'FLUTD and Dysuria – a frustration for many and not just the cat' will be presented by Dr Hanne Friis Lund (DVM) from Idexx and Katy Smith from Royal Canin (pictured right).
Hanne will be talking about diagnostics, focusing on urine analysis and laboratory tests, whilst Katy will discuss nutritional management of the condition.
Hanne said: "Feline lower urinary tract disease is a very common condition in both male and female cats affecting 1-3% of cats every year.
"It goes without saying that FLUTD causes great discomfort and pain for the feline, which is why the webinar will explore how best to manage the condition from a nutritional point of view.
"From the innovative Haematuria Detection by Blücare litter granules which turn blue when a urinary condition is detected to the new urinary range kibble from Royal Canin’s Veterinary Health Nutrition, the webinar will be leaving no stone unturned."
To register for the webinar, go to: https://vetportal.royalcanin.co.uk/cpd/webinar/
The company says the new range performs as well as the leading brands and delivers consistently reliable sterilisation, but at a much lower price point than the market has seen before. The entry level 8 Litre machine retails at £1,100.
The Yeson machines range in size from an 8 litre to a 22 litre capacity and offer quiet Class B operation, 7 pre-set sterilisation programs, B&D Helix testing and a choice of printer or USB reporting.
Yeson UK MD Will Thomas said: "The autoclave market has been dominated by a few major players for many years and until now they’ve been largely unchallenged. Many people are now asking “why should I pay thousands more for a utility machine such as an autoclave? We’re just hoping that we can meet the demand."
For more information, visit www.yeson-uk.com
A new equine parasite supplement to the online peer-reviewed publication Parasites and Vectors has been published by Fort Dodge.
Entitled "Equine parasites: diagnosis and control - a current perspective," it contains papers on a range of topics including a major European resistance study into key anthelmintic molecules. It is authored by equine parasitology experts and opinion leaders from around the world and was first published in September 2009. It is freely available at http://www.parasitesandvectors.com/
The group attributes part of its success to the various initiatives it runs for employees, including a scheme through which every member of its 220-strong team is allowed five fully paid donation days each year so they can volunteer to support meaningful local causes.
Employees also receive a £500 cash gift when they become new parents or adopt a child and can take 'peternity leave', which offers anyone with a new pet two fully paid days off work to help the animal settle into their new home.
Team members also get birthdays off (with cakes), a health care scheme, subsidised Fitbits and gym memberships.
Tim Harrison, managing director at White Cross Vets, said: "Making White Cross Vets a great place to work is vitally important to us, especially because our people are such a fundamental part of our success. Plus we’ve just launched the second of five new practices that will open during a 12-month period, so we’re continually expanding and recruiting.
"Being at the forefront of the veterinary industry with a wide range of innovative and high-quality employment initiatives, many of which are ideas from individual team members, helps us to attract and retain the best people. This enables us to grow quickly whilst fostering a close-knit and highly motivated team. This ethos also translates into the level of care and standard of service that our clients receive, which is something we’re very proud of."
The Essity Veterinary Academy covers four topics of education: Anatomy and Physiology of Wound Healing, Infection Management, Exudate Management and a Wound Assessment Workshop.
Richard Barker, Account Sales Executive said: "Essity Veterinary Academy events allow us to educate veterinary professionals with a full, comprehensive day of wound management.
"We have run our Academy events for the last two years and the feedback we have had has always been positive, therefore the decision to run four events again this year was an easy one.
"The events offer a great opportunity to share best practice with other veterinary professionals, and to obtain invaluable information from our Medical Education Manager, who has vast experience in dealing with all areas of wound management. We are very lucky to be able to offer these events free of charge and we can’t wait for the first event to begin on 18th June."
Essity is hosting these events across four venues, with the days running from 09:00 – 16:00, refreshments and lunch provided. The venues available this year are:
18th June, Huntingdon Racecourse
9th July, West Midlands Safari Park
17th September, Durham Cricket Club (Emirates Stadium)
24th September, Edinburgh Zoo
To book your place, email animalhealthcare@essity.com, giving your name, job title, practice details, telephone number and any dietary requirements.
Alternatively, if you would like further information please dial 01482 670124.
Rachel has also qualified as a member of the dentistry chapter of the Australian and New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists, and regularly tends to the oral health of zoo and sanctuary animals, including bears, cheetahs, tigers and snow leopards.
She said: "I’m excited to be joining North Downs, which is renowned as a centre of excellence for specialist veterinary care, and I’m really looking forward to this new role. There is a clear benefit in having a multidisciplinary team on site to approach oral surgery cases.
"Dentistry is such a rewarding area and can deliver immediate changes to our patients’ health and well-being.
"Many dental diseases can also be prevented, so I am committed to educating owners about their pets’ oral health and also veterinary surgeons and nurses, about new techniques, best practice, materials and equipment."
North Downs hospital director Terry Emmerson said: "Our aim is always to provide first-class care for our patients and to give an excellent service to their owners and the vets who refer cases to us.
"Rachel’s new dentistry service will be yet another specialist discipline on offer at North Downs to further extend the excellent care and treatment we offer here."
The appointment means that North Downs has a total of 11 specialist services, and makes it one of only a handful of centres in the UK that offer a dentistry service run by a dentistry specialist.
People are invited to organise or join a walk to raise money for Canine Arthritis Management and its work to educate both dog owners and veterinary professionals about how even the smallest of changes can help to enhance the life of a dog with arthritis.
CAM highlights recent work from the Royal Veterinary College and University of Sydney through VetCompass, which highlighted some of the biggest welfare challenges facing our pet population including obesity, dental disease and osteoarthritis, with osteoarthritis identified as one of the most severe conditions.
Hannah said: "We need to start more conversations about arthritis; both dog owners and vets need to be more aware of the steps we can take to help prevent arthritis, and where dogs are affected, how we can take positive action to help them live fulfilled and comfortable lives."
Hannah says that arthritis is currently one of the biggest causes of owners choosing to euthanise their dogs, and she hopes that owners taking part in the walks will help spread the word that arthritis can be managed.
To find out more about the Big September Walks visit www.facebook.com/CAMBigSeptemberWalks
The award was due to be presented at the association's annual shindig in March, which was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
VMA Awards chair, Claire Edmunds, said: “This years’ winners will still get their moment of glory on stage next March at the rescheduled event. We can also announce that the event is likely to include some additional categories to recognise campaigns and initiatives undertaken during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Carlos Michelsen, managing director of award sponsor, CM Research, added: "Thanks to the continued success of Cytopoint, Zoetis achieved highly commended status. But it was Elanco that came in as award winners, with their novel veterinary pharmaceutical product Galliprant taking the crown. Congratulations to Elanco!"
Rebecca Bryant, Elanco’s marketing manager for Pet Health Therapeutics (pictured right), said “Elanco is delighted to be recognised by the veterinary community with this prestigious award for Galliprant. The UK team is proud to be part of the launch of this innovative, first-in-class product which has already enriched the lives of thousands of pet owners and their dogs living with osteoarthritis. It’s fantastic to hear from vets that managing OA with Galliprant has already made a positive impact on their practices.”
Zoetis product manager, Allison Henry said: “We are very proud to come such close second in this award category as it is a true testament to the lasting innovation Cytopoint has brought to our industry, customers and pets. At Zoetis, we always strive to develop innovative new medicines for the veterinary industry and we are thrilled to see how Cytopoint has done just that.”
Eskimo, a reindeer at Edinburgh Zoo has received life-saving surgery just in time for Christmas, making him the first reindeer in history to receive keyhole surgery.
Vet Romain Pizzi successfully removed one of Eskimo's testes, which had been lodged in its abdomen since birth, using specialist surgical instruments donated to the zoo by one of Ark Surgical's strategic partners Surgical Innovations.
The zoo was worried that the retained testicle may have been developing into a tumour giving off abnormal hormones, and that this could become life-threatening. Thankfully, zoo surgeons found that the retained testicle, although abnormally sized, had not yet developed a tumour.
It is thought that the abnormal testicle was affecting Eskimo's production and flow of testosterone and, as a result, he was showing submissive behaviour and being bullied by the other male reindeer in the herd. He had also started to show some abnormal and delayed antler growth and development. Removing the testicle will halt any abnormal hormone production so hopefully Eskimo will return to full vigour just in time for Christmas.
Gavin O'Brien, Director at Ark Surgical said: "We were only too happy to help when Romain mentioned the challenging operation faced by Eskimo and in the season of goodwill we approached Surgical Innovations who kindly donated the instruments for this pioneering surgery."
Although laparoscopic surgery is routine in humans, the standard procedure in animals is still open abdominal surgery. Open abdominal surgery is 20 years behind human medical advances and has a number of negative factors on animals such as more post-operative pain, slower recovery and a higher risk of post-operative complications and infections.
Romain, a veterinary surgeon for the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, based at Edinburgh Zoo, said: "Laparoscopic surgery is still very uncommon in veterinary medicine, even amongst common species such as dogs, cats and horses, so for keyhole surgery to be carried out on a reindeer shows a great advancement in veterinary surgery."
It is estimated that nearly one out of every two households in the UK are pet owners. Veterinary surgeons perform on average 600,000 open abdominal procedures annually but it is believed that less than 1% of vets currently practice laparoscopic surgery.
Romain believes that with the right instrumentation available through innovative companies such as Ark Surgical, UK vets now have more opportunity than ever to introduce laparoscopic techniques as part of their operating procedures.
Romain said: "This procedure was only really possible thanks to a cutting-edge designed retractor which we were able to use in this case. Ironically although a reindeer is a reasonably large animal, due to their unique anatomy and massive four chambered stomach that takes up most of the space in the abdomen, there is a very limited internal operating space. For this reason the operation was much more difficult than in a human, or in a dog, where there is more space to work, despite their smaller size."
"We were especially pleased with how quickly Eskimo recovered after surgery, he was standing and happily eating lichen again within 10 minutes of recovery from anaesthesia. He hardly seemed to notice he had even had surgery, although he was still slightly groggy from the anaesthesia. This would simply not have been possible with traditional open abdominal surgery, as the long wound would have been much more painful and debilitating."
The minimally invasive nature of laparoscopic surgery means there are numerous benefits for animals such as a reduction in post-operative pain, a faster recovery and reduced post-operative care. It also has a decreased risk of infection after surgery and a lower risk of any wound complications.
For veterinary surgeons laparoscopic surgery can offer better visualisation of the operated area, allowing them to be more precise and reach areas that are difficult to see in open surgery such as the liver and pelvic canal.
Romain carries out laparoscopic operations on dogs, cats and exotic pets at his own veterinary practice Inglis Veterinary Centre (Scotland) and has pioneered several new laparoscopic techniques.
He said: "Laparoscopic surgery has so many benefits for the animal, the veterinary surgeons and the zoo, so there is no reason why it should not be more common practice within veterinary surgery. I hope Eskimo's experience helps raise its profile and encourage more veterinary surgeons to look in to it as a standard surgical procedure."
Ark Surgical offers a wide range of laparoscopy instruments and peripherals to vets across the UK and to suit all budgets. The company says it is already working with many of the UK's leading vets and agencies such as the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, as well as the UK foremost laparoscopic medical device manufacturer Surgical Innovations, to be at the forefront of veterinary laparoscopic surgery
For more information on animal laparoscopic surgery contact Ark Surgical on 01732 862882 or http://www.arksurgical.co.uk/
An article in the August issue of the Society of Biology's magazine, The Biologist, has called for a complete prohibition of the trade in exotic pets.
The article was co-authored by Elaine Toland, Director of the Animal Protection Agency, Clifford Warwick, an independent biologist at Leeds University Medical School, and Phillip Arena, lecturer in biology at Murdocy University in Perth. It highlights PFMA figures showing that the population of reptiles in UK homes was 700,000 in 2009, 850,000 in 2010, and 800,000 in 2011. Meanwhile, the article estimates that 700,00 reptiles enter the UK pet trade system through importation and breeding each year, leading to the conclusion that the annual mortality rate for reptiles in the home is 75%.
In calling for the ban, the article also draws attention to the impact of the exotic pet trade on the ecosystem, problems caused by the release of non-native species into the environment, and the increased risk of zoonotic disease posed by the importation of exotic pets.
Elaine said: The fact that most reptiles die within a year is truly tragic, and is probably unresolvable because reptiles and captivity simply don't mix. The trade in wild-caught and captive-bred lizards, snakes, tortoises and turtles is wasteful, destructive and inhumane, and even the most conscientious and well-intentioned keepers cannot realistically provide for all these animals' biological needs. The public would never tolerate three out of four dogs dying annually in the home, and nor should we tolerate such premature mortality in reptiles. A ban on this high turnover trade in disposable animals is long overdue.
She added: "While trade bans on certain species have not solved all the problems associated with exotic pet trading, they are very effective and important and more are urgently required. We are not proposing a ban on the private keeping of exotic pets as this would be both very heavy-handed and create a whole new problem of what to do with all the animals. Rather, we want an end to the commercial trade supply so that existing problems wither gradually along with a dwindling captive population."
Written in association with Dr Elinor O’Connor, Senior Lecturer in Occupational Psychology at Alliance Manchester Business School, University of Manchester, the guide is designed for anyone with an interest in the wellbeing of the veterinary team. It provides practical advice to veterinary workplaces on managing stress and promoting wellbeing, alongside examples from the three winning practices of the 2016 MMI/SPVS Wellbeing Awards.
Elinor said: "Addressing stress in veterinary work not only has benefits for the health and wellbeing of each person in the veterinary team, but the business case for reducing work-related stress is clear; stress is associated with poorer performance, increased absenteeism and higher employee turnover. The wellbeing guide provides information about proven techniques for reducing stress at work combined with suggestions for how they might be applied in veterinary workplaces."
Lizzie Lockett, RCVS CEO and Mind Matters Director, said: "Stress at work is an important issue right across the veterinary team. It is sometimes considered just an acceptable part of working in an environment that can be difficult to control, but things can change.
"By making wellbeing a priority practices can support individuals and help their team work better together, and thus provide the best treatment for the animals under their care. This leaflet unpacks some of the root causes of work-related stress and may be of particular interest to practice managers, line managers or health and safety officers."
Good to see that the guide includes a recommendation that practices have measures in place to identify and resolve conflict at work and a clear policy on harassment or bullying, something which research by VetSurgeon.org, VetNurse.co.uk and ex-BSAVA Head of Scientific Policy, Sally Everitt MRCVS found correlated with reduced reports of sustained unpleasant behaviour in practice, a significant source of stress.
The guide can be downloaded here: https://www.vetmindmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/MMI-12pp-web.pdf.
Pfizer Animal Health and Central Veterinary Services are collaborating in a new venture to create a unified National Benchmarking Database open to all veterinary practices.
In what it says is an unprecedented move, Pfizer will integrate 15 years' worth of data from its Performance Index practice benchmarking service (formerly known as the Fort Dodge Index) with that of the Central Veterinary Services' Management Analysis Indices (MAI). These two benchmarking services have been in co-existence for a number of years, each using different databases. Combining the data from the participating practices within each benchmarking service will create a database of almost 300 practices, representing in excess of 10% of all UK companion animal and mixed practices. This, says the company, will provide a more accurate and relevant benchmarking of UK companion animal practice performance.
The first combined reports from this new National Database will be available in May providing a comprehensive analysis for the first quarter of 2012. For Performance Index practices, this will be available via a new web portal.
Participating practices will continue to access their reports and services independently via their respective portals for PI and MAI, but will benefit from the larger database providing greater accuracy, granularity and relevance of exactly who a practice chooses to benchmark itself against. This, in turn, should provide all participating practices with an even better understanding of both their critical success factors and where there are clear opportunities for growth. Pfizer says that as ever, practice data confidentiality will be guaranteed for all subscribing practices.
Ned Flaxman, Director Business Innovation, at Pfizer Animal Health said: "We have recognised that what veterinary practices really need is to be far more specific about who they benchmark themselves against. There is little relevance to a rural mixed practice in the Lake District employing 3 full time vets (FTVE) benchmarking themselves against a large 5 FTVE companion animal practice in the centre of Manchester - you are comparing apples and pears! My vision for creating the National Database was really to increase the business benefits of practice benchmarking and enable practices to compare apples with apples. With the new system, the large urban practice in Manchester should be able to compare its performance against other urban practices in the North of England employing 5FTVE!
"To ensure practices have accurate and relevant data from which to make informed decisions to grow and thrive in these turbulent conditions, the creation of a single national benchmarking database is the only sensible solution. Although we are effectively levelling the playing field by enabling other veterinary suppliers to offer benchmarking, we believe it is the right thing to do for veterinary practices and the market as a whole. For Pfizer Animal Health, the needs of our veterinary clients are the driving force for our business decisions, veterinary support services and product development."
Martin Barrow, Managing Director of Central Veterinary Services said: "We fully agree that a single benchmarking database is the right solution for the market. The creation of this National Database, open to all practices irrespective of their supplier, will provide the participants with unique tools to give them powerful insights for their practices' future continued success.
"MAI and the Performance Index have competed with each other for years and provided a very useful added value service for their respective subscribers but when we were approached to integrate the two databases, we immediately saw the bigger picture and recognised the significant benefits this could bring to a wider audience of UK veterinary practices.
"The national database uses open standards for data collection and data is accepted from all practices irrespective of which practice management system they use. We believe it is the right thing to do for veterinary practices and brings significant benefits to the whole veterinary profession."
Practices are urged to subscribe to the PI or MAI services either independently or through one of their practice development partners. Although run from a common database each service will continue to be provided with its own unique features.
For further information on Performance Index practices should contact their Pfizer Account Manager, email Pfizer at Vetsupportplusuk@pfizer.com.
For further information on MAI, practices should contact Central Veterinary Services at mai@centralvet.com, or telephone 01359 245310
Simon Wootton, Northern European Region CAG Marketing Manager at Idexx said: "It is widely accepted that 1 in 3 cats and 1 in 10 dogs will develop CKD. The adoption by IRIS of the Idexx SDMA™ renal function test is testament to its benefits, and should give vets much more time to intervene and prescribe an appropriate course of action to help improve longevity and quality of life in CKD patients."
Idexx has produced two new wall-charts for practices, intended to assist with the diagnosis, staging and treatment of CKD in dogs and cats. They are being distributed to all practices in the UK, and can also be downloaded from the Idexx website – www.idexx.eu or ordered from Idexx by ringing 00800 1234 33 99.
Massimo (pictured left) qualified from Bologna Vet School in 1990 and spent two decades working as a specialist in veterinary neurology in Italy and Germany, following a three-year residency in neurology and neurosurgery at Bern in Switzerland.He has also spent almost 20 years lecturing at universities in Italy, including ten years as head of neurosurgery and advanced neurology diagnostics.
He said: "During my career I’ve spent short amounts of time in the UK and once I was aware of the opportunity to work with Northwest Veterinary Specialists, I jumped at the chance to move here.
"It has a fantastic reputation in providing the very best care to pets, and the recent investment in state-of-the-art facilities means we can offer the very best service to patients.
"I have a particular interest in continually improving our work around brain and spinal surgery and biopsies, and will be further researching technology and techniques to support treatment of epilepsy in pets."
Luca, who is currently a member of the Examinations Committee of the European College of Veterinary Neurology, also qualified in Italy (in 2007) at the University of Perugia, before moving to England where he completed his internship program in small animal medicine & surgery in 2009. He gained residency at a multi disciplinary referral hospital in the UK and was awarded the European College of Veterinary Neurology (ECVN) in 2012.
Luca has authored scientific papers in peer reviewed international journals and he has also been a reviewer for the Journal of Small Animal Practice and for the BMC Veterinary Research.
He said: "We’ll be focusing on changing the way we do neurosurgery to ensure the pets referred to us receive the very best treatment for their condition.
"We often see patients with intervertebral disc disease and epilepsy, and I’m looking to increase work around my main interests, including surgery of the central nervous system and epilepsy."
Liz Cousins, hospital manager at Northwest Veterinary Specialists said: "This year we’ve been making significant investment in our facilities and people, so it’s fantastic to be able to attract two experienced neurology specialists in Luca and Massimo,” said Liz Cousins, hospital manager at Northwest Veterinary Specialists.
"Luca and Massimo’s appointments clearly demonstrate our emphasis on creating teams of experienced and extremely knowledgeable specialists across the centre."
Norbrook Laboratories has launched a long-acting cattle bolus which it says will reduce the risk of Milk Fever.
According to the company, Calcitrace D3 is the first and only long-acting bolus to offer slow and fast releasing calcium to provide sustained calcium levels for 48 to 72 hours. In addition, Calcitrace D3 provides Magnesium, Phosphate and Vitamin D3 making it the most comprehensive bolus available.
Calcitrace D3 is smooth gelatin coated bolus with a rounded tip designed for easier administration. Norbrook says it is smaller than other boluses making it less likely to cause trauma on the orpharynx during administration.
Dr Barry McInerney, Norbrook's GB Veterinary Advisor said: "Milk Fever is a common metabolic disorder in dairy cattle which generally affects older, high producing cows and is caused by a rapid decrease in calcium concentrations in the blood just before calving. It is estimated that 3-10% of cows are affected by Milk Fever with a cost of more than £200 per incident so it is crucial that farmers and vets reduce the risk as effectively as possible.
"Norbrook's new Calcitrace D3 bolus which should be administered just before calving, provides higher calcium blood levels during the critical 12 - 48 hour post calving period and provides sustained increased levels for well beyond 48 hours. With the addition of Magnesium, Phosphate and Vitamin D3, Calcitrace D3 provides additional protection against Milk Fever."
Andrew Hillan MVB MRCVS, Director of Veterinary Sciences at Norbrook, led the development of Calcitrace D3. He said: "The launch of Calcitrace D3 is another illustration of the very high quality of technical expertise that exists within our research and development department and underlines Norbrook's commitment to developing high quality and innovative products. It comes from a strong and exciting pipeline of new products which we will bring to the market over the next couple of years."
'Otitis Externa: Understanding Ear Disease’ will be presented by RCVS Recognised Specialist in Veterinary Dermatology, Stephen Shaw BVetMed CertSAD DVD PhD PgCAP FHEA MRCVS (pictured).
Virbac says the webinar will explain how Cortotic can help you reduce antimicrobial use when treating otitis externa in dogs, whilst offering the same efficacy as a fixed-combination product.
https://bit.ly/CortoticWebinar
Micro-nutrition specialist Agrimin has launched All-Trace Biotin Gold, the seventh bolus in the company's All-Trace range.
The new bolus is the result of extensive in-house research and development which aimed to formulate a cost-effective, micro-nutrition bolus suitable for dry cows and heifers at risk from lameness, which affects up to 20 per cent of the UK national herd. According to Agrimin, the relationship between Biotin and its benefits on ruminant hoof health is receiving increasing attention. The company says it is the first micro-nutrition specialist to directly address this livestock health issue by using a bolus.
The Biotin Gold bolus for dairy cows and heifers delivers the target level of 20 mg per head, per day of Biotin over 120 days. In addition, the bolus also delivers the full, daily requirement of copper, cobalt, selenium and iodine as well as levels of zinc, manganese and vitamins A, D3 and E.
Administration is simple and convenient during the drying off period as many livestock are already going through a crush to have their feet trimmed and undergo other healthcare routines such as intramammary treatments.
For dry cows, two boluses are given to each cow at the point of drying off. They lie in the rumen/reticulum and slowly dissolve from a constant surface area providing a continuous and regular supply of trace elements and vitamins to the animal. The boluses dissolve completely and leave no residue in the rumen.
Agrimin says heifers respond very well to Biotin supplementation and studies have shown that supplying Biotin in the later stages of pregnancy produces the most effective results. This late stage of pregnancy is also the critical period for the transfer of vital nutrients from mother to calf and so the trace element content of All-Trace Biotin Gold will benefit both animals. Two boluses are given to each heifer at around three months pre-calving.
All-Trace Biotin Gold is available in packs of 20 boluses, which will supplement 10 cows or heifers at a cost of around £9.50 per animal for two boluses. For more information about bolus technologies and micro-nutrition, please visit www.agrimin.com or call 01652 688046.
The London Vet Show will next take place on 11th and 12th November 2021 at the ExCeL Center, London.
CloserStill says the decision to cancel was made following several discussions with industry stakeholders, including partners, and considering the significant impact of both international and domestic travel.
Rob Chapman, MD of CloserStill’s veterinary portfolio, said: "COVID-19 has brought enormous pressures and uncertainty to the veterinary sector - both personally and professionally.
"Although the UK Government gave the green light for exhibitions and meetings to start again in October, after examining at the overall market and consultation with our partners, we feel the decision to postpone is in the best interest of the veterinary community.
"Although this news may be disappointing to those looking forward to the London Vet Show, unfortunately the coronavirus situation is continually developing. We want to be as clear and upfront as possible with our community and customers, and after careful consideration, our decision to reschedule was out of caution. As event organisers, the health and safety of our exhibitors, delegates, speakers, staff and supporters, is our number one priority."
"Obviously the postponement decision hasn’t been easy but we firmly believe it’s the right thing to do. We are so fortunate to have support of great partners like the Royal Veterinary College and the British Veterinary Association, along with the exhibitors, speakers and delegates we’ve spoken to so far; everyone has been really understanding. We can’t wait to see you all again virtually soon, and in person in 2021."
"The team and I are eager to continue to provide world-class education to veterinary professionals, to connect and encourage networking to foster the advancement of the veterinary sector. We are developing some great opportunities for the veterinary community come November. We will be announcing more details on this very soon."
Animalcare has announced the launch of Clavubactin (amoxicillin/clavulanate) for dogs and cats, presented as 4-way split tablets in three strengths to ensure optimum dosing. The three strengths (Clavubactin 50, 250 and 500) contain 50/12.5, 250/62.5 and 500/125mg of amoxicillin and clavulanic acid respectively. Clavubactin 50mg is licensed for cats and dogs. The 250 and 500mg formulation is licensed for dogs only.
According to the company, the increased combined level of active ingredients, compared to some other clavulanate-amoxicillin products on the market, achieves recommended target weight dosing (doses always kept at 12.5mg/kg), even with animals of greater weight, minimising the risk of underdosing.
The 4-way split tablets are designed to facilitate easy and accurate dosing of all sizes of dogs and cats, from 1kg bodyweight (¼ tablet Clavubactin 50) to 50kg (1 tablet Clavubactin 500) and above.
The tablets come in aluminium blister strips of ten tablets in five packaging presentations (Clavubactin 50 and 250 are available in 100 and 250 tablet packs and Clavubactin 500 in 100 tablets).
Animalcare Product Manager Tony Liepman said "Clavubactin allows for optimum target weight dosing and together with the accuracy enabled by SmartTabs easy 4-way split, this gives peace of mind to both vet and client."
The product is supported by dosage charts and dispensing envelopes (the latter is available on request).
For further information contact Animalcare on 01904 487687, speak to your regional Animalcare representative or visit www.animalcare.co.uk/contact-us.
Jon (pictured right, in blue) has devised the fundraising event as part of his BEVA Presidential year. He has put together three routes in Yorkshire to suit all abilities, over the same roads used by Ron Kitching, the champion 1930s road racer. Each route starts and finishes at York racecourse and will be supported with signage and feed and watering stops along the way.
Participants can choose from a 35 mile largely flat 'trot' which takes in the city of York, a 66 mile slightly hilly 'canter' skirting the Yorkshire Wolds and a 91 mile 'gallop' over the Rosedale Chimney, which, according to Jon has "enough ascent to make Sir Chris Bonnington happy!"
There will also be a short family ride on the afternoon of 2nd June so that children and less practised cyclists can get involved.
To enter visit http://www.wheelsinwheels.com/BEVA_Presidents_challenge_Sportive_UK.php
For further information visit www.beva.org.uk
Jurox says the reformulation will also help reduce waste associated with unpreserved ampule formulations and will help streamline portfolios with a requirement for only one buprenorphine listing.
Dr Dan Cripwell BSc (Hons) BVSc CertAVP (EM) CertAVP PgCert (VPS) MRCVS, Advanced Veterinary Practitioner and senior veterinary technical advisor at Jurox (UK) Limited, said: “I am delighted that Jurox can provide the UK veterinary market with this evolution of our multidose buprenorphine formulation. We constantly strive to provide the veterinary profession with first class clinical and technical support and our ability to perform in-house product research and development is also a great strength; this allows us to remain agile enough to make adaptations in an area where not much has changed in the past few years.
“In this instance, we were able to examine what improvements could be made to our existing drug portfolio and respond to the profession’s feedback with the redevelopment of the commonly utilised opioid analgesic, buprenorphine. Our hope is that, as well as the recent mixing claims added to the product licence, this development will encourage the best clinical use of the drug and, in turn, improve patient experience and outcome.”
For more information, contact your local Jurox account manager, phone 0800 500 3171, visit www.jurox.com/uk or email customerservice@jurox.co.uk.
The letter called on the UK government to ensure there is a duty on the state to have due regard for animal welfare in the development and implementation of policy, as Article 13 of the Lisbon Treaty sets out. Under the UK’s Animal Welfare Acts, accountability for the treatment of an animal focuses on the animal keeper, but not on the state.
The coordinated letter from the veterinary professions follows widespread media attention after a House of Commons debate, wherein MPs voted down an amendment tabled by Green MP Caroline Lucas to include the principles set out in Article 13, which also states animals are sentient, in the EU (Withdrawal) Bill. Since Article 13 has its origins in a treaty rather than a regulation, it did not qualify to automatically transfer into UK law as part of the EU (Withdrawal) Bill.
The signatories of the Daily Telegraph letter span all areas of veterinary work including small and large animal practice, research, government and academia as well as including former UK Deputy Chief Veterinary Officers, Officers of BVA specialist divisions and the Chief Veterinary Officer of SSPCA, amongst others.
BVA Senior Vice President Gudrun Ravetz has been leading BVA’s lobbying on this issue while BVA President John Fishwick recovers from a back operation. Gudrun said: "The public and professional response to the Article 13 vote was astonishing, but there was much misunderstanding borne from sensationalist headlines that suggested the MPs who voted the amendment down do not believe in animal sentience. The real crux of the debate got lost in this noise.
"BVA supports the principle of Article 13, since it not only recognises that animals are sentient, but importantly puts a duty on the state to have due regard for animal welfare in the development and implementation of policy."
The Disciplinary Committee heard that Miss Oakes had signed a Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB) Veterinary Surgeons Residential Kennel Inspection Form which indicated that there were 55 greyhounds in the kennel, when there were in fact more; that she had stated that the kennels were in an acceptable condition, when they were in fact not; and that she knew the form was inaccurate and/or was dishonest in relation to what she had indicated on the form.
The kennels in question, Rough Cottage, were owned by Louise Eccles and her husband, Rod Eccles. Mrs Eccles was licensed by GBGB as a trainer, allowing her to train and race greyhounds and making the kennels accountable to inspections by veterinary surgeons.
At the time of the form in question, Miss Oakes had been attending Rough Cottage for about a year-and-a-half on a monthly basis, up through August 2016. At that point, on or around 1 August 2016, Mrs Eccles had left Rough Cottage for personal reasons.
Miss Oakes subsequently visited the premises on 14 August 2016 along with Amanda Gething of Northern Greyhound Rescue, when she learned that rather than there being 55 dogs, there were more than 80.
On 16 August, she and Amanda Gething returned to Rough Cottage with Lucille Cavadino, from Lancky Dogs, a greyhound rescue organisation. They became aware of the existence of kennels on the premises that were not of acceptable standard, but Miss Oakes found that the dogs housed in these kennels were fit and healthy.
Miss Oakes also spoke to Mr Eccles around this time, and although he had plans to rehouse some of the dogs she was concerned that he might change his mind. Miss Oakes took the decision to complete and sign the kennel inspection form that Mr Eccles had handed to her, knowing that the details contained therein were incorrect. She stated that the reason that she did this was to appease Mr Eccles so that he would not hinder the plans to remove and rehouse the dogs. She admitted to the area GBGB Stipendiary Steward that she had signed the form and that it contained incorrect information.
At the beginning of the hearing Miss Oakes admitted all the charges except for the final one, namely that she had been dishonest about what she had indicated on the form. When she gave evidence during the hearing, however, she admitted that she had been dishonest and so all charges were found proved.
The Committee then turned to deciding whether these charges, having been found proven, would result in a finding of disgraceful conduct in a professional respect against Miss Oakes. The Committee considered her motives in signing the form were to try and safeguard animal welfare, but considered that she was misguided in how she chose to achieve that aim. The Committee, therefore, found that signing a form that is known to be misleading or inaccurate is in definite breach of the Code of Professional Conduct, and concluded that her conduct constituted disgraceful conduct in a professional respect.
When considering a suitable sanction, the Committee took into account a number of mitigating factors, including some 62 testimonials that were submitted in favour of Miss Oakes, and the fact that she believed she was acting in the best interests of the animals’ welfare.
Chitra Karve, Chair of the Disciplinary Committee, said: "So far as mitigating factors are concerned, the Committee is satisfied that the Respondent’s motivation for what she did was governed by her overwhelming wish to promote the health or welfare of the greyhounds at Rough Cottage.
"The Committee is satisfied that no actual harm or risk of harm to any animal occurred in this case. There was no financial gain to the Respondent and the Committee has been told that she charged no fee for her extensive efforts in organising or assisting with the removal and rehousing of the greyhounds from Rough Cottage.
"The Committee considers that this was a single and isolated incident and that the risks of similar behaviour being repeated in the future are low."
Chitra added: "The Committee has decided that it will be sufficient to protect the welfare of animals, to maintain public confidence in the profession and to declare and uphold proper standards of conduct, for the Respondent to be given a formal warning as to her future conduct."
The initiative will run until early 2019, and has been expanded to include cats as well as dogs. In the run up, Lintbells is also offering lunch and learn sessions to help practices implement the clinics.
The company reports that feedback from 50 veterinary surgeons, nurses and practice managers who took part in the initiative last year was encouragingly positive. 86% agreed or strongly agreed that they are now managing mobility issues more effectively in practice and 90% thought client compliance had increased.
96% said they thought vets, nurses and reception staff were communicating more effectively. 95% thought the training had improved staff morale. 94% of veterinary staff felt clients were more confident about managing their pet’s condition and 92% thought more mobility issues had been identified. 74% said they thought practice revenue had increased.
Lintbells Brand Manager, Gemma Cunningham said: "We’re really pleased to be able to help practices to provide support for pets with stiff joints. This year we’ve made some exciting additions to the practice pack based on our ongoing conversations and feedback. Mobility issues in cats are often overlooked and we want to raise awareness and help support owners. By including cats this time round we hope to assist practices with their efforts to encourage cat owners to have their less active and sedentary cats checked out."
Practices that want to register an interest in receiving a Mobility Matters pack can contact their local Lintbells Veterinary Business Development Executive or visit www.lintbellsvet.com.
The company says the masterclass will equip veterinary surgeons with an understanding of how TPLO fits into the range of treatments for one of the commonest causes of serious hindlimb lameness in the adult dog: cranial cruciate ligament failure.
The course will take place on 13 and 14 September at Improve’s HQ, Alexandra House, Swindon, and will be led by Dr Steve Butterworth, MA VetMB CertVR DSAO MRCVS and RCVS Specialist in Small Animal Surgery (Orthopaedics).
Improve’s Veterinary Operations Manager Juliet Pope MRCVS, said: "We are delighted to offer this new masterclass, created for a maximum of ten delegates to ensure true one-to-one tutoring, and we thank the team at Freelance Surgical for supporting its development.
"The combination of lectures and practical sessions led by Steve Butterworth will revise relevant surgical anatomy to enable delegates to undertake TPLO procedures with confidence. We are particularly pleased to be able to offer radiography as an integral part of the course so that delegates can see the results of their new surgical skills before taking them back to their clinics."