Newmarket-based Test and Treat was one of three finalists, for its U-Treat test which enables vets to diagnose a UTI and get antibiotic sensitivity results in an hour.
Rachel Kirkby MRCVS, Business Development Director at Test and Treat, said: "It’s a great accolade to be recognised by such a prestigious award. The Vet Record Innovation Award celebrates new innovations that can bring about improvement and make a real difference to vets in practice – and that’s exactly what we’re aiming to do with U-Treat.”
The second finalist was the Animal Welfare Assessment Grid, developed by Public Health England (PHE), in collaboration with the University of Surrey School of Veterinary Medicine. Initially developed in zoos, rescue and research centres, there are plans now to develop it for use in small animal practice and in the farm sector.
The overall winner was PBD Biotech for Actiphage, its test for bTB and Johne's disease which gives very early detection, thereby allowing vets and farmers to prevent the spread of infection.
For more information, visit: https://bvajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/vetr.267
VECCS was founded in 1974 to promote the advancement of knowledge and high standards of practice in veterinary emergency medicine and critical care.
To that end, it hosts a membership community, medical journal, monthly webinars, facility certification, wellness initiatives, a charitable arm and two annual educational conferences.
The two organisations are collaborating to raise awareness of Improve's Emergency Medicine and Surgery online learning programme.
Upon successful completion of the training and examinations, delegates can earn an ISVPS General Practitioner Certificate and a Postgraduate Certificate awarded by Harper Adams University.
Delegates cover 14 subjects and take part in three practical sessions under the guidance of specialists in preparation of real-life scenarios.
On completion, veterinary surgeons can earn 168 RACE-approved CE credits and also an ISVPS General Practitioner Certificate (GPCert) and Harper Adams Postgraduate Certificate (PgC).
Dr Charlotte French, Head of Business Development for the US at Improve Veterinary Education, said: “We are excited to partner with VECCS and to expand our global efforts in improving emergency medicine in practice.
"It is one of the most difficult areas that vets must tackle, so we are proud to be working together in building a strong foundation of knowledge so vets can approach these high-pressure situations with the right tools.”
improveinternational.com
Dechra Veterinary Products has launched Buprenodale, an opioid analgesic for cats, dogs and horses presented in a 10ml multi-dose vial.
Carol Morgan, Brand Manager said: "Following on from the introduction of Comfortan and Anesketin, our Buprenodale Multidose, 0.3 mg/ml solution for injection for dogs, cats and horses, is the latest addition to the portfolio.
"The active substance in Buprenodale is buprenorphine, the most commonly used opioid analgesic in small animal practice in the UK.
"Buprenodale Multidose joins a portfolio of Dechra products covering a wide range of species, different levels of analgesic efficacy and duration of action.
"The product is now available in a 10 ml multidose vial. It is suitable for post-operative analgesia in dogs and cats; post operative analgesia, in combination with sedation, in horses and potentiation of the sedative effects of centrally acting agents in the dog and horse."
For more information www.dechra.co.uk .
Pfizer has repeated it's call for veterinary practice staff to take part in its Vet Support+ independent, industry-wide survey of employee engagement.
The survey gives practice team members, who are not partners or owners, the chance to have their say about their role and career and the future of the profession. Participants are asked to consider how they feel towards their practice and delve into issues on teamwork and communication, management techniques, personal development opportunities and working environment.
More than 3,000 vet practice staff have already completed the survey, a phenomenal early response which suggests practice employees are keen to have their voices heard. However, the closing date for the survey isn't till Friday 29th July, so if you haven't yet had a chance to do the survey, there is still time.
Pfizer Business Consultant, Vanessa Wilson, has more than 20 years experience helping businesses, teams and individuals achieve their goals. She is not surprised at the significant early response: "Questions on the level of employee engagement and satisfaction come up all the time in the work we do with practices. I'm not surprised that staff are using this opportunity to have their voice heard.
"Once completed, this survey will provide some very useful data and direction for the industry as a whole and I'd like to think it will identify opportunities for both individual career development and practice growth."
All members of staff employed within a practice who have not received a mailing and wish to participate are welcome to respond online. http://www.noesis-mi.com/surveys/employeesurvey/.
Pfizer says the findings, which are expected to be released in the autumn, will deliver a national and regional view of the current employee engagement landscape.
For further information about Vet Support+ Business Services from Pfizer visit www.vetsupportplus.co.uk.
The aim of the week is to help pet owners identify common symptoms of eye disease and to seek prompt veterinary attention where appropriate.
To support the initiative, TVM UK is supplying veterinary practices with a kit to create their own waiting room display to inform owners about the common symptoms of eye disease. Pet owners can obtain further, more in-depth information by scanning a QR code on their smartphone camera which takes them directly to the webpage www.tvm-uk.com/eyehealth.
There is also a ‘Who’s Got Their Eye on You’ mini quiz to help engage clients to see if they can spot one of their pets in the animal line up.
Will Peel, Product Manager at TVM UK said: "Eye problems in pets can sometimes be hard for pet owners to pick up so we have launched Pet Eye Health Awareness Week to raise awareness of common symptoms of poor eye heath so problems can be identified early and pet owners can seek veterinary advice quickly."
For more information, contact your local territory manager, email help@tvm-uk.com or call 0800 0385868. You can find additional eye-health related social media content at: www.tvm-uk.com.
In the Horiba-sponsored webinar, Kit will draw on personal experience and case study examples to illustrate how the innovative use of adjunctive tests can support rapid clinical decision-making when triaging patients.
For example, Kit will consider whether inflammation markers such as C-reactive protein (CRP) and serum amyloid A can be used to assess if current signs are likely associated with inflammatory diseases, such as pancreatitis, or whether further investigation is required to determine cause of illness.
Kit will also consider the case of Ollie a 10-year-old German shorthaired pointer presenting as vaguely unwell with reduced appetite.
Is this just a flare-up of his chronic osteoarthritis and likely to respond to pain relief and anti-inflammatory treatment, or something else?
Attendees will be able to questions in a live Q&A session at the end of the webinar.
Horiba's team will also be on hand to answer questions on in-house diagnostics.
For free registration, visit: https://bit.ly/3wGADcm
CEVA Animal Health is giving away a digital thermometer with every purchase of three bottles of Rehydion gel Formula Plus
According to CEVA, dehydration can be a big problem for farmers, causing weakness, scouring and weight loss but Rehydion gel Formula Plus has transformed the management of this common condition. Historically treatments could not be added to milk as the bicarbonate, citrate and the high levels of glucose in the solutions inhibited milk clotting. Rehydion gel Formula Plus, however, helps to maintain a low abomasal pH and guarantees milk clotting.
The company says calves with dehydration and diarrhoea still tend to crave milk, which not only provides vital fluid but is also the best possible source of energy for weight gain. Milk also has many other advantages such as helping with gut healing and providing natural antimicrobial actions. Rehydion gel Formula Plus's high palatability and efficient dilution in milk allows weight gain to continue, even in cases of severe scour.
CEVA also has a leaflet to help farmers minimise the problem of dehydration and diarrhoea in beef and dairy cattle. To order copies and for further information contact your CEVA representative or CEVA Animal Health Ltd, 90 The Broadway, Chesham, Bucks, HP5 1EG, telephone 01494 781510 or visit the website at http://www.ceva.uk.com/
Presented by Sam Taylor BVetMed(Hons) CertSAM DipECVIM-CA MANZCVS FRCVS, the webinar will also be available to watch on demand later, for those who miss it.
Sam is an Internal Medicine and Feline Specialist and current ISFM Academy lead.
She recently chaired and co-authored the ISFM guidelines on the management of the inappetent hospitalised cat.
The webinar, which counts for one hour’s CPD, will cover:
Sarah Musgrave, Brand Manager at Dechra, said: “Inappetence is a common reason cats present to veterinary practices and it can be caused by multiple conditions.
"Management needs to look beyond just treating the underlying disease as factors such as stress, nausea and pain can play a significant role.
"Untreated inappetence has a substantial negative effect on recovery from illness and surgery, makes medicating cats difficult and may even hasten euthanasia decisions.
"The ‘Feline pawsative about feline inappetence?’ webinar will help educate on feline weight loss, why intervention to improve nutrition is important and the practical steps to treating inappetence.”
https://thewebinarvet.com/webinars/feline-pawsative-about-feline-inappetence.
Zoetis has relaunched a broad spectrum intramammary treatment for clinical mastitis, as Lincocin Forte S.
For vets seeking to prescribe an alternative first-choice tube, independent mastitis authority Dr Andrew Bradley suggests it could be a logical, efficacious option, offering the combination of two active ingredients (lincomycin and neomycin) not available in other intramammary tubes.1
Zoetis points to studies which show that In combination, these have been found to have much higher efficacy than the sum of the two parts against Staphylococci aureus.2&3
The company says Lincocin Forte is effective against Gram positive and Gram negative pathogens, in particular staphylococcus, streptococcus and coliform bacteria.
In trials, the treatment produced clinical cure rates 21% higher than an ampicillin-cloxacillin comparison in undifferentiated mastitis cases. As first choice treatment for S uberis clinical mastitis, bacteriological cure rates were similar to a penicillin-streptomycin comparison.4 Against S aureus, aesculin-positive streptococci, and E coli, combined clinical-bacteriological cure rates were 175%, 32% and 21% higher respectively with Lincocin Forte S than ampicillin-cloxacillin treatment.
Zoetis vet Jude Roberts said these findings underpin the treatment's relaunch and its suitability as a first choice therapy for new clinical mastitis cases.
Lincocin Forte S is a water-based formulation, which Jude says helps achieve good distribution in the udder and can be easier to infuse that oil-based tubes, particularly into hardened quarters associated with E coli infections.
Dr Bradley adds that water-based formulation is likely to be less irritant to udder tissues than oil-based tubes, and may improve distribution. He also suggests that "not being a fluoroquinolone or 3rd/4th generation cephalosporin may also help vets fulfil their 'appropriate and justified' prescribing responsibilities."
The recommended treatment is one 10ml syringe per infected quarter at each of three consecutive milkings. Milk from treated cows can be sold for human consumption 84-hours after the last treatment.References:
Environment Secretary Michael Gove said: "We are a nation of animal lovers, and the use of these punitive devices can cause harm and suffering, whether intentionally or unintentionally, to our pets.
"Organisations and MPs have campaigned against the use of shock collars passionately and we are listening to their concerns.
"We are now proposing to ban the use of electric shock collars to improve the welfare of animals."
Defra has launched a consultation on the proposals, which you can take part in here: https://consult.defra.gov.uk/animal-health-and-welfare/ban-on-electronic-training-collars-cats-and-dogs/
BVA President John Fishwick said: "We welcome the Government’s launch of a consultation on banning the use of shock collars in England and would like to see it result in an effective ban soon.
"Electronic training devices such as shock collars have been proven to cause pain and unnecessary suffering, and we know from leading veterinary behaviourists that using fear as a training tool is less effective than positive training methods, such as encouragement or rewards, and can take a toll on an animal’s overall welfare.
"We were in Westminster last week along with several animal welfare charities to highlight the issue and call upon Members of Parliament to back a ban on the use of shock collars. We were pleased to see several MPs pledge their support."
BVA will continue to push for an outright ban on the sale and import of shock collars across the UK.
Photo: Electric shock collar / Petrovskii Ian / Shuterstock
Cornerstone Veterinary Clinic, which was founded by Peter Herold in 2011, currently employs a 15-strong team, who are all now practice owners and shareholders in the business.
Peter got the inspiration from reading about how Pennard Vets had become the world’s largest employee-owned practice in order to protect both its independence and core values.
He then contacted the directors at Pennard Vets, who helped guide him through the process.
Peter said: “After starting Cornerstone 11 years ago, we have developed a longstanding, loyal and dedicated team who are all very popular with our established client base across Belfast and beyond.
"I genuinely love Cornerstone, and so do our team and clients, and although I’m not ready to retire yet, the end of my professional life will come in the next decade, so I wanted to start planning for it.
“The obvious option would be to sell the practice to a corporate chain, but I knew that would change how we worked.
"There would be much more emphasis on profit levels, and we’d be forced to make decisions that we were uncomfortable with.
"We have an amazing team who are full of ideas about how to make Cornerstone even better and to guarantee a successful future, the practice needs to continue growing in a way that works for its people, our clients and their pets.
“When I read about Pennard Vets becoming an EOT, it immediately resonated with me, and I hoped it could be an option for Cornerstone.
"I then attended a webinar with speakers from Pennard Vets, and I kept in touch with them afterwards.
"They explained the set-up and how it benefits their team, as well as putting us in touch with specialists in EOTs.
"Ultimately it was Pennard Vets’ knowledge and enthusiasm that convinced me it was the right route for us.”
Peter added: “Our senior team at Cornerstone are all very skilled and share common values in relation to customer service, veterinary care and client charges, and it’s this ethos that makes us popular with clients.
“Making the business an EOT will ensure this continues by safeguarding the future of the business, whilst giving each member of the team the benefit of being a business owner without them having to buy in.
"It also means I can continue to work as a vet, but share the management side of the practice with the entire team who can help to make the important decisions, which is an exciting prospect for everyone involved.”
Matthew Flann from Pennard Vets said: “We became an EOT to maintain our independence and give everyone in our team both autonomy and a voice, as well as preserving our core values around compassion, client focus and continually improving everything we do.
"This came at a time when it’s increasingly difficult for vets to buy into practices and the traditional partner progression model no longer works, which makes EOTs even more appealing and a positive step for the profession as a whole.
“It’s been genuinely transformational for Pennard Vets, and we now regularly hear from practice owners who are exploring becoming an EOT.
"There are now several other successful businesses currently on the journey and when Peter contacted us, we were happy to offer our help and guidance.
"Cornerstone is a successful practice, with a highly skilled and dedicated team, so its independence is worth protecting, and becoming an EOT will give it a bright future.”
Britain's dairy industry is doomed unless it takes more effective steps to control the spread of endemic diseases like tuberculosis and bovine virus diarrhoea, according to a leading cattle vet.
At a conference on infectious disease at the Royal Veterinary College last week, Devon practitioner Dick Sibley warned that the management and economic trends in the UK dairy industry are increasing the risk of disease transmission - and its potential impact once it does enter a herd.
Figures he obtained from the British Cattle Movements Service show that about four million cattle, or half the total UK cattle herd, are moved from one premises to another each year. Those being sent for slaughter were unlikely to spread infections but moving cattle of unknown disease status to new premises greatly increased the risk of bringing in new diseases. "If you set out to design a system that guarantees that we will continue to have problems with endemic disease then I could not think of a better one than this," he said.
Cattle numbers are increasing in those areas like Devon and Cheshire which already have among the highest population densities for dairy animals in the world - and are also the main hot spots in the current bovine TB epidemic. Farmers feel compelled to buy in heifers from as far afield as Germany and Holland to replace animals culled as TB reactors, as they will lose bonus payments from customers who demand that they maintain constant levels of production.
Several other factors also increase the likely impact of disease in a previously healthy herd - the concentration of cattle numbers into fewer but larger units, the growing emphasis on cattle kept indoors all year round and breeding for high yielding animals that are more vulnerable to disease. Meanwhile, a shortage of skilled manpower means that half the available stockmen are shared between farms and can therefore be responsible for bringing in disease.
But farmers have little or no control over some of the more important risk factors - particularly movements of badgers and the presence of diseased herds on neighbouring premises. "So these farmers with big herds in high density areas and neighbours that have the disease are done for unless we can do something serious to manage the risks."
Dairy farmers can work with their veterinary advisers to reduce risk using the four main pillars of disease control - improved biosecurity, better surveillance, appropriate vaccination and containment of disease transmission within the herd. But diseases also had to be tackled on a national level and if DEFRA is unwilling to take on the task, he proposed the creation of an independent livestock disease agency with sufficient staff and resources to carry out its remit. The costs of running such a body should be shared among all those stakeholders with an interest in preserving an economically viable dairy industry, including, for example the cereal producers who provide the dairy industry with much of its food materials, he suggested.
At the outset of the hearing, Mr Kashiv, from Vets & Pets, Broxbourne, denied all aspects of the charges against him. During the course of the inquiry, some heads of charge were not pursued and some he admitted, leaving the remaining heads of charge to be determined.
The charges concerned the treatment of a Scottish Terrier, called Tanzy, whose owner, Mrs Greenhill, brought her in to see Mr Kashiv on 5 March 2015. Mrs Greenhill was concerned about blood in Tanzy’s urine and swellings in her mammary glands. After carrying out a cytopathology test, Mr Kashiv advised Mrs Greenhill that Tanzy would require surgery to remove the mammary glands. There were no further tests conducted, and no alternatives to surgery suggested.
On 13 March another veterinary surgeon at Vets & Pets therefore undertook a right-side mammary strip on Tanzy, discharging her the following day. On 17 March Mrs Greenhill brought Tanzy back in for a post-operative check and was seen by a locum veterinary surgeon, who found her to be in good condition.
On 20 March Mrs Greenhill then became concerned about Tanzy’s deteriorating condition and returned her to see Mr Kashiv. He admitted Tanzy for observation over the weekend but did not conduct any further tests at that stage, apart from radiography on 22 March. The hospitalisation records were of poor quality and substantially incomplete.
On 23 March Mr Kashiv then informed Mrs Greenhill that Tanzy could be discharged, although he recommended an MRI scan to assist in the diagnosis; this was declined on cost grounds. He did not however explain clearly to Mrs Greenhill that Tanzy’s prognosis was bleak, and did not give adequate home care instructions.
Tanzy continued to deteriorate, and on 24 March Mrs Greenhill took Tanzy to the RSPCA Harmsworth Hospital where a veterinary surgeon conducted tests which showed that Tanzy was in renal failure. The veterinary surgeon then called Mrs Greenhill and recommended that Tanzy was put to sleep, which was then performed in Mrs Greenhill’s presence.
The Committee found that Mr Kashiv had failed to conduct the necessary investigations when Tanzy was admitted from 20 to 23 March 2015, being satisfied that, by the time Tanzy had been hospitalised for a period of three days, it was mandatory for a blood test to have been performed, given her marked deterioration.
The Committee also found while Mr Kashiv did express his opinion that Tanzy’s prognosis was poor, he did not give the full explanation required in the circumstances of this case to enable Mrs Greenhill to understand fully the prognosis. The Committee also considered that Tanzy was not in a fit state to be discharged on 23 March 2015, and that he had failed to keep sufficiently clear and/or detailed and/or accurate records.
After full consideration, the Committee found that Mr Kashiv’s actions amounted to serious professional misconduct, and was satisfied that his actions fell far short of the conduct to be expected of a reasonably competent veterinary surgeon in respect of heads of charge 1, 2 and 3 but not 4.
Although it was concerned "about the culture of care in the practice, in particular not having in place proper protocols and procedures and without necessary support from properly trained staff", in deciding on appropriate sanction, the Committee was satisfied that there were "a number of serious misjudgements by Mr Kashiv in this case".
The Committee decided to postpone judgement for a period of two years, whilst recommending that Mr Kashiv agree to undertake a structured programme to benefit his clinical practice including a Personal Development Plan, mentoring, practice visits, additional CPD and regular reports to the Disciplinary Committee.
Non-compliance with these undertakings may result in the hearing being resumed at a date earlier than the two-year period.
Stuart Drummond, Chairing the Disciplinary Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: "The Committee considers that Mr Kashiv is a dedicated veterinary surgeon, as evidenced by the large number of testimonials, and that he provides a valuable service to the community, particularly with rescue animals.
"Nevertheless, the Committee considers that there were a number of fundamental failings in Mr Kashiv’s clinical competence which are required to be addressed during the period of postponement. For the reasons set out above the Committee considers that Mr Kashiv’s clinical practice will benefit from a structured programme over the period of postponement, whilst protecting the welfare of animals, maintaining public confidence in the profession and declaring and upholding proper standards of conduct."
For the full charges, findings and decisions, see: http://www.rcvs.org.uk/concerns/disciplinary-hearings/
The gallery was traditionally held in-person at the NAVC’s annual Veterinary Expo & Meeting (VMX) in Florida.
Now, for the first time since it began in 2012, the gallery is accessible to everyone everywhere months before the live event in June.
The new Virtual VMX New Product Gallery went live this week and will run until 3rd September 2021. It showcases 21 new product innovations from the following companies: BioNote; Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health; Dechra Veterinary Products; Epicur Pharma; GVL; Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Inc.; Merck Animal Health; Neogen Corporation; Ogena Solutions; Purina; Royal Canin; Vetoquinol; Zoetis Petcare.
NAVC CEO Gene O’Neill said: "Each year, NAVC’s panel of experts select the most innovative new products and services to be showcased as part of the VMX Expo. We are excited to take this VMX staple and, for the first time, make it universally available to members of our global veterinary community everywhere.
"And they don’t have to wait until June to learn about and try these important new products. The VMX Virtual New Product Gallery launch is part of the NAVC’s expanding virtual portfolio which breaks down barriers of geography and time to make the best products the veterinary industry has to offer available to veterinary professionals worldwide.” The gallery is free to access. You can register here: https://vmxvirtual.simexpo.com/page/100
VetYogi’s new ‘VetYogi Collective’ offers an on-demand online hub of yoga, mental health and wellbeing sessions designed to meet the individual needs of vets, RVNs, practice managers, receptionists, students and paraprofessionals.
Subscription includes a monthly live yoga session and access to a library of content which includes yoga sessions lasting from minutes to over an hour.
There are also videos, and advice on guided meditation to help support wellbeing and manage stress.
Chloe says: “It’s important that everyone who has a need, has access to the type of wellbeing tools that they respond best to, so we have developed self-care sessions for all roles in the profession.
"If you have had a hard day or a stiff neck from working in theatre for hours, or are just feeling tense and unable to switch off, you need help there and then.
"The VetYogi Collective provides that support around the clock which we simply couldn’t deliver any other way.”
Individual subscriptions cost £12 per month.
Practices signing up their team are offered preferential rates and can use the VetYogi Collective badge on their materials to signal their commitment to supporting wellbeing.
collective.vetyogi.com
Vetoquinol has just launched its Marbocyl 10% online case study competition in which veterinary surgeons are being invited to provide information about how they treat E.coli mastitis. Two winners (one in the UK and one in Ireland) will win a BCF EASI-SCAN cattle ultrasound scanner with goggles worth over £6000.
Vetoquinol's large animal product manager, Susan Mitchell said: "We hope that this case study competition will help us gather further information on how E.coli mastitis is treated by veterinary surgeons in the UK and Ireland. I would encourage large animal veterinary surgeons to be part of this UK and Irish survey to highlight the severity of the disease and share their success stories."
The competition will run until the end of October 2011.
For your chance to win a BCF EASI-SCAN and goggles visit http://www.vetoquinol.co.uk/.
The change to the Practice Standards rules means that RVNs who have at least five years’ experience within the profession are eligible to apply to become PSS Assessors.
PSS Assessors are employees of the RCVS who are responsible for visiting practices that want to join the scheme, are undergoing their re-accreditation assessment or have applied for one or more of the PSS Awards, to ensure they meet the criteria.
The decision to allow RVNs to become PSS Assessors had already been approved by both the Practice Standards Group (the steering committee for the Scheme comprising representatives from all of the major veterinary and veterinary nursing organisations in the UK) and the RCVS Standards Committee.
Matthew Rendle is the Chair of VN Council and also sits as a member of RCVS Council. He said: “I am delighted to see that there is now a pathway to recruit veterinary nurses as PSS Assessors and hope that many of my VN colleagues will take up this opportunity to apply to join the excellent team responsible for ensuring that the Scheme’s stringent standards are met.
"We know that, on a practice-by-practice basis, veterinary nurses often play a big role in helping to coordinate and ensure that the requirements of the Practice Standards Scheme are met, for example, by preparing their team for the assessment, liaising with the RCVS and the Assessor and making sure all standards are complied with in advance. It is great to see that the crucial role they often play in meeting standards is reflected in opening up the ability to become PSS Assessors."
Mandisa Greene, RCVS President and Chair of the Practice Standards Group, added: “This is such an important development for the veterinary nursing profession whose role in the Practice Standards Scheme has long been recognised as invaluable. This decision also opens up new career advancement opportunities for the profession as well, which I’m sure is very welcome."
When the next recruitment round for PSS Assessors takes place, RVNs will be invited to apply to join the roster of Assessors.
In addition to approving the role of RVNs as PSS Assessors, Council also approved a new Equine Emergency Services Clinic accreditation to help incorporate the emerging business model of veterinary practices that provide ambulatory emergency services for equids.
The new accreditation would require these practices to meet the applicable PSS Core Standards, plus the requirements contained in an additional Equine Emergency Services module. The full details of the requirements will be published in due course.
For more information about the Practice Standards Scheme visit: www.rcvs.org.uk/pss
The Disciplinary Committee took the unusual step of granting an application by the respondent for anonymity, after seeing evidence of a real and immediate threat to the individual’s security if their details were made public.
For the purposes of the hearing, the respondent was therefore referred to as 'X'.
The Committee heard that the individual pleaded guilty in court in 2020 to intentionally and knowingly attempting to communicate with a person under 16 years for the purposes of sexual gratification.
Following this they were sentenced to a two-year probation order, were ordered to register on the Sexual Offences Register for five years; and were made subject to a Sexual Offences Prevention Order for five years.
At the outset of the hearing the individual admitted to all the charges against them and the Committee also noted that there was a certified copy of the conviction available.
The Committee then considered whether the conviction amounted to serious professional misconduct. In considering this, it set out the aggravating factors surrounding the case, these being that there was the risk of actual harm to a minor, that the misconduct was premeditated as the respondent had sent a number of messages via a number of online platforms over several days, that the individual displayed predatory behaviour including sending pictures and making comments of a sexual nature, and that it involved what the respondent believed to be a vulnerable individual, namely a 15-year-old child.
In mitigation, the Committee considered that there had been no actual harm caused to a human or animal in light of the fact that the 15-year-old child, who the respondent believed they were communicating with, was not real. It also took into account that the conduct related to a single isolated incident and that the individual had made open and frank admissions at an early stage.
Cerys Jones, chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: “The Committee was satisfied that the sentence imposed on X, which included X being subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order until 2025, resulted in the profession of veterinary nurses being brought into disrepute and, in the Committee’s judgement, public confidence in the profession would be undermined if the Committee did not find that the conviction rendered X unfit to practise as a veterinary nurse.”
In considering the individual’s sanction, the Committee heard from a character witness who said that the respondent’s actions were out of character, that they had a previously long and unblemished career, that they had made full admissions and demonstrated insight, and that they had a low risk of reoffending in the future.
Cerys said: “The Committee accepted that X had been an excellent veterinary nurse and that X’s criminal conduct did not relate to X’s practice as a veterinary nurse. However, in the Committee’s judgement, the aggravating factors outweighed the considerable mitigating factors in this case.”
She added: “The Committee decided that a suspension order was not the appropriate sanction for such a serious offence because it did not reflect the gravity of X’s conduct. In the Committee’s judgement, the wider public interest, that is the maintenance of the reputation of the profession and the College as a regulator, required a sanction of removal from the Register. The Committee considered that X had much mitigation and was clearly a dedicated veterinary nurse but the reputation of the profession was more important than the interests of X.
“Further, the Committee noted that in circumstances where X’s probation order expired in 2022, and where the ancillary orders, a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and a requirement to register on the Sexual Offences Register did not expire until 2025; the only proportionate sanction was to direct the Registrar to remove X’s name from the Register of Veterinary Nurses.”
The full findings for the case can be found at: www.rcvs.org.uk/disciplinary
He takes over the role from Huw Griffiths at the end of BEVA Congress 7th -10th September 2022. Roger Smith becomes President Elect.
Following graduation from The University of Bristol in 2001, David worked in farm animal and equine practice in Somerset before completing an internship at Liphook Equine Hospital.
A three-year Horserace Betting Levy Board residency at The University of Glasgow and Liphook Equine Hospital enabled him to train as a specialist in equine internal medicine and to gain a masters by research into equine asthma and an RCVS certificate in equine medicine.
David spent several years at Liphook Equine Hospital in Hampshire and had spells at The Royal Veterinary College, London and Charles Sturt University in Australia before moving to Rainbow Equine Hospital in Yorkshire where he led the internal medicine and laboratory services as a director and subsequently a clinical director following the hospital’s acquisition by the VetPartners group.
David returned to his Westcountry roots in 2020 and now combines work as an independent equine medicine and therapeutics consultant with running the family farm on the edge of Exmoor.
He is chair of BEVA’s health and medicines committee.
During his presidential year David is keen to continue build on his recent work around antimicrobial and anthelmintic resistance as well as expanding BEVA’s global outreach to support more equine vets and have a greater impact on equine welfare.
He said: “I’ve had a great time being part of the profession for the past 20 years and I am now in a position to give something back.
“Huw has driven much activity in the past year around recruitment and retention and I hope to be able to build on this and action results from the recent survey, under Huw’s continued supervision. I am also determined to maintain momentum around BEVA’s antimicrobial and anthelmintic resistance work as well as step up collaboration internationally on these and other projects to extend BEVA’s global outreach.
“Around 99% of the world’s horses are cared for by around 1% of the world’s vets so we are not going to change things overnight; however, BEVA has so much to offer and we should use our resources to support equine welfare, irrespective of where equine vets and their patients live and work.”
Five graduates from St George's University School of Veterinary Medicine (SGUSVM), in the Caribbean island of Grenada, have passed the Statutory Membership Examination of the UK's Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons.
According to the University, SGUSVM graduates have traditionally demonstrated impressive pass rates on this rigorous exam, but this year's 100% pass rate by SGU students - compared with an overall 44% pass rate for candidates overall - is an exceptional result for SGU students, and only the second time it has been achieved in the school's history.
In order to practice veterinary surgery in the UK, all graduates with foreign or Commonwealth qualifications must pass the RCVS examination. The exam consists of two days of written papers, followed by clinical, oral and practical exams at a UK veterinary medical school. Thirty-five St George's graduates have passed into the RCVS since the School's inception in 1999.
The RCVS sets no quota for this Statutory Membership Examination, meaning those who meet the standards will pass, regardless of the number of candidates sitting the exam.
Austin Kirwan, St George's Associate Dean of UK and Ireland Clinical Affairs stated: "St George's School of Veterinary Medicine once again produces an excellent set of results with a 100 percent pass rate for the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons Statutory Membership Examination for those SGU students who sat the examination. This is a credit to the school in the quality of education it provides, but also an indication of the calibre of person SGU attracts in its student cohort - outstanding success abounds by thinking beyond."
Presenting the graduates with a membership certificate at the Ceremony of Admissions at Belgravia House in London, RCVS President Dr Jerry Davies said: "I was delighted to welcome so many of this year's successful candidates to the College. Whether newly graduated or long qualified elsewhere, all of those registering today have succeeded in meeting the educational and professional requirements that enable them to call themselves veterinary surgeons and to practise in the UK."
The ISFM says Congress will offer veterinary professionals an extensive scientific programme designed to support a multi-modal and cat friendly approach to caring for feline patients with acute upper urinary tract disease and other emergencies.
Speakers will include Søren Boysen (Emergency & Critical Care), Serge Chalhoub (Internal Medicine), Laura Owen (Soft Tissue Surgery) and special guest Allyson Berent (Non-Invasive Surgery).
Sam Taylor MRCVS, ISFM Veterinary Specialist Lead (pictured right) said: "We seem to be seeing more and more feline urinary cases, urolithiasis and acute kidney injury - and of course the familiar blocked cats!
"In Dublin, I can’t wait to hear how to approach these cases as well as look more in-depth at ECC and discuss cat friendly critical care amongst many other topics from all angles – surgery, medicine, behaviour, imaging and more!’
The 2023 ISFM Feline Congress Dublin is open to veterinary surgeons and nurses of all experience levels.
https://icatcare.org/congress-2023-dublin/
Fort Dodge has unveiled an initiative to help practices improve peri-operative care and the management of hospitalised cases with the launch of its Early Warning Scoring System (EWSS) kit.
The kit contains cat and dog anaesthesia and observation charts for the effective monitoring of cats and dogs during operations, post-operatively and for hospitalised medical cases.
EWSS observation charts are widely used in the NHS but this is believed to be the first time that such a system has been developed specifically for use in veterinary practices.
They have been designed by Mike Davies BVetMed CertVR CertSAO FRCVS, Technical Services Manager at Fort Dodge, and are intended to help veterinary nurses and veterinary surgeons identify patients whose condition is deteriorating before they reach a critical state.
Mike Davies speaks around the country on preventive medicine and geriatrics and his experience of working closely with practices is that many do not have good protocols in place for nurse monitoring of patients. The EWSS grades parameters such as heart rate, respiratory rate, blood pressure and CNS response and the charts incorporate areas in which the practice can record pain using a visual analogue scale or a numeric scoring system.
The company has also launched Dorbene vet, a new product providing fast-acting sedation and analgesia for dogs and cats. Its active ingredient is the trusted and well proven alpha-2 agonist medetomidine hydrochloride, which affects the nervous system by inhibiting noradrenaline mediated neurotransmission. A dosing guide for Dorbene vet is also included in the EWSS.
The launch of Dorbene vet complements Fort Dodge's existing companion animal products, analgesic Torbugesic and dissociative anaesthetic Ketaset. Used alone it offers dose-related sedation within 10-15 minutes, which is rapidly reversible using the alpha-2 antagonist atipamezole for predictable recovery. It is presented in 10 ml and 50 ml multi dose vials in amber coloured glass which protects the product from light.
For further information on the EWSS or Dorbene vet, contact Fort Dodge on 01489 781711.
Burgess reminds everyone that RVHD2 is a highly infectious strain of RVHD with few or no visible symptoms. It is fatal and can kill within hours. RVHD2 poses a significant threat to Britain’s rabbit population and outbreaks have been reported all over the UK and Ireland meaning no area is safe.
According to the company, the most recent sales figures show that only 137,405 RVHD2 vaccinations have been distributed in the last year1. This, says the company, shows a concerning number of practices are still not stocking the necessary vaccines to protect rabbits against RVHD2 and other fatal diseases.
Rabbits who have received the combined vaccination for RVHD and myxomatosis need a separate vaccination for RVHD2.
BSAVA President Sue Paterson said: "The British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) supports the Rabbit Awareness Week 'Protect and Prevent' approach to saving the lives of rabbits in the UK. The BSAVA urges all rabbit owners to get their rabbits vaccinated against this disease and encourages all practices to remind their clients of the importance of doing this."
Richard Saunders BVSc DZooMed MRCVS said: "It's important for vets to be aware of the importance of vaccinating rabbits against all 3 viral diseases: Myxomatosis, RVHD1 and RVHD2.
"We certainly don't want rabbits to go without their annual myxomatosis vaccine: this horrible disease is very much still around. RVHD1 appears to have been overtaken by the new variant, RVHD2, but should still be vaccinated against.
"RVHD2 is a recent strain of the RVHD virus, which the Nobivac Myxo-RHD vaccine does not cover, and it is, quite literally, everywhere. Transported by inanimate objects as well as animals, it can affect both indoor and outdoor rabbits anywhere in the UK.
"If you wait until you see the first case in your area before recommending vaccination, rabbits will die, when this could be avoided.
"Remember that rabbit owners are much more likely to bury their dead pets at home than cat and especially dog owners, who generally bring their pets to a vet for cremation, and so we, as a profession, are under-aware of the incidence of the disease out there.
"RVHD2 is a core vaccination requirement, being endemic in the UK. Additionally, it’s not just a fatal disease, it’s a fatal disease with a reservoir in the wild. We strongly recommend vaccination of rabbits with either Filavac or Eravac in addition to Nobivac Myxo-RHD."
For more information on this year’s campaign and to request your RAW veterinary pack with marketing materials and free samples, visit www.rabbitawarenessweek.co.uk
Reference
The advice in the new help section has been designed to highlight the shared responsibilities of animal owners and their vet teams, and to support practices by giving this advice for pet owners in a clear and easy-to-read way.
It explains what pet owners can expect from their vet team - and what is expected of them - throughout the different stages of pet ownership.
The information is split into ten sections:
The content in the new resource was informed by the views of the RCVS’s Public Advisory Group (PAG), whose members comprise owners/keepers of companion animals, equine and production animals, as well as other users of veterinary services.
Veterinary surgeon and Chair of the RCVS PAG, Louise Allum MRCVS (pictured), said: "The PAG has performed an essential role in helping to inform the content creation for our animal owner help and advice resource, highlighting the need for greater transparency and support, particularly around veterinary fees, treatment options, and what to expect from vet practices.
"Veterinary professionals work tirelessly to provide the most appropriate care for their patients, and we want to support this by ensuring pet owners have access to clear, accessible information about their rights, responsibilities, and the role of veterinary teams to ensure that expectations are managed.
“We are calling upon veterinary professionals to share this resource with clients far and wide, to help owners understand more about veterinary practice and how they can build a successful partnership with their vet team, ultimately leading to better outcomes for pets, their owners and veterinary professionals alike."
The RCVS will be expanding its help and advice section to include further information for equine and livestock owners in due course.
www.rcvs.org.uk/owner-advice.
The results of the UK's first ever public National Equine Health Survey have quantified non-notifiable healthcare issues affecting horses, ponies, donkeys and mules in the UK.
The survey, which was pioneered by The Blue Cross animal charity and is supported by The British Equine Veterinary Association, was carried out last November following two years of pilot schemes. The intention was to find out more about endemic non-notifiable diseases that have never before been recorded in horses, ponies, donkeys and mules, such as coughs, skin diseases and lameness.
The results were announced at the National Equine Forum by Professor Josh Slater, Professor of Equine Clinical Studies at The Royal Veterinary College, who has been working with The Blue Cross on the survey.
A total of 306 sets of records were submitted from 3120 horses in mainly private ownership, with a balance of representation from competition yards, riding schools, welfare charities and studs. A broad range of syndromes and diseases were assessed including colic, sarcoids, laminitis, wounds, dental issues, eye disease, lameness and weight issues.
The results showed that lameness was the most common problem affecting horses (11% of horses surveyed) but that the foot was not the most common cause of lameness and that laminitis (3%) was less common than the 7-8% total that previous surveys had suggested.
Weight management was the next most common issue for horse owners, with 9% of horses recorded as overweight and 8% as underweight. These figures are lower than previous surveys which may be because they are based on the owner's assessment of their horse's weight which is subjective and may vary according to their perception of 'the right weight'.
Skin disease and wounds (5% and 4% respectively) posed a significant problem and colic (2%) was also a common occurrence, with a 6:1 ratio between medical and surgical cases.
The survey is breaking new ground in Europe as well as the UK. Currently Government agencies in all European countries conduct surveillance for prescribed exotic diseases such as West Nile Virus and African Horse Sickness but currently there are no large scale surveillance programmes for endemic diseases.
Professor Slater said: "The regular collection of such data holds numerous benefits to the UK equine industry. Not only does the survey provide a benchmarking facility for equine disease, welfare, standards of care and codes of practice but it will also underpin standards for yard inspection schemes. Not least it confirms the workability of an important template to monitor the serious threat of infectious and exotic disease in the future."
He added: "It's exciting to see hints in the NEHS 2010 survey that data 'straight from the horse's mouth' might challenge some established ideas. For example; the survey found that lameness was common, as you would expect, but that the foot was not the most common cause of lameness, which you might not have expected. This kind of data has never been collected before and is invaluable to the veterinary profession and wider animal welfare industry, helping to inform our future research, training and education. It will be really exciting to see the results of the larger surveys The Blue Cross are running in 2011."
Kerry Doyle, education officer at The Blue Cross said: "We are thrilled to be involved with this innovative project to enhance the future health of our horses and very grateful to all those who have participated in the survey so far. We now need even more horse owners to sign up for the next round so that we can capture as much useful data as possible."
The National Equine Health Survey is currently funded by The Blue Cross but sponsorship is being sought. It is to be conducted twice-yearly with the next census week planned for 9-15 May 2011. All keepers and owners of horses are urged to participate and details of all horse owners will remain anonymous. It's very quick and easy to complete and should only take around five minutes. To register online visit www.bluecross.org.uk/NEHS or email NEHS@bluecross.org.uk.