Southfields Veterinary Specialists in Essex and Davies Veterinary Specialists in Hitchin are launching a new dentistry and maxillofacial surgery service later this month. 

The service will be headed by José C. Almansa Ruiz DVM (Hons) MSc (Vet) MRCVS. 

José qualified from the Universidad Complutense de Madrid in 2008, before completing an honours degree in dentistry and maxillofacial surgery while working in an after-hours veterinary emergency hospital in Madrid.

In 2009, he relocated to South Africa where he undertook an internship in dentistry and maxillofacial surgery at the academic hospital of the faculty of veterinary science of the University of Pretoria. In 2011, he relocated to the UK and, in 2012, began the European Veterinary Dental College diploma. 

In 2015, he returned to South Africa, working in referral hospitals, before being appointed as an extraordinary lecturer in veterinary dentistry and maxillofacial surgery at the Faculty of Veterinary Science of the University of Pretoria in January 2018. 

This summer, José will sit the exams to become a European Specialist in Veterinary Dentistry.

Tim Richardson, managing director of both Southfields and Davies, said: “We look forward to welcoming José to the teams at both Southfields and Davies. He brings with him a wealth of experience and knowledge in his field and is a highly-respected clinician. 

"The launch of dentistry and maxillofacial services at our multi-disciplinary referral centres is another exciting addition and we’re looking forward to accepting referrals from colleagues across the profession as we continue to lead the industry in the breadth of treatments that we can now offer.” 

José said: “I’m delighted to be joining the teams at Southfields and Davies, and my plan is to establish and really grow a dentistry and maxillofacial surgery service over the coming 12 months. 

“I would like to start offering reconstruction techniques for those patients undergoing mandibulectomies, while I have been hoping for some time now to begin using 3D printing as part of the planning for big surgeries. 

“We will be offering a very complete and advanced veterinary dentistry service. From the maxillofacial surgery point of view, fracture repair procedures will see the introduction of non-invasive techniques for repair of maxillomandibular fractures. 

“Craniofacial trauma cases will be worked up more in-depth together with anaesthesia, diagnostic imaging, ophthalmology, critical care and neurology, which will offer a truly multidisciplinary approach.” 

For more information, visit www.southfields.co.uk or vetspecialists.co.uk. 

The International Task Force on Canine Atopic Dermatitis has published new, evidence-based guidelines for diagnosing, grading and treating Canine Atopic Dermatitis (AD).

Recently published in Veterinary Dermatology, the series of guidelines for general practitioners covers all aspects of the disease, including the recent rise in food allergy-related cases, and offers practical guidance for vets in diagnosing and grading the severity of AD.

The report also reviews the most appropriate treatment options for acute and chronic forms of the disease, and has awarded Cortavance (hydrocortisone aceponate) the best strength of evidence mark of any current treatment available.

Virbac technical director Chris Taylor MRCVS says the paper shows that Cortavance is now the benchmark for Atopic Dermatitis: "Not only do the guidelines confirm evidence of treatment success with Cortavance, but they also highlight that the skin-specific steroid spray has been shown to have no systemic effects, even when applied to one-third of the dog on a daily basis."

Chris also highlights the cost-effectiveness of Cortavance: "Some AD treatments can cost clients more than £2 per day, but with Cortavance owners are usually looking at costs of just pence per day.

"This report shows that not only is Cortavance the most effective treatment with a high safety margin, it is also surprisingly inexpensive too. And of course this should also help with compliance, particularly in uninsured animals."

The guidelines can be viewed or downloaded online free at: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365.3164.2010.00889.x/pdf

The countdown has begun for Vets Now's ECC congress, which begins online on the 4th November.

Vets Now says that the move to holding the 4 day congress online has resulted in a surge in interest from international delegates, with veterinary surgeons and nurses from more than 20 countries, including Kuwait, Hong Kong and Australia, due to attend.

Speakers at the event this year include Dan Fletcher, Megan Brashear and Claire Sharp.

Dan Lewis, Vets Now’s national ECC lead, said: “The interactive platform we’re using is cutting edge and it provides so much more than just webinars. There will be live content, an interactive exhibition hall and more opportunities than ever for delegates to network and learn from some of the world’s leading veterinary experts discussing emergency and critical care. 

"Our programme this year has been carefully tailored to provide an inclusive learning experience for vets and vet nurses no matter what stage they’re at in their career, from students through to specialists. 

"We’ll obviously miss seeing everyone in person, but we’re very excited that we can gather together online for a one-of-a-kind experience.” 

Full four-day tickets for delegates range in price from £60 to £175 and ticket-holders will be able to access all the sessions on-demand for up to a month following the event.

Click here to book your place at Vets Now’s ECC Congress.  Registrations close on November 1. To book your place, visit: congress.vets-now.com

Vetoquinol has launched Rimifin® a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) for dogs, containing carprofen.

Carprofen can reduce inflammation and pain caused by musculo-skeletal disorders and degenerative joint disease. It can also be used as a follow-up to parenteral analgesia in the management of post-operative pain following soft tissue surgery.

Rimifin® is available in a range of tablet sizes, 20mg, 50mg and 100mg. A single 100mg tablet can treat a 50kg dog.

The BVA, SPVS and BVNA are calling on the Government to restrict the movement of dogs from countries with high levels of diseases like Brucella canis, which are currently not widely present in the UK, and introduce mandatory pre-import testing.

In the last four years, there has been an increase in the number of identified B. canis cases in the UK, which had previously been sporadic and isolated.

Data released by the Government shows that cases have risen from three reported before 2020 to 240 in the last three years.

Most dogs were either imported, had returned from holiday overseas, or been bred with an imported dog.

In 2022, the first UK case of dog-to-human transmission was reported, highlighting the risks to those handling and treating infected dogs and raising levels of concern within veterinary teams, although the BVA says the risk is relatively low.

The BVA, SPVS and BVNA joint policy calls on the Government to :

• Restrict the movement of dogs from countries that are endemic for diseases not currently considered endemic in the UK, after carrying out a risk assessment to determine for which countries and diseases testing should be implemented.
• Introduce testing for any relevant diseases as a mandatory requirement for dogs before travel to the UK.
• Improve border controls and increase enforcement to prevent the importation of puppies and pregnant bitches.

British Veterinary Association President Anna Judson said: “Vets are seriously concerned about the lack of adequate checks for potentially zoonotic diseases entering the country via imported dogs.

"Brucella canis is not currently considered to be widespread in the UK, so a proactive approach with an emphasis on reducing the risk of this and other worrying exotic diseases being brought into the UK is crucial.

“This is important both for the health of the UK’s dogs and the humans who care for them."

https://www.bva.co.uk/take-action/our-policies/brucella-canis 

Zoetis Business Consulting has announced the launch of Profitsolver, a software tool designed to boost practice profits.

The software has already been rolled out in the US, where Zoetis says that it has delivered an average of £103,000 extra profit to veterinary practices within a year.

Profitsolver uses the practice's actual data - not benchmarks or accepted norms - to enable the practice to manage costs, set prices and gain return on investments. By using an activity-based costing model and using a variety of data such as practice costs, which staff perform which part of the procedure, how long the procedure takes and what equipment and materials are used, Profitsolver calculates the correct pricing to both cover costs and deliver a predetermined profit margin.

Zoetis says that Profitsolver helps practices to understand how the overall practice profit is being generated. For instance, for price sensitive procedures such as vaccination, the practice can match their prices with the competition, but maintain their profit margin by increasing the price for other clinical services.

Nick Steele, national consulting manager at Zoetis said: "Veterinary practices have no standard method for pricing their services and they are often unable to determine which services make money and which don't. This hampers the practice's ability to accurately value the business and, as a result, profit levels tend to be low for many practices. Profitsolver can turn this situation around and already has a very successful track record in the US."

Zoetis piloted the UK version of Profitsolver with John Goulding at St Georges Veterinary Group. He said: "By and large the veterinary profession still relies on the mark-up of medicines where profits are concerned. Even practices that have made a concerted effort to move away from this type of pricing structure are still making their money from the sale of medicines rather than from vets' fees. For years I have wanted to know exactly how to price our services and this new Profitsolver software does just that.

"Most costs have an element of staff time, an element of fixed assets or equipment and an element of disposable items. Profitsolver takes all of these into account, adds the predetermined profit margin and produces an accurate pricing structure for each procedure undertaken within the practice.

"It's important to take the time at the start to put accurate data in from the practice's latest set of accounts and the Zoetis business consultant will guide practices through this to make the initial set up as easy as possible. For instance, for major pieces of equipment such as X-ray machines, you have to work out how many times a year you are likely to use them.

"By using Profitsolver, we worked out that if we do exactly the same amount of work as last year we can increase our bottom line by at least £200,000 for our 18 vet practice. Since last November, when we installed Profitsolver, we have completely changed our pricing structure moving away from focusing on medicines and the size of the animal to rethink how we charge our clinical care.

"An unexpected benefit is that Profitsolver has made me much more confident about the prices we charge to clients as it is all broken down, so we can see exactly how the invoice is made up. I would be at a loss without it now."

For more information about Profitsolver, contact your Zoetis account manager.

Locum vets Cristiana and Marco Tudini have had the holiday of a lifetime after winning a competition run by the recruitment consultants, Recruit4vets.

The couple, who came to the UK in 2006, were amongst 1000 people who entered the draw last year, when Cristiana was working for Companion Care in Folkestone.

Kelly Worrall from Recruit4vets said: "Our team called Cristiana on a typical day in the practice to deliver the news. She was obviously thrilled to get the call. Not only did we help find Cristiana her dream job, we sent her on a dream holiday too!"

Cristiana said: "My husband and I went to New York at the beginning of December. New York was full of festivities and was magical to go around Christmas time, we even visited Rockefeller Centre and watched the lights and singers. My husband and I are vegan, so we were delighted to find NYC filled with vegan restaurants and fast food outlets, we didn’t stop eating the whole trip! 

"New York City was absolutely amazing, this really was a dream come true!"

David Rendle, president elect of the British Equine Veterinary Association, is highlighting the plight of Ukrainian horses after returning from a trip to the Ukraine-Poland border to deliver veterinary supplies earlier this week.

David says that whilst he was out there, he was told about attacks by Russian forces on stables in Bucha, Irpin and other equestrian premises north of Kyiv.

Ukraine vet Anatoly Levitsky who is working in Kyiv, said: “Not very big horse club was not far from Borodianka and owners were using their horses for hippotherapy of children with different pathologies.

"When war started, the lady who owned the stable and her child emigrated to Poland and her husband was conscripted into Ukrainian army.

"When Russian bandits in army uniform came to the village, they set fire to the stable and started shooting the horses that tried to escape.” 

“Some horses ran away, others were wounded, and some were burned down.

"After the building was burned, Russian soldiers went away and horses that escaped were wandering around the village and trying to find the feed.

"Step by step, people living in the village collected the horses and keep one or two horses in their yards.”

David said: “It is hard to understand what could motivate anyone to perform these deliberate acts of cruelty. 

"Random shootings, stabbings and burnings are widely reported and pictured on social media, we have no idea how many horses are dead and how many injured, but it has to be a significant number.

“Some of the lorry drivers I have met coming out have been shot at, shelled and beaten up, evacuating surviving horses.

"They are taking risks that we would consider totally unacceptable to move animals out and supplies in.

"I have nothing but admiration for the bravery of the Ukrainian people.”

“Ever conscious that there is an equal humanitarian need you feel very small and rather cowardly that you aren’t permitted to go into Ukraine to help the people and animals that require treatment.”

The British Equine Veterinary Association and American Association of Equine Practitioners are working together to support vets in Ukraine.

They say that they are not allowed to provide direct practical help, but they are doing what they can to get veterinary and humanitarian supplies to the vets they are in contact with.

They are also working to establish safe stables in the West of Ukraine to get horses and their owners away from likely areas of combat in the East.

Previously people have had no option but to turn horses into the woods prior to fleeing or they have stayed to look after their animals despite the risks to themselves.

BEVA, in association with the British Equestrians for Ukraine Fund, is calling for urgent support to help fund veterinary treatment, supplies and the safe relocation of Ukraine’s endangered horses.

To do this they need your urgent support. To make a donation visit https://www.worldhorsewelfare.org/support-us/appeals/british-equestrians-for-ukraine-fund. 

To find out more you can listen to a podcast from David Rendle here https://beva.podbean.com/e/bevapod-episode-13/ 

Photo: Stabling reportedly burned down by Russian soldiers

Alstoe, maker of a range of veterinary products including Easeflex, Vetergesic, Dolagis and Nelio, has announced that it has changed its name to Sogeval UK Ltd following its acquisition by Sogeval, the French veterinary drug company, earlier this year.

The company says customers will not notice any change to their dealings with the company, because Sogeval UK Ltd will trade from the same premises near York and with the same staff members.

Niall McFerran, Sogeval Country Manager, UK and ROI said: "The change of name to Sogeval UK Ltd aligns the business to one of the world's fastest growing Animal Health companies. Through Sogeval's research and development programmes, we look forward to exciting improvements in the future."

For any questions relating to the change, practices are invited to contact Niall McFerran on 01347 878606.

This week, the RCVS will be sending every veterinary surgeon its Survey of the Profession, designed amongst other things to help the College and other organisations prioritise the issues they tackle and the support they offer.

The survey is conducted every four to five years and asks vets to answer questions about a variety of subjects including demographic data (for example, socio-economic background, educational attainment, race/ethnicity, disability), work-related data (for example, employment status, location of workplace, type of workplace, hours of work, position in practice) and information about professional achievement (for example, hours of continuing professional development (CPD) undertaken and extra qualifications earned).

The survey, which is conducted on the College’s behalf by the Institute for Employment Studies, also ask respondents about their views on different aspects of their profession, including career plans, challenges facing the profession, and wellbeing. 

This year, the survey also asks for your view of the RCVS, including its values, how it should communicate, and what it should prioritise in future years.

Lizzie Lockett, RCVS CEO (pictured right), said: "The results of the Surveys form a very important ‘snapshot’ of the profession at a given point in time, but they also prove useful for years to come in terms of how the College develops its regulatory and educational policy, the areas it chooses to focus on and the issues it chooses to tackle. 

"The ensuing reports are also used by a myriad of other individuals, such as those in academia, government and representative bodies, as well as journalists. It’s therefore really important that we have as accurate a picture as possible. So although completing the Surveys is entirely voluntary, we strongly encourage members of the professions to take the time to complete them. It will, ultimately, help the development of appropriate and supportive policies for your profession."

In addition to the main survey, there will be an additional survey for MsRCVS who practise overseas. This survey aims to better understand why they continue to retain their MRCVS status, what this status means in the countries in which they work, global attitudes towards the RCVS and how the College could improve its communication with them.

Horiba is holding a CPD webinar on 1st July 2021 at 7:30pm, when Ian Wright (the parasite guru, not the footballer) will talk about the importance of parasite testing protocols for imported pets in the face of increasing disease threats. 

Ian (pictured right) qualified from Glasgow University and has a master’s degree in veterinary parasitology. He is head of ESCCAP - the European Scientific Counsel Companion Animal Parasites (ESCCAP) UK and Ireland, guideline director for ESCCAP Europe and editorial board member for Companion Animal. and VetCPD Journal. He is also a practising vet and co-owner of The Mount Veterinary Practice in Fleetwood, Lancashire.

Lockdown has seen a rise in the numbers of dogs and cats in the UK, including imported pets. Horiba says some of these are coming in via the official route, which includes preventative measures to reduce health risks. However, many are moved outside of UK regulations and some will become ill in the days or even months after they arrive. Ian will explain how timely, accurate testing will help detect the threat to these animals. 

Lisa Martin from Horiba said: "I hope that as many veterinary surgeons, nurses, students and support staff as possible will join us for our Educational Premiere! We are looking forward to this first webinar in our veterinary CPD series, with expert Ian Wright highlighting the best ways to keep pets and people safe. Join us on 1st July at 7.30pm to hear more and to ask Ian your questions on this very topical subject. Dress code: casual."

To register, visit: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5429203015286962191 

HRH The Princess Royal has opened the Animal Health Trust's new cancer treatment and research facility in Suffolk.

The facility has been purpose-built to treat horses, dogs and cats with cancer. It will also assist in furthering understanding of the disease in animals.

Peter Webbon, Chief Executive of the AHT, said: "2012 marks 70 years of the AHT fighting disease and injury in animals, and the addition of the Cancer Centre is a landmark achievement in our history. We believe this is the first facility of its kind in Europe, purpose-built to treat horses, dogs and cats with cancer. We now have a short commissioning process to undertake but anticipate welcoming the first patients through the doors in early 2013."

The Kennel Club Cancer Centre at the AHT houses a linear accelerator (pictured right) and brachytherapy machine used in radiotherapy treatment, along with a 16-slice CT scanner to aid radiotherapy planning.

The new facility complements the AHT's existing cancer treatment options of surgery and chemotherapy meaning the Suffolk-based charity will be able to offer each and every patient the very best options for their specific case, whatever the diagnosis.  With one in four dogs and one in six cats developing cancer at some time in their life the new centre will help many more animals fight cancer.

Peter Webbon, added: "It was thanks to a generous donation from the late Tom Scott, a long-term supporter of the AHT, that we were able to start this development. His donation, along with that from many other AHT supporters, and an interest-free loan of £1.5 million from the Kennel Club has meant this ambitious project has come to fruition so quickly."

It has taken just over a year to build the Cancer Centre which contains more than 2,600 tonnes of concrete and has eight-feet wide solid concrete walls.

On opening the facility, HRH The Princess Royal, President of the AHT, said: "This Cancer Centre is an exciting development at the AHT and will make a real difference for animals with cancer, here and now. It will improve the chances, for many animals, of beating this pernicious disease.

"Countless other horses, dogs and cats across the world with cancer, who will never be seen by an AHT clinician, will also benefit from knowledge gained from research in The Kennel Club Cancer Centre at the AHT."

The AHT has a strong history in cancer research and the Kennel Club Cancer Centre will enhance the charity's well established cancer research programme. Knowledge gained through the treatment of animals in the facility will contribute to the study of cancers, their causes, early diagnosis and treatment, and ultimately hopefully the prevention of some forms of the disease.

Steve Dean, Kennel Club Chairman, said: "I am very proud to be here today to celebrate the opening of the Kennel Club Cancer Centre. Thanks to the expertise available here at the Animal Health Trust, the Cancer Centre will provide advanced techniques for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, to the benefit of many animals.  It is exciting to consider how synergy between the Kennel Club Cancer Centre and the Kennel Club Genetics Centre can help to further the understanding of the inheritance factors that influence the development of cancer."

The EU Energy and Environment Sub-Committee has published Brexit: farm animal welfare, a report which highlights both the need for the UK to retain EU veterinary surgeons who currently comprise over 90% of the country's Official Veterinarians, and the risk that post-Brexit trade deals could compromise animal welfare.

The report says the greatest threat to farm animal welfare standards post-Brexit would come from UK farmers competing against cheap, imported food from countries that produce to lower standards than the UK. Therefore, the Government's wish for the UK to become a global leader in free trade is not necessarily compatible with its desire to maintain high animal welfare standards.

Noting the UK's overwhelming reliance on non-UK EU citizens to fill crucial official veterinary positions in the UK, the Committee called on the Government to ensure that the industry is able to retain or recruit qualified staff to fill these roles post-Brexit.

Responding to the report, BVA President Gudrun Ravetz said: "The report offers strong leadership and a clear message, emphasising the consumer and cross-sector consensus that current animal health and welfare standards must be at least maintained in Brexit negotiations. Prioritising these standards in trade negotiations could guarantee a unique selling point for the UK. As the report recommends, as consumers we must make sure we do not compromise quality for cost-savings in order to avoid a race to the bottom for welfare standards. We now need clarity from the Government on how underpinning processes and overarching principles, like Article 13 which ensures animal welfare requirements are fully considered in policy-setting, will be incorporated into domestic law. 

"The report supports our view that animal welfare should be considered a public good and we reiterate our calls following the Secretary of State’s recent speech that a replacement CAP scheme should encompass animal welfare, animal health, disease surveillance, biodiversity and environmental stewardship to benefit not only UK producers, but consumers and wider society too.

"The EU Committee’s recognition of the vital role vets play in animal health, welfare and public health is extremely encouraging. Official Veterinarians (OVs) working in abattoirs protect and reassure UK consumers, certifying and supervising the import and export of animals and animal products to third countries. As I outlined in my evidence to the Committee, some estimates suggest 95% of OVs working in UK abattoirs graduated overseas, mostly in the EU. However, we are already hearing of fewer applicants for veterinary public health roles since the referendum.

"There are significant concerns about the potential impact of a post-Brexit veterinary workforce shortage on the UK's £100 billion agri-food sector, in terms of risking business and consumer confidence as well as the UK’s future export capability. A strong, sustainable veterinary workforce is absolutely vital to safeguarding animal health, welfare and public health post Brexit."