Veterinary practices are being urged to raise awareness of summer skin conditions, such as sweet itch, following research carried out by Elanco Companion Animal Health, distributor of Cavalesse, which revealed that vets only tend to be consulted after horse owners have tried to manage the condition themselves (73%), or if the clinical signs have become severe (67%), potentially leading to major welfare implications.

According to the research, this is despite the fact that over half (55%) of owners of a horse with sweet itch showed concern that their horse will suffer, and nearly half being stressed about the way the condition will affect it (47%).  While many horse owners are fairly knowledgeable about the causes of sweet itch and its clinical signs, over a quarter of respondents (26%) did not start managing the condition before the midge season in the spring, which may make managing the condition more frustrating.  Nearly a third (31%) stated that they had to curtail their activities with their horse due to welfare, aesthetic and behavioural issues, such as head shaking, rubbing, unpredictability and aggression.

Ed Whittle, technical consultant at Elanco Companion Animal Health said: "86% of those questioned considered sweet itch to be a very serious welfare issue if left untreated, with the worst aspects of the condition being the suffering and distress caused by the constant irritation which affects the quality of life of the horse. Over half (55%) felt that sweet itch had adversely affected the behaviour of their horse, making them difficult to handle or ride. Veterinary practices should be proactively talking to their clients about summer skin conditions such as sweet itch to help alleviate the suffering and distress caused by this frustrating disease."

Elanco says it will be joining forces with the British Horse Society (BHS), The Blue Cross, The Horse Trust, Redwings Horse Sanctuary and World Horse Welfare (WHW) to raise awareness of summer skin conditions, such as sweet itch, during Sweet Itch Awareness Month (SIAM) in March. The campaign will highlight the preventative measures that should be carried out to help alleviate sweet itch and the importance of management of the condition before the start of the midge season in the spring.

Lee Hackett, head of welfare at the BHS, said: "The results of this survey show just how important raising awareness of sweet itch is. All of us, whether we are welfare organisations or vets, need to play our part in educating owners about sweet itch in the hope that they will seek expert advice at an earlier stage and reduce the number of horses that suffer as a result of this condition."

Kerry Taylor, education officer at The Blue Cross, said: "The Blue Cross is pleased to be supporting the sweet itch campaign to raise awareness of the physical and mental impact this condition has on horses. During our May 2011 National Equine Health Survey, skin problems came out the top syndrome affecting horses, and we continue to see many horses coming into our care suffering from sweet itch. Prevention and early treatment is key to managing the potentially debilitating condition."

For further information on sweet itch, Sweet Itch Awareness Month or Cavalesse, please visit http://www.fidavet.com/, or contact Elanco Companion Animal Health, Lilly House, Priestley Road, Basingstoke, RG24 9NL, 01256 353131.

Reference

Sweet itch - effect on horse and owner.  Mo Gannon & Associates.  Web survey in November 2011.  351 responses - owners who have owned horses with sweet itch in the last two years.

The Veterinary Management Group has published new research which found that 92% of those newly promoted to leadership roles in the veterinary profession rate their own leadership skills as only ‘basic’.

606 veterinary professionals took part in the research, mostly Practice Managers (34%), Head Nurses (23%) Head Vets (22%) and Administrators (9%)

Of all the respondents, which included those newly-promoted, early career, middle management, senior management and principal leaders, 33% of respondents described their competence as ‘intermediate’, 47% as intermediate, 18% as 'advanced' and only 2% as ‘expert’.

The VMG says its report raises fresh concerns about the preparedness of those tasked with steering veterinary teams through an increasingly complex and demanding landscape.

Rebecca Robinson MRCVS (pictured), incoming VMG President, said: “This year’s report again highlights the urgent need to equip both current and future leaders with the skills and support they need to thrive.

"While there are encouraging signs of progress, we must act with greater urgency as a profession to embed leadership development at every level - especially for those stepping into leadership roles for the first time."

“We encourage all members of the veterinary team to invest in developing their communication and influencing skills well before they take on leadership roles.

"Gaining experience in these areas early on will better prepare them for the demands of leadership and empower them to take charge of their career journeys.

“We also call on employers to make leadership development a priority."

The VMG offers a range of Institute of Leadership and Management-accredited qualifications – the Award, Certificate and Diploma in Veterinary Leadership and Management.

https://vetmg.com/qualifications/cvlm/ 

The RCVS is to hold a series of in-person and virtual question times, starting this autumn.

The sessions will allow members of the profession to find out about upcoming College projects and put questions to the RCVS Officer Team, RCVS Council members and senior staff, in a friendly, informal atmosphere.

The first event is taking place at the Hilton Glasgow on William Street at 6:30pm, where there'll be supper and drinks before the main event at 7:30pm, when RCVS President Melissa Donald, RCVS Treasurer Niall Connell, RCVS Senior Vice-President Kate Richards, Junior Vice-President Sue Paterson, VN Council Chair Matthew Rendle, RCVS Registrar Eleanor Ferguson and RCVS CEO Lizzie Lockett will update everyone on College activities and take questions. 

The College says that the topics for discussion will be up to the audience but are likely to include workforce issues, the review of RCVS guidance on under care, proposals for legislative reform, VetGDP and the future of extra-mural studies.

Melissa said: “In my opening speech as RCVS President I said that one of the key missions of my presidential year was to talk – and especially listen – to as many members of the professions as I possibly can.

“Relaunching our question time programme after a hiatus will give me the opportunity to do exactly this, as well as giving members of the professions that all-important opportunity to put their questions and concerns directly to us.

"We might not be able to address every problem, but these events give an excellent opportunity for vets and nurses to raise issues, forge connections with their peers and work together to find solutions.

“I hope that many of you will be able to come to our first in-person event in Glasgow but we will also be holding these question times virtually in the future for those people who may struggle to make it to these evening events.

"Rest assured – if you want to be heard, we will find a way to listen.”

The next in-person event is due to take place in Nottingham in January 2023 while the first virtual question time will take place in November 2022.

To register for the Glasgow event visit: tinyurl.com/22pem3d6

The National Office of Animal Health has issued a statement criticising the All Party Parliamentary Group on Antibiotics report: "Non-human uses of antibiotics: time to restrict their use?”, saying it fails to recognise the steps that have already been taken by vets and farmers to prevent disease and minimise antibiotic use on farms where possible.  

NOAH chief executive Dawn Howard said: "NOAH fully supports the need for responsible prescribing, by both the veterinary and medical professions.

"On the veterinary side, NOAH has been very actively involved with responsible use initiatives, such as the RUMA Alliance, which publishes guidelines supporting responsible use and has produced an action plan on livestock antibiotic resistance to implement Government strategy.“

NOAH highlights two particular aspects of the report. Firstly that it is critical of the treatment of groups of animals through medicated feed and water. 

Dawn said: "There are many animal-friendly reasons why medicines can be prescribed in this way by a veterinary surgeon.

"For groups of animals, fish or birds there is less stress than injection or individual oral dosing. Where treatment is needed, the vet supplies a prescription for treatment through medicated feed or through the water, depending on the product being used. The whole process is highly regulated through European and national legislation."

The report also suggests certain classes of antibiotics should be reserved for humans. NOAH says it believes that veterinary surgeons need to retain the full range of currently licensed antibiotics in order to be able to treat the range of conditions that affect animals, and if they are restricted, animal welfare will undoubtedly suffer.

NOAH adds that removal of some classes from the veterinary sector would place undue selective pressure on the remaining classes which could increase resistance to those classes – having the opposite effect to what the committee probably intends.

Dawn said: “NOAH is disappointed not to have been consulted in advance of the publication of the report. We believe that responsible use of veterinary antibiotics is the best way to help preserve these precious medicines for us all, without compromising the health and welfare of our animals.”

Intervet / Schering Plough Animal Health has launched Leventa, an easily administered once daily, liquid treatment for canine hypothyroidism. 

Leventa is a low volume liquid formulation of levothyroxine sodium which provides the thyroxine needed by dogs with hypothyroidism. The company says it is readily accepted.

Until now, thyroxine has only been available in a tablet format. Leventa comes in a single presentation 30 ml bottle with a dosing syringe suitable for all weights of dogs, allowing straightforward storage and stock control.

Leventa enables accurate dosing and easy dose titration. The ready-to-dispense pack avoids time-consuming tablet dispensing and handling of medications.

In addition to the practical compliance benefits of the liquid format, Intervet / Schering Plough says Leventa also offers excellent bio-availability¹.  In trials, 79% of dogs stabilised on the once daily starting dose of 20g/kg avoiding lengthy stabilisation². 

Vicki Winslet, Veterinary Advisor at Intervet / Schering Plough said: "One of the greatest challenges faced by vets for effective treatment is owner compliance. Leventa overcomes this issue with a simple syringe dose replacing the need for tablets of varying sizes and quantities." 

One of the most common endocrine disorders in dogs but difficult to diagnose, hypothyroidism can lead to a variety of issues including weight gain, lethargy and coat problems (including dullness, loss or thinning). It can also cause insulin resistance in diabetic dogs.

The launch of Leventa further extends Intervet / Schering Plough's endocrine portfolio which includes Caninsulin, developed for the treatment of diabetes in small animals and Vidalta, a once daily treatment for hyperthyroidism in cats which is already proving extremely popular with the profession.

For further information, please contact your Intervet/Schering-Plough account manager or telephone the company's Veterinary Support Group on 01908 685685.

1. Le Traon G, Burgaud S, Horspool LJ. (2008) Pharmacokinetics of total thyroxine in dogs after administration of an oral solution of levothyroxine sodium. J Vet Pharmacol Ther 31:95-101.
2. Gommeren K, Benchekroun G, Brennan S.F, Burgaud S, Daminet S, Horspool L.J.I, Le Traon G, Rosenberg D, Mooney C.T (2008) A novel L-thyroxine solution is a safe and effective once daily treatment for canine hypothyroidism.  In:Proceedings BSAVA congress 2008 , 3-6 April Birmingham, UK pp487-488

Virbac Animal Health has launched an extra small version of its VeggieDent dental chews for dogs weighing less than 5kg. 

Research commissioned by the company shows that 9% of all dogs in the UK weigh less than 5kg¹ and that periodontal disease is over-represented in this group².

According to the Kennel Club, celebrity culture is boosting the popularity of small breeds. Apparently there was a 25% increase in Kennel Club registrations of Chihuahuas in 2011, following publicity about Paris Hilton and her Chihuahua. Virbac says numbers of other small miniature breeds such as pugs are also growing rapidly.

Virbac says VeggieDent chews are designed to work with the animal's chewing action, 100% vegetable, highly palatable and feature a special design to increase chewing time. A recent study³ showed that a daily XS VeggieDent reduced halitosis as well as significantly reducing gingivitis, plaque, and tartar accumulation.

Chris Geddes MRCVS, Product Manager at Virbac said:  "With growing numbers of very small dogs in the UK, we wanted to produce a chew which was exactly the right size for them.

VeggieDent Chews are already popular among dog owners because they are a nutritious and palatable plaque control aid, minimising tartar build up and improving breath odour.  With the launch of the extra small size, we now offer the perfect chew for every size of dog."

For further information, contact your Territory Manager or call Head Office on 01359 243243.

References:

1. TNS Sofres survey conducted for Virbac October 2011
2. Hoffman TH, Gaengler P. Clinical and pathomorphological investigation of spontaneously-occurring periodontal disease in dogs. Journal of Small Animal Practice 1996; 37: 471-479.
3. Clarke DE, Kelman M, Perkins N. Effectiveness of a vegetable dental chew on periodontal disease parameters in toy breed dogs. Journal of Veterinary Dentistry. 2011; 4: 230-235.

This week, the RCVS will be sending every veterinary surgeon its Survey of the Profession, designed amongst other things to help the College and other organisations prioritise the issues they tackle and the support they offer.

The survey is conducted every four to five years and asks vets to answer questions about a variety of subjects including demographic data (for example, socio-economic background, educational attainment, race/ethnicity, disability), work-related data (for example, employment status, location of workplace, type of workplace, hours of work, position in practice) and information about professional achievement (for example, hours of continuing professional development (CPD) undertaken and extra qualifications earned).

The survey, which is conducted on the College’s behalf by the Institute for Employment Studies, also ask respondents about their views on different aspects of their profession, including career plans, challenges facing the profession, and wellbeing. 

This year, the survey also asks for your view of the RCVS, including its values, how it should communicate, and what it should prioritise in future years.

Lizzie Lockett, RCVS CEO (pictured right), said: "The results of the Surveys form a very important ‘snapshot’ of the profession at a given point in time, but they also prove useful for years to come in terms of how the College develops its regulatory and educational policy, the areas it chooses to focus on and the issues it chooses to tackle. 

"The ensuing reports are also used by a myriad of other individuals, such as those in academia, government and representative bodies, as well as journalists. It’s therefore really important that we have as accurate a picture as possible. So although completing the Surveys is entirely voluntary, we strongly encourage members of the professions to take the time to complete them. It will, ultimately, help the development of appropriate and supportive policies for your profession."

In addition to the main survey, there will be an additional survey for MsRCVS who practise overseas. This survey aims to better understand why they continue to retain their MRCVS status, what this status means in the countries in which they work, global attitudes towards the RCVS and how the College could improve its communication with them.

At BSAVA’s Congress 2023 (Manchester Central on 23rd-25th March 2023), Andy Green, People Director at Pennard Vets in Kent, and Helen Silver-MacMahon RVN, VN Research and Development Director at VetLed will be presenting a talk about leadership and time management, in particular how nurses may hold the key to a harmonious practice.

Andy said: “High functioning practices, revolve around the nurses. Naturally, they are a communication hub.

"It makes sense to recognise the essential role they play and develop a nurse-centric structure.”

“Start by making sure you’ve enough nurses and look at how the rota is set up.

"Ensure everyone understands the practice’s vision and mission, as well as the shared values and the behaviours which demonstrate those values.

“When there’s alignment between individual and organisational goals and values, you all naturally pull in the same direction.

“Then it’s about how the day is set up and who runs each part.

"In our practice, the nurse is responsible for the running order, for allocating who’s doing what and making sure everyone understands their roles, and liaising with the vets.

"It’s about ‘working in flow’.”

Helen (pictured right) says empowering nurses is as much about how the team interacts, as its structure: “Like anyone else, nurses need to be acknowledged and have a psychologically safe space to discuss ideas and challenges.

“We can all build trust by being curious and asking lots of different questions.

"Experienced team members need to be fallible and humble, setting the scene so that everyone in the team has voice.

"Ideas should be expected, and welcomed – after all, the outcome of a patient is rarely due to just one person’s expertise.”

She added: “Where nurses’ contribution and potential are recognised, and the hierarchy is shallowed, they make incredible leaders."

“At BSAVA Congress 2023, I’ll be speaking about delegation.

"As leaders we feel we have to ‘own’ tasks and that inevitably means doing it ourselves.

"But that’s not always the best option.

"It can leave leaders feeling overwhelmed, whereas delegating tasks can empower others, build resilience within the team and help with retention.

“Small practices often have that traditional command and control structure – it’s the classic triangle, where the owner sits at the top with others underneath.

"Broadening that hierarchy is both possible and practical.

"Leverage the talent on the team, grow it, develop it and you’ll be nurturing next level of the leaders.”

Andy says he has sometimes found it a challenge to let go: “Like many vets, I used to be a bit of a control freak and had to consciously learn to delegate.

"It’s accepting that others may do it differently, and at first, not as well or as quickly as you.

"The temptation is do it yourself but it immediately blocks others from learning the skill and hampers growth within the team.”

Helen says that when considering promoting anyone into a leadership position, it is important to remember that it isn’t always an innate skill. 

“Often, nurses become experts clinically, and then get asked to become leaders in that area.

"This is difficult for some people.

"They feel they should be able to do it, but have had very little training on the subject, don’t have the knowledge or skills and therefore feel unsupported in their role.”

"As the pressure mounts, stress levels rise and it starts to impact on their wellbeing, potentially great leaders step down.

“When this happens everyone loses, and is why I’m so passionate about leadership training.”

www.bsavaevents.com/bsavacongress2023.

CM Research has announced the results of a survey conducted this month in which veterinary surgeons named Osurnia as the best new product of 2015.

290 companion animal veterinary surgeons took part in the survey, which is designed to provide veterinary surgeons with their peers’ unbiased judgement on which new veterinary products, services or devices have made the biggest impact on the industry.

The questions were unprompted to ensure that the respondents were not influenced by pre-set survey options. CM Research points to the fact that many of the products that featured in its rankings were launched before 2015, including 2nd and 3rd placed Apoquel and Bravecto, as evidence of this freedom.

The full list of products named more than once in this year's survey was:

The Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials has announced a £15,000 bursary to the Animal Health Trust. The bursary will be used to help fund the development of a rapid result blood test to identify horses infected with Strangles.

The AHT has already developed a test that can detect the disease, however the result is not known for 48 hours. The aim of the new research is to develop the test to produce a result within 10 minutes. The test, which is being developed in conjunction with Forsite Diagnostics Ltd, will be a useful tool for disease screening at sales and competitions.

"As an independent charity we receive no government funding and this bursary is extremely important to us and we are delighted to be working in partnership with The Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials on this specific project," said Dr Richard Newton of the AHT who is carrying out the research in partnership with Professor Andrew Waller. "Without this vital funding to carry out the painstaking work that will give us the confidence to launch the test, it will remain no more than a theoretical possibility."

The Bursary will be presented at this year's Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials (1- 4 September 2011) - in recognition of the 50^th Anniversary of the event.

"With increasing horse movement, not only world-wide but closer to home between competitions and livery yards, preventing the spread of disease is an increasingly important challenge facing the horse world," said Elizabeth Inman Director of the Trials. "We are delighted to be able to play a part in this challenge and hope that this anniversary bursary will help to fast-track this new test out of the laboratory and into the field and thereby help reduce the spread of what is a horrible disease for horses and owners." 

BSAVA Congress was invaded by Orangemen this year to promote the Vet Charity Challenge (VCC) taking place on 15^th September 2012.

Veterinary surgeons and industry colleagues are being encouraged to take part in the one day event in which teams of four will complete a series of physical tasks and puzzle-solving challenges. Teams can choose their own routes which include walking / running, cycling and kayaking stages and can make it as easy or hard as they like.

The Vet Charity Challenge is hoping to raise in excess of £20,000 for Hounds for Heroes; SPANA, and Pet Blood Bank. VCC says it will be a great PR opportunity for practices and an opportunity for team-building.

The event will take place at the Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester and all details may be found on www.vetcharitychallenge.co.uk or by phoning 01727 859259. The VCC will provide training guidelines and sponsorship forms. Places are limited so early booking is advisable. To be sure of a place, practices and business are urged to book their team of four by the deadline of Friday 29^th June 2012.

The Vet Charity Challenge is sponsored by BCF Technology, Kruuse UK Ltd and Vets2.net and is supported by the VPMA, Mojo Consultancy and JCA Media Group.

Zoetis has produced new guidance to help veterinary surgeons develop successful strategies for controlling worms in foals and youngstock.

According to the company, information on best worming strategies for foals and yearlings remains largely anecdotal, making it difficult to develop a clear plan for this age group. Zoetis veterinary surgeon Wendy Talbot has therefore reviewed the recent literature to develop an eight-point plan. 

Explaining the guidance, Wendy writes:

Foals and yearlings are usually more susceptible to worms than are adult horses because they have had little chance to develop any immunity. They are more vulnerable to related diseases and tend to have higher egg shedding, which increases the risk of infection. The main parasitic culprits in the UK for foals less than six months of age are large roundworms (ascarids). In older foals and weanlings, small and large strongyles, tapeworms (and pinworms) are the main considerations.¹ Yearlings may also have a second wave of large roundworm infection at 8-10 months of age.² Any control strategy will need to take into account the individual circumstances such as stocking density, pasture management and previous disease history.

Guidelines for parasite control in foals suggest a first treatment with fenbendazole at 2-3 months of age, targeting large roundworm, followed by another treatment at 5-6 months. Alternatively, pyrantel may be considered for these doses; however, there may be resistance in some areas and foals with large adult ascarid burdens may be at higher risk of intestinal rupture when this drug is used.⁴ At weaning (approximately six months of age), it is advisable to perform a faecal worm egg count (FWEC) to determine if treatment for strongyles is also required; the macrocyclic lactone anthelmintics (ivermectin or moxidectin) are expected to have the highest efficacy. At 9 and 12 months of age treatment for stronglyes and a larvicidal dose for encysted stages of small strongyles (moxidectin or a 5 day course of fenbendazole) are indicated.  A tapeworm treatment should be included with one of these doses.^2,3

For yearlings, two methods have recently been proposed for worm control: the first involves using faecal worm egg counts (FWECs) at more frequent intervals than for adults to guide dosing for strongyles in the grazing season.¹ The second suggests three baseline treatments targeting strongyles in spring, summer and late autumn, with FWECs in between to identify and treat any still shedding high numbers of eggs, up to a maximum of six treatments per year.² Macrocyclic lactones have the highest expected efficacy against small strongyles and should form the basis of treatments; however, pyrantel can be considered for some treatments where it has been shown to have continued efficacy. Both strategies include a larvcidal treatment for encysted small redworm combined with testing or treating for tapeworm in late autumn. The inclusion of one or two doses of a macrocyclic lactone each year (usually already used for small strongyle control) should be sufficient to prevent large strongyle related disease.³

The wide differences in the circumstances of foals and yearlings, together with geographical variations in resistance patterns and a lack of consensus on best practice in this group means it is not possible to define a single approach to a worming plan. An important point to note is that FWECs may give surprising results because higher counts are generally seen in youngstock.

Eight ways to keep clients' youngstock worms controlled:

1. Clean pasture is key to keeping foals and youngstock healthy. Regular removal of droppings is crucial to a successful worm control plan.
2. All foals are considered to be susceptible and at risk of acquiring ascarid infection. Some degree of anthelmintic intervention should be considered and in most circumstances administration at 2-3 months of age and again at 5-6 months of age is advisable.⁴
3. Older foals are primarily at risk of strongyle infection; macrocyclic lactone anthelmintics have the highest expected efficacy.
4. Worm egg counts are likely to be higher in yearlings compared to adults and interpretation of them requires good knowledge of all the circumstances including management, clinical history, previous worm control and test results. Cut-off values for treatment have been suggested to be between 100-500 epg.
5. Moxidectin for the treatment of encysted small redworm is advised for all youngsters (> 6 months of age) in late autumn.¹
6. Faecal worm egg counts are advisable in late winter/start of spring to identify high shedders. These should be treated as necessary with moxidectin particularly after a mild winter.¹
7. New arrivals should be dosed with moxidectin and then quarantined for three days.¹
8. A yearly faecal egg count reduction test is advised to check efficacy against strongyles and ascarids for all class of drugs used on the premises.¹

For further information on worming together with some equine specific CPD visit: https://blog.vetsupportplus.com/

1. Matthews www.vettimes.co.uk/article/helminth-control-programmes-for-equine-yearlings-at-pasture/
2. Nielsen (2017) Endoparasite Control. 9^th ECEIM congress proceedings, 63-64
3. AAEP (2016) Parasite Control Guidelines
4. Nielsen (2016) Evidence-based considerations for control of Parascaris spp. infections in horses. Equine vet. Educ.  28 (4) 224-231

Forte Healthcare Ltd, maker of Locatim, hosting “Fresh Ideas on Neonatal Passive Transfer in Calves: Implications For Scour Prophylaxis”, a free webinar presented by Dr Nicola Gladden, a European specialist in cattle practice and Farm Animal Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Nottingham Vet School, at 8pm on the 29th March 2023.

Lucy Chadwick, Head of Technical Services & Marketing at Forte Healthcare Ltd said: “Neonatal calf diarrhoea is a leading cause of death in the calf crop in the UK and Ireland.

"We are delighted to therefore offer this webinar discussing up to date information on what we can do to boost neonatal defences in the face of an NCD outbreak.

"Tune in to learn more about the importance of colostral antibodies and how the resecretion of antibodies plays a key role in gut protection.

"We will also discuss what factors can influence the effectiveness of a NCD vaccination programme and what this means for your farmers.”

You'll be able to ask questions during the event and the webinar will also be made available to watch on demand afterwards.

https://www.thewebinarvet.com/pages/forte-healthcare-register