Eight vet students have been recognised for their exceptional work with the Intervet / Schering-Plough Animal Health Connect Bursary Awards, designed to provide financial assistance for students for elective research during their college years. Three main awards were made for projects focussing on laterality in dogs, stallion semen preservation, and developing a better understanding of wobbler syndrome in horses.

Charlotte Cockburn from the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) and Hayley Harwood from the Royal Dick School of Veterinary Studies (Edinburgh) were the joint winners of the main Bursary Award, while the RVC's Holly Claridge was presented with the inaugural Equine Award.

Charlotte's research investigated tests for laterality in dogs to determine if domestic dogs show a significant paw preference and to identify a test that can be used for this purpose by veterinary practices.  The results showed a lateralisation bias in the dog population towards the left with no significant correlations between paw preference and the sex, age or breed of dog.  In addition, the initiation of gait test used in the study was the only test that gained a response from 100% of the dogs.

Hayley set out to investigate the motility of stallion spermatozoa thawed at various rates and maintained for up to 24 hours with the aim of designing a protocol for the thawing of semen that would allow cooled transported frozen-thawed semen to be used effectively.  The study showed that for total motility, thawing the straws at 72°C resulted in significantly higher motility than when compared with other treatments.

Holly's research aimed to describe the 3D anatomy of the cervical articular process joints in relation to the spinal cord and whether artificial distension of these joints, mimicking effusion, would cause the pouches of the joints to compress the spinal cord in the horse.  The study concluded that in the absence of any other soft tissue or bony changes effusion of these joints is unlikely to cause spinal cord compression.  However, given that these joints and the spinal cord are in close approximation, in the presence of other changes, an effusion may have the potential to cause compression.

While Charlotte, Hayley and Holly were the overall winners, five other students also received a Connect Bursary from Intervet / Schering-Plough Animal Health to fund their research.  The Bursaries were awarded to Rebecca Johnson and Sharon Brown (Glasgow), Gabrielle Laing (Liverpool), Alex Torrance (Cambridge) and Amy Gordan (Bristol).  Students were required to present their work to a judging panel from Intervet / Schering-Plough Animal Health, representatives from the veterinary schools and industry key opinion leaders. Two further Bursaries were also awarded to students from Nottingham.

David Hallas, General Manager at Intervet / Schering-Plough Animal Health said:  "Being part of the Connect Bursary is intended to give veterinary students both the freedom to explore new ground as well as providing a taste of working in industry.  The fact that we awarded a record number of Bursaries this year, elected joint winners and launched the new Equine Award is testament to the refreshingly high standard of work being undertaken by veterinary undergraduates."

The RCVS Council has voted to hold a consultation on a set of recommendations that would see wide-scale changes to the legislative framework governing the regulation of the veterinary professions.

The recommendations were proposed by the Legislation Working Party (LWP), which was set up in 2017 to consider the principles governing any new legislation affecting veterinary regulation and come up with recommendations for what innovations could and should be included in any future replacement for the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966. 

The LWP comprises members of RCVS Council, RCVS staff and representatives from the BVA and the BVNA.

The approved recommendations were grouped into five key headings: embracing the vet-led team; enhancing the veterinary nurse role; assuring practice standards; introducing a modern ‘fitness to practise’ regime; and, modernising RCVS registration processes.

The recommendations include:

• giving RCVS powers to regulate all paraprofessionals in the vet-led team on a statutory basis
• making delegation by a veterinary surgeon to a paraprofessional (including veterinary nurses) more flexible – which includes separating the act of delegation from employment
• statutory protection of professional titles – including veterinary nurses.
• extending the role of veterinary nurses in anaesthesia
• allowing veterinary nurses to carry out cat castrations
• exploring the possibility of a VN prescriber role
• making the regulation of veterinary practices mandatory, supported by powers of entry
• giving the RCVS powers to issue improvement notices to veterinary practices
• refocussing the disciplinary system on issues of current capability and impairment of fitness to practise rather than past misconduct
• introducing powers of interim suspension orders for veterinary professionals under investigation
• introducing a wider range of sanctions for the Disciplinary Committee
• introducing provisions to allow limited licensure, including for those with disabilities
• empower the RCVS to be able to introduce regular revalidation for veterinary professionals
• underpin continuing professional development (CPD) on a mandatory basis.

Professor Stephen May, RCVS Council member and Chair of the LWP since its inception in 2017, said: “The scale of the changes that are recommended in this report are very significant indeed and, if implemented via new primary legislation, would really change the face of veterinary regulation, bringing it up to date with that of other healthcare professions, and ironing out many of the oddities and closing many of the gaps in our current regulatory regime.

"Changes to the legislative framework for veterinary regulation have been mooted for some time. While the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 has served the profession well for over 50 years, and we have been able to make some changes to it – for example, reducing the size of Council, the separation of the Disciplinary Committee from Council and introducing the concept of delegation to veterinary nurses via Schedule 3 of the Act. However, there are limits to how much we can continue to tinker around the edges, and it has become increasingly clear that new legislation is needed if we are to make progress.

"I have been very grateful to my colleagues on the Legislation Working Party for their hard-work over the past three years. There has been a lot of robust debate on how we can move veterinary regulation forward, but ultimately we have a consensus that there are significant deficiencies, imperfections and blind-spots in the current regime and, in order to ensure that the professions are able to best fulfil their mandate to protect animal health and welfare, and that the RCVS is able to meet its mission to set, uphold and advance veterinary standards, significant changes are needed.

"I am delighted that members of RCVS Council have agreed to put our recommendations to a full consultation and I look forward to seeing how this report and its, sometimes quite radical, recommendations will spark important debate of these big ideas.”

A full public consultation process on the recommendations is expected to take place later this year. After this has taken place, and depending on its outcome, and Council’s final decision on how to proceed, a full set of proposals on legislative reform will be put to the Department for the Environment, Food & Rural Affairs in the hope of seeking support for new legislation.

While RCVS Council approved, in principle, the report as a whole, there was a separate debate on some of the report’s recommendations concerning reform to the RCVS disciplinary regime which do not require changes to primary legislation, but could be made through powers granted to the College via its 2015 Royal Charter. Further details on this will be announced separately.

The full Report of the LWP is available to view in the papers for the June 2020 meeting of RCVS Council at: www.rcvs.org.uk/document-library/rcvs-legislation-working-party-report-to-council-2020

The RCVS has also published a blog from Professor Stephen May explaining, in more detail, the workings of the LWP and the rationale behind its recommendations. This is available to view at: www.rcvs.org.uk/news-and-views/blog/a-step-change-in-veterinary-regulation

 Professor May’s presentation from the Council meeting is also available to view on the RCVS YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/rcvsvideos

Defra has been roundly criticised in the media today for reportedly spending £181,000 on redesigning its website.

Here's the old website. Apparently deemed 'too agricultural' for its use of brown.

And here's the new one:

A vast improvement, and depending on what the £181,000 bill included, it may not have been as overpriced as it sounds.

Either way, it prompted a great quip from Tory environment spokesman Nick Herbert: 'At least it's now clear that, like the rest of the country, Defra has gone off Brown.'

International Cat Care has announced the winners of its 'Easy to Give' and 'Cat Friendly' Awards 2016. 

The Easy to Give Awards are designed to recognise the commitment made by pharmaceutical companies in making it easier to give prescription-only medications to cats; recognising that medicines which are easier to give make life less stressful for vets, owners and cats alike and ensure better compliance.

Each Easy to Give Award is decided by a feline expert veterinary panel taking into account feedback from their clients. And the winners are ...

These companies will be granted the use of the Easy to Give logo on advertising to the veterinary world. These bring the total number of Easy to Give awards presented, since their inception in 2005, to 39.

• Amodip Chewable Tablets for Cats (Ceva)is the first ever cat-friendly amlodipine licensed for veterinary use for the treatment of hypertension in cats.
• Benazecare 5mg Tablets (AnimalCare) act to reduce the protein lost in urine in renal disease and increase the appetite and quality of life of cats with chronic kidney disease.
• Noraclav Chewable Tablets for Cats and Dogs (Norbrook) contain amoxicillin and clavalanic acid; because antibiotic resistance is a growing concern, having routinely used antibiotics in an easy to give and palatable formulation for cats is very important.
• V-Gel (Docsinnovent) is a supraglottic airway device (pictured above right) for cats which enables a clear airway to be obtained quickly, efficiently and effectively for general anaesthesia and emergency resuscitation purposes without the need for traditional endotracheal intubation. 

International Cat Care also announced the winners of the Cat Friendly Awards, which recognise other products that have made a real difference to cat wellbeing and welfare.

• Lick-e-Lix (Webbox) provides a great method to help give prescription medications to cats. Owners reported that its different flavours were great for disguising and giving pills and even made this a rewarding experience.
• Feliway Friends Diffuser (Ceva) contains a synthetic copy of the cat appeasing pheromone naturally produced by a nursing mother for her kittens after birth, helping kittens feel safe and secure. This product aims to reduce tension and conflict in multicat households.
• Kittyrama Cat Collars (Kittrama)are designed to be lightweight, slim, durable and very comfortable. They also have a buckle for accurate fitting and a safety opening mechanism if the collar gets caught.
• Beco Cat Bowls (Beco Pets) are made of recyclable waste plant materials and are wide with low sides so that the cat's sensitive whiskers are not bent while eating.

For more details on the work of the charity go to www.icatcare.org.

The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) has published its Pharmacovigilance Annual Review 2015, which reviews 5674 reports of adverse events in animals, humans and the environment following the use of veterinary medicines over the course of the year.

5638 events were reported spontaneously, mainly by the marketing authorisation holder (61%), with the remainder largely reported by veterinary surgeons. 

Of these, 5512 were reports of adverse reactions in animals: 829 concerning suspected lack of efficacy, 4638 concerning safety. The majority of reports concerned dogs (2927), cats (1426) and cattle (386).

In dogs, medicines for the control of epilepsy were most often suspected of not having performed as expected (80 reports) whilst vaccines were most commonly reported as having failed to work (71).  However, the VMD points out that in many cases, vaccination failure was attributable to other causes (such as incomplete vaccination schedule).

In cats, flea spot-on products were most likely to be reported as not having worked (21). However, there are many reasons why owners may continue to see live fleas on their animal which are unrelated to product efficacy (such as reinfestation from the environment). 

Notably, the majority of efficacy reports in horses (12/19) related to euthanasia products, which the report says should serve as a reminder that alternative means of euthanasia should always be available in case the chosen method does not proceed as planned.

Of the safety reports, 59.6% involved dogs, 31% cats, 4.9% horses and 3.9% rabbits. The majority concerned vaccines (1360 reports, most commonly general signs or symptoms, such as lethargy or pyrexia), parasiticides (472 reports, most commonly lethargy, emesis, inflammation/pruritus, depending on method of administration) and inflammation control (412 cases, most commonly emesis, renal insufficiency and diarrhoea, depending on the drug type).

There were 124 reports of adverse events in humans. Of those involving veterinary professionals (about a quarter):

• There were two cases where owners were injured by a vet with a needle. In one case, despite the owner washing and disinfecting their hands immediately, the hand became too swollen to move and required anti-histamines and anti-inflammatories.
• A veterinary nurse developed a sore eye when vaccine was squirted into it as the needle came off the syringe. The symptoms resolved the following day.
• A veterinary surgeon reported brief periods of numbness around an injury sustained from a needle used for a rabies vaccination.
• A veterinary surgeon reported injection site pain after inadvertently injecting a small volume of a macrolide antimicrobial into his thumb. 
• A veterinary surgeon scratched his finger with a needle he had used to administer tilmicosin, and he thought a drop may have entered the wound. Nevertheless he did not seek medical attention until more than 3 hours later. Fortunately no treatment was required. 
• A veterinary surgeon pricked her finger with a needle on a syringe full of alfaxalone. No product was injected and she experienced no other symptoms than bleeding and pain from the puncture wound. 
• A veterinary surgeon was administering pentobarbital to a cat when the needle came off the syringe and between 1 and 20 ml of product squirted back into her eyes and mouth. She rinsed her eyes and mouth, drank some water and ate a banana. 45 minutes later she felt tired and ‘fuzzy’. She spoke to her GP by phone, but did not attend the surgery or receive treatment. She recovered within 3 hours. 
• A locum veterinary nurse developed swelling around an injury on her hand from a needle on a syringe of medetomidine. She had punctured a blood vessel, but thought only a small amount of product was injected. She felt light-headed and was monitored in hospital for a couple of hours, after which she returned to work with no lasting effects. 
• Two veterinary surgeons and a pet owner suffered needle stick injuries whilst an anti-emetic was administered to an animal that was being restrained by the owner. 

The VMD says that reports of needle stick injuries involving vaccines with a mineral oil adjuvant are of particular concern, because they often fail to show that the injured party has received prompt and correct treatment, either because they are themselves unaware of the necessity for swift intervention, or because they do not take the product package information leaflet with them when seeking medical treatment. 

Similarly, the VMD says that incidents involving injectable tilmicosin seem to be often dismissed as just a scratch, and that if you use these products, you should make sure you are fully aware of the warnings contained in the product leaflets.

To read the full report, visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/608968/PhV_Annual_Review_2015_v7.pdf 

The RCVS Disciplinary Committee has reprimanded a veterinary surgeon for submitting a certificate of Clinical Inspection for Veterinary Inspectors ("TB52") for tuberculin tests he had undertaken on cattle, despite knowing that he had not fully complied with the standard operating procedures (SOP) for these tests.

At the outset of the three-day hearing, John Wilson admitted that, when acting as an Official Veterinarian (OV) he had not carried out tuberculin tests on cattle at a Wiltshire farm on 19 May 2011 strictly in accordance with the SOP required by the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA), an executive agency of Defra.

The admitted shortcomings were that on 19 May, the second day of testing, Mr Wilson had failed to confirm the identity of all the animals, failed to inspect the animals digitally (ie using his hands) and had not measured the fold of skin at the injection site of all the animals. The College argued that this was contrary to the directions of the AHVLA and, in subsequently signing the TB52 certificate, he was either dishonest or should have known that the certification was incorrect. Mr Wilson admitted that he ought to have known the certification was incorrect but denied dishonesty, because he believed that he had conducted the test in a satisfactory manner and had correctly identified all the reactors in the herd.

Mr Wilson was a veterinary surgeon of over 40 years experience and unblemished record, and the Committee found his account of events to be accurate and honest. He said the farm involved was unprepared and test arrangements were chaotic, with poor handling facilities, and he would have been concerned for the safety of the animals and their handlers if he had complied fully with the SOP. He had advised the farmer to delay the test but his advice was rejected.

The Committee accepted that the testing had been carried out under exceptional and difficult circumstances. It noted that Mr Wilson had identified a reactor and taken appropriate actions, knowing that the outcome would be the quarantining of the whole herd. He had made no financial or other gain, other than the nominal fee charged for the work. Although failing to comply with the SOP fell short of what was expected of a veterinary surgeon, because of these circumstances, and as he had acted in what he considered to be the best interests of the animals and personnel, these actions did not amount to serious professional misconduct.

The Committee found that, even allowing for these difficulties and concerns, in signing the TB52 certificate a few days later, without any qualification, Mr Wilson ought to have known that it was incorrect, and his actions fell far short of the standards expected of the veterinary profession. They did not however find that he had been dishonest.

The Committee stressed the importance attached to accurate and reliable certification, in maintaining the confidence of the public and the profession, and in ensuring animal welfare.

Professor Lees, chairing and speaking on behalf of the committee said: "The Committee is aware, as confirmed by AHVLA, that this is a single, isolated event and the first offence in some 40 years of the Respondent working as a LVI [local veterinary inspector] or OV. After considering all the mitigating factors.and, given the exceptional circumstances of this specific case, the decision of the Committee is to reprimand Mr Wilson."

The International Society of Feline Medicine (ISFM) and the American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) have published two new sets of guidelines for vets and practices to promote positive, respectful interactions with feline patients and reduce the stress associated with the veterinary environment.

The ‘2022 AAFP/ISFM Cat Friendly Veterinary Interaction Guidelines: Approach and Handling Techniques’ and the ‘2022 ISFM/AAFP Cat Friendly Veterinary Environment Guidelines’ cover all aspects of a cat’s veterinary experience, including the journey to the practice and interactions with veterinary team members, as well as the clinical environment.   

The new guidelines cover things like:

• Implementing cat friendly interactions and minimal handling.
• Educating cat caregivers about how to reduce distress when travelling to the veterinary practice.
• Creating an experience that considers the cat’s natural behaviours and altering an approach to each individual cat.
• Creating an environment that considers and implements ways to reduce fear–anxiety, and promotes positive emotions and behaviours that cats find comforting.
• Ensuring the entire veterinary team understands species-specific behaviour and individual differences (and how this affects the entire veterinary visit/experience).
• Understanding how to identify the cat’s emotional state and the subsequent behavioural response (and what to do in each situation).

Dr Nathalie Dowgray, Head of ISFM (pictured right), said: "We are extremely proud of our new guidelines; they have been a lot of hard work with large amounts of literature to review and multiple time zones to work across, but the effort has been worth it.

"We hope all veterinarians working with cats will take the time to read them and apply the concepts and ideas to their clinics and to how they personally interact with their feline patients.’ 

The guidelines are available at: https://journals.sagepub.com/page/jfm/collection/cat-friendly-special-issue 

The RCVS Disciplinary Committee has directed that a Leeds-based veterinary surgeon, whose convictions for threatening behaviour, theft, and assault made him unfit to practise, should be removed from the Register.

At the outset of the two-day hearing, Dr Gary Samuel admitted his convictions. These related to his actions near his property in Cardiff on 10 July 2011, and were received at Cardiff Magistrates' Court on 22 November 2011. The Committee was asked to decide if these convictions made Dr Samuel unfit to practise veterinary surgery, and to decide upon any sanction.

The facts of the offences, as set out at the magistrates' court by the prosecution, were that Dr Samuel took a camera and memory card from a neighbour who was taking photographs of construction works behind his property. In doing so, he grabbed the neighbour from behind, twisting her arm, and later threatened her and her partner with a large piece of wood.

Although Dr Samuel wrote to the College saying he had pleaded guilty to the charges, he also denied some of the offences charged, suggesting that it was the neighbour who had been abusive towards him.

The Committee allowed the possibility that Dr Samuel was provoked by the taking of photographs and may have been subjected to offensive abuse by the neighbour, and considered that he acted impulsively and lost control of his actions. However, the convictions were for serious offences: the assault resulted in injury to the victim; the threatening behaviour involved a risk of injury to the victim and her partner; and, the theft involved dishonesty. Dr Samuel's conduct at the time was "reckless", and he had since displayed very limited insight into his behaviour.

Professor Peter Lees, chairing and speaking on behalf of the Committee said: "The Committee considers that the offences of which the Respondent was convicted, and to which he pleaded guilty, were serious, as is reflected in the suspended sentences, community service orders, fines, restrictions and penalties imposed by the court. The Committee accepts that this is not a case in which the welfare of animals has been put at risk, but takes the view that a serious sanction is required in order to uphold the reputation of the veterinary profession, and public confidence in it, and to uphold proper standards of conduct and behaviour on the part of its members."

The Committee directed Dr Samuel's name should be removed from the Register.

Boehringer Ingelheim, manufacturer of Equisolon, has launched a CPD module on equine lower respiratory tract disease which is delivered in practice.

The module, which accounts for one hour’s CPD, is facilitated by a Boehringer Ingelheim territory manager and presented by Dr Tim Brazil BVSc, PhD, CertEM, DECEIM, MRCVS, a leading expert in equine internal medicine. 

Boehringer says the presentation will help refresh veterinary professionals’ knowledge on equine lower respiratory tract disease, including Recurrent Airway Obstruction (RAO), and encourage them to feel confident and fully equipped to deal with this common respiratory scenario in practice.

During the module, attendees will be guided through two common equine respiratory cases and encouraged to discuss potential approaches to diagnosis, treatment and management in the cases he describes. The module is supported by supplementary notes which can be referred to both during and after the presentation.

Additional webinars on equine respiratory disease are also available on the Boehringer Academy website. They include: Diagnosing equine lower airway disease by Scott Pirie, Managing infectious respiratory disease by Phil Ivens, Clinical diagnostics and management of acute respiratory distress by Tim Brazil and Treatment of inflammatory airway disease by David Rendle.

To book your in-practice CPD meeting, contact your local Boehringer Ingelheim territory manager.

To view the equine respiratory disease webinars, visit www.boehringer-academy.co.uk and search for 'Inspiring CPD'.

TVM UK has announced that it is offering epilepsy 'Lunch and Learn' sessions in practice, where the company will offer advice on the diagnosis and management of epilepsy and the use of its products Soliphen and Ziapam.  

Titled ‘The Five Steps of Seizure Management’, the sessions will update veterinary surgeons and nurses on:

• Diagnosis of epilepsy
• First line treatment options
• Monitoring and testing
• Management of status epilepticus  

Will Peel, Product Manager at TVM UK said: "The Lunch and Learn sessions have proved very popular with veterinary practices. Our aim is to update vets and nurses on diagnosis and management of epilepsy in general practice whilst educating them about products and services which can help them better support their patients."

TVM says it will also provided supporting literature, including guidelines and owner educational tools, designed to help veterinary staff in diagnosing and treating pets with epilepsy.

To book a Lunch and Learn, contact your local TVM UK territory manager or email help@tvm-uk.com.

Veterinary Vision has been awarded with silver accreditation by the International Society for Feline Medicine (ISFM) for the facilities it provides at its sites in Penrith, Sunderland and Charnock Richard.

Head nurse Nicola Atkins (pictured right) said: “We are very happy and proud to have achieved our silver accreditation for cat-friendly clinic status. 

“To earn this internationally-recognised award, we had to prove that we met all of the ISFM criteria, including allocating a nurse and vet at each centre who are dedicated to caring for our cats and providing ‘cat only’ waiting areas to reduce their stress.”

“We provide cats with carefully-tailored care from our stress-free waiting areas and high standards of anaesthetic protocols, which deliver an enriched stay at our hospitals.

“This also reassures owners and makes them feel more at ease about visiting our clinics with their cats.”

For more information, visit www.veterinaryvision.co.uk.

The British Veterinary Orthopaedic Association is hosting a basic level, small group, practical orthopaedic course at the Leonardo Royal Hotel in London on Wednesday the 11th October 2023.

Presented by Andy Moores and Alex Belch, 'Plates and Screws - An Introduction' is aimed at surgeons with no prior experience of applying plates and screws, and offers seven hours of CPD.

Andy said: "If you've ever wondered if orthopaedics is for you, or you just need an introductory course to get you started, this could be the perfect opportunity. 

"The course should be particularly useful for junior colleagues: the tutors are very friendly and it's great value thanks to sponsorship from Veterinary Instrumentation and the BVOA.  

Tickets cost £200 (plus £40 for non-members): https://bvoa.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Plating-registration-form.pdf 

The BVOA 60th Anniversary Conference follows from 12th-14th October at the same venue. 

Titled "Back to the Future, the conference features talks by Mike Farrell, Antonio Pozzi, Stuart Carmichael and others, covering subjects such as fracture repair, joint pathology, imaging techniques and osteoarthritis.

There'll also be a chance to look round HMS Belfast, and a gala black tie dinner. 

Tickets start at £250 for a single day, up to £795 for the full conference package.