The Animal Welfare Foundation (AWF) has produced a leaflet which guides pet owners through the euthanasia decision making process.

The leaflet 'Saying goodbye - the ultimate kindness' explains why euthanasia may be the most caring option, the choices owners have, the different ways euthanasia may be performed and what happens next. It also addresses the emotions owners may go through when deciding to put their pet down.

AWF Chairman Tiffany Hemming said: "As vets we often see pet owners struggle with letting their pet go. Guilt may be the strongest emotion owners feel when deciding to put their pet down. We wanted to guide owners through this difficult time in a sensitive way and encourage them to ask questions and work with the vet to help them come to terms with the end of their pet's life.

"While the leaflet is aimed at pet owners we hope vets find it a useful communication tool during this distressing time for their clients."

To see all AWF leaflets including 'Pre- and post-operative care', 'Pet travel', 'Pets and poisons', and 'What makes my pet happy' visit http://www.bva-awf.org.uk/pet-care-advice.

Practices can order batches of the leaflets for clients in return for a donation to AWF by contacting bva-awf@bva.co.uk. 

CVS is equipping its vets with MiGuide, a pocket resource containing the clinical information they need every day in first opinion companion animal practice.

CVS says it believes the phone-based resource is a first in the profession.

It contains the ‘kennel side’ veterinary guidelines, notes and charts that clinicians would need to refer to in day-to-day companion animal practice.

It also includes clinical guidelines, anaesthesia, diagnostic imaging, dentistry and toxicology sections, along with an antibiotic guide.

CVS says it hopes the breadth of information in the MiGuide will improve and speed clinical decision-making, making recommendations to clients easier - and ultimately improving patient outcomes.

The hub is the brainchild of Alan Johnson, Regional Clinical Lead at CVS.

He said: “Every day in practice is different.

"You regularly have to do things you have not done for a while.

"So you either have to recall how to do them or spend time looking them up.

"This can be especially difficult when you are looking for very specific information which is buried in a textbook.

“I wanted to consolidate the key clinical information that every colleague needs every day - all in one location.

"I wanted to make information easy to find at a few clicks.

"And I wanted vets and nurses to have this information in their pocket – to refer to if the need arose.

“We hope our new portal is helpful and supportive – and makes daily practice smoother for our vets and nurses.

"And we hope that it improves and speeds up clinical decision-making to provide the best care for our patients.”  

Siemens will be showcasing its range of technology for veterinary care, from advanced ultrasound, CT and MRI systems to haematological and immunological diagnostics at BSAVA Congress. 

The company says MRI and CT are starting to become more influential in the veterinary field. MRI provides a reliable veterinary imaging method when traditional procedures such as X-ray and ultrasound are not able to convey the detail needed. They display small changes in bone and soft tissue and can be complemented with special adjustments such as mini coils for dog and cat paws to make them suitable for application with animals.  This allows vets to diagnose more accurately and treat specific complaints.  The images produced by MRI systems can be used for tumour diagnosis, nervous complaints or orthopaedic problems as well as intestinal, respiratory or cardiovascular disorders. 

Siemens will also be presenting its in vitro range of solutions and assays in chemistry, haematology and immunology.

This will include the IMMULITE® range, a blood testing platform which the company says has an unrivalled immunoassay portfolio, allowing the rapid diagnosis of a broad spectrum of small animal conditions. 

Information on the ADVIA® 2120i Haematology System with specific animal software and Dimension® Xpand® Plus integrated chemistry and immunoassay system will also be available.  

Product literature and in-depth discussions with Siemens specialists will be available from the stand during the event.

The Feline Advisory Bureau (FAB) has changed its name to International Cat Care in order to better reflect the work the charity does to help improve the lives of cats both in the UK and internationally.

Along with the name change, the charity has developed a completely new visual identity, which has been applied to its new website (www.icatcare.org).

Claire Bessant, CEO of International Cat Care, said: "We continue to evolve as a charity and we are increasingly working internationally to help vets and local communities provide better care for cats. While our mission and core values will remain the same, we needed a strong brand identity to better reflect this work and to help us engage more directly with consumers and vets."

Underneath the International Cat Care umbrella, there are three core areas which are designed to help streamline the charity's work and make it easy for vets, professionals and consumers to engage in the right way. The three areas are:

• Cat care ADVICE
  Essential guidance for owners and cat carers on how to keep cats happy, healthy and safe.

• Cat care IN ACTION
  Practical solutions for improving the welfare of abandoned, neglected, stray and unowned cats.

• Cat care FOR VETS
  Trusted worldwide resource on feline healthcare, provided through our veterinary division the International Society of Feline Medicine.

The charity's new website will continue to host information and advice on virtually every aspect of cat care, but also showcases the charity's work internationally. Most recently, the team has been in Sudan teaching vets about the safe handling and neutering of cats, with a special emphasis on street cats.

Claire Bessant continued: "We really wanted to achieve a clear and succinct explanation of who we are and what we do, and we think the new name and visual identity perfectly sums this up.  It's been such a rewarding process because the rebrand has been so positively received by our dedicated staff, members and supporters."

International Cat Care will be officially unveiled on the first day of this year's BSAVA Congress, where vets and the media will be invited to the stand to see the new identity for the first time, and for a glass of celebratory champagne.

To meet the team and find out more about the rebrand, visit stand 704 at the BSAVA Congress.

Agria Pet Insurance has announced an 'age amnesty' in May, during which time the company will quote for cover regardless of the age of a pet.

The company says it is common for the owners of older pets to have difficulties finding insurance cover for older pets, and a lack of cover may be a barrier to presenting the animal for regular health checks and disease investigations.

Agria has been offering five weeks free pet insurance plus insurance quotes without an age limit for rehomed older pets from rehoming centres and charities for a year now, in order to give prospective rehomers greater confidence to take on the additional commitment of an older pet. 

The company says that opening up the offer to all pet owners through May offers a rare opportunity to insure potentially vulnerable senior dogs and cats.

Alastair Cook, Head of Sales and Marketing, said: "It'’s a great way to reinforce to clients how much you care. “The bond with an older pet is often special and it can be very distressing when they develop a condition that is going to require treatment on an ongoing basis. We don'’t want cost to be the pet owner’s biggest worry, or for people to feel that they can'’t afford to ask their veterinary practice for help. We'’re asking practices to reach out to pet owners and let them know about this time limited offer so we can help as many pets and people as possible.”"

Agria has produced an Age Amnesty waiting room poster, available on request by calling its veterinary helpline on 03330 30 83 90 or email admin.vet@agriapet.co.uk. Practices that work with charities are also encouraged to contact the company.

For more information, visit www.agriapet.co.uk/veterinary

Two new Postgraduate Deans have been appointed by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons to advise and monitor new veterinary surgeons during their Professional Development Phase (PDP), the first stage in veterinary continuing professional development.

Jill Hubbard, a partner at Cibyn Veterinary Surgery, Caernarfon, and organiser of BVA North Wales' young graduate meetings, and Nicky Paull, a former BVA President with extensive experience of running veterinary practices and understanding of the needs of veterinary graduates, were selected from over 40 applicants.  They join existing Deans, Professor Agnes Winter and Julian Wells, and replace Professor David Noakes and Stephen Ware, who are retiring from the role having served since 2007, when PDP first became a requirement for veterinary graduates.

Jill Hubbard said: "I have always had a particular interest in how we support and guide our new graduates. This seemed a way of being actively involved - a useful niche to try and fill."

Nicky Paull said: "The development of young veterinary graduates has been of special interest to me for some years. In employing young veterinary surgeons, meeting recent graduates through my political work and the time spent with undergraduates through extra-mural studies and the Society of Practising Veterinary Surgeons' final year student seminars, I'm aware of the need for help and guidance for development of the young vets who are joining our profession."

The PDP applies to every newly qualified veterinary surgeon. It consists of an online record which the vet completes, and which is signed off by a Postgraduate Dean. This helps new vets and their employers check that sufficient experience is being gained so that the vet can progress from the 'Day-One competencies' of a new graduate to those expected of a vet with about a year's in-practice experience.

Petplan has been named the UK's Best Pet Insurance Provider at the Consumer Moneyfacts awards.

Voted for by over 17,000 consumers, the awards recognise the best financial products available to consumers in the UK.

Petplan, which says it has recently strengthened its policies to provide pet owners with more comprehensive cover, was chosen by consumers for its market leading policies and outstanding customer service.

Petplan Director Neil Brettell said: "The award is great recognition for the fantastic job that our team at Petplan does to keep pets healthy and owners happy.

"Our Covered for Life policies truly do what they say, they ensure that a pet can get the best possible treatment throughout its life without the owner having to worry about the cost. It's great to be recognised for the service that we've been providing to the nation's pets for over 35 years."

For information about how working with Petplan can help your practice call Vetline on 0800 316 8800 or visit www.petplanvet.co.uk

Freda Andrews, the Director of Education at the RCVS, has announced her retirement from the position on 2nd April after nearly 16 years at the College.

Freda joined the RCVS as Head of Education in September 1999 and became Director of Education in 2013, with strategic responsibility for both veterinary and veterinary nursing education.

Nick Stace, RCVS Chief Executive Officer, said: "We will miss Freda for her professionalism, her encyclopaedic knowledge of all things related to veterinary education and her attention to detail, but she leaves behind a team that is stronger-than-ever and a considerable legacy for the profession as a whole.

"Under her watch the Education Department has seen a significant number of achievements. This includes the introduction of the Professional Development Phase which has helped veterinary graduates develop their confidence and competence during the first few years of practice and the accreditation of the University of Nottingham's School of Veterinary Medicine and Science - the first new UK vet school in 50 years."

Freda's responsibilities as Director of Education will now be split between Christine Warman, Head of Education, and Julie Dugmore, Head of Veterinary Nursing.

Freda said: "I have really enjoyed working with such a fascinating profession and I think that through working very closely with our colleagues in the vet schools, as well as with practising vets, veterinary education has made some significant advances. For example, there is more focus now on communication and professional skills and greater alignment of accreditation standards internationally, to name but two things.

"I am sad to leave but I know that the future of veterinary and veterinary nursing education has been left in the very safe hands of Christine and Julie and their respective teams." 

CPC, the pet crematorium has opened a new facility for bereaved owners who wish to make their final farewell to a much loved pet in person. The farewell suite forms part of CPC's extended premises on the A505 just south of Cambridge at Thriplow Heath.

"Being pet owners ourselves as well as professionals, we appreciate how comforting it can be to say goodbye in a way that best reflects the close relationship between pet and owner," said CPC director Duncan Francis.

"Often this is expressed through an individual cremation. This gives the owner a final opportunity to say farewell and helps them to achieve closure. At the same time it provides them with their pet's ashes to retain or scatter as they wish."

CPC's new suite comprises a reception area, two private rooms, and a viewing room. It has a separate entrance from the offices, so that people who are attending an individual cremation have maximum privacy. "The enlarged facility also means that they can take their time to compose themselves afterwards and leave when they feel ready," Duncan added.

The Heydon and Heathfield suites are furnished in calming shades of green, blue and grey with soft cream walls and light ash woodwork. The reception area includes a plasma screen showing tranquil pictures of the garden of remembrance to welcome visitors, while 'alphamusic', which is carefully composed to calm and relax people, plays in the background. The private rooms have a range of comfortable seating and are decorated with subtle floral arrangements and soft pictures.

The viewing room contains a purpose-built catafalque (or raised bier) made from Corian. This material consists of a blend of natural minerals, marble and acrylics to provide a peaceful place for the pet's body to rest upon while owners say their goodbyes.

The farewell suite is part of a major extension to CPC's main facility. Formally opened in May 2008, this comprises new office accommodation and production capacity for its veterinary waste services. The company moved to the site in the early 1980s. It is licensed for four cremators together with low emissions rotoclaves for the sterilisation of a range of veterinary and clinical wastes and employs approximately 80 people.

The British Equine Veterinary association has launched 'Hold Your Horses', a free-to-members online CPD course presented by Gemma Pearson RCVS Specialist in Veterinary Behavioural Medicine (Equine), to help equine vets and clients minimise patient stress.  

Research published in EVE by Pearson in 2020 reported that 95% of equine vets work with “difficult” horses on at least a monthly basis, and that 81% of them had sustained at least one injury in the last 5 years.

The research also indicated that some vets overestimate their understanding of equine learning theory.

The BEVA says developing an extended understanding of how horses learn can make clinical care less stressful, and that reduced patient stress also improves workplace safety, which is important in a role that has been identified as one of the most dangerous civilian professions. 

Gemma said: “Horses have limited cognitive skills and so we should try to better understand what motivates and reinforces unwanted behaviours rather than assuming the horse is being wilfully or maliciously disobedient.

“To do this we need to appreciate how horses learn. 

"Better horse handling leads to happier horses, and this means happier vets and nurses and owners/clients with the ultimate knock on of better safety, better job satisfaction and better retention in the profession.”

The training sessions include: 

• Injury rates
• How horses learn
• How to read emotions and body language
• Restraint during veterinary care
• Anthrozoology (the study of animal and human interactions and how else, beyond learning theory, we impact horses’ behaviours)
• Psychopharmaceuticals

Gemma added: “One of the biggest push backs I get from people that haven’t started to develop low stress vet care as a routine is that they haven’t got time. But those who do use it say that it saves them time and keeps them safer, this also brings obvious commercial benefit to the practice - so what’s not to like?”

https://www.beva.org.uk/elearning-redirect?redirect=/course/view.php?id=622 

The British Small Animal Veterinary Association is using European Antibiotics Awareness Day (today) to highlight its guidance on the appropriate use of antimicrobials.

European Antibiotic Awareness Day is an annual campaign held to raise awareness of prudent antibiotic use and the threat of antibiotic resistance. While in the past it has focused on use of antibiotics in human healthcare, there is an increasing realisation that antimicrobial resistance is a 'One Health' issue with implications for human and animal health as well as the environment.

Professor Michael Day, BSAVA President said: "For both veterinary professionals and those working in human health, the spread of multi-drug resistant bacteria means that we may reach the point where we can no longer treat every day infections or diseases. So the responsible use of antimicrobials is an important focus for this pan-European campaign.

"Antibacterial resistance is now a politically important topic for our profession, and there are those who wish to restrict veterinary use of certain antibacterial products, which could have significant implications for animal health and welfare. It is therefore essential that veterinary surgeons are seen to be using antimicrobials responsibly."

London-based Nicola Jane Gurrin MRCVS has been reprimanded and warned by the RCVS Disciplinary Committee after she prescribed an acne treatment for a human. 

Ms Gurrin faced two charges, the first being that she had issued prescriptions for Roaccutane tables, indicating they were for the treatment of an animal when they were in fact for a human.

The second charge was that Dr Gurrin’s conduct in relation to the first charge was dishonest and/or misleading, and took place in circumstances where Dr Gurrin was not professionally qualified to write a prescription for a human.

Ms Gurrin admitted the allegation in its entirety and the Committee therefore found it proved.

The College submitted that Dr Gurrin breached fundamental tenets of the Code of Professional Conduct and acted dishonestly and, as such, that the admitted facts amounted to disgraceful conduct.

The Committee accepted that Dr Gurrin’s conduct involved dishonesty, but took into account the context: that Dr Gurrin was seeking to help in continuing a course of medication that she understood to have been properly prescribed by a specialist physician.

Mitigating factors included the lack of artifice or sophistication in the drawing of the prescription and its presentation to the pharmacist, in that Ms Gurrin didn't invent an animal name or species, or any kind of elaboration or backstory when challenged by the pharmacist on the prescription.

In addition, there was no financial or other personal gain, it was a single isolated incident, it was a spur of the moment decision without reflection, no harm was caused or risked to any animal, Ms Gurrin had a long and previously unblemished career and lastly she showed insight into the offence.

The committee also took into account the character testimonials which showed Ms Gurrin not only to be an exceptional vet, but a dedicated professional who had nurtured a very strong team, and someone who is held in extraordinarily high regard by both her clients and colleagues.

There were no aggravating factors.

The Committee considered that the case was too serious to take no further action, but that there was no ongoing danger to the public or risk to animal health.

Kathryn Peaty, chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: “The Committee has reached the conclusion that it is appropriate to impose a reprimand and a warning in this case.

"It would serve no purpose to impose a more severe sanction of a suspension and deprive Dr Gurrin’s clients of her valuable service and to deprive Dr Gurrin of the opportunity to practise for however short a time.

"The Committee considered that it is right to recognise that this misconduct was an aberration in a fine career, which is not characteristic of this veterinary surgeon and which happened when she was off her guard and in circumstances when she was mistakenly trying to help another in what she thought was a safe way.

“The Committee therefore decided, in the particular circumstance of this case, to impose a reprimand and warning on the basis that it would be proportionate in order to maintain public confidence in the profession and declare and uphold proper standards of conduct and behaviour.”