According to the charity, the fire broke out in an adjacent building in the early hours of the morning and caused considerable damage before it was put out by the fire brigade.
Luckily, the building was unoccupied at the time and nobody was hurt.
Structural damage was caused to the building and the charity reports that much of its office contents were damaged or destroyed by fire, smoke or water, including its servers.
However, because of coronavirus, the charity had already put systems in place to operate remotely, so it expects to continue service more or less as normal.
One set of guidelines deals with intoxication from pyrethrins commonly found in flea control products or ant powders, whilst the other covers macrocyclic lactone poisoning which most often occurs due to accidental ingestion of large animal anthelmintic products.
Both intoxications are commonly associated with severe neurological symptoms.
Will Peel, Product Manager at TVM UK said: "Our guidelines have proved very useful to veterinary staff and we have received requests from vets to add new guidelines for antiparasiticide intoxications. Our focus is on helping veterinary staff provide the best possible care for their patients so we hope that these new guidelines will prove beneficial."
The guidelines can be downloaded free from https://www.tvm-uk.com/vet-resource-library.
The company says the beginner level course was created to say thank you to the superheroes in scrubs who work tirelessly to look after our pets every day.
Lintbells spokesperson Jessica Hyatt said: “Our mission is to support all pets to live a happy and healthy life and the veterinary community plays a vital role in both preventative and emergency care. We launched this campaign to show our appreciation and support for everyone in the industry. Looking after other people’s much-loved pets can be incredibly stressful, so we hope our partnership with VetYogi will give veterinary professionals – whatever their role - the opportunity to explore how yoga can help them improve their well-being and help them unwind after a busy day at the practice.
To sign up for the course, you need to join Lintbells new Facebook Group, The Vet Hub: https://www.facebook.com/groups/561348331472815/.
The course starts this evening, with the first of six hour-long Zoom sessions beginning at 8:00pm on Wednesday 12th August. To help people get prepared, practice and engage better in the class, the sessions will be accompanied by a blog accessible on the Lintbells Facebook page and website, and a ‘how-to’ guide for that week’s poses will be hosted on VetYogi’s YouTube channel.
Chloe Hannigan MRCVS (pictured right), Founder-VetYogi, said: “I am delighted to be collaborating with Lintbells in offering this fun and accessible online 'Beginner’s Yoga’ course. As a practising vet myself I am all too aware of the daily stresses and challenges a veterinary team faces, and am passionate about the evidence-based ways in which a regular yoga and meditation practice can have meaningful physical, mental, and emotional benefits. I look forward to guiding you and welcome you regardless of whether you are a complete newbie to yoga, or simply wish to further what you already know”.
At 9.00am on Thursday and 1.45pm on Friday, Dr Sam Taylor, Feline Specialist and academy lead at the International Society of Feline Medicine (ISFM), will present ‘feline pawsative’, a talk about about cat inappetence and the remedy offered by Mirataz.
At 11.20am on Thursday and 9.00am on Friday, Matt Gurney, clinical director at Anderson Moores will be sharing the latest developments in sedation in dogs including Zenalpha.
At 12.30pm on Thursday and 12.35pm on Friday, Andrew Waller (pictured right), chief scientific officer at Intervacc AB, will be discussing how to rein in the impact of strangles using Dechra’s new protein-based vaccine, Strangvac.
The CPD sessions are first come, first served, and Dechra says it expects the presentations to be well-attended, so it could be worth getting there a little early, although probably no need to pitch a tent outside the night before.
The Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) has also granted a marketing authorisation in exceptional circumstances (Article 25, 26 EU Reg 2019/6) for Bultavo 3 in Ireland.
The company says that so far, more than 40 million doses of Bultavo 3 have been distributed in Europe to help limit the spread of BTV-3.
Boehringer points to a recent field study published by the German reference laboratory Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut (FLI), which showed that vaccination of sheep and cattle with Bultavo 3 induces immunity against the virus1.
According to the study, animals vaccinated with Bultavo 3 consistently showed evidence of a protective antibody response to BTV-3, although animals vaccinated with other BTV-3 vaccines did not1.
Boehringer says it is now compiling the data needed to obtain a full marketing authorisation in accordance with Article 8 of EU Regulation 2019/6.
Reference
The Association of Private Pet Cemeteries & Crematoria (APPCC) has launched a new leaflet for bereaved pet owners, which will be distributed to veterinary practices.
Kevin Spurgeon, Director of the APPCC said: "The feelings of grief and loss that pet owners go through after the death of their pet is often not fully appreciated. The idea of the leaflet is to help owners understand and deal with the emotions they are experiencing more. If the pet is part of a family then several people along with other pets may be affected - it may even be the first experience of death for some."
The leaflet was written and produced for the APPCC by Jane Matthews, author of Losing a Pet (http://www.smallbooks.co.uk/), and has had support from several experienced pet bereavement counsellors and the nationwide Pet Bereavement Support Service run by SCAS (www.scas.org.uk). It covers a variety of subjects, including:
According to the APPCC, studies have shown that as many as 1 in 4 pet owners take time off of work after the death of their pet with nearly half of all those surveyed having taking annual leave after their loss. Pet crematoriums have also noticed an upturn in the numbers of people taking a hands-on approach by choosing to arrange an individual cremation for their pet directly with the crematorium.
The APPCC plans to distribute the leaflets to its members, pet bereavement counsellors and veterinary surgeries throughout the UK and believes this is a major step forward in both acknowledging pet bereavement and helping those affected by it. The leaflet will also be available to download from the main APPCC website www.appcc.org.uk as well as through many of the members own sites.
All existing BEVA members will have their membership automatically extended until 30 June 2020. The association is also inviting vets and vet nurses who are not already BEVA members to join as online members free of charge until 30 June 2020.
BEVA President Tim Mair said: “In this extraordinary time of global crisis our profession, as with many industries, is under immense pressure. By offering free membership we are giving equine vets easy access to a wealth of supportive resources and online CPD to help them through these dark times.”
BEVA membership includes:
The association is also looking at other ways to support the profession, which has included making all BEVA Congress 2019 webinars available to members via the BEVA online learning platform.
To sign up from Monday 30 March 2020 visit: https://www.beva.org.uk/Join-BEVA
Woodley Equipment Company has become the exclusive Europe-wide distributor for the new Epoc Hand Held Clinical Care Analyser from Epocal Inc
Woodley says the Epoc, developed by the founder of the i-STAT analyser, is the first wireless point of care testing solution to use smart card technology. The Epoc provides immediate blood gas, electrolyte and critical care biochemistry results directly to a hand held PDA (included) and wirelessly interfaces with your in-practice computer. It is a completely affordable analyser that is easy to use and requires no refrigeration of consumables.
Key Features:
For a more information about the Epoc Blood Gas Analyser please email sales@woodleyequipment.com, visit woodleyequipment.com, or call Woodley's customer service team on +44 (0)1204 669033 ~ Option 1
The introduction of the new Level 3 Diploma in Veterinary Nursing has seen an increase in numbers of both students and training practices, according to statistics released today by the RCVS.
Since January, the RCVS has approved over 30 more Training and Auxiliary Training Practices, bringing to a total of 1,559 the number of practices approved for veterinary nurse (VN) training. Scope for practices to train student VNs is increased through the emphasis on Auxiliary Training Practices (aTPs), an option for practices without the full facilities or caseload needed for student training. Students at aTPs complete their in-practice training at other aTPs or full Training Practices. Of the 31 new practices approved since January for student training, eight are aTPs.
The number of VN students enrolling with the RCVS has also increased, with almost double the number enrolling in January 2011, compared with January 2010. There were a total of 1,168 student enrolments in the 12 months from 1 February 2010, compared with 1,121 enrolments in the same period from 1 February 2009.
Libby Earle, Head of the RCVS Veterinary Nursing Department said: "The Level 3 Diploma has been in place for little more than six months, yet VN student numbers are already up. This bodes well for the supply of qualified, competent registered veterinary nurses demanded by veterinary practices, and for those keen to enter the veterinary nursing profession."
The qualification was introduced when the government abolished the National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) system last summer, forcing a change in the vocational qualifications for VNs. The resulting Level 3 Diploma is designed to better meet the needs of practices, colleges, and students themselves.
Dechra Veterinary Products has launched a webcast about feline hyperthyoidism, given by Tim Williams MA VetMB MRCVS from the Feline Research Group at the Royal Veterinary College.
During the ten minute webcast, entitled: 'The highs and lows of feline hyperthyroidism', Tim presents new evidence that overdosing hyperthyroid patients can lead to iatrogenic hypothyroidism, making them more likely to develop azotaemia and consequently have a shorter survival time. He also discusses the diagnosis and potential consequences of iatrogenic hypothyroidism based on recent research conducted at the Feline Research Group, and provides a summary of suggested treatment protocols. Tim said: "I hope the webcast helps veterinary staff optimise their treatment of hyperthyroid cats in practice and avoid a one size fits all approach".
Dechra says that research from 400 first opinion practices has shown that hyperthyroidism is the most commonly diagnosed feline endocrinopathy, with an annual incidence of 6% in cats over nine years old.
Tim's webcast is the latest in a series of online educational materials on endocrinology launched by Dechra as part of its Dechra Academy training suite.The webcast is available at http://www.dechra.co.uk/hyperthyroidism
Dechra Veterinary Products has launched www.canine-cushings.co.uk, a new website for owners of dogs with Cushing’s syndrome, to support the advice given by their veterinary surgeon.
The new site contains information and resources designed to support dog owners whose pets have been prescribed Vetoryl. It looks at symptoms, diagnosis and treatment options, and owners can register for interactive treatment log book.
Craig Sankey, Brand Manager at Dechra Veterinary Products, said: "Diagnosis can be worrying for owners and the aim of the website is to help increase knowledge surrounding Cushing’s syndrome.
"The interactive treatment log book can be used by owners to chart progress and provide reassurance about how their dog is responding to Vetoryl therapy."
Advance25 Courses provide 25 hours of CPD in important areas of small animal practice, including Small Animal Medicine Cases Challenges, Emergency Medicine, Abdominal Ultrasound and Thoracic and Abdominal Radiology.
Advance25 courses run for a 6 week period, with tutor support. Recorded and live sessions are combined with discussion of multiple cases. Course materials are then accessible for 12 months.
Susie Coughlan, Managing Director of CPD Solutions said: "We appreciate that there is a high demand for quality online options at the moment, with many vets limited to online CPD.
"With the new Advance25 courses we’ve added more tutor support and ongoing interaction for those who are looking for a more immersive experience providing extended CPD hours. We’re really excited about these courses, which are launching now and running in the autumn. They should help vets make a real difference in their practices; they’re fully flexible and will fit with many people’s family and work commitments.’
For more information and to enter a prize draw to win a free Advance25 course, visit: https://www.cpd-solutions.com/advance25
BEVA Congress 2021 will now take place from September 4th-7th 2021.
The decision to cancel Congress 2020 was taken by BEVA Council and the Congress programme committee because of the unpredictable circumstances of the coronavirus pandemic.
Tim Mair, President of BEVA said: “The overriding factor in our decision-making process was to protect everyone attending Congress. We are chartering unknown territory at the moment and the additional planning requirements needed to run a large event like BEVA Congress with social distancing measures in place will take time.
“We intend for September 2021 to mark an exciting, fresh start for the profession following the harrowing experiences of 2020. It should be safe for our international speakers and delegates to attend by then, getting us all back on track with networking and world-class CPD to inspire us for the new post Covid-19 world.”
Tickets for BEVA Congress 2021 will be available later this year, more information from: www.bevacongress.org.
The findings of a Canine Vector Borne Disease (CVBD) prevention field study, published in Veterinary Parasitology today, have demonstrated the efficacy of Advantix in repelling ticks and sandflies, thus reducing the risk of potentially deadly diseases.
The study, conducted over two years by a team headed by Professor Domenico Otranto of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (Universitá degli Studi di Bari) Italy, with diagnostic support from a team led by Dr. Edward Breitschwerdt at the North Carolina State University, USA, found that dogs treated regularly with Advantix spot-on had a greater than 90% reduction in CVBD cases, including a 100% reduction in new cases of potentially deadly leishmaniosis and a 94.6% decrease in ehrlichiosis.
The study also found that Advantix provided 97.9% protection against tick infestation, compared to untreated dogs, where 100% were infested at the peak of the season. The level of protection offered by Advantix was apparently all the more notable because of particularly large numbers of ticks and sand flies and high prevalence of associated diseases like leishmaniosis or babesiosis in the area of the study.
Prof. Otranto said: "Our study shows the importance of protecting dogs with an effective treatment that repels as well as kills parasites like ticks and sand flies. Despite the high challenge faced by the dogs in our study, nearly all our treated dogs remained free from ticks throughout most of the study, and more than 90% remained free from CVBDs for the whole study time.
"Because we included naïve sentinel beagles in the study, we were also able to model what would happen to dogs travelling to areas where CVBDs are present. We found that by the end of the study, only the Advantix-treated beagles remained protected from infection, while 80% of the untreated beagles were infected with a CVBD. This demonstrates the very real need to protect dogs that are travelling to endemic areas."
According to Bayer, the study showed some interesting results with dogs that were positive with CVBDs when they entered the study. Of these, half of those treated with Advantix were negative for CVBDs at the end of treatment, compared with only 13% of untreated dogs. This suggests the potential for natural clearance of CVBDs if a repellent treatment is used to prevent new transmissions.
Bayer says the study was extremely comprehensive, studying both indigenous and introduced naïve puppies, monitoring for several CVBDs and working with Dr. Breitschwerdt's team in the USA to use highly sensitive molecular testing techniques to ensure optimal diagnostic accuracy. Dr. Breitschwerdt said: "This is the most comprehensive study, to my knowledge, ever conducted testing the efficacy of a repellent ectoparasiticide to prevent the transmission of a spectrum of CVBDs in young dogs."
Leading parasitologist Dr. Luis Cardoso of the University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Portugal said: "Thanks to this study we can see just how effective a treatment that repels as well as kills can be."
Vétoquinol, makers of Zylkène, a complementary feed for cats and dogs, has launched www.zylkenepet.co.uk, a new website with advice for pet owners about how they can help their pet deal with unsettling situations.
The website offers a behavioural quiz to help identify whether a pet may need help coping with any changes taking place. In addition, the site offers tips and advice from behavioural experts together with guides to helping pets cope with situations such as moving home, the introduction of a new baby or new people, travelling and holidays, coping with kennel and cattery stays and fireworks.
Krystyna Joyce, Product Manager at Vétoquinol, said: 'Owners often give Zylkène when their pet needs a bit of extra support to deal with unusual situations and changes to their routine, but there are also lots of practical things you can do that will improve a pet's experience further during that time. We wanted to make sure that information was readily available through a succinct, user friendly website.'
The poster can be downloaded free of charge from NOAH’s Pet Health Info website and a limited number are available from NOAH free of charge on a first-come, first-served basis.
Featuring pet photos from NOAH’s 'Happy healthy pets' project gallery, the planner contains independent seasonal expert tips and advice for pets: from exercise, diet and healthcare to keeping them safe and comfortable in different weather conditions.
Over the coming months, the campaign will continue to roll out tips and expert advice from NOAH and partners, tailored web content, as well as press and social media activity.
The poster is part of ’I Heart My Pet’ campaign, now in its third year, which includes the Happy, Healthy Pets Project – an interactive online gallery, where pet owners have already uploaded more than 2000 images of happy, healthy pets.
NOAH Chief Executive, Dawn Howard said: "We are thrilled that these three great animal welfare charities have joined forces with NOAH to help extend the reach of our collective networks on this project, with the ultimate objective of improving the health of the UK’s pets.
"PDSA’s sterling work through its PAW Report, highlighting areas where we need to focus to improve pet welfare made them an obvious choice and we are delighted to be working with them on this. Cats Protection helps thousands of cats every year and provides invaluable information on cat care. We hope that by working together we’ll be able to assist them in helping many more.
RWAF’s work on educating owners about the responsibility involved in taking on rabbits as pets, through campaigns such as Rabbit Awareness Week, is of vital importance and we look forward to working closely with them to spread the word even further."
Swindon-based Eastcott Veterinary Referrals is looking for a new resident to join its dentistry team.
Eastcott’s dentistry department is led by Andrew Perry, an EBVS European Veterinary Specialist in Dentistry. He's supported by Peter Southerden, AVDC Founding Fellow in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery – one of only 14 founding fellows in the world and the only one practicing in Europe.
The residency programme will offer an in-depth knowledge in veterinary dentistry through a mix of clinical and non-clinical work.
It will also provide an opportunity to work alongside world class surgeons responsible for some of the most advanced dental surgical procedures of today.
The clinical aspect of the role will require the candidate to manage cases and perform all forms of dental and oral surgical procedures and client communication, with guidance from senior staff.
The role will also involve preparation of scientific articles for publication and will help develop the candidate's teaching and presenting skills and externships in diagnostic imaging, surgery and anaesthesia.
Andrew said: “The team at Eastcott are proud to be a part of developing future specialists in a discipline that is growing rapidly and has such an impact on patient welfare.
“Our multidisciplinary approach to management of dental, oral and maxillofacial pathologies means that the successful candidate will have the benefit of exposure to a very diverse, and at times cutting edge, caseload.
“The residency programme is well-established at Eastcott. The dentistry, oral and maxillofacial team, the hospital directors and the Linnaeus central support team are committed to individual development and growth and work hard to provide an environment and support to allow our residents to flourish.”
For more information on this role, visit www.eastcottreferrals.co.uk or email andrew.perry@eastcottvets.co.uk before July 31.
Programme highlights for BVA Live this year include:
British Veterinary Association President Anna Judson said: “This has been an incredibly challenging year for the profession, with the review by the Competitions and Marketing Authority (CMA) prompting increased scrutiny of the value of veterinary care.
"We know that all veterinary professionals strive to provide the best possible care for the animals they see and we hope our focus on contextualised care at BVA Live provides a timely opportunity to explore this concept in more depth and consider how it can be applied in practice to support both decision-making and communication with clients.”
https://bvalive.vetshow.com
Veterinary surgeon Andrew Reeder, Director of the Stonehenge Veterinary Hospital, in Durrington, near Salisbury, was the lucky winner of a Sony Pocket e-Reader in the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons' prize draw at the London Vet Show in November.
The competition was mounted to launch an online quiz to test members' knowledge of the Guide to Professional Conduct. All those who completed the quiz on the RCVS stand at the event were entered into a prize draw: the RCVS would like to stress that it was a random draw, in spite of the serendipity of Andrew's surname!
"This is brilliant, I so rarely win anything!" said Andrew. "I'd recommend that all RCVS members should have a go at the quiz - it's quick, easy to complete and certainly makes you think."
Over 600 people have tackled the quiz so far. Those who fancy testing their knowledge of the Guide should visit www.rcvs.org.uk/guidequiz. The quiz is anonymous, but the College will be collating data to help focus future communications activities and see where extra guidance may be required. On completion of the quiz, it is possible to review answers and view the relevant section of the online Guide.
Ceva Animal Health has highlighted a new meta-analysis1 which, according to the company, reveals that there is a significant (P< 0.001) association between the use of pharmacotherapy (fluoxetine and clomipramine) or pheromonatherapy (Feliway) and reduction or elimination of feline urine marking.
Ceva says this is the first time a meta-analysis technique has been used to evaluate the efficacy of interventions in veterinary behavioural medicine; the study assessed all published papers covering treatments for feline urine spraying. Ten studies in nine publications were analysed, despite their different study designs. In order to carry out the meta-analysis, the papers were rated according to importance and a 'placebo-effect' was calculated. Primary and secondary outcomes were also identified, with the primary outcome being the 'number of cats that either ceased or reduced spraying by at least 90%' and the secondary outcome being 'the number of cats that reduce spraying from baseline levels'.
Information is available by calling Lucy Brett at CEVA Animal Health on 01494 781510.
1. A meta-analysis of studies of treatments for feline urine spraying. Daniel S Mills, Sarah E Redgate, Gary M Landsberg. PLos ONE, April 2011, Volume 6, Issue 4
The Bella Moss Foundation (BMF) has launched a free practice hygiene audit tool.
The BMF Practice Hygiene Self Audit is a web-based assessment tool that allows staff to monitor cleanliness across the practice – from theatre and prep rooms to laundry and waiting rooms.
The tick sheet format allows staff to rate the hygiene protocols in each area, resulting in a room-by-room percentage hygiene score, as well as an overall contamination risk score.
The tool was developed by vet and RCVS Practice Standards Scheme (PSS) expert Pam Mosedale and VN lecturer Louise O'Dwyer, along with Edinburgh academic Tim Nuttall and Chris Laurence.
Pam said: "Given the relaunch of the PSS later in the year, which will include new modules on infection control, the BMF audit tool is especially timely.
"We hope that people will try the audit tool and it will lead them to have more of a team discussion about hygiene routines and protocols in practice. We know some areas get more attention than others - for example, how often do things like the toys in the waiting area really get cleaned?
“By using the audit, staff will easily be able to see what rooms/areas might need a bit more cleaning.
She added: "It's a simple no-frills tool but the whole idea is for it to be helpful and easy to use, so more practices are encouraged to have regular quantifiable monitoring systems in place to keep an eye on their hygiene protocols."
Co-creator Louise O'Dwyer said: “The BMF Practice Hygiene Self Audit will help ensure often overlooked aspects of cleaning and infection control are considered and implemented.
“It needs to be embraced by all members of staff, from non-clinical staff through to veterinary surgeons, as every individual has the potential to make an impact within their practice by taking action on infection control.”
To test the tool and see how clean your practice is, go to: www.thebellamossfoundation.com/practice-hygiene-self-audit
The Disciplinary Committee of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons last week decided that a Lincolnshire-based veterinary surgeon should not be restored to the RCVS Register, having previously struck him off for disgraceful professional conduct, as it was not convinced that he accepted the seriousness of its finding.
In October 2007, Robert Morris, of Brant Broughton, near Lincoln, was removed from the Register having been found guilty of falsely certifying a horse to be fit for sale, despite knowing that it had a respiratory problem that could prejudice its use in the future by its new owners.
At the hearing, which concluded on 7 January, the Disciplinary Committee focused on several areas. On the day following the Committee's decision in October 2007, Mr Morris had falsely certified that two horses had been fully vaccinated every six months by his practice, when he did not know that this was the case. On two occasions during September and October of 2009, he had held himself out to be a veterinary surgeon, including examining, diagnosing and treating animals (horses and dogs). These issues, together with the fact that Mr Morris told the Committee that he was not fully familiar with the Twelve Principles of Certification, as set out in the RCVS Guide to Professional Conduct, led the Committee to believe that Mr Morris did not understand the seriousness of his conviction for disgraceful professional conduct.
The Committee also felt that there was a risk to future welfare of animals and protection of the public arising from Mr Morris' failure to understand the importance of certification. That he remained unfamiliar with the veterinary medicines regulations (and had been convicted at Grantham Magistrates Court on 1 November 2007 for possession of unauthorised veterinary medicinal products on 7 March 2006), was also taken as relevant in this regard.
The Committee also took into account the fact that Mr Morris had undertaken only limited continuing professional development since his removal, and it was concerned that it had not been presented with sufficient evidence to confirm Mr Morris' assertion that he no longer suffers from an alcohol problem.
Chairing the Disciplinary Committee, Mrs Alison Bruce, said: "In the light of its finding that Mr Morris does not fully understand the importance of accurate certification, nor of practising as a veterinary surgeon when he was not entitled to do so, the Committee considers that there is a risk to the future welfare of animals in the event of his name being restored to the Register."
She went on to add that in the case of veterinary surgeons continuing to work in a practice when struck off: "It is fully appreciated that veterinary practices may be owned and managed by lay people, however there must be a clear distinction between managing or working within a veterinary practice and practising veterinary medicine. It is of particular importance that any member who has been removed should recognise the difference between these activities. A member who has been removed must refrain from examining animals, making diagnoses or performing treatments, even under the direction of another veterinary surgeon, this includes giving veterinary advice."
In what is believed to be a first for the profession, a group of experts have joined forces to publish 'Chronic Pain in the Dog', a blog about managing pain.
The blog, which is sponsored by Vetoquinol and available exclusively to VetSurgeon.org members, offers opinions and advice from Dr Jo Murrell, BVSc PhD CertVA DipECVA MRCVS, Head of Anaesthesia at Bristol Vet School, Kate L White MA Vet MB DVA Dipl ECVAA MRCVS, European Specialist in Veterinary Anaesthesia & Analgesia, Associate Professor in Veterinary Anaesthesia and Clinical Sub Dean at Nottingham University Veterinary School and Krista Visser 't Hooft, DVM, DipACVIM (Internal Medicine), MRCVS, Specialist in Medicine.
A new blog entry is posted every few days, and each one focuses on just one aspect of pain management, to make it easy to digest in a busy day. The aim is to help build the clinician's understanding of the topic over time.
It is also hoped that the blog will build into a useful information resource, both to raise awareness of pain management and aid clinicians in making decisions about how to approach complex cases.
VetSurgeon members can subscribe to be alerted to new blog entries by email, and (at the time of writing) there is a prize of a £10 Amazon voucher for every 50th veterinary surgeon to do so.
Click here to read the blog and subscribe.
Key Note Ltd, has published Pet Insurance 2015, a report into the state of the UK pet insurance market which forecasts that premiums will rise by 46.7% by 2019.
The report notes that the percentage of adults in Great Britain owning at least one dog has increased by 2.1 percentage points over the past 5 years, and the percentage owning at least one cat is 2.5 percentage points higher than it was 5 years ago. Yet despite growth in the pet population, the increase in the volume of pet insurance policies (23.6% between 2010 and 2014) has been far exceeded by the increase in the value of premiums written (40.7%).
Key Note says claims inflation has been a major factor in rising premiums; despite gross written premiums for cats, dogs and other pets increasing by 13.3% between 2013 and 2014 alone, the cost of claims for the same animals rose by 14.7% over the same period, over and above the premium increases seen.
According to the company, rising claims are largely down to the increasing cost of veterinary treatment — as advances in pet medicine increase apace with those in human medicine, treating pets is getting more costly. Not only this, but other factors, such as the rise in overweight or obese pets and even antibiotic-resistant bacteria, both common problems in the human health service, are also pushing up the costs of veterinary treatment.
In other general insurance markets, most notably motor insurance, which price comparison websites (PCWs) were initially set up to focus on, competition exerts a major downward pressure on premiums. However, the report says this is not always the case in the pet insurance market. This is because it can be difficult for those who have already claimed on pet insurance policies to switch insurers; the result of doing so is often that the condition the pet has previously been treated for is classed as ‘pre-existing’ in the new policy and therefore it, and related conditions, will not be covered under the new policy. This could leave pet owners liable to pay for veterinary treatment in full.
The situation has been further exacerbated by the high-profile withdrawal of a number of underwriters from the pet insurance market. The nature of the pet insurance market, though at first seeming diverse, actually involves a relatively limited pool of underwriters behind the numerous brands available. The report details how just four underwriters between them either underwrite or, at the very least, arrange and administer the pet insurance policies of 27 of the foremost brands in the pet insurance market.
Key Note forecasts that although insurance companies will see an increase in the volume of pets insured, this will not compensate for the relentless increase in the cost of claims which will be largely responsible for driving the cost of pet insurance up 46.7% by 2019.