Each year, the company invites veterinary surgeons, practice managers and practice principals to enter the competition by telling them what makes their nurse or nursing team outstanding, and deserving of special thanks, at: http://www.glvets.com/thank-a-nurse.asp
In 2016, the winning nomination for an outstanding nurse was Louise Cornford (pictured right) from Withy Grove Veterinary clinic. Her manager said: "Louise works tirelessly in the practice promoting better standards for all our patients and is always around helping the students and advising them on inpatient care. She gives up her own time to come back and nurse overnight patients when clients have difficulty finding out-of-hours care for their pets. She is also a full-time mum to three children. She became a vet nurse as a career change studying whilst caring for the family and then went on to get an additional qualification in critical care."
The winning nurse team last year was from Ribble Vets. Their nomination read: "I would like to nominate my team of hard-working nurses for all the support they give to their colleagues, clients and especially the patients in their care. We have a wide age and experience range within the team and there is interest and expertise in surgical, medical, behavioural, rehabilitation and emergency nursing. Every patient counts and every nurse goes the extra mile on a daily basis. I am so proud of the team and they deserve a little thank you for all those bleary- eyed moments in the early hours dealing with an RTA, GDV, whelping or other emergency. They take it all in their stride - even the farm animal emergencies!"
Is your team, or a member of your team, deserving of a special thanks? If so, nominate them here: http://www.glvets.com/thank-a-nurse.asp
Tatiana graduated from the University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Portugal in 2005.
She worked for more than 10 years in general practice in Portugal, where she dedicated most of her time to dermatology.
She started a three-year residency in 2016 at the at the Hospital Clinic Veterinari of the Fundació Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and became a diplomate of the ECVD in 2020.
Tatiana’s appointment means NDSR will now offer a specialist-led dermatology service five days a week.
Tatiana said: “I am so excited to be a part of such an amazing multi-disciplinary hospital like NDSR.
“It’s not often that you come across hospitals which have all the equipment and services at hand to provide expert diagnosis to animals quickly and efficiently.
“My mission is to build on NDSR’s excellent service to primary care vets and pet owners in the region and hope that we can continue to act as a real extension of their teams.”
Gerry Polton, clinical director at NDSR, said: “Tatiana is clearly a very experienced and respected dermatologist and we are so pleased she has joined NDSR."
For more information, visit www.ndsr.co.uk/home.
Ceva Animal Health has announced that it will be bolstering its spring Feliway TV advertising campaign with a campaign across the London Underground to help extend its reach to light TV viewers.
The campaign will once again feature the brand's 'That Purple Cat' character. Highlighting stress-related feline behaviour problems and encouraging cat owners to talk to their vet about Feliway, the advertisement will appear on channels such as ITV2, E4, More4 and Channel 4 (London only) from 14 February until 27 March.
The campaign will also be running on 50 high impact TV screens on the London Underground from 28 February until 13 March and 18 April until 1 May. So, according to the company, the ad will not only reach over 1.2 million people who commute and use the Underground every day, but will also be seen by millions on one of the busiest days of the year on the Underground, the Royal wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton.
Julia Wood, product manager at Ceva Animal Health, said: "By extending our advertising campaign across the London Underground we are complimenting our TV campaign and targeting commuters with busy lifestyles - who spend little time watching TV - during a unique point in their day."
To support the campaign, Ceva is offering veterinary practices free merchandising material including client leaflets, double sided A3 posters and A5 window stickers. A range of offers are also available for free mini merchandisers and digital photo frames in return for purchasing product. In addition, Ceva is running a prize draw for £250 worth of Champneys Spa vouchers for that 'purrfect' pampering session.
For more information, please contact your Ceva account manager or call 01494 781510.
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
The College says it will be promoting its Find a Vet search tool and its new Practice Standards Scheme (PSS) at the event, which runs from Thursday 4 to Sunday 7 August. It will also be giving career advice for prospective veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses.
The College’s Find a Vet search tool was relaunched earlier this year, allowing users to search for a veterinary surgeon, veterinary nurse or veterinary practice all in one place. The tool also includes new features such as displaying a practice’s visiting information (including opening hours and car parking); enabling users to ‘get directions’ via Google Maps; advertising a practice’s PSS accreditations and awards; and returning individual profile pages for veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses.
To promote the free search tool the College will be encouraging visitors to take part in its Find a Vet dice game, as well as hosting a random draw photo competition which will encourage members of the public to find and photograph one of our veterinary surgeons or veterinary nurses who will be lost in the grounds of Blenheim Palace.
Another of the College’s promotional focuses is the new PSS. The new PSS is designed to provide a greater focus on how practices use their resources to create a positive outcome for patients and clients, and allows for practices to distinguish the areas in which they excel through its awards system. The College says it is using BBC Countryfile Live to raise the profile of PSS and make animal owners more aware of the various available accreditation levels.
Ahead of the event, the RCVS is running social media competitions to give away 15 free pairs of tickets: on Facebook (/TheRCVS); Twitter (@RCVS_UK); and its new Instagram account (@thercvs). The competitions ends Friday 29 July, with winners being announced that day at 5pm. Tickets will allow entry on Thursday 4, Friday 5, and Sunday 7 August.
The College says it will, however, continue to operate as close to normality as possible, with the main support services for veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses such as advice, lifelong learning (including qualifications and the new 1CPD platform), finance and Practice Standards available as usual over the phone, on email or via the website.
The College’s main statutory activities around accreditation, registration and regulation of the professions will also be largely unaffected, with most Committee, Sub-Committee and working group meetings held by telephone or video conference.
Apparently, however, the April meeting of RCVS Council was going to be too big to be held remotely, so it has been cancelled.
The things that were up for discussion, such as the standard of proof and the report of the Legislation Working Party, will be moved to a subsequent meeting. Should there be any urgent business to consider, Council members have been asked to remain available via email on the date originally scheduled.
The College says it will be deciding whether to proceed with forthcoming DC hearings on a case-by-case basis, to balance maintaining the health and welfare of all involved with the College’s responsibility to protect animal health and welfare and public health.
The College is having to postpone or cancel an increasing number of its events; latest updates and advice for the profession is at: www.rcvs.org.uk/coronavirus.
RCVS Chief Executive Lizzie Lockett, pictured right, said: "We have been planning for this eventuality for some time, so whilst Monday’s announcement from UK Government came a little sooner than expected, we are in a strong position to be able to operate as close to normal as possible.
"We have an excellent and highly committed team of staff and Council members at the College, who I know will continue to work hard from kitchen tables, studies and living rooms over the coming days and weeks to serve the veterinary professions and the animal-owning public.
"Whilst we are fortunate that much of our work can be carried out remotely, we fully appreciate that this is not the case for most veterinary professionals who themselves are currently facing many significant challenges in their daily work to care for the nation’s animals whilst also prioritising the health and welfare of their own teams."
The College is urging all veterinary surgeons, nurses and practices to check they have supplied it with their most up-to-date email address via www.rcvs.org.uk/myaccount so it can relay its latest advice as the situation evolves.
In the 15 minute podcast, Carolyn Kyte, a vet in general practice, talks to Natalie Barnard, a veterinary dermatology specialist from Highcroft Referrals, and together they share their experience of the challenges of treating animals with otitis and explain why owners play a important role in successful treatment of the condition.
Dechra Brand Manager Carol Morgan said: “Otitis is very common, particularly in dogs, but there is no ‘quick fix’ when some underlying factors are causing the problem. This can lead to frustration for the pet’s owners and animals not getting the consistent treatment they need to get better.
“What Carolyn and Natalie bring to the table with their new podcast for the Dechra Academy is a light and insightful discussion about communication and education being the keystone for better otitis outcomes and how vets can improve on their consultation skills to handle cases better.”
The otitis podcast is here: https://academy.dechra.com/learn/course/internal/view/elearning/1034/think-differently-about-otitis
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."
Axiom Veterinary Laboratories and Woodley Equipment Company have announced a partnership which the companies say will mean they can offer a comprehensive solution encompassing referral laboratory services and in-house diagnostic testing, with significant cost savings for practices.
Steve Clarke, Business Development and Marketing Manager for Axiom said: "After an exhaustive search we believe that we have found a partner in Woodley that shares our drive and ambition in delivering a first class solution to practices along with service backup. We offer a cost-effective, quality service with flexibility, fast turnaround times including a free of charge courier service across many parts of the UK and Ireland. We believe that in the current economic climate it is an ideal time for practices to review both their referral laboratory service and their in-house equipment provision."
Mike Wickham, Managing Director of Woodley Equipment Company added: "We offer a wide range of equipment, tailored to the size of the practice, workload and specialty. In partnering with Axiom Veterinary Laboratories we are able to offer a complete package including exclusive and very competitive discount structures for practices.
Both companies with be exhibiting at the forthcoming WSAVA conference in Birmingham (Axiom stand 418 and Woodley Equipment Company stand 718).
The British Small Animal Association has responded to Defra's statement on compulsory microchipping.
The Association says it is an advocate of compulsory microchipping as the most effective way to permanently identify a dog - as long as owners maintain an up-to-date registration on the various databases. As such it broadly welcomes the recent Defra statement.
However, BSAVA points out that the statement has come before a full and considered consultation in terms of its implementation, and says it raises a number of questions for vets in practice:
Despite the headlines around the statement, this is yet to be laid down in law and will require changes under the Animal Welfare Act and potentially the Dangerous Dogs Act, so there is still a conversation to be had about its implementation.
For this reason BSAVA has announced that it is launching a consultation with its members to establish their concerns and opinions in order to work with all the organisations involved in the best interest of animal welfare and the profession. If anyone in practice wants to feed into this consultation, they should visit http://www.bsava.com or contact BSAVA's Scientific Policy Officer Sally Everitt via email - s.everitt@bsava.com.
BSAVA President Mark Johnston said: "While implantation can be straightforward for those with appropriate experience it will be important to ensure that all those who carry out implantation are properly trained. However microchipping is not just a matter of implanting the microchip, there is a significant amount of administrative work in ensuring that animals are properly registered and that details are kept up-to-date. All of these stages need to be properly funded if the scheme is to be successful and sustainable. BSAVA will be consulting its members to gather their views and concerns and hope to be involved in a productive conversation with all interested parties."
BSAVA says there is a good news animal welfare story within this statement concerning the seizure of animals during investigation under the Dangerous Dogs Act. The new measures will allow the authorities to decide whether a suspected prohibited dog can stay with their owners until the outcome of court proceedings. Until now all such animals had to be kennelled until the proceedings had concluded, which often means that dogs who posed no risk suffered unnecessarily. BSAVA welcomes this new measure in the interest of animal welfare.
Petlog has kicked off its annual National Microchipping Month by joining forces with Hampden Veterinary Hospital in Aylesbury.
Petlog holds National Microchipping Month throughout June each year to promote the benefits of microchipping and the importance of keeping contact details up to date.
This year, Hampden Veterinary Hospital has been encouraging pet owners to make sure their pets are microchipped by offering half price microchipping at a 'responsible pet ownership' event hosted at the hospital.
Celia Walsom, Petlog Executive said: "National Microchipping Month is a fantastic chance to promote the benefits of microchipping, and we are thrilled that Hampden Veterinary Hospital took such a proactive role in encouraging responsible dog ownership through this event. Microchipping is a great way to permanently identify your pet, and ensure that if he or she goes missing that you are reunited as quickly as possible."
Petlog says that last year, it received almost 120,000 lost and found calls in total from around the UK.
This June, Petlog customers can upgrade to the Petlog Premium lifetime service online for £7.50, allowing them to update their contact information as often as needed with no extra costs.
For more information on National Microchipping Month or Petlog visit www.petlog.org.uk or www.thekennelclub.org.uk.
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
BCF has launched the CR7, a new dental x-ray system to add to the company's range of digital radiography equipment.
BCF describes the CR7 as a portable, desk-top sized, small format CR X-ray dental system which has been specifically designed for dental diagnosis in a veterinary practice, with intuitive operation and fast workflow integration.
Kat Evans from BCF said: "The image quality on this machine is fantastic. The CR plates are scanned at 25 line pairs per mm, giving over double the resolution of any traditional CR system. This allows for much more accurate diagnosis of dental disease. It can also be used with a normal X-ray generator."
For more information visit www.bcftechnology.com or call +44 (0)1506 460023 to arrange a demonstration. You can also join BCF on Facebook at www.facebook.com/bcftechnology
The BSAVA has released a statement in support of the television programme Pedigree Dogs Exposed - three years on, made by Jemima Harrison. The programme was broadcast earlier this week on BBC4 as a follow up to a documentary which was first shown in 2008.
BSAVA President Andrew Ash said: "Jemima Harrison has highlighted an important issue. It is essential that veterinary surgeons, dog breeders and the general public no longer accept that breeding for extremes of conformation or knowingly from animals with inherited disease is an acceptable practice. The programme highlighted two main areas of concern, firstly the small genetic pool that exists in many breeds and secondly continued breeding for extremes of body shape. Both these areas must be addressed urgently. A civilised nation must agree that it is not acceptable to breed dogs that cannot function as dogs."
He went on to say that: "BSAVA supports the health schemes that are now available to owners as steps in the right direction. However it is difficult to believe that health schemes are going to be sufficient in themselves to tackle these problems rapidly and effectively. It is particularly perverse to be promoting health schemes and yet continuing to allow the registration and showing of progeny with Coefficients of Inbreeding as high as 47.5% or where the animal concerned is known to have failed a screening test (significant in that breed)."
Vice President Mark Johnson said: "We are supportive of the changes that the Kennel Club has made so far, and applaud them in allowing the introduction of new genes into certain breeds as demonstrated by the registration of the LUA Dalmatian. I support the introduction of the "Mate Select" scheme (link) but believe that the Kennel Club should adopt the Advisory Council on Welfare in Dog Breeding recommendation and not register puppies with a coefficient of breeding (over 5 generations) greater than 12.5%."
The BSAVA says it supports the BVA in its call for a radical review of all breed standards to ensure that they actively protect the health and welfare of the dog. However it is important to remember that inherited disease is not just a problem of purebred dogs and BSAVA supports the introduction of legislation that seeks to improve the health and welfare of all dogs.
International Cat Care (formerly the Feline Advisory Bureau) is once again raising the issue of cats accidentally poisoned by dog flea products containing permethrin.
The charity is undertaking a campaign to warn owners of the dangers of using dog flea products on their cats because cats are still dying unnecessarily. While the incidents outlined here occurred in the UK, previous reports have shown that this is the most common cause of poisoning of cats in many countries because products are widely and easily available.
Gary Rutland RVN DipAVN(Surgical), Head Nurse and Cat Advocate at the Cat Friendly Millennium Veterinary Practice in Essex was moved to get in contact with International Cat Care after the death of a nine-week-old kitten treated with a permethrin-containing dog spot-on bought at a local pet store. Understandably, both the owners and the practice staff were greatly distressed. The owner used it on her dog and, because it was cheap, assumed it would 'not be strong' and would be fine to use on the kitten. A video of the kitten on the ICC website (www.icatcare.org/permethrin/cat-deaths) shows the resulting seizures.
The second incident concerned two 7-year-old cats treated accidentally after Donna, their owner, bought a dog spot-on containing permethrin from a local shop without wearing her glasses. Someone had placed a dog treatment among the cat treatments and she picked it up. No advice was given to Donna in the shop. She said that the flea treatments were on the shelves, 'just like selling smarties in a children's candy store'.
Although both products had a warning on the packaging, this was either not seen or not taken seriously enough because such products are so freely available and nobody thinks that a drop of a dog product could kill their cat.
International Cat Care is demanding that dog spot-on flea products containing permethrin should not be available without verbal advice at the point of sale. Currently these products are categorised by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) in the UK as AVM-GSL, which means that they can be bought directly off the shop shelf without the need for advice. The charity says they should be recategorised as NFA-VPS so that they can only be purchased if there is someone in the shop who is suitably qualified to speak to and advise the buyer. The shop should advise that they are only for use on dogs, and ask if there are any cats in the home which could come into contact with a recently-treated dog. The owners can then be warned to keep the dog and cat apart, or advised to use a different product. Advice must be given with some other current non-permethrin containing spot-on products sold through pet shops under the NFA-VPS authorisation and many of these products have a much safer profile if used accidentally on cats, than those containing permethrin.
Dr Andy Sparkes, Veterinary Director for International Cat Care, said: 'Many practices see permethrin poisoning in cats several times a year but do not contact the VMD because the product is not a POM or they feel that the Directorate already knows about the problem. We feel strongly that the problem is greatly under-reported. Nothing will be done unless the full extent of the problem is realised by the VMD, so please report each one by going on the website at https://www.vmd.defra.gov.uk/adversereactionreporting/. These cat deaths are totally preventable - you can sign our petition at www.icatcare.org/permethrin/petition to change the categorisation.'
The charity is also asking the pet trade to voluntarily class these dog spot-on products containing permethrin as NFA-VPS and to provide advice to their customers accordingly. Pets at Home is working with International Cat Care and the company will be adding a till prompt so that the product cannot be sold without customers being asked whether they have a cat and given appropriate advice.
Maeve Moorcroft, Head of Pets at Pets at Home which earlier this year launched its Flea Fight Force said: 'We take the risk of permethrin poisoning in cats very seriously. We are introducing prompts at our tills so that customers are asked during the checkout process if they are aware of the risk to cats in the home when purchasing a permethrin based spot-on dog flea treatment, and also advised to wait at least 72 hours after treating the dog before the dog and cat can come into close contact.'
International Cat Care is urging veterinary practices to ensure that if concentrated permethrin-containing spot-on products are prescribed and dispensed for use on dogs, adequate warnings are given, including when owners come in for repeat prescriptions. Asking if there is a cat in the house each time a product is dispensed is critical in case a cat has recently been added to the home.
Information on the veterinary treatment of permethrin poisoning cases can be found on the ICC website at www.icatcare.org/permethrin/vet-info
The statement, which can be downloaded here, is supported by a number of people and organisations in both the human and animal sector, including the BVA, Lyme Disease Action, the Blue Cross, Bristol, Nottingham and Surrey Universities.
The guidelines cover:
The statement was coordinated by MSD Animal Health and ESCCAP UK and Ireland in the run up to Tick Awareness Month, MSD's annual campaign coming up in September.
Amanda Melvin, Senior Product Manager, MSD Animal Health said: "The approval of this statement is very timely as we approach Tick Awareness Month. It is a major step forward for the industry by giving all the organisations involved a clear position on the subject. This will allow us to move forward together and tackle some of the issues related to ticks and tick borne diseases, including providing vets with clear practical guidelines for tick control.”
For further information about Tick Awareness Month, contact your MSD Animal Health representative.
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
The speaker line-up includes performance coach and head of training at VDS training, Carolyne Crowe, Jamie Callan, Professor of Leadership & HRD and Director of Equity & Diversity at Newcastle Business School and Laura Whyte, who was HR Director at the John Lewis Partnership and is now a Non-Executive Director with a number of organisations including XLVets, the British Horseracing Authority and the Ministry of Defence.
A number of women from industry and practice will also share their experiences and perspectives in short sessions entitled ‘If you can see it, you can be it!’ to reflect how veterinary women can tackle challenges and make the most of opportunities.
The event is being steered by Liz Barton, the editor of Veterinary Woman, and Kerrie Hedley, the Chief Operating Officer at XLVets. Liz said: “We’ve been working hard to develop resources for women in the profession for the last few years and it’s wonderful to see so many women coming together and providing the skills and inspiration that will help other women aspire to leadership roles.”
Kerrie, who will be running a workshop on 'Overcoming Stereotypes: What does the future leader look like?' added: "From the research I undertook last year we know that there is a stereotypical perception of what a leader looks like in the profession, for example a requirement to work full time. This workshop is about crushing that stereotype and defining what the future leader could look like. I'm really excited to be supporting women to develop innovative solutions in their leadership journey and look forward to seeing what we can achieve at this inaugural event."
The event is open to anyone in the profession – vets, RVNs, practice managers, whether from independent or corporate practice, industry or academia. Registration costs £45, inclusive of VAT and £20 for students if booked at the early bird rate before 31st August.
Recordings will be available to anyone who registers but can’t attend the whole six hours.
Registration is now open at https://bit.ly/VeterinaryWomenInLeadership.
Originally launched in 2022, the company says the platform now has thousands of users including hundreds of imaging specialists from around the world.
Dr Oliver Gehrigsaid: "One of veheri's goals is to promote worldwide cooperation with experts as medical progress has always emerged from the collective, and the best in the field play a central role in this.
"We connect veterinarians globally via our global veterinary community, where cases can be uploaded and discussed.
"Veheri also offers direct access to one of the largest expert networks worldwide through our Diagnostics-Teleradiology Module”.
Teleradiology reports can be requested from €100 depending on the modality, and the company offers practice membership plans starting at €200 per month.
https://www.veheri.com
Launched in 2023 to address the growing need for skilled farm vets, the VetPartners Farm Academy was created to provide more opportunities for future vets to gain hands-on experience.
VetPartners Farm Director Ian Cure said: “By opening up on-farm and simulated farm experiences to students, the academy aims to bridge the gap between veterinary education and practical farm work – ensuring a strong pipeline of talent into the industry.
“Designed by farm vets, for vets of the future, our three-day academy complements university education by providing veterinary students with a structured on-farm experience that builds confidence and prepares them for a career in farm practice.
“By welcoming students into the Farm Academy, we’re helping them develop the practical skills, confidence and knowledge needed to thrive in farm animal practice from day one.
"The academy also offers those students who haven’t had previous farm exposure the chance to try farm vetting for the first time.
“With the agricultural sector facing increasing pressures, from sustainability targets to animal health challenges, ensuring the next generation of farm vets is well-prepared is more important than ever.”
This year’s academy will take place at a VetPartners practice in Cornwall, from 14th to 16th June.
Students will receive training from experienced farm vets, and gain valuable skills in herd health, disease management, and sustainable livestock production.
The Farm Academy programme in 2025 will offer students:
To apply, send a CV and covering letter to farmsupport@vetpartners.co.uk
Applications close 25th April.
Details of the new charges are found on the in-flight safety card ...
The survey, which was designed to give veterinary surgeons and employers a greater insight in order to be able to attract the highest calibre applicants, was completed by 206 veterinary nurses who described themselves as having recently looked for a job, or actively looking for a job, or could imagine looking for a job in the foreseeable future.
The second most important job attribute cited by veterinary nurses - out of 13 - was ‘pay’, with ‘work-life balance’ in third.
Interestingly, when asked a similar question, veterinary surgeons said ‘pay’ was only the 6th most important factor, perhaps a reflection of the fact that a reasonable salary is more of a given amongst veterinary surgeons than nurses.
The survey also found that only slightly more veterinary nurses are prepared to do out-of-hours work than veterinary surgeons: 58% versus 52%.
Lastly, the survey showed that nurses may be more internet-savvy than veterinary surgeons, with an overwhelming majority (85%) said they were likely to spend most time browsing jobs online, as opposed to traditional magazines (compared to nearly 70% of veterinary surgeons that said the same).
VetSurgeon.org/VetNurse.co.uk Editor Arlo Guthrie said: "The survey was carried out primarily to help practices create recruitment adverts that better meet the hopes and aspirations of candidates, thereby improving response rates.
"I think it provides clear evidence of the need for advertisements to give examples of how you show you value your nurses, such as support for further education, a system which allows their voices to be heard and good ideas implemented, and team-building events.
"And if you pay well, don’t be shy about staying so."
The full survey results can be downloaded here.
The collection draws together a selection of materials, including chapters from BSAVA Manuals, articles from Companion, webinars and Congress lectures.
The collection is divided into four areas: general information, client communication, client support and practitioner support. It includes things like:
Julian Hoad, Chair of the BSAVA Publications Committee said: “Death and taxes are the only two certainties of life, according to Benjamin Franklin! Our pets don’t have the worry of taxation but managing the end of life for them is something that all owners must face. It is probably the most challenging part of our veterinary work also – managing the emotional, sometimes highly charged, aspect of the situation, whilst maintaining an objective focus on the patient.
"This new collection provides a handy resource for this important area of veterinary practice. The collection will enable the recent graduate to gain confidence in dealing with these cases; tips for improvement that even the more experienced clinician will find useful are also included.”
The collection can be accessed via the BSAVA Library https://www.bsavalibrary.com/content/end-of-life---introduction at a cost of £20.00 for BSAVA members or £45.00 for non-members.
Vetoquinol UK is offering vets the chance to receive a free pair of either Oster A5 clippers or the new cordless Oster Power Pro Ultra Clippers, worth over £200, free of charge.
Buy £400 worth of Marbocyl P (palatable) tablets, and Marbocyl SA injection to get the Oster A5 clippers, which is equivalent to a 25% discount. Alternatively, to receive the new Oster Power Pro Ultra Clippers, you need to buy £700 of Marbocyl P and Marbocyl SA, equivalent to a discount of 29%.
There is also the option to include Clavaseptin in this offer. Clavaseptin is a highly palatable amoxycillin/clavulanic acid antibiotic licensed for both dogs and cats. Buy £400 worth of Marbocyl, Marbocyl SA AND Clavaseptin and receive the Oster A5 clippers, or spend £700 on these three products and receive the Oster Power Pro Ultra Clippers.
These Oster Clipper offers are valid until 29th August, or while clipper stocks last, and cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotion offers.