The RCVS Disciplinary Committee has removed a veterinary surgeon formerly working in Lincolnshire from the Register, after finding him guilty of serious professional misconduct for drink-driving related convictions, failing to inform his employer of these convictions, and driving whilst disqualified.

Jaroslaw Slominski, a former employer of Grants Veterinary Services plc, chose not to attend the three-day hearing. The Committee considered whether to proceed with the case, using criteria identified by the Court of Appeal in R v Jones (Anthony) in 2002 and confirmed by the House of Lords. It concluded it was in the interests of justice that the hearing should go ahead.

The charges related to two convictions Mr Slominski received on 17 March 2010 at Lincoln Magistrates Court: failure to provide a specimen of breath for analysis and driving without due care and attention (after his vehicle collided head-on with another car). Mr Slominski failed to inform his employers of these convictions, as he was contractually obliged to do, and that he was now disqualified from driving.

Having heard evidence from Mr Slominski's line manager, the Committee also found that he had driven his employer's vehicle whilst disqualified, although it could not be sure that he had done so on all the occasions alleged. Therefore, the Committee did not go on to consider an alternative part of the charge - that Mr Slominski had dishonestly claimed money from his employer by falsely submitting expenses claims.

Disciplinary Committee Chairman Prof Peter Lees said: "The combination of factors in this case, namely, the serious nature of his conviction in failing to provide a specimen of breath, his subsequent premeditated conduct in not informing his employers and driving whilst disqualified should be treated by the profession very seriously. The Committee has concluded that the combination of the conviction and the conduct is incompatible with Mr Slominski practising as a veterinary surgeon."

The Committee directed that Mr Slominski's name be removed from the Register.

The organisers of the VET Festival (20-21 May 2022, Loseley Park) have published the results of research they carried out with the Veterinary Management Group which seem to show tentative signs of improvement in the wellbeing of veterinary professionals, despite some areas which still give significant cause for concern.

400 people took part in the research, of which 76% described their mental health as ‘reasonable’ or ‘very good’, while almost three quarters 71% said there was someone at work they could talk to about their mental health and 80% knew where to access information and support.

This compared to 2019, when only 50% had even recognised veterinary wellbeing as an issue. 

So far so good.

However, on the flip side, 60% felt that their work/life balance was not right and 82% were worried about their financial situation.

As is well known, the pandemic placed further strain on veterinary professionals: 78% of respondents said their workload had increased since it struck, and  44% said they were working longer hours.

What's more, 63% felt that that changes in working practices introduced during the pandemic had not been beneficial to their mental health.

The survey results showed a number of interesting variations depending on the respondent's time in the profession and their role. 

For example, people who've been in the profession for more than ten years appeared to be more resilient than those who've been in the profession for six years or less, with 66% of the older hands saying the pandemic had had an impact on their mental heath, compared to 71% of the younger respondents. 

The older crowd also reported being more aware of where to access support and information (89% vs 71%) but feel they have fewer people they can talk to at work (68% vs 76%).

Interestingly, nurses felt they had more people they can talk to at work (76% vs 62% of vets)

The organisers say that overall, the research suggests that the veterinary profession is more aware of the pressures on veterinary teams and is taking some steps to mitigate it and support staff better. 

97% said they felt supported by their colleagues, 75% said they felt that their practice had strong leaders and managers and 90% said that they loved their job. 

50% said their practice offers online resources to support wellbeing at work, 41% offer counselling and 40% offer flexible working. 

When asked what more could be done to improve their wellbeing at work, simple solutions such as taking a lunch break, having a pleasant room at work in which they could relax and receiving recognition for hard work were the most commonly proposed.  

VET Festival will be offering a Wellness Hub, supported by MWI Animal Health, in which a range of practical activities will be offered to support delegates in improving their day-to-day wellbeing, with representatives of Vetlife also on hand to offer advice and support.  

Tickets for VET Festival can be bought here: https://www.vetfestival.co.uk/delegate-info/ticket-information

Vita Animal Health has announced the launch of a new range of pet health supplements which be available exclusively through veterinary practices.

This is Vita's first foray into the companion animal sector after more than 20 years developing health solutions for honey bees. 

The new range includes six products supporting a range of common health conditions; Omnicondro for joint health, Omnicardio for cardiovascular function, Omniomega containing essential fatty acids, Omnicutis skin support, Omnimatrix to aid skin healing and Omniotic ear cleaner. They are approved for use in different species according to product, including dogs, cats, rabbits and horses.

The new products are available direct from the company's Sales Manager, Tara Evans RVN. She said: "I am delighted to introduce practices to this cutting-edge range of supplements. At Vita Animal Health we recognise the vital role of the veterinary team in supporting pet health and offering clients choice. The range of Vita products offers new and innovative solutions in some important areas."

The product launch includes promotional offers for veterinary practices and there is a loyalty card scheme for owners.

For more information, visit www.vitaanimalhealth.com, email info@vitaanimalhealth.com, or telephone 01256 591032.

The British Veterinary Zoological Society (BVZS) has issued new guidelines for veterinary surgeons working in the field of British native wildlife rescue and rehabilitation.

The guidelines are designed to support veterinary surgeons, veterinary nurses and wildlife rehabilitators, in order to promote and achieve the best possible care and welfare for indigenous British wild animals in accordance with UK law.

The Society says that guidelines are needed because:

• All veterinary surgeons in practice are at some point likely to be presented with injured or orphaned British wildlife.
• Full care to the point of successful release of suitable cases back to the wild requires good collaborative working relationships between veterinary professionals and wildlife rehabilitators.
• Wildlife casualties are covered by the Veterinary Surgeons Act and Veterinary Medicines Regulations. Therefore veterinary surgeons and nurses have legal as well as ethical responsibilities for the care of these animals.
• Wildlife carers and rehabilitators also have responsibilities, and may benefit from clarification of these at the interface between veterinary medicine and general animal care.
• Failure to fulfil these responsibilities may lead to action by the RCVS, as well as prosecution under the Animal Welfare Act, 2006 or other wildlife legislation.

Mark Stidworthy, BVZS President (pictured above right), said: "The rescue and rehabilitation of wildlife by veterinary surgeons and wildlife professionals is highly valued by the British public, making a positive contribution to local communities, the health and welfare of individual animals and to conservation. We hope these guidelines will inform best practice in this area and ensure its continued success."

Theresa Amory, Chair of the British Wildlife Rehabilitation Council (BWRC) said: "BWRC aims to support and promote the professional integrity of wildlife rehabilitators. While we recognise that meeting all of these guidelines may be difficult (particularly for smaller scale rehabilitators) we hope that they will enable rehabilitators to work alongside veterinary partners with increased awareness and confidence in their own working policies and procedures."

Michael Stanford, BVZS Senior Vice President, Veterinary Defence Society Claims Consultant said: "The BVZS Wildlife Guidelines should ensure all stakeholders involved with wildlife rehabilitation are acting in the best interests of animal welfare, with the added reassurance that they are acting in accordance with UK law."

Liz Mullineaux, veterinary surgeon and one of the authors of the guidelines said: "Working with British wildlife has always been challenging, for both vets and rehabilitators, in terms of what is ethical, legal and of an adequate clinical standard. These guidelines clarify many of those things, describing best practice and achievable standards for this area of work."

The guidelines can be downloaded from: http://www.bvzs.org/images/uploads/BVZS_Good_Practice_Guidelines_for_Wildlife_Centres_011016_.pdf 

Tim Davies BVSc CertSAS MRCVS has been appointed as Chief Veterinary Officer at Guide Dogs.

Tim was the principal veterinary surgeon at Nine Mile Veterinary Group in Wokingham, Berkshire, from its opening in 1985. He grew the business from one vet and three staff to 16 vets and 60 staff, before selling to CVS in 2007.

Thereupon he became the National Veterinary Director for CVS, supporting the business as it grew from 200 to 1200 vets and supporting individual vets and practices with management advice and clinical practice.

In more recent times Tim has been working with a peripatetic surgery group.

Tim has worked at Guide Dogs before: between 1987 and 2007, he was a Centre Veterinary Advisor at the charity’s now-closed site in Wokingham.

Tim said: “Guide dogs are fantastic to work with – they are good-natured and easy to handle, and the owners always have the best interests of the dog at heart. Plus, you know you are helping more than someone’s pet, a working dog making a real difference to a person’s life. A guide dog needs to be happy and healthy to fulfil its role. It all adds up to a very different flavour of vet work.

“I am looking forward to being back, but in a more central role with more strategic responsibility. The veterinary world has changed so much, even in the last ten years, and it will be good to draw on my experiences to help Guide Dogs traverse that change.

“It’s important that we keep the healthcare of guide dogs at the top of the priorities list; the dogs have always been at the very core of the charity. It’s crucial that we have solid relationships with veterinary practices, to ensure our dogs receive the greatest care at the best value to the charity."

Ceva Animal Health has launched Feliscratch by Feliway, a new pheromone designed to help stop cats from scratching furniture, something which 56% of owners report as a problem in their household¹. 

Feliscratch by Feliway is a synthetic copy of the feline interdigital semiochemical (FIS) naturally produced by cats and Ceva says it is the only product clinically proven to help divert scratching behaviour onto a desired location. 

The company says it helps control both vertical and horizontal scratching and helps prevent inappropriate scratching with newly adopted cats or kittens.

The new pheromone is available in a pack of nine single use 5ml pipettes which should be applied on a scratching post to redirect the scratching.

The product attracts cats in three ways: the blue staining mimics the visual message (scratch marks), catnip helps attract the cat to the scratching post and the pheromone directs cat scratching on the surface where the product has been applied. One pack lasts for up to four weeks.

Feliscratch by Feliway can be used alongside Feliway Classic if the owner is experiencing stress-related scratching or alongside Feliway Friends for conflicts in the home.

Claire Russell, pheromone product manager at Ceva Animal Health said: "Scratching is a major problem in cat owning households with many owners experiencing damaged carpets, sofas and other household furniture. Feliscratch by Feliway can help redirect scratching onto a desired location, such as a scratching post, and can be used in conjunction with Feliway Classic and Feliway Friends to help prevent other stress-related behaviours."

Ceva Animal Health has launched a range of marketing materials to support the launch of Feliscratch by Feliway including a pet owner leaflet, posters, wobblers and a digital pack containing social media posts, product pack shots, logo and videos.

For information on Feliway visit www.feliway.com/uk.

Petplan Equine, the equine insurance provider, has announced the three finalists for the inaugural Petplan Equine Vet of the Year Award. 

They are:

• Mark Lingard of Moy Farm Vet Centre, near Preston, Lancashire
• Andrew Dobson of The Barn Equine and Large Animal Vet Clinic in Essex
• Mark Murrell of Platt & Murrell also from Essex.

The winner of this new people's award will be announced at the glittering 20^th annual Animal Health Trust (AHT) Equestrian Awards ceremony to be held at London's Royal Lancaster Hotel on the evening of Thursday 6^th November 2008.

Owners and riders were asked nominate their local equine vet for the award if they felt that they were deserving of the recognition that this accolade would bring. A short list was drawn up from the nominations received and an independent panel has selected the finalists from whom the winner will be announced and receive his or her award at the AHT Equestrian Awards.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Animal Health Trust Equestrian Awards, which recognise the outstanding achievements made by horses, riders, owners and trainers throughout the equestrian world. This milestone coincides with Petplan Equine's 20^th anniversary and, since 1994 when the Petplan Equine Charitable Trust was founded, it has raised over £5 million, almost £500,000 of which has been donated to the AHT to fund research and development.

Jo Whittaker of Petplan Equine said: "It has been a privilege to be involved with the AHT Awards over the years. We are particularly excited to be able to recognise the amazing hard work and commitment of people within the equine veterinary profession and those who provide outstanding service to horse owners. We received some very strong nominations and selecting just three was not easy although, in the case of the finalists it was clear that each consistently went beyond the call of duty."

She added: "Horse welfare is paramount at Petplan Equine and the company is committed to promoting responsible horse ownership, through its charitable contributions, wide range of policies and publications such as the Horse Handbook. This award has been created to give the equine community the opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the vet who has made the most outstanding contribution to the care of horses."

The winner will be posted on www.petplanequine.co.uk on Friday 7^th November

BEVA has announced the launch of CPD courses designed to help equine and mixed vets get back into equine practice after a break from clinical work.

Sarah Gasper, BEVA’S Learning Manager said: "Many of us on the BEVA education team understand exactly what it’s like to return to practice whether after a career break, paternity/maternity or sickness leave. We also understand the specific challenges of moving from mixed into equine practice. 

"We have created these courses to help make the transition back to work as smooth as possible. We’ve tried to incorporate everything we wish we had had access to when we returned to practice!"

Reinvigorate your approach to equine practice will be held on 12th March 2019 at Lythe Hill Hotel, Haslemere. The lecture and forum based course will explore the latest advances in internal medicine, orthopaedics, and sports medicine, and how to apply them to develop evidence-based clinical approaches to common and emergency scenarios in practice. 

Getting (back) into equine practice will be held on 13th March 2019 at Liphook Equine Hospital, Hampshire. This entirely practical day of CPD will all be about improving the confidence of established equine vets and for vets returning to work following a career break. The course will focus on the practical procedures that an established equine ambulatory vet might be expected to perform on a regular basis. In a new approach to CPD we are trialling a system where delegates can shape part of this unique CPD day for themselves, with an online poll pre-course to select from a choice of practicals. 

Both courses will have childcare facilities to help support parents wishing to attend CPD.

BEVA will also be running a course on the fundamentals of sedation, field anaesthesia and castration on 27th and 28th March 2019 at World Horse Welfare, Snetterton, Norfolk. This 'hands-on' course is designed for new or recent graduates or those in mixed practice with varied levels of equine work. It comprises evening lectures on the first day to free up more time for hands-on training on day two. It will cover sedation and field anaesthesia required for common field surgery such as castration, both in theory and in a practical session, with the equine welfare charity venue able to provide a high number of colts for castration work. Nerve blocks and regional anaesthesia for other common procedures will also be covered on cadavers. 

For further information on BEVA’s new CPD courses visit www.beva.org.uk/cpd

MSD Animal Health has announced the launch of Cepralock, a new teat sealant to complement its dry cow intramammary product Cepravin Dry Cow and wider Dairy Herd Health portfolio.  

The company says the new product is designed for use at drying off, with or without a dry cow intramammary antibiotic, and provides an important inert barrier in the teat canal to reduce significantly the risk of bacterial infection of the udder during the dry period.

Cepralock is supplied in tubes with the option of short nozzles that are designed to help avoid the risk of teat damage and incorrect administration beyond the teat canal.

The launch is also being accompanied by dry cow therapy training and a support programme for veterinary practitioners and their dairy farmer clients. This will include diagnostics and data analytics, and training will have a significant focus on correct administration and removal of teat sealant after calving, allowing vets to provide adequate reassurances to their clients around product use.

MSD Animal Health technical adviser Martin Behr said: "The dry period is a critical time for vets as they seek to help their clients in the battle to combat mastitis, which remains a significant drain on dairy herd profitability. It provides an ideal opportunity to clear up existing bacterial infections in the udder with the use of intramammary antibiotics, but it is also vital to prevent new infections over the period.

"Cows do have their own natural physical defence against infection in the form of the keratin plug that forms in the teat canal after drying off, but this is not always sufficiently effective. In a recent study it was shown that only 50% of 500 examined quarters had a fully developed keratin plug within 10 days of drying off, whilst 20% of teats remained open into the second half of the dry period. This is significant because the majority of clinical cases of mastitis that occur during the dry period do so within the first three weeks.

"Correct use of a teat sealant at drying off, immediately after the administration of the dry cow intramammary if used, will provide an effective physical barrier for the duration of the dry period, significantly reducing the chances of new infections of the udder."

According to MSD, it is estimated that less than half of dairy cows are currently given a teat sealant at drying off, despite the concept being established for a number of years and numerous farm studies providing strong evidence of their efficacy. 

Martin added: "The potential return on investment for dairy farmers of correctly applied teat sealants is clear. A single case of mastitis is estimated to cost between £70 and £250 and the average UK dairy herd suffers somewhere in the region of 50 to 60 cases per 100 cows per lactation. A correctly applied dry cow therapy programme, including the use of teat sealants, will significantly reduce the incidence of clinical mastitis, thereby providing a demonstrable return on investment.

"At MSD Animal Health we are keen to help veterinary practitioners promote best practice in dry cow therapy, including the adoption of the correct protocols and application procedures. Therefore we are supporting the launch of Cepralock with the offer of Continuous Professional Development for veterinary practitioners on all aspects of dry cow therapy, including correct use of teat sealant and its removal after calving."

Cepralock teat sealant is available to veterinary practices in packs of 24 tubes and 120 tubes.

For more information about Cepralock or MSD's Dry Cow Management Support package for vets and farmers, contact your Account Manager.

White Cross Vets, the 19-practice Leeds-based group that was bought by IVC earlier this year, has bagged an award for Best Use of Social Media from the Institute of Internal Communications.

The group won the award in recognition of how it put social media at the heart of the its 80^th birthday celebrations, offering employees 80 prizes over 80 days with daily draws broadcast on Facebook Live and uploaded to YouTube. The prizes included a weekend for two in New York, European holidays, festival tickets, a 40” smart TV, an extra week holiday, an Apple watch, a chance to be the MD for the day and more.

The IoIC’s judging panel praised the campaign’s recognition of staff, fun and innovation, as well as saying there was so much to love about the award entry and one even said it brought a lump to their throat.

Justin Phillips, head of marketing at White Cross Vets, said: "Celebrating our 80^th birthday, with more than 200 team members spread across the North and Midlands, meant we had to come up with an accessible event, that would bond everyone and reinforce our reputation as the employer of choice within the veterinary industry. 

"Broadcasting 80 prize draws in 80 days on Facebook Live ticked every box and was a fantastic spectacle that all our team members engaged with and talked about every day."

"The IoIC awards is one of the marketing industry’s most prestigious events, in a spectacular venue and surrounded by a wide range of global brands. These awards celebrate success, reward endeavour, inspire creativity and nurture best practice within the marketing community. For our campaign to have been recognised and rewarded by our peers is a huge source of pride within our business and has put a spring in the step of every single team member."

VetSurgeon Editor Arlo Guthrie said: "I've always admired the marketing and communications that comes from Justin and the rest of the team at White Cross. I think it's because as well as being fun, it's always sincere, something which is so often lacking in contemporary marketing communications. Anyway, with a little luck IVC will recognise the talent they've taken on, and sprinkle a bit of the White Cross magic across the rest of the group!"

Other category winners included household names like Oxfam, Volkswagen, Barclaycard, Sainsburys, Pets at Home, EDF Energy, Rolls Royce and Carlsberg.

A group of some of the best-known referral practices in the country has issued a formal response to the recent announcement by pet insurance underwriter RSA that it is building a network of preferred referral practices to direct its clients to.

Whilst RSA has clarified the contents of a letter it sent to practices in the Midlands and North West, and apologised to the profession for the confusion it caused, it has not yet responded to any of the other concerns raised by the profession. 

Perhaps chief amongst those is the claim by RSA's Head of Pet Claims, Keith Maxwell, that the company is looking to provide like-for-like treatment at a lower cost from its list of preferred referral practices.

Referral vets from Anderson Moores Veterinary Specialists in Hampshire, Cave Veterinary Specialists in Somerset, Davies Veterinary Specialists in Hertfordshire, Dick White Referrals in Suffolk, North Downs Specialist Referrals in Surrey, The Veterinary Cardiorespiratory Centre in Warwickshire and Willows Veterinary Centre in the West Midlands say that RSA's current list is simply not representative of the RCVS Recognised Specialist expertise and advanced therapies available within the veterinary profession, thereby making it impossible for RSA to offer like-for-like treatment, let alone at a lower cost.

Clive Elwood, Managing Director of Davies Veterinary Specialists in Hertfordshire, speaking on behalf of the practices who have expressed concern about the move, said: "An approach that focuses on cost-cutting rather than quality of patient care and lacks any genuine or objective process to benchmark clinical standards is inappropriate. Many multi-disciplinary centres place enormous value on the importance of Recognised Specialists being involved at every level of care including consultation, anaesthesia and imaging assessment and the proposed restrictions may preclude this level of service in some instances. We understand that balancing high standards of care and affordability for owners and insurance companies is an important issue and we hope insurers will work with all sectors of the profession to find constructive workable long term solutions."

Mike Martin of the Veterinary Cardiorespiratory Centre in Warwickshire added: "Owners buy pet insurance to ensure that they can access the best available expertise when their animals are ill. I don't think any owner wants to have their choice of practice restricted by insurance companies who are primarily concerned with encouraging shortcuts to reduce costs."

The British College of Veterinary Specialists has invited RSA to attend a meeting to discuss issues of concern, but says it hasn't thus far received a reply. 

Medovate, a company which develops medical technologies, has partnered with Vygon Vet to launch Safira, an anaesthetic device which makes regional anaesthesia a one-person procedure. 

In current regional anaesthesia procedures two operators are often needed, with an assistant using 'feel' to inject the anaesthetic solution at the required pressure. This, says the company, means anaesthetic solutions can be injected at unsafe pressures. The new device incorporates a safety system that limits injection pressure, to reduce the risk of nerve injury. 

Dr. Federico Corletto, Consultant Anaesthetist from Dick White Referrals said: “By turning regional anaesthesia into a one-person procedure, the technology also removes the challenges of communicating with an assistant regarding subjective injective pressure feel, thus removing the unpredictability of an untrained hand.” 

Medovate says the use of ultrasound guided regional anaesthesia is becoming more common practice today, with the technique – which can help provide a higher level of visualisation for the practitioner – increasingly seen as a ‘gold standard’.  

However, there are limitations and challenges that are not always present in the practice of adult human medicine. Nerve parathesia, for instance, is harder to ascertain in animals. Small animals such as cats also have increased sensitivity to local anaesthetics when compared with other species, necessitating much lower maximum doses be used.¹

Brett Hughes, Homecare & Veterinary Business Manager at Vygon UK, said: "The device infuses at 0.5ml/second, and to vets the technology offers a valuable tool that can control injection small intervals at a time. This allows the veterinary practitioner to titrate appropriately to see the anaesthesia spread around a nerve bundle.  

"There are a significant number of regional anaesthesia blocks completed in veterinary practice per annum globally, so potentially this NHS developed device could play a major role in the future of veterinary practice."

For more information, visit: https://www.medovate.co.uk/veterinary/safira-for-veterinary-applications and https://www.vygonvet.co.uk/ 

Reference

1. https://www.asra.com/asra-news/article/124/regional-anesthesia-and-pain-management 

A study published in the Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology has concluded that children get more satisfaction from their relationship with their pets than with their brothers or sisters.

This study was conducted in collaboration with the Waltham Centre for Pet Nutrition as part of a larger study, led by Prof Claire Hughes at the University of Cambridge Centre for Family Research.

Researchers surveyed 12-year-old children from 77 families with one or more pets of any type and more than one child at home. Children reported strong relationships with their pets relative to their siblings, with lower levels of conflict and greater satisfaction in owners of dogs than other kinds of pets.

The authors say this research adds to increasing evidence that household pets may have a major influence on child development, and could have a positive impact on children’s social skills and emotional well-being.       

Pets are almost as common as siblings in western households, although there are relatively few studies on the importance of child-pet relationships.  

Matt Cassells, lead researcher, said: "Anyone who has loved a childhood pet knows that we turn to them for companionship and disclosure, just like relationships between people. We wanted to know how strong these relationships are with pets relative to other close family ties. Ultimately this may enable us to understand how animals contribute to healthy child development."

He added: "Even though pets may not fully understand or respond verbally, the level of disclosure to pets was no less than to siblings.

"The fact that pets cannot understand or talk back may even be a benefit as it means they are completely non-judgmental. While previous research has often found that boys report stronger relationships with their pets than girls do, we actually found the opposite. While boys and girls were equally satisfied with their pets, girls reported more disclosure, companionship, and conflict with their pet than did boys, perhaps indicating that girls may interact with their pets in more nuanced ways."

Waltham researcher Nancy Gee, a co-author of the study, said: "Evidence continues to grow showing that pets have positive benefits on human health and community cohesion. The social support that adolescents receive from pets may well support psychological well-being later in life but there is still more to learn about the long term impact of pets on children’s development."