8,834 of the 33,857 eligible voters cast their votes, a turnout rate of 26.2%. This compares to a 25.5% turnout in the 2019 election and 22.7% in 2018.
The results of the election were as follows:
Dr Kate Richards (pictured right) – 4,399 votes (elected)Dr Richard Stephenson – 3,943 votes (elected)Dr Melissa Donald – 3,807 votes (elected)Professor Stephen May – 3,121 votesDr Kit Sturgess – 2,816 votesPeter Robinson – 2,642 votesJohn Davies – 808 votesDr Tom Lonsdale – 535 votes
Eleanor Ferguson, RCVS Registrar and Returning Officer for both elections, said: “Many congratulations to all those who were elected this year and we look forward to welcoming them to their places on Council at our Annual General Meeting later this year.
“I would like to thank both Professor Stephen May and Dr Kit Sturgess for their many years of combined service, both as members of RCVS Council and for serving on numerous committees, subcommittees and working groups. In Stephen’s case this includes his service as President of the RCVS in 2017-18 and for Kit as Treasurer of the RCVS from 2017 until the present.
As Dr Sturgess had been elected to the position of Junior Vice-President of the RCVS for 2020-21 earlier this year, a new election for the position will need to take place amongst RCVS Council members during their June meeting. An election for a new Chair and Vice-Chair of VN Council will take place take place amongst VN Council members at a meeting in June.
The elections will again be held completely online this year.
Veterinary surgeons have until 5pm on Monday 31st January 2022 to put themselves forward as candidates for the elections which will take place in March and April 2022.
The full eligibility criteria can be found at: www.rcvs.org.uk/rcvscouncil22, where prospective candidates will also find further information about the role of the RCVS, RCVS Council and RCVS Council members, guidance notes, and frequently asked questions about standing as a candidate.
Eleanor Ferguson, RCVS Registrar and Returning Officer for the elections, said: “We look forward to hearing from prospective candidates and are happy to give further information about what being an RCVS Council member means and what the role entails to those who may be considering standing for office.”
Prospective candidates for RCVS Council can also contact RCVS President Dr Kate Richards for an informal conversation on what it means to be an RCVS Council member on president@rcvs.org.uk
Kate said: “I’m on Council for my second term and can reassure any prospective candidates that it is a wonderful experience, both personally and professionally.
"You will learn new things not only about the College, but also the professions, policy and government; you will have fascinating discussions and debates with colleagues on issues of great importance and consequence; and you will make those important professional 'connections that count' with colleagues across the veterinary world and beyond. It is a career highlight.”
Prospective candidates for RCVS Council are welcome to attend the next Council meeting online, on Thursday 20th January 2022.
Contact Dawn Wiggins, RCVS Council Secretary, if you would like to attend: d.wiggins@rcvs.org.uk.
The new brand has a couple of display stands that practices can use to show off the range of memory boxes, paw print kits, paw moulds, fur/hair bottles, plant markers and forget-me-not seeds, and hanging/seasonal decorations.
Oh So Precious is the brainchild of Helen Davies, founder of The Lovely Gift Group (pictured right).
She said: “Having lost pets myself and sold many keepsakes, I know how much emotion and passion we put into our relationships with them.
“When my daughter asked for a keepsake for her best friend I realised their was a gap in the market.
“We also identified a need for good quality, pet related items through our existing gift customers.
"We learn a lot from them and they continually highlight requirements for themselves and as thoughtful gifts for friends who have lost pets.
"The unity among pet owners – that need to convey an understanding and appreciation for those suffering the pain of pet loss - is very real.”
Helen says that as well as providing a new revenue stream, the range will help practices meet client needs and provide new ways to be empathetic to clients in times of distress.
There will be a special show offer for orders taken at The London Vet Show, and in 2023 the team is planning to launch personalised pet keepsakes via links from vet practice websites.
www.ohsoprecious.co.uk
The ‘2022 AAFP/ISFM Cat Friendly Veterinary Interaction Guidelines: Approach and Handling Techniques’ and the ‘2022 ISFM/AAFP Cat Friendly Veterinary Environment Guidelines’ cover all aspects of a cat’s veterinary experience, including the journey to the practice and interactions with veterinary team members, as well as the clinical environment.
The new guidelines cover things like:
Dr Nathalie Dowgray, Head of ISFM (pictured right), said: "We are extremely proud of our new guidelines; they have been a lot of hard work with large amounts of literature to review and multiple time zones to work across, but the effort has been worth it.
"We hope all veterinarians working with cats will take the time to read them and apply the concepts and ideas to their clinics and to how they personally interact with their feline patients.’
The guidelines are available at: https://journals.sagepub.com/page/jfm/collection/cat-friendly-special-issue
New statistics from the Voice of the Veterinary Profession Spring 2022 survey showed that while veterinary work is often seen as a vocation, 77% of vets list pay among their top five priorities when choosing a job.
Other deciding factors include geographical location (74%), area of practice (62%), low staff turnover (45%) and structured career progression (28%).
However only 42% of vets who responded to the survey considered their pay and benefits to be either ‘good’, ‘very good’, or ‘excellent’.
BVA President Malcolm Morley, said: “Fair, transparent and equal pay is one of the keystones of good veterinary workplaces.
"Whether you’re an employee, a manager or an employer, it’s vital that everyone feels confident that their workplace approaches pay in a clear and consistent way.
"This isn’t about paying everyone more; it’s about using objective criteria and transparent pay scales to ensure the whole team understands how decisions about reward and recognition are made and what they can do to access higher pay.”
The new resource, created for BVA members as part of its Good Veterinary Workplaces campaign, includes information for veterinary employers on the benefits a clear pay structure can bring for the whole team.
It demonstrates the positive impact transparency around reward and recognition can have on employee fulfilment and retention, and outlines the legal requirements of employers to ensure that pay is equitable.
It also offers tips for employees and managers for approaching conversations about pay and emphasises the importance of considering ‘total reward’ during these conversations.
Total reward is the entire sum of a job’s offering including, but not limited to, salary, commission structure, benefits package, CPD, work/life balance, promotion opportunities, travel expenses, accommodation, and so on.
Malcolm added: “We know that pay can be a fraught, and even somewhat taboo, subject but it is one that we all have a responsibility to tackle if we want to ensure that veterinary professionals are fairly rewarded for their work.
"We hope that this new guide will support all our members and equip them with the knowledge required to ensure they can confidently navigate conversations about pay.”
https://www.bva.co.uk/talking-pay
Animalcare has announced that a new indication for chronic renal insufficiency in cats has been approved in the licence for Benazecare 5mg.
Benazecare is a POM-V ACE (angiotensin converting enzyme) inhibitor containing benazepril hydrochloride, which was originally launched in the UK in 2007 for the treatment of congestive heart failure in dogs.
For more information, contact Animalcare at www.animalcare.co.uk
The Government has been forced to scrap plans for compulsory dog insurance less than a two weeks since they were revealed in leaked Defra documents.
Environment Secretary Hilary Benn has now ruled out the idea.
Apparently, the climbdown followed protests that compulsory insurance was no more than a 'dog tax' which would do nothing to curb the problem of dangerous dogs.
There's a certain irony in the way the story was reported in The Sun newspaper, with the headline: 'Labour forced to ditch pet plan'.
Indeed!
Hill's is holding the Top Dog Challenge: a race to see which vet school can mobilise the largest number of students to support the school's nomination as 'Top Dog' before May, for a prize of €10,000 to support student activities.
Voting is already open at www.hillstopdog.com. Once the preliminary round votes are counted the top five colleges will be selected to go through to the next round for final judging at the Southern European Veterinary Conference (SEVC) 2011 in Barcelona at the end of September. One nominated student from each of the participating vet schools will get the chance to enjoy an expenses paid trip to SEVC to act as a student ambassador and one lucky winner will collect the prize on behalf of their school.
Every vote makes a difference and students who want to remind their colleagues to vote can send them a SMS text message direct from the site. A really determined, committed and well organised student body can make all the difference and ensure their college has a place on the winner's podium.
Last year's winner the Hebrew University of Jerusalem won with in excess of 95 per cent of their students voting, so winning presents quite a challenge. But this is the first time UK vet schools have taken part and they could upset the apple cart.
Adrian Pratt, Veterinary Affairs Manager is looking forwards to seeing how students at UK vet schools rise to the challenge. He said: "We really have excellent vet schools in this country and it would be great to see the students demonstrating how UK students can perform on the European stage and the passion and loyalty they have for their own school!"
Bayer Animal Health has organised for prominent clinical microbiologist Dr Joseph Blondeau, from Canada's University of Saskatchewana, to tour the UK in May, giving talks to practitioners about effective antibiotic usage to prevent bacterial resistance.
Bayer's Technical Veterinary Adviser, Lucy Smith, will also be giving a talk: Maximise Treatment Success, which comes at the subject from the practical veterinary side.
Bayer Animal Health Marketing Manager, Dr Markus Edingloh said: "We are incredibly fortunate to work with such an eminent expert. Dr Blondeau is a leading authority on a new parameter that supports a dosing concept to minimise selection of bacterial resistance - the Mutant Prevention Concentration. Fortunately, he is also expert at presenting complex matters in an engaging and memorable way."
He added: "Lucy Smith will share her specific experience of Bayer's recently launched Veraflox (pradofloxacin), the first and only next generation veterinary fluoroquinolone, which has a broad spectrum of treatment which attacks Gram +, Gram - and anaerobic bacteria, in a highly efficacious way.
The evening events take place on: May 14th (Glasgow), May 15th (Derby), May 16th (Swindon) & May 17th (Surrey). Full details in the VetSurgeon Diary.
Each roadshow session is equivalent to 1.5 hours of free Continuing Professional Development (CPD).
To register to attend one of the roadshows, please email animal.health@bayer.com
The information has been made available amid concerns from behaviourists and animal welfare organisations that there may be a rise in behavioural issues as lifestyle restrictions are lifted.
The Q&A explains what some of the behavioural concerns are and how they can be prevented and managed. Topics include separation-related issues, animals becoming anxious as the world around them becomes busier and noisier, and puppies lacking appropriate skills when greeting animals (including dogs and people) from other households.
The Q&A can be downloaded here.
Dr Hannah Donovan, vet, clinical animal behaviourist and Social Media Officer at the BVBA said: “We hope that this information will help vets to support their clients and their pets when faced with potential challenges as we transition out of lockdown.”
Professor Ian Ramsey, President of the BSAVA added: “This guidance has been developed in collaboration with the BVBA with the intention of supporting vets in practice in an ever-changing environment. It sits alongside other practical BSAVA resources vets can share with pet owners, such as Vaccination Guidance and Neutering Guidance, and follows the BSAVA’s core ethos – ‘By the profession for the profession.”
The BSAVA has also created a collection of resources for veterinary professionals relating to the prevention, management and treatment of behavioural issues in cats of dogs, which is freely available in the BSAVA Library until the end of July.
The collection includes chapters from the BSAVA Manual of Canine and Feline Behavioural Medicine; for those wishing to buy the full manual, there is a £10 discount on both the print and online editions throughout July (using code BEHAV10 on checkout).
Further information for vets can be found in the BSAVA’s COVID-19 resources here.
The new policy has been published ahead of an upcoming review of England’s Welfare of Animals at the Time of Killing regulations (WATOK) by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).
Recommendations in the policy address all areas of the slaughter process, including:
The policy also covers a wider range of species and focuses on some of those species-specific needs.
For the first time its recommendations include fish. In order to improve the welfare of farmed finfish, BVA says that UK Governments should include the effective stunning of finfish as well as general welfare protections in WATOK regulations. It also calls for more research into developing effective and humane methods of stunning for decapods (shrimp, lobsters and crabs) and cephalopods (squid and octopus) as well as wild caught fish.
BVA Senior Vice President, Simon Doherty said: "With millions of animals slaughtered each year to provide us with the food we eat, we have a responsibility to provide them with a life worth living and a humane death. Our updated position aims to do just that by building on existing legislation and guiding the industry in a direction that better protects the welfare of animals destined for the food chain.
"Slaughter processes should be designed to minimise avoidable pain, distress, fear, and suffering and this document looks at all of the ways that we as vets can work with industry bodies and farm colleagues to improve the legislation already in place.”
A snapshot survey carried out in 2018 by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) for the period of one week revealed that nearly 20 million animals (excluding fish) were slaughtered across 248 operating plants in England and Wales during that time.
In order to effect change for such a high quantity of animals, BVA’s new position sets out recommendations for a range of stakeholders, government, industry, researchers and the veterinary profession, at each stage of the slaughter process. Improvements to the way that stunning data is captured and reported on is also on the list of asks, as well as improving regulation of non-stun slaughter and working collaboratively with Islamic scholars and Halal certification bodies to promote the acceptability of recoverable stunning.
Simon added: "From making sure that stunning methods are as effective as possible, to looking at the specific needs of each species, revalidation of training for operators, and championing the role of the Official Veterinarian, there is a lot of work to be done but we look forward to progressing these recommendations and working to improve the welfare of farmed animals across the UK."
Virbac has announced the launch of what it describes as an affordable ciclosporin for the treatment of canine atopic dermatitis.
Called Cyclavance, the new product will make its debut at the London Vet Show (Nov 20th/21st at London Olympia).
Cyclavance is presented in a liquid formulation for precise dosing, in a container with a new 'AdaptaCap' designed to ensure leak proof dispensing and give the product a 6 month shelf life after being broached. Cyclavance is offered in four size presentations - 5 ml, 15 ml, 30 ml and 50 ml - to give practices maximum flexibility in its use.
Sarah Walker MRCVS, Product Manager, said: "Atopic dogs present at practices across the country on a daily basis. It is a challenging condition which can be hard to treat successfully because owner compliance is so important. By offering Cyclavance at a great price to give greater appeal, allowing a wider scope of use, and with innovative features, such as the unique AdaptaCap, we aim to help practices achieve better outcomes for their patients and increase the number of clients it is available to.
Novartis Animal Health Inc. has completed an agreement with Luitpold Pharmaceuticals, Inc. that grants marketing rights for Adequan® Equine to Novartis in all major equine markets outside the U.S. The first launch of Adequan® Equine by Novartis will take place in Canada in June.
Adequan® Equine is indicated for treating joint dysfunction and lameness in horses caused by injury or degenerative problems. It is available for intramuscular and intra-articular administration. Adequan® is also indicated for treating joint dysfunction and lameness caused by injury or degenerative problems in dogs.
Mickey McDermott from Novartis' Communications Dept told VetSurgeon that the timing of Adequan's arrival in the UK depends on how long it takes to complete the registration transfers, but that the company hopes it'll be before the end of the year.
Zoetis has announced the availability in the UK and Ireland of Poulvac IBQX, the first specific vaccine against the QX strain of the infectious bronchitis virus.
For the past two years the vaccine has only been available with a special import certificate from the Veterinary Medicines Directorate for use on flocks where the QX virus has been isolated.
According to the company, this variant IB strain has been an increasing problem in European countries over the last 10 years and was first seen in the UK in South-East England in 2007. Since then QX has been isolated from a number of commercial layer and broiler flocks, leading to inferior performance and increased mortality.
James Porritt, Zoetis Poultry Manager for the UK and Ireland said: "Poulvac IB QX adds another protection dimension to our extensive IB vaccine portfolio. The Zoetis IB portfolio offers the widest choice and with Poulvac IBMM + ARK we have the UK's only bivalent live vaccine licensed for day-old use providing a Massachusetts strain and protection against 793/B/91 variant type strains lasting for six weeks post vaccination. Other IB Vaccines include Poulvac H120 and the UK's only other bivalent live vaccine Poulvac IB Primer."
Poulvac IB QX vaccine is based on a live attenuated virus and is administered as a coarse spray to broilers from day-old and to layer pullets or broiler breeders from seven days of age. Protection has been demonstrated by challenge study to last for 63 days after vaccination.
Zoetis says the vaccine is often used on the farm, but can be administered to chicks at the hatchery if adequate controls are in place to avoid spread to other chicks that will be moved to non-QX exposed flocks.
Dr Stuart Andrews, Poultry Veterinary Manager for Zoetis said: "In countering the QX virus strain some existing vaccines have been used to provide a degree of cross-protection. However, it is important to appreciate that Poulvac IB QX is a vaccine homologous to any IB QX field strain and so will provide even better protection.
"Furthermore, our in-house PCR and DNA sequencing service allows us to monitor carefully the field situation to ascertain which IB strains are currently causing field outbreaks and enable us to recommend adaptations to particular vaccination programmes.
"The full approval for the Poulvac vaccine will make it easier and more effective to tackle specific QX infections without having to apply for an import certificate."
Founder Jade Statt said: "As StreetVet grows, we are being contacted to help clients outwith our current active StreetVet locations, of which there are now 13. For this reason and to help us continue to expand, we would like to put out a call to the profession to ask any practices that are happy to work with us to get in touch and help us set up a StreetVet Directory of Supporting Practices."
If you'd like to know more about partnering with StreetVet, email: StreetVet.practices@gmail.com
You'll be sent detailed information about the options for working with StreetVet and offered a fundraising pack. If you go ahead, you'll also have your practice logo added to a directory on the StreetVet website.
Before becoming a dragon, Jenny worked in banking for 30 years and will be sharing her experiences as an entrepreneur and business leader. She became CEO of cash machine company Hanco, bought out the business, turned it around and sold it for £50 million.
Jenny is supportive of the move to host BSAVA Congress online. She said: “Veterinary communities, like other professions, have seen the value that online technologies can offer, both for networking and socials, as well as essential CPD. We should all embrace these changes and look at the value that they can bring.”
The Congress programme is currently being finalised and the organisers say the emphasis is on ensuring the experience is an interactive as possible for each delegate. It will deliver more than 100 hours of CPD, delivered by globally recognised speakers.
BSAVA Congress 2021 Programme Committee Chair Andy Green said: ‘Whether a virtual or a live event our entire programme is proudly created by the profession, for the profession and we are committed to providing unrivalled education, with topical, clinically relevant and evidence-based content.”
There'll be a virtual commercial exhibition, where delegates will be able to chat with exhibitors from the comfort of their home or consult room. There will also be the ability to network with others in the profession, in face-to-face chat rooms. Professor Ian Ramsey, President of the BSAVA said: “BSAVA Congress 2021 is going to be one of the most innovative in the history of our events.
"While the pandemic circumstances we continue to find ourselves in are far from ideal, we must continue to evolve and progress as a profession. BSAVA Congress is a unique highlight in our calendar for next year and it is shaping up to be a truly memorable event."
For further information and to register your interest click here: https://www.bsavaevents.com/bsavacongress2021/en/page/home
The new course is called ‘New staff training course with Post2Pet’, and, as the name suggests, it will look at how to incorporate the home delivery option into a preventative healthcare plan.
Premier Vet Alliance says the course is suitable for any member of the practice team that wants to increase their knowledge about healthcare plans.
The course is 4 modules long with an assessment leading to 1.5 hours of completed CPD. It will launch towards the end of April.
James Tudor, Head of Customer Experience at Premier Vet Alliance, said: "This is a fantastic resource and I am I so proud of the team who’ve developed this and helped practices to train staff efficiently and effectively.
"It’s opening up the future of training and we hope to gain guidance in developing our training provision by working directly with practices, to help keep the training relevant.
"We see real value in CPD accredited courses, especially where they help enable veterinary staff to increase their knowledge on maximising their clients’ compliance. They can also learn how to influence animal health, and drive other aspects of the business through health plans."
"This is just the beginning; we will continue to increase our CPD accreditations and share best practice across Europe and the United States."
For more information contact 0117 370 0300 or email pcp@premiervetalliance.co.uk .
Vets4Pets says research has shown that 28% of cats between 11 and 15 years show at least one clinical sign of cognitive dysfunction, with this figure increasing to 50 per cent in cats over 15 years of age1.
The prevalence in dogs is also reported to be significant, with some estimates indicating that 28% of 11- to 12-year-old dogs and 68% of 15- to 16-year-old dogs are showing clinical signs of the condition2.
A 2010 study, which used data from pet owner questionnaires, also estimated that the prevalence of cognitive dysfunction was 14.2% in dogs over the age of eight years, yet only 1.9% of older dogs were clinically diagnosed with the condition3.
The survey of 2,000 owners, which was conducted for Vets4Pets by market research company OnePoll, found that half would not be confident identifying the early indicators of cognitive dysfunction, namely: confusion, anxiety, restlessness, and a decreased desire to play.
62% said they would put any significant behavioural changes in their pet down to them getting old, and more than three in five admitted they can find it difficult to understand the signs of when they should be taking their pet to visit the vet.
Up to 33% delay taking their pet to the vet as they worry they might get bad news
However, 35% said they have or will increase the number of routine visits to the vets as their pet gets older.
Dr Huw Stacey, Director of Clinical Services at Vets4Pets said: “It is only natural that many pet owners can have apprehensions about bringing their pet along to the vets, which is just a testament to how much they care.
"But this is also why it’s incredibly important that we as an industry have the expertise and training needed to properly support pet owners with this diagnosis."
“Our ultimate goal is to help educate vets and nurses across the nation and empower them in their decision making when diagnosing elderly pets, as well as helping pet owners to care for their pets so they live a longer, healthier and happier life.”
As part of its campaign, Vets4Pets has sponsored a free CPD webinar in which Dr Sarah Heath, RCVS and European Veterinary Specialist in Behavioural Medicine (pictured right), considers ways in which the veterinary profession can improve the detection of this condition, enabling them to offer practical advice and support for senior pets and their owners.
The recording consists of a 45-minute webinar and a 15-minute Q&A session which will be available for anyone to watch for a year.
To watch the webinar, visit: https://vimeo.com/684610594/3d9d258bcb.
References
Together, they're producing an educational video to be distributed and used by registered career advisers across the Southwest of England, and subsequently across the rest of England.
Remi qualified from the Royal Veterinary College in London as a registered veterinary nurse in 2019 and then applied to start the graduate Veterinary Medicine programme at the same university.
She said: “I didn’t quite get the grades to study to be a vet straight away, but I always knew that I wanted to focus on a surgical career path and having gone through the university application twice, I want to help other students realise that they too can pursue a career as a vet or vet nurse.
“I met the managing director of JHP Recruitment, Justin Powlesland, at a networking event and explained how keen I was to help more people realise that there is more than one way to become a veterinary professional and to encourage school age children not to dismiss a veterinary career from an early age.
Justin said: “We have employed a production company and are now looking for a location to film it.
"Ideally, we need a teaching hospital to offer us some space for a day, as we want to set our interview with Remi in a clinical setting, where there is plenty of equipment to see.
"We are hoping to film this summer and are appealing for help to find a location.
“The video will tell Remi’s story about the hurdles she has faced and overcome to ultimately study to become a vet, it will also show students where the veterinary industry can take them and the different roles and routes to study that are available.
"As well as the video, a downloadable PDF version will be created, which are both great resources for career advisers that we will also share across social media.”
Remi added: “I really hope that what we are doing will encourage more people from diverse backgrounds to consider going to into higher education to start a career in veterinary medicine or veterinary nursing – that’s the ultimate goal.”
Any teaching hospital that can help with a filming location is being asked to contact Justin via email Justin@jhprecruitment.com or to call him on 07506 981 354.
This year’s theme is 'Feline Fine: how to create harmony between physical health and mental wellbeing in your treatment and management of feline cases'.
The scientific programme will include lectures, interactive sessions and in-depth masterclasses from feline experts including Professor Danièlle Gunn-Moore (feline medicine specialist), Dr Sarah Heath (specialist in veterinary behaviour), Dr Matt Gurney (specialist in veterinary anaesthesia) and Professor Clare Rusbridge (specialist in veterinary neurology).
This is the third year that ISFM has hosted an annual congress event online, something the charity says has been a huge success, attracting over 3,000 veterinary professionals from 96 countries in 2021.
Dr Nathalie Dowgray, Head of ISFM said: "Whilst it was fabulous to be back in person in Rhodes this year, we cannot lose sight of the opportunity providing a virtual option gives the veterinary community."
The 2022 ISFM Virtual Congress is open to all veterinary professionals, including nurses, technicians and behaviourists who are interested in the relationship between feline emotions and behaviour, and other disciplines such as neurology, pain management, and internal medicine.
The live launch will feature a short lecture followed by a live Q&A session with iCatCare’s Vicky Halls (Cat Friendly Homing Manager), Linda Ryan (Registered Veterinary Nurse and Behaviourist) and Professor Danièlle Gunn-Moore.
ISFM Veterinary members will automatically receive a ticket to the Virtual Congress as part of their annual membership benefits.
https://icatcare.org/isfm2022congress-virtual/
Petplan has announced the finalists for the 2013 Petplan Veterinary Awards.
Now in its 14th year, the Petplan Veterinary Awards received its biggest response yet, with 11,000 nominations submitted for exceptional veterinary staff across the UK.
The finalists for each of the categories are:
Vet of the Year
Vet Nurse of the Year
Vet Support Staff of the Year
Vet Practice of the Year
Practice Manager of the Year
Isabella von Mesterhazy, Petplan's Head of Marketing, said: "As the leader in the pet insurance market for over 35 years, we have a rich history of working with veterinary practices across the UK. The Veterinary Awards is a great way to recognise and celebrate the fantastic work that goes on helping keep pets healthy and their owners happy. This year we have seen a near fourfold increase in nominations which goes to show the appetite from both staff and clients for celebrating exceptional work, it is going to be a fantastic night."
Gyles Brandreth will compère the award ceremony on the 4th April at Birmingham Town Hall.
The Society of Practising Veterinary Surgeons (SPVS) has published advice to help practitioners set realistic and reasonable script fees for POM-V medicines.
The document, which is now available to all practitioners via the SPVS web site (www.spvs.org.uk) or can be emailed or posted upon request, has been produced following extensive consultation with SPVS members, principally via the Society's active and influential discussion list, and in conjunction with the BVA Medicines Group, which backs the advice.
The document constitutes a valuable framework for practitioners in calculating a prescription fee that is fair and workable for clients wanting a written prescription as well as for those who do not want a prescription issuing. Furthermore, it also provides a framework that is fair to practitioners themselves.
The Society firmly believes that the act of preparing and providing a prescription is a professional service and as such, that it should attract a professional fee.
Richard Hillman, SPVS President, explained: "We welcome whole-heartedly the re-introduction of prescription fees, which will mark the end of a bureaucratic and fundamentally unfair sitituation for many thousands of small businesses that have had their trade and profitability restricted for three long years.
"The time element involved in writing subscriptions will need to be taken into account, and this will no doubt form a sensible basis on which to base a fee. Script fees should be calculated rationally to reflect true business costs, like any other service that a business provides to its customers."
He added: "We would, above all else, urge practitioners to exercise restraint in setting script fees, as it is by no means certain that they will still be in place even two years from now. We will also not condone any form of 'punishment' of clients taking away prescriptions by punitive fees. We are already cooperating with the RCVS as they work with the OFT in the monitoring period to ensure that there is fair competition in the veterinary medicines market."
To obtain your copy of the document Advice on Prescription Fees, go to www.spvs.org.uk where it can be downloaded or call SPVS Secretariat on 01926 410454 or email office@spvs.org.uk.
Petsavers, the charitable division of the BSAVA, is calling for entries to its 2012 digital photography competition, this year themed 'Best Buddies'.
The competition is open to entries from pet owners and veterinary professionals alike. The judges will be looking for qualities like humour and character in the photos, as well as photographic skill.
If you need a little inspiration, you can see the winning images from previous years on the BSAVA website.
The competition has two categories: Adult (16 and over) and Junior (under 16). First prize in each category is £200 in photography vouchers, second prize is £100 in photography vouchers and third prize is £50 in photography vouchers. The closing date is Thursday 26 January 2012. To enter the competition, email your photographs to info@petsavers.org.uk. An application form must also be submitted; this can be emailed with your photograph or alternatively you can print and fax the form to BSAVA at 01452 726701.
Petsavers is also encouraging practices to help promote the competition by displaying leaflets in practice, and telling clients about it.
More information is available by emailing: info@petsavers.org.uk or visiting www.petsavers.org.uk/.
The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) has granted MSD Animal Health a provisional UK marketing authorisation for Bovilis SBV, the first vaccine specifically targeting the Schmallenberg virus (SBV) in cattle and sheep.
SBV, which emerged in late 2011, is transmitted via insect vectors, mainly midges and causes transient clinical symptoms in adult cattle and sheep, such as fever, diarrhoea and reduced milk yield, as well as congenital malformation in newborn calves and lambs. As of March 31st 2013, 1753 cases of SBV had been confirmed throughout the UK. SBV has now been detected in every county in England and Wales.
Andras Bolcskei, Country Manager, MSD Animal Health UK said: "On behalf of Merck MSD, we would like to thank the VMD for its partnership and support to fast track the availability of Bovilis SBV to the market. There was a tremendous urgency for a SBV vaccine in the UK especially given the marked increase in confirmed cases over the past year and the increasing importance to help control this devastating disease."
MSD says that studies it conducted in support of the provisional marketing authorisation showed that all animals responded with formation of virus neutralizing antibodies. During the studies, reduced viraemia against SBV was observed in sheep vaccinated once and prevention of viraemia was observed in cattle vaccinated twice, whereas all animals in the control groups developed infection and became viraemic. In studies to date, Bovilis SBV has been shown to be efficacious in cattle and sheep.
The vaccine is based on wild-type SBV that has been inactivated and contains an adjuvant that stimulates the immune response.
The vaccine will be available in 20ml and 100ml vials. Bovilis SBV is indicated for the active immunisation of cattle to prevent viraemia against SBV and for the active immunisation of sheep to reduce viraemia against SBV.
MSD says it is working diligently to expedite stocks to the UK, and expects Bovilis SBV to arrive in the UK in the coming weeks.
Bimeda has launched Recocam, a 20mg/ml meloxicam preparation licensed for use as a single injection course in cattle, horses and pigs.
Bimeda's Head of Technical Services, Padraig Hyland MVB said: "Meloxicam's anti-inflammatory credentials and safety profile is well proven and it remains rightly popular with large animal vets. With our manufacturing expertise it makes sense to add this widely used product to our portfolio. Our aim is to provide a comprehensive range of both established standards and new innovative products for cattle and equine vets, and this is just another step in that process."
Bimeda says Recocam has a broad range of indications including acute respiratory infections, in combination with oral re-hydration in diarrhoea therapy and acute mastitis, for non-infectious locomotor disorders and lameness in pigs and alleviation of inflammation and pain in both acute and chronic musculo-skeletal disorders and pain relief associated with equine colic. In cattle Recocam can be given by single subcutaneous or intravenous injection.