Zoetis has announced the launch of Simparica, a once-monthly oral medication for the treatment of flea, tick and mite infestations in dogs beginning at eight weeks of age.

The company says the new product, which comes in the form of a tasty chewable tablet, acts quickly and provides continuous protection for 35 days without losing efficacy at the end of the month.

Simparica is effective against both Ctenocephalides felis and Ctenocephalides canis flea infestations in dogs.² It starts to kill fleas quickly within three hours³ and continues to kill fleas for at least 35 days², making it suitable as part of a treatment strategy for Flea Allergic Dermatitis.

The product also protects dogs against infestations with the most common ticks found to infest dogs in Europe^2,4, including  Dermacentor reticulatus, the species associated with the disease babesiosis, which has recently been reported in the UK. It’s also the only treatment for Ixodes hexagonus, one of the most prevalent ticks in the UK. The killing effect against Ixodes ricinus starts within 8 hours after a single oral administration and over 96% are killed within 24 hours.⁴

Zoetis says Simparica is also effective against Rhipicephalus sanguineus, and Sarcoptes scabiei, and that laboratory evidence shows efficacy for Demodex Canis and Otodectes Cynotis. 

Zoetis believes that Simparica’s ability to provide continuous protection up to and beyond the monthly treatment period is very important for pet owners. Sixty three per cent of owners confess to giving flea and tick treatment later than when it was due, with the median being  5 days late.¹ Simparica gives vets and forgetful pet owners the peace of mind of extended duration of activity helping to minimise the potential risk of protection gaps. 

Ned Flaxman, companion animal business unit director at Zoetis said: "With Simparica, we bring to the market an advanced parasiticide solution, helping to deliver improved client and pet owner satisfaction. The chewable tablets are easy to administer and readily accepted by dogs. But more importantly, Simparica helps vets and dog owners minimise the potential risk of protection gaps, as it acts very fast to kill fleas and ticks and performs for at least 35 days without losing efficacy — well beyond the monthly treatment period.

"With its rapid onset, robust duration of activity and very good safety profile, Simparica is the only oral isoxazoline indicated for four species of ticks in Europe including Ixodes hexagonus and the two species of fleas, dogs are most frequently infested with. Unlike most treatments, Simparica protects from both types of ectoparasites for the same duration."

For more information please speak to your account manager or contact customer support on 0854 300 8034.

The BSAVA has announced that Inigo Sanz-Gonzales, ECVIM cardiology resident in training at the University of Edinburgh, and Ditte Erika Leth Vasby, a senior veterinarian in companion animal general medicine and dermatology at the University of Copenhagen are the joint winners for the Best Online Clinical Abstract Award for Congress 2021.

Inigo’s abstract entitled “Predictive value of cardiac remodelling on survival in dogs with persistent atrial standstill – the UK perspective” sought to determine the survival of dogs in the United Kingdom with persistent atrial standstill (PAS) after pacemaker implantation and the prognostic value of cardiac remodelling. The Congress Programme Committee were impressed by Inigo’s innovative presentation, praising the planning and execution of the multi-centre project.

Ditte’s presentation was entitled “Evaluation of a point-of-care dot Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay to detect antibodies against canine parvovirus, distemper virus and adenovirus before revaccination”.

Her study described the findings of a prospective non-inferiority study of a point-of-care semi-quantitative titer test performed on canine serum samples and compared to gold standard analysis. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of the point-of-care titer test were determined for the gold standard titer cut-offs for canine adenovirus, canine distemper virus and canine parvovirus. Ditte was commended by the Congress Programme Committee for the quality of presentation as well as the practical and clinically applicable findings of the study. 

The BSAVA Congress Clinical Abstracts, including the winners’ abstracts, are now available to view in the BSAVA Library here: https://www.bsavalibrary.com/content/book/10.22233/9781913859039.

Ceva Animal Health is making a last call for nominations for its Animal Welfare Awards 2019, which celebrate veterinary surgeons, nurses, farmers, animal welfare professionals and animal welfare teams which have gone above and beyond to enhance the health and welfare of animals.

The winners and runners up will be honoured at a ceremony taking place on the eve of BSAVA Congress on 3rd April 2019.

Matt Baker, presenter of The One Show and Countryfile, will be hosting the Ceva Animal Welfare Awards alongside the head judge, Chris Laurence MBE FRCVS, who puts his name to the Vet of the Year Award.

The award categories include:

• Chris Laurence Vet of the Year – sponsored by Vet Record 

• Vet Nurse of the Year – sponsored by Agria Pet Insurance

• Charity Team of the Year – sponsored by PDSA

• Charitable Contribution of the Year – sponsored by Blue Cross

• International Cat Care Welfare of the Year – sponsored by International Cat Care

• Farmer of the Year – sponsored by R.A.B.I.

• Farm Educator of the Year – sponsored by NADIS

• Outstanding Contribution to Animal Welfare – sponsored by Your Dog and Your Cat magazines 

To nominate someone for an award, visit www.cevawelfareawards.com. They can come from all walks of life and will be assessed on the evidence provided in the original nomination. 

Entries must be in by Friday 25 January 2019. 

Noel Fitzpatrick of Channel 4 Supervet fame has been presented with an award by Guinness World Records after performing the world's first double 'bionic' leg implant on a cat. 

The procedure, which was carried out on a cat called Oscar in 2009, was also the first time such implants had been placed into a moving joint.

The award was presented to Noel by Craig Glenday, Editor In Chief of Guinness World Records, at the London Pet Show.

Noel said: "The Guinness Book of Records was the first book I ever had, so receiving this award is a real honour! I'm very humbled, you're only as good as your next operation - you only ever think about providing hope to pets and their owners and doing your best. To be able to help them through the toughest times and see pets like Oscar make a full recovery is the most rewarding feeling and I'm thrilled that the work we carry out at Fitzpatrick Referrals has been recognised by Guinness World Records."

The British Veterinary Association has opened Through the eyes of vets, an exhibition in the House of Commons of the diverse work carried out by veterinary surgeons, depicted in a series of photographs by its members.

The exhibition comprises 22 photographs showing a range of subjects from across the UK and overseas, including cattle during a TB testing day on the island of Arran, a surprising find during surgery, a look down the microscope at feline myofiber disarray and a practical session of bee veterinary medicine.

The photographs were selected from around 1,000 that were submitted to the association's photo competitions by its members in 2016 and 2017.

The exhibition was officially opened today by Neil Parish MP, Chair of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee (EfraCom) and BVA Honorary Member, at an opening ceremony attended by parliamentarians as well as many of the veterinary surgeons whose photographs feature in the exhibition.

Neil said: "These photos show the diverse range of things that vets are involved in. What we respect from BVA is that we get good clear, evidence-based advice when we need it."

BVA member and Director of Cambridge Veterinary Group Lucy Crosby was commended for her snake intubation picture last year. She said: "The exhibition is a really exciting opportunity for vets to show that their skills extend beyond the operating room to the arts.

"I personally feel privileged to have my photo shown here. The veterinary profession and what we do is diverse and it's important to broadcast to the general public just how important the profession’s contribution is to the country."

BVA President, John Fishwick said: "It's an honour to have the opportunity to exhibit our members’ photographs in the Palace of Westminster. Vets work in practices across the UK, in government policy, public health and food safety, industry and technology, the armed forces, and beyond.

"As a profession, we play a significant role in many areas of personal and political life; an issue that EU exit has brought into sharp relief. With the political landscape shifting so rapidly, it’s apt that we’re showcasing vets’ work to parliamentarians to make sure it’s at the forefront of their minds as they return for the New Year."

The exhibition will be open daily until Thursday 11 January in the Upper Waiting Room of the House of Commons, an area open to Members of Parliament, Peers and visiting members of the public.

To view the photographs exhibited, and many others from BVA’s photo competitions, visit BVA’s Flickr account: www.flickr.com/photos/britishvets/albums/

Unite and the British Veterinary Union (BVU) have written to the government asking for the Professional Standards Authority (PSA), which  regulates such governing bodies as the General Medical Council,  General Dental Council, and Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), to have 'scrutiny' of the RCVS.

In a letter to junior minister at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, George Eustice, the BVU chair  Dr Shams Mir cited the case of Munhuwepasi Chikosi struck off the register of veterinary surgeons by the RCVS in June 2013.

Dr Mir said that this case was "widely seen by the veterinary profession as blatant miscarriage of justice and many expressions of 'outrage' were published in the veterinary press and online.

"One popular online veterinary forum recorded over a thousand posts criticising and challenging various aspects of the decision."

The current statutory duties of the RCVS, established by Royal Charter in 1844, are determined by the Veterinary Surgeons Act (VSA) of 1966, which Unite says is now 'outdated.

Dr Mir said: "BVU petitions the government to extend the remit of the PSA to incorporate the RCVS to ensure appropriate overview and scrutiny.

"The RCVS proposed new Royal Charter could be exploited by the RCVS to give itself proxy powers to introduce incontestable new regulatory measures."

Unite has asked for an urgent meeting with Mr. Eustice. 

Unite professional officer Jane Beach said: "Our initiative is designed to safeguard the interests of both the public, and practicing vets and veterinary nurses in the UK.

"Basically, the way that the RCVS is presently constituted means that it is both judge and jury in disciplinary matters. It sets the rules and hands down the judgements - and we believe that an extra layer of scrutiny needs to be introduced which we would like to be the PSA."

Yorkshire-based Paragon Veterinary Referrals has announced that it has signed the former England youth team basketball star Andrea Holmes to join the team.

Andrea, who is also an EBVS Specialist in Small Animal Internal Medicine, is joining Paragon after returning from a spell in Australia. The transfer fee was not disclosed.

Andrea graduated from Bristol in 2011 and became a Specialist in 2017. She said: "I'm so pleased to be returning to my beautiful home county of Yorkshire and joining the brilliant team at Paragon.

"Internal medicine will be my key area and my main interests are infectious diseases and post graduate clinical teaching."

Andrea represented England youth at basketball between 2000 and 2002, starring in tournaments in Hungary and Italy, and her passion for sport is still high on her list of priorities.

She added: "Now I’m back home I’m looking to join a triathlon club and will attempt to master the ukulele, which I recently began playing."

Paragon managing director, Ian Monteith, said: "Andrea is the fifth high-calibre specialist addition we’ve made in the past six months which illustrates our dedication to delivering the highest level of care and treatment to our patients."

The RCVS Disciplinary Committee has reprimanded one veterinary surgeon and suspended another for four months, following a joint hearing regarding their professional conduct while they were in practice in Slough, Berkshire in August 2016.

The Disciplinary Committee considered a number of charges against Javier Salas Navarro MRCVS and Roman Kristin over 35 days.

The charges against Dr Navarro concerned his treatment of a kitten named Marnie. They included: 

• In August 2016, failing to read the anaesthesia consent form in relation to a surgical spay he performed;

• When Marnie was readmitted for surgery, failing to read the anaesthesia consent form, failing to undertake adequate assessment of Marnie’s condition; performing surgery without adequately considering her condition; subjecting Marnie to anaesthesia without recognising the seriousness of her illness; failing to obtain informed consent from the owners; administering medication which was contra-indicated; and failure to make an adequate record of his involvement in Marnie’s care.

The charges against Dr Kristin also related to his treatment of Marnie. They included:  

• In August 2016, failing to undertake an adequate assessment of her condition; failure to recognise and record the fact that Marnie could not pass urine; failure to refer or offer her for specialist treatment; and failure to ensure Marnie received care and treatment overnight. 

• When admitting Marnie for surgery, that he made a number of clinical mistakes including failure to gain informed consent; and failure to recognise the seriousness of her illness;

• that there were a number of failings in relation to Marnie’s care, including failure to arrange adequate overnight care, failure to monitor and record her condition, and failure to gain informed consent for the overnight care.

• that he failed to advise Marnie’s owners that he suspected her uterers had been ligated during the spay, failed to advise Marnie’s owners that she required specialist veterinary treatment; and advised that Marnie undergo further surgery at the practice in spite of this meaning her having to undergo further anaesthesia in a week and with poor chances of survival;

• that the above conduct was misleading and dishonest.

The Disciplinary Committee found a number of the facts in the charges against both Dr Navarro and Dr Kristin proven (the full details can be found in the documentation at www.rcvs.org.uk/disciplinary). 

The Committee found that Dr Navarro breached a number of aspects of the Code of Professional Conduct for Veterinary Surgeons including: making animal health and welfare the first consideration when attending to animals; the provision of appropriate and adequate veterinary care; responsible prescription, supply and administration of medicines; communication with professional colleagues to ensure the health and welfare of the animal; being open and honest with clients and respecting their needs and requirements; effective communication with clients; keeping clear and accurate clinical records; and working with the veterinary team to coordinate the care of animals. 

Of the proven charges, the Committee found that his initial failure to read Marnie’s anaesthesia consent form on 5 August did not amount to disgraceful conduct in a professional respect, but that the repetition of this failure on 9 August did amount to disgraceful conduct. It also found that Dr Navarro’s failure to undertake adequate assessment and perform surgery without this assessment amounted to serious professional misconduct. Furthermore, the Committee found that subjecting Marnie to anaesthesia in spite of her being unwell, failure to obtain informed consent and failure to keep adequate records also amounted to serious professional misconduct. 

For Dr Kristin, in summary, the Committee found not proven the allegation that he had failed to respond on 5 August 2016 to concerns from Marnie’s owners about her condition while she was recovering from a surgical spay and also all the allegations relating to Dr Kristin’s admission of Marnie to the practice on 9 August on the basis that it was not satisfied so as to be sure that Dr Kristin had been the veterinary surgeon who admitted Marnie on that day. 

The Committee found proven the remaining charges and found he breached the following parts of the Code of Professional Conduct for Veterinary Surgeons: making animal health and welfare the first consideration when attending to animals; keeping within area of competence and referring responsibly; providing appropriate and adequate veterinary care; responsible prescribing, supply and administration of medicines; communication with colleagues to ensure the health and welfare of the animal; being open and honest with clients and respecting their needs and requirements; communicating effectively with clients and obtaining informed consent; keeping clear and accurate clinical records; and working with the veterinary team to coordinate the care of animals.

Of the proven charges, the Committee determined that his failure to adequately assess Marnie’s health, to obtain a clinical history, to undertake blood tests and recognise that she was seriously ill, amounted to disgraceful conduct in a professional respect and led to “Marnie’s underlying condition going undetected and undoubtedly contributed to her eventual death two days later”. 

The Committee also found that Dr Kristin’s decision to hospitalise Marnie without adequate overnight care, place her on IV fluids without monitoring the treatment or her condition, and failure to obtain adequate informed consent – among other things – amounted disgraceful conduct in a professional respect.

Stuart Drummond, chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: "As a direct result of Dr Kristin’s acts and omissions, Marnie was left alone overnight on fluids when those fluids had nowhere to go. Had he done his job properly he would have known that and Marnie could have avoided the prolonged suffering caused by the chosen course of treatment that did not address the underlying condition. Every element of Dr Kristin’s behaviour was catastrophic for Marnie, and yet he took no personal responsibility for her welfare and just went home.” 

Following its findings on disgraceful conduct in a professional respect, the Committee then went on to consider its sanction for both Dr Navarro and Dr Kristin.

In respect of Dr Navarro, the Committee considered the mitigating factors including previous good character, admissions to some of the facts of the case from the outset; genuine insight and remorse into the seriousness of the actions; his youth and inexperience; and relevant and good-quality testimonials from colleagues. The Committee noted that the testimonials were universally positive and demonstrated that Dr Navarro had reflected on his conduct, had become more mature and confident in his practice and made efforts to rectify the areas in which he had fallen below standards. 

Stuart Drummond said: “Although the consequences for Marnie and her owners were clearly devastating, the Committee considered that Dr Navarro’s part in her demise has to be seen in the context of all the evidence. In light of the extensive mitigation, including significant evidence of insight and remediation, the Committee was able to conclude that Dr Navarro did not represent a future risk to animals or the public. In such circumstances, the Committee considered that it was not necessary to restrict Dr Navarro’s registration and that a reprimand was the appropriate and proportionate sanction in his case.”

In relation to Dr Kristin, the Committee took into account positive character evidence from Mr Karel Daniel, a semi-retired veterinary surgeon and Vice-President of the Czech Republic Veterinary Chamber, a similar body to the RCVS in that country, as well as other testimonials on his behalf. In mitigation, the Committee considered Dr Kristin’s previously unblemished career, the fact that it was a single case involving a single animal; some development of insight into his conduct; no evidence of repetition; expressions of remorse; the impact of a family bereavement during the course of proceedings; and his financial position.

However, the Committee also took into account aggravating factors including a lack of candour from Dr Kristin when he was giving evidence, demonstrated by a tendency to blame others rather than take responsibility, as well as his recklessness in suggesting a third operation on Marnie that was not in her interests, rather than referring her into specialist care.

The final decision of the Committee on the sanction for Dr Kristin was that, given the seriousness of the misconduct, it was satisfied that this warranted a six-month suspension period. However, given the mitigating factors, the Committee decided that four months was appropriate and proportionate. 

Commenting on the sanction Stuart Drummond said: “The Committee determined that it was important a clear message be sent that this sort of behaviour is wholly inappropriate and not to be tolerated. It brings discredit upon the respondent and discredit upon the profession and, most importantly, caused harm to Marnie and great distress to her owners.

"The Committee did consider whether to remove Dr Kristin from the Register. However, in light of the mitigation in this case, the fact that this was a single case in an otherwise unblemished career, together with the unlikelihood he would repeat his disgraceful conduct, the Committee decided that, in all the circumstances, to remove him from the Register would be disproportionate.

"The Committee therefore decided to order that the Registrar suspend Dr Kristin’s registration…. The Committee was satisfied that a period of four months was appropriate and proportionate in all the circumstances."

The full facts and findings from the case can be found at www.rcvs.org.uk/disciplinary 

Dechra and VetSurgeon.org have joined forces to offer veterinary surgeons the peri-operative analgesia CPD event of the year, which also marks the launch of a new Anaesthesia Group on VetSurgeon.org.

The CPD event is in two parts. The first is a webinar on Tuesday 30th April at 7:30pm by Dr Jo Murrell DipECVAA (pictured right) entitled: Analgesia for ovariohysterectomy in dogs and cats and the role of Comfortan.

Jo will present the results of studies she has conducted to investigate which opioid provides optimum analgesia for the procedure in both dogs and cats. In one study, she compared the analgesic effect of peri-operative methadone with peri-operative buprenorphine in dogs. In the other, she compared the analgesic effects of methadone with buprenorphine in cats undergoing ovariohysterectomy using the QUAD anaesthetic protocol.

You can register now for Dechra’s webinar, here.

The webinar will be followed by the opportunity to put follow-up questions to Jo in a special forum in the new Anaesthesia group on VetSurgeon.org, where she has become a VetSurgeon Contributing Expert.

The webinar entitles you to one hour of CPD, which you can supplement with any additional time spent discussing the issue with Jo in the forum, using the ‘Claim CPD’ button.

The event also marks the official launch of the new Small Animal Anaesthesia Group on VetSurgeon.org, and I would like to invite all members of VetSurgeon.org with an interest in anaesthesia to come and join the group here (press the ‘Join’ button on the left hand side; you may need to rotate your mobile phone to see it).

In addition, you may wish to subscribe to the digest which will alert you to any new anaesthesia discussions on a daily or weekly basis, as you prefer.

Researchers at the University of Liverpool are asking veterinary surgeons to take part in a survey to explore the reporting of Adverse Drug Reactions (ADRs).

It is hoped the survey will capture the experiences vets have had reporting ADRs, as well as identifying barriers to the current process which could be used to improve the ease with which ADRs are reported in the future.

PhD student Heather Davies (pictured right), who is leading the research project, said: "The survey is an important opportunity to gain insights into the issues that vets  face when dealing with ADRs.

"We want to make the process easier in order to improve the safety of veterinary medicines, and ultimately, we need the help of professionals on the front line in order to do that."

She added: "The survey is relatively short and can be completed anonymously. 

"We’re really keen to gather as many of your experiences as possible so we’d like to encourage veterinary professionals to complete it."

The research is being carried out as part of a PhD project funded by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) in collaboration with the Small Animal Veterinary Surveillance Network (SAVSNET), based at the university.

The survey is now open and you can take part here: https://liverpool.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/adrs-vet

Any questions about the survey can be addressed directly to the researchers: Heather Davies (PhD student): H.H.Davies@liverpool.ac.uk and/or Dr David Killick (Supervisor): David.Killick@liverpool.ac.uk.

The British Veterinary Association has cautioned against any changes to the duration or dosage of antibiotic prescriptions, following the publication of an article in the British Medical Journal which questioned currently accepted guidelines that patients should always complete a course of antibiotics.

The rationale for completing a course of antibiotics has always been to prevent the growth of drug-resistant bacteria. However, the article says there is little evidence to support this idea, and that in fact, taking antibiotics for longer than necessary presents a greater risk of causing antibiotic resistance.

Responding to article, BVA Junior Vice President John Fishwick said: "We're very aware of the global threat antimicrobial resistance poses to human and animal health, and the UK veterinary profession is committed to the responsible use of antibiotics. Medicines should never be used to compensate for poor husbandry practices and routine habitual prophylactic use in healthy animals to prevent disease is a no-go.

"The article in the BMJ suggests that antibiotics should be used for as short a period as possible, and that we should move away from the concept of following a predetermined course. This may indeed be a very important advance, but it is far too early to determine how this would work in veterinary practice. We need to clearly establish the evidence supporting it.

"We support the researchers’ calls for clinical trials to determine the most effective strategies for antibiotic treatment. Until further studies are conducted, it is too early to change the way we prescribe medicines and vets should continue to prescribe as previously, only when necessary. It is also vital that clients continue to follow the directions given by their vets, both in terms of dosage and duration of treatment, carefully."

The BVA has chosen nine finalists for this year's Veterinary Photographer of the Year competition.

BVA President Malcolm Morley said: “Judging this competition has been genuinely both extremely enjoyable and really difficult.

"The entries this year have absolutely surpassed expectations and the level of talent on display is amazing.

"However, the photographs we have chosen are all well worthy of being finalists.

"From photos that made us laugh out loud, to others that made some of us feel close to tears, they evoked a range of emotions, but we were also impressed by the quality of the images, the creativity of the photographers and the composition of the photos, as well as the stories behind the lens.

The finalists are:

Vets at work

• A Gentle Touch by Sam Price. A Ring-tailed Lemur gently grasps the vet’s finger while recovering from an anaesthetic.
  
  
  
• Mopping the Brow by Justyn Loveridge shows some light relief after a long procedure.
  
  
  
• #Colostrumisgold by Sophie Aylett, captures the moment a young calf was up and on the teat before the cow’s muscle layers were even sutured up following a c-section. 
  

All creatures great and small

• Roe Buck Running by Jenny Grewal, who photographed this roe buck as he ran through the mustard flowers in the fields of an estate on the Wiltshire-Hampshire border.
  
  
  
• On the Shoulders of Giants by Katherine Edmondson. Taken at sunrise at Kwantu Game Reserve, South Africa, this image shows three red-billed oxpeckers hunting for insects on the back of a young giraffe in the early hours of the morning.
  
  
  
• Cheeky Munch by Lilia Silva, who had gone to a local park in London to take photos of birds but couldn’t resist capturing a cheeky squirrel munching away on some berries.
  

Happy pets that make us smile

• Jumping for Joy by Sam Price. This photo features dog Winnie, who loves nothing more than a beach day.
  
  
  
• Snow Focused by Alice Watson. Rusty the dog on a snowy day in Nowton Park, Bury St Edmunds.
  
  
  
• Main picture: Sheep-a-Doodle Do! by Charlotte Clough. A car boot overflowing with six 12-week-old puppies, in a vet surgery car park.

The winners will be announced at BVA Live at Birmingham’s NEC in May, where this year there is also an opportunity for BVA Live delegates to vote for their favourite image from the shortlist, with a new ‘People’s Choice’ winner being announced in the weeks following the event.