Vets Now and the PDSA are recruiting candidates for an initiative which lets Vets Now staff observe and work on elective surgical cases at PDSA Pet Hospitals, while PDSA’s new graduate vets get a taste of frontline Emergency and Critical Care medicine.

The initiative was first launched in 2018 as a small-scale pilot. 

Following a hiatus during Covid, and subsequent adaptations and expansion, the 2022 programme saw 12 new graduate vets from PDSA and 22 from Vets Now take part.

Dr Aoife Reid, Head of Edge programmes and Clinical Career Progression at Vets Now said: “We recognised that within ECC practice, surgical cases are less common.

“When they do happen, though, they are high-stakes and are usually lifesaving.

"So, it’s important to maintain the surgical skills of our veterinary surgeons.”

Meanwhile, while each of PDSA Pet Hospital’s perform hundreds of surgical procedures every week, working in collaboration with Vets Now’s 60-plus clinics and hospitals gives new graduates exposure to more intensive and time-critical emergencies.

They encountered case presentations that are more commonly seen in emergency situations, including dystocia, seizures and dyspnoea; and developed their skills utilising point of care ultrasound and blood gas analysis with more critical patients.

Gemma Renwick, PDSA Area Veterinary Manager said: “This a scheme has really positive mutual benefits and provides a greater level of understanding of how each other works.

“It makes for a smooth transition between the day and the night service; which results in a much better experience for both clients and pets.”

Before attending, vets get a taster of what to expect through short webinar-style videos. They each then spend three shifts working alongside the other veterinary teams.

The Vets Now clinicians perform several surgeries in one shift, something that would rarely happen in all but the busiest of emergency clinics.

They also benefit from discussing cases when they may be more used to working in a solo environment and receive feedback from an experienced PDSA Clinical Coach.

Vets Now says feedback from both sides has been hugely positive, with participating vets saying they felt welcomed and supported.

 Aoife said: “Within the veterinary industry, although it’s a small and close-knit community, we rarely see organisations collaborating in this way.“

"So, it’s great to work together to help benefit both our vets and the clients.”

Norbrook Laboratories Ltd has launched the 2013 - 2014 edition of its UK Veterinary Surgeon's Product Compendium.

The compendium contains data sheets for the complete range of over 120 Norbrook products which are available in the UK and Northern Ireland, including 17 new products which have been launched since the last compendium was issued.

The compendium is available from your Norbrook representative or can be downloaded from www.norbrook.com. Norbrook also offers an iPhone App through which users can access essential product information including pharmaceutical presentation, uses, dosage and administration, withdrawal periods, contraindications & warnings and pharmaceutical precautions.

Vet Sustain, the BVA, the BVNA and SPVS are urging veterinary practices to go green and have produced a new checklist to help teams drive change at their workplace

In a 2019 BVA Voice of the Veterinary Profession Survey, 89% of vets said that they would like to play a more active role in the UK sustainability agenda.

The new checklist includes four major areas for action that cover practising responsible resource use, being sustainable in your operation, using medicines responsibly, and sustaining the team. Each theme has a list of ways that these actions can be achieved.

Vet Sustain founder and director, Laura Higham said: "Veterinary professionals and members of the vet-led team are extremely well positioned to show leadership in sustainability, in their workplaces and in their communities.

"Our new checklist helps veterinary teams to put their sustainability intentions in to practice, through a number of practical steps that will ultimately support the wellbeing of our patients, ourselves and the natural world."

BVA Junior Vice President, Justine Shotton said: "We know that lots of our members are passionate about the environment, and the ‘Greener Veterinary Practice Checklist’ is a great place to start for any veterinary team wanting to work in a more environmentally friendly way.

Jo Oakden RVN BVNA President said: "Environmental Sustainability is really important to us at the BVNA; we are currently going through the process of Environmental Accreditation. Veterinary Nurses are ideally placed to get involved and drive eco-friendly changes within the veterinary practice."

For more information, visit: https://vetsustain.org/

The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) has published its Pharmacovigilance Annual Review 2015, which reviews 5674 reports of adverse events in animals, humans and the environment following the use of veterinary medicines over the course of the year.

5638 events were reported spontaneously, mainly by the marketing authorisation holder (61%), with the remainder largely reported by veterinary surgeons. 

Of these, 5512 were reports of adverse reactions in animals: 829 concerning suspected lack of efficacy, 4638 concerning safety. The majority of reports concerned dogs (2927), cats (1426) and cattle (386).

In dogs, medicines for the control of epilepsy were most often suspected of not having performed as expected (80 reports) whilst vaccines were most commonly reported as having failed to work (71).  However, the VMD points out that in many cases, vaccination failure was attributable to other causes (such as incomplete vaccination schedule).

In cats, flea spot-on products were most likely to be reported as not having worked (21). However, there are many reasons why owners may continue to see live fleas on their animal which are unrelated to product efficacy (such as reinfestation from the environment). 

Notably, the majority of efficacy reports in horses (12/19) related to euthanasia products, which the report says should serve as a reminder that alternative means of euthanasia should always be available in case the chosen method does not proceed as planned.

Of the safety reports, 59.6% involved dogs, 31% cats, 4.9% horses and 3.9% rabbits. The majority concerned vaccines (1360 reports, most commonly general signs or symptoms, such as lethargy or pyrexia), parasiticides (472 reports, most commonly lethargy, emesis, inflammation/pruritus, depending on method of administration) and inflammation control (412 cases, most commonly emesis, renal insufficiency and diarrhoea, depending on the drug type).

There were 124 reports of adverse events in humans. Of those involving veterinary professionals (about a quarter):

• There were two cases where owners were injured by a vet with a needle. In one case, despite the owner washing and disinfecting their hands immediately, the hand became too swollen to move and required anti-histamines and anti-inflammatories.
• A veterinary nurse developed a sore eye when vaccine was squirted into it as the needle came off the syringe. The symptoms resolved the following day.
• A veterinary surgeon reported brief periods of numbness around an injury sustained from a needle used for a rabies vaccination.
• A veterinary surgeon reported injection site pain after inadvertently injecting a small volume of a macrolide antimicrobial into his thumb. 
• A veterinary surgeon scratched his finger with a needle he had used to administer tilmicosin, and he thought a drop may have entered the wound. Nevertheless he did not seek medical attention until more than 3 hours later. Fortunately no treatment was required. 
• A veterinary surgeon pricked her finger with a needle on a syringe full of alfaxalone. No product was injected and she experienced no other symptoms than bleeding and pain from the puncture wound. 
• A veterinary surgeon was administering pentobarbital to a cat when the needle came off the syringe and between 1 and 20 ml of product squirted back into her eyes and mouth. She rinsed her eyes and mouth, drank some water and ate a banana. 45 minutes later she felt tired and ‘fuzzy’. She spoke to her GP by phone, but did not attend the surgery or receive treatment. She recovered within 3 hours. 
• A locum veterinary nurse developed swelling around an injury on her hand from a needle on a syringe of medetomidine. She had punctured a blood vessel, but thought only a small amount of product was injected. She felt light-headed and was monitored in hospital for a couple of hours, after which she returned to work with no lasting effects. 
• Two veterinary surgeons and a pet owner suffered needle stick injuries whilst an anti-emetic was administered to an animal that was being restrained by the owner. 

The VMD says that reports of needle stick injuries involving vaccines with a mineral oil adjuvant are of particular concern, because they often fail to show that the injured party has received prompt and correct treatment, either because they are themselves unaware of the necessity for swift intervention, or because they do not take the product package information leaflet with them when seeking medical treatment. 

Similarly, the VMD says that incidents involving injectable tilmicosin seem to be often dismissed as just a scratch, and that if you use these products, you should make sure you are fully aware of the warnings contained in the product leaflets.

To read the full report, visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/608968/PhV_Annual_Review_2015_v7.pdf 

Hertfordshire-based Davies Veterinary Specialists has produced guidelines for conserving oxygen during anaesthesia, in order to help preserve this limited resource during the coronavirus pandemic. 

The anaesthesia team has produced a fact sheet, infographic and CPD webinar to help practices minimise the oxygen and volatile anaesthetic agent used in animals safely.

The resources can all be found at: https://vetspecialists.co.uk/oxygen-conservation 

Anaesthetist Sarah Gibson will be following up the webinar with a live online Q&A on Low Flow Anaesthesia on Tuesday 7th April at 2pm; to book your place please email CPD@vetspecialists.co.uk.

Managing Director Tim Richardson said: "By sharing our practical information on oxygen conservation, we hope we can help our colleagues safely use less oxygen during general anaesthesia and sedation, thus ensuring more of this valuable resource remains available."

Davies Veterinary Specialists' premises remain open for urgent and emergency cases. For all other cases, assistance is being provided via remote consultation, be that either telephone or video.

Norbrook Laboratories has launched Cefimam DC intramammary ointment, a new dry cow preparation containing the 4th generation cephalosporin, cefquinome.

The company has also released a Polish language version of its Best Practice Guide for On-Farm Mastitis Control, in response to demand from producers with non-English speaking farm-hands.

Norbrook vet Chris Geddes said: "I believe this is the first time that such a guide has been produced to cater for farm-hands of a different nationality working within the UK. Good mastitis management starts with good education; giving everyone on the farm the same opportunity for learning the best techniques for prevention means that we help minimise incidences of mastitis, which costs the dairy industry millions of pounds in lost revenue every year.

"This prevention includes a thorough and consistent approach to dry cow management. The early drying off period is often a risky time, when pre-existing subclinical infections can bed-in. The cow is also at increased risk of gaining new infections due to lack of udder hygiene procedures that would normally occur at milking, and weakened immunity as she approaches calving. Our new cefquinome preparation is a valuable addition to have in the treatment armoury for dry cow management. It has broad-spectrum activity and high cellular penetration to help tackle hard-to-manage cases with the aim of returning to maximum productivity by the start of the milking season."

Cefimam DC will be available at all veterinary wholesalers in packs of 24x and 120x 8g intramammary tubes. Vets can obtain both English and Polish versions of the Best Practice Guide for On-Farm Mastitis Control from Territory Managers.

For further information or copies of the Best Practice Guide for On-Farm Mastitis Control in English or Polish, contact your Territory Manager or call Norbrook GB head office on 01536 741 147.

Petplan has launched nominations for its Petplan Insurance Advisor of the Year Award.

The award is to recognise the hard work and dedication that Pet Insurance Advisors (PIAs) do to highlight the importance of insurance to pet owners as a means of financial protection. To nominate your PIA visit http://www.petplan.co.uk/piaaward/

Petplan works with nearly 2000 vet practices to promote pet insurance within practice. Once a practice has received Appointed Representative status, employees can train to become a dedicated Pet Insurance Advisor by registering on http://www.petplan.co.uk/piaaward/  

Petplan says that since pet owners often look to vets for advice about where they stand on insurance matters, having a dedicated member of staff there to explain insurance benefits can give an added value service to your practice. Also the PIA scheme can contribute to staff's CPD, and help them develop transferable skills such as confidently promoting products and handling client objections.  

Kelly Cummings, the winner of the 2008 Petplan Insurance Advisor of the Year award said: "Encouraging owners to invest in pet insurance early on in their pet's life can help to ensure a stress-free future. The PIA scheme offers good advice about the basics of insurance which are easy to understand for vet staff.  This information can then be simply conveyed to clients."

The PIA of the Year will receive a new laptop and their practice will receive £100 in vouchers!  Nominations close on 31^st August 2009 and the nominees will be judged by industry professionals.  The winner will be announced at the annual BVNA Congress on 10^th October.

Please note: due to insurance regulation, the PIA scheme is only available to veterinary staff employed at Petplan Appointed Representative practices.

The RCVS Disciplinary Committee has dismissed a charge against Nicholas Robert William Horniman MRCVS, a veterinary surgeon from Cinderford, Gloucestershire, that alleged he was guilty of pet insurance fraud, along with one of his clients, and of dishonestly altering clinical records.

The charge was that, between December 1 2008 and June 30 2014, in relation to Cassy, a Labrador retriever belonging to Jayne Bowkett, Mr Horniman:

• suggested to Mrs Bowkett that she take out an insurance policy for the dog using owner's details that were different from those used for its current insurance policy;
• dishonestly arranged for or allowed practice records for the dog in the name of Bowkett to be discontinued and separate records to be started in the name Griffiths;
• and, dishonestly maintained practice records for the dog as if she were different from the one for which previous practice records had been maintained.

The Committee heard that Cassy, who had previously been diagnosed with hip dysplasia, had been registered with Pets Barn Veterinary Group in Gloucestershire in May 2008 when Mr Horniman was the Principal and owner of the three-practice group. Cassy was treated at the Cinderford branch of the practice where she received regular prescriptions for her condition.

At some point in 2008/2009, Mrs Bowkett had relayed concerns to Mr Horniman that her current pet insurance policy needed to be renewed, that the renewed policy would not cover Cassy's existing hip problems and that she would be unable to pay for any future operations herself. It was alleged that, in response to Mrs Bowkett's concerns, Mr Horniman told her that they could take Cassy off the practice computer and put her back on under a different insurance policy in a different name.

Mrs Bowkett took out a policy with Petplan, beginning on 13 August 2009, using her father's details instead of her own. It was alleged that Mr Horniman then arranged for new practice records to be set up in the name 'Cassy Griffiths'. These new records were first used substantively in May 2010 when Cassy returned to the practice with hip problems, following which two separate records were maintained for the dog under 'Cassy Bowkett' and 'Cassy Griffiths'.

In August 2010 Dariusz Drozdz MRCVS, a vet who had treated Cassy several times, had been told by Mrs Bowkett that the dog had two separate records. He told the Disciplinary Committee that he queried this with Mr Horniman who suggested that it was a mistake and that they 'RIP' the name Cassy Bowkett. Mr Drozdz disagreed on this course of action but was told by Mr Horniman to 'leave it to me' and the records were then changed to say that Cassy Bowkett had died.

Mrs Bowkett alleged that, at some point in 2011, Mr Horniman explained to her that it would no longer be possible to claim for treatment for Cassy's hip dysplasia under the Petplan policy in her father's name. However, the policy remained active, and was transferred into Mrs Bowkett's name upon her father's death.

In July 2011 Cassy Griffiths was seen by Jennifer Jones MRCVS, a part-time locum vet at the Cinderford practice, who told the Committee that she was puzzled about why there were very few clinical records relating to the animal. A receptionist explained to her that there were two sets of records for the same dog and that Mr Horniman had instructed her to mark the original pet as having been euthanased and close its records and create a second new record for the dog. Ms Jones tendered her resignation shortly afterwards citing concerns that a pet had been 'reincarnated to ensure continued income from insurance claims'. In November 2011 Ms Jones submitted a formal complaint to the RCVS.

During the course of the hearing the Committee heard evidence from Mrs Bowkett, Mr Drozdz and Ms Jones, amongst others.

In giving evidence Mrs Bowkett admitted that she had knowingly engaged in fraud but maintained that at all times she had acted with the knowledge and on the advice of Mr Horniman. However, the Committee found that she was unable to remember any relevant material dates and was unclear about the chronology of events. It was suggested on several occasions that she was lying to the Committee, which she denied. However, the Committee believed that she took no responsibility for her own fraudulent actions but merely blamed Mr Horniman and that she had a strong motive to engage in the insurance fraud.

In regards to the evidence given by Mr Drozdz the Committee noted that he did not record his suspicions of possible fraud, that he continued to treat Cassy Griffiths after he raised his concerns, and that he appeared to have accepted Mr Horniman's assurance that he had dealt with the issue.

The Committee found that Ms Jones was correct in her suspicions that there was only one dog. However, it felt she offered no evidence to support her suspicion that this was part of Mr Horniman's 'scheme to maximise income for the practice' as she alleged in her witness statement.

The Committee also heard oral evidence from and on behalf of Mr Horniman who categorically denied suggesting to Mrs Bowkett that she commit insurance fraud and attempting to cover this up through the maintenance of two separate records. He maintained that it was not until Ms Jones voiced her concerns that he realised that Cassy Bowkett and Cassy Griffiths were the same dog.

The Committee voiced a number of concerns about Mr Horniman's actions and behaviour and, at times, found his evidence to be unsatisfactory. For example, the Committee found it difficult to understand why 'alarm bells' did not ring that he was dealing with only one dog when he prescribed medication for two almost identical dogs in May 2010 when only one was presented for examination. It also queried why, when he became aware that the insurance policy for Cassy Griffiths was fraudulent, practice records were not updated and no attempt was made to contact Petplan to inform them of this, as is clearly advised by the RCVS Code of Professional Conduct.

Furthermore, the Committee was concerned that, in his correspondence with the RCVS, he was less than transparent, candid and honest. The Committee considered this to be unacceptable behaviour from a professional in dealings with investigations undertaken by the regulatory body.

In making its judgment, the Committee had to make a decision on whose account it felt to be more reliable in regards to the first element of the charge.

Noreen Burrows, chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: "In coming to its conclusion ... the Committee is faced with conflicting evidence from Mrs Bowkett, who is an admitted fraudster, admits to acting dishonestly and to lying to Petplan. This is in contrast to the evidence from the Respondent, who is of good character, had an unblemished personal record over 23 years and is supported by impressive character references."

The Committee found the evidence of Mrs Bowkett to be "vague, lacking in clarity and inconsistent with the facts" and therefore rejected her evidence concerning the first element of the charge. In regards to the second element of the charge, the Committee was not satisfied that Mr Horniman had arranged for or allowed the records to be changed as was alleged. In regards to the third element it found that, since it had already rejected the charge that Mr Horniman suggested to Mrs Bowkett that she embark upon insurance fraud, it was unlikely that Mr Horniman would have acted dishonestly in the manner alleged.

Noreen Burrows added: "In the light of the above findings, all charges against the Respondent are dismissed."

Lumbry Park Veterinary Specialists has published research in The Journal of Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia which concluded that butorphanol administered as a premedicant for anaesthesia could be used to predict the presence of brain tumours or intercranial hypertension. 

The researchers’ objective was to determine whether dogs with intracranial space occupying lesions (iSOLs) on MRI, or MRI-determined indicators of intracranial hypertension (ICH) had higher sedation scores with a more rapid onset of recumbency after the administration of IV butorphanol than dogs without intracranial disease.

They hypothesised that 0.2 mg kg-1 of butorphanol administered intravenously would result in statistically significantly higher sedation scores and quicker onset of recumbency in dogs with MRI-iSOL and MRI-ICH.

For the observational study: 'The sedative effect of intravenous butorphanol in dogs with intracranial space occupying lesions or indicators of intracranial hypertension', 53 dogs presented for a brain MRI.

Each dog was sedated with 0.2 mg kg-1butorphanol IV, and the quality of sedation and the onset of recumbency were scored before drug administration and every 5 minutes after administration for 15 minutes using a modified sedation scale.

The maximum sedation score was 18, and onset of recumbency was recorded when a dog lay down without the ability to stand.

Dogs with MRI-iSOL had significantly higher median sedation scores than dogs without MRI-iSOL (12 versus 5 respectively) 15 minutes after butorphanol administration (T15, p < 0.01).

A greater number of dogs with MRI-ICH achieved recumbency (n = 9/10; 90%) than those without MRI-ICH (n = 20/43; 46.5%; p = 0.01).

Emma Sansby, Resident in Anaesthesia and Analgesia at Lumbry Park Veterinary Specialists, who led the research, said: “When intracranial disease is suspected, the administration of butorphanol as a premedicant for anaesthesia could be used to predict the presence of MRI-iSOL and MRI-ICH.

"If a dog becomes recumbent or has a sedation score of more than 10 within 15 minutes of butorphanol administration, the animal should be treated with an anaesthesia protocol adapted to the presence of ICH – so as not to increase intracranial pressure.

“These adaptations include but are not limited to; adequate preoxygenation - to prevent hypoxaemia and elevation of the head to no more than 30 degrees; preventing increases in central venous pressure - by avoiding jugular compression and avoiding excessive intraabdominal and intrathoracic pressure; and a smooth anaesthetic induction - ensuring an adequate depth of anaesthesia prior to tracheal intubation to prevent the cough reflex and judicious mechanical ventilation to enable a low-normal end-tidal carbon dioxide.”

Reference

1. The sedative effect of intravenous butorphanol in dogs with intracranial space occupying lesions or indicators of intracranial hypertension. Sansby, Emma et al. Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia, Volume 52, Issue 1, 61 - 67. https://www.vaajournal.org/article/S1467-2987(24)00343-X/abstract 

Photo: www.depositphotos.com

Mossman Farming, a dairy farm on the west Welsh coast which has been stricken by bovine TB, has become the first to gain permission to trial PBD Biotech’s rapid Actiphage blood test for Mycobacterium bovis (M. bovis). 

PBD Biotech says the Actiphage test offers the potential to revolutionise control of bovine TB by allowing detection of the disease within hours from a blood or milk sample.

Last November, the Welsh Government announced a new policy that allowed the use of non-validated tests such as Actiphage in herds affected by a TB breakdown. It followed a similar protocol to one authorised by the UK Government last year for cattle herds in England after the test was used as part of a successful private eradication plan on a Devon dairy farm.

Mossman Farming, in Ceredigion, is located in an area of chronic breakdown. It is a spring-calving milking herd with a total stock of 529, to date 312 dairy cows have been slaughtered. Farmer Chris Mossman agreed to trial Actiphage after hearing about the Gatcombe pilot.

Chris said: "TB is a massive problem in Ceredigion, so when I heard about Actiphage’s use at Gatacombe, helping to clear that dairy herd for the first time in six years, I wanted to try and replicate those findings here. Me – and many other farmers – are losing large numbers of animals. I’m trying to do all I can to get rid of this disease from my herd."

In Spring 2019, The Office of the Chief Veterinary Officer for Wales granted permission for Robert Price-Jones MRCVS to use Actiphage to screen high-risk cattle for M. bovis.

Robert, who has been leading the trial, said: "Actiphage is able to identify the presence of relatively low numbers of M. bovis in the blood stream of infected cattle. It is not dependent upon an immune system response to the pathogen - in contrast to current validated tests - and so has greater sensitivity than such as the official Tuberculin SICCT skin test.

"The benefit of using Actiphage is that it offers the potential for eradicating the disease from the farm; as early identification of animals at risk of bovine TB enables heightened disease management and control."

Under the terms of the Welsh Government’s protocol, cattle not condemned for slaughter can be tested with Actiphage. Those that give a positive result are identified with a ‘management’ marker, monitored and milked separately.

To prevent further contamination of the environment and to minimise risk to uninfected cattle, animals found to be ‘shedders’ are removed from the farm.

Although a decision to remove cattle based on a non-validated test will be at the farmers’ own expense, the APHA (Animal and Plant Health Agency) has confirmed that during the trial, where a positive result is confirmed with statutory tests, the animals will be removed with compensation as normal.

So far, 100 animals from Mossman Farming have been tested with Actiphage and Robert Price-Jones is preparing a paper to publish the findings in early 2020.

PBD Biotech is now seeking more farms to trial Actiphage in order to gain the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) validation. The company is offering reduced cost testing to support trials where the findings are made available to support validation of the test.

Vets Now, in cooperation with its host practices and the Veterinary Poisons Information Service, is launching a new 'Tox Box' service giving veterinary surgeons 24 hour direct access to the treatments that they are most likely to need, and least likely to stock, in a poisoning emergency.

Vets Now says this new service represents a significant step forward in the ease and availability of care for the intoxicated patient.

Through Tox Box, any vet calling the VPIS advice line after 31st March 2011 will be able to access the drugs required in a poisoning emergency at selected Vets Now clinics and their host practices across the UK.  Drugs will be available at cost, plus a small handling charge. 

Amanda Boag, Clinical Director at Vets Now said: "We are delighted to be working in partnership with VPIS to offer vets this life-saving service for pets across the UK.

"As emergency and critical care practitioners we frequently deal with poisoning cases and are pleased to be able to use our clinics to allow vets access to the treatments they need in a hurry.

"Tox Box is a service which has been designed to help enhance the current VPIS advice service whereby vets can now easily gain access to those drugs they are most likely to need to treat toxicities, but not stock internally, such as plasma and Adder anti-venom. The service VPIS provides is very important for vets, and we hope that this additional provision will greatly benefit them and the pets they are caring for."

Alex Campbell, Head of Services at VPIS said: "We are looking forward to working in partnership with Vets Now to improve outcomes for poisoned animals and their owners.

"Poisons can have deadly affects on animals if not treated quickly. Previously vets may have had to call round several hospitals or practices to source the recommended drug whilst their patient's health deteriorates. Through Tox Box we can help them access the drug without delay and provide case-specific guidance to ensure the animal receives optimum care."

The VPIS 24/7 telephone number to ring is: 020 7188 0200

The BSAVA has published a new factsheet about laparoscopic spaying for pet owners.

BSAVA’s client information leaflets are designed to be used as part of the veterinary consultation and provide information to help owners understand what is involved in a procedure or examination, including the reasons for it, the preparation required, any associated risks and what happens during and after the procedure.

They are available in a PDF format which can be printed and stamped with the veterinary practice details or emailed to clients.

Elise Robertson, ABVS American Board-Certified Diplomate Feline Practice and author of the endoscopic Client Information Leaflets, said: ‘The client information leaflets were created due to the need for accurate and reliable information from reputable sources." 

BSAVA’s Head of Publishing, Ian Mellor, said: "This new factsheet brings our total number of client leaflets to 178. Our client leaflets have been downloaded more than 10,000 times in the past year and are an important part of our drive to improve the health and welfare of small animals by providing practical resources to the veterinary profession.’

The new leaflet is available via the BSAVA Library (https://www.bsavalibrary.com/content/cilgroupprocedures).

Access to the entire range of client information leaflets (including canine and feline behaviour, exotic pets and medicines) is available for an annual subscription of £40; BSAVA members have access to these leaflets as one of their membership benefits. 

BSAVA welcomes suggestions for new topics to cover in its client information leaflets. 

Send your ideas to publications@bsava.com.

In case you've missed the start of the national celebrations, it's Feline Hypertension Awareness Month (FHAM), which offers an opener for dialogue with pet owners about the impact of hypertension on their cats.

The campaign is being fronted this year by a number of social media influencers, appropriately including Cat the Vet, aka Cat Henstridge (pictured right), Louisa The Vet and Alex And Bump.

Ceva has produced a number of materials to help practices get involved, including social media posts and templates which are now available from Ceva Territory Managers, or from the veterinary social media platform, Vet Social.

The company will also be launching an educational video that helps people recognise that older cats, and those with concurrent diseases, may have high blood pressure but show little in the way of recognisable signs. 

Suzanne Page, Veterinary Surgeon and Amodip Product Manager at Ceva, said: “This year, in recognition of how busy practices are, we wanted to give veterinary teams resources that provide a straightforward and simple way to raise feline hypertension awareness.

"Hypertension is so difficult for owners to notice, so we are working hard with influencers to spread the word.

"There will also be leaflets to share and a new website for cat owners at www.catbloodpressure.com.”

For those wanting to brush up on hypertension, there's Ceva's free CPD course, led by Dr Sarah Caney, Feline Medicine Specialist and CEO of Vet Professionals, available here.