Dechra has launched Pergocoat, for the treatment of Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction (PPID), aka equine Cushing’s disease.

Pergocoat contains pergolide, a long-acting dopamine receptor agonist.

It is available in 0.5mg (off-white) and 1mg (yellow) tablets for accurate dosing without the need to split tablets. 

The tablets are film-coated to mask the bitter taste of pergolide and create a barrier between the horse owner and the active ingredient.

Available in two different pack sizes containing 60 or 160 tablets, Pergocoat tablets are packaged in double layered blister packs to help minimise the risk of accidental ingestion.

Rachel Addison BVM&S MRCVS, equine field support manager at Dechra said: “Pergocoat is available in two convenient tablet sizes to achieve an optimal treatment response. 

"Horses can be monitored and reviewed every four to six weeks until stabilisation or improvement of clinical signs is observed.”

https://www.dechra.co.uk/products/horse/prescription/pergocoat#Pergocoat-0-5mg-60-film-coated-tablets-for-horses. 

The British Veterinary Association is urging veterinary surgeons and nurses to get behind its new #breedtobreathe campaign, designed to stop the rising popularity of brachycephalic breeds with all their conformation-related health and welfare issues.

According to the BVA’s Voice of the Veterinary Profession survey, 9 out of 10 companion animal veterinary surgeons report that the number of brachycephalic dogs being brought into their practice has greatly increased over the past three years.

98% said they had treated brachycephalic dogs for conformation-related health problems in the past year, and that 56% of the brachycephalic dogs being brought into practice either had, or would have benefited from having treatment for conformation-related health and welfare problems.

49% of UK vets say that the high profile of brachycephalic breeds in social media and advertising is one of the main reasons that clients choose to get a brachycephalic pet. 

The #breedtobreathe campaign includes a number of things designed to tackle the problem. Firstly, practices are urged not to use images of brachycephalic dogs in their own marketing materials and communications. In addition the BVA has prepared a toolbox with a template letter for you to send to companies and brands that use brachycephalic breeds in their advertising, together with a range of images and a video you can share on social media, such as Facebook.

BVA President John Fishwick said: "Several well-known brands that use images of flat-faced dogs, such as Costa Coffee, Heinz and Comic Relief, have responded positively to letters from BVA and individual members of the profession recently, and pledged to avoid using them in future campaigns. These seemingly small victories offer hope for greater and long-lasting change.

"While the veterinary profession is relatively small, its reach is significant and its role is critical to the health and welfare of not only animals, but the rest of society too. That is why we believe that it is important for the veterinary team to utilise its spheres of influence both online and offline, which includes avoiding mixed messages between what clients and the wider public are being told by vets and VNs in practice and what they were seeing in practice communications.

"We’re urging vets to continue speaking out on behalf of the animals that we swear an oath to protect, since we know that hearing first-hand from individual members of the vet-led team has a real impact on the brands in question. BVA will continue to support members in challenging irresponsible promotions using these breeds."

The BVA has drawn up a position statement which lists ten actions that veterinary practices can undertake to improve brachycephalic breeds’ health and welfare and promote responsible ownership: 

1. Offer pre-purchase consultations with prospective dog owners. The potential health problems of brachycephalic conformation can be clearly outlined in these consultations.
2. Strongly advise against breeding if a dog is suffering from BOAS or requires conformation altering surgery to prevent further litters with extremes of conformation
3. Promote the Puppy Contract through practice communication channels www.puppycontract.co.uk
4. Promote and actively participate in available health schemes, including those for brachycephalic breeds that currently exist amongst breed clubs
5. Carry out exercise tolerance tests (ETT) and functional grading for brachycephalic breeds as part of their annual health assessment
6. Enrol the practice in clinical surveillance programmes such as VetCompass^TM and SAVSNET, to contribute to data gathering and evidence generation
7. Develop a practice communication strategy to clearly communicate the health problems experienced by dogs with brachycephalic conformation
8. Develop practice policy to ensure that practice communication channels do not portray dogs with brachycephalic conformation as cute, humorous or appealing
9. Ensure practice policy supports staff to appropriately convey evidence-based information and advice to owners of dogs with brachycephalic conformation
10. Support local breed clubs and representatives to develop and implement plans to improve the health of dogs with brachycephalic conformation

For more information, visit: www.bva.co.uk/brachys. 

Photo: ponpimonsa_bibi/Shutterstock

An article in the August issue of the Society of Biology's magazine, The Biologist, has called for a complete prohibition of the trade in exotic pets.

The article was co-authored by Elaine Toland, Director of the Animal Protection Agency, Clifford Warwick, an independent biologist at Leeds University Medical School, and Phillip Arena, lecturer in biology at Murdocy University in Perth. It highlights PFMA figures showing that the population of reptiles in UK homes was 700,000 in 2009, 850,000 in 2010, and 800,000 in 2011. Meanwhile, the article estimates that 700,00 reptiles enter the UK pet trade system through importation and breeding each year, leading to the conclusion that the annual mortality rate for reptiles in the home is 75%.

In calling for the ban, the article also draws attention to the impact of the exotic pet trade on the ecosystem, problems caused by the release of non-native species into the environment, and the increased risk of zoonotic disease posed by the importation of exotic pets.

Elaine said: The fact that most reptiles die within a year is truly tragic, and is probably unresolvable because reptiles and captivity simply don't mix. The trade in wild-caught and captive-bred lizards, snakes, tortoises and turtles is wasteful, destructive and inhumane, and even the most conscientious and well-intentioned keepers cannot realistically provide for all these animals' biological needs. The public would never tolerate three out of four dogs dying annually in the home, and nor should we tolerate such premature mortality in reptiles. A ban on this high turnover trade in disposable animals is long overdue.

She added: "While trade bans on certain species have not solved all the problems associated with exotic pet trading, they are very effective and important and more are urgently required. We are not proposing a ban on the private keeping of exotic pets as this would be both very heavy-handed and create a whole new problem of what to do with all the animals. Rather, we want an end to the commercial trade supply so that existing problems wither gradually along with a dwindling captive population."

Elanco Animal Health has launched the Osurnia Ear Health Hub, a canine otitis externa information and support resource for veterinary professionals.

The Osurnia Ear Health Hub includes information about the treatment of canine otitis externa from dermatologists Sue Paterson and Natalie Barnard, advice about responsible antibiotic use, expert tips for vets to use in the consulting room and dog owner educational materials that veterinary staff can use in practice and online. It will also include a podcast interview with Sue. 

The hub also provides information, videos and research about Osurnia.

Elanco Animal Health UK Marketing Manager, Rebecca Bryant said: "We know all too well the challenges vets face when treating canine OE and the significant impact the condition has on the quality of life of both the dog and the owner.

"The Osurnia Ear Health Hub is a new disease resource hub on MyElanco, which provides helpful resources for veterinary professionals looking for answers or to enhance their understanding of the disease. We hope that with more easily accessible information, this will help vets to treat OE cases and communicate with their clients." 

Visit the canine ear health hub at: www.myelanco.co.uk

Whilst on the subject of information resources, this one has come to my attention. It's a list of other veterinary blogs and resources: https://blog.feedspot.com/veterinary_blogs.

The Council of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons has unanimously approved the introduction of a disciplinary system for registered veterinary nurses from 1 April 2011.

The RCVS established the non-statutory Register for Veterinary Nurses in 2007, and says that registration signals a commitment from veterinary nurses to account for their professional practice.

Registered Veterinary Nurses (RVNs) commit to keep their skills up to date via mandatory continuing professional development and abide by the Guide to Professional Conduct for Veterinary Nurses. The disciplinary mechanism is the final component of this regulatory framework. From 1 April 2011, an RVN can be removed or suspended from the Register if found guilty of serious professional misconduct, fraudulent registration or criminal offences affecting his or her fitness to practise.

The decision has been awaited for some time, as according to the College, there has been some dispute about whether an RVN could be removed from the statutory List of Veterinary Nurses (meaning veterinary surgeons would be barred from delegating to them tasks allowed under Schedule 3 to the Veterinary Surgeons Act, such as medical treatment or minor surgery), as well as the non-statutory Register.

Following legal advice that it would not be appropriate to remove someone from a statutory list via a non-statutory regulatory system, RCVS Council and the Veterinary Nurses Council opted for removal from the Register only, with the caveat that any such removed VNs will be clearly identified on the List. In addition, veterinary surgeons will be advised, via the Guide to Professional Conduct, against delegating Schedule 3 tasks to them.

Council also confirmed that it would seek an amendment to Schedule 3 as soon as possible, to enable it to remove the names of nurses found guilty of serious professional misconduct or other charges from the List.

VN Council Chairman Liz Branscombe said: "The Veterinary Nurses Council is committed to moving towards statutory regulation for veterinary nurses. This non-statutory commitment to a disciplinary system is our chance to show government and the public that we are ready and willing to be regulated, which should stand us in good stead for the future."

The RVN disciplinary system will mirror that for veterinary surgeons, with the same complaints-handling, investigation and decision-making processes and sanctions.

Registered Veterinary Nurses will receive more detailed information about the system over the coming months.

The RCVS Disciplinary Committee has directed the Registrar to remove Luton-based veterinary surgeon, Rahul Chandulai Shah from the Register for repeated clinical failures. 

The Disciplinary Committee, chaired by Dr Martin Whiting, considered two charges against Mr Shah.

The first charge alleged that in June 2018 Mr Shah allowed a kitten to be anaesthetised for a castration without having first undertaken a clinical examination.

Then, having failed to locate a second testicle during the surgery, it was alleged that Mr Shah failed to contact the owner to inform her of this failure and to discuss the treatment options arising as a result, before ending his attempts at the castration.

The charge then alleged that Mr Shah failed to devise an adequate plan for the completion of the castration, failed to take adequate steps to ensure that the owner was fully informed of the details of the surgery, and failed to make adequate clinical notes in relation to the kitten.

The second charge alleged that, in relation to the conduct in charge one, Mr Shah failed to have adequate regard to previous advice and warnings from the RCVS about his conduct in relation to neutering surgery and related clinical note-keeping and communication with clients.

In particular, this related to a reprimand issued in September 2016 by the Disciplinary Committee following its finding of disgraceful conduct with regards to his discharge of a dog following castration in 2014, and advice issued to Mr Shah by letter of 21 March 2018 by the College’s Preliminary Investigation Committee with regards to circumstances surrounding canine spay surgery performed by him in 2016.

At the outset of the hearing Mr Shah denied all of the charges. 

Nevertheless, the Committee found the following charge one sub-charges proved: that Mr Shah allowed the kitten to be anaesthetised without having first undertaken a clinical examination of the kitten and/or ensuring that they had undergone a clinical examination by another veterinary surgeon; that Mr Shah failed to devise an adequate plan for the completion of the castration, that he failed to take adequate steps to ensure that the owner was fully informed post-operatively of the details of the said surgery; and that he failed to make adequate clinical notes in relation to the findings of his examination under anaesthesia, his surgical approach, post-operative communication with the owners and his plan for completion of the castration.

The Committee also found all of charge two proved.

The Committee then went on to consider whether or not, in relation to the proved charges, Mr Shah’s conduct amounted to serious professional misconduct.

In considering the aggravating factors, the Committee took into account the risk of injury to an animal, the contravention of previous advice given by the College, lack of insight, and the previous adverse findings of the Disciplinary Committee and the Preliminary Investigation Committee.

With regards to mitigating factors, the Committee accepted that the conduct was not premeditated, that there was no financial gain and that, notwithstanding the contents of charge two, the first charge was a single and isolated incident.

Considering both the aggravating and mitigating factors, the Committee was satisfied that Mr Shah’s conduct fell far below the standard expected of a registered veterinary surgeon and consequently that it amounted to serious professional misconduct.

The Committee then considered what sanction to impose on Mr Shah. The Committee first considered lesser sanctions, including postponement with undertakings and a reprimand and warning. Neither would be sufficient to protect animals and the wider public interest and uphold proper standards because Mr Shah had already been given a reprimand and warning in 2016, which appeared, to the Committee, to have had no effect.

Speaking on behalf of the Committee, Dr Whiting said: "It is clear to the Committee that in this case, the respondent has failed to demonstrate any insight into the seriousness of his misconduct.

"In this case, the Committee considers that there is evidence of a harmful deep-seated personal attitude problem so far as the respondent is concerned. His pervasive denial of wrongdoing and lack of insight, in spite of the findings of this Committee, is of grave concern.

"The respondent’s persistent abdication of personal responsibility and accountability for anything that went wrong, coupled with his sustained blaming of the nursing staff with whom he worked, displays an attitude which is fundamentally incompatible with being a member of the veterinary profession.

"The Committee cannot be confident that there is no significant risk of repeat behaviour in the event that suspension was found to be the appropriate sanction and that the respondent is fit to practise after any period of suspension. 

"This is particularly due to the fact that Mr Shah has failed to have adequate regard to previous advice and warnings from the RCVS, coupled with multiple previous adverse findings of the Disciplinary Committee and the Preliminary Investigation Committee. The Committee has reached this conclusion having regard to the seriousness of its findings in this hearing, and the previous advice and warning given to the respondent, none of which appears to have been recognised or heeded."

The Committee therefore concluded that the only sanction which reflects the seriousness of this case, in the light of the previous findings and advice given to the Mr Shah by the College, is to remove him from the Register.

The Committee’s full facts and findings can be found at www.rcvs.org.uk/disciplinary.

Grahame Gardner has introduced the M559, a classically styled tunic, stocked for the first time in bottle green.

The company says that although it has sold numerous ladies tunics in bottle green, this is the first time it has stocked a male tunic in the characteristic veterinary colour.

The M559 incorporates side fastening with the option of contrasting epaulettes, alongside practical pockets and side slits.

Simon Ward, Sales Director said: "We are delighted to introduce this new garment to the veterinary market. We are continually reviewing our range in response to customer comments, and felt it was time we stocked a bottle green option, specifically for male members of the veterinary team."

Stocked in sizes from 34" to 50" (chest), the M559 is just one of several new styles introduced in Grahame Gardner's latest brochure. The company is also launching a new men's scrub tunic. The SS3295 has a v style neck, complemented by the v-detail on the sleeves, and contrasting trim available on the neck, sleeve and pocket. Also stocked in bottle green, the company says this tunic is aimed at veterinary professionals who prefer a more relaxed approach to uniforms.

To explore Grahame Gardner's collection please take a look at http://www.grahamegardner.co.uk/, or call 0116 255 6326 to order a copy of their new brochure.

The RCVS Disciplinary Committee has struck off a Wiltshire-based veterinary surgeon for charges relating to tuberculin (TB) testing on cattle that he undertook and certified at four farms during June and July of 2010.

At the end of the ten-day hearing, the Disciplinary Committee found Sorin Dinu Chelemen guilty of 32 charges relating to his work as an Official Veterinarian (OV) for Animal Health, while employed as a locum at Endell Veterinary Group, Salisbury. Mr Chelemen, who represented himself at the hearing, disputed all of the charges. He also said he had had poor knowledge and comprehension of written and spoken English at the time, which had since improved.

Mr Chelemen gave the Committee detailed accounts of what he said occurred in relation to the TB testing at all four farms. However, in almost all the points where the facts were denied, the Committee found a stark divergence between his evidence and that given by witnesses for the College.

The Committee was generally unimpressed by Mr Chelemen's account of events, finding many of his allegations and explanations for his actions to be incredible or unreliable. For example, he claimed that during his Animal Health training, he had not been given a copy of the 'Manual of Procedures' containing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for TB testing. Although the Committee accepted Mr Chelemen's English had been poor at the time, leading to communication problems, he had satisfactorily demonstrated that he knew how to perform TB tests in accordance with these SOPs when he started work at the practice. Overall, the Committee found Mr Chelemen's attitude was that he had not done anything wrong and nothing was his fault, and that he had little understanding of the professional responsibilities incumbent on an OV.

By contrast, the Committee considered all the witnesses called by the College to have given clear, credible and consistent evidence. Complaints had been made about three farms that were separate and unconnected, and where the tests had been conducted on different dates. These complaints, if not identical, were very similar. The evidence was overwhelming that Mr Chelemen had not followed the SOPs when carrying out testing at three of the farms.

The Committee noted that the measurements recorded by Mr Chelemen did not show the differences which would be normally expected. Mr Chelemen had not measured the animals in accordance with the SOPs when he knew he ought to have, and he had been dishonest in certifying the tests.

When considering sanctions, the Committee found an aggravating factor was that Mr Chelemen's actions undermined procedures to prevent the spread of disease. In particular, he failed to notify the owners of animals on three farms that he had found reactors or inconclusive reactors, resulting in those animals not being isolated. Nor did he submit paperwork to Animal Health about these animals, which was a fundamental breach of his duties as an OV.

In mitigation, the Committee accepted that Mr Chelemen had no previous RCVS disciplinary findings against him; and, that the OV training he received was limited, having regard to English not being his first language and relative inexperience as a TB tester. It also took into account that this disciplinary case had been in progress for three years, his poor health and his financial and family circumstances.

Mrs Judith Webb, chairing and speaking on behalf of the Committee said: "The Committee is of the view that this is a most serious case, in which the integrity of TB testing was undermined, and animal health was put at risk, which may have resulted in the spread of disease. Furthermore, this case involves findings of dishonesty, which has been held to come at the top end of the spectrum of gravity of disgraceful conduct in a professional respect."

She directed that Mr Chelemen be struck off the Register.

Noble Futures, a recruitment consultancy specialising in the animal Health, agricultural, equine & pet industries, has joined forces with The Partners - a business specialising in coaching, psychometrics, learning & development and human resources – to offer a range of services to help veterinary businesses of all shapes and sizes to maximise the potential of their employees.

Tony Noble, managing director at Noble Futures, said: "We have been working with organisations of all shapes and sizes since our foundation in 2002 and it became clear that while we can ensure that our clients recruit the top people for the job - through finding them the best permanent, contracting or temporary employees - the resources are not always present to ensure that this human resource potential is maximised. The team at The Partners deliver a world-class service and we are 100% confident that their professional and expert support services will make a real difference to our clients’ businesses."

Noble Futures and The Partners have launched three new services:

The Human Resources support service is aimed at organisations that need additional support or more expert advice within the human resources function, whether it relates to a particular employee issue such as managing a long-term illness, or a wider corporate challenge like implementing a company-wide performance management system.

The Psychometric Profiling service is designed to give unique insights into the individual traits of employees, to help with recruitment, promotion, coaching and career development. 

Finally, the Management Development service has been developed to help ensure a company’s employees receive the right training for success.

Paula Summerscales (pictured right with husband Graham) from The Partners said: "We are delighted to partner with Noble Futures to deliver our range of people-building services to organisations in the animal health sector. Our unique mix of skills and experience allows us to bring a tailored approach to every single project we work on and we’re looking forward to working with Noble Futures clients to implement innovative solutions that gain commercial results."

For more information, contact Noble Futures on 0161 820 3510 or email: info@noble-futures.com.

Alternatively, contact The Partners directly on 01484 860849

White Cross Vets, the 18-practice group headquartered in Leeds, has introduced 'peternity leave', through which all its 220 staff are entitled to two paid days off work when they get a cat, dog or rabbit, to help them settle the animal in its new home.

The initiative was the idea of one of the practice's client care co-ordinators, who suggested it whilst she was acting as the managing director for the day, as part of White Cross Vets' 80 year anniversary celebrations. 

Managing director Tim Harrison said: "We believe we are the first veterinary practice in the UK to offer two full days paid peternity leave. Our ethos is all about caring for pets, and the first few days at home with a new addition are so special. It’s therefore essential that quality time can be dedicated to a new pet, in order to make sure they feel comfortable and safe in their new environment.

"As all of our team are all pet owners already, this time off will give them the chance to introduce and socialise any new family members with existing pets, which must be done carefully and under supervision.

"Bringing a new pet into the family takes a lot of patience and perseverance, and certain breeds or older pets can be harder to train or take longer to bond. Also there is a lot of preparation work that needs to be done in the home and garden when a young pet dog, cat or rabbit arrives, so this time off will hopefully make it easier for our team to give their new pets a safe and welcoming start in their new homes."

Other perks that White Cross Vets offers include five fully paid donation days a year to volunteer with chosen charities, a health care scheme, days off and cakes for birthdays, as well as subsidised Fitbits and gym memberships.

Norbrook Laboratories has launched a long-acting cattle bolus which it says will reduce the risk of Milk Fever. 

According to the company, Calcitrace D3 is the first and only long-acting bolus to offer slow and fast releasing calcium to provide sustained calcium levels for 48 to 72 hours. In addition, Calcitrace D3 provides Magnesium, Phosphate and Vitamin D3 making it the most comprehensive bolus available.   

Calcitrace D3 is smooth gelatin coated bolus with a rounded tip designed for easier administration. Norbrook says it is smaller than other boluses making it less likely to cause trauma on the orpharynx during administration.

Dr Barry McInerney, Norbrook's GB Veterinary Advisor said: "Milk Fever is a common metabolic disorder in dairy cattle which generally affects older, high producing cows and is caused by a rapid decrease in calcium concentrations in the blood just before calving. It is estimated that 3-10% of cows are affected by Milk Fever with a cost of more than £200 per incident so it is crucial that farmers and vets reduce the risk as effectively as possible.

"Norbrook's new Calcitrace D3 bolus which should be administered just before calving, provides higher calcium blood levels during the critical 12 - 48 hour post calving period and provides sustained increased levels for well beyond 48 hours. With the addition of Magnesium, Phosphate and Vitamin D3, Calcitrace D3 provides additional protection against Milk Fever."

Andrew Hillan MVB MRCVS, Director of Veterinary Sciences at Norbrook, led the development of Calcitrace D3. He said: "The launch of Calcitrace D3 is another illustration of the very high quality of technical expertise that exists within our research and development department and underlines Norbrook's commitment to developing high quality and innovative products. It comes from a strong and exciting pipeline of new products which we will bring to the market over the next couple of years."

VetHelpDirect.com, a website which helps pet owners decide how urgently their pet needs veterinary attention, has been relaunched with new content for donkey, reptile and bird owners.

Founded by VetSurgeon member Susie Samuel MRCVS in 2006, the site allows pet owners to look up the symptoms their animal is displaying. When the owner answers a series of simple, step-by-step questions, the site then generates a priority rating from "Self care - treatment at home" to "Urgent - you need to contact your vet immediately", coupled with specific first aid advice. It's a sort of home triage system.

VetHelpDirect was designed by vets and all of the content is by vets. The site covers dogs, cats, rabbits, horses and now donkeys, reptiles and birds. I see that the world-renowned avian vet (and all-round good bloke) Neil Forbes FRCVS and his team at Great Western Referrals, together with Dr Karen Rickards, head vet at the Donkey Sanctuary have helped create the new areas of the website, so the information it contains will certainly be of the highest standard.

In fact, the whole site is impressively well-designed and simple to use, an opinion obviously echoed by the readers of WebUser magazine, who gave it 5/5 stars last May, beating Jamie Oliver's website.

Cleverly, the triage system on VetHelpDirect ties in with a directory of veterinary practices, so if immediate care is the answer and the owner doesn't have a vet already, help is at hand. Veterinary practices can pay to have an enhanced listing in the directory.

For a fee, VetHelpDirect can also embed the triage system into your own practice website. That seems like a good way of adding additonal, interesting and interactive content to a website. The interesting question is how much money it will save the practice by eliminating unecessary calls from pet owners who don't really need to talk to a vet. 

Equally, though, the site may have an important role to play in telling owners when they SHOULD get to the vet quickly. A recent success story was that of 'Bucket', a 5 year old cat from Nottingham. Bucket was fortunate to live after his owner Sarah Rennoldson logged on to Vet Help Direct.com after he displayed odd behaviour.  Acting on the advice displayed on the site her owner immediately contacted her local vet Jaqui Gilmour MRCVS at Bill Bowlers Vets. Bucket was diagnosed with a blocked bladder, which was quickly operated on. Jaqui said: ' If Sarah hadn't brought Bucket in so quickly, he could have gone into renal failure and could have developed metabolic disturbances. He would have been really, really sore, and left untreated a blocked bladder can cause death.'

For more information, 'Start a Conversation' with Susie Samuel MRCVS

Paragon Veterinary Referrals in Wakefield has become the first practice in Yorkshire and one of only a few in the UK to install a Zeiss OPMI CS NC-2 neurosurgical microscope.

Paragon’s head of neurology, Massimo Mariscoli, says it will deliver better results for pets, improve the health and well-being of the surgeons using it, and improve the hospital’s ability to deal with complex spinal and brain surgeries.

Massimo, an EBVS and RCVS specialist in veterinary neurology said: “The operative microscope is an essential piece of equipment in the modern neurosurgical theatre.

“It delivers good magnification, good illumination without significant aberration or production of excessive heat and has a great internal stability which allows operational flexibility.

“There is also direct visual control of the instrumentation with the possibility to have magnifications up to 10 times with a good depth of field allowing a more natural three-dimensional vision.

“In addition, surgical microscopes allow multiple different magnifications while maintaining constant working distances which leads to excellent flexibility and versatility during surgical procedures.

“For example, low magnification is used during the drilling of the vertebral laminar or the skull and to ensure that the whole surgical field is clean before suturing the muscle layers.

“Higher magnification is used while dealing with delicate structures such as the spinal cord or brain.

“The higher magnification coupled with a good depth of view and stable three-dimensional vision also increases the security and safety when manipulating micro-surgical instruments near the nervous tissue.”

Massimo says that while the microscopes are not common in veterinary practices, he strongly believes they are an essential piece of equipment when dissecting close to the brain or spinal cord in small animals.

He also says that veterinary surgeons benefit from the technology: "The operative neurosurgical microscope is fixed to a self-levelling tripod, allowing multiple spatial configuration to ensure a perfect vision of the surgical field.

“This has a positive outcome on the health and well-being of the surgeons, with a 2013 study showing that, for nearly 85% of the time spent operating, surgeons have symmetrical, non-neutral, head-neck posture.”

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