Virbac is offering its customers a discount on subscriptions to Vet Care Consult, an interactive veterinary medicine and anatomy tool designed to improve client understanding and aid compliance.
Vet Care Consult, designed by MediProductions with advice from veterinary specialists, uses more than 600 3D graphics, animations, videos and other imagery to help veterinary staff explain diagnoses and to discuss therapeutic options.
The veterinary surgeon or nurse selects the target species, then the relevant organ or system. A range of animations and videos are then offered to help explain their recommendation. The tool includes the option to email owners a link to a specific animation or video so that they can discuss the recommended treatment with family later. It can be used on a PC or tablet and is also available as an iPhone app.
A single user subscription normally costs £41 per month or £410 per annum.
Chris Geddes MRCVS, Senior Product Manager at Virbac, said: "Gone are the days of scribbling diagrams on scraps of paper and whiteboards or pointing to a model of a stifle that has seen better days!
"Vet Care Consult harnesses the latest technology to help the veterinary team communicate more effectively with clients, helping them to understand their pets' health and wellness issues. Better communication leads to improved compliance which, in turn, helps to strengthen the vital bond between a practice and its clients."
For more information, contact your Virbac Territory Manager.
The collection includes articles from BSAVA’s Companion magazine, webinars, and Congress lectures, covering topics such as ‘What does environmentally-friendly look like in practice?’, ‘20x20 visions of a greener future now’, and ‘One Health, One Planet: Why sustainability is a necessity’.
The collection builds on the work of the BSAVA Sustainability Working Group (SWG), which was formed to help small animal practices on their sustainability journey.
Carl Gorman, Junior Vice President of the BSAVA and Chair of the SWG said: “We are pleased to have created this collection of resources for veterinary professionals.
"It is increasingly important that we ensure sustainable working in small animal practice, and we hope that this collection highlights some of the ways in which staff can really make a difference in their practice”.
The collection is freely available in the BSAVA Library throughout December from: https://www.bsavalibrary.com/content/sustainability-in-practice
To find out more about the BSAVA SWG’s work, visit: https://www.bsava.com/aboutus/sustainability
Badger culling is necessary in certain circumstances to tackle the spread of bovine tuberculosis (bTB), according to the British Veterinary Association (BVA) and British Cattle Veterinary Association (BCVA).
This week the BVA's Council approved the new policy position adding the veterinary profession's voice to the ongoing debate on bTB.
Earlier in the year BVA President Nicky Paull welcomed the announcement of a pilot badger cull in west Wales. The BVA has now updated its bTB policy to more strongly state the case for humane, targeted and managed culling in specific areas where badgers are regarded as a significant contributor to the persistent presence of bTB.
The BVA's policy also states that the current Government strategy for bTB control is inadequate and calls for simultaneous control measures in both cattle and badgers and other wildlife and susceptible farmed species.
Nicky Paull, President of the BVA, said: "Bovine TB has an unacceptable impact on animal health and welfare and has the potential to be a risk to public health. Yet the current strategy for dealing with it is inadequate.
"Where I practise in Cornwall vets and farmers are desperate for effective measures to help us get on top of this inexorable disease.
"Veterinary surgeons take an active role in surveillance, diagnosis and treatment of disease and we know that the only way to control bTB is through simultaneous and coordinated measures across all susceptible species.
"In no way does our new policy position detract from the continued focus on cattle-to-cattle spread, within both the veterinary profession and the farming community, which continues to play a key role in attempts to control the disease.
"But the BVA believes that humane, targeted and managed culling of badgers in some areas will be necessary if we are to reverse the increasing prevalence of bTB."
Changes to the registration procedure for veterinary surgeons, which are being put forward for approval by the Privy Council, have caused some concern in the profession.
Most contentious is the new requirement for veterinary surgeons to confirm their contact details annually, or face removal from the register.
Judging from the remarks in the VetSurgeon forums, many in the profession see this as just another example of bureaucratic-big-brother-pen-pushing-time-wasting (a perception that probably hasn't been helped by the RCVS stating that the change is driven by the need to meet EU Directive 2006/123/EC). Nor would Lynne Hill's remarks have done anything to calm the situation. She said: "If that [the requirement for vets to confirm their address once a year] is beyond the wit and the capability of supposed professional people that we expect to follow a guide to professional conduct, to act as professionals in everything that they do, then I really despair of this profession.
"I do not see anything wrong with the College asking people to confirm their address year in, year out when they make a payment. And if those people cannot be responsible for doing that then they deserve to go forward to be taken off the Register because, if they can't do that, God only knows what else they may well be doing in their professional lives!"
At face value, it's completely understandable why the new regulation was bound to get members' backs up. I mean, the threat of losing your license to practise because you didn't confirm something which hasn't changed anyway. It's a bit extreme isn't it?
The truth of the matter is probably a little more prosaic:
At present, many members pay registration fees by standing order, and may never have updated their contact details. You could argue that it is only right that the authority changed with regulating veterinary surgeons knows how to get hold of them. If a consequence of this is also that the RCVS is able to work more efficiently and cost-effectively (apart from anything else, it shouldn't have to spend so much time tracking down and chasing non-payers), then so much the better.
Lauren Pears, an Australian entrepreneur, is about to launch the country's first 'cat café' in London, where aficionados of felines will be able to enjoy a cappuccino in the company of ... a cat.
Lady Dinah's Cat Emporium is aimed at city dwellers who are unable to have their own pet, novelty seekers, parents and tourists.
At this stage, Ms Pears intends to have around 10 cats in the café, with up to 50 people having coffee with them at any one time.
Interest in the new café has been phenomenal: over £100,000 has been raised for the project so far, via the crowd-funding website Indiegogo, and over 3000 pre-sales tickets sent to those people who have invested.
Meanwhile the British Small Animal Veterinary Association has highlighted some of the potential problems with the concept. BSAVA President Professor Michael Day said: "While some cats appear content living in groups and interacting with human strangers, other cats can be very stressed in these circumstances. It isn't always easy to identify whether a cat is suffering from stress - this is often missed or misinterpreted. For example, inactivity can be seen as contentment, but they are actually internalising their anxiety. The input of a veterinary behaviourist and appropriate staff training will be essential."
Royal Canin has announced the launch of two new veterinary diets designed to tackle obesity in cats and dogs.
'Satiety Small Dog' is for adult dogs with an ideal weight up to 10kg. 'Satiety Wet' has been developed for those dogs who prefer wet food, or who are used to eating a combination of wet and dry food.
Satiety Small Dog is available in 1.5kg, 3.5kg and 8kg bags and contains a blend of fibres that Royal Canin says increases the volume of stomach contents and promotes satiety. The company says the new diet also contains specific nutrients which contribute to maintaining good oral health, and a high protein content to help maintain muscle mass during the weight loss programme.
Satiety Small Dog is designed to improve digestive tolerance in smaller breeds, as it has a different blend of fibre and higher levels of butyrate than Satiety Canine, which is formulated for the needs of medium and larger dogs. The diet contains less dietary oxalate which Royal Canin claims is of benefit to smaller dogs that are at a greater risk of developing calcium oxalate uroliths.
The second new diet, Satiety Wet for Dogs, is available in 410g and 195g cans. The diet has a high protein content (14.1g per 100kcal), and is enriched with nutrients, minerals and vitamins. Royal Canin also highlights what it says is a particularly innovative feature: a high fibre content in a canned diet.
Ian Williams, Veterinary Scientific Support Manager at Royal Canin, said: "Almost 60% of dogs and 40% of cats in the UK and Ireland are overweight or obese. With obesity comes an increased risk of animals developing conditions affecting the upper respiratory tract, cardiopulmonary system, joints and urinary tract. In cats obesity is also a major risk factor for Type II diabetes mellitus. In essence, obesity can lead to a decreased life expectancy and a reduced quality of life.
"Royal Canin has a proven track record of developing innovative diets to help these pets and the latest additions to our range really will complement the existing choice for vets and their clients."
The National Office of Animal Health (NOAH) and the International Federation for Animal Health Europe (IFAH) have welcomed the European Commission's publication of proposals for revised legislation concerning veterinary medicines and medicated feed earlier today.
The EC says the proposals are designed to increase the availability of veterinary medicines, reduce administrative burden, stimulate competitiveness and innovation, improve the functioning of the internal market and address the issue of antimicrobial resistance.
NOAH says that currently, the manufacturers of veterinary medicines struggle with a regulatory system with some serious flaws, including:
NOAH chief executive Phil Sketchley said: "NOAH will be looking at the detail of the texts in the coming days and weeks, and reviewing their potential impact. We look forward to working with the VMD, who have called stakeholder workshops to examine the texts. We will also be supporting our European federation IFAH-Europe as they work determinedly with the European institutions over the coming years to support the Commission's vision for a more efficient regulatory system for veterinary medicines in Europe.
"We believe the value our industry brings to society is very high, despite being quite a small sector. For example, veterinary medicines benefit public health by preventing zoonotic disease and supporting food security.
"With synergies with our own UK Government's commitment to reduce unnecessary red tape, which is a key theme for DEFRA, the animal health industry in Europe needs greater efficiency to cut the red tape for our industry. We look forward to a streamlined registration process which delivers a single European marketing authorisation for all veterinary medicines.
"We will also be considering if the text has any particular implications for the UK animal health market and access to medicines for our animals."
NOAH says it also welcomes the revised medicated feed legislation. Phil Sketchley said: "NOAH believes this is an important route for administering prescription medicines to animals. We will work to help ensure the legislation is capable of maintaining and strengthening this route."
Luisa (pictured left) said: “We want to further understand the research topics and questions that UK vets believe are most critical to improving veterinary care and advancing the veterinary profession.
“We are particularly interested in the topics, issues and questions that vets think scientific evidence would help when practicing veterinary medicine, whether specific to their role or the entire profession.
"It’s vitally important to highlight potential research gaps, so we can ensure clinical studies have the greatest possible impact to help improve outcomes for our patients.”
The survey will be conducted in two parts.
The first survey will close in early March, with the second survey circulated in April for three months.
The results will be published in an online, open access peer-reviewed journal.
Survey: https://bit.ly/4ko3utN
Cat Professional is carrying out a survey to assess the use of Zylkène in cats with idiopathic cystitis (FIC), and is looking for owners whose cats are using the treatment to complete an online survey.
Zylkène is a nutritional supplement which has been reported to have positive effects in managing stress in cats and dogs. Zylkène is commonly used for reduction of stress in cats with FIC.
Veterinary practices that agree to help Cat Professional recruit clients whose FIC cats are receiving Zylkène will receive:
On completion of the survey, participants will receive a free electronic copy of the book 'Caring for a cat with lower urinary tract disease'.
For more information on the study, please visit our website: http://www.catprofessional.com.
The survey is accessible from the home page or directly at http://www.catprofessional.com/urinary-survey.html
The British Veterinary Association has produced a series of expert videos to help employers and employees with the disciplinary process.
The five short videos, which can be accessed free on vets.tv as part of the BVA membership package, talk employers through the procedures they must follow to ensure it is a fair process. The videos also advise employees on how to approach the process including guidance on how much time employees should have to look at the evidence on which the disciplinary is based.
The videos use case studies to show what the particular stages in the disciplinary process mean, what they involve and how to prepare for them.
Robin Hargreaves, Chair of the BVA Members Services Group, said: "Many have already downloaded the videos which are short and easy to follow, arming members with the knowledge they need to prepare for the difficult journey through the disciplinary process.
"There is evidently a need for such information and I hope members of the veterinary team check the whole range of free employment resources BVA members can access before paying for external legal advice - it might not be needed."
The videos are available at http://www.bva.co.uk/vetsTv/2792.aspx, the downloadable guides at http://www.bva.co.uk/guides and legal services at http://www.bva.co.uk/legal.
New research published in Epidemiology and Infection (Cambridge University Press) reveals that direct contact between badgers and cattle is rare, suggesting that it may be rare for bovine tuberculosis (TB) to be passed on through the two species meeting each other on pasture.
For the research, which was conducted by the Royal Veterinary College and the Food and Environment Research Agency, researchers investigated direct and indirect interactions between badgers and cattle by fitting automated high-tech proximity loggers to animals and placing base stations at badger latrines located on pasture, in an area of south-west England with a high-density badger population, over a period of 12-months.
Direct interactions (within 1.4 metres) between badgers and cows at pasture were very rare, with only four out of over 500,000 animal-to-animal contacts recorded between the two species.
Indirect interactions (visits to badger latrines) were far more frequent than direct contacts, with 400 visits by badgers and 1700 visits by cattle recorded. This suggests that indirect contacts might be more important than direct in terms of disease transmission at pasture.
During the study half of the badgers tested positive for TB, however the infection status of individual badgers did not affect the frequency or duration of their visits to latrines located on pasture grazed by cattle.
Bovine tuberculosis caused by infection with Mycobacterium bovis is endemic in cattle in parts of England and Wales and its control is hindered by the presence of infection in the European badger. While M. bovis is clearly transmitted between cattle and badgers, it is has not previously been known where, when or how often transmission occurs.
Dr Julian Drewe from the Royal Veterinary College who led the study, said: "Our findings reveal that direct contacts between badgers and cattle at pasture are surprisingly rare, despite ample opportunity for interactions to occur, suggesting that the two species may be ignoring or even actively avoiding one another. The study was conducted in an area with a high badger population, so it is likely that such direct contact will be even less frequent in areas of the country where there are fewer badgers.
"Indirect visits by both species to badger latrines were significantly more common than direct contacts between badgers and cattle, which suggests that these represent the more typical nature of interspecies contact. Future research aiming to quantify TB risk to cattle from badgers might be best to focus on indirect contacts occurring at latrines and on contacts occurring away from pasture, for example in farm buildings.
"This clearly has disease management implications, and more work is now needed in this area to look at how such contact can be limited, to reduce the number of cases of bovine TB in the future."
Owners of hyperthyroid cats say they would rather veterinary surgeons prescribed the appropriate dosage for their pets than have an easy way to administer the medicine, according to new research carried out by feline expert Dr Sarah Caney BVSc PhD DSAM (Feline) MRCVS.
111 cat owners were questioned for the research, which was supported by Dechra Veterinary Products and has been accepted for publication in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery.
Dechra says the results of the study challenge long-held perceptions, and should encourage a reappraisal of the approach to oral anti-thyroid medication:
89% of cat owners agreed with the statement that it 'was more important to me that the vet prescribes the most appropriate dose for my cat than that they provide me with an easy method of administering the medicine.'
Dr Caney said: "The survey has shown that cat owners are not a barrier to prescribing twice daily medication. Their overwhelming drive is to provide the best level of care that they can.
"From an owner perspective, the ideal anti-thyroid medication offers low doses and a variety of dosing strategies to ensure that each individual cat receives the dose they need and no more."
The findings revealed that 'once daily treatment' was not ranked as the most important statement on dosing by any of the owners and that only 21% of owners who had experienced oral dosing of their cat described the process as either 'tricky' or 'very difficult'.
Craig Sankey, Brand Manager for Felimazole at Dechra Veterinary Products, said: "We are very pleased to have supported such an important piece of independent research relating to feline hyperthyroidism which challenges some of the assumptions made about owner needs.
"Ease of administering the medicine is not the overwhelming issue for owners of cats with hyperthyroidism - administering the correct dose is. In fact, 79 % of cat owners questioned were happy to give pills twice a day if necessary."
To see the latest research in full, please visit www.dechra.co.uk/hyperthyroidism
Supreme Petfoods is calling on veterinary surgeons and nurses to take part in its 'Think Rabbit Month' campaign coming up in May.
The campaign is designed to attract more rabbit and guinea pig owners into practices.
Over 500 UK vet practices took part in the campaign last year and, according to the company, many used the opportunity to raise awareness about their rabbit healthcare services, such as dental checks and vaccination programs.
In the run up to Think Rabbit Month, Supreme has published the 'Think Rabbit Virtual Manual', a guide which shows how to make veterinary practices more rabbit friendly. It is now free to download from Supreme's website. In addition, there are a range of goodie bag giveaways, money off vouchers, care guides and food samples for clients, together with educational material to promote best practice care.
Participating practices can display the Think Rabbit 'Small Furry Promise' certificate, posters for the waiting room and can register for the 'Happy Hoppers Club' - a scheme that brings vets and pet owners together to promote small furry welfare.
The event is backed by RCVS Exotics Specialist, Molly Varga who said: "I'd encourage all vet practices to take part in Think Rabbit Month this May to help improve the health and welfare of the nation's rabbits and guinea pigs."
Vets and nurses are also being encouraged to help promote the national 'Rabbit Habits' survey to learn more about how owners care for their pets. The results will be shared with the profession in due course.
For more information, visit: http://www.supremepetfoods.com/think-rabbit/
RCVS Council member and Chief Veterinary Officer Professor Nigel Gibbens has been made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the New Year’s Honours list for 2016.
Professor Gibbens (pictured right), who was appointed by the Privy Council to RCVS Council in 2008, has been recognised for his services to the veterinary profession and animal welfare.
Over on the other side of the world, Professor Norman Williamson, Chair of the Veterinary Schools Accreditation Advisory Committee of the Australasian Veterinary Boards Council (AVBC), has been appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, following an application supported by the RCVS.
Professor Williamson has been working with the College as part of the veterinary education accreditation process, taking part in university visitations both in the UK and abroad.
Bradley Viner, President of the RCVS, said: "Many congratulations to Professor Nigel Gibbens for his appointment as a CBE. As CVO, Nigel has made great strides in shaping and influencing animal health and welfare policy throughout the United Kingdom and strengthening the relationship between the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the College and the profession at large.
"As an organisation we were also very happy to write in support of the application for Professor Williamson to become an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit and it is gladdening to see that his contribution to international cooperation in veterinary education has been recognised."
Photograph courtesy RCVS
Vetoquinol is offering vets the opportunity to win one of five Selekt Cattle Pumps worth £240. In order to take part, you'll need to tell Vetoquinol about your experiences with Marbocyl 10% when treating acute mastitis.
Susan Mitchell, Vetoquinol's Large Animal Product Manager said: "This case study competition aims to gather information on the incidence and treatment of acute mastitis. Acute mastitis is a genuine veterinary emergency and rapid treatment is vitally important."
Vetoquinol says Marbocyl 10% has proven to be an effective treatment for acute E.coli mastitis, with a bactericidal action which does not liberate endotoxins. Administered intravenously, Marboyl 10% provides rapid improvement and an early return to milk production.
The company also says farmers have found toxaemic mastitis cases have benefited from the use of fluid therapy, using the Selekt Cattle Pump. Oral fluid therapy is a quick, easy and inexpensive option to intravenous treatment and improves the efficacy of hypertonic saline.
To enter the competition, visit http://www.vetoquinol.co.uk/, click the Marbocyl link on the right, and download and complete a brief case history.
Five winners will be chosen at random on 30th June 2010.
The Feline Advisory Bureau (FAB) has teamed up with Agria Pet Insurance to provide insurance cover for cats in the UK, with each policy generating a donation to the work of FAB and its International Fund for Cat Welfare.
Ross Tiffin, FAB's Strategy and Business Adviser said: 'In Agria, we have found a respected company that shares our ethos - it believes in sharing information to makes cats' lives better. One of the leading pet insurers in the world, Agria has been insuring pets since 1890 and has shared information on longevity and disease patterns with university researchers for many years.'
Claire Bessant, Chief Executive of FAB said: 'FAB has always been an enthusiastic supporter of health insurance for cats - we want cats to receive the best treatment without owners having to worry about the cost. Our support has now taken on a practical form in the shape of a general pet insurance guide and, through working closely with Agria, by providing cat owners with an excellent insurance option.'
To view A fabcats guide to cat insurance go to www.fabcats.org/catinsurance. The guide gives generic advice on choosing insurance.
For more information on Fabcats Cat Insurance from Agria go to www.fabcats.org/catinsurance or call Agria on 0800 369 9441.
CarefreeCredit, the vet-run company we reported on back in October, has announced that it is working with its 600th practice in offering its interest-free or low-interest credit to clients that find themselves unable to pay for unforeseen veterinary treatment.
Stewart Halperin MRCVS, Managing Director of CarefreeCredit said: “2014 has been an incredibly busy but successful year for us. We’ve increased the take up of our service by over 500%, we have proudly cemented our partnerships within the corporate and buying groups and most importantly, we have become established enough to make a substantial difference to the pets and pet owners who rely on the help our service provides.”
Stewart added: “We know 2015 is going to be an even bigger year for us, with even more practices joining our system and the introduction of dependable and innovative business support services that will continue to save our practices time and money and help them increase sales and reduce debtors. With this in mind, we are introducing a very small monthly charge to cover our increased costs in software, training and office support services.”
From the New Year, practices that join Carefree Credit will be charged a flat rate of £10 per month for the duration of their membership. The £10 monthly fee covers support for FCA applications, unlimited training in-practice or online, use of the CarefreeCredit unique platform, CarefreeCredit office support, and point of sale materials. Practices that sign up before January 1st, will continue their membership without charge until at least January 2016.
For further information, visit: carefreecredit.co.uk or ring 0203 697 8439.
The presentation comes in the form of an editable Powerpoint presentation which can be downloaded from www.training-progress.com (visit 'downloads').
Laura Shaw from Training-Progress said: "Most of our clients are PSS accredited practices. Getting the practice accredited is a great achievement and the whole team should be aware of this and ‘singing it from the roof tops’. The resource outlines why PSS is good for the practice, the clients, the patients and the practice team - helping team members to promote it."
Training-Progress is a training management system and communication tool to support a practice through PSS accreditation. It includes features such as ensuring processes are in place; sharing information; implementing change in processes and reporting systems which provide evidence for accreditation and allow concentration of training resources.
The company points to research which showed that in the US, and despite the importance of annual health checks, 45.7% of cats did not visit a veterinary surgeon in the year the study was conducted. Of those, 41% cited the reason as their “cats did not get sick or injured.” Only 16% said they did not have the money to pay for a veterinary visit.1,2
Apparently, a more recent poll by International Cat Care (ICC) also found that 50% of cat owners struggle to get their cat into a carrier, which is obviously a barrier to taking their pet to the veterinary clinic.
To help more cats get to the vet, International Cat Care has developed educational materials and a range of training aids including free online training videos, podcasts, emails and giveaways. They're available at: https://icatcare.org/international-cat-day.
Dr. Michael McFarland, Chief Medical Officer at Zoetis, said: "Many cat owners find it incredibly difficult and stressful getting cats into a carrier. As a result, many are reluctant to take their cat to their veterinarian unless they have a major health issue.
“Cats are intelligent animals and we want owners to know that they respond well to training. The ICC survey found that owners who use positive training and rewards find it much easier to get their cats into a carrier, so we are delighted to support the #BeCatCurious campaign this year.
“Visits to the veterinarian and giving medicines when needed are essential if we want to keep our pets healthy and protected, for example against parasites. So, encouraging owners to be more curious and to learn something new with their cat can not only strengthen the bond between them but also make life easier and healthier for cats and their owners.
References
The RSPCA has released the latest figures showing the extent of cruelty to animals in the UK.
In 2007, they show a:
"These animals are the helpless victims of our affluent, throwaway society," says Tim Wass, Chief Officer of the RSPCA Inspectorate. "They're bought on a whim and discarded when the novelty wears off. Today's must-have item quickly turns into tomorrow's cast-off.
"Worse still," added Tim, "some animals are violently abused because they don't meet their owners' unrealistic expectations: like the cat kicked to death for having muddy paws or the dog strangled with its lead for misbehaving."
But the year RSPCA reports that there has been good news too, with the success of the new Animal Welfare Act already starting to take effect. The new Act - which came into force during 2007 - has made it possible to take action sooner than ever before in situations where there are animal welfare concerns.
The Act is already producing powerful results in its first twelve months. Where animal welfare concerns have prompted the RSPCA to give advice to an animal owner, that advice was followed and the problems resolved 92% of the time, meaning that no further action was necessary. Tim said: "Even in these early days, the benefits of the new law are clear. Without the new Act, this year's cruelty figures could have been even more horrific."
He added: "Dogs have always borne the brunt of cruelty - from violent outbursts to extreme neglect. But that's what makes this year's horrendous 34% increase even more shocking: it's a massive increase on an already high figure."
It was hoped that last year's leap in convictions for cruelty to horses was an anomaly. But this year's figures show that the higher numbers have been maintained - they increased by 33% between 2005 and 2006 - and then increased by a further 13% to 119 in 2007.
The rise in banning orders is a big improvement on the previous year, which had actually recorded a fall. The new Animal Welfare Act obliges courts to explain their reasons if they don't impose a ban and this may have contributed to the increase. The new requirement seems to have focussed attention on preventative action which can prevent suffering and save lives.
Tim said: "The main reason we take people to court is to prevent cruelty being repeated. It's very reassuring to see the courts taking this seriously by issuing more and more banning orders, which prevent those convicted of cruelty from keeping animals in future."
The Evidence-Based Veterinary Medicine Learning Consortium has announced the launch of a new online tutorial (www.ebvmlearning.org) designed to make evidence-based veterinary medicine (EBVM) accessible to the veterinary profession worldwide.
The online tutorial, funded by the RCVS Knowledge Target Grants initiative and led by Dr Kristen Reyher at the University of Bristol along with Drs Rachel Dean and Marnie Brennan from the Centre for Evidence-based Veterinary Medicine at the University of Nottingham, begins with an introductory module and then focuses on the five key areas of EBVM:
The learning resource, which can be used on various platforms and devices, is suitable for students and practitioners for self-study, and can be used as a stand-alone tutorial or as individual teaching modules to support other EBVM teaching or continuing professional development.
The online tutorial uses best educational practice and includes formative multiple choice questions, short tasks and recommendations for further study. It is intended to be a source of knowledge, bringing together the essentials of EBVM into one place, and highlights many other links to resources and organisations that are available to further learners’ knowledge about the subject.
Dr Kristen Reyher, Senior Lecturer in Farm Animal Science in the School of Veterinary Sciences, who led the project team, said: "It is hoped that the development of this resource will increase awareness of EBVM in the veterinary profession, and allow practitioners the opportunity to develop the skills needed to utilise EBVM in everyday clinical practice."
Future aims of the project team include designing methods of cataloguing and disseminating evidence synthesis to support clinical decision-making and evidence-based veterinary practice, improving and standardising the teaching of EBVM to undergraduate and postgraduate students at veterinary schools internationally, and building a community of practice in this area.
Braving the elements, a record 12 candidates sat the examinations for the Certificate in Veterinary Practice Management last week, seven of which passed their selected elements, and four of which have been awarded their certificate.
The new CVPMs are, Julie Beacham at Wendover Heights Veterinary Centre in Aylesbury, Liz Howes at The Oxford Cat Clinic in Oxford, Helen Kington from Hungerford and Renay Rickard at the Pelyn Veterinary Group in Lostwithiel. An official presentation of the awards will take place at the Veterinary Practice Management Association Congress Dinner on 28th January 2010 at the Chesford Grange Hotel, Kenilworth, Warwickshire.
The candidates are managers in very different types of veterinary businesses, which the VPMA says is confirmation that the CVPM is applicable and has wide appeal in veterinary management.
Lucy Bartlett of CVS (UK) Ltd, Straight Mile Equine Clinic, Lisa Marter of The Arundel Equine Hospital and Steven Broomfield of The Blue Cross, were also successful in achieving a pass in the written and oral sections of the examination and will be able to complete the CVPM by submitting and passing the portfolio section of the exam next year.
There are now 61 holders of the CVPM since its inception in 1996. The next examination session will be held on 2nd December 2011.
The RCVS has restored its full approval to the University of Bristol's School of Veterinary Science.
The full approval was granted by the RCVS Council in March, at the recommendation of the Education Policy and Specialisation Committee (EPSC), following the positive report of a visitation carried out in mid-December 2011 under the chairmanship of former RCVS President Stephen Ware.
The School had been under conditional approval since a visit in March 2007, and a subsequent revisit in October 2009 had identified that although progress had been made, work still needed to be completed to improve some of the facilities, particularly in small animal surgery and on the farm.
The RCVS Council commended the hard work and improvements displayed by the School, and was pleased to restore it to full approval status.
Professor Stuart Reid, EPSC Chairman said: "The University has demonstrated a welcome and continued commitment to the development of the School, and is to be congratulated on making significant financial investments in staffing and facilities, despite the current difficult economic climate.
"There is a positive and constructive atmosphere, which is a credit to the Head of School and all the staff who have clearly worked extremely hard to meet the challenges presented to them at a time of change within the university sector as a whole."
The School is next scheduled for a full visitation in 2014.
Bob Martin has launched FleaClear (fipronil) for cats and dogs, which will be sold through multiple retailers and leading pet retailers for as little as £4.50 per treatment.
The company says it is backing the launch with 'considerable marketing spend', which will include TV advertising, a press campaign in women's consumer lifestyle titles, PR and social media campaigns.
According to the company's press release: "Not only is it cheaper than Frontline it can be bought off the shelf saving a costly visit to the vets."
Indeed. Not to mention the savings to be made by not having to hospitalise the permethrined cat.