Details of the new charges are found on the in-flight safety card ...
Following a nationwide search to find the UK’s top veterinary professionals for 2009 and judged by an independent panel of experts, Petplan has announced the winners for the Veterinary Awards.
The Petplan Veterinary Awards recognise and applaud staff and practices throughout the country that have delivered an exceptional level of care to the nation’s pets, and their owners.
Simon Wheeler, Petplan’s Head of Marketing, explains: “Britain is known to be an animal-loving nation and with millions of households owning cats and dogs, pets play a central part in family life. The Petplan Veterinary Awards give us the opportunity to thank the veterinary profession for the outstanding level of care they provide to our animals.”
The winners of the 10th annual Petplan Veterinary Awards were:
VET OF THE YEARBen Jones, Ben Jones Veterinary Surgery, Chester, FlintshireBen’s understanding and compassion for his clients’ pets impressed the judges. Whilst being extremely knowledgeable, Ben can reassuringly explain the most complicated procedures to clients. Ben continuously goes above and beyond the call of duty, such as establishing a home visit scheme for pensioners and visiting a nursing home when an owner was there as a day patient.
VET NURSE OF THE YEARKaren McQuoid, The Old Golfhouse Veterinary Group, Watton, NorfolkThe judges believe Karen is an excellent role model for her team of nurses. Karen was noted for her positive attitude and good humour even under extreme pressure of being head nurse of four different practices.
VET RECEPTIONIST OF THE YEAR Yasmin Morowa, Melton Veterinary Surgery, Woodbridge, SuffolkYasmin’s attention to detail made her stand out as the winner of Vet Receptionist of the Year. Yasmin always checks to see how patients have progressed when she returns from holiday so she can help clients appropriately when they call or visit. Her kind approach makes her highly appreciated by both clients and colleagues.
VET PRACTICE OF THE YEAR St Clair Veterinary Group, Kirkcaldy, FifeSt Clair Veterinary Group was described as having exceptional customer care and uses every opportunity to educate their clients. The team stood out for their environmental consciousness.
Following two postponed hearings and a stayed Judicial Review, the Disciplinary Committee of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons last week accepted a wide-ranging 18-month programme of undertakings from a veterinary surgeon found guilty of serious professional misconduct, to address his "serious deficiencies" and "practice failings".
In October 2006, Mr Joseph Holmes MRCVS, of the Waltham Veterinary Clinic near Grimsby, was found guilty of serious professional misconduct for performing inappropriate and out-of-date veterinary treatment. Judgment was postponed for a period of two years subject to conditions that were put in writing and agreed by Mr Holmes.
The hearing resumed early, in February 2008, as Mr Holmes had deliberately ceased to comply with these conditions in the hope of forcing an appeal against the Committee's original finding of serious professional misconduct.
At the resumed hearing, Mr Holmes was told there was no legal framework for such an appeal (only against a sanction of suspension or removal from the Register) and that he would be subject to an 18-month period of compliance with the conditions set out at the original hearing; he was also invited to propose a programme of continuing professional development (CPD) and other undertakings for that period.
As Mr Holmes then applied for a Judicial Review of the Committee's decisions, this programme was never proposed. However, at the Royal Courts of Justice in October 2008, Mr Holmes' application for Judicial Review was stayed, by mutual consent, allowing for the DC hearing to be resumed and for him to offer undertakings for the Committee's consideration.
At last week's hearing, the Committee reminded itself of the original four findings of serious professional misconduct against Mr Holmes, which, in each case, it had stated would "be viewed by reasonable and competent members of the veterinary profession to be deplorable...and far below the standards that members of the public were entitled to expect."
In relation to these findings, the Committee was particularly concerned about his deficiencies in the fields of orthopaedics, oncology, radiology and therapeutics and considered that his future CPD should specifically address these areas.
Consequently, Mr Holmes agreed to an extensive range of undertakings over an 18-month period, including: participation in the RCVS Practice Standards Scheme (including two inspections); keeping abreast of changes to the RCVS Guide to Professional Conduct; 105 hours of standard and additional CPD; proofs of purchase of up-to-date text books and journal subscriptions; and six-monthly progress reports to the Chairman of the Committee.
Brian Jennings, Chairman of the Committee, said: "The Committee considers that the undertakings in the form that you have offered to it, if fulfilled by you, will serve to ensure that there will be no repetition of the conduct which resulted in our original findings and serve to ensure that animals and the public will not be put at risk.
"We trust that you will enter into these courses with the right mind-set and find that at their conclusion, these tasks have been of advantage to your practice."
Rob Rayward, an RCVS Orthopaedic Specialist at Davies Veterinary Specialists, Hertfordshire, is preparing to grease up and swim the murky waters of the English Channel this month, to raise funds for the Christian charity Derek Prince Ministries UK.
Rob is undertaking the 35km swim as a part of a Channel Swim Relay Team and has been in training for his chilly trip across one of the world's busiest shipping lanes for the past year. He is hoping to raise £1500 for the charity, which provides Christian teaching materials in over 1000 languages to Church leaders and Christian communities around the world. They also provide food and education to poor widows and orphans in Ethiopia.
Rob said: "Despite being a small animal vet I'm definitely not planning on doing the doggy paddle. All members of the team have different strengths and weaknesses but for me the cold water is proving to be a real challenge. It is likely to be about 16C on the day but as well as the cold we may have to swim part of it in the dark. Many people are aware that the Channel has debris floating in it but few are aware that we may also face jelly fish, basking sharks and if really lucky, sewage! We anticipate it taking us approximately 14 hours to complete the crossing but weather and tidal conditions can have a major impact on our time."
Rob will be completing his challenge when the conditions are favourable at some point between 19th and 28th July.
To sponsor him visit his JustGiving page at www.justgiving.com/rob-rayward.
All donations are gratefully received.
The redesign includes an overhaul of the layout, structure and navigation of all the College’s websites: Professionals, Animal Owners, Find a Vet and RCVS Knowledge.
Some of the main changes are:
Ian Holloway, Head of Communications, said: "We’re delighted to be launching our new-look site today and hope all the improvements we’ve incorporated will make using the site a much better experience for veterinary professionals and animal owners alike.
"Working closely with our website provider, NetXtra, over the past nine months, we’ve been able to develop a new-look site with vastly improved design, structure and navigation, whilst avoiding the major expense of building a completely new website from scratch.
"We’re very grateful to them, and to all those vets, vet nurses and members of the public who have helped us with user-testing and content mapping to improve the site as much as possible for everyone who uses it."
Anyone with any comments or feedback about the new-look site is invited to send it to communications@rcvs.org.uk.
Every two years, the Plowright Prize will offer £75,000 to recognise an individual working in Europe or the Commonwealth who has made a significant impact on the control, management and eradication of infectious diseases of animals.
Eligible activity must demonstrate animal, humanitarian or economic benefit. The prize money is intended to support the individual’s ongoing work in the field.
Potential recipients of the prize include veterinary surgeons, veterinary nurses and research scientists. Awardees may be working in a research setting, in academia, in practice or in other related sectors. Individuals must be nominated for the award, and the prize is not open to organisations.
Nominations are now invited for the inaugural prize, and must be received by 31st March 2020.
Executive Director of RCVS Knowledge Chris Gush said: "We are honoured to be launching the Plowright Prize in memory of one of the world’s most exceptional veterinary surgeons and scientists, and in celebration of decades of dedication to an area of substantial societal significance.
"It is our belief that this prestigious international prize will help stimulate further research and improvement activities, including supporting the development of expertise in the area of infectious disease within the veterinary profession."
Walter Plowright (1923-2010) was an acclaimed veterinary scientist whose major breakthrough in the battle against rinderpest – the tissue culture rinderpest vaccine (TCRV) – provided the key to eliminating the disease. In the year of Walter’s death, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations officially announced the complete eradication of the disease, only the second such feat in human history, alongside smallpox.
The story behind the profession’s eradication of rinderpest, commonly known as cattle plague, can be read in RCVS Knowledge’s publication Evidence-Based Veterinary Medicine Matters.
In 2023, the prize will celebrate 100 years since Walter Plowright’s birth with a special award of £100,000 to that year’s winner.
Full criteria for the Plowright Prize can be found on the RCVS Knowledge website: https://knowledge.rcvs.org.uk/grants/available-grants/plowright-prize-2019/.
Photo: Helen Leeds
The new system integrates with the Merlin practice management system and pet owners can access the MWI Pet portal to view and book available appointments with their veterinary surgeon via any connected device.
David Tinsley, Vice President, MWI Animal Health U.K., said: “As providers continue to navigate a changing industry and evolving consumer expectations, veterinary practices need access to technologies that help them better serve the needs of both their staff and their clients.
“MWI Pet will help practices meet consumer demands for digital-driven convenience and foster deeper relationships with their clients, while freeing up more time for staff to focus on delivering high-quality care.”
To set up a demo of the new system: https://abc1.jotform.com/222564512240850
Denmark-based consulting firm praQtice has launched a subsidiary in the UK to offer veterinary practice management consultancy services. The company says it concentrates on six business areas: strategy and business development, marketing, employee and manager development, finance, research and analysis, and training. praQtice says it has worked with a wide range of practices, from the small local practice to the large hospital, helping them bring together their mission and vision. The company also has the benefit of having an in-house marketing and communication department which it says has had considerable success - not only in Scandinavia, but in the UK when last year praQtice won a Veterinary Marketing Association award. The launch in the UK will primarily be driven by three praQtice consultants - founder and business developer Christian Kolthoff, Marketing Consultant Mario Riewerts and Business Developer Helen Kington.
Helen said: "This will be great for UK vets, largely it has been the same group of consultants working with the same thoughts and ideas for the last 10 years. We need to look beyond our borders in order to evolve. In Scandinavia you can only put a mark up of 5% on your drugs, which does not make you a profit. Thus they have learnt to be much better in delivering and pricing for their professional service, I am sure we can learn a lot from them. What we also see all over Europe is that practices are getting bigger and bigger. But as the practices grow, so does the number of problems and the partner's income rarely follows. praQtice is about quality of life and allowing yourself to dream, we then give you the tools along with helping you through the implementation to make those dreams and ambitions come true.
You can meet the team at the VPMA Congress in Oxford (28th-30th January), where founder and CEO Christian Kolthoff will be speaking. Meantime, if you would like more information about praQtice, visit www.praqtice.co.uk or telephone Helen Kington on 07765 338 607
The Animal Health Trust has cut the first sod of a new cancer centre for animals in Suffolk.
The AHT's Cancer Centre will provide all three treatment options: surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy, on one site. The cancer facility is being purpose-built to treat horses, dogs and cats.
Sue Murphy, Head of Clinical Cancer Treatment at the AHT, said: "Having all three treatment options on one site means that whatever the diagnosis, we will be able to offer each and every patient the very best options for their specific case. With one in four dogs and one in six cats developing cancer at some time in their life this new centre will help many more animals - from Suffolk, East Anglia and all across the UK."
The new centre will also further research into cancer. Treating animals with all types of the disease will enable the AHT's vets and scientists to expand current knowledge about cancer. This will help with the development of new ways to diagnose and treat the disease.
Vets and scientists at the AHT already work collaboratively with cancer researchers looking at the disease in humans. There are a number of links between human and animal cancers which have already been identified. It is hoped that knowledge gained from the AHT Cancer Centre may also help in the understanding of cancer in people.
The AHT hopes the building will open in summer 2012 . It is launching an appeal to raise much needed funds to equip the centre with a linear accelerator. This piece of specialist equipment works by delivering high-energy radiation beams to break cancerous tumours down while sparing the surrounding normal tissue.
The AHT Cancer Centre will be one of only six veterinary facilities in the UK to house a linear accelerator.
Sue Murphy added: "Currently, there is no way to tell which animals will, and which animals won't, develop cancer. It could happen to any animal at any time. This new centre will give more animals a fighting chance of beating the disease, enabling them to lead long and healthy lives. The fact that treatments developed to benefit our pets may also lead to improvements in the prevention and treatment of cancer in humans makes this centre all the more important.
"I would urge you to donate whatever you can to help equip the centre. Your donation, however large or small, will help many more animals beat cancer and it may also help in the fight against cancer in people."
If you would like to make a donation to the AHT Cancer Centre please visit www.aht.org.uk or telephone 01638 555648.
Alternatively you can make a £5 donation by textingVETS24 £5 to 70070
Enrolment is now open for the programme, which matches participants with an experienced supervisor and provides BSAVA support and guidance.
The Association says the qualification is intended to give veterinary surgeons the opportunity to investigate in more depth any aspect of clinical research relating to their work – in particular vets working in practice, including those who may be unsure how to take the first step.
It could be a special interest, such as evaluating risk factors for a particular disease or common case they see in practice, with experienced peers available in diverse areas – from exotics to ophthalmology and nutrition to internal medicine.
The Masters is a significant addition to the most successful CPD programme in the 60-year history of the BSAVA, spearheaded by Academic Director Frances Barr (pictured above right).
Frances said: "This qualification offers exciting possibilities for vets to unlock their inner researcher, finding answers to clinical questions faced in practice and guided every step of the way by highly experienced supervisors and the BSAVA team.
"It furthers the BSAVA’s mission to help vets realise their ambitions and develop through lifelong learning at every stage of their careers, which we hope will have a very positive impact on the profession."
The Masters programme, validated by Nottingham Trent University, is aimed at people who already have any accredited postgraduate certificate (60 credits at Level 7) relevant to some aspect of veterinary medicine or surgery.
It is based on a further 1,200 study hours and could be flexibly achieved in two years of part-time study or up to five years, depending on the project type and an individual’s availability. It starts with online study into the principles of clinical research, which students will then apply to their own research project.
The programme starts in January 2017 and applications are now open.
Students can enroll online and find out more information at www.bsava.com or by emailing masters@bsava.com.
Over 500 practices took part in the 2016 initiative, and Avacta is hoping even more will get involved this year, helping to raise awareness of allergies in cats and dogs.
Marketing Manager Gary Skipper said: "This year’s PAW campaign will focus on the clinical signs associated with allergies in cats and dogs as well as what is involved in the diagnosis and treatment process."
To help raise the PAW profile, Avacta has created a series of cartoon characters, such as the one pictured right, to help engage pet owners with the initiative and demonstrate the clinical signs associated with allergies in pets. There'll be a competition to name the cartoon characters at Avacta's stand (808) at BSAVA Congress this year, for the chance to win a personal pet portrait.
Gary said: "There are a wealth of reasons to get the practice involved in the initiative. PAW aims to help boost awareness among clients of the common clinical signals associated with allergies in cats and dogs; we will be offering heavily discounted canine and feline allergy tests throughout June to help reduce costs, and the campaign also helps to encourage team work by getting everyone at the practice involved in the competition for the best PAW waiting room display using the pack materials – the winning practice will receive a luxury hamper!"
To register your practice for the 2017 Pet Allergy Week, complete the online registration form at www.avactaanimalhealth.com/PAW. Alternatively speak to your local Territory Manager or contact the Avacta Customer Services Team on 0800 3 047 047 or email customer.services@avacta.com.
The registration deadline to receive a pack is Friday 5th May.
The training material includes a range of new downloadable marketing resources for vets and SQPs to help maintain communications with their farmer customer base while face-to-face contact opportunities are restricted. They include a newsletter and social media and farmer engagement tools for various dairy, beef and sheep disease management issues.
Vets can also access new BRD management content highlighting the benefit of immunity-led disease prevention and ultrasound scanning of calf lungs. You can also view a range of practical ‘how to’ videos, as well as five different webinar recordings explaining ways to collaborate more effectively with farmers over youngstock rearing issues. The content is based on implementing MSD Animal Health’s versatile calf health checklist engagement tool, which facilitates an audit-based approach to assessing and improving current on-farm management practices.
MSD says it has another two webinars in the pipeline, which will be released in the weeks ahead: ‘Immunology’ with Professor James Roth and ‘Salmonella’ with Katrina Henderson from SAC.
To access all the training content, visit: https://www.msd-animal-health-hub.co.uk
James Beaumont, Product Manager at Animalcare, said: “Microchipping is an essential but simple way to safeguard the welfare of the UK’s horses. Animalcare was the first company to offer a microchipping service with its identichip microchips, so we know from first-hand experience that microchipping is the most important step owners can take to ensure that lost, abandoned or stolen animals are quickly identified.
“Ensuring the welfare of their patients is a guiding principle for equine vets and we know that they are working very hard to remind owners of the need to ensure that their animals are microchipped and to then keep their contact details up to date. We hope that they will find our social media toolkit useful and that, between us, we can ensure that as many horses as possible are microchipped in time for the new law coming into force.”
To request your social media toolkit, contact your Animalcare Territory Manager or ring 01904 487687.
VetSurgeon.org member Dr Sarah Caney's company, Cat Professional, is conducting a survey of owner experiences of caring for cats with chronic kidney disease and is looking for practices to help recruit participants.
Recruited practices will be given a complimentary print copy of the new client education book 'Caring for a cat with chronic kidney disease' by Dr Sarah Caney and a set of flyers to give out to eligible cat owners.
Owners completing the survey will each receive a complimentary electronic copy of the same book.
The book is aimed at owners and aims to support veterinary recommendations regarding management of this common condition.
To find out more about this survey please visit http://www.catprofessional.com/ or contact Dr Sarah Caney on 07711 390219.
Bioscience students from the Royal Veterinary College are more likely to be in industry relevant employment six months after graduation than any other institution in the UK, according to new university rankings.
The Guardian University Guide 2013 places the RVC's Bioveterinary Science programme eighth overall, out of 97 institutions across the UK. This represents a significant improvement on previous years - in the 2012 University Guide the RVC ranked 31st overall and in 2011 was placed 46th.
The RVC also ranks top for student satisfaction of both the course overall and the standard of teaching - 100% and 99% respectively. This success follows a focus on improving student experience across the College with the RVC picking up the 2012 Times Higher Education award for Most Improved Student Experience.
Professor Stephen May, vice-principal for teaching at the Royal Veterinary College, said: "It is a fantastic achievement to see our Bioveterinary Sciences programme performing so well, especially in terms of student satisfaction and employment. The success of this programme indicates the College's firm belief that veterinary science is much bigger than just veterinary practice; the combination of veterinary medicine, human medicine and environmental science will, in future, be essential to tackling some of the biggest health issues in society."
The founders of ioLight, Andrew Monk and Richard Williams, will be in attendance on the Bayer stand to answer questions about the new product.
James Crawford, Head of Marketing at Bayer, said: "Bayer is delighted to present the ioLight microscope on our stand at the London Vet Show 2016. The microscope provides fantastically clear images and is simple to use, showing off Bayer's products for all our customers to see."
Professor Mike Taylor, a Diplomate of the European Veterinary Parasitology College, is in the process of evaluating the ioLight microscope as a tool for the diagnosis of parasitic infections of farm animals.
Normally he uses a laboratory microscope for this work but they are not routinely used on a farm. He has also tried a portable digital microscope, but finds it does not give the resolution required for identification of protozoan parasite species or for counting nematode eggs. Mike said: "The ioLight’s portability, image quality and connectivity to the Apple iPad offer great potential for the development of rapid methods for identifying parasites, or determining parasite burdens. I can envisage its use by both veterinarians and suitably trained livestock farmers, in the practice laboratory or directly on the farm."
Andrew Monk said: "Since our launch earlier this year we have seen a massive interest from the veterinary sector. We are thrilled to have the opportunity to demonstrate our microscope to such a large audience, and are looking forward to working with Bayer."
For more information visit iolight.co.uk or email Andrew Monk at andrew.monk@iolight.co.uk.
Apparently, there were over 100 times more recorded outbreaks of equine flu across the UK in 2019 than the year before1, and numerous equestrian events were cancelled as a result.
The company says that despite this, as of 2019, only about half of all UK horses are vaccinated2.
Blaise Scott-Morris MRCVS, Equine Marketing and Technical Manager at MSD Animal Health said: "Last year’s outbreaks of equine flu rocked the equine world, raising important animal welfare issues and costing the racing industry millions.
"Furthermore, they highlighted the need for good preventative healthcare and, in particular, vaccination. It’s vital that more owners are encouraged to vaccinate and those that already have, to keep up with their annual vaccinations and health checks so we don’t experience the same suffering again."
MSD's campaign invites horse owners to join the movement to #fightequineflu, and there is a range of materials to help practices promote the campaign and encourage clients to talk about vaccination and preventative healthcare, including an educational infographic poster, a social media pack and new resources on the Chameleon appointment reminder system.
MSD will itself be promoting the campaign on social media (Facebook: @Keeping Britains Horses Healthy, Instagram: @KeepingHorsesHealthy), and through partnerships with consumer channels such as Horse and Country TV.
There is also a new information resource online at www.kbhh.co.uk/achoo, which offers horse owners links to a range of other educational preventative health materials and horse care advice.
To request your Fight Equine Flu practice pack, speak to your MSD account manager.
References
The British Veterinary Association and British Cattle Veterinary Association have welcomed the launch of the Defra consultation on tackling bovine Tuberculosis (bTB) in England, which includes recommendations for badger control in areas where bTB persists at high levels, despite attempts at control using other measures.
The two associations have long argued that bTB cannot be controlled without measures to control the disease in both cattle and wildlife.
In particular the BVA and BCVA have welcomed:
The Associations have noted the expectation that the farming industry will pick up the costs of vaccinating and culling badgers and will consider in detail the Government's proposals for licensing criteria and culling methods.
The BVA and BCVA will be providing a detailed response to the consultation following discussion with members of both Associations.
Professor Bill Reilly, President of the BVA, said: "We are extremely pleased that the Coalition Government has made tackling bovine TB such a priority. Both the BVA and BCVA have made the case that this devastating disease will not be eradicated without measures that tackle TB both in cattle and in wildlife.
"We will be looking in detail to ensure that the proposals are as effective and, importantly, as humane as possible.
"Our initial reaction is that the proposals announced by Defra are based on scientific evidence and expert veterinary advice and we strongly support the direction the Government is taking."
Keith Cutler, President of BCVA, added: "It is important that the Government has recognised that there is no single solution to tackling bovine TB.
"Controlling the disease in badgers through vaccination and culling has a role to play, but will only be effective if properly targeted and used alongside all other available control measures.
"The BVA and BCVA are therefore very pleased to see proposals that deliver a package of measures."
Novartis Animal Health has announced that it will begin marketing and distributing Adequan Equine in the UK from January 2011.
According to the company, Adequan Equine offers equine veterinarians a proven intramuscular treatment option for equine degenerative joint disease, also known as non-infectious arthritis or osteoarthritis. The product is licensed in the UK for the treatment of lameness in horses due to traumatic or degenerative aseptic joint disease and acute superficial digital flexor tendonitis. This is a critical treatment area since equine degenerative joint disease is estimated to cause up to one-third of all equine lameness cases1. It most commonly affects the hocks and coffin joints with the most severe effects on the high-motion knee and fetlock joints.
Esther Rawlinson MRCVS, Global Technical Services Manager for the Novartis Animal Health Companion Animal Business in the Therapeutics & Equine areas said: "Adequan Equine is a leading joint treatment for horses and is widely used by veterinarians in the equine sport industry. Adequan Equine reduces pain and lameness in horses while at the same time stimulating cartilage repair.
Adequan Equine 100mg/ml solution contains polysulphated glycosaminoglycan for intramuscular injection. It is a chondroprotective, meaning it inhibits the breakdown of cartilage in diseased joints while at the same time supporting its repair.
Adequan Equine works by blocking the destructive enzymes formed in the joint as a result of inflammation while stimulating the production of hyaluronic acid to restore the synovial fluid, and the synthesis of cartilage building compounds.
Pfizer Animal Health, maker of the equine wormers Equest & Equest Pramox, has launched Stable Mate, a new app to help horse owners manage their daily equine healthcare regime and get maximum enjoyment from their horse.
Pfizer says the new app has been described by testers as 'undoubtedly the best equestrian electronic management system you could wish for'. It includes an organiser in which to keep horses' records and details of their management requirements. It also includes Track My Ride, a GPS mapping and exercise planning service, and a news feed direct from Horse & Hound.
Stable Mate allows users to keep records for up to six horses on their iPhone. They just need to enter the information needed to keep track of each horse's health routine, including worm control, vaccinations, dentistry, farriery and feeding regime. The app then creates a calendar of events, appointments and reminders designed to make it easy for owners to keep their horse's essential healthcare needs on course.
Records can be passed to a yard manager or friends when the owner goes on holiday, making a temporary transfer of care straightforward. Stable Mate also offers general equine health advice, from the essentials of pasture management to understanding vaccination protocols.
Track My Ride is a GPS navigation system that allows owners to map the route, duration and speed of each ride. Pfizer says it's a great device for planning and monitoring exercise programmes, that owners can use it to explore new hacking routes safely and that they'll never have to worry about finding their way back to their horse box again when hunting or doing a long distance ride. Details of each ride are stored in a history log and can be shared with friends through social media.
Paul Blanc, Pfizer's equine brand manager said: "We have tried to develop an app that is all about the horse and their owner, making it as easy as possible for owners to keep their equine health care on track as well as add to the fun and pleasure with their horse. Stable Mate has well and truly surpassed our expectations. We hope that owners and riders find Stable Mate useful and enjoyable."
Stable Mate is currently available only for iPhone with Android and Blackberry coming soon.
Stable Mate is available free from the iPhone App Store http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/stable-mate/id532341393?ls=1&mt=8. To find out more visit www.wormingyourhorse.info.
VMA chair, Claire Edmunds said: "The aim of the PR award is to recognise the value that media and public relations can add to the marketing mix.
"The award is given to the entry that has delivered the most innovative and effective PR campaign during the previous year, as judged by a panel of industry professionals. This can be a single ‘one-off’ event or article, or a sustained campaign over a given period."
The winner and two highly commended entries will be announced at the VMA Awards on Friday 17th March 2017, at the London Lancaster Hotel.
The last date for entry submissions is 10th February and the event takes place at 11.30am on Friday 17th March 2017.
For further information visit www.vma.org.uk
‘Feline enthusiasts assemble! How to help senior cats retain their superpowers' will be led by Geoff Duncan, veterinary technical advisor at Dechra, alongside panellists Natalie Dowgray, Head of ISFM, Sam Taylor, Head of Veterinary Specialists at ISFM (pictured), Vicky Halls, Head of Unowned Cats at ISFM and Marge Chandler, Clinical Nutritionist at Vets Now Referrals.
They will discuss the type of behavioural indications that a senior cat may present with, support for a stress-free visit and how practices can get the most out of these visits including the ‘how and why’ of BCS (body condition score), MCS (muscle condition score), the frailty scale and best practice nutritional guidance.
This hour-long session will be held twice: at 9.10am in Gallery Suite 22 on Thursday 16th November and 1.45pm in Gallery Room 17 on Friday 17th November.
‘Nordic voices on antibiotics in otitis externa; a call for responsibility’ will address the challenges associated with antibiotic usage in the management of otitis externa and discuss the importance of embracing the Nordic model to help significantly cut down on antibiotic usage in the UK.
It takes place at 10.10am on Friday 17th November in Gallery Room 17.
The CPD sessions are first come, first served.
The company is also offering Happy Hour cocktails on its stand from 4:00pm to 6:00pm on Thursday.
Veterinary surgeons who can keep it short and sweet have a chance of receiving an all (reasonable) expenses paid trip to BVA Congress this September.
The RCVS Trust is offering to pay the registration fee, plus travel, food and accommodation costs for two nights for two vets to attend the whole conference.
The catch? Would-be delegates must have graduated within the past eight years and be able to explain - in fifty words or less - how this support would benefit them educationally.
Cherry Bushell, RCVS Trust Director said: "It is a bit of a light-hearted approach, however, the idea is to make relatively new vets think in a focused way about what they would get out of going to BVA Congress. They need to tell us how they will benefit educationally from the opportunity we're offering - it's not simply about financial need."
Applicants should send an email to info@rcvstrust.org.uk before 24 August, with their name and contact details and convince the Trust, in fifty words or less, that they would get the most out of attending BVA Congress. Only the first 100 emails received by the Trust will be considered. Registration fees will be paid directly to the BVA and all costs claimed must be reasonable.
The BVA 2009 Annual Congress will be held at the Mecure Holland House Hotel, Cardiff, from 24-26 September. For more details visit http://www.bva.co.uk/events/BVA_Congress.aspx.
CEVA Animal Health has produced Understanding sacroiliac disease, a leaflet to help horse owners understand the cause, diagnosis and management of sacroiliac disease.
CEVA says sacroiliac disease can be a particular challenge because although it can occur in isolation it often occurs in addition to other sources of hindlimb lameness. Acute sacroiliac injury is usually a result of trauma, such as a fall, which may cause pelvic rotation or fracture, resulting in hindlimb lameness and sensitivity to palpation of the tubera sacrale soon after injury. With chronic sacroiliac disease there is usually no history of trauma, rather a prolonged history of poor performance.
Understanding sacroiliac disease explains the anatomy of the sacroiliac joint, the clinical signs of the disease, how it is diagnosed, the treatment options and the general prognosis. The leaflet is available to equine vet practices as a useful information source for clients. You can order free copies from your CEVA sales representative.