The RCVS Disciplinary Committee has suspended a Co. Tyrone veterinary surgeon from the Register for ten months, having found him guilty of serious professional misconduct relating to three convictions for contravening animal export regulations.

Whilst working as an Authorised Veterinary Inspector in Castlederg for the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD), William Manson had falsely certified that he had inspected three consignments of sheep presented for assembly at Plumbridge Export Assembly Centre on 16 and 23 August 2009. At this week's two-day hearing, Mr Manson admitted that the convictions he had received at the Strabane Magistrates Court on 26 November 2010 made him unfit to practise veterinary surgery, but said in mitigation that he had examined the sheep nearby at Landahussy, a site he considered more suitable for a large number of animals.

The Committee was satisfied that Mr Manson believed the Landahussy site to be more suitable for large deliveries; the Committee also was satisfied that he did carry out a visual inspection of the sheep at the Landahussy site on 16 and 23 August 2009. However, the information Mr Manson provided on the three certificates was false and misleading. Mr Manson had also been reminded of the importance of complying with government regulations in a disciplinary case in 2004, following convictions for failing to notify DARD about changes in the number of sheep for which he was claiming a premium. The then Committee dismissed the case, deeming the convictions a result of his "genuine but regrettable oversight".

Speaking on behalf of the Committee, Chairman, Prof Peter Lees said: "Mr Manson's actions in certifying that he had examined the sheep at an approved assembly centre when he had not done so amounted to a serious departure from professional standards. If there had been a disease outbreak on either the Plumbridge or Landahussy site, such actions would have rendered contact tracings unreliable and inaccurate."

In mitigation, the Committee accepted medical evidence and Mr Manson's testimony that he was at that time under exceptional stress. He was working long hours in difficult circumstances without an assistant, and was under considerable personal pressure as a result of his wife's serious illness. It also took into account his age (66), exceptional testimonials produced on his behalf, and the impact on the community he served.

Prof Lees said: "The Committee has concluded that the removal of Mr Manson's name from the Register is neither proportionate nor necessary in the public interest nor to protect the welfare of animals. A proportionate sanction in this case is to suspend Mr Manson's name from the Register for a period of ten months."

Petplan has announced the winners of its annual Veterinary Awards. 

The awards 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.   

Isabella von Mesterhazy, Petplan's Head of Marketing, said: "As the leader in the pet insurance market for over 35 years, we have a rich history of working with veterinary practices across the UK. The Veterinary Awards is a great way to celebrate the fantastic work that goes on helping keep pets healthy and their owners happy."

She added: "This year saw over 11,000 nominations which goes to show the appetite from both staff and clients for celebrating exceptional work. We had an outstanding selection of finalists and I'd like to congratulate all the winners who thoroughly deserve their awards."

The winners for each category are:

VET OF THE YEAR - Laura Pugh, Ashfield House Veterinary Hospital - Long Eaton, Nottingham
What really stood out was Laura's willingness to go above and beyond the call of duty. As well as Laura's stressful day job she is very involved with the local community. Laura writes an animal column in her local neighbourhood magazine, runs evening talks on a variety of subjects and visits local schools.

VET NURSE OF THE YEAR - Catherine Raw, Broadleys Veterinary Hospital - Stirling, Scotland
Catherine's passion for her role within the practice and her dedication to providing the best service for her clients put her above the other finalists.  Catherine is not only committed to her professional role of delivering the highest standard of clinical care for her patients and the best service for her clients, but she also devotes a lot of her own time to animal welfare. Catherine is a fantastic role model for her nurses.

VET SUPPORT STAFF OF THE YEAR - Vivienne Jeffs, Arvonia Animal Hospital - Cheltenham, Gloucestershire
Vivienne's reliability, empathy and selflessness really stood out for the judges. Whether it is knowing the name of a pet owner during telephone conversations, or entertaining toddlers in the waiting area, Vivienne is the type of receptionist vet surgeries dream of. The practice would not be the same without her according to those that nominated her.

VET PRACTICE OF THE YEAR - Bridge Veterinary Surgery - Highbridge, Somerset
The practice's hard work and dedication to their clients really impressed the judges. The practice is open 24 hours a day and the dedication the veterinary, with a small practice of only four staff members, it is a particularly well deserved award.

VET PRACTICE MANAGER OF THE YEAR - Cery Lawson-Tankred, Golden Valley Veterinary Hospital - Nailsea, Somerset
Cery has worked at Golden Valley for over five years, during which time the practice has seen a large degree of upgrade and reinvigoration. Investments made in new equipment and facilities have meant improved care for an expanding array of animals that come through the surgery doors. It was clear to the judges that Cery is the glue that holds the Golden Valley Veterinary Hospital together.

There's a free webinar tomorrow at 12:30pm which could help you prevent incidents of bullying at your practice.

Culture Change In Healthcare is presented by Simon Fleming, a trauma and orthopaedic registrar who has a special interest in combating bullying, undermining and harassment in human healthcare, and Sally Everitt MRCVS, the ex Head of Scientific Policy at BSAVA.

Simon will discuss the problem of bullying, the fallout from serious cases, and how you can work to eliminate bullying in your practice.

Sally will present the results of a survey carried out by VetSurgeon.org and VetNurse.co.uk in 2017, to investigate the incidence and impact of unpleasant behaviour in veterinary practice.

The webinar is hosted by The Webinar Vet and sponsored by RCVS Mind Matters. It counts as 1hr towards your annual CPD requirement.

Whether or not you think there is any bullying going on at your practice, I strongly urge you to watch this webinar. There can be few things as harmful to an effective practice team as bullying. Everyone needs to be able to spot it and stamp on it quickly. 

Register for the webinar here: https://www.thewebinarvet.com/pages/culture-change-healthcare-2/

RCVS Knowledge has announced two new categories for its annual awards, which are now open for applications.

The awards, which which celebrate initiatives that advance the quality of veterinary care and demonstrate a commitment to using an evidence-based approach, will be open for applications until 13th January 2023.

The two new award categories are Antimicrobial Stewardship and Canine Cruciate Outcomes.  

The Canine Cruciate Outcome Awards are to recognise and celebrate individuals and teams who are using Quality Improvement initiatives alongside RCVS Knowledge’s Canine Cruciate Registry (CCR) to monitor and improve their canine cruciate surgery outcomes.

Applications are invited by surgeons and teams who are using the CCR.

The Antimicrobial Stewardship Awards, which are divided into farm animal, equine, and companion animal categories, aim to showcase practical examples where individuals and teams are improving responsible antimicrobial prescribing.

In addition, the charity is looking for entries for its existing awards for students and those who have implemented Quality Improvement (QI) techniques.

The Veterinary Evidence Student Awards enables students from around the world to enhance their academic and research skills by writing a Knowledge Summary and submitting it for publication to Veterinary Evidence, RCVS Knowledge's open access, peer-reviewed journal.

The Quality Improvement Awards showcase the implementation of Quality Improvement techniques which drive improvement within the professions.

www.rcvsknowledge.org/awards

The Royal Veterinary College has published new data from its VetCompass programme which shed new light on the epidemiology, risk factors and outcomes for cats diagnosed with diabetes mellitus in the UK, and which researchers say could help reduce the high early mortality rates associated with the disease.

The researchers say that previous research suggests that approximately 10% of diabetic cats are euthanised at the time of diagnosis, making it a significant cat welfare issue.

However, this figure was largely based on questionnaire-based research from several global locations.

This new study followed the survival of 1,053 cats with confirmed diabetes mellitus under UK primary-care practices in 2019, providing the most up-to-date baseline data on early death among diabetic cats in the UK, as well as examining risk factors for the development of diabetes among UK pet cats.

The study found:  

• Approximately one in every 250 cats in the UK live with diabetes mellitus each year.
• In agreement with previous estimates, 10% of cats diagnosed with diabetes mellitus were euthanased within just three days of diagnosis, usually without receiving treatment.
• Burmese cats were confirmed to be at increased risk of diabetes mellitus development, as identified in previous studies.
• For the first time, the Burmilla breed, which descends from the Burmese, was shown to be at increased risk of diabetes mellitus.
• Bengal and Ragdoll breeds were found to be protected from diabetes mellitusdevelopment compared to crossbred cats.

Based on these findings, the researchers encourage veterinarians to more actively discuss diabetes mellitus risk with cat owners, particularly those with Burmilla and Burmese breeds, in the hope that raising awareness of the disease might improve outcomes through earlier diagnosis, and by taking actions that might prevent diabetes mellitus development in the first instance, such as preventing cats becoming obese.   

Dr Oliver Waite, Senior Lecturer in Small Animal Medicine at Murdoch University, and primary author of the paper, said: “We hope that this new, large scale epidemiological study, investigating the second most common endocrine disease in cats, will help to highlight current as well as future areas to improve cat welfare.

"This is an exciting time for the management of diabetic cats but more work is still needed!”

Dr Dan O’Neill, Associate Professor in Companion Animal Epidemiology at the RVC, and co-author of the paper, said: “This new VetCompass study shows the value of everyone working in primary care practice sharing their anonymised clinical data to get a better understanding of real-world animal health.

"Awareness of the scale of the diabetes mellitus issue revealed here can empower veterinary professionals to engage in more conversations with owners about diabetes mellitus prevention in predisposed cats.”

Reference

1. Waite, R. Gostelow, E. Wright, R. E. Jepson, D. C. Brodbelt, and D. G. O'Neill, “ Frequency, Risk Factors, and Mortality for Diabetes Mellitus in 1 225 130 Cats Under Primary Veterinary Care in the United Kingdom in 2019,” Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine 39, no. 4 (2025): e70161, https://doi.org/10.1111/jvim.70161.

The RCVS and the Veterinary Schools Council (VSC) have published recommendations on how support for Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) veterinary students can be improved.

The report is the culmination of the work of a joint RCVS and VSC BAME Student Support Working Group, set up to explore key issues in supporting BAME veterinary students during their studies.

The Working Group made a total of 14 recommendations, which included:

• developing formal support and guidance documents for students going on placement and developing formal discrimination reporting mechanisms for students
• ensuring all staff and students are aware of the new RCVS Accreditation Standards in relation to equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in teaching and placement settings;
• providing guidance and training to university staff on handling discrimination complaints;
• providing EDI training to university staff, students and placement providers to improve awareness of equality legislation – including rights and responsibilities – as well as other key concepts in EDI, such as micro-aggressions;
• resource, support and collaborate with BAME student groups and societies to better understand experiences;
• improve the visibility of BAME role models to create a more inclusive and positive educational experience for BAME students;
• provide access to support and advice for BAME students through internal and external mentoring initiatives;
• review and adapt the guidance on religious clothing and belief for use within local settings.

Stephanie-Rae Flicker is a recent Royal Veterinary College (RVC) graduate who co-chaired the Working Group alongside Professor Rob Pettitt from the University of Liverpool. 

She said: “I hope this encourages and supports our veterinary institutions to actively implement change regarding discrimination faced during studies and placements, nurturing role models and helping affected students develop sense of belonging and community during their studies and beyond.

"Many thanks to all that have contributed to the completion of this Report – we hope the recommendations have a lasting impact, and benefit those both already present and yet to enter our profession."

RCVS/VSC BAME Student Support Working Group Report.

The National Office of Animal Health Code of Practice Committee has found MSD Animal Health in breach of the NOAH Code on promotion for its advertisment for Equilis Prequenza.

The advert appeared in three separate issues of Veterinary Times (15, 22 and 29 September 2014), on the rear back cover of the 2014 BEVA Congress proceedings, and on the inside back cover of the 2014 Congress Planner.  It contained the phrase “Neuraminidase antibodies provided a degree of protection in the case of HA strain/vaccine mismatch”, when viewed against the context of the advertisement headed ‘Why have part when you can have it all?”.

The Committee’s view was that the item in the context of the advertisement was intended to mean, and did convey, the meaning that the inclusion of NA antigens in an equine vaccine gave that vaccine a clinical advantage over vaccines which did not. This claim was not substantiated. Accordingly, the Committee found the phrase in breach of Code of Practice Clauses 4.1(iii) misleading, 4.1(vi) contained an exaggerated claim, 4.1(vii) implied it had a special merit which was not substantiated, 4.2(i) was not accurate and 4.2(ii) was not based upon an up-to-date evaluation of all the evidence.

Full details of the Committee’s rulings can be found on the NOAH website at www.noah.co.uk/code. The full report of this particular case will be available shortly.

Researchers at the RVC are calling on veterinary organisations which fund or co-fund research to take part in a study which seeks to inform future funding strategies.

The first phase of research is being conducted this January and February 2023 and will analyse the amount and distribution of UK canine health research funding over the past decade.

Veterinary associations, societies and charities which support canine health research tend to identify funding priorities aligned with their own strategy and scope, taking account of independent peer review from experts in the field of research.

However, the RVC says that as there are many research funders working independently, some important research topics may be overlooked and separately funded projects can inadvertently overlap in their work.  

This study endeavours to investigate these issues and consider how resources are prioritised across different areas of canine research.

Participating stakeholders will be asked their opinions on future research funding and this information will contribute to developing a long-term strategy for not-for-profit UK canine health research.

Thereafter, the aim is to create a pilot consultation process for developing a central prioritisation platform for future collaborative canine research.

The RVC’s says it has already got data and support from several major funders but is keen to maximise the scope of this research, so it is now looking for participation from specialist veterinary societies that fund research, and non-university organisations, such as charities, corporates or independent referral practices which conduct their own in-house canine research. 

Dr Alison Skipper, Postdoctoral Researcher into Canine Research Funding within VetCompass at the RVC said: “We are really keen to hear from as many non-profit organisations involved with canine health research funding as possible. The breadth and depth of this data is vital to ensure that our findings accurately reflect this sector."

For more information about how to get involved, please visit https://rvc.uk.com/canine-research-funding-analysis.

Two recently published studies have demonstrated that the canine anti-emetic Cerenia® (maropitant - Pfizer) which was launched last year also relieves car sickness in dogs.

In a pilot study, 17 dogs were given either Cerenia or placebo one hour before being taken on a car journey. After a washout period of 10-14 days, each dog was crossed over to the other treatment and once again taken on a journey to assess travel sickness. The results showed that likelihood of vomiting was reduced by 70% when the dogs were given Cerenia compared to placebo – but due to the small number of dogs enrolled the results did not reach statistical significance.

The same research group also carried out a large, multicentre, blinded and placebo controlled study of Cerenia in preventing vomiting in 213 dogs known to be prone to travel sickness. They were given a single oral dose of Cerenia or placebo one hour before a car journey. The results showed that Cerenia was associated with a reduction in vomiting of 79% compared to placebo (p<0.0001).

The dosage of Cerenia used in both studies was 8mg/kg dose for the prevention of motion sickness–higher than the 2mg/kg dose that is routinely used to treat general emesis, administered at least one hour before the journey. According to the researchers’ report in the Veterinary Record, the need for a higher dose is linked to the specific neural (central) pathway of emetic stimulation that is involved in motion sickness. Cerenia acts primarily at NK1 receptors in the emetic centre and thus has the ability to block vomiting due to vestibular stimuli.

According to Pfizer, a single oral dose lasts for at least 12 hours, so pets can be dosed the night before an early start. For motion sickness prevention, Cerenia is licensed for up to 2 days’ consecutive use, so owners can use it for a return journey the next day if need be.

Pfizer also says that market research suggests almost one in five dogs suffers from travel sickness, which is not only inconvenient but does also stop some owners from travelling with their pet. In the past, owners have had to rely on OTC (over the counter) remedies or medicines developed for use in humans to prevent travel sickness. Many of these are ineffective or have unwanted effects such as sedation or extrapyramidial effects in dogs. Cerenia is the first anti-emetic to be developed specifically for use in dogs and was launched in April 2007– higher dose tablets aimed specifically for the prevention of travel sickness are expected to be made available early this year.

Edinburgh-based Braid Vets has signed up its 1000th client to the practice's VIP (Very Important Pet) Pet Health Plan.  

To mark the event, staff at the practice and Kenneth Agnew from Practice Plan For Vets Ltd, presented 1000th member Douglas Roberts and his dog Rudy with a bottle of champagne and a Kong toy.

In common with other schemes, the Braid Vets Pet Health Plan spreads the costs of vaccinations and flea control over the year with a fixed monthly direct debit. In addition, Braid Vets gives its Health Plan members further discounts on selected services provided by the practice, including food purchases.  

Mike Hall MRCVS of Braid Vets, said: "We think the Health Plan has been one of the things that has helped us withstand the worst effects of the recession.  In our experience, Health Plan clients attend the clinic more regularly for health checks, vaccinations and treatments throughout the year."

He added: "We're delighted to have reached our 1000th member of the scheme, but we're not going to stop there. We think there's considerable scope for further growth. The reason is that it's such a no-brainer. Under our plan, vets have complete clinical freedom and always recommend the products best suited to the individual pet. So the pet wins, the client wins and the practice wins."

Anita Bates from Practice Plan for Vets, which manages this scheme and many others on behalf of veterinary practices in the UK, said: "Our health plans focus on preventative services and products. They provide the practice with a regular monthly income and bonded clients as well as improving owner compliance, frequency of visits to the practice and average transactions values for wellness and illness."

For more information about Practice Plan For Vets, visit: www.practiceplanforvets.co.uk

WellVet has announced the launch of a new series of talks focussing on post-pandemic issues affecting veterinary professionals.

The talks will be free to join live on Zoom, while being simultaneously streamed into the Vet Mums Facebook group.

Following the live stream those on Zoom will be invited to join in a private, unrecorded QnA session.

Liz Barton, co-founder of WellVet and Vet Mums said: “We have spent the last year creating a fab new website for people to access some of the great content WellVet has created over the last few years.

"However, we also noticed a few challenges mentioned with increasing frequency and severity by Vet Mums members.

"It’s fantastic to bring together such great speakers to directly address these issues and provide advice and support to anyone affected.”

• July 22nd 12-1pm, Recognising and dealing with overwhelm – Charlotte Lawson
• July 25th 8-9pm, Loneliness, especially for leaders - Clive Elwood
• August 1st 8-9pm Fitting practical self-care into busy lives – Dr Claire Gillvray
• August 4th 12-1pm Helping flexible workers feel integrated into practice life – Silvia Janska
• August 12th 12-1pm The Impossijuggle of parenting and career - Amanda Boag, Cat Henstridge, Lucy Grieve and Victoria Johnson

For more information, visit www.wellvet.co.uk.

Orthopaedic surgeon Andy Moores has been certified to perform third-generation TATE elbow replacement procedures.

Andy Moores said: "Elbow replacement surgery, despite advancements in both the implant and technique, remains a complex procedure with a demanding rehabilitation process.

"However, for the right candidates, elbow replacement offers the potential for significant improvement in joint function and pain relief, transforming the lives of dogs that would otherwise suffer from permanent discomfort."

The third generation TATE elbow has had a complete redesign to overcome some of the issues associated with the first and second generation models, and the Iowa State system which preceded them.

There are around 15 surgeons qualified to perform the procedure in the world, three in the UK, and Andy is the only one in the South East.

Andy added: "The advancements in the TATE Elbow system represent a significant leap forward in veterinary orthopaedic surgery.

"End-stage elbow osteoarthritis is a horrible condition which can leave dogs in chronic pain and with no good treatment options.

"Being certified to perform third-generation TATE elbow replacements allows us to offer our patients the most advanced treatment options available, giving them the best chance for a pain-free, functional life."

www.mooresortho.com
info@mooresortho.com

Laboratoire de Dermo-Cosmétique Animale (LDCA) has launched ATOP 7 Mousse and PYOclean Mousse, two new skin products formulated for cats and dogs. 

ATOP 7 Mousse and PYOclean Mousse are presented as a ‘dry shampoo’ in foam form for cats and dogs. They join the company's Dermoscent portfolio of companion animal products, developed to help with the management of scaling disorders, atopic or allergic skin disease and infections.

Both products contain a blend of plant extracts and essential oils from Hemp seed, which LDCA says has a moisturising and restructuring action on the skin. Atop 7 contains lemon tea tree extract, which the company says boosts anti-inflammatory and anti-pruritic activity. PYOclean contains lavender and manuka, which are claimed to have an anti-bacterial action. 

LDCA says it has designed the two non-rinse mousses with owner compliance in mind; that used twice-weekly twice-weekly alone or in combination with other supplements or treatments as part of a skincare protocol, they can extend the time between shampoos. They can also be applied quickly to speed patients’ discharge from hospital or used when animals are boisterous or dislike baths.

According to the company, a 2-week veterinary-supervised study looking at the effect of ATOP 7 Mousse on the skin of flea-allergic and atopic dogs, reported a veterinarian general satisfaction score of 8.7/10. Owners of the dogs on the trial reported an 8.7/10 general satisfaction score and a similar score for the product’s ability to soothe irritated skin.¹ 

The full Dermoscent range, including the new mousses, is available through Vet Direct as well as Henry Schein (selected products) or as a special order through Centaur. ATOP 7 Mousse and PYOclean Mousse are both available in 150ml packs and are priced at £7.94 + VAT each (list price). 

For more information visit: http://www.dermoscent.com. A clinical case study by Dr Jean-Loup Mathet on the use of PYOclean Shampoo, Spray and Mousse in a 14-year old West Highland White Terrier with chronic, recurrent, inflammatory, pruritic and seborrhoeic dermatosis is also available online or by request. 

Reference 

1. Data on file.