BCF Technology will be offering a new imaging service at this year's BSAVA Congress.

The company is inviting delegates to have a comical caricature drawn on the first floor concourse area of the BSAVA exhibition hall, and then visit the BCF stands - 514 & 516 to collect a frame and hang it in your practice when you get back.

Kimberly Palgrave, BCF's new in-house vet (pictured right) said: "We wanted to do something new and innovative to support BSAVA this year, we are a veterinary imaging company and the caricatures at BSAVA are an innovative form of imaging. Come and talk to us about learning more about ultrasound and X-ray and see some of our new equipment such as the very affordable Vita CR X-ray system."

For more information about BCF at BSAVA visit http://www.bcftechnology.com/ or follow BCF at www.facebook.com/bcftechnology

The BSAVA will be launching the third edition of its Manual of Reptiles, edited by Simon Girling and Paul Raiti, at Congress this year.

Extensively updated, the new edition reflects the increasing sophistication of reptile medicine and surgery and acknowledges the expanding range of reptile species kept as companion animals.

Part one covers the husbandry aspects of reptile care, including captive maintenance and nutrition, plus a new chapter dedicated to anatomy and physiology.

Part two contains the details necessary to carry out successful clinical examination, anaesthesia, surgery (including endoscopy), treatment (including emergency and critical care), non-invasive imaging, laboratory testing and post-mortem examinations, as well as humane euthanasia.

Part three addresses disease by organ system, covering parasitology and infectious disease.

New to this third edition are also chapters on marine turtle rehabilitation and crocodilians, as well as updates on the handling of venomous reptiles.

Simon Girling said: "This third edition of the BSAVA Manual of Reptiles is another milestone in the commitment of the BSAVA to exotic species medicine. Reptile medicine and surgery is now being accepted as a mainstream discipline within the veterinary world, reflected in the growing number of textbooks and the appearance of postgraduate qualifications."

BSAVA says the new manual will benefit both the general practitioner seeing a small number of reptiles or a more specialist practitioner dealing with these species on a daily basis.

The RCVS Council has decided, by majority vote, to consult with the professions on possible changes to the disciplinary system.

At the meeting, which took place last Thursday, Council members were asked to decide how to proceed with three specific proposals on reforming the disciplinary system:

1. A change to the standard of proof used in deciding whether or not the facts of a case are proven from the current criminal standard (‘beyond all reasonable doubt’), to the civil standard (‘on the balance of probabilities’). Under the proposals, the decision as to whether the proven facts amount to professional misconduct would remain as currently.
2. The introduction of a ‘Charter Case Protocol’ in which cases that meet the threshold for a full Disciplinary Committee hearing, but which might be likely to attract a low sanction, can be concluded without a public hearing. Suitable cases may include those where factors such as insight or remediation have been shown. This, says the College, means that instead of a disciplinary hearing, certain cases might be concluded in a more proportionate manner, for example via a system of publicly-issued warnings and/or advice.
3. To end the current system of initial review of complaints via a Case Examiners Group with the more complex of these cases then reviewed subsequently by the Preliminary Investigation Committee. Instead a single stage review process with complaints considered by a number of ‘mini-Preliminary Investigation Committees’ with three members would be used. This, says the College, would simplify the system and potentially speed up the concerns investigation and disciplinary processes, thus reducing the stress of the process on all parties. Full Preliminary Investigation Committee meetings (involving five Committee members) would still take place to consider the most complex cases.

Acknowledging some of the concerns that have been raised about changing the standard of proof, RCVS Registrar Eleanor Ferguson said: “The RCVS is now one of just a few regulators that still uses the criminal standard of proof in determining the facts of a case. We have sought these changes as part of our ongoing aim to develop a compassionate and forward-looking disciplinary system with the protection of the public absolutely at its heart, whilst also acknowledging the huge toll the process takes on the mental health of veterinary professionals.

"Research that we carried out into the impact of changing the standard of proof indicated that it would not lead to a major increase in cases being referred from the Preliminary Investigation Committee to the Disciplinary Committee. Importantly the number is likely to be very low because the standard of proof only applies to proving the facts of a case; the judgement as to whether proven facts amount to serious professional misconduct will follow the same process as at present.

"We estimated that during 2019, there could have been just two more cases brought to DC under a altered standard of proof, with an additional three cases that were borderline but probably wouldn’t have proceeded any further. Conversely, we also estimated that three cases that did go to DC during 2019 would probably not have done, had the ‘Charter Case Committee’ option been available.

"Ultimately, the aim of the RCVS in regulating the veterinary professions is to protect the public and animal welfare as well as upholding the reputation of the professions. We believe these changes will better achieve that aim."

The consultation on whether to change the standard of proof as well as to introduce the Charter Case Protocol and ‘mini-PICs’ is now planned for later this year.

Further information about the proposals, including some of the arguments for and against changing the standard of proof, can be found in the papers for RCVS Council at: www.rcvs.org.uk/who-we-are/rcvs-council/council-meetings/4-june-2020/ (pages 70-97).

Molar Ltd is launching a cross infection control product called Vetroxx^TM at this years' BSAVA Congress

Vetroxx^TM is a range of 100% natural disinfectant products approved by the Department of Health (HPA) for use as a hospital disinfectant and has been approved by the British Government's MAFF (now DEFRA) to control against outbreaks of significant agricultural diseases (e.g. Foot and Mouth Disease, Tuberculosis, Newcastle's Disease found in chickens & Swine Fever).

The range includes a convenient disinfectant hand gel, surface wipes and a multi-surface spray. According to Molar, Vetroxx^TM has been scientifically tested, proven to reduce microorganism numbers by up to 99.9998%, and kills most problem bugs, including: MRSA, Bird 'flu (H5N1), SARS, HIV, C diff and many others.

The range contains Citroxx®, a naturally-derived disinfectant made from orange pith. Molar says the product is both safe and highly biodegradable, and very kind on skin and surgery surfaces (such as examination tables, flooring and bench tops). The company adds that since Citroxx contains several antimicrobial elements, it is unlikely that resistance will develop.

During Congress, Molar will be challenging vets hand-washing skills using a special UVA (long wave UV) light box to highlight failures.

VetCT is hosting “In the world of foot MRI, has CT got a place?”, a webinar for first opinion and advanced equine clinicians presented by Dr. Jonathon Dixon on 18th April at 7:00pm.

Jonathon is an RCVS & EBVS European Specialist in Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging, with a particular interest in MRI of the distal limb and has published scientific work on this subject, among others.

With the increase in availability and accessibility to CT for horses, VetCT says this hot topic will be well received by equine vets at all levels of experience.

VetCT’s Equine Teleradiology Manager, Charlotte Graham, said: “We can guarantee a highly engaging talk with plenty of useful tips on case selection for each modality as well as some interesting discussions in the Q&A session.”

To register for the webinar on 18th April and receive links to recordings of this and previous webinars in the 2023 series, sign up here: https://vetct.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_zkctYZYWRUmRVIFTxrvvsA 

www.vet-ct.com

The British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) has clarified regulations on equine dental procedures following a survey which showed confusion, even amongst vets, over who is allowed to do what in a horse's mouth.

In the survey of BEVA members, more than half were unaware of the dentistry techniques that equine dental technicians (EDTs) are permitted to perform and the levels of veterinary supervision required.

In response, the association has put together a new information leaflet which explains the regulations surrounding equine dental care and describes where recommended practice differs from the letter of the law.

All diagnostic and treatment procedures in the horse's mouth are Acts of Veterinary Surgery under the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966. The only exception is the manual removal of small dental overgrowths and sharp enamel points with hand instruments.

However it is acknowledged that there are a limited number of procedures that, despite being considered Acts of Veterinary Surgery, may be delegated safely to suitably qualified EDTs without compromising the horse's welfare and safety. In 2009 the RCVS, with assistance from BEVA, BVDA and BAEDT, listed these processes and categorised all dental procedures into three groups:

• Category 1 - Procedures that are not Acts of Veterinary Surgery, and which can be performed after recognised training but without qualification
  
  • Examination of teeth
  • Removal of sharp enamel points using manual rasps only
  • Removal of small dental overgrowths (maximum 4mm reductions) using manual rasps only
  • Rostral profiling of the first cheek teeth (maximum 4mm reductions), previously termed 'bit seat shaping'
  • Removal of loose deciduous caps
  • Removal of supragingival calculus.
• Category 2 - Procedures that are Acts of Veterinary Surgery but can be safely delegated to suitably qualified EDTs
  
  • Examination, evaluation and recording of dental abnormalities
  • The removal of loose teeth or dental fragments with negligible periodontal attachments
  • The removal of erupted, non-displaced wolf teeth in the upper or lower jaw under direct and continuous veterinary supervision
  • Palliative rasping of fractured and adjacent teeth
  • The use of motorised dental instruments where these are used to reduce overgrowths and remove sharp enamel points only. Horses should be sedated unless it is deemed safe to undertake any proposed procedure without sedation, with full informed consent of the owner.
• Category 3 - Procedures that are Acts of Veterinary Surgery and cannot be safely delegated.
  All other procedures and any new procedures, which arise as a result of scientific and technical development, would by default fall into category 3, which are those procedures restricted to qualified veterinary surgeons and are not proposed for deregulation. It is therefore NOT legal for these to be performed by non-veterinarians. 

Despite there being no legal basis supporting non-vets performing Category 2 procedures, the RCVS has stated that there would be no public interest in prosecuting vets who collaborate with suitably qualified EDTs to perform non-invasive (Categories 1 and 2) procedures.

BEVA recommends that, for their own protection, all vets who deal with horses:

• Are familiar with Category 1 and Category 2 procedures (see below and http://www.beva.org.uk/_uploads/documents/current-regulations-on-equine-dental-procedures.pdf)
• Ensure they know whether or not any EDT that they are collaborating with is qualified to perform Category 2 procedures (i.e. has a "Defra approved" qualification - BEVA/BVDA or WWAED).
• Report to the VMD instances of non-vets supplying oral sedatives or other prescription only drugs.

Vicki Nicholls, equine vet at Wright and Morten in Cheshire, chair of BEVA council's Paraprofessional Committee and member of the British Association of Equine Dental Technicians (BAEDT) said: "The lack of awareness is alarming and clearly emphasises the need to make vets and equine dental technicians fully conscious of current regulations regarding equine dentistry. Non-adherence to the regulations is a serious matter and could lead to prosecution of the veterinary surgeon, EDT and/or owner."

The number of vets taking the BEVA/BVDA exam in equine dentistry has increased in recent years with about 15% of those who have passed the exam being vets. BEVA says this is indicative of the growing awareness, amongst owners and vets, of the importance of dental health. It also reflects a desire to develop and demonstrate both practical skills and a theoretical understanding of equine dental care to augment the vet's broader medical knowledge. Expertise in equine dental care has, for many veterinary practices, become a valuable asset.

Copies of the dental regulations information leaflet can be downloaded from the BEVA website at www.beva.org.uk. BEVA also runs regular dentistry CPD courses, details of which can be found on the website.

Image source: Rachel C from Scotland

The Society for Practising Veterinary Surgeons (SPVS) and the Mind Matters Initiative (MMI) have extended the deadline for this year's Vet Wellbeing Awards nominations to Friday 15 December 2017.

The awards, which were first launched last year, are open to UK practices, branch surgeries or other organisations who employ veterinary surgeons or nurses. They were created to highlight wellbeing in the veterinary profession and celebrate workplaces where:  

• health and happiness are valued;
• there are systems and initiatives that motivate;
• staff are engaged;
• communication is positive;
• there is commitment to being a better place to work.

The prize for each category includes two registrations and banquet tickets for SPVS/VPMA Congress 2018 where the winners will be announced to the media and will be available for interview.

Practices that are thinking about applying can now access a free five-minute Wellbeing Checklist that can help provide examples of some simple activities that can improve the health and wellbeing of the veterinary team.

Nick Stuart from SPVS said: "Taking five minutes to fill out the Wellbeing Checklist is a great way to get a sense of how your practice is doing, and to identify ways in which you could improve. Practices are often doing a lot more than they realise and the Checklist shows how even such small steps as a having a fruit bowl in the staff room, or having a five-minute huddle at the start of the day, can make a huge difference."

Lizzie Lockett, MMI Director, said: "Having a supportive and constructive culture is key not just for the welfare of the staff, but for the animals they take care of. It allows all members of the team to feel comfortable coming forward with questions, clarifications, or even mistakes, and can ultimately lead to  safer and more consistent care for patients."

Entries can be made now via the website www.vetwellbeingawards.org.uk, where the Wellbeing Checklist is also available.

The closing date for entries is Friday 15 December 2017. You can follow the awards on twitter @vetwellbeing and Facebook /vetwellbeingawards/.

Janssen Animal Health has made what I am told is a 'very large' donation of Ripercol, a pour-on 20% levamisole w/v broad spectrum anthelminitic for cattle, effective against gastro intestinal nematodes and lungworm, to the Worldwide Veterinary Service (WVS) – a UK registered charity (No.1100485) committed to improving the treatment and welfare of all animal species throughout the world.

Nigel Underwood, Livestock Marketing Manager at Janssen said: 'We are very pleased to be able to help improve the health of animals in the developing countries and in turn to help those people who need it most. I’d encourage other pharmaceutical companies and practices to support WVS whenever they can, as they do a fantastic job.'

Annie Cook, WVS Director of Veterinary Operations said: 'So far this year we have been able to help over 64 associated charities with nearly £73,000 worth of donated items. This incredibly generous donation of Ripercol from Janssen Animal Health will allow us to provide production animal welfare charities in India, East Africa and South America with a much needed resource'.

WVS is currently arranging a Disaster Emergency Response team of veterinary professionals to visit the Internally Displaced People Camps in Kenya created following the election violence. Luke Gamble, WVS Chief Executive Officer, who will be coordinating the team said: 'The high concentration of animals in these camps combined with poor sanitation will promote the spread of disease between animals and is also a public health concern. Simply deworming these animals will improve their productivity and survival, which is vitally important as they are an essential resource to the people in the camps.'

Mrs Jill Nute has been invested as president of the RCVS at the AGM and Awards Day, held on 4th July in London.

Mrs Nute graduated from Liverpool University in 1970 and initially assisted in mixed practice in the Lake District, Droitwich and Leominster. In 1976, she established a mixed practice with her husband Geoff, a fellow Liverpool graduate, in Wadebridge, Cornwall. 

The practice is now an eight-veterinary surgeon concern, a veterinary nurse Training Practice, an RCVS Accredited Tier 2 Small Animal General Practice and Farm Animal General Practice, and an equine practice accredited to Tier 1; it is also a Meat Hygiene Service approved contractor. 

Mrs Nute has been an RCVS Council member since 1993, serving on all of its committees. She has chaired many of these committees and additional working parties, including the Advisory and Public Affairs Committees. She served on the Officer team as Treasurer for three years, from 1996-1999, and is currently Chairman of the Practice Standards Group. Spending several years on the Councils of the British Veterinary Association and the Society of Practising Veterinary Surgeons (SPVS), she was elected President of SPVS in 1991.

RCVS Day also brought other changes to the RCVS Officer team: Dr Bob Moore, outgoing President, became Senior Vice-President, and Professor Sandy Trees took up the role of Junior Vice-President. 

Professor Sheila Crispin stood down as Senior Vice-President, with Dr Moore commenting that: “The veterinary profession is privileged to have such a knowledgeable and committed advocate.”

Retiring Council members included David McDowell, Debby Reynolds, Neil Smith and Wendy Harrison. New lay observer to the Preliminary Investigation Committee, Catherine Harvey, will replace retiring observer Diane Mark. The President paid particular tribute to long-standing Council member and past-President Stephen Ware, who retires from Council but will remain active in veterinary politics as Vice-President and Treasurer of the Federation of Veterinarians in Europe, he also remains Chairman of the RCVS Trust. 

As part of the AGM, newly-elected Council members Richard Stephenson, Charles Gruchy and Bertie Ellis were welcomed. A fourth new member, Catherine Goldie, was not present. It was also announced that Professor Michael Herrtage and Professor Duncan Maskell have been reappointed for further four-year periods by the University of Cambridge, and Professor Sandy Tress has been reappointed for the same term by the University of Liverpool.

Dot Creighton was re-elected to the Veterinary Nurses Council and Katherine Kissick was elected for the first time. New lay member Penelope Swindlehurst and appointed veterinary surgeon Helen Torrington were also welcomed to the VN Council and the President thanked retiring VN Council members Diane Guinan, Donna Hunter and Neil Smith.

President Dr Bob Moore conferred a range of awards, including an Honorary Associateship upon Petplan and Petplan Trust founders Mrs Patsy Bloom and Mr David Simpson who, he said, have had a “remarkable effect on the veterinary profession, animals and their owners.” 

Honorary Associateship was also awarded to Mr Geoff Davies, who has dedicated his 30-year career at the University of Bristol Veterinary School to the training, support and development of future veterinary surgeons. He has also served as a valued member of the RCVS Extra-Mural Studies Committee for many years. “It is his enormous contribution in supporting and encouraging the students that is being recognised today,”
said Dr Moore. 

Honorary Fellowships were awarded to Mr Gary Clayton Jones, Professor Paul Flecknell and Dr Christine Gibbs, and the Dame Olga Uvarov Award, a cash prize for a researcher under the age of 40, was awarded on behalf of the RCVS Trust to Dr Harriet Smythe (in her absence)

BCF has launched a new operating lease scheme to make it easier for veterinary practices to afford the latest ultrasound and x-ray digital imaging systems.

According to the company, only one scan per week will cover the cost of leasing a system. BCF provides a range of training options to help practices offer imaging services to clients and increase revenue.

Practices pay a fixed monthly payment with no capital outlay. After 3 years they can upgrade to a new system or return the system to BCF. Service and maintenance cover can also be included in the monthly payment to avoid unexpected service or maintenance bills.

For more information call 01506 460023, email info@bcftechnology.com or visit http://www.bcftechnology.com/

Virbac has announced that it is to support the work of Glasgow student vets buy supplying their homeless project with vaccines and parasiticides.

'Trusty Paws' was set up last year by fourth year veterinary student Ruby Shorrock and a group of her fellow students to provide basic veterinary care to dogs belonging to homeless people in Glasgow.

Working with organisations which help the homeless, the students provide monthly clinics during which they give free vaccinations and flea/worm treatments to animals owned by the homeless. They also microchip them and give out bedding, food and clothing for the dogs and their owners.

Virbac is providing its Canigen DHPPi and Lepto vaccines to Trusty Paws, as well as its recently launched Milpro wormer and its Effipro spot-on flea treatment.

Royal Canin is also supplying marketing assistance to help Trusty Paws spread its good pet-care message and encourage those in need to visit the clinic. They will also provide clinical diets to those pets in need of specialised nutrition.

Ruby Shorrock: " Glasgow is in desperate need of this service as there is very little in place to help homeless people with animals - not even a dog-friendly hostel. We provide preventative care for their dogs in a friendly environment where they can also have a warm drink, a sandwich and a chat. We rely on fundraising and donations to keep the clinics running and also fundraise to help any dogs with major health problems so that they can made more comfortable for their hard life on the city's streets.

"For many homeless people, their dogs are a treasured companion. Protecting them from disease and parasites is the most important thing we can do to help them continue to benefit from this companionship.

Simon Boulton MRCVS, Head of Marketing (Companion Animal Business Unit) at Virbac, said: "In setting up Trusty Paws, Ruby and her colleagues are providing a vital service to animals in dire need of basic veterinary care.  They are also extending the hand of friendship and support to homeless people in Glasgow, who already face a difficult life and value the unconditional love they get from their pet so highly.  We were inspired by the fantastic work they are doing and are delighted to support them by donating our vaccines and parasite control products to them."

A research project funded by The Horse Trust has discovered that a racehorse's performance does not markedly change after it has recovered from a tendon injury.

The research was led by Bryan O'Meara, who is in the final year of a three year clinical training scholarship funded by The Horse Trust.

Mr. O'Meara carried out the research at Donnington Grove Veterinary Surgery in Newbury, under the supervision of epidemiologist Dr Tim Parkin from University of Glasgow.

Tendonitis is one of the most common musculoskeletal injuries in racehorses, with a prevalence of 11-30%, according to earlier research.

Mr. O'Meara examined the clinical records and racing histories of 400 racehorses who had been treated for superficial digital flexor (SDF) tendonitis injuries over a five year period (2003-2008).

The race records of horses affected by tendon injury were compared with 400 matched control horses that had never suffered SDF tendon injuries.

The controls were horses training in the same establishment at the time of injury and of the same age and sex as the case horse.

The research looked at the performance of the racehorses in races before and after treatment for the injury, and at the performance of the control horses before and after the treatment date. The Racing Post Rating (RPR), which is published by the Racing Post after every race, was used as a measure of performance.

Mr. O'Meara found that there was no significant difference in RPR before and after the treatment date in case and control horses.

According to The Horse Trust, this result is unexpected as in vitro studies have found that healed tendon tissue has reduced elasticity due to the presence of scar tissue. This suggests that a horse with a healed SDF tendon would need to work its muscles harder to compensate and would therefore be expected to have lower performance.

Mr. O'Meara said more research is needed to back-up his finding that performance isn't significantly affected by tendon injury: "It could be that using Racing Post Rating to measure performance isn't sensitive enough to pick up a change in the horse's performance. However, it's encouraging that there's no marked change in performance after a horse has recovered from a tendon injury. These findings show that there's no need to give up on a horse that has a tendon injury - they can still come back and perform well, or can be used for other, less demanding riding activities."

The research also found that there was no significant difference between case and control horses when returning to racing and completing three races. Only after completing five races, or three years post treatment, was a significant difference found between case and control horses. This finding is a step towards developing a more accurate assessment of tendon treatment. Outcome after five races or three years post treatment is a better indicator of the outcome of treatment.

Mr. O'Meara said: "At the moment, some tendon treatments state their success as the percentage of horses that return to racing after treatment. However, we've shown that there's no significant difference between case and control horses at this time. At the moment, there are a myriad of treatments available to treat tendonitis. Hopefully this finding will be used in further research to learn which treatments are most effective."

Mr O'Meara's research also found a link between SDF tendon injury and the racehorse competing at its maximum performance level: the case horses were significantly nearer to their pre-injury maximum performance level in the race immediately before injury (compared to matched controls), suggesting that they were competing nearer their individual maximum performance level when the SDF tendon injury occured.