Genitrix has repackaged its Dentagen plaque prevention chews to provide added value and convenience to pet owners.
Packs of the chews, launched in 2008 as part of Genitrix' Dentagen dental range, will now be available in 'one month' packs in response to customer feedback. The new, bigger value packs will also be priced more cost-effectively and will offer environmental benefits as the amount of packaging is reduced.
Dentagen dental chews are impregnated with a plant extract called RF2 which enables them to act as an 'anti-biofilm' treatment, modifying the membrane of oral bacteria to prevent them from producing plaque. The chews, which come in two sizes for large and small dogs, are designed to be given on alternate days and form part of the unique Dentagen Dental Care Programme. Earlier this year, Genitrix also launched Dentagen Aqua, an innovative water additive treatment to control plaque and prevent bad breath in cats and dogs.
The new size packs of Dentagen chews, which will be available exclusively through veterinary channels, cost £6.35 for a pack of 14 small chews (one month's supply) and £8.09 for 14 large chews.
Complete Veterinary Care (CVC) is to launch the BooBooLoon, a new alternative to the Elizabethan collar at BSAVA Congress.
According to the company, the inflatable collar offers comfort and protection advantages over old style Elizabethan collars and other devices that restrict pets from harming surgical wounds and irritating skin disorders.
The BooBooLoon, which is made in the US by a manufacturer called Headroom, will be distributed by CVC to veterinary professionals and pet shops. The collar will be available in five sizes from extra small through to extra large.
Marcy Colangelo, President of Headroom invented the device when her boxer dog Mitzi had surgery for skin cancer. She said: "I just couldn't stand leaving that cone on her. It was like putting her head in a tunnel."
Inspired by her own travel pillow, she came up with the BooBooLoon.
Marcy added: "I know the entire CVC Group administrative and veterinarian management team are enthusiastic about their upcoming BooBooLoon inflatable pet recovery collar launch. The CVC Group is very experienced and is committed to providing excellent service and quality to the veterinary profession and to independent pet shops throughout the United Kingdom."
A 17-year-old collie cross called Barney picked arguably the best place in the world for an old dog to fall into a canal last Saturday, when it was rescued by one of the teams taking part in the kayaking stage of the Vet Charity Challenge, an event where there were at least 150 vets on hand to help.
Barney had wandered off through an unlocked gate and fallen into the canal where he was spotted by a team from Kruuse UK. They managed to haul the struggling animal onto their kayak and take him down the canal towards a waiting group of vets and nurses. From there he was taken to Drove Vets in Swindon to make a full recovery.
Andrew Groom from Kruuse said, "It was sheer luck that we happened to be paddling past at that point. The poor chap was struggling on the steep banks of the canal and kept slipping back in. He was getting very tired and at risk of drowning, and judging by his gums and heart rate, going into shock."
Karien White from Drove Vets said: "Barney was a bit hypothermic when he was brought into us with a lot of bumps and bruises. We managed to warm him up and get him cleaned and after a little while his tail started wagging and he seemed very happy and friendly."
News of Barney was posted onto a Pewsey Facebook page which helped his worried owners trace him to the vets.
The Vet Charity Challenge took place on Saturday 27th September at St Francis School, Pewsey, near Marlborough, Wiltshire. The day consisted of 50 of teams of four orienteering, cycling and kayaking as well as undertaking mental and physical tasks. The charity raised over £70,000 in its first two years, with this year expected to boost the funds even more.
Gavin Mitchell, from founding sponsors, BCF Technology, said: "We never dreamt that while trying to raise money for our partner charities, that we would end up saving the life of a pet in such a direct fashion. Had Team Kruuse not been passing at that point, the dog would almost certainly have drowned. It highlights the real commitment and passion that the vet profession feels towards helping animals. Through our event we hope to reach out to help even more animals. People can donate directly to Vet Charity Challenge by contacting us via www.vetcharitychallenge.co.uk."
Success in Veterinary Practice by Dr. Bradley Viner DProf BVetMed MSc(VetGP) MRCVS is now available from Wiley Blackwell at £28.99. Teeside general practitioner Rob Reid BVM&S MRCVS has reviewed the book for members of VetSurgeon.org:
There are many self-help books available in a variety of fields, covering topics which range from stress management and emotional control through to furthering one's career and professional development. Until now, there has been no such publication that has covered these issues in the veterinary context, and it is here that Bradley Viner has identified a niche in the market with his new book Success in Veterinary Practice.
The aim of book is to help veterinary practitioners of all levels to develop and nurture their professional skills, both on a personal and at a practice level. The book will be of interest to vets in all fields and contains a lot of information that will be particularly relevant to vets who are embarking on the Professional Key Skills Module of the RCVS CertAVP. It may also be of interest to other members of the veterinary practice team and is also marketed at individuals who are considering a career in the veterinary field.
The book is organised into nine chapters, with the first eight providing content matter on areas such as personal development, communication techniques, improving clinical performance and developing leadership skills, with the final chapter summarising the information presented. The first eight chapters are structured in such as way that information is presented in a digestible format. The material is detailed enough to provide understanding without being overburdening and the summary and exercise sections presented at the end of each chapter help the reader to review what they have read and pick out the key ideas.
There were many areas of the book I found interesting and I liked the way that the author has looked at the psychological and sociological aspects of one's actions, both in relation to colleagues in the workplace and in relation to dealing with clients. From a personal point of view, I also liked the section on communication skills - an area which probably doesn't receive enough coverage in both undergraduate and postgraduate education.
On the negative side, there are some minor typographical errors and I feel some of the diagrams could have been better produced. The pure academics among us may also be somewhat critical about the author's stance towards the relevance of some aspects of clinical research. And of course some people may be put off by the price, with the truly cynical among us possibly seeing the close relevance of the content to the syllabus of the CertAVP 'A' module as a cunning marketing ploy!
As a general practitioner, however, I found the book to be informative and thought-provoking. I have found it has encouraged me to take a look at certain aspects of my work which I have almost done instinctively in the past, analyse my reasons for doing them and then look at how I can improve on these in the future, for the good of patients, my clients, the rest of the working team and of course for myself. It is certainly an interesting read, and I would recommend it to be of value to any vet who sees the term 'professional development' to mean far more than a simple sharpening of one's clinical skills.
35% think the rising cost of living is already making it more difficult to give their dogs all they need.
By far the greatest worry was how they would manage to pay vet bills, which 49% named as their main concern.
The second biggest worry was affording dog food (17%), closely followed by insurance (15%).
Non-dog owners in the UK, meanwhile, were asked whether the rising cost of living would prevent them from adopting or buying a dog. Over half (54%) said that it would.
The Dogs Trust says this research mirrors its own experience, seeing a steady increase in the number of requests from owners who have decided to give up their dog.
It harks back to the year after the 2008 recession, when the increase in the number of stray and abandoned dogs reached over 25% in the UK.
Owen Sharp, Dogs Trust CEO, said: "We know from the experience of the 2008 recession that economic crisis can and will lead to people needing to give up their beloved dogs. Sadly, many loving dog owners simply won’t be able to afford to keep them.
“At Dogs Trust we’re rehoming and fostering dogs as quickly as we can - but as soon as we free up a kennel space, there’s a dog to fill it again.
“We’ve already taken 13,000 calls this year from owners who need to give up their dogs – a 58% increase on last year.
“We know that dog owners need immediate help and we’re working hard to find ways to support them - but it takes time.
“However, there are other ways we help, like our Hope Project, which aims to keep anyone experiencing a housing crisis and their dog together, and helping people find other services such as pet food banks or local charities that could ease the burden.”
“We want dog owners to realise that they don’t have to wait until they are in crisis to call us for help.”
The Royal Veterinary College has carried out the first ever open-heart surgery to treat a stenotic tricuspid valve in a dog.
The three-year-old Labrador, Mabel, suffered from congenital tricuspid dysplasia. She was referred to cardiology specialists at RVC Small Animal Referrals where her tricuspid valve was found to be completely fused in the middle, with just two very small openings for her blood to flow through.
In a procedure that took a little over an hour, the RVC team examined and worked on the valve. The College reports that Mabel’s surgery was a success and her stenosis was relieved.
Mabel was subsequently found to have a moderate amount of regurgitation into the right atrial chamber, but after a few more days of additional monitoring at the RVC she was able to return home.
The surgery was carried out by Professor of Small Animal Surgery Dan Brockman at the Queen Mother Hospital for Animals. He was assisted by a team of RVC specialists to provide pre and post-operative care, including a perfusionist, a team of three anaesthetists, two surgery nurses, three surgeons and a cardiology veterinary specialist-in-training. In addition, Professor of Veterinary Cardiology Virginia Luis Fuentes and veterinary specialist-in-training Dr Rosie Payne were members of the Cardiology Service’s investigation into Mabel’s condition.
RVC students were also involved in the Mabel’s initial examinations at the hospital, providing them with an insight into the procedure. The examinations included cardiac ultrasound using the newest generation of cardiac ultrasound equipment, which is able to capture 3D and 4D images. The new ultrasound scanner was funded in part by the RVC’s charity, the Animal Care Trust.
After the surgery, the emergency and critical care (ECC) team and the Cardiology Service took over Mabel’s care, with Professor Brockman remaining involved. This saw up to four senior ECC clinicians, a number of veterinary specialists-in-training and half a dozen highly trained ECC technicians working in shifts around the clock to care for Mabel and ensure a good recovery.
According to the RVC, there have been previous attempts by veterinary surgeons to open stenotic valves with balloon valvuloplasty. However, because it is very difficult to tear the stenotic valve, this approach has not proved very successful. There is also a high risk when putting canines onto bypass. Canines have fragile blood vessels, and cannulae need to be inserted into several of these vessels, creating a danger that a major vessel tears.
Commenting on why the RVC team decided to perform this procedure at this point, and on Mabel, Dan said: "Lots of things fed into this decision. First and foremost, we had a patient whose pathology made surgery the best solution. I explained to the owner and was very honest that this procedure would be really breaking new ground. Based on what the human paediatric cardiac surgeons will do, and our limited experience of balloon-valvuloplasty suggests this is the best approach for these dogs
"The operation itself is risky, much worse than most other operations. In our hands, for this type of disease, we have about an 80% chance of getting them through the procedure. The owner has to gamble what life the dog has left against the promise of a more normal quality of life and life-span following the operation."
In relation to Mabel’s prognosis if the surgery had not been undertaken, Professor Luis Fuentes said: "It is likely that the signs of right-sided heart failure would have been more difficult to control. Her ability to exercise would have become less and less, and she would have also been at risk of having abnormal heart rhythms associated with the enlargement of the right atrium. Generally we expect them to develop more and more signs as the disease progresses. These are difficult cases to manage on a long-term basis with drugs. Her life expectancy would have been substantially reduced.
"I thought Mabel was almost a perfect candidate to have the procedure here as Dan has a lot of experience replacing tricuspid valves in dogs with tricuspid dysplasia. In those cases there is usually leaking, but Mabel’s case was unusual in that she has minimal leaking and she was most affected by the stenosis. That means you may not have to implant any additional valve structure."
Speaking two weeks after the operation, owner Annabelle Meek, from Melton Mowbray, said: "Mabel has just come back in from wandering around the perimeter of my garden for the first time since before the operation. It’s more than half an acre and she has been ambling around happily following a scent.
"I would like to thank absolutely everybody. It’s been an enormous team effort on all sides. Every single person I met at the RVC, from the man on the gate to all the hospital staff, was so friendly. After she came home Dan Brockman phoned me every day to see how she was doing. The RVC should be very proud of what they have done for Mabel."
As part of its review, the College had planned a series of focus groups of veterinary surgeons and nurses across the UK. However, these have had to be delayed both because of social distancing rules and because of the pressures that practice teams are currently working under. However, the agency tasked with hosting the focus groups is now exploring alternative options and it is hoped there will be a revised timetable soon.
In the meantime, the College says it now plans to commission an additional independent agency to survey veterinary surgeons about their experience of remote prescribing during lockdown.
In March, RCVS Council agreed to temporarily allow veterinary surgeons to prescribe prescription-only veterinary medicines remotely, without first having physically examined the animal, subject to a number of conditions and safeguards being in place.
This position is due for review by 30th June, and the College will be looking for feedback and data from veterinary surgeons about your experience of remote prescribing, in order to determine whether these arrangements can continue, with or without any extra safeguards.
Because remote prescribing is also one of the most important aspects of the planned under care review, feedback gathered now will help inform future discussions too.
RCVS President Niall Connell said: “We recognise the current conditions that veterinary practices are working under in no way represent normal practice life. Most practices will not have been set up to offer remote services and remote prescribing in a way that they might have chosen, given sufficient time and appropriate detailed guidance, if indeed there are any future guidance changes after the review.
"However, we feel it would be remiss of us not to seize the opportunity arising from this current crisis to ask about the experiences – good or bad – of those on the frontline of clinical veterinary practice in providing remote services to their clients.
"Whilst this will be no substitute for the formal evidence gathered by the research agency in due course, whatever data and feedback we can collate from veterinary practices at this unique time for our professions will, I’m sure, be extremely valuable to our ongoing discussions."
Dr Henry faced one charge, that in January 2020 she wrote and/or signed an undated letter confirming that a ewe had died in transit to the surgery due to dystocia and peri-parturient stress, when in fact she had euthanised the animal at the veterinary practice the day before. The letter, which was addressed 'To whom it may concern’, was on practice letterheaded paper and signed "Louise Henry MRCVS".
The second part of the charge outlined that her conduct concerning the letter was dishonest.
The Committee heard that the ewe was lambing and brought to the practice by a client. Dr Henry was on-call at the time and advised a Caesarean section. The client agreed and Dr Henry delivered two live lambs and one dead lamb.
Dr Henry was concerned about the welfare of the ewe post-surgery because of the risk of peritonitis and advised that the ewe should be euthanised.
The client agreed to the ewe being euthanised and then asked Dr Henry to write a letter in which it was stated that the ewe had died in transit on route to the practice. Dr Henry agreed to write the letter in which she falsely certified that the ewe had died in transit.
The letter came to light when the practice director found it in an insurance file. The practice arranged an investigatory meeting with Dr Henry where she admitted that writing the letter was an error of judgement. When asked about her conduct, Dr Henry explained that the client had subsequently been dissatisfied with the letter she had written and asked her to change it. She refused to amend the letter and told him that it was wrong of her to have written it in the first place and that she regretted having done so.
Dr Henry told the Committee that she valued integrity very highly and that she was deeply ashamed that she had been prepared to write the dishonest letter.
The Committee heard several testimonials from people who had worked with or studied alongside Dr Henry, who all attested to her skill as a veterinary surgeon and that they had no concerns about her integrity and honesty. She self-reported her actions from January to the RCVS and from the outset admitted the facts of the charge. During the hearing, Dr Henry submitted that her action of dishonest false certification amounted to disgraceful conduct in a professional respect.
Dr Martin Whiting, chairing the Committee, and speaking on its behalf, said: “The Committee considered that, in this case, the aggravating features were limited and the mitigating factors extensive. There was no premeditated dishonesty or financial gain involved, there was no actual harm or risk of harm to an animal or human and this was a single incident in an otherwise unblemished 13-year career. The Committee found that the shame and remorse expressed by Dr Henry were entirely genuine. Her conduct on this occasion was entirely untypical of her practise.
“After careful consideration, the Committee concluded that the substantial mitigating features permitted it to take the somewhat unusual course of issuing a reprimand in a case involving dishonesty. In taking this course, the Committee attached significant weight not only to the isolated nature of the event but also to the genuine insight shown by Dr Henry and the lasting impact this event has had upon her. In the Committee’s assessment, a reasonable and fully informed member of the public would, in this particular case, regard a reprimand as a sanction which protected the public interest in the profession and upheld its standards.”
The full documentation for the hearing can be found at www.rcvs.org.uk/disciplinary
The Fédération Équestre Internationale (FEI) has added Metacam for Horses to its 'list of detection times'.
According to the manufacturer, Boehringher Ingelheim Vetmedica, Metacam (meloxicam) is the first preferential COX-2 inhibitor to be added to this list, and has stated plasma and urine detection times of 72 hours administered intravenously or orally1. This is the shortest urine detection time of the NSAIDs available for use in horses, and compares to the 168-hour (7 days) detection time for phenylbutazone stated by the FEI.
Craig Beck, equine sales and marketing manager for Boehringer Ingelheim in the UK and Ireland said: "We have been very happy to work in partnership with the FEI to provide the robust data that has supported the FEI in their analysis of Metacam. Metacam is an important addition to the FEI list, that will help vets treating competition horses. There is now a modern and proven NSAID which extends the therapeutic options available to vets."
Metacam is licensed in horses for the alleviation of inflammation and relief of pain associated with musculo-skeletal disorders or colic.
For further information, please contact your Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica territory manager or call 01344 746959.
1 Detection Time agreed with the European Horse Racing Scientific Liaison Committee (EHSLC)
Anne is originally from New York City and obtained her veterinary degree from Purdue University in 2011.
She completed her rotating internship at Louisiana State University, followed by two research fellowships at Michigan State University and Nihon University.
She then completed her residency at the RVC, before achieving diplomate status of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (Cardiology) in 2017.
Anne's interests include treatment and management of congestive heart failure, feline cardiomyopathy and cardiac interventions.
She said: “I’m delighted to be joining the cardiology team at DWR at a very exciting time, supporting the recently-launched open-heart surgery service.
“We’re one of very few hospitals in the world to be able to offer this treatment, so being a part of this is a great challenge, both personally and professionally.”
For more information visit www.dickwhitereferrals.com
Grove Referrals, an East Anglian referral centre for orthopaedics, spinal surgery and ophthalmology, has announced the completion of £1 million refurbishment.
The project was overseen by ECVS diplomat James Tattersall (above, left next to Simon Gilbert and Gordon Brown), an orthopaedic surgeon at the practice, and the practice now offers the following facilities:
Practice Director Gordon Brown MRCVS said: "As a Referral Centre, it is important that we offer the very best to our patients. The refurbishment has created a fantastic working environment with the latest technology available if needed 24/7.
"Working in the building while such extensive work was underway wasn't easy but it's well worth it now that our vision for the practice has been realised. We're delighted with the new facilities we can offer and are looking forward to showing them to our veterinary colleagues and clients in the months ahead."
Grove Referrals is based at Grove House, Holt Road, Fakenham, Norfolk, NR21 8JG. The practice can be contacted on 01328 862137 or at grove.referrals@cvsvets.com
Advances in mobile phone technology, combined with the simplification of video-editing software and the adoption of video in social media, have led to an explosion in the use of the medium over the past 12 years. YouTube, which had its first video posted in April 2005, now counts over a billion users.
To help veterinary professionals gain the skills needed to make the most of this increasingly important medium, 'Video-making for social media' will teach you how to use your mobile phone to create engaging video, in particular looking at script-writing, voice-overs, editing and mixing soundtracks.
The course takes place in Preston, Lancashire on 17th May.
To be in with a chance of receiving one of three free places on the course, send an email with 'Video-making for social media' in the subject line, followed by your details and why you would like to attend to: royalcaninvet.gbr@royalcanin.com. Entries will close 10 working days before the event.
Alternatively, places on the courses can be booked by calling 01453 872731 or by visiting www.spvs-vpma-events.co.uk. Workshops cost £275 plus VAT for non-members and £195 plus VAT for VPMA and SPVS members (discounts offered on group/ bulk bookings). Cost includes CPD certificates, lunch and refreshments.
Lynda Maris, NexGard™ Spectra Product Manager said: "The campaign, which is designed to raise awareness of the rising threat from ticks, lungworm and other parasites that can endanger the health of pets and their owners, is reaching millions of pet owners."
A radio day, during which presenter Jenni Falconer and Merial vet Mike Woodhouse (pictured) discussed parasites and called on owners to visit their practice, apparently reached nearly 3 million listeners via 16 radio stations from BBC Radio Guernsey in the south, to Waves radio in Peterhead and Aberdeen.
The campaign has also been promoted with advertising on Newslink, which broadcasts to 287 stations including: Kiss, Capital, Star, Magic, Talk Sport, Classic and Absolute.
Participating practices have been send campaign support packs and Merial has provided educational and competition social media content to share on Facebook and Twitter. According to the company, its campaign Facebook page has reached reached over 1 million unique users in the last 28 days. Over the same period, Merial says 25,000 unique users have received campaign content on Twitter.
Practices can also direct clients to the campaign website www.petparasiteaction.co.uk.
Pet Parasite Action runs throughout June and July, so there's still time to get involved. For more information, contact your Merial Territory Manager, or call the company on 0870 6000 123.
The company says the results of the survey of puppy dental health will be shared with industry experts to help advance understanding and evaluate the future impact on veterinary practices.
Veterinary professionals can also sign up for a free webinar on puppy dental disease led by Head of the Dentistry and Oral Surgery Department at the Royal (Dick) Vet School, Ingrid Tundo on 28th April at 7.30 pm at https://veterinarywebinars.com/register/puppy-dentistry-malocclusion.
Cat Henstridge MRCVS, who is fronting the campaign said: “I’m very pleased to be helping to raise awareness of the VisioCare Puppy Tooth Census and this important issue.
"It is so important for all of us in the profession to be helping to identify disease patterns and the scale of the problem. It also provides us with a great opportunity to involve our clients and start discussions about the importance of good dental care.”
VisioCare says the Puppy Tooth Census only takes a few minutes to complete and can be filled in for individual cases or healthy puppy mouths.
Every veterinary respondent will be given a free pack of educational materials to use in the consulting room, including state-of-the art digital animations and dental images that can be used to enhance client communication around the topic, together with explainer videos and puppy owner fact sheets and leaflets.
In addition, each month for the next three months, responses will be entered into a prize draw for the chance to win a £50 John Lewis gift voucher.
For further information or to complete the census for a case, visit: http://www.visiocareservices.co.uk/puppy-tooth-census.
Vets Now, in cooperation with its host practices and the Veterinary Poisons Information Service, is launching a new 'Tox Box' service giving veterinary surgeons 24 hour direct access to the treatments that they are most likely to need, and least likely to stock, in a poisoning emergency.
Vets Now says this new service represents a significant step forward in the ease and availability of care for the intoxicated patient.
Through Tox Box, any vet calling the VPIS advice line after 31st March 2011 will be able to access the drugs required in a poisoning emergency at selected Vets Now clinics and their host practices across the UK. Drugs will be available at cost, plus a small handling charge.
Amanda Boag, Clinical Director at Vets Now said: "We are delighted to be working in partnership with VPIS to offer vets this life-saving service for pets across the UK.
"As emergency and critical care practitioners we frequently deal with poisoning cases and are pleased to be able to use our clinics to allow vets access to the treatments they need in a hurry.
"Tox Box is a service which has been designed to help enhance the current VPIS advice service whereby vets can now easily gain access to those drugs they are most likely to need to treat toxicities, but not stock internally, such as plasma and Adder anti-venom. The service VPIS provides is very important for vets, and we hope that this additional provision will greatly benefit them and the pets they are caring for."
Alex Campbell, Head of Services at VPIS said: "We are looking forward to working in partnership with Vets Now to improve outcomes for poisoned animals and their owners.
"Poisons can have deadly affects on animals if not treated quickly. Previously vets may have had to call round several hospitals or practices to source the recommended drug whilst their patient's health deteriorates. Through Tox Box we can help them access the drug without delay and provide case-specific guidance to ensure the animal receives optimum care."
The VPIS 24/7 telephone number to ring is: 020 7188 0200
The RCVS has announced the appointment of Gordon Hockey as its Head of Legal Services/Registrar.
Gordon, who was previously Head of Professional Conduct and Assistant Registrar, has latterly been Acting Registrar, following the departure of Jane Hern in November 2011 and the arrival of Nick Stace as Chief Executive on 3 September.
A qualified barrister and pharmacist, Gordon has been at the RCVS for the last 14 years.
His is a new role created when the old post of Registrar and Secretary was effectively split into two: Chief Executive and Secretary, and Head of Legal Services/Registrar.
Nick Stace said: "I am delighted that Gordon's is my first appointment as Chief Executive, and I am grateful that he held the fort so well for the last nine months. I look forward to working with him to ensure that the RCVS is in the best shape possible to meet the needs of the public and the veterinary team."
Jacqui Molyneux, RCVS President said: "We have a very strong team to take the RCVS forward. Nick has joined us with leadership experience, consumer expertise and new ideas and impetus; Gordon consolidates this with his legal expertise and experience of the veterinary profession and the RCVS. I look forward to working with them both."
The appointment is subject to formal ratification at the November meeting of Council.
Petplan has been awarded an Insurance Times Tech Award for its social media campaign entitled "Like & Donate", which was devised to support two animal charities, the Dogs Trust and Cats Protection.
As part of the campaign, pet lovers are being encouraged to donate a food pouch to either charity by "liking" the Petplan Facebook page; with one "like" equalling one pouch of food for either the cat or dog charity.
The Facebook app also allows Petplan's Facebook fans to track the progress of donations and encourage friends to visit the page and support their chosen charity. The initiative has resulted in over 48,000 food pouches being donated to the charities with the Cats Protection receiving over 29,000 "likes" and the Dogs Trust gaining 19,500.
Petplan's Head of Marketing, Isabella von Mesterhazy said: "We are delighted our Like & Donate campaign has been awarded Best Use of Social Media. At Petplan we work with over 1,700 animal charities and our Like & Donate campaign has further helped to support the fantastic work of both the Dogs Trust and Cats Protection in rehoming dogs and cats across the UK."
To take part in Petplan's "Like & Donate" programme visit www.Facebook.co.uk/Petplan.
Norbrook has launched Loxicom 0.5mg/ml oral suspension for small dogs, indicated for the alleviation of inflammation and pain in acute and chronic musculo-skeletal disorders.
Loxicom Oral Suspension comes in a clear 15ml bottle which allows vets and clients to monitor levels of the product and re-order when necessary.
Loxicom 0.5mg/ml for Dogs comes with two sizes of syringe, a 1ml syringe graduated from 0.25kg-5kg to treat even the smallest of dog breeds accurately, and a 5ml syringe graduated from 1kg-25kg to treat small and medium dog breeds. The syringes plug securely into the bottle to ensure a tight-fitting connection and minimal leakage when administering the product.
This new oral suspension joins the range of 1.5mg/ml oral suspensions for Dogs and 5mg/ml injections for Dogs and Cats, launched in 2009, and the 0.5mg/ml oral suspension for Cats launched earlier this year at the BSAVA Congress.
CVS Group has announced that European internal medicine specialist Caroline Kisielewicz MVB CertSAM DipECVIM-CA is joining ChesterGates Veterinary Specialists with effect from 1 October 2014.
Caroline Kisielewicz graduated from University College, Dublin in 2006 and, after working in first opinion small animal practice for two years, completed an ECVIM-residency training programme at the Small Animal Hospital at the University of Glasgow in February 2013.
Most recently she has been working at the Queen Mother Hospital for Animals at the Royal Veterinary College. She is interested in all aspects of small animal internal medicine, particularly emergency medicine, transfusion medicine, immune-mediated diseases and endocrine diseases.
CVS Referral Director, Professor John Innes said: "We are delighted to welcome Caroline to our specialist team at ChesterGates. She is a rising star in internal medicine and I believe it is a measure of CVS' growing reputation for offering a diverse range of career options that we are attracting some of the strongest talent from the specialist vet pool.
"Caroline joins Ellie Mardell and Chris Saul here at ChesterGates to help us to offer an even more comprehensive and user-friendly internal medicine service."
Caroline said: "I was keen to join this excellent multi-disciplinary specialist referral hospital with its dynamic, friendly and close-knit team. Working at ChesterGates gives me the opportunity to provide the highest standard and quality of care and treatment for my patients, clients and their referring vets."
Sean Wensley, President of the British Veterinary Association, said: "The research released today reflects the seriousness of the health problems associated with English bulldogs that our members are seeing in practice. Revision of breed standards, to include evidence-based limits on physical features such as muzzle shortness, and full consideration of other approaches such as outcrossing, are now needed to ensure high risk breeds, such as the English bulldog, do not continue to suffer unnecessarily.
"Vets are reporting concerning trends in dog health and welfare linked to the rise in ownership of brachycephalic breeds, such as bulldogs, and we are unequivocal in the need for all those with roles to play – including vets, breeders, breed societies, the pet-buying public as well as others – to take action to combat the health problems that brachycephalic breeds experience due to extreme conformation. These issues include severe lifelong breathing difficulties, corneal ulcers, skin disease, a screw-shaped tail which is linked to painful spine abnormalities, and the inability to give birth naturally.
"As part of their pre-purchase research, prospective dog owners should consider the health harms perpetuated in dogs by purchasing brachycephalic breeds and choose a healthier alternative breed, or crossbreed, instead, and local veterinary practices are ideally placed to give this advice. Brachycephalic dogs should not be seen as cute or desirable, rather as dogs predisposed to a lifetime of poor health, and English bulldogs should not be hailed as a national symbol for the UK where animal welfare is strongly valued.
"Vets have a duty to always prioritise the best interests of their pet patients, which, for affected animals, can involve performing surgical procedures to correct conformational disorders. They have a concurrent duty to be part of initiatives that aim to address the health and welfare of a breed beyond the individual affected animal.
"This is why BVA promotes the importance of vets submitting data on caesarean sections and conformation-altering surgery to the Kennel Club, to improve the future of dog health and welfare."
The successful candidates, who completed their studies during 2020 and passed the examination in November, are Lucy Wilson (pictured right), from Equibreed UK, Reading, Vanessa Austin, who works at at Vets4Pets, Northampton, and Donna Johnson, the Clinical Services Manager at The Pet Vet, Barnsley.
Lucy said: “I chose to do the CVPM to cement my knowledge of how to run our practice to the best of my ability and to provide the highest level of support to my colleagues. The CVPM resources, syllabus and experience have given me a thorough understanding of my skills and areas to develop. I cannot recommend the experience highly enough.”
Chair of the VMG Certification and Training Committee, Philippa Davies, said: “The CVPM exam tests candidates’ skills in operational management, prioritising, strategy, and thinking on your feet. It’s a gruelling assessment and holders are an elite group. We are delighted to welcome Vanessa, Donna and Lucy and congratulate them on their achievement.”
For more information, visit: https://www.vetmg.com/education/cvpm/
Sponsored by Vets4Pets, Sarah will look at ways the veterinary profession can improve the detection of this condition and enable you to offer practical advice and support for older animals and their owners.
Sarah is an RCVS and European Veterinary Specialist in Behavioural Medicine and was made a Fellow of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons in 2018.
She is a Certified Clinical Animal Behaviourist under the ASAB accreditation scheme and registered as a Veterinary Behaviourist with the Animal Behaviour and Training Council.
Dr Huw Stacey, Director of Clinical Services at Vets4Pets (pictured right) said: “Sadly, cognitive dysfunction is a progressive degenerative disease that can affect many of our beloved pets during their lifespan.
"However, various studies have shown that early intervention, using a combination of environmental, nutritional and medicinal approaches, can lead to significant improvement in quality of life.
“As part of our commitment to the wellbeing of pets, we are partnering with Sarah to sponsor this webinar and enable the entire industry to access the latest insights into early detection and proper management of the condition.
“Our aim is to help educate vets and nurses across the nation and empower them in their decision making when diagnosing elderly pets.”
The webinar will consist of a 45-minute webinar and 15-minute Q&A session.
It will count as one hour of CPD, and a recording will be available to attendees for a year following the event.
The webinar also forms part of a wider campaign which will see pet owners polled to ascertain their current understanding of the condition, and ultimately help to raise consumer awareness of cognitive dysfunction.
To register for a free place, visit: https://bit.ly/3IkuC9e
Dechra Veterinary Products has reduced the price of two key products in its Veterinary Essentials range to help practices respond to the challenging economic climate.
Atipam 5 ml is now the same price per ml as Atipam 10ml. Used for the reversal of the sedative effects of medetomidine and dexmedetomidine in cats and dogs, practices can now choose the size that suits them best. Additionally, during January, for every 15ml purchased an extra 5ml will be provided to practices free of charge.
Thyroxyl, used for the treatment of hypothyroidism in dogs, has also been reduced in price by 15 per cent. Practices that include Thryoxyl as part of the newly introduced Essential Purchase Plan can also make further savings.
To find out more about the Veterinary Essentials range, including further costs savings with an Essentials Purchase Plan and free margin development advice, call Liz Rawlings on 01743 441632.
The BSAVA has launched a new app for iPhone / Android users, the Guide to Procedures in Small Animal Practice.
The guide, which is aimed at vets and students, covers more than 70 of the diagnostic and therapeutic procedures commonly performed in small animal veterinary practice.
The Association says it always planned to extend the number of digital member benefits, but has been spurred on by feedback about its Formulary app, like this comment from 'talland' on the iTunes store: "Absolutely fantastic App - in some ways even easier to use than the book itself. Well done BSAVA. It'd be great if the Guide to Procedures in Small Animal Practice could be an App too".
The BSAVA says the key features of the new app are:
Once installed on your phone you will need to launch the Application by entering a unique activation code which can be obtained from the App Activation Code page (member login required).
A survey carried out by the Veterinary Benevolent Fund has identified stress management and maintaining a healthy work/life balance as the biggest challenges facing veterinary surgeons and the profession.
Asked: 'What are the key issues, if any, for the veterinary profession?', and to select up to 5 from a list, the 400 veterinary surgeons that took part in the survey picked the following:
In addition, when asked: 'How often do you ask someone for advice about your problems?', 49.5% said: 'never/infrequently', 38.3% said: 'occasionally (2-6 times a year)' and only 12.2% said: 'regularly (weekly/monthly)'. Of course this could mean that veterinary surgeons are perfectly able to sort out their own problems, or that the problems they encounter are not severe enough to warrant getting help. Indeed, 49.6% of respondents said that their problems would not be severe enough to contact the VBF for support, and a further 19.9% said: 'I don't need support'
That may be true for those that completed the survey at the time they did, but the high suicide rate within the profession suggests that perhaps more vets would benefit from sharing their troubles with others.
Talking of which, when asked: 'If you were to have a mental health problem, who would you turn to for advice?, the two most popular answers were unsurprisingly: 'a family member or friend', and 'My GP' (32.6% and 32.2% respectively). The VBF came third with 11.9%, ahead of 'a trusted colleague' at 8.3% and 'the Internet' at 6.3%.
VBF President Dr Lydia Brown said: "The findings of this survey are significant for all us of working in the veterinary profession today and many of us will recognise the emerging themes. I am very grateful that so many members of the profession responded to the survey.
"While we train hard for our chosen career and many go on to find fulfilment, it's clear that in today's challenging environment, the reality of life in practice can prove a strain. The effect on relationships both at home and at work can be traumatic and yet, as a profession we can be reluctant to seek help or advice.
"The VBF's role is key. Our Vet Helpline, a 24 hour confidential listening service and the Veterinary Surgeon's Health Support Programme, which provides confidential help with addiction and mental health issues, already provide a lifeline for many. But we're not just here to help in a crisis. Prevention is, after all, much better than cure, and if a small problem can be resolved quickly, and a future crisis may be avoided.
"With this in mind, we are developing the range of services we offer and have, for instance, recently relaunched our Vetlife website. The site provides a wealth of practical advice on many aspects of work and family life from financial planning, managing relationships through to tackling stress and depression.
"Ensuring the wellbeing of all those working in the profession is our goal and we will look to increase the support we can provide in 2012. We greatly appreciate involvement and support from the profession and from industry to sustain our vital work and would ask anyone interested in helping us or getting involved to contact us."