The event, sponsored by Provet Cloud, will include interactive workshop sessions on ‘Finding Flexible Working Solutions’, ‘Financial Security and Negotiation Skills’, and ‘Developing Your Personal Brand’.
Women from all areas of the veterinary industry will also be sharing their inspirational career stories.
The speaker line-up for the event includes Flexee’s Silvia Janska, who takes a look at ‘Finding Flexible Working Solutions’, including how they can be implemented in practice to empower individuals and teams, and benefit the business.
Katie Ford and Paul Horwood from VetYou, will be addressing overcoming barriers in talking about, navigating, and creating security with money to arm delegates with negotiation tools and useable resources in their workshop session on ‘Financial Security and Negotiation Skills’
Hamzah Malik from Regent Animal Health will lead a workshop on ‘Developing Your Personal Brand’ to build delegates’ confidence in ways to explore and articulate personal identity and strengths, and apply brand marketing principles to boost career success.
The event will also feature ‘Seeing is Believing’ breakout sessions with female speakers from all spheres of veterinary practice, business, industry, nursing and education, sharing their career stories and taking part in Q&A sessions.
The event is suited to all those thinking about the next career step, considering leadership roles or already working within leadership positions in the veterinary sector.
Veterinary professionals and students can take advantage of an early-bird rate until 20th November.
For more information and to register for the event, visit: https://eu.eventscloud.com/website/7528/home/
The company says AI Masses will allow veterinary professionals to analyse lesions suggestive of cancer in-clinic and with a fast turnaround.
The AI technology, which has been trained by human clinical pathologists, should enable individualised treatment outcomes earlier for more cases.
Zoetis says AI Masses only needs a single round of sample preparation and the results can, at additional cost, be supplemented with an expert review from a network of specialists through Zoetis’ Virtual Laboratory.
Dr. Richard Goldstein, DVM, DACVIM, DECVIM-CA, Global Chief Medical Officer at Zoetis said: “Waiting for results can be stressful for pet owners – even more so when it involves a cancer screening.
"Our research shows that up to 75% of pet owners find abnormal results highly stressful.1
"AI Masses is yet another point-of-care capability to deliver results in-clinic, further exemplifies Zoetis’ purpose to advance care for animals, shortening anxious wait times to allow for faster care decisions that help provide the best possible outcome.”
Pre-orders will be announced for US customers in Q2 2025.
VetSurgeon.org understands AI Masses will be coming to the UK some time in 2025.
https://www.zoetisdiagnostics.com
Reference
Ceva Animal Health, manufacturer of Adaptil and Feliway, has launched a competition in which the practices that build the top ten dog dens in their client waiting rooms will win a luxury hamper worth £50.
The competition is designed to encourage practices to show clients how they can build a dog den to calm their dog during the fireworks season
To enter the competition, you need to post a picture of your waiting room dog den on the Adaptil Facebook page in October: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Adaptil/109397602429388?fref=ts.
Ceva also has a range of marketing materials for veterinary practices to use in the competition, including a hanging mobile, cut-outs, wobblers, posters and a leaflet and leaflet holder.
For additional hints and tips, a short film will also be available on the Adaptil website: www.adaptil.co.uk in due course. The footage includes information on preparing a den for a dog to hide in while the fireworks are going off.
For further information, contact your local Ceva territory manager or ,telephone 01494 781510.
The company says the new diets are based on a formulation high in protein and low in carbohydrate, of which 90% of the protein is of animal origin, providing clinical nutrition closest to the needs of dogs and cats as carnivores.
Virbac adds that the compact range allows veterinary practices to meet the main nutritional needs encountered in practice with just 15 products, making it easier for practice teams to navigate, whilst also reducing stock holding requirements.
Andrew Connolly, Pet Food Manager at Virbac, said: "We’re really excited to introduce our new clinical diets to the profession as a genuine advancement in clinical nutrition."
He added: "We regularly hear from practices who are frustrated with working hard to promote diets only to lose the sale to alternative channels. This doesn’t have to be the case and I would encourage any practices in a similar situation to speak to their Virbac Territory Manager to see how we can help."
The award categories that someone can be nominated for are:
The closing date for the awards is Friday, 7 January 2022.
For more information, visit www.rcvs.org.uk/awards.
The RCVS awards for which nominations can be made this year are:
RCVS President Dr Melissa Donald MRCVS, said: “It is important that veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses uplift each other, and recognise those everyday heroes who impact the animal health and welfare in their local community day in, day out.
"So, if you know anyone who fits the bill for one of our award categories, please make sure to take a bit of time to fill in the nomination form and put them forward.”
The deadline date for the 2023 awards is 5pm on Friday, 27 January 2023.
To read the guidance on making a nomination and to download the PDF nomination forms for each of the awards, visit www.rcvs.org.uk/awards
The British Veterinary Association has expressed disappointment, but no surprise, at the Government's decision to reject the multi-faceted approach unanimously recommended by the House of Commons Environment Food and Rural Affairs Committee (EFRACom) to address the spread of Bovine TB within the cattle and badger population.
BVA President Nick Blayney said that the veterinary profession was "deeply concerned about the ongoing lack of disease control and the resulting impact on cattle and badger health and welfare" and that "to date, measures directed at cattle alone have not led to disease control".
While welcoming the commitment to increased funding for research on vaccines, Mr Blayney said: "There is little doubt that any progress is some years down the line and it is hard to see how the Minister can expect either dairy farmers or the veterinary profession to ‘move forward' in tackling the disease when nothing, other than yet another group, albeit under a new name - the Bovine TB Partnership Group - is envisaged for the foreseeable future. Both badgers and cattle are significant animals in the spread of TB as all the science agrees."
In contrast to the British Veterinary Association, The National Office of Animal Health (NOAH) has welcomed the decision by DEFRA not to proceed with the proposal contained in the draft Veterinary Medicines Regulations 2010 to prohibit the advertising of antimicrobials to farmers.
NOAH says it believes the proposal would have had a negative effect on farmers' ability to maintain their knowledge and awareness of animal health and welfare issues, and did not believe that it would reduce antimicrobial resistance profiles.
NOAH chief executive Phil Sketchley said: "Farmers, as professional producers of food, need to be kept well briefed on the antimicrobials they use, following prescription by their veterinary surgeons. Promotion by our members plays a key role in this and in educating farmers about animal welfare and disease."
NOAH members follow rigid rules on advertising and promotion through the longstanding Code of Practice for the Promotion of Animal Medicines.
Phil added: "The NOAH Code already goes beyond the Veterinary Medicines Regulations and is reviewed each year - this year we will be particularly looking to ensure that it fully reflects the industry's commitment to disease education and information on responsible use, particularly in relation to antimicrobial promotion. We have planned, at our Code review meeting in February, further discussions within NOAH and with the VMD to finalise how this can best be achieved.
"Importantly we must always remember that antimicrobial medicines for all animals are POM-V, meaning they have to be prescribed by a veterinary surgeon, and therefore it should be the vet who makes the decision on whether an antibiotic is needed. If such therapy is indicated, the most appropriate antibiotic for an animal or group of animals is selected by the veterinary surgeon based on the clinical signs shown, the current disease situation on the farm and in the area and where appropriate and feasible, is based on bacterial culture and sensitivity testing."
Using promotion to encourage responsible use, NOAH launched its 'Use Medicines Responsibly' campaign in 2009. A recommendation was made that members include a strap line on promotional material advising users to 'use medicines responsibly'.
NOAH was a founder member of the Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture Alliance (RUMA) and continues to be a strong contributor to and supporter of RUMA's communications to farmers including the antimicrobial guidelines. These guidelines are not intended to influence the veterinary surgeon's decision to prescribe but help support ways that the veterinary surgeon and farmer can work together to reduce the need to prescribe antimicrobials whilst ensuring they are used responsibly once prescribed in line with the principle of 'as little as possible but as much as necessary'.
Phil said: "Antibiotics are essential for the health and welfare of the UK's livestock population. NOAH accepts that antimicrobial resistance is a serious and growing subject of discussion for the medical and veterinary professions and we need to continue to take this matter seriously."
VetSurgeon.org has launched a new register of veterinary locums as a resource for practices that need to find a locum quickly and at no cost.
Veterinary locums can add themselves to the register free of charge, and include full details of the service they offer.
Practices that need a locum can then search the register by area. After they've used the locum, they are encouraged to comment beneath the locum's entry on the register.
At the time of writing, about a dozen locums have added their details to the register, so it's still early days. Hopefully, however, this will grow into a really valuable resource for both practices and locums.
To add your name to the register, click here and follow the instructions linked to from the right hand side.
Ceva Animal Health has renamed the veterinary behaviour product DAP as Adaptil, to highlight its key benefit of helping dogs 'adapt' to new situations.
Along with the name change, Ceva is launching a new Adaptil Collar. According to the company, the collar has undergone a number of improvements: it is now easier to fit, due to a new, practical buckle; it has a larger surface area for better diffusion of the pheromone and the Adaptil name is on the collar in print as well as braille.
In addition to the new name, both Adaptil and Feliway are having a packaging makeover to make them more consumer friendly. Packaging will now feature pictograms of situations in which the products should be used, encouraging dog and cat owners to use the product ranges appropriately.
Ceva will be offering pet owners a free limited edition Adaptil Frisbee for every Adaptil Collar bought from their local participating veterinary practice. The company is also running an online competition from 17 June until 17 July on the company's secrettohappypets.com website. Pet owners will have the opportunity to win a weekend for two with their pet in a Best Western pet-friendly hotel by submitting a story on why their pet deserves a weekend away.
Julia Wood, product manager at Ceva Animal Health said: "We have listened to feedback given on our pheromone range from both pet owners and veterinary professionals. The launch of Adaptil and the marketing support that we are putting behind both Adaptil and Feliway will boost awareness of the pheromones and their benefits amongst pet owners and further enhance their standing as the UK's leading veterinary behaviour products."
For more information, please contact your Ceva account manager or call 01494 781510.
A Europe-wide survey has found that speed and accuracy are the key features that farm animal veterinary surgeons and farmers want from diagnostic tests
More than 334 individuals from 8 countries were asked about their current usage and knowledge of diagnostics, and asked what they would like to see in the future. Greater accuracy was the number one need among veterinary surgeons, mentioned by 37%, followed by more speed (22%); cost savings (16%) and greater confidence in the results (8%) were other features that they would like to see improved.
The survey, which was commissioned by global biotechnology company Life Technologies, showed that most test results are currently available in one to three days, but still a significant proportion have to wait three to six days for results (39%) or even more than six days (20%). Only 10% currently get their results within 24 hours.
Although many of the vets were aware of modern molecular diagnostics tests such as PCR (polymerase chain reaction) which generally offer quicker results than culture testing, most did not know which were used most often. The vast majority of farmers were happy to leave the decision on type of diagnostics test to their veterinarian.
Frederic Bar, Sr. Marketing Manager EMEA at Life Technologies said: "The results show that veterinarians are looking for the speed and accuracy that modern molecular diagnostics, such as PCR, can provide, but this technology is still not being used as widely as it could be."
"One way in which veterinarians could get faster, more accurate-results would be to specify PCR when they submit samples to diagnostic laboratories.
"Diagnostics have really moved on in recent years and the modern tests can give very reliable results, often in just one day, so veterinarians and farmers can make herd health decisions more quickly."
The survey found that BVD, IBR and MAP tests were the most commonly used in cattle, while PRRS, Influenza A and Salmonella topped the list for swine. For sheep and goats, Salmonella, MAP and Chlamydia were the most frequently mentioned tests; for horses, EHV, equine infectious anaemia and Salmonella were most common. Avian influenza was by far the most commonly tested disease in poultry.
Following reports that a puppy in Cornwall has died after biting into an e-cigarette refill, the BVA is warning pet owners to ensure they are kept out of reach of animals.
BVA President Robin Hargreaves said: "This is a tragic case and very worrying when you consider how many people are now using e-cigarettes. Nicotine poisoning acts very quickly and can be fatal, especially when large doses are involved. E-cigarettes and refills can easily contain sufficient quantities of nicotine to kill a small animal very quickly.
"If you use e-cigarettes, we recommend storing all equipment safely out of reach of your pet. If you suspect your pet has chewed or eaten an e-cigarette or any toxic substance then it is vital that you contact a vet for treatment as quickly as possible."
The BVA says it understands that the female puppy was a recently rehomed Staffordshire cross. It became unwell on Sunday after apparently consuming an e-cigarette refill and died on Monday morning after failing to respond to treatment.
The Waltham Equine Studies Group has published new research which highlights the effectiveness of grazing muzzles as a tool to help with weight management in ponies.
The research, which was conducted in collaboration with Dr Annette Longland of Equine and Livestock Nutrition Services (ELNS) in Wales2, also showed that longer grass can be more difficult for muzzled ponies to graze, and can cause frustration-related behaviour in some individuals.
According to Waltham, grazing muzzles have already been shown to reduce the pasture intake of ponies by around 80% by significantly reducing bite size and intake.1 Ponies fitted with grazing muzzles may spend more time engaging in foraging and eating than their non-muzzled counterparts, yet the majority either lose weight or retain their body condition. This in turn helps reduce susceptibility to obesity and related disorders, such as insulin dysregulation and laminitis.
Four mature ponies were selected for the study. Their dry matter (DM) and water-soluble carbohydrate (WSC) intakes were measured in spring, summer, and autumn pastures on four, three-hour occasions per pony per season when fitted with or without a grazing muzzle. In addition ponies, with and without muzzles, were allowed to take 10 bites of swards maintained at different heights.
When wearing grazing muzzles pasture intake was reduced by 77% during spring and summer and by 83% during the autumn. Without muzzles the ponies generally reduced the sward length by half with the first bite but when muzzled the reduction was variable and the ponies appeared to experience greater difficulty in accessing the longer versus the shorter swards.
The short (less than 10cm), upright, grass appeared to be the easiest to eat, as leaf blades and stems protruded through the holes in the muzzle. The medium and long swards proved more difficult. They bent under the pressure of the muzzle and became flattened, causing the ponies to adopt various strategies to access the grass. In some cases they pawed the ground to unearth the sward and access it through the muzzle. Alternatively they rammed the solid base of the muzzle hard onto the grass, causing it to buckle and make some blades or stems accessible. These were then yanked vigorously often causing the entire plant to be uprooted and eaten.
Water soluble carbohydrate levels in the sward were similar across the seasons although they were slightly higher in autumn. However, once muzzled the ponies’ intake of WSC wasn’t significantly different across the seasons; strengthening the evidence that the use of grazing muzzles is effective.
Clare Barfoot RNutr and the research and development manager at Spillers said: "While the frustration displayed when the muzzled ponies were on longer grass swards indicates that care should be taken to provide an accessible grass length, grazing muzzles remain an effective weight management tool. They allow turnout over large areas, increasing exercise and allow slow “trickle” feeding, to control weight gain and reduce the risk of obesity-related disorders, without significantly compromising the natural behaviour and wellbeing."
Waltham says grazing muzzles must be used with care, should be properly fitted and horses and ponies should be adapted gradually to wearing them. Group and individual behaviour should be monitored closely to observe any potential concerns caused by changes to the herd dynamics. Ensure that muzzled ponies are confident in drinking and eating through their muzzles before turning them out for prolonged periods. Muzzles must not be used continuously (not more than 10 hours per day) and total exclusion muzzles are not advised. Regular weight monitoring is recommended as some individuals can still gain weight when muzzled.
References
The full day programme includes:
• Gastroprotectants in veterinary medicine – Julien Bazelle• An update on steroid responsive meningitis arteritis and meningoencephalitis of unknown aetiology – Jeremy Rose• An update on feline viral infections – Dr Jane Sykes• Guiding clinical decision making in Cushing’s syndrome – Imogen Schofield• What can’t TKIs be used for? – Aaron Harper• Case experiences – Professor Michael Herrtage
The society is also inviting entries for its Case Report competition, the deadline for which is the 6th March 2020.
The meeting costs £130 for members, £180 for non members and £75 for interns, residents and those graduating in 2020.
For more information and to register, visit: https://www.samsoc.org/meetings/2020-spring-meeting
The British Veterinary Association and British Cattle Veterinary Association have welcomed the launch of the Defra consultation on tackling bovine Tuberculosis (bTB) in England, which includes recommendations for badger control in areas where bTB persists at high levels, despite attempts at control using other measures.
The two associations have long argued that bTB cannot be controlled without measures to control the disease in both cattle and wildlife.
In particular the BVA and BCVA have welcomed:
The Associations have noted the expectation that the farming industry will pick up the costs of vaccinating and culling badgers and will consider in detail the Government's proposals for licensing criteria and culling methods.
The BVA and BCVA will be providing a detailed response to the consultation following discussion with members of both Associations.
Professor Bill Reilly, President of the BVA, said: "We are extremely pleased that the Coalition Government has made tackling bovine TB such a priority. Both the BVA and BCVA have made the case that this devastating disease will not be eradicated without measures that tackle TB both in cattle and in wildlife.
"We will be looking in detail to ensure that the proposals are as effective and, importantly, as humane as possible.
"Our initial reaction is that the proposals announced by Defra are based on scientific evidence and expert veterinary advice and we strongly support the direction the Government is taking."
Keith Cutler, President of BCVA, added: "It is important that the Government has recognised that there is no single solution to tackling bovine TB.
"Controlling the disease in badgers through vaccination and culling has a role to play, but will only be effective if properly targeted and used alongside all other available control measures.
"The BVA and BCVA are therefore very pleased to see proposals that deliver a package of measures."
Village Vet is set to become the first veterinary group to have its clinics recognised as 'Cat Friendly' under the International Society of Feline Medicine's (ISFM) WellCat For Life programme, sponsored by Purina.
Working in partnership with Purina, each clinic is undergoing a bespoke 'moggie makeover' to help make visits as stress-free as possible for cats and their owners.
Founder of Village Vet, Brendan Robinson said: "We understand how stressful trips to the vets can be for both our feline friends and their owners. Cats account for 45% of our client base, so it is our goal to make visits to our practices as relaxed and stress-free as possible.
"The Hampstead practice, for example, is introducing a specialist cat ward situated well away from the sight and smell of dogs, with large, glass-fronted kennels that cut down noise and keep the cats hidden from each other.
"Another important change is the introduction of dedicated 'feline advocates' across each practice whose role is to 'think cat' and maintain the gold standard cat care. Front of house staff are also being trained to help owners make their cat as comfortable as possible in the waiting room, by directing them to the cat only waiting areas and offering towels to cover the baskets so cats feel safe and secure."
To help implement the changes, Purina has funded and organised practice visits with feline specialist Andrea Harvey. During her time with Village Vet, Andrea visited each practice to help train the 'feline advocates' and run workshops with vet nurses and front of house staff.
Rea Johnston from the Maida Vale Village Vet has been appointed as a 'feline advocate'. She said: "Here at Village Vet, we have always understood the importance of catering to cats' specific needs. But Andrea really helped inspire the team to think of practical changes that could make a real difference to our clients and their pets. Our support staff now have much greater confidence and it's making a big difference to our clients."
Claire Bessant, CEO at ISFM said: "As territorial animals, cats can become stressed as soon as they leave their home, so by the time they get to the vet practice they can be extremely anxious. This stress can manifest itself physically, which in extreme cases can affect diagnosis of certain conditions.
The Cat Friendly Clinic self-assessment scheme is open to any veterinary clinic that deals with cat patients. It lays out numerous requirements regarding the design, equipment and facilities within the clinic. Importantly, it also covers the quality of care provided to cats, the level of understanding of cats and their needs in the clinic, and interaction between the clinic and cat owners.
Reaching a gold or silver standard allows practices to display the Cat Friendly Clinic logo. For more information, visit: www.wellcat.org.
Improve International has announced that the role of Official Veterinarians in animal welfare is the theme of this year's OV Conference, taking place on the 29th & 30th September.
The conference programme includes lecture streams and round-table discussions on themes relating to both Large Animals and Small Animals, in addition to a series of lectures aimed at Equine Practitioners.
This second OV conference is a collaboration between Improve International, which handles OV registration and training in England, Scotland and Wales; 5m Publishing and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA). They say their objectives are to provide a forum to discuss the latest developments in OV work and to offer an opportunity for OVs to network and share experiences and ideas.
Large animal topics to be discussed at the event include Bovine TB, Bluetongue and Porcine Epidemic Diarrhoea while small animal practitioners will focus on export regulations, certification, the Pet Travel Scheme, together with welfare and exotic disease issues. Equine lectures will include legislation updates and welfare and exotic diseases.
An exhibition of the latest products and services of interest to OVs will again run alongside the conference which will take place at the Alexandra House Hotel and Conference Centre, near Swindon, where Improve International is based.
David Babington MRCVS, Managing Director of Improve, said: "The enthusiastic discussions following many of the lectures at our first conference and the resoundingly positive feedback we received from the 250 delegates attending convinced us of the value of a forum that brings OVs together with experts from private practice, other animal health-related organisations and the APHA.
"Animal welfare is a particularly important topic for OVs so it is the theme for this year's event and all of the speakers will address it within the context of their lectures. We look forward to, once again, welcoming OVs from across the country to Alexandra House in September 2016."
For more information on the Official Veterinarian Conference and Exhibition or to register visit: www.officialvet.com
The meeting follows growing concerns expressed both within the profession and in the national media about the shortage of veterinary surgeons in the UK.
Lizzie Lockett, RCVS CEO (pictured right), said: “Workforce shortages within the veterinary sector has been a concern for some time, however, in the past few months there has been a ‘perfect storm’ of circumstances, which have come together to exacerbate the problem. The issues include the ongoing impact of the pandemic, burnout and fatigue within the profession; the UK’s exit from the European Union, which has seen a significant reduction in the number of EU vets joining the Register as well as an associated increase in the need for veterinary certification; and an increase in pet ownership, and therefore demand for veterinary services, over the course of the pandemic."
In advance of the meeting, which is due to be help in November, the College will be conducting research to better gauge the extent of the problem both nationally and regionally.
The meeting will then consider how recruitment, retention and return to work might address the problem.
Lizzie added: “While there has already been a lot of focus and discussions around recruitment and retention, something less spoken about is return, and the summit will consider the reasons why members of the profession may move away from clinical practice, and if there’s more scope for different ways of working that could bring people back into clinical practice.
“Ahead of the summit we will be reviewing all the latest data that we and other organisations have shared to better understand the gap between capacity and demand, the push and pull factors on decisions to either join or leave clinical practice and build a more evidence-based picture of veterinary workforce trends.”
The summit itself, the date of which is yet to be confirmed, will involve key veterinary stakeholders including the veterinary schools, veterinary employers and representative bodies, coming together to ensure that there will be a joined-up approach in finding solutions to the issues confronting the profession.
Lizzie said: “It may not necessarily be easy to identify all the solutions in one day, and they won’t all come from the RCVS, but opening up the conversation and getting the professions focused on taking appropriate action is an important first step.”
Meanwhile, RCVS President Kate Richards this week wrote to all vets and nurses to reassure them them that the RCVS was aware of the problem and the additional pressures they are under as a result.
In the letter she wrote: “In the face of current shortages, I would like to stress that we support practice teams in prioritising cases strictly according to the health and welfare needs of their patients, and in informing their clients of the need to do so.
“We would also urge veterinary surgeons to share their caseload as much as possible, delegating permitted procedures to their veterinary nurse colleagues wherever appropriate to do so.
"And, we would like to remind veterinary surgeons that their current 24/7 emergency cover obligations, as set out in the RCVS Code of Professional Conduct, are limited only to taking steps to provide 24-hour emergency first-aid and pain relief to animals according to their skills and the specific situation."
She also added that, while members of the profession may be anxious about a potential increase in the number of concerns being raised by clients because they are not able to offer the level of service they would ideally like to, the RCVS would always take into account the entire circumstances surrounding a complaint as part of its investigation process.
She also said that the College would also continue to raise awareness amongst animal owners of the acute challenges currently facing veterinary teams around the country, and to request their ongoing patience and understanding.
To assist the profession, a series of FAQs have been produced to help with different situations that vets may encounter at the moment, particularly around the provision of 24/7 emergency cover, and to provide further guidance on delegating procedures to veterinary nurses. These can be found at: www.rcvs.org.uk/news-and-views/news/
The programme covers periodontal treatments, restorative dentistry, orthodontics and maxillofacial surgeries, among others.
Improve says training will be delivered via a mixture of face-to-face theory and practical skills using real-life cases that can be immediately applied in practice.
The course is led by Alix Freeman (pictured), a European and RCVS Specialist in Veterinary Dentistry, who developed the course content.
Alix said: “This course will equip you with the theoretical knowledge and practical skills to enable you to perform advanced dentistry and oral surgery procedures in practice.
"The tutors will enthuse you with their passion for dentistry and oral surgery.
"You'll be taught the most up to date and innovative treatments in a leading dedicated dental training lab with the best equipment and materials.
"You'll gain the confidence to undertake root canal treatments, jaw fracture planning and repair, oronasal fistula repair and oral oncologic surgery.
"This is the first advanced dentistry certificate of its kind in the UK and is sure to be very popular”.
Upon completion, participants will be eligible for the General Practitioner Advanced Certificate in Small Animal Dentistry (GPAdvCert SADen&OS) from the International School of Veterinary Postgraduate Studies (ISVPS).
https://improveinternational.com/uk/coursedate/gpadvcert-in-small-animal-dentistry-and-oral-surgery
The event, which took place in Manchester in October last year, saw veterinary mental health researchers from across Europe come together to share their insights into a variety of areas of veterinary mental health including moral injury, suicide and suicide prevention, the impact of racism, veterinary nurse mental health, and workplace stressors for autistic veterinary professionals.
There were 77 attendees, including a mix of academic researchers and veterinary professionals.
Talks included an address from Dr Leah Quinlivan on ‘Evidence-based care for people who have self-harmed: risk prediction, psychosocial assessments and aftercare’, presentations of research into the impact of racism on the mental health of veterinary professionals and the impact of moral injury on wellbeing.
Angharad Belcher, Director for the Advancement of the Professions and of the Mind Matters Initiative gave a talk about the work of MMI, including its newly published 5-year strategy and evaluation documents.
She said: “The fourth Mind Matters Mental Health Research Symposium was a massively inspiring and insightful day.
"The field of veterinary mental health research is still relatively small so it remains of utmost importance that we continue to band together to share our knowledge on this subject, so that we can continue to learn and grow together and put these important learnings into practice.
“For us, it is vital that these new ground-breaking research projects are made available to all who want to learn more about helping to improve the mental health and wellbeing of those working within the veterinary professions.
"There is some truly fantastic work going on which provides us with hope that we can all continue to work together towards a brighter future.
“There is no doubt that there is a long way to go, but improvement starts with education and research so I would urge anybody who is interested in what is being done to help improve and support the mental health of those working within the veterinary professions, and who is keen to help us keep these vital conversations going, to have a look through the report or access videos of the talks.”
https://vetmindmatters.org/resources/videos-from-the-day-mind-matters-initiative-research-symposium-2023
https://vetmindmatters.org/resources/report-mind-matters-initiative-research-symposium-2023
The symposium, which offers up to 5 hours of CPD, is now available at: https://purinasymposium2022.vfairs.com/en/hall#exterior-view
In the recording, the following six experts share their knowledge:
Viewers can also download the delegate notes which provide a summary of the research explored in the talks.
A research project funded by equine charity The Horse Trust has found that lameness is the most common reason for euthanasing a geriatric horse.
According to the charity, this research is the first in the UK to provide data on the causes of death in geriatric horses. Although post-mortem studies have provided some data regarding causes of death, "old age" was previously reported as a common reason for the euthanasia of adult horses.
The research was carried out by Joanne Ireland at the University of Liverpool and led by Dr Gina Pinchbeck. Ireland surveyed horse owners living in the North-West and Midlands areas of England and North Wales who have a horse aged 15 years or older. 918 owners of geriatric horses were followed in a cohort study and 118 mortalities were reported during the 18 month follow-up period, of which 111 were euthanased.
The researchers found that 24% of horses were euthanased due to lameness; an additional 12% were euthanased due to laminitis - a common cause of lameness. After lameness, colic was the next most common cause of euthanasia, with 21% of owners citing this as the main reason.
In an earlier stage of the project, the researchers had found that half the geriatric horses surveyed suffered from lameness, but only 24% of owners reported the problem.
Dr Pinchbeck said: "Although lameness is common in older horses, this is the first study to quantify its contribution to their mortality.
"Owners are often missing the early signs of lameness in their horse, which means the condition isn't being managed and may deteriorate faster."
Dr Pinchbeck said it would be useful to carry out further research into lameness in geriatric horses to find out the main causes of lameness and how these may be prevented or treated.
The research team also found that half of the horses euthanased were suffering from concurrent health problems and these influenced the owner's decision to euthanase in 43% of cases. The most frequently reported additional health problems were musculoskeletal problems, such as arthritis.
The mortality rate among the horses surveyed was 11 per 100 horse-years at risk, meaning that if 100 geriatric horses were followed for a year, an average of 11 would die. The mortality rate for horses over 30 years of age was over five times the rate than in horses aged 15 - 19 years.
Jeanette Allen, Chief Executive of The Horse Trust, said the data provided by this research is likely to provide useful information for both horse owners and vets to enable them to improve the welfare of older horses. She said: "As there are a significant number of geriatric horses in the UK, it is vital that we understand more about the health problems that affect them. We hope that more owners of older horses will give their horse an annual health-check to enable the horse to have a longer, healthier life."
The research was published in the September 2011 issue of Preventive Veterinary Medicine.
The NOAH Compendium is also available online at www.noahcompendium.co.uk, and via a smartphone app which was launched in November 2016.
A special edition of the book for SQPs, commissioned by AMTRA, will be also available shortly.
NOAH chief executive Dawn Howard said: "The NOAH Compendium in all its formats is a major part of NOAH’s efforts to assist the appropriate and responsible use of all animal medicines.
"Every NOAH member, as well as the non-member participants in the NOAH Compendium, is a signatory to the NOAH Code of Practice on Promotion, which demonstrates their commitment to operate above and beyond any regulatory requirements.
"As well as product datasheets, the Compendium includes another vital resource – the contact details for each participating company. Company veterinary and technical advisors have detailed knowledge about their company’s medicines. They are ready to talk to prescribers about the use of a medicine in a particular animal or in a particular situation, as well as to explain any queries about the data sheet."
If your practice has not yet received its copy, perhaps because you are a new practice, or have changed address in the past year, contact Amy Davis at NOAH (a.davis@noah.co.uk).
Extra copies are also available to order now, for £45. NOAH says many veterinary surgeons choose to buy extras for each consulting room and special prices are available for bulk orders.
The proposed withdrawal is vigorously opposed by the National Pig Association, which argues that zinc oxide is effective at controlling E.coli infections and can result in lower use of antimicrobials. Furthermore, the ban was proposed by France and the Netherlands, neither of which use zinc oxide.
The Veterinary Medicines Directorate has submitted evidence to support a proposal for a 10 year transition period if medicines containing zinc oxide are to be withdrawn. This will allow for changes in pig farming practices to avoid increases in the occurrence of diarrhoea at weaning, to ensure animal welfare and prevent increases in the use of antibiotics.
The European Commission will now make a final decision on zinc oxide products - taking into account the CVMP’s recommendation and evidence submitted by Member States - which is expected to be announced some time after June this year.
Biobest is highlighting the benefits of using its canine prostate specific arginine esterase (CPSE) test to differentiate between those dogs which have benign prostatic hyperplasia and those suffering more serious conditions, such as neoplasia.
Benign prostatic hyperplasia is a common condition of entire dogs with over 50% of dogs over 5 years of showing histological evidence of BPH.
Paul Burr MRCVS from Biobest said: "While the clinical stages of prostatic disease are not difficult to diagnose, differentiating BPH from other causes of prostatic disease such as prostatic cysts, prostatitis, prostatic abscesses or neoplasia is less simple. Traditionally further investigation would include bacteriology and cytology on a prostatic wash or final needle aspirate, and prostatic ultrasonography."
Although the CPSE test has been available for a couple of years now, Paul says the benefits of the test have not thus far been well-explained: "I think most vets probably think it's just a test for Prostatic Disease, something which is easy enough to diagnose without testing.
"While the test can be used as part of an annual check up to look for pre-clinical BPH in entire male dogs, it's real value is that it is a simple, convenient non-invasive blood test that helps determine whether a dog presenting with signs of prostatic disease is most likely to be suffering from BPH or a more serious condition that requires further investigation."
For more information about the CPSE test, contact Biobest on 0131 440 2628 or email enquiry@biobest.co.uk.