The Arthrex Vet Systems Mobile Lab will be hosting hands-on sessions to help practitioners develop their arthroscopy and joint block skills in its state-of-the-art laboratory.
BEVA President Roger Smith said: “Our practical sessions are always highly popular and the wetlab experience takes things to the next level."
"The ability to practice ultrasound-guided injections at the conference provides the opportunity to hone your skills in ultrasound and enable you to cement to ultrasound-guided injections of tendons and ligaments and joints into your daily practice.
On the Thursday there will be three wetlab taster sessions at three different stations, giving delegates the chance to sharpen their skills with an ultrasound scanner, arthroscope and arthrobox.
Friday’s sessions will be focused on forelimb joint blocks and arthroscopic demonstrations of the needle locations.
The full BEVA Congress programme is now live and super early bird tickets are available until 7th June 2024.
Individual super early bird BEVA members prices are £524 for vets and £144 for vet nurses for all three days (with concessionary available for those in their first three years of graduation or earning less than £25,000).
Day tickets and practice passes are also available.
http://www.bevacongress.org
Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cornwall made her first visit to the RVC's Camden campus today, in her role as patron of the College's charity, the Animal Care Trust.
The Duchess became Patron of the Animal Care Trust in 2005, and was visiting to see how funds raised by the charity help to provide cutting edge equipment for the College's hospitals, provide assistance to the College's research teams and support the commitment to excellence in veterinary education.
During the tour of the Beaumont Sainsbury Animal Hospital (BSAH), the Duchess saw how donations from the ACT have helped to purchase laparascopic surgical equipment enabling the hospital to provide key-hole surgery for routine neutering procedures, bringing welfare benefits to the animals and allowing students to develop their first-day skills needed in veterinary practice.
The Duchess also met the specialist exotics team that forms part of a newly launched Small Animals Referral Service based at the BSAH and which receives funding from the ACT.
Professor Stuart Reid, Principal of the RVC, said: "The generous donations to the ACT are invaluable in helping us to deliver the best possible care to our patients and world-leading veterinary education to our students. We were delighted to welcome The Duchess of Cornwall to our teaching hospital in Camden so that she could see just how much of an impact these donations have on the work that we do."
As well as spending time in the hospital the tour also took in the RVC's anatomy museum where the Head of Anatomy Service at the College, Andrew Crook MBE, demonstrated how an investment from the ACT in plastination facilities is helping the College to preserve valuable anatomical samples in a form that can be handled by students without fear of decomposition.
The visit finished with a reception, where supporters and donors of the Trust, as well as some of the College's students had the chance to meet the Duchess.
Sparking the Clinical Mind – How Collaboration Delivers Excellence in Research, which is free to download, looks at the importance of collaboration in delivering high quality research projects
The report includes new studies covering the management of canine idiopathic epilepsy, the signs of stress in hyperthyroid cats, breathing, accelerometry and sleep disturbances in brachycephalic dogs, and retinal vascular health in senior and geriatric cats.
Professor Luisa De Risio, Clinical Research & Excellence Director at Linnaeus, said: “This report is the result of working in partnership, which is a theme that comes up repeatedly in the report.
"Delivering high-quality clinical research requires a sharing of knowledge, ideas and perspectives.
"From the development of your hypothesis to the outcome of your results – the input of others can corroborate, challenge and ultimately improve a research project.
“To deliver the best quality care for animals, we widely rely on evidence-based medicine.
"This report aims to highlight areas where we can do even more to improve the health and wellbeing of our patients.”
Dr Darren Logan, Head of Research at the Waltham Petcare Science Institute, said: “The quality and scale of research from the veterinary profession is constantly improving, but greater collaboration will help us go even further.
"By opening discussions around the trends, challenges and opportunities in clinical research, I hope this report will help to generate further conversations between us all.”
To download the report, visit: bit.ly/3Bd86yc
Andy Moores said: "Elbow replacement surgery, despite advancements in both the implant and technique, remains a complex procedure with a demanding rehabilitation process.
"However, for the right candidates, elbow replacement offers the potential for significant improvement in joint function and pain relief, transforming the lives of dogs that would otherwise suffer from permanent discomfort."
The third generation TATE elbow has had a complete redesign to overcome some of the issues associated with the first and second generation models, and the Iowa State system which preceded them.
There are around 15 surgeons qualified to perform the procedure in the world, three in the UK, and Andy is the only one in the South East.
Andy added: "The advancements in the TATE Elbow system represent a significant leap forward in veterinary orthopaedic surgery.
"End-stage elbow osteoarthritis is a horrible condition which can leave dogs in chronic pain and with no good treatment options.
"Being certified to perform third-generation TATE elbow replacements allows us to offer our patients the most advanced treatment options available, giving them the best chance for a pain-free, functional life."
www.mooresortho.com info@mooresortho.com
Krka says Arocenia provides fast, broad-spectrum anti-emetic efficacy with a 24-hour duration of action following a single daily dose.
It can be administered intravenously or subcutaneously and is supplied in 20 ml multi-dose vials, allowing up to 40 punctures per vial and a 60-day open vial shelf life.
Renzo Di Florio, Krka’s Technical Veterinary Adviser, commented “Vomiting is one of the most common presenting signs in small animal practice, and maropitant is a medication you’ll find on just about every vet’s dispensary shelf. With Arocenia, we’re adding a cost-effective formulation to the available options.”
https://www.krka.co.uk//products/our-products/animal-health/arocenia-10mgml-solution-for-injection
Researchers found that ticks continued to quest in woodlands throughout the year, even during the coldest months and ticks could also be detected on dogs throughout the year.
These observations concur with the results of a recent analysis of practice electronic health records which showed the presence of ticks on pets in all weeks between December and March2.
The study confirms the importance of treating dogs all year round to help reduce the risk of transmission of tick-borne diseases.
Lynda Maris, Product Manager for NexGard Spectra at Merial said: "It’s been thought for some time that ticks are very inactive or even dormant in winter and don’t present a risk. These findings show that they continue to quest in an attempt to find a host and are often successful. If ticks are attaching and feeding during the winter months, the risk of Lyme disease and babesiosis remains a real possibility. If the appropriate product is selected, the same year-round treatment programme that controls fleas and other parasites, will also treat ticks and thus help reduce the risk of tick-borne diseases."
The study recruited nine veterinary practices and monitored tick activity across three woodland sites in Southern Cumbria. In some cases multiple ticks were found on the animals – with one animal hosting an incredible 21.
Post graduate student Jessica Hall has been running the study since 2013, which has also involved running PCR for detection of DNA from Borrelia burdorferi (Lyme disease) on the collected ticks, with this data due to be released early next year. She said: "From the data we have collected in this longitudinal study we have identified questing ticks all year round at some sites and have shown that this pattern of questing activity results in pets being bitten by ticks even during winter."
References
Photo: Questing tick; Mcvoorhis, Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
The International Society of Feline Medicine (ISFM) has published 'Consensus Guidelines on the Long-term use of NSAIDs in cats' in the July 2010 edition of the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery.
The society says it has developed the guidelines in order to try and address the major welfare issue of cats suffering unremitting and untreated chronic pain. Until recently, NSAIDs had only been licensed for short-term use in cats, but with changing licensing indications and recommendations, they are now also increasingly used for long-term treatment of cats, for example in the management of osteoarthritis.
However, in most cases where long-term use of pain relief in cats is required, there are concomitant problems with other diseases or other drugs that are being given. According to the ISFM, one of the most common concerns is whether NSAIDs can be used to treat arthritis in older cats with kidney disease. The society says that because of concerns like these, and the potential for adverse effects, cats often receive no treatment at all, and their quality of life can be severely compromised.
For this reason, the ISFM set up an international expert panel to develop practical and rational guidelines on the long-term use of NSAIDs in cats. The aim was to provide guidelines that would empower clinicians, enabling them to make sensible and rational choices, and ensure much-needed therapy is not needlessly withheld from patients.
The panel was made up of Andrew Sparkes, Duncan Lascelles, Richard Malik, Sheilah Robertson, Margie Scherk, Polly Taylor, Llibertat Real Sampietro and Reidun Heiene.
Along with the veterinary information in the guidelines, the panel also developed a brief client-facing leaflet that can be given to owners when NSAIDs are prescribed for their cats - this leaflet provides simple, clear advice on why NSAIDs are used, why they are important, but also what simple precautions avoid adverse effects, with further advice on when to seek veterinary advice to reinforce the safety message.
Both of these publications are available to download from the website www.isfm.net/toolbox
Designed to help veterinary practices save clients' time and improve compliance, VetsDeliver supplies Bravecto - the company's 12 week flea and tick treatment - with the wormer of the vet's choice, by post.
Before the pandemic, practices registered clients for the service online or during an appointment and clients would have to collect the first treatments from the practice.
In response to the pandemic, however, MSD has made now it possible for clients to register from home and get their first treatments sent by post.
Amanda Melvin, Marketing Manager for Companion Animals at MSD Animal Health said: "We are all in unchartered territory and we appreciate the pressure veterinary teams are under to continue to care for their clients and local pet community.
"Many businesses are having to add new services to support online facilities and home delivery, and for vets there is also now a need to reduce footfall into practice while still generating income. Making sure effective parasite control is available will help improve compliance as temperatures rise and the risks to the health of our pets increase. It's one less thing for you and your clients to worry about."
For further information, contact your MSD Animal Health account manager or go to www.msd-animal-health-hub.co.uk/vetsdeliver.
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.
Vetoquinol has launched www.epiphenonline.co.uk, to support the veterinary profession and dog owners in the management of epilepsy.
The company says it has developed the online service to complement its existing monitoring aids and booklets, and give the best possible support to vets and patients during the complex process of stabilising and managing seizures.
The online service enables owners to keep a seizure diary, and share it with their veterinary surgeon so that they can prescribe an appropriate medication and management programme.
According to Vetoquinol, approximately three to five per cent of dogs suffer from idiopathic epilepsy, (which accounts for 80 per cent of epileptic seizures). The condition is inherited in some breeds, including Beagles, Dachunds, Keeshonden, German Shepherds and Belgian Tervurens.
Documenting the animal's history and seizure activity is crucial in assessing the progression of epilepsy. It also provides invaluable information for diagnosis and maintenance of effective therapeutic control.
RCVS President, Dr Jerry Davies, has committed to prioritise the establishment of a new Audit and Risk Committee, following publication of the recommendations of a report into two overspends at the College.
Earlier this year, outgoing President Peter Jinman had announced that a review would be carried out into the circumstances that led to higher-than-expected expenditure on the College's new database and building development works in the Lower Ground Floor at Belgravia House.
The RCVS Officer team asked Professor Bill McKelvey - a member of the College's Governance Review Group - and two of the College's Privy Council-appointed Council members to look at all aspects that related to its budgeting and expenditure process of those projects, and propose lessons that should be learned.
Dr Davies said: "That such a review was required is regretted, but I would like to thank Professor McKelvey, Richard Davis and Judith Webb for their diligence in this work. Their recommendations will be a very helpful addition to the work that is currently underway to ensure corporate governance is fit for purpose and, in particular, that the management of capital projects within the College is optimised."
The full Overspend Report (one sentence was redacted on legal advice) was considered by Council at its meeting on 3 November. Council agreed that the recommendations should be made public. The College is currently seeking further legal advice on whether it is proper for the report to be made available under the Freedom of Information Act.
Dr Davies added: "The recommendations of the report are under consideration by a group of five past Presidents, together with Richard Davis and Judith Webb as lay members of Council, under the Chairmanship of Peter Jinman, and their proposals will be considered by Council in due course.
"The recommendation that an Audit and Risk Committee be set up will be prioritised, as this was highlighted as an imperative. Other related activities, such as the development of a protocol for the management of major projects, had already been put in place by Officers prior to the overspend review."
Regarding the two projects at the heart of the report, the College says building work in the Lower Ground Floor at Belgravia House has been complete for some time and the new rooms and their facilities are being used, particularly when Disciplinary Committee hearings render much of the rest of the building out of bounds. The new data management system is also in use and an external consultant is currently looking at the work that has been carried out so far, and will make recommendations for the future.
"Meanwhile, although there are many lessons to be learned from the report, it's business as usual in terms of bringing to a conclusion many of our important ongoing initiatives, such as the introduction of the new Code of Professional Conduct, the consultations on the recommendations of the Specialisation Working Party and a draft Performance Protocol, and, of course, the ongoing work of the Disciplinary and Preliminary Investigation Committees," said Dr Davies.
The recommendations of the report, which were adopted by Council, can be downloaded from www.rcvs.org.uk/McKelvey.
Xavier (pictured right), who graduated from Cardenal-Herrera University in Valencia, Spain, in January 2006, has joined Southfields from the Royal Veterinary College, where he was working on the high profile Mitral Valve Repair Programme.
Xavier moved to the UK in 2009 to specialise in cardiology, first spending two years in Scotland where he completed a general and a cardiology internship at the Universities of Glasgow and Edinburgh, before beginning a cardiology residency at the University of Liverpool which he completed in March 2016.
He then continued at the University of Liverpool as a lecturer in cardiology for 16 months, before becoming a cardiology clinician at the Royal Veterinary College.
Henry L'Eplattenier, clinical director at Southfields, said: “We’re extremely pleased to welcome Xavier to Southfields and look forward to him progressing his career with us.
“He’s a very talented cardiologist who brings with him a wealth of expertise and experience which makes him a very valuable addition to our world-class team.”
Xavier said: “The move to Southfields is a wonderful opportunity for me and I’m really energised and motivated for the challenge ahead.
“This is one of the leading veterinary referral centres in the UK and it is set to become even better when we move into a new, purpose-built building boasting the finest facilities and most up-to-date equipment.
For more information, visit www.southfields.co.uk.
Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health has reported that since launch, its diagnostic service RespCheck has identified infectious diseases in 15 per cent of all animals checked under the scheme.
Offered to qualifying practices for no charge and implemented by the Animal Health Trust (AHT), Intervet/Schering Plough set up RespCheck to help identify the cause of infectious respiratory problems in horses.
The RespCheck kit, which has been used to swab more than 700 horses since launch, consists of naso pharyngeal swabs, enabling two horses per yard or outbreak to be swabbed for a variety of diseases. These include equine influenza, equine herpesvirus, Streptococcus equi (strangles), pasteurella, rhinovirus and Streptococcus zooepidemicus. The swabs are sent to the AHT for analysis and the results returned direct to the vet.
John Dickerson from Chine House Equine Hospital in Leicestershire said: "The service is fantastic, made all the better by being completely free of charge! The benefits are two-fold. From the clinical perspective it means we can discount or treat potential infections in a more timely fashion; for instance, we use RespCheck to screen for any suspected infectious respiratory disease cases which enables us to deal with the problem, through quarantine and strict hygiene measures, helping to prevent the spread of the disease.
The other benefit is to our practice reputation and the standard of service we can offer. It's great to be able to provide owners with peace of mind without it costing more than our call out fee. By the time an owner calls the vet they are usually stressed and worried about their horses symptoms and need some reassurance, which is exactly what RespCheck gives them. We are confident that providing a diagnostic service that is completely free and that puts an owners mind at rest regarding the risk of an infection can only be a good thing for our practice reputation and customer care.
Last year, the service proved its worth when the screening of a recently imported horse showed the animal had equine influenza. I believe that had RespCheck not been employed, we would have had an outbreak in that particular yard."
Practices interested in knowing more about RespCheck should contact their local Intervet/Schering-Plough Veterinary Business Manager or phone the company's Veterinary Support Group on 01908 685685.
VetSurgeon member, Rachel Crowe is asking veterinary surgeons to help with a survey looking at the relationship between vets and drug companies.
The survey forms part of Rachel's dissertation for her MBA, titled: In harmony or out of tune? Perceptual gaps between expectations of vets and supplier.
The survey is being carried out in association with VetSurgeon.org. We've agreed to promote it to VetSurgeon members in return for being able to share the bulk of the results with our members, and, importantly, with all veterinary suppliers. Our hope is that as a result, the time you spend carrying out the survey will help influence the way drug companies do business, and help them give you a better standard of service. In addition, the survey is also being supported by Rachel's employer, Virbac Animal Health, which will have first sight of the results.
As a small thank you, everyone who completes the survey will be entered into a draw for one of 5 Marks and Spencer shopping vouchers.
Thus far, 182 members have already taken part in the survey. If you are one of the few that didn't complete it, please do, as Rachel needs as many completed surveys as possible. If you have only partially completed the survey, you should find that the system has stored your previous answers, so you won't need to start all over again.
To take part, please click here.
Moral Maze, a debate held by members at the British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) Congress earlier this month, has concluded that equine practice needs to adapt to accommodate family life.
92% of voters agreed with the motion: Equine practice needs to change to become more compatible with family life.
BEVA says the result may reflect in part the changing demographics of the profession, with females now accounting for 76% of new graduate intakes.
Traditionally vets have worked together in practices, able to share resources and expertise as well as the out-of-hours rota. Until recently, men from the Baby Boomer Generation dominated the profession and many vets focused their efforts on work at the expense of their family. However, as Generation Y takes hold and more females are joining equine practice, there are different personal expectations with many vets now wanting greater commitment to family life and a better work-life balance.
The session took the form of a moral maze debate, chaired by Malcolm Morley, in which expert witnesses were challenged by informed interrogators. The proposers contended that it is possible to achieve a good work-life balance as an effective vet in a successful equine practice by working smarter, not harder and adopting a flexible approach.
Carolyne Crowe, veterinary coach and mentor, said: “Choosing to be an equine vet shouldn’t go hand in hand with giving up the rest of your life. Allowing flexibility within job roles should result in more engagement, productivity and thus economic benefit for the practice.”
Job share that included a proportionate allocation of the out-of-hours rota, was cited as a tenable solution for those juggling maternity leave and parenthood. The consistency of attending vets so often demanded by clients could be achieved by introducing two vets of equal calibre to the client, from the outset. Members of the audience outlined successful examples of job sharing and the consensus was that the turnover generated by part time, job share employees was often higher than their full time equivalents.
Mark Bowen, President of BEVA, said: “I’m not surprised that 92% of voters supported the motion, given the fact that the recent Vet Futures survey has shown a high rate of job dissatisfaction in equine practice. It reiterates the importance of moving with the times to evaluate the needs of working parents and make the equine veterinary workplace more adaptable to family life.”
BEVA is already working on various projects to help address and support the needs of members who are striving for a better work-life balance. CPD on personal effectiveness, covering work-life balance and time management is scheduled for the New Year. Further information on other initiatives will be released towards the end of the year.
The debate can be viewed online for free at beva.org.uk in the webinar tab.
Founder Professor Noel Fitzpatrick said: "It is a real joy to see the VET Festival growing and growing, not just in physical size, but from the immense goodwill that radiates from it. The weather didn’t get in the way of the wellness and there was nothing rainy about the atmosphere at VET Festival - in fact I think that the rain brought us closer together.
"I set out to build a community of compassion for our profession and I genuinely felt that there was a tangible sense of togetherness. There were loads of great conversations with each other and with the exhibitors. The educational content really was world class and the tents were packed. I hoped that VET Festival would be a breath of fresh air, where having an education event outdoors - combined with a focus on wellness of body and mind for all of us - could help vet professionals to be the very best that they could be - and so serve our patients better.
"Everyone there was part of something innovative and refreshing I felt – the delegates, the exhibitors, the team who have worked year-round to create the event, and the fantastic speakers. I’m very grateful to all of them and I sincerely hope that this feeling remains strong for each and every one all year round.
"The resonant theme this year was ‘kindness’ – to ourselves, to each other, to the families of animals and the animals we are lucky enough to take care of. Nobody is a nobody at VET Festival, and never will be. In that field, we’re all equal, no matter what we do in the vet profession - we all matter - we all want the same thing, which is wellness for each other and the animals we serve - and importantly, we’re all in it together for the greater good, rain or shine."
The ‘Midgeater' device introduced by Calor in 2003 to combat biting midges causing irritation to humans, has now been successfully tested by leading scientists as a monitoring device in the fight against bluetongue.
Leading midge scientist Dr Alison Blackwell, who is the Managing Director of University of Edinburgh based Advanced Pest Solutions, presented her company's findings in her keynote speech to the Royal Entomological Society in Belfast on November 19th.
The current method of trapping midges when monitoring the deadly bluetongue virus is a light trap, but Alison and her team have established that a modified Midgeater can be more effective in catching the main midge species that carry the virus.
Alison said: "During trials this year, we found that Calor fuelled Midgeater traps modified with a simple ‘black' light source and fitted with an octenol / ammonia bait, proved to be far more effective at catching the main species of midge known to carry the bluetongue virus than the light traps which are currently used to monitor midge populations in relation to the disease".
Farmers throughout the UK recently commenced a vaccination programme to protect their animals from the only strain of the bluetongue virus that has so far been encountered in the UK, serotype 8, but there is still a real need to carefully monitor biting midge populations, as other strains of the virus are approaching our shores.
Alison added: "In the last few weeks serotype 1 and serotype 6 have been found in Northern Europe and there are currently no vaccines available in the UK for these types of the bluetongue virus, so it is important that we remain vigilant and monitor midges throughout the UK".
Advanced Pest Solutions have tested their modified Midgeater traps in England and Wales. The English, project which was carried out at a specialist bull breeding facility, also included the use of the Barrfly air curtain, from fellow Scottish business Innovent.
Alison explained: "Innovent's air curtain is designed to prevent midges passing through it into sensitive areas. The insects simply aren't strong enough to fly through the air currents it produces.
"The air curtain, combined with the Calor supplied traps and APS's consultancy and analysis creates a comprehensive ‘assess, protect and stop', midge management system that businesses can use to reduce the exposure to the risks of midge borne diseases."
Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica has launched a series of information sheets written by veterinary surgeons, nutritionists and leading riders to support its muscle building supplement for horses, Equitop Myoplast Power Pearls.
Available to download as PDFs from its website - http://www.equitop-myoplast.co.uk - this resource for horse owners covers a range of feeding topics including training the young showjumper and feeding the performance horse, older horses and horses during periods of rest and recuperation.
New video and written testimonials from performance riders and veterinary surgeons are now on the website, which also offers owners advice on healthy lean muscle growth and the benefits of Equitop Myoplast. Olympic dressage rider, Emile Faurie, international showjumpers, Ellen Whitaker and Scott Brash, and show horse producer, Katie Jerram, all endorse the product.
A client leaflet has also been launched featuring the testimonials and providing owners with information on Equitop Myoplast and an online offer of £15 off their first purchase of the supplement by downloading a voucher from the website.
Boehringer says Equitop Myoplast is packed with 18 key amino acids and is scientifically designed to support lean muscle growth, not bulk. The company says the supplement is great for optimising performance in horses in intensive training and competition, as well as bringing on young, breeding and injured animals, and for older horses which lose condition easily.
For further information, please contact your Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica territory manager or call 01344 746959.
Zoetis, formerly Pfizer Animal Health, has launched Flexi4, a nutritional supplement for horses containing a patented combination of natural plant extracts designed to help maintain joint flexibility and the management of joint pain.
Flexi4 contains a blend of four plant extracts, Curcumin, Yucca schidigera, Salix alba and Boswellia serrata, which the company says have been shown to have anti-inflammatory, anti-pyretic and analgesic properties as follows:
Mary King, Olympic three day eventing team silver medallist, said: "When performing at the highest level it's important that my horses' joints remain flexible and free of pain. Using Flexi4 has made them more resilient to aches and pains during intense training and I am confident when competing that my horses are feeling the benefit of this natural product, helping them to perform at their very best."
Flexi4 is an apple-flavoured gel that is fed as a once daily supplement. It doesn't contain any substances listed as prohibited by the FEI.* For more information, contact your Zoetis Account Manager, call 0845 300 8034 or email customersupportuk@zoetis.com.
*FEI prohibited substance list, 2013
Containing 3% m/v Chlorhexidine, Pyoderm is designed to support the natural microbial balance of the skin whilst delivering gentle yet effective cleansing.
Along with the rest of Virbac's range of dermatological and everyday care shampoos, Pyoderm is presented in 250ml eco-friendly bottles which are made from 100% recycled plastic and recyclable packaging.
The shampoos themselves are also biodegradable.
https://uk.virbac.com/
Endell Veterinary Group Equine Hospital in Wiltshire has stationed an equine veterinary surgeon on the Isle of Wight permanently to ensure that the island's numerous horses can receive rapid treatment when they need it.
Florus Oskam MRCVS is providing a routine and emergency mobile ambulatory service around the island 24 hours a day. Florus also has the back up of mainland ambulatory vets who also spend time on the Island. Appointments with specific vets to visit the island can also be arranged.
Florus said: "We have been providing a veterinary service on the Isle of Wight for the past 30 years and have a very loyal client base. For years they have been asking us for a permanent service on the island and we are delighted to be able to provide it at last."
Anita Niccolls, dressage rider and trainer on the Isle of Wight, added: "It's very reassuring to know that a vet of Florus's calibre is now resident on the Island and that we are able to have continuity of vet care should a horse need further treatment at the practice's equine hospital in Salisbury."
Open to all veterinary professionals looking to enhance their knowledge and skills in emergency and critical care, this year's Congress has a lineup of over 30 internationally-renowned speakers and leading clinicians and offers up to 70 hours of CPD.
This year’s keynote speaker is specialist transplant nurse and chair of the UK One Health Coordination Group, Helen Ballantyne, and organisers will also be welcoming veterinary nurse Ken Yagi, formerly program director of the CPR simulation lab at Cornell University, who’ll deliver an update on the new RECOVER (CPR) guidelines being released this year.
Simon Hagley, ECC Specialist and Clinical Director at Vets Now hospital in Manchester said: “We are confident our 2024 programme offers something for everyone, no matter what stage of your ECC career you are at, from students through to specialists and everything in between.
"We listened to delegate feedback from last year’s event, and we have brought back some firm favourites including our ’Controversies’ and ‘Joined Up Thinking sessions’, but we have introduced exciting new streams including 'Catastrophic case conversations'.
“We’ve also we’ve extended the popular nursing streams from last year to span two entire days and lunchtime case presentations from interns across the country are also on the programme.”
https://www.vets-now.com/congress
Avid, the maker of pet microchip indentification products has developed its registration system so that Avid MicroChips can now be registered via practice management software using the VetXML schema.
This instantly registers the microchip directly on to the UK PETtrac Database, managed by Avid. All the implanter needs to do is add the microchip number to the client record, then click to register.
The practice has the option to print a receipt for the client before they leave the surgery, and a certificate confirming the registration will be posted to the client by PETtrac, usually the same day.
The microchip registration is completed in real time on the UK PETtrac Database, and is automatically checked to ensure the microchip being registered was sold to the practice completing the registration. In the event of any errors, the practice will be contacted by PETtrac to obtain the correct information.
Simon Clark, IT developer for Avid said "Avid already has direct registration via a number of practice management software packages and we are working with others to get this feature implemented as soon as possible. Registrations are now easier and quicker than ever before, and really can be completed with just one click!"
For full details about how the Avid microchip system can benefit your practice please contact the Avid sales office on 0800 652 7 977 or visit www.avidplc.com
Bicester Vets in North Oxfordshire has become the first to install Improvet, a touch-screen unit through which the practice can gather client feedback.
Improvet is one of a range of services offered by Pfizer as part of Vet Support+. It's designed to help small animal practices gather information, interpret client feedback and ultimately provide targets to drive business improvements. Located in the practice's reception area, the pre-programmed survey takes a few minutes of a pet owner's time to complete and is apparently proving a hit with clients.
The survey covers all aspects of the service the client has received, from booking through to the consultation, payment and administration of their appointment. Client comments are collected into a report assessing the standards of customer service delivered across the practice team.
Jason Williams, veterinary surgeon at Bicester Vets, said: "We have felt for a long time that we needed to make some changes at the practice in order to move forward and be well placed for future challenges and opportunities. With this in mind we undertook a review of our practice with the help of a Pfizer Business Consultant and during this process our staff identified that client communication and gauging client experience was something we were struggling with.
"When our Pfizer Business Consultant explained Improvet it seemed a logical next step. The completely paperless, anonymous nature and automatic report generation means it's taken the hassle out of surveying our pet-owning clients so that now instead of simply talking about the need for a client survey, we actually have one underway. We will use this information to get a clear picture of how we are performing and communicating as a practice before and after improvements are made."
Improvet gives practices a way of surveying clients completely independently of staff. Armed with this data about what clients truly think, a practice can:
Practices that think they would benefit from having an Improvet unit in their reception area should contact their Pfizer Account Manager or call 0845 519 4977.
Vetericyn VF, the vet-only wound and skin care spray from Innovacyn has been named product of the year by Animal Health International, one of the world's largest food and companion animal health distributors.
Commenting on the award, Innovacyn said: "for an organisation the size and reputation of Animal Health International to give this top honour to Vetericyn is a great vindication of the product's efficacy but also the very positive feedback they have received from professional users."
Vetericyn VF is available throughout the UK from all the leading veterinary wholesalers. Further technical resources are available at: www.vetericyn.com/veterinarians or email enquiries to uk@vetericyn.com