding why reporting injuries is important, how to develop a culture of accountability without blame, and when to seek medical attention and take time off work.
They will also investigate how to encourage clients to be safety ambassadors, and how to empower colleagues in challenging situations regarding restraint, aggressive patients and equine safety.
In addition, they will look at improving cat handling via International Society of Feline Medicine training and Cat Friendly Clinic accreditation, facilitating a rise in usage of hard hats in equine, and raising awareness of the risks associated with sharps plus sharp bin provision.
Reference:
The new bars are designed specifically for owners who want a sustainable choice. They contain no harmful preservatives or foaming agents and are SLS and parabens free. Sue says that all the ingredients in the soaps have been selected to minimise their environmental impact and help maintain a healthy skin and coat.
Sue said: "Dog owners are environmentally conscious and recognise that in addition to their own carbon footprint their furry family member also has an important part to play when it comes to sustainability."
Apparently, Zurich’s Institute of Environmental Engineering has shown liquid soap has ten times the carbon footprint of bar soap: bottles need more energy and water to produce them, they are less efficient to transport, and many contain synthetic chemicals which can cause damage to the ecosystem if they get into water sources.
Sue added: “We need to make the same sustainable choices for our pets as we make for ourselves. One shampoo soap bar is the equivalent of two bottles of shampoo so they are not only good for the planet they are great for your pocket as well. It makes it easy for pet owners to make the right choice and reduce their pet’s carbon footprint without compromising on their care.”
For more information visit: https://virtualvetderms.com/login/product/antibacterial-shampoo-bar or https://virtualvetderms.com/login/product/soothing-shampoo-bar.
Vethelpdirect.com, the website founded by VetSurgeon.org member, Susie Samuel MRCVS, has launched a new system called VetReviews which allows your clients publish a review of your service directly from your own website.
To use the system, you (or perhaps more likely your website person) embed a small form on your website, called a widget, as shown on this example: www.baytreevets.co.uk (bottom right hand side).
Clients then click the link in the widget to submit a review of your practice, or to read existing reviews.
To ensure fair play, each review is checked by a person who removes any spammy or malicious reviews, and looks for any signs of fraudulent multiple reviews being submitted by one person.
In the event of a negative review, the practice is given 5 days to respond before the review is published, which means the review isn't displayed without the practice's side of the story.
However, as Susie points out, a single negative review is not necessarily a bad thing; most people are able to put one bad review into context. Indeed, a small number of negative, or less positive reviews tends to make the glowing ones seem more credible.
VetReviews are optimised for inclusion in Google search results, which should also help your search engine visibility.
For more information about VetReviews (which is a free upgrade for existing customers), email: vets@vethelpdirect.com, or telephone 0845 4961 204.
Kit, or, to give him his full title, Dr Kit Sturgess MA, VetMB, PhD, CertVR, DSAM, CertVC, FRCVS, RCVS Recognised Specialist in Small Animal Medicine, has been working as an internist in private referral practice since 2003. In 2006 he became a founding partner in a multidisciplinary referral centre that he saw grow from five to 65 members of staff within five years.
He is also Chair of BSAVA Education Committee, Trustee of Cats Protection and Chair of Trustees of the Wildheart Trust. He was formerly an RCVS Knowledge Trustee and member of RCVS Council.
Kit has authored numerous articles and two textbooks, and presents lectures and research abstracts at conferences worldwide.
Kit will take up the editorship on 2nd September, succeeding Professor Peter Cockcroft. He said: “I am delighted to take on the editorship of Veterinary Evidence. With readers in 150 countries and output that has more than doubled over the past three years, the journal has quickly become a mainstay of evidence-based veterinary medicine, which is a testament to Peter’s enthusiasm and commitment to the development of the journal and its impact on the veterinary community.
"I am excited about leading Veterinary Evidence in its next stage of development, with recent events showing the critical importance of open online access. Veterinary Evidence is ideally placed to support an ever-growing and wide range of veterinary professionals by further developing a multimedia, multiplatform approach facilitating the use of evidence-based medicine in their daily practice."
Veterinary Evidence journal can be read at: veterinaryevidence.org
Enalees offers a variety of point-of-care isothermal PCR animal diagnostics tests for canine, feline and equine infectious diseases, including parvo, leptospirosis, babesiosis and borreliosis.
The company says its tests are highly specific and sensitive and can detect the presence of a virus, parasite or microbe at a very early stage, without the use of expensive and complex equipment, within 30 minutes.
Lauren Craig is the General Manager of the new subsidiary. She said: “I will be coordinating the launch of the UK subsidiary and working with veterinary professionals to deliver Enalees’ unique portfolio offering in diagnostic testing and in clinic rapid PCR tests.
“I am incredibly excited for the challenge ahead and looking forward to working with a fantastic team with an important mission in this key market.”
www.enalees.com
The RCVS has announced the results of the 2016 RCVS Council elections.
Current members Christopher Barker (2,838 votes), Amanda Boag (2,689 votes), Kit Sturgess (2,586 votes) and Stephen May (2,452 votes) were returned to four of the six available seats on RCVS Council. Melissa Donald and Lucie Goodwin are joining Council for the first time with 2,532 votes and 2,307 votes respectively.
The re-election of Stephen May means that he will serve as Junior Vice-President of the RCVS for 2016-17.
Voter turnout was down this year at 15.6% (or 4,403) of those eligible to vote, compared to 18.1% last year and the 17.2% average over the past 10 years.
Eleanor Ferguson, RCVS Acting Registrar, said: "I’d like to congratulate all those who were successfully elected, and re-elected, to Council, and thank all those who took part in this year’s elections – whether by standing as a candidate, casting a vote or submitting questions for the candidates to answer."
The successful candidates will take up their positions at RCVS Day – the College’s Annual General Meeting and Awards Day – on Friday 15 July 2016 at the Royal Institute of British Architects.
Each candidate in the elections was invited to produce a short video in which they answered questions put to them by fellow members of the professions and which appeared on the RCVS YouTube channel. The videos provided by the RCVS Council candidates received 1,169 views while those provided by the VN Council candidates received 779 views.
The elections were run on behalf of the College by Electoral Reform Services.
At the outset of the hearing, Mr Kashiv, from Vets & Pets, Broxbourne, denied all aspects of the charges against him. During the course of the inquiry, some heads of charge were not pursued and some he admitted, leaving the remaining heads of charge to be determined.
The charges concerned the treatment of a Scottish Terrier, called Tanzy, whose owner, Mrs Greenhill, brought her in to see Mr Kashiv on 5 March 2015. Mrs Greenhill was concerned about blood in Tanzy’s urine and swellings in her mammary glands. After carrying out a cytopathology test, Mr Kashiv advised Mrs Greenhill that Tanzy would require surgery to remove the mammary glands. There were no further tests conducted, and no alternatives to surgery suggested.
On 13 March another veterinary surgeon at Vets & Pets therefore undertook a right-side mammary strip on Tanzy, discharging her the following day. On 17 March Mrs Greenhill brought Tanzy back in for a post-operative check and was seen by a locum veterinary surgeon, who found her to be in good condition.
On 20 March Mrs Greenhill then became concerned about Tanzy’s deteriorating condition and returned her to see Mr Kashiv. He admitted Tanzy for observation over the weekend but did not conduct any further tests at that stage, apart from radiography on 22 March. The hospitalisation records were of poor quality and substantially incomplete.
On 23 March Mr Kashiv then informed Mrs Greenhill that Tanzy could be discharged, although he recommended an MRI scan to assist in the diagnosis; this was declined on cost grounds. He did not however explain clearly to Mrs Greenhill that Tanzy’s prognosis was bleak, and did not give adequate home care instructions.
Tanzy continued to deteriorate, and on 24 March Mrs Greenhill took Tanzy to the RSPCA Harmsworth Hospital where a veterinary surgeon conducted tests which showed that Tanzy was in renal failure. The veterinary surgeon then called Mrs Greenhill and recommended that Tanzy was put to sleep, which was then performed in Mrs Greenhill’s presence.
The Committee found that Mr Kashiv had failed to conduct the necessary investigations when Tanzy was admitted from 20 to 23 March 2015, being satisfied that, by the time Tanzy had been hospitalised for a period of three days, it was mandatory for a blood test to have been performed, given her marked deterioration.
The Committee also found while Mr Kashiv did express his opinion that Tanzy’s prognosis was poor, he did not give the full explanation required in the circumstances of this case to enable Mrs Greenhill to understand fully the prognosis. The Committee also considered that Tanzy was not in a fit state to be discharged on 23 March 2015, and that he had failed to keep sufficiently clear and/or detailed and/or accurate records.
After full consideration, the Committee found that Mr Kashiv’s actions amounted to serious professional misconduct, and was satisfied that his actions fell far short of the conduct to be expected of a reasonably competent veterinary surgeon in respect of heads of charge 1, 2 and 3 but not 4.
Although it was concerned "about the culture of care in the practice, in particular not having in place proper protocols and procedures and without necessary support from properly trained staff", in deciding on appropriate sanction, the Committee was satisfied that there were "a number of serious misjudgements by Mr Kashiv in this case".
The Committee decided to postpone judgement for a period of two years, whilst recommending that Mr Kashiv agree to undertake a structured programme to benefit his clinical practice including a Personal Development Plan, mentoring, practice visits, additional CPD and regular reports to the Disciplinary Committee.
Non-compliance with these undertakings may result in the hearing being resumed at a date earlier than the two-year period.
Stuart Drummond, Chairing the Disciplinary Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: "The Committee considers that Mr Kashiv is a dedicated veterinary surgeon, as evidenced by the large number of testimonials, and that he provides a valuable service to the community, particularly with rescue animals.
"Nevertheless, the Committee considers that there were a number of fundamental failings in Mr Kashiv’s clinical competence which are required to be addressed during the period of postponement. For the reasons set out above the Committee considers that Mr Kashiv’s clinical practice will benefit from a structured programme over the period of postponement, whilst protecting the welfare of animals, maintaining public confidence in the profession and declaring and upholding proper standards of conduct."
For the full charges, findings and decisions, see: http://www.rcvs.org.uk/concerns/disciplinary-hearings/
The course is aimed at veterinary professionals across Europe who want to advance their knowledge and diagnostic skills, progress their academic qualifications and gain recognition in their field.
The GPAdvCert in Small Animal Medicine is for veterinary surgeons who have already completed a General Practitioner Certificate in Small Animal Medicine (GPCertSAM) or a Postgraduate Certificate (PgC) in Small Animal Medicine.
Accredited by the European School of Veterinary Postgraduate Studies (ESVPS) and validated by Harper Adams University, the programme will be delivered in three, five-day blocks of training by globally recognised experts in three European training centres - Sheffield, UK; Porto, Portugal and Berlin, Germany. The programme includes a practical session in which delegates will perform an upper and lower gastrointestinal endoscopy under the guidance of their tutor.
David Babington MRCVS, Business Development Director of Improve International (pictured right), said: "Delegates attending our first GPAdvCert in Small Animal Medicine will enhance their skills and confidence in dealing with complex animal medicine cases. Each module will take their knowledge beyond Postgraduate Certificate level with more in-depth and advanced content covering topics as diverse as mycobacterial and ureteric disease. They will also learn how to design a detailed diagnostic plan and build an understanding of nuances in interpreting laboratory findings to enable them to manage cases requiring complex therapeutic management with confidence."
He added: "The qualification is a natural ‘next-step’ for veterinary surgeons wanting to further progress their knowledge of small animal internal medicine. It will help them to reduce the number of patients which are referred, retaining a higher level of income for their practice and will also provide them with skills which they can pass onto their team."
Improve says the successful achievement of the GPAdvCert will enable delegates to progress from a Postgraduate Certificate in Small Animal Medicine (or equivalent) to the Postgraduate Diploma in Advanced Veterinary Practice Sciences in the UK, which is awarded by Harper Adams University. This can, in turn, be used towards the award of a Masters Degree (MSc) in Advanced Veterinary Practice Sciences.
The RCVS Charitable Trust has released the results of a survey that suggests a lack of available, high-quality research could be hampering the implementation of evidence-based medicine (EVM) in veterinary practice.
Of the 70 survey respondents, although 70% said they were familiar with the concepts of EVM, only 36% said that they always used EVM principles or that EVM principles were deeply embedded within their practices. When asked about the barriers to implementing EVM, many vets commented that there was a lack of high-quality research available to them.
Trust director, Cherry Bushell said: "This survey was relatively small as our intention is for it to help spark discussion at our forthcoming symposium 'The Sceptical Vet: Eminence or Evidence? Finding the best way forward for the veterinary profession'. We want to consider the possibility of developing a range of evidence-based resources for the veterinary profession, so it's interesting to hear vets commenting about the lack of an available, high-quality evidence base."
All those completing the Trust's survey were entered into a prize draw for a chance to have their travel expenses to the event reimbursed. Veterinary surgeon Ariel Brunn (top right) from Vets Now, Maidenhead, was the winner. She said: "I'm really looking forward to this Symposium and the discussion that will come with it - along with clinical governance, evidence-based practice provides a means to offer the best care for our veterinary patients. Having been a practising vet for less than 5 years, I'm excited to learn more about how EVM can be incorporated into veterinary practice and I'm certainly pleased to have won the prize draw to support my travel to this event."
This symposium will take place on Tuesday 30 October 2012, at Church House Conference Centre, London. A limited number of places are still available for practising veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses only via the Trust (a.doorly@rcvstrust.org.uk or 0207 202 0741). For more information visit http://trust.rcvs.org.uk/grants-and-collaborations/the-sceptical-vet-eminence-or-evidence.
Zoetis has announced that following a positive opinion from the Committee for Medicinal Products for Veterinary Use (CVMP), the European Commission has approved Apoquel (oclacitinib tablet) in the European Union for the treatment of pruritus associated with allergic dermatitis and the treatment of clinical manifestations of atopic dermatitis in dogs at least 12 months of age.
Developed by Zoetis, Apoquel is the first Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor approved for veterinary use. The company says it inhibits the function of a variety of allergic, itch and pro-inflammatory cytokines dependent on JAK enzyme activity and thus stops the cycle of itch and inflammation occurring in skin allergies.
Michael Stegemann, Senior Director Global Development Organisation at Zoetis said: "Apoquel is a targeted treatment that specifically inhibits JAK-dependent cytokines involved in allergic skin disease in dogs. Its rapid anti-pruritic effect along with its anti-inflammatory properties provide fast relief to dogs. Relief from itch and inflammation is maintained in dogs receiving long-term treatment with Apoquel. This exciting innovation molecule offers quick, effective, and sustained itch relief; improves skin lesions continuously and can be used safely short or long-term."
Zoetis says that in clinical trials, Apoquel demonstrated safety and efficacy for the treatment of itch 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 as soon as 24 hours after administration, the first observation time point, and itch continued to decrease compared to baseline until the end of the study. Skin lesions scores assessed by veterinary surgeons were significantly improved after one week and continued to improve long term during the studies (4 months). In these studies, the most common side effects observed in dogs treated with Apoquel were vomiting and diarrhea. Other reported side effects included lethargy, decreased or lack of appetite, skin irritation or infection, and ear irritation or infection.
Apoquel will be a POM-V treatment. 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.
Zoetis plans to make Apoquel available to veterinary surgeons in the European Union during 2014. Meantime, Zoetis says it will be working with vets on the new science and research findings around itch and canine allergic diseases. For more information, visit www.zoetis.com, www.itchcycle.com.