RCVS Council agreed, in principle, to the sale of Belgravia House and for the College and its London-based staff to move to different premises at its November meeting.
The sale of the building and the move will be overseen by the College’s Estate Strategy Project Board headed by former RCVS President Barry Johnson and including current and former RCVS Council members and RCVS staff.
The RCVS has been based at its current premises in 62-64 Horseferry Road for 25 years, but says it now needs more up-to-date and modern facilities to accommodate a projected increase in the number of staff.
The College says it has considered a number of alternatives, including expanding the current premises by adding or expanding floors. However, due to the fact that the building is in a conservation area, it has become clear that any such expansions would be unlikely to get planning permission from Westminster Council.
Lizzie Lockett, RCVS Chief Executive, said: "For a number of years it has become apparent that it is fast approaching the time at which our current premises will no longer be fit for purpose due to an increase in the number of RCVS staff – something that is projected to continue in the future – the ongoing need to use the building for Disciplinary Hearings, which take over the lion’s share of available meeting space, and the need for better and more modern facilities.
"Even putting our need for increased space on one side, Belgravia House requires major refurbishment in key areas such as air-conditioning and lifts, which would require staff to vacate the premises for up to 18 months, which would be costly and disruptive.
"We are therefore pleased that Council has recognised the need for the College to move somewhere that better reflects our needs and, over the coming months, we will be exploring a number of different options for new premises.
"In parallel to this we have put out an invitation to tender for agents to manage the sale of the building. The plan is for the arrangement to include lease-back so that we have time to find a suitable premises and enabling us to act quickly when we do."
Any organisations that are interested in putting forward a tender to manage the sale of the building should contact Corrie McCann, RCVS Director of Operations, on 020 7202 0724. Responses to tender are required by 30 November 2018.
Photo: Copyright Google 2018
As of today, veterinary surgeons in the UK can call themselves 'Doctor', following a decision made by the RCVS Council.
The decision to allow the use of the courtesy title followed a consultation which received 11,202 responses, of which 81% were in favour of the change, 13% against, and 6% did not mind either way.
The College says the idea is to align the UK with international practice, provide greater clarity for the profession and offer reassurance to clients and the animal-owning public that all veterinary surgeons registered with the RCVS, regardless of where they qualified, have veterinary degrees of an appropriate standard. Most international veterinary surgeons use the title and, in Australia and New Zealand, this is frequently tied to registration and professional standing, rather than necessarily academic attainment.
RCVS President Professor Stuart Reid said: "I am very pleased that the response from the consultation gave Council such clear direction and has allowed us to bring UK vets in line with the majority of veterinarians worldwide. It was my privilege to pose the question, which has been well and truly answered by the profession and the public.
"Whether one regards the decision as correcting a historical anomaly or simply providing greater clarity at home and abroad, there is no doubt that the issue has generated huge interest. Yet regardless of whether individual vets choose to use the title, it will not change the profession's ongoing commitment to the very highest of standards."
Nearly 50% of respondents to the consultation were veterinary surgeons, 22% veterinary students, 21% animal-owning members of the public, and the rest were veterinary nurses, veterinary nurse students, practice managers and non-animal-owning members of the public.
RCVS CEO, Nick Stace said: "I am delighted that such a strong message came from both the public and the profession on this issue. We have a responsibility to maintain confidence in the veterinary profession and this move will help underline to the public in particular that veterinary surgeons work to very high standards, regardless of where they qualified."
Use of the title is optional, and guidance has been produced to support the change. It stresses that veterinary surgeons using the title should be careful not to mislead the public, and that it is important that the use of 'Doctor' or 'Dr' by a veterinary surgeon does not suggest or imply that they hold a medical qualification or a PhD. If the title is used, the veterinary surgeon should use it in conjunction with their name and either the descriptor 'veterinary surgeon' or the postnominal letters 'MRCVS'.
The guidance is available as part of supporting guidance chapter 23 to the RCVS Code of Professional Conduct for Veterinary Surgeons, and can be read online at www.rcvs.org.uk/advertising (see paragraphs 23.6-23.8).
Veterinary surgeons may start using the title straight away; details about how their RCVS Register entry can be updated will be issued over the coming months.
Carprodyl Quadri is a pork-flavoured, four-way break tablet, available in two presentations of 50mg and 120mg. Each tablet offers four dosage strengths, designed to help you prescribe more accurately for a dog’s weight with fewer boxes on the shelves.
Part tablets can be kept in the blister pack for up to 72 hours, so clients can take home the exact amount of carprofen they require, thereby reducing cost and waste.
To support the launch of Carprodyl Quadri, Ceva is launching a range of marketing materials for veterinary practices. They include: dosage charts, dispensing envelopes, remember to order stickers to stick on boxes left on the shelves, reminder cards about the change for reception and dispensaries and client letters explaining why their prescription has changed.
Lucy Vernon, product manager at Ceva Animal Health said: "Carprodyl Quadri is an easy to administer carprofen that provides accurate dosing while reducing cost and waste and is a welcome addition to our popular pain management portfolio."
For further information, contact your local Ceva Animal Health territory manager.
Tim took over the role from Renate Weller at the end of BEVA Congress last week. Lucy Grieve, of Rossdales Veterinary Surgeons became President Elect.
After leaving Bristol in 1989, Tim worked in mixed practice before joining Bell Equine in 1993, becoming a partner in 1995. He led the hospital services at Bell Equine, as well as supervising the practice’s residency, intern and extern programmes, until it was bought by CVS in 2016. He continues to work as a clinician at Bell Equine whilst also working as the Equine Veterinary Director of CVS.
Tim is an RCVS Specialist in both equine internal medicine and equine soft tissue surgery and is a founding diplomate of the European College of Equine Internal Medicine; he became an Associate of the European College of Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging in 2011. He is an honorary Professor of the Royal Veterinary College and became a Fellow of the RCVS in 2016.
Editor of Equine Veterinary Education, the official journal of the British Equine Veterinary Association and the American Association of Equine Practitioners for the past 23 years, Tim has particular interests in clinical research, clinical standards and evidence based medicine, and has published widely in the professional veterinary literature, as well as authoring and editing several textbooks. He has been a member of the RCVS Practice Standards Group since 2012.
Tim has been chair of BEVA’s Education Committee since 2014, and says that during his presidential year he is keen to continue to develop BEVA’s educational activities for members at all stages of their careers.
In particular, he says he is particularly looking forward to supporting recent graduates in equine practice with relevant CPD and mentoring. He also hopes to advance the use of evidence-based veterinary medicine, and promote quality improvement in equine practice.
Tim said: "Equine practice is continuing to change and evolve with some rapidity. An important part of my focus will be on our Equine Veterinary Horizons Project, looking at anticipated advances over the next 10-15 years, what they will mean to individual practitioners and to practices and how we can adapt to and accommodate them to best advantage."
For further information visit www.beva.org.uk.
Elanco has launched a new poultry tonic designed to support birds during the most demanding periods of productivity: during growth and peak laying.
The launch follows Elanco's acquisition of Janssen Animal Health and its existing poultry poultry tonic, which Elanco has improved.
Elanco Poultry Tonic HD Plus contains two new ingredients: a vitamin D3 metabolite and a natural antioxidant blend.
Elanco says the new product could prove just the tonic for the poultry industry in the face of rising fuel and feed costs. One study has apparently demonstrated as much as a 5:1 return on investment can be made as a result of supplementing the D3 metabolite alone.1According to the company, the vitamin D3 metabolite has been shown to increase egg weights (by around 2 per cent) and improve feed conversion and feed intake. It is more available to the body than vitamin D3, which plays a role in calcium metabolism (and therefore egg production). The benefits are significant for commercial egg producers but also for hatcheries, as egg size correlates with chick weight. Elanco says the metabolite can also improve bone strength, potentially resulting in healthier, more robust poults.The new antioxidant blend contains natural preparations of vitamins as well as more complex antioxidants found in fruits and vegetables, such as flavanoids, polyphenols and carotenoids. It also contains nucleotides and sulphur containing amino acids, methionine and lysine. Elanco's new Poultry Tonic HD Plus is suitable for layers, broilers, breeders and turkeys and is available from veterinary wholesalers and animal health distributors. The company is also launching Game Bird Tonic HD Plus at the same time.
Reference
1. SOTO-SALANOVA MF MOLINERO A, Efficacy of the use of Hy-D® in laying hens, XI th European Symposium on the Quality of Eggs and Egg Products 191 Doorwerth, The Netherlands, 23-26 May 2005
Andrea Tarr, Veterinary Prescriber’s founder and director said: "Imepitoin is a new licensed option to consider in the management of noise aversion. Our critical look at the available information saves vets time in having find and appraise it themselves, so they can just get on with making the prescribing decision."
Veterinary Prescriber’s reviews are presented as e-learning modules which represent the result of a literature search and collaboration between practising specialists, generalists and the editorial team.
Subscriptions cost £9.95 per month (cancel anytime); practice subscriptions cost £25 per month (for a 12-month contract) and come with free access to cpd.veterinaryprescriber.org, a sister site for vet nurses, receptionists and SQPs.
To subscribe visit: https://www.veterinaryprescriber.org/subscribe
Dr Bremner was convicted in 2017 of harassing his ex-wife, and for perverting the course of justice by sending his daughter an e-mail, pressuring her to ask her mother to withdraw the charges against him. He pleaded guilty to both of the charges, saying he did not understand that it was a condition of his bail that he could not contact his ex-wife. He also expressed shame and remorse at his actions, explaining that his behaviour was triggered by extreme anger, grief and stress.
In relation to the charges, the Respondent was committed to prison for 12 months, suspended for 12 months, ordered to comply with a Rehabilitation Activity Requirement within 12 months, and ordered to pay £85 in costs and £115 as a surcharge to pay for victim services.
The Committee found the facts proved based on the certified copy of the certificate of conviction, as well as the Respondent’s admissions to the facts of the charges. It was satisfied that the Respondent brought the profession into disrepute by the seriousness of his convictions. In addition, the Committee regarded the Respondent as having deficient insight and a need to fully accept personal responsibility for his actions and their consequences.
The Committee was also satisfied that the nature of the communications sent by the Respondent which led to the convictions and the breach of bail conditions, coupled with deficient insight amounted to serious professional misconduct and rendered him unfit to practise veterinary surgery.
The Committee considered various mitigating factors including the fact that no actual harm occurred to any animal, there were no concerns raised about the respondent’s practice, that he has a long and unblemished career, and that he showed some insight into his offences which continues to develop.
The Committee also took into account that preventing the Respondent from practicing could mean the loss of jobs for 33 or so employees, which weighed heavily on their decision. The Committee also agreed with the RCVS’s submissions that there was a very low likelihood of repetition of the offending behaviour. Aggravating factors included the emotional harm caused to the Respondent’s ex-wife, and that the harassment was a course of conduct sustained over a period of five months.
Therefore, when taking into account the particulars of this case, the Committee decided to impose a reprimand and warning on the basis that it would be proportionate to maintain public confidence in the profession in light of the serious nature of these charges.
Chitra Karve, chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: "The Committee was of the view that the conviction for intending to interfere with the course of justice was particularly serious, in light of the need to maintain public confidence in the profession, because it involved a disregard of proper criminal process.
"However, a particular feature of this case is the risk to the jobs of 33 or so employees if the Respondent were to be prevented from practising as a result of the Committee’s imposition of a sanction. It is this mitigating factor which weighed most heavily with the committee and they therefore concluded that both a Reprimand as to this conduct and a Warning as to any future conduct is sufficient and proportionate in this case to meet the need to maintain public confidence in the profession and uphold proper standards."
Mr Bremner has 28 days in which to make an appeal about the Committee’s decision to the Privy Council.
The company has created a new waiting room board kit as a way for veterinary staff to remind owners of the importance of prompt diagnosis and management of dental disease.
Animalcare has also created a Pet Dental Health Month social media pack with content practices can use on their social media channels.
During the month, the company will be offering dental CPD and prizes for the most creative and engaging waiting room displays.
Will Peel, Animalcare Marketing Manager said: "According to the RVC's VetCompass data, periodontitis is the most common disease seen in cats and dogs however, it can often be difficult to identify and pet owners can often disregard the signs of dental problems, assuming that their pet’s bad breath is normal.
‘Our popular Lunch and Learn sessions have demonstrated to us that veterinary staff recognise the importance of raising dental health awareness, so we’ve created this range of materials specifically to support veterinary practices and their patients.’
During the week, veterinary professionals, retailers and rabbit owners will be encouraged by Burgess and campaign partners the RSPCA, RAWF, Wood Green, PDSA and Blue Cross to sign and share a pledge to move away from muesli on the website: http://www.rabbitawarenessweek.co.uk.
Alex Thorne at Burgess Pet Care, said: "Muesli should never be part of a rabbit’s diet but, sadly, a widespread lack of understanding and awareness around its risks means it’s often too easy for rabbit owners to make the wrong choice. Research continues to show that there is a lack of understanding around the correct nutritional needs of rabbits, and the continued feeding of muesli is a major outcome of that.
"Feeding rabbits muesli increases the risk of selective feeding. Just like children would typically pick sweet treats when faced with the choice between them or vegetables, rabbits will eat parts of the muesli mix that are high in starch and sugar, whilst leaving behind the more nutritious elements.
"We’re encouraging all rabbit lovers to get involved with this year’s campaign by visiting the Rabbit Awareness Week website and signing the ‘Move Away from Muesli’ pledge, before spreading the word amongst fellow rabbit owners. It’s our ambition to move as many rabbits away from muesli towards a good quality hay-based diet supplemented by a small portion of high-quality nuggets and a few fresh greens, which provides the nutrients rabbits need to be happy and healthy."
Burgess says there will also be campaign packs to help support practices in spreading the word, details of which will be available nearer the time.
Mr Smith was convicted of conspiracy to commit a fraud in which potentially dangerous horses were drugged and then sold to unsuspecting owners, at Maidstone Crown Court in June 2016. He was given 30 months' imprisonment, which formed one of the charges heard by the Disciplinary Committee.
There were also a number of charges related to his treatment of five different animals while in practice at the Lakeview Veterinary Centre in Folkestone, Kent. The charges were:
In relation to a Clydesdale mare named Grace on 14 August 2014 he failed to perform an adequate examination and/or undertake sufficient investigation and/or take a history of her; that after his initial visit to Grace on that day he failed to respond adequately to the owner’s telephone reports that Grace had deteriorated and/or failed to improve; and, that he failed to make adequate clinical records for Grace.
Between 29 September 2014 and 31 January 2015, in relation to a Labradoodle named Holly, he failed to keep adequate clinical records.
In relation to a cat named Maisey the allegations were that he failed to examine and investigate the cat adequately, he made a diagnosis of diabetes mellitus and gave insulin to administer to the cat without first undertaking the minimum investigation required, failed to keep adequate clinical records and sent an incorrect, misleading and dishonest statement to the RCVS regarding his treatment of Maisey. All charges date between 30 October and 19 December 2014.
In relation to a cat called Comet the allegation was that between 1 April and 17 April 2015 he failed to keep adequate clinical records and failed to respond adequately and appropriately to concerns raised by the owner.
Regarding a Yorkshire Terrier with diabetes named Poppy the allegation was that in two emergency out-of-hours calls made by Poppy’s owner to Mr Smith in April 2015 regarding the dog’s condition, he failed to recommend veterinary treatment or keep adequate clinical records. Furthermore, when the owner attended the practice following the two calls and the death of Poppy, he attributed the care to another member of the practice and failed to communicate effectively with the owner.
Having heard from a number of witnesses, including Mr Smith, and having received representations from Mr Smith in relation to the above charges, the Committee found almost all of the charges proven, with the exception of those relating to Mr Smith’s alleged conversation with Poppy’s owner at the practice following her death.
The Committee then went on to consider whether the various proven charges amounted to disgraceful conduct in a professional respect and whether the conviction rendered Mr Smith unfit to practise veterinary surgery.
In relation to the clinical charges the Committee found that, both individually and cumulatively, they amounted to disgraceful conduct in a professional respect.
The Committee also determined that the conviction rendered Mr Smith unfit to practise veterinary surgery and noted that it involved prolonged dishonesty, breach of trust, disregard for animal health and welfare and a "total abrogation of Mr Smith’s professional responsibilities."
Cerys Jones, chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: "The Committee was particularly concerned because the dishonesty went to the heart of Mr Smith’s responsibilities as a veterinary surgeon. His registration as a veterinary surgeon enabled him to take part in the conspiracy, and that role involved him conducting certified examinations on animals and supplying drugs for administration to animals. Reliable and honest certification is a vital element of the veterinary surgeon’s public role."
In considering the sanction against Mr Smith the Committee looked at the clinical charges and the conviction separately.
In relation to the clinical charges the Committee found that his treatment of the animals in these cases was fundamentally incompatible with being a veterinary surgeon. The Committee therefore directed that Mr Smith’s name should be removed from the Register of Veterinary Surgeons.
The Committee said that the case demonstrated that Mr Smith’s lack of treatment or his inappropriate treatment of these animals caused harm and that in some regards, for example the writing of accurate and contemporaneous clinical notes, Mr Smith demonstrated a total disrespect for the Code of Professional Conduct.
The Committee went on to say: "Further, he deliberately lied to his regulator. He demonstrated deep-seated attitudinal issues including a misplaced belief in his own abilities and had no insight or commitment to do anything different in the future. In those circumstances the likelihood of repetition was significant in the Committee’s view."
In considering the sanction for his conviction of conspiracy to commit fraud the Committee took into account a number of aggravating factors including the premeditated nature of the conduct, the fact it was repeated over four years and the fact that harm was caused to both animals and people as a result of his actions.
Cerys Jones said: "As the decision notes, some of the riders were novices or children and as a result of their experience they lost confidence in riding a horse. As the independent veterinary surgeon Mr Smith was in a position of responsibility because he was certifying the horses as to their suitability. A particularly aggravating feature in this case is that Mr Smith had previously been removed from the Register for falsely certifying horses for export."
In relation to the conviction the Committee also directed that the Registrar remove Mr Smith from the Register.
Mr Smith has 28 days from being informed of the Committee’s decision to make an appeal against it.
The full findings can be found here.
Alexander Reiter and Margherita Gracis formed the new editorial team and selected an international collection of leaders in their fields of expertise to contribute to this latest edition.
Alexander said: "This is a timely publication, as veterinary dentistry is a field that continues to grow in importance for the general veterinary practitioner. We found it important to add 'Oral Surgery' to this new edition, as many procedures performed in and around the mouth involve surgical techniques."
The BSAVA Manual of Canine and Feline Dentistry and Oral Surgery, 4th edition, is an accessible source of core information for general small animal veterinary surgeons, nurses/technicians and students interested in developing their theoretical knowledge and practical skills in dentistry and oral surgery.
The manual is now available from the BSAVA website (www.bsava.com/shop), the BSAVA Library (www.bsavalibrary.com/manuals), or by phone: 01452 726700.
The new service, a partnership between the university's School of Veterinary Medicine and Arrogen Forensics, will arm enforcement agencies such as the RSPCA and UK police forces with detailed evidence to help prosecute individuals for crimes against or involving animals.
Arrogen Veterinary Forensics is led by Dr Alex Stoll, Lead Forensic Veterinary Pathologist at the University of Surrey and Operations Director at ArroGen, and Jo Millington, Scientific Director and Lead Forensic Scientist at ArroGen, pictured right.
Alex said: "A key objective is to help investigators increase the success rate in the prosecution of individuals who commit crimes against animals. We are working closely with the RSPCA and UK police forces to optimise the scientific evidence that could form the missing link in their investigations.
"Another objective of the collaboration is to develop a strong social justice agenda with the aim of disrupting crime patterns. It is becoming increasingly well documented that animal cruelty can be used as a component part of domestic violence and there is a growing body of evidence to indicate that people who harm animals are more likely to abuse humans. We want to work with agencies to address the progression of animal to human criminal behaviour."
Jo said: "This unique collaboration brings together experts in animal diagnostics and research with specialists who have worked within the forensic sphere of the UK human Criminal Justice system for many years.
"Why not apply the same principles to the investigation of animal crime? By harnessing our collective knowledge of forensic and animal science we are simply building on our existing infrastructure and experience as human medico-legal practitioners to offer a novel and focussed integrated animal forensics service."
For more information, visit: http://vetforensics.co.uk
The charges related to the unexpected death of a cat called Hope during an operation to explore a growth in her mouth, and Dr Dantas-Holmes' subsequent communication with the animal's owners.
Dr Dantas-Holmes accepted that Hope’s death was most likely due to her failing to flush fluid through the giving set attached to an intravenous drip, leaving air in the tubing and causing some air to enter Hope’s bloodstream when the cannula was placed and the giving set’s control opened.
The first set of charges related to Dr Dantas-Holmes’ initial phone call to Hope’s owners ten minutes after Hope’s death, in which she said that Hope had died because of a reaction to anaesthetic drugs. Dr Dantas-Holmes failed to mention that the cause of death was still to be determined and failed to mention that a likely cause was in fact an air embolism and/or a complication relating to the intravenous drip.
Following her initial phone call to the owners Dr Dantas-Holmes viewed CCTV of her actions.
The owners then came into the practice later in the day, and the communications during that time constitute the second set of charges: that, during this meeting, Dr Dantas-Holmes didn’t correct her earlier statements about the cause of Hope’s death, and that she didn’t mention that there was an ongoing investigation or that a likely cause of death was an air embolism and/or complication.
The third set of charges related to Dr Dantas-Holmes’ subsequent clinical records, in which it was alleged that she failed to include references to the findings on review of the CCTV footage of Hope’s death, and the possibility of an air embolism and/or complication relating to the intravenous drip.
The fourth and final set of charges were that her conduct was misleading, and/or dishonest.
With regard to the first set of charges, the Committee found that Dr Dantas-Holmes did tell the owners that Hope died because of a reaction to the drugs, but that given the short nature of the phone call to the owners and the distressing circumstances there was no duty to discuss the investigation, or to mention the likely cause being an air embolism.
Concerning the communications with the owners when they came to the practice, the Committee found that Dr Dantas-Holmes did fail to mention that anaesthetic drugs might not have been the cause, and that she also failed to mention the investigation. Dr Dantas-Holmes had agreed with the Practice Manager, however, that she would not discuss the possibility of an air embolism or complication, and so that charge was not found proved.
On consideration of whether Dr Dantas-Holmes had failed to include relevant findings in the clinical reports, the Committee found both charges proved, and, in relation to the final set of charges, the Committee found that while Dr Dantas-Holmes had misled Hope’s owners, it was unintentional, and she had not been dishonest.
Ultimately, the Committee found Dr Dantas Holmes not guilty of disgraceful conduct in a professional respect.
Stuart Drummond, chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: "The findings of this Committee demonstrate that there were errors and omissions in communications with the owners. When communicating with a client it is the professional’s responsibility to ensure that the client has heard and understood what has been said. The importance of good and effective communication is particularly important when an unforeseen and shocking event occurs such as it did in this case.
"The particular circumstances of this case demonstrate how important it is to communicate effectively and the need for the veterinary surgeon to ensure that their clinical records for which they are wholly responsible, are complete.
"The Committee concluded that its findings demonstrated a departure from professional standards but that the falling short was not so grave as to amount to disgraceful conduct in a professional respect."
Chanelle has announced the launch of Ketamidor 100 mg/ml Solution for Injection (ketamine), licensed for use in cats, dogs, horses, cattle and swine in the UK and Ireland.
The company says the new product provides a versatile addition to anaesthetic regimes. It can be used in combination with other widely-used anaesthetics and sedatives. Chanelle says it also has analgesic properties that make it particularly beneficial to include in anaesthetic protocols when carrying out painful surgical procedures.
Ketamidor 100mg/ml Solution for Injection has a zero day withdrawal period for milk and meat when used in cattle and pigs, allowing high welfare standards to be maintained without compromising economic returns.
According to Chanelle, ketamine is now experiencing a resurgence of interest as its analgesic properties and minimal impact on spontaneous respiration become increasingly appreciated.1
Angela Wilkin, Chanelle UK's Sales and Marketing Manager said: "Ketamidor makes a great addition to our portfolio of pain management products. Our territory managers are looking forward to speaking to those vets who are already accustomed to using ketamine and those that may be considering adding it to their current protocols."
Tracey, who started working in practice as a trainee in 1986 and qualified in 1989, spent her nursing career in both mixed and small animal practice in her home town of Hinckley, Leicestershire before retiring in 2018.
She says the book is mainly aimed at people thinking of embarking on a career as a veterinary nurse, but she also hopes colleagues in the profession will enjoy it, particularly those who are newer to the profession and have an interest in how things have progressed over the last three decades.
Tracey said: "Having enjoyed a very long career as a veterinary nurse, I wanted to take the opportunity to share some of my experiences, the happy, the sad and the sometimes downright crazy!
"The role of the veterinary nurse has changed so much over the last thirty years and continues to evolve with each passing year. My story is a light-hearted journey from my early years as a fresh-faced trainee to a fully qualified head nurse, will all the highs and lows along the way.
"The book will hopefully appeal to all members of the veterinary profession, past, present and future as well as to animal lovers everywhere. It was written from the heart to celebrate the work that veterinary nurses do, the diversity of their role and the steep learning curves that many of us had to climb."
You can read a sample of the book here.
Confessions of a veterinary nurse is available from all good bookstores, and Amazon, priced at £10.99.
As a result of the new partnership, customers of Bought By Many will have access to free video consultations with UK-registered veterinary surgeons via the FirstVet app.
In their blurb, the companies say that: "Many common pet health issues can be treated in the comfort of their own home, meaning owners only need to take their pet to the vet when absolutely necessary. Bought By Many customers can save time, money and potential stress to their pet by using the free FirstVet service. When a referral to a local vet is needed, FirstVet provides detailed notes of the initial consultation to both the owner and the vet."
David Prien, FirstVet’s CEO & co-founder, said: "FirstVet couldn't be more excited to offer our veterinary video consultation service together with Bought By Many in the UK.
"From our first meeting with the Bought By Many team, we knew that our values were aligned. We both share a mission to bring the best that technology has to offer both to pet owners and to the veterinary care process.
"Offering pet owners the chance to speak face-to-face with an experienced veterinarian via a video call is a great way to make sure that all pets are getting the right treatment, as fast as possible, in the right location."
For more information on Bought by Many, visit boughtbymany.com/pet-insurance.
Vétoquinol has released the results of a survey of 1000 dog owners, which looked into their attitudes towards long-term medication for their pet1.
Owners were asked to rate how important various factors were to them when it came to giving medicine long term to their dog. They were also asked to consider what they felt was most important to their vet when it came to choosing a medicine.
Vétoquinol says the fact that dog owners rate the effectiveness of a medication much more highly than the cost means there is very little reason to compromise on treatment based on a presumption of what clients will want to pay. These findings are also largely very positive in that they suggest that dog owners believe that in many areas vets are making decisions based on criteria that are important to owners. The area where there is the greatest mismatch is over the risk of side effects of medication.
Pet owners think that vets may take the risk of side effects from long-term medications less seriously than the owners themselves might prefer. It suggests that the risk of potential harm, no matter how small the risk of actual harm is, may be more unacceptable to the dog owner than vets and nurses might otherwise presume. When prescribing long-term medication there is a need to talk about the risks associated with medication more openly and to take the client's attitudes to risk into consideration.
1. A survey of 1048 dog owners, carried out by petbuzz, on behalf of Vétoquinol, March 2011
VetUK, an online supplier of pet products and veterinary prescription only medications, has announced that it now processes over £750,000 worth of online transactions per month.
The point of the press release was to highlight that this has been achieved using paypoint.net to handle the tens of thousands of orders that VetUK says it receives each month, and process the payments.
However, it does also highlight the ever growing competition to veterinary practices from online. You might like to check VetUK's POM prices here.
It's the second of five new practices that White Cross says it plans to open in a 12-month period.
The Hyde team will be headed up by clinic director Mike Robinson MRCVS, pictured with veterinary nurses Anneliese O'Toole & Aimee Lee.
Located on the site of a former pub, the new Hyde practice opened this month following an investment of £250,000. It is equipped with digital dental x-ray and ultrasound machines, an on-site laboratory, pheromone diffusers to relax pets, ultra-soft bedding and warm, cosy LED lighting in the pet wards.
There are separate, sound-proofed wards for dogs and a specialist cat ward featuring kennels positioned so the cats can’t see each other, to minimise stress-levels. Music specifically composed to reduce anxiety in both dogs and cats is also played in the wards.
Tim Harrison, managing director at White Cross Vets, said: "Hyde is a busy suburb of Manchester with a large number of pets in the surrounding area, which made it the ideal location to continue our expansion into the North West.
"Mike and the team are all highly experienced professionals and bring lots of enthusiasm to their new roles. When this is combined with the practice’s state of the art design, there’s no doubt it will prove to be hugely popular.
"It also offers the potential to expand the team to approximately 20 people in the next five years, which is an exciting prospect."
The authors say that the prognosis for dogs with stage II Kiupel high-grade cutaneous mast cell tumours has historically been considered poor.
However, the removal of metastatic regional lymph nodes in more recent research has been associated with a better outcome in canine cutaneous mast cell tumours.
For this study1, dogs with a histological diagnosis of overt lymph node metastasis that underwent lymphadenectomy (n = 31) were compared with those with a cytological diagnosis of regional lymph node metastasis, that did not undergo excision (n 18).
The study was a multi-institutional retrospective cohort study, using electronic medical records from four European institutions to identify dogs for inclusion.
The study found that dogs with Kiupel high-grade cutaneous mast cell tumours undergoing lymphadenectomy of HN3 lymph nodes as part of their primary surgery in addition to adjuvant medical treatment had a significant improvement in time to progression and survival time compared with those dogs not undergoing the procedure.
Lack of lymphadenectomy was the only variable significantly associated with a higher risk of nodal progression.
Dogs underwent lymphadenectomy of one peripheral lymph node in most cases.
The authors says that a higher number of lymph nodes or the removal of intracavitary lymph nodes might be associated with an increased incidence of postoperative morbidity.
They add that the findings warrant further exploration of the effect of surgical extirpation of metastatic sentinel lymph nodes and the number of lymph nodes removed on outcome in dogs with Kiupel high-grade cutaneous mast cell tumours.
Nicola Di Girolamo, Editor of JSAP said: “It is really encouraging to see collaborations from multiple institutions like the study presented here.
"Including multiple institutions in a retrospective cohort study, does not only ensure a higher sample size, but also ensure a higher generalisability of the results.
"Meaning that it is more likely that the differences observed in this study are also going to be observed at different practices and with different clinicians.”
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jsap.13525
Axiom Veterinary Laboratories has launched SLIT - sublingual immunotherapy treatment - for allergies in cats, dogs and horses.
According to the company, sublingual immunotherapy has been shown to be safe and effective in humans for over 20 years and a recent study has shown it to be a beneficial alternative way of administering immunotherapy to cats, dogs and horses, proving particularly effective in treating animals that failed to respond to allergy shots.
Patients can convert from shots to drops with an initial treatment kit.
Martyn Carpenter, Director of Axiom Laboratories Ltd, said: "Each ACTT Allergy Drop prescription is a custom formulation containing the specific allergens that are causing the pet's discomfort. Allergy drops are prepared in a glycerin solution to provide antigen stability, and have a slightly sweet taste, which assists in palatability and ease of administration. This method greatly reduces irritation and the likelihood of anaphylactic shock and can be administered easily at home by the client, freeing up consult slots and removing the stress which accompanies a visit to the surgery for many pets. This can be a particularly suitable alternative for those clients on a restricted budget, for whom on-going consult and injecting fees can be prohibitive to compliance with immunotherapy treatment. "
For more information, contact Axiom's Diagnostic Support Team on 01626 355655
The main changes announced today are:
In the future, the revalidation interval, which currently ranges from two to five years depending on the course, will be standardised at 4 years.
Currently, there is a two-month window in which Official Veterinarians (OV) can submit their final declarations, on completion of the course, if they want to set their next revalidation interval from the end of the window.
The revalidation window will be extended to a six-month period prior to the completion deadline date. If completed in this window, the date of the next revalidation would be taken from the deadline date and not the date of completion.
APHA is discussing ways of making invigilation more flexible, to help those working in sole-charge or remote practices. One option being investigated with course accreditation providers is remote invigilation, though this would come at extra cost.
All the multiple choice questions in the online exams are being reviewed to make sure they test the ability to perform the role, and in the future, candidates will be given more feedback at the end of the test (ie which questions they answered incorrectly).
In terms of CPD requirements, there will be clarification on what can be considered relevant CPD towards the 10 hours that need to be completed over the four-year timeframe.
Lastly, APHA has announced a raft of changes concerning course content, and that it will itself review all the courses to consider how the number of courses and topics can be rationalised, how to reduce the number of qualifications any OV might need and/or the time spent revalidating, and how to reduce the content without losing quality.
The BVA, which spearheaded the campaign for reform, has welcomed the announcement. Simon Doherty, BVA President, said: "We’re delighted that APHA has taken on board our members’ concerns with the current system and proposed improvements that should make the process much more fair and consistent while continuing to maintain high standards. This is a really crucial time for ensuring that the workforce retains skilled professionals and is at full strength to keep animal welfare standards high, protect public health and meet demand for export certification after Brexit.
"This piece of work is a shining example of what can be achieved when vets pull together to air concerns and make the case for change. We will continue to work closely with APHA to explore and put in place ways of making the revalidation process as fit for purpose as possible for this critical section of the workforce."
Full review: http://apha.defra.gov.uk/documents/ov/Briefing-Note-0519.pdf
Whilst you're here, take a moment to see our latest job opportunities for vets.
Nutrafibre contains high fibre pellets which use a combination of insoluble and soluble plant fibres, probiotic & prebiotics and fish hydrolysate which, the company says, optimises stool consistency and encourages normal bowel movements.
The company claims Nutrafibre also assists anal gland clearance, helps maintain a sufficient level of fibre in the body, supports pets with sensitive digestion, helps reduce hairball in cats and also helps to balance raw and high meat content diets.
Chris Jones, Director at Nutravet said: “We’re incredibly excited to launch this innovative new fibre product.
"The team have worked in partnership with veterinary practices across the UK to create this high fibre supplement and the feedback has been incredibly positive from both vets and pet owners alike.”
For more information, contact: 0845 604 1688, email: info@nutravet.co.uk or visit www.nutravet.com.
Vetoquinol is launching Cimalgex, a new NSAID for dogs this month.
Cimalgex (cimicoxib) is a new second generation COX-2 inhibitor which can be used for the treatment of pain and inflammation due to osteoarthritis and the management of peri-operative pain associated with orthopaedic and soft tissue surgery, for which it can be given two hours before surgery and continued for 3-7 days post surgery.
Vetoquinol says that an important consideration in treating dogs with osteoarthritis, many of which are geriatric, is that there are no contraindications to using Cimalgex in patients with mild to moderate renal impairment.
According to the company, field trials showed that over 90 per cent of per owners and vets identified that animals experienced excellent analgesia post operatively*.
Available in a chewable, splitable tablet, Cimalgex can be given with or without food.
Vetoquinol says that the excellent tolerability, efficacy profile and ease of use of Cimalgex means that veterinary patients could benefit from pain relief in situations where clinicians are worried about the risks versus the benefits of prescribing a NSAID for pain management.
Further information about assessing pain and decision making when it comes to prescribing NSAIDs, will be presented in a free webinar on 19th October at 8.30pm. To register go to www.thewebinarvet.com/vetoquinol and enter code CIM1.
Reference*E. Grandemange: Field evaluation of the efficacy and the safety of cimicoxib in the relief of peri-operative pain in dogs; 2008, study number n°3008C2F1
To enter the competition, click here and list the BRD risk factors you can see.
The competition closes on 8th February 2019, when ten gilet winners will be picked at random from those entries that contain the most risk factors.
After the competition ends, you will also be able to download the cartoon for use in your practice and with your farming clients.