Researchers at the Animal Health Trust are appealing for information from veterinary surgeons who have seen recent Eosinophilic Keratitis (EK) conditions, an emerging issue in UK equine ophthalmology.

The AHT says that despite the increased awareness of EK worldwide, the aetiopathogenesis of the disease remains poorly understood and probably underdiagnosed. The charity is looking to define the pathogenesis and determine why some horses are particularly susceptible to this condition, in particular looking for epidemiological links, environmental factors and parasitic infestation.

Many of the clinical signs of EK are non-specific and similar to other corneal conditions such as blepharospasm, chemosis, conjunctival hyperaemia, epiphora or perilesional oedema. More specific signs include caseous mucoid discharge and white/yellow plaques often localised in the peripheral cornea. The degree of pain varies and concurrent ulceration is almost always present. Conjunctivitis may also occur in association with the keratitis or as a unique disease entity.

EK can have variable clinical presentations, from a thick caseous accumulation to a more superficial plaque of “ground-glass” appearance. They may present as chronic non-healing ulcers that respond quickly to the use of topical steroids and/or ciclosporin, or present with marked ocular discomfort and require superficial keratectomy to resolve the condition.

Two different corneal locations are classically (though not exclusively) involved in EK, the medial perilimbal cornea, often under the third eyelid, or the lateral perilimbal cornea, which may progress axially towards the central cornea.

The charity is also providing free cytology tests for corneal scrapes to help vets diagnose EK earlier, thereby avoiding secondary complications that can lead to permanent visionary impairment.

If you have seen cases that have either been diagnosed as or that you suspect to be Eosinophilic Keratitis this year, contact Sonia Gonzalez-Medina on 01638 751000 Ext: 1203 or sonia.gonzalez-medina@aht.org.uk.

For more information and to download a copy of the submission form to accompany samples, visit www.aht.org.uk/EKstudy.

Midlands-based veterinary surgeon Richard Hillman, who will become the new President of Society of Practising Veterinary Surgeons on May 25th, has outlined the issues he'll be championing during his term of office:

• On practice standards: “We need to influence the RCVS so that as the Practice Standards scheme evolves it produces genuine improvements in both clinical and non-clinical standards and is not just a bureaucratic box ticking exercise adding to the stress, workload and overheads of practices.”
• On clinical governance and audit: “The SPVS needs to ensure that the establishment of protocols does not impinge on clinical freedom while establishing ‘best practice’ and that they are used as a yardstick to encourage practitioners to engage with CPD and improve, not as an excuse for unnecessary procedures and profiteering.”
• On the Veterinary Surgeons Act: “We need to influence the RCVS in developing the Veterinary Surgeons Act review so that we bring about the best results for all of the stakeholders. We need to recognise that there are shortcomings in the present Act, particularly with regard to the disciplinary process, but we need to be sure of what we want from a review, as well as being confident we will get it, or else we may be opening up Pandora’s Box with our eyes half-closed and end up in a worse position than the current one. We must ensure that any disciplinary process punishes members who do not measure up to our standards in an appropriate way, while not putting an onerous burden on vets who are well-meaning, hard-working and doing a good job.”
• On 24 hour provision: “There is much debate on whether practitioners should lobby for 24-hour provision to become voluntary, especially in view of Working Time Regulations. We need to be careful on how we develop policy on this issue. There has to be a compromise somewhere between the needs and wants of practitioners to earn a reasonable living and have a reasonable work-life balance, and clients to have reasonable access to veterinary services when they need them (though not necessarily when they want them) while ensuring good welfare for our patients.”
• On Prescription charging: “Regulations forcing us to provide free prescriptions end in October and we enter a 12-month period of monitoring to see if we can be trusted not to operate a complex monopoly or over-charge for prescriptions. We need to be careful in how we handle this next 18 months. SPVS will work hard to ensure that vets can charge fairly for the work they are doing but not exploit our privilege to prescribe in the short term and give those who look for a reason to take that privilege off us an excuse to do so.”
• On support: During his year in office Richard also wants to support vets suffering from depression or mental health problems because of the “huge stress” of veterinary practice.

The owner of Hillman Vets, a five-clinic practice based in Walsall, Lichfield, Brownhills and Darlaston, Richard is a successful businessman with numerous achievements under his belt. During the 1990s, he developed the Hillman Vets practice as well as helping to launch the first out-of-hours animal clinic in the country, Northside Emergency Veterinary Clinic in Great Barr, Birmingham, and the Birmingham-based chain of Value Vets clinics, for pet owners wanting basic services.

Passionately committed to the veterinary profession, Richard wanted to be a vet even as a child, and has described his job as “a privilege, and the enduring cornerstone of my life”.

In recent years, Richard has become an activist on issues he feels strongly about, such as the rights of animals. He has called on shoppers to buy British organic or farm assured meat because of poor welfare standards in other countries. He has also backed plans to introduce “ASBOs for dogs” in a bid to reduce the growing number of attacks by dangerous dogs on children in their homes and on members of the public.

During his year as SPVS president, Richard intends to encourage UK veterinary practitioners to play a greater campaigning role on welfare issues. “We are the best placed, most motivated, and appropriately qualified people to ensure animal welfare, the responsible use of pharmaceuticals, and food safety,” he will tell fellow vets.

Richard is excited about his presidential year and says: “This year gives me the opportunity to drive the agenda from the front to make a difference, and to work tirelessly to promote, support and represent our profession.”

Dechra Veterinary Products has launched a case study competition to find out how veterinary professionals are using Celox, its new haemostatic agent designed to stop heavy bleeding.

According to the company, Celox Veterinary forms a gel-like clot within 30 seconds when mixed with blood.

Dechra says it would like examples of how it has been used, whether for planned procedures or in an emergency, and is asking veterinary surgeons and nurses to send in case histories and photos for the chance to win an iPad2.

Rachel Horton, Dechra's Brand Manager for Woundcare, said: "Celox Veterinary was launched to the market last year, with the human version of the product being used with great success on the battlefield by the British military for several years.

"Now we are asking veterinary professionals to share their experiences of using Celox Veterinary in practice, whether used in its gauze or granular form. It is ideal for fast-acting haemostasis, and provides a quick and efficient solution wherever and whenever bleeding needs to be stopped fast.

"Entrants providing case histories with accompanying photos can enter as many times as they like and have a chance to win an iPad2. Learning about how veterinary professionals are using products is important to Dechra Veterinary Products and assists in developing the high level of support we offer to vets and vet nurses."

Dechra says Celox Veterinary is being used not only for trauma injuries and emergency first aid but also for planned operations including castration, mass removal, nasal polyps, dental extractions and soft palate resections.

Case histories should be emailed to Rachel.Horton@dechra.com before the closing date of July 20^th 2012 to be eligible for the draw. For further information about  Celox Veterinary, please visit see www.dechra.com

CEVA Animal Health is supplying a free, multi-dose injector gun with a self-sterilising needle system, with the purchase of bulk quantities of its luteolytic and uterotonic prostaglandin Enzaprost, while stocks last.

According to the company, the use of naturally occurring prostaglandins such as Enzaprost play an important role in any fertility management programme, working by causing lysis of the corpus luteum. Enzaprost can be used to control the timing of oestrus and synchronisation for AI; for the treatment of sub-oestrus or silent heat; for the induction of abortion up to day 120; for the induction of parturition and as an aid in the treatment of chronic metritis or pyometra where there is a functional or persistent corpus luteum. Natural prostaglandins also have a uterotonic effect which may be useful in the treatment of 'dirty' cows.

CEVA says any multi-cow injection programme has its risks, and that experience has shown that one in 250,000 injections can result in clostridial infection. Invariably this occurs in sequential animals, with the causal agent found in the bottle as a result of inadvertent needle contamination. Multi-dose syringes reduce the number of needle punctures into a bottle and the Sterimatic caps clean the needle before and after each injection helping to minimise the risk of infection. One Sterimatic cap can be used for 72 hours or up to 100 injections. The covered needle also provides increased safety for the operator, resulting in fewer needle stick and scratch injuries.

To find out how you can receive a free multi-dose injector with the Sterimatic needle protector system, which includes five caps and one needle protector, please contact your local CEVA territory manager

For copies of CEVA's fertility newsletters or for further product information please contact the large animal sales team or CEVA Animal Health Ltd, 90 The Broadway, Chesham, Bucks, HP5 1EG.

Staysure Group has launched Petsure, a new insurance product which covers cats and dogs regardless of their pre-existing medical conditions. 

The company says most other providers have restrictions for older pets, commonly for dogs over the age of 8 and cats over 10. As a result, the customer often feels trapped to stay with their current insurer.

Petsure offers cover for a range of veterinary fee levels, from £1,000 to £15,000 regardless of pre-existing medical conditions. Each policy can cover a combination of up to eight cats or dogs on a single policy and gives the option of tailoring the level of cover for each pet, including the option of sharing the bill. There is also a choice of 4 add-on covers including travel and holiday cover.

There are no exclusion periods when switching from an existing insurer with like for like cover.

The company also offers 24 hour video consultations via FirstVet. 

Scott Miller MRCVS said: "Every day I see pets come into my clinics with worried owners. Worrying for the wellbeing of your pet is expected but worrying about the cost of treatment should not be a concern. That's why I'm so thrilled that a product has launched to ensure our furry friends with most pre-existing conditions can be treated and pet-prejudice is no longer an issue."

For more information, visit www.petsure.com or call 03301281862.

Defra has announced that Great Britain is to be declared bluetongue-free from 5th July 2011.

From this date, bluetongue susceptible species being exported from Great Britain will no longer need to be vaccinated against BTV8 or meet any of the other 'Annex III conditions.

However, the current EU Bluetongue Directive only allows bluetongue vaccination within a protection zone, so from 5^th July vaccination will no longer be permitted in Great Britain.

The British Veterinary Association is supporting Defra to lobby for these rules to be changed to allow vaccination in bluetongue areas.

Harvey Locke, BVA President, said: "The move to bluetongue freedom is thanks to the excellent partnership between government, farmers and vets across Great Britain. It is a tremendous achievement to turn the situation around from the outbreak in 2007 to freedom in 2011.

"We are disappointed that changes to the EU Directive to allow vaccination to continue could not be made before the deadline and we will continue to work with Defra to try to secure this change as soon as possible to allow vets and farmers to make the right choice to protect their herds.

"Those farmers and vets that wish to vaccinate must do so before the 5^th July.

"The BVA would reiterate the message to farmers to source stock responsibly to help avoid a future outbreak."

The British Association of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care (BAVECC) is carrying out a survey of the veterinary profession about 24/7 emergency veterinary cover, the results of which will be presented to the RCVS Standards Committee during its forthcoming review.

Toby Birch MRCVS from BAVECC said: "We are aware that there has been much debate on the subject however we feel that much of what has been aired is subjective opinion. While we appreciate that this is very valuable, BAVECC would like to try and place some objectivity on this matter."

If you're working in small animal practice in the UK, please take part in the survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/JYKNC5J.

The results will be shared with members of VetSurgeon.org and VetNurse.co.uk in due course.

The RCVS is to host a free, one-hour webinar for vet students and new MsRCVS which will explain how to handle some of the difficult situations you might encounter in the first few months in practice.

The webinar, ‘Dealing with Difficult Situations’ will take place on Tuesday 7th December at 7.15pm and will feature veterinary surgeons who themselves recently joined the Register giving examples of challenging situations they faced, how they dealt with them, what they learned and how it changed the way they practise.

Gemma Kingswell, RCVS Head of Legal Services (Standards), said: "We recognise that starting in your first job as a veterinary surgeon is very exciting, but that the first few months in practice can be daunting too as you encounter challenging situations for the first time.

“This webinar aims not only to provide some practical guidance on how to deal with difficult situations in a pragmatic way should they arise, but also provide some reassurance that you are not alone in facing them.

"The webinar will also explore how the speakers have reflected on the difficult circumstances they have encountered in order to build up the knowledge, confidence and resilience to deal with similar situations in the future.”

Among those sharing the situations they’ve encountered are: Izzy Hocking, Hannah Prestwood and Bolu Eso.

They will be covering topics including the provision of pragmatic care, how to have difficult conversations with clients and how to handle client confidentiality.

Gemma will then explore the scenarios further in relation to the Code of Professional Conduct and what it says about how best to handle such difficult situations.

To sign up to the webinar visit: www.rcvs.org.uk/news-and-views/events/difficult-situations.

Those who are interested in attending can also submit questions about the Code and supporting guidance in advance via the Eventbrite registration page.

There will also be opportunities to ask questions throughout the event.

For those who aren’t able to make it on the day, a recording of the webinar will be made available shortly afterwards via the RCVS website.

VRCC veterinary referral centre, the leading European veterinary cancer treatment centre, has announced that it has installed what is believed to be the first and only new 'Human' CT scanner in a UK private small animal veterinary centre, at a cost of nearly £500,000.

The announcement came less than a year after the centre's 6 million volt linear accelerator went online - currently the only veterinary radiotherapy facility in the UK.

Apart from routine scans required by all the clinicians at the centre, VRCC also takes referrals in medicine, surgery and oncology. Its CT will also be used in conjunction with the linear accelerator, offering sophisticated cancer treatments previously not available in the UK.

In another first for VRCC, the centre has appointed Tom Jackson BSc Radiography (T), a therapeutic radiographer from Guys & St Thomas Westminster, a centre of excellence in oncology. Tom will be working under the direction of the centre's clinical director, Dr Susan North, the most highly qualified and experienced veterinary oncologist in the UK and the only qualified radiation veterinary oncologist in the UK.

For more information about the referral services available from VRCC, visit http://www.vrcc.co.uk/, or ring 01268 564664.

The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons has announced the results of the RCVS Council and Veterinary Nurse Council elections.

A record number of candidates stood in the RCVS Council election this year, and the results were much closer than usual.

Two candidates entirely new to the Council have been elected, one of whom - Amanda Boag - received the highest number of votes. The other - Chris Barker - also did well, coming in third place overall.

Three existing RCVS Council Members have been re-elected for a further four years, and Stephen May, who was formerly an appointed Council Member from the Royal Veterinary College, was also voted onto Council for the first time.

Of the three candidates standing for election to VN Council, one existing Member - Kathy Kissick - has been returned, and one new member - Elizabeth Figg - has been elected.

All successful candidates will take up or resume their seats at RCVS Day on 6 July 2012.

Turnouts for both elections remained low, with just 3,625 veterinary surgeons (15.1%) and 743 veterinary nurses (7.5%) choosing to exercise their right to vote.

By comparison, in 2011 voting figures were 3,887 (15.9%) and 723 (7.6%), respectively.

Veterinary surgeons' and veterinary nurses' use of online and text voting, rather than postal voting, increased again this year from 25% to 30.6%, and 12.9% to 20%, respectively.

Ceva Animal Health has launched Adaptil Stress Relief Now, a non-pheromone tablet to help dogs cope with predictable but unavoidable short-term stressful situations such as vet visits and car journeys.

The new product contains GABA, which, according to Ceva, plays a central role in relaxation by limiting the nerve cell activity in the areas of the brain associated with anxiety.¹ It also contains L-tryptophan to increase serotonin synthesis¹ and reduce stress-related behaviours in dogs.² It also contains T-theanine, which Ceva says increases the release of GABA and inhibits the binding of the excitatory neurotransmitter L-glutamic acid to its receptors,^1,3 with the effect of reducing anxiety and improving learning abilities.⁴ Finally, the product also contains B Vitamins (B1,B3, B6, B8 and B12), which the company says helps the body cope with the effects of stress.⁵

Ceva says that by administering the tablets to dogs two hours before any predictable stressful event and boosting levels of these naturally occurring substances, Adaptil Stress Relief Now tablets have been shown to help 80% of dogs remain relaxed in stressful situations, with the effect lasting up to four hours after administration.⁶ 

Sarah Endersby, Senior Veterinary Advisor at Ceva said: "Pet owners often want advice from their vets to help their dog's cope with a potentially stressful event that is approaching. Many want a reliable and quick-acting solution, especially if the event is infrequent or of a short duration. An oral anxiolytic can be really useful in this situation, and can be used alongside targeted behavioural training to help the dog cope."

According to the company, study trials have proven a high safety margin, with no recognised side effects and no impact on clinical parameters.⁶ In palatability trials, 90% of dogs chose to eat them with no prompting.⁶

Ceva recommends the new product is used alone or in combination with other products in the existing Adaptil range for common stressful situations for dogs, including: house parties / visitors, fireworks, thunderstorms, noise phobias, travel, veterinary visits and visits to groomers.

For more information about Adaptil Stress Relief Now tablets, including client literature, please speak to your local Ceva representative.

References

1. Alramadhan, E., M. S. Hanna, M. S. Hanna, T. A. Goldstein, S. M. Avila, and B. S. Weeks, 2012, Dietary and botanical anxiolytics, Medical Science Monitor, v. 18, no. 4, p. RA40-RA48.
2. DeNapoli, J. S., N. H. Dodman, L. Shuster, W. M. Rand, and K. L. Gross, 2000, Effect of dietary protein content and tryptophan supplementation on dominance aggression, territorial aggression, and hyperactivity in dogs, Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, v. 217, no. 4, p. 504-508.
3. Kakuda, T., A. Nozawa, A. Sugimoto, and H. Niino, 2002, Inhibition by theanine of binding of [3H]AMPA, [3H]kainate, and [3H]MDL 105,519 to glutamate receptors, Bioscience Biotechnology and Biochemistry, v. 66, no. 12, p. 2683-2686.
4. Ritsner, M. S., C. Miodownik, Y. Ratner, T. Shleifer, M. Mar, L. Pintov, and V. Lerner, 2011, L-theanine relieves positive, activation, and anxiety symptoms in patients with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder: an 8-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, 2-center study, Journal of clinical psychiatry, v. 72, no. 1, p. 34-42.
5. Thompson, J., 2005a, Vitamins, minerals and supplements: part three, Community practitioner, v. 78, no. 11, p. 407-408.
6. Study Report, Evaluation of the voluntary acceptance, consumption and tolerance of Adaptil oral tablets in dogs, ST 2013-02 Vetpharma/De Morgenstond.

The World Veterinary Poultry Association (WVPA) has announced that nominations are now open for its Young Poultry Veterinarian of the Year 2015 Award, sponsored by Zoetis.

The award, now in its fourth year, is open to qualified poultry veterinarians who are under the age of 35 on January 1, 2015. The winner will be selected by a global panel of judges and will receive a USD$5,000 contribution towards attending international scientific or continued professional development meetings.

The WVPA is calling for nominations to be made on behalf of young veterinarians who have excellent poultry diagnostic and advisory skills, are effective communicators and transferors of their knowledge and can demonstrate a real passion for their industry.

Nigel Horrox, vice president of the WVPA said: "We continue to be impressed by the calibre of entries for this award, and we are confident that this year will be no exception.

"We are looking for an individual who is not only invaluable to their local poultry industry, but who consistently goes above and beyond the call of duty and is a credit to their profession."

Hector Badillo, group director of global marketing at Zoetis, said the contribution made by young poultry veterinarians is vital to the future of the industry. "We are proud to support this award, which recognises top new talent in the global poultry industry and the outstanding contribution made by an individual."

Entries for the award are to be made via the dedicated website: www.wvpa-award.com. Nominees/applicants are asked to describe in 500 words or less their role and achievements in the industry and why they feel they should win the award. The award will be presented at the XIX Congress of the World Veterinary Poultry Association, Cape Town, South Africa, September 7-11, 2015.

Closing date for entries is March 31, 2015.