BCF Technology has launched the portable 9020HF Orange x-ray generator from Eco Ray.

BCF says the 9020HF is ideal for equine and large animal applications because it is is just marginally heavier than the 8016HF generator, but more powerful, allowing it to achieve excellent images of regions such as the stifle and spine.

The new BCF Clinical Development Manager and in-house vet Kimberly Palgrave said: "This new generator really fills the gap in the range and is an ideal balance between weight and power. It is also bright orange so impossible to miss when tidying the kit away in the yard."

BCF is also the sole official distributor in the UK and Ireland for Eco Ray generators.

To see the full range of X-ray generators and other X-ray and ultrasound equipment available from BCF visit http://www.bcftechnology.com/ or call +44 (0)1506 460023.

Vets should now consider Angiostrongylus vasorum a countrywide parasite and not one that is restricted to the traditional hotspots of the South East, the Midlands and south Wales. This was the main message delivered by Shelia Brennan of University College Dublin to almost 300 vets attending the recent Bayer-sponsored A vasorum CPD meetings, held across the north of England and Scotland.

Sheila said: "Until recently, angiostrongylosis was only recognised in limited areas of the UK, and confirmed cases were few and far between. Now we are hearing reports of the disease as far afield as Kent and Glasgow and dogs are dying as a result. If caught early enough, the disease can be treated successfully. Vets should be aware of the many and varied symptoms and consider this parasite as a differential in any dog with suspicious clinical signs."

Dogs of any age can be infected with the parasite, but the majority presenting with clinical disease are less than two years of age. A number of clinical presentations are recognised. Dogs may present with respiratory signs (cough, exercise intolerance), coagulopathy, neurological signs, syncope and in a small number of cases hypercalcaemia. These signs can occur in isolation or in combination, and not all dogs have respiratory signs. Haemorrhage following routine neutering has been anecdotally reported. Dogs with a history of eating the parasite's intermediate hosts (slugs and snails) should be considered as being at high risk.

Chris White, Bayer's Advocate product manager said: "The attendance of nearly 300 vets at the four-meeting series, in areas not normally associated with the disease, is further evidence that vets are becoming increasingly concerned about the threat posed by A vasorum. This is the third series of meetings we have held, reaching around 1,000 vets and vet nurses across the country."

Bayer Animal Health has announced that following the success of its educational TV advertising campaign, which ran earlier this year and promoted the need to worm cats, a second advertising campaign will now run in September.

Bayer (makers of Profender Spot-on solution) says its first campaign, which ran in May, had the principal aim of driving pet owners to their vet to ask about spot-on worming for their cats.

As part of the same campaign, research was conducted on cat behaviour by interviewing cat owners and attaching 'cat cams' and 'cat navs' to nine cats around the country. The results were analysed by cat behaviour expert Roger Tabor and can be found on the website www.spotonwormer4cats.com/, both as a short video documentary and a 24-page report, entitled 'The Secret Lives of Cats'.

A consumer PR campaign was also run in parallel with the TV advertising, which Bayer says was very successful in attracting entrants to a competition to find the cat with the biggest personality. Winners of the Cats with Cat-titude competition have now been announced and profiled on www.spotonwormer4cats.com.

Dan White, Profender product manager, said: "Post campaign market research revealed there was a 5% increase in the awareness of spot-on cat worming.

"The second phase of TV advertising - using the same advert but without the online competition - will start on 4^th September and will build on the success of the previous advertising. And over the following three weeks, it will be broadcast on ITV1, ITV2, Channels 4 and 5, and Sky One, and is expected to reach 7 million of our core target audience."

Veterinary practices can obtain a subtitled version of 'The Secret Lives of Cats' documentary to play in their waiting rooms, and a wide selection of support materials, by contacting their Bayer Territory Manager.

Veterinary surgeons and students are being asked to take part in a new research which aims to identify risk factors for suicidal thoughts, to better inform suicide prevention. 

The research is being carried out by James Glass MRCVS (pictured), a PhD researcher working in the Suicide Behaviour Research Lab at the University of Glasgow, supervised by Professor Rory O'Connor - current president of the International Association for Suicide Prevention.

To take part, vets and student vets are being asked to complete a 15-25 minute survey, which must be done in one sitting. 

Survey answers are strictly confidential. 

Everyone is invited to participate, regardless of whether or not you have experienced suicidal thoughts, however James cautions that some of the questions may be upsetting for anyone currently experiencing suicidal feelings, and emphasises that participants are free to withdraw from the study at any point by closing the webpage, whereupon any answers already submitted with be discarded.

The study is open until 31st December 2024.

https://tinyurl.com/StudyTeamVet

The RCVS and the BVA have announced the launch of Vet Futures, a jointly funded initiative designed to stimulate discussion about the future of the profession, and help its members prepare for and shape it.

The initiative will draw on the experience and insight of a wide range of individuals and organisations, including veterinary surgeons and nurses, veterinary bodies, farmers, pet owners and other key stakeholders.

The objective is to understand where the provision of veterinary services is currently heading, whether this is in the best interests of the profession, animal owners and the public at large, and what might be done to shape an optimal future for the veterinary team, keeping animal health and welfare at its heart.

In the project's first phase, independent researchers will gather evidence via focus groups, phone interviews and desk-based research, in addition to the gauging of opinion through events, the internet and social media.

This evidence gathering will be followed by an engagement phase, where the profession will be asked for their feedback on initial thoughts; a period of analysis, where a report will be written by the independent researchers; and, finally, there will be an action phase, where key strategic issues will be identified, together with a clear plan for action from the BVA and the RCVS, as well as other organisations and individuals.

Professor Stuart Reid, RCVS President. said: "The RCVS is implementing a programme of reform to make it a first-rate regulator, but how do we also make ours a first-rate profession, that is resilient and agile enough to meet future demands?

"The Vet Futures project will not just be about horizon-scanning, but getting a fix on those issues over the horizon that we may not yet have considered, such as the use of emerging technologies.

"It's an exciting challenge and I am looking forward to members of the veterinary team getting involved so that, together, we can develop an action plan that will deliver a sustainable future for the profession."

John Blackwell, BVA President, said: "It is no secret that the veterinary profession is changing rapidly and that is why the theme for my presidential year is 'driving change and shaping the future'. It is essential that we come together to map out where we want to be as a strong and trusted profession and identify how we can make that happen.

"On such cross-cutting issues it is appropriate that the two leading professional bodies come together to provide joint leadership for the profession, but we are keen to engage as many individuals and stakeholders as possible. It is designed to be a hugely collaborative project and we want to hear voices from across the whole profession and the whole veterinary team."

The project has a dedicated website www.vetfutures.org.uk where the latest events, reports and publications will be found. There will also be a 'topic of the month' for the duration of the project, with controversial opinion-pieces being posted to stimulate debate from within the profession and amongst animal owners and other stakeholders.

The RCVS and the BVA have published the Vet Futures report: their vision for how the veterinary profession should look in 2030, coupled with 34 recommendations for change.

The report, which represents the culmination of a year of engagement, consultation and research with the veterinary profession, veterinary nurses, members of the wider veterinary team, key stakeholders, animal owners and the general public, says that in 2030 vets should be a leading force for animal health and welfare and valued for their wider roles in society. They should be confident, resilient, healthy and well supported, and benefit from exceptional leadership. And there should be a broad range of diverse and rewarding veterinary careers, as well as thriving, innovative and user-focused businesses.

While the focus of Vet Futures has been on veterinary surgeons, Vet Futures engaged with the RCVS Veterinary Nurses Council and British Veterinary Nursing Association, as well as individual veterinary nurses, and the College says that many of the ambitions should resonate with members of both professions. It goes on to recommend that the veterinary nursing profession should build on the work of Vet Futures to develop its own clear vision and ambitions. 

The recommendations within the report include:

• Explore and consult on a sustainable structure for the veterinary degree, including the viability of limited licensure, allowing veterinary students to focus their studies and specialise during the veterinary degree
• Review the regulatory framework for veterinary businesses to ensure a level playing field, enable a range of business models to coexist, ensure professionalism in commercial settings, and explore the implications for regulation of new technologies (eg telemedicine)
• Deliver a coordinated, well-funded and evidence-based approach to mental health and wellbeing for the veterinary team
• Undertake a veterinary workforce study to assess the rewards, recognition and working conditions of vets and veterinary nurses, and the drivers of low and unequal pay
• Develop a public-facing awareness campaign to raise the profile of wider veterinary roles (including public health, research, government, industry and academia)
• Strengthen leadership for the profession by exploring options for bringing greater coherence to the support and representation of the veterinary profession and exploring ways to develop the next generation of veterinary leaders including by identifying and nurturing talent, and providing them with the skills and opportunities to succeed
• Explore options to develop an online animal welfare hub to better disseminate animal welfare research, evidence and tools, including the critical appraisal of common practices in the light of emerging evidence

Other recommendations include developing an animal welfare strategy for the profession, increasing collaboration with medical professionals and environmental organisations, adopting a more strategic long-term outlook for research funding, and exploring how to encourage a more diverse profession.

RCVS President Bradley Viner said: "The Vet Futures report is the culmination of a year of research and engagement with thousands of members of the veterinary and veterinary nursing professions, which has given us a very firm foundation on which to build our ambitions and recommendations. We are extremely grateful to every individual who has contributed in some way to the project, and helped us to seize the initiative.

"Over the years the veterinary profession has proved itself to be adaptable and able to face challenges head on, and we have no doubt that by working together we will realise our joint vision of a profession in charge of its future. Ultimately, we all want a profession that is confident in itself and one in which members are proud to call themselves veterinary surgeons."

Sean Wensley, BVA President, added: "Vet Futures has proved to be an exciting, engaging and truly ambitious project for the veterinary profession and it has created a fantastic level of debate and engagement.

"The report we are launching today is not the end of the story; it is the beginning of the next chapter. It is crucial that we maintain the momentum of the project so we will be inviting members of the veterinary professions to step forward and join a new Vet Futures Action Group to help us turn the recommendations into actions and drive forward activity."

The full report can be downloaded here.

The Dogs Trust has released the results of its 2010 Stray Dog Survey, which shows that 51% of stray dogs picked up by local authorities in the UK were reunited with their owners.

According to the charity, this compares with 42% last year and is only the second time the figure has gone through the 50% barrier since survey records began in 1997.

Where the method used to return stray dogs was identified, the proportion of dogs returned through microchipping was 35% - up from 31% last year.

Dogs Trust is repeating the call for the introduction of a compulsory microchipping system for all dogs in the UK. It believes this will help reunite even more owners with their lost pets, trace abandoned pets back to irresponsible owners and ultimately reduce the number of healthy dogs unnecessarily put to sleep in the UK.

The annual Stray Dog Survey, conducted by GfK NOP on behalf of Dogs Trust, shows an overall increase in instances of straying from 107,228 to 121,693. However, taking into account the number of dogs reclaimed or returned to owner (45,329 in 2009 and 61,908 in 2010) we can estimate that this year the number of dogs actually abandoned (approximately 59,785) as opposed to being wanted pets that simply strayed has fallen by 3%.

There has been a considerable decline in the number of dogs being put to sleep by Local Authorities due to ill health, aggression (under the Dangerous Dogs Act) or simply for want of a home. Down from 9,310 in last year's survey to 6,404 this year. Dogs Trust is delighted at the progress Local Authorities have made in bringing down these numbers and their efforts in rehoming and returning so many dogs to their owners.

Dogs Trust Chief Executive Clarissa Baldwin said: "Dogs Trust is encouraged to see that although the instances of straying in the UK has increased in the last two years, the percentage of these dogs being reunited with their owners has increased and, more importantly, the numbers being put to sleep has fallen drastically.

"We are delighted to see that microchipping is having a serious impact on the stray dog situation in the UK. Dogs Trust runs subsidised microchipping campaigns across the country and in particular those areas with the biggest stray dog problems. A compulsory microchipping system would undoubtedly improve the situation further."

Dogs Trust says the introduction of compulsory microchipping would:

• Enable lost or straying dogs to be reunited promptly with their owners - meaning fewer dogs will be put to sleep at council pounds
• Permanently identify a dog in such a way that is virtually impossible to alter or remove - a clear advantage for dogs that are stolen
• Enable clear identification of the dog's owner when prosecution is being considered for dog thieves and antisocial behaviour
• Significantly decrease the workload of all those dealing with stray dogs
• Reduce kennelling costs for Local Authorities and save time
• Allow puppies bred illegally or inappropriately on puppy farms to be traced to their source

Donal Johnston MRCVS has been reprimanded and warned as to his future conduct by the RCVS Disciplinary Committee after admitting four separate charges related to fraudulent insurance claims.

Each charge related to fraudulent pet insurance claims that Mr Johnston had made for the treatment of animals when he was in practice in Banbridge, County Down, two of which were fictitious, and where he had arranged for the insurance claims to be diverted and paid into a personal bank account, rather than the practice’s bank account.

At an initial hearing, which concluded on  April 2022, Mr Johnston had admitted all the charges against him as well as admitting that his conduct was dishonest and amounted to serious professional misconduct.

The Committee was satisfied that his conduct amounted to serious professional misconduct, with Committee Chair Paul Morris saying: “The Committee has no hesitation in concluding that the respondent’s dishonest conduct will have severely undermined the confidence of the public in the veterinary profession and, further, that his conduct fell far short of the standards and conduct properly to be expected of a member of the veterinary profession.

"The Committee is satisfied that this conduct by the respondent brought the profession into disrepute.”

The proceedings were then adjourned to allow a psychiatric report and other mitigation to be prepared.

At its resumed hearing in November 2022 the Committee considered what sanction to impose in relation to Dr Johnston’s actions.

At this point, the Committee decided to postpone its decision on sanction for a period of two years on the condition that Dr Johnston enter into undertakings to the Committee including refraining from any form of gambling, subjecting himself to a close regime of support and supervision, and repaying some of the sums he had defrauded.

The hearing reconvened in October 2024 to decide on an appropriate sanction.

The Committee noted that Mr Johnston had complied with the undertakings and provided the Committee with the interim reports required of him.

He also continued with the therapeutic interventions and programmes specified, as well as implemented measures designed to minimise the risk of a relapse into gambling.

The Committee also noted that reports from the gambling support services, to which Mr Johnston had signed up, all spoke positively about his involvements and confirmed the progress he had achieved in managing his addiction.

The Committee also took into account a psychiatric report as well as evidence under oath from Mr Johnston’s wife who confirmed his compliance with the undertakings.

As a result, the Committee was satisfied that the prospects of a repeat of the conduct which led to the charges laid against Dr Johnston were now greatly reduced.

The Committee said it was less impressed with the evidence provided by Mr Johnston.

While he had largely complied with the letter of the undertakings he gave in 2022, it remained troubled by his apparent unwillingness or inability, on account of lack of effort, to fulfil the assurances previously given that he was in the process of changing his name to Johnston, from Fegan, on official documentation in order to be consistent with his legal name, when he had not done so.

The only formal name change in place was on the RCVS Register, and he had failed to alter his name on his driver’s licence, on his registration with the Veterinary Council of Ireland, his passport, bank accounts, and one of his email addresses.

As a result, the Committee did not find Dr Johnston to be an entirely satisfactory witness.

Paul Morris, chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: “Having made the progress that he has over the period since the commission of the charges found proved in 2019, the Committee considers that the imposition of a sanction of suspension on top of the period of postponement would be excessive, in the particular circumstances of this case.

“For the same reasons, as stated above, it is considered that it would be excessive now to impose a sanction of removal from the register.

“That process of reasoning has driven the Committee to the conclusion that the sanction of a reprimand and warning as to future conduct is what the facts and circumstances of this case call for.

"That is because the respondent can be under no illusion about the outcome were he to appear again before this Committee.

"A failure to take advantage of the exceptional course adopted by this Committee on this occasion would be regarded as a serious aggravating factor were he to appear before the Committee at any time in the future.”

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

There are still locum and permanent vacancies in the veterinary industry, despite the current UK recession, but candidates must be prepared to be more flexible, advises veterinary recruitment company, Rig Vet Recruitment.

"The number of vacancies we are being asked to fill at present has not really varied from the same time last year," Said Justin Carpenter, Managing Director of Rig Vets. "But, in these current uncertain times, I would suggest that candidates try to be more versatile in their job requirement criteria on such as location, on-call work, night and weekend duties, working away from home etc, then it will be much easier for us to find them the right positions."

The British Equine Veterinary Association has launched a pilot project to tackle equine obesity.

The scheme uses a traffic light colour system of vaccination reminder stickers which veterinary surgeons can place on the front of passports at each vaccination appointment. If the 6-month pilot is a success, the initiative will be rolled out across the UK in the summer.

BEVA says that despite the best efforts of numerous equine welfare charities to address the obesity issue, a significant proportion of owners are either not recognising obesity in their horses, or not being motivated to take action.

For this reason, the Association decided to try and confront the problem in a different way, using knowledge gained from the Behavioural Insights Team (BIT) – a government think tank specialising in behavioural economics and psychology.

Lucy Grieve, President Elect of BEVA and part of the Association’s obesity campaign working group, said: "Determined to look at new ways to positively engage with horse owners, we harnessed the BIT’s experience of what methods work most effectively and came up with a simple, practical scheme revolving around vaccination visits, which could be affected by vets themselves."

The idea is to use the routine annual or six-monthly vaccination visit as a time to assess a horse’s body condition. After the vaccination is given and the body condition assessed, a colour-coded vaccination reminder is stuck to the front of the passport, both to remind the owner when the next vaccination is due and to start a conversation about body condition. 

A green sticker indicates a ‘healthy’ body condition. Amber means the horse is carrying too much fat tissue and needs moderate changes to diet, exercise, management, rugging and clipping regimes. Red implies that the horse is carrying excessive amounts of fat tissue which are placing the horse in morbid danger.

Amber or red stickers provide the opportunity to talk about the potential impact on the horse’s health and what needs to be done.

If there isn't enough time to talk about it during the appointment, the sticker includes a colour-specific QR code which the owner can use to access additional information via their smartphone in their own time.

One of three short, colour-specific videos will explain the reason their horse has been designated the colour of sticker on their passport, leading to a link to more specific advice on what the owner needs to do next. Having swotted up on the background information beforehand, the owner can then discuss the various management options with their vet at a convenient time. 

Lucy said: "The first challenge is helping owners recognise when their horse is overweight. Once this has been established then we can make a plan to correct the problem as a team.

"The owner needs to be on board and committed in order to carry out the tough task of reducing the weight of their horse. We hope that owners will be ‘nudged’ by the sticker intervention to consider the information they have been offered and start to tackle the problem before it causes life-threatening disease."

Nine equine veterinary practices were invited to participate in the pilot scheme, including Loch Leven Equine Practice in Kinross. Managing director Liz Somerville said: "We have been focusing on equine obesity for the last couple of years including running a #FitnotFat campaign last year to try to highlight the growing obesity problem in our horses. Unfortunately, it sometimes feels that we are banging our heads against a brick wall so when BEVA came up with a new approach to try and get the message through to our owners it was too good an opportunity to miss."

BEVA says that at the end of the pilot, it will assess how well the project has worked for the vets involved, what proportion of owners used the QR codes, visited the advice pages and sought guidance from their vets. 

For more information, visit: https://www.beva.org.uk/Resources-For-Vets-Practices/Clinical-Practice-Guidance/Obesity-in-horses 

Bristol Vet Specialists, the £13.5M referral centre based to the north west of the city, reports that it has treated its 100th cancer patient with it's state-of-the-art, £1.7M linear accelerator, 12 months after opening.

The Elekta Infinity linear accelerator is the only one of its kind for pets in England.

CVS says it allowing the centre to offer “cutting edge” image-guided radiation treatments for cancer in cats and dogs – meaning fewer, shorter sessions, fewer side effects and the best possible chance of improved outcomes for the animal.

Delphine Holopherne-Doran, Clinical Director at Bristol Vet Specialists, said: “Our new hospital is now at the forefront of cancer care in animals.

"We have invested in this state-of-the-art technology to bring cancer treatment in pets to the next level.

“Our unique linear accelerator allows us to offer advanced image-guided treatments - for example intensity-modulated or stereotactic radiation therapy.

"The advantage of these treatments is that high dose rates of focused beams are delivered with high precision over a shortened treatment course, with greater safety for the patient’s healthy tissue.

“It has now drawn many tumours into the realm of treatability, it is improving the quality of life for patients, and it is making it easier for owners to manage their pet’s treatment and aftercare.”

Still, the installation of the linear accelerator will probably have cost the same again, and then you've got the running costs.

That's not an inconsiderable cost per patient. 

The British Veterinary Association has welcomed the European Parliament vote to improve the labelling of food, including new country of origin labelling and a requirement to label meat from animals slaughtered without stunning (according to certain religious traditions).

The BVA believes that all animals should be stunned before slaughter, for welfare reasons. However, as long as slaughter without stunning is permitted the BVA has argued for any meat from this source to be clearly labelled to enable all consumers to fully understand the choice they are making when buying such products.

Meat from slaughter without stunning currently enters the mainstream food chain without being labelled as such, leaving consumers unaware.

The European Parliament also voted to extend country of origin labelling to all meat, poultry, dairy products and other single-ingredient products as well as all meat, poultry and fish when used as an ingredient in processed food. Importantly, meat labels should indicate where the animal was born, reared and slaughtered.

The UK enjoys some of the highest animal welfare standards in the production of food and the improved country of origin labelling will allow consumers to make a more informed choice.

The BVA is calling for one clear EU welfare label that takes into account the welfare of animals use in food production from birth to slaughter, including the production system, transport and method of slaughter.

Professor Bill Reilly, President of the BVA, said: "This is a huge step forward in improving the welfare of animals at slaughter. The more consumers understand these issues, the more consumer power can make a difference.

"The BVA has argued for some time for meat from animals slaughtered without the more-humane method of stunning should be labelled as such and we are delighted that the European Parliament supports this view.

"However, there are many issues associated with the welfare of animals in food production and the BVA would like to see the development of a clear welfare label that consumers recognise as a mark of higher animal welfare.

"Currently there are too many different labels that mean different things, which can be confusing for shoppers. One higher welfare label would go a long way to improving consumer choice and animal welfare."

The British Veterinary Association has welcomed the European Commission's Action Plan on Antimicrobial resistance (AMR), launched yesterday on the eve of European Antibiotic Awareness Day.

The Action Plan sets out 12 actions:

• Improve awareness raising on the appropriate use of antimicrobials
• Strengthen EU law on veterinary medicines and on medicated feed
• Introduce recommendations for prudent use of antimicrobials in veterinary medicine, including follow-up reports
• Strengthen infection prevention and control in hospitals, clinics, etc.
• Introduce legal tools to tighten prevention and control of infections in animals in the new EU Animal Health Law
• Promote unprecedented collaboration to bring new antimicrobials to patients
• Promote efforts to analyse the need for new antibiotics in veterinary medicine
• Develop and/or strengthen multilateral and bilateral commitments for the prevention and control of AMR
• Strengthen surveillance systems on AMR and antimicrobial consumption in human medicines
• Strengthen surveillance systems on AMR and antimicrobial consumption in animal medicines
• Reinforce and co-ordinate research
• Improve communication on AMR to the public.

However, the association has expressed concern that the Commission has given only qualified support for new antimicrobials for veterinary use. Carl Padgett, President of the BVA, said: "There is much to be applauded in this action plan. In particular the BVA supports the calls for more and better coordinated research, more responsible use of antimicrobials in human and veterinary medicine, and the development of diagnostic tools to quickly and accurately identify the right drug for the right bug.

"The use of antimicrobials in the treatment and control of animal diseases is essential and the BVA supports the strong messages in this plan. Any option for managing AMR must be firmly rooted in sound scientific assessment of the risk.

"While the report recognises the difficulties that have led to the hampering of research into new antimicrobials for veterinary use, we are concerned that there is only qualified support from the Commission for the development of these new medicines for animal use.

"Research into new antimicrobials should be supported in both human and veterinary medicine. We need to ensure the creation of a more predictable regulatory environment to encourage new products for animals to be brought to the market.

"Finally, while the BVA supports the need for a new regulatory framework any new regulations must not impede the ability of veterinary surgeons to prescribe and dispense medicines according to their clinical judgement."

Meanwhile, Jill Moss of the Bella Moss Foundation added her voice to those calling for responsible use of antibiotics, highlighting recent research from the Royal Veterinary College that has established a clear link between pets with MRSA infection and human hospital-associated MRSA. What is less widely recognised, she says, is that resistant bacteria can be passed from human to animal.

The charity is now calling on health and veterinary professionals to work together to achieve a reduction in resistant infections by raising awareness and promoting the responsible use of antibiotics.