The RCVS has published its sixth Covid impact survey, finding that despite continuing lockdown conditions, the situation has been improving in terms of staffing levels and practice cash-flow.

201 practices took part in the survey between 25th February and 4th March 2021. The main findings were:

• The majority of respondents (58%) had roughly the same number of full-time equivalent staff as in the first quarter of 2020 (before the first lockdown), while 19% said they had fewer, and 23% reported having more.
• During the period of continued lockdown restrictions, the proportion of practices providing ‘business as usual’ services had remained low, at 16% (compared to 17% in the December practice survey).
• There was a decline in the provision of a ‘near pre-Covid’ level of service (34%, compared with 63% in December), and an increase in practices providing a ‘reduced caseload’ (31%, compared with 15% in December). 
• Fewer practices said their cash-flow position had worsened since before the pandemic and was causing concern (13%, compared with 22% in December), and slightly more said their cash-flow had stayed the same (51%, compared with 47% in December) or improved (34%, compared with 30% in December).
• 51% said school closures had “some impact” on staffing for in-hours emergency and essential care, with a further 7% reporting a “severe impact”. Meanwhile a lower 15% reported some impact on out-of-hours emergency care provision, with only 3% saying there was a severe impact.
• There was a reduction in the percentage of practices that had staff working reduced hours, from 24% in September and 21% in December, to 15%.
• The percentage reporting staff pay cuts remained low, at 3%.
• There was a continued increase in the use of remote consulting among practices (64%, compared with 58% in December, and 50% in September).
• The type of clients remote consulting was used for remained similar to the last survey, with 47% saying they used it for existing clients only, 52% for both existing and new clients, and only 1% for new clients only.
• There was an increase in practices reporting issues with obtaining certain medicines (54% compared with 41% in December) and with obtaining pet food (15% compared with 5% in December).

Lizzie Lockett, RCVS CEO, said: “Although this survey took place in the midst of the lockdown and before the schools re-opened, there were some positive results here around staffing and the financial situation for practices. Hopefully this will mean that, as the restrictions ease going from spring into summer, many practices and practice staff will be in a position to return to a near-normal level of service and business.

"There were, however, still a few areas of concern, some of which will hopefully be resolved by the forthcoming easing of restrictions, for example, the difficulty in obtaining independent witnesses for the destruction of controlled drugs, with some 34% of practices reporting difficulties, compared to 20% in December.

“Once again, I would like to thank all those practices who responded to this and previous surveys, and continue to provide invaluable evidence and feedback about the current state of veterinary practice.”

The full results of the survey can be downloaded at: www.rcvs.org.uk/publications

The Royal Veterinary College has launched a national online survey to understand the pre-purchase motivations and behaviours of owners of puppies purchased during 2021.

Data from the survey will be used as a comparison to previous years (2019 and 2020), to determine whether the changes in puppy buying in the UK seen during the COVID-19 pandemic have returned to their pre-pandemic baseline or persisted into 2021. 

Dr Rowena Packer, Lecturer in Companion Animal Behaviour and Welfare Science at the RVC said: “The COVID-19 pandemic led to changes in the way many of us bought our household goods, with online ordering and delivery a common feature of lockdown life.

"The pandemic also led to changes in the way the UK bought puppies during 2020, due to the many restrictions to travel and social contact during this period.

"Many of these so-called ‘Pandemic Puppies’ became much-cherished companions, helping households cope with lockdown life; however, there are concerns that some owners were duped into buying from unscrupulous breeders.

"We are interested in whether pandemic-related changes in puppy buying persisted into 2021, so we can best support owners of puppies bought during this period going forward."

For more information, visit: www.rvc.uk.com/Pandemic-Puppies-of-2021-research

The survey is at: www.rvc.uk.com/Puppy2021-survey

Merial has announced the UK launch of updated ProteqFlu, the first and only EI vaccine in Europe to contain a clade 2 strain.

The company says the new vaccine is also the only one that is fully compliant with the latest 2014 OIE recommended EIV strains.

Louise Radford MRCVS from Merial said: "The launch marks the UK's first and only fully updated equine flu vaccine that contains both a Clade 1 and Clade 2 antigen which includes protection against the latest Florida Clade 2 strain, Richmond 07. This is a significant step for horse health, and the equine industry as a whole."

Hervé Poulet, Merial's head of BioDevelopment and BioResearch said: "Merial has developed strong and unique expertise in the development of non-replicative recombinant canarypox virus-vectored vaccines for various species and diseases.

"For the development of ProteqFlu, our non-replicative recombinant canarypox vector expressing the EI virus haemagglutinin (HA) is used because of its ability to induce a strong cellular immunity which is an essential component in protecting against this highly contagious disease."

Louise added: "ProteqFlu has also demonstrated its success and efficacy in real outbreaks, particularly during the last major outbreak, in Australia in 2007. ProteqFlu was the only vaccine chosen for the eradication programme."

MWI Animal Health has launched MWI Pet, a digital system to manage the contact between practices and their clients, including appointment bookings and reminders.

The new system integrates with the Merlin practice management system and pet owners can access the MWI Pet portal to view and book available appointments with their veterinary surgeon via any connected device.

David Tinsley, Vice President, MWI Animal Health U.K., said: “As providers continue to navigate a changing industry and evolving consumer expectations, veterinary practices need access to technologies that help them better serve the needs of both their staff and their clients.

“MWI Pet will help practices meet consumer demands for digital-driven convenience and foster deeper relationships with their clients, while freeing up more time for staff to focus on delivering high-quality care.”

To set up a demo of the new system: https://abc1.jotform.com/222564512240850  

A research project funded by equine charity The Horse Trust has found that lameness is the most common reason for euthanasing a geriatric horse.

According to the charity, this research is the first in the UK to provide data on the causes of death in geriatric horses. Although post-mortem studies have provided some data regarding causes of death, "old age" was previously reported as a common reason for the euthanasia of adult horses.

The research was carried out by Joanne Ireland at the University of Liverpool and led by Dr Gina Pinchbeck. Ireland surveyed horse owners living in the North-West and Midlands areas of England and North Wales who have a horse aged 15 years or older. 918 owners of geriatric horses were followed in a cohort study and 118 mortalities were reported during the 18 month follow-up period, of which 111 were euthanased.

The researchers found that 24% of horses were euthanased due to lameness; an additional 12% were euthanased due to laminitis - a common cause of lameness. After lameness, colic was the next most common cause of euthanasia, with 21% of owners citing this as the main reason.

In an earlier stage of the project, the researchers had found that half the geriatric horses surveyed suffered from lameness, but only 24% of owners reported the problem.

Dr Pinchbeck said: "Although lameness is common in older horses, this is the first study to quantify its contribution to their mortality.

"Owners are often missing the early signs of lameness in their horse, which means the condition isn't being managed and may deteriorate faster."

Dr Pinchbeck said it would be useful to carry out further research into lameness in geriatric horses to find out the main causes of lameness and how these may be prevented or treated.

The research team also found that half of the horses euthanased were suffering from concurrent health problems and these influenced the owner's decision to euthanase in 43% of cases. The most frequently reported additional health problems were musculoskeletal problems, such as arthritis.

The mortality rate among the horses surveyed was 11 per 100 horse-years at risk, meaning that if 100 geriatric horses were followed for a year, an average of 11 would die. The mortality rate for horses over 30 years of age was over five times the rate than in horses aged 15 - 19 years.

Jeanette Allen, Chief Executive of The Horse Trust, said the data provided by this research is likely to provide useful information for both horse owners and vets to enable them to improve the welfare of older horses. She said: "As there are a significant number of geriatric horses in the UK, it is vital that we understand more about the health problems that affect them. We hope that more owners of older horses will give their horse an annual health-check to enable the horse to have a longer, healthier life."

The research was published in the September 2011 issue of Preventive Veterinary Medicine.

Kat Hart RVN, a teaching assistant at Harper Adams University in Shropshire is asking veterinary surgeons and other veterinary professionals to take part in an online survey about preoperative fasting in cats and dogs. 

Preoperative fasting to reduce the likelihood of gastroesophageal reflux, regurgitation, emesis and aspiration of gastric contents during anaesthesia is routine, but research on the topic is currently thin on the ground. 

The survey aims to obtain information on current preoperative fasting recommendations and protocols in dogs and cats which will enable the expansion of knowledge on common practice. Kat (pictured right) said: "It will also allow me to compare current practice to the literature to examine the use of evidence-based practice. It may also highlight areas requiring improvement in small animal practice to ensure patient health and welfare."

The anonymous questionnaire is aimed at a number of veterinary staff including registered veterinary surgeons, nurses, students, animal care assistants, veterinary care assistants and reception/administration staff, as all are involved in giving advice and instructions to clients on this topic.

Kat plans to share significant findings with the profession in due course.

To take part in the survey, visit: https://harper-adams.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/preoperative-fasting-duration-questionnaire

The survey will close on Friday 14th August 2020 at 5:00pm.

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Petplan has announced that from 1st October until the end of 2016, practices will be given double Portfolio Rewards credits for every new insurance policy they generate.

Under the Petplan Portfolio Rewards scheme, each time a practice generates a full policy (including clients continuing cover from IVC /4 week free policies) they earn Portfolio Rewards credits. 

A practice issuing Immediate Veterinary Cover (IVC) ordinarily earns 150 credits when the client continues their cover onto a full policy but, during this promotion, a full policy generated by an IVC will earn 300 credits, equivalent to £12. 

Credits can then be exchanged against a range of products, from essential veterinary equipment and specialised literature to a variety of indulgences including chocolates and bottles of wine, leisure activities or team nights out. 

Head of Sales & Partnerships at Petplan, James Barnes said: "Petplan is the UK’s no 1 pet insurance provider and our unique relationship with the veterinary profession remains an important part of our success so we wanted to do something extra to thank practices for their efforts promoting Petplan insurance to their clients during 2016. We know many practices like to exchange their Portfolio Rewards at Christmas so this promotion gives practices the chance to boost their account before the festive season."

For further information about the scheme or working with Petplan, visit petplanvet.co.uk.

The RCVS Council has agreed to temporarily suspend its requirements for UK veterinary students and veterinary degree programmes around extra-mural studies (EMS).

Normally, students would be required to complete a minimum of 38 weeks of EMS throughout their degree programme in order to gain real-life work experience to enhance their university-based studies.

Under the circumstances, however, Council has decided to allow a temporary flexibility around completion of EMS:

• It is no longer compulsory for students to complete EMS over the next eight-week period, after which the situation will be reviewed. This applies to students in any year of their studies.
• For students in their final year of study, any shortfall of up to four weeks’ duration in EMS relative to the requirements should not be a barrier to completion of the programme.
• For students in years one to four of their studies, it is expected that there will be sufficient time for them to make up the full 38 weeks of EMS required to complete their degree programme. However, this will be reviewed as the COVID-19 pandemic progresses.

RCVS President Niall Connell said: “Extra-Mural Studies (EMS) are an important and valued part of the veterinary programme, and all students are required to complete a total of 38 weeks across the full programme.

“However, the health and safety of students and staff are paramount, and we are aware that a number of restrictions are being put in place at this time to ensure their safety and minimise the risk of Covid-19 transmission.”

These measures will be subject to further review/extension depending upon the prevailing situation with the COVID-19 pandemic. The RCVS will monitor the impact of this through EMS completion data provided by UK veterinary schools.

Regarding final exams and assessment, the College says it may be necessary for UK veterinary schools to consider alternative methods to assess students in certain areas, but that UK veterinary schools should continue to ensure that any alternative assessment methods continue to be robust, valid and reliable, and ensure students have met the RCVS Day One Competences.

Novartis Animal Health has launched a new website providing product information, news, up to date advice and insights into key issues facing the farming industry.

Nikki Crossley, Associate Brand Manager at Novartis Animal Health, said: "This new site is set to offer our customers a fantastic new resource and learning space as well as an opportunity to interact with us as a company. We aim to provide a service which is not typically associated with animal health companies and bring key elements of the industry closer together."

Farmers, vets and SQPs are invited to register at: http://www.farmanimalhealth.co.uk/.   

VetSurgeon.org has launched 'Find our jobs', a new badge for practices to add to their websites which links to a display of JUST the vacancies they've advertised on VetSurgeon.org and VetNurse.co.uk.

The example above right demonstrates a badge linking to jobs advertised by the out-of-hours emergency care provider, Vets Now.

VetSurgeon.org Editor Arlo Guthrie said: "When you've got a vacancy available, you need to get the word out as far and wide as possible, which means you really should post details on your own practice website. Of course, your website is mainly for pet owners, but you never know, a veterinary surgeon or nurse looking for a job may stumble upon it. They need to know straight away that you're hiring."

VetSurgeon.org reviewed 20 of the lastest advertisements posted on VetSurgeon by independent practices and found that 80% had not posted any indication that they have a job available on their own website. Two even had a jobs page, but hadn't updated it.

Arlo said: "Updating your website when there's a job available can be a hassle. And when you've gone to the trouble to create a professional-looking advertisement on VetSurgeon or VetNurse, it's a duplication of effort to do it all over again on your own website."

So, as an alternative, practices can now create a unique VetSurgeon Jobs badge which, when added to their website, links to a display of just the jobs they have advertised on VetSurgeon. If there are no current vacancies advertised, there's a message to that effect. 

To add the badge, login to VetSurgeon using the account used to advertise vacancies. Then visit https://www.vetsurgeon.org/p/find-our-veterinary-surgeon-jobs.aspx, grab the code snippet and add it to your website (or email it to your IT guy). If your site is one of the majority that doesn't have a jobs page, VetSurgeon.org recommends you add the badge either to your home page or the 'Contact Us' page. 

If the badge doesn't fit well on your website (either the colour clashes, or it's the wrong size), you can add a text link, rather than a badge. There are instructions about how to do this. 

For veterinary nursing vacancies advertised on VetNurse.co.uk, you'll need to head over to VetNurse, login and grab your code here: https://www.vetnurse.co.uk/p/find-our-veterinary-nurse-jobs.aspx. 

Arlo added: "Aside from the convenience of having your jobs linked to from your own website, it'll also give your adverts a little boost, visitor traffic-wise. 

"Finally, it's a good way to help spread the word about the low-cost recruitment advertising service on VetSurgeon and VetNurse."

A new study¹ published in the Equine Veterinary Journal's (EVJ) special American Association of Equine Practitioners supplement has concluded that maggots can play an integral role in modern veterinary care for a variety of wounds in horses.

The study assessed the efficacy of maggot debridement therapy in a diversity of equine lesions and found that the method was beneficial in 93% of cases.

Maggots have been used for the treatment of wounds for hundreds of years. Freshly emerged, germ-free larvae of the common green bottle fly are usually used for the purpose. Their wound-healing action is attributed to a debridement effect, an antiseptic effect, a direct effect on cytokine and cell proliferation involved in wound healing and breakdown of biofilm formation. Maggots also destroy and digest bacteria and may also be beneficial in the fight against multi-drug-resistant bacteria such as MRSA.

The study involved the retrospective analysis of 41 horses with various lesions including foot injury, limb laceration, soft tissue abscesses and musculoskeletal infection. Depending on the type, size and location of the wound the maggots were applied either in direct or indirect contact. In some cases a second maggot application was necessary to reach the desired level of healing. Debridement, disinfection and healing occurred in all but three cases, in less than a week. Of the three that did not respond two were complicated by the presence of tumours and one by pre-existing damage to the underlying bone.

Olivier Lepage of the University of Lyon, who led the study, said: "These results show that maggot debridement therapy potentially has an integral place in modern veterinary wound care. It can be used to treat many types of lesions, although not those involving tumours or bone sequestration. Associated high costs present a limiting factor but maggot debridement therapy should certainly be considered for lesions that fail to respond to conventional methods."

Professor Celia Marr, Editor of the EVJ, said: "Horses often suffer from non-healing wounds, particularly in the limbs where the skin is under continuous movement and there is very little subcutaneous tissue. Although at first glance this study might seem counter-intuitive and we might think of maggots as being the last thing one would want on a clean wound, it shows that maggots can be an effective way to clear damaged tissue and this is an important adjunctive approach in equine wound management."

¹The use of maggot debridement therapy in 41 equids OM Lepage, A Doumbia, MF Perron-Lepage and M Gangl. EVJ ISSN 0425-1644 DOI: 10.1111/j.2042-3306.2012.00609.x

The study is published by Wiley-Blackwell and can be accessed at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.2042-3306.2012.00609.x/abstract

Mandisa Green has become the first black woman to be invested as the RCVS President at the first Annual General Meeting to be held online. 

In her opening address, Mandisa said: "When the College was founded in 1844, it would have been unthinkable that a woman, let alone a black woman, would become President of the institution one day. I am immensely proud of this achievement and, while it clearly demonstrates progress, there is still plenty to do in widening access to our professions.”

She said she hoped to use her position as President to act as a role model to young people from under-represented groups, to encourage them to consider careers in veterinary surgery, and to support those already in the profession. 

Mandisa, a graduate of the University of Edinburgh in 2008 and an elected member of RCVS Council since 2014, added: “I also take the Presidential baton from Niall to champion a more diverse and inclusive profession with renewed intention, and look forward to playing my part in our upcoming Diversity & Inclusion Action Plan. 

“As recent weeks and the Black Lives Matter movement have highlighted, there is more to be done, and we are committed to doing the work necessary. It is essential that we support all members of the veterinary team to work in an environment that is free from discrimination and racism.”

In another first at the RCVS AGM, Matthew Rendle became the first male veterinary nurse to chair VN Council.