Swindon-based Eastcott Veterinary Referrals is looking for a new resident to join its dentistry team. 

Eastcott’s dentistry department is led by Andrew Perry, an EBVS European Veterinary Specialist in Dentistry. He's supported by Peter Southerden, AVDC Founding Fellow in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery – one of only 14 founding fellows in the world and the only one practicing in Europe.

The residency programme will offer an in-depth knowledge in veterinary dentistry through a mix of clinical and non-clinical work.

It will also provide an opportunity to work alongside world class surgeons responsible for some of the most advanced dental surgical procedures of today. 

The clinical aspect of the role will require the candidate to manage cases and perform all forms of dental and oral surgical procedures and client communication, with guidance from senior staff.

The role will also involve preparation of scientific articles for publication and will help develop the candidate's teaching and presenting skills and externships in diagnostic imaging, surgery and anaesthesia.

Andrew said: “The team at Eastcott are proud to be a part of developing future specialists in a discipline that is growing rapidly and has such an impact on patient welfare.

“Our multidisciplinary approach to management of dental, oral and maxillofacial pathologies means that the successful candidate will have the benefit of exposure to a very diverse, and at times cutting edge, caseload.

“The residency programme is well-established at Eastcott. The dentistry, oral and maxillofacial team, the hospital directors and the Linnaeus central support team are committed to individual development and growth and work hard to provide an environment and support to allow our residents to flourish.”

For more information on this role, visit www.eastcottreferrals.co.uk or email andrew.perry@eastcottvets.co.uk before July 31.

New research amongst veterinary professionals conducted by CEVA Animal Health, manufacturer of D.A.P.^® and Feliway^®, has revealed that pet owners may be unintentionally fuelling their pets' noise phobias in the run up to the fireworks' season.

According to CEVA's research, up to 95% react inappropriately, for example petting an anxious pet during firework exposure rather than making an effort to ignore the fireworks, thereby reassuring the animal by behaving normally.

The research also suggested that 77% of clients have never taken action to address their pets' noise phobias as fireworks' season is only an annual occurrence. This is despite evidence that noise phobias can affect pets all year round and tend to become worse over time. 

In addition, if owners do seek advice from their vet for noise phobias, it is at the last minute. It is estimated that 46% of clients leave it until the day before the fireworks are due to start before seeking help.

Lucy Brett, product manager at CEVA Animal Health said: "Owners are not doing enough to reduce their pets' firework fears and prevent noise phobias from developing.

"Taking early, proactive action within the practice is the best way to help dogs with pre-existing firework phobias as well as those with mild fears which, if left untreated, may develop into more serious noise phobias."

CEVA Animal Health and Sound Therapy 4 Pets have once again joined forces with the Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors (APBC), Feline Advisory Bureau (FAB) and PDSA to launch a 'Remember, remember your pets this November' campaign to provide owners with advice on how to look after their pets during the firework season and the precautions they should take to help them cope with their fear of fireworks.

The initiative features a wide range of advice including how to use synthetic copies of natural pheromones, D.A.P. ^® and Feliway^®, to help comfort and reassure fearful pets, creating a comforting den for dogs to retreat to during firework exposure and treating noise phobias using behavioural therapy with the Sounds Scary desensitisation CD (which is the only behavioural therapy product for noise phobias supported by the RSPCA).

For further information, please visit www.petfireworkfear.co.uk.

MSD Animal Health Equine is seeking feedback from equine practices about how Horse Health Week, it's annual campaign to promote equine health, can be further improved and developed.

This year’s Horse Health Week, which ran at the end of September, focused on the small things that can be done to help keep Britain’s horses happy and healthy. Equine practices were encouraged to get involved and engage with their clients throughout the week with the support of a toolkit that offered both off and online communication materials.

The toolkit included a social media campaign for practices to run called #BonVoyageBuzz. Horse owners were invited to send 'Buzz' around the (virtual) world by sharing and tagging on Facebook. By the last count, he'd reached Denmark, the U.S., Canada and Saudi Arabia. The final part of Horse Health Week was a survey that gave the views of horse owners on preventative healthcare. 

MSD says the week was welcomed and supported by a number of equine vet practices which reported that the campaign generated high levels of engagement from horse owners.

Peter Young, Equine Business Manager said: "Horse Health Week was created to help practices promote their businesses and educate and promote the benefits of preventative healthcare, so we are delighted that we’ve had such a good uptake of the resources we provided this year. A number of equine practices uploaded the daily animations we created to help encourage maximimum engagement.  Some also reported the animations and posters being mentioned at yard appointments so, together with equine vet practices, we’ve successfully helped raise awareness and are eduating horse owners."

If you would like to provide feedback speak to your MSD Animal Health Equine Account Manager.  For further details, visit: www.healthyhorses.co.uk/horse-week.

Animalcare has announced that Buprecare buprenorphine single dose ampoules are now back in stock and ready to order from all veterinary wholesalers.

Production of the product had ceased in July 2011, when the company's previous manufacturer closed its sterile production unit.

Animalcare says that since then, it has been working to identify a reliable, high quality manufacturer which will be able to meet demand. The company has now signed a new contract with a German company which operates a substantial sterile injectables manufacturing facility in France. This facility is approved to manufacture Buprecare single dose ampoules and has produced, tested, quality assured and shipped its first batches.

Stephen Wildridge, CEO of Animalcare Group plc, said: “It was very disappointing to lose our marketing leading product Buprecare ampoules so abruptly. However after some excellent work from the Animalcare team in identifying and working with a very competent manufacturer we are now back in a market that has been eagerly awaiting our return and with a supplier that puts us in an even stronger position. It’s a very good way to start 2013.”

Available in the familiar 5 x 1ml pack, the Buprecare single dose ampoules now have a ‘one-point-cut’ design giving greater assurance of a clean ‘snap’ when opening the ampoule, enhancing the safety of the user.

Additional support is also now available to veterinary practices that purchase Buprecare ampoules or multidose vials, including CPD pain management talks and a peer-reviewed pain assessment chart.

The RCVS has issued a summary of the key decisions made at the June Council meeting. 

The summary is below, but for those who prefer, Nick Stace has done a four-minute piece to camera: 

24/7 & Postnominals
Council agreed in principal to changes to the supporting guidance of the Code of Professional Conduct regarding 24/7 emergency care and to put the brakes on a decision regarding the removal of all postnominals from the RCVS Register of Members.

Accounts
Also at the meeting, Council agreed to the 2013 Annual Report and Financial Statements, which is this year in a new format - the Statement of Recommended Practice, Accounting and Reporting by Charities (SORP 2005) - on the recommendation of the Audit and Risk Committee. The Annual Report will be available to download shortly (www.rcvs.org.uk/publications).

In addition, Council agreed a freeze on retention fees for both veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses for 2015 - the fifth year in a row, and an effective decrease over this period of over £40 for veterinary surgeons.

Charter
Council also agreed to an amended version of the proposed new Royal Charter, which will now go to the AGM on 11 July 2014 for endorsement by members. The updated text, together with an explanation of the changes, can be found at www.rcvs.org.uk/newcharter.

Governance review
Nearly a year on from the introduction of the new Operational Board and other governance changes designed to streamline decision-making, Council took the opportunity to review how this new structure was working. It agreed that, going forward, the Operational Board would appoint members of all committees and that papers for Council meetings should include minutes of all committee meetings.

Council also agreed that the Operational Board should take responsibly for registration matters, which are currently within the remit of the Standards Committee. Terms of reference for the Audit and Risk, Specialist Recognition Appeals and Standards Committees will be revised. Whether the Education Committee should be responsible for all decisions on the recognition of registerable degrees (as opposed to Council in its entirety) will be discussed further at the November meeting of Council.

Registration Regulations
The planned discussion on updated Registration Regulations was postponed until the November meeting, as feedback is awaited from the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).

Alternative dispute resolution
Council agreed to the trial of an alternative dispute resolution service to start before the end of the year. The service will help the College to deal with complaints which, while they do not give rise to issues of serious professional misconduct, may have some substance. The trial will be carried out with Ombudsman Services and will focus on concerns relating to small animals received by the Professional Conduct Department. It will be limited to no more than 150 cases at a cost not to exceed £120,000.

Risk Register
Council discussed and approved an updated Risk Register. The Risk Register is confidential.

Practice Standard Scheme update
Council gave approval for the general direction of travel of the review of the Practice Standards Scheme, including a new modular framework; an IT system that would be available to all practices, not just those in the Scheme; new training and assessment for inspectors; and increased practice fees to cover these developments.

Also at the meeting, Amanda Boag was elected Treasurer, a post she will take up at RCVS Day on 11 July.

Reports were also presented from the Audit and Risk, Education, Preliminary Investigation and Disciplinary Liaison, Standards, Preliminary Investigation and Disciplinary Committees, and the Veterinary Nurses Council.

Finally, on behalf of Council, President Neil Smith gave thanks to retiring Council members Christine Shield, Peter Robinson, Clare Tapsfield-Wright and Caroline Freedman, also thanking Peter Lees, in his absence.

More detail about these topics, and other issues discussed at Council, will be available in the minutes in due course. The papers for the Council meeting can be viewed at www.rcvs.org.uk/about-us/rcvs-council/council-meetings/5-june-2014.

See also the June issue of RCVS News, which can be downloaded from www.rcvs.org.uk/publications shortly.

The BVA is urging veterinary professionals to continue working in small teams and support neighbouring practices to mitigate against coronavirus contact tracing programmes and ensure full geographical cover for veterinary services.

BVA’s advice comes as the four nations of the UK launch contact tracing programmes to move from blanket lockdown restrictions to a more targeted approach, in line with strategies to ease lockdown restrictions.

Although slightly different across the UK, each programme will ask those who test positive for coronavirus to identify people they have been in recent contact with and those people will be contacted and asked to self-isolate for 14 days.

Relevant contact appears to be spending more than 15 minutes within two metres of another person or being in direct face-to-face contact (less than one metre) with them. At present, the schemes are voluntary, but may become mandatory at a later stage.

Northern Ireland: Test, trace, isolate, support
England: NHS Test and Trace
Scotland: Test and Protect
Wales: Test Trace Protect

Employees in self-isolation are entitled to Statutory Sick Pay for every day they are in isolation, as long as they meet the eligibility conditions. Further roll out of testing may enable people to return to work sooner that 14 days if they receive a negative test.

BVA President Daniella Dos Santos said: "The next step in the Covid-19 response is shifting to a more targeted approach, but it’s clear that this could have a very significant impact on individual veterinary practices if a member of the team tests positive. The nature of veterinary work means we are in close contact with our colleagues in order to work safely with animals.

“Many veterinary teams will be understandably anxious about the impact on their ability to staff a full rota to maintain 24/7 care. And there are significant concerns about the impact on animal health and welfare if practices are unable to provide veterinary services.

"Our advice is to continue working in fixed pairs or small teams as much as possible to reduce your contact with different individuals and continue to practise good hygiene and biosecurity.

"We continue to ask neighbouring practices to work together to support those impacted by self-isolation and ensure full geographical cover for veterinary services.

"We recognise some veterinary professionals will be worried, but we urge everyone to comply with the contact tracing programmes."

BVA Past President Peter Jones is appearing before an All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Antibiotics today, to update parliamentarians and stakeholders on the efforts the association and the profession are making to tackle the issue.
 
Speaking to the APPG, Peter will say: "We know that the biggest cause of antibiotic resistance in humans is the overuse and misuse of antibiotics in human medicine and this was highlighted in the joint report on resistance from the Department of Health (DoH) and Defra.

"However, we are not complacent about the role of antibiotic use in veterinary medicine and we are one of the leading voices in the campaign for the responsible use of antibiotics in all species.

"We remain committed to the One Health principle and the need for the medical and veterinary professions to work together to tackle antimicrobial resistance. BVA and our specialist divisions are currently working on a plan to deliver the five-year strategy on AMR from the veterinary perspective. The actions being taken have been published along with those of our partners in the RUMA response to the DoH/Defra strategy.

"One of our key aims for the strategy will be to promote the importance of evidence-based responsible use among both vets and their clients. We are already encouraging education on minimising resistance and principles of responsible use through engagement with the veterinary schools and other stakeholders, and through our own continuing professional development (CPD) programme.

"The use of antibiotics in veterinary medicine in Europe in the future may well be different to how we have used them in the past, with certain constraints on certain classes of critically important medicines used in man. We will cooperate in adapting to this new environment but any changes must be based on sound scientific risk analysis and not on misrepresentation of the evidence, or at worse falsification of that evidence."

Another key action for BVA is the updating of BVA's responsible use guidance for the veterinary profession, and BVA's species divisions continue to work on advice tailored to their particular sectors.

BVA is also continuing to call for quicker, cheaper and more accessible accurate sensitivity and pen-side testing for veterinary use, and repeated this call in recent submissions to the Science & Technology Select Committee and the APPG on Eggs, Pigs and Poultry.

BVA has also agreed in principle that antibiotic use should be recorded and reported and will consider how such recording and reporting may be encouraged, how usage may be measured and audited, and how prescribing habits can be assessed. Such measures will help us to monitor trends in resistance development  and track the progress we can make in addressing the problem.

Zoetis Business Consulting has released figures showing that Profit Solver, its financial analysis tool, has delivered an average EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) growth of 36% for the 28 UK practices that have used the new service since its launch.

Profit Solver was first launched in the USA, where the company says more than 300 practices have now benefited from the service.

Zoetis says that traditionally, veterinary practices have set their prices by simply adding a set mark-up, without knowing which services make a profit or loss and without understanding exactly how overall practice profit is being generated.

Profit Solver instead uses the practice’s own data to calculate the exact cost for the 130 most commonly performed veterinary services, representing 90% of the revenue generated by the practice. It then combines labour, inventory and equipment costs with time-and-motion studies for each service, and assesses the variance between cost and price to reveal profit or loss.

By using a collection of cost data, which staff perform which part of the procedure, how long the procedure takes and what equipment and materials are used, Profit Solver calculates the correct pricing to both cover costs and deliver a pre-determined profit margin.

Implementing Profit Solver is done with a Zoetis business consultant who guides the practice through the process, from data collection to examining the time-and-motion studies. They discuss the level of profitability the practice needs to deliver and help analyse prices to achieve this goal whilst preserving the price-point of highly competitive services and covering all the practice’s costs.

Ian Camm, Group Director of B&W Equine Vets in Gloucestershire heard about Profit Solver from a vet in a neighbouring practice who was impressed with how it had helped his business. Ian discussed Profit Solver with his Zoetis account manager and booked an appointment with Zoetis Business Consultant Anthea Pike who has helped him implement the software across B&W Equine Group.

He said: "Initially I was concerned that Profit Solver would suggest we put prices up where we felt that we would not be able to - people shop around for their veterinary services these days and many services are very price sensitive. The first stage in the process addressed this by looking at our figures, calculating the cost price for each procedure and then, by comparing with our fees charged, identified where we were losing money. The big question was whether we would be comfortable to increase our fees on loss-making procedures. The beauty of the system was that by looking at a large number of procedures which were done frequently, very small increases in fee would total to a significant improvement in the bottom line.

"The software has made us recognise where the real costs are and how to address these areas accordingly, for example we have identified that current stud packages are not profitable. One of the problems in arriving at true costs is the difficulty in accurately allocating time to various procedures when several different vets are involved or an expensive scanner is used, which can have a significant impact on the results. It’s early days, but I can already see the difference that Profit Solver could make to our bottom line and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it providing the practice is prepared to make changes in light of the results. We are looking at improving our bottom line by a six figure sum over a 12 month period with what we hope, will be hardly noticeable price rises.”

For further information visit www.zoetis.co.uk/businessconsulting.

The RCVS has accredited four more universities to assess modules for its Certificate in Advanced Veterinary Practice (CertAVP). This means that there are now 78 modules for candidates to choose from, with many modules available through more than one university, giving veterinary surgeons a real choice as to how they work towards postgraduate qualifications.

The RCVS CertAVP Subcommittee has approved applications from the Universities of Edinburgh, Glasgow, Liverpool and the West of England (in partnership with Hartpury College). 

A very broad range of modules is now available, covering most species and many disciplines. They include some firsts for the CertAVP - equine modules will be available through both Edinburgh and Liverpool universities, and Edinburgh will also be assessing modules in equine dentistry, laboratory animal science and cattle and sheep medicine, amongst others.  Glasgow's range includes modules in veterinary public health, as well as emergency critical care, while the University of the West of England's offering includes the key skills modules, and ‘B' modules in small animal, equine and production animal practice.

These universities now join the Royal Veterinary College and the Universities of Cambridge and Middlesex in being accredited to assess modules. While all of the accredited universities provide courses to support candidates working towards modules, including distance-learning options and online support, they must also offer an assessment-only route for those who prefer self-study, or who want to attend courses elsewhere. 

The modular CertAVP was launched during 2007 and gives candidates the benefit of a mix and match style of learning. This aims to meet the needs of those who are committed to planned continuing professional development (CPD) but who need to balance this with busy practice life.

The new Certificate also better meets the needs of those whose practice interests change over the enrolment period, or who want to combine study across different species and disciplines to suit their practice caseload.  Previously there was little flexibility built into the examination system.

"We are delighted that the list of modules available has nearly tripled this month," says Freda Andrews, RCVS Head of Education. "Interest in the new certificate is growing, and there are already around 200 people enrolled with RCVS for various modules.  So it's great news that these universities are now backing the Certificate and enabling much greater choice for veterinary surgeons studying for the qualification."

Full details of the new modules are available on RCVSonline at www.rcvs.org.uk/modcerts

The Bella Moss Foundation (BMF) has launched a free practice hygiene audit tool.

The BMF Practice Hygiene Self Audit is a web-based assessment tool that allows staff to monitor cleanliness across the practice – from theatre and prep rooms to laundry and waiting rooms.

The tick sheet format allows staff to rate the hygiene protocols in each area, resulting in a room-by-room percentage hygiene score, as well as an overall contamination risk score.

The tool was developed by vet and RCVS Practice Standards Scheme (PSS) expert Pam Mosedale and VN lecturer Louise O'Dwyer, along with Edinburgh academic Tim Nuttall and Chris Laurence.

Pam said: "Given the relaunch of the PSS later in the year, which will include new modules on infection control, the BMF audit tool is especially timely.

"We hope that people will try the audit tool and it will lead them to have more of a team discussion about hygiene routines and protocols in practice. We know some areas get more attention than others - for example, how often do things like the toys in the waiting area really get cleaned?

“By using the audit, staff will easily be able to see what rooms/areas might need a bit more cleaning.

She added: "It's a simple no-frills tool but the whole idea is for it to be helpful and easy to use, so more practices are encouraged to have regular quantifiable monitoring systems in place to keep an eye on their hygiene protocols."

Co-creator Louise O'Dwyer said: “The BMF Practice Hygiene Self Audit will help ensure often overlooked aspects of cleaning and infection control are considered and implemented.

“It needs to be embraced by all members of staff, from non-clinical staff through to veterinary surgeons, as every individual has the potential to make an impact within their practice by taking action on infection control.”

To test the tool and see how clean your practice is, go to: www.thebellamossfoundation.com/practice-hygiene-self-audit 

iCatCare has announced the launch of a new, online feline dentistry course.

Delivered in a case-based style, the course will give students the chance to work through cases and apply practical theory before treating feline patients.

There are four modules: the consultation, further investigations, treatment, and post-operative and preventative care.

ICC says the emphasis is on providing practical skills that can be used in clinic.

On completion, students will have the confidence to identify a range of dental abnormalities, persuade cat owners to consent to further investigation and treatment, and formulate and carry out the ideal treatment plan for each cat.

Dr. Matthew Oxford BVM&S GPCert(SAS) MRCVS, who helped develop the course, said: "Dentistry is poorly represented in undergraduate veterinary courses, with feline specific dentistry perhaps only having one or two lectures, yet dentistry accounts for roughly 25% of all general surgery.

"This transformational course uses a very practical approach to case management taking vets from the initial consultation, through anaesthesia, dental radiography, surgery, and then postoperative care.

"Cases are worked through with extensive teaching material supplemented into cases to provide a pragmatic, case-based approach.”

 Pre-registration for the course is available until 1st November with an early bird price of £299 (+VAT) available using the discount code NEWCBL50 at the checkout.

For more information, to check eligibility and prerequisites, and to sign up, visit https://bit.ly/3GpFXo4