In her inaugural address as RCVS President for 2024-25, Linda Belton said she wants to focus on the core remit of the RCVS as a regulator, and the importance of good regulation for public trust and keeping pace in areas such as artificial intelligence (AI).

Linda gave her address at the Royal Institute of British Architects, venue for the RCVS Annual General Meeting last Friday.

Linda, an equine vet and director of the Wiltshire-based George Veterinary Group, said: “A Royal College and a regulator – it’s a challenge but this combined role is also an opportunity for us.

“In the time I’ve served the RCVS, I’ve definitely learnt some of what it takes to fulfil these roles under the remit of both the Veterinary Surgeons Act and our Royal Charter; to think not just from personal perspective and experience, and also to try to look beyond the needs of the profession today and consider what tomorrow might bring.

“Vets are not just one thing.

"The roles we fill in our working lives are many and varied, and I would argue that the MRCVS is the best placed arbiter of animal health and welfare.

"As such, keeping the MRCVS at the heart of decision-making around how veterinary care and services are provided is essential both to safeguard animal health and welfare and also to retain public trust in our work.

“Cultivating trust is a big part of what many of us do, day in and day out – trust in us from within our teams, from our clients and perhaps even from our patients.

“The RCVS with its two hats does a tough job for both the professions and the public.

"In many cases, the interests of the professions and the public align and there is no conflict.

"Of course, as a regulator where the interests don’t align, the RCVS regulates in the wider public interest and this, too, is a positive for us as a profession.

“Working in a regulated environment is a strength for us.

"The landscape in which we work has changed and the regulatory environment needs to change too. Now we are the other side of the general election, work can continue on legislative reform seeking parliamentary time for a new Veterinary Surgeons Act.”

As the 13th female President of the RCVS, Linda will lead an Officer Team comprising the now Senior Vice-President Dr Sue Paterson FRCVS, Junior Vice-President Professor Tim Parkin FRCVS and Treasurer Dr Tshidi Gardiner MRCVS as well as VN Council Chair Belinda Andrews-Jones RVN, who attends Officer Team meetings as an observer.

A 17-year-old collie cross called Barney picked arguably the best place in the world for an old dog to fall into a canal last Saturday, when it was rescued by one of the teams taking part in the kayaking stage of the Vet Charity Challenge, an event where there were at least 150 vets on hand to help.

Barney had wandered off through an unlocked gate and fallen into the canal where he was spotted by a team from Kruuse UK. They managed to haul the struggling animal onto their kayak and take him down the canal towards a waiting group of vets and nurses. From there he was taken to Drove Vets in Swindon to make a full recovery.

Andrew Groom from Kruuse said, "It was sheer luck that we happened to be paddling past at that point. The poor chap was struggling on the steep banks of the canal and kept slipping back in. He was getting very tired and at risk of drowning, and judging by his gums and heart rate, going into shock."

Karien White from Drove Vets said: "Barney was a bit hypothermic when he was brought into us with a lot of bumps and bruises. We managed to warm him up and get him cleaned and after a little while his tail started wagging and he seemed very happy and friendly."

News of Barney was posted onto a Pewsey Facebook page which helped his worried owners trace him to the vets.

The Vet Charity Challenge took place on Saturday 27th September at St Francis School, Pewsey, near Marlborough, Wiltshire. The day consisted of 50 of teams of four orienteering, cycling and kayaking as well as undertaking mental and physical tasks. The charity raised over £70,000 in its first two years, with this year expected to boost the funds even more.

Gavin Mitchell, from founding sponsors, BCF Technology, said: "We never dreamt that while trying to raise money for our partner charities, that we would end up saving the life of a pet in such a direct fashion. Had Team Kruuse not been passing at that point, the dog would almost certainly have drowned. It highlights the real commitment and passion that the vet profession feels towards helping animals. Through our event we hope to reach out to help even more animals. People can donate directly to Vet Charity Challenge by contacting us via www.vetcharitychallenge.co.uk."

The RCVS Charitable Trust has teamed up with the Foundation for Social Improvement (FSI) for the launch of the Great Big Small Charity Car Draw 2011.

The draw enables small charities, such as the RCVS Charitable Trust, to sell tickets to supporters which offer a chance of winning a brand new Fiat 500 1.2 Pop. Each ticket costs only £2, and the Trust will receive £1.90 for every ticket it sells.

Tickets can be bought securely online at http://trust.rcvs.org.uk/support-us/get-involved/win-a-fiat-500/ or directly from the Trust office on 020 7202 0721 or by emailing fundraising@rcvstrust.org.uk.  Books of tickets are also available to sell to colleagues, friends and family. The deadline for buying tickets is September 16th 2011 with the draw taking place on 25th October 2011.

Here are a few examples of what reviewers have been saying about the Fiat 500:

"The Fiat 500 is both stylish and fun. The modest running costs complement the engaging handling. So, this nimble little city car can be enthusiastically thrown into corners and it should emerge grinning like a Cheshire Cat." Motoring.co.uk

"I love my Fiat 500 1.2 Pop from the moment I drove off in it. Great fun to drive on the motorway and in town for parking into slots others cannot!" What Car?

"It's absolutely fantastic. It drives like a dream. Everybody admires it." Fiat Forum

For further information on the car draw, please contact Fiona O'Regan on 020 7202 0743 or Rebecca Fellows on 020 7202 0721.  Alternatively email fundraising@rcvstrust.org.uk.

Dog's Trust has conducted a survey of dog owners in which 89% said that losing a dog is like losing a close family member.

The survey of 2067 past or present adult dog owners, of which 1,170 had experienced the loss of a dog, also found that about half had experienced barriers to opening up about their feelings following the death of their pet. 

Some of the reasons given for not opening up included believing others wouldn’t understand their feelings (22%), fear of being judged for being upset (15%), feeling embarrassed about their levels of distress (12%) and not being able to find the right words to describe their feelings (13%). 

74% felt they could turn to close family to share feelings of grief over the loss of the dog, but only 13% felt they could discuss it with employers and colleagues. 

Samantha Davis, Legacy and In-Memory Manager at Dogs Trust, says: “The loss of a pet dog can be as devastating as losing a family member.

"Dogs hold a special place in our hearts, offering unconditional love and companionship, and when they pass away, the grief can be profound and, sadly for some, isolating.  

“It's really important that owners who experience the loss of their canine companions can open up and share their feelings with friends and family.

"Many will find solace in knowing they are not alone."  

To support people who have lost a dog, Dogs Trust is holding a 3.5km walk to bring people together to share their memories of their beloved animal. 

Walk for Our Old Friends (WOOF) will take place in Salcey Forest, Northampton, on Sunday 6th October 2024 between 4pm-7pm.

As walkers make their way through the forest, there will be opportunities for moments of remembrance and celebration.

The charity will also provide support resources for those participating with a team onsite as well as online information to help people cope with their loss.  

Dogs Trust is also providing online resources for people to organise their own walk in memory of their much missed four legged friends.

https://events.dogstrust.org.uk/event/walk-for-our-old-friends 

COMMENT

Was this survey desperately flawed, or has our relationship with our dogs become unhealthily anthropomorphic?

It's hard to think of any other explanation for why such large proportion of people equate the death of a dog with the death of a brother, sister, parent or child.

Surely the death of a close family member is in an altogether different league than the death of even the most beloved dog. 

If people are developing unhealthily close relationships with their animals, the question is why?

Are they being pushed by commercial interests which encourage people to think of themselves as 'pet parents' in order that they feel compelled to spend more on their 'child'.

Or is there some other factor in play?

Does it matter anyway? 

Perhaps not.

But more and more we hear stories of people saddling themselves with crippling levels of debt on treatment because they cannot face the inevitable.

Perhaps it is time to return to a more healthy, more matter-of-fact relationship with our pets. 

No less loving, just tempered by the acceptance of the fact that it is not human. It's a dog.

Trainetics, a human factors and leadership training and consultancy company, is launching a human factors course for veterinary professionals in January 2023, as part of which, delegates take control of a commercial jet in a flight simulator at Heathrow. 

Human Factors is the application of human psychological and physiological principles and limitations to the design of processes and systems to reduce human error, increase productivity and enhance safety.

Trainetics has operated in various sectors such as aviation, ergonomics and human healthcare for many years.

As part of its move into the veterinary sector, it is working with a team of team of well-known figures in the profession: Bradley Viner, Holger Volk, Vicky Lipscombe, Tom Cardy and Andy Fiske-Jackson.

Tom said: “The potential impact of human factors on the veterinary industry is huge. What we are able to offer delegates is a unique experience to improve their situational awareness and decision-making.

“It is something which I believe delegates will find incredibly insightful as part of their career progression and it can improve how we treat our patients every day.

“Within the veterinary profession, human factors is still relatively new, however, its true scope within the industry lies in understanding and applying systems-thinking methodology to our complex, adaptive profession.”

Holger said: “When I first had the chance to become consciously incompetent in a flight simulator at BA with Trainetics, it was a fantastic opportunity to learn about my own limitations and how to better overcome them.

“Part of the immersive experience is learning about human factors, situational awareness, decision-making, workload management, system performance and health and wellbeing.

“We can learn so much from the aviation industry and vice-versa, and these unique courses can provide real opportunities to better ourselves as a profession and as individuals.

www.trainetics.co.uk

Elanco Animal Health has announced the launch of a Milbemax television advertising campaign to educate pet owners about the importance and ease of worming.

The 30-second advertisement will appear as pre-roll to video content on a number of websites from the end of August, and will broadcast on mainstream TV channels including ITV1, Channel 4, Channel Five, Sky, ITV2, ITV3, E4, More4, Film4, UKTV and Five Digital in mid-September to reach an estimated nine million people – of which nearly three million will be identified/targeted pet owners.

Elanco says the advert is designed to target female pet owners between the ages of 25 and 49 and drive them to seek further information and buy pet wormers from their local veterinary surgeon with the call to action: ‘Make an appointment with your vet to find out how easy worming your pet can be.’

Viewers watching the online advertisement will be able to click through to campaign specific pages on Elanco’s WormPatrol website - www.wormpatrol.co.uk/easyworming - where they can use 'Find a Vet', a worm risk checker and worming reminders to connect them with veterinary practices. The advertisement will also be available to view on the WormPatrol website.

The campaign is supported by a range of educational marketing materials and initiatives which are available to Milbemax customers from the vet section of the WormPatrol website or from their local Elanco companion animal territory manager. 

The materials include a video to embed in practice websites and to use on social media, a subtitled version of the video for waiting rooms, a range of pet owner worm education materials, social media resources and SMS text message broadcasts.

Matthew Rowe, marketing manager at Elanco Animal Health, said: “Elanco is committed to encouraging responsible pet ownership; the new Milbemax advertising campaign will educate pet owners about the importance and ease of regular worming while driving them to veterinary practices for further information and to purchase pet wormers.”

For further information please contact your local Elanco Animal Health territory manager or email elancoCAH.uk@elanco.com.

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 

Purina has donated £100,000 to Medical Detection Dogs (MDD), to support the charity's training and potential deployment of COVID-19 sniffer dogs in public spaces.

The company is also working with the UK charity to call for the creation of international standards in the training and deployment of sniffer dogs.

Earlier this week, Medical Detection Dogs announced the findings of its research on scenting COVID-19, confirming that dogs can play a major role in public safety through their ability to detect the virus’ odour.

Researchers will now move to trial the dogs at sites such as ports of entry and public spaces, where dogs can screen individuals rather than samples and contribute to the fight against the virus by detecting COVID-19 carriers.

Sniffer dog schemes are currently being piloted in countries including Finland, Russia, Italy and France, but there is currently no centralised best practice process for such programmes.

Medical Detection Dogs and Purina are calling for:

• Time limits on deployment, to ensure that a COVID-19 detection dog will only be operationally deployed for approximately four hours over the course of an eight-hour working day. Each dog will also ideally be limited to 20-minute shifts to prevent fatigue and ensure reliable performance
• Common standards on housing for dogs to ensure dogs are not stressed or distracted by close interaction with people
• Agreed guidance for the training and deployment of future schemes around the world

Medical Detection Dogs founder and CEO Dr Claire Guest said: “Sniffer dogs have the potential to make an important contribution to the fight against COVID-19 and future pandemics. Researchers around the world are urgently working to meet that need, but it is vital that we collaborate, share the knowledge we have gained on the incredible abilities of our dogs and formalise best practice in training and deployment.

"Along with Purina we want to call for international collaboration between organisations around the world on the implementation of disease detection and research. Our vision is to guarantee that dogs are well-treated and consistent in their performance, and support the reliable, safe creation of similar schemes in developing countries, where dogs could play a huge role in halting the spread of this disease and future pandemics.”

Jeff Hamilton, CEO at Nestlé Purina PetCare EMENA, said: “Purina and Medical Detection Dogs share a belief in the positive role and impact of dogs in society.  These dogs could provide fast, effective and non-invasive diagnosis and help to create safer spaces for us all, but we should ensure that each of them is trained safely, humanely and able to effectively perform their important role in detecting COVID-19."

The Royal Veterinary College (RVC), in partnership with CVS, has launched a new study to explore the effects of Equine Cushing’s disease in adult and older horses and ponies in the UK, and is calling for owner participants.

The two-year study aims to better understand the impact of the disease on horses’ and ponies’ quality of life and is hoped to improve monitoring and decision-making regarding treatment. 

In particular, the study aims to develop a validated equine quality of life tool to assess the impact of the condition on an individual horse’s quality of life objectively.

This, it is hoped, will help support decision-making related to treatment and euthanasia options for horses and ponies diagnosed with PPID.

The research team is led by Aline Bouquet, PhD Candidate and Research Assistant, and supported by Professor Nicola Menzies-Gow, Professor in Equine Medicine and Professor Christine Nicol, Professor of Animal Welfare.

Participants can have horses and ponies with PPID as well as those without the condition and they must be older than ten years of age (the horses, that is)

The survey will take no longer than 15 minutes to complete, providing an assessment of the animal’s quality of life, clinical signs associated with PPID and any additional veterinary-related problems.

https://rvc.uk.com/PPID-survey-2023-stage1 

https://www.rvc.ac.uk/research/projects/objective-assessment-of-the-quality-of-life-of-equines-with-pituitary-pars-intermedia-dysfunction 

Ceva Animal Health has launched a new TV advertising campaign designed to raise awareness of problems owners may face in a multi-cat environment.

The Cat Cabin Fever campaign will run for four weeks.

Ceva says the 20 second TV ads have been designed to strike a chord with viewers who have more than one cat in their household, where 'sometimes sharing just isn't an option'. Highlighted in particular is the Feliway Diffuser which releases natural pheromones into a room to help cats feel at ease, allowing them to cope with stressful situations and prevent unwanted behaviour.  

Malcolm Laurie, head of marketing at Ceva, said: "We know that there are more than 8million cats in the UK and only 2.5million cat households, therefore the majority of households must have more than one cat.

"However, cats are solitary animals, which makes living with other cats difficult at times. This campaign is focused on making the lives of cat owners and their pets as harmonious as possible, including lots of top tips on how to ease any tensions in such an environment."

Ceva has also produced a multi-cat leaflet designed to give owners specific advice on how to provide the correct environment for our feline friends

The advertising campaign will be supported by online competitions, marketing materials for veterinary clinics and retailers, which include a checklist for a cat friendly home, and PR.

For more information, visit: http://www.feliway.co.uk/.

Vita Animal Health has upgraded its heart health supplement, Omnicardio Plus, with a new formulation which includes astaxanthin, an antioxidant which the company says outperforms the previously used coenzyme Q10 in supporting cardiac health.

The new formula also contains crataegus, L-carnitine and magnesium taurate, and is designed to be used alongside all heart medications.

Alongside the launch of the new product, Vita has also created an infographic highlighting the common signs of heart disease in dogs.

https://vitaanimalhealth.com/common-signs-of-heart-disease 

https://vitaanimalhealth.com/product/omnicardio-plus 

Pfizer Animal Genetics is expanding its presence in the UK with the appointment of a dedicated team.

The company says it will use state-of-the-art genetic technology to improve the health, welfare and productivity of animals, and that the move comes at an exciting time for genetic research, as complete sequencing of the bovine genome has resulted in explosive growth of the possibilities.

As well as being able to provide tests addressing parentage (SireTRACE) and traceability (SureTRAK), Pfizer Animal Genetics can also help farmers identify the genetic potential that each animal has to produce tender, well marbled meat and to perform at optimal feed conversion efficiency (GeneSTAR) - vital management information that can improve profitability and enable effective decision making in long term breeding plans.

The company promises there is more to come, with exponential growth in the identification of genetic markers, which will allow the imminent introduction of new tests set to provide much more detailed predictive information about individual animals - all available virtually from birth onwards.

Richard Chew (above right) is Customer Service Manager and the first port of call for anyone with questions about pricing & submission forms, samples and reports.  Richard grew up in rural Lancashire and went on to study at the University of Bristol. Since graduation his career has taken him through a variety of scientific and customer facing roles. He has worked for Pfizer Animal Health for six years in the clinical development of vaccines and pharmaceuticals for livestock and is looking forward to the new challenges of the genetics business. Richard is based in Pfizer's Surrey office and can be reached on 08345 3037398 or PfizerAnimalGenetics-EU@pfizer.com.

Mike Marron and Peter Quigley are Dairy Sales Manager and Beef and Sheep Sales Manager respectively and will be the contact points for breed associations, organisations and individuals who want to discuss how genetic assessment and identification can help assure the quality of a breed or herd. Mike has an honours degree in biological and biochemical science and a decade of experience in the animal health industry, with special interests in fertility and calf management. Peter also comes from the animal health industry and is looking forward to continuing the company's work with the Aberdeen Angus Society as well as developing programmes for other beef breed societies.

Mike or Peter will be in attendance at various agricultural shows across the UK including Agrilive, the South West Dairy Show, Surecalf, Agriscot, Thainstone Christmas Classic, the Welsh Winter Fair, The Great Yorkshire Show and the Northern Ireland Winter Fair, where they will be explaining how genetic testing can make a contribution towards improving the brand value of a breed and shortening the time frame to allow better management decisions to be made.

Dr Gary Evans is Technical Services Manager and will be providing detailed advice on how to improve pedigree herd books, the interpretation of results of genetic testing and detection of certain genetic diseases. Gary is a geneticist with fourteen years experience in the application of genomics to livestock and joins Pfizer Animal Genetics from PIC/Genus.

Veterinary Insights, a business intelligence provider, says it calculates that revenue in UK companion animal practices has now recovered to 82% of pre-lockdown levels.

Veterinary Insights gets its data from over 400 practices using Vet Viewer, its benchmarking software which practices use to monitor business metrics.

Apparently, the figures show that while overall turnover has bounced back relatively robustly, sales in certain areas are still lagging, reflecting changed routines in the ‘new normal’. For example, with many practices requesting clients wait in the car park, there has been a sustained drop in the sale of products typically sold in the waiting room, with sales of pet food falling by 44% during early lockdown, and still down by 25% compared with February’s figures.

The company says there are also significant business stresses that may not be captured in current revenue data.

Alexander Arpino, Managing Director of Veterinary Insights, said: “Anecdotally, we’re hearing that vets are increasingly hard-pressed for time, with logistical difficulties arising from social distancing. Consults are taking longer, and there’s an additional headache for receptionists as payments have to be collected afterwards over the phone. While there are some quick fixes, for example using a telemedicine app such as LinkyVet that sets payment expectations up front, there is no doubt that it’s difficult to make all this extra time investment sustainable in the long run.”

Paradoxically, while consults may be taking up more of vets’ time, some clients feel that they are getting less value for money as there is little face-to-face interaction with the vet. Alexander added: "One of the biggest challenges in the current environment is preserving and fostering those positive relationships with clients that are the cornerstone of companion animal practice.

"Ultimately, we want to bring clients back into the consult room, but only as and when it’s safe to do so. Otherwise, the question is: How can we make adjustments to maintain a high level of client satisfaction, without putting undue stress on vets?"

Veterinary Insights says its software can help practices navigate these challenges by presenting up to 24 months of historical data extracted from practice management systems, enabling businesses to draw comparisons with past performance.

For more information, visit www.vetviewer.co.uk.