Dechra Veterinary Products is offering CPD sessions as podcasts for the first time, as part of a new series of presentations on canine hyperadrenocorticism.

The Cushing's Challenge series, which will also be available as webcasts with supporting notes, is designed to challenge vets to update their knowledge on the syndrome.

There will be six presentations released on the company's online learning resource, The Dechra Academy, starting this month.

Dechra Veterinary Products Brand Manager, Craig Sankey said: "Although Cushing's is a common canine endocrinopathy, it can be challenging to diagnose and can mimic non-adrenal disorders. Test results can also sometimes be inconclusive which is why we've developed this series of CPD sessions to support veterinary professionals who want to update their knowledge.

"The Cushing's Challenge series will be the first time Dechra has used podcasts to deliver CPD, which can be downloaded and listened to on any MP3 player. They can also be viewed on a PC or tablet as a webcast with each of the presentations varying in length, from around 12 to 25 minutes long. By offering the presentations in both of these formats, we are able to offer flexible support to help busy veterinary professionals with CPD.

"The first episodes will focus on pathophysiology, clinical signs and routine lab tests with successive presentations released in the coming weeks. The next two in the series will cover diagnostic tests and then differentiation tests."

CPD certificates will be available at the end of the series via email.

The free-of-charge CPD is accompanied by client support materials for practices as part of Dechra's new Vetoryl campaign.

The Cushing's Challenge CPD is available at www.dechra.co.uk/academy,

Dechra is launching a double-divisible version of Vetoryl Flavoured Tablets for dogs with Cushing's.

The range will include Vetoryl 20mg, 30mg and 60mg hydrolysed chicken flavoured tablets, which can be broken into halves or quarters.

The new Vetoryl tablets will come in packs of 30 tablets, although no word from Dechra as to when they'll arrive.

Thomas Johnson, Vetoryl brand manager at Dechra, said: “We are delighted that Vetoryl Flavoured Tablets for Dogs will soon be available, which will provide vets and pets owners with easy to administer, flavoured tablets to provide additional dosing flexibility.

"This, together with our commitment to providing extensive technical support and resources, will ensure that Vetoryl continues to be the UK’s leading licensed medical treatment for Cushing’s syndrome.”

Purina has published a symposium in which leading experts share the latest on the nutritional and therapeutic management of feline chronic kidney disease (CKD).

The symposium, which offers up to 5 hours of CPD, is now available at: https://purinasymposium2022.vfairs.com/en/hall#exterior-view

In the recording, the following six experts share their knowledge:

• Tim Williams delves into the aetiopathogenesis of CKD
• Dottie Laflamme discusses dietary management
• Sarah Caney gives advice on client communication
• Jessica Quimby discusses renal ageing
• Dr Xavier Roura gives practical advice on disease management

Viewers can also download the delegate notes which provide a summary of the research explored in the talks. 

CVS is launching a New Graduate Farm Vet Exchange Programme to give young vets with up to two years’ experience the chance to spend time at another farm practice to develop their skills.

Launching this spring, CVS says it's the only programme of its type in the veterinary sector.

The programme will be open to all of CVS's young vets and will operate within all 12 of its farm practices in the England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Each CVS farm graduate vet will be able to go on an exchange in their second year of the programme and every placement will last up to two weeks.

The subject matter of each exchange will be at the direction of the graduate rather than following a specific programme, so participating graduates have the freedom to explore their own areas of interest.  

Anna Bruguera Sala, Programme Co-ordinator and vet at Alnorthumbria Farm Vets, said: “The major benefits of our new graduate exchange programme is that it is open to all young vets of different levels of experience and provides bespoke learning opportunities tailored to each individual.

"It will also create connections, so experienced colleagues can support an exchange student with their new skillset when they are back within their own practice.”

www.careerswithcvs.co.uk

The Competition and Markets Authority has confirmed that it will now launch a full market investigation into the veterinary sector, following its initial review in September 2023.

The CMA says its main concerns remain the same as it outlined in March, namely whether consumers are getting enough information to make informed decisions, whether corporatisation is stifling competition in certain areas, whether corporate groups have incentives to act in ways that reduce choice, whether pet owners might be overpaying for medicines and whether the regulatory framework is outdated 

Sarah Cardell, Chief Executive of the CMA, said: "The message from our vets work so far has been loud and clear – many pet owners and professionals have concerns that need further investigation.

"We’ve heard from people who are struggling to pay vet bills, potentially overpaying for medicines and don’t always know the best treatment options available to them.

"We also remain concerned about the potential impact of sector consolidation and the incentives for large, integrated vet groups to act in ways which reduce consumer choice.

"In March we proposed that a formal market investigation was the best route to fully explore these concerns and, if appropriate, take direct action to address them.

"That proposal has been overwhelmingly endorsed through our consultation.

"While we’re aware of acute staff shortages and difficult working conditions for vets, we consider a formal market investigation is essential to ensure good outcomes for the millions of pet owners in the UK as well as professionals working in the sector.

"The independent inquiry group will now take this investigation forward and, in the meantime, we’re publishing some tips to help pet owners better navigate vet services."

Meantime, the CMA has published 3 tips for pet owners, which are to look further than their nearest vet, to question treatment options and to consider buying medication elsewhere.

Laura Padron Vega, a veterinary surgeon who was struck off in 2018 for falsely backdating Certificates of Competence whilst working as an Official Veterinarian, has been restored to the Register by the RCVS Disciplinary Committee.

Ms Padron Vega had also been found to have failed in her duties as an OV by being unprepared for, and unaware of, new regulations. She also did not take adequate steps to ensure that the two individuals for whom she had given veterinary certification were licensed to perform slaughter in accordance with the regulations.

Ms Padron Vega originally applied for restoration in December last year, at which time the Disciplinary Committee had concerns about her keeping up-to-date with the knowledge and skills needed to return to practice, and decided to adjourn for six months to allow her to prove that it was appropriate to restore her name to the Register.

At the latest hearing, Ms Padron Vega sought to address the concerns that the Committee had raised about her professional development. In addition to the documentation she provided in her original restoration hearing, which included positive testimonials from colleagues, she provided evidence of her continuing professional development (CPD).

This included a letter from her previous employer, who confirmed she had more recently worked for them as a Certification Support Officer from February to March 2021, where they received positive feedback on her conduct.

The documentation also included a letter from another practice confirming that Ms Padron Vega had been offered a position of employment with them, and a separate letter from practice veterinary surgeon, Dr Khan MRCVS, confirming that he would be her mentor. Dr Khan also confirmed that she had been coming to the practice for work experience and he considered her to have good working knowledge of current medicines used within the practice. He further outlined in his letter what CPD support the practice would be providing for Ms Padron Vega as part of her employment with them.

An additional piece of evidence was a testimonial from Dr Max Rutana MRCVS who confirmed that Ms Padron Vega had worked unsupervised for a period of three weeks, and that he found her clinical notes during this period to be satisfactory and they received no complaints about her conduct from clients.

Ms Padron Vega also submitted CPD documentation which confirmed she has taken a Certification Support Officers’ course and examination in mid-December 2020.

In response to questions from the Committee about her small animal practice experience and how long she had been shadowing Dr Khan for, Ms Padron Vega explained that she had completed 80 hours of shadowing with Dr Khan and that in her future employment under his mentorship, he would be available to support her. She also explained that her job offer was evidence that she would continue to be trained in the relevant area of veterinary work.

Cerys Jones, chairing the Disciplinary Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: “During the hearing, we heard evidence from Dr Khan who provided reassurance of Ms Padron Vega’s continued professional development with his practice and the ongoing supervision that she would be under. He explained that the supervision would last at least three months.

“The Committee’s view is that Ms Padron Vega accepts the findings of dishonesty that were made against her at the original Inquiry hearing. In her Reflective Statement, she acknowledges that veterinarians have a professional responsibility to ensure the integrity of veterinary certification, that she is now aware that when signing documents as a veterinary surgeon they need to be approached with care and accuracy. Further she has undertaken a CPD course on this very ethical issue and has passed the examination set at the end of that course. The Committee is confident that Ms Padron Vega is unlikely to repeat the conduct which resulted in her being removed from the Register. It is the Committee’s decision that she should be restored to the Register.”

A study by the Royal Veterinary College, published in the Equine Vet Journal has revealed new insights into how strangles spreads amongst horses in the UK¹.

The authors say the research marks a significant step forward in understanding how veterinary surgeons and owners can more effectively manage and prevent outbreaks of the disease.

For the study, researchers from the RVC, the University of Cambridge, the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and Redwings Horse Sanctuary, analysed more than 500 S. equi samples from across the UK between 2016 and 2022.

In particular, they wanted to better understand the relative contribution of short-term (immediately post infection) versus long-term carriers (carriers that were infected months or years prior).

The samples were collected from clinical cases sent to diagnostic laboratories by veterinary surgeons seeking confirmation of infection.

Surplus samples were submitted to the Surveillance of Equine Strangles network and then cultured in the RVC’s research laboratory and their DNA extracted and sequenced to reveal each bacterium’s complete genetic code.

Adopting an approach that combined whole genome sequencing and epidemiological data, the researchers were able to trace how strains are related and have evolved.

With the use of computer programmes, they also tracked how genetically related strains spread between horses and across regions, over time.

By adopting this approach, the team was also able to pinpoint likely transmission events and chains of infection.

The main findings were:

• A significant and rapid change in the S. equi population structure in the UK between 2016 and 2022, suggesting that, contrary to previous assumptions, acutely infected or recently convalesced short-term carrier horses play a more influential role in transmission than long-term carriers.
• Frequent transmission across different UK regions, with nearly two-thirds of identified transmission pairs occurring between horses from different UK regions, and a significant transmission chain observed spanning large distances across the UK over a six-month period, involving horses from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. This highlights the national and international importance of horse movements in spreading the disease.
• Most detected S. equi infections were transmitted from horses with overt clinical signs or those recently convalescing, underscoring the critical need for greater awareness and adoption of post-outbreak screening protocols to confirm freedom of infection, rather than solely the resolution of clinical signs.

The research highlights the need for early diagnosis, isolation and laboratory-confirmed clearance, particularly through guttural pouch testing, before assuming a horse is infection-free.

It also advocates for tighter biosecurity and movement protocols, especially when transporting horses across regions.

Dr Abigail McGlennon, former PhD student in the Department of Pathobiology and Population Sciences at the RVC, and lead author of the paper, said: “Strangles is a challenging and distressing disease for horses, owners, yards and vets, and this work has highlighted just how easily it can be spread across the UK in a short period of time.

“This study shows how important enhanced surveillance utilising epidemiological and genomic data is to investigate and understand strangles transmission across the UK.

"Our data highlights the importance of greater awareness and adoption of post-outbreak screening protocols to confirm freedom from infection, rather than owners assuming recovery based on the resolution of clinical signs.” 

Reference

1. McGlennon AA, Verheyen KL, Newton JR, van Tonder A, Wilson H, Parkhill J, et al. Unwelcome neighbours: Tracking the transmission of Streptococcus equi in the United Kingdom horse population. Equine Vet J. 2025. https://doi.org/10.1111/evj.14558  

Diagnostic imaging company BCF Technology is inviting veterinary surgeons to apply for a job as Clinical Manager by submitting a 2 minute video outlining why they would like to work for the company.

BCF Managing Director Gavin Mitchell said: "We are looking for somone with a real passion for imaging and desire to help improve the quality of veterinary imaging. Part of the role will involve presenting clinical learning videos, so we thought it would be a fun way to approach the recruitment process with candidates sending in their own home-made videos. So get creative and you could come and work with us and help vets learn more about 256 shades of grey."

BCF in-house vet Kimberly Palgrave said: "This role is a great opportunity for a vet wanting to help others to improve their confidence and skills in using ultrasound and X-ray, it is a hugely rewarding role. It is also a very diverse role as BCF is a worldwide company. BCF approaches everything in a fun, innovative way, including the recruitment process."

BCF Human Resources Manager, Kim McLean, said: "As we are offering a job role that is quite unique, we thought we would approach advertising the job in a bit of a non-conventional way as well. We hope that candidates will take on the challenge and that we will receive some interesting video applications for the role.

To help potential vets learn more about the role and what it is like to work for the company, BCF has created a video which gives an overview of the business, has some comments from its staff and even has a rap about the company at the end performed by Tom from the Purchasing Department.

For more information about the job, visit www.bcftechnology.com/about-us/bcf-careers

The RCVS Mind Matters Initiative (MMI) and the Society of Practising Veterinary Surgeons have opened the 2020 Practice Wellbeing Star nominations to recognise those individuals who are helping to create a positive workplace environment even under the present difficult circumstances.

The nominations allow practices to recognise someone at their workplace who has helped to hold up morale during a time when practices are facing unprecedented staffing and financial issues, and have taken it upon themselves to foster a positive work environment.

The Practice Wellbeing Star nominations were originally launched to accompany the Practice Wellbeing Awards, which have been cancelled this year because of the pandemic. 

Liz Barton, SPVS representative on the Mind Matters Taskforce (pictured right), said: “With great regret we have had to postpone the Practice Wellbeing Awards as we recognise that practices may neither have the time nor resources right now to go through our comprehensive application process. However, there is still definitely a place for recognising those individuals who are going above-and-beyond to help their colleagues navigate their way through these difficult times.

"Nominating a team member is a great opportunity to discuss with your team and reflect on the positive things that are happening, and to nominate one person who has been particularly invested in contributing to creating positive team culture.

"The Practice Wellbeing Star nominations are open to all veterinary practices, and teams, including those working in universities, industry and business.

“We look forward to receiving your nominations and celebrating exceptional individuals who are committed to improving the mental health and wellbeing of their colleagues.”

Members of the veterinary team who are nominated for as a Practice Wellbeing Star will receive a certificate in recognition of their colleagues’ appreciation of their achievements.

Recipients of the certificate will also be entered into the prize draw for a pair of tickets to attend the joint SPVS and Veterinary Management Group Congress in January 2021.

Further information on how to nominate is on the Vet Wellbeing Award website at: vetwellbeingawards.org.uk/practice-wellbeing-star/ 

 The closing date for Practice Wellbeing Star nominations is Friday 20 November 2020.

Drontal has renewed sponsorship agreements with councils throughout the UK in a bid to further encourage pet owners to scoop their dogs' poop.

The support will see thousands of council dog bins featuring Drontal branding to promote best practice amongst dog owners and urge them to clean up after their pets.

Dan White, product manager for Drontal, said: "Through our dog bin sponsorship we are highlighting the importance of responsible pet ownership which includes preventing the spread of worm eggs in the environment by scooping poop."

According to Bayer, Drontal is the only wormer that kills every type of intestinal worm commonly found in UK dogs and cats.

For further information please contact your Bayer representative or log on to www.drontal.com.

Bayer Animal Health, maker of Tracer microchips, has produced a new video in which Emma Milne and Petlog Executive Celia Walsom consider the implications for practices of the change in the law which will make it compulsory for all dogs to be microchipped from April 2016.

The 15-minute video considers various issues, such as:

• Whether to start strongly recommending chipping now, so as to avoid a rush when the law changes
• What concerns owners might have about the procedure and how you might allay their fears
• What if a client refuses to have a pet microchipped? Are you legally obliged to inform anyone?

The British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) is urging veterinary surgeons to be on the lookout for outbreaks of Atypical Myopathy (AM) this spring.

Atypical Myopathy is a serious muscle disease found in the UK and Northern Europe. It is linked to horses eating the seeds from trees in the Acer family, including sycamore and box elder. There were more than five times as many cases of AM last autumn than in the previous year and experts have warned that the disease tends to occur more frequently in the spring following an autumn surge, possibly because of the growth of seedlings. The prognosis is poor, with survival rates of less than 25%. Early diagnosis is essential to give the best chance of survival.

Horses that develop AM are usually kept on sparse pastures, near trees from Acer pleudoplatanus (sycamore) or Acer negundo (box elder, pictured right) that shed seeds containing the toxin hypoglycin A. They are often not fed any supplementary hay or feed and may be driven to browse on an accumulation of dead leaves, dead wood and trees in or around the pasture but sometimes well-fed animals are affected. While the tree seeds may not be directly palatable, horses on poor quality grazing may ingest considerable numbers of them.

The clinical signs of AM may include muscle weakness or stiffness, colic-like symptoms, laboured breathing, dark red-brown urine, recumbency or even sudden death. Often the disease will present as an outbreak. Confirmation of diagnosis is by a blood or urine test. The toxin directly targets aerobic energy metabolism so therapy should be targeted at promoting glucose metabolism and provided fluid dieresis.

Preventative advice for horse owners includes:

• Check spring pasture carefully for seeds prior to turnout
• Limit turnout if you are concerned about seed presence and ensure horses are well-fed prior to turnout
• Provide supplementary feeding in the field to reduce the risk of horses being tempted to ingest seeds
• Avoid leaving wet hay on the ground where it will rot
• Fence off affected areas
• Be aware that a field without sycamore trees can still contain seeds spread by high winds or flood water

Professor Celia Marr, Partner at Rossdales, Newmarket, European Specialist in Equine Internal Medicine and Editor of Equine Veterinary Journal said: "New, collaborative research, instigated last year between the University of Liege, the Irish Equine Centre and the Animal Health Trust should shed more light on the characteristics of the disease in this country. Once we know more about the specific causes we should be able to make more positive progress with prevention strategies."

BEVA has provided free online access to two articles from the journal of Equine Veterinary Education on the disease for all vets to help them address the threat.

Volume 25, Issue 5, pages 264-270, May 2013

Management of cases suffering from atypical myopathy: Interpretations of descriptive, epidemiological and pathophysiological findings. Part 1: First aid, cardiovascular, nutritional and digestive care (pages 264-270) G. van Galen and D -M Votion.

Volume 25, Issue 6, pages 308-314, June 2013

Management of cases suffering from atypical myopathy: Interpretations of descriptive, epidemiological and pathophysiological findings. Part 2: Muscular, urinary, respiratory and hepatic care, and inflammatory/infectious status (pages 308-314) G van Galen and D - M Votion.