Vygon Vet has launched two new 'procedure packs' containing disposable essentials for unblocking a tomcat or performing a spay or minor surgery.

The KatKath Urinary Catheter Insertion Pack contains a catheter, a drape towel, polypropylene suture, lubricating gel, a Luer-slip syringe and a clear tray. The complete set costs £10.99.

Vygon Vet General Manager Chris Kenyon, said: "Not only does our KatKath pack ensure everything that's needed is in one place and sterile, it can also save vets up to 50% compared with prices if they buy similar products separately. It's a win-win situation."

The Spay Tray and Minor Operations Set (pictured right) includes a selection of forceps, a Mayo Hagar needle holder, a scalpel, a pair of dissecting scissors, a hand towel, drapes, a tray and five radiopaque swabs.

Chris said: "Our Spay Tray and Minor Ops Sets are produced to the highest standards using top quality materials. Having the required items in one pack eradicates the need to go through the expensive process of washing, re-packing and re-sterilisation, and from an admin point of view invoicing is easy with one single code covering all the different pack parts."

The Spay Tray and Minor Ops Sets are available for an introductory price of £12.50 for a limited period.

In the blurb, Vygon Vet says the benefits of its procedure packs include:

• Help organise your theatre and storage space
• Save time preparing for a procedure
• Standardise practice
• Reduce inventory
• Simplify invoicing
• Save money

The company is also offering a retrieval service through which the instruments from up to ten packs can be disposed for £14.50.

For more information, visit www.vygonvet.co.uk, telephone: 01793 748900 or visit Vygon Vet at the forthcoming BSAVA Scottish Congress (29-31st August at the Edinburgh Conference Centre).

Bimeda UK has launched its online Nutrition Academy, which in 2021 will focus on the role of trace element nutrition in the health, fertility and productivity of ruminants. 

The academy will consist of three modules which will be launched in 2021. Those who complete all three modules will receive certification from Bimeda, and some exclusive branded goodies.

The first module is titled Bimeda Trace Elements in Dairy Cow Fertility & Pregnancy and is available now on Bimeda’s e-learning portal: https://bimeda-learning.co.uk. This module also accounts for 1 hour 15 minutes of CPD and vets can download a certificate when they complete the module. The module has also been accredited with 9 AMTRA points.

In the coming months Bimeda says it'll add a second module focused on the role of trace element nutrition in lamb and calf growth, and a final module focused on the role of trace elements in sheep fertility and pregnancy.

Bimeda UK General Manager Mark Cokayne said: "Trace elements play a critical role in the health and fertility of ruminants, yet historically this area has been somewhat overlooked in formal animal health education. 

"Our customers tell us that they would like a deeper understanding of areas such as trace element deficiencies, toxicities and interactions, and the impact of these on ruminant health and fertility. We are pleased to respond to this market demand with our new academy, which will provide veterinarians and SQPs with additional knowledge to help inform their conversations with farmers."

To sign up to either Bimeda’s online Nutrition Academy or the Sheep Scab Academy, visit https://bimeda-learning.co.uk

For more information, speak to your Bimeda territory manager or call Bimeda on 01248 725 400.

Dechra, maker of Mirataz, is hosting a feline inappetence breakfast meeting at the ISFM Feline Congress at The Clayton Hotel in Dublin at 7.15am on Saturday 1st July to update vets on the practical management of inappetence in cats.

The one hour ‘Wake up to inappetence: practical solutions for the cat that won’t eat both in the clinic and at home’ breakfast meeting is being presented by Sam Taylor, feline specialist advisor at ISFM.

The session will focus on practical management for both in- and out- patients, covering when to use appetite stimulants and place a feeding tube and how to support caregivers. 

Sarah Musgrave, brand manager for Mirataz at Dechra said: “Inappetence in cats is extremely common and has many underlying causes. 

"Appetite stimulants, such as Mirataz, can play a significant role in supporting cats with unintended weight loss while further investigations are underway. 

"Our breakfast meeting at ISFM Feline Congress will cover the practical management of inappetence in cats and provide delegates with hints and tips to take back to the clinic."

https://icatcare.org/congress-2023-dublin/programme.
https://www.dechra.co.uk/mirataz 

In case you've missed the start of the national celebrations, it's Feline Hypertension Awareness Month (FHAM), which offers an opener for dialogue with pet owners about the impact of hypertension on their cats.

The campaign is being fronted this year by a number of social media influencers, appropriately including Cat the Vet, aka Cat Henstridge (pictured right), Louisa The Vet and Alex And Bump.

Ceva has produced a number of materials to help practices get involved, including social media posts and templates which are now available from Ceva Territory Managers, or from the veterinary social media platform, Vet Social.

The company will also be launching an educational video that helps people recognise that older cats, and those with concurrent diseases, may have high blood pressure but show little in the way of recognisable signs. 

Suzanne Page, Veterinary Surgeon and Amodip Product Manager at Ceva, said: “This year, in recognition of how busy practices are, we wanted to give veterinary teams resources that provide a straightforward and simple way to raise feline hypertension awareness.

"Hypertension is so difficult for owners to notice, so we are working hard with influencers to spread the word.

"There will also be leaflets to share and a new website for cat owners at www.catbloodpressure.com.”

For those wanting to brush up on hypertension, there's Ceva's free CPD course, led by Dr Sarah Caney, Feline Medicine Specialist and CEO of Vet Professionals, available here.

The Society of Practising Veterinary Surgeons (SPVS) has published advice to help practitioners set realistic and reasonable script fees for POM-V medicines.

The document, which is now available to all practitioners via the SPVS web site (www.spvs.org.uk) or can be emailed or posted upon request, has been produced following extensive consultation with SPVS members, principally via the Society's active and influential discussion list, and in conjunction with the BVA Medicines Group, which backs the advice.

The document constitutes a valuable framework for practitioners in calculating a prescription fee that is fair and workable for clients wanting a written prescription as well as for those who do not want a prescription issuing. Furthermore, it also provides a framework that is fair to practitioners themselves.

The Society firmly believes that the act of preparing and providing a prescription is a professional service and as such, that it should attract a professional fee.                            

Richard Hillman, SPVS President, explained: "We welcome whole-heartedly the re-introduction of prescription fees, which will mark the end of a bureaucratic and fundamentally unfair sitituation for many thousands of small businesses that have had their trade and profitability restricted for three long years.                                                                                                      

"The time element involved in writing subscriptions will need to be taken into account, and this will no doubt form a sensible basis on which to base a fee. Script fees should be calculated rationally to reflect true business costs, like any other service that a business provides to its customers."                                                                                                                                      

He added: "We would, above all else, urge practitioners to exercise restraint in setting script fees, as it is by no means certain that they will still be in place even two years from now. We will also not condone any form of 'punishment' of clients taking away prescriptions by punitive fees. We are already cooperating with the RCVS as they work with the OFT in the monitoring period to ensure that there is fair competition in the veterinary medicines market."                                                                 

To obtain your copy of the document Advice on Prescription Fees, go to www.spvs.org.uk where it can be downloaded or call SPVS Secretariat on 01926 410454 or email office@spvs.org.uk.

Vets that took part in the Vet Charity Challenge 2013 have raised a total of £50,000 which was presented to three animal charities at the London Vet Show. 

The Vet Charity Challenge took place in September, when 53 teams of four spent the day walking, running, cycling, kayaking and orienteering, along with a variety of mental tasks. The money it raised has been distributed between Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, SPANA and Animals Asia

Jason Rogers, BCF Technology Marketing Manager and one of the organisers said: "The response we got for the Challenge this year has been remarkable with double the number of teams we had in 2012. It was quite a sight to see over 200 people at the briefing at the start of the day. Everyone seemed to really enjoy themselves and get into the spirit of the event. The amount raised this year is truly amazing."

One of the participants, Kerry Lambert from Ashworth Veterinary Group, Hampshire said: "The day was both exhilarating and exhausting. It was very well organised and friendly."

Caitrina Harrison from Vétoquinol added: "As one of the sponsors for this year's Vet Charity Challenge, Vétoquinol had three of the 53 teams entered. The amazing team spirit, fun atmosphere and inter-company rivalry all contributed to a fantastic event. The day was well organised and certainly our three teams, had a fantastic time. We'll be back again next year!"

Speaking for the three charities that benefited from the donations, Deborah Bourne, Corporate Fundraiser from Hearing Dogs for Deaf People said: "We would like to say a huge thank you to all the sponsors and competitors who got involved with this year's inspirational Vet Charity Challenge! Thanks to the determination, team spirit and generosity of everyone who took part, the money raised from this fantastic event will enable us to train more life changing hearing dogs to support deaf adults and children across the UK."

Horiba is to host a free CPD webinar for farm vets: 'Hypocalcaemia – Strategies for Prevention and Monitoring', on Thursday 28th April at 7.30pm.

Horiba says subclinical hypocalcaemia (SCH) is a significant and under-diagnosed metabolic problem in dairy cattle affecting up to 50% cows annually.

After lactation, total calcium levels in the cows’ blood drop which can lead to sub-optimal health and yield.

The webinar will be presented by James Husband BA, VetMB, DipECBHM, DCHP, MRCVS, who will offer the benefit of his research and experience on the subject.

At the end, there'll be a Q&A session.  

During the webinar, Horiba will also introduce its patient-sideLAQUAtwin Ca-11C pocket meter, which measures blood ionised calcium levels fast and is currently on special offer until 30th June 2022. 

To register, visit: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/6274625209458361872 

Freelance Surgical Ltd has announced a limited offer under which it will supply all of the instrumentation and capital equipment required for a veterinary practice to set up a new laparoscopy service, for £10,000 +VAT

The company says it has seen a substantial number of requests for laparoscopic instrumentation and capital devices in recent months. James Towler, Veterinary Director said: "Keyhole surgery is becoming  increasingly popular within the veterinary field and the driving force is the client. They are now more informed of the benefits of what this type of surgery can offer. Our goal is to be able to provide veterinarians with an affordable package that will allow them to cater to client request s rather than referring the patient to their competitors."

Freelance Surgical says using laparoscopy has proven for many to generate a new revenue stream as well as offering improved patient outcomes. According to the company, a practice performing 6 bitch spays a week can generate over £50,000 in just 3 years*

For more information contact Freelance Surgical on 0845 050 4147or visit: www.freelance-veterinary.co.uk

The RCVS Disciplinary Committee has agreed to accept undertakings from Cardiff-based veterinary surgeon Adrian John Westwood that he requests the removal his name from the Register of Veterinary Surgeons and agree never to apply to be restored to it.

Dr Westwood, who now lives in Australia, had been referred to the Committee in relation to a number of charges against him relating to the treatment of a cat at his former practice in Cardiff in October 2015.

He was not present at the inquiry and had requested that his solicitor, Tony Wilson, act on his behalf.

Mr Wilson made an application to the Committee that the hearing should be adjourned contingent on a form of undertakings being accepted. These undertakings were that Dr Westwood’s name be removed from the Register with immediate effect and that he never apply to be restored to the Register under any category.

The application was granted by the Committee, taking into account a number of factors. These included the fact that Dr Westwood has retired as a veterinary surgeon, that he has closed his practice and returned to his home in Australia with no intention of returning to the UK, and that animal welfare and the reputation of the profession have been protected as Dr Westwood will no longer be in practice.

The Committee noted that there were several precedents for concluding cases in such a manner, and that the application was not objected to by the complainant or opposed by the College.

Dr Westwood’s name was removed from the Register of Veterinary Surgeons with immediate effect as of Monday 14 August 2017.

Equistro® has produced a dust-free pelleted presentation of Secreta Pro, following requests from clients.  Secreta Pro-Max® was launched to vets at BEVA Congress.

Secreta Pro is a respiratory supplement used to support the bronchial system and natural defences on a long term basis.

For more information on Secreta Pro-Max® and all Equistro products, please visit http://www.equistro.co.uk/, or contact your Vetoquinol representative.

Petplan has announced that nominations are now open for its 14th annual Veterinary Awards.

The awards recognise members of the veterinary community who have gone above and beyond in their daily role. 

According to the company, one in three pets make an unexpected trip to the vet each year, making vets the unofficial 4^th emergency service. A quarter of pet owners consider their vet a good friend with 42% on first name terms. 98% of Petplan customers have said that they trust their vet; with many saying that they are more trustworthy than police officers - coming second only to doctors.

Petplan's Head of Marketing, Isabella Von Mesterhazy said: "At Petplan, we hear from our customers every day about the exceptional service veterinary staff have given to pets in their care. The Veterinary Awards are an opportunity for Petplan to show our support to members of this profession and thank these hard-working individuals on a national scale. We want to encourage pet owners across the UK to nominate their veterinary stars this year to show their appreciation for all their tireless effort to keep the nations pets fit and healthy."

To make nominate a vet, vet nurse, vet practice and other members of the veterinary team visit www.petplan.co.uk/vetawards before 31st January 2013. The winners will be announced at the ceremony held in Birmingham on 4th April 2013.

Folkestone-based Vlad Butnaru haș been struck off by the RCVS Disciplinary Committee after it found that he'd dishonestly signed a declaration on a horse passport application.

Dr Vlad Butnaru faced two charges, the first of which was that in May 2021, he had signed a passport and/or passport application for a horse and electronically signed a declaration stating that he “had read the above microchip, which had previously been implanted for the animal” when, in fact, the microchip had not been inserted into any horse and he had not read it.

The second charge was that, in relation to the matters set out in the first charge, Dr Butnaru’s signed declaration was false, and that he had acted dishonestly and misleadingly, he risked undermining procedures designed to promote animal welfare, and failed to take sufficient steps to ensure that the microchip number recorded for the horse was accurate.

Dr Butnaru admitted the first charge on all counts, and that the declaration he had signed was false.

He also admitted that his conduct was misleading and that he had failed to take sufficient steps to ensure that the microchip number recorded for the horse was accurate.

However, he denied that his conduct had been dishonest and that he had risked undermining a procedure designed to promote animal welfare.

In its decision, the committee noted that Dr Butnaru kept introducing new versions of what happened for the first time at the hearing and changed his account as he went along, as well as being evasive when answering questions.

The Committee therefore felt that Dr Butnaru could not be considered to be a reliable witness, and whilst it did not know the true reason why he was prepared to sign a false declaration on a passport application, it was satisfied that he'd made a false declaration dishonestly.

The Committee also found that Dr Butnaru had failed to take sufficient steps to ensure that the microchip number recorded for the horse was accurate as, if the passport had been issued on a false premise because of misleading information provided by Dr Butnaru, then it could not function as it was meant to which, in the Committee’s view, clearly risked undermining procedures designed to protect animal welfare.

The Committee found that Dr Butnaru had breached the parts 6.2 and 6.5 of the Code of Professional Conduct, as well as Principle 1 of the 10 Principles of Certification, namely that ‘a veterinarian should certify only those matters which: a) are within his or her own knowledge; b) can be ascertained by him or her personally; c) are the subject of supporting evidence from an authorised veterinarian who has personal knowledge of the matters in question; or d) are the subject of checks carried out by an Officially Authorised Person (OAP).’

The Committee found there were no mitigating factors.

Aggravating factors, on the other hand, were that Dr Butnaru had participated in premeditated misconduct, made financial gain from his actions as he was paid to make the false declaration, abused his professional position, and showed blatant or wilful disregard of the Horse Passport System and of the role of the RCVS and the systems that regulate the veterinary profession.

The Committee found that all proven charges amounted to Disgraceful Conduct in a Professional Respect.

On considering the sanction, the Committee once again considered the aggravating factors, as well as additional mitigating factors in that Dr Butnaru had no previous disciplinary history, showed limited insight by admitting to some of the charges, showed expressions of remorse, and was provided with a positive testimonial.

Paul Morris, chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: “The Committee was cognisant of the importance of a veterinary surgeon’s signature on any document.

"This should have been obvious to any veterinary surgeon, but particularly someone of Dr Butnaru’s 11 years’ experience (at the time of signing).

"The Committee was well aware of the impact and ramifications for Dr Butnaru of any decision to remove him from the Register, but had to weigh his interests with those of the public.

“In doing so it took account of the context and circumstances of the case, all matters of personal mitigation, Dr Butnaru’s previous unblemished record and the need to act proportionately.

"However, the Committee was of the view that the need to uphold proper standards of conduct within the veterinary profession, together with the public interest in maintaining confidence in the profession of veterinary surgeons and protecting the welfare of animals, meant that a period of suspension would not be sufficient.

"His actions were fundamentally incompatible with remaining on the Register and thus the only appropriate and proportionate sanction in all the circumstances of this case was that of removal from the Register.”

https://www.rcvs.org.uk/concerns/disciplinary-hearings