HT Vista has enhanced the diagnostic function on its cancer screening device so that it can now diagnose lumps on dogs when the specificity exceeds 90%.

The update includes a new scoring system of low, moderate or high cancer risk which replaces the original numerical HDI scores and simplifies interpretation for clinicians, making the screening process easier to communicate with pet owners.

HT Vista says the device can now categorise cancer risk levels, based on malignant probability, with a sensitivity of 90% and a negative predictive value (NPV) of 98%.

The company says this translates to a “low cancer risk” result having a malignant probability of 10% or less, allowing veterinary teams to rule out cancer of lumps and bumps without the need for invasive procedures.

The tool can also now provide alerts for some of the low-risk cases, identifying them as lipomas, sebaceus adenomas or benign epithelial masses.

Liron Levy-Hirsch DVM MRCVS, Managing Director at HT Vista, said: "I am incredibly excited to enhance our already powerful HT Vista screening tool with a new diagnostic capability, providing veterinary teams with an even more comprehensive decision-support system.

"Our screening technology has already been a game-changer in early detection, and now, with the ability to flag specific tumour types, we are taking another significant step forward.

"This advancement empowers veterinary professionals to make even more informed decisions, supports shared decision-making with pet owners, and ultimately improves patient outcomes.

"By reducing the time from suspicion to diagnosis and treatment, we can detect cancer earlier, avoid the ‘wait and see’ approach, and help save more lives."

On the other end of the scale, a “high cancer risk” result has a malignant probability of 50% or more and indicates a stronger likelihood of malignancy.

HT Vista says these cases require additional diagnostic tests for mass identification.

The company highlights a big distinction between this and other screening modalities is that it can be nurse-led.

HT Vista will be on display and there will be live demonstrations at BSAVA Congress from the 20th to the 22nd of March 2025.

https://bit.ly/ht-vista-screening-tool 

CVS has announced a two year programme of investment of more than £3 million in two high-field (1.5 Tesla) MRI scanners and seven CT scanners as part of a programme to provide advanced imaging resourcing across the group.

The first of the MRI scanners will be installed at ChesterGates, CVS' multi-disciplinary veterinary referral hospital, in Spring 2015. CVS says it believes it will be the most advanced MRI system for pets in the North West of England.

The seven 16-slice CT scanners will be installed at CVS hub practices, including ChesterGates, PetMedics in Manchester, Beechwood Veterinary Hospital in Doncaster and St David's in Devon.

CVS Referral Director John Innes said: "We are committed to utilising the latest technology across the group and this investment in our scanning capability is a good example. The new MRI scanner at ChesterGates will enhance the high quality specialist referral services we offer, particularly in neurology because MRI is used mainly to image the brain and spinal cord.

"The seven new CT scanners will enable our teams to scan a chest or abdomen rapidly and with outstanding image quality. Image data can be processed and viewed in other planes or 3-D rendered to assist with decision making and surgical planning. The installation of the new CT scanners will be rolled out over the next two years, enabling us to offer cost-effective advanced imaging to many more of our clients across the country."

Vets Now, in cooperation with its host practices and the Veterinary Poisons Information Service, is launching a new 'Tox Box' service giving veterinary surgeons 24 hour direct access to the treatments that they are most likely to need, and least likely to stock, in a poisoning emergency.

Vets Now says this new service represents a significant step forward in the ease and availability of care for the intoxicated patient.

Through Tox Box, any vet calling the VPIS advice line after 31st March 2011 will be able to access the drugs required in a poisoning emergency at selected Vets Now clinics and their host practices across the UK.  Drugs will be available at cost, plus a small handling charge. 

Amanda Boag, Clinical Director at Vets Now said: "We are delighted to be working in partnership with VPIS to offer vets this life-saving service for pets across the UK.

"As emergency and critical care practitioners we frequently deal with poisoning cases and are pleased to be able to use our clinics to allow vets access to the treatments they need in a hurry.

"Tox Box is a service which has been designed to help enhance the current VPIS advice service whereby vets can now easily gain access to those drugs they are most likely to need to treat toxicities, but not stock internally, such as plasma and Adder anti-venom. The service VPIS provides is very important for vets, and we hope that this additional provision will greatly benefit them and the pets they are caring for."

Alex Campbell, Head of Services at VPIS said: "We are looking forward to working in partnership with Vets Now to improve outcomes for poisoned animals and their owners.

"Poisons can have deadly affects on animals if not treated quickly. Previously vets may have had to call round several hospitals or practices to source the recommended drug whilst their patient's health deteriorates. Through Tox Box we can help them access the drug without delay and provide case-specific guidance to ensure the animal receives optimum care."

The VPIS 24/7 telephone number to ring is: 020 7188 0200

VetCT is launching a new app through which veterinary general practitioners can consult Specialists for £80+VAT for a 15-20 minute consultation, £120 for an extended 30 minute consultation or £195 for a 1 hour consultation, all of which also qualify as CPD.  

VetCT says the app, which offers round the clock, rapid access to specialist support, aims to bridge the existing gap for those clinical cases where specialist input is desired, but for which full referral may not be ideal or possible.

It is also hoped that the new service will reduce the amount of time that GPs currently have to spend seeking further clinical advice, currently estimated at 10 hours per week, and reduce the amount of advice that Specialists currently give for free, estimated at 5 hours per week. 

Using the app, GPs can send all the relevant information for the consultation, including the history, test results, videos and photos to Diploma-holding specialists across the entire range of specialties, direct from their mobile phone.

They can then choose whether to get an immediate call-back or text chat, a written report or a virtual appointment.

Victoria Johnson, co-Director, said: “Our mission is to help every vet be the best and feel their best every day. Behind the app we have a committed team of over 50 employed specialists, plus 100 radiologists and a full customer support team ready to respond to enquiries.

"All our specialists also work in clinical roles and previously have worked in first opinion practice, and we have so much respect for the challenges our general practitioner colleagues face.

"We want to make their lives that little bit easier, supporting them – with empathy – in giving the best care to complex cases where referral may not be an option.

"We also want to provide pet owners with access to specialist care for their pets, where cost or travel may preclude them from seeing a specialist at a referral centre.”

In addition to the consultation fee, there's an annual practice membership fee of £200 which is reduced for locum vets. VetCT says practices may choose to charge fees on to clients, or some practices may decide to absorb the costs for the support value it offers their clinicians. 

VetCT says it will also gifting additional credits to help support vets who may benefit from a helping hand, such as those returning from extended leave, moving to different species areas, or new graduates.

The service is designed to complement existing specialist services. Victoria added: “We recognise the vital importance of physical referrals, and this service in no way replaces that. Indeed, we have started to see evidence that using the app will lead to more patients getting physically referred for the right reasons, at the right time, with the right information. 

"However, we also know that many vets and specialists are under huge time pressure. Many specialists felt they were unable to do a good job of dealing with advice queries alongside their busy day job – much as they wanted to help. We hope this app relieves the pressure for both parties, provides fast, exceptional and supportive specialist advice, and increases the number of pets and owners who can benefit from specialist input."

The new app, which will be available for both IOS and Android, will launch at BSAVA Congress 2021, with pre-registration available prior to the launch on 25th March.

To discuss rates and credit options, email: info@vet-com.com.

Petplan has been awarded an Insurance Times Tech Award for its social media campaign entitled "Like & Donate", which was devised to support two animal charities, the Dogs Trust and Cats Protection. 

As part of the campaign, pet lovers are being encouraged to donate a food pouch to either charity by "liking" the Petplan Facebook page; with one "like" equalling one pouch of food for either the cat or dog charity.

The Facebook app also allows Petplan's Facebook fans to track the progress of donations and encourage friends to visit the page and support their chosen charity. The initiative has resulted in over 48,000 food pouches being donated to the charities with the Cats Protection receiving over 29,000 "likes" and the Dogs Trust gaining 19,500.

Petplan's Head of Marketing, Isabella von Mesterhazy said: "We are delighted our Like & Donate campaign has been awarded Best Use of Social Media. At Petplan we work with over 1,700 animal charities and our Like & Donate campaign has further helped to support the fantastic work of both the Dogs Trust and Cats Protection in rehoming dogs and cats across the UK."

To take part in Petplan's "Like & Donate" programme visit www.Facebook.co.uk/Petplan.

TVM UK has launched a campaign to help veterinary practices educate pet owners of the potential poisoning hazards which are common during the Christmas holidays.

The company has created a waiting room board kit, social media pack and a video which surgeries can play on waiting room televisions.

The board kit comprises cut out images of items which are commonly found in a typical Christmas shopping basket which can be toxic or dangerous to pets. Meanwhile, the video explains the dangers pet owners need to be aware of throughout the year.

For practices which are limiting the number of people coming into the premises, TVM is also offering waterproof posters which can be displayed outside surgeries, along with Pet Dangers leaflets for clients to take home.

Will Peel, Product Manager of TVM UK, said: ‘We know that poisoning cases increase significantly over the Christmas period and while many pet owners are aware of the items which are toxic to their pets, it’s easy to get distracted during the festive season so the materials we have put together are intended as a reminder to be diligent and keep pets safe from harm.’

To claim your free Pet Dangers practice resource kit, visit https://www.tvm-uk.com/order-your-tvm-uk-christmas-pet-dangers-display-kit, contact your local territory manager, email help@tvm-uk.com or call 0800 0385868.

VetSurgeon.org has started a series of discussions about major changes to the profession proposed by the Legislative Working Party in order to help you form your opinion and give feedback to the RCVS.  

If they become law, the changes proposed by the working party will have a profound effect on all practising veterinary surgeons and nurses, so it could not be more important that you express your opinion, whether that is in support of the changes or against them.

The proposals fall under five main headings below, each of which is linked to a discussion thread on the subject. Of particular note is the 'fitness to practise' section which includes proposals for radical changes to the disciplinary process:

• Embracing the vet-led team
  Giving the College powers to regulate all paraprofessionals. Allowing vets to delegate more to paraprofessionals (and giving the College greater power to define what can be delegated). Protecting the title 'Veterinary Nurse'.
• Enhancing the VN role
  Extending the VN role in anaesthesia and allowing VNs to perform cat castrations. In the future, looking at nurses becoming 'VN Prescribers' and performing other tasks.
• Assuring practice regulation
  Making the PSS regulatory and giving the College the power to come and bash the door down (so to speak) if you won't let them in to investigate a failure to maintain practice standards. Giving the College the power to issue improvement notices. 
• Introduce a modern 'Fitness to practise' regime
  To change the disciplinary process to be forward-looking, considering fitness to practise, as opposed to backward-looking, punishing past misdeeds. Widening the grounds for investigation beyond serious professional misconduct. Introducing new powers so the College can suspend a vet pending a final decision by the Disciplinary Committee. Introducing reviews of suspension orders so that reinstatement is no longer automatic. Introduce a wider range of sanctions. To reduce the standard of proof required by the Disciplinary Committee. To use a Case Examiner model for early stage investigations, as opposed to the Preliminary Investigation Committee (PIC). 
• Modernising Registration
  To allow limited licensure allowing - for example people with disabilities to practise. To introduce a requirement for vets and nurses to revalidate. To allow the College to refuse re-registration for veterinary professionals who do not undertake the required amount of CPD. 

Do come and join in the discussions. Which of these things do you think will improve the veterinary care of animals? Could any of them have consequences that haven't been thought of? Do you think some of them show the College overreaching itself? Or do they not go far enough?  

Come and tell us what you think. Hopefully the discussions will help you form your response to the RCVS survey. 

The RCVS survey closes at 5pm on 23rd April 2021.

Petplan has launched nominations for its Petplan Insurance Advisor of the Year Award.

The award is to recognise the hard work and dedication that Pet Insurance Advisors (PIAs) do to highlight the importance of insurance to pet owners as a means of financial protection. To nominate your PIA visit http://www.petplan.co.uk/piaaward/

Petplan works with nearly 2000 vet practices to promote pet insurance within practice. Once a practice has received Appointed Representative status, employees can train to become a dedicated Pet Insurance Advisor by registering on http://www.petplan.co.uk/piaaward/  

Petplan says that since pet owners often look to vets for advice about where they stand on insurance matters, having a dedicated member of staff there to explain insurance benefits can give an added value service to your practice. Also the PIA scheme can contribute to staff's CPD, and help them develop transferable skills such as confidently promoting products and handling client objections.  

Kelly Cummings, the winner of the 2008 Petplan Insurance Advisor of the Year award said: "Encouraging owners to invest in pet insurance early on in their pet's life can help to ensure a stress-free future. The PIA scheme offers good advice about the basics of insurance which are easy to understand for vet staff.  This information can then be simply conveyed to clients."

The PIA of the Year will receive a new laptop and their practice will receive £100 in vouchers!  Nominations close on 31^st August 2009 and the nominees will be judged by industry professionals.  The winner will be announced at the annual BVNA Congress on 10^th October.

Please note: due to insurance regulation, the PIA scheme is only available to veterinary staff employed at Petplan Appointed Representative practices.

The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) has published its Pharmacovigilance Annual Review 2015, which reviews 5674 reports of adverse events in animals, humans and the environment following the use of veterinary medicines over the course of the year.

5638 events were reported spontaneously, mainly by the marketing authorisation holder (61%), with the remainder largely reported by veterinary surgeons. 

Of these, 5512 were reports of adverse reactions in animals: 829 concerning suspected lack of efficacy, 4638 concerning safety. The majority of reports concerned dogs (2927), cats (1426) and cattle (386).

In dogs, medicines for the control of epilepsy were most often suspected of not having performed as expected (80 reports) whilst vaccines were most commonly reported as having failed to work (71).  However, the VMD points out that in many cases, vaccination failure was attributable to other causes (such as incomplete vaccination schedule).

In cats, flea spot-on products were most likely to be reported as not having worked (21). However, there are many reasons why owners may continue to see live fleas on their animal which are unrelated to product efficacy (such as reinfestation from the environment). 

Notably, the majority of efficacy reports in horses (12/19) related to euthanasia products, which the report says should serve as a reminder that alternative means of euthanasia should always be available in case the chosen method does not proceed as planned.

Of the safety reports, 59.6% involved dogs, 31% cats, 4.9% horses and 3.9% rabbits. The majority concerned vaccines (1360 reports, most commonly general signs or symptoms, such as lethargy or pyrexia), parasiticides (472 reports, most commonly lethargy, emesis, inflammation/pruritus, depending on method of administration) and inflammation control (412 cases, most commonly emesis, renal insufficiency and diarrhoea, depending on the drug type).

There were 124 reports of adverse events in humans. Of those involving veterinary professionals (about a quarter):

• There were two cases where owners were injured by a vet with a needle. In one case, despite the owner washing and disinfecting their hands immediately, the hand became too swollen to move and required anti-histamines and anti-inflammatories.
• A veterinary nurse developed a sore eye when vaccine was squirted into it as the needle came off the syringe. The symptoms resolved the following day.
• A veterinary surgeon reported brief periods of numbness around an injury sustained from a needle used for a rabies vaccination.
• A veterinary surgeon reported injection site pain after inadvertently injecting a small volume of a macrolide antimicrobial into his thumb. 
• A veterinary surgeon scratched his finger with a needle he had used to administer tilmicosin, and he thought a drop may have entered the wound. Nevertheless he did not seek medical attention until more than 3 hours later. Fortunately no treatment was required. 
• A veterinary surgeon pricked her finger with a needle on a syringe full of alfaxalone. No product was injected and she experienced no other symptoms than bleeding and pain from the puncture wound. 
• A veterinary surgeon was administering pentobarbital to a cat when the needle came off the syringe and between 1 and 20 ml of product squirted back into her eyes and mouth. She rinsed her eyes and mouth, drank some water and ate a banana. 45 minutes later she felt tired and ‘fuzzy’. She spoke to her GP by phone, but did not attend the surgery or receive treatment. She recovered within 3 hours. 
• A locum veterinary nurse developed swelling around an injury on her hand from a needle on a syringe of medetomidine. She had punctured a blood vessel, but thought only a small amount of product was injected. She felt light-headed and was monitored in hospital for a couple of hours, after which she returned to work with no lasting effects. 
• Two veterinary surgeons and a pet owner suffered needle stick injuries whilst an anti-emetic was administered to an animal that was being restrained by the owner. 

The VMD says that reports of needle stick injuries involving vaccines with a mineral oil adjuvant are of particular concern, because they often fail to show that the injured party has received prompt and correct treatment, either because they are themselves unaware of the necessity for swift intervention, or because they do not take the product package information leaflet with them when seeking medical treatment. 

Similarly, the VMD says that incidents involving injectable tilmicosin seem to be often dismissed as just a scratch, and that if you use these products, you should make sure you are fully aware of the warnings contained in the product leaflets.

To read the full report, visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/608968/PhV_Annual_Review_2015_v7.pdf 

Vets Now and the PDSA are recruiting candidates for an initiative which lets Vets Now staff observe and work on elective surgical cases at PDSA Pet Hospitals, while PDSA’s new graduate vets get a taste of frontline Emergency and Critical Care medicine.

The initiative was first launched in 2018 as a small-scale pilot. 

Following a hiatus during Covid, and subsequent adaptations and expansion, the 2022 programme saw 12 new graduate vets from PDSA and 22 from Vets Now take part.

Dr Aoife Reid, Head of Edge programmes and Clinical Career Progression at Vets Now said: “We recognised that within ECC practice, surgical cases are less common.

“When they do happen, though, they are high-stakes and are usually lifesaving.

"So, it’s important to maintain the surgical skills of our veterinary surgeons.”

Meanwhile, while each of PDSA Pet Hospital’s perform hundreds of surgical procedures every week, working in collaboration with Vets Now’s 60-plus clinics and hospitals gives new graduates exposure to more intensive and time-critical emergencies.

They encountered case presentations that are more commonly seen in emergency situations, including dystocia, seizures and dyspnoea; and developed their skills utilising point of care ultrasound and blood gas analysis with more critical patients.

Gemma Renwick, PDSA Area Veterinary Manager said: “This a scheme has really positive mutual benefits and provides a greater level of understanding of how each other works.

“It makes for a smooth transition between the day and the night service; which results in a much better experience for both clients and pets.”

Before attending, vets get a taster of what to expect through short webinar-style videos. They each then spend three shifts working alongside the other veterinary teams.

The Vets Now clinicians perform several surgeries in one shift, something that would rarely happen in all but the busiest of emergency clinics.

They also benefit from discussing cases when they may be more used to working in a solo environment and receive feedback from an experienced PDSA Clinical Coach.

Vets Now says feedback from both sides has been hugely positive, with participating vets saying they felt welcomed and supported.

 Aoife said: “Within the veterinary industry, although it’s a small and close-knit community, we rarely see organisations collaborating in this way.“

"So, it’s great to work together to help benefit both our vets and the clients.”

A 17-year-old collie cross called Barney picked arguably the best place in the world for an old dog to fall into a canal last Saturday, when it was rescued by one of the teams taking part in the kayaking stage of the Vet Charity Challenge, an event where there were at least 150 vets on hand to help.

Barney had wandered off through an unlocked gate and fallen into the canal where he was spotted by a team from Kruuse UK. They managed to haul the struggling animal onto their kayak and take him down the canal towards a waiting group of vets and nurses. From there he was taken to Drove Vets in Swindon to make a full recovery.

Andrew Groom from Kruuse said, "It was sheer luck that we happened to be paddling past at that point. The poor chap was struggling on the steep banks of the canal and kept slipping back in. He was getting very tired and at risk of drowning, and judging by his gums and heart rate, going into shock."

Karien White from Drove Vets said: "Barney was a bit hypothermic when he was brought into us with a lot of bumps and bruises. We managed to warm him up and get him cleaned and after a little while his tail started wagging and he seemed very happy and friendly."

News of Barney was posted onto a Pewsey Facebook page which helped his worried owners trace him to the vets.

The Vet Charity Challenge took place on Saturday 27th September at St Francis School, Pewsey, near Marlborough, Wiltshire. The day consisted of 50 of teams of four orienteering, cycling and kayaking as well as undertaking mental and physical tasks. The charity raised over £70,000 in its first two years, with this year expected to boost the funds even more.

Gavin Mitchell, from founding sponsors, BCF Technology, said: "We never dreamt that while trying to raise money for our partner charities, that we would end up saving the life of a pet in such a direct fashion. Had Team Kruuse not been passing at that point, the dog would almost certainly have drowned. It highlights the real commitment and passion that the vet profession feels towards helping animals. Through our event we hope to reach out to help even more animals. People can donate directly to Vet Charity Challenge by contacting us via www.vetcharitychallenge.co.uk."

In case you've missed the start of the national celebrations, it's Feline Hypertension Awareness Month (FHAM), which offers an opener for dialogue with pet owners about the impact of hypertension on their cats.

The campaign is being fronted this year by a number of social media influencers, appropriately including Cat the Vet, aka Cat Henstridge (pictured right), Louisa The Vet and Alex And Bump.

Ceva has produced a number of materials to help practices get involved, including social media posts and templates which are now available from Ceva Territory Managers, or from the veterinary social media platform, Vet Social.

The company will also be launching an educational video that helps people recognise that older cats, and those with concurrent diseases, may have high blood pressure but show little in the way of recognisable signs. 

Suzanne Page, Veterinary Surgeon and Amodip Product Manager at Ceva, said: “This year, in recognition of how busy practices are, we wanted to give veterinary teams resources that provide a straightforward and simple way to raise feline hypertension awareness.

"Hypertension is so difficult for owners to notice, so we are working hard with influencers to spread the word.

"There will also be leaflets to share and a new website for cat owners at www.catbloodpressure.com.”

For those wanting to brush up on hypertension, there's Ceva's free CPD course, led by Dr Sarah Caney, Feline Medicine Specialist and CEO of Vet Professionals, available here.