Dechra Veterinary Products has launched Rycarfa carprofen tablets for dogs and injection for cats and dogs into its Veterinary Essentials range.
Dechra's Veterinary Essentials range comprises a series of post patent products designed to offer practices the reassurance of proven, quality solutions to meet their everyday clinical needs.
In its flavoured tablet form, Rycarfa is presented in easy-to-dispense blister packs which, according to Dechra, offer the most cost-effective standard size range on the market* - 20 mg x 100 tabs; 50 mg x 100 tabs, 50 mg x 500 tabs, 100mg x 100 tabs. The tablets are licensed in dogs for the reduction of inflammation and pain caused by musculoskeletal disorders and degenerative joint disease, and as a follow up to parenteral analgesia in the management of post operative pain.
In injection form, Rycarfa is provided as a 50mg/ml solution in a 20 ml glass vial. In dogs it is indicated for the control of post-operative pain and inflammation following orthopaedic and soft tissue (including intraocular) surgery. In cats, it is indicated for the control of post-operative pain following surgery.
Roger Brown at Dechra said: "Carprofen is a well-established, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory. Through our Veterinary Essentials range, we are offering Rycarfa in a wide range of sizes to provide the maximum flexibility with cost effectiveness."
For further information on Rycarfa, please contact Dechra on 01939 211200.
*Gfk sales data 1 July 2011
Her Royal Highness Princess Anne has opened the Royal Veterinary College's new Teaching and Research Centre.
The Centre - at the college's Hawkshead Campus in Potters Bar, Hertfordshire - will provide a home for the RVC's lifestyle research, which includes conditions such as obesity/diabetes, chronic kidney disease and arthritis as well as those with genetic roots.
RVC Principal Professor Stuart Reid said: "The RVC is extremely proud to have welcomed Her Royal Highness to open the new Teaching and Research Centre - a facility where our students are taught within an environment that is all about advanced scientific discovery and first class research. The building houses the engine of academic enquiry and is a wonderful space where our academic community generates new insights into diseases that affect humans and animals.
"The Centre allows us to tie together the various threads we have around the study of illnesses that result from lifestyle in humans and animals, such as those associated with age or genetic disorders. Our College collaborates with the research hub that is the London scientific research community. We are extremely well placed to carry out the work in conjunction with human medical research groups and bring the veterinary perspective to the understanding of disease. The building offers new opportunities, both nationally and internationally".
Funding for the building of the new centre was provided by HEFCE and The Wolfson Foundation.
Photo: Paul West
The RCVS has announced the results of the RCVS Council and VN Council elections.
Re-elected to three of the six seats available on RCVS Council were current President Neil Smith (1,687 votes), incoming Standards Committee Chairman David Catlow (1,656) and Vice-President Jacqui Molyneux (1,304); and, from RCVS Day on 11 July 2014, they will be joined by new members David Bartram (1,674), Susan Paterson (1,496) and Mandisa Greene (1,296).
The two available places on VN Council were taken by existing member Hilary Orpet (611 votes) and new member Amber Richards (371).
Notably, half of the successful RCVS Council candidates this year were women, two of whom being elected for the first time.
Overall turnouts in both elections fell, with 4,137 (16.1%) veterinary surgeons and 1,157 (10%) veterinary nurses voting. These turnouts and voter numbers compare with 4,661 (18.8%) and 1,329 (12.5%) last year, and ten-year averages of 3,927 (17.4%) and 869 (9.9%), respectively.
RCVS Registrar Gordon Hockey, said: "It was always going to be tough to beat last year's record turnout, even with a record number of candidates standing this year, but it's encouraging that voter numbers are still the third highest in the last ten years.
"I'd like to be amongst the first to publicly congratulate all the successful candidates this year, and to encourage those who weren't successful this time to stand again in the future. I'm very much looking forward to working with our three new RCVS Council members whilst, at the same time, delighted that the profession has returned three existing members to their seats, enabling them to continue their work for the College."
Chair of VN Council, Kathy Kissick, says: "Many congratulations to Hilary, who has been returned to the VN Council for the third time running, and to Amber, who I'm looking forward to welcoming to VN Council in July. Hilary's experience and Amber's fresh input will, I'm sure, combine to provide an excellent contribution to our ongoing work."
A Market Harborough-based practice - Town & Country Veterinary Centre - has announced that it is entering a team into a 10km obstacle course race so gruelling it is called 'The Suffering'.
The Suffering takes place in the grounds of Rockingham Castle, Leicestershire, on Saturday 12 March 2016. It includes more than 25 water, mud and rope-based obstacles.
The Town & Country team, which includes vets, nurses, students and receptionists, hopes to raise £1,000 for Vets for Change, which is fundraising to vaccinate dogs in Africa against rabies.
Michael Lander MRCVS said: "We are big supporters of the work of Vets for Change which is currently fundraising for its next mass vaccination programme in South Africa. The race does sound gruelling and I have done no training as yet although some of my colleagues have been hitting the gym for the past couple of months. We will all pull together on the big day and getting everyone round the course is our goal.
"We'd be very grateful for donations to help us reach our target for Vets for Change which does such fantastic work and have set up a just giving page at https://crowdfunding.justgiving.com/townandcountry-veterinarycentre."
The team members are: Sarah Kay Robinson (Receptionist), Chloe Brown (Receptionist), Zara Lander (VN), Katy Kirkham (VN), Kathleen Gamble (VN), Grace Costall (Student VN), Kate Bodley (Small Animal Vet), Michael Lander (Small Animal Vet), Lucinda Ticehurst (Equine Vet).
The survey of 812 veterinary receptionists, which was carried out in the autumn, found that only 50% of veterinary receptionists are paid more than the UK minimum/National Living Wage.
33% said they worked longer than their contracted hours and 37% said they didn’t receive overtime pay.
As a result, 64% of those questioned felt they were not paid fairly for the responsibilities they carry, which include ensuring practice protocols, handling veterinary medicines, promoting ‘sales’ eg of healthcare plans and dealing with often challenging clients.
Discontent with salary levels was exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic. 49% of respondents were furloughed and 91% of them received no top-up pay from their practice in addition to the government’s 80% contribution.
The BVRA says it recommends that Registered Veterinary Receptionists (RVRs) are paid at least £10 per hour, irrespective of their age.
A lack of access to CPD was also an issue. 56% of respondents wanted to update and increase their knowledge but the same percentage claimed a lack of time was a barrier. With 80% of practices not allocating time for receptionists to undertake CPD and 44% receiving no budget for it, one respondent from a corporate practice confirmed that they could only undertake CPD in their own time, even that required by the company, such as training on health and safety and compliance.
While participants expressed a high level of satisfaction with their relationships with vets (71% were satisfied or very satisfied) and nurses (74% were satisfied or very satisfied), the same cannot be said for their relationships with practice managers. Fewer than half (46%) were satisfied or very satisfied with their relationship with their practice manager and 51% were satisfied or very satisfied with their relationship with the Clinical Director or Partner.
Only 26% were satisfied with their working relationship with head office (if part of a corporate group). Relationships were further strained during the COVID-19 pandemic with 71% of those furloughed saying communication with their practice boss had been average or poor.
As a final question, participants were asked to express their satisfaction with aspects of their role:
The BVRA and VMG are joining forces to host a free webinar to discuss the issues raised by the survey and potential solutions. Called 'Tackling Receptionist Morale Together', it will take place from 2.00pm-4.00 pm on Wednesday 25 November. For more information, visit: http://www.bvra.co.uk/event/bvra-vmg-tackling-receptionist-morale-together/
Brian Faulkner BSc (Hons), BVM&S, CertGP(SAM), CertGP(BPS), MBA, MSc(Psych), FRCVS, founder of the BRVA (pictured right), said: “BVRA is always working to improve the recognition, respect and job satisfaction of its members. We are delighted to team up with VMG as another way of doing this, alongside developing the status of a Registered Veterinary Receptionist.
Rich Casey is President of the Veterinary Management Group (VMG) said: “This report is sobering reading as it concerns the careers and wellbeing of a group of people who are essential to the success of any veterinary practice. The VMG is particularly interested in this research as a significant proportion of our members are practice managers and likely to be line managers of the reception team.
Leadership is about recognising when things aren’t working and putting them right. We commend the BVRA for highlighting these issues and we ask all veterinary leaders and managers to join our webinar as we discuss what can be done to resolve this crisis now, as well as the longer-term steps that are needed.”
Currently, there is no data on how many VCA/ANAs are working in UK veterinary practice and the type of tasks they are performing.
The Census takes 10 minutes to complete and will provide valuable information to help in the recruitment, training and development of VCA/ANAs.
It can be completed online at https://bit.ly/avaca-2023-census before 18th August 2023.
Any team member can respond on behalf of their practice and all practices are encouraged to fill out the Census regardless of the number of VCA/ANAs employed.
The AVACA also wants to identify how many practices don’t employ VCA/ANAs and the barriers to them becoming team members, so every response will deliver useful information.
Kay Watson-Bray, CEO of the British Veterinary Receptionist Association and founder of AVACA, said: “With so much pressure on practices right now, the VCA role offers great potential to help manage workloads.
"But a picture is already emerging where the scope of the role varies widely between practices and even the name of the role is inconsistent.
"We believe that VCAs work mainly in the areas of caring, cleaning, communication, and coordination, but that’s not currently quantified, and while some see being a VCA as a route into veterinary nursing, again we don’t understand how many primarily aspire to progress into another role or how many want to become excellent VCAs.
"We’d like to clearly identify what VCAs want and need to help them develop as veterinary professionals.”
The Census is being sponsored by Purina Petcare, whose Scientific Affairs Manager, Libby Sheridan, said: “This is a project we are very keen to support.
"Practices need VCAs to help maintain high standards in animal care when everyone else is so busy.
"Coaxing a reluctant patient to eat again or ensuring the operating theatre is turned around quickly so it’s available for use after a long morning’s surgery, are time-consuming tasks that can be hard to squeeze into the working day.
"And as RVNs take on further practice responsibilities, it’s clear there is room for these highly-trained support roles within the team.”
The 'Lifelong Ear Partnership' resources, which were developed in conjunction with a panel of vets, are designed to help vets in practice improve their owner communication and achieve owner buy-in about otitis.
To that end, Dechra has developed various owner communication tools for use in practice or to refer owners to after the consultation.
They include an owner website: www.ear-inflammation.co.uk and a postcard with QR code links to educational videos which cover clinical recommendations, treatment options and the importance of revisits.
There is also a brochure for owners and an online 4D ear model: www.4d-earmodel.com, which demonstrates a healthy ear and an ear with mild, moderate or severe otitis.
Finally, Dechra has also launched an ear cytology webinar series on Dechra Academy: www.dechra.co.uk/academy.
The course consists of tips for everything from greeting the patient to performing and interpreting cytology slides.
Claire Westoby, companion animal brand manager at Dechra, said: “Otitis externa in dogs is not a quick fix and to successfully treat a case several factors need to be considered.
"Most cases call for a thorough investigation of the primary causes, a correct diagnosis and treatment of potential secondary dysbiosis, handling of perpetuating factors and constructing a long-term plan that ensures owner compliance and reduces the risk of recurrent problems.
“Our extensive new range of Lifelong Ear Partnership resources will ensure that vets can refresh their knowledge on otitis externa and educate clients on all aspects of the condition within a limited consult time.”
www.dechra.co.uk/otitis-externa.
A survey carried out by Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health to launch Plerion, a chewable, flavoured wormer for dogs, has shown that most UK dog owners turn to their vet rather than a pet shop for advice on worming.
Over 83% of owners who took part in the survey said they follow their vet's advice on worming whilst fewer than 8% would follow the advice of their local pet shop. 63% choose to buy wormers from their vet against 35% buying wormers from a pet shop or online pharmacy.
Survey participants understood the importance of carrying out a regular worming programme with almost 80% stating that a dog should be wormed every three to four months. However, some owners cited forgetfulness as a reason for not worming their pet regularly and expressed a need for a reminder from their local vet practice.
Almost 85% of those who took part in the survey believed that not all wormers provide the same level of protection and almost 75% said that vet recommendation is the reason they purchase a specific brand of wormer. 94% of owners are aware that worms can affect people as well as dogs.
The survey revealed that 1 in 5 owners experienced difficulty in administering a complete dose due to their dog spitting out part or the entire tablet.
Intervet/Schering Plough says that Plerion should help reduce compliance issues; its innovative and tasty soft chew formulation meaning that most dogs will take it right out of the hand.
Sarah-Jane Minter, marketing manager at Intervet/Schering-Plough said: "When developing Plerion we knew it was essential to launch a product that made life easier for dog owners by being easy, and even fun, to administer as this would increase the likelihood of owners sticking to a regular worming programme. We are delighted by the feedback we are receiving from owners who report their once fussy dogs are taking the flavoured, chewable Plerion tablets as though they were treats."
Plerion is available in two tablet sizes that provide a combination of Pyrantel, Praziquantel and Oxantel which, the company says, gives effective treatment for the major endoparasites in a single dose including tapeworm Echinococcus multilocularis, as required by the Pets Travel Scheme (PETS).
For further information, please contact your local Intervet/Schering-Plough Veterinary Business Manager or phone the company's Veterinary Support Group on 01908 685685.
The Association says it delayed this decision as late as possible, and whilst the most recent government advice does not prohibit large public gatherings, it recognises the importance of personal safety for Congress attendees and the need to support the profession in preserving business continuity, maintaining client services and protecting animal welfare.
Amanda Stranack, BSAVA CEO, said: "As the situation continues to escalate, the government have given a clear steer that they expect more stringent controls to come into force in the coming weeks. With Congress now only a few weeks away, we want to give all our attendees as much notice as possible, both to ensure peace of mind, and to give people adequate time and flexibility to change their plans.
"BSAVA recognises the pressures the current situation brings to bear on the veterinary community and in making this difficult decision, has the interests of the profession first and foremost in its mind.
"We would thank all those who have worked hard over the past two years to contribute to the development of Congress, a huge amount of effort goes into preparations from BSAVA volunteers, Congress participants and our staff."
Sue Paterson, BSAVA President, said: "It is with great regret that we have made the difficult decision to cancel Congress, which has taken place annually for more than 60 years. Congress is an incredibly important event in the veterinary calendar, and we were all looking forward to an inspiring agenda and saying a fond farewell to the city that has made Congress such a great success over so many years. The health and wellbeing of our attendees is of utmost importance to us, and whilst we are sorry to be making this decision, we are confident it is the right one."
BSAVA says it is aware of the impact that cancelling will have on many delegates' CPD hours, so it is now looking at other ways it can deliver Congress lectures and podcasts.
Sue added: "Whilst we won’t be able to deliver the full Congress programme, we will be working with our speakers to capture as many lectures as we can to make content available online."
Dechra Veterinary Products has launched a new Instruments and Consumables catalogue for veterinary professionals. The new catalogue is available to view online or download via Dechra's website at www.dechra.com
The new catalogue features the range of instruments and consumables available from Dechra, including a new wound dressing Silflex. This dressing is an atraumatic soft silicone contact layer, which minimises trauma at dressing change and protects delicate skin. Other products include Activon Medical Grade Manuka Honey dressings, Portex Jacksons cat catheters, Surgivet Slippery Sam cat catheters, ET tubes and 3M Vetrap bandaging tape.
The Dechra catalogue also includes help and advice for veterinary professionals, including step-by-step instructions for using some products and case studies for the range of wound dressings.
Veterinary practices are being urged to raise awareness of summer skin conditions, such as sweet itch, following research carried out by Elanco Companion Animal Health, distributor of Cavalesse, which revealed that vets only tend to be consulted after horse owners have tried to manage the condition themselves (73%), or if the clinical signs have become severe (67%), potentially leading to major welfare implications.
According to the research, this is despite the fact that over half (55%) of owners of a horse with sweet itch showed concern that their horse will suffer, and nearly half being stressed about the way the condition will affect it (47%). While many horse owners are fairly knowledgeable about the causes of sweet itch and its clinical signs, over a quarter of respondents (26%) did not start managing the condition before the midge season in the spring, which may make managing the condition more frustrating. Nearly a third (31%) stated that they had to curtail their activities with their horse due to welfare, aesthetic and behavioural issues, such as head shaking, rubbing, unpredictability and aggression.
Ed Whittle, technical consultant at Elanco Companion Animal Health said: "86% of those questioned considered sweet itch to be a very serious welfare issue if left untreated, with the worst aspects of the condition being the suffering and distress caused by the constant irritation which affects the quality of life of the horse. Over half (55%) felt that sweet itch had adversely affected the behaviour of their horse, making them difficult to handle or ride. Veterinary practices should be proactively talking to their clients about summer skin conditions such as sweet itch to help alleviate the suffering and distress caused by this frustrating disease."
Elanco says it will be joining forces with the British Horse Society (BHS), The Blue Cross, The Horse Trust, Redwings Horse Sanctuary and World Horse Welfare (WHW) to raise awareness of summer skin conditions, such as sweet itch, during Sweet Itch Awareness Month (SIAM) in March. The campaign will highlight the preventative measures that should be carried out to help alleviate sweet itch and the importance of management of the condition before the start of the midge season in the spring.
Lee Hackett, head of welfare at the BHS, said: "The results of this survey show just how important raising awareness of sweet itch is. All of us, whether we are welfare organisations or vets, need to play our part in educating owners about sweet itch in the hope that they will seek expert advice at an earlier stage and reduce the number of horses that suffer as a result of this condition."
Kerry Taylor, education officer at The Blue Cross, said: "The Blue Cross is pleased to be supporting the sweet itch campaign to raise awareness of the physical and mental impact this condition has on horses. During our May 2011 National Equine Health Survey, skin problems came out the top syndrome affecting horses, and we continue to see many horses coming into our care suffering from sweet itch. Prevention and early treatment is key to managing the potentially debilitating condition."
For further information on sweet itch, Sweet Itch Awareness Month or Cavalesse, please visit http://www.fidavet.com/, or contact Elanco Companion Animal Health, Lilly House, Priestley Road, Basingstoke, RG24 9NL, 01256 353131.
Reference
Sweet itch - effect on horse and owner. Mo Gannon & Associates. Web survey in November 2011. 351 responses - owners who have owned horses with sweet itch in the last two years.
The Royal College has announced that a Legislative Reform Order (LRO) to reconstitute its disciplinary committees separately from its Council has been signed by Defra Minister David Heath, and will come into force on 6 April 2013.
The LRO will amend Part I of Schedule 2 of the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 (VSA) and require that the RCVS Preliminary Investigation and Disciplinary Committees are made up of veterinary surgeons and lay members who are not RCVS Council members, and who are appointed independently.
This will ensure that the same group of people is not responsible for setting the rules, investigating complaints and adjudication, and will bring lay people formally into the Preliminary Investigation Committee.
The LRO will also allow the RCVS to increase the pool of people available to investigate complaints and sit on disciplinary hearings, reducing the workload on the individual Committee members whose primary appointment is to RCVS Council.
The RCVS has been working on the LRO with Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) officials since late 2010, and the Order was based on consultations undertaken by the RCVS and Defra.
According to the College, the Order was commended at every stage of Parliamentary scrutiny as an effective means to address the single biggest deficit of the VSA and to improve how the RCVS regulates the profession. During debate in Grand Committee of the House of Lords on 10 January, the RCVS received considerable praise for its strenuous efforts to modernise under the constraints of the present legislation, and the LRO received unanimous support.
Following the Order coming into force, the first external members will join the Disciplinary and Preliminary Investigation Committees from July 2013. After a two-year transition period, members of the RCVS Council will become ineligible for membership of these committees. Information about how to apply to join these committees will be available shortly.
President Jacqui Molyneux said: "I am delighted the LRO has been made and I am immensely thankful for the hard work of the Defra team and my colleagues in the College. The LRO is the single biggest reform to the regulation of veterinary surgeons since the 1966 Act, and it will bring the RCVS in line with regulatory best practice and improve the perception of the independence of the RCVS disciplinary processes."
Bayer Animal Health has announced the launch of a new campaign which plays on our anthropomorphic nature to drive owners into practice for worming.
As part of the campaign, the company has enrolled the behaviour specialist and author Sarah Whitehead to oversee a video analysis of the behavioural interaction between a small number of dogs and their owners. The results will be used to make an educational film for pet owners which helps them better understand their pet's emotions and behaviour.
Tracey Dawson, Group Product Manager at Bayer Animal Health said: "We want owners to really understand the importance of health on their dog's happiness and behaviour, whilst reminding them to worm their pet at least four times a year. Our ground breaking research will make owners feel like real-life Dr Doolittle, as they will better understand their pet's emotions and actions, highlighting the importance of keeping their dogs healthy, happy and worm-free."
In order to prompt owners to worm their dog more frequently, Bayer has also launched a free SMS/email worming reminder service available at www.drontal.com. In addition, there'll be a new CPD section for SQPs on the website in the summer..
Bayer is also developing 'Worm Reminder' toolkits for veterinary practices, including a press release template, infographics, and video report of the research findings to further promote the importance of worming frequently. For more information, talk to your Bayer representative.
Petplan has announced the winners of its annual Veterinary Awards.
The awards recognise and celebrate staff and practices throughout the country who have delivered an exceptional level of care, going above and beyond the call of duty in keeping the nation's pets healthy and owners happy.
Suzanne Cheadle, Petplan's Acting Head of Marketing said: "As the leader in the pet insurance market for over 36 years, we have a rich history of working with veterinary practices across the UK. The Petplan Veterinary Awards recognise and celebrate the fantastic work that goes on across those practices."
She added: "This year saw over 12,000 nominations which demonstrates the appetite from both staff and clients for celebrating exceptional work. We had a wonderful selection of first class finalists and I'd like to congratulate all the winners who thoroughly deserve their awards."
The winners for each category are:
VET OF THE YEAR: Hector Low, Old Mill Veterinary Practice, Isle-of-LewisThe judges said: "What really stood out was Hector's dedication to the profession and how he moved his practice to a new premises so it could offer better facilities and a wider range of services for animals and owners alike. He has always got his clients and their pets at the forefront of all his decisions and is truly passionate about his role within the profession". VET NURSE OF THE YEAR: Tina Wright, Warbeck House Veterinary Centre, MerseysideThe judges said: "Tina is particularly responsible for setting up an Ear Care Club for animals at the centre who suffer from recurrent ear problems, which she has put her heart and soul into over the last year, while also tutoring student veterinary nurses and running puppy socialisation classes which have proved hugely popular among clients. Tina is a shining example of how vital the role of the vet nurse is when delivering outstanding service to clients and their pets. She is enthusiastic, passionate and always puts her clients' needs first". PRACTICE SUPPORT STAFF OF THE YEAR: Henrietta Fidler, Beech House Veterinary Centre, SurreyThe judges said: "Henrietta is somebody who loves her role within the veterinary profession, thriving on the interaction she has between both the clients and animals. She has nurtured and developed strong and solid client relationships as well as good working relationships with her colleagues. If there is anything that the Veterinary Awards highlights, it is that team work is a vital part of the job, and Henrietta is proof of that". PRACTICE OF THE YEAR: The Vets' Place, CheshireThe judges saiod: "Wendy and Michael Hough set up their practice, The Vets' Place, from scratch in 2009. Since then, the practice has grown from strength to strength. As a small practice they have plenty of opportunity to really get to know their individual clients and their pets and have built strong relationships that their customers value. The Vet's Place is a shining example of the exceptional service a practice can deliver". PRACTICE MANAGER OF THE YEAR: Sharon Lane-Kieltyka, Shepton Veterinary Group Ltd, SomersetThe judges said: "Sharon is a people person through and through which feeds the passion she has for a role that extends beyond the care of clients and their pets. Sharon has overseen a large scale building project that saw the practice double in size and been a key driver in the recent rebranding of the practice, highlighting not only her steadfast can-do attitude, but her ability to drive change in the interest of her clients. Her enthusiasm for the industry is something to be admired".
Designed with the RCVS Standards and Advice team, the ‘Client confidentiality’ course explains the steps veterinary teams need to take when deciding whether or not to make a disclosure, and how to remain compliant with their professional obligations under the Code of Professional Conduct.
Senior Standards and Advice Officer, Victoria Price said: “Deciding to breach confidentiality is often a difficult decision with no right or wrong answer.
"The course should help learners to feel confident about what to consider in order to make justified and well-supported decisions.”
The course takes around one hour to complete.
academy.rcvs.org.uk
Vetoquinol has launched Rimifin® a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) for dogs, containing carprofen. Carprofen can reduce inflammation and pain caused by musculo-skeletal disorders and degenerative joint disease. It can also be used as a follow-up to parenteral analgesia in the management of post-operative pain following soft tissue surgery. Rimifin® is available in a range of tablet sizes, 20mg, 50mg and 100mg. A single 100mg tablet can treat a 50kg dog.
Hill's Pet Nutrition is offering a 100 per cent money-back guarantee that new Hill's Prescription DietTM Canine r/dTM will help overweight and obese dogs to lose weight in just 8 weeks while still maintaining lean muscle mass.
Libby Sheridan, Veterinary Affairs Manager at Hill's Pet Nutrition said: "We understand that there is a considerable amount of effort required from owners to help their pet lose weight. Along with the additional cost this can make it difficult to convince them to buy in to a prescription weight loss diet. In order to give vets and pet owners confidence, Hill's is offering a 100 per cent money-back guarantee to pet owners if they don't see any weight loss in just eight weeks."
New r/d, available in 1.5kg, 4kg and 12kg bags, helps with the nutritional management of overweight or obese dogs. According to Hill's, palatability has increased with 9 out of 10 dogs preferring new r/d and its high fibre formula also provides dietary bulk to aid satiety and avoid hunger. New r/d also has high levels of L-carnitine to help burn fat while maintaining lean muscle mass.
Hill's has developed a range of support measures and practice display materials to help raise awareness of obesity and encourage pet owners to try new r/d. For further information please contact your Hill's Territory Manager or call 0800 282438.
The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons has produced bookmarks for accredited practices to give clients, which explain the RCVS Practice Standards Scheme (PSS).
Lizzie Lockett, Head of the RCVS Communications Department said: "A key part of the PSS is helping practices explain their accreditation to clients - and the bookmarks are a simple and eye-catching promotional tool for this. We hope they will have the advantage over conventional leaflets of being kept, and used, by clients, meaning the accredited-practice message is more likely to be taken on board. Although many people are using e-books these days, the traditional book - and bookmark - still has a place."
All accredited practices may order a free sample of 100 bookmarks, and a further 400 free bookmarks are available to practices recently renewing or receiving accreditation. More bookmarks may also be ordered from the RCVS, as well as the new accredited-practice logos. To find out more, or download an order form, practices can visit www.rcvs.org.uk/PSSpromo.
Eilona's is one of 50 new jobs created by the company in the last 12 months alone, across a range of positions including veterinary surgeons, nurses and client care co-ordinators.
Eilona said: "White Cross Vets has an unrivalled reputation for offering exceptional pet care, as well as being recognised as a great place to work, which really appealed to me. To become the group’s 200th employee is fantastic and I’m really looking forward to the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead."
Tim Harrison, Managing Director of White Cross Vets, said: "Welcoming 50 new team members into the White Cross family in the last 12 months is a major coup and we’re delighted to have created a 200 strong team with Eilona’s appointment. We are already planning to expand our team further over the coming months, with three new practices due to open before the end of this year, which makes it a very exciting time for us."
The talk, by Stephanie Sorrell, Director of The Mindful Vet, will provide insights and tips on how to support staff, promote wellbeing and reduce the stigma associated with mental health in the workplace.
Hillary Noyes, Hill’s Veterinary Affairs Manager, UK & Republic of Ireland said: “Following an unprecedented two years the veterinary profession is still hugely affected by the pandemic with long working hours and limited staff leading to burnout and increased stress for many. “We hope this webinar will raise awareness of this prevalent issue, highlight the importance of burnout awareness and produce valuable insights into recognising the early signs, so that practices are equipped to tackle the crisis.”
To register for the webinar, visit: https://veterinarywebinars.com/register/hills/prevent-and-manage-burnout/
Alison (pictured right) was nominated for making a significant difference to the lives of aquatic animals, for creating strong, positive relationships with clients, and for always making a difference through her work as a fish vet.
Kirsty has been nominated for excelling at her clinical work as a small animal vet, co-leading her practice’s environmental strategy and becoming a member of the Vets4Pets sustainability strategy steering group, on which she represents all practice colleagues across the group.
Hannah was nominated for her impressive surgical and clinical skills, enthusiasm and positive attitude.
BVA President Malcolm Morley said: “With over 100 nominations for this year’s Young Vet of the Year award, it was a tough job to select just three vets for our shortlist.
“These inspiring and dedicated finalists are a credit to the veterinary profession, and we know they have shining careers ahead of them. Congratulations to them all, this is a fantastic achievement, and they should be very proud.”
The winner of the award will receive a prize package which includes £1,000 prize money, a year of free BVA membership, a mentoring/engagement opportunity with Zoetis and career development opportunities.
The winner will be announced at the BVA’s Gala Dinner at London Vet Show on Thursday 17th November at Excel London.
Intervet / Schering Plough Animal Health has launched Leventa, an easily administered once daily, liquid treatment for canine hypothyroidism.
Leventa is a low volume liquid formulation of levothyroxine sodium which provides the thyroxine needed by dogs with hypothyroidism. The company says it is readily accepted.
Until now, thyroxine has only been available in a tablet format. Leventa comes in a single presentation 30 ml bottle with a dosing syringe suitable for all weights of dogs, allowing straightforward storage and stock control.
Leventa enables accurate dosing and easy dose titration. The ready-to-dispense pack avoids time-consuming tablet dispensing and handling of medications.
In addition to the practical compliance benefits of the liquid format, Intervet / Schering Plough says Leventa also offers excellent bio-availability1. In trials, 79% of dogs stabilised on the once daily starting dose of 20g/kg avoiding lengthy stabilisation2.
Vicki Winslet, Veterinary Advisor at Intervet / Schering Plough said: "One of the greatest challenges faced by vets for effective treatment is owner compliance. Leventa overcomes this issue with a simple syringe dose replacing the need for tablets of varying sizes and quantities."
One of the most common endocrine disorders in dogs but difficult to diagnose, hypothyroidism can lead to a variety of issues including weight gain, lethargy and coat problems (including dullness, loss or thinning). It can also cause insulin resistance in diabetic dogs.
The launch of Leventa further extends Intervet / Schering Plough's endocrine portfolio which includes Caninsulin, developed for the treatment of diabetes in small animals and Vidalta, a once daily treatment for hyperthyroidism in cats which is already proving extremely popular with the profession.
For further information, please contact your Intervet/Schering-Plough account manager or telephone the company's Veterinary Support Group on 01908 685685.
1. Le Traon G, Burgaud S, Horspool LJ. (2008) Pharmacokinetics of total thyroxine in dogs after administration of an oral solution of levothyroxine sodium. J Vet Pharmacol Ther 31:95-101.2. Gommeren K, Benchekroun G, Brennan S.F, Burgaud S, Daminet S, Horspool L.J.I, Le Traon G, Rosenberg D, Mooney C.T (2008) A novel L-thyroxine solution is a safe and effective once daily treatment for canine hypothyroidism. In:Proceedings BSAVA congress 2008 , 3-6 April Birmingham, UK pp487-488
For practices planning to take part in National Microchipping Month, Virbac is providing a personalised poster design service and chip promotion throughout June.
According to product manager Gillian Brown, the idea is to offer additional tailored support to practices during the promotional period: "Obviously many practices will have National Microchipping Month materials in place, but the price each practice offers their clients is individual to them. These posters provide a visual platform to highlight the promotion.
"To take advantage of the scheme, practices just need to notify their territory manager of the price they propose to charge and we will then manage the design and print."
Virbac will also be offering a promotional chip price in June to support National Microchipping Month. Gillian said: "Microchipping is now the official means of pet identification approved by the EU Pet Passport Scheme. This will help practices provide an attractive promotion to pet owners and hopefully encourage greater up-take of microchipping."
Any practice interested in the initiative should contact their local Virbac territory manager or call Virbac on 01379 243243.
There are nine candidates standing in this year’s RCVS Council election, including five existing Council members eligible for re-election and four candidates not currently on Council. They are:
Dr Linda Belton MRCVS
Dr Niall Connell MRCVS
Mr John C Davies MRCVS
Dr Joanna (Jo) Dyer MRCVS
Professor Timothy (Tim) Greet FRCVS
Professor John Innes FRCVS
Dr Thomas (Tom) Lonsdale MRCVS
Dr Katherine (Kate) Richards MRCVS
Mr Peter Robinson MRCVS
Following the changes made to the College’s governance arrangements last year, after a Legislative Reform Order changing the size and composition of Council was passed by Parliament, there will be only three elected places available for the candidates, as opposed to six in the years prior to the governance changes.
Ballot papers and candidates' details are due to be posted and emailed to all veterinary surgeons eligible to vote during the week commencing 25 March, and all votes must be cast, either online or by post, by 5pm on Friday 26 April 2019.
In order to give the electorate a better idea of why each candidate is standing and ask them for their views on particular issues, this year the College is again inviting members of the profession to 'Quiz the candidates' by putting their questions directly to the candidates. Each candidate will be invited to choose two questions to answer from all those received, and produce a video recording of their answers.
Recordings will be published on the RCVS website and YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/rcvsvideos) on the week the election commences.
The biographies and statements for each candidate in the RCVS Council election can be found at www.rcvs.org.uk/vetvote19.
Vets should email their question (NB only one per person) to vetvote19@rcvs.org.uk or send it to the College’s Twitter account @theRCVS using the hashtag #vetvote19 by midday on Monday 4 March 2019.
The new clinic is led by Marie Kubiak, an RCVS Specialist and diplomate in Zoo and Wildlife Medicine and one of only a small number Specialists that are accredited for reptiles, birds, pet mammals, wildlife, zoo species, fish and invertebrates.
The open day offers a chance to see the new clinic, meet the team, find out how it can support your practice and discuss any challenging cases you have.
Light snacks and drinks will be provided.
RSVP: evolutionexoticsreferrals@gmail.com
https://evolutionexoticsreferrals.co.uk
Evolution Exotics Referrals, Tenbury Road, Cleobury Mortimer, South Shropshire, DY14 0AD