Consultations are delivered online using video conferencing software, with the aim being to provide an immediate diagnosis and treatment plan. However, if a diagnosis cannot be made remotely, or the situation requires intensive medical or surgical intervention, Optivet offers non-contact clinical facilities in Hampshire, London and the Isle of Wight, or will recommend other, closer ophthalmology facilities if necessary.
Optivet says it has the medical and surgical expertise to deal with any ongoing issues and follow-up is provided remotely wherever possible.
Rob Lowe, RCVS Specialist in Veterinary Ophthalmology and founder of Optivet, said: “We have come up with an innovative, non-contact ophthalmology solution for both the present and the future. Optivet’s response time and immediate availability of an ophthalmology specialist is unmatched in the UK.
"Once you become a client, you become part of the Optivet family. Our amazing team will work with you throughout the patient journey to provide the highest level of care.”
For more information, visit: remote.optivet.com
Prior to becoming COO, Tim was Managing Director of three referral hospitals owned by Linnaeus – Davies Veterinary Specialists, London Veterinary Specialists and Southfields Veterinary Specialists – and a number of its primary care sites.
Prior to joining Linnaeus, Tim worked in Iceland, where he was a vet for the Icelandic Government.
On his return from Iceland in 2016, he joined Village Vet and then progressed into a range of regional management and practice leadership positions across the industry.
Tim said: "I am proud to be part of our wonderful, unique industry that, although currently facing a number of challenges, continues to make such a difference to the lives of our patients and their owners every day.
“In my first vet role in mixed practice, I was fortunate to receive brilliant support, guidance and encouragement from my team.
"Since then, I have always wanted to do the same for my colleagues, particularly those who are just starting their careers.
“I have used my experience within the veterinary profession to support some fantastic teams at Linnaeus.
"Becoming COO is an honour and opportunity that will enable me to help even more people across the business.”
Vetoquinol UK Ltd is launching a dedicated large animal/equine sales force on the 1st July.
The company says the move reflects the change in cattle and equine veterinary practice to become specialists.
Vetoquinol's large animal brands include: Marbocyl®, Sedalin®, Equistro®, Tolfine®, Pro Rumen and Locatim®.
The new team comprises:
The new sales team will be managed jointly by Hugh Gibson and Stuart Wade.
For further information or to make an appointment please contact your local Territory Manager direct or telephone 01280 825424
Practices which want to buy the alternative imported vaccine will need to apply to the VMD for a Special Import Certificate (SIC).
Wholesalers have agreed to stock the alternative vaccine.
Zoetis says it acknowledges the concern and frustration this causes its customers and wants to reassure the equine community that it is working hard to resume Equip Rotavirus supply as soon as possible.
For further information, contact your Zoetis account manager or ring Zoetis HQ on 0345 300 8034.
Surrey-based Sarah Taylor and Zoe Daley launched the website earlier this year with a range which includes the Medicat wrap to make it easier to medicate and examine cats, and the Slumberpet Recovery Coat for dogs and for cats, for maintaining temperature during anaesthetics.
In addition, they've got a range of funky scrub caps, plus ID tags for your scissors and stethoscopes, fob watches, scrub hats and pens.
Richard Malik from the Centre for Veterinary Education at the University of Sydney and Mike Lappin from Colorado State University, known for their amusing and questioning presentations, will be joined by experts including Jayne Sykes, Séverine Tasker, Donato Traversa and Francesca Mancianti to present the latest information about the diagnosis and treatment of a veritable smorgasbord of feline infectious diseases, including heartworm, leishmaniasis, toxocara, aspergillus, bartonella, coronavirus, erlichia, anaplasma, rickettsia, lungworm, mycobacteria, FeLV, FIV, haemoplasmas, cryptococcosis, GI disease and emerging feline pathogens.
Together with a mini-symposia organised by the congress sponsors – Idexx, Hill’s, Ceva, Bayer and Boehringer Ingelheim – the five-day event is worth 25 hours of feline CPD.
If you need more in-depth knowledge of feline infectious diseases, there are also three masterclasses planned.
The venue looks drop-dead gorgeous too. Set on a small wooded peninsula embraced by two harbours, Cavtat has a pretty waterfront peppered with restaurants, pebbly beaches and an interesting assortment of artsy attractions, making it one of the most desirable tourist destinations in the region. ISFM says it's a great base from which to explore Dubrovnik and the surrounding area.
The welcome party will take place at the congress hotel’s waterfront restaurant on Thursday evening.
Tickets cost £475 for ISFM members and £605 for non-members. Masterclasses are an additional £50 each.
That seems like an absolute steal to me, and I'm not even a vet. Where do I sign?
Ah, here it is: https://icatcare.org/isfm-congress
The event offers over 30 hours of CPD, covering topics which have been chosen to represent the current areas of practical interest for veterinary professionals, from ethics and behaviour to critical care and pain assessment.
The online event was developed after the coronavirus pandemic forced the cancellation of ISFM's annual European Congress.
There will be two separate lecture streams, one for vets and one for veterinary nurses and technicians, alongside several sponsor-led symposiums, live question and answer sessions, and a virtual exhibition hall.
In recognition of attendance, CPD certificates will be available to download from the platform.
In the vet stream, topics include the assessment and management of pain in cats, ethics, analgesia and anaesthesia, point of care ultrasound, nutrition and critical care. International expert speakers will give the latest research in their respective fields, whilst ensuring that their talks and lectures remain practical, with ‘take-home’ information applicable in clinics.
The ISFM is at pains to recognise the generosity of Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Ceva, Hill’s, Purina, Idexx and Royal Canin, which has made it possible to provide the congress free of charge.
Registration opens today. For more information and to register, visit: https://icatcare.org/isfm-international-congress/
In an AI position statement released on their website, the company highlights the opportunities and risks associated with the use of AI to interpret diagnostic images.
In the joint statement, company owners Victoria Johnson and Julien Labruyère (pictured right), said: “We strongly welcome the introduction of appropriately developed, tested and implemented AI tools into our profession, to provide solutions to improve resourcing and benefit animal welfare.
“There is a limited pool of veterinary radiologists and an ever-increasing need for expert interpretation of radiographs and more advanced diagnostic imaging modalities.
"This presents a huge opportunity for the development of AI and related technologies to better address demand, save time and potentially improve clinical knowledge and outcomes.
"However, it is important to note that, unlike human radiology, there is no official framework for the regulation, governance and quality control of AI tools in veterinary radiology.
"This means that there should be a very strong onus on companies and individuals to adhere to the highest standards of medical tool development when creating AI solutions.”
“If AI is released into veterinary practice without appropriate oversight or governance there is a significant risk of misleading results, misdiagnosis, and negative impacts on patient welfare.
"This, in turn, may undermine trust in AI and create a culture of hesitancy to adopt new technologies at a time when innovation is much needed to improve access to advanced care.”
The company is advocating for a series of self-regulatory measures to be applied by companies developing AI in order to safeguard both animal welfare and the liability of the veterinary surgeons using these tools in clinical practice.
The full position statement and a list of recommendations can be here: https://www.vet-ct.com/gb/our-services/ai-veterinary-radiology/
Focusing on the approach, diagnosis and treatment of regurgitation in dogs and cats, the webinar looks at how to differentiate regurgitation from vomiting and the way some diseases can cause inflammation, obstruction or dysmotility of the oesophagus, which can often result in regurgitation.
Aarti Kathrani graduated from the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) and is now a Senior Lecturer in Small Animal Internal Medicine, where she is involved with the clinical internal medicine service. She also helps provide nutritional input to clinical cases seen at the Queen Mother Hospital for Animals, where her research centres on canine and feline gastroenterology and nutrition.
Aarti said: “The webinar is designed to help general practitioners differentiate between regurgitation and vomiting, as well as provide a comprehensive review of the different causes of regurgitation and the diagnostic approach to this. Treatment is also discussed for this condition. We hope the webinar provides a useful guide to help diagnose and manage these cases in general practice.”
The regurgitation lecture is freely available and can be accessed via the Webinar Library here: https://www.bsavalibrary.com/content/webinar-library.
The lecture complements the BSAVA Manual of Canine and Feline Gastroenterology, which was published in 2019 to give readers a greater insight into the GI conditions they are treating. The Manual is divided into four main sections, focusing on; Diagnostic procedures and techniques; Diagnostic approaches to problems; Patient Management; Diseases of specific systems/organs.
The Manual costs £60.00 for BSAVA members; £90.00 for non-members and can be purchased from the BSAVA website here: https://www.bsava.com/Shop/Veterinary-books#!prod/f1a8220f-3ff7-e911-80e7-005056be4acd/curr/GBP
The new machine is a modular system using low-flow anaesthesia for animals from 2-80kg.
The company says that compared to anaesthetic techniques which use high fresh gas flow rates, it functions without posing a risk to team members from the huge amounts of oxygen and inhalational anaesthetic agents that would otherwise be released.
In turn, this results in cost savings from unwasted agents, and a typical 5 to 10 times reduction in environmental damage.
Darvall founder, Dr Colin Dunlop, said: “For optimal outcome from anaesthesia, veterinary anaesthesiologists and veterinarians routinely make decisions about the physiological well-being of the patient, the environmental impact of their actions, the operational efficiency of their practice and cost-effectiveness.
"Having suitable equipment that uses low-flow anaesthesia will reduce the risk of hypothermia, improve team safety, reduce environmental emissions and reduce costs.”
“Low-flow anaesthesia not only reduces oxygen flows and inhalant agent consumption to less than 10% of high-flow, non-rebreathing systems, it can help reduce anaesthetic hypothermia because it uses warm gas when using the Darvall heated breathing circuits.
"Using our specifically designed modern system for veterinary patients addresses the traditional challenges associated with low-flow anaesthesia and hypothermia.
Darvall says the use of just one system will also simplify staff training and ensure familiarity.
https://darvallvet.com
The charity says it joins mounting evidence that brachycephalic cats, including most modern Persians or Exotic Shorthairs, are suffering from a number of health problems, including breathing problems, eye inflammation, skin infections and difficulty eating.
In the study, published open access in the journal PLOS ONE, cat owners were asked to complete a detailed health questionnaire and submit photographs of their cats so that researchers could measure the muzzle ratio and nose position ratio. 1000 valid questionnaires and 373 valid photographs were received.
The research confirmed that flatter-faced cats (of breeds such as the Persian or Exotic Shorthair), were more likely to have breathing problems and that the breathing difficulties were also associated with increased tear staining and a more sedentary lifestyle.
A previous paper, published in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery (JFMS)2 showed how the skulls of brachycephalic cats are actually deformed, especially the nose and jaw.
The charity says that unfortunately, breeds of cat and dog with flat faces are becoming more and more popular, and extremes (of an already abnormal anatomy) can become instant internet celebrities. These breeds and individuals often have large or prominent eyes which are considered by some to be 'cute' because they are baby-like, and the flattened face often has an up-turned or down-turned mouth, which gives it a human or cartoon characteristic of smiling or scowling, such as Grumpy Cat.
Claire Bessant, Chief Executive of International Cat Care said: "It is very depressing to see the life which has been deliberately dealt to some breeds of cats because of a human desire to develop a certain look. I urge cat lovers to speak out and help others to understand that this is not something we should be doing to cats, and not something we should be tolerating.
"One of the best and most beautifully naturally designed animals – the cat – would not normally have any of these problems; we have created them through selective breeding.
"We should not be encouraging people to breed these cats by calling them 'cute', by being amused at their facial characteristics, or by the fact that they snore – rather we need to understand that this is human intervention that is wholly detrimental to the welfare of the cats and is simply cruel.
"International Cat Care takes an ethical view of all cat breeds and our website (http://icatcare.org/advice/cat-breeds) outlines the problems that exist for some breeds, including very flat-faced cats in the Persians and Exotic breeds. Our stance is that we should never deliberately breed cats for any feature or characteristic that impairs their welfare."
References
Petplan has announced that it has won a formal tender to become the chosen pet insurance provider for Vets4Pets and Companion Care, as part of a five year deal to provide cover for over 250 practices.
Simon Masding, Petplan's Head of Sales and Partnerships said: "As the leader in the pet insurance market for over 36 years, we have a rich history of working with veterinary practices across the UK and it is fantastic to see our unrivalled support recognised as part of a formal tender process. This partnership demonstrates our passion for working with and supporting the veterinary profession.
"We are delighted to be Vets4Pets and Companion Care's chosen pet insurance provider and look forward to working together to help give even more pets access to quality insurance cover and an excellent claims experience."
Companion Care Commercial Director Andrei Balta said: "Like Petplan, we put pet welfare and owner's peace of mind first. Through the development of the tender process, it was clear that Petplan offers not only a world class service for pet owners, but our businesses share similar values and a deep respect for the industry."
Ceva Animal Health has launched Feliway Friends, a new pheromone to help reduce tensions and conflicts in households with more than one cat.
The company highlights a 2014 survey which found that 44% of cat owning households have more than one cat, with nearly a third of those questioned stating that they had experienced fighting and aggression between pets in the household1.
Feliway Friends is a synthetic copy of the cat appeasing pheromone (CAP) naturally produced by nursing queens to support their kittens after birth. The company says this pheromone helps cats feel safe and secure, and maintains a harmonious bond between them.
Ceva says Feliway Friends is clinically proven to significantly decrease the intensity and frequency of signs of tension in households with more than one cat. According to another study, 84% of cat owners believed there was a significant improvement in how their cats got on after using the product2.
Feliway Friends and Feliway Classic can be used at the same time if the owner is experiencing conflicts alongside other stress-related behaviour problems such as urine marking, scratch marking and general anxiety.
Available as a 30-day diffuser and refill, Feliway Friends lasts for up to 30 days and covers an area of up to 70m2.
Claire Russell, Feliway product manager at Ceva Animal Health, said: "Inter-cat aggression is a major problem in multi-cat households, with many cats experiencing stress in the home due to sharing resources. Feliway Friends is a great support to encourage harmony in multi-cat homes. By introducing the cat appeasing pheromone and educating owners on resource management and how to create a cat friendly home, we can significantly improve feline relationships in our UK multi-cat homes.’’
Ceva Animal Health has launched a range of marketing materials to support the launch of the new product, including an eight-page pet owner leaflet and poster. Practices can also request an online toolkit which includes: images, website content, social media assets and articles to help educate clients facing aggression between household cats.
For information on FELIWAY visit www.feliway.com/uk.
A new injectable antibiotic with nil-milk-withhold licensed to treat foul-in-the-foot in a single shot has been launched by Pfizer Animal Health.
Naxcel Cattle's active ingredient is ceftiofur in a patented sustained-release formulation. According to the company, one injection provides a full course of antibiotic therapy, giving seven days of therapeutic blood levels against the majority of inter-digital necrobacillosis ('foul-in-the-foot') pathogens.
Pfizer vet Dave Gilbert says the expectation is that Naxcel Cattle will make on-farm therapy easier and help improve treatment compliance and thereby first treatment success rates, compared to treatments which require repeat injections. "Having the full course in a single injection simplifies treatment protocols and eliminates a number of reasons for non-completion of treatment, such as forgetting a second or third dose, or not giving them because of apparent symptomatic recovery from the condition."
The site of injection for Naxcel Cattle is the subcutaneous area at the base of the ear (see Figures 1 & 2). Injection instructions are supplied in the product pack. Dave Gilbert suggests that provided cattle are adequately restrained during administration the injection technique is simple and straightforward. The dose rate is 1ml/30kg body weight and up to 30ml can safely be given into each site.
Figure 1. Subcutaneous administration of Naxcel Cattle at the posterior aspect of the ear where it attaches to the head (base of ear).Figure 2. Injection location for the subcutaneous administration of Naxcel Cattle at the posterior aspect of the ear where it attaches to the head (base of ear).
The finance was raised via a private placement with Sun Life Investment Management.
The College says it chose to finance via the private placement market due to the supportive buy and hold nature of the investor base, the strong demand within it for high quality higher education credits and the negotiated nature of the market.
In the top three of the QS world university rankings and with a strong financial performance history, the RVC’s £45 million senior unsecured note offering generated significant investor interest both within the UK and North America; with the offer four times over-subscribed, the RVC was able to take advantage of highly competitive long-term interest rates.
The secured funding will allow capital developments on both of the College's campuses.
Professor Stuart Reid, the RVC Principal, said: "I am absolutely delighted that we have secured this innovative blue chip financial backing in a deal which reflects our international reputation and leadership in the veterinary and biomedical sciences. We now look forward to investing in the next phase of capital development at the RVC, securing our position for years to come."
Candace Shaw, Head of Private Fixed Income, Sun Life Investment Management, said: "We are pleased to support the continued growth of the RVC, a specialised higher education institution with a renowned reputation both in the UK and internationally. The financing of the RVC represents a sound investment and aligns to Sun Life’s long-term investment objectives in this sector."
Virbac, in conjunction with the European Veterinary Dental Society, has launched an online dental charting system called the Electronic Veterinary Dental Scoring System for use by small animal practitioners.
The system aims to enhance the performance of clinicians conducting dentistry and to encourage a thorough review of the oral cavity during the annual check up.
The system allows you to record clinical findings on online dental charts and build up a history for each patient. There are also a series of tutorials to help in making clinical decisions. Virbac says the e-VDS system also encourages owner compliance with treatment regimes as it provides downloadable materials, including an assessment of their pet and follow up reports.
Dr Gottfried Morgenegg-Wegmüller, who was the EVDS project lead on this development, said: "It was always my vision to give veterinary dentistry the importance it deserves. The most effective way to achieve this is by targeting the general practitioner and encouraging them to have a closer look at the oral cavity of their patients."
Victoria Hudson, Product Manager for dental products at Virbac, said: "Poor dental health is a major issue for dogs and cats yet many practices are yet to capitalise on the opportunity to help increase the animal's welfare and health. Many owners are simply unaware of the importance of caring for their pet's teeth.
"The new e-VDS system is a great leap forward in dental care, offering not just electronic charting but a raft of additional support materials, all of which are practical and easy to use. We hope many practices will be keen to try it - and will soon be reaping the benefit!"
e-VDS is available free of charge on http://www.my-virbac.co.uk/, Virbac's practice support portal. Practices can also contact their territory manager for more details.
As Ceva points out, the change gives veterinary surgeons an opportunity to get more involved in parasite control plans and help farmers develop a sustainable parasite control strategy on their farm.
Eprecis injectable contains eprinomectin, the only molecule with zero-milk withdrawal currently available for cattle on the U.K. market.
Ceva highlights that because Eprecis is an injection, there is no risk of product transfer between in-contact animals caused by licking1,2,3 a natural behaviour of cattle, potentially resulting in sub-therapeutic levels of product being absorbed. There is also no risk of reduction in efficacy if dirt or manure is present on the back of the animal4.
The company says injectable formulation results in less active ingredient per animal treated compared to eprinomectin pour-ons; for example using Eprecis injection, a 500kg animal receives 100mg eprinomectin, while a pour-on delivers 250mg per application.
To support the new POM-V classification, Ceva has launched a vet support pack to help veterinary professionals when talking to their farming clients about Eprecis, worming strategies and their parasite control plans. The pack contains a farmer targeted brochure, farmer Q&A and a practical guide with suggestions of when Eprecis can be used. It also includes an infograph for social media posts, a technical booklet and a vet Q&A to help answer the most common questions they may be asked. A series of social media posts are available for vet practices encouraging their clients to discuss worming with their vet.
Kythé Mackenzie BVSc MRCVS, ruminant veterinary adviser at Ceva Animal Health, said: “Ruminants can be parasitised by a range of nematodes, trematodes and external parasites, all of which can have an impact on health and production. A recent publication considered that helminth infections (GIN, lungworm and liver fluke) cost the UK dairy industry close to £145M per year5. Interestingly, the majority of these costs were attributed to lost production (£131M) rather than treatment costs (£14M).
“There is now documented resistance to eprinomectin in small ruminants6 (Haemonchus contortus in goats) and whilst not yet documented in cattle, action needs to be taken to try and delay/minimise this emergence. This requires the use of more sustainable parasite control plans to assist in managing refugia and allowing animals adequate exposure to the parasites to develop natural immunity. Parasite control plans should maximise health, welfare and production whilst minimising the unnecessary use of anthelmintics.”
In the short-term, orders of Eprecis injectable from veterinary wholesalers will be fulfilled by the current POM-VPS product that is in the supply chain before switching to the new packaging later in the season.
For further information contact your local Ceva Animal Health territory manager or email cevauk@ceva.com.
In response to the question ‘How important is sustainability to you personally?’, 57% of respondents said it was very important making it the most popular choice.
However, in answer to the question: ‘Is your practice team actively working to improve sustainability?’, 20% of respondents said ‘Always/wherever possible’ and 42% said ‘Most of the time’, leaving 38% not actively working to improve sustainability.
IVC says the conclusion to be drawn is that sustainability is a personal priority, but this isn’t always translating to practice and more can be done.
To help with this, the company will shortly Positive Hoofprint, an Equine and Farm specific toolkit to help practices become more sustainable, with resources, checklists and practical advice for prioritising environmentally friendly initiatives.
Mark Tabachnik, UK Head of Equine for IVC Evidensia, said: “It’s clear from our survey that sustainability is still being treated as a secondary concern in practice, and this is something that IVC Evidensia is actively seeking to change.
“With our Positive Hoofprint about to be launched, there has never been a better time to prioritise our sustainability goals and to embed them in our own practices.
“This will give colleagues the tools they need to care for the planet, so we can fundamentally change equine veterinary to be more environmentally conscious for the future.”
Defra has confirmed that equine infectious anaemia (EIA) has been detected in two horses in Wiltshire following importation from Romania via Belgium.
The premises is currently under restriction and the two infected horses will be humanely destroyed in line with existing regulations. The other horses on the premises will be subject to epidemiological investigation in the coming weeks. A further two horses have also been under investigation and test results have proved negative.
The animals arrived in a group of 10 horses, nine of which originated from Romania and one from Belgium. The nine Romanian horses were tested for EIA as part of routine post-import testing. Seven horses all tested negative. The horse that originated in Belgium is due to be tested shortly.
Chief Veterinary Officer, Nigel Gibbens said: "This is the first case of equine infectious anaemia infected animals being imported into Great Britain since 1976 and shows the success of our post import testing regime. These were apparently healthy horses carrying a notifiable disease that we are keen to keep out of Great Britain. After considering the risk I have decided to take appropriate action and humanely destroy these two horses that tested positive."
The BSAVA reports that its Certificates in Medicine and Surgery have sold out in less than 5 minutes, beating the previous record of 20 minutes in their first year.
The Association says that whilst this is testament to the success and demand for its CPD, it is determined to find a way to avoid disappointing so many aspiring students - and after emergency talks over the weekend has decided to run a second intake of 30 students for each of the two programmes from January.
Dr Frances Barr, BSAVA's Academic Director, said: "Whilst we had only envisioned taking 30 new students onto each course this year, it quickly became clear that there is such a great appetite for this kind of accredited CPD in the profession right now. What a shame it would have been not to find a way to allow those ambitions to be fulfilled. So we are effectively going to run each programme twice in one year."
Quality control and sufficient student support is being met thanks to an overwhelming response from our teaching faculty and mentors. Dr Barr added: "BSAVA owes thanks to all those who lecture and work alongside our Certificate students. Without them we would not have been able to respond so quickly to this unprecedented demand".
The second programme will take place at two sites; BSAVA HQ in Gloucester, and the College of Animal Welfare in Huntingdon. Anyone who has not been able to take a place in the 2013 cohort will be offered priority registration for the 2014 in-take. For more information about BSAVA Certificates visit www.bsava.com or email administration@bsava.com.
Vetigel is a plant based gel which was first introduced to the UK for orthodontic surgeries last year.
It is supplied in a pre-filled syringe and applied directly to the site of bleeding where it creates an initial mechanical seal and then supports the formation of the platelet plug below.
VetPlus says it can be used in many situations where bleeding is an issue and the gel can be applied directly to the site of bleeding, including liver biopsies, mass removals, amputations and enucleations.
Jackie Marshall, VetPlus Technical Advisor, said: “This innovative product is already transforming the way vets perform both dental and surgical procedures, and we have had really positive feedback from those practices where it is being used already.
"Vetigel isn’t intended to replace a surgeon’s technique, but it is designed to stop bleeding where pressure or other methods are ineffective or impractical.
"Because it is a gel, it can conform to a wide range of wound shapes, making it a rapid, effective way of controlling bleeding.
“We believe this product will make a lasting impact on veterinary care, transforming the way surgeries are carried out and assisting haemostasis in animal patients.”
Zak Leavold, a vet based at Calster Vets in Great Yarmouth used Vetigel in an emergency situation, out of hours, on a dog with a bleed due to a kidney laceration.
He said: ‘I genuinely believe the product saved the dog’s life that night.
"I will certainly be keeping Vetigel on hand for any future soft surgeries – just in case!’
Links
Some 150 practices currently use Vidivet, which was set up by Ben Sweeney MRCVS (pictured) in 2020.
He said: “I started VidiVet as I wanted people to be able to access high quality, impartial care for their pets that allows them to make more informed decisions around their treatment with expert information, rather than resorting to the internet.
"As a vet I also wanted to make life easier for those working within veterinary practices.
"VidiVet relieves part of the burden veterinary practices face by offering a trusted digital triage service for their clients.
"Our digital service can provide a helpful extension to a practice which dramatically reduces admin and saves time for the in-house team.
"Crucially, we offer peace of mind and reduce anxiety for pet owners, and with over 96% of VidiVet out of hours calls redirected to the pet owner’s registered vet, it can really enhance the practice bond by using digital care to augment physical care."
Before the Provet partnership, OOH case notes were sent to client practices which then had to enter them onto their systems manually.
Vidivet says the intregration with Provet means less admin and time savings for practices and a quicker follow up for pet owners.
https://vidivet.com
https://www.provet.cloud
The campaign uses Pennies, the digital charitable giving system which invites you to make a small donation when you pay for something by debit or credit card.
For the last four years, Medivet clients have been invited to make a donation of 50p when paying their veterinary bill, and the millionth donation was made at Medivet 24 Hour Shrewsbury this week.
Medivet says the funds raised have played a crucial role in helping to protect the rhino - enabling Wilderness Foundation Africa's Forever Wild Rhino Protection Initiative to support these critically endangered species across a wide range of activities. This includes the treatment of poaching attack survivors plus the care and rehabilitation of orphaned baby rhinos.
In terms of prevention, thanks to Medivet client donations, two cold scent tracker dogs have been deployed – Ella and Ziggy – who work with anti-poaching units, while support has also been provided for intelligence-sharing amongst local law-enforcement agencies. Funds have additionally been deployed to help drive global awareness, provide community services as well as essential field-based veterinary equipment.
Dr John Smithers, Senior Partner and Project Co-ordinator for Medivet Saving the Rhino, said: "We could not be more grateful to our clients for all they have done to help the survival of this iconic species. Their incredible generosity - combined with the support of our colleagues and partners - has made a real difference in the fight against poaching and we want to thank our clients for every donation made."
In South Africa, the Medivet-supported efforts to reduce poaching are co-ordinated by Dr William Fowlds, a former Medivet employee, who added: "This is a truly remarkable milestone and we are overwhelmed by the kindness of Medivet and its clients. The money raised not only helps protect the rhinos but helps bring to justice those responsible for the destruction of these precious and innocent creatures."
Alison Hutchinson, CBE, CEO of Pennies said reaching 1m donations was a remarkable achievement: “Pennies is proud to support Medivet’s Saving the Rhino campaign, and it’s been so inspiring to see one million individual micro-donations made through the digital charity box over the past four years.
"From all at Pennies, thank you and congratulations to the Medivet team and their hugely generous clients for reaching this milestone, for challenging the rhino poaching crisis in South Africa, and proving that small change truly does add up to mean big things."
Three cheers from VetSurgeon.org, too. That's a big achievement by Medivet for an important cause.
The company says the new addition leverages a combination of image recognition technology, algorithms, and cloud-based deep learning AI to enable accurate, in-clinic sediment analysis of fresh urine, delivering results within minutes.
The system evaluates red and white blood cells, squamous and other epithelial cells (e.g. urothelial and renal tubular epithelial cells), hyaline and non-hyaline casts, struvite and calcium oxalate dihydrate crystals, and cocci and rod bacteria.
Zoetis says its performance is comparable to that of a clinical pathologist.
Richard Goldstein, DVM, DACVIM, DECVIM-CA, Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, Global Diagnostics Medical Affairs at Zoetis said: “Urinalysis is an essential diagnostic test for veterinary surgeons, and often a good indicator of potential wider issues.
"Having the ability to get these results faster will improve the speed and level of care teams can provide their patients, facilitating efficient medical decision-making and helping to ensure smooth workflows.
The training facility is over 800m2 and houses 18 working stations, three lecture rooms, the latest training technology, a leisure area and library with outdoor space and parking.
Heber Alves, CEO of the Improve International Group said: “It has been a goal of ours for a long time to open a new, top-of-the-range training facility for veterinary professionals in Germany.
"We are delighted to see this dream come true and we are very excited to now have the opportunity to work more closely with vets and veterinary technicians and help them grow their skillsets.”
www.improveinternational.com.