Forte Healthcare Limited has launched Cryptisel (halofuginone) 0.5mg/ml oral solution for the prevention and reduction of diarrhoea caused by Cryptosporidium parvum in calves. 

Cryptisel is for use in reducing oocyst shedding in calves where diarrhoea caused by Cryptosporidium is a problem. After the presence of the causal organism has been established, Forte says Cryptisel can be used in all new-born calves to break the cycle of transmission and multiplication on-farm.

Dr John Henderson, Large Animal Product Manager with Forte Healthcare Ltd said: "Cryptisel will be a very useful medicine in the control of the most commonly-identified scour pathogen in the UK and Ireland. Used alongside the calf-rearing cornerstones of good colostrum management, hygiene, and biosecurity, Cryptisel will reduce production of Cryptosporidium oocysts and help limit spread of the disease among susceptible calves."

Cryptisel is a POM, available in 490ml and 980ml bottles. Both sizes come with a metered dosing pump for convenient administration.

For further information, contact your local Forte Territory Manager or email enquiries@fortehealthcare.com.

Sylwia Kalisz MRCVS has been reprimanded by the RCVS Disciplinary Committee for lapses in clinical judgement in relation to the treatment of a cocker spaniel.

Dr Kalisz faced a total of nine charges (including 41 sub-charges).

The first was that in July 2020, she failed to carry out a clinical examination of the dog, failed to adequately interpret test results, failed to ask for help interpreting the results, and undertook an emergency Caesarean section without sufficient need to do so.

The other charges related to undertaking a colotomy without sufficient justification and without exercising sufficient clinical judgment throughout the procedure.

For both the Caesarean section and the colotomy, Dr Kalisz faced charges that she failed to obtain informed consent from the owners and failed to inform them that the colotomy had been carried out, or of the potential risks of the procedure, and also failed to provide enough information about aftercare.

It was also alleged that Dr Kalisz had demonstrated continual lapses in professional judgement, including failing to appropriately manage the spaniel’s worsening condition when it was presented to the practice again later, and that the clinical records in relation to the surgery were dishonest and/or misleading.

Dr Kalisz admitted serious professional misconduct, admitting to 29 of the sub-charges, while the remaining 12 sub-charges were denied.

The Committee found 30 of the sub-charges proven, with the remaining 11 not proven.

The Committee the considered aggravating factors, including the fact that Dr Kalisz's conduct led to the spaniel’s death, the colotomy was reckless and Dr Kalisz did not take steps to inform anybody or make a clinical record for the colotomy.

In mitigation, the Committee considered the fact that it was single and isolated incident (albeit one that spanned a number of days), that no other members of the clinical team involved raised concerns during the procedure, and the effect Covid had upon the veterinary profession.

The Committee found that of those charges proven, the ones relating to performing the colotomy, failing to manage the spaniel’s subsequent care and failing to mention the colotomy amounted to serious professional misconduct.

On deciding the sanction, the Committee took into account the mitigation submitted on behalf of Dr Kalisz and the written testimonials produced including the fact that she was young and inexperienced, had admitted her failings at an early stage, had made subsequent efforts to avoid a repetition of such behaviour and that a significant amount of time had passed since the incident.

The Committee also considered that Dr Kalisz had shown an exemplary level of insight, showing remorse for her actions, undertaking substantial continuing professional development, and finding appropriate ongoing professional mentorship.

The Committee was impressed by the character testimonials from veterinary co-workers, both current and at the time of these events, as well as from clients.

It was, the Committee said, apparent from those testimonials that Dr Kalisz had been open and honest with them about the charges and was considered to be an excellent, committed veterinary surgeon.

Paul Morris, chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf said: “The Committee found that this was a single isolated incident, which involved serious lapses of clinical judgement.

"It was therefore concluded that, despite Dr Kalisz’s actions being reckless, the extensive mitigation and the high level of insight, coupled with steps taken to avoid repetition, meant that there was negligible future risk to animal welfare.

“The Committee did not consider it necessary to issue a warning to Dr Kalisz about her future conduct, on the basis that the Committee has concluded that there is little risk of repetition, so considered that a reprimand would be an appropriate sanction in this case.”

https://www.rcvs.org.uk/concerns/disciplinary-hearings 

Virbac has announced that Vet Aquadent, a drinking water additive designed to help to fight dental plaque and tartar formation in dogs and cats, is being given a new look for 2017.  

The solution, which Virbac says can also help eliminate bad breath, has been given a fresh new blue colour as well as a new bottle with a more contemporary design.

Claire Lewis, Junior Product Manager at Virbac, said: "Vet Aquadent is tried and trusted by many pet owners and relied upon for the contribution it makes to maintaining oral and dental health in dogs and cats. 

"Blue is a popular colour in the veterinary dental sector so we wanted to bring Vet Aquadent in line with other related products to help ensure that it is instantly recognisable, both to existing and new users.  

"It sits alongside the other products in our ‘at-home’ veterinary dental range, including our Enzymatic toothpastes which inhibit bacterial growth and our highly palatable VeggieDent chews, which are available in four sizes."

"Given the number of pets suffering from periodontal disease, encouraging pet owners to adopt an effective preventative care regime is a simple way for veterinary practices to encourage responsible pet ownership and, in so doing, generate a useful revenue stream from product sales."

MSD Animal Health has obtained regulatory approval in 21 European countries, including the UK, for Cobactan LA 7.5% (cefquinome) - a new-generation, injectable antimicrobial for the treatment of swine respiratory disease (SRD).

Raul Berro DVM, global marketing director swine at MSD Animal Health said: "Cobactan LA 7.5% is a long-acting version of our highly effective Cobactan 2.5%. Its longer duration of action means greater compliance for swine producers with fewer injections and less stress to the animals, without sacrificing performance."

According to the company, the long-acting antibiotic formulation is effective against three major SRD pathogens in growing and finishing pigs - Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae, Haemophilus parasuis and Pasteurella multocida. Considered the most important threat to the swine industry worldwide, SRD causes increased mortality, decreased weight gain and increased feed consumption.

Cobactan LA 7.5% requires two intramuscular injections 48 hours apart, compared to Cobactan 2.5%, which requires three daily injections. The recommended dose rate is 1 mL (3 mg cefquinome) per 25 kg bodyweight. The product is
available in 50-ml, 100-ml and 250-ml glass vials.

Raul aded: "COBACTAN LA 7.5% also has a short withdrawal period of seven days. This makes the injectable product also safe to use throughout the finishing period for the treatment of SRD."

MSD adds that the use of COBACTAN LA 7.5% should be according to established responsible use guidelines and strictly according to the label instructions where specific restrictions apply to this class of antibiotics.

For more information, contact your local MSD Animal Health representative or go to www.msd-animal-health.com.

The Veterinary Medicines Directorate has updated the licensed indications for Stelfonta, Virbac's treatment for mast cell tumours. 

The updated indications reflect the recognition that Stelfonta may be used in any case where surgery may not be an option:

For the treatment of non-metastatic (WHO staging) mast cell tumours that are either non-resectable or those that are resectable but where surgery is not considered the best option, specifically: cutaneous mast cell tumours (located anywhere on the dog) and subcutaneous mast cell tumours located at or distal to the elbow or the hock.

Tumours must be less than or equal to 8 cm 3 in volume, and must be accessible to intratumoral injection.

Neil Mottram MRCVS, Technical Manager at Virbac said: “Stelfonta offers veterinary surgeons a medical option for the successful elimination of mast cell tumours.

"The extended labelled indication demonstrates the wide variety of cases that can benefit where medical treatment is preferred, such as; tumour factors (location and size) making surgical margins difficult, patient factors (concurrent disease and risk of anaesthesia), clinic factors and the simplification of this medical treatment and owner factors, where there is a preference to avoid surgery."

Stelfonta is administered by injection directly into the tumour mass and Virbac say that generally, dogs do not require sedation or local or general anaesthesia during treatment.

The active ingredient, Tigilanol tiglate, works largely through specific protein kinase c (PKC) activation, in which it locally stimulates the immune system, resulting in destruction of the tumour and the tumour’s blood supply, followed by rapid healing of the site with minimal scarring.

www.virbac.co.uk

CVS has announced the acquisition of Bell Equine Veterinary Clinic in Mereworth, Kent. 

Bell Equine is one of the leading equine hospitals and was the first practice worldwide to install a standing MRI unit for horses.

CVS says the acquisition reflects its increased focus on equine practice, with further expansion of its Equine Division planned in the UK and Europe during 2017.

Equine Director Ben Jacklin said: "The acquisition of such an outstanding hospital is an exciting step for us. Bell Equine has always been at the forefront of the equine profession, both clinically and non-clinically, and as such it is a perfect match for the Equine Division of CVS."

Julian Samuelson, former managing director of Bell Equine, will continue in the role of Clinical Director. He said: "We are delighted to be joining forces with CVS and are very much looking forward to working closely with the Group to help realise the exciting potential of its equine ambitions. We look forward to the opportunity to continue to lead the profession, both within and outside CVS."

Krka has launched a 3-pack range of Selehold, its selemectin-based spot-on.

Krka says the new pack, available for cats and for toy, small, medium and large dogs, is designed to offer practices greater dispensing flexibility and to encourage quarterly visits and compliance with healthcare plans.

Selehold is presented in a pipette with a colour-coded cap and transparent tube to enable the owner to check when the full dose has been given. Each pipette is individually wrapped for ease of use and dispensing.

Ms Sabrina Jordan, Country Brand Manager for Krka, said: "We aim to optimise the value we give to our customers by offering them highly effective, tried and trusted, affordable generic medicines with added value.

"Selehold has proved a popular addition to our parasite control range because of its ease of use and cost-effectiveness.

"With many of our customers focusing on encouraging owners to visit the practice quarterly and to sign up to a healthcare plan for their pet, the 3-pack version of Selehold works well as it enables the practice to offer clients a high quality, good value solution that supports this compliance framework."

The RCVS Disciplinary Committee has directed that the name of a Berkshire-based veterinary surgeon, previously convicted of four offences under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, should be removed from the RCVS Register of Veterinary Surgeons.

Dr Ohene-Gyan was convicted at Reading Magistrates Court on 13 June 2012 of offences involving causing unnecessary suffering to three dogs and a cat that he had treated whilst working at Woosehill Vets, Wokingham, between February and October 2011. These offences related to failing to provide adequate or appropriate veterinary care or treatment, or failure to investigate and address an animal's poor condition. He was sentenced to 21 weeks' imprisonment concurrently for each offence.

Dr Ohene-Gyan did not attend the one-day Disciplinary Committee hearing and was not represented, although College records showed that he was aware of the dates of the hearing, and had had opportunity to apply for an adjournment. In the absence of any known good reason for Dr Ohene-Gyan's non-attendance, the Committee concluded that it was in the interests of justice that the hearing go ahead.

In considering whether the Respondent's convictions made him unfit to practise as a veterinary surgeon, the Committee depended on the findings of the District Judge and the remarks she had made when sentencing. "I found as a matter of fact that some of your actions were taken simply to run up a bill for the owners of pets," she had said. "You were in a position of special responsibility, trusted by the owners of the animals to treat them appropriately and to alleviate their suffering. You ignored advice from staff. Several animals were affected by your cruel disregard of their welfare. Some of the cruelty arose due to your incompetence. You have demonstrated that you are not fit to be trusted with the care of animals."

The Disciplinary Committee Chairman, Professor Peter Lees, speaking on behalf of the Committee, said: "The Respondent's actions, motivated by financial gain, caused serious actual injury to the four animals over a prolonged period of time. Clients are entitled to expect that veterinary surgeons will treat animals in their care humanely and with respect, and make animal welfare their first priority. The Committee considers that the care described in the District Judge's findings demonstrated a total disregard for the professional responsibilities of a veterinary surgeon."

The Committee concluded that the removal of Dr Ohene-Gyan's name from the Register was the only appropriate and proportionate sanction in this case in order to protect the welfare of animals, maintain public confidence in the profession and uphold proper standards of conduct, and it directed the Registrar to do so.

VetSurgeon.org has launched a new survey of vets designed to identify the strengths and weaknesses of social media as a professional tool, and what more could be done to help the profession collaborate more effectively.

Probably the two most popular social media platforms for veterinary surgeons in the UK are Facebook (and its various veterinary groups) and VetSurgeon.org.

Facebook has the advantage that so many people use it to share photographs with family and friends, so they are already on the site and it is only a very short hop over to participate in a veterinary discussion group. That makes it an excellent way to get a broad opinion on almost any subject. 

But, and it is a very big 'but', Facebook was never designed to be a platform for sharing clinical information or discussing cases. So, for example, you cannot see the professional qualifications of anyone contributing to the discussion unless they happen also to be your 'friend', so it can be hard to tell whether they have any idea what they're talking about, or are, in fact, the leading light. 

There are various other aspects of Facebook that are problematic when it comes to clinical discussions, including the difficulty in referring back to useful information shared and the way in which 'me too' replies can drown out good quality information. 

The survey aims to find out how much of a problem vets think these things are, whether certain groups within the profession could be better served by social media - for example those that may find it daunting asking for help in an online group, and what features vets would like VetSurgeon.org to invest in.

The survey can be completed anonymously, but if you give your name at the end, you'll be entered into a draw for a case of champagne (or equivalent). 

Take part here: https://bit.ly/2lzzpy4

Please share this story amongst your colleagues!

The RCVS Disciplinary Committee has directed that a veterinary surgeon from Berkshire be removed from the Register, following his administration of a prohibited substance to a racehorse and his subsequent attempts to conceal his actions.

At a six-day hearing that concluded yesterday, James Main, a partner in the O'Gorman, Slater, Main & Partners veterinary practice in Newbury, and former lead veterinary surgeon to racehorse trainer Nicky Henderson, faced four charges of serious professional misconduct concerning his treatment of Moonlit Path, a six-year-old mare owned by The Queen.

Three of the charges related to Mr Main breaching British Horseracing Authority (BHA) rules by injecting Moonlit Path with tranexamic acid (TA) on the day she was due to race; the fourth charge related to his dishonest concealment of this treatment in his practice clinical records. Nicky Henderson had himself faced a BHA Inquiry into this case in 2009 and subsequently been sanctioned.

The Committee heard that on 18 February 2009, Mr Henderson's yard requested a veterinary surgeon attend Moonlit Path to administer an injection of Dycenene the following morning. The injection was requested as the mare was prone to exercise-induced pulmonary haemorrhage. Mr Main attended on the morning of 19 February and injected the horse with intravenous tranexamic acid. Moonlit Path raced at Huntingdon later that day, along with the eventual winner, and favourite, Ravello Bay - another horse trained by Mr Henderson. Moonlit Path finished sixth and a urine sample taken from her after the race tested positive for TA.

Of the four charges, Mr Main admitted injecting Moonlit Path with TA on the day she was due to race when he knew this breached the BHA's rule prohibiting any substance other than the horse's usual feed and water being given on race day. However, Mr Main denied knowing that, if tested, a horse would test positive for TA (thereby imposing a strict liability on the trainer); he denied administering a prohibited substance to a horse with the intention to affect that horse's racing performance; and, he denied dishonestly concealing the TA injection by omitting it from his clinical records and referring to it as a 'pre-race check'.

The Committee heard and carefully considered evidence from Mr Henderson and his employees, from BHA investigating officers and its Director of Equine Science and Welfare, from an expert equine physiologist and from Mr Main himself. In its findings, the Committee stated it was "unimpressed by Mr Henderson's evidence and surprised by his apparent lack of knowledge of the rules of racing".

Whilst the Committee accepted Mr Main believed at the time that Moonlit Path would not test positive for TA, it considered he failed to fully inform himself of the medicinal product he was using; especially so as TA does not possess a Marketing Authorisation as a veterinary medicinal product. In so doing, he did not meet his professional obligation to provide Mr Henderson with the information and advice he needed.

The Committee concluded that TA was a prohibited substance and, whilst accepting that Mr Main's concern had solely been for Moonlit Path's welfare, he had actually breached BHA rules by affecting her performance through administering such a substance.

Finally, the Committee found that Mr Main had deliberately concealed the TA injection to Moonlit Path by describing it in his notes as a 'pre-race check' - a protocol developed over several years between the practice and Mr Henderson. Such inaccurate clinical records were in breach of the RCVS Guide to Professional Conduct and led the Committee to conclude he had acted dishonestly. The Committee also found Mr Main "did not act with candour" by claiming to have administered the TA injection the day before the race. On questioning by the Legal Assessor, however, he admitted that he had known that Moonlit Path was racing the same day that he administered the injection.

Professor Sheila Crispin, chairing the Committee, said: "[We] regard it as wholly unacceptable practice that a veterinary surgeon should be party to serious breaches of rules of another regulatory body in the field of animal welfare ... and which go to the very integrity of racing.

"Whilst the findings relate to a single incident, [we] are satisfied that Mr Main's actions amounted to pre-meditated misconduct ... It is highly relevant that Mr Main held positions of responsibility within the racing industry where he was required to uphold the rules and standards of the profession," she added.

Noting Mr Main's "long and hitherto unblemished career as a highly respected equine veterinary surgeon", the Committee accepted Mr Main's evidence that the reason for the administration of tranexamic acid was solely his concern about the welfare of the horse. Nevertheless, it found his evidence was "evasive, lacking in candour and on some aspects of the case his evidence was untrue".

Professor Crispin concluded: "...proven dishonesty has been held to come at the top end of the spectrum of gravity of disgraceful conduct in a professional respect ... Having considered carefully all the mitigation put forward on Mr Main's behalf, [we] have concluded that Mr Main's behaviour was wholly unacceptable and so serious that removal of his name from the Register is required."

Peplan has announced the finalists for its 2022 Veterinary Awards, with David Hodges (pictured right), Emma Green and Mark Lowrie all fighting it out for the title of 'Vet of The Year'

There were 22,000 nominations for this year's awards, which will be held at the Kimpton Clocktower Hotel in Manchester on 24th March.

Other finalists are: 

Vet Nurse of the Year

• Barbara Millar
• Christine Fairbairn
• Felicity Caldwell 

Practice of the Year

• East Barnet Veterinary Surgery
• Irlam Animal Clinic, Irlam, Greater Manchester
• Pinfold Vets East Leake, Loughborough, Leicestershire

Practice Support Staff of the Year

• Lucy Ellis
• Olivia Scott
• Rachel Gregory, Park Veterinary Clinic, Prestwich, Greater Manchester

Practice Manager of the Year

• Claire Mycock
• Helen Helme
• Jon Barnes

James Barnes, head of sales and partnerships at Petplan, said: “We’re delighted to announce the finalists for this year’s Veterinary Awards.

"The awards celebrate the dedication and brilliant work carried out by some of the UK’s very best veterinary professionals.

"Congratulations to all the 2022 finalists on this fantastic achievement."

For further information on the awards visit www.petplanvet.co.uk.

Noble Futures, a recruitment consultancy specialising in the animal Health, agricultural, equine & pet industries, has joined forces with The Partners - a business specialising in coaching, psychometrics, learning & development and human resources – to offer a range of services to help veterinary businesses of all shapes and sizes to maximise the potential of their employees.

Tony Noble, managing director at Noble Futures, said: "We have been working with organisations of all shapes and sizes since our foundation in 2002 and it became clear that while we can ensure that our clients recruit the top people for the job - through finding them the best permanent, contracting or temporary employees - the resources are not always present to ensure that this human resource potential is maximised. The team at The Partners deliver a world-class service and we are 100% confident that their professional and expert support services will make a real difference to our clients’ businesses."

Noble Futures and The Partners have launched three new services:

The Human Resources support service is aimed at organisations that need additional support or more expert advice within the human resources function, whether it relates to a particular employee issue such as managing a long-term illness, or a wider corporate challenge like implementing a company-wide performance management system.

The Psychometric Profiling service is designed to give unique insights into the individual traits of employees, to help with recruitment, promotion, coaching and career development. 

Finally, the Management Development service has been developed to help ensure a company’s employees receive the right training for success.

Paula Summerscales (pictured right with husband Graham) from The Partners said: "We are delighted to partner with Noble Futures to deliver our range of people-building services to organisations in the animal health sector. Our unique mix of skills and experience allows us to bring a tailored approach to every single project we work on and we’re looking forward to working with Noble Futures clients to implement innovative solutions that gain commercial results."

For more information, contact Noble Futures on 0161 820 3510 or email: info@noble-futures.com.

Alternatively, contact The Partners directly on 01484 860849