At BSAVA’s Congress 2023 (Manchester Central on 23rd-25th March 2023), Andy Green, People Director at Pennard Vets in Kent, and Helen Silver-MacMahon RVN, VN Research and Development Director at VetLed will be presenting a talk about leadership and time management, in particular how nurses may hold the key to a harmonious practice.

Andy said: “High functioning practices, revolve around the nurses. Naturally, they are a communication hub.

"It makes sense to recognise the essential role they play and develop a nurse-centric structure.”

“Start by making sure you’ve enough nurses and look at how the rota is set up.

"Ensure everyone understands the practice’s vision and mission, as well as the shared values and the behaviours which demonstrate those values.

“When there’s alignment between individual and organisational goals and values, you all naturally pull in the same direction.

“Then it’s about how the day is set up and who runs each part.

"In our practice, the nurse is responsible for the running order, for allocating who’s doing what and making sure everyone understands their roles, and liaising with the vets.

"It’s about ‘working in flow’.”

Helen (pictured right) says empowering nurses is as much about how the team interacts, as its structure: “Like anyone else, nurses need to be acknowledged and have a psychologically safe space to discuss ideas and challenges.

“We can all build trust by being curious and asking lots of different questions.

"Experienced team members need to be fallible and humble, setting the scene so that everyone in the team has voice.

"Ideas should be expected, and welcomed – after all, the outcome of a patient is rarely due to just one person’s expertise.”

She added: “Where nurses’ contribution and potential are recognised, and the hierarchy is shallowed, they make incredible leaders."

“At BSAVA Congress 2023, I’ll be speaking about delegation.

"As leaders we feel we have to ‘own’ tasks and that inevitably means doing it ourselves.

"But that’s not always the best option.

"It can leave leaders feeling overwhelmed, whereas delegating tasks can empower others, build resilience within the team and help with retention.

“Small practices often have that traditional command and control structure – it’s the classic triangle, where the owner sits at the top with others underneath.

"Broadening that hierarchy is both possible and practical.

"Leverage the talent on the team, grow it, develop it and you’ll be nurturing next level of the leaders.”

Andy says he has sometimes found it a challenge to let go: “Like many vets, I used to be a bit of a control freak and had to consciously learn to delegate.

"It’s accepting that others may do it differently, and at first, not as well or as quickly as you.

"The temptation is do it yourself but it immediately blocks others from learning the skill and hampers growth within the team.”

Helen says that when considering promoting anyone into a leadership position, it is important to remember that it isn’t always an innate skill. 

“Often, nurses become experts clinically, and then get asked to become leaders in that area.

"This is difficult for some people.

"They feel they should be able to do it, but have had very little training on the subject, don’t have the knowledge or skills and therefore feel unsupported in their role.”

"As the pressure mounts, stress levels rise and it starts to impact on their wellbeing, potentially great leaders step down.

“When this happens everyone loses, and is why I’m so passionate about leadership training.”

www.bsavaevents.com/bsavacongress2023.

Helen Ghosh, Defra's Permanent Secretary today confirmed the appointment of Nigel Gibbens as Chief Veterinary Officer (CVO).

Nigel qualified as a veterinary surgeon in 1981 and has spent most of his career involved in animal health and welfare with lead roles on international trade and exotic diseases. Since 1990 he has held a variety of operational and advisory positions in the Government's veterinary and policy services. Nigel moved to the central animal health policy group in 1996 and worked on international trade for eight years, followed by surveillance and control of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy and animal welfare.

He has also worked in general veterinary practice and for Government veterinary services in Belize and Yemen.

He said: "I am delighted to have been appointed to this important and challenging role. I intend to build on the successes and lessons learned from recent exotic disease outbreaks to ensure that these risks continue to be managed as effectively as possible.

"Defra and its Agencies must continue to work with animal keepers and the veterinary profession to deal with existing challenges such as Bluetongue and Tuberculosis, and to maintain good animal welfare standards and surveillance to identify and deal with any new threats.
The Government will increasingly develop policy on disease control in partnership with key stakeholders and I am committed to ensuring that those decisions are founded on the best possible veterinary advice."

Nigel's first event as CVO will be to represent the UK at the World Animal Health Organisation General Session in Paris from 25 to 30 May.

The Royal Veterinary College has announced that it is to launch the Online Veterinary Anatomy Museum next Tuesday (20th November).

According to the College, the museum is one of the world's largest online veterinary anatomical resource collections. The College says it hopes the museum will support veterinary students in their studies and inspire learners everywhere to engage with animal anatomy and science in an interactive and informative way.

The Online Veterinary Museum will offer various resources including:

• Interactive and annotated diagrams and images of specimens
• Three dimensional imaging of skeletons, radiographic imaging and interpretation
• Podcasts and potcasts of anatomical specimens
• Anatomy with a clinical relevance and an anatomical link to WikiVet content
• Comprehensive videos of dissection techniques which will greatly reduce the need for duplication of procedures

The RVC says that the project, which began in November 2011, is an example of exceptional collaboration within the higher education sector, both in the UK and overseas as well as between the public and private sectors. Led by a small team based at the RVC, the project involved all seven of the UK's vet schools as well as international institutions, educational trusts, commercial publishers and web developers. Student Curators were recruited from the partner institutions involved, enabling students to develop new skills and, of course, contribute to this fantastic resource.

Project Director Nick Short said: "The teaching of anatomy forms a core part of the veterinary curriculum in every veterinary school in the world. With digital media increasingly used to enrich and support conventional lectures it therefore makes sense to share what we have to provide students with the best possible support for their studies.

"More than that the online museum will help to bring the world of veterinary anatomy alive not just for veterinary students but also for anybody with an interest in knowing more about animal's structure and function. OVAM provides access to some of the most amazing virtual resources contributed from all over the world. Here you can explore the 3D anatomy of a horse's foot from London, view beautiful animations of the abdomen of a pig from Spain or watch a selection of lectures from India!"

The resource will be live from the 20th November 2012: www.onlineveterinaryanatomy.net.

The BSAVA has published the Manual of Practical Veterinary Welfare, billed as offering pragmatic advice and information about assessing and maintaining the highest standards of welfare in veterinary environments.

Edited by Matthew Rendle and Jo Hinde-Megarity, the manual covers a wide range of species, including cats, dogs, exotic companion and zoo animals.

The book integrates ethics and theory with quantifiable measurement of welfare and evidence-based practical solutions.

It also takes into consideration the welfare of the veterinary team.

The BSAVA says that the book will be relevant to all veterinary professionals and animal carers, as well as those studying animal welfare and behaviour. 

Dr Sean Wensley, Chair of the Animal Welfare Working Group, Federation of Veterinarians of Europe, said: "implementing animal welfare policies and activities in a range of settings … can improve patient welfare, client satisfaction, staff morale, staff health and safety, and professional reputation.

"This valuable book will make a significant contribution to helping ensure all of these benefits are realised".

The BSAVA Manual of Practical Veterinary Welfare is available from the BSAVA store: https://bsavaportal.bsava.com/s/store#/store/browse/detail/a1B8d000000icQ9EAI (£90; £58.50 for BSAVA members).

Drontal has renewed sponsorship agreements with councils throughout the UK in a bid to further encourage pet owners to scoop their dogs' poop.

The support will see thousands of council dog bins featuring Drontal branding to promote best practice amongst dog owners and urge them to clean up after their pets.

Dan White, product manager for Drontal, said: "Through our dog bin sponsorship we are highlighting the importance of responsible pet ownership which includes preventing the spread of worm eggs in the environment by scooping poop."

According to Bayer, Drontal is the only wormer that kills every type of intestinal worm commonly found in UK dogs and cats.

For further information please contact your Bayer representative or log on to www.drontal.com.

Six individuals have been announced as the winners of the second annual Ceva Animal Welfare Awards, honoured for their contributions to the prevention and reduction of animal welfare problems in the UK and abroad.

All winners were originally nominated by friends, colleagues or family. The judging panel consisted of panel chairman and veterinary surgeon Chris Laurence MBE, Ross Tiffin of the International Cat Care (formerly the Feline Advisory Bureau), Dennis Baker, OBE, Chief Executive at Wood Green, the Animal Charity and media vet, Joe Inglis. Marc Abraham also assisted in the Volunteer categories.

Dr. Pascal Raoul, Ceva's Head of Global Pharmaceuticals, said: "Ceva is delighted to host these Animal Welfare Awards as they help to highlight the incredible affection and care that people have for animals. With 6 billion people living in megacities in the future, companion animals will often be their major link to nature. The benefits that animals have on improving human health are well documented; in turn we all have a duty to protect them and this evening we have seen some of the best examples, from professionals, members of the public, young and old as to how that should be done."

Timothy Phillips, a Plymouth-based vet from the Elm Veterinary Group (above right), was awarded the Chris Laurence Vet of the Year Award for his 15 years of charitable work in the Greek Islands with Friends of the Strays of Greece. Tim performs surgeries and other treatments, helping to establish a re-homing system, with dogs fully vaccinated and declared healthy by the vets before being flown out of Greece.

Veterinary Nurse Scott Parry of Bridge Veterinary Surgery was awarded Welfare Nurse of the Year for his work with the RSPCA's Brent Knoll Animal Centre. Scott has spent hours of his own time raising funds and helping with the rehabilitation of a number of traumatised dogs. He also recently assisted in an RSPCA visit to a travellers' camp to vaccinate more than 50 dogs following an outbreak of Parvo Virus on the site.

Other award winners included Logan McKerron, aged 6, who was awarded Young Person of the Year for his fundraising for Hearing Dogs for Deaf People; Kim Taylor, co-founder of the charity Animal Care Egypt, was awarded the Charity Professional of the Year accolade for her work setting up a large animal hospital helping more than 26,000 animals every year; Faye Stacey of People4Ponies in Devon was awarded the UK Volunteer of the Year Award for the large part she has played in stopping ear cutting, notching and tagging of equines in the UK; Jen White has been named International Volunteer of the Year for her work with the Gambia Horse and Donkey Trust.

Novartis Animal Health has assumed marketing responsibilities for the joint health supplement Dasuquin in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

Dasuquin is a veterinary formulation developed to deliver advanced cartilage support in dogs. It contains a combination of glucosamine hydrochloride, chondroitin sulphate, avocado/soybean unsaponifiables (ASU), and tea polyphenols. Novartis says these compounds work synergistically to protect the cartilage, thereby playing an important role in supporting and maintaining joint health.

Novartis highlights a 2007 study which, according to the company, demonstrates that the combination of ASU, chondroitin sulphate, and glucosamine hydrochloride delivers incremental benefits compared to the combination of chondroitin sulphate and glucosamine hydrochloride alone.¹

Dasuquin is available in flavoured chewable tablets in 80-count containers. Dasuquin is available in two strengths: small-to-medium dogs weighing between 5 and 25 kg and for large dogs weighing over 25 to 50 kg.

Gaynor Hillier, General Manager UK & Ireland Novartis Animal Health said: "This is a fitting addition to our overall orthopaedic health offering for vets and pet owners. Dasuquin brings vets and dog owners advanced joint health support with the next generation of the popular Cosequin family."

Dasuquin is available from Novartis Animal Health in the United Kingdom and Ireland from licensed veterinary wholesalers. For more information on Dasuquin, contact your Novartis Animal Health Territory Manager

Reference:

1. Au RY, Au AY, Rashmir-Raven A, et al. Inhibition of pro-inflammatory gene expression in chondrocytes, monocytes, and fibroblasts by the combination of avocado soybean unsaponifiables, glucosamine, and chondroitin sulfate. FASEB, 2007.

Veterinary charity PetSavers has launched its annual photography competition, and is inviting vet practices to get involved.

PetSavers is asking veterinary practices to help promote the annual PetSavers photography competition by encouraging their clients to take part. This year's theme is 'Mischievous Pets', and the competition is free to enter, with a closing date for entries on the 31 January 2014.

PetSavers' studies have already contributed a better understanding of many common diseases such as diabetes, cancer, arthritis and heart disease to the profession. However, there is obviously a lot more work to be done. By promoting the photo competition, you will help PetSavers to tell its story and encourage more pet owners to support the kind of veterinary science that helps vets improve the health of the nation's pets.

You can help promote the competition by placing a poster on you practice notice board or downloading a digital copy and placing it on your social networking sites or practice newsletters.

To request a poster of for more information about how you can get involved with PetSavers visit www.petsavers.org.uk or email Emma - e.sansom@bsava.com.  Of course - all vet and VN photographers can enter too.

The BSAVA has launched a new Masters in Clinical Veterinary Research. 

The Association says that the qualification is intended to give vets the chance to conduct clinical research relating to their work – in particular vets working in general practice.

The qualification, validated by Nottingham Trent University, is aimed at people who already have any accredited Postgraduate Certificate (60 credits at Level 7) relevant to some aspect of veterinary medicine or surgery.

The programme is based on a further 1,200 study hours and could be flexibly achieved in two years of part-time study or up to five years, depending on the project type and an individual’s availability.

Frances Barr, BSAVA Academic Director, has developed the most extensive CPD programme in the 60-year history of the organisation. She said: "It’s a really significant addition to the BSAVA CPD programme and another step supporting lifelong learning, which we hope will have a very positive impact on the profession."

"Anyone who has an interest in clinical research – such as evaluating risk factors for a particular disease or factors that might influence an outcome – will find this an ideal way to satisfy their enquiring mind.

"If they have the motivation to keep developing a deeper understanding, we can provide encouragement and support for how to answer those clinical questions."

The Masters programme starts with online study into the principles of clinical research, which students will then apply to their own research project.

Students will be allocated a ‘matched’ supervisor who will provide project advice and guidance, plus the BSAVA team will be on hand to ensure ongoing support and encouragement.

The programme starts in January 2017 and applications open this October.

Frances added: "It can sometimes be quite difficult to get going in research when you don’t know how to do it, so having taken the first step in a supported environment we hope many will go on to do extend their clinical research ambitions.

"BSAVA’s mission is to support vets at every stage of their careers. There are often limited opportunities for practitioners to conduct clinical research, so this is a qualification that enables vets to do just that."

For more information, please contact the BSAVA Education team at masters@bsava.com

In the most recent Petplan Pet Census, an annual study of pet ownership in the UK, 97% of vets reported that a lack of funds had led to owners choosing euthanasia over treatment.  

Whilst some cases are the result of one-off ‘emergency' treatment, manageable long-term conditions are often at the root of much unnecessary euthanasia because owners simply cannot afford the cost of ongoing treatment. Reported increases in pet obesity and diabetes, arthritis and behavioural problems have all been cited in the Pet Census as common causes of increased and ongoing vet bills.

Vets have been reporting a rise in diseases that are related to obesity in companion animals for some time and with the Petplan Pet Census panel of almost two hundred (198) UK veterinary practices reporting that more than one third (36%) of all dogs and one quarter (29%) of cats they treat are obese, the future for many pets looks bleak. More than half (53%) of vets say that cases of cat and dog diabetes are on the increase. Obesity is actually bucking the trend of more historically significant diseases, including kennel cough and feline leukaemia, which are either remaining static or decreasing. 

The number of pets with behavioural problems is also on the rise, with more than half of vets (55%) reporting an increase and most (95%) practices offering support for these animals. Effective treatment is not a quick-fix solution and requires changes to the owner's lifestyle and lengthy work with experts in the field. 

Petplan Vet of the Year, Brian Faulkner said: "I think it is a common misconception that the predicament forcing pet owners to euthanase their pet is the out-of-the-blue, one-off vet fees for emergencies. But in fact we are noticing that owners whose pets have on-going illnesses such as diabetes and even behavioural problems that are very manageable are being faced with the dreadful decision to have to euthanase than face the ongoing financial burden.  It's even more devastating when the owners have actually taken out an insurance policy but the nature of the policy only covers treatment of any one condition for up to one year.  I always advise people to make sure their policies do not cap the time period over which any one condition is covered to avoid this very problem as more comprehensive insurers are then unable to offer cover on a pre-existing condition."

Simon Wheeler, Head of Marketing at Petplan, said: "We receive over 8,700 claims per week and of the top ten claims, six could be recurrent manageable conditions, such as diabetes or arthritis - the very animals that are currently most at risk of being euthanased."

Research announced simultaneously by Sainsbury's Finance has reached similar conclusions. Sainsbury's found that:

• 51% of vets have put down a pet cat or dog in the past five years because the owners couldn't afford to treat them
• 80% of vets have had an uninsured dog or cat owner decline a course of treatment because they couldn't afford it
• 1.6 million people have had to put down at least one pet dog or cat over the past five years because they can't afford treatment. In total, the research shows that 927,000 dogs and 822,000 cats were put down for this reason between 2003 and 2008.

Sainsbury's believes that there are two main reasons for this tragic problem: advances in veterinary care leading to increased costs, and the large number (55%) of pets that remain uninsured.

Ed's note: Isn't it time that pet insurance became compulsory?

Vet Futures, the joint initiative by the RCVS and BVA to stimulate debate about the future of the profession, has opened a new discussion exploring the issue of mental health problems.

The discussion has been opened by this month's Vet Futures guest blogger, Rosie Allister, Chair of the Vet Helpline and a Director of the Veterinary Benevolent Fund.

Rosie, who is also a researcher at the University of Edinburgh specialising in veterinary wellbeing, writes that members of the profession should be more willing to open up about their own mental health problems and intervene by talking and listening to colleagues who may be suffering from mental ill-health. She said: "Looking to the future, we need to better understand who is most at risk, how to reach out to them, and how we can start to change our culture so that it is OK to ask for help."

Her blog also proposes that, due to the caring nature of the occupation and high client expectations, members of the profession routinely put work and animal welfare ahead of their own needs and that, in order for there to be wider cultural change, individuals need to change their own attitudes towards asking for help. This includes the discussion of 'taboo subjects' such as suicide: "Perhaps all of us have to start trying to change our culture to one that is more accepting and supportive and looks out for those in need even when they aren't able to reach out themselves."

As part of the discussion, Vet Futures is running a poll which asks: "Could you recognise the signs of mental ill-health in a colleague?"

To read Rosie's blog and take part in the poll, visit  and take part in the poll, visit: http://goo.gl/EmLhhF

The Animal Health Trust has announced a research project which aims to improve the way dogs are treated for cancer. As part of the project, the charity is appealing to veterinary practices to send samples taken from dogs diagnosed with cancer.

Using the samples, the AHT's Oncology Research Group aims to develop prognostic tests for a number of canine cancers. These tests will assist veterinary professionals in predicting how individual tumours will behave and respond to treatment. It means that each dog will be offered the best treatment for its individual case, ensuring that dogs which do not require aggressive therapy are spared the rigours and possible side effects associated with such a treatment.

The samples required are surplus small pieces of the biopsies of suspected tumours, collected for diagnostic histopathology. Cheek swabs, or blood samples that are surplus to those that are often collected for standard clinical investigations are also required. Samples will be submitted for research only with the written consent of each dog owner.

Mike Starkey, from the AHT's Oncology Research Group, said: "To make progress we need to collect many samples of many different tumours. We simply need vets to send us freshly frozen (not fixed in formalin) biopsies of suspected tumours."

Samples of the following tumour types are needed from the following breeds:

• Boxer - lymphoma, glioma mammary tumour, mast cell tumour
• Bullmastiff - lymphoma
• Cocker Spaniel - mammary tumour
• English Springer Spaniel - lymphoma
• German Shepherd Dog - mammary tumour, haemangiosarcoma
• Golden Retriever - mast cell tumour, melanoma, soft tissue sarcoma
• Irish Wolfhound - osteosarcoma
• Labrador -  mast cell tumour, melanoma, soft tissue sarcoma
• Poodle (miniature, standard and toy) - melanoma
• Rottweiler - histiocytic sarcoma
• Schnauzer (giant, miniature and toy) - melanoma
• Scottish Terrier - melanoma
• Weimaraner - mast cell tumour

Sue Murphy, the AHT's Head of Oncology, said: "We know cancer is a major cause of death in dogs. The research we are doing here will arm us all with the ability to make better informed decisions about the right course of treatment for each patient."

The samples will also aid with the AHT's research into inherited genetic defects. Researchers are investigating to find out why certain pedigree dogs have an increased risk of developing a specific cancer. The AHT is part of a European research group working on the 'LUPA project' which aims to develop DNA tests to identify dogs which carry the mutations. This should enable breeders to alter their breeding strategies to reduce the incidence of dogs affected by those cancers. It will also allow vets to carefully monitor dogs who have an increased risk of developing cancer.

Mike Starkey added: "The help from veterinary practices and dog owners is invaluable in this research. Without the samples we're unable to progress our work."

If you would like further information about the project, please contact Mike Starkey on 01638 555603 or email mike.starkey@aht.org.uk

The RCVS Veterinary Nurses Council has celebrated the 50^th anniversary of veterinary nursing at the House of Commons with a call for statutory regulation for the profession.

At a Golden Jubilee event hosted by Mr Roger Gale MP, Veterinary Nurses Council Chairman Liz Branscombe drew attention to the fact that there is no legal protection for the title 'veterinary nurse', despite qualified nurses playing "a unique role in the practice team". 

This effectively means that anyone could work in a veterinary practice as a nurse, without taking the three- or four-year training required for Listed or Registered Veterinary Nurses.

Liz said: "We believe that the nation's animals and their owners deserve better than this. And it's not just a question of animal welfare: public health is at risk from the incorrect use of medicines - for example, the well documented development of antimicrobial resistance."

The Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 was put in place only five years after the introduction of veterinary nurse training and too soon to fully recognise the potential of veterinary nursing as a profession in its own right.

As an interim measure, the RCVS has put in place a non-statutory Register for Veterinary Nurses, to which 86% of eligible nurses have signed up. Registered Veterinary Nurses agree to follow a code of conduct, keep their skills and knowledge up to date and abide by a disciplinary system. However, it is not possible for the College to bar those removed from the Register for serious professional misconduct from working as a veterinary nurse.

The Register also does not address the misuse of the title 'veterinary nurse' by unqualified people.

Liz asked MPs present at the House of Commons reception to sign up to an Early Day Motion tabled by Andrew Rosindell MP, which calls for statutory regulation for the veterinary nursing profession.

Others are urged to sign a petition on the Government's website which has been mounted by the British Veterinary Nursing Association and is supported by the College and the British Veterinary Association: http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/18700.

The issues are being considered by the RCVS Veterinary Nurses Legislation Working Party and the group's recommendations will feed into the wider work of the RCVS Legislation Working Party, which will be reporting to the Defra Minister of State in the summer of 2012 with proposals as to how statutory regulation could be provided for a range of veterinary services, including veterinary nursing.