Dechra is conducting a survey about strangles to better understand veterinary surgeons' approach to managing the disease.

The survey will assess vets’ experiences of the disease, biosecurity and the role of vaccination to help prevent strangles.

It includes questions on the number of strangles cases diagnosed in the last year, how the diagnosis was reached and in what instances they would recommend strangles vaccination.

The survey, which is approximately two minutes long, is at: https://forms.office.com/e/wH1UeVFmVW. 

All participants will be entered into a prize draw for a £50 Amazon voucher.

For further information on Strangles Awareness Week: https://www.redwings.org.uk/strangles/strangles-awareness-week.

The British Equine Veterinary Association reports that its annual Congress last month had 1700 attendees, the highest number in seven years and a 4% increase on 2018.

This year the event delivered more than 90 hours of CPD lectures, workshops and practicals across six separate streams, over three days. Over 100 veterinary industry leaders showcased their wares in the commercial exhibition hall and there were a number of social events for delegates.

Delegates awarded the scientific programme an average score of 4.7 out of 5 stars, and 94% of delegates said they will put what they learnt into practice and use it in their day-to-day role. 94% also said Congress was good value for money.

Swissvet, a company which makes power dentistry equipment, won the Veterinary Practice Best New Exhibitor Award. CEO Dr Ruedi Steiger said: We have distributors throughout Europe, but it is the first time Swissvet has exhibited at BEVA. It has been a fantastic experience and I am thrilled to have won this award. I definitely plan to come back next year."

Next year’s BEVA Congress will be held in Birmingham from 9-12 September 2020.  For further information visit www.beva.org.uk.

Photo: David Boughey

The BVA has issued a new policy position on non-traditional companion animals (NTCAs), aka exotics, after finding that 81% of vets are concerned that their needs are not being met, with many saying that owners being unable to care for them properly is a major welfare issue. 

The BVA Voice of the Veterinary Profession research found the most cited welfare issue facing exotics was ‘irresponsible animal ownership’ (82%).

Vets who treat NTCAs reported that 58% of the NTCAs they see do not have their five animal welfare needs met and 26% have seen a rise in the number brought in for treatment in the past year. 

BVA Senior Vice President and zoo veterinary surgeon Justine Shotton said: “The welfare of non-traditional companion animals has long been a concern of many vets and this is demonstrated in our recent research.

"It is worrying that a quarter of vets are seeing an increase in the number brought in for treatment and sad to hear that so many cite irresponsible ownership as the top cause behind welfare issues.

"We know people who keep these animals have the right intentions to give them best care they can but their needs are so complex it can be difficult to do so, particularly if they are a new pet and owners are not sure exactly what they need.

"It is so important that potential buyers give careful consideration to buying such an animal before bringing one home.

"We’d also urge any vets who are approached by potential keepers for advice to strongly encourage them to do their research to ensure they have the skills and knowledge to care for them properly before buying an exotic species.”

BVA's new policy position calls for more regulation of online sales and third-party advertising of NTCAs and an end to the import of wild-caught reptiles and amphibians for non-conservation reasons. 

BVA also recommends a pre-purchase test, both demonstrating a potential owner’s knowledge on how to properly care for an NTCA, and helping to improve education around the needs of the species.

Past BVA President and Chair of the Working Group Sean Wensley said: “The new policy position makes recommendations which will help to protect the welfare of NTCAs, including calling for improved regulation of their keeping and sale.

"It highlights issues such as the welfare risks of certain breeding practices and stresses the need to move away from the wild-capture of animals for the pet trade.

"Taken together, the 32 recommendations present a clear veterinary view on the ethical sourcing and care of these species.”

www.bva.co.uk/exoticpets

Claudia Elena Surdila has been warned and reprimanded by the RCVS Disciplinary Committee following a conviction in Romania of unlawfully obtaining funds from the EU for a bee-keeping enterprise.

The Disciplinary Committee heard that the offence took place in 2013, when Dr Surdila was not a registered veterinary surgeon.

However she pleaded guilty to the charge in 2019, by which time she was. 

Dr Surdila testified that in 2010, she and her family owned a few beehives and applied for EU funding to help expand their operation into a business. 

A requirement of the funding was that Dr Surdila and her sister belong to a licensed bee-keeping co-operative. 

They joined their local co-operative, and paid a consultant to manage their funding application.

Three years later, their consultant switched Dr Surdila and her sister to a different cooperative, for reasons they did not understand. 

After another three years or so, Dr Surdila's family decided to close the business because she was at university and the others had other commitments.

Dr Surdila later moved to the UK and joined a practice in Motherwell, Scotland.

Then, in 2019, when Dr Surdila had been in the UK for four years, it transpired that the second co-operative they had joined was unlicensed and they had therefore not been entitled to received the funds from the EU (which amounted to a few thousand euros), and would be prosecuted by the National Department of Anti-Corruption.

Meanwhile, the consultant they had paid to manage their funding application had died. 

Dr Surdila stated that everything she had signed for the unlicensed co-op had been signed in good faith, but she was advised by her lawyer that as she had signed legally binding documents for the funding, and because the consultant had died, her only option was to plead guilty.

She was sentenced to two years imprisonment, suspended for two years, 60 days of community service and was required to pay 19,544.7 Romanian Lei (approximately £3,300) in damages.

Her lawyer advised her to appeal her sentence which was harsh considering the circumstances.

However, the appeal was postponed several times because of Covid-19 and was ultimately unsuccessful.

In concluding whether the conviction rendered Dr Surdila unfit to practise, Mrs Judith Way, chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: “Dr Surdila’s conviction was of a nature and seriousness that required a finding that she was unfit to practise as a veterinary surgeon on public interest grounds”.

The Committee then turned to sanction and in reaching its decision, Mrs Way said: “This was a serious conviction with a significant sentence, involving an element of bad faith.

"The Committee considered it important to mark this behaviour in some way because Dr Surdila should have been more cognisant of what she was signing.

“The Committee noted that her offending behaviour took place a significantly long time ago, when Dr Surdila was young and inexperienced and before she had qualified as a veterinary surgeon.

"There had never been a risk to animals or the public, she had demonstrated significant insight into her failures and exhibited genuine remorse.

"The Committee was satisfied that it was highly unlikely she would ever commit such an offence again.

 “In light of the lack of aggravating factors and the extensive mitigation in this case, the Committee concluded that it was appropriate and proportionate to reprimand Dr Surdila and to warn her of the need to ensure she reads and understands all documents that require her signature.”

The Committee’s full findings can be viewed at www.rcvs.org.uk/disciplinary

The British College of Veterinary Specialists (BCVSp) has launched a new website, www.yourvetspecialist.org to promote the services of RCVS and European Veterinary Specialists to the pet-owning public.

The new website explains what Veterinary Specialists are, how they may be able to help, and how the referral process works. The BCVSp says it has been designed to be a useful resource which primary practices can direct their clients to if a referral is being considered.

As well as being able to search for a Specialist by location and by discipline, owners can also read some real life patient case studies following the referral, treatment journeys and outcomes of animals that have benefited from Specialist care and meet some of the Specialists via podcast links.

BCVSp Trustee Celia Marr said: "While most happy healthy animals will never need Specialist veterinary care, if they do we want their owners to know that we are here to help.

"There are many hundreds of Specialists working at the forefront of veterinary care and also those working in research, pathology and academia, helping to advance animal health and welfare, every day. We believe our new website should help to spread the word and make referral more understandable and accessible."

Visit the new website at www.yourvetspecialist.org 

The Roundhouse Veterinary Hospital in Glasgow has launched a new veterinary referrals service which, it says, is set to revolutionise access to advanced veterinary care throughout west central Scotland.

The practice has assembled a team of post-graduate certificate holding veterinary surgeons, supporting specialists, nurses and front-of-house staff to offer a comprehensive range of services, including advanced orthopaedic and soft tissue surgery and outpatient diagnostic imaging.

In order to make its service more accessible, the practice has also developed a number of innovative aspects to its service, including a 'fixed price fix', a guaranteed 'same week solution' and an interest-free credit payment option.

Lead veterinary surgeon Ross Allan (pictured right) said: "We consider the launch of Roundhouse Referrals to be one of the most exciting developments in the provision of advanced veterinary services to clients in the West of Scotland for many years.

"While there are existing referral options, we want to remove some of the current challenges that prevent vets and pet owners from accessing these services. 

"We all know how frustrating waiting lists can be for vets and their clients, and by creating the 'same week solution' we pledge to arrange an appointment and provide a referral consultation within one week, something we feel will be reassuring to referring vets and clients.

"In addition, we are delighted to improve provision for pet owners with financial restrictions such as low value or no insurance policies. Roundhouse Referrals has been established to address these concerns through the provision of a high quality, highly accessible service and 'same week solution' for referring veterinary practices, and through such services as our 'fixed price fix' and interest free credit.

"Similarly, we are committed to the principle of an easy-to-use service for referring vet and client: price certainty, the personal touch and great communication." 

Roundhouse Referrals says it can undertake an extensive range of investigative and surgical orthopaedic procedures including: fracture repair; lameness investigation; growth deformities; arthrodesis; arthroscopic surgery and ligament or tendon injury. Its soft tissue services include: endocrine surgery; ENT; gastrointestinal; hernia surgery; oncological; thoracic; urogenital; vascular; wound management and reconstructive surgeries. 

The practice also says it undertakes to work in partnership with referring veterinary practices to provide an easier referral system that will always return satisfied clients to the referring practice. 

For further information, contact 0141 649 1316 or visit: www.rhr.vet

The RCVS has tightened up the guidance on remote prescribing, such that veterinary surgeons may now only remote prescribe for animals that are not already under their care if it is impossible to physically examine the animal. 

RCVS Council had introduced temporary guidance allowing the remote prescription of drugs for animals not under care back in March, to ensure that animal health and welfare could be maintained during lockdown without risking the health of veterinary teams or their clients.

Since then, the College has twice extended this guidance, because of the ongoing situation. 

However the College says it now recognises that many practices are returning more to 'business as usual' and that the guidance and associated flowchart should be updated according. 

Consequently, before deciding to prescribe POM-Vs remotely, the updated guidance now requires veterinary surgeons to first consider whether the animal is already under their care; or, if not, whether it is possible to physically examine the animal in order to bring the animal under their care. If the answer to both questions is ‘no’, POM-Vs may still be prescribed remotely providing the guidelines set out in the College’s coronavirus advice hub are adhered to.

Surprisingly, the College says that its surveys of the profession have thus far identified no immediate safety concerns around remote prescribing. 

RCVS President Dr Mandisa Greene, who chairs the Taskforce, said: “The reason for maintaining the possibility of remote prescribing without a physical examination was that we recognised that the current situation is unpredictable, and while the ability for the public to visit practices in person has improved over the last few months, we felt that situations might still arise where that would not be possible, and where access to remote prescribing would be necessary. These could include further local lockdowns, ongoing quarantine arrangements, and the remaining fact that some members of both the veterinary team and the public continue to shield.

“It remains our intention that this guidance will continue to be a temporary measure and may be subject to further extensions or updates given the uncertain nature of the Covid-19 pandemic.”

RCVS Council will review the position on 8 October, with any changes being effective by 1 November at the earliest.

Meanwhile, the RCVS review of ‘under care’ and out-of-hours emergency cover has now resumed, starting with a number of virtual focus groups and consultation with stakeholders within the veterinary and veterinary nursing professions.

The findings from these focus group discussions will then inform a wider survey to be sent to all veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses in early 2021, along with stakeholder organisations and the animal-owning public. Remote prescribing will continue to form a part of this review.

Zoetis has launched a one-dose vial of Rispoval IntraNasal, in order to offer respiratory health protection in calves as soon as possible after birth without either waiting to batch them in groups or wasting unused vaccine in multi-dose packs.

To make ready for use, the vaccine is reconstituted by mixing a powder with sterile diluent. Once mixed, the licensed shelf life is two hours. This means any that is unused in multi-dose packs must be thrown away. By stocking a combination of one- and multi-dose packs, farmers can eliminate this.

The vaccine protects against two primary viral causes of pneumonia in young calves, BRSv and Pi3v¹. Surveillance of blood samples from 2,145 calves with pneumonia signs found 78% exposed to BRSv, 81% to Pi3v². The product licence allows use from nine days of age, with onset of immunity to BRSv and Pi3v after five and 10 days respectively. The licence also specifies a duration of immunity of 12 weeks.

Zoetis vet Carolyn Hogan says that viruses are the instigator of a majority of respiratory health problems: "Early-life protection also helps reduce the threat from opportunistic secondary bacterial infections, such as Pasteurella.

"Good respiratory health is essential to ensure calves develop to achieve their lifetime potential. But it's estimated that 67% of pneumonia cases occur in calves less than three months of age³.

"Whether suckled or reared, calves that don’t grow effectively in the early weeks are unlikely to catch up later. On both dairy and beef units, proactive management of the calf living space, nutrition and disease resilience is critical to maximise lifetime productivity, which is clearly so important under today's farm business economics.

More information about the benefits of managing respiratory health in calves is available at plantoproduce.co.uk.

Animalcare, the maker of Thiamacare, has launched ‘Make Senior Easier’ a new campaign designed to help improve the quality of life of older pets by helping practices enhance their level of care and educating owners how they can maintain their pet's wellbeing in later life.

Animalcare hopes that its ‘Make Senior Easier’ campaign will raise awareness of conditions that can go unnoticed or get dismissed by owners as a normal part of ageing, such as hyperthyroidism.

As part of the campaign, practices can request a free resource pack which includes:

• A video offering top tricks and tips to help practices get the best out of the ‘Making Senior Easier’ campaign
• Health check materials, including a ‘senior triage form’ to be completed by owners and a ‘senior pet assessment form,’ which can act as a checklist for practice staff
• Condition handouts for owners, detailing common age-related problems
• Social media posts 
• Generic short articles on age-related issues for use in e-newsletters and on websites.

Kirsty Cavill RVN said: ''In my role as a RVN and canine rehabilitation therapist, I often come across senior pets with underlying conditions which are adversely affecting their health but could be managed successfully through a multimodal approach and structured treatment plan.

"By adopting a proactive approach to senior pet care and by helping owners to understand how to best support their pets through this life stage, we will strengthen the bonds with our clients, to ensure the highest standard of care is afforded to all senior patients.''

James Beaumont, Brand Manager at Animalcare, added: "As life expectancy increases and numbers of senior pets continue to grow, veterinary care tailored to the needs of these animals has never been more relevant and it is also a huge business opportunity for practices. To help them capitalise on this opportunity, we have created our Make Senior Easier campaign and hope that the resources we have created will improve owner awareness and give practices the tools they need to achieve the best clinical outcomes for older pets and their owners.”

To request your free resource pack, visit: www.animalcare.co.uk/makesenioreasier. 

For more information, contact your Animalcare Territory Manager or ring 01904 487687. 

One of this year’s recipients of the RCVS Impact Award, Professor Sarah Freeman, will be talking about her pioneering public awareness project on equine colic at an upcoming Regional Question Time in Nottingham on 25th November 2019.

Sarah is a Professor of Veterinary Surgery at the University of Nottingham’s School of Veterinary Medicine & Science, and leads the Nottingham Equine Colic Project, which works with organisations such as the British Horse Society to raise awareness of the condition.

Sarah's talk, 'Generating an evidence-based educational campaign on colic', will discuss new evidence from the project, and how it led to the REACT colic campaign. She will also be sharing experiences of how the campaign has worked and asking whether we can change people's attitudes and behaviours.

The evening starts at 6.15pm with food and refreshments with Sarah's talk starting at 7pm, after which there will be an update on the College’s latest projects and initiatives. That'll be followed by a question and answer session with senior officers and staff from the RCVS - including RCVS President Dr Niall Connell, and Chair of RCVS Veterinary Nurses (VN) Council Racheal Marshall.

Dr Connell said: "Thank you to Professor Freeman for agreeing to speak about the colic project which, through its Colic Awareness Week, is helping to raise knowledge of the early signs of colic amongst horse owners, allowing them to get their horses treated in good time and saving their lives.

"I also look forward to talking to members of the profession about some of the issues currently on their minds – the evening is very much led by what those who attend want to discuss – from mental health, to our under care review, to the Practice Standards Scheme. Attending the event can also count to up to three hours towards your continuing professional development (CPD) requirement."

The event is open to all members of the practice team including veterinary surgeons, veterinary nurses, practice managers and others. The event is free and places can be booked via the RCVS website at www.rcvs.org.uk/nottingham. 

In the afternoon before the event, between 12 noon and 5pm, the College will also be holding a series of free 45-minute Practice Standards Scheme (PSS) surgeries with PSS Lead Assessor Pam Mosedale. 

The surgeries are open to both RCVS-accredited practices and those considering joining the Scheme and allows delegates to discuss the assessment process, how to apply for awards, how to meet particular requirements and any other questions they may have about the PSS. 

Places at the surgeries are limited and will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. They can be booked at: www.rcvs.org.uk/PSSsurgeries

Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health has launched a new cattle and sheep vaccine which it says gives vets an additional opportunity to prescribe the broadest possible protection against clostridial diseases.

Bravoxin 10 is a low dose clostridial vaccine containing antigens for protection against C. perfringens type A, C.perfringens type B, C.perfringens type C, C.perfringens type D, C.novyi type B, C.septicum, C.tetani, C.sordellii, C.haemolyticum and C.chauvoei.

Dosage volumes are 2ml for cattle and 1ml for sheep and the new vaccine can be used in animals from as young as two weeks old if the dam has not been previously vaccinated. A booster dose pre-calving or lambing will also deliver 8-12 weeks passive immunity in calves and lambs (apart from against C.haemolyticum).

Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health ruminant veterinary adviser Rosemary Booth MRCVS said: "Clostridial bacteria take the lives of cattle and sheep on a regular basis and are the cause of a significant proportion of the sudden livestock deaths in this country. In 2007, an independent survey of over 500 UK dairy and beef farmers revealed that half the interviewees had experienced calves or adult cattle dying for no apparent reason.  The reality is that many of these losses could have been due to clostridial diseases. Farmer respondents valued the livestock loss at anywhere between £505 and £1243 per animal. Even at the lowest stock valuation, preventing the loss through broad-spectrum vaccination would pay for nearly five years of Bravoxin 10 use in a 100 cow herd.

"Now that additional clostridial pathogens such as C. sordellii and  C. perfringens A have been recognised by the VLA and SAC as significant causes of deaths on both cattle and sheep farms, it makes sense to widen pathogen cover on some ruminant livestock units. Bravoxin 10 allows practitioners to prescribe the broadest possible disease protection." 

The sheep industry already understands the importance of broad-spectrum vaccination against clostridial diseases, but Iain Carrington from Intake Veterinary Services based in Northumberland believes cattle producers should also upgrade their protection.

"There was a time that clostridial disease control in cattle meant vaccinating your youngstock against blackleg at turnout, or discovering dead animals and then reacting with blackleg vaccine," he said. "But over the last few years, I have seen an increased incidence of different clostridial diseases in far from typical circumstances.

"There are also a large number of cattle deaths going undiagnosed and it is likely that many are caused by clostridial species. As a result, we are now advising many of our clients to take a broader-spectrum vaccination approach to ensure adequate protection - not only of the cows themselves - but also their calves through good colostral transfer," he said.

Bravoxin 10 is a prescription-only medicine (POM-V). For further information, contact the Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health Veterinary Support Group on 01908 685685.

Merial Territory Managers have taken the first three places at the British Excellence in Sales & Marketing Awards, beating off competition from over 100 other entries, including those from household names such as Virgin, npower and DHL.

Merial's Andi Collins was named Sales Professional of the Year (companies over 50 employees), while her colleagues Emma McAnally and Stephen Booth came second and third respectively.  In the eyes of the judges it was their ability to listen, ask questions and then develop insightful business proposals that set them apart.

Merial National Sales Training Manager, Tony Jones said: "At Merial we believe our responsive, well-trained Territory Managers are a great resource for vets.  A resource that we are only too happy to see practices use to the fullest extent.  We expect our people to do their utmost to find out what a  practice's needs really are and then work to deliver the requirements."

The judges recognised the quality of the Merial candidates and their training and also the value this brings to veterinary customers.  Andi's commendation said:  "Her questioning was very strong, undertaking a fact-find in a relaxed manner which gained empathy and importantly she did not try and propose a solution until she had completed her questioning, to gain a full background of the situation in hand."

Nigel Slater, Head of Companion Animal Sales at Merial said: "I am delighted for Andi, Emma and Stephen. These awards are also a huge endorsement of the training investment we make here at Merial.  An investment that independent surveys show is highly regarded by successful veterinary practices."