Janssen Animal Health has made what I am told is a 'very large' donation of Ripercol, a pour-on 20% levamisole w/v broad spectrum anthelminitic for cattle, effective against gastro intestinal nematodes and lungworm, to the Worldwide Veterinary Service (WVS) – a UK registered charity (No.1100485) committed to improving the treatment and welfare of all animal species throughout the world.Nigel Underwood, Livestock Marketing Manager at Janssen said: 'We are very pleased to be able to help improve the health of animals in the developing countries and in turn to help those people who need it most. I’d encourage other pharmaceutical companies and practices to support WVS whenever they can, as they do a fantastic job.'Annie Cook, WVS Director of Veterinary Operations said: 'So far this year we have been able to help over 64 associated charities with nearly £73,000 worth of donated items. This incredibly generous donation of Ripercol from Janssen Animal Health will allow us to provide production animal welfare charities in India, East Africa and South America with a much needed resource'.WVS is currently arranging a Disaster Emergency Response team of veterinary professionals to visit the Internally Displaced People Camps in Kenya created following the election violence. Luke Gamble, WVS Chief Executive Officer, who will be coordinating the team said: 'The high concentration of animals in these camps combined with poor sanitation will promote the spread of disease between animals and is also a public health concern. Simply deworming these animals will improve their productivity and survival, which is vitally important as they are an essential resource to the people in the camps.'
Mrs Jill Nute has been invested as president of the RCVS at the AGM and Awards Day, held on 4th July in London.
Mrs Nute graduated from Liverpool University in 1970 and initially assisted in mixed practice in the Lake District, Droitwich and Leominster. In 1976, she established a mixed practice with her husband Geoff, a fellow Liverpool graduate, in Wadebridge, Cornwall.
The practice is now an eight-veterinary surgeon concern, a veterinary nurse Training Practice, an RCVS Accredited Tier 2 Small Animal General Practice and Farm Animal General Practice, and an equine practice accredited to Tier 1; it is also a Meat Hygiene Service approved contractor.
Mrs Nute has been an RCVS Council member since 1993, serving on all of its committees. She has chaired many of these committees and additional working parties, including the Advisory and Public Affairs Committees. She served on the Officer team as Treasurer for three years, from 1996-1999, and is currently Chairman of the Practice Standards Group. Spending several years on the Councils of the British Veterinary Association and the Society of Practising Veterinary Surgeons (SPVS), she was elected President of SPVS in 1991.
RCVS Day also brought other changes to the RCVS Officer team: Dr Bob Moore, outgoing President, became Senior Vice-President, and Professor Sandy Trees took up the role of Junior Vice-President.
Professor Sheila Crispin stood down as Senior Vice-President, with Dr Moore commenting that: “The veterinary profession is privileged to have such a knowledgeable and committed advocate.”
Retiring Council members included David McDowell, Debby Reynolds, Neil Smith and Wendy Harrison. New lay observer to the Preliminary Investigation Committee, Catherine Harvey, will replace retiring observer Diane Mark. The President paid particular tribute to long-standing Council member and past-President Stephen Ware, who retires from Council but will remain active in veterinary politics as Vice-President and Treasurer of the Federation of Veterinarians in Europe, he also remains Chairman of the RCVS Trust.
As part of the AGM, newly-elected Council members Richard Stephenson, Charles Gruchy and Bertie Ellis were welcomed. A fourth new member, Catherine Goldie, was not present. It was also announced that Professor Michael Herrtage and Professor Duncan Maskell have been reappointed for further four-year periods by the University of Cambridge, and Professor Sandy Tress has been reappointed for the same term by the University of Liverpool.
Dot Creighton was re-elected to the Veterinary Nurses Council and Katherine Kissick was elected for the first time. New lay member Penelope Swindlehurst and appointed veterinary surgeon Helen Torrington were also welcomed to the VN Council and the President thanked retiring VN Council members Diane Guinan, Donna Hunter and Neil Smith.
President Dr Bob Moore conferred a range of awards, including an Honorary Associateship upon Petplan and Petplan Trust founders Mrs Patsy Bloom and Mr David Simpson who, he said, have had a “remarkable effect on the veterinary profession, animals and their owners.”
Honorary Associateship was also awarded to Mr Geoff Davies, who has dedicated his 30-year career at the University of Bristol Veterinary School to the training, support and development of future veterinary surgeons. He has also served as a valued member of the RCVS Extra-Mural Studies Committee for many years. “It is his enormous contribution in supporting and encouraging the students that is being recognised today,”said Dr Moore.
Honorary Fellowships were awarded to Mr Gary Clayton Jones, Professor Paul Flecknell and Dr Christine Gibbs, and the Dame Olga Uvarov Award, a cash prize for a researcher under the age of 40, was awarded on behalf of the RCVS Trust to Dr Harriet Smythe (in her absence)
Molar Ltd is launching a cross infection control product called VetroxxTM at this years' BSAVA Congress
VetroxxTM is a range of 100% natural disinfectant products approved by the Department of Health (HPA) for use as a hospital disinfectant and has been approved by the British Government's MAFF (now DEFRA) to control against outbreaks of significant agricultural diseases (e.g. Foot and Mouth Disease, Tuberculosis, Newcastle's Disease found in chickens & Swine Fever).
The range includes a convenient disinfectant hand gel, surface wipes and a multi-surface spray. According to Molar, VetroxxTM has been scientifically tested, proven to reduce microorganism numbers by up to 99.9998%, and kills most problem bugs, including: MRSA, Bird 'flu (H5N1), SARS, HIV, C diff and many others.
The range contains Citroxx®, a naturally-derived disinfectant made from orange pith. Molar says the product is both safe and highly biodegradable, and very kind on skin and surgery surfaces (such as examination tables, flooring and bench tops). The company adds that since Citroxx contains several antimicrobial elements, it is unlikely that resistance will develop.
During Congress, Molar will be challenging vets hand-washing skills using a special UVA (long wave UV) light box to highlight failures.
BCF Technology will be offering a new imaging service at this year's BSAVA Congress.
The company is inviting delegates to have a comical caricature drawn on the first floor concourse area of the BSAVA exhibition hall, and then visit the BCF stands - 514 & 516 to collect a frame and hang it in your practice when you get back.
Kimberly Palgrave, BCF's new in-house vet (pictured right) said: "We wanted to do something new and innovative to support BSAVA this year, we are a veterinary imaging company and the caricatures at BSAVA are an innovative form of imaging. Come and talk to us about learning more about ultrasound and X-ray and see some of our new equipment such as the very affordable Vita CR X-ray system."
For more information about BCF at BSAVA visit http://www.bcftechnology.com/ or follow BCF at www.facebook.com/bcftechnology
BSAVA Congress was invaded by Orangemen this year to promote the Vet Charity Challenge (VCC) taking place on 15th September 2012.
Veterinary surgeons and industry colleagues are being encouraged to take part in the one day event in which teams of four will complete a series of physical tasks and puzzle-solving challenges. Teams can choose their own routes which include walking / running, cycling and kayaking stages and can make it as easy or hard as they like.
The Vet Charity Challenge is hoping to raise in excess of £20,000 for Hounds for Heroes; SPANA, and Pet Blood Bank. VCC says it will be a great PR opportunity for practices and an opportunity for team-building.
The event will take place at the Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester and all details may be found on www.vetcharitychallenge.co.uk or by phoning 01727 859259. The VCC will provide training guidelines and sponsorship forms. Places are limited so early booking is advisable. To be sure of a place, practices and business are urged to book their team of four by the deadline of Friday 29th June 2012.
The Vet Charity Challenge is sponsored by BCF Technology, Kruuse UK Ltd and Vets2.net and is supported by the VPMA, Mojo Consultancy and JCA Media Group.
Extensively updated, the new edition reflects the increasing sophistication of reptile medicine and surgery and acknowledges the expanding range of reptile species kept as companion animals.
Part one covers the husbandry aspects of reptile care, including captive maintenance and nutrition, plus a new chapter dedicated to anatomy and physiology.
Part two contains the details necessary to carry out successful clinical examination, anaesthesia, surgery (including endoscopy), treatment (including emergency and critical care), non-invasive imaging, laboratory testing and post-mortem examinations, as well as humane euthanasia.
Part three addresses disease by organ system, covering parasitology and infectious disease.
New to this third edition are also chapters on marine turtle rehabilitation and crocodilians, as well as updates on the handling of venomous reptiles.
Simon Girling said: "This third edition of the BSAVA Manual of Reptiles is another milestone in the commitment of the BSAVA to exotic species medicine. Reptile medicine and surgery is now being accepted as a mainstream discipline within the veterinary world, reflected in the growing number of textbooks and the appearance of postgraduate qualifications."
BSAVA says the new manual will benefit both the general practitioner seeing a small number of reptiles or a more specialist practitioner dealing with these species on a daily basis.
Omics refers to a field of biological sciences including genomics (studying DNA), transcriptomics (RNA), proteomics (proteins) and metabolomics (metabolites).
Guest Editor Carrie Finno has contributed an editorial in support of the nine EVJ articles demonstrating how genomic and transcriptomic approaches have been used to investigate equine diseases.
She said: “While equine genomics and transcriptomics continue to evolve, improvements in the annotation of the equine genome will undoubtedly accelerate the rate of discovery.
"With the need for large sample sizes of well-phenotyped horses to study the most complex diseases, equine genomics and transcriptomics research will likely become increasingly collaborative, similar to the current status of human genomics initiatives.
"Aligned with this collaborative effort is the strong need for publicly available genomic and transcriptomic data that are accessible to all researchers.”
Guest Editor James Anderson prefaces five papers on advances made in equine medicine within the disciplines of proteomics, metabolomics and lipidomics (a subset of metabolomics).
He said: “Omics technologies have enhanced our knowledge of the molecular world and provided fascinating insight into the composition and functions of these components across a range of different animal species.
"Particularly for equine science and medicine they have increased our understanding of molecular changes in disease and informed the development of diagnostic tests.
"Although still in its infancy within equine veterinary science, this field looks likely to have a significant impact in the coming years.”
The virtual Issue is available to all at https://beva.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/toc/10.1001/(ISSN)2042-3306.OmicsEVJ
ViVet (derived from the Latin word ‘vivet’ meaning ‘it will thrive’) will, says the College, provide a variety of resources and support to help the professions keep pace with change and remain at the forefront of animal healthcare provision.
Chris Tufnell, RCVS Senior Vice-President, helped develop the scope of the ViVet programme during his presidential year. He said: "This is an ambitious project for the College to embark upon but also very important for the future relevance and survival of the professions. Technology in the animal health sector is developing rapidly, such as the growth of telemedicine, wearable and implantable devices to gather health-related data from our animals, and low-cost genomic sequencing.
"These technologies could have a disruptive effect on the veterinary sector, so it’s important to encourage and support veterinary input at an early stage to enable the professions to shape their development and ensure that animal health and welfare is a foremost consideration.
"ViVet will help veterinary professionals to engage proactively with innovation in animal health, so that they can embrace and drive change and are not side-lined by it."
The Vivet website (www.vivet.org.uk), which was launched simultaneously at the College's inaugural Innovation Symposium in London today, contains a number of resources to showcase new technologies and innovative business models.
Anthony Roberts, Director of Leadership and Innovation at the College, said: "The aim of these resources is to help veterinary professionals harness the immense opportunities that innovation can bring to animal health and welfare by providing practical advice on areas such as launching new products and services and, in turn, encourage innovators to think about how the expertise and knowledge of the veterinary professions could input into new technologies.
"Furthermore, the programme will also help the College gain insights into the animal health market and how it is evolving. This will allow us to develop a regulatory framework that is relevant and adaptable to 21st century technology, while continuing to foster and support responsible innovation."
ViVet will also continue to organise events like today’s live-streamed symposium, which brought together thought-leaders from across the animal health, technology and business sectors, and provided a forum to discuss the opportunities and threats presented by innovation in the veterinary sphere, the impact it may have on the professions and how they are regulated.
Further details about the RCVS Innovation Symposium, including the full programme and speaker profiles, are available at www.rcvs.org.uk/innovation. Videos of speakers and a written report of the proceedings will be available from www.vivet.org.uk in due course.
Two recently published studies have demonstrated that the canine anti-emetic Cerenia® (maropitant - Pfizer) which was launched last year also relieves car sickness in dogs.
In a pilot study, 17 dogs were given either Cerenia or placebo one hour before being taken on a car journey. After a washout period of 10-14 days, each dog was crossed over to the other treatment and once again taken on a journey to assess travel sickness. The results showed that likelihood of vomiting was reduced by 70% when the dogs were given Cerenia compared to placebo – but due to the small number of dogs enrolled the results did not reach statistical significance.
The same research group also carried out a large, multicentre, blinded and placebo controlled study of Cerenia in preventing vomiting in 213 dogs known to be prone to travel sickness. They were given a single oral dose of Cerenia or placebo one hour before a car journey. The results showed that Cerenia was associated with a reduction in vomiting of 79% compared to placebo (p<0.0001).
The dosage of Cerenia used in both studies was 8mg/kg dose for the prevention of motion sickness–higher than the 2mg/kg dose that is routinely used to treat general emesis, administered at least one hour before the journey. According to the researchers’ report in the Veterinary Record, the need for a higher dose is linked to the specific neural (central) pathway of emetic stimulation that is involved in motion sickness. Cerenia acts primarily at NK1 receptors in the emetic centre and thus has the ability to block vomiting due to vestibular stimuli.
According to Pfizer, a single oral dose lasts for at least 12 hours, so pets can be dosed the night before an early start. For motion sickness prevention, Cerenia is licensed for up to 2 days’ consecutive use, so owners can use it for a return journey the next day if need be.
Pfizer also says that market research suggests almost one in five dogs suffers from travel sickness, which is not only inconvenient but does also stop some owners from travelling with their pet. In the past, owners have had to rely on OTC (over the counter) remedies or medicines developed for use in humans to prevent travel sickness. Many of these are ineffective or have unwanted effects such as sedation or extrapyramidial effects in dogs. Cerenia is the first anti-emetic to be developed specifically for use in dogs and was launched in April 2007– higher dose tablets aimed specifically for the prevention of travel sickness are expected to be made available early this year.
According to the company, 88% of farmers say blowfly is the most widespread ectoparasite affecting sheep in the UK1 and 94% of sheep farmers have been caught out by the parasite in the past2.
The Met Office believes this winter may have been the warmest ever recorded, prompting fears that these favourable conditions will result in a more abundant blowfly population this year.
Fiona Anderson, Technical Consultant Manager at Elanco Animal Health, said: "It’s crucial we do not get complacent when it comes to blowfly – the costs of inaction can be devastating. It’s an extremely distressing disease to see in sheep, and obviously for the sheep themselves, so there’s no sense in taking the risk. Farmers should take control of the situation, before blowfly strikes their flock, by using preventative products with full fleece protection. Another benefit of using a preventative product early in the season is that killing flies from the first wave of the insects reduces the total number of flies for the rest of the season.
"Waiting for clear signs of the blowfly season before acting is a gamble. Farmers are extremely busy and blowfly strike can establish very quickly, so it would be very easy to miss an affected sheep."
Fiona added: "IGRs, such as CLiK and CLiKZiN, stop blowfly larvae developing into the harmful second and third stages that cause flystrike and stock damage. Using an IGR directly off shears saves time by avoiding the need to re-gather sheep and offering a longer period of protection."
For more information on blowfly strike and prevention with IGRs, visit www.farmanimalhealth.co.uk
References
The awards, which were first launched last year, are open to UK practices, branch surgeries or other organisations who employ veterinary surgeons or nurses. They were created to highlight wellbeing in the veterinary profession and celebrate workplaces where:
• health and happiness are valued;• there are systems and initiatives that motivate;• staff are engaged;• communication is positive;• there is commitment to being a better place to work.
The prize for each category includes two registrations and banquet tickets for SPVS/VPMA Congress 2018 where the winners will be announced to the media and will be available for interview.
Practices that are thinking about applying can now access a free five-minute Wellbeing Checklist that can help provide examples of some simple activities that can improve the health and wellbeing of the veterinary team.
Nick Stuart from SPVS said: "Taking five minutes to fill out the Wellbeing Checklist is a great way to get a sense of how your practice is doing, and to identify ways in which you could improve. Practices are often doing a lot more than they realise and the Checklist shows how even such small steps as a having a fruit bowl in the staff room, or having a five-minute huddle at the start of the day, can make a huge difference."
Lizzie Lockett, MMI Director, said: "Having a supportive and constructive culture is key not just for the welfare of the staff, but for the animals they take care of. It allows all members of the team to feel comfortable coming forward with questions, clarifications, or even mistakes, and can ultimately lead to safer and more consistent care for patients."
Entries can be made now via the website www.vetwellbeingawards.org.uk, where the Wellbeing Checklist is also available.
The closing date for entries is Friday 15 December 2017. You can follow the awards on twitter @vetwellbeing and Facebook /vetwellbeingawards/.
Mike, an RCVS Queen’s Medal winner, will be in conversation with Catheryn Partington BVSc CertAVP(VC) MSc MRCVS, Jose Matos DVM DipECVIM (Cardiology) MRCVS European and RCVS Recognised Specialist in Small Animal Cardiology (canine and feline cardiology) and Paul Freeman MA, VetMB, Cert SAO, Dip ECVN, MRCVS (European and RCVS Specialist in Veterinary Neurology) (canine and feline neurology).
During the event, they will be explaining how Improve's new Academy Series can help vet professionals meet their annual CPD targets, learn through self-assessment and reflective study, and bring them to the forefront of medicine in several specialist areas.
Heber Alves, CEO of Improve International, said: “Here at Improve International, we are proud to be providing CPD training alongside the historic and prestigious University of Cambridge for our first Academy Series.
"We are excited to be working with many of its pioneering specialists at the Department of Veterinary Medicine and, as a former vet myself, I look forward to hearing how my fellow veterinarians handled the most difficult challenges of their careers.”
www.improveinternational.com
The procedure involves introducing a catheter through the jugular, then using fluoroscopy and transoesophageal echocardiography to guide it from the right atrium through to the left side of the heart to relieve abnormal high pressures in the left atrium.
Willows says it is one of only a few centres across Europe equipped to carry out the procedure and that typically, patients who undergo TSP can be discharged from hospital the day after surgery.
Fabio Sarcinella (pictured right), an RCVS and European specialist in small animal cardiology at Willows, said: “Early clinical evaluation of the TSP procedure in humans over the last few years has shown improved quality of life and reduced clinical signs in patients with heart failure.
“The procedure has also been associated with low-risk and a meaningful drop in left atrial pressure of the affected patients.”
Fabio added: “As well as being minimally invasive, the improvement in heart chamber pressures via TSP often allows for a reduction in the dose of water tablets which are used to control the heart failure signs in the lungs.
"Lowering the dose reduces the risk of side effects related to these drugs such as kidney failure.”
Willows says TSP is most commonly used for left atrial decompression in dogs with heart failure and concurrent renal disease or that have advanced heart failure but continue to have symptoms despite optimal medical treatment.
www.willows.uk.net
Hill's has launched VetEssentials NeuteredCat, a low fat diet for the 90% of UK cats that are estimated to have been neutered.
According to the company, neutered cats are over three times more likely to become overweight and/or suffer from urinary problems.
Hill's says that the low fat formulation of NeuteredCat keeps energy density low, and that its unique Weight Management Formula optimises fat metabolism, whilst preserving lean muscle through supplementation with L-carnitine and L-lysine. The company also claims that NeuteredCat helps to maintain urinary health with levels of minerals carefully controlled to generate a target urine pH of 6.2-6.4.
There are a range of educational and marketing resources to support the new product, available from the company's territory managers.
VetEssentials NeuteredCat will replace any orders made for Science Plan Neutered cat over the coming months.
With this new system, you gain points by achieving different ISVPS qualifications.
In 2023, mini modular programmes will also be released to help delegates accumulate more points.
Once enough points have been reached, delegates are awarded the ultimate qualification: an ISVPS Grand Jedi Master General Practitioner (Ed's note: OK, maybe I made up the Grand Jedi bit).
Improve says My Veterinary Career has been launched to tackle the growing problem of career dissatisfaction amongst vets.
A 2019 survey of the veterinary profession by the ies reported that 55.2% of vets said they did not feel rewarded/valued in the profession1.
Additionally, the FVE Survey of the veterinary profession in Europe claimed that in the UK, 40% of vets and nurses wished to leave the industry. In other countries Improve Veterinary Education operates in, 51% in Portugal, 32% in Spain, 27% in Denmark, 25% in Germany and 17% in France also felt the same2.
Improve says that with My Veterinary Career, vets will now have a clearer pathway to advance their careers and they will be able to develop a bespoke learning journey.
This, the company hopes, will help with the recruitment and retention of veterinary professionals across both corporate and private practice and boost practice productivity and revenue.
https://www.improveinternational.com/uk/myveterinarycareer-vets
Visitors will be given a behind-the-scenes look and have the opportunity to chat with Specialist surgeons Andy Moores and Chris Jordan.
Andy said: “We have had a fantastic first six months, and to say thank you to those who have referred cases to us, and to show off our facilities to those who haven’t seen the clinic, we are thrilled to be holding an open evening.
"I’m looking forward to providing tours of the clinic and having a chance to talk to vets about our services and how we can help.”
All veterinary professionals and their families, and pet owners are welcome.
The clinic is situated just off the M3 and 30 minutes from the M25, in the village of Upton Grey, near Basingstoke.
To register your interest and book a place at the open day please contact Marie at Marie@mooresortho.com or 01256 632100.
BVA has announced that it is launching a pilot of VETS.TV, and invites you to come and preview the service at its stand at BSAVA. Anyone willing to surrender their name and email address will also be entered into a prize draw to win an HP 530 Celeron M 440 laptop computer.
VETS.TV is an internet television site run jointly by the BVA and Ten Alps Publishing which will be available via a microsite of http://www.bva.co.uk/. The pilot includes custom-made videos on MRSA, litigation and stress management, a series of interviews with key veterinary figures and a number of specially acquired programmes.
The lower age limit for student veterinary nurses - previously set at 17 - has been removed by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, in order to comply with age discrimination legislation.
The entry requirements remain unchanged: five GSCEs at grade C or higher, or five Scottish Standards at grades one to three (including English Language, Maths and a Science subject).
Candidates must also have a place with an RCVS-approved Training Practice or on a recognised veterinary nursing degree course.
Libby Earle, Head of Veterinary Nursing said: "We hope that the removal of this age barrier will be seen as a positive step that will serve to improve access to training. Practices remain free to recruit as they see fit to meet the particular demands of their business."
New veterinary nursing careers leaflets have been produced to reflect the change and are available from vetnursing@rcvs.org.uk / 020 7202 0711, or to download from RCVSonline: www.rcvs.org.uk/publications
Hill's Pet Nutrition reports that more than 1,500 veterinary surgeons and nurses have already subscribed for its series of feline webinars, hosted by Professor Danielle Gunn Moore. Indeed, the company says the series has been so popular that vets are advised to register for a place to watch the rest of the series, as soon as possible.
The first Webinar's topic, hosted by Professor Gunn Moore, was feline liver disease, a condition that many find difficult to diagnose and treat. Using a case study approach, primary and secondary hepatopathies and conditions such as cholangiohepatitis and triaditis were discussed, as well as useful treatments and nutritional support. If you missed the lecture the first time round, or want to check specific details or doses, watch Professor Gunn Moore's presentation or download her notes at www.thewebinarvet.com/hills-webinars.
Martha Cannon BA VetMB DSAM (fel) MRCVS will present the next webinar in the series, entitled A Practical Approach to Renal Disease on 2nd March.
To register for any of Hill's Feline Webinar Series, free of charge please go to www.thewebinarvet.com/hills and enter code hillsnl
The Fédération Équestre Internationale (FEI) has added Metacam for Horses to its 'list of detection times'.
According to the manufacturer, Boehringher Ingelheim Vetmedica, Metacam (meloxicam) is the first preferential COX-2 inhibitor to be added to this list, and has stated plasma and urine detection times of 72 hours administered intravenously or orally1. This is the shortest urine detection time of the NSAIDs available for use in horses, and compares to the 168-hour (7 days) detection time for phenylbutazone stated by the FEI.
Craig Beck, equine sales and marketing manager for Boehringer Ingelheim in the UK and Ireland said: "We have been very happy to work in partnership with the FEI to provide the robust data that has supported the FEI in their analysis of Metacam. Metacam is an important addition to the FEI list, that will help vets treating competition horses. There is now a modern and proven NSAID which extends the therapeutic options available to vets."
Metacam is licensed in horses for the alleviation of inflammation and relief of pain associated with musculo-skeletal disorders or colic.
For further information, please contact your Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica territory manager or call 01344 746959.
1 Detection Time agreed with the European Horse Racing Scientific Liaison Committee (EHSLC)
The range comprises of a detangling pre-wash, a cleansing shampoo and a fragrant conditioner, all of which are pH balanced and formulated using natural ingredients and a blend of essential oils designed to make bathtime a calmer experience.
The products all come in 300ml bottles with a list price of £6; RRP £12.
The Pet Remedy range can be ordered direct from Animalcare on 01904 487687 (orders@animalcare.co.uk) or from your veterinary wholesaler.
BCF has launched a new operating lease scheme to make it easier for veterinary practices to afford the latest ultrasound and x-ray digital imaging systems.
According to the company, only one scan per week will cover the cost of leasing a system. BCF provides a range of training options to help practices offer imaging services to clients and increase revenue.
Practices pay a fixed monthly payment with no capital outlay. After 3 years they can upgrade to a new system or return the system to BCF. Service and maintenance cover can also be included in the monthly payment to avoid unexpected service or maintenance bills.
For more information call 01506 460023, email info@bcftechnology.com or visit http://www.bcftechnology.com/
The British Small Animal Veterinary Association is inviting its members to submit their views on DEFRA's recently revised and published draft Rabies Control Strategy.
The BSAVA says that while the general control options for dealing with a suspected or confirmed case of classical rabies are determined by law there are a number of issues raised in this document on which its members may wish to comment.
Details are in the Consultations area under the Advice link here at bsava.com.
Please return responses to s.everitt@bsava.com by Friday 9th December 2011 to allow time to collate the comments and produce a response.
CVS has launched a buying group open to independently-owned practices to benefit from the knowledge, experience and strength of the 250 practices which form CVS.
The new buying group is called MiVetClub. It offers a range of services, including:
Sara Armitage, Director of Product and Buying at CVS, said: "There are many thriving independent practices out there which have the potential to be even more successful if they just had the time and expertise to negotiate better deals and had access to the business resources and support to help them run their practices more efficiently and cost-effectively.
"That's where MiVetClub can help. CVS' stature in the veterinary sector means that we can negotiate the very best discounts and rebates for the group's members. But MiVetClub isn't just about saving money. It's also about helping independent practices raise clinical standards and run better businesses. MiVetClub experts are constantly on-hand to advise members on all aspects of running their practice, freeing up their time to concentrate on what they do best, caring for their patients."
For more information, visit: http://www.mivetclub.com/
The object of the exercise is simply to find out whether a significant number of veterinary professionals feel that they have been bullied, and look at the impact it has had on them.
If a significant number of people say they have, the hope is that the survey will trigger constructive discussion on the subject, both amongst key opinion leaders in the profession and in practice.
One of the biggest challenges in measuring the incidence of bullying in practice is the highly subjective definition of the word. For this reason, the survey asks whether you've been on the receiving end of very specific types of behaviour, ones which most people would agree are at best unconducive to a happy and effective working environment, and at worst, outright bullying.
VetSurgeon.org Editor Arlo Guthrie said: "Early responses to the survey have already shown, if we didn't know it already, that bullying is going on, and how bullies can make life utter hell at work. We just don't yet know the scale of the problem.
"Either way, there are two ways I think this survey could make a difference. Firstly, by discussing the subject openly, so it creates an environment in which bullying behaviour is less likely to happen. Secondly, I suspect that a significant amount of bullying may happen as a consequence of poor communication. For example, if one member of the team thinks another is underperforming but is uncomfortable having a candid but constructive discussion. If there is no other process in place to resolve the issue, they may resort to other types of behaviour which can have a profoundly negative effect on their colleague."
To take part in the survey, please visit: http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/3783698/Behaviour-In-Practice