Basingstoke-based Moores Orthopaedic Clinic has launched a surgical guarantee for those of its patients that have undergone TPLO surgery, elbow arthroscopy, patella luxation surgery (grades I-III) and total hip replacement.

The 12-month surgical guarantee covers professional fees, including consultations, anaesthesia and surgery, involved in rectifying a complication as long as the patient is in good health and the post-surgery instructions have been followed appropriately.

Clinical Director, Andy Moores, an RCVS-Recognised Specialist in Small Animal Orthopaedics, said: “We can never promise that surgery will be free of complications, but we are confident in our low complication rate.

"We are offering a surgical guarantee to demonstrate this confidence and to provide our clients with the reassurance that we will help them get through any post-surgical complications.”

Andy added: “Along with our highly competitive fixed-price fees we hope this guarantee will give owners financial peace-of-mind when their pet needs orthopaedic treatment at this difficult time.

"We do not know of any other specialist orthopaedic centre in the southeast that offers better value care.”

www.mooresortho.com

For free case advice, email: advice@mooresortho.com

The UK dog-owning public is being duped into buying dogs from puppy farms says Dogs Trust, the UK's largest dog welfare charity, inadvertently fuelling the cruel trade and potentially landing themselves with huge vet bills.

In a recent survey the charity asked dog owners if they would consider buying a dog from a puppy farm. Although almost 95% said no, when asked where they had got their dog from 15.1% - potentially 900,000 dog owners - admitted they had got them from an advert in the newspaper, the internet, a pet shop or a pet superstore, all outlets often supplied by puppy farms.

In the past six months Dogs Trust has seen a marked increase in calls from concerned members of the public on the subject of puppy farming, many from dog owners whose pets have suffered illness and in some cases died as a result of having been bred at puppy farms.

Dogs Trust is calling for immediate measures to help to stop the puppy farming trade:

1. General public
Dogs Trust is introducing the term 'battery farming of dogs' to associate the practice in the minds of the public with that of battery farming of chickens, and wants to educate the public as to where they can safely go to buy a 'cruelty free dog'. 

Dogs Trust's message to the public is:

• Be wary of buying a dog from the internet, from a newspaper, from a pet shop or garden centre
• Always ask to see the puppy interacting with its mother and be concerned if excuses are made as to why you can't
• Check paperwork and be suspicious if previous owner details have been removed or disguised
• If you suspect a puppy has come from a farm don't buy it. You may be saving a dog but you'll be fuelling the battery farm trade

2. Government & Local Authorities
Dogs Trust is calling for the review of existing breeding licensing legislation.

Clarissa Baldwin, CEO of Dogs Trust, said: "Battery farming of dogs is an appalling practice, abhorrent to all decent members of society. Breeding bitches are kept in unthinkably cruel conditions and bred from continuously until they are too old, then discarded. Puppies often suffer from medical problems and behavioural issues as a result of being inadequately socialised. While most people would never consider buying a dog from such a place, it seems that a large number are inadvertently doing so.

"Most reputable breeders would never sell their dogs through newspaper adverts, pet shops or superstores, garden centres or internet websites. Anyone who sees an animal for sale in any of these places should be suspicious. Newspaper adverts and online websites are of particular concern since unscrupulous breeders or middle men (dealers) are difficult to identify, often posing as members of the public selling 'puppies from unplanned litters'."

What's wrong with battery farms?
Breeding bitches at battery farms:

• are kept in small pens without natural daylight or contact with other dogs
• suffer the mental cruelty of having little contact with people and having no space to exercise or opportunity to play
• are bred from continuously in these conditions until they are too old, then discarded

A battery farmed puppy could have genetic or other health problems relating to its poor breeding conditions. It could also have behavioural problems as a result of being taken from its mother at too young an age.

Common problems for a puppy farmed dog are:

• Parvovirus - can be fatal but cost up to £1,000
• Worms - can be fatal but if it causes bad diarrhoea requiring a drip it could cost £500
• Hip dysplasia - two total hip replacements would cost £7,000
• Patella luxation (dislocating knee-caps) - surgery on both knees would cost £1,500
• Congenital heart problems - if surgery required would cost £5,000-6,000

Dogs Trust has published a guide for anyone looking to buy a puppy. It can be downloaded from http://www.dogstrust.org.uk/az/b/buyingadog/default.aspx

Kruuse has announced that it is to become the exclusive veterinary distributor in Europe for Kit4Cat, a globally patented hydrophobic sand for veterinary use.

Kit4Cat is a biodegradable sand with a natural non-toxic urine repelling coating which allows veterinary surgeons, veterinary nurses and cat owners to collect a urine sample for urinalysis without resorting to more invasive procedures. Kit4Cat is put in the cat's normal litter tray, whereupon it repels rather than absorbs the urine, allowing it to be collected with a pipette.

Andrew Groom, Managing Director, Kruuse UK Ltd., said: "This exciting agreement and product range further expands Kruuse's small animal product portfolio with its customers in Scandinavia, mainland Europe and the UK; increasing the already extensive range of feline products available to the veterinary practitioner."

Daniel Levitt, BA, MSM, CEO, Co-Founder & Board Member of Coastline Global, the makers of Kit4Cat, said: "This agreement will further expand our products presence within the veterinary industry, using Kruuse's strong relationships within veterinary practices, to promote less stressful ways of urine test collection prior to diagnosis and treatment of cats."

The RCVS is attending an increased number of public events around the UK this summer, to promote 'Find A Vet', the Practice Standards Scheme (PSS) and careers within the profession. 

The outreach programme began earlier this month at the Devon County Show (pictured right), where the College used the opportunity to spread the word about its petsneedvets campaign, handing out over 1000 promotional bags in the process.

Next on the itinerary is the Royal Welsh Show near Builth Wells from the 23rd to 26th July. From there, the College will be heading to the BBC Countryfile Live event, held in the grounds of Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire from the 2nd to 5th August.

Ian Holloway, Director of Communications at the RCVS, said: "Following the success and popularity of our stand at Countryfile Live over the past two years we decided that this year we would broaden our horizons and attend some of the UK’s most prestigious and well-attended regional events.

"We have our ever-popular careers materials available, and it was wonderful to see dozens of young people at the Devon County Show asking us about how they can become veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses, as they always have the past two years at Countryfile. This is a really encouraging level of interest in the professions and we’re very happy to provide information to help them fulfil their aspirations. 

"Attending more and different public events is a trend we are very keen on continuing with and we will be looking at other events to attend in different parts of the UK for next year."

For more information about upcoming events involving the RCVS visit www.rcvs.org.uk/events

Photo: Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons

Zoetis has been granted a Wholesale Dealer Import Certificate (WDIC) to supply practices with an alternative rotavirus vaccine after being hit by manufacturing delays with this year’s season of Equip Rotavirus.

Practices which want to buy the alternative imported vaccine will need to apply to the VMD for a Special Import Certificate (SIC).

Wholesalers have agreed to stock the alternative vaccine.

Zoetis says it acknowledges the concern and frustration this causes its customers and wants to reassure the equine community that it is working hard to resume Equip Rotavirus supply as soon as possible.

For further information, contact your Zoetis account manager or ring Zoetis HQ on 0345 300 8034.

Fitzpatrick Referrals scooped two awards at last week's Vet Marketing Awards, held at the London Vet Show.

The practice picked up the Training Initiatives Award, in recognition of its CPD, Internship and Residency programmes, the launch of Fitzpatrick Learning Academy and the commitment of Fitzpatrick Referrals to pushing the boundaries to advance the veterinary profession.

Noel Fitzpatrick was also awarded the 2011 Science prize for his dedication and commitment to moving the profession forward through scientific and technological development, his research, philosophy and practice.

Organised by Grove House Publishing, who produce OvertheCounter magazine,Vet Marketing and Farm Business, the Vet Marketing Awards are designed to award best practice companies and individuals who are driving innovation in branding, communications and product development, in a way that promotes health and wellbeing for the good of practice, customer, and animals in their care.

Commenting on the Training Initiatives Award, the judges said: "The mission of Fitzpatrick Referrals is to deliver 'the best level of surgical, medical and compassionate care for small animals,' and they have certainly achieved this since the opening of their state-of-the-art practice in 2008. To offer their unparalleled level of care means a high level of training for their staff, and for vets and trainees from across the country. The judges were impressed that they offer more residencies, internships and fellowships than any other private practice in Europe, their commitment to CPD and the in-depth nature of their entry."

Presenting Noel Fitzpatrick with his Science Award, host of the awards ceremony, Alan Whibley, publisher of Vet Marketing said: "For the judges, this is was by far the winner in this category. Noel Fitzpatrick advances scientific and technological development in the veterinary profession, based on the moral and ethical obligation to adopt these new techniques responsibly. He pushes the boundaries, through technology, and also his support for his fellow veterinarians, through internships, CPD lectures and key note speeches, such as the one earlier today. He promulgates the moral imperative to ensure that whilst the client is fully aware of every procedure possible, that a pet is a member of the family and should be treated as such."

New research published online by the Veterinary Record suggests that puppies separated from their litters early are significantly more likely to develop potentially problematic behaviours as adults than puppies who stay with the litter for at least two months.

This is important, say the Italian authors, because behavioural problems affect relationships with owners and the risk of subsequent abandonment.

The authors based their findings on 140 adult dogs, half of whom had been taken from the litter and adopted between the ages of 30 and 40 days, and half of whom had been taken from the litter at 60 days.

The dogs' owners, who were clients of several veterinary practices in Naples, Italy, were all asked to complete a telephone questionnaire about their pets, including their provenance, breed, and a range of potentially problematic behaviours.

These included destructiveness, excessive barking, possessiveness around food and/or toys, attention seeking, aggressiveness, play biting, fearfulness on walks, and reactivity to noises.

The dogs were aged 18 months to seven years at the time of the study. Half had come from a pet shop, while one in three came from a friend or relative, and the remainder were sourced from a breeder.  None of the dogs had been in a shelter or been obviously traumatised.

Attention seeking and reactivity to noises were the most commonly reported behaviours. And younger dogs (under 36 months) were significantly more likely to be destructive and to tail chase than older animals.

But with the exception of pica eating, aggression towards the owner, paw licking and shadow staring, all behaviours were significantly more likely among dogs who had been separated from their litters before 60 days, irrespective of their breed, neuter status and size.

Similarly, some behaviours were more common among pet shop dogs who had been taken early from their litters than among pet shop dogs taken from their litters at 60 days.

The authors write: "It is generally accepted that dogs go through a sensitive period, the socialisation period, during which social experiences and stimuli have a greater effect on the development of their temperament and behaviour than if they occur in later life."

They say that the evidence increasingly points to a mix of early genetic, environmental and experiential factors that may permanently reconfigure the DNA, so leaving lasting effects.

"Early separation from the dam and littermates, especially when combined with housing in a pet shop might affect the capacity of a puppy to adapt to new environmental conditions and social relationships later in life.

"Behavioural intervention can address the development of problem behaviours and improve the dog's relationship with the owners, ultimately reducing the number of dogs that are relinquished or abandoned."

Click here to read the paper in full.

The Society for Companion Animal Studies (SCAS) has launched a distance learning course aimed at veterinary professionals working with individuals and families facing pet bereavement.

Officially accredited by the British Veterinary Nursing Association (BVNA), the course considers many forms of bereavement including the loss of a pet through illness, disease, ageing, accidental trauma or enforced separation due to changes in the owner's personal circumstances.

SCAS says the 'Pet Loss Support in Veterinary Practice' course has been co-written by leading international experts in pet loss support and aims to provide the specialist knowledge and skills required by the entire veterinary practice team. It offers up-to-date, in-depth information on many aspects of pet loss, including euthanasia; specific guidelines for children and older people; after death body-care and effective communication skills.  The course provides practical guidelines and tips on how to introduce pet loss support protocols into practice management and also looks at self-care for staff, offering useful suggestions on how to recognise and minimise possible signs of stress and burnout. 

Elizabeth Ormerod BVMS MRCVS, Chairman of SCAS said: "We should not underestimate the potential effects of grief on people's mental health and well-being and as vets we need to recognise the impact of pet loss on our clients and support them more fully than we currently do. Failure to fully understand and support the human-companion animal bond also has an adverse impact on animal welfare, and a negative effect on the success of a veterinary practice. Fifteen percent of clients who are not supported following pet loss choose never to adopt another companion animal. Of those who do adopt again, there is generally an extended interval before adoption and the likelihood of registering the new pet at a different veterinary practice."

The 'Pet Loss Support in Veterinary Practice' course is delivered through a distance learning programme, and students can register at any point during the year. The course, which includes all materials (a workbook and CD), is currently available at the special introductory offer of £375.  SCAS members and members of BVNA receive a discounted rate of £325.  Upon successful completion, students will be awarded 45 hours of CPD learning.  For more information contact SCAS on 01993 825539 or email pbsstraining@bluecross.org.uk  

The Government has announced plans for a new law to make it compulsory to microchip cats before they reach the age of 20 weeks and their contact details stored and kept up to date in a pet microchipping database.

Owners found not to have microchipped their cat will have 21 days to have one implanted, or face a fine of up to £500.

Cats Protection, which has campaigned for years for the measure, says the new regulations will be a major step forward for cat welfare in England.

According to its research, 2.8 million or roughly 26% of the UK's 10.8 million pet cats are not currently microchipped. 

Animal Welfare Minister Lord Goldsmith said: "These new rules will help protect millions of cats across the country and will be brought in alongside a range of other protections we are introducing under our Action Plan for Animal Welfare.

The Government is also reviewing the regulations on dog microchipping and the related microchipping database systems to consider whether improvements can be made.

The new cat microchipping rules will come into force once this review has completed.

Virbac, in conjunction with the European Veterinary Dental Society, has launched an online dental charting system called the Electronic Veterinary Dental Scoring System for use by small animal practitioners.

The system aims to enhance the performance of clinicians conducting dentistry and to encourage a thorough review of the oral cavity during the annual check up.

The system allows you to record clinical findings on online dental charts and build up a history for each patient. There are also a series of tutorials to help in making clinical decisions. Virbac says the e-VDS system also encourages owner compliance with treatment regimes as it provides downloadable materials, including an assessment of their pet and follow up reports.

Dr Gottfried Morgenegg-Wegmüller, who was the EVDS project lead on this development, said:  "It was always my vision to give veterinary dentistry the importance it deserves. The most effective way to achieve this is by targeting the general practitioner and encouraging them to have a closer look at the oral cavity of their patients."

Victoria Hudson, Product Manager for dental products at Virbac, said:  "Poor dental health is a major issue for dogs and cats yet many practices are yet to capitalise on the opportunity to help increase the animal's welfare and health. Many owners are simply unaware of the importance of caring for their pet's teeth. 

"The new e-VDS system is a great leap forward in dental care, offering not just electronic charting but a raft of additional support materials, all of which are practical and easy to use.  We hope many practices will be keen to try it - and will soon be reaping the benefit!"

e-VDS is available free of charge on http://www.my-virbac.co.uk/, Virbac's practice support portal. Practices can also contact their territory manager for more details.

Building on research undertaken by VetSurgeon.org and Veturse.co.uk in 2017, the RCVS Mind Matters initiative has published the results of a survey which found that 96% of student and newly qualified veterinary nurses feel that bullying and incivility are a serious problem in the profession.

The work done by vetsurgeon.org and vetnurse.co.uk attempted to identify the sorts of unpleasant behaviour that veterinary surgeons and and nurses found themselves on the receiving end of, and the impact that it had on them. It was not, however, able to quantify the prevalence of these types of behaviour other than to the extent that there were 677 reports. 

The new survey of over 650 vet nurses and student vet nurses found that not only did 96% agree or strongly agree that bullying and incivility is a serious problem in the profession, but 70% of respondents had personally experienced a mental health concern as a result.

Other findings from the survey were:

• 20% of respondents had witnessed or experienced discrimination in an educational setting and around 33% of respondents had witnessed or experienced discrimination in a practice setting
• Only 18% of respondents said they believed that veterinary nursing is a well-respected profession
• 82% said that they thought veterinary nursing was a stressful career.
• Just over half (51%) feel positive about their future in veterinary nursing
  However, the survey suggested there was a good level of awareness within the profession about how to access mental health support, with three-quarters (75%) of respondents saying that they knew where to access support for mental health if they need it and almost three-quarters (70%) found their clinical coach supportive.

The full findings of the survey will be revealed at the MMI Student Veterinary Nurse Wellbeing Discussion Forum, taking place on Wednesday 3rd November.

Attendees will have the opportunity to discuss the challenges highlighted in the survey and how they can be addressed. The results will also be published at a session led by Jill McDonald, VN Futures Project Coordinator at BVNA Congress, taking place Saturday 2nd  – Monday 4th October.

Lisa Quigley, Mind Matters Initiative Manager, said: “A number of our survey findings are extremely concerning, particularly the high levels of bullying, incivility and discrimination reported by participants. We conducted the survey with the intention of finding out more about what systemic issues across workplace practices were impacting on the profession’s mental health.

"We want to thank everyone who took part and shared their experiences with us. There were some upsetting accounts shared with us about experiences of bullying and discrimination – no one should go through this at any point in their life, let alone at their place of work.

"Decisive action needs to be taken to tackle this and we will be using the findings of the survey to help form our 2022-2027 strategy and decide what resources and training we create for the profession. Supporting the wellbeing of veterinary nurses and student veterinary nurses is one of our key priorities, and will be part of all future MMI activities.”

“I would encourage as many veterinary nurses and student veterinary nurses as possible to attend the upcoming Student Veterinary Nurse Wellbeing Discussion Forum and our session at BVNA to have your voice heard about what steps need to be taken to improve the mental wellbeing of the profession.

"We recognise that these results may bring some difficult emotions to the fore for many people, and we would encourage anyone who has experienced bullying or discrimination to seek help from an organisation such as Vetlife or the National Bullying Helpline.

"I would urge anyone who witnesses bullying or discrimination in the workplace to speak out, wherever it is safe to do so. This takes immense courage, but it is only by calling out this behaviour that it can begin to be addressed. We will be launching Active Bystander training in early 2022, to equip people with the confidence to call out unacceptable behaviour, and the skills to proactively support colleagues who have been targeted.”

Matthew Rendle, Chair of the RCVS Veterinary Nurses Council, added: “As a veterinary nurse some of these results were a difficult read and I would like to thank those student vet nurses and newly qualified vet nurses who came forward with great honesty and bravery with their views and experiences, as it couldn’t have been easy.

“We take these matters very seriously and opening up the conversation is an important first step. I hope that, following these results, we can take look at things such as strengthening reporting mechanisms for bullying and discrimination and encouraging better workplace practices to mitigate against these incidents.

“While it’s easy to focus on the negatives, I do think that these survey results have given us positive steps to build on, not least that people know how to access mental health support so they’re not suffering in silence and the role that our amazing clinical coaches are playing in supporting people with their mental health, and how we can better give them the tools for this support.”

Animal Trust, a veterinary group with nine surgeries across Yorkshire, Greater Manchester, Cheshire and North Wales, has become the first and only practice registered as a community interest company, providing a bridge between commercial veterinary care and charity provision. 

The company says that as a community interest company, it can help to bridge the gap between charities, which provide help only for those who are eligible, and commercial practices, which are becoming increasingly unaffordable as they are acquired by corporates and private equity companies.

The rules governing CIC companies mean that their assets can only be used for their social objectives and there is a limit to the money that can be distributed to shareholders: 5% above the Bank of England base rate to a maximum of 35% of profits.

Animal Trust does not charge consultation fees, so all pets are initially seen free of charge. If it turns out there’s nothing wrong, there's no charge. If treatment or medicine is required, prices are published on the website, so clients can see exactly what everything costs.

Founder Owen Monie says: “We are here to provide a comprehensive vet service for people who earn a real, living wage. We want to deliver the best access to good vet care and to remove the barriers that stop people getting care for their animals – that’s why we provide free consultations. This means pet owners can get professional advice without worrying about having to pay a consultation fee. If no treatment is needed – there’s no fee. It’s as simple as that.”

Owen says that large corporations argue they can bring better management, efficiency and innovation to the sector, and claim that costs have gone up in part due to advances in animal medicine and clients’ expectations.

"That may well be true, but big isn’t always better. In addition to its legal status as a CIC, Animal Trust lives by a set of core values (straightforward, accessible, sustainable and fair) that are becoming increasingly meaningful to customers and clients as an alternative to companies who appear to be only interested in the bottom line. There isn’t an NHS equivalent for animals – so is becoming a CIC the model that all vet practices should be looking to adopt?"