Merial Animal Health has launched a programme of monthly CPD webinars, hosted on its Nexus online portal, to support large animal veterinary surgeons.

The webinar programme includes both clinical and non-clinical topics.

Clinical topics include post mortem/diagnostics and calf pneumonia, parasitology – getting the basics right, and herd health planning – vaccination on farm.

Non-clinical topics include business skills, motivational interviewing techniques – facilitating effective communication between farmers and vets, and cow signals.

Webinars take place on the last Wednesday of each month, except August and December when there are no sessions.

Each webinar lasts for one hour, including a live question and answer session with the presenter. Those who are unable to view the live webinar will be able to access the content at a later date, but will not be able to pose questions.

To access the webinars, you need to register on Merial’s Nexus portal (merialnexus.co.uk). If you sign up in advance for individual webinars, you'll get reminder emails before they start.

BCF Technology has launched a new bovine reproduction clinical booklet which can now be ordered free from the company.

BCF says the booklet has been specifically designed as a reference guide for the reproductive tract of the cow, providing key clinical commentary and scanning images to show various stages of the fertility and reproductive processes.

The booklet was written by Kimberly Palgrave, BS BVM&S RCVS, BCF's in-house vet, and aims to help the user understand the value in using ultrasound for heard fertility management.

The company says the booklet provides essential information which will be useful to its Easi-Scan and Duo-Scan customers. The correct evaluation of the bovine reproductive tract is an essential aspect of both beef and dairy herd management and this 16 page booklet could help the user either to decide or reaffirm its interpretation.

Kimberly said: "This booklet really demonstrates BCFs commitment to learning and hopefully it will provide a quick reference guide to be used on the farm. It's ideal for students and those new to using ultrasound for cattle reproduction."

To order your free copy, visit the BCF website http://www.bcftechnology.com/, telephone +44 (0)1506 460023 or email info@bcftechnology.com.

CVS has launched ‘Further surgical skills for the General Practitioner’ a course designed to help new graduate vets develop their confidence and competence performing commonplace surgical procedures.

The one-day course covers a variety of procedures, from forelimb, hindlimb and tail amputations, to enucleations and simple eyelid mass removals.

Graduates will also begin learning about the use of basic skin flaps to close larger wounds.

They will also be taught how to recognise a patient requiring urgent or emergency care and initiate evaluation and management. 

Sarah Rutherford, Head of Clinical Education at CVS, said: “When we spoke to our graduates, they told us that they were keen for us to run this course, so that they could build experience and confidence in these common procedures, post their university and extra mural training.

“These are GP procedures. So, thinking about contextualised care, we felt it was important for all of our companion animal veterinary General Practitioners to offer these treatment options - no matter how many years they’d been practicing.

"It’s great to empower our new graduates to conduct these salvage-type procedures - rather than book them in with experienced, certified and advanced vets, or even a referrals specialist.

“It was also important for us to have GP vets Frances and Andy teaching our new surgical GP course, as they appreciate the challenges and practicalities of first opinion practice (FOP).

"It hopefully shows the opportunities that are available in teaching within CVS for all of our general practitioners.”

Hannah Spooner BVSc MRCVS, New Graduate Programme Lead said: "I recently took at poll at the Cambridge AVS congress this spring and this course came out on top - as the course students would ‘most be looking forward to’ if they were to join the CVS New graduate programme in the future. So that’s very encouraging to know!”

www.careerswithcvs.co.uk

Equine charity The Horse Trust has reported an unprecendented number of enquiries from people wanting to rehome their horses and ponies. 

In the three weeks since the financial crisis resulted in repossessions, job losses and cash shortages, more than 500 people made inquiries about having their horses rescued or rehomed.

Susan Lewis, The Horse Trust's marketing manager said: "There is a new generation of horses which is being affected in this way. Animals which have been cherished for 20 years and are now approaching retirement age are becoming too expensive for owners to maintain at livery - especially as the winter season is approaching with its inherent requirements for additional feed, housing and veterinary care."

She added: "Most people are saying: 'Help, what can I do? I adore my horse which has lived with me since I was a tiny child - but now I can barely feed myself let alone my horse. He has always come first - but having lost my home and the field in which I keep him, I just don't know where to turn'.

"It isn't a new story - and we have for many years warned horse owners that they face the issues of cost, care and commitment well into the old age of a horse, which can be up to 30 years. Now, however, it seems that we are facing a more widespread crisis."

Like most other horse charities, the Trust's Home of Rest for horses is full to capacity.

"We simply can't take on any other animals," said Susan. "The charity pound is now stretched to breaking point as people's purses dry up - and with rising feed prices and veterinary charges, it now costs more than £17 a day to keep a horse here.

A PR headache for Fortnum and Mason yesterday, as PETA employee Abi Izzard changed her name by deed poll to StopFortnumandMasonFoieGrasCruelty.com to try and shame the London store into stopping selling foie gras.

To produce foie gras, birds are force-fed several times per day in a controversial practice known as gavage, which causes their livers to swell to many times their normal size. PETA claims the practice causes the birds' livers to become diseased, that many animals bleed to death after their throats are punctured by force-feeding tubes, that surviving birds live in terror as they await the next assault, and become sick and lethargic.

However, Dr. Daniel Guemene, Director of Research & Senior Scientist at the National Agronomic Institute in France, says his research proves otherwise. In one study for example, stress levels in force-fed birds were guaged through the measurement of corticosterone blood levels. The study concluded that there was no significant increase in stress levels, except after the first instance of force-feeding, which researchers said was most likely due to holding the ducks, rather than the force-feeding. In addition, he claims to have demonstrated that ducks show no avoidance behaviour to the force-feeder or force-feeding, as would be expected if they feared these things.  

The actor Roger Moore is a supporter of this girl's campaign. He said: "Many people know me as James Bond or 007, but I never went so far as officially changing my name from Roger Moore. I hope the young lady now known as StopFortnumAndMasonFoieGrasCruelty.com royally shames this store".

A special interest group has been established for vets, veterinary nurses and chartered physiotherapists interested in the rehabilitation of diseased and injured animals. 'Physiovet UK' aims to provide practical training in the field of veterinary rehabilitation and pain management.

The group's inaugural CPD meeting takes place on Wednesday 20^th May this year in Cardiff and will be led by specialist in small animal surgery (orthopedics) Steve Butterworth and veterinary rehabilitation specialist Lowri Davies. Sponsored by Hill's Pet Nutrition and Merial Animal Health, the meeting will cost £80 for members or £100 for non-members (ex VAT) for the day long event. Membership of the group costs £50.

Lowri Davies, a founder member of Physiovet said: "At this first meeting, the focus is on helping to develop a protocol for diagnosis and management strategies for conditions of the hock, shoulder and lumbosacral cases. Practitioners will recognise that these are commonly occurring conditions that are often managed conservatively but treatment need not stop with a prescription of 'rest'. We will be describing a range of active interventions that build strength, flexibility and general fitness appropriate to lame animals to help restore function and mobility."

For a downloadable registration form for the event, to join as a member or for further information about the group visit http://www.physiovet.co.uk/. Places at the meeting can also be booked by calling 01626 867614 or by contacting kathrin@linhayvet.co.uk.

A groundbreaking 3d printing service offered by Replica 3DM, a spin off of Salisbury NHS District Hospital, has helped referral veterinary orthopaedist Andy Moores in carrying out surgery on dog that won the 2013 Crufts Friends For Life Award. 

Haatchi is an Anatolian shepherd dog whose back left leg and tail were amputated after he was tied to a railway line and hit by a train. As a rescue dog, he was adopted by the family of a young boy called Owen Howkins from Basingstoke. Owen has Schwartz‐Jampel syndrome, which causes his muscles to be permanently tense. The two bonded and became inseparable.

Earlier this year Haatchi developed mobility issues with his remaining hindlimb. He was referred to Anderson Moores Veterinary Specialists, in Hampshire, where a laterally luxating patella was diagnosed. The patella luxation was a result of a complex deformity of the femur and the tibia. Surgery was needed to enable Haatchi to use his leg better.

Replica 3DM, which normally uses its £70,000 printing equipment to make models of human bones and joints, created a 3d model of Haatchi’s hind leg from hip to paw. Normally the company charges around £200 for a human mandible. So, in order to keep costs down, it suggested a scaled down model which would still make Andy's preoperative planning a lot more straightforward and would help identify the correct surgical approach and likely abnormalities which would be encountered. Andy emailed the CT scans to Matt Sherry from Replica 3DM Ltd who converted them into a 3D model of Haatchi’s leg. Production of the model took six hours.

Andy said: "Having access to a scale 3D model of Haatchi's limb prior to surgery not only allowed us to better understand his deformity but it also allowed us to practice the femoral and tibial corrective osteotomies prior to surgery to be sure they would achieve what we intended."

Replica 3DM Ltd is based at Salisbury District Hospital and provides a service producing 3 dimensional products used in various types of surgery e.g. fractured neck of femur, cranioplasty procedures and jaw fractures. The company says that while of course not necessary in all procedures, visualisation of fractures and deformities prior to surgery can help in pre planning of surgery, reducing costs in time and equipment as well as enabling smaller incisions and less soft tissue intervention, so that patient recovery is enhanced. 

For more information, visit www.replica3dm.com or ring Matt Sherry at Replica 3dm on 01722 429185. 

The RVC’s canine epilepsy clinic has carried out the first ever systematic review and meta-analysis on the tolerability and safety of all AEDs in canine epilepsy, concluding that the effectiveness of testing anti-epileptic drugs’ (AEDs) safety and tolerability for canine epilepsy has been below the expected standard.

The aim of the study was to assess the adverse effect profile of each individual AED by analysing all available data that has been published for each specific AED and then evaluating how reliable the data was. The study was published in BMC Veterinary Research (DOI: 10.1186/s12917-016-0703-y).

To do this the researchers gathered, screened and assessed all the information published in peer-reviewed journals and publications. The individual studies were then evaluated based on the quality of evidence, study design, study group sizes, subject enrolment quality and overall risk of bias. The results, say researchers, now provide a new and more objective insight into the tolerability and safety of the AEDs.

Co-author of the study, Marios Charalambous, said: "We recruited systematic and statistical methods to combine, compare and summarize the results of independent studies and, therefore, create more objective and reliable conclusions based on the current evidence. It was a time-consuming, demanding and challenging process, but we are sure that we provide the clinicians now with essential information which they can use for daily practice."

By reviewing, assessing and untangling the vast amounts of data, the researchers found that much of the evidence for the medical treatment of canine epilepsy was based on subpar reporting of adverse effect and in studies that were below the expected standard. They say that only in recent years can the quality of studies carried out be considered adequate.

Professor Holger Volk, Clinical Director of the RVC Small Animal Referral Hospital and Professor of Veterinary Neurology and Neurosurgery (pictured right), said: "Not only does this study offer a new perspective on the management of canine epilepsy, but also highlights the importance of the need for trials which provide high quality evidence in order to have more reliable and objective results about the safety and tolerability of the AEDs in veterinary medicine."

Dr. Dave Brodbelt, Senior Lecturer in Companion Animal Epidemiology, added: “This is a valuable addition to the body of literature on canine epilepsy, highlighting safety issues and adverse events related to its management and adding further depth to the evidence base relevant to practicing vets."

Ceva Animal Health has renamed the veterinary behaviour product DAP as Adaptil, to highlight its key benefit of helping dogs 'adapt' to new situations.

Along with the name change, Ceva is launching a new Adaptil Collar. According to the company, the collar has undergone a number of improvements: it is now easier to fit, due to a new, practical buckle; it has a larger surface area for better diffusion of the pheromone and the Adaptil name is on the collar in print as well as braille.

In addition to the new name, both Adaptil and Feliway are having a packaging makeover to make them more consumer friendly. Packaging will now feature pictograms of situations in which the products should be used, encouraging dog and cat owners to use the product ranges appropriately.

Ceva will be offering pet owners a free limited edition Adaptil Frisbee for every Adaptil Collar bought from their local participating veterinary practice. The company is also running an online competition from 17 June until 17 July on the company's secrettohappypets.com website. Pet owners will have the opportunity to win a weekend for two with their pet in a Best Western pet-friendly hotel by submitting a story on why their pet deserves a weekend away.

Julia Wood, product manager at Ceva Animal Health said: "We have listened to feedback given on our pheromone range from both pet owners and veterinary professionals. The launch of Adaptil and the marketing support that we are putting behind both Adaptil and Feliway will boost awareness of the pheromones and their benefits amongst pet owners and further enhance their standing as the UK's leading veterinary behaviour products."

For more information, please contact your Ceva account manager or call 01494 781510.

The RCVS has clarified its role concerning new UK veterinary schools, saying that it has no mandate to control student or graduate numbers.

Responding to calls from the profession that it should comment on the desirability of any change in the number of schools or graduates, the College has confirmed that whilst it is committed to setting, upholding and advancing the standards that any new UK veterinary degrees would need to meet in order to be approved by the Privy Council, it has no role in capping student numbers.

The College also points out that the free market and mobility of workers in the EU makes any control at the level of a sovereign state effectively meaningless with respect to workforce management. However, the College says it is committed to ensuring that standards are maintained, and to continue working with bodies such as the European Association of Establishments for Veterinary Education, which evaluates veterinary degrees across Europe.

The College also seeks to support healthy debate through providing information on the state of the profession - an example of which is the survey that it recently commissioned from the Institute for Employment Studies on job availability for veterinary graduates over the last five years.

The headline results from that survey were released in the summer, and showed that increasing graduate numbers over the last five years have so far appeared to have had little impact on veterinary job prospects, with 94% of graduate respondents seeking a role in clinical practice obtaining work within six months of starting to look.

The full RCVS Survey of Recent Graduates report is now available, and also shows that, of the 43% of veterinary surgeons who graduated in the last five years who responded:

• The average time taken to complete the Professional Development Phase is 16.3 months
• 76% of new graduates started seeking work as soon as they graduated
• The average time taken for recent graduates to find their first veterinary position was 2.7 months
• 92% of first roles were in clinical practice, of which 53% were in small animal practice, 27% mixed, 10% farm animal and 9% equine
• 58% of first clinical roles were within RCVS accredited practices, although only 16% sought this
• Only 34% felt this first role met all of their needs; the most commonly-cited, as well as the most importantly-rated, reason for dissatisfaction with first jobs was 'I did not receive enough professional support from my employers and colleagues'
• 55% of first jobs were in the graduate's preferred location
• Of the 43% who had already left their first jobs, the most commonly-cited reason was 'poor management'
• For 13% of graduate respondents, their first role came to an end because it was a temporary position. This figure ranged from 9% in 2009 to 21% in 2012.

 The answers were analysed by year of graduation, veterinary school, age and gender, and the full report is available online at www.rcvs.org.uk/publications.