Fort Dodge has announced that a challenge study has demonstrated the ability of Duvaxyn^® IE-T Plus equine influenza vaccine to cross protect against A/equi-2/Sydney/07 (H3N8) two weeks after a two dose primary course.  This strain was responsible for the financially devastating equine influenza outbreak in Australia in August 2007.

Duvaxyn IE-T Plus is an inactivated whole virus equine influenza vaccine, adjuvanted with an aqueous-based adjuvant.  According to Fort Dodge, experts at a recent WHO meeting on human vaccines expressed the view that whole virus vaccines have the potential to induce a stronger and more broadly based response to circulating influenza strains than those contained in sub-unit vaccines because of the presence of the full set of virus proteins in the vaccine*.

The study, conducted by the Animal Health Trust, involved two groups of EIV seronegative horses.  The first group, consisting of seven vaccinates, were given two dose of Duvaxyn IE-T Plus, 28 days apart, and challenged with A/equi-2/Sydney/07 (H3N8) virus strain 14 days after the second vaccination.  The second group of unvaccinated horses was challenged at the same time.  Duvaxyn IE-T Plus caused a statistically significant reduction in both clinical signs of the disease and in viral shedding.

Helen Barnes, EMEA Equine Business Manager for Fort Dodge, said: "The results of this challenge study provide reassurance for owners that horses vaccinated with Duvaxyn will be protected against circulating strains of equine influenza, including the Sydney strain which proved so damaging.

"As the benefits offered by whole virus technology are increasingly recognised, the popularity of vaccines based on this technology is re-emerging, particularly to combat a potential pandemic.

"The entire Duvaxyn range of equine vaccines, including the recently licensed Duvaxyn WNV for West Nile Virus, are based on the whole virus approach as we believe it offers a broad and  consistent level of protection."

Rebecca Hampson, Henry Lamb and Camilla Church have been named as the three finalists for this year's BVA Young Vet of the Year Award, sponsored by Zoetis.

The judging panel, comprising BVA President Anna Judson, RCVS President Sue Paterson, National Veterinary Lead Ruminant and Equine at Zoetis UK Ally Ward, and last year’s award winner Hannah Hunt, selected the finalists based on their inspirational work which includes supporting clients and colleagues, providing outstanding and consistent care for patients, inspiring others and giving back to their community, championing causes in the profession and going above and beyond the normal call of duty.

Rebecca, who graduated from Bristol in 2015, was nominated for her work co-founding Veterinary Education Malawi, an animal welfare charity which provides free veterinary services to low-income communities and educational support both to the para vets in the country and to the Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR), its only vet school.

Henry, a commercial poultry and gamebird vet, was nominated for his work tackling outbreaks of avian influenza and encouraging other young vets to take up roles in the poultry industry. 

Henry is also a European College of Poultry Veterinary Science resident, mental health first aider and trustee of regional rural mental health charity You Are Not Alone (YANA), co-lead of his practice green group, and deputy rotation lead for the new RVC poultry rotation, which takes its first students in 2024.

Camilla is an equine vet who was nominated for her dedication to promoting the veterinary profession, equine welfare, and for her work setting up the ambulatory equine practice, Perth Equine Vets.

A Glasgow 2015 graduate, Camilla set up Perth Equine Vets in 2020 growing it into the three vet practice it is today. 

She organises frequent events, most recently a “get into vet school” day for upcoming vet students, which saw more than 40 potential senior school pupils attend, alongside educational demos for owners to increase their own knowledge. She also regularly creates blogs and videos on the practice social media accounts which helps horse owners learn essential skills.

BVA President Anna Judson said: “BVA’s Young Vet of the Year showcases exceptional vets from across the UK making an invaluable contribution to the profession.

"This year we have been blown away by all the incredible nominations, but these three young vets really stood out for their contribution to their fields and their commitment to their unique causes and passions.

"Congratulations to all of the finalists, you are a credit to the veterinary profession and we know you have bright futures ahead of you.”

The winner of BVA Young Vet of the Year will be announced at BVA's Gala Dinner taking place at the London Vet Show on 16th November. 

Photo: R-L, Camilla Church, Henry Lamb and Rebecca Hampson

The BEVA has revamped its online medicines guidance resource to help members to negotiate the intricacies of prescribing equine medicines and to use the Cascade accurately.

Compliance with equine medicines legislation involves the challenges of food production, equine passport and essential medicines legislation as well as the prescribing Cascade, VMD guidance and the RCVS practice standards scheme.

With these in mind, the online guidance now includes:

• BEVA client information leaflets to help members inform clients of potential adverse effects of medicines when using the Cascade.
• A BEVA branded prescription form to help members comply with RCVS guidance whilst reducing opportunities for prescription fraud.
• Easy to use explanations of the prescribing cascade in food producing and non-food producing animals including dynamic flow charts to guide members through the decision-making steps.
• The BEVA emergency treatment form and interactive flowchart for treating horses without a passport.
• The BEVA award-winning Protect Me toolkit to create a customised protocol for practices to develop responsible antibiotic use guidelines.
• The BEVA members’ product database to help members share details of suppliers of hard to source medicines.
• BEVA’s guidance on the use of veterinary specials in equine practice.
• Links to download BEVA’s formulary app 'BEVA Drugs'

The BEVA says the new medicines guidance resource has already been invaluable for members working towards the new Practice Standards Scheme, such as Josh Slater from the RVC, who said: "The PSS Awards define what a high-functioning equine practice looks like. The BEVA medicines guidance documents enabled us to fulfil the PSS Awards scheme requirements for demonstrating responsible use of medicines and compliance with requirements such as Cascade prescribing and emergency treatment of horses, helping us to achieve our Outstanding rating in the PSS Awards. The resource will be very useful for all equine practices preparing for PSS inspections and continues to be an invaluable day-to-day reference source for us."

The BEVA will also be holding two equine medicine courses in October 2017, providing evidence-based updates on a range of topical issues in equine medicine. The focus will be on recent research with practical relevance and the courses are aimed at clinicians who have attained or are working towards certificate level qualifications. The first will be held in Oulton, Leeds on 10 October and the second in Oxford on 31 October.

The RCVS Disciplinary Committee has dismissed a case against a Kent veterinary surgeon convicted of tail-docking and also charged with misleadingly altering an owner's record relating to tail dockings.

At the outset of the four-day hearing, David Smith, of Lakeview Veterinary Centre, Deal, admitted he had been convicted of an offence of tail docking on 14 December 2010 at the Channel Magistrates Court.

He said that, in 2008, he had misinterpreted the legislation about tail docking and as a result had removed the tails of a litter of 13 Rottweiler puppies. He was subsequently convicted of illegal docking.

Mr Smith also accepted he had altered the owner's record, at the owner's request, when the RSPCA was investigating the circumstances of the docking by adding the words "for law enforcement", but maintained this alteration was to clarify the record to which he had initially added the words "for security selection"; he denied any attempt to mislead, or that he ought to have known it may mislead.

The Committee accepted that Mr Smith misinterpreted the legislation and had taken some steps to satisfy himself that the tail docking was legal, namely: he had asked an employee colleague to make enquires of the College and, as advised, he had downloaded a copy of the AWA 2006 to read and to make his own decision with regard to legality; some enquiry had been made by the practice of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) at Reigate; and, Mr Smith had himself researched dog breeds on the Kennel Club website.

The Committee also accepted that he had asked and been told that the client had previously supplied dogs to the police.

However, the Committee found that these steps were inadequate; in particular, he should have contacted the College and Defra himself and not delegated this to administrative staff. Furthermore, that he should have obtained confirmation of the advice given in writing.

Regarding the alteration of the owner's record, the Committee was satisfied that this annotation was added for clarification. The Committee was not satisfied that the addition 'for law enforcement' altered the meaning of what was already stated on this form, and found the wording confirmed Mr Smith's misapprehension at the time of the legality of the tail docking.

This charge, which alleged that the alteration had been carried out misleadingly, was dismissed. 

The Committee also said that Mr Smith's reluctance to engage with the police and the RSPCA during their later investigation had been regrettable: as a professional he had had a duty to co-operate fully. However, it concluded that this had been "of little probative significance".

The Committee would like to make it clear that it is the responsibility of every practising veterinary surgeon to ensure that tail docking is legal in each and every instance before carrying out the procedure. If there is any doubt, then tail docking should not take place.

In deciding whether Mr Smith was fit to practise, the Committee took into account two previous RCVS Disciplinary Committee findings involving tail-docking.

It concluded these were significantly different. In the first case, the respondent knew that the tail docking he had carried out was illegal. On the contrary Mr Smith had misguidedly believed the docking he carried out was permitted.

In the second case there had been several charges, in addition to the charge of tail docking.  In this case no charges other than those related to tail docking had been alleged against Mr Smith.

It further noted that no issues of clinical competence were raised, and that the dockings were undertaken less than 12 months after the new legislation came into force. 

Speaking on behalf of the Committee, Vice-Chairman Beverley Cottrell, who chaired the hearing, said: "The Committee has expressed its disapproval about Mr Smith's failure to make adequate investigations of the College and of Defra, and his erroneous interpretation of the Act. 

"In reaching its decision, the Committee has paid particular attention to issues of animal welfare, maintaining public confidence in the profession and the upholding of proper standards of conduct.

It has concluded that Mr Smith's conduct fell short of that to be expected of a veterinary surgeon but does not consider that it fell far short." 

After directing that the case should be dismissed, Mrs Cottrell added: "The Committee would like to make it clear that it is the responsibility of every practising veterinary surgeon to ensure that tail docking is legal in each and every instance before carrying out the procedure. If there is any doubt, then tail docking should not take place."

Cheam-based Maven Veterinary Care is celebrating becoming one of only 12 practices in the country to be rated as 'outstanding' in four categories by the RCVS Practice Standards Scheme.

The first opinion Linnaeus Group practice, which also holds RCVS hospital status, is run by a team of nine vets, 14 nurses, nine receptionists and four animal care assistants.

It was given an outstanding rating for client service, inpatient service, patient consultation service and team and professional responsibility.

Maureen Geraghty Sathi, Practice Manager at Maven said: "We’re always asking ourselves how could we do this better? Everyone has to be on board or it would not work."

The practice had a focus team look at awards and the improvements it would need to make to achieve the required standards. Amongst the various things that were highlighted as exceptional were:

• A genuinely separate cat waiting area and cat consult room.

• An extensive pain monitoring system with pain scoring for all patients in hospital and an outpatient system which enables clients to monitor and chart their pets pain levels at home and review them with their vet.

• Daily clinical rounds which involve the entire clinical team as well as management and a member of the customer care team. Aside from discussing clinical cases for the day this platform also enables daily review of any significant events or morbidity and mortality cases to be highlighted and time allocated for review.

• A system whereby vets at the practice email clients in advance of any surgical procedure with information on the procedure itself as well as any potential risks associated with the procedure allowing time for further discussion with the client as needed

• Consistent use of surgical and GA checklists to maximise patient safety.

In the final report, the RCVS practice standards assessor wrote: "The structures and management in place were of the very highest order. I was really impressed by the commitment of this practice to provide the very highest standards of clinical care to its clients."

Maureen said: "I am massively proud of the team, to see the pride in how they work. It is lovely to be told that you are working to an extremely high level and genuinely reflects the standards of the team day by day."

The consumer body, Which? has published a research paper looking at the complaints process in the veterinary profession, finding that it is difficult for consumers to make a complaint, and when they do, only 31% are resolved positively, compared to 52% across all sectors.

For the research, Which? conducted an online poll of 1,009 pet owners who had had an issue with their vet in the past two years. 

It also conducted qualitative interviews with 14 owners who had complained.

The most common reasons for complaint were:

• Excessive price of care or treatment (53%)
• Price higher than told to expect (27%)
• Not happy with the quality of care (23%)
• Not happy with the level of customer service (22%)
• Not given information about all the treatment options (16%)
• Charged the incorrect price (11%)
• Vet or practice made a mistake when delivering care (11%)
• Other (6%)

Of the 1009 pet owners who had experienced some kind of problem with their vet, 57% did NOT make a complaint, 33% because they did not want to fall out with their vet.

Pet owners who wish to complain about veterinary services have three options: to complain directly to their practice, to use the voluntary Vet Client Mediation Service (VCMS), or to raise a 'concern' with the RCVS.

The Which? report found that of those who did complain to their practice, 35% were not happy with the outcome and 31% with the way it was handled. 

Which? found that although the VCMS reported a high resolution rate of 84% in 2022-23, its interviewees had found it a bit hit or miss. 

Finally, Which? found the process of complaining to the regulator flawed by the fact that the threshold for the College to progress a 'concern' is set so high, because College has no jurisdiction at a practice level, and because it has no sanctions to use in enforcing consumer law. 

The report recommends that:

• the government updates the regulatory framework to allow regulation at a practice level
• the government ensures that the RCVS is sufficiently equipped to independently enforce consumer law
• that vet practices should be required to have a written complaints process
• a more comprehensive and mandatory alternative dispute resolution (ADR) scheme for when issues cannot be resolved at the practice level is introduced

Full report: https://www.which.co.uk/policy-and-insight/article/complaints-and-redress-in-veterinary-services-a5z611X9tZzf 

Comment
I loved the regal response from the RCVS to The Guardian about the case studies in the Which? report: “the facts presented in the case studies do not completely align with those reported to us”. 

That aside, surely the big issue here is not so much that consumers have little way to complain effectively.

That is important, of course, but isn't it more important to consider what they are complaining about, which in the main is MONEY. 

Driven by the advances in veterinary medicine, the innate desire of vets to provide the best possible care, anthropomorphising pet owners saying they want 'the best' for their fur baby (without necessarily having the wherewithal), corporatisation and society's changing expectations about working conditions, prices have been going up at a rate far outstripping inflation. 

Increasing prices have of course been accompanied by an increase the standards of care and the range of clinical equipment. 

But the question everyone must ask is at what point the cost of veterinary care for a dog outstrips the benefits of owning one?

These complaints are the canary in the coalmine. 

Referral Centre VRCC reports that its first Small Animal Veterinary Education Conference Weekend in Kenya, held in November and supported by Merial, has been a great success. Over 30 East African vets from all over Kenya gathered at the elegant Leopard Beach Hotel, just south of Mombasa, to learn from some of the leading specialists in the UK.

The Kenyans, all with an interest in small animals, were a real cross section of the African profession. They ranged from prosperous vets with large practices in Nairobi to a young vet who'd undertaken a gruelling 7 hour bus ride accompanied by armed guards from his clinic on Lamu, near the Somali border.

A challenging 2 day programme had been devised by VRCC specialists including Dr Susan North, one of the most experienced and highly qualified veterinary oncologists in Europe and also a European Specialist in Internal Medicine. Also lecturing were VRCC's Head of Surgery, Henry L'Eplattenier and Merial's Dr Hein Hesse, an expert in pain management and parasite control. The weekend finished with a prolonged question and answer session with the enthusiastic delegates hungry to gain as much knowledge as possible from the visiting specialists before their long journey home.

Malcolm Holland at VRCC was delighted with the first time turn-out at the conference. He said: "The Conference Weekend was successful on so many fronts. The delegates had access to first-hand information not readily available to them - the last lecturing team visited over 20 years ago! They were able to interact with each other, form networks, and renew friendships.

"VRCC was not seeking any material gain, just fulfilling a desire to pass on some of our experience for the improved welfare of small animals in East Africa."

VRCC expects attendance to more than double now Kenyan vets know that commitments will be fulfilled. Specialists keen to participate in future events or companies with interests or ambitions in Kenya should contact Malcolm Holland at VRCC.

The British Veterinary Association and the British Veterinary Nursing Association have announced a new strategic alliance designed to strengthen the working relationship between the two associations whilst maintaining their individual identities.

The associations signed a memorandum of understanding to that effect at BVA Members' Day last week. 

As part of the memorandum, BVA and BVNA have agreed to identify opportunities to work together to represent the views of veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses to the media, policymakers and general public and to raise the profile of the veterinary professions and the wider veterinary team.

The two associations have also agreed to work together to deliver joint events and support each other’s members.

British Veterinary Association President, Gudrun Ravetz said: "This memorandum really captures the importance of the veterinary family, my Presidential theme, in terms of us all working together to achieve the best possible outcomes for animal health, welfare, public health and our professions.

"At community level, we could not achieve a fraction of what we do if vets and vet nurses did not pull together and, at national level, one strong veterinary voice will achieve so much more if we work in unison.

"I am delighted that BVA and BVNA have had the strategic foresight to formalise our close working relationship, with many more opportunities to come for collaboration that will best represent the voices of our members."

British Veterinary Nursing Association President Samantha Morgan said: "BVNA are very pleased to sign this agreement to formally recognise the close relationship both professions have and therefore both representative bodies have.

"This is going to be a symbiotic relationship, with both professions and representatives retaining their own unique identity but forming a single, strong voice. This is a proud milestone for BVNA, something we have worked towards and we believe this formal understanding between both of our representative bodies is a positive step in the veterinary nurse profession.”

The memorandum between BVA and BVNA is agreed for a period of three years and will be regularly reviewed during that time.

The RCVS has published new guidance for veterinary surgeons on 24-hour emergency first aid and pain relief, providing greater definition of the professional and legal responsibilities of veterinary surgeons in the provision of emergency care, as well as owners' responsibilities for their animals.

Two sections of the supporting guidance to the Code of Professional Conduct have been updated - Chapter 2 'Veterinary care' and Chapter 3 '24-hour emergency first aid and pain relief' - placing a greater emphasis on owners' legal responsibilities for their animals while obligating veterinary surgeons to provide full details of their 24-hour emergency cover provision to clients.

Although veterinary surgeons are professionally obliged to take steps to provide 24-hour emergency first aid and pain relief, the new supporting guidance clarifies situations where delaying or declining attendance to an animal may be appropriate. It is hoped this will assist and empower vets to decline to attend an animal away from practice where they feel it is unnecessary or unsafe.

The changes are the culmination of an evidence-gathering process with both members of the profession and animal owners about each group's expectations around the provision of 24-hour emergency care.

This process began with a call for evidence at the end of 2013, which garnered some 656 pages of written evidence, as well as a petition on home visits with over 2,800 signatures. Following this, in March 2014 there was a three-day hearing in which 15 organisations and 10 individuals were invited to attend to give evidence to the RCVS Standards Committee. Also taken into account were more than 1,000 responses from veterinary surgeons taking part in the Survey of the Professions and an online survey with 1,250 animal owners.

After a thorough review of the evidence the Standards Committee developed the new supporting guidance, which was agreed in principle by RCVS Council in its June meeting.

Gordon Hockey, RCVS Registrar, said: "Following the considerable disquiet within the profession following the Disciplinary Committee's decision on the Chikosi hearing in June 2013, we decided that only a thorough evidence-gathering process with all parties could resolve the apparent gap between the expectation of the public regarding 24-hour emergency care and the profession's ability to meet this.

"We are very happy with the way that this process was carried out and would like to thank the many individual veterinary surgeons and animal owners, as well as representative organisations, who have contributed to this outcome.

"By making the legal and professional obligations of veterinary surgeons and the welfare obligations of animal owners clearer we hope that this new guidance should allay some of the frustrations and concerns of the profession."

The new supporting guidance for Chapter 3 '24-hour emergency first aid and pain relief' can be viewed at www.rcvs.org.uk/247care, while the additional guidance for Chapter 2 'Veterinary care' can be viewed at www.rcvs.org.uk/vetcare

A webinar in which Gordon Hockey and Clare Tapsfield-Wright, former Chairman of Standards Committee, explain the guidance in greater detail takes place at 8.30pm tonight.

Visit www.thewebinarvet.com/rcvs to register.

Ceva Animal Health has launched a marketing support pack to help vets raise awareness of pheromones as a solution to firework fears in cats and dogs.

The pack highlights the benefits of Adaptil and Feliway and Ceva’s ThunderShirt range of calming wraps.

It contains a wall/notice board display, a poster, an e-book and leaflet for owners, and a social media toolkit with graphics and pre-written posts for practices to use on their own social media channels.

The company is also running its fireworks waiting room display competition this month, in which the five veterinary practices who make best use of the materials for creating a display in their waiting room will win one of five £100 Love 2 Shop vouchers.

There are bonus points for practices that build a den in the waiting room to demonstrate the benefits of having a safe haven for dogs to retreat to when fireworks are going off.  

Veterinary professionals can post pictures of the dens and waiting room displays on the Adaptil Facebook page throughout October - www.facebook.com/AdaptilForDogs. 

Ceva is running commercial offers in the run up to the firework season, which practices are being encouraged to pass to their clients.

To download the fireworks marketing support pack go to http://bit.ly/3RxGLza. 

For further information, contact your Ceva territory manager or email cevauk@ceva.com.

Vets Now Glasgow has launched a neurology and neurosurgery service.

The new service is being headed by Dr Katia Marioni-Henry.

Katia graduated from the University of Parma in 1995 and went on to do a PhD in Clinical Electrodiagnostic at the University of Turin and Scott-Ritchey Research Center in Auburn, Alabama.

Her early career was spent at various American universities, where she became a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, with a subspecialty in Neurology and finally an Assistant Professor of Neurology and Neurosurgery at the University of Tennessee.

Katia came to the UK to work as a consultant in neurology and neurosurgery for a number of large referral practices, before moving to the University of Edinburgh in 2013, where she started the neurology/neurosurgery service, building it from scratch to a nine-strong team.

Katia said: “This is absolutely the best place to be brought in an emergency, but previously we’d have to refer some cases elsewhere for conditions affecting the brain, peripheral nerves or the spine.

“Now some of these debilitating neurological conditions can be diagnosed and treated rapidly here without having to transport the animal.”

“With our CT scanner, for example, we can diagnose slipped discs quickly, especially in small breeds, and treat them surgically.

“And we can use it for brain scans if there is trauma or if we suspect a tumour or severe inflammation in the brain.

“We can do a lumbar tap to rule out inflammation of the central nervous system either on infectious or immune-mediated basis.”

Woodley Equipment Company has announced that Veterinary Parasep Faecal Filters are now available exclusively from the company.

According to the Woodley, the filters have been developed in conjunction with an independent leading veterinary Institution and offer an improved method of determining Worm Egg Counts (WEC) on cattle, sheep and horses. Flotation methods for WEC can require several Specific Gravity solutions to cover different parasites. The two common flotation methods, ‘Modified McMaster' and ‘Improved Modified McMaster', both use Saturated NaCL and are both catered for with Veterinary Parasep.

Woodley says the key advantages of the new filters are:

• Cleaner, safer method - The enclosed filtration environment keeps user contact with harmful vapours and aerosols to a bare minimum.
• No possibility of cross contamination - being single use and disposable prevents any possibility of sample carryover.
• More accurate and consistent results - Egg counts can be affected using traditional techniques, by unintentional inconsistent sample mixing.
• No laborious ‘clean up' of sinks, shaker bottles and sieves - All the filtration, mixing and shaking is performed inside the Veterinary Parasep tube.

For a more information about The Veterinary Parasep please email sales@woodleyequipment.com or call the customer service team on +44 (0) 1204 669033 ~ Option 1.

Alternatively, visit http://www.woodleyequipment.com/.