The RCVS has published a summary of the goings on at its 6 November meeting.

Amongst other things, Council agreed to continue to display postnominals in the Register, undertake a consultation on whether members should be able to use the courtesy title 'doctor' and make amendments to the College's current registration regulations.

In addition, 

• Council discussed and approved the College's budget for 2015.
• Council heard that the new Royal Charter had been approved by the Privy Council the previous evening and approved new rules relating to the registration of veterinary nurses which need to be in place when the new RCVS Royal Charter comes into effect and new bye-laws to replace the existing ones which will be revoked when the Charter is sealed and brought into effect.
• Council agreed to amend a number of the current regulations for the registration of veterinary surgeons in order to make the process more convenient for registrants. Key changes include allowing veterinary surgeons to supply either a work or home address for publication in the Register, not charging a punitive additional restoration fee for those who are restored to the Register at the direction of the Disciplinary Committee and no longer levying an administrative charge on credit card payments - a change which will also now allow the College to accept debit card payments. The new registration regulations have now been submitted to the Privy Council, which will need to grant approval before they come into effect.
• Council confirmed that the College will continue to display postnominals for postgraduate qualifications in the Register - reversing a previous decision to remove all postnominals except those for the registerable degree and MRCVS or FRCVS. Council agreed that the following postnominals would be included on the Register - primary veterinary qualifications that the College has a legal obligation to display; qualifications approved for Advanced Practitioner and Specialist status; and other qualifications and honorary postnominals deemed relevant by Council including some non-veterinary/science-related qualifications.
• Council agreed to undertake a consultation on whether members of the College should be allowed to use the courtesy title 'doctor'. The proposals were brought forward by RCVS President Professor Stuart Reid who cited the fact that international veterinary surgeons used the title, that medical practitioners in the UK carry the courtesy title and a recent decision by the General Dental Council to allow dentists the use the title. Council agreed to open the issue to an online consultation with both the public and profession, which is likely to be launched before Christmas.
• Council members heard reports from VN Council and the Audit and Risk, Education, Standards, Preliminary Investigation, Disciplinary and PIC/DC Liaison Committees. Papers for each can be also be found at www.rcvs.org.uk/about-us/rcvs-council/council-meetings
• During the afternoon session of Council, members considered a range of possible options for reforming the governance structure of the College. The case for reform was outlined by Professor Reid who asked Council members to consider its decision-making functions, size, composition and frequency of meetings. Following group discussions various views were put forward, including a larger consultative Council which would meet less frequently, alongside an enlarged Operational Board which would meet monthly; and having a smaller Council which would meet more frequently. The Operational Board will now be considering these views and will put further proposals to Council in March.
• Council agreed a recommendation put forward by members Mark Elliott and Richard Stephenson that recognised that while much decision-making had been delegated to committees (eg the Standards and Education Committees), Council members should feel able to discuss decisions made in committee with which they disagree. Furthermore, the recommendation stated that committees should be encouraged to refer major policy decisions to Council for ratification. The majority of recommendations were accepted in principle by Council.

More information about these decisions can be found in the latest edition of RCVS News, copies of which have been sent to all veterinary surgeons and listed/registered veterinary nurses.

The full papers for the Council meeting can be found on the RCVS website at www.rcvs.org.uk/about-us/rcvs-council/council-meetings

Veterinary recruitment agency Noble Futures is running a competition in which vets from the UK and Northern Ireland can win £5000 worth of CPD vouchers from Improve International. 

To enter the draw, visit http://www.noble-futures.com/veterinaryCPDgiveaway before the 31st March 2021 and complete the form.

There are ten £250 vouchers for Improve's modular programmes and fifty £50 vouchers for its Practical Surgery and Ultrasound short courses up for grabs.

Tony Noble, Managing Director at Noble Futures said: "At Noble Futures, we care deeply about the veterinary profession.

"Those who work within it are at the heart of our business and we are dedicated to looking after those that work in our industry.

"Recently we made the exciting move into recruitment for clinical veterinary roles, to support our long-standing success in recruitment for industry-based roles and with our huge £5,000 Improve International CPD Giveaway we are looking to give something back to the brilliant veterinary surgeons to whom we owe so much, not only for being at the heart of our business but also for the care and protection that they provide to the many animals in our lives."

Hill’s Prescription Diet Canine r/d has been reformulated following new findings regarding the role of protein in weight loss and the development of new fibre technology.

According to Hill's, trials of the new formulation resulted in some impressive results, with individual overweight animals losing at least 22% of their body fat in 8 weeks while still maintaining muscle mass.

In addition, the company has developed a range of support measures to help raise awareness about obesity and encourage pet owners to come forward. There's a new website: http://www.%20hillsweightloss.co.uk/ containing tips on weight loss and e-mailed reminders about returning to the surgery for weight checks; a pet passport containing information on helping the pet live a longer and healthier life, an anatomy poster that describes the dangers of excess weight gain and a practice display materials kit. Libby Sheridan, Veterinary Affairs Manager at Hill’s, “It can be time consuming to put together a really good wall or table display. This kit offers the opportunity for use in its entirety, while also giving scope to add individual elements for those who want to customize the display further.”

Hill’s Prescription Diet Canine r/d will be available in 1.5Kg, 4Kg and 12Kg bags. The recipe of the current 350g can remains unchanged.

For more information call Hill’s Customer Service on 0800 282 438 or (ROI) 1-800 626002.

Genitrix has launched a free epilepsy faxback advice service for veterinary practices prescribing Libromide. 

A form downloadable from the Genitrix website will enable practices to provide detailed case histories, and challenging canine epilepsy cases will be reviewed by Dr Clare Rusbridge, RCVS and European Specialist in veterinary neurology. Clare runs a small animal neurology referral practice based at the Stone Lion Veterinary Hospital in South London. She is board certified by the European College of Veterinary Neurology.

Launched earlier this year, Libromide is the first and only licensed formulation of potassium bromide for refractory canine epilepsy. Rob Watkins, Marketing Director at Genitrix, said: "When we launched Libromide, it was our goal to ensure that generalist practices, which may not deal with cases every week, were given more accurate guidance and advice on treating canine epilepsy than was possible when only unlicensed products were available.

"Our subsequent launch of the discounted blood test, the dosing wheel and now the Libromide Epilepsy Advice Service through Clare, are examples of our commitment to achieving this goal.

"The advice service is aimed specifically at practices which are finding it difficult to control seizures or which have a patient experiencing unusual side effects, even after receiving dosing advice from Genitrix. I hope that having Clare's experience and expertise 'on tap' for challenging cases will prove reassuring for our customers."

For more information on the Libromide Epilepsy Advice Service, practices are asked to call Genitrix' head office on 01403 786345.

VetsSouth, the new CPD congress and commercial exhibition being held in Exeter on 11th and 12th February, has announced that it will lead with a discussion about what practices can do to reduce bovine TB in clients' herds in 2015. 

The congress, which is open to practising vets throughout the UK but aimed specifically at those in the west and south of the UK, will have three-and-half hours of discussion led by Roger Blowey (pictured right) and Richard Gard, with contributions from a number of practices in Gloucestershire, Devon, Somerset and Cornwall.

During a day on "cattle" on the Wednesday, Roger Blowey will also lead two sessions on "Recent dramatic changes in our understanding of cattle lameness", covering anatomy and foot lesions in the first and moving on to digital dermatitis and other infectious lesions in the second.

The rest of the programme is concerned mainly with small animals, the line-up of speakers including Dr David Williams on ophthalmology, Matthew Oxford on dentistry, Dr Andy Sparkes on feline medicine and surgery, Sarah Health on canine and feline behaviour and Anthony Chadwick on dermatology; plus six speakers from the Bristol veterinary school: Dr Jo Murrell and Gwen Covey-Crump on pain management, Dr Domingo Casamian Sorrosal and Dr Sonia Fonfara on cardiology, and Guillaume Chanoit and Ivan Doran on soft tissue surgery.

In addition, Professor John and Mrs Margaret Cooper will lead a day-long seminar on veterinary forensic medicine; the VDS will be running half-hour one-on-one sessions on improving consultation techniques; and there will be workshops on "ocular examination and pathology", "cat-friendly clinics" and "practical tooth extraction".

Exhibitors include Langford Veterinary Services, Vets4Pets/Companion Care, Protexin, Summit Veterinary Pharmaceuticals, Dechra Veterinary Products, Royal Canin, Bayer Animal Health, Natures Menu, Pet Medic Recruitment/Mi Vet, Teignview Veterinary Group, Henry Schein Animal Health, Axiom Veterinary Laboratories, iM3 Dental, Medimark Scientific, Merial Animal Health, Nova Laboratories, Improve International, DVH Veterinary Sales, Centaur Services, A. Menarini Diagnostics, The Webinar Vet and Improve International.

The event is being run by VP CPD in association with Improve International and The Webinar Vet, with generous sponsorship from Dechra Veterinary Products. Attendance on both days is priced at £145 (plus VAT); one-day passes cost £80 (plus VAT) with additional charges for the workshops and VDS sessions. The prices include speaker notes, refreshments throughout each day and a buffet lunch. CPD certificates will be sent on request after the event.

Full details and a booking form are on www.vetssouth.com. 

Virbac has announced the launch of Veterinary HPM Clinical Diets.

The company says the new diets are based on a formulation high in protein and low in carbohydrate, of which 90% of the protein is of animal origin, providing clinical nutrition closest to the needs of dogs and cats as carnivores. 

Virbac adds that the compact range allows veterinary practices to meet the main nutritional needs encountered in practice with just 15 products, making it easier for practice teams to navigate, whilst also reducing stock holding requirements. 

Andrew Connolly, Pet Food Manager at Virbac, said: "We’re really excited to introduce our new clinical diets to the profession as a genuine advancement in clinical nutrition." 

He added: "We regularly hear from practices who are frustrated with working hard to promote diets only to lose the sale to alternative channels. This doesn’t have to be the case and I would encourage any practices in a similar situation to speak to their Virbac Territory Manager to see how we can help." 

Ceva Animal Health, manufacturer of Adaptil and Feliway, has launched a competition in which the practices that build the top ten dog dens in their client waiting rooms will win a luxury hamper worth £50.

The competition is designed to encourage practices to show clients how they can build a dog den to calm their dog during the fireworks season

To enter the competition, you need to post a picture of your waiting room dog den on the Adaptil Facebook page in October: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Adaptil/109397602429388?fref=ts.

Ceva also has a range of marketing materials for veterinary practices to use in the competition, including a hanging mobile, cut-outs, wobblers, posters and a leaflet and leaflet holder.

For additional hints and tips, a short film will also be available on the Adaptil website: www.adaptil.co.uk in due course. The footage includes information on preparing a den for a dog to hide in while the fireworks are going off.

For further information, contact your local Ceva territory manager or ,telephone 01494 781510.

NoBACZ Healthcare, the wound protection company spun out from the University of Cambridge, has launched NoBACZ Navel, a novel, rapid-setting and long-lasting solution for navel dipping lambs and calves.

Developed in conjunction with Fiona Lovatt BVSc PhD FHEA DSHP DipECSRHM FRCVS, past president of the Sheep Veterinary Society and RCVS-recognised specialist in sheep health and production, NoBACZ Navel disinfects and dries the navel in a couple of hours and seals with a colourful, natural resin that forms a long-lasting waterproof barrier to protect against bacterial ingress from the environment. 

It can also be used on the area around ear tags in lambs and calves.

Nobacz Navel can be applied by dipping or spraying and contains a bitter agent to deter ewe or cow interference.

Fiona said: “Attention to detail is an essential component in the care of neonatal lambs. 

"To reduce the risks of joint ill, shepherds need to do whatever they can to protect lambs from bacteria infecting either the navel or the ears at the point of tagging. 

"This product has been carefully designed to both desiccate the area and to form a barrier to protect these vulnerable sites. 

"I’ve seen it used successfully in a number of flocks now – both in late lambers from last year and early lambers from this.”

https://nobacz.com 

Research published this week by the Society for Companion Animal Studies (SCAS), with funding from the Pet Food Manufacturers' Association (PFMA), confirms what many veterinary professionals will already know from first-hand experience - many elderly people are suffering from distress after being forced to give up much-loved pets to move into care.

The study of 234 care homes and sheltered housing units in six UK cities revealed that only 29% routinely allowed pets, despite the growing body of evidence of the health and social benefits of pets to older people. And many of these facilities specifically excluded cats and dogs even though these are the most commonly kept species of pet. The importance of pet ownership seemed to be largely ignored with only 24% of facilities asking potential residents whether they have a pet and only 35% having any formal policy about pets.

Chairman of SCAS Elizabeth Ormerod BVMS MRCVS said: "Many vets will already be aware that the importance of pets to older people cannot be understated; for some they are their best friend, their family and their only lifeline to the outside world.  People of all ages should have the right to benefit from animal companionship, as long as this is managed responsibly. So we're encouraging all housing and residential care providers to develop clear and carefully considered pet policies."

The SCAS study was carried out by psychologist Dr June McNicholas B.Sc.Ph.D, a renowned researcher of the human-animal bond.  She contacted 44 veterinary surgeries in the study area to investigate the implications of these pet policies for animals, and veterinary surgeons reported that they were presented with between two and four pets per month for euthanasia for the known reason that an elderly owner was going into care.  This equates to over 1,000 pets per year in the study area alone and many thousands more across the UK. 

Elizabeth Ormerod continued: "Sadly, it is common practice for animals to be given up to an animal shelter or presented at a veterinary practice for euthanasia because their elderly owners are going into care.  The impact on the owners is devastating.  But vets should be aware that many care facilities do now take pets and if not, it may be possible to rehome them through charities like The Blue Cross."

Vets questioned in the study said that they tried to avoid the euthanasia of healthy pets except when they were very elderly or infirm and would therefore be difficult to rehome.  But both vets and vet nurses expressed concerns that pets were sometimes brought in by the relatives of an elderly owner, who may have been unaware of the fate of their beloved pet.

The ‘Pets and Older People in Residential Care' research findings are published in full on a dedicated area of the SCAS website (www.scas.org.uk/petsforlife), which also offers essential information for veterinary practices, care home providers and older people who are thinking about moving into care.  This includes: 

• Information on finding care facilities that will allow pets
• Guidelines on preparing a ‘case for support' for taking a pet into care
• Contact details for animal welfare organisations who can help to rehome pets
• Free phone and email support for owners coping with pet loss through the Pet Bereavement Support Service (jointly run by SCAS and The Blue Cross)

A leaflet has also been produced with key advice for older people and contact details for more information.  This is being distributed to veterinary surgeries but is also available to download free from the website or it can be ordered by calling SCAS on 01993 825 597.  A SCAS publication ‘Older people and pets: a comprehensive guide' is also available to order online or by phone for £12.50 plus postage.

Pfizer Animal Health, maker of the equine wormers Equest and Equest Pramox, has unveiled www.wormingyourhorse.info, a new website which aims to make it easier for horse owners to understand and follow the most up-to-date principles of sustainable worm control.

Based on the company's Manage, Test, Plan, Dose campaign, Pfizer says the new website is designed to take the confusion out of equine worm control with clear, logical and easy-to-understand guidance and advice.

The four main sections use diagrams and text to explain how and why it's important to manage the worm challenge on the pasture; the role of faecal worm egg counts (FWECs); how history and management play a part in planning the best worm control programme and how to choose and use the right wormer at the right time of year.

There's an interactive and educational parasite page that shows the parasites that can affect the health of your horse. There are click through buttons on parts of the horse's anatomy revealing details about the appearance of each particular parasite, their lifecycle and the symptoms they can cause. In addition there's a section on frequently asked questions which provides no-nonsense answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about worm control.

Paul Blanc, Pfizer's equine brand manager said: "In developing our new website we have listened carefully to what horse owners really want and need to know. The result is a source of plain-speaking, unbiased facts and advice, providing horse owners with the most current thinking on sustainable worm control in a format they can really identify with."

Guidelines on the examination of rams for breeding have now been officially updated, thanks to the pooled expertise of delegates at a recent Sheep Fertility Workshop, sponsored by Ceva Animal Health, the Sheep Veterinary Society and EBLEX-AHDB.

The previous Sheep Veterinary Society guidelines on the examination of rams for breeding were drawn up in 2007. However, the society says that to date, there has been considerable variation in the practice of ram fertility testing amongst sheep vets across the country.

The Sheep Fertility Workshop, which was held in Edinburgh in June 1014, brought together veterinary experts and scientists to discuss the provision of a comprehensive, evidence-based, best practice protocol, with clear recommendations for practitioners on the assessment of rams.

Dr Fiona Lovatt, senior vice president of the Sheep Veterinary Society and director of Flock Health Ltd, who coordinated the workshop, said: "The outcome of some active debating was the recognition that various elements of the guidelines needed to be updated in line with currently recognised best practice. One thing that is really essential is that the practising vet is clear as to the reason for the ram PBE and carefully considers how to communicate the findings and their limitations to the ram's owner."

The updated guidelines cover three levels of ram pre-breeding examinations (PBE):

1. Ram MOT - this involves a clinical examination, together with palpation and visual inspection of the external genitalia. It is generally accepted that all rams should be examined annually in this way.
2. Semen assessment - this can be useful for infertility investigations. Use of an artificial vagina is the gold standard method of semen collection though this is not always practical.  Electro-ejaculation may be used routinely but only where the rams are to be used in a high-pressure situation such as single sire groups or with synchronised or large numbers of ewes. 
3. PBE Certification (for sale or insurance purposes) may be required.  Full records must be kept and it is expected that this will include full assessment of semen with morphology undertaken.

Carol Atkinson, Ceva's reprodAction range marketing manager, said: "We are proud to have supported the workshop, the outcome of which has been some valuable modifications to the guidelines. We now have a robust, practical benchmarking system in place to help ensure consistency of ram fertility and flock health and development."

The workshop was funded by the Sheep Veterinary Society, Ceva Animal Health and EBLEX-AHDB, with contributions in kind from Innovis, Zoetis and Novartis Animal Health.

The guidelines are available to all members of the Sheep Veterinary Society and can be downloaded from www.sheepvetsoc.org.uk, together with two further forms that are available following appropriate training:  SVS Ram PBE data collection and SVS Ram certificate. The Sheep Veterinary Society will be holding a series of CPD days for practitioners in advance of next year's breeding season. Further details will be posted on the website shortly.

The RCVS will be holding a summit meeting this autumn to examine the issues surrounding veterinary workforce shortages and develop solutions.

The meeting follows growing concerns expressed both within the profession and in the national media about the shortage of veterinary surgeons in the UK. 

Lizzie Lockett, RCVS CEO (pictured right), said: “Workforce shortages within the veterinary sector has been a concern for some time, however, in the past few months there has been a ‘perfect storm’ of circumstances, which have come together to exacerbate the problem. The issues include the ongoing impact of the pandemic, burnout and fatigue within the profession; the UK’s exit from the European Union, which has seen a significant reduction in the number of EU vets joining the Register as well as an associated increase in the need for veterinary certification; and an increase in pet ownership, and therefore demand for veterinary services, over the course of the pandemic."

In advance of the meeting, which is due to be help in November, the College will be conducting research to better gauge the extent of the problem both nationally and regionally.

The meeting will then consider how recruitment, retention and return to work might address the problem.

Lizzie added: “While there has already been a lot of focus and discussions around recruitment and retention, something less spoken about is return, and the summit will consider the reasons why members of the profession may move away from clinical practice, and if there’s more scope for different ways of working that could bring people back into clinical practice.

“Ahead of the summit we will be reviewing all the latest data that we and other organisations have shared to better understand the gap between capacity and demand, the push and pull factors on decisions to either join or leave clinical practice and build a more evidence-based picture of veterinary workforce trends.”

The summit itself, the date of which is yet to be confirmed, will involve key veterinary stakeholders including the veterinary schools, veterinary employers and representative bodies, coming together to ensure that there will be a joined-up approach in finding solutions to the issues confronting the profession.

Lizzie said: “It may not necessarily be easy to identify all the solutions in one day, and they won’t all come from the RCVS, but opening up the conversation and getting the professions focused on taking appropriate action is an important first step.”

Meanwhile, RCVS President Kate Richards this week wrote to all vets and nurses to reassure them them that the RCVS was aware of the problem and the additional pressures they are under as a result.

In the letter she wrote: “In the face of current shortages, I would like to stress that we support practice teams in prioritising cases strictly according to the health and welfare needs of their patients, and in informing their clients of the need to do so.

“We would also urge veterinary surgeons to share their caseload as much as possible, delegating permitted procedures to their veterinary nurse colleagues wherever appropriate to do so.

"And, we would like to remind veterinary surgeons that their current 24/7 emergency cover obligations, as set out in the RCVS Code of Professional Conduct, are limited only to taking steps to provide 24-hour emergency first-aid and pain relief to animals according to their skills and the specific situation."

She also added that, while members of the profession may be anxious about a potential increase in the number of concerns being raised by clients because they are not able to offer the level of service they would ideally like to, the RCVS would always take into account the entire circumstances surrounding a complaint as part of its investigation process.

She also said that the College would also continue to raise awareness amongst animal owners of the acute challenges currently facing veterinary teams around the country, and to request their ongoing patience and understanding.

To assist the profession, a series of FAQs have been produced to help with different situations that vets may encounter at the moment, particularly around the provision of 24/7 emergency cover, and to provide further guidance on delegating procedures to veterinary nurses. These can be found at: www.rcvs.org.uk/news-and-views/news/