In her inaugural address as RCVS President for 2024-25, Linda Belton said she wants to focus on the core remit of the RCVS as a regulator, and the importance of good regulation for public trust and keeping pace in areas such as artificial intelligence (AI).

Linda gave her address at the Royal Institute of British Architects, venue for the RCVS Annual General Meeting last Friday.

Linda, an equine vet and director of the Wiltshire-based George Veterinary Group, said: “A Royal College and a regulator – it’s a challenge but this combined role is also an opportunity for us.

“In the time I’ve served the RCVS, I’ve definitely learnt some of what it takes to fulfil these roles under the remit of both the Veterinary Surgeons Act and our Royal Charter; to think not just from personal perspective and experience, and also to try to look beyond the needs of the profession today and consider what tomorrow might bring.

“Vets are not just one thing.

"The roles we fill in our working lives are many and varied, and I would argue that the MRCVS is the best placed arbiter of animal health and welfare.

"As such, keeping the MRCVS at the heart of decision-making around how veterinary care and services are provided is essential both to safeguard animal health and welfare and also to retain public trust in our work.

“Cultivating trust is a big part of what many of us do, day in and day out – trust in us from within our teams, from our clients and perhaps even from our patients.

“The RCVS with its two hats does a tough job for both the professions and the public.

"In many cases, the interests of the professions and the public align and there is no conflict.

"Of course, as a regulator where the interests don’t align, the RCVS regulates in the wider public interest and this, too, is a positive for us as a profession.

“Working in a regulated environment is a strength for us.

"The landscape in which we work has changed and the regulatory environment needs to change too. Now we are the other side of the general election, work can continue on legislative reform seeking parliamentary time for a new Veterinary Surgeons Act.”

As the 13th female President of the RCVS, Linda will lead an Officer Team comprising the now Senior Vice-President Dr Sue Paterson FRCVS, Junior Vice-President Professor Tim Parkin FRCVS and Treasurer Dr Tshidi Gardiner MRCVS as well as VN Council Chair Belinda Andrews-Jones RVN, who attends Officer Team meetings as an observer.

Elanco Animal Health has announced the launch of a Milbemax television advertising campaign to educate pet owners about the importance and ease of worming.

The 30-second advertisement will appear as pre-roll to video content on a number of websites from the end of August, and will broadcast on mainstream TV channels including ITV1, Channel 4, Channel Five, Sky, ITV2, ITV3, E4, More4, Film4, UKTV and Five Digital in mid-September to reach an estimated nine million people – of which nearly three million will be identified/targeted pet owners.

Elanco says the advert is designed to target female pet owners between the ages of 25 and 49 and drive them to seek further information and buy pet wormers from their local veterinary surgeon with the call to action: ‘Make an appointment with your vet to find out how easy worming your pet can be.’

Viewers watching the online advertisement will be able to click through to campaign specific pages on Elanco’s WormPatrol website - www.wormpatrol.co.uk/easyworming - where they can use 'Find a Vet', a worm risk checker and worming reminders to connect them with veterinary practices. The advertisement will also be available to view on the WormPatrol website.

The campaign is supported by a range of educational marketing materials and initiatives which are available to Milbemax customers from the vet section of the WormPatrol website or from their local Elanco companion animal territory manager. 

The materials include a video to embed in practice websites and to use on social media, a subtitled version of the video for waiting rooms, a range of pet owner worm education materials, social media resources and SMS text message broadcasts.

Matthew Rowe, marketing manager at Elanco Animal Health, said: “Elanco is committed to encouraging responsible pet ownership; the new Milbemax advertising campaign will educate pet owners about the importance and ease of regular worming while driving them to veterinary practices for further information and to purchase pet wormers.”

For further information please contact your local Elanco Animal Health territory manager or email elancoCAH.uk@elanco.com.

Ceva Animal Health Ltd has initiated a Class II recall of Ketofen 10% Solution for Injection, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory licensed for the treatment of cattle, pigs, horses and other equidae.

The recall was initiated because a visual inspection confirmed the possibility of particulate contamination which is not acceptable for an intravenous use preparation.

The recall is for the following batches only:

108AB Expiry 12/01/2023
113H Expiry 16/03/2023

Ceva Animal Health Ltd is contacting veterinary surgeons, retailers and wholesale dealers to examine inventory and quarantine products subject to the recall.

For further information, contact Peter Kyte Business Unit Manager on +44 1494 781510.

Purina has donated £100,000 to Medical Detection Dogs (MDD), to support the charity's training and potential deployment of COVID-19 sniffer dogs in public spaces.

The company is also working with the UK charity to call for the creation of international standards in the training and deployment of sniffer dogs.

Earlier this week, Medical Detection Dogs announced the findings of its research on scenting COVID-19, confirming that dogs can play a major role in public safety through their ability to detect the virus’ odour.

Researchers will now move to trial the dogs at sites such as ports of entry and public spaces, where dogs can screen individuals rather than samples and contribute to the fight against the virus by detecting COVID-19 carriers.

Sniffer dog schemes are currently being piloted in countries including Finland, Russia, Italy and France, but there is currently no centralised best practice process for such programmes.

Medical Detection Dogs and Purina are calling for:

• Time limits on deployment, to ensure that a COVID-19 detection dog will only be operationally deployed for approximately four hours over the course of an eight-hour working day. Each dog will also ideally be limited to 20-minute shifts to prevent fatigue and ensure reliable performance
• Common standards on housing for dogs to ensure dogs are not stressed or distracted by close interaction with people
• Agreed guidance for the training and deployment of future schemes around the world

Medical Detection Dogs founder and CEO Dr Claire Guest said: “Sniffer dogs have the potential to make an important contribution to the fight against COVID-19 and future pandemics. Researchers around the world are urgently working to meet that need, but it is vital that we collaborate, share the knowledge we have gained on the incredible abilities of our dogs and formalise best practice in training and deployment.

"Along with Purina we want to call for international collaboration between organisations around the world on the implementation of disease detection and research. Our vision is to guarantee that dogs are well-treated and consistent in their performance, and support the reliable, safe creation of similar schemes in developing countries, where dogs could play a huge role in halting the spread of this disease and future pandemics.”

Jeff Hamilton, CEO at Nestlé Purina PetCare EMENA, said: “Purina and Medical Detection Dogs share a belief in the positive role and impact of dogs in society.  These dogs could provide fast, effective and non-invasive diagnosis and help to create safer spaces for us all, but we should ensure that each of them is trained safely, humanely and able to effectively perform their important role in detecting COVID-19."

Trainetics, a human factors and leadership training and consultancy company, is launching a human factors course for veterinary professionals in January 2023, as part of which, delegates take control of a commercial jet in a flight simulator at Heathrow. 

Human Factors is the application of human psychological and physiological principles and limitations to the design of processes and systems to reduce human error, increase productivity and enhance safety.

Trainetics has operated in various sectors such as aviation, ergonomics and human healthcare for many years.

As part of its move into the veterinary sector, it is working with a team of team of well-known figures in the profession: Bradley Viner, Holger Volk, Vicky Lipscombe, Tom Cardy and Andy Fiske-Jackson.

Tom said: “The potential impact of human factors on the veterinary industry is huge. What we are able to offer delegates is a unique experience to improve their situational awareness and decision-making.

“It is something which I believe delegates will find incredibly insightful as part of their career progression and it can improve how we treat our patients every day.

“Within the veterinary profession, human factors is still relatively new, however, its true scope within the industry lies in understanding and applying systems-thinking methodology to our complex, adaptive profession.”

Holger said: “When I first had the chance to become consciously incompetent in a flight simulator at BA with Trainetics, it was a fantastic opportunity to learn about my own limitations and how to better overcome them.

“Part of the immersive experience is learning about human factors, situational awareness, decision-making, workload management, system performance and health and wellbeing.

“We can learn so much from the aviation industry and vice-versa, and these unique courses can provide real opportunities to better ourselves as a profession and as individuals.

www.trainetics.co.uk

Ceva Animal Health has launched Cystease Advanced, a new urinary tract support supplement for cats.

The new product, which contains N-acetyl glucosamine, L-tryptophan and Hyaluronic Acid, is described as an elaboration on the original product, Cystease S. 

Ceva says Cystease Advanced has been designed to help support the bladder lining while also reducing stress-related behaviour in cats.  

Fraser Broadfoot, small animal product manager at Ceva Animal Health, said: "It is well documented that stress can adversely affect the integrity of the bladder lining.  There are many factors that cause stress in cats, for example inter-cat conflict, moving house, new arrivals to the home environment and car travel, to name just a few.

"Our new product has been developed to address both conditions; it contains N-acetyl glucosamine and Hyaluronic Acid which are key components of the GAG lining, whereas L-tryptophan has been proven to reduce stress-related behaviour in cats."

Cystease Advanced is taken orally and is available in pots of 30 and 300 tablets.

Ceva recommends that Cystease Advanced is used with Feliway, the company's appeasing pheromone for cats.

For further details please contact the customer support team on 01494 781510.

Mossman Farming, a dairy farm on the west Welsh coast which has been stricken by bovine TB, has become the first to gain permission to trial PBD Biotech’s rapid Actiphage blood test for Mycobacterium bovis (M. bovis). 

PBD Biotech says the Actiphage test offers the potential to revolutionise control of bovine TB by allowing detection of the disease within hours from a blood or milk sample.

Last November, the Welsh Government announced a new policy that allowed the use of non-validated tests such as Actiphage in herds affected by a TB breakdown. It followed a similar protocol to one authorised by the UK Government last year for cattle herds in England after the test was used as part of a successful private eradication plan on a Devon dairy farm.

Mossman Farming, in Ceredigion, is located in an area of chronic breakdown. It is a spring-calving milking herd with a total stock of 529, to date 312 dairy cows have been slaughtered. Farmer Chris Mossman agreed to trial Actiphage after hearing about the Gatcombe pilot.

Chris said: "TB is a massive problem in Ceredigion, so when I heard about Actiphage’s use at Gatacombe, helping to clear that dairy herd for the first time in six years, I wanted to try and replicate those findings here. Me – and many other farmers – are losing large numbers of animals. I’m trying to do all I can to get rid of this disease from my herd."

In Spring 2019, The Office of the Chief Veterinary Officer for Wales granted permission for Robert Price-Jones MRCVS to use Actiphage to screen high-risk cattle for M. bovis.

Robert, who has been leading the trial, said: "Actiphage is able to identify the presence of relatively low numbers of M. bovis in the blood stream of infected cattle. It is not dependent upon an immune system response to the pathogen - in contrast to current validated tests - and so has greater sensitivity than such as the official Tuberculin SICCT skin test.

"The benefit of using Actiphage is that it offers the potential for eradicating the disease from the farm; as early identification of animals at risk of bovine TB enables heightened disease management and control."

Under the terms of the Welsh Government’s protocol, cattle not condemned for slaughter can be tested with Actiphage. Those that give a positive result are identified with a ‘management’ marker, monitored and milked separately.

To prevent further contamination of the environment and to minimise risk to uninfected cattle, animals found to be ‘shedders’ are removed from the farm.

Although a decision to remove cattle based on a non-validated test will be at the farmers’ own expense, the APHA (Animal and Plant Health Agency) has confirmed that during the trial, where a positive result is confirmed with statutory tests, the animals will be removed with compensation as normal.

So far, 100 animals from Mossman Farming have been tested with Actiphage and Robert Price-Jones is preparing a paper to publish the findings in early 2020.

PBD Biotech is now seeking more farms to trial Actiphage in order to gain the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) validation. The company is offering reduced cost testing to support trials where the findings are made available to support validation of the test.

Ceva Animal Health has launched a new TV advertising campaign designed to raise awareness of problems owners may face in a multi-cat environment.

The Cat Cabin Fever campaign will run for four weeks.

Ceva says the 20 second TV ads have been designed to strike a chord with viewers who have more than one cat in their household, where 'sometimes sharing just isn't an option'. Highlighted in particular is the Feliway Diffuser which releases natural pheromones into a room to help cats feel at ease, allowing them to cope with stressful situations and prevent unwanted behaviour.  

Malcolm Laurie, head of marketing at Ceva, said: "We know that there are more than 8million cats in the UK and only 2.5million cat households, therefore the majority of households must have more than one cat.

"However, cats are solitary animals, which makes living with other cats difficult at times. This campaign is focused on making the lives of cat owners and their pets as harmonious as possible, including lots of top tips on how to ease any tensions in such an environment."

Ceva has also produced a multi-cat leaflet designed to give owners specific advice on how to provide the correct environment for our feline friends

The advertising campaign will be supported by online competitions, marketing materials for veterinary clinics and retailers, which include a checklist for a cat friendly home, and PR.

For more information, visit: http://www.feliway.co.uk/.

Veterinary Insights, a business intelligence provider, says it calculates that revenue in UK companion animal practices has now recovered to 82% of pre-lockdown levels.

Veterinary Insights gets its data from over 400 practices using Vet Viewer, its benchmarking software which practices use to monitor business metrics.

Apparently, the figures show that while overall turnover has bounced back relatively robustly, sales in certain areas are still lagging, reflecting changed routines in the ‘new normal’. For example, with many practices requesting clients wait in the car park, there has been a sustained drop in the sale of products typically sold in the waiting room, with sales of pet food falling by 44% during early lockdown, and still down by 25% compared with February’s figures.

The company says there are also significant business stresses that may not be captured in current revenue data.

Alexander Arpino, Managing Director of Veterinary Insights, said: “Anecdotally, we’re hearing that vets are increasingly hard-pressed for time, with logistical difficulties arising from social distancing. Consults are taking longer, and there’s an additional headache for receptionists as payments have to be collected afterwards over the phone. While there are some quick fixes, for example using a telemedicine app such as LinkyVet that sets payment expectations up front, there is no doubt that it’s difficult to make all this extra time investment sustainable in the long run.”

Paradoxically, while consults may be taking up more of vets’ time, some clients feel that they are getting less value for money as there is little face-to-face interaction with the vet. Alexander added: "One of the biggest challenges in the current environment is preserving and fostering those positive relationships with clients that are the cornerstone of companion animal practice.

"Ultimately, we want to bring clients back into the consult room, but only as and when it’s safe to do so. Otherwise, the question is: How can we make adjustments to maintain a high level of client satisfaction, without putting undue stress on vets?"

Veterinary Insights says its software can help practices navigate these challenges by presenting up to 24 months of historical data extracted from practice management systems, enabling businesses to draw comparisons with past performance.

For more information, visit www.vetviewer.co.uk.

The BVA has issued a statement in response to new research data published last week by Niels Pedersen from the Centre of Companion Animal Health, University of California, into breed health of the English bulldog¹. 

Sean Wensley, President of the British Veterinary Association, said: "The research released today reflects the seriousness of the health problems associated with English bulldogs that our members are seeing in practice. Revision of breed standards, to include evidence-based limits on physical features such as muzzle shortness, and full consideration of other approaches such as outcrossing, are now needed to ensure high risk breeds, such as the English bulldog, do not continue to suffer unnecessarily.

"Vets are reporting concerning trends in dog health and welfare linked to the rise in ownership of brachycephalic breeds, such as bulldogs, and we are unequivocal in the need for all those with roles to play – including vets, breeders, breed societies, the pet-buying public as well as others – to take action to combat the health problems that brachycephalic breeds experience due to extreme conformation. These issues include severe lifelong breathing difficulties, corneal ulcers, skin disease, a screw-shaped tail which is linked to painful spine abnormalities, and the inability to give birth naturally.

"As part of their pre-purchase research, prospective dog owners should consider the health harms perpetuated in dogs by purchasing brachycephalic breeds and choose a healthier alternative breed, or crossbreed, instead, and local veterinary practices are ideally placed to give this advice. Brachycephalic dogs should not be seen as cute or desirable, rather as dogs predisposed to a lifetime of poor health, and English bulldogs should not be hailed as a national symbol for the UK where animal welfare is strongly valued.

"Vets have a duty to always prioritise the best interests of their pet patients, which, for affected animals, can involve performing surgical procedures to correct conformational disorders. They have a concurrent duty to be part of initiatives that aim to address the health and welfare of a breed beyond the individual affected animal.

"This is why BVA promotes the importance of vets submitting data on caesarean sections and conformation-altering surgery to the Kennel Club, to improve the future of dog health and welfare."

1. A genetic assessment of the English bulldog, Niels C. Pedersen, Ashley S. Pooch and Hongwei Liu, Canine Genetics and Epidemiology 2016 3:6

Fitz All Media, organiser of the VET Festival, reports that a record 1,900 delegates and 60 exhibitors attended the event earlier this month, a 12% and 28% increase on the previous year, respectively.

Founder Professor Noel Fitzpatrick said: "It is a real joy to see the VET Festival growing and growing, not just in physical size, but from the immense goodwill that radiates from it. The weather didn’t get in the way of the wellness and there was nothing rainy about the atmosphere at VET Festival - in fact I think that the rain brought us closer together.

"I set out to build a community of compassion for our profession and I genuinely felt that there was a tangible sense of togetherness. There were loads of great conversations with each other and with the exhibitors. The educational content really was world class and the tents were packed. I hoped that VET Festival would be a breath of fresh air, where having an education event outdoors - combined with a focus on wellness of body and mind for all of us - could help vet professionals to be the very best that they could be - and so serve our patients better. 

"Everyone there was part of something innovative and refreshing I felt – the delegates, the exhibitors, the team who have worked year-round to create the event, and the fantastic speakers. I’m very grateful to all of them and I sincerely hope that this feeling remains strong for each and every one all year round.

"The resonant theme this year was ‘kindness’ – to ourselves, to each other, to the families of animals and the animals we are lucky enough to take care of. Nobody is a nobody at VET Festival, and never will be. In that field, we’re all equal, no matter what we do in the vet profession - we all matter - we all want the same thing, which is wellness for each other and the animals we serve - and importantly, we’re all in it together for the greater good, rain or shine."

Bayer Animal Health has announced it'll be running the 'Be Lungworm Aware' campaign in April 2011. The campaign is targeted at dog owners to raise awareness of the risks associated with the lungworm Angiostrongylus vasorum. 

A Bayer spokesman said: "Over the past years, the spread of A. vasorum has been cited by independent experts, and disease caused by this parasite is increasingly diagnosed. Previous lungworm awareness campaigns have been successful in increasing dog owner awareness of A. vasorum and how their dogs can become infected. However, there is still a lack of recognition as to the signs associated with this infection, so the continuing education of dog owners is extremely important."

The national 'Be Lungworm Aware' activity for April includes TV, radio and print advertising in the form of an educational 'public information' style feature. A national awareness day is also planned for 6 April, which will include radio broadcast and web chat TV, and feature veterinary surgeon Luke Gamble and TV presenter Jenni Falconer.

Bayer has produced a package of veterinary support materials to allow practices to take part in the campaign and raise awareness at a local level. Materials include: an educational waiting room wall display and DVD, and client leaflets. A PR pack has also been produced which contains useful images and information which can be used on websites and in newsletters, as well as a press release for issuing to the local media and radio stations. To order these support materials, practices should contact their local Bayer representative or ring 0845 2574798 quoting 'Be Lungworm Aware'.