The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons has released a series of photographs taken at its last council meeting on 7th March 2013.
Anyone for a photo-caption competition?
The full album can be seen here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rcvs/sets/72157633046308352/
The webinars will provide practical information to help manage renal cases, focusing on the importance of early diagnosis.
Led by feline medicine experts, Dr Tommaso Furlanello PhD ECVCP Dip and Dr Sarah Caney BVSc PhD DSAM(Feline) MRCVS, the webinars will provide practical information to help manage renal cases.
On 7th June, Tommaso's talk will address early diagnosis of feline chronic kidney disease (CKD) and recognition and management of its complications.
On the 28th, Sarah's talk will focus on supporting and communicating with cat owners around early diagnosis and achieving optimal long-term management.
The webinars will be available to watch live or as a recording after the event.
To register for the event, visit: https://purinaproplan-webinarseries.vfairs.com/
If you attend the live event, you'll have the chance to put questions to Sarah and Tommaso, but if you can't make it on the night, there'll be a recording afterwards.
Omniflora paste is designed to provide fast acting support in acute digestive upset or strategically ahead of perceived stressful events such as travel or veterinary appointments.
It contains probiotics, prebiotics, adsorbents, parabiotics, postbiotics, electrolytes and nutrients.
Omniflora tablets are available for animals who resist an oral syringe.
The tablets contain probiotics, prebiotics and adsorbent clay and fibre.
Veterinary nurse and sales manager, Tara Evans, said: “Digestive upset in cats and dogs is common.
"We wanted to provide vets and pet owners with an easy-to-use solution that can be used in practice or at home.
"One tube of paste lasts for three consecutive days to support cats and dogs as they recover from gastrointestinal upset.”
"As well as supporting the gut in acute episodes of digestive upset such as diarrhoea, Omniflora can be used ahead of time in stressful events such as travelling, visiting the groomers, or any planned veterinary procedures such as surgeries or blood tests.”
Omniflora can be ordered here https://www.vitaanimalhealth.com/product/omniflora
The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons has set up a new Veterinary Legislation Group to consider proposals for changes in veterinary regulation, in the light of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee's inquiry into the current Veterinary Surgeons Act, and the Government's response to the EFRA Committee's report.
The new group, which will be chaired by RCVS Council Member and Dean of Glasgow Veterinary School, Professor Stuart Reid, will be tasked with taking a fresh look at changes that need to be made to the current legislative framework, and how these might be accomplished. It will not restrict itself to looking at a replacement for the Veterinary Surgeons Act, but will consider other ways that changes can be made in the short- and long-term.
The Group will meet in September, and comprise RCVS Council members and non-members - both lay people and veterinary surgeons. Once the RCVS position has been clarified, further discussion will follow with DEFRA, the BVA and the profession.
Responding to the Government's response to the EFRA Committee report, RCVS President Jill Nute said: "We welcome the fact that DEFRA is willing to consider any detailed proposals that might come forward from the profession, although we accept that DEFRA itself does not have time or resources to be proactive at this stage.
"We are also pleased that Government acknowledges that the veterinary nursing profession has come of age and that the time is right for the regulation of veterinary nurses to be taken forward, although again it is disappointing that DEFRA does not have the resources to progress this at present.
"Finally, we welcome the suggestion that the Presidents of the BVA and the RCVS meet with the Chief Veterinary Officer to discuss plans and to what extent DEFRA can help us - accepting the fact that DEFRA, like the RCVS, feels that a piecemeal approach may not be the most effective," she concluded.
New research from the USA, published in the Equine Veterinary Journal (EVJ), has shown that a toxin from the box elder tree is the likely cause of Seasonal Pasture Myopathy (SPM), the US equivalent of the European disease known as Atypical Myopathy (AM).
According to the British Equine Veterinary Association, preliminary comparisons of these results with cases of AM in Europe suggest that the European condition may be linked to similar trees which could have an important bearing on the future prevention of the disease in Europe.
Seasonal Pasture Myopathy is a highly fatal muscle disease in Midwestern USA and Eastern Canada. A similar disorder called Atypical Myopathy is becoming increasingly frequent in the UK and Northern Europe. Outbreaks of both diseases tend to be seasonal, with most cases occurring in the autumn. Horses that develop SPM and AM are usually kept in sparse pastures with an accumulation of dead leaves dead wood and trees in or around the pasture and are often not fed any supplementary hay or feed.
The research1 identified that seeds from box elder trees were consistently present in the autumn pastures of all 12 horses enrolled in the study. These horses were from 11 different farms and had all presented with the clinical signs of SPM, which include muscular weakness and stiffness, dark urine, periods of recumbency, colic-like signs and muscle trembling. The toxic amino acid hypoglycin A, which is known to cause acquired multiple acyl CoA dehydrogenase deficiency (MADD) was shown to be present in the box elder seeds and hypoglycin metabolites were identified in the serum or urine of all the horses. All but one of the cases proved fatal.
Professor Valberg DVM PhD of the Department of Veterinary Population Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, who instigated the study, said: "The fact that another acquired form of MADD in rats and humans is caused by hypoglycin A ingestion strengthens our conclusion that hypoglycin A is the likely toxic cause of SPM in horses. We are intending to conduct further studies to determine the factors that affect the highly variable hypoglycin A concentrations in box elder seeds."
Professor Valberg has established collaborative links with groups in Europe in order to investigate if a similar toxin is involved in European Atypical Myopathy. Working with Professor Vince Gerber and Dr Lucia Unger at the University of Bern, Professor Valberg has obtained seeds from a tree related to the Box Elder found on many pastures where Atypical Myopathy has occurred.
Professor Celia Marr, Editor of Equine Veterinary Journal said: "This is a really important step forwards. We don't yet know for sure that the cause of European disease, Atypical Myopathy, is the same as Seasonal Pasture Myopathy in the US. But the clinical signs and MADD aberrations are identical and both conditions have a high fatality rate. It remains to be seen whether this research will help European horses, but there is no doubt that it will allow American horse owners to prevent this devastating condition affecting their horses with immediate effect."
1 Seasonal Pasture Myopathy/Atypical Myopathy in North America associated with Ingestion of Hypoglycin A within Seeds of the Box Elder Tree Stephanie J Valberg DVM PhD1, Beatrice T Sponseller Dr. med. vet2, Adrian D Hegeman PhD3, Jennifer Earing PhD, Jeffery B. Bender DVM MS1, Krishona L Martinson PhD4, Steven E Patterson PhD5, Lawrence Sweetman PhD1
Pat is the head of the Equine Studies Group at Waltham Petcare Science Institute and an internationally renowned authority on equine nutrition from both veterinary and academic perspective.
Her courses, book publications and webinars are aimed at providing practising equine vets with the latest knowledge and essential know-how on equine nutrition, whether for performance horses, leisure animals or the retired family pony.
Earlier this month Pat was one of several speakers at the British Equine Veterinary Association’s CPD course: From superfoods to supplements: How to know more than the owner.
Earlier this year she co-edited and co-authored two chapters of Veterinary Clinics Equine Practice: Nutrition: 1) What would be good for all veterinarians to know about equine nutrition, and 2) Nutritional considerations when dealing with an obese adult equine.
Next month she will chair a panel discussion titled Nutritional Management of the Competitive Equine Athlete for Vets through VetPD.
In the autumn she will be one of several speakers at the Mars Equestrian Equine Veterinary Continuing Education Series focusing on senior, obese and laminitic horses.
For more information, visit: www.spillers-feeds.com
Q Fever is caused by the bacterium Coxiella burnetii, which can infect humans, cattle, goats, sheep and many other mammals, as well as reptiles, ticks and birds.
Known originally as Query fever, it was first identified in Australia in 1935 after an outbreak of disease in abattoir workers.
Ceva says half of UK dairy farms may be at risk of Q Fever1, 2.
The webinar, which will be presented by Jonathan Statham MA VetMB DCHP FRCVS (pictured right), an RCVS-registered specialist in cattle health and co-author of the ‘Dairy Herd Health’ textbook, will count towards 1.5 hours of CPD.
It will cover the UK prevalence of Q Fever in herds, its cause and transmission, together with identification and diagnostics.
It will also look at the variations between livestock species, disease prevention and its risk to humans as a zoonosis.
Jonathan said: "Q Fever is of much higher profile in many other parts of the world such as Australia and has been notifiable for some years with national testing programmes in a number of European countries such as Germany.
“Recently Q Fever has become notifiable in the UK and climate change is changing the future risk profile."
Renzo Di Florio, veterinary advisor at Ceva said: “The disease causes issues with reproduction and fertility and has the potential to have significant impact on livestock health and productivity.
"However, awareness is low amongst the farming industry.
“Our Q Fever webinar will help raise awareness of the disease and the preventative measures that can be put in place to help protect those working with livestock on a regular basis and reduce the impact of Q Fever on farms.
To register for the webinar or if you have further questions, e-mail cevauk-webinars@ceva.com
References
Roy Geary, regional director for Northern Europe (including the UK) at Ceva Animal Health, said: “The manufacturing of vaccines is a complex process that involves stringent quality control measures and adherence to regulatory guidelines.
"There have been unforeseen manufacturing issues at our production facilities, which have temporarily affected the ability to meet the demands of the UK sheep market within the main seasonal vaccination period for EAE.
"As a responsible provider, we are actively addressing these issues to minimise the impact on customers.
“In collaboration with relevant stakeholders, we have implemented comprehensive contingency plans to optimise the manufacturing and distribution process.
"Our dedicated team is working closely with our partners to resolve the challenges and restore normal supply levels as soon as possible.
"The vaccine challenge is being treated with the utmost urgency, and we are actively exploring alternative sourcing options to supplement the existing supply chain.
“We anticipate that the delay in supply will be resolved in the near future, however we recognise that for some farmers the supply will arrive too late for them to use. "
Ceva is encouraging these farmers to consult their vet and explore alternatives.
Roy added: “We will provide vet practices and the wider industry with regular updates as we progress toward a resolution and return to normal supply levels.”
Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health has launched a new consumer campaign to support the company's joint care supplement, Cosequin.
The campaign centres around a series of paw-tapping internet videos which showcase the perfectly poised paws of dog and cat dance duo, Fred and Ginger, highlighting the importance of good joint health. The videos are available to view at http://www.cosequin-dance.co.uk/
Pet owners are encouraged to purchase Cosequin from vet practices to enter a prize draw to win a photography day with leading animal photographer, Sam Lunt, or one of ten tickets to an upcoming live dancing tour. Posters and in-practice leaflets are also available for vet practices to help drive awareness and encourage uptake.
Sarah-Jane Minter, Marketing Manager for Intervet/Schering-Plough, commented; "We wanted to create a campaign which would support vets in practice and attract the attention of pet owners, especially those who may not have previously thought about the joint health of their pet. With these lighthearted new videos of Fred and Ginger demonstrating everything from the jive to the rumba and an eye-catching print campaign, we certainly expect to grab pet owners' attention!"
ISPAH says that by supporting joint condition and maintaining not only healthy cartilage, but also healthy joint structures, Cosequin is suitable for all dogs and cats that need some joint support, especially highly active or older animals. It adds that the joint care supplement contains 100% pure chondroitin sulphate and the unique formulation has been proven in over 50 clinical trials.
For further information, please contact your local Intervet/Schering-Plough Veterinary Business Manager or phone the company's Veterinary Support Group on 01908 685685.
Companion Care Vets has reported a record calendar year in 2010, with 15 new surgeries opened taking the network up to 69.
Companion Care also welcomed 17 new joint venture partners, increasing the total number of partners to 87. The company expects to double the number of surgeries over the next 3 years following the announcement that it is to open standalone practices alongside the in-store Pets at Home surgeries.
According to the company, the opening of 15 new full service surgeries represents an investment of approximately £3 million during the year. More than £340,000 of that investment went on state-of-the-art digital x-ray imaging equipment - a feature of all new surgeries.
Managing director, Jane Balmain, said: "The in-store model has been hugely successful and we will continue to accelerate our growth plans for in-store surgeries as the Pets at Home store footprint expands.
"The launch of our new standalone division provides a solution for the vets and nurses who are looking for a partnership but whose preference is for a more traditional standalone style surgery. The level of interest since our announcement has been massive and we will be looking to capitalise on this in 2011 and beyond.
"Our vision is for Companion Care Vets to become a truly national leading veterinary group and with the record year in 2010 and our plans for 2011 and beyond, we are now well on the way and confident of achieving this."
Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica has launched a series of information sheets written by veterinary surgeons, nutritionists and leading riders to support its muscle building supplement for horses, Equitop Myoplast Power Pearls.
Available to download as PDFs from its website - http://www.equitop-myoplast.co.uk - this resource for horse owners covers a range of feeding topics including training the young showjumper and feeding the performance horse, older horses and horses during periods of rest and recuperation.
New video and written testimonials from performance riders and veterinary surgeons are now on the website, which also offers owners advice on healthy lean muscle growth and the benefits of Equitop Myoplast. Olympic dressage rider, Emile Faurie, international showjumpers, Ellen Whitaker and Scott Brash, and show horse producer, Katie Jerram, all endorse the product.
A client leaflet has also been launched featuring the testimonials and providing owners with information on Equitop Myoplast and an online offer of £15 off their first purchase of the supplement by downloading a voucher from the website.
Boehringer says Equitop Myoplast is packed with 18 key amino acids and is scientifically designed to support lean muscle growth, not bulk. The company says the supplement is great for optimising performance in horses in intensive training and competition, as well as bringing on young, breeding and injured animals, and for older horses which lose condition easily.
For further information, please contact your Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica territory manager or call 01344 746959.
Drawing attention to the symptoms of allergic skin disease that owners should look out for during the warmer months, the leaflet, poster and notice board materials discuss some of the substances that dogs can be allergic to, how to manage skin allergies and what to look for in an itch prevention plan.
The materials have been produced to support Apoquel, the oral therapy for the treatment of canine pruritus associated with allergic dermatitis and the clinical manifestations of atopic dermatitis. They feature two dogs – Eric and Daisy – whose lives have been changed by the product.
For more information, contact your Zoetis account manager.
The first part of the charge was that, between 3 November 2014 and 10 December 2016 he did not provide CPD records to the RCVS requested in four separate letters dated November 2014, September 2015, November 2015 and November 2016. The second part of the charge was that, between 11 December 2016 and 26 July 2017, he did not provide the RCVS with his CPD records despite requests.
Dr Zukauskas admitted to the charge against him at the outset of the hearing.
The Committee considered whether Mr Zukauskas’ failure to respond to requests for his CPD records constituted serious professional misconduct.
The Committee found that he had breached the RCVS Code of Professional Conduct for Veterinary Surgeons by not responding to the repeated requests for information from the College, although the Committee noted that there had not been total silence. Mr Zukauskas had made email contact on at least two occasions in response to RCVS letters and gave evidence that he had attempted to phone the authors of the letters. The Committee also noted that in early February 2017 Mr Zukauskas had made repeated attempts to give the RCVS access to his online CPD account, which he had been updating to reflect CPD work that he had undertaken.
Mr Zukauskas’ explanation for his failure was that he had not fully appreciated the importance of the letters, that his English was poor, and that he failed to obtain appropriate advice about the content of the letters until recently. It was only in a witness statement dated 27 July 2017 that he finally disclosed his full CPD records.
The Committee noted Mr Zukauskas' admission in his evidence that his English was not good, particularly in light of the obligation, brought into the Code in February 2016, for veterinary surgeons to be able to communicate effectively in written and spoken English.
Chitra Karve, chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: "From that date, if not earlier, the respondent should have been concerned to understand English sufficiently well to address the correspondence from the College. Whilst the Committee did not consider that his conduct in this respect amounted to disrespect, it did consider that he had shown a disregard of his obligations.
"At all times he could and should have made appropriate efforts to respond to the correspondence from the College and obtain appropriate advice. In effect he put off dealing with these matters and put his head in the sand."
Regarding his failure to respond to requests between December 2016 and July 2017, Ms Karve added: "This caused the College a considerable amount of concern and extra work. Had he done so much earlier, much of this matter would have been avoided. The respondent was once again in breach of his obligations."
Having found Mr Zukauskas guilty of serious professional misconduct in relation to both parts of the charge the Committee then considered its sanction against Mr Zukauskas, taking into account the fact that the Veterinary Nurse Disciplinary Committee had recently suspended a veterinary nurse from the Register for a period of two months having found her guilty of similar charges.
In mitigation the Committee considered a number of testimonials from colleagues and clients, his hitherto long and unblemished career in the United Kingdom, and his open and frank admissions and subsequent efforts to avoid repetition of his behaviour. Language problems were also considered as an explanation for why the situation had occurred. However, it also considered the aggravating factor that the misconduct was sustained over a period of time and that there was unacceptable disregard for the obligations he had to the College as a veterinary surgeon.
In summing up Ms Karve said: "The Committee has determined to impose a reprimand. In doing so it acknowledged that the respondent has shown considerable insight into his behaviour. He had acknowledged that he has needed help in communicating with the College. It noted that he is a good and proficient veterinary surgeon in the work which he undertakes. He expressed remorse for his behaviour. He has carried out sufficient CPD and since December 2016 has been communicating with the College. The Committee considers it unlikely that he will transgress again.
"The Committee has decided that it is appropriate in this case to add a warning to the decision to impose a reprimand. It is mindful of the fact that other veterinary surgeons registered with the College have a duty to discharge their CPD obligations and they honour those obligations. Moreover, the conduct of the respondent has involved a considerable amount of work and expense for the College."
The warning was that in future Mr Zukauskas must respond in a timely and appropriate manner to any communications from the RCVS.
First they looked at the names of all the cats and dogs they saw in 2018, finding that the most popular names for dogs were Bella, Poppy and Alfie, whilst the most popular for cats were Charlie, Bella and Molly.
By comparison, the top ten names registered at the practice in the thirties were: Susie, Sally, Judy, Penny, Candy, Sam, Betty, Simon, Wendy and Bridget.
Honestly, who calls their dog Simon? Even in the 1930s.
Tom Ward, from White Cross Vets, said: "The most common names in our research reveal a leaning towards giving pets human names. It’s fascinating that this has gone full circle and was also a trend in the late 1930s, before names such as Fido, Patch, Sooty, Duke and Fluffy became popular with cats and dogs."
White Cross says that more recently it has also seen a surge of pets named after TV and film characters including Elsa from Frozen, Baloo from The Jungle Book, Peppa the cartoon pig, and Khaleesi, Sansa, Brienne and Tyrion, the Game of Thrones characters.
SPVS is inviting practitioners to a week-long CPD and diving course taking place at the Red Sea from June 14-21st.
Five days of diving at Egypt’s Sharm El Sheikh will be combined with 16 hours of CPD on orthopaedics, including fracture planning presented by Malcolm Ness BVetMed DipECVS CertSAO FRCVS. Other subjects include the provocatively titled ‘So You Think You Know How to Run a Business?’ presented by Simon Robinson, Senior Business Manager at LloydsTSB.
The event has been organised to avoid the busy school holiday period and vets’ own family commitments.
Ewan McNeill, SPVS Senior Vice President, said: “This is a fantastic week of CPD and diving and demonstrates the wide variety of CPD-driven events SPVS is hosting, ranging from Snowscene to Sail Training. There’ll be a professional diving instructor present at all times, so even if you’re a beginner, this week is definitely one for the diary!”
The venue is the newly refurbished Bayview Hotel, which is situated five minutes from the centre of the resort, jetty and Oxygene dive centre, a BSAC school and PADI resort.
Cost per person is £750 including five days diving, flights from Gatwick, transfers, seven nights half board, boat diving at two dives a day, tanks and weights and Marine park fees. Any extra dives can be paid for locally.
Price quoted is for those who already hold an Open Water Diver certificate, but a referral course is available at an extra £105 for anyone wanting to qualify.
For more information, and to book your place, please contact the SPVS office on 01926 410 454 or email office@spvs.org.uk.
The Blue Cross is calling for nominations from veterinary practices across the country for its Veterinary Nurse of the Year Award 2008.
The annual award is presented at the British Veterinary Nursing Association (BVNA) Annual Congress. It recognises the contribution of veterinary nurses in educating the public about responsible pet ownership and the welfare of pets in the community.
This year's Congress will take place on 10-12 October at the Kettering Conference Centre, Northamptonshire.
Last year's award was won by Anna Hatchett for her outstanding contribution to animal welfare, both within her veterinary practice and among the local community in Whitby, North Yorkshire.
Anna Hatchett was nominated by two vets, Edward Gillams and Kate Loomes, who previously worked with her at The Beck Veterinary Practice in Whitby. Ms Loomes commented: "Anna is an exceptionally dedicated and talented nurse. She has an amazing memory for clients and takes time to enquire as to how their individual pets are. She doesn't hesitate to take in and care for stray and lost animals and works well over her working hours when animals are in need of help."
Nominations for this year's award can be made by completing the nomination form on The Blue Cross website at: www.bluecross.org.uk/BVNA2008or by contacting Sally Leathem on 01993 82557. The deadline for nominations is Friday 15 August 2008.
Petplan has announced the winners of its 2011 Veterinary Awards.
The awards are to recognise and celebrate staff and practices throughout the country that have delivered an exceptional level of care to the nation's pets and their owners.
Alison Andrew, Petplan's Marketing Manager said: "Britain is known to be an animal-loving nation and with millions of households owning cats and dogs, pets play a central part in family life. The Petplan Veterinary Awards give us the opportunity, on behalf of all pet owners across the UK, to thank the veterinary profession for the outstanding service they provide to our pets.
"This is the 12th year of the awards and this year we received over 2,800 nominations, a record number for the vet awards, which really highlights the high regard that the profession and pet owners have for these awards."
The winners for each category are:
VET OF THE YEARAlison Laurie, Crown Vets - Highlands What really stood out about Alison for the independent panel of judges was her clinical excellence, exceptional ability and compassion towards customers and their pets, all of which were highly praised in her nominations.
VET NURSE OF THE YEARMaria Corcoran, Orwell Veterinary Group - Ipswich Maria's ability to naturally lead by example was a prominent factor for the judges, as well as her ability to always make pet care and comfort her top priority. She also provides great customer service and high clinical standards.
VET SUPPORT STAFF OF THE YEAR Patty Fraser, Loch Leven Equine Practice - KinrossThe independent panel of judges was really impressed by Patty; she is considered to be the 'hub' of the practice and constantly makes a strong contribution to the team in many ways. Her ability to organise and multitask whilst offering excellent customer service is outstanding.
VET PRACTICE OF THE YEAR Emersons Green Veterinary Surgery Ltd - Avon Emersons Green Veterinary Surgery's work to continually educate their customers really stood out for the independent panel of judges. The practice works incredibly hard to provide regular newsletters and updates on their Facebook page, which is run by nurses, whilst maintaining a great level of service for their pets and clients. The practice has also been very successful in helping to re-home dogs.
VetSurgeon Profiles offer the same sort of features you find on external social networks like Linkedin and Facebook, but in a professional format designed specially for the veterinary profession.
They've been developed to help veterinary job seekers, locums, referral practitioners and forum contributors in particular:
VETERINARY JOB SEEKERSVetSurgeon Profiles have been designed to help you create what is essentially a polished CV. You can include details of where you qualified, which postgraduate qualifications you hold, your clinical interests, and your work experience.
Importantly, VetSurgeon Profiles have also been integrated within VetSurgeon Jobs. So now, when you respond to a job advert by clicking the email address given in the contact details, your email program will open a new message containing a link to your VetSurgeon Profile, ready to send to the advertiser (you must be logged in for this to work).
VETERINARY LOCUMSVetSurgeon Profiles are also integrated within the VetSurgeon Locum Map, making them a great way to advertise your skillset to hiring practices.
REFERRAL PRACTITIONERSVetSurgeon Profiles allow you to display just about every letter of the alphabet after your name, but in a way that is designed to be 'matter of fact' rather than 'showy'. Combined with the ability to display your work experience and interests, they’re a great way to show why you’re the person to refer that tricky case to. And you can now display your telephone number too.
VETSURGEON FORUM CONTRIBUTORSHaving a good profile displayed really helps build a sense of connection with other members. Perhaps more importantly, though, they help give your words context. When reading a post, it's so helpful to know when the author qualified, where, and what makes them tick.
Ultimately, though, VetSurgeon Profiles are for anyone and everyone who wants to be better connected with others in the profession, and the plan is to develop more and more features which help do precisely that.
To create your VetSurgeon Profile, visit the site, click ‘My Account’, then ‘View My Profile’ and add your details to the page. Here's one I prepared earlier.
VetSurgeon Profiles are only visible to logged in members of VetSurgeon.org.
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.
76 vets, 34 nurses and 7 other practice staff took part in the survey, which was conducted at the VetsNow ECC Virtual Congress. Participants were asked a number of questions on antibiotic resistance and UTI management.
47% of vets said they currently feel confident prescribing antibiotics for suspected UTIs in the absence of culture and sensitivity results. However, 84% would be confident if they were able to use a rapid in-house sensitivity test.
77% of the participants said they were concerned about the increasing emergence of antimicrobial resistance.
Rachel Kirkby MRCVS, Business Development Director, said: "Antibiotic resistance is a huge threat to both human and animal healthcare across the world. We all need to work together to address it, and at Test and Treat we want to make it easier for vets in practice to do their bit by prescribing antibiotics according to best practice."
Test and Treat says the problem is that while many vets are keen to tackle resistance, it is not always easy to avoid empirical prescribing in practice. Of the vets surveyed, 65% reported that they are typically not able to obtain an accurate clinical diagnosis prior to prescribing antimicrobial therapy.
Rachel said: “It can be frustrating for vets to have to prescribe empirically when they don’t have any information on antibiotic sensitivity. But logistical constraints often mean that it’s not practical to send samples off to the lab.”
Test and Treat's U-Treat system consists of two rapid tests: a 5-minute assay that can confirm the presence of infection and a 30-minute assay that evaluates antibiotic sensitivity. With this diagnostic tool, vets can therefore select and prescribe the most appropriate antibiotic within an hour.
Rachel said: "Since you get results so quickly, you can use the test while the owner waits – or, in the current situation, more likely goes for a walk and comes back. This means that vets can get their patients started on the most appropriate treatment right away.”
U-Treat is currently validated for use in dogs and cats, but company says it is also looking to license it in rabbits and human healthcare.
To find out more about U-Treat, contact Test and Treat’s National Sales Manager Jo Nickerson on Jo.Nickerson@tandtreat.com or visit http://www.tandtreat.com.
The academy will consist of three modules which will be launched in 2021. Those who complete all three modules will receive certification from Bimeda, and some exclusive branded goodies.
The first module is titled Bimeda Trace Elements in Dairy Cow Fertility & Pregnancy and is available now on Bimeda’s e-learning portal: https://bimeda-learning.co.uk. This module also accounts for 1 hour 15 minutes of CPD and vets can download a certificate when they complete the module. The module has also been accredited with 9 AMTRA points.
In the coming months Bimeda says it'll add a second module focused on the role of trace element nutrition in lamb and calf growth, and a final module focused on the role of trace elements in sheep fertility and pregnancy.
Bimeda UK General Manager Mark Cokayne said: "Trace elements play a critical role in the health and fertility of ruminants, yet historically this area has been somewhat overlooked in formal animal health education.
"Our customers tell us that they would like a deeper understanding of areas such as trace element deficiencies, toxicities and interactions, and the impact of these on ruminant health and fertility. We are pleased to respond to this market demand with our new academy, which will provide veterinarians and SQPs with additional knowledge to help inform their conversations with farmers."
To sign up to either Bimeda’s online Nutrition Academy or the Sheep Scab Academy, visit https://bimeda-learning.co.uk
For more information, speak to your Bimeda territory manager or call Bimeda on 01248 725 400.
Francesca's initiative was recognised with a RCVS Knowledge ‘Highly Commended’ status at its 2024 awards.
The idea for the audit came about after Francesca noticed a trend for patients to become hypotensive during anaesthesia for routine feline neutering and need additional treatment.
CVS says clinical evidence suggests a minimum value of 60mmHg for perfusion of vital organs such as the brain, heart and kidneys.
So a clinical audit was undertaken to look at perioperative blood pressure in both cats and dogs having routine neutering procedures.
The target was for patients to maintain a mean arterial blood pressure of 60mmHg during their anaesthetic.
The animals chosen for auditing were to be classed ASA 1 and under 5 years old.
They received a pre-operative health check including a blood pressure reading to ensure they were normotensive.
A first audit looked at a standard premedication protocol of ACP at a dose rate of 0.02mg/kg combined with methadone at a dose rate of 0.3mg/kg.
A second audit initiated a change to the pre-medication drugs, using 0.005mg/kg medetomidine combined with the same dose of methadone.
Both received anaesthesia induction with Propoflo at a dose rate of 6mg/kg for cats and 4mg/kg for dogs.
All patients under anaesthetic were maintained using isoflurane and kept at a surgical plane of anaesthesia appropriate for that patient.
The patients were monitored throughout their surgical procedure using an oscilliometric monitoring machine - for systolic, diastolic and mean arterial blood pressure – and measurements recorded on an anaesthetic chart.
The collected data revealed that in the first audit, where patients received ACP and methadone, 42% (50% of cats and 38% of dogs) had a mean arterial blood pressure lower than 60mmHg after the first five blood pressure readings post induction.
In the second audit, with medetomidine combined with methadone, only 11% of patients (0% of cats and 15% of dogs) with a mean arterial blood pressure lower than 60mmHg.
In addition to the reduction in hypotensive patients during anaesthesia when the medetomidine/methadone combo was used, Francesca says the audit suggests a link to hypotension with ACP used as a premedication in anaesthetised patients.
Francesca said: “My passion in veterinary nursing is anaesthesia. And there is always room for improvement and striving to achieve gold standard care.
“These results clearly show that a change from our current premedication protocol of ACP and Methodone to Medetomidine and Methadone decreased the number of patients having hypotension during anaesthesia. The change means fewer patients were at risk of developing the side effects associated with hypoperfusion of the vital organs.
“Our quality improvement initiative has made a really positive impact in practice for both patient care and clinical team.”
The initiative was set up in 2014 by Mark Hirschel and Jo Amit, the co-founders of pet product company HOWND. It gained momentum last year when Ricky Gervais lent his support.
Jo said: "We have always brought our dogs Roxy and Laila to work with us, but when we moved into new offices back in 2014 we discovered that they weren’t allowed in the premises.
"This inspired us to create an event that publicised why dogs can make a positive difference in safe work environments, in attempt to encourage companies across the UK to adopt dog friendly policies.
"We’re overwhelmed with how successful Bring Your Dog To Work Day has become. It’s been amazing to see how many people have posted their dogs at work across all social media in 2014 and 2015. Most importantly, it was fantastic to raise money for a cause that has always been close to our hearts - the wonderful work of All Dogs Matter. We’re hopeful that this year will prove even more popular, building on the momentum of 2015."
The organisers point to an American study published in 2012 which concluded that dogs at work may make a positive difference by reducing stress levels in staff and increasing their levels of job satisfaction.
For more information, visit: https://bringyourdogtoworkday.co.uk
The webinar will be presented by veterinary behaviourist, Sarah Heath BVSc PgCertVE DipECAWBM(BM) CCAB FHEA FRCVS, RCVS and EBVS European Specialist in Behavioural Medicine.
It will cover how to take a cat friendly approach to the microchipping appointment to reduce feline stress and make the process easier for both pet owners and veterinary staff.
A consent-based care approach will be discussed, together with the importance of educating cat owners and veterinary professionals on how to handle cats to minimise feline stress.
The webinar will also advise on the use of adjunctive therapies, such as pheromones and nutraceuticals, as well as the strategic use of pre vet visit medication, and will be followed by a Q&A session.
Tammie O’Leary, commercial lead at identi, said: “The introduction of the new cat microchipping legislation will lead to an increased number of feline patients being seen by veterinary practices.
"Our cat microchipping legislation webinar will help provide cat friendly advice for veterinary professionals and will include hints and tips to make cat microchipping appointments as stress free as possible.”
To register for the webinar, email contact@identichip.co.uk or call 0330 9128077.