The RCVS Disciplinary Committee has suspended Dr Jacqueline Bohnen, a South African veterinary surgeon who had been working in the County of Moray, Scotland, for being misleading and dishonest in relation to her treatment of a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel in March 2017.

Dr Bohnen faced two charges. The first was that in March 2017, she failed to attend to Belle, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, in order to provide appropriate and adequate care including: assisting Belle with urination, monitoring her with a view to considering alternative treatment options, and monitoring her with a view to providing her owners with an update on her condition.

The second charge was that Dr Bohnen later claimed dishonestly that she had attended to the animal, both to the owners, in clinical records hospital records, in a note provided to colleagues and during internal disciplinary proceedings held at her practice.

At the outset of the hearing the Committee considered an application from Dr Bohnen for the hearing to be postponed as she was now based in her home country of South Africa, and said she could not apply for a visa to return to the UK until later in the year and internet access in her location was poor.

However, the Committee found that the RCVS had properly served the notice of inquiry to Dr Bohnen in accordance with the current rules, that she had had sufficient time and opportunity to apply for a visa since receiving the notice and that, in any case, she could remotely ‘attend’ the hearing via Skype or telephone if necessary by travelling to somewhere that did have adequate internet connectivity, and so it refused the application. 

The Disciplinary Committee then considered the facts of the case and heard evidence from the owners of Belle, the clinical director of the practice that Dr Bohnen worked in at the relevant time and a veterinary nurse, who was a student doing her training at the practice during the time of the events in question.

Having considered all of the evidence, the Committee dismissed the parts of the first charge relating to considering alternative treatment options and updating the owners in relation to Belle’s condition. They did, however, find the charge proven in relation to Dr Bohnen failing to assist Belle with urination.

The Committee found all aspects of the second charge proven in its entirety after Dr Bohnen admitted in advance of the hearing, that her representations were false and misleading.

The Committee then went on to consider whether the second charge and the aspects of the first charge that were found proven amounted to serious professional misconduct both individually and cumulatively.

The Committee considered that Dr Bohnen’s conduct in failing to assist Belle with urination, whilst falling below the standard to be expected of a reasonably competent veterinary surgeon, did not amount to serious professional misconduct. 

The Committee did however find that Dr Bohnen’s conduct with regards to the second charge constituted serious professional misconduct.

Professor Alistair Barr, chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: "The Committee considers that the respondent’s dishonesty was the prime aggravating factor in this case. Although overall it could be regarded as a single incident, the Committee has found that it involved the fabrication of a number of notes and clinical records in the immediate aftermath of the death of the dog, but, thereafter, the respondent continued to deny the falsity of the fabricated records that she had created up to and until the conclusion of her interview by the practice on 30 March 2017. 

"During that time, the respondent had contacted the alarm company responsible for the security of the premises of the practice, to enquire whether the security system would record the times of the alarm being switched on and off. This indicated that the respondent’s dishonesty continued over a significant period of time, and that her persistence in sticking to her story became premeditated. In other words, the respondent’s conduct over this time indicated a clear attempt to deceive."

Regarding the sanction for Dr Bohnen, the Committee considered that the principle aggravating factors in the case were serious dishonesty towards both her colleagues and the owners of the dog and involved clear breaches of the Code of Professional Conduct. By way of mitigation, the Committee noted that Dr Bohnen is of previous good character with no other professional findings against her and that she had demonstrated some insight into her behaviour and had admitted being dishonest and misleading prior to the hearing. 

Summing up, Professor Barr said: "Because of the seriousness of this case, the Committee did not consider that it was appropriate to postpone judgement, take no further action, or to administer a reprimand and warning as to future conduct. The Committee considered that the respondent’s conduct, involving significant and admitted dishonesty over a period of time, required a significant penalty, in order to protect the welfare of animals and to serve the public interest.

"Accordingly, the Committee has decided to direct that the respondent’s registration be suspended for a period of nine months."

Dr Bohnen has 28 days from being informed of the Committee’s decision to lodge an appeal with the Privy Council.

Whilst you're here, take a moment to see our latest job opportunities for vets.

VetSurgeon member Shailen Jasani MA VetMB MRCVS DipACVECC has launched the Ralph site (theralphsite.com), a website offering support and advice to those coping with pet bereavement.

The site contains forums, downloadable advice sheets, a directory of crematoria and cemeteries, and offers owners the ability to create a memorial for their pet.

The Ralph site was named after Shailen's own cat, which died after a car accident in 2010. Shailen funded the setup of the site, and it is a not-for-proft.

Jamie Rushton has been struck off by the RCVS Disciplinary Committee after being convicted of sexual assault and jailed for 18 months.

Mr Rushton was convicted of sexual assault after pleading guilty at Wood Green Crown Court in December 2022.

He was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment, made subject to a restraining order and a 10-year sexual harm prevention order as well as being placed on the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years.

He was also ordered to pay £3,000 costs and a £140 victims’ surcharge.

Mr Rushton did not attend the RCVS hearing, where the facts of the charge were proven by the certificate of conviction and the judge’s sentencing remarks.

In considering whether the conviction rendered Mr Rushton unfit to practise veterinary medicine, the Committee considered that the case involved the sexual assault of a vulnerable woman who was also a professional colleague, and was a serious abuse of trust, reflected in the custodial sentence.

Dr Neil Slater MRCVS, chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: “It was evident from the judge’s sentencing remarks that [the victim] had been seriously affected by the knowledge of what had occurred on that evening.

"That knowledge was bound, in itself, to be very distressing and according to the victim’s impact statement had a long- lasting impact on the victim’s self-esteem, resilience and relationship with others.

"The victim’s level of distress can only have been increased by the knowledge that the respondent had filmed and/or photographed his activity while she was unconscious and that the images were included on a memory stick which contained a number of other voyeuristic images.”

"The Committee was satisfied that the respondent’s behaviour had caused [the victim] significant psychological injury and carried with it a risk of causing such injury.

“The Committee was also satisfied that [the victim] was especially vulnerable because of the significant quantity of alcohol that she had consumed.

"In the circumstances that evolved, she was in the respondent’s care.

"The respondent abused the position of trust and responsibility that he occupied.

"He was a senior colleague, at a professional conference.

"Instead of taking appropriate steps to secure the welfare of [the victim], he used the position in which he found himself to engage in predatory sexual misconduct.

"Furthermore, his behaviour was opportunistic and, as the judge said, “clearly driven by [his] sexual desires."

Taking into account these factors, the Committee found that Dr Rushton was unfit to practise and next considered the sanction.

The Committee found no mitigating factors regarding the conviction but did take into account the fact there had been no previous regulatory findings against him.

In deciding the sanction, the Committee also noted that there was little evidence before them that Dr Rushton had shown serious insight into the impact of his offending.

Neil added: “In this context the Committee also noted that the respondent maintained a plea of not guilty until three days before a rearranged trial was due to take place, and subsequently advanced an account of what he said was his relationship with [the victim] which the judge found to be false.

“Taking all of these factors into account, the Committee is satisfied that removal from the register is the only proportionate outcome to this case.

"This sanction is necessary to declare and uphold appropriate standards of conduct for members of the veterinary profession and to maintain public confidence in the profession.”

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

The Animal Health Trust and the Kennel Club have announced that a new, non-invasive DNA test for the genetic mutation causing macular corneal dystrophy (MCD) in Labradors will be available from the Animal Health Trust DNA Testing Service from Monday 26 January 2015.

Macular corneal dystrophy (MCD) is a hereditary eye disease which, although painless, causes severe visual impairment in affected dogs. 

The mutation for MCD is recessive; meaning only dogs that inherit two copies of the mutation will be affected. Dogs identified by the test as Clear have no copies of the mutation whereas Carriers have one copy of the mutation. Clears and Carriers cannot develop MCD, although Carriers will pass the mutation on to about half of their puppies if they reproduce. Dogs identified as Genetically Affected have two copies of the mutation and will develop MCD around middle-age. The DNA test can be used to screen dogs at any age and provides a means of eliminating the causal mutation from the Labrador Retriever gene pool.

Dogs affected with MCD will develop cloudy eyes, due to an abnormal accumulation of carbohydrates (known as glycosaminoglycans) in their corneas. The only treatment for the disease in people is to surgically perform a corneal transplant; however this has not yet been performed successfully in the dog for the treatment of MCD.

Dr Cathryn Mellersh, Head of Canine Genetics at the Animal Health Trust, said: "We're really pleased to be able to provide this new test in 2015. Screening Labradors for the mutation responsible for this condition will help to identify those dogs at risk of developing MCD, and/or passing it on to their puppies. Dogs don't typically develop MCD until middle age - so without a DNA test there is a chance that affected dogs are unknowingly bred from. Now, affected and carriers dogs can easily be identified through one simple test giving breeders peace of mind.

"By developing this test and encouraging screening within the Labrador population we hope that this horrible disease can now be eliminated from the breed. This is the aim behind all of our work in canine genetics and we're thrilled to have been able to make such good progress in developing this test after MCD was first reported in Labradors by one of own veterinary ophthalmologists in 2013. Since then we've worked closely with the ophthalmology team here at the Animal Health Trust and Labrador owners and breeders from various European countries and have managed to identify the mutation and launch this test within two years, which is great news for Labrador owners."

Caroline Kisko, Kennel Club Secretary, said: "The Labrador is the most popular breed in the UK, so there is certainly a high demand for puppies, and it is crucial that those being bred are as healthy as possible.

"This test will further assist breeders of Labradors in breeding healthy, happy examples of the breed and we are delighted to be able to offer another tool to improve and maintain the breed's health.

"The work carried out at the Kennel Club Genetics Centre at the Animal Health Trust really does make a massive difference to the lives of dogs and we are thrilled that Labrador breeders will now be able to make use of another health test to protect the health of the breed they love."

For more information, visit www.ahtdnatesting.co.uk. The test costs £48 inc VAT, with a 10% discount when at least 20 samples are submitted within a month. Interested parties should contact dnatesting@aht.org.uk with a start date to request a discount code.

Boehringer Ingelheim has announced the introduction of a new and improved bottle for its respiratory vaccine, Bovalto Respi Intranasal (IN), which can be used in calves from 10 days of age.

Being an intranasal vaccine, Bovalto Respi IN triggers mucosal immunity in the nasal passages and throat area. It can be delivered from 10 days of age without the need for a booster and provides immunity for 12 weeks, from 10 days after vaccination.

Boehringer says it has also been shown to be effective in the face of MDA (maternally derived antibodies).

The new bottle now has a wider neck, which apparently makes for a better fit with the accompanying Respisafe applicator and nozzle. 

Brand manager Matt Yarnall said: "The Respisafe applicator ensures that vaccination is a comfortable process for both farmer and calf and the improved fit will make the job even easier.

"With an intranasal vaccine, it is important that the vaccine droplets coat the mucosa of the nasal passages, where they can begin to work. If they are too big, then the vaccine can run out of the nose, and if too small then the droplets are carried into the lungs and are wasted. The Respisafe system ensures that the optimum size of droplet is administered to the right place in an efficient and easy way.”

Bovalto Respi Intranasal protects against the two main respiratory viruses – RSV and PI3, and during its development it was tested against current strains, that are associated with causing disease in cattle¹.

Stock of the new bottles will start to enter circulation with vets from mid-July, with an expectation that the existing version will still be in circulation until early in the new year.

Reference

1. Philippe-Reversat et al. (2017) Acta vet. BRNO 86: 325-332

Dechra Animal Health has published the results of a study which found that antibiotic use was reduced by 43% in beef calves treated with Solacyl, its oral non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID).

The company says this means that using Solacyl as an alternative to antibiotics could reduce overall antibiotic use by 4.4 tonnes a year. 

The research was carried out by dairy veterinary consultant Owen Atkinson BVSc DHCP MRCVS, an RCVS recognised specialist in cattle health and production, at three English calf rearing units between November 2017 and May 2018. It involved four groups of beef calves from different dairy farms.

The 258 calves were given Solacyl (sodium salicylate) in-feed on the five days immediately upon arrival at the units (a high-risk period for animals to contract bovine respiratory disease).

According to Dechra, the use of Solacyl resulted in a reduction in antibiotic use of between 16% and 73% (based on doses), depending on the farm. Across all groups, the reduction was 43%.

Dechra says that neither the health of the calves nor the profitability of the rearing operations were compromised. 

Owen Atkinson said: "I was involved in analysing the data and the data showed that there was no significant difference in growth rates or in mortality or in days to reach a target weight in the calves that had Solacyl, compared to previous batches of calves that had followed a prophylactic antibiotic protocol.

"I think this is an ideal protocol for those farmers who are competent, who are able to spot early pneumonia symptoms and are prepared to perhaps treat a slightly higher proportion of calves than they would otherwise have treated. They can now do that with higher confidence that their results should be as good as if they had used prophylactic antibiotics."

Dechra Farm Animal Veterinary Adviser Alana McGlade BVmedsci (hons) BVM BVS MRCVS added: "Sodium salicylate has the same fever-controlling, pain-managing and inflammation-reducing benefits in livestock as aspirin can have in humans.

"It can be administered conveniently to groups of animals, which means it can be given prior to known stress points in animals’ lives. This can be continued through and after those events, providing a welfare benefit and reducing the risk of a loss of appetite and its resulting effects.

"Solacyl can be administered without the supervision of a vet and that makes it a cost-effective and practical solution for farmers that can lead to a notable reduction in routine antibiotic use whilst protecting the welfare of a herd."

Dechra has now published a white paper which you can download here: "Enhancing welfare and combating antimicrobial resistance while maintaining productivity on calf units". 

The results of the research will be presented at the BCVA Congress in October 2018.

Dechra has taken over the distribution of two products designed to support kidney health in senior cats, Porus One and its sister product Add One.

Porus One contains renaltec, a selective absorber that absorbs the precursors of uraemic toxins in the cat’s intestine that would normally be removed or regulated by healthy kidneys, so that they may be safely excreted in the cat's faeces.

The product is presented as a powder which can be sprinkled on wet cat food, or given with Add One as a treat.  

Dechra says it is well-accepted by cats due to its neutral taste and smell.  

Add One is a moist and tasty cat treat developed to encourage cats that prefer dry food to eat Porus One. 

It is available in two flavours: creamy salmon and tasty liver. 

Add One contains omega-3 and a high moisture content to help support kidney health.

It also contains taurine to support a cat’s eyes and heart.

One box of Porus One contains 30 single-dose sachets, each containing 500mg of renaltec. 

One box of Add One contains 30 single-dose 10mg sachets.

https://porus-one.com.

Portsmouth-based Simon Wood has been struck off by the RCVS Disciplinary Committee after being convicted of possessing indecent images of children.

Mr Wood was convicted of three offences which involved the download of 38 videos and 13 indecent images of children, at Portsmouth Magistrates’ Court in December 2017.

In January 2018, he was sentenced to a three-year Community Sentence for each offence, to run concurrently, and was made subject to a five-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

He was also fined £1,000 and ordered to pay costs of £340 and a victim surcharge of £85.

Mr Wood was also placed on the barring list by the Disclosure and Barring Service and required to register with the police pursuant to the Sexual Offences Act 2003 for a period of five years.

Mr Wood appeared before the Disciplinary Committee, admitted his conviction and accepted that it rendered him unfit to practise veterinary surgery.

In determining the sanction, the Committee says it took into account a number of mitigating factors: his conviction involved no actual harm or risk of harm to an animal; there was no financial gain; he had engaged in open and frank admissions at an early stage; he was experiencing mental ill-health at the time of the offence; he had taken subsequent steps to avoid a repetition of such behaviour; there had been a significant lapse of time since the incident; and he showed insight into the harm caused by his offence. 

The Committee also considered that the purpose of a sanction is not to punish, but to protect the welfare of animals, as well as maintain public confidence in the profession and declare and uphold proper standards of conduct. On consideration of the appropriate sanction, the Committee decided that postponement of judgement was not appropriate, and that taking no action was not an option. 

The Committee then considered whether a reprimand or warning was appropriate, but they considered that would not match the gravity of the offence – a period of suspension would also mean Mr Wood would automatically return to the Register after the period of time without the College being able to review his fitness to practise, rendering it an inappropriate sanction. The Committee therefore determined that the removal of Mr Wood from the RCVS Register was the only way to protect the wider public interest and maintain confidence in the profession.

Ian Green, chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: "The Committee has not taken this decision lightly, and, lest it be misinterpreted, it has not taken it in order to satisfy any notional public demand for blame and punishment.

"It has taken the decision because in its perception, the reputation of the profession had to be at the forefront of its thinking and ultimately it was more important than the interests of the Respondent.

"The decision is not simply based on the fact that these offences were of a sexual nature but because they were repeated frequently over a significant period of time, and at the time, the Respondent knew on his own admission that what he was doing was wrong.

"Accordingly, the Committee had decided that removal from the Register is appropriate and proportionate in this case. The Committee will direct the Registrar to remove the Respondent’s name from the Register forthwith."

Mr Wood has 28 days to appeal the Committee’s decision after which, if no appeal is received, the Committee’s judgment takes effect.

Results for the 2010 RCVS Council elections have been released today and, following a slight increase in turnout for the second year running, four existing Council Members and one former Member have been returned for another four years. However, new to Council this year and securing the most votes was Preston-based veterinary practitioner David Catlow.

4,232 veterinary surgeons out of a possible 22,541 cast their votes this year, an increase of 0.6% from 18.2% in 2009. The results of the voting are as follows:

CATLOW, David Frederick. 2,383. Elected.
TAPSFIELD-WRIGHT. Clare Joan. 2,352. Elected.
SHIELD, Christine Fiona. 2,133. Elected.
MOLYNEUX, Jacqueline Rosina. 2,111. Elected.
SMITH, Neil Christopher. 2,089. Elected.
PARTRIDGE, Robert Duncan. 1,971. Elected.
NELL, Adi. 1,781.            
ANDERSON, Roy Paxton. 1,455.           
GODDARD, Philip Campbell. 1,385.            
LONSDALE, Thomas, 380. 

Terms of office for the six successful candidates will (re)commence at RCVS Day on 2 July 2010.

Following a successful partnership last year, the RCVS again teamed up with this website to allow voters more opportunity to quiz the candidates directly and find out more about their views.

Once again, this seemed to prove popular with the electorate although it presented candidates with a large increase in their workload during the voting period. Page views in the election section rose 23% to 28,347 this year; 48 discussion threads were started (slightly down from 53) and total responses rose dramatically by 47% to 988.

A new incentive for members to vote this year was a pledge to donate 20p per voter to the DEC Haiti Earthquake Appeal. A donation of just over £845 will therefore be made shortly.

RCVS Registrar Jane Hern said: "An increase in turnout, if only a small one, is to be welcomed and I hope we can continue to increase members' interest in the composition and activities of RCVS Council. I'd like to thank all ten candidates who stood for election this year; my congratulations to those elected and my commiserations to those who weren't successful this time."

Note: there was no VN Council election this year as only two nominations were received for the two available places. These will be filled by Suzanne May RVN and Hilary Orpet RVN.

Ceva Animal Health has launched Tulaven 100mg/ml (tulathromycin) for bovine respiratory disease (BRD).

Tulaven is licensed for the treatment and metaphylaxis of BRD associated with Mannheimia haemolytica, Pasteurella multocida, Histophilus somni and Mycoplasma bovis.  

Tulaven can also be used to treat Infectious Bovine Keratoconjunctivitis (IBK) associated with Moraxella bovis as well as Porcine Respiratory Disease Complex (PRDC) associated with Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae, Pasteurella multocida, Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae, Haemophilus parasuis and Bordetella bronchiseptica. 

Tulaven is also is licensed to treat the early stages of infectious pododermatitis (foot rot) in sheep associated with virulent Dichelobacter nodosus.

Ceva highlights that Tulaven is the only tulathromycin available in CLAS (Ceva Layered Anti Shatter) vials¹, which have less impact on the environment^2, are easier to handle³ and transport⁴, and are preferred by farmers⁵.

Cuneyt Seckin, Managing Director of Ceva Animal Health, said: “Ceva has been developing its expertise in the treatment of BRD for many years, with a wide range of treatment options and autogenous vaccines available for vets. The launch of Tulaven is the next addition to this range, enabling us to offer even more support to vets and farmers.”

For further information, contact your local Ceva territory manager, call Ceva on 01494 781510 or email cevauk@ceva.com.

References

1. Cavaroc P. J. et al. – Comparative breakage study of injectable anti-infectives vials under vertical drop test by free fall under standardized conditions. IPVS Congress, 2012, 100
2. Jacquet C. et al. Comparative life cycle analysis, final report with critical review, CLAS packaging system and traditional glass packaging system. 2016, APESA 0393 Impact 2002 fig 18 p33, fig.21 p36
3. CLAS vials reference book (2012). Section 5.2: Artis Factis and Ceva developed hand zone ergonomic study (2003). P 16
4. CLAS vials reference book (2012). Section 5.4: Comparison of the weight of CLAS vials vs. glass vials showing that CLAS vials are 6 X lighter than glass vials of the same size. P19
5. Lacoste (2011) Study Report Ceva Sante Animal Health. GAL-SLA-C581.0-11030-N. Usage survey conducted on 540 farmers in France.
6. CLAS vials reference book (2012). Section 5.4: Comparison of the weight of CLAS vials vs. glass vials showing that CLAS vials are 6 X lighter than glass vials of the same size. P19

Zoetis has announced the launch of Vetscan Imagyst, a new in-clinic diagnostic tool initially for testing cats' and dogs' faecal samples for parasites but which has broader applications in the future. 

The company says the system uses a combination of image recognition technology, algorithms and cloud-based artificial intelligence to deliver accurate testing results at the time of visit, within 9 minutes in fact, giving veterinary surgeons the ability to diagnose and treat patients quickly, without the need for a second appointment.

Vetscan Imagyst will detect the eggs, cysts, and oocysts of whipworm, hookworm, roundworm, Giardia, and coccidia

Richard Goldstein, DVM, DACVIM, DECVIM-CA, VP Global Diagnostics Medical Affairs at Zoetis, said: "Parasites are a threat throughout the year, making routine monitoring critical to pet health.

“With Vetscan Imagyst, the ability to have accurate, fast results at the point-of-care empowers veterinarians to diagnose and treat in the same visit, increasing compliance and eliminating follow-up appointments and call backs, thus enhancing the overall pet owner experience.” 

Vetscan Imagyst will launch in the UK next week. For more information, contact your Zoetis representative or visit at www.vetscanimagyst.com.

The Government has announced that veterinary medicines have been put on a list of 'critical goods' to be shipped into the country using government-secured freight capacity in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

The Government says that contracts have been secured with Brittany Ferries and DFDS to run ferries into and out of Poole, Portsmouth, Plymouth, Immingham and Felixstowe, thereby relieving pressure on the Dover straights.

Critical goods have been identified as those essential for the preservation of human and animal welfare, including all veterinary medicines authorised under the Veterinary Medicines Regulation 2013, including finished and un-finished products, and Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (for import and export).

Critical goods also include unauthorised medicines permitted for import under the Veterinary Medicines Directorate’s Special Import Scheme (for import only).

Photo: Shutterstock/Peter Hermes Furian

Virbac has announced the launch of Zenifel, a feline facial pheromone plug-in diffuser billed as the first and only alternative to the current market leader.

Zenifel contains synthetic feline facial pheromones which imitate the facial F3 pheromone which has been found to be significantly important when it comes to cats creating areas they feel safe and relaxed in¹.

According to the company, Zenifel contains a 48ml vial of the same synthetic F3 feline facial pheromone as the market leader, but, thanks to its own diffusion system and a higher concentration of F3, lasts up to 6 weeks; i.e. 50% longer. This, says Virbac, means that Zenifel is both more economical and more environmentally friendly.

Alongside the launch of the new product, Virbac is offering a practice support pack which includes things you need to create a calm area for feline visitors and promote the benefits of pheromones to pet owners. The company is also running a promotion in which practices could be eligible for a year’s free supply of Zenifel.

For more information, contact your local Virbac Territory Manager.

Reference

1. Amat M., Camps T., Manteca X. (2016) Stress in owned cats: behavioural changes and welfare implications. J Feline Med Surg. 18(8):577-586.10.1177/1098612X15590867