Dechra Veterinary Products has published a new podcast for vets about treating animals with otitis. 

In the 15 minute podcast, Carolyn Kyte, a vet in general practice, talks to Natalie Barnard, a veterinary dermatology specialist from Highcroft Referrals, and together they share their experience of the challenges of treating animals with otitis and explain why owners play a important role in successful treatment of the condition. 

Dechra Brand Manager Carol Morgan said: “Otitis is very common, particularly in dogs, but there is no ‘quick fix’ when some underlying factors are causing the problem. This can lead to frustration for the pet’s owners and animals not getting the consistent treatment they need to get better.  

“What Carolyn and Natalie bring to the table with their new podcast for the Dechra Academy is a light and insightful discussion about communication and education being the keystone for better otitis outcomes and how vets can improve on their consultation skills to handle cases better.”   

The otitis podcast is here: https://academy.dechra.com/learn/course/internal/view/elearning/1034/think-differently-about-otitis

Following two postponed hearings and a stayed Judicial Review, the Disciplinary Committee of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons last week accepted a wide-ranging 18-month programme of undertakings from a veterinary surgeon found guilty of serious professional misconduct, to address his "serious deficiencies" and "practice failings".

In October 2006, Mr Joseph Holmes MRCVS, of the Waltham Veterinary Clinic near Grimsby, was found guilty of serious professional misconduct for performing inappropriate and out-of-date veterinary treatment. Judgment was postponed for a period of two years subject to conditions that were put in writing and agreed by Mr Holmes.

The hearing resumed early, in February 2008, as Mr Holmes had deliberately ceased to comply with these conditions in the hope of forcing an appeal against the Committee's original finding of serious professional misconduct.

At the resumed hearing, Mr Holmes was told there was no legal framework for such an appeal (only against a sanction of suspension or removal from the Register) and that he would be subject to an 18-month period of compliance with the conditions set out at the original hearing; he was also invited to propose a programme of continuing professional development (CPD) and other undertakings for that period.

As Mr Holmes then applied for a Judicial Review of the Committee's decisions, this programme was never proposed. However, at the Royal Courts of Justice in October 2008, Mr Holmes' application for Judicial Review was stayed, by mutual consent, allowing for the DC hearing to be resumed and for him to offer undertakings for the Committee's consideration.

At last week's hearing, the Committee reminded itself of the original four findings of serious professional misconduct against Mr Holmes, which, in each case, it had stated would "be viewed by reasonable and competent members of the veterinary profession to be deplorable...and far below the standards that members of the public were entitled to expect."

In relation to these findings, the Committee was particularly concerned about his deficiencies in the fields of orthopaedics, oncology, radiology and therapeutics and considered that his future CPD should specifically address these areas.

Consequently, Mr Holmes agreed to an extensive range of undertakings over an 18-month period, including: participation in the RCVS Practice Standards Scheme (including two inspections); keeping abreast of changes to the RCVS Guide to Professional Conduct; 105 hours of standard and additional CPD; proofs of purchase of up-to-date text books and journal subscriptions; and six-monthly progress reports to the Chairman of the Committee.

Brian Jennings, Chairman of the Committee, said: "The Committee considers that the undertakings in the form that you have offered to it, if fulfilled by you, will serve to ensure that there will be no repetition of the conduct which resulted in our original findings and serve to ensure that animals and the public will not be put at risk.

"We trust that you will enter into these courses with the right mind-set and find that at their conclusion, these tasks have been of advantage to your practice."

Retired veterinary surgeon Graham Duncanson is celebrating 50 years in the profession by cycling over 8,000km from the UK to South Africa to raise money for the British Veterinary Association's charity, the Animal Welfare Foundation (AWF). 

Graham, 72, who worked at Westover Veterinary Centre in Norfolk for 40 years, set off on his bike from his home in Crostwick last week. He aims to complete the journey in two years, following a route that will take him through Western Europe and into Greece before flying to Ethiopia and cycling through Kenya, where he spent eight years as a government veterinary officer in his early career. He will then follow the Indian Ocean down the African continent's east coast to Cape Town.

Graham said: "I’m no stranger to life on the road – my first job on qualifying was as a field vet in Kenya which I did for eight years. This will be a real adventure though as I am definitely not an accomplished cyclist, however I look forward to the challenge and to raising money for AWF. The route may change slightly as the trip goes along, but that’s down more to government travel advice than my decision - for example, although not currently on my route, I would still like to cycle through Egypt to give a lecture or two, however we’ll need to see what’s possible."

Graham cycled via London to join the annual AWF Discussion Forum in Westminster, attended by other vets, parliamentarians and key stakeholders from the sector, before continuing his cycle to the English south coast with TV vet Emma Milne. Along the way Graham will also be working with equine charitable organisations including the Brooke, SPANA and World Horse Welfare, giving equine welfare and dentistry talks, as well as occasionally returning to the UK to lecture and attend AWF Trustee meetings. 

If you would like to sponsor Graham and donate to AWF, or simply find out more about his trip through his regular blog posts, visit vetduncdares.wordpress.com.

Denmark-based consulting firm praQtice has launched a subsidiary in the UK to offer veterinary practice management consultancy services.

The company says it concentrates on six business areas: strategy and business development, marketing, employee and manager development, finance, research and analysis, and training.  

praQtice says it has worked with a wide range of practices, from the small local practice to the large hospital, helping them bring together their mission and vision. The company also has the benefit of having an in-house marketing and communication department which it says has had considerable success - not only in Scandinavia, but in the UK when last year praQtice won a Veterinary Marketing Association award.

The launch in the UK will primarily be driven by three praQtice consultants - founder and business developer Christian Kolthoff, Marketing Consultant Mario Riewerts and Business Developer Helen Kington.  

Helen said: "This will be great for UK vets, largely it has been the same group of consultants working with the same thoughts and ideas for the last 10 years. We need to look beyond our borders in order to evolve. In Scandinavia you can only put a mark up of 5% on your drugs, which does not make you a profit. Thus they have learnt to be much better in delivering and pricing for their professional service, I am sure we can learn a lot from them.  What we also see all over Europe is that practices are getting bigger and bigger. But as the practices grow, so does the number of problems and the partner's income rarely follows. praQtice is about quality of life and allowing yourself to dream, we then give you the tools along with helping you through the implementation to make those dreams and ambitions come true.

You can meet the team at the VPMA Congress in Oxford (28th-30th January), where founder and CEO Christian Kolthoff will be speaking. Meantime, if you would like more information about praQtice, visit www.praqtice.co.uk or telephone Helen Kington on 07765 338 607

The RCVS Charitable Trust, has announced a complete rebranding that includes a change of name - RCVS Knowledge - and the refocus of its mission on supporting the flourishing evidence based veterinary medicine (EBVM) movement across the globe.

For the past 50 years, the charity has been known as a small funder of veterinary research and the home of the only freely-accessible library for the practising veterinary community in the UK.

Nick Royle, Executive Director of RCVS Knowledge said: "RCVS Knowledge is a name that encompasses our three core offerings: historical knowledge represented by our valuable Historical Collection, present knowledge, represented by our library, and future knowledge, represented by the new evidence based veterinary medicine  project, which is underpinned by our grants programme."

The RCVS Knowledge re-launch goes further than a mere name change, and  comes as the charity refocuses its efforts to become a global intermediary for EBVM, a direction reached following a period of consultation, and on the back of a successful symposium on the subject held at the end of 2012.

Nick, a former CEO of the human evidence based medicine resource, The Cochrane Collaboration, said: "Today, veterinary surgeons and nurses are required to take account of an ever-increasing pool of scientific data, the owners' values and preferences, and their own clinical expertise when making clinical decisions. RCVS Knowledge is ideally placed to generate, collate and distribute this information to support evidence based practices. We aim to develop tools to assist practitioners to quickly make well-informed treatment decisions."

As part of the new direction, the Historical Collection will be made accessible and available online, following a start-up grant from the Wellcome Trust. Clare Boulton, Head of Library and Information Services, said: "The Collection contains priceless and fascinating material, covering topics such as early horse-care and management, veterinary expeditions of discovery through Africa, and research that made the British Cavalry horses of 1914 the finest in the world. But this is just the beginning. If you have relevant experience or some funds that could help us, please get in touch."

Meanwhile, RCVS Knowledge's Library and Information Service will be re-designed to make it much more than shelves of journals, but rather a resource with the capacity to steer first-rate care and innovation, and an information engine capable of driving evidence based veterinary medicine at a global level.

The Grants and Awards program, for which the former RCVS Charitable Trust has been known, will be redesigned to celebrate professional excellence, and to address gaps in veterinary knowledge. Nick said: "We are aware of the responsibilities that veterinary surgeons and nurses face every day and feel we are in a position to support their decision making. We would like to urge every veterinary professional with an interest in EBVM, a curiosity about the history of their profession or a need to access up-to-date research to get in touch, so that we can keep you up to date with developments."

Donal Johnston MRCVS has been reprimanded and warned as to his future conduct by the RCVS Disciplinary Committee after admitting four separate charges related to fraudulent insurance claims.

Each charge related to fraudulent pet insurance claims that Mr Johnston had made for the treatment of animals when he was in practice in Banbridge, County Down, two of which were fictitious, and where he had arranged for the insurance claims to be diverted and paid into a personal bank account, rather than the practice’s bank account.

At an initial hearing, which concluded on  April 2022, Mr Johnston had admitted all the charges against him as well as admitting that his conduct was dishonest and amounted to serious professional misconduct.

The Committee was satisfied that his conduct amounted to serious professional misconduct, with Committee Chair Paul Morris saying: “The Committee has no hesitation in concluding that the respondent’s dishonest conduct will have severely undermined the confidence of the public in the veterinary profession and, further, that his conduct fell far short of the standards and conduct properly to be expected of a member of the veterinary profession.

"The Committee is satisfied that this conduct by the respondent brought the profession into disrepute.”

The proceedings were then adjourned to allow a psychiatric report and other mitigation to be prepared.

At its resumed hearing in November 2022 the Committee considered what sanction to impose in relation to Dr Johnston’s actions.

At this point, the Committee decided to postpone its decision on sanction for a period of two years on the condition that Dr Johnston enter into undertakings to the Committee including refraining from any form of gambling, subjecting himself to a close regime of support and supervision, and repaying some of the sums he had defrauded.

The hearing reconvened in October 2024 to decide on an appropriate sanction.

The Committee noted that Mr Johnston had complied with the undertakings and provided the Committee with the interim reports required of him.

He also continued with the therapeutic interventions and programmes specified, as well as implemented measures designed to minimise the risk of a relapse into gambling.

The Committee also noted that reports from the gambling support services, to which Mr Johnston had signed up, all spoke positively about his involvements and confirmed the progress he had achieved in managing his addiction.

The Committee also took into account a psychiatric report as well as evidence under oath from Mr Johnston’s wife who confirmed his compliance with the undertakings.

As a result, the Committee was satisfied that the prospects of a repeat of the conduct which led to the charges laid against Dr Johnston were now greatly reduced.

The Committee said it was less impressed with the evidence provided by Mr Johnston.

While he had largely complied with the letter of the undertakings he gave in 2022, it remained troubled by his apparent unwillingness or inability, on account of lack of effort, to fulfil the assurances previously given that he was in the process of changing his name to Johnston, from Fegan, on official documentation in order to be consistent with his legal name, when he had not done so.

The only formal name change in place was on the RCVS Register, and he had failed to alter his name on his driver’s licence, on his registration with the Veterinary Council of Ireland, his passport, bank accounts, and one of his email addresses.

As a result, the Committee did not find Dr Johnston to be an entirely satisfactory witness.

Paul Morris, chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: “Having made the progress that he has over the period since the commission of the charges found proved in 2019, the Committee considers that the imposition of a sanction of suspension on top of the period of postponement would be excessive, in the particular circumstances of this case.

“For the same reasons, as stated above, it is considered that it would be excessive now to impose a sanction of removal from the register.

“That process of reasoning has driven the Committee to the conclusion that the sanction of a reprimand and warning as to future conduct is what the facts and circumstances of this case call for.

"That is because the respondent can be under no illusion about the outcome were he to appear again before this Committee.

"A failure to take advantage of the exceptional course adopted by this Committee on this occasion would be regarded as a serious aggravating factor were he to appear before the Committee at any time in the future.”

https://www.rcvs.org.uk/concerns/disciplinary-hearings 

Animalcare has produced a social media toolkit to help practices remind owners to comply with the new law on microchipping horses, ahead of the 1st October deadline.

James Beaumont, Product Manager at Animalcare, said: “Microchipping is an essential but simple way to safeguard the welfare of the UK’s horses.  Animalcare was the first company to offer a microchipping service with its identichip microchips, so we know from first-hand experience that microchipping is the most important step owners can take to ensure that lost, abandoned or stolen animals are quickly identified. 

“Ensuring the welfare of their patients is a guiding principle for equine vets and we know that they are working very hard to remind owners of the need to ensure that their animals are microchipped and to then keep their contact details up to date.  We hope that they will find our social media toolkit useful and that, between us, we can ensure that as many horses as possible are microchipped in time for the new law coming into force.”

To request your social media toolkit, contact your Animalcare Territory Manager or ring 01904 487687.

The British Veterinary Association and British Cattle Veterinary Association have welcomed the launch of the Defra consultation on tackling bovine Tuberculosis (bTB) in England, which includes recommendations for badger control in areas where bTB persists at high levels, despite attempts at control using other measures.

The two associations have long argued that bTB cannot be controlled without measures to control the disease in both cattle and wildlife.

In particular the BVA and BCVA have welcomed:

• the recognition that the farming industry, veterinary profession and Government need to work in partnership;
• the understanding that there is no single solution to tackling bTB and that we need to use 'every tool in the toolbox';
• the commitment to a balanced package of measures linked to the understanding that we cannot succeed in eradicating bTB in cattle without addressing the reservoir of disease in wildlife; and
• the commitment to monitor the effectiveness, humaneness and impact of badger control measures.

The Associations have noted the expectation that the farming industry will pick up the costs of vaccinating and culling badgers and will consider in detail the Government's proposals for licensing criteria and culling methods.

The BVA and BCVA will be providing a detailed response to the consultation following discussion with members of both Associations.

Professor Bill Reilly, President of the BVA, said: "We are extremely pleased that the Coalition Government has made tackling bovine TB such a priority. Both the BVA and BCVA have made the case that this devastating disease will not be eradicated without measures that tackle TB both in cattle and in wildlife.

"We will be looking in detail to ensure that the proposals are as effective and, importantly, as humane as possible.

"Our initial reaction is that the proposals announced by Defra are based on scientific evidence and expert veterinary advice and we strongly support the direction the Government is taking."

Keith Cutler, President of BCVA, added: "It is important that the Government has recognised that there is no single solution to tackling bovine TB.

"Controlling the disease in badgers through vaccination and culling has a role to play, but will only be effective if properly targeted and used alongside all other available control measures.

"The BVA and BCVA are therefore very pleased to see proposals that deliver a package of measures."

ioLight, the first professional-quality pocket microscope which launched back in May (discussed here), will be presented to the profession at the Bayer stand (R20) at the London Vet Show, where it will be used to demonstrate Bayer's products.

The founders of ioLight, Andrew Monk and Richard Williams, will be in attendance on the Bayer stand to answer questions about the new product.

James Crawford, Head of Marketing at Bayer, said: "Bayer is delighted to present the ioLight microscope on our stand at the London Vet Show 2016. The microscope provides fantastically clear images and is simple to use, showing off Bayer's products for all our customers to see."

Professor Mike Taylor, a Diplomate of the European Veterinary Parasitology College, is in the process of evaluating the ioLight microscope as a tool for the diagnosis of parasitic infections of farm animals.

Normally he uses a laboratory microscope for this work but they are not routinely used on a farm. He has also tried a portable digital microscope, but finds it does not give the resolution required for identification of protozoan parasite species or for counting nematode eggs. Mike said: "The ioLight’s portability, image quality and connectivity to the Apple iPad offer great potential for the development of rapid methods for identifying parasites, or determining parasite burdens. I can envisage its use by both veterinarians and suitably trained livestock farmers, in the practice laboratory or directly on the farm."

Andrew Monk said: "Since our launch earlier this year we have seen a massive interest from the veterinary sector. We are thrilled to have the opportunity to demonstrate our microscope to such a large audience, and are looking forward to working with Bayer."

For more information visit iolight.co.uk or email Andrew Monk at andrew.monk@iolight.co.uk.

The Kennel Club and dog breeding world still needs to take urgent action to improve the health and welfare of pedigree dogs, five years after a BBC documentary highlighted the levels of suffering many animals endure, according to the RSPCA.

Programme maker Jemima Harrison, who produced and directed Pedigree Dogs Exposed, has backed the RSPCA's call for urgent action.

She said: "Five years on from Pedigree Dogs Exposed, the Kennel Club is still in denial about the extent of the problems.

"It is unethical to continue to breed dogs like Pugs and Bulldogs which have such flat faces that they cannot breathe - and yet the Kennel Club registers these breeds in their growing thousands and these dogs continue to be celebrated at Kennel Club shows.

"The Kennel Club has done too little to tackle the suffering these and many other breeds endure, despite an increasing amount of science which both articulates the issues and offers solutions. The dogs continue to pay a huge price."

The RSPCA has acknowledged the progress made by the Kennel Club and dog breeders, including the development of DNA and health screening tests for hereditary diseases and the introduction of veterinary checks on 'high profile' breeds.

However, the charity says it believes much more should have been done in the five years since Pedigree Dogs Exposed was first broadcast on BBC One in 2008.

RSPCA chief vet James Yeates said: "Although some progress has been made by the dog world to address the issues raised in Pedigree Dogs Exposed, it has not been nearly enough. Five years on the problems are still far from being solved.

"We are concerned that many pedigree dogs are still suffering because they're bred and judged primarily for how they look rather than with health, welfare and temperament in mind.

"We believe that meaningful action is urgently needed in order to make a real improvement to the welfare of pedigree dogs."

Some of the changes the RSPCA is calling for include:

• An independent review of Kennel Club breed standards
• Dog shows, such as Crufts, should judge dogs on their health, welfare and behaviour, rather than their appearance
• Revision of registration rules to put a limit on the number of offspring that can be fathered by any one sire
• Revision of registration rules to prevent the registration of offspring from matings between second degree relatives (e.g. grandparent-grandchild or aunt/uncle-nephew/niece matings)
• Only registering puppies from parents that have been properly and fully health screened
• Ban on registration of dogs born from a dam's second caesarean
• Veterinary checks at shows to be done by independent vets
• Open stud books to allow more frequent introduction of new genetic material into established breeds

The RSPCA's Born To Suffer campaign and petition was launched more than 18 months ago, with a call to change breed standards so that they prioritise the health, welfare and temperament of a dog over its looks. It is hoped this will put an end to the avoidable suffering many dogs endure.

 You can still sign the petition by visiting www.rspca.org.uk/borntosuffer

Following a nationwide search to find the UK’s top veterinary professionals for 2009 and judged by an independent panel of experts, Petplan has announced the winners for the Veterinary Awards. 

The Petplan Veterinary Awards recognise and applaud staff and practices throughout the country that have delivered an exceptional level of care to the nation’s pets, and their owners.   

Simon Wheeler, Petplan’s Head of Marketing, explains: “Britain is known to be an animal-loving nation and with millions of households owning cats and dogs, pets play a central part in family life. The Petplan Veterinary Awards give us the opportunity to thank the veterinary profession for the outstanding level of care they provide to our animals.”

The winners of the 10th annual Petplan Veterinary Awards were:

VET OF THE YEAR
Ben Jones, Ben Jones Veterinary Surgery, Chester, Flintshire
Ben’s understanding and compassion for his clients’ pets impressed the judges.  Whilst being extremely knowledgeable, Ben can reassuringly explain the most complicated procedures to clients.  Ben continuously goes above and beyond the call of duty, such as establishing a home visit scheme for pensioners and visiting a nursing home when an owner was there as a day patient. 

VET NURSE OF THE YEAR
Karen McQuoid, The Old Golfhouse Veterinary Group, Watton, Norfolk
The judges believe Karen is an excellent role model for her team of nurses.  Karen was noted for her positive attitude and good humour even under extreme pressure of being head nurse of four different practices. 

VET RECEPTIONIST OF THE YEAR
Yasmin Morowa, Melton Veterinary Surgery, Woodbridge, Suffolk
Yasmin’s attention to detail made her stand out as the winner of Vet Receptionist of the Year.  Yasmin always checks to see how patients have progressed when she returns from holiday so she can help clients appropriately when they call or visit.  Her kind approach makes her highly appreciated by both clients and colleagues. 

VET PRACTICE OF THE YEAR
St Clair Veterinary Group, Kirkcaldy, Fife
St Clair Veterinary Group was described as having exceptional customer care and uses every opportunity to educate their clients.  The team stood out for their environmental consciousness.