The current inventory of Equip Artervac has an expiry date of March 29, 2023 and the company is not expecting a new batch to be available until the end of September 2023.
Zoetis says it has been working with relevant organisations to implement a plan to mitigate the impact on breeders.
The Thoroughbred Breeders Association has published advice for a blood sampling scheme at: https://www.rossdales.com/news-events/tba-members-equine-vaccine-advice-regarding-disruption-to-supply-of-equip-artervac, but Zoetis highlights that the advice requires action two weeks after the most recent EVA vaccination.
For more information contact your Zoetis Account Manager or the Zoetis Technical Team on customersupportUK@zoetis.com or 0345 300 8034
RCVS President Tim Parkin said: “The aim of our brand review was to make it easier for people to understand our purpose and the unique role we have as a Royal College that regulates.
“Our new strapline – ‘Inspiring confidence in veterinary care’ – looks to maintain animal health and welfare at our heart and to connect veterinary professionals and animal owners to that purpose.
“I’m delighted to see our new livery now in place around this fantastic new building, along with a number of different artworks that illustrate the College’s heritage and impact on society, and reflect all those with whom, and on whose behalf, we work.”
The College’s new look is has a contemporary feel, but features a shield device based on the original coat of arms granted to the RCVS in 1844, a nod to its history and heritage.
Updates to its overall visual identity include new logos, iconography, typography and colours, although the main blue and gold will remain.
These elements will be used together but in different ways to denote the College’s different initiatives, in order to make it easier for people to recognise the College’s different services.
The full rollout will take place over the coming months, with the design approach also applied to the RCVS Academy later this year and RCVS Mind Matters in 2026.
Branding for the Practice Standards Scheme (PSS) will remain unchanged at least until after the current PSS review has concluded.
RCVS CEO Lizzie Lockett, said: “Our previous look and feel had been in place for over 14 years and had served us well, but the modern, largely digital, communications landscape has evolved significantly in that time.
“We now also undertake a wider range of activities and initiatives and, against the current backdrop of the Competition and Markets Authority review and potential legislative reform, we may need to adapt to further changes ahead.
“It is therefore essential that our visual identity remains fit for purpose now and flexible for the way we work, both now and in the future.”
Sophia Salmon MRCVS from Central CPD said: "All of the major corporate chains in the UK now deliver a significant proportion of their clinical and non-clinical staff training via online learning platforms. These systems form an important part of professional development, training standardisation and even performance evaluation.
"However, learning platforms can be expensive to procure and develop, as well as being time-consuming to maintain, and therefore may not be viable for smaller businesses."
Central CPD has used its experience providing online learning to several of the UK’s major corporate veterinary groups to create 'Central CPD On-Demand', which features over 1500 clinical and non-clinical CPD videos for vets, nurses, managers and receptionists.
There's a new practice subscription package which, developed with whole-team learning in mind, costs £2000 per year for up to twenty people (veterinary surgeons, nurses or management staff).
Central CPD says the new package allows individuals and practices to set their own learning plan for the year, and for mentors to build and supervise training programmes for other staff members.
Practices can add their own content, such as policy documents, in order to assist with the delivery of compulsory elements of staff training.
Central CPD says its service is a fraction of the cost of procuring and populating an off-the-shelf learning platform, and the company is staffed by vets and vet nurses who are available to provide one-to-one advice and support to help practices set up their team’s platform and get the most out of the system.
For more information, visit: https://centralcpd.co.uk/
Success in Veterinary Practice by Dr. Bradley Viner DProf BVetMed MSc(VetGP) MRCVS is now available from Wiley Blackwell at £28.99. Teeside general practitioner Rob Reid BVM&S MRCVS has reviewed the book for members of VetSurgeon.org:
There are many self-help books available in a variety of fields, covering topics which range from stress management and emotional control through to furthering one's career and professional development. Until now, there has been no such publication that has covered these issues in the veterinary context, and it is here that Bradley Viner has identified a niche in the market with his new book Success in Veterinary Practice.
The aim of book is to help veterinary practitioners of all levels to develop and nurture their professional skills, both on a personal and at a practice level. The book will be of interest to vets in all fields and contains a lot of information that will be particularly relevant to vets who are embarking on the Professional Key Skills Module of the RCVS CertAVP. It may also be of interest to other members of the veterinary practice team and is also marketed at individuals who are considering a career in the veterinary field.
The book is organised into nine chapters, with the first eight providing content matter on areas such as personal development, communication techniques, improving clinical performance and developing leadership skills, with the final chapter summarising the information presented. The first eight chapters are structured in such as way that information is presented in a digestible format. The material is detailed enough to provide understanding without being overburdening and the summary and exercise sections presented at the end of each chapter help the reader to review what they have read and pick out the key ideas.
There were many areas of the book I found interesting and I liked the way that the author has looked at the psychological and sociological aspects of one's actions, both in relation to colleagues in the workplace and in relation to dealing with clients. From a personal point of view, I also liked the section on communication skills - an area which probably doesn't receive enough coverage in both undergraduate and postgraduate education.
On the negative side, there are some minor typographical errors and I feel some of the diagrams could have been better produced. The pure academics among us may also be somewhat critical about the author's stance towards the relevance of some aspects of clinical research. And of course some people may be put off by the price, with the truly cynical among us possibly seeing the close relevance of the content to the syllabus of the CertAVP 'A' module as a cunning marketing ploy!
As a general practitioner, however, I found the book to be informative and thought-provoking. I have found it has encouraged me to take a look at certain aspects of my work which I have almost done instinctively in the past, analyse my reasons for doing them and then look at how I can improve on these in the future, for the good of patients, my clients, the rest of the working team and of course for myself. It is certainly an interesting read, and I would recommend it to be of value to any vet who sees the term 'professional development' to mean far more than a simple sharpening of one's clinical skills.
Novartis Animal Health has launched a 0.5L pack of the anthelmintic Zolvix to make the product more readily available for quarantine dosing, and for the smaller sheep farmer.
Novartis says that because Zolvix is a broad spectrum anthelmintic that has the ability to kill all common sheep gastro-intestinal nematodes, including those resistant to existing treatments, it has a key role to play in quarantine treatment to keep parasite infection down to a minimum.
Simon Harris, Endoparasite Brand Manager at Novartis Animal Health, said: "As the first of the new generation of the Orange or 4-AD anthelmintic group, Zolvix has demonstrated effectiveness in killing worms, even those resistant to other products.
"Sheep farmers are being encouraged to use Zolvix as a quarantine treatment that can significantly reduce worm burdens on farm. I would stress that it is essential guidelines are followed in order to preserve Zolvix's ability to combat nematodes that have acquired resistance to other classes of wormers.
"This new pack size is aimed at farmers who are introducing new stock to their flocks, but will also be convenient for the smaller sheep farmer and smallholders who don't require such a large quantity of product."
Novartis says that because Zolvix is a short-acting anthelmintic, it does not encourage resistance to develop through a long duration of action. It has a high margin of safety so can be used to treat sheep and lambs including pregnant or lactating ewes and breeding rams. Its short meat withhold period of just seven days allows flexibility when marketing lambs.
The Veterinary Development Council (VDC) is conducting a survey to investigate the role of paraprofessionals and technicians in veterinary practice, and is asking vets in large animal, equine, and mixed practices to complete a short survey.
The VDC says that information from the survey will help inform discussions on the regulation of technicians.
The survey will take between 5 and 10 minutes to complete and can be found on the BVA website at www.bva.co.uk/vdc. The BVA has also emailed the survey directly to practices.
The survey has been devised by the VDC working group looking at the role of the veterinary-led team, chaired by BVA Past President Professor Bill Reilly. This is one of three working groups that will report to the VDC:
Professor Reilly said: "The relationship between veterinary surgeons and technicians is vital but it varies from practice to practice.
"The working group on the role of the veterinary-led team aims to take a snapshot of how services, such as artificial insemination and foot trimming, are currently delivered, and gauge how veterinary surgeons feel about other services being delivered by non-veterinarians in the future.
"I hope veterinary surgeons in large, mixed and equine practice will take 10 minutes to complete our survey to help us map the current use of technicians in veterinary practice and help shape our future discussions."
For the research, Which? conducted an online poll of 1,009 pet owners who had had an issue with their vet in the past two years.
It also conducted qualitative interviews with 14 owners who had complained.
The most common reasons for complaint were:
Of the 1009 pet owners who had experienced some kind of problem with their vet, 57% did NOT make a complaint, 33% because they did not want to fall out with their vet.
Pet owners who wish to complain about veterinary services have three options: to complain directly to their practice, to use the voluntary Vet Client Mediation Service (VCMS), or to raise a 'concern' with the RCVS.
The Which? report found that of those who did complain to their practice, 35% were not happy with the outcome and 31% with the way it was handled.
Which? found that although the VCMS reported a high resolution rate of 84% in 2022-23, its interviewees had found it a bit hit or miss.
Finally, Which? found the process of complaining to the regulator flawed by the fact that the threshold for the College to progress a 'concern' is set so high, because College has no jurisdiction at a practice level, and because it has no sanctions to use in enforcing consumer law.
The report recommends that:
Full report: https://www.which.co.uk/policy-and-insight/article/complaints-and-redress-in-veterinary-services-a5z611X9tZzf
CommentI loved the regal response from the RCVS to The Guardian about the case studies in the Which? report: “the facts presented in the case studies do not completely align with those reported to us”.
That aside, surely the big issue here is not so much that consumers have little way to complain effectively.
That is important, of course, but isn't it more important to consider what they are complaining about, which in the main is MONEY.
Driven by the advances in veterinary medicine, the innate desire of vets to provide the best possible care, anthropomorphising pet owners saying they want 'the best' for their fur baby (without necessarily having the wherewithal), corporatisation and society's changing expectations about working conditions, prices have been going up at a rate far outstripping inflation.
Increasing prices have of course been accompanied by an increase the standards of care and the range of clinical equipment.
But the question everyone must ask is at what point the cost of veterinary care for a dog outstrips the benefits of owning one?
These complaints are the canary in the coalmine.
The five-year strategy outlines actions required from the group and its members until 2025, as well as focusing on changing wider public attitudes to extreme conformations in brachycephalic dogs.
It identifies three core challenges:
Some of the actions committed to include working to prevent the inappropriate use of imagery of brachycephalic dogs in advertising, promoting relevant health testing schemes and sharing research with breeders and would-be owners, alongside developing and promoting a Brachycephalic Health Assessment veterinary consultation framework.
Dr Dan O’Neill, chair of BWG said: “BWG understands that the serious health problems associated with the flat-faced body shape can cause many dogs to suffer and considers that the health and welfare problems linked to breeding for a flat face are one of the UK’s leading canine welfare priorities.
"This new strategy lays out a plan to redress many of these issues and we call on everybody to ‘Stop and think before buying a flat-faced dog’.”
www.ukbwg.org.uk/?page_id=801
The nine-page booklet is being distributed electronically to all BEVA members, together with a guide on spotting some of the warning signs horses may display, written by equine veterinary surgeon and behaviourist Gemma Pearson.
A report commissioned by the BEVA in 2013 indicated that an equine vet could expect to sustain between seven and eight work-related injuries that impeded them from practicing, during a 30-year working life.
Data available from the Health and Safety Executive suggests that this is a very high number of injuries compared to other civilian occupations, including those working in the construction industry, prison service and the fire brigade.
The new guide has been produced ‘by horse vets for horse vets’ with BEVA members contributing their views, experiences and suggestions to early drafts.
It provides information for those handling and involved with equine veterinary care; to make workers consider the steps that they can take to make their activities as safe as reasonably possible by assessing a situation and implementing measures to limit the risk that vets and others are exposed to.
The guide also aims to challenge prevailing attitudes and culture. It outlines how to make ‘on the spot’ or ‘mental’ risk assessments and when to stop if a procedure becomes unsafe.
The guide is accompanied by an illustrated leaflet Signs of Increased Arousal Combined with a Negative Effective State. Written by Gemma Pearson, BVMS Cert AVP (EM) MRCVS who specialises in equine behaviour and learning theory, it explains signs of increased arousal including facial expressions, stance, movement and response.
David Mountford, CEO of BEVA said: "The new guidelines have been carefully developed to ensure that they are as pertinent, pragmatic and helpful as possible for vets in practice. Hopefully they will help to make the equine veterinary workplace a little safer."
The new guides can be downloaded at: https://www.beva.org.uk/workplacesafety
The 8-week study1, which was part-funded by the ISAZ/Waltham Petcare Science Institute Collaborative Research Award and Canines Providing Assistance to Wounded Warriors (C-P.A.W.W.), compared the effects of walking with a shelter dog vs. walking with a human and the impact they had on psychological stress indicators, PTSD symptoms and the stress in reintegrating military veterans.
The veterans in the study who walked with shelter dogs experienced improved rate variability and decreased levels of salivary cortisol – both signs of relaxation and improved stress response.
Waltham points to a Journal of Psychiatric Research estimate that up to 25% of military veterans who have transitioned out of active duty would meet the criteria for a diagnosis of PTSD2. This, says the Institute, could mean that up to 625,000 of the 2.4 million3 military veterans currently living in the UK could potentially be living with this mental health issue.
Dr Kay O’Donnell, Ph.D., Vice President of the Waltham Petcare science institute, said: “This study further highlights the potential of dog walking to improve the lives of both veterans and shelter dogs by offering veterans a way to make a difference in the lives of shelter animals – while dogs are simultaneously helping veterans with symptoms of PTSD.
"At the Waltham Petcare Science Institute we believe we have a responsibility to take scientific exploration further when evidence to date shows us that pets can be part of addressing conditions like PTSD. It’s important we undertake rigorous studies to understand how companion animals may provide a benefit and we’re proud to be part of this study, which takes us another step forward in understanding the human-animal bond."
References
The project was 'highly commended' at the RCVS Knowledge 2024 awards.
The CVS clinical improvement project found that a major barrier to conducting ultrasound scans was a lack of confidence - both in using equipment and interpreting images.
A recent Canadian industry study has also reviewed barriers, citing a lack of equipment, training and skills as root causes1.
The ultrasound project aimed to review practice equipment, improve clinician case identification, increase clinical skills and confidence, and recommend ultrasound in all appropriate cases.
The company put together resources for vets and nurses designed to help improve ultrasound scan rates, including clinical guidelines, webinars for how to approach cases, and machine guides.
CVS then held training sessions which for vets focussed on case identification and improving diagnostic skills, and for vet nurses looked at how to use ultrasound equipment and conduct scans.
An audit of each participating practices’ ultrasound scan rates was conducted at the start of the project. Results were then shared with each practice every month.
Twelve months after launch, data shows that the number of ultrasound scans has increased by 3,675.
Anecdotal evidence has also shown that colleague confidence and practice team culture has improved as a result of the project.
Dr Victoria Woods, Regional Clinical Lead at CVS responsible for the ultrasound clinical improvement project, said: “It’s fantastic to see the benefits increased ultrasonography is already bringing to our practices on this project – especially as a result of upskilling our nurses.
"I am certain that this will help contribute towards them providing some of the best clinical diagnosis and care in our profession.”
Following the success of the project in its first year, the project is now being developed to focus on echocardiograph and is being undertaken in 52 CVS primary care practices in year two.
Reference
Medivet senior partner Adi Nell says the profession needs to consider new business models to encourage more vets into ownership, as well as fresh approaches to supporting the role.
Responding to issues and recommendations highlighted in the latest VetFutures report, such as the number of female practice owners and a perceived lack of business skills in the profession, Adi said practices need to be flexible when it comes to attracting new vets or owners.
"Client expectations have changed drastically in the past 15 years, but so have the desires of potential practice owners. The world of clinical practice is changing at a rate we’ve never seen before. Owning a practice, along with the other increasing demands on our limited time and energy, is becoming more of a challenge too. This is evident with the growth of business support and development services, indicating an increased demand for that support.
"New practice owners aren’t like previous generations. Although traditional models of ownership are changing gradually, we also need different models of working, such as flexible hours, and different methods of support are needed."
One of the trends noted in the 2014 VetFutures report was how, despite dominating the profession in terms of overall numbers, women are still less likely to be a sole principal, director or partner.
Medivet claims an excellent track record here, with a near 50/50 split of male and female branch owners/partners.
Adi added: "We’re very happy to have so many women as business partners with us. The combination of clinical freedom, business support and a real feeling of teamwork and care for each other are some of the features that enable our partnership model to work so well. The scope for clinical and business development is huge, and we do our very best to look after all our people as they grow.
"However, there are still far too many bright, talented and highly trained vets leaving the profession after too short a time. Why do we turn these diamonds into coal? We need to understand what’s driving this and how we can adapt. The VetFutures report starts to offer some of the answers – and has uncovered even more questions!"
The VetFutures report also found aspirations of practice ownership or partnership dropped from 45% among students to 25% once vets start work. Adi says that offering opportunities for vets to expand into other areas of expertise is key to reducing the decline in appetite for practice ownership. He said: "I started out offering dermatology referral services to various Medivet branches before becoming a branch partner myself. I’m now in charge of a Medivet region of 16 practices as well as being involved in strategy, marketing, HR and operations, which I absolutely love, but never predicted I would do.
"I believe fewer and fewer vets see themselves doing the same job in clinical practice for their entire careers. That includes not wanting to be an employee for life, but also not wanting to have all the responsibility and burden of individual practice ownership. A big group like Medivet allows them to find the niche they enjoy and to develop the skills they value, to the benefit of their own careers, their business success, their client care and their patients’ health."
Liz set up vetsnet to bring together all the wellbeing, leadership and management tools being created by individuals, groups and veterinary organisations in one place, and then to curate, streamline and signpost resources to increase accessibility and use by everyone in the profession.
The Aviva scheme is open to anyone and offers the chance to get funding for an important cause within a community. If successful in its bid, Liz says it will allow Vetsnet to rebrand more clearly as a resource hub, increase ease of use and add user ratings, which in turn will help users to find the help they need when they need it.
Liz said: "I setup Vetsnet to meet needs experienced personally in practice life. Great work is being done to address the mental health and organizational issues within the profession, I wanted to curate, signpost and increase accessibility to the growing wealth of resources for all involved in the provision of veterinary services, to make it a happier profession."
Voting closes on 21st November. To add your support to the bid, go to https://community-fund.aviva.co.uk/voting/project/view/17-1093, register, opt out of mailing options and cast up to 10 votes for a single or multiple projects. Those with the most votes will be judged and finalists announced in the new year.
The follow up service ‘can be provided personally by the veterinary surgeon or practice, or by written agreement with a veterinary services provider which is local to the client (as with the current situation for [out-of-hours] care provision)’.
The new rule comes into force on the 1st November, to allow practices to make any necessary arrangements.
The RCVS Council also decided that the temporary derogation from the usual requirement to conduct a physical examination before an animal is regarded as ‘under care’ be reviewed as a standing item at each subsequent Standards Committee meeting, until the normal guidance provisions are fully restored.
Marc Abraham MRCVS, the Paul O’Grady Show’s resident vet is setting up a new website for pet owners www.thepet.net, described as being the first to use the power of social networks (think Facebook), to bring pet owners together to share and rate pet experiences, and help each other find the best their pet can get.
I think it'll fly, and if it does, it will be one for many in the profession to keep a close eye on. Reputations can (and have) be made or lost on these kinds of websites.
What's more, previous community sites for pet owners based on the more simple forum model have shown the danger of attracting, well, the nutters. I've seen at least two populated almost entirely by raw meaty bones evangelists firing false (or at least unproven) accusations at everyone from pet food manufacturers to individual vets. Worse than that, the same people seem to advocate alternative therapy for just about every medical condition under the sun. 'Heart failure you say? Wave some of these crystals over its tail'.
I can see pet owners flocking to this kind of site in their hordes. But for it to have any kind of credibility within the profession, I fear Mr Abraham will have to be absolutely ruthless in weeding out those who will inevitably try to use the site as a soapbox for extremist viewpoints. That'll be a challenge. I have first hand experience of just how tenacious some of these people are!
The company says it has been working hard to ensure improved supply on a number of brands including Apoquel, Palladia and now Trocoxil, with animal welfare being the key consideration at all times throughout this process.
Ned Flaxman, business unit director for companion animal, equine and innovation at Zoetis said: “It was a really difficult decision to stop production of Trocoxil in favour of Apoquel and Palladia but we felt that it was the right thing to do on animal welfare grounds. As soon as we had full stocks of these products we resumed the manufacture of Trocoxil and I am delighted to say that it will be back in stock in December.
"I would like to thank our veterinary clients for their patience and reassure them that we brought the product back to market as quickly as we could and do not anticipate any further stock issues."
Trocoxil chewable tablets are used for the treatment of pain and inflammation associated with degenerative joint disease in dogs aged 12 months or over.
For more information, contact your Zoetis account manager.
The 'Vet REACT Colic Champions', which is being supported by 62 veterinary practices around the country, will help horse owners create a plan of action if their horse develops critical colic and needs referral to an equine hospital.
The campaign follows research conducted by the University of Nottingham which found that one in three emergency call-outs by vets were due to colic and 90% of owners were not confident in spotting its early signs.
Emmeline Hannelly, Welfare Education Manager at the BHS said: "It’s fantastic that so many vets are supporting our 'Vet REACT Colic Champions' scheme – we are delighted to be working with them. We hope that it will help even more owners to make informed decisions related to colic and in turn, improve equine welfare.”
Sarah Freeman, Professor of Veterinary Surgery at the School of Veterinary Science and Medicine, University of Nottingham said: "We are delighted to be working with vet practices on the 'Vet REACT Colic Champions' scheme. Their support and guidance has been a huge help in reaching such a wide population and we hope we can reach even more people in the future."
Alex Kingdon, BVM BVS MRCVS from Avonvale Equine Practice said: "Being part of the 'Vet REACT Colic Champions' scheme is incredibly important to our practice. Colic is by far one of the most common emergency conditions we see and the scheme has already had a huge impact on many horse owners.”
For further details on the 'Vet REACT Colic Champions' scheme and 'React Now to Beat Colic' campaign, visit: www.bhs.org.uk/colic
Photo: Shutterstock/PJ Photography
The webinars will take place every Wednesday at 7pm in May.
David Bardell is a European and Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons Specialist in Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia and will be hosting the first two sessions covering equine pain management for colic and orthopaedic cases respectively.
The 5th May webinar will cover how to recognise and understand the pathology of visceral pain, physical and pharmacological methods of analgesia and dealing with violent or difficult colic cases.
The second webinar on the following Wednesday, will look at how to recognise and quantify pain, the use of pain scales, analgesic medication and techniques.
The other two sessions of the series will be led by Dr. Andy Fiske-Jackson, Deputy Head of RVC Equine and Senior Lecturer in Equine Surgery at the Royal Veterinary College. He'll be running case-based sessions looking at the good, bad and ugly of digital flexor tendon sheath cases and unravelling the diagnosis and treatment of navicular syndrome, the associated biomechanics and treatment options respectively.
Emma Jennings, Equine Brand Manager at Dechra (pictured right) said: “The broad scope of illnesses and conditions facing those specialising in equine care means that it’s important to delve deeper into some key issues, which is what this series of webinars will do.
“We hope the expertise of David Bardell and Dr. Andy Fiske-Jackson will be of key interest to veterinary professionals across the country and would urge anyone interested to register for the sessions throughout May.”
To register for the free webinars, visit www.dechra.co.uk/events.
Head nurse Nicola Atkins (pictured right) said: “We are very happy and proud to have achieved our silver accreditation for cat-friendly clinic status.
“To earn this internationally-recognised award, we had to prove that we met all of the ISFM criteria, including allocating a nurse and vet at each centre who are dedicated to caring for our cats and providing ‘cat only’ waiting areas to reduce their stress.”
“We provide cats with carefully-tailored care from our stress-free waiting areas and high standards of anaesthetic protocols, which deliver an enriched stay at our hospitals.
“This also reassures owners and makes them feel more at ease about visiting our clinics with their cats.”
For more information, visit www.veterinaryvision.co.uk.
The group says it has led to 6,086 more clinical metrology questionnaires being conducted at participating practices with their patients, a 1,014% increase.
Developed by John Innes at the University of Liverpool, the Liverpool Osteoarthritis in Dogs (LOAD) questionnaire is a 13-item clinical metrology instrument (CMI) used to assess canine articular disorders like osteoarthritis.
It includes questions on the pets’ medical background, lifestyle and mobility.
Individual question scores are summed to provide an overall “LOAD score” suggestive of the animal’s disease presence and severity.
The questionnaire should be conducted every time the pet is presented to the veterinary clinic, with results tracked over time.
Treatment options - including the benefits and risks of all available modalities – can then be considered and discussed with owners to determine the best course of action, including weight management, diet, supplements, exercise and environmental modification, in addition to medication.
As part of the project, CVS provided a range of supporting resources for its practices, together with training.
Training focussed on diagnosing and managing conditions causing lameness in dogs and cats, using the clinical metrology questionnaire to engage clients in their pets’ treatment plan, offering best practice treatment options and running nurse mobility clinics.
It comprised of a vet CPD day run with Zoetis and the VOA on approach to and management of lame patients, two nurse CPD days on mobility clinics, a feline and canine orthopaedic examination video, First Opinion Clinical Club webinars on canine and feline osteoarthritis and an approach to radiographic interpretation course.
Resources included: new clinical guidelines, IMV resources (radiographic positioning, optimising the image and optimal chemical restraint) and a Mobility Clinic Booklet for clients.
Each site was then provided with its own data, so that they could monitor what they were doing individually.
One year after its nation-wide launch, results reveal that the number of clinical metrology questionnaires being conducted in the 35 participating practices has increased from 6 to 6,092 over a 12 month time period.
CVS says there was also evidence of an increasing incidence of the osteoarthritis drugs Librela and Solensia being prescribed.
Kathryn Patel, Hub Clinical Lead at CVS (pictured), who was responsible for the lameness clinical improvement project, said: “This project uses owner questionnaires to screen for and monitor the impact of lameness on patient quality of life and emphasises the importance of the whole clinical team in patient management.
"Vets and nurses will be supported to improve their ability to reach a diagnosis in every lame case, improve engagement with and compliance of owners with lame pets, and improve the quality of care of lame patients through appropriate medication, surgical intervention, and nurse and physiotherapy support.”
The RCVS Disciplinary Committee has directed that a Leeds-based veterinary surgeon, whose convictions for threatening behaviour, theft, and assault made him unfit to practise, should be removed from the Register.
At the outset of the two-day hearing, Dr Gary Samuel admitted his convictions. These related to his actions near his property in Cardiff on 10 July 2011, and were received at Cardiff Magistrates' Court on 22 November 2011. The Committee was asked to decide if these convictions made Dr Samuel unfit to practise veterinary surgery, and to decide upon any sanction.
The facts of the offences, as set out at the magistrates' court by the prosecution, were that Dr Samuel took a camera and memory card from a neighbour who was taking photographs of construction works behind his property. In doing so, he grabbed the neighbour from behind, twisting her arm, and later threatened her and her partner with a large piece of wood.
Although Dr Samuel wrote to the College saying he had pleaded guilty to the charges, he also denied some of the offences charged, suggesting that it was the neighbour who had been abusive towards him.
The Committee allowed the possibility that Dr Samuel was provoked by the taking of photographs and may have been subjected to offensive abuse by the neighbour, and considered that he acted impulsively and lost control of his actions. However, the convictions were for serious offences: the assault resulted in injury to the victim; the threatening behaviour involved a risk of injury to the victim and her partner; and, the theft involved dishonesty. Dr Samuel's conduct at the time was "reckless", and he had since displayed very limited insight into his behaviour.
Professor Peter Lees, chairing and speaking on behalf of the Committee said: "The Committee considers that the offences of which the Respondent was convicted, and to which he pleaded guilty, were serious, as is reflected in the suspended sentences, community service orders, fines, restrictions and penalties imposed by the court. The Committee accepts that this is not a case in which the welfare of animals has been put at risk, but takes the view that a serious sanction is required in order to uphold the reputation of the veterinary profession, and public confidence in it, and to uphold proper standards of conduct and behaviour on the part of its members."
The Committee directed Dr Samuel's name should be removed from the Register.
The RCVS Disciplinary Committee has dismissed an application to be restored to the Register of Veterinary Surgeons from former Wirral-based vet Ian Beveridge.
In May 2013 the Committee had asked the Registrar to remove Mr Beveridge from the Register following a four-day hearing in which he was found guilty of serious professional misconduct after finding that he had treated clients badly, kept inadequate clinical records, was dishonest in his dealings with the RCVS and that animals in his care were placed at risk.
In June 2013 Mr Beveridge, who was not present or represented at the original hearing, then appealed the decision. The appeal was withdrawn in May 2014 which was when Mr Beveridge was formally removed from the Register.
Then, in April 2015, Mr Beveridge applied to be restored to the Register. The Disciplinary Committee met to consider his application in June 2015, however, this hearing was adjourned after new evidence was served to the Committee concerning allegations that Mr Beveridge had ordered prescription-only veterinary medicines when he was not authorised to do so. He was subsequently interviewed by police who took no further action.
In deciding whether Mr Beveridge was fit to be restored to the Register, the Committee heard evidence in regards to the circumstances in which the prescription-only drugs were ordered using his account and delivered to his former practice address which had been taken over by Medivet after he sold the premises to the company.
During the course of the hearing, Mr Beveridge admitted that his account had been used to buy the drugs, but that a part-time member of his staff, who was neither a veterinary surgeon nor a veterinary nurse, had done so without his prior knowledge or approval.
In relation to this evidence Ian Green, chairing and speaking on behalf of the Committee, said: "The Committee takes the view that the unauthorised use of a veterinary surgeon’s drugs account for which he carries the ultimate responsibility is a very serious matter and, of itself, demonstrates that the applicant has at best a cavalier attitude to his work which of itself means that he remains unfit to be on the Register.
"This attitude is further demonstrated by the fact that, even after the first orders were placed in late April and early May 2014, the applicant did not seek clarification from the College of his status following the withdrawal of his appeal against the original Committee’s findings."
In addition to this, the Committee also considered the seriousness of his original failings, the fact that Mr Beveridge’s acceptance of these failings was ‘qualified’, that he had been off the Register for 20 months and the fact that his efforts in terms of continuing professional development had been inadequate and not focused on those areas in need of improvement, among other factors. In mitigation it did consider that Mr Beveridge had demonstrated genuine remorse about previous actions and noted a petition and a large number of letters in support of him from former clients of his practice.
However, the Committee felt that this did not detract from the seriousness of the original failings and, in conjunction with the subsequent unauthorised ordering of veterinary drugs, that the application for restoration must be dismissed.
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The extension, which is due for completion before the end of the year, will allow the centre to offer a range of new services, including a new radioactive iodine unit for treatment of hyperthyroidism in cats, a larger echocardiography suite for cardiac patients, an endoscopy suite, an ophthalmology procedure room, a dedicated operating theatre for minimally invasive procedures and 41 new kennels.
Toby Gemmill, clinical director at Willows, said: "The expansion represents a really exciting time for Willows and has been carefully planned to maximise the space we have available to us.
"We are already extremely well placed to offer a wide variety of specialist treatments and this extension will provide us with the space to build on our gold level cat-friendly clinic status with a radioactive iodine unit for treatment of hyperthyroidism in cats, along with dozens of new kennels and range of specialist treatment rooms."
The extension is part of a major investment drive by the Linnaeus Group, of which Willows is a part, which will see it plough around £9 million into its sites across the UK.
Lynne Hill, chief executive of the Linnaeus Group, said: "We are extremely proud of the practices within the group and are fully prepared to support them financially, and in any other way, to ensure they continue to offer the very best facilities and treatment for our clients and patients."
This, says the company, will make vaccination easier for vets and clients.
Eravac is an injectable emulsion ready for administration without the need for reconstitution beforehand.
Each box contains 10 individual doses which can be given to pet rabbits from 30 days of age.