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Virbac is running a special promotion through which UK-based practitioners who order from the company's reproductive product range can claim a free copy of the evidence-based book Clinical Canine and Feline Reproduction by Margaret V. Root Kustritz.
The book covers 100 separate questions across a range of reproductive issues, and currently retails for £47.99.
Virbac product manager Chris Geddes MRCVS said: "We offered this book as part of a promotion in 2010 and it proved extremely popular. As a result we thought we would give vets another chance to get a free copy."
As the Assistant Dean at the Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine, Margaret V. Root Kustritz is a leading figure in feline and canine reproduction and one of the world's most renowned experts in reproduction. Mr Geddes said: "The book is based on the questions veterinary surgeons have asked her over the years, and so is a valuable reference tool for any vet."
Numbers are limited, and the book is available on on a 'first come first served' basis. Anyone interested should either contact their territory manager or call Virbac on 01359 243243.
According to MORE TH>N pet insurance, men aren't just upset by the loss of a pet, 13% of them take a week or more off work if their pet is lost or stolen.
Notably, that compares to just 5% of women who have taken that much time off work to get over the upset caused by a pet going missing or being stolen.
According to the company, men are also more likely to cancel social engagements if a pet goes missing (15%) compared to women (12%).
In addition, men are prepared to spend more trying to find their pet than women, with almost 20% prepared to spend between £100 and £1000 for the safe return of an animal, compared to 14% of women.
Chartered psychologist, Beverly Stone said: "These findings highlight the inherent differences between men and women. Whereas women tend to fear for the potential loss of their pet when it goes missing and mourns the loss if their pet dies, a man not only experiences a similar fear and mourning but may also feel a strong sense of responsibility."As a consequence, they are likely to feel that they have failed to protect their pet. Men need more time to get over the guilt, and they would not want to be exposed to people asking what happened in social events, if they feel responsible''.
The research, conducted amongst 3000 British pet owners in March 2011, also revealed that a third of pet owners do not invest in pet insurance.
Alstoe, maker of a range of veterinary products including Easeflex, Vetergesic, Dolagis and Nelio, has announced that it has changed its name to Sogeval UK Ltd following its acquisition by Sogeval, the French veterinary drug company, earlier this year.
The company says customers will not notice any change to their dealings with the company, because Sogeval UK Ltd will trade from the same premises near York and with the same staff members.
Niall McFerran, Sogeval Country Manager, UK and ROI said: "The change of name to Sogeval UK Ltd aligns the business to one of the world's fastest growing Animal Health companies. Through Sogeval's research and development programmes, we look forward to exciting improvements in the future."
For any questions relating to the change, practices are invited to contact Niall McFerran on 01347 878606.
With recruitment and retention issues in many sectors of the profession, the Association says flexible working might improve job satisfaction and therefore retention.
Other statistics from the survey showed that whilst levels of flexible working have risen from 44% in 2019 to 50% in 2021, 36% of those who already work flexibly 36% would like more flexibility.
The most common reasons vets gave for wanting to work more flexibly were: to allow more time for leisure activities (56%), lifestyle needs (50%), caregiving responsibilities (28%), health reasons (28%), for professional development (22%) and for voluntary work (16%).
The type of flexibility vets were hoping to achieve also varied. Working part time was the most common type of flexible working sought (31%), followed by homeworking (16%), flexitime (13%) and compressed hours (5%).
As part of its campaign, the BVA has launched "Flexible working: Embracing flexibility in the veterinary profession", a booklet which includes facts, figures and case studies to help demonstrate how flexible working can benefit both employers and employees in a range of different veterinary teams.
The booklet also offers tips and advice on tackling some of the challenges that can arise when introducing increased flexibility into a clinical workplace.
BVA Junior Vice President Malcolm Morley said: “The statistics clearly show that there is a huge appetite for more flexibility in working hours, particularly in clinical practice, where employers have previously been quite hesitant to explore this option.
"We understand that there are potential challenges to allowing more flexibility but we’re hoping to demonstrate that these are not insurmountable.
“It’s vital that the profession recognises that inflexible working patterns contribute to poor retention—recognition is the first stage in finding a solution.
"Embracing developments in flexible working could increase job satisfaction for many team members and ultimately improve retention.”
Malcolm added: “The profession continues to face serious staffing shortages and we understand that the increased pressures on vet teams may make some employers anxious about introducing flexible working at a time when they are already struggling to cover shifts.
"However, the solution does not lie with vet teams working increasingly longer hours; a successful solution will need team members to be involved in supporting each other’s working patterns.
"Promoting a better balance between home and work could be key to supporting many staff who are currently unsure about remaining in the profession or returning to work."
www.bva.co.uk/flexible-working
Vets with Horsepower is organised annually by Professor Derek Knottenbelt to help raise funds for equine and human charities around the world.
This year the group undertook an endurance motorbike trip of over 1600 miles: from the UK to Germany, across Scandinavia and back, hosting education events for equine vets along the way to raise funds for four charities including BEVA's Power for Ukraine.
BEVA Council member Alison Talbot, said: “Thanks to the generosity of equine vets in the UK we had just hit the halfway mark of raising £10,000, before Vets with Horsepower set off on their epic Scandinavian mission.
"We are so grateful for their donation of £9922 which means we can now buy another five generators, to help twice as many vets and horses in extremely difficult circumstances during enforced power cuts."
The generators will be transported to a collection point in Poland and then on to Ukraine in time for winter.
Donations to the BEVA Trust Power To Ukraine appeal can be made here: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/powertoukraine
Any surplus funds will be added to the general fund to support equids in Ukraine.
The Registry’s dataset now contains the details of 1,319 canine cruciate surgical procedures, compared with 735 reported in 2023.
The report contains 3 years of data provided by 138 UK-based vets and their clients, and reports on cruciate surgery outcomes on dogs from all stages of life – from 3 months to 18 years.
The report provides a breakdown of the clinical outcomes of different surgical techniques, patient demographics, use of antibiotics, and more.
Some of the main findings in this year’s annual report were:
Mark Morton, Clinical Lead for the Registry, said: “It has been fantastic to see the CCR go from strength to strength this year with contributions from owners and vets across the country.
"Evaluating what we do and sharing this information with owners is really important.
"There is now sufficient data in the registry that vets can use the reporting functionality to see how they compare to anonymous data from the registry as whole.
"This allows everyone to look at where we can improve what we do to enhance outcomes for our patients.”
Steve Butterworth, veterinary surgeon at Weighbridge Referral Service, Swansea, and CCR contributor, said: “To better understand the long-term outcomes for different breeds of dog using differing surgical techniques we need the power of numbers and this will only be achieved by pooling our resources.
"The CCR offers the veterinary profession an opportunity to do this.
Any veterinary surgeon performing cruciate surgery in the UK can get involved in the CCR by signing up and logging surgical cases.
All data submitted by summer 2025 will be anonymised and become part of the next report in late 2025.
ccr.rcvsknowledge.org/annualreport
The company, which has added over 50 practices to the business this year alone, puts its success down to the group's family feel, and the 'hub and spoke' model it operates.
Arnold Levy, CEO at Medivet, said: "There are lots of things that have led to us being in the position we are now: our wonderful team and partners across the country, our passion for offering the best treatment, and the opportunities we offer vets wanting to run and own their practice."
"Much of that stems from our unique hub and spoke model. Without it, we wouldn’t be where we are – it really is central to all we do."
Medivet’s hub and spoke model is comprised of nine 24-hour centres (hubs) located around the UK with state-of-the-art facilities. The rest of the Medivet group consists of an integrated network of practices, or 'spokes'.
Medivet says the model allows smaller branches to offer pet owners services that otherwise wouldn’t be possible – referrals or specialist diagnostics, for example, can be passed on to another nearby practice or the bigger 'hub' if needs be.
Alison Jones heads up Medivet’s 200th practice in Gloucester and celebrated the opening in October with the practice team and other senior partners from Medivet.
Alison said: "The vast expertise in both the clinical and management fields that Medivet has to offer can take a huge strain off a busy practitioner. In addition, the inter-site communications, along with help via the Support Centre from a team of specialists in areas such as health and safety, employment law and marketing means each clinic can still operate as a local practice, but has the back-up of the whole Medivet team when needed.
"I have been impressed by how even the managers have not forgotten what it means to be a practising veterinary surgeon and have not lost their compassion for animals or passion for our profession. I feel I am working with people 'like me' and that makes me feel secure and understood."
The Association is also encouraging horse owners to join in the celebrations by sharing birthday cakes with their vet or veterinary practice.
BEVA President Huw Griffiths said: "Our 60 faces initiative celebrates some of the many outstanding people who have left an indelible mark on the profession and whose actions complement BEVA’s work in championing progress and/or diversity."
The list of 60 faces, which were nominated by BEVA members, showcases people who have inspired, influenced and progressed the equine veterinary profession for the better.
The faces range from 16th Century humanist Thomas Blundeville to 21st Century social media entrepreneur Ebony Escalona.
Every day for a month, two faces will be released on BEVA’s social media channels.
Huw added: “It was a really tough challenge to whittle the list down to 60 people as all of the nominees were exceptional individuals.
“The list showcases some of the best-known names in the industry as well as some heroes whose stories are less well known or who have been consigned to history.
“It’s not a “Top 60”, nor are all the faces vets, but it does highlight the breadth of people who have impacted what we do.
"We hope you will enjoy reading about them and we hope our lovely clients will join in the celebrations during the week starting 18th November by sharing a celebratory piece of birthday cake with their cherished horse vet!”
You can see the 60 Faces here: https://www.beva.org.uk/60-Faces
Janssen Animal Health has launched a range of skincare products - Cavalesse® and Cavalesse® Topical - to help maintain and support a healthy skin in horses prone to summer skin allergies.
According to the company, summer skin allergies, including sweet itch, which is caused by reactions to bites from Culicoides midges, can be serious and frustrating conditions that affect three to five per cent of all horses in the UK. These allergies can be difficult to manage and are often a real challenge for both horse owners and vets alike.
Cavalesse is a natural food supplement containing a specialised formulation of water-soluble vitamins and minerals, including Nicotinamide. Once a month the contents of each sachet are dissolved in water to form an oral solution, which can be administered daily via a special pipette, either by sprinkling over a small handful of feed or adding to a treat such as a sugar lump. The supplement helps horses maintain a healthy skin by reducing histamine release within the skin, moderating the excessive immune response within the skin, reducing anti-inflammatory reactions and suppressing antigen induced transformation.
To complete the Cavalesse skin management range, Cavalesse Topical is a skincare gel that can be used in combination with the Cavalesse solution. The gel can be applied to the skin to help support natural immunity from the outside, whilst the oral solution works in partnership from the inside.
Helen Goldberg, marketing manager at Janssen Animal Health said: "Summer skin allergies, such as sweet itch, are frustrating conditions that can be difficult to treat. To help prevent the disease, horses are often fully blanketed while out at grass, given limited access to pasture or covered with insect repellents, while treatment has included antihistamines and corticosteroids which can have side-effects.
"Only available via veterinary wholesalers, the Cavalesse range of products will enable owners to protect their horses from the inside, whilst maintaining a healthy skin from the outside."
2ml of Cavalesse should be administered to horses and ponies weighing less than 500kg daily, while horses weighing more than 500kg should be given 3ml per day. Cavalesse Topical should be applied to the skin according to requirements.
For further information, please contact your Janssen Animal Health account manager or phone 01494 567555.
The RCVS Charitable Trust has announced that it is working in partnership with Imperial College London and the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) to co-fund a doctorate entitled 'Veterinary training and veterinary work: a female perspective, 1919-2000.'
This will look at the shift in women's expectations, experiences, professional networks and career trajectories, and examine how and why certain veterinary activities came to be regarded as suitable (or unsuitable) work for women. In the course of this research the personal collections of two prominent members of the veterinary profession, Connie Ford and Olga Uvarov, will also be catalogued, to make these papers more accessible to both professional researchers and more generalist readers.
Clare Boulton, RCVS Charitable Trust Librarian and the Trust's project supervisor said: "This exciting project is an opportunity to really use the archival material held by the RCVS Charitable Trust Library, interview transcripts and surveys, to describe and analyse the educational and work experiences of successive generations of female British vets. It's great to be able to work with other academic institutions on a project of this nature so we can share expertise - and make the most of the research findings."
The research will be carried out by Julie Hipperson, who holds an MA in Modern History from King's College London, and whose interests include women in the professions in the twentieth century, and rural environments and communities. She said: "I hope new insights will be gained into the most famous of veterinary female pioneers.
"More than this, however, I will be looking at the mainstream of female vets, their aspirations, motivations and achievements since 1919, and also the obstacles they encountered, in order to contextualise the 'feminisation' of the profession. This is a sizeable challenge, but one which I hope will be invaluable not only to the veterinary profession, but also to understand more fully women in the professions throughout the twentieth century."
More information can be found on the Trust's website http://trust.rcvs.org.uk/pioneers-and-professionals/ and on Julie's 'Pioneers and Professionals' blog at http://pioneersandprofessionals.wordpress.com/
Supreme Petfoods has announced that Think Rabbit Fortnight, a campaign to help practices engage with rabbit owners, will run from Monday 21st May to Friday 1st June.
Practices can decide how much they wish to participate in the campaign and can opt to receive goodie bags, a 'Think Rabbit' manual detailing how the practice can be more rabbit-friendly, or take the 'Small Furry' Promise.
The event is being backed by RCVS Exotics Specialist, Molly Varga. She said: "I'd encourage all practices to take part in Think Rabbit Fortnight to help improve the health and welfare of the nation's rabbits."
Supreme says that practices which take part in the Think Rabbit Campaign will also have the opportunity to sign up for Level 1 of its 'Better for Bunnies, Better for Business' programme, which it says can double turnover derived from rabbits through an increase in new clients, average visit transaction spend and attendance rates of existing clients.*
Claire Hamblion, Marketing Manager at Supreme says she hopes that it will really encourage practices to focus on how they can develop protocols and routines that will remove barriers to rabbit owners seeking healthcare advice and presenting their pet for treatment.
Binky - voted Britain's Cutest Bunny - will play a starring role in the Think Rabbit campaign to attract the attention of rabbit owners who will also be asked to nominate their rabbit as a VIP (Very Important Pet). Claire said: "Our VIP won't necessarily be the most prettiest, fastest or cleverest bunny but one that has special qualities in the eyes of its owner. I hope vets and nurses will help spread the word and maybe even nominate some very important patients."
To sign up for Think Rabbit Fortnight, visit www.supremepetfoods.com/thinkrabbit, email thinkrabbit@companionconsultancy.com, or telephone 01284 761107.
*Supreme - Better for Bunnies, Better for business programme, Onswitch March 2012
Veterinary scientist, Dr Alex German and veterinary nurse, Shelley Holden are joining presenter and vet, Mark Evans in a new Channel Four series exploring the secret life of dogs, the first of which airs tonight at 8:00pm.
The three-part series looks at how people's lives and those of their dogs have radically changed in the last 50 years.
Using hidden cameras, episode one investigates how dogs gain weight when their owners are not present or out at work, as well as what research is being done to understand the UK's obesity epidemic in dogs and cats.
Alex, who is head of the University's Weight Management Clinic, said: "Obesity is common in dogs and can lead to a range of illnesses and diseases.
"Although treatment for weight loss has been in existence for some time it has not been without its problems, and owners, with busy lives, can find it difficult to even understand how their dog has gained weight in the first place.
"By showing what dogs get up to out of their owner's sight, this programme explores how understanding our animals' behaviour and habits can help in producing a healthy diet and exercise regime."
Dr German has also contributed to the Channel Four website, which provides information for owners and access to case studies: http://dogs.channel4.com/fat-dogs/
The company says the challenge has been developed on the basis of recent research which found that despite 74% of vet-visiting pet owners believing in the value of preventative healthcare, more than half of active pet owners currently don’t see the vet as their primary source of information regarding pet health. Furthermore, those pet owners that fail to return for an annual preventative health consultation often cited their pet being healthy as the main reason.
The new scheme focuses on driving client compliance and footfall by developing the partnership between the vet and pet owner. MSD says it takes a more holistic approach to the relationship, focusing on the vet practice as the primary source of advice and information on all aspects of pet healthcare and wellbeing, whether the pet is healthy or sick.
Practices that register with their MSD Animal Health account manager will receive a toolkit to support their whole team in positioning the practice as a centre for expertise on preventative healthcare and wellbeing.
Caroline Darouj, Nobivac Brand Manager at MSD Animal Health said: :This Challenge is a step-change in terms of our work with vets and support for the practice-pet owner partnership. We are focusing on encouraging communications that highlight the value of the preventative healthcare visit going beyond the obvious benefits of vaccination and parasite control.
"We have recently heard in the news how by just having a conversation about obesity medical practitioners can be an effective catalyst for positive change with patients. It is our belief that changing the conversation and focusing on preventative health has the potential to create positive outcomes in pet health and wellbeing, as well as owner satisfaction and business outcomes."
MSD says the challenge goes beyond the important and widely recognised aspects of preventative healthcare such as vaccination, worming and ectoparasite control to embrace five principal wellbeing needs around care and companionship, feeding, the pet’s environmental, behavioural and preventative health needs. The toolkit will aim to increase the pet owner’s understanding of the value and benefit of annual preventative healthcare visits and develop the level of client engagement with practice staff.
Practices interested in further details should contact their MSD Animal Health Account Manager or call MSD Animal Health on +44 (0) 1908 685 556.
New statistics from the Voice of the Veterinary Profession Spring 2022 survey showed that while veterinary work is often seen as a vocation, 77% of vets list pay among their top five priorities when choosing a job.
Other deciding factors include geographical location (74%), area of practice (62%), low staff turnover (45%) and structured career progression (28%).
However only 42% of vets who responded to the survey considered their pay and benefits to be either ‘good’, ‘very good’, or ‘excellent’.
BVA President Malcolm Morley, said: “Fair, transparent and equal pay is one of the keystones of good veterinary workplaces.
"Whether you’re an employee, a manager or an employer, it’s vital that everyone feels confident that their workplace approaches pay in a clear and consistent way.
"This isn’t about paying everyone more; it’s about using objective criteria and transparent pay scales to ensure the whole team understands how decisions about reward and recognition are made and what they can do to access higher pay.”
The new resource, created for BVA members as part of its Good Veterinary Workplaces campaign, includes information for veterinary employers on the benefits a clear pay structure can bring for the whole team.
It demonstrates the positive impact transparency around reward and recognition can have on employee fulfilment and retention, and outlines the legal requirements of employers to ensure that pay is equitable.
It also offers tips for employees and managers for approaching conversations about pay and emphasises the importance of considering ‘total reward’ during these conversations.
Total reward is the entire sum of a job’s offering including, but not limited to, salary, commission structure, benefits package, CPD, work/life balance, promotion opportunities, travel expenses, accommodation, and so on.
Malcolm added: “We know that pay can be a fraught, and even somewhat taboo, subject but it is one that we all have a responsibility to tackle if we want to ensure that veterinary professionals are fairly rewarded for their work.
"We hope that this new guide will support all our members and equip them with the knowledge required to ensure they can confidently navigate conversations about pay.”
https://www.bva.co.uk/talking-pay
The Linnaeus OAPC initiative was launched in 2021 and originally allocated £30K for 2022.
However, that figure was doubled after the company received a growing number of high quality submissions.
33 papers were accepted for funding in 2022, of which 24 have so far been published and the remainder are undergoing peer review.
The authors comprise clinicians, specialists, residents and interns across nine referral and primary care sites within the group.
The OAPC was introduced by Professor Luisa De Risio, Clinical Research & Excellence Director at Linnaeus (pictured right).
She said: “By making clinical research open access, we can ensure it makes the widest possible impact – while also supporting the author’s profile and career development.
"We are continuing to offer OAPC funding to our associates in 2023 and look forward to seeing the fantastic research published as a result.”
The new oncology department has a dedicated chemotherapy room, access to a variety of chemotherapy drugs and a fully equipped operating theatre – offering soft tissue and orthopaedic surgery services for surgical oncology cases.
The department also has access to high frequency ocular ultrasound, magnetic resonance (MRI), and computed tomography (CT) scan equipment.
The service will be led by residency-trained clinician in Small Animal Oncology, Nina Vigevani DVM MRCVS.
She graduated in 2019 from the University of Milan, completed a rotating internship and worked in general practice in Milan, before moving to the UK to start on an oncology internship at a referral practice in the South of England.
Prior to moving to Chestergates, she completed her Residency in Small Animal Oncology at the University of Liverpool.
To refer a case: https://chestergates.org.uk/referral-services.
CVS Group has announced record half-year pre-tax profits of £1.9m, indicating the robustness of the veterinary sector in harsh economic conditions.
Like-for-like sales were up 2.3% in the first half. However, according to a report in the Daily Telegraph, the company has said revenue from sales of inessentials like preventative flea control may yet fall.
BCF has launched a new operating lease scheme to make it easier for veterinary practices to afford the latest ultrasound and x-ray digital imaging systems.
According to the company, only one scan per week will cover the cost of leasing a system. BCF provides a range of training options to help practices offer imaging services to clients and increase revenue.
Practices pay a fixed monthly payment with no capital outlay. After 3 years they can upgrade to a new system or return the system to BCF. Service and maintenance cover can also be included in the monthly payment to avoid unexpected service or maintenance bills.
For more information call 01506 460023, email info@bcftechnology.com or visit http://www.bcftechnology.com/
Virbac has announced the launch of what it describes as an affordable ciclosporin for the treatment of canine atopic dermatitis.
Called Cyclavance, the new product will make its debut at the London Vet Show (Nov 20th/21st at London Olympia).
Cyclavance is presented in a liquid formulation for precise dosing, in a container with a new 'AdaptaCap' designed to ensure leak proof dispensing and give the product a 6 month shelf life after being broached. Cyclavance is offered in four size presentations - 5 ml, 15 ml, 30 ml and 50 ml - to give practices maximum flexibility in its use.
Sarah Walker MRCVS, Product Manager, said: "Atopic dogs present at practices across the country on a daily basis. It is a challenging condition which can be hard to treat successfully because owner compliance is so important. By offering Cyclavance at a great price to give greater appeal, allowing a wider scope of use, and with innovative features, such as the unique AdaptaCap, we aim to help practices achieve better outcomes for their patients and increase the number of clients it is available to.
John said: "This is a great opportunity to raise awareness for what is a very serious problem in our profession - we all know someone within the veterinary community who has had mental health problems - and I am very proud that it is a strong community trying to tackle this issue.
"But it is not just about one day – we can’t forget about it for the rest of the year. We all live extremely busy lives and if we are not functioning as people, we are not going to function as professionals."
John says veterinary professionals must take a balanced and holistic view of their lives and develop strong teams at local, regional, national and even international level, to build resilience in dealing with stress and dispelling the stigma about mental illness that may prevent people seeking help.
Mental ill-health will affect one in four people over the next 12 months[i] and in England, one in six people experience a common mental health problem (such as anxiety and depression) in any given week[ii]. There are particular issues within the veterinary profession, with higher than average rates of suicide, and patterns of distress, anxiety and depression, among other illnesses.
The BSAVA will launch a new ‘Beyond the Clinics’ personal development stream at Congress next April, including a non-clinical series of lectures on physical and mental health, and, with RCVS, it hosts a series of Mind Matters CPD courses across all 12 regions – all of which were sold out in 2016.
John added: "I’m looking forward to inviting colleagues to Beyond The Clinics on the Sunday of Congress, which is a great opportunity for the whole profession to think more deeply about how we look after each other, by increasing knowledge about mental wellbeing, building resilience in dealing with stress and dispelling the stigma about mental illness that may prevent people seeking help.
"I’m also very proud of the BSAVA’s involvement in the Mind Matters initiative, set up by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. All 12 of our regions hosted sold out courses during 2016, which is part of the profession’s response to research showing that the stress of working in modern veterinary practices has taken a heavy toll on the mental wellbeing of many staff."
Limited places are available for the BSAVA’s Mind Matters regional meetings – more information is available at www.bsava.com/Education/CPD/Mind-Matters
The meetings provide training for all members of the practice team to help them recognise any signs of mental problems in their colleagues – and, perhaps, in themselves. The training aims to help individuals know how to communicate with people they are concerned about and offers tips on stress management and staying well.
John, who has suffered mental health difficulties himself, says it is important to reach out and respond as a profession to this serious problem.
"My main advice is to be aware of others, be supportive, understand and appreciate them, notice when someone isn’t acting normally, and also remember that you are in a team together with people to talk to and you should do that. You can’t take stress away completely but you can’t put everything on the practice owner, this is a whole team responsibility – upwards, sidewards and downwards."
References
The three companies will now offer their services, which include marketing strategy, brand management, search engine marketing, online advertising, email marketing, webchat, social media copywriting, graphic design and web design under the VetsDigital brand.
Sarah Spinks, Managing Director of VetsDigital, said: "In the pursuit of better animal welfare, we empower animal owners, and bridge the gap between the veterinary professional and the pet parent using the most effective digital channels.
“As one combined company, we become Europe’s leading digital agency that specialises in the veterinary sector. With our current presence in 11 countries, we’ll be able to further develop our network whilst still providing our clients with the same personal service they’ve come to expect and deserve.”
Marcelo Alves, Managing Director of Vet Inflow, will move into the role of Managing Partner for Portugal and Spain at VetsDigital, as the company expands to have bases in both the UK and Portugal.
Will Stirling, who becomes a Managing Partner at VetsDigital, bringing with him 14 years of experience marketing in the veterinary industry, having previously worked with veterinary group YourVets and CVS, said: "The veterinary industry is buzzing with growth and renewal as many parts of veterinary marketing and management move into the digital realm. It’s the perfect time to combine the talents of our 3 teams, so that together we can offer industry-leading digital marketing services to veterinary businesses across the UK and Europe.
For more information, visit: https://vetsdigital.com
Ceva Animal Health has launched Hepaticare, a new liver support supplement for cats and dogs.
The company says Hepaticare contains the same high quality ingredients as Hepatosyl, but is now enhanced with micro-encapsulated SAMe to enhance product stability and patient acceptance.
Hepaticare contains the antioxidants of S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe), vitamin E and silybin to help maintain liver function, and vitamin K to support the normal blood clotting process. Ceva says these ingredients help neutralise damaging free radicals produced by the liver during times of stress, while the SAMe has been micro-encapsulated to enhance stability, reduce any bitter aftertaste and increase patient acceptance.
Hepaticare capsules can be given whole or opened and sprinkled onto, or mixed with, food.
Rob McLintock, companion animal business unit manager at Ceva Animal Health, said: “Following a change in supplier we have taken the opportunity to launch a new liver support supplement, ensuring that the new and improved product, Hepaticare, is as effective and as easy to administer as possible.”
Hepaticare pack sizes and pricing will remain the same as for Ceva’s Hepatosyl. Until the end of September, Hepaticare will be available on a buy one get one free offer.
For further information, contact your local Ceva territory manager or phone 01494 781510.
At the outset of the hearing, Ms Giles admitted that between 1 August 2012 and 21 June 2016 she had failed to respond to reasonable requests from the RCVS to share her CPD records – these requests amounted to 11 letters, two emails and three telephone calls. Of these attempts to contact Ms Giles, she responded to just one email. This was in May 2016 in which she issued an apology (and an explanation that she had moved address) and offered to provide certificates proving that she had undertaken CPD – despite the fact that no such evidence could in fact be produced.
During the proceedings the RCVS asserted that Ms Giles had failed to comply with several crucial aspects of the Code of Professional Conduct for Veterinary Nurses – namely that all members of the profession are expected to undertake at least 45 hours of CPD over a rolling three-year period in order to keep their professional skills and competences up-to-date, that these CPD records should be provided upon request and that members of the profession must comply with reasonable requests from the RCVS.
In her evidence Ms Giles said that she knew she should have responded to these requests but admitted that she did not originally regard the requests as important and thought that the matter would 'go away' if she did not respond. When it became clear that this was not the case she said she found it difficult to face up to her obligations. She also admitted that her failures to respond were unprofessional and that she now has an appreciation of the importance of undertaking CPD in terms of keeping up with changing practices and advances in veterinary and nursing practice.
Having found the charges against her proved and finding her guilty of disgraceful conduct, the Committee then considered its sanction against Ms Giles. The Committee took into account the seriousness of Ms Giles' failings in that she made repeated decisions not to comply with requests from the RCVS over a protracted period of four years.
Professor Alistair Barr, chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: "Your failures show, inevitably, a disregard for the regulatory responsibilities of the RCVS to police veterinary nurses' obligations to fulfil their CPD requirements."
He added: "The RCVS can only seek to ensure compliance with those obligations at one step removed, namely by requesting information from its registrants that they have complied with their CPD obligations. They are in this respect, therefore, heavily dependent on the cooperation of registrants to provide full, honest and prompt responses to their reasonable requests for confirmation of their compliance. It is that which has been sorely absent in this case."
The Committee heard mitigating evidence on behalf of Ms Giles including witness statements and letters from current and former colleagues which complimented her communication skills with work colleagues and animal owners and in which it was accepted that she is a "valued member of the veterinary nursing profession."
The Committee also recognised that she had shown insight into her failings, that she had not attempted to excuse the failures to respond to the RCVS and had been making efforts to keep records of her CPD.
However, the Committee decided that a suspension from the Register would be the most appropriate sanction. Professor Barr said: "The mitigation that has been advanced on your behalf has been considered by the Committee and that has served to reduce the period of suspension that a bare account of the facts pertaining to the charge laid against you might suggest is appropriate.
"In the result that mitigation has persuaded us that we would be acting consistently with our public duty by imposing a period of suspension of two months. In imposing that sanction we have noted the evidence as to your professional competence and your other professional qualities. The Committee trusts, therefore, that once you have served your period of suspension you will return to the practice which you say you love."
With the profession currently suffering a staffing crisis, some now question the ability of the profession to provide a blanket OOH service, and whether it should remain a requirement for all practices.
A logical first step, however, might be to discover just what percentage of OOH calls really are genuine emergencies, and how many are simply the result of society's increasing demands for a 24 hour service, not just from the veterinary profession. Hence the survey.
The question is open to veterinary surgeons and nurses working in general practice only.
https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/6495987/Out-Of-Hours
Participating practices will learn about dental disease pathophysiology and diagnosis, gain insights in pet owner behaviour and learn how to increase client engagement while implementing a dental home care plan.
Animalcare has also made available free social media packs and waiting room materials to help educate clients on pet dental health.
Will Peel, Marketing Manager at Animalcare said: ‘We know that UK veterinary surgeons consider dental disorders to be one of the most important health related welfare issues currently affecting UK dogs.
"We’ve introduced our CPD sessions to help the entire veterinary team learn more about dental disease and to help them educate their clients about implementing an at home dental regime which works for them and their pets.'
To book your Lunch and Learn or request a social media pack and other materials, contact your local Animalcare territory manager or email animalcare@animalcare.co.uk.