Vets Now has pledged to pay all of its staff more than the 'real' living wage.

The company says it believes it is the first major veterinary business in the UK to make this promise.

As a result of the pledge, salaries for about a third of the pet emergency firm's 1280 employees, including receptionists and animal care assistants, are set to increase to at least £9.50 an hour from April.

Vets Now says it has made the pledge on the recommendation of the Living Wage Foundation, which offers independent advice to employers and says £9.30 is now the real cost of living, not the Government-set national living wage of £8.72 for people aged 25 and over.

Vets Now’s chief executive Mark Ross said: "Our people are our biggest asset and at the heart of everything we do. We want to properly recognise the vital role each and every one of them plays in the business.

"This move demonstrates our commitment to that. We are confident that by paying all of our staff a competitive hourly rate of at least 20p more than the real living wage we will achieve higher morale and lower turnover."

Animal care assistant, Jody Reynolds, who works in Vets Now out-of-hours clinic in Kirkcaldy, said: “It’s amazing that Vets Now has been able to increase salaries to not only meet but exceed the real living wage. The extra will really help towards the cost of everyday living and even allow a few luxuries."

NVS has shared the results of a survey in which veterinary professionals shared their most common strategies for improving staff wellbeing. 

The survey of 76 vets and nurses, which was conducted by the company in September and October 2024, found that 43% believe that staff wellbeing could be improved within their practice.

It also found that 93% agreed it is important for staff wellbeing to be taken seriously (Ed's note: one wonders what the other 7% think). 

The most common strategies were:

• Regular breaks
• Maintaining a manageable workload
• Fostering a supportive environment and positive team culture
• Engaging in out of work team activities
• Personal self-care, such as fitness and hobbies
• Expressing gratitude and recognising others' hard work

NVS, which also sells a range of natural calming products for animals including NVS Select Calming Chews, also asked veterinary professionals how often they encounter nervous or stressed animals.

The answer from 92% of respondents was, perhaps a little unsurprisingly, daily.

82% said they use medications and supplements to support nervous animals.

https://www.nvsweb.co.uk/products/big-chill/ 

https://www.nvsweb.co.uk/our-brands/select-from-nvs

Drontal has renewed sponsorship agreements with councils throughout the UK in a bid to further encourage pet owners to scoop their dogs' poop.

The support will see thousands of council dog bins featuring Drontal branding to promote best practice amongst dog owners and urge them to clean up after their pets.

Dan White, product manager for Drontal, said: "Through our dog bin sponsorship we are highlighting the importance of responsible pet ownership which includes preventing the spread of worm eggs in the environment by scooping poop."

According to Bayer, Drontal is the only wormer that kills every type of intestinal worm commonly found in UK dogs and cats.

For further information please contact your Bayer representative or log on to www.drontal.com.

Six individuals have been announced as the winners of the second annual Ceva Animal Welfare Awards, honoured for their contributions to the prevention and reduction of animal welfare problems in the UK and abroad.

All winners were originally nominated by friends, colleagues or family. The judging panel consisted of panel chairman and veterinary surgeon Chris Laurence MBE, Ross Tiffin of the International Cat Care (formerly the Feline Advisory Bureau), Dennis Baker, OBE, Chief Executive at Wood Green, the Animal Charity and media vet, Joe Inglis. Marc Abraham also assisted in the Volunteer categories.

Dr. Pascal Raoul, Ceva's Head of Global Pharmaceuticals, said: "Ceva is delighted to host these Animal Welfare Awards as they help to highlight the incredible affection and care that people have for animals. With 6 billion people living in megacities in the future, companion animals will often be their major link to nature. The benefits that animals have on improving human health are well documented; in turn we all have a duty to protect them and this evening we have seen some of the best examples, from professionals, members of the public, young and old as to how that should be done."

Timothy Phillips, a Plymouth-based vet from the Elm Veterinary Group (above right), was awarded the Chris Laurence Vet of the Year Award for his 15 years of charitable work in the Greek Islands with Friends of the Strays of Greece. Tim performs surgeries and other treatments, helping to establish a re-homing system, with dogs fully vaccinated and declared healthy by the vets before being flown out of Greece.

Veterinary Nurse Scott Parry of Bridge Veterinary Surgery was awarded Welfare Nurse of the Year for his work with the RSPCA's Brent Knoll Animal Centre. Scott has spent hours of his own time raising funds and helping with the rehabilitation of a number of traumatised dogs. He also recently assisted in an RSPCA visit to a travellers' camp to vaccinate more than 50 dogs following an outbreak of Parvo Virus on the site.

Other award winners included Logan McKerron, aged 6, who was awarded Young Person of the Year for his fundraising for Hearing Dogs for Deaf People; Kim Taylor, co-founder of the charity Animal Care Egypt, was awarded the Charity Professional of the Year accolade for her work setting up a large animal hospital helping more than 26,000 animals every year; Faye Stacey of People4Ponies in Devon was awarded the UK Volunteer of the Year Award for the large part she has played in stopping ear cutting, notching and tagging of equines in the UK; Jen White has been named International Volunteer of the Year for her work with the Gambia Horse and Donkey Trust.

Ceva Animal Health, maker of Rehydion, is urging vets to highlight the benefits of administering oral rehydration therapy (ORT) to scouring calves to farmers as part of its new ‘Making Milk Matter Against Scour’ campaign.

The company highlights figures which show that about 170,000 of calves born alive each year die in their first month of life¹ and that up to 50% of deaths are caused by scour², with over 48% of dairy heifer calves diagnosed with scour preweaning³. ORT, says the company, could help save the industry £60 million a year¹.

The new campaign will encourage farmers to use ORT during scouring to provide sufficient essential electrolytes to correct acidosis, while still continuing with milk feeding. The company says milk is the best source of energy and fluid replacement for scouring calves and stopping milk has been shown to have no impact on the resolution of scour. In fact, calves left on milk during scour can continue to gain weight. The Making Milk Matter Against Scour initiative is being backed by a PR and advertising campaign and a social media initiative.

During the campaign Ceva will be running surveys to capture both vets’ and farmers’ experiences of scour and ORT. To take part in the vet survey visit https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/ORTVet.  There will be a prize draw from completed entries, with 10 vets receiving a £10 Amazon voucher.

Stephenie Clarke, product manager at Ceva Animal Health said: "The ‘Making Milk Matter Against Scour’ campaign will help highlight the financial and welfare benefits of using ORT at the first signs of scour and the importance of administering it alongside milk which is the best source of energy and will help calves maintain weight gain.

"The scour survey will provide us with an insight into the use of ORT in practice and on farm to help us drive improvements across the industry."

James Adams, BVSc FHEA MRCVS, farm animal lead at Langford Vets, University of Bristol, added: “If I could offer one piece of advice to farmers with scouring animals it would be to ensure hydration as dehydration is what kills! Rehydrating an animal is essential if an animal is to be able to regain its normal function and fend off any disease.

"We’ve been using Rehydion in our vet practice for approximately two years and we mainly recommend that farmers use it in cattle, but our clients also use it in lambs and kids.  We get a lot of positive feedback from farmers on Rehydion, as they feel that it is effective and convenient to use, which aids compliance, and it can be given with milk, which is essential for maintaining a positive energy status."

For further information on the ‘Making Milk Matter Against Scour’ initiative visit www.makingmilkmatter.co.uk, contact your local Ceva Account Manager, call Ceva on 01494 781510 or email cevauk@ceva.com. 

References

1. Ortiz-Pelaez A, Pritchard DG, Pfeiffer DU, Jones E, Honeyman P, Mawdslew, JJ (2008) Calf mortality as a welfare indicator on British cattle farms. Vet. J. 176:177-81
2. Onstad I (2010) Calf Nutrition and Colostrum Management. NADIS https://www.nadis.org.uk/disease-a-z/cattle/calf-management/calf-nutrition-and-colostrum-management/ accessed 07/10/20
3. Johnson KF, Chancellor N, Burn CC, Wathes C (2017) Prospective cohort study to assess rates of contagious disease in pre-weaned UK dairy heifers: management practices, passive transfer of immunity and associated calf health. Veterinary Record Open 4:e000226. doi:10.1136/vetreco-2017-000226
4. DEFRA 2003

Petlog has kicked off its annual National Microchipping Month by joining forces with Hampden Veterinary Hospital in Aylesbury.

Petlog holds National Microchipping Month throughout June each year to promote the benefits of microchipping and the importance of keeping contact details up to date.

This year, Hampden Veterinary Hospital has been encouraging pet owners to make sure their pets are microchipped by offering half price microchipping at a 'responsible pet ownership' event hosted at the hospital.

Celia Walsom, Petlog Executive said: "National Microchipping Month is a fantastic chance to promote the benefits of microchipping, and we are thrilled that Hampden Veterinary Hospital took such a proactive role in encouraging responsible dog ownership through this event. Microchipping is a great way to permanently identify your pet, and ensure that if he or she goes missing that you are reunited as quickly as possible."

Petlog says that last year, it received almost 120,000 lost and found calls in total from around the UK.

This June, Petlog customers can upgrade to the Petlog Premium lifetime service online for £7.50, allowing them to update their contact information as often as needed with no extra costs.

For more information on National Microchipping Month or Petlog visit www.petlog.org.uk or www.thekennelclub.org.uk.

The RCVS has published a list of 369 veterinary surgeons who missed the 31st May deadline for retention fee payments, were removed from the Register and not restored by 24 June, on its website.

The College says it publishes the list to alert those vets who have not replied to its communications to check their Register status, and to remind veterinary employers to check the registration status of their employees. The registration status of any vet or VN can be checked online at www.rcvs.org.uk/check-the-register.

Information about restoration, and an application form, can be found at www.rcvs.org.uk/registration, or by contacting the RCVS Registration Department: membership@rcvs.org.uk.

For a veterinary surgeon to be restored, a restoration fee needs to be paid, as well as the annual retention fee. The restoration fee is at least £299, and multiplies each successive year a removed member remains off the Register.

A veterinary surgeon's registration acts as a licence to practise and those removed from the Register may not practise unless and until they have been restored.

Norbrook has announced the launch of Spotinor Deltamethrin spot-on, a new product which kills a wide range of external parasites that can have economically damaging effects on cattle, sheep and lambs.

The product is effective against lice and flies on cattle, ticks, lice, keds and established blowfly strike on sheep, and lice and ticks on lambs. It is available in 250ml and 500ml squeeze neck dispensing packs as well as a 1 litre and 2.5 litre backpack with dosing gun. The dose is 10ml for cattle, 5ml for sheep and 2.5ml for lambs (under 10kg/1 month of age).

Spotinor has a zero milk withhold time.

Edward Haughey, Director of Norbrook GB, said: "As Britain's leading veterinary pharmaceutical company, Norbrook is committed to providing British farmers and vets with the products and services they need to manage animal health effectively. Spotinor is the first generic to market, which displays the same benefits as the pioneer product. We are delighted to launch Spotinor, which gives livestock producers a greater choice of safe and sound solutions for the control of external parasites."

For more information, contact your Norbrook representative, telephone +44 (0) 1536 741 147 or email: enquiries@norbrook.co.uk  

There are still locum and permanent vacancies in the veterinary industry, despite the current UK recession, but candidates must be prepared to be more flexible, advises veterinary recruitment company, Rig Vet Recruitment.

"The number of vacancies we are being asked to fill at present has not really varied from the same time last year," Said Justin Carpenter, Managing Director of Rig Vets. "But, in these current uncertain times, I would suggest that candidates try to be more versatile in their job requirement criteria on such as location, on-call work, night and weekend duties, working away from home etc, then it will be much easier for us to find them the right positions."

Northumberland vet Rory Thomson from the St Clair veterinary practice in Blyth reports that he's been able to release an injured seal back into the North Sea, thanks in part to donations of fresh fish from Tesco and Asda which kept her well-fed during her recovery.

Rory is a volunteer Marine Mammal medic for the British Diver and Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) charity and was called to help the seal, named Primrose Possum, when she was found lying on Blyth beach on 3 April. A volunteer medic called to check her noted that there was something wrong with her right eye and arranged for her to be taken to a vet in North Shields for initial treatment.  She was then transported to St Clair in Blyth on 8 April.

Rory said: "When I examined her, I could see that her right eye was enlarged and cloudy. I began a course of treatment and arranged for a veterinary ophthalmologist to exam it. Sadly he determined that it was blind but seals can manage perfectly well with one eye and, once I'd treated the infection, it was no longer causing her pain. We released her back into the sea on 15 April at St Mary's Lighthouse where BDMLR volunteer medics can watch over her for the first few weeks."

He added: "Seals can be aggressive when on land so we had to be careful but Primrose was generally very well behaved and enjoyed free run of our isolation facility. During her stay she devoured more than 2.5 kg of fresh fish every day - with whole fresh herring and mackerel her favourite. We are grateful to Asda and Tesco for providing much of this for us free of charge. Now that she's recovered, we hope she'll live a long and happy life, most of it under the sea!"

More information on the work of British Diver and Marine Life Rescue is available at www.bdmlr.org.uk.

Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica has launched a unique and natural muscle building supplement for horses, Equitop Myoplast Power Pearls, containing 18 key amino acids.

The company says maintaining muscular condition in performance and sports horses can be challenging, especially when work load is increased or during periods of convalescence, as feeding high levels of concentrates can often lead to horses becoming 'fizzy' and bulking up on fats and oils.

Scientifically designed to support lean muscle growth, not bulk, Equitop Myoplast Power Pearls is great for optimising performance in horses in intensive training and competition, as well as bringing on young, breeding and injured animals, and for older horses which lose condition easily.

The product is endorsed by top British show jumper, Ellen Whitaker and veterinary surgeon and dressage rider, Christel Robbins BVSc MRCVS.

Craig Beck from Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica said: "Equitop Myoplast Power Pearls is already one of the most popular equine supplements sold in Germany and is used by top riders in all disciplines to help ensure their horses reach their full athletic potential. We are certain that with the support of riders such as Ellen Whitaker, Equitop Myoplast Power Pearls will prove just as popular in the UK."

Equitop Myoplast Power Pearls is available in a 1.5kg tub (RRP £65) and can be fed separately or mixed with feed.  Horses weighing less than 500kg should be fed one scoop (25g) per day, while larger horses should receive two scoops (50g).  Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica recommends that Equitop Myoplast Power Pearls is fed for at least a month as results are normally visible within 3-4 weeks.

Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica is committed to supporting veterinary practices and Equitop Myoplast Power Pearls will be distributed exclusively by veterinary wholesalers.  An extensive advertising campaign in professional equine publications will help raise awareness of Equitop Myoplast Power Pearls and, for a limited period, horse owners and equine professionals can download a voucher from http://www.equitop-myoplast.co.uk/ offering a £15 rebate against their first purchase. Veterinary practices can redeem these vouchers by returning them to Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica via a freepost address.

For further information on Equitop Myoplast Power Pearls, please contact your local Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica representative, visit www.equitop-myoplast.co.uk or call 01344 746959.

VetSurgeon.org has undergone its biggest overhaul since the online community was first launched over a decade ago, specifically to offer a far better platform for clinical discussion than Facebook, and to give referral practitioners a major new incentive to help their general practitioner colleagues online.

Earlier in the year, we conducted a survey of veterinary surgeons to ask what you felt were the biggest problems with using Facebook as a way to share or discuss clinical information.

According to the survey, veterinary surgeons felt the greatest problem with Facebook is that you cannot see the professional qualifications of those contributing to a discussion, so unless you know them offline, you have no context for what they post. Even in closed groups, it can be hard, if not impossible to know whether you are talking to someone with many years' experience, or virtually none; an RCVS Specialist, or a general practitioner, or a veterinary nurse.

The father of the world wide web, Sir Tim Berners-Lee recognised transparency as one of the most significant problems with the Internet during the Dimbleby Lecture at the end of last year. He said:

“Another problem people are perhaps increasingly aware of, particularly more recently, has to do with the fact that much of the web has insufficient accountability. There is by design, no approval system people need to go to, to share their information online. They don’t have to come and ask me to post something. So as soon as someone posts something on the web it can be viewed by a huge number of people. This seemed to work when people posted as individuals with their own reputations at stake. But now we have systems which create fake accounts and there are millions of automated systems, bots we call them, for robots, on social media platforms spreading messages of hate and conflict

"Because of this, misinformation has been spreading rapidly. There are not enough systems holding these people and this information to account. They should be testing the truthfulness of the information organisations and individuals are putting online.”

Whilst it is perhaps unlikely that malign foreign governments have been infiltrating veterinary Facebook groups to spread discord or indeed that there are many individuals deliberately spreading misinformation in this small profession, Sir Tim's point is still highly relevant to the sharing of clinical information, advice, experience or opinion.

The problem is that Facebook gives equivalence to everyone's opinion, an equivalence they simply do not deserve. 

Sir Tim is right, you should indeed be questioning the truthfulness, or rather the accuracy of clinical information and opinions posted by colleagues online, and the starting point for that is knowing who posted it, and what qualifications they hold. 

Improved provenance for posts offers a higher standard of clinical discussion

The new VetSurgeon.org discussion forums make an important step forward with that, by displaying the year and place of qualification next to posts, together with veterinary postnominals, taken from members' full VetSurgeon Profiles. We're also going to make it compulsory for contributing referral practitioners to complete their profile before posting.

Better curation of information

The other biggest problems identified in the survey are how quality information gets drowned in a sea of 'me too' replies on Facebook, how it is difficult to refer back to old posts with useful information and how information is badly curated, making it hard to find what interests you.

On VetSurgeon.org content is now curated both by type, for example forum or news posts, and by areas of clinical interest, which each have their own group you can join and subscribe to. That makes it easier for referral practitioners or postgrad students to follow just their specific area of interest, or for anyone just trying to find information quickly.

We also asked what we could do to encourage you to visit VetSurgeon.org more often for clinical discussions. 62% of you said: 'improve the ease of use on smartphones' and 50.9% said: 'create a way for you to put a question to a group of expert clinicians'.

So that is what we've done (or are doing). 

Enhanced for mobile phone use

The new VetSurgeon discussion forums have been significantly enhanced for mobile phones. The new main navigation makes it far easier to find your way around the site. You can now reply to forum posts on the same page as the original post, which may sound like a small thing, but it makes a big difference. Elsewhere, we've optimised our use of the more limited space available.

Coming soon, new Expert Help Forums

Very soon, we'll be unveiling another feature designed to improve the quality of online clinical discussions, and to stop them drowning in a sea of me too replies. In our new Expert Help Forums, all members will be able to ask a clinical question, but only referral practitioners and selected expert general practitioner members will be able to reply (so long as they display their credentials, of course). When they do, they'll get proper recognition for their help, something which is again missing from Facebook.

With all this talk of better standards of clinical discussions on VetSurgeon.org, it is also worth reminding everyone that time spent in the forums counts towards your annual CPD requirement too. Just click the 'Claim CPD' button in the title.

Finally, as with any building project of this magnitude, there are inevitably some snags. Things that don't work or display as expected, especially on older or more obscure devices. If you come across something like that, please do email details (your browser, version and device type) to support@vetsurgeon.org and we'll endeavour to get it fixed, pronto. 

Photo: Arlo Guthrie, Editor www.vetsurgeon.org