A new expert panel has been formed to evaluate pain management in canine osteoarthritis following a recent shift to a more integrated approach to pain and disease research.

In the past, pain and joint disease have been considered as separate areas of research, with pain perceived simply as a consequence of disease. Over the last few years, however, it has become increasingly apparent that the relationship is far more complex and that pain may be a driver of disease rather than just a consequence of it. The expert panel hopes to apply the new knowledge to the management of joint pain in veterinary practice.

The panel, which had its inaugural meeting in Paris recently, brings together acknowledged veterinary experts in the fields of pain and joint disease. Its focus will be on the assessment and management of pain in canine osteoarthritis (OA), with the objective of educating veterinary surgeons to better understand and manage pain in canine OA and thereby improve the well-being of pets that suffer from this common disease.

'Central sensitisation' is one of the latest theories that has been suggested to explain the complex interaction between pain and disease progression in canine OA. Duncan Lascelles, Associate Professor of Surgery at North Carolina State University, said that research has shown that the components of the pain pathway can change in response to a pain stimulus. Pain receptors 'up-regulate' in response to painful stimuli and become more sensitive to subsequent pain.

CNS sensitisation is likely a significant contributor to chronic or maladaptive pain; this pain leads to decreased mobility, reduced muscle support and reduced muscle function, thus leading to disease progression. In other words, joint diseases cause pain, which in turn feeds back to create more disease.

Professor Lascelles said: "The link between the clinical signs associated with OA and joint pathology is not a simple one and may be much more complex than we have previously thought.

"There is some evidence that COX inhibition reduces central sensitisation. And some evidence suggests that reducing central sensitisation may have a modulatory effect on disease progression by reducing signals going out to the periphery.

"The relationship between pain and disease progression is a very new area of research, and is at the forefront of our knowledge of how pain and joint disease are linked."

Professor John Innes, Head of Division, Small Animal Studies, University of Liverpool Veterinary School, told the meeting that OA is likely to be one of the major reasons for euthanasia of pet dogs in Europe. He and two co-investigators have performed a systematic review of the published evidence for the use of long-term, continuous NSAID treatment (at least 28 days) in OA. They found that this form of management is associated with better outcomes than short-term NSAID therapy, with no evidence of additional safety issues. This review is to be published shortly.

The expert panel comprises:

Prof Dr Stuart Carmichael, Vets Now Ltd. Formerly at: Veterinary School, University of Glasgow, UK
Prof Dr John Innes, Small Animal Teaching Hospital, University of Liverpool, UK
Dr Bernard Bouvy-Centre, Hospitalier Vétérinaire de Frégis, Arcueil, France
Prof Dr Jean-Pierre Genevois, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire de Lyon, France
Dr Carlos Macías, Centro Veterinario de Referencia Bahia de Malaga, Spain
Prof Dr Martin Kramer, Klinik für Kleintiere, Chirurgie , Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen, Germany
Dr Sabine Tacke, Klinik für Kleintiere, Chirurgie, Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen
Prof Dr Duncan Lascelles, North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Raleigh, USA
Prof Dr Herman A.W. Hazewinkel, Faculteit Diergeneeskunde, Departement Gezelschapsdieren, Utrecht, Netherlands
Dr Emilio Feltri, Anaesthetist and specialist in Pain Management, Ambulatorio Veterinario Associato, Tortona, Italy
Dr Peter Vandekerckhove, Specialist Surgeon Companion Animal, Wondelgem, Belgium

The British Veterinary Association has expressed concern about an increasing trend towards temporary contracts for new graduates following the release of headline figures of a survey by the Institute for Employment Studies on behalf of the RCVS.

The survey showed that the percentage of graduates leaving their first job within the first three months has significantly increased for those who graduated in 2012 and who have already left their first position. Amongst vets who graduated in 2010 and had already left their first job 7.7% had done so within the first three months; for 2011 graduates this figure is 15.9%; and for 2012 graduates it is currently 42.6%, although this percentage is likely to decrease over the next year as more of the 2012 cohort leave their first roles. The two main reasons given for leaving first jobs are poor management and temporary contracts. 

Besides this unexpected increase the survey showed little change in other areas for recent graduates, although there has been a slight increase in the amount of time taken for new graduates to find their first job. The survey also revealed that over the 5 year period 16% fewer graduates found jobs in under 3 months.

BVA President Peter Jones said: "Information in this survey and that conducted by the British Equine Veterinary Association recently is valuable evidence of how the changing environment affects those entering our profession and will feed into the on-going discussion at BVA on veterinary workforce issues.

"Perhaps most worrying is the statistic that the percentage of graduates leaving their first job within the first 3 months has significantly increased. The main reasons cited are poor management and temporary contracts. The trend towards temporary contracts is very worrying in terms of job security for those just starting out in our profession.

"Poor management has long concerned the BVA and is what initially led us to establish initiatives such as the Young Vet Network, the recent graduate guide and our contracts of employment campaign. We are currently working on building that support and we are in the process of widening the network of graduate support meetings to help with moral support and networking opportunities. We also supporting the RCVS's Professional Development Phase to support new graduates in their first few years of practice and have produced a number of resources to assist with this process."

While the results show little evidence of a major impact on job prospects from the increase in graduates since the opening of Nottingham Veterinary School, BVA members remain concerned about the impact of a new school opening next year such as the one planned at the University of Surrey.

Peter Jones continued: "It is reassuring to see that overall trends are not changing significantly, however, the ease with which our graduates are getting jobs is changing. We will therefore be considering in some depth the impact that two, three or more new veterinary schools could have in the future. Rumours of yet more new veterinary schools elsewhere are a serious worry for the profession.

Free-range table-birds being reared from slower growing breeds need a different vaccination regime from that of faster-growing broilers, when being immunised against Gumboro disease.           

This previously-unknown fact has emerged from laboratory and field trials, involving several hundred thousand birds on farms throughout the UK, carried out by Lohmann Animal Health in conjunction with poultry vets.

"When using a ‘hot' vaccine conventional broilers in the UK are normally vaccinated at around 14-16 days when their maternal immunity is waning," said Adam Goddard, Lohmann's UK sales consult.  "However, we've found this maternal immunity lasts longer in the slow-growing breeds which are reared both indoors and out."

Realistically, the correct day of vaccination for free-range table-birds is more likely to be achieved by using the vaccine date predictions for broiler-breeders, rather than that of the broiler, under the Deventer formula, which gives calculations for different types of bird.

He therefore advises producers to consult their vets who can take blood samples to get an accurate prediction regarding optimum timing of vaccination with their own particular flocks.

"Our trials have shown that, in general, and depending upon the breed used, the decline in maternal immunity is delayed - perhaps for 4-5 days.  So, in order to get a better ‘take', we recommend vaccinating these birds later or using an IBD vaccine that ‘takes' in the presence of high maternal immunity." said Mr Goddard.

Gumboro disease - also known as Infectious Bursal Disease - can cause severe losses in chickens and outdoor-reared birds are more susceptible to the disease due to environmental influences.

Earlier this year Lohmann Animal Health launched a new ‘hot' vaccine, classified as an ‘intermediate plus' against the very virulent form of Gumboro disease. The company says that because of its ability to break through high levels of maternal antibodies, it allows vaccination to take place earlier than with other existing vaccines.

The RCVS has announced the results of the RCVS Council and VN Council elections.

Re-elected to three of the six seats available on RCVS Council were current President Neil Smith (1,687 votes), incoming Standards Committee Chairman David Catlow (1,656) and Vice-President Jacqui Molyneux (1,304); and, from RCVS Day on 11 July 2014, they will be joined by new members David Bartram (1,674), Susan Paterson (1,496) and Mandisa Greene (1,296).

The two available places on VN Council were taken by existing member Hilary Orpet (611 votes) and new member Amber Richards (371).

Notably, half of the successful RCVS Council candidates this year were women, two of whom being elected for the first time.

Overall turnouts in both elections fell, with 4,137 (16.1%) veterinary surgeons and 1,157 (10%) veterinary nurses voting. These turnouts and voter numbers compare with 4,661 (18.8%) and 1,329 (12.5%) last year, and ten-year averages of 3,927 (17.4%) and 869 (9.9%), respectively.

RCVS Registrar Gordon Hockey, said: "It was always going to be tough to beat last year's record turnout, even with a record number of candidates standing this year, but it's encouraging that voter numbers are still the third highest in the last ten years.

"I'd like to be amongst the first to publicly congratulate all the successful candidates this year, and to encourage those who weren't successful this time to stand again in the future. I'm very much looking forward to working with our three new RCVS Council members whilst, at the same time, delighted that the profession has returned three existing members to their seats, enabling them to continue their work for the College."

Chair of VN Council, Kathy Kissick, says: "Many congratulations to Hilary, who has been returned to the VN Council for the third time running, and to Amber, who I'm looking forward to welcoming to VN Council in July. Hilary's experience and Amber's fresh input will, I'm sure, combine to provide an excellent contribution to our ongoing work."

Over half way through Intervet's National Vaccination Month, and according to the company, over 2100 practices are taking part.

Various statistics the company has released, which you might find interesting:

Nearly two thirds of all vet practices have seen parvovirus, in the past year, while 43% have seen leptospirosis, which is spread by rats.

62% of pet owners consider their animal to be an extremely important member of the family with over half (58%) buying them Christmas presents and over one in four (27%) taking time off work for their pet.

However, only 56% of these pets were vaccinated and around more than quarter (28%) of owners were unaware of any disease risk.

Currently, 3 million dogs, 6 million cats and 1.8 million rabbits are unvaccinated, leaving them at risk of a range of fatal diseases, many of which are untreatable.

Intervet has put together an impressive range of support materials for National Vaccination Month, including a pet-owner website: http://www.vaccinationmonth.co.uk/, a discount voucher scheme (on the website) for use in participating practices, TV advertising and a Vaccination Month Podcast primarily aimed at owners.

The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons Charitable Trust has awarded five new bursaries in its latest grants round.

Two student bursaries were for UK veterinary undergraduates to attend the British Science Festival in Aberdeen from 4-9 September 2012. The bursary winners were Liv Nathan (pictured on right), a third-year veterinary student at the Royal Dick School of Veterinary Studies, and Alahel Mahdmina, a second-year veterinary student at the Royal Veterinary College.

Liv said: "I am very enthusiastic about providing real-life context to science and giving people a space to consider issues arising around science."

The students were required to use their observations and experiences to help the Trust develop future outreach activities to inform and inspire public audiences about veterinary clinical practice and research. Their bursary packages covered all their attendance expenses over the four-day event. One of their achievements was to film an interview with Dr Maggie Aderin-Pockock MBE, a space scientist (pictured on left). Both students will be reporting back in full to the RCVS Charitable Trust with their ideas at the end of October. 

Two further bursaries were given to attend  a joint symposium on antimicrobial resistance (AMR): 'Antimicrobial Resistance in Human and Veterinary Medicine - One Health, One Problem' to be held at the Royal College of Physicians, London, on Tuesday 2 October 2012. 

One winner was Cahir King, a practitioner from Downe Veterinary Clinic in County Down, Northern Ireland.  He said: "It will be a privilege to attend a symposium at which so many experts in their field will be speaking.  Any vet who has worked on farms will be more than familiar with bugs that are resistant to antibiotic treatment."

The other winner was James Swann, a Junior Clinical Training Scholar (Small Animal) at the Royal Veterinary College. James said: "I am particularly interested in the application of clinical audit in practice to assess problems like AMR, and design effective strategies to deal with them. I believe it should be possible to provide simple audit kits for practices to download and implement, removing much of the inertia that prevents such ideas from being initiated."

The bursary winners will be offered free delegate passes, including lunch, worth £90, and travel expenses.

The final bursary is to attend the Veterinary Biomedical and Pharma Sciences (VBMPS) Congress on 15-16 October, in Birmingham.

The winning entry was from Alexander Stoll, a final-year student at the Royal Veterinary College, who acted as the Royal Veterinary College and  UK student ambassador to the European Commission for the 'One Health' message. The Trust was impressed with Alexander's enthusiasm and active engagement in subjects related to One Health.  He is a member of the Royal Society for Public Health and a member of the Society of Biology.

Alexander said: "I hope to be inspired to enter a cross-disciplinary career path and also to communicate the potential of a One Health approach, inspired by this congress."

Alexander won a package that includes entry to the conference and admission to all scientific sessions, worth £175, as well as transport costs and overnight food and accommodation.

A Market Harborough-based practice - Town & Country Veterinary Centre - has announced that it is entering a team into a 10km obstacle course race so gruelling it is called 'The Suffering'. 

The Suffering takes place in the grounds of Rockingham Castle, Leicestershire, on Saturday 12 March 2016. It includes more than 25 water, mud and rope-based obstacles.

The Town & Country team, which includes vets, nurses, students and receptionists, hopes to raise £1,000 for Vets for Change, which is fundraising to vaccinate dogs in Africa against rabies.

Michael Lander MRCVS said: "We are big supporters of the work of Vets for Change which is currently fundraising for its next mass vaccination programme in South Africa. The race does sound gruelling and I have done no training as yet although some of my colleagues have been hitting the gym for the past couple of months. We will all pull together on the big day and getting everyone round the course is our goal.

"We'd be very grateful for donations to help us reach our target for Vets for Change which does such fantastic work and have set up a just giving page at https://crowdfunding.justgiving.com/townandcountry-veterinarycentre."

The team members are: Sarah Kay Robinson (Receptionist), Chloe Brown (Receptionist), Zara Lander (VN), Katy Kirkham (VN), Kathleen Gamble (VN), Grace Costall (Student VN), Kate Bodley (Small Animal Vet), Michael Lander (Small Animal Vet), Lucinda Ticehurst (Equine Vet).

To celebrate 30 years since it launched its first microchips in the UK, Animalcare is providing identichip veterinary customers with a free 'Chip & Check' waiting room display pack.

The materials are designed to help educate pet owners on the benefits of microchipping and the importance of keeping their microchip details up to date. 

The company highlights research which shows just how important it is to encourage owners to keep microchip details up to date. In 2017, the BVA found that 44% of vets were unable to reunite stray dogs with their owners due to incorrect information on the microchip database. The Dogs Trust Stray Dogs Survey Report 2017–18 also found that 75% of all microchipped dogs that were unable to be returned to their owners had incorrect contact information on their chip.

To order your 'Chip & Check' display, contact your Animalcare Territory Sales Manager, or call Animalcare's head office on 01904 487687. Display packs are subject to an order of identichip microchips and while display stocks last.

An online quiz by the RCVS has shown that veterinary surgeons generally have good understanding of the Guide to Professional Conduct, but that misconceptions about the role of the college are rife.

Around 850 people completed the quiz since it was launched in November 2009, with veterinary surgeons accounting for 70% of those that took part. The average score was 20 out of 25

Despite the high average score, there were several questions which a very significant number of people got wrong. The worst related to the role of the RCVS: 76% of people wrongly thought that the College's remit included negligence, whilst 66% believed that the RCVS could not consider criminal convictions (it can).

Nearly half of those taking part were not aware that the standard of proof to which the RCVS Disciplinary Committee must be satisfied is 'so as to be sure' - the same as for a criminal court.

Other questions poorly answered related to 24-hour cover, delegation to paraprofessionals, consent and ownership of records. The RCVS Communications Board will consider how to improve communications in these areas.

In terms of age, the highest scoring age-band was 51-60, achieving an average of 20.5 right answers; the lowest was '30 or under', at 18.7.  However, this is not backed up by distribution of complaints to the RCVS, where only 27% of complaints relate to those who have less than ten years' post-qualification experience, although this group makes up 43% of registrations.

The results indicate that there is no significant difference between the genders in terms of Guide knowledge, at 19.54 right answers for men and 19.46 for women. Meanwhile, only 34% of complaints to the RCVS are made about women, while they account for 51% of the Register. However, as women tend to dominate the younger end of the profession, this statistic may be linked to the fact that a greater percentage of complaints relate to older individuals, more likely to be men.

Lizzie Lockett, RCVS Head of Communications said: "We hoped the quiz would offer a light-hearted way for vets - and others - to review their knowledge of the Guide, which can be a dry read, and have been pleased with the response.

The Disciplinary Committee of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons has refused an application for restoration to the RCVS Register from a Kent-based former veterinary surgeon struck off in 1994 for disregarding basic hygiene at his professional premises and failing to properly maintain a Controlled Drugs Register or patient records.

In June 1994, the Committee found that Mr Warwick John Seymour-Hamilton, at that time the only veterinary surgeon practising at premises at 9 Orchard Grove, Orpington, Kent, was guilty of disgraceful professional conduct and should have his name removed from the Register. The state and condition of the premises were found to be such as to risk the health and welfare of animals taken to the premises, and bring the profession into disrepute.  An application made by Mr Seymour-Hamilton for restoration made in 1995 was refused.

At a restoration hearing on 18 June 2010, Mr Seymour-Hamilton told the Committee that he sought restoration to the Register because he wished to further his research work into plants with potential medicinal properties. Restoration, he said, would improve his professional status by giving him more credibility, particularly in terms of recognition by the medical and veterinary professions.   

Mr Seymour-Hamilton said that he had no intention of returning to clinical practice immediately, and neither the Committee nor the College had heard of any adverse conduct by the applicant since his removal.

However, Caroline Freedman, Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee, noted that if Mr Seymour-Hamilton were to be restored, the Committee would have no power to prevent him from returning to general practice. 

Mr Seymour-Hamilton's response to questioning by the Committee raised a number of concerns with respect to the future welfare of animals should restoration be granted.  He told the Committee that he had not undertaken any relevant Continuing Professional Development in the past 15 years, and said he lacked knowledge of current relevant legislation, for example, the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 and basic 'Cascade' prescribing requirements.  He also said that he had not read the RCVS Guide to Professional Conduct in the past 15 years and that it would not be satisfactory for him immediately to return to general practice. 

Ms Freedman said: "If the Committee were to reinstate the Applicant to the Register, it would have to be satisfied that he is competent and safe to practise immediately. The Committee has an obligation to protect the public and animal welfare and cannot simply accept his assurances that he would take steps to rectify his self-confessed shortcomings at some point in the future."

Having taken all the evidence presented into account, the Committee was not satisfied that Mr Seymour-Hamilton was fit to be restored to the Register and dismissed his application.

For the first time in over 60 years, the BSAVA has cancelled Congress due to the global spread of coronavirus.

The Association says it delayed this decision as late as possible, and whilst the most recent government advice does not prohibit large public gatherings, it recognises the importance of personal safety for Congress attendees and the need to support the profession in preserving business continuity, maintaining client services and protecting animal welfare.

Amanda Stranack, BSAVA CEO, said: "As the situation continues to escalate, the government have given a clear steer that they expect more stringent controls to come into force in the coming weeks. With Congress now only a few weeks away, we want to give all our attendees as much notice as possible, both to ensure peace of mind, and to give people adequate time and flexibility to change their plans.

"BSAVA recognises the pressures the current situation brings to bear on the veterinary community and in making this difficult decision, has the interests of the profession first and foremost in its mind.

"We would thank all those who have worked hard over the past two years to contribute to the development of Congress, a huge amount of effort goes into preparations from BSAVA volunteers, Congress participants and our staff."

Sue Paterson, BSAVA President, said: "It is with great regret that we have made the difficult decision to cancel Congress, which has taken place annually for more than 60 years. Congress is an incredibly important event in the veterinary calendar, and we were all looking forward to an inspiring agenda and saying a fond farewell to the city that has made Congress such a great success over so many years. The health and wellbeing of our attendees is of utmost importance to us, and whilst we are sorry to be making this decision, we are confident it is the right one."

BSAVA says it is aware of the impact that cancelling will have on many delegates' CPD hours, so it is now looking at other ways it can deliver Congress lectures and podcasts.

Sue added: "Whilst we won’t be able to deliver the full Congress programme, we will be working with our speakers to capture as many lectures as we can to make content available online."

Dechra Veterinary Products has produced a pair of presentations, aimed at pet owners, for vets to use in receptions and at client events. The presentations cover canine hyperadrenocorticism, aka Cushing's syndrome, and feline hyperthyroidism.  

Matthew Olsen, Product Manager, said: "We are committed to delivering a wide range of support materials and tools to enable vets to provide help and information to their customers.  We have developed an owners' booklet on both Cushing's and hyperthyroidism and have now backed this up with PowerPoint presentations for vets to use with their clients.  Some veterinary practices are using technology to revolutionise waiting room displays and we have responded to their needs by producing a presentation they can use on their waiting room information screens."

The Dechra Hyperadrenocorticism presentation covers what Cushing's is, what causes it and what owners need to look for. The presentation also explains the treatment options available. The Hyperthyroidism presentation details what the condition is and gives information on the thyroid gland. It highlights what cat owners need to look out for, including weight loss in spite of a ravenous appetite, increased fluid intake and increased restlessness.  The presentation also advises people of what to do should they suspect their cat has hyperthyroidism and what the treatment options are.       

Garden Lodge Veterinary Clinic in Holywood, County Down, has used the Hyperthyroidism presentation at both its practices. Partner Tom Fitzsimons said: "We have used the presentation on our reception information screens.  The presentation has raised owners' awareness and shown them it is a manageable condition.  It's led to an increase in the number of cats we are now testing for Hyperthyrodism.  We also plan to run the Cushing's presentation in the future." 

Veterinary Practices interested in getting hold of a free copy of the Hyperthyrodism and Hyperadrenocorticism presentations should contact Matthew Olsen at Dechra on 01743 441 632 or email matthew.olsen@dechra.com

Vetoquinol - makers of the NSAID Cimalgex - has announced the launch of its updated website www.CiMyDog.co.uk. 

The company says the website has been developed to provide reliable online information about pain in dogs to cater for the increasing needs of pet owners and vets.

The website has two sections. The first is a pet owner focussed, educational tool which takes the visitor on a journey through the process of pain; from spotting the signs of pain all the way through to ways of relieving pain, culminating in the recommendation that the visitor seeks advice from their veterinary practice.

The second section requires registration as it contains more in depth information on the pain process and potential treatment options available, this section is for veterinary professionals only. Also on this section of the website there are many scientific abstracts related to pain and treatment with links to enable the veterinary visitor can view this peer reviewed material.

Robert Simpson, Cimalgex Product Manager said: "The internet is a very powerful tool in terms of increasing education, especially in areas such as canine pain. Unfortunately there can also be a lot of misinformation online and so we felt it was important for Vetoquinol to try and redress the balance by producing www.CiMyDog.co.uk. This can be used as a reliable and up-to-date resource by pet owners and veterinary professionals alike. -

www.CiMyDog.co.uk is a very interactive site which aims to demystify the pain treatment process, ensure pet owners look out for behavioural signs of pain and looks to improve overall canine health with assistance from their veterinary practice. We hope that this will be a valuable resource to which vets can refer their pet owners."