Pets At Home Vet Group and Dick White Referrals have announced a strategic partnership in order to develop Pets at Home's strategy for providing specialist care.
Pets at Home says it is creating a new divisional structure comprised of the existing First Opinion Division (Vets4Pets and Companion Care joint venture practices) and the new Specialist Division, which comprises Dick White Referrals, Northwest Surgeons, Anderson Moores, and Eye Vet Referrals.
Dick White has been appointed Clinical Director of the new Specialist Division.
Dick will remain as a shareholder in Dick White Referrals. He and three of the Specialist clinicians - Giunio Bruto Cherubini, Federico Corletto and Rob Foale - will retain 24% of the practice.
Sally Hopson, CEO of Pets at Home Vet Group said: "We are delighted to have attracted a colleague of Dick White’s pedigree to join us, not only to help drive the future growth of Dick White Referrals, but also to play a key role in developing our Specialist Division. Professor White is a key figure in the development of the Specialist Veterinary segment; he has trained many of the leading Specialist veterinary practitioners. This is a tremendous step forward for the Vet Group. I’m also very pleased that Professor White and his colleagues have chosen to remain as equity partners in Dick White Referrals."
Dick said: "Forming this strategic partnership provides great opportunities for us to continue to develop Dick White Referrals as a world class referrals centre with a team of leading Veterinary Specialists. I am delighted to be working with a partner that shares our vision for Dick White Referrals and is committed to supporting its future development. Joining the Board of the Specialist Division will allow me to provide clinical leadership and governance across the division, input into the formulation of strategy and support M&A activity and veterinary recruitment."
Elanco is highlighting new research which shows that using monensin in dairy cows at high risk of developing subclinical ketosis reduces curative antibiotic use by 25%.
According to the company, good herd management before calving is known to mitigate antimicrobial use in cows suffering from subclinical ketosis related conditions, but to date little research has quantified it.
The new research, by the University of Toulouse, was presented to leading cattle vets, academics and representatives of the pharmaceutical industry by veterinary cattle health specialist, Professor Didier Raboisson at the European Buiatrics Forum in Rome in October.1 It showed that using a monensin bolus in cows at high risk of getting subclinical ketosis led to a 25% reduction in antibiotics to treat and cure conditions associated with the metabolic condition.
Fiona Anderson MRCVS of Elanco said: "Responsible use of antimicrobials must be the target for veterinary medicine. Reducing use by whatever means could help improve the antimicrobial resistance situation. This new study shows that using monensin, which is available in the form of a Kexxtone bolus, is a powerful way to cut antibiotic use in the dairy herd. This is in addition to monensin already proven to be a valuable tool to reduce the risk of ketosis and subclinical ketosis and its associated losses in dairy herd productivity and profitability."
Subclinical ketosis is very common. It can affect up to 30% of cows in early lactation with a large variation between herds.2 It can be very costly for a dairy herd. A study from 2015 found that for a 100 cow herd with 30% ketosis, the direct and indirect costs can be around £10,416 or around £347 per affected cow.3
Cows affected by subclinical ketosis are at a higher risk of getting mastitis and metritis. They are also at higher risk of developing displaced abomasum, retained placenta and cystic ovaries and consequently face a higher culling risk. Subclinical ketosis also lowers milk production, reduces conception rates and lengthens calving intervals.4
If ketosis is an issue in a dairy herd, targeted administration of monensin in a Kexxtone bolus to cows at high risk of developing ketosis reduces the incidences of ketosis by 74%.6
The bolus is given three weeks before calving and provides coverage during the main risk period for the condition. Kexxtone uses monensin to improve rumen function and increase glucose delivery. This ultimately increases the energy available and buffers the dairy cow against the tendency to drop into negative energy balance.5
To make a big difference to clients’ profitability, Fiona encourages vets to not just consider the traditional nutritional intervention and the emergency treatment of ketosis cases, but to develop an effective strategy to highlight cows at risk of subclinical ketosis and to take targeted preventative action. She said: "Vets who can offer positive interventions to subclinical ketosis and its associated losses in the dairy herd are going to be increasingly important to their clients’ herd health planning."
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Pete (pictured right), an RCVS Recognised Specialist in Veterinary Dentistry, was recognised for his outstanding contributions to the discipline of veterinary oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMFS).
There are a total of 14 founding fellows and Pete is the only one practising in Europe. The award will mean it’s possible for an OMFS Fellowship programme to be delivered at Eastcott Referrals in the future.
Pete said: "To be accepted as an AVDC Fellow is a real honour and I’m delighted to be awarded this position. There is a pretty rigorous process to go through to become a Founding Fellow of the AVDC, so it’s extremely gratifying to be recognised."
At the same time, another Eastcott clinician is also celebrating recognition in the same discipline: Andrew Perry has become a European Veterinary Specialist in Dentistry.
Pete said: "We all congratulate Andrew on his achievement. He is a hugely valuable and experienced member of the team here.
"It’s a very exciting time for Eastcott, as we seek to expand our dentistry and oral and maxillofacial surgery department and develop new techniques in OMFS.
"We have a highly experienced team and will adding another Resident in the new year, so we’re in an extremely strong position to deal with a large caseload and able to see a wide range of different cases."
For more information about Eastcott Referrals, visit www.eastcottreferrals.co.uk.
John Davies and Tom Lonsdale MsRCVS both objected to edits made by the College to their candidate statements.
Mr Davies explained in his statement how he'd been subject to "bewildering, unfounded and damaging allegations" from two veterinary nurses, one of which he says resulted in his dismissal from a practice at which he was a partner. He went on to explain how, in addition to taking the dismissal case to an employment tribunal and winning, he had also raised concerns with the College about the nurses who'd made the allegations against him. Mr Davies outlined the way he felt that the RCVS mismanaged his case and how that had driven him to stand for Council to try and address the grave concerns he now had about the governance of the profession. However, the Returning Officer redacted the details on the grounds that they were considered to be defamatory and/or factually misleading.
The main grounds for Mr Lonsdale’s challenge was that the election had been furthered by corrupt practices, namely undue influence (all in terms of the Misrepresentation of the People Act 1983). In addition, the Returning Officer edited Mr Lonsdale’s candidate statement before circulation to the electorate, refusing to include hypertext links and removing references that the Returning Officer believed to be defamatory. The Returning Officer also declined to publish his ‘Quiz the candidates’ video on the RCVS website and/or YouTube channel when requests to make minor amendments considered defamatory were refused.
Both challenges were lodged with the RCVS last July, after which the College set up a Challenge Committee in accordance with the election challenge procedure, approved by Privy Council. It comprised three members of Council nominated by RCVS President Stephen May.
Sitting with one of the RCVS Legal Assessors – Mr Richard Price OBE QC – the Challenge Committee was required to decide whether to declare the election void, based on whether the alleged irregularity in question rendered the election substantially not in accordance with the RCVS Council Election Scheme, or that the irregularity concerned significantly affected the result of the election (in which Mr Lonsdale and Mr Davies came 15th and 16th respectively out of 16 candidates).
Following written submissions from both the RCVS and Mr Davies, the Challenge Committee dismissed Mr Davies’s challenge, stating that there was no irregularity in the conduct of the election on the part of the Returning Officer, and that there was no valid basis for challenging the validity of the election.
The Challenge Committee (comprising the same members as for Mr Davies’s challenge) also dismissed Mr Lonsdale’s challenge, stating that it considered it to be 'totally devoid of merit'.
Prior to reaching this decisions, however, two preliminary challenges made by Mr Lonsdale were also considered and dismissed.
The first related to the members of the Challenge Committee, whom Mr Lonsdale argued should stand down on the basis of actual or apparent bias based on his allegations of connections with the pet food industry.
The Committee considered that a fair-minded and informed observer, having understood the facts, would conclude that the connection of committee members to the pet food industry were '….remote, indirect and, in the case of one panel member, virtually non-existent'.
Each committee member was satisfied that there was '…no real possibility of their judgement being distorted or influenced by any interest in, or links with, the pet food industry.'
The second challenge was to The Legal Assessor, who had been appointed to advise the Committee. Mr Lonsdale had alleged that Mr Price had displayed bias in the way that he had given advice to the Committee in relation to the challenge to the Committee membership. This was also dismissed.
Charcovet Gel contains 30g of activated charcoal in a 60ml syringe.
Dr John Henderson, Large Animal Product Manager at Forte Healthcare said: “In young animals with digestive disturbances, Charcovet Gel uses the adsorbent properties of activated charcoal to support the gut in a return to normal function.
"The value of using activated charcoal in cases of digestive upset in young animals has long been recognised, but the difficulty and mess involved in mixing such a fine dry powder in water presented considerable usability issues.
"With Charcovet Gel, the appropriate volume of activated charcoal gel is simply selected from the graduated syringe and administered directly into the animal’s mouth.
"Charcovet Gel can be given daily as needed to support the animal during the period of digestive upset.”
Each box of Charcovet Gel contains 12 syringes.
Charcovet Gel is available now from all major veterinary wholesalers, or directly from Forte Healthcare Ltd.
For more information contact your Forte Territory Manager, email enquiries@fortehealthcare.com or visit: https://www.fortehealthcare.com/product/charcovet-gel
The practice was formed earlier this year by Jade Statt and Sam Joseph, two veterinary surgeons who, quite separately, had been inspired by the bond between homeless people and their dogs and decided to do what they could to help. Each hit the streets, Jade in Westminster and Sam in North London, offering healthchecks and basic flea and worm treatment to the homeless. Unbeknownst to each other, they worked under the same name of Streetvet.
Their paths crossed earlier this year, whereupon they decided to join forces and create a proper framework through which to deliver not just preventative care for the majority of animals that are well cared for and healthy, but treatment for those that need it. So Streetvet was born.
Since then, the practice has grown to a 65-strong team of volunteer veterinary surgeons and nurses providing a free, first opinion veterinary service across London, supported by drug companies, veterinary practices, animal welfare charities, social non-profit organisations and local councils.
Jade said: "We have vets out in the community at least 4 days a week and everything that can be done in a consultation room, we can perform on the street. This includes medicating, vaccinating, blood sampling, urine analysis, lump sampling, microchipping and more.
"When we meet a dog that needs more advanced treatment we are able to take them to one of the practices that we work at to perform procedures including neutering, dental work, surgery, diagnostic imaging and even hydrotherapy.
"Being vets, we love animals, but much of our day-to-day work involves caring for their owners as well. Many of the owners that we meet are vulnerable people and one of the main benefits of having vets out on the streets is that we get to know the owners and their dogs and gain their trust.”
Streetvet will be launching in Brighton on Sunday 26th November and in Bristol on 2nd December.
if you are in the Brighton or Bristol area and want to volunteer, offer practice support or get involved with fundraising, email: info@streetvet.co.uk.
Veterinary professionals across the UK are also encouraged to email their interest in volunteering, to help StreetVet build its database and in time set up StreetVet UK-wide.
RSPCA has launched a new website called 'Political Animal' to encourage voters to lobby their prospective parliamentary candidates about animal welfare issues ahead of the General Election.
The site offers an interesting timeline of the last 20 years of animal welfare law, leading up to the Animal Welfare Act 2006, showing landmark changes. It also gives details of the RSPCA's stance on issues like status dogs, higher welfare farming, wild animals in circuses and animals used in experiments.
RSPCA parliamentary officer Stacey Frier, said: "The Political Animal microsite is a unique project allowing our supporters to drive the debate by letting politicians know what they want them to do for animal welfare if they are elected.
"The RSPCA and its supporters have been instrumental in campaigning for change in animal welfare legislation since the Society's creation in 1824 and we're urging the incoming parliament to continue to work with us to achieve further animal welfare milestones."
For more information, please log on to http://www.politicalanimal.org.uk/
The five-part series, which is hosted on Elanco’s customer portal MyElanco.co.uk, covers topics including managing social media communities, how to build a presence using social media advertising and how to respond to new regulations around personal data.
According to a report on Bloomberg, Facebook is reported to be on track to have 32.6 million regular users in the UK despite its falling audience of younger users. Meanwhile Instagram's UK user base was believed to be 16.7 million at the end of 2017. Hence why 81% of small and medium businesses are reported to use some kind of social platform.
Elanco Customer Experience Manager Matthew Rowe said: "The global popularity of social media sites means people now expect businesses to have a social media presence and veterinary practices are no different.
"More veterinary practices are launching business profiles, recognising how vital it is to have a social presence so they can engage with their clients outside of the consultation room. But we realise that it can seem like an intimidating and complex process.
"The workshops have been created to help more vet practices get started with social media and gain more confidence to make the most out of it for the benefit of their business."
To watch the videos, register at MyElanco.co.uk and visit: https://www.myelanco.co.uk/CPD/video-workshop-part1
Virbac has launched Deltanil, a deltamethrin-based pour-on solution indicated in dairy and beef cattle for use against flies and lice with a zero milk withdrawal period. It is also effective in sheep against ticks, lice, keds and blowfly strike and against lice and ticks in lambs.
Deltanil is presented for use with the company's Farmpack and Flexibag dispensing system, which was awarded the 2014 PharmaPack Award for Innovative Packaging. Virbac says the system offers farmers a convenient approach to treatment, combining easy application with freedom of movement and the flexibility of a long stability period once the product is opened.
The Farmpack backpack holds a 2.5 litre Flexibag of Deltanil solution, sufficient for the treatment of 250 cattle.
The Flexibag is a flexible, multi-layered, multi-component bag designed to protect and preserve medication, giving Deltanil a two year proven stability period after opening. Unopened, Deltanil has a three year shelf life.
Virbac Product Manager for Large Animals Brigitte Goasduf MRCVS said: "External parasites are a year-round threat to dairy and beef herds and can have a significant economic impact on yields. With the launch of Deltanil, we are offering a new approach to product application, one which is ideally suited to the practical conditions on farm and which addresses the challenges often faced in using pour ons.
"We believe that Deltanil, with its zero milk withdrawal period for dairy cattle and sheep and innovative Farmpack and Flexibag dispensing system, sets a new standard for products of this type.
"Deltanil is based on deltamethrin, a tried and trusted parasiticide. It offers a convenient approach to administration with a 10ml dosage per cow, irrespective of weight, and is presented in two sizes - the 2.5 litre Flexibag and a 1litre dispensing bottle. The 1litre bottle offers a year's stability once opened. The dosage per sheep is 5ml, irrespective of weight, with a 2.5ml dosage for lambs."
Feliscratch by Feliway is a synthetic copy of the feline interdigital semiochemical (FIS) naturally produced by cats and Ceva says it is the only product clinically proven to help divert scratching behaviour onto a desired location.
The company says it helps control both vertical and horizontal scratching and helps prevent inappropriate scratching with newly adopted cats or kittens.
The new pheromone is available in a pack of nine single use 5ml pipettes which should be applied on a scratching post to redirect the scratching.
The product attracts cats in three ways: the blue staining mimics the visual message (scratch marks), catnip helps attract the cat to the scratching post and the pheromone directs cat scratching on the surface where the product has been applied. One pack lasts for up to four weeks.
Feliscratch by Feliway can be used alongside Feliway Classic if the owner is experiencing stress-related scratching or alongside Feliway Friends for conflicts in the home.
Claire Russell, pheromone product manager at Ceva Animal Health said: "Scratching is a major problem in cat owning households with many owners experiencing damaged carpets, sofas and other household furniture. Feliscratch by Feliway can help redirect scratching onto a desired location, such as a scratching post, and can be used in conjunction with Feliway Classic and Feliway Friends to help prevent other stress-related behaviours."
Ceva Animal Health has launched a range of marketing materials to support the launch of Feliscratch by Feliway including a pet owner leaflet, posters, wobblers and a digital pack containing social media posts, product pack shots, logo and videos.
For information on Feliway visit www.feliway.com/uk.
According to the AHT, there is undisputed evidence that owners, riders and trainers have a poor ability to recognise signs of pain seen when horses are ridden. As a result, problems are labelled as training-related, rider-related, behavioural, or deemed 'normal' for that horse because 'that’s how he’s always gone'.
This, says the AHT, means pain-related problems are often disregarded, the horse continues in work, and the problem gets progressively worse.
Dr Sue Dyson, Head of Clinical Orthopaedics at the AHT, believes it may be easier to educate riders and trainers to recognise changes in facial expression and behaviour rather than lameness. So she and her team set out to develop and test an ethogram to describe facial expressions in ridden horses and to determine whether individuals could interpret and correctly apply the ethogram consistently.
At this stage in the project, they concluded that their ethogram could reliably be used to describe facial expressions of ridden horses by people from different professional backgrounds (full paper here: http://www.journalvetbehavior.com/article/S1558-7878(16)30184-8/fulltext).
In the next stage of the project, Sue and her team sought to demonstrate that the ethogram could be used to identify lameness.
The ethogram was applied blindly by a trained analyst to photographs (n=519) of the head and neck of lame (n=76) and non-lame (n=25) horses acquired during ridden schooling-type work at both trot and canter. These included images of seven lame horses acquired before (n=30 photographs) and after diagnostic analgesia had abolished lameness (n=22 photographs).
A pain score (0-3; 0=normal, 1-3=abnormal) was applied to each feature in the ethogram, based on published descriptions of pain in horses.
A total of 27,407 facial markers were recorded, with those giving the greatest significant difference between lame and sound horses including ears back, eyes partially or fully closed, an open mouth with exposed teeth and being severely above the bit.
Pain scores were higher for lame horses than non-lame horses (p<0.001). Total pain score (p<0.05), total head position score (p<0.01), and total ear score (p<0.01) were reduced in lame horses after abolition of lameness.
Severely ‘above the bit’, twisting the head, asymmetrical position of the bit, ear position (both ears backwards, one ear backwards and one to the side, one ear backwards and one ear forwards) and eye features (exposure of the sclera, the eye partially or completely closed, muscle tension caudal to the eye, an intense stare) were the best indicators of pain.
The researchers concluded that application of the ethogram and pain score could differentiate between lame and non-lame horses. Assessment of facial expression could potentially improve recognition of pain-related gait abnormalities in ridden horses (full paper here: http://www.journalvetbehavior.com/article/S1558-7878(17)30019-9/fulltext)
Sue and her team are now working on the development of a whole horse ethogram and its application to non-lame and lame horses, to help to differentiate between manifestations of conflict behaviour, in response to the demands of the rider, and pain. They are also working towards the development of a practical tool for recognising facial expressions, similar to that of a body condition score chart, which they say could dramatically improve the health and welfare of all horses.
Photo: Signs of pain include ears back (pain score of 3), intense stare, muscle tension and mouth. Courtesy Dr Sue Tyson.
Tuloxxin contains Tulathromycin and Krka says it is based on the same formulation as the market leader.
In cattle Tuloxxin is administered using a single subcutaneous injection; in sheep Tuloxxin is licensed for use in the treatment of foot rot associated with Dichelobacter nodosus and also in pigs for swine respiratory disease (SRD) administered via a single intra-muscular injection. Krka says it is fast-acting, and that the one dose formulation supports compliance and so reduces stress to herds and flocks.
Charlotte Read, Key Account Manager – Farm, at Krka, said: "Whenever Krka launches a generic product, we aim to add some extra value to it. Tuloxxin is a good example. It is based on a tried and trusted active and delivers efficacy; with formulation and delivery method technology at exceptional value. We hope its launch will support vets in their appropriate choice of antibiotic for specific cases. In so doing, they will be protecting their clients’ cattle and profitability while also playing their part in reducing antimicrobial use.”
Tuloxxin is available now from all wholesalers.
The awards, comprising academic book vouchers, were presented at the University’s RCVS ceremony after graduation earlier this month.
Jamie Rahman BVSc won the award for the most engaged veterinary student on EMS placement. Feedback about his placement included: 'Exceptional attitude'. 'Contributed actively to good clinical discussion'. 'Intelligent and engaging’. 'Shows true dedication to learning as much as he can whilst in practice, trying to spend as much time with the different specialists as possible'.
Meanwhile, Cheviot Vets in Alnwick won the students' award for outstanding clinical EMS placement 2019. Comments received from students included: ‘I would not be nearly as prepared and ready for practice without the support and training of the team at Cheviot Vets.’ ‘They invested an incredible amount of time into helping me develop my husbandry knowledge and skills.’ ‘Really supportive manner and encouraged me to develop my skills.’
Sarah Heming, Director of Public Affairs and Customer Relations at Zoetis said: "Zoetis has a high focus on supporting the professional advancement of the veterinary profession. We are proud sponsors of the EMS Recognition Awards for Bristol University alongside other initiatives such as the Young Vet of the Year Awards in partnership with the British Veterinary Association.
"The initial stages of a veterinary career are pivotal so helping winning individuals to invest in academic or professional resources to support their continued development in practice can be very beneficial. We would also like to formally thank the winning practices for their invaluable commitment and support."
PBD says Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) is a growing problem for zoos and wildlife parks, especially with the disease’s potential to spread from one species to another, creating a natural reservoir that is difficult to control.
bTB in zoos came to public attention last year when Devon’s Paignton Zoo detected a single case in one of its antelope. Without access to a test that would deliver rapid results, the zoo had to cull the remaining 10-strong herd of Kafue Flats lechwe.
PBD says the Actiphage test can identify bTB and other mycobacterial diseases in animals before clinical symptoms of infection are observed. It can detect with high specificity the presence of any mycobacteria in animal blood within 6 hours in comparison to culturing mycobacteria, which can take up to 12 weeks.
The technology has been successfully applied to blood samples from 17 different species so far, including deer, goats and badgers as well as exotic animals such as lions, giraffes, antelopes, elephants, tigers, kangaroos and camels. Trials have confirmed PBD Biotech’s assay can detect live mycobacteria in blood or milk samples at very high sensitivity, of less than 10 mycobacterial cells per ml of sample.
The test is being presented to delegates at the British Veterinary Zoological Society (BVZS) Congress in Birmingham today by Dr Ben Swift, Research Fellow at the Royal Veterinary College and R&D Director at PBD Biotech.
He said: "The Actiphage detection method provides a major step change in the detection of viable mycobacteria and has the potential to revolutionise the control and understanding of mycobacterial diseases in zoo animals, wildlife and a range of other species.
"The use of bacteriophage means the test can detect mycobacteria before an immune response is fully developed, giving vets, zoo-keepers and other exotics experts a head-start on the race to catch bTB and other diseases in the hope of preventing the unnecessary cull of protected animals."
AceSedate for horses contains 10mg/ml acepromazine as its active ingredient, which the company says means a lower dose volume is required compared to the non-UK licensed equine acepromazine options available.
The dosage of AceSedate is 0.03-0.10 mg per kg bodyweight, however Jurox recommends that the lower end of the dose range is always selected where possible. It can be administered via intramuscular or slow intravenous injection.
AceSedate is supplied in a multidose vial and the shelf life after opening the immediate packaging is 28 days.
Richard Beckwith, country manager of Jurox (UK) Ltd, said: "The launch of AceSedate means injectable acepromazine is now licensed in the UK for horses, giving vets peace-of-mind that a licensed product is now available. It is a welcome addition to our equine anaesthesia, analgesia and sedation portfolio."
For more information, visit: www.jurox.com/uk, contact your local Jurox technical sales representative, telephone the customer services team on 0800 500 3171 or e-mail customerservice@jurox.co.uk.
The charity, which was set up over 120 years ago, says the number of calls and emails it gets from industry professionals seeking help has increased 500% over the last 5 years; it has received more than 1,500 calls and emails over the past 12 months.
Lynne Hill, Chief Executive of Linnaeus said: "The veterinary industry is fast-paced and, at times, an extremely stressful environment, so the support on offer from Vetlife is particularly valuable and its worth is demonstrated by the significant increase in contact being made to it.
"We hope this donation will help Vetlife continue to provide the excellent service and support they have given to vets and nurses for so long."
Vetlife President Geoff Little said: "This donation from the Linnaeus Group is extremely generous. We have seen a dramatic rise in calls and emails to the service over recent years. So much so, we have recruited additional volunteers to cope with the additional contacts. It’s extremely gratifying to see the number of volunteers who are so willing to put something back into their profession and to help others.
"At Vetlife, we provide support in the shape of three core services, which are the Vetlife Helpline, which provides independent, confidential support 24/7, 365 days a year; Health Support, run by mental health professionals; and Financial Support, which provides assistance to vets or their dependents who find themselves in difficulty.
"This support from Linnaeus will help us to bridge the gap as the need for support continues to grow."
Anyone who needs support can contact the Vetlife Helpline on 0303 040 2551 or anonymously via www.vetlife.org.uk.
Photo: Vetlife President Geoff Little receives the £60,000 donation from Lynn Hill at Linnaeus.
According to statistics from the RCVS, almost 40% of veterinary surgeons that have registered in the UK since 2005 qualified from veterinary schools elsewhere in the EU.
Of course, it's not just in general practice that veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses from other EU member states make such an important contribution. They work across all areas of veterinary science, including the fields of animal health and welfare, animal disease surveillance, scientific research and education, wildlife conservation, and public health and food safety.
Figures from the Veterinary Public Health Association (VPHA) estimate that over 90% of vets in meat hygiene services are non-British EU citizens.
To highlight the impact of Brexit on the veterinary profession, the BVA has written to the Secretary of State, Liz Truss MP, and to Ministers in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, requesting an early statement to the effect that non-British EU vets and vet nurses who are currently living, studying or working in the UK will continue to be able to do so in future.
BVA is also seeking reassurance for UK veterinary professionals working and studying in other EU member states.
BVA President Sean Wensley said: "It is not yet possible to comment on the reality of ‘Brexit’ since much will depend on forthcoming negotiations and the decisions that will be taken by the Government regarding, for example, whether or not to maintain existing EU legislation and rules. However, we recognise that these unanswered questions are having a profound impact on many of our members – particularly members who are non-British EU citizens, or have family members who are, and members who work alongside colleagues from other European Member States."
In the letters, Mr Wensley wrote: "I am sure there are many significant issues that your Department needs to consider [and] given the profound personal impact that the uncertainty caused by the referendum outcome is having on some of our members, we wanted to contact you at the earliest opportunity. In the forthcoming negotiations about the future relationship between the UK and the EU, we strongly urge you to make the case for all EU citizens and EU-qualified veterinary surgeons and nurses to have ongoing rights to live, work and study in the UK."
In the letter to the Northern Ireland (NI) Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Michelle McIlveen MLA, the BVA President and BVA NI Branch President Seamus O’Kane highlighted NI’s land border with EU member state the Republic of Ireland and called for the maintenance of the Common Travel Area to facilitate movement in an all-island context for both work and study purposes.
VPHA President Lewis Grant said: "Due to the particular focus on public health in many European veterinary degree courses, EU vets make an enormous contribution to both public health and animal health and welfare in the UK - often behind closed doors, monitoring and protecting public health in Approved Premises as well as welfare at slaughter to ensure slaughterhouses meet the standards that are required by law and expected by the public. Without their input and expertise, it would be difficult to ensure that Statutory requirements within the food industry are complied with."
BEVA says it was aware, from both younger members and their employers, that there were some equine fields, for which the association had no courses, where newer graduates were lacking in clinical skills.
The new Equine Practice Fundamentals Programme comprises 10 individual CPD courses with a mix of lectures and hands-on practicals. BEVA says it builds on the broad training delivered by the universities to specifically provide the pragmatic knowledge and hands-on clinical skills needed by those in the early stages of an equine veterinary career.
The content was designed on the back of consultation with over 60 senior practitioners from across BEVA’s membership.
The average senior practitioner rated the likelihood that they would encourage recent graduates to attend the programme as 9/10 and BEVA says feedback on the initial course proposal was highly encouraging.
The courses cover:
David Mountford, Chief Executive of BEVA, said: "Because BEVA doesn’t seek to make a profit on its CPD we can deliver an outstanding programme that is both highly regarded and affordable. We anticipate that the series will become essential CPD for those looking to establish themselves in equine practice, for practices looking to support the development of new staff, and for employers looking to differentiate between candidates."
The first five courses will be running during 2018 and again in 2019 together with the remaining five. The full series of ten courses can be booked at a discounted rate. Alternatively, each course can be booked individually.
For further information visit https://www.beva.org.uk/Home/Education/CPD/The-Fundamentals-of-Equine-Practice
The company says that despite the development of alternatives to natural bone grafting, such as allografts and synthetic products, autologous bone graft is still considered the standard. However, it has a number of disadvantages, such as donor site morbidities and lameness, limited availability of graft volume (particularly in small size pets) and additional surgical time.
Biocera-Vet is a new bone substitute indicated in surgical procedures where bone grafting is necessary, such as arthrodesis, complex fractures, corrective osteotomy used in correction of limb deformities or as add-on to Tibial Tuberosity Advancement (TTA).
Biocera-Vet is an injectable synthetic self-hardening calcium-phosphate cement combining osteo-inductive, osteo-conductive and osteo-integrative properties designed to support a fast and strong consolidation.
TheraVet says Biocera-Vet also presents an excellent safety profile thanks to its biocompatibility, reduced comorbidities and superior ergonomics which save a significant amount of surgical time.
Dr Olivier Stiévenart, an orthopaedic veterinary surgeon at Surgivet in Belgium said: "Using Biocera-Vet has enabled us to optimise our patient care considerably, by reducing the operating time by at least 30 minutes. The use of an efficient and rapid bone substitute represents a real progress in terms of both operations and the animal’s quality of life".
Julie Schurgers, Chief Commercial Officer of TheraVet, said: "Biocera-Vet is a unique product on the veterinary bone substitute market, combining outstanding bone consolidation properties with an excellent safety profile and superior ergonomics. We are very excited today to announce its commercialisation on the market and are convinced that this innovative product will significantly improve the daily practices of veterinarians, for the well-being of patients and their owners."
The product is now available in Belgium, and will be rolled out in France and the Netherlands shortly, with the rest of Europe following later in 2021 / 2022.
For more information, visit: https://www.thera.vet/en/biocera-vet
Tim was the principal veterinary surgeon at Nine Mile Veterinary Group in Wokingham, Berkshire, from its opening in 1985. He grew the business from one vet and three staff to 16 vets and 60 staff, before selling to CVS in 2007.
Thereupon he became the National Veterinary Director for CVS, supporting the business as it grew from 200 to 1200 vets and supporting individual vets and practices with management advice and clinical practice.
In more recent times Tim has been working with a peripatetic surgery group.
Tim has worked at Guide Dogs before: between 1987 and 2007, he was a Centre Veterinary Advisor at the charity’s now-closed site in Wokingham.
Tim said: “Guide dogs are fantastic to work with – they are good-natured and easy to handle, and the owners always have the best interests of the dog at heart. Plus, you know you are helping more than someone’s pet, a working dog making a real difference to a person’s life. A guide dog needs to be happy and healthy to fulfil its role. It all adds up to a very different flavour of vet work.
“I am looking forward to being back, but in a more central role with more strategic responsibility. The veterinary world has changed so much, even in the last ten years, and it will be good to draw on my experiences to help Guide Dogs traverse that change.
“It’s important that we keep the healthcare of guide dogs at the top of the priorities list; the dogs have always been at the very core of the charity. It’s crucial that we have solid relationships with veterinary practices, to ensure our dogs receive the greatest care at the best value to the charity."
Andrew Harrison, a partner at Three Counties Equine Hospital in Gloucestershire, has been appointed as the new President of the British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) for 2014/15.
Andrew took over the role from Paul Jepson at the end of BEVA Congress last week. Mark Bowen, Associate Professor of Veterinary Internal Medicine at The University of Nottingham School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, becomes President Elect.Andrew said: "It is a privilege and an honour to take up the presidential reins for the next 12 months. It is unrealistic to expect to "change the world" in such a short time frame so the plan is to target certain areas, such as progressing New Safer Horse Rescue courses, strengthening BEVA's relationship with the BHA and moving forward with the regulation of Musculoskeletal Paraprofessionals. Not least it is a priority this year to make sure we keep aspiring vets realistically informed about future employment in our profession given the proliferation of undergraduate places available at UK and English speaking mainland European vet schools."
For further information visit www.beva.org.uk.
Themed 'Controlling Disease Threats at Home and from Abroad’, this year's conference will highlight the increasing importance of OVs in safeguarding the UK’s international trade and in protecting human health through disease surveillance and control.
The conference programme includes dedicated lecture streams aimed at large animal, small animal and equine practitioners. Improve says that lecture content has been tailored to cover areas of key relevance for more than 8,000 OVs due to revalidate their qualifications in March 2019. The programme also includes interactive workshops, including drop-in question and answer sessions offering practical advice and guidance on the revalidation process.
An exhibition of products and services for OVs runs alongside the conference.
David Babington MRCVS, Business Development Director at Improve, said: "This conference remains the only event dedicated to the needs of OVs. They receive industry updates from leading figures in the veterinary sector, attend lectures on OV work from experts and, in so doing, work towards their CPD revalidation requirements. We’re currently finalising a packed programme for this year’s conference and urge OVs to take advantage of our time-limited Early Bird offers and register without delay."
For more information on the Official Veterinarian Conference and Exhibition or to register visit: www.officialvet.com
Reporter Andy Davies spoke to Charlotte Debbaut MRCVS, a veterinary surgeon from Belgium working at the Tindale Veterinary Practice in Gloucestershire, where there are 13 vets with eight different nationalities. He also interviewed Matthew Pugh MRCVS and Ovidiu Oltean MRCVS from Belmont Veterinary Centre, a mixed practice in Hereford which employs five foreign nationals out of a team of 13 veterinary surgeons.
Finally, he talked to John Blackwell MRCVS at Brownlow Veterinary Group in Shropshire, where Brexit had already caused a Croatian member of his team to refuse a permanent position and return to Ireland.
Congratulations to the RCVS and BVA press offices, who will have been hard at work behind the scenes.
See: https://www.channel4.com/news/brexit-affecting-vet-recruitment
The study looked at the anonymised employment data of 1,642 veterinary nurses working across 418 UK primary-care companion animal veterinary practices at the end of 2020, including both qualified and student nurses.
Of these, 278 (16.9%) nurses resigned from their veterinary practice between 1 January to 31 December 2021.
Career progression was cited as a reason for resigning by 36.7%, compared to 12.9% for personal reasons, 11.9% for better pay, 10.1% for a better work-life balance, 6.8% to relocate, and 3.6% decided not to return after parental leave.
The research also looked at factors associated with lower odds of future nurse resignations.
They included longer employment tenure (p < 0.001) and working at practices with greater property and facilities ratings (p < 0.049).
Head nurses and students were least likely to resign, whereas by comparison, the nurse role was associated with resignations (p = 0.008), adding to the evidence to support nursing career pathways.
The employee engagement metric, eNPS, was also identified as a reliable indicator of nurse retention. reflecting similar findings in other healthcare professions.
Imogen Schofield, Veterinary Statistician and Epidemiologist at CVS, said: “We want to support the whole industry in reducing the number of nurses leaving their roles and the profession.
"Little objective industry data is available on the true reasons behind nurse attrition and we believe this is the first study to outline the risk factors for nurse resignations using practice data, providing an important addition to the evidence-base surrounding this complex topic.
“Reflecting on our research, that was based on data in 2021, we have since seen our attrition rate fall and our employee engagement measure increase as we have focused on developing career pathways, empowering nurses to take on more responsibilities; developing a range of wellbeing programmes, launching a variety of colleague benefits, and significantly investing in our practices.”
Reference