VetSurgeon.org has today launched 'Claim CPD', a new feature which allows members to claim time spent on the site towards the annual requirement for 35 hours documented Continuing Professional Development.

The system has been designed to make recording CPD-qualifying activity, both reading or viewing content and participating in forum discussions, as quick and easy as possible.

Clicking the 'Claim CPD' button towards the top right of a content page on VetSurgeon.org reveals a drop down box into which you tap in the time you've spent on the subject, together with optional notes to remind you what you learned and how you plan to put it into practice.

In your VetSurgeon.org profile, there's a new tab marked 'CPD', visible only to you. Click that to reveal a list of all the time you've accrued, with links back to the content you've recorded towards your CPD. You can also produce a certificate covering the time you've logged in a given period, and upload it to your RCVS PDR.

Claim CPD can be used in various sections of VetSurgeon.org:

FORUMS
Now there's more reason than ever before to join forum discussions, ask questions and help each other, because when you learn something in the process, you can record it towards your CPD allowance.

NEWS
You may not think it's worth recording the short period of time you spent reading a news story on VetSurgeon.org as CPD. But if the story prompted you to spend time finding out more information, it probably is. For example, say you read about a new POM. You spend a couple of minutes reading about it on VetSurgeon.org. But then you visit the manufacturer's website to learn more about it and discuss it with the Territory Manager. Now it has become a worthwhile amount of time to record.

CPD
Claim CPD can also be used to record and claim time spent at any event listed in our CPD and Events Diary. So now you can RSVP to the event AND claim a certificate afterwards. Of course, most of the providers supply their own certificates, but useful for when they don't and if you should misplace your certificate.

GALLERIES
Now you can claim any time spent watching videos in the VetSurgeon Galleries towards your CPD requirement (indeed, this new feature was inspired by a veterinary surgeon who contacted us to ask for a certificate for precisely that). In addition, if you contribute a clinical image to our curated galleries, and learn something from the curator's comment, you can claim that too.

Arlo Guthrie, VetSurgeon.org Editor said: “I often hear members remark almost guiltily about how much time they spend on VetSurgeon.org. Now there's no need to feel guilty! Sharing knowledge amongst yourselves in forums has always been a great way to learn, recognised by the RCVS. But now, we've made it really easy to document what you've learned, in good time for the requirement to document all CPD from the start of next year."

The Federation of European Companion Animal Veterinary Associations (FECAVA) has launched the European Journal of Companion Animal Practitioners (EJCAP) Online, the first European fully online veterinary journal.

As the official journal of the FECAVA, the EJCAP online is exclusively available to members of national companion animal veterinary associations which are in turn members of FECAVA (which include the BSAVA).

According to FECAVA, the EJCAP online will continue to offer the sort of high quality CPD articles which the magazine was known for during its 21 year history in print. However it will now also be able to offer rich media, such as videos with clinical presentations, endoscopy and ultrasound recordings, diagnostic and surgical techniques, interviews with experts, conference presentations as well as slide shows, interactive quizzes, surveys and animations.

The frequency of publication has also been increased, from three to four issues per year, including one special issue.

The EJCAP online is available in two languages - English and Spanish. More languages are planned in future.

Simon Orr, FECAVA president, said: "Since the momentous decision to publish EJCAP online was taken by our Council in Lille in 2009, we are delighted to offer our members this new and engaging way to gain new information and skills.

As we start work on the next issues, we invite all our readers to give us feedback on this first volume of EJCAP online. On the last spread (page) there is a link to a survey on this new format, to help us further improve and optimize EJCAP online."

To register, visit EJCAP online (www.fecava.org/ejcap).

Harvey Locke has been elected President of the British Veterinary Association, and Carl Padgett its President-Elect for 2010/2011. The ceremony took place during the Annual General Meeting of the BVA at the close of its Annual Congress, held in Glasgow.

A small animal practitioner in Stockport, Harvey has veterinary science in his blood: when he qualified from Liverpool University in 1969 he became the fourth consecutive generation of vets in his family.  His great grandfather was President of the RCVS one hundred years ago in 1910/11 and his grandfather was President of the RCVS in 1934/35.  His daughter and his niece have both recently graduated from Liverpool to join the profession as the fifth consecutive generation.

Harvey has been actively and continuously involved in veterinary politics for 24 years and is a former President of the British Small Animal Veterinary Association and Vice President of the Union of European Veterinary Practitioners.

In his inaugural speech, he said: "We live in rapidly changing times and as a traditional profession we must strive to keep up. As the professional body I believe the BVA should always be one step ahead and that is why I have chosen 'Vets in a changing world' as the theme for my presidential year.

"From the internal changes to BVA Council to the new Coalition Government; from the prospect of a new Veterinary Surgeons Act to the impact of global climate change and the increasingly free movement of people and animals; we sit in the midst of enormous fluctuation. Each element brings its own challenges and opportunities."

Carl Padgett is a former president of the British Cattle Veterinary Association (BCVA) and currently chairman of Trustees of the BVA Animal Welfare Foundation. He has been involved in veterinary politics for the last 15 years.

Carl said: "My representative roles for BCVA and subsequently BVA have enabled me to understand and realise my true interest in the veterinary profession: ensuring the profession has a voice and our place in society is valued. 

"Our multi-disciplinary education and training places the profession in a unique position; representing the welfare and health of animals committed to our care, protecting the consumer in terms of food safety and ensuring food security at national and international levels by working within the agricultural world.  Vets are not just part of the leisure industry making animals better; we fill a much wider role in underpinning society and its contact with animals at all levels. 

"I am proud and honoured to become part of the BVA Officer team."

Bayer Animal Health has been enjoying considerable success in its efforts to raise awareness of the danger of lungworm amongst pet owners.

The company signed model and 'Strictly Come Dancing' presenter Tess Daly to front it's Be Lungworm Aware campaign at Crufts this year.

Coincidentally, her previous involvement in the Be Lungworm Aware campaign has led her to believe that her Golden Retriever, Sam, died of lungworm.

She said: "Back then I didn’t even realise lungworm existed. It was only subsequently that I became aware of the parasite and symptoms and I thought, ‘hang on this sounds horribly familiar’.

"It wasn’t confirmed what was causing Sam’s symptoms, but he was very tired, off his food and coughing a lot. Eventually we had to send him to a specialist vet centre as his symptoms worsened. They did all sorts of tests on him, and even a blood transfusion in an attempt to save his life, it was awful. We had to liquefy all his food and feed him through a syringe, and by this point he was vomiting and had severe diarrhoea, and in the end we had no choice but to put him down, he just couldn’t carry on."

Tess's involvement in the campaign is definitely paying dividends in raising awareness. Here she is talking about it in a Daily Telegraph video. There's also a piece in What's on TV. And although the Daily Mail seems more interested in her 'casual but slick ensemble', the photographs get the message across and there's a video there too.

Bayer has also launched an interactive lungworm map to assist with plotting the prevalence of the disease across the UK. The company says it is part of a wider research programme to better monitor and document the spread of the disease. Vets are asked to report cases of lungworm in their practices to be added to the map, so dog owners can then view reported cases of lungworm in their area at www.lungworm.co.uk.

The University of Bristol and Companion Care have launched The Great Pet Travel Survey 2012 to assess disease risks in the UK following the simplification of Pet Travel Scheme rules.

Companion Care and The University of Bristol say that there is a great deal of concern about what risks changes in the Pet Travel Scheme Rules pose to the health of the human and dog population in the UK.

Robert White-Adams MRCVS from Companion Care said: "At present there is minimal data available to answer this question as current data logging is minimal and paperwork checking at ports can be variable. We therefore have little idea of how many UK-resident dogs travel abroad, where they visit, how long they stay and what they are doing whilst abroad.

The survey will collect and analyse information about the travel patterns of UK resident dogs, in and around mainland Europe, over the last decade.

Robert added: "The data to be collated by the survey will fill the data void and enable us to provide a quantitative assessment of the disease risk, as well as gaining an understanding of owner awareness of risks face by dogs travelling in Europe.

Owners of dogs with Pet Passports are being encouraged to fill in the short questionnaire, which is available now at  http://www.greatpetsurvey.co.uk/.   All completed questionnaires will be entered into a prize draw to win £100 of Pets at Home vouchers!

The questionnaire will be live online until 30th June 2012 and all data will be analysed by the University of Bristol.

Dr Morgan said: "Without this information we have only a vague idea of the risks that the loss of border controls may pose. The answer could be that there is little additional risk or it could be that the UK dog (and human) population could face some severe disease threats. As it stands now, we just don't know enough to make an informed judgement."

Staysure Group has launched Petsure, a new insurance product which covers cats and dogs regardless of their pre-existing medical conditions. 

The company says most other providers have restrictions for older pets, commonly for dogs over the age of 8 and cats over 10. As a result, the customer often feels trapped to stay with their current insurer.

Petsure offers cover for a range of veterinary fee levels, from £1,000 to £15,000 regardless of pre-existing medical conditions. Each policy can cover a combination of up to eight cats or dogs on a single policy and gives the option of tailoring the level of cover for each pet, including the option of sharing the bill. There is also a choice of 4 add-on covers including travel and holiday cover.

There are no exclusion periods when switching from an existing insurer with like for like cover.

The company also offers 24 hour video consultations via FirstVet. 

Scott Miller MRCVS said: "Every day I see pets come into my clinics with worried owners. Worrying for the wellbeing of your pet is expected but worrying about the cost of treatment should not be a concern. That's why I'm so thrilled that a product has launched to ensure our furry friends with most pre-existing conditions can be treated and pet-prejudice is no longer an issue."

For more information, visit www.petsure.com or call 03301281862.

VetCT, the vet-to-specialist consulting service is offering all existing and new subscribers food and drink vouchers so they can have a seasonal staff party together. 

The teleconsulting service, accessed via the VetCT App, offers general practitioners 24hr clinical advice and support from specialists in all disciplines.

Practices who subscribe to the service can apply for £15 per person of food and drink vouchers for up to 20 people, to enjoy together.

VetCT says it will also be hosting a virtual party for locum vet subscribers want to take them up on the offer.

Victoria Johnson, Founder and Co-Director said: “We wanted to encourage people to get together - in person or virtually - to enjoy some festive treats and all-important social time, especially after a challenging year.

"We also appreciate how reducing staffing over the seasonal holiday period can leave teams stretched, and want to reassure our clients that we’re here to support them, 24/7, throughout the festive season.”

A member from the VetCT team will join the start of each practice party, to explain how versatile the teleconsulting service can be in providing reassurance and support, with answers to quick clinical questions, as well as advising on complex, multi-disciplinary case queries.

For more information, contact: info@vet-ct.com using the words ‘Staff Party’ in the subject, or visit www.vet-ct.com for more information.

The Government has announced that it is extending existing dangerous dogs laws to apply to private property, closing a loophole in the current law which only applies to public land.

Jim Paice, Minister of State for Agriculture and Food, said: "We've all heard the stories of snarling dogs not being properly kept under control or heard from health workers, postal workers or social workers who are at risk of serious injury from out of control dogs while just doing their job, attending to people in their homes.

"Today we are announcing a comprehensive package of measures that tackle the problem head on, which will better protect legitimate visitors to private property and will enable the police to take action before someone is hurt or killed."

The plans also put forward proposals to allow the police, when dealing with any dogs which are subject to proceedings under the Dangerous Dogs Act, to take a common sense decision as to whether the dog really needs to be kept away from their owners until the outcome of proceedings.

Mr Paice added: "Our plans must strike the right balance between protecting the public from dangerous dogs and ensuring that safe and properly looked after pets don't need to be wrenched from their home unnecessarily.

"We're giving the police more discretion to take common-sense decisions where dogs are clearly not a threat by ending the requirement that they be seized and kennelled, at great cost to the taxpayer and distress to the owner involved, while a decision is taken on whether to exempt the dog from being destroyed under the Dangerous Dogs Act."

Other measures announced today include:

• Consulting on whether to micro-chip all dogs to help tackle the problem of irresponsible owners and ease the overwhelming number of strays that are put down as the owner cannot be identified
• Providing £50,000 for local and community projects involving animal welfare organisations, the police, local authorities and community groups to promote more responsible dog ownership in estates, youth clubs and schools
• Providing £20,000 for the training of expert police dog legislation officers in each force
• Issuing new guidance to help the courts deal more effectively with seized dogs

However, the proposals do not go far enough for Dogs Trust, the dog welfare charity. Clarissa Baldwin, the charity's CEO said: "The Government has spent a great deal of time examining this legislation since it came to power and whilst we accept DEFRA has done their best to look at this issue, unfortunately, their best is no where near good enough.  Not good enough to better protect the public or good enough to improve animal welfare.

"Government must tackle this problem head on with completely new legislation rather than just tinkering around the edges.  We're extremely disillusioned that there is nothing in the consultation on measures that will actually help to prevent dog attacks, which is surely what the aim of these proposals should be.  We seem to be waltzing along on this issue rather than the quick step we need to meaningful reform.

"We consider that the introduction of compulsory microchipping of all dogs, not just those born after a certain date, is the only way that we will see immediate welfare benefits and a reduction in the number of stray dogs in the UK.  

"Microchipping will not prevent dog attacks but it will allow the owner of a dangerous dog or a dog that was dangerously out of control to be identified by enforcement agencies. The act of microchipping is also a key intervention, providing an opportunity to advise owners about responsible dog ownership and the law."

MSD Animal Health has launched its Summer Staycation campaign with a range of resources to help veterinary practices keep their clients safe from parasites while holidaying in the UK.

MSD says the Summer Staycation campaign is designed to support the needs of new dog owners and those taking their dogs to areas outside their local region, where parasites risks will be different.

The campaign offers veterinary practices a range of resources, including client emails, a downloadable guide to parasites, social media posts and an interactive risk checker on the Keeping Britain's Pets Healthy website. There is also some training for front of house staff and receptionists at https://www.msd-animal-health-hub.co.uk/cpd/staycation.

Nicola Barclay, Senior Product Manager at MSD Animal Health said: "Summer holidays will be taking a different form this year with most people planning trips in the UK, making it more likely they will take their pets.

"What's important is that seasoned and new owners alike are aware of the parasite risks in the places they're visiting so they aren't putting the health of their pets at risk.

"We're therefore providing a range of resources to help veterinary practices encourage pet owners to make sure there are no breaks in their parasite protection and vaccinations and that they are appropriately protected for the places they'll be visiting."

Dr Ian Wright, Head of ESCCAP UK & Ireland added: "The research findings from The Big Tick Project in 2015 found that 1 in 3 dogs coming into veterinary practices during the summer months had ticks on them.

"Research is also showing many parasites extending their range with an increased risk of human and pet exposure. Warming temperatures mean that ticks can be encountered all year round in the UK, carrying potentially dangerous pathogens to dogs and people including Lyme disease and Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV).

"With so many new dog owners and people being more likely to holiday in the UK, making sure dog owners understand the risks, while keeping them in proportion, and giving appropriate protection advice is vital.''

For more information, contact your MSD Animal Health account manager.

The RCVS is to host a free, one-hour webinar for vet students and new MsRCVS which will explain how to handle some of the difficult situations you might encounter in the first few months in practice.

The webinar, ‘Dealing with Difficult Situations’ will take place on Tuesday 7th December at 7.15pm and will feature veterinary surgeons who themselves recently joined the Register giving examples of challenging situations they faced, how they dealt with them, what they learned and how it changed the way they practise.

Gemma Kingswell, RCVS Head of Legal Services (Standards), said: "We recognise that starting in your first job as a veterinary surgeon is very exciting, but that the first few months in practice can be daunting too as you encounter challenging situations for the first time.

“This webinar aims not only to provide some practical guidance on how to deal with difficult situations in a pragmatic way should they arise, but also provide some reassurance that you are not alone in facing them.

"The webinar will also explore how the speakers have reflected on the difficult circumstances they have encountered in order to build up the knowledge, confidence and resilience to deal with similar situations in the future.”

Among those sharing the situations they’ve encountered are: Izzy Hocking, Hannah Prestwood and Bolu Eso.

They will be covering topics including the provision of pragmatic care, how to have difficult conversations with clients and how to handle client confidentiality.

Gemma will then explore the scenarios further in relation to the Code of Professional Conduct and what it says about how best to handle such difficult situations.

To sign up to the webinar visit: www.rcvs.org.uk/news-and-views/events/difficult-situations.

Those who are interested in attending can also submit questions about the Code and supporting guidance in advance via the Eventbrite registration page.

There will also be opportunities to ask questions throughout the event.

For those who aren’t able to make it on the day, a recording of the webinar will be made available shortly afterwards via the RCVS website.

Dechra Veterinary Products has launched a calculator which provides vets with an instant analysis of how much they can save when stocking veterinary licensed generic products over an equivalent.

The new margin calculator enables practices to manipulate their mark-ups for a greater increase in profit while also providing cost savings for clients.

Roger Brown, product manager at Dechra Veterinary Products said: "With the rise of veterinary licensed generic products on the market, our calculator provides practices with an added opportunity to increase their own profitability. This can be achieved through a simple re-calculation based on the purchase price of a product, versus its mark-up and how much they are sold on to clients for. In many circumstances, practices will see an increased profit for themselves and cost reductions for the client – everyone wins!"

The margin and profit calculator compares market prices with Dechra’s own generic range – Veterinary Essentials – to show just how much mark-up can be applied to products without impacting on a client’s budget.

Roger added: "It’s a simple, but very effective calculation. The beauty is that this calculator can be run from any computer and does not require supporting software."

For more information about the margin calculator please contact your local Dechra territory manager or call Rachel Horton on 01743 441 632.

Ceva Animal Health has launched a National Pet Census to collect information about the UK's domestic dog and cat population.

The Pet Census includes a range of questions on pet ownership including: the number of dogs and cats in a household, where the animals came from and their names, colour and whether they have a passport. Pet owners will also have the opportunity to complete an online 'pet-ition' to campaign for pets to be included in the next Census, earmarked for 2021.

Rachel Levy, communications manager at Ceva Animal Health, said: "The current Household Census states that everyone should be included - but it appears that they have forgotten to include pets, which are valued members of the family! While our National Pet Census is a bit of fun, there is a serious point to it as we will be able to gauge valuable information about pet ownership including where people get their pets from, popularity of breeds and how often a pet goes to the vet."

To fill out Ceva's National Pet Census, visit secrettohappypets.com  or the 'That Purple Cat' page on Facebook by 30 April. 

The University of Bristol's School of Veterinary Sciences at Langford has opened a £2 million state-of-the-art dairy farm.

Wyndhurst Farm's dairy unit has undergone a major rebuild in order to provide a world-class practical teaching environment for around 600 veterinary students, as well as a facility that can be used to support research and the continual professional development of veterinary surgeons, farmers and others involved in the dairy industry locally, nationally and internationally.  

Professor Jo Price, Head of the School of Veterinary Sciences, said: "This is an exciting time for the Vet School. The new dairy unit will enable our undergraduate and postgraduate students to be taught in a world-class facility. It will provide the best standards of animal welfare for our dairy herd and will support our research on the prevention and treatment of diseases of farm animals."

The farm, which is approximately 250 acres, includes numerous features to ensure high welfare standards. The dairy herd will be housed in deep sand bedded cubicles, with parts of the floors covered in soft rubber to protect the cows' feet and when housed cows will be fed a total mixed ration using grass, maize and whole crop wheat silages grown on the farm.

Since the new facility has been built the farm's herd of Pedigree Holstein cows have increased in number from 110 to 180 cows and will soon reach 200, with each cow giving over 9,000 litres of milk per year. The farm also has a newly established breeding flock of 100 New Zealand Romney ewes. Since 2010 it has been managed by Velcourt Farm Management.