The veterinary recruitment company Gardner Llewelyn has announced that it is to hold Thank A Vet Nurse Day on 28th May 2015.
As the name suggests the company is urging everyone to join them and make a point of thanking a veterinary nurse on the day for all their dedication and hard work.
In the run up, the company is also asking everyone to think about nominating a veterinary nurse who has gone the extra mile for an award. Two winners will each be given an iPad mini.
You can nominate a nurse here: http://www.glvets.com/competition-entry.asp
The campaign comprises of a series of live interviews, articles and surveys aimed at exploring the impact of breast cancer, menopause, infertility and baby loss women, and men, and how the veterinary profession can better support people having to cope with these issues in the workplace.
The campaign includes free access articles and live online sessions with VetYourBreasts campaign organiser, veterinary surgeon Anna Beber, as part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month; VetMINDS co-founder, vet Nat Scroggie, on 12th October during Baby Loss Awareness Week; Dr Karen Morton, consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist on World Menopause Day 18th October; and SPVS Senior Vice President, Catriona Curtis, talking about her personal experiences with infertility on 2nd November during National Fertility Week.
A survey on the impact of the menopause, particularly on working life, is being run in partnership with SPVS in the run up to World Menopause Day. The survey seeks to gain a broad understanding of both awareness and experience across the profession, and responses are encouraged from all ages and genders, whether personally affected or not. The survey can be accessed here until 15th October: https://bit.ly/2FVXIkv
SPVS President, Anna Judson, said: "Having experienced the effects of the menopause working as a practice owner, I wish I had known more about the impact and that I was not alone in how I was feeling. There is a growing appetite to tackle these issues and we want to hear from anyone affected by the menopause, in order to put the right support mechanisms in place. We're proud to sponsor the menopause webinar and partner with Veterinary Woman on raising awareness about health issues, which are often brushed under the carpet."
Liz Barton, editor of Veterinary Woman, said: "I have been incredibly moved to see the deep empathy and encouragement amongst veterinary colleagues beginning to open up about the impact of health challenges, particularly at work. When I realised the campaigns in October were topics we need to talk about more as a profession, it seemed right to use this as a platform to tackle some of the hidden, emotive health challenges we bear throughout our life and work. We are looking for partners to help us develop the conversations and practical assistance for individuals and practices, to better support those who are silently living with these burdens."
Companies and organisations wishing to support the work should contact liz@veterinarywoman.co.uk. Individuals can register for updates about how to access the sessions by joining the Veterinary Woman email list for updates (www.veterinarywoman.co.uk), or following Veterinary Woman on social media.
Figures produced by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons show that almost half of the first cohort of newly-qualified vets to sign up to the Professional Development Phase (PDP) have now completed it.
The PDP is a web-based database that enables new graduates to develop, and reflect on, their professional skills during their first year in clinical practice. Completing the PDP became a professional obligation for all newly-qualified vets from 2007 onwards. Of the 636 vets who graduated in 2007, 586 (92%) signed up to PDP and 290 have now completed. Of the 616 vets who graduated in 2008, 546 (88%) have so far registered for the PDP.
Freda Andrews, RCVS Head of Education, said: "Undertaking PDP is a professional requirement for every newly-qualified vet working in clinical practice. The first vets to undertake PDP seem to be taking around 15 months from signing up to signing off. Properly completing PDP counts as the first year's CPD and we strongly recommend that this year's graduates sign up as soon as they have found their first clinical role."
The PDP is also open to any vet returning to practice.
To find out more about PDP requirements, log onto www.rcvs.org.uk/pdp, to enrol, email pdp@rcvs.org.uk.
Vetoquinol has launched Myo Power, the latest addition to the Equistro Performance range of nutritional supplements.
The company says that Myo Power has been formulated with the performance and convalescent horse in mind, and that it is an excellent source of easily digestible protein enriched with L-Leucine and other key essential amino acids necessary for optimal muscular cell development, specifically via the mitochondria.
Vetoquinol claims the product is extremely beneficial for young horses being prepared for sales, competition horses in training, and the convalescent or older horse following periods of box rest or restricted exercise.
Myo Power is available in 1.2kg and 2.3kg tubs. For further information, please contact your local Vétoquinol Territory Manager.
The BSAVA reports the highest ever attendance at Congress this year: 6,178 veterinary surgeons, nurses, practice managers and students, 6% cent higher than in 2011 (the last time the BSAVA hosted its own Congress).
According to the association, a significant number of international delegates attended this year with almost 60 countries represented - notably Scandinavia (186 delegates), Germany (56), the Netherlands (40) and the USA (31).
Other highlights included:
Outgoing BSAVA president Mark Johnston said the event was the highlight of his presidential year: "Last year we showed the world how well the BSAVA can organise a major veterinary congress. But what is pleasing is that the momentum we gained from hosting the World and European meetings has continued into this year.
"We had more delegates in 2013 than in the last purely BSAVA Congress two years ago and to accomplish that in these difficult financial times is a remarkable achievement."
Newly inducted BSAVA president Michael Day (top right) said he was looking forward to extending the international aspect of BSAVA. The Australian-born Professor who has lived in the UK for well over two decades said: "BSAVA has made huge contributions to veterinary practice in the UK, and already has a global reputation for Congress and publications - I believe we have such a wealth of resources and so I am convinced we have so much more to offer the world".
MSD Animal Health UK has announced the launch of Bravecto, which it says is the first and only treatment available for fleas and ticks in dogs that is rapidly effective and offers 12-weeks duration of efficacy.
Bravecto (fluralaner) is the first of a new generation of systemically active ectoparasiticides, the isoxazolines, and will only be available on prescription through veterinary practices. The new product will be available in five strengths of pork liver flavoured palatable chew for different size dogs - one chew per weight band - which MSD says are readily accepted from the hand. Jolian Howell, marketing and technical lead at MSD Animal Health UK said: "Bravecto is a truly unique and exciting innovation which will transform the effective treatment of fleas and ticks - providing protection like never before from a single dose. It is the first in a new generation of products that offer a full 12-week protection and will help keep the treatment of fleas and ticks within veterinary practices."
He continued: "Estimates suggest that flea and tick treatments are applied for just 2.8 months per year so just one dose of Bravecto will immediately deliver much improved levels of treatment for dogs in veterinary care, which is good for the animal and good for the vet." MSD Animal Health says it is investing in the launch of Bravecto with a major marketing and practice support package which aims to raise awareness of fleas and ticks and drive pet owner footfall into practices for flea and tick control.
The new product will be available after BSAVA Congress, where MSD will be giving visitors the opportunity to learn more about it.
The College says it has become increasingly recognisant of how a blame culture can lead to a fear of making mistakes, something which can have a negative impact on both the mental health and wellbeing of members of the profession and, ultimately, animal health and welfare.
The anonymous online survey, which is being conducted by the Open Minds Alliance, is described by the College as a major step towards moving to a learning culture which has a greater focus on openness, reflective practice, learning and personal development.
Nick Stace, RCVS Chief Executive Officer, said: "Moving towards a learning culture is one of the key aims of our Strategic Plan 2017-19 and we have already started to make some progress in this area with our Mind Matters Initiative, for example. This survey will help establish a baseline against which we can measure any improvements over the course of the next three years.
"As a regulator this is part of our attempt to be much clearer about the kind of culture we would like to see in the professions; one that encourages members of the veterinary team to learn from each other, and from their mistakes, and to be more open about when things do go wrong in order to better manage public and professional expectations.
"By moving towards a learning culture we can also hopefully reduce levels of stress and mental ill-health within the profession, as practitioners will feel they can be more open about their mistakes and take steps to improve their practice – rather than feeling like they cannot talk about what goes wrong, which can lead to fear and anxiety.
"This is no easy task – particularly when public expectations of what veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses can and should do is increasing – but we hope that by being brave and open about this new ambition we can galvanise veterinary associations, educators, practices and individual veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses and make a real difference."
The survey will also be asking to what extent members of the profession feel that the College, as the regulator, contributes to any blame culture and where improvements could be made to the concerns investigation and disciplinary process to help combat it.
Eleanor Ferguson, RCVS Registrar and Director of Legal Services, added: "It is a common misconception that if you make a mistake then this will be investigated by the College and you will end up in front of a Disciplinary Committee.
"However, we recognise that mistakes can and will happen and that expecting 100% perfection is unrealistic. The real professional conduct issues arise when members of the profession try to cover up their mistakes, whether that is to professional colleagues or clients, which often does far more damage than if the person was open and honest about what had gone wrong.
"We do also accept that there is always room for improvement in our own processes and if there are positive steps we can take to make the investigation and disciplinary process less onerous for members of the professions then we would like to hear your suggestions."
Click here to take part in the survey.
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
Polypropylene or plastic-based wipes, which have been industry standard due to their reliable nature and compatibility with biocidal active materials, are due to be banned in the UK, because they take up to 100 years to break down.
Byotrol says its new wipes are made using a plastic-free 100% biodegradable substrate that deteriorates 3 months after disposal.
The company adds that the new wipes are proven to destroy bacteria, yeast, enveloped viruses, and fungi on non-porous surfaces and are effective against animal-specific pathogens such as: Brucella canis, Streptococcus equi, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhimurium, Bordetella bronchiseptica, Coronaviruses, Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV), and Microsporum canis and Trichophyton mentagrophytes
Jane Kiely, Head of Marketing at Byotrol said: “Launching the Anigene Professional Surface Disinfectant Wipes is the final step in removing plastic wet wipes from our portfolio and a significant milestone in Byotrol’s sustainability journey.
"We are proud to be at the forefront of sustainability in the veterinary industry, offering an effective and regulatory-compliant product range that meets the needs of our customers”
Byotrol will be on Stand F18 at the London Vet Show.
https://byotrol.com
A new injector gun for administering doramectin-based worm and scab medication to sheep has been introduced by Pfizer Animal Health. According to senior livestock vet Carolyn Hogan, the intra-muscular injection route for this medication combined with the injector’s prime-and-push design allows a single arm movement to penetrate the skin and dispense the treatment.
Genitrix has announced the reformulation of Cerusolve, which cleans and deodorises the external ear canal of cats and dogs.
According to the company, the reformulation has enhanced Cerusolve's exfoliant and keratolyic properties and has given it a new fresh fragrance. Cerusolve ingredients now include:
Cerusolve is presented in a 100 ml bottle with a soft canula for application. It is priced at £5.65.
Genitrix Marketing Director Rob Watkins said: "Cerusolve has proved itself in practice as a gentle but effective ear cleaner in dogs and cats. The reformulation has given us the opportunity to increase the acidity of the product following a recent study which suggested that topical acidifying products could be therapeutically beneficial for cutaneous yeast infections.
"We believe the new ingredients will enhance the product and, to celebrate its arrival, we're offering practices the opportunity to buy five bottles of Cerusolve and get one free."
Further details are available from Genitrix on 01403 786345.
Merial has announced the launch of a new Blippar app designed to educate horse owners about gastric ulcers.
By using the app - which is available free from the App Store for iPhone or Google Play for Android phones - to scan the company's Gastrogard (omeprazole) adverts, posters or website, clients can watch an educational film with one of the UK's leading specialists in equine ulcers, Richard Hepburn BVSc MS(Hons) CertEM(IntMed) DipACVIM(LA) MRCVS, American and RCVS Specialist in Equine Internal Medicine, demonstrating the signs of ulcers and diagnosis via gastroscopy.
Merial's Equine Marketing and Technical Manager Louise Radford MRCVS said: "With 60% of competition horse and 38% of leisure horses & ponies estimated to have gastric ulcers¹,²,³, it's important that horse owners are aware of the signs of this under-diagnosed condition.
"We know that the number of horses diagnosed and treated for ulcers falls significantly short of incidence levels. We hope that this app will help to raise awareness and prompt more horse owners to consult their vet about gastric ulceration."
A separate Blippar app is also available for horse owners that have been prescribed GastroGard. By scanning the pack, clients can view educational video footage on gastric ulcers, find management tips on treatment and prevention, and set a reminder for future risk periods.
For more information, visit: http://www.equinegastriculcers.co.uk, contact your local Merial equine territory specialist or call Merial Customer Support on 0870 6000123.
References
MSD says the campaign will help veterinary nurses and front-of-house staff start the conversation about parasite control by asking clients about their pets' favourite hiding places, where parasites are often found. The supporting campaign tools and materials are designed to help practice staff then uncover pet owner needs to ensure they get the best recommendation.
Amanda Melvin, Marketing Manager at MSD Animal Health said: "Vet nurses and front-of-house staff are usually the first contact pet owners have with the practice. Yet the potential they have to add value to the whole consultation process is often underestimated.
"Our ‘No Hiding’ campaign has been designed to make use of this expertise by helping them find a way of sharing their knowledge. When it comes to pet owners this is usually best achieved by sharing those conversations about the unusual quirks and habits of their pets. That way they can uncover their hiding places and give them the best advice on parasite control."
The ‘No Hiding’ campaign offers a range of resources for practices including in-practice training, social media support, and interactive waiting room resources - demonstrating the practice’s expertise and allowing pet owners to share in the unique hiding habits of their pets.
For further information, contact your MSD Animal Health account manager.
The company says that while attendance CPD events are permitted under UK coronavirus guidelines, it has found that many lecturers and delegates are unwilling or unable to participate in them for the time being.
The main distinction between Zoom and traditional webinars is the ability for members of the audience to see each other and the presenter, which helps engender a sense of community and of a live event. Central CPD says it gives all the feel and interactivity of attending a CPD course in person.
Central CPD is now delivering day-long events split into four sessions, which gives delegates the choice of joining for a whole day or just selected sessions.
The Zoom presentations are recorded in high definition, with the audience removed, so delegates can catch up on anything they missed later via Central CPD On-Demand.
Two days of CPD have so far been delivered via the new livestream service. Lecturer Mike Rhodes BVM&S CertVOphthal DipECVO MRCVS said: "This was my first time giving a livestream CPD day and compared to my previous experience of prerecorded lectures I found the interaction with the delegates very good fun - this could definitely be the new future with regards to veterinary CPD: COVID or no COVID!"
Livestream courses are free for subscribers or £45 + VAT per event, including unlimited access to the recorded footage afterwards.
Upcoming events for December are:
Details and booking information can be found at https://www.centralcpd.com/categories/30
The Small Animal Medicine Society (SAMSOC) and the BSAVA have together produced a new poster containing guidelines for the appropriate use of antibiotics in practice.
In recent years, alongside wider recognition of resistant bacteria such as MRSA in animals, the veterinary profession's use of antibiotics has been under the spotlight as a possible factor contributing to the increasing prevalence of bacterial resistance seen in human patients. Veterinary surgeons are faced with the dual problem of treating more and more resistant bacterial infections, whilst the threat of withdrawal of the right to prescribe certain antibiotics hangs over the profession.
SAMSoc and the BSAVA say they feel the time has come for the veterinary profession to take a coordinated responsible approach to its prescribing practices.
Ian Battersby of the Small Animal Medicine Society (SAMSoc) has sought to address the need for rational guidelines for the most appropriate antibiotics, for the correct duration, to maximise clinical efficacy but minimise selection of resistant bacteria. Collaboration with BSAVA resulted in a set of helpful prescribing guidelines in poster form, being sent to members of both associations. A limited number of copies will also be available from the BSAVA Balcony at Congress 2012, and BSAVA has dedicated the October issue of its membership magazine, companion, to the subject.
Ian said: "Of course these PROTECT guidelines are suggestions based on current knowledge and in the future we hope they will be further refined as our experience grows. This is an evolving situation and hopefully more work will be undertaken, in particular looking at treatment durations, allowing further refinement and optimization of practice policies. The key principles are that by implementing a prescribing protocol in our practices we are treating our prescribing privileges responsibly and maximizing the efficacy of the presently available agents for the benefit of both veterinary and human patients now and in the future.
"I would like to particularly thank everyone who has helped with this project; Andrew Jagoe, Professor Ian Ramsey, Tom Maddox, Jon Camillari, Alison Woodward and Dr Tim Nuttall, and BSAVA for facilitating the production of the poster".
The one hour ‘Wake up to inappetence: practical solutions for the cat that won’t eat both in the clinic and at home’ breakfast meeting is being presented by Sam Taylor, feline specialist advisor at ISFM.
The session will focus on practical management for both in- and out- patients, covering when to use appetite stimulants and place a feeding tube and how to support caregivers.
Sarah Musgrave, brand manager for Mirataz at Dechra said: “Inappetence in cats is extremely common and has many underlying causes.
"Appetite stimulants, such as Mirataz, can play a significant role in supporting cats with unintended weight loss while further investigations are underway.
"Our breakfast meeting at ISFM Feline Congress will cover the practical management of inappetence in cats and provide delegates with hints and tips to take back to the clinic."
https://icatcare.org/congress-2023-dublin/programme.https://www.dechra.co.uk/mirataz
Tara Evans RVN from Vita said: "We wanted to raise awareness and start a discussion with rabbit owners about preventative ear care in rabbits, including how and when owners are cleaning their rabbits’ ears.”
91% of owners also agreed that cleaning is important for rabbits with ear health problems, but 49% have never cleaned their rabbit’s ears.
For the remainder, the most common reason owners gave for cleaning their rabbits’ ears was as a preventative measure (46%), followed by noticing signs of discomfort (25%) and following veterinary advice (25%).
Tara added: “These results show us that owners are aware cleaning their rabbits’ ears is important which leaves us plenty of opportunities to educate on what owners should be looking out for.
"The survey showed that 57% of rabbit owners correctly identified lop ears to be a risk factor in ear health yet a contradictory 28% thought straight ears posed more of a risk.
"It is our job as veterinary professionals to share facts and impart our knowledge to our engaged audience.”
The survey looked into different options available for ear cleaning and identified that 51% of respondents would choose ear wipes, 25% home prepared solutions and 31% a designated rabbit ear cleaning product.
Tara said: “We want to be encouraging owners to be looking at their rabbits’ ears and cleaning them, however wipes can fail to provide a thorough clean and reach the deeper ear canal effectively, and homemade remedies may be irritating to rabbit ears.
"It is important to use an ear cleaner which is designed for and safe to use in rabbits, such as Omniotic.
"Our survey underscores the critical need for increased education and awareness surrounding rabbit ear health.
"It's essential for owners to understand the significance of regular ear cleaning in maintaining overall wellness and preventing potential diseases.”
www.vitaanimalhealth.com
Reference
The RCVS has published a revised complaints procedure on RCVSonline.
The procedure represents the culmination of 12 months of work from the College's Preliminary Investigations Committee, with the aim of making the decision-making processes more transparent.
There are four information packs about the complaints procedure, all of which are available on RCVSonline. These are for complainants, veterinary surgeons who are complained about, those involved in decision-making at the RCVS and additional guidance for Lay Observers who provide independent, lay input to the process.
View an introduction to the RCVS complaints procedure and download the protocols by clicking here
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Petplan has announced the finalists for the 2009 Veterinary Awards.
The company says it was inundated with more than 2300 nominations this year and that the public response was 'astonishing', with tales ranging from midnight rescues to simple acts of kindness and this year was no exception.
The finalists for each of the categories are as follows:
Vet of the YearJamie Rushton, Village Vet Hampstead, LondonBen Jones, Ben Jones Veterinary Surgery, Chester, FlintshireMatthew Fry, Quarrington Veterinary Surgery, Sleaford, Lincolnshire
Vet Nurse of the YearCharlotte Maude, Companion Care Veterinary Surgery Chesterfield, Markham, ChesterfieldKaren McQuaid, The Old Golfhouse Veterinary Group, Watton, NorfolkRachel Smith, 608 Veterinary Group, Solihull, West Midlands
Vet Receptionist of the YearYasmin Morowa, Melton Veterinary Surgery, Woodbridge, SuffolkJackie Crampton, Companion Care Veterinary Surgery Chesterfield, Markham, ChesterfieldSara Abbott, Pet Doctors, East Horsley, Surrey
Vet Practice of the YearAshfield House Veterinary Hospital Limited, Long Eaton, NottinghamshireCarrick Veterinary Group CVS (UK) Ltd, Newbold, ChesterfieldSt Clair Veterinary Group, Kirkcaldy, Fife
Simon Wheeler, Petplan's Head of Marketing said he was thrilled by the record number of nominations received:
"This year we are celebrating the tenth anniversary of the Veterinary Awards which were launched so pet owners could thank their practice for the tireless and wonderful work they carry out. We are delighted that the awards, which we often hear referred to as the 'Vet Oscars', are still going strong. This year we have received over 2300 nominations and the quality and standard really challenged the skills of our esteemed judging panel. We would like to wish those short listed every success on the night."
All finalists will be invited to a 'glittering' awards ceremony that will take place on 2nd April at the Burlington Hotel in Birmingham where the winners will be announced.
VetCell Bioscience has become the first UK-based stem cell centre to be authorised under the Veterinary Medicines Regulations.
Following a rigorous series of inspections and reports by Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) Inspectors VetCell, in conjunction with their UK laboratory partner Biobest, were officially authorised as an equine stem cell centre on 1 October 2009.
David Mountford, Chief Operating Officer of VetCell Bioscience said: "To have received formal authorisation so swiftly reflects the high standard of our operation and our ability to lead the field in the increasingly competitive sector of stem cell technology."
Stem cell therapy involves implanting millions of the animal's own stem cells and autologous growth factors directly into the injured tendon or ligament. The service VetCell Bioscience offers is the collection, storage, processing and supply of stem cells suitable for administration back into the donor animal.
According to the company, there is considerable interest from the human sector and studies in human medicine, for the treatment of Achilles tendinopathies, could begin as early as next year.
Scientists from the Institute for Animal Health, Pirbright, UK Met Office and the Jersey State Veterinary Service and Jersey Meteorological Department, are working together on an early-warning system to help defend cattle against the spread of 'bluetongue' disease, according to a study published today in Weather.
The team is fusing meteorological data with ecological information to anticipate when disease carrying midges are likely to be carried on the wind from the continent to the UK and Channel Islands.
Lead author Dr Christopher J. Sanders from the Institute for Animal Health said: "The bluetongue virus, BTV, represents a major and unprecedented epidemic which has spread across Western Europe since 2006. While accurate estimates of costs incurred are not yet available, it is estimated that these could be in the order of many tens of millions of pounds."
BTV is carried by small biting midges, Culicoides, one of the smallest species of biting flies found on livestock. One bite from a midge fully infected with BTV can be enough to lead to infection in cattle and sheep, which can be fatal.
Since 1998 the range of the African species of biting midge has expanded from the Mediterranean basin resulting in an overlap with the range of European species. This enabled European species of midge to pick up virus from infected animals for the first time and go on to transmit it in Southern Europe. However, the arrival of BTV in northern Europe in 2006 was independent of this northwards movement of BTV, jumping north rather than from a gradual spread, and was reliant on transmission only by European midges common and widespread in the area.
In 2006 the disease was found in Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and Germany; 700 km north of previous European outbreaks. In June 2007 the disease was once again reported in Germany and by October 2008 24,000 cases were reported in France alone. In September 2007, the first cases of BTV were discovered in the UK, where fortunately the outbreak was small.
The danger that the disease may again spread to the UK from across the channel is of special concern to the Channel Island of Jersey, which maintains a world renowned cattle industry, but is at heightened risk of infection if the disease becomes established along the Cherbourg peninsula or the Normandy and Brittany coastline.
The risk comes from the possibility that the tiny midges can be carried on the wind from the French coast to the Island. To monitor this threat the team set up midge light traps in farms across the island to monitor midge activity and to identify the presence of any potential vector species.
The results were then collated and analysed alongside data from the Jersey Meteorological Department, which allowed the team to pinpoint when livestock were at risk from a number of locations on the mainland. This information was fed into the UK Met Office early-warning website which has also been used on the mainland to help predict and defend against the disease.
"Environmental conditions, especially temperature, wind speed and direction have a significant impact on the biting midge in terms of activity and abundance," concluded Sanders. "Monitoring the midge population in Jersey will provide the farming community on the mainland with knowledge of when the midge season commences in the diseased areas of the near continent."
The 10 minute survey seeks to capture the current level of understanding and feelings around the deployment of AI tools across the veterinary industry.
VetCT says the purpose of the survey is to start some discussion and identify areas where training and support could help veterinary practitioners.
Julien Labruyère, Chief Innovation Officer at VetCT (pictured), said: “AI is here to stay and will increasingly become part of all aspects of veterinary medicine.
"Indeed, it’s vital to help us solve some of the workforce pressures the profession is facing globally.
"We will increasingly be using the outputs of AI tools to inform our clinical decisions, and yet the mechanisms and algorithms can be something of a black box of mystery.
“We want to understand the needs of clinicians in understanding how to apply AI safely, effectively and with confidence to support good clinical practice and ultimately, improve animal welfare.
"The results will be published and freely accessible.
"Our hope is to encourage a collaborative effort to support veterinary teams with embracing the full potential of AI, yet also providing the safeguards and education to the clinicians applying this technology to their patients.”
The survey is here: https://bit.ly/VetCT_AI_Survey.
Feliway Help! comes as a starter pack with a pheromone cartridge which lasts seven days and covers 50m2.
The cartridge is inserted into a diffuser which is plugged into an electrical socket, two days before the stressful event.
Ceva says that 83% of cat owners saw an improvement in their cat’s signs of stress after using Feliway Help!1.
The company adds that the Feliway Help! is particularly useful for clients of those practices which Feliway on the premises, with Feliway helping keep the cat calm at the practice, and Feliway Help! taking over when they return home.
Sarah Heath BVSc PgCertVE DipECAWBM(BM) CCAB FRCVS, an RCVS and EBVS European Veterinary Specialist in Behavioural Medicine and Certified Clinical Animal Behaviourist, said: “Cats can find the veterinary visit challenging and when they go home they can sometimes find it hard to settle.
"Feliway Help! can be very beneficial in easing the transition between home and the practice.
"This can be particularly helpful when cats have had a stay in hospital.”
For more information, visit www.feliway.com/uk, call the Ceva Animal Health head office on 01494 781510 or email cevauk@ceva.com.
Whilst you're there, the company will doubtless use the opportunity to bend your ear about how its technology can save time, drive revenue, and strengthen patient care.
Still, all in a good cause, and the company says it expects to be making a significant donation towards supporting members of the veterinary community who are experiencing financial and mental health challenges.
ezyVet Chief Growth Officer Pete Brown said: ““As innovators in the veterinary software space, we’re passionate about bettering the lives of veterinary professionals and we recognise the critical work Vetlife is doing to support the hard-working veterinary community.
"We’re going to be donating £1 to Vetlife for every person that visits the ezyVet booth at the London Vet Show, so we encourage everyone to come down and help us support this very worthwhile cause.”