Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health has produced a new Orf Vaccination Starter Pack to help vets better inform their sheep farmer clients about the disease.

The new campaign Vaccination Starter Pack includes a practical guide to Orf and its control in UK sheep flocks, a DVD profiling vet and farmer experiences of managing the disease, an 'Orf questions answered' handout and a best practice vaccination protocol. Additional practice support materials highlighting the problems caused by Orf and its control with Scabivax Forte are also available.

The Starter Pack and full range of promotional materials are available from local Intervet/Schering-Plough Account Managers or by contacting the Veterinary Support Group on 01908 685685.

Graham Gardner has launched its summer collection of scrubwear in the form updated versions of its Urbane and Easiphit Collections, with new colour combinations added to the range.

The Urbane Collection, pictured right, is designed specifically for the female form. Easiephit is a contempary unisex collection.

Simon Ward, Sales Director said: "Scrubwear is becoming a firm favourite with veterinary staff in the UK. The relaxed comfort offered by scrubs is very attractive to staff, and the smart image of colour coded garments is very well received by managers seeking a unified department look. With the increased stocks and increased colour combinations, customers can now get their hands on the new uniforms more quickly than ever before!"

Other colour combinations are still available as special imports. Non-stocked colour requests will be directed to Grahame Gardner's USA Partners and the sales team will ensure that customers are kept updated as to delivery times.

Both Easiephitt and Urbane have also increased their stocked size range. Grahame Gardner now aim to hold sizes from extra, extra small to extra, extra large.

For further information on Urbane, Easiephitt or Grahame Gardner Ltd, please call 0116 255 6326, or visit http://www.grahamegardner.co.uk/.

Merial has joined forces with the Global Alliance for Rabies Control (GARC) promote its "Me and My Dog - Together Against Rabies" social media campaign, designed to raise awareness of the importance of vaccinating dogs against rabies. 

As part of the campaign, pet owners are asked to share photos of themselves with their dog on social media channels, using the hash tags #TogetherAgainstRabies and #MerialMeAndMyDog.

Merial says the increased numbers of pets travelling since the changes to the Pet Travel Scheme rules in 2012 means that awareness of rabies amongst pet owners is important, despite the fact that the disease is not endemic in the UK.

Joanne Maki, Director Veterinary Public Health for Wildlife and Companion Animals for Merial said: "The "Me and My Dog - Together against Rabies" campaign is a unique opportunity for all of us to play a part in spreading the word about eliminating human rabies through the vaccination of animals. The more of us who participate, the stronger we are in this important fight".

The International Veterinary Epilepsy Task Force (IVETF), a group of 26 veterinary practitioner, neuropharmacology, neuropathology and neurology experts led by Holger Volk, Professor of Veterinary Neurology and Neurosurgery at the RVC, has issued new guidelines for treating and caring for dogs with epilepsy.

The guidelines have been adopted by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) and published in the form of a ‘consensus statement’ in the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine (JVIM).

Professor Volk, who co-chaired the consensus statement process, said: "I was honoured to have been asked to co-chair such an important forum in American veterinary practice. This will be another landmark paper to help improve the care vets deliver for the patients with epilepsy, both in America and beyond.

"Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological diseases encountered by veterinary surgeons and practitioners around the world. The prevalence of the condition means there have been numerous research studies carried out over the years. But, despite such frequent research, there has been a lack of consistency when it comes to diagnosis and treatment.

"This lack of cohesion and collaboration made it difficult for owners and veterinary professionals to communicate effectively on the issue of pet epilepsy. This has led to the global veterinary community changing its approach and, in recent years, working more closely together."

Professor Volk says the aim of these latest guidelines is to provide joined up and collaborative thinking, teaching and learning on various different aspects of the condition that specifically affect America. These include the development of treatment strategies and any potential issues with chronic anti-epileptic drug treatment.

The ACVIM guidelines follow on from seven in-depth consensus statements produced by the IVETF and published open access in BMC Veterinary Research last year, outlining recommendations and classifications on all aspects of canine epilepsy. It was the first time this many veterinary neurology clinicians and neuroscientists formally agreed on the key aspects of the condition.

Professor Volk, who is also the Clinical Director of the RVC’s Small Animal Referral Hospital, added: "There is a real exciting buzz around canine and feline Epilepsy currently. Finally getting to global consensus from the international veterinary community will accelerate research and lead to improved patient care and quality of life for owners and patients alike."

Tyne and Wear-based Razvan Georgescu has been suspended by the RCVS Disciplinary Committee for six months after being convicted of drug-driving. 

Mr Georgescu faced three sets of charges:

The first was that in  April 2024 at Newcastle Magistrates’ Court, he pleaded guilty to driving a car when the proportion of the controlled substance Benzoylecgonine (the main metabolite of cocaine) exceeded the specified limit contrary to the Road Traffic Act 1988 and the Road Traffic Offenders Act.

He was disqualified from driving for 20 months, fined £634, ordered to pay £254 victim surcharge and £150 costs.

The second and third charges were that he was misleading and/or dishonest with the RCVS when he was asked to provide information about the circumstances leading to his conviction.

In correspondence with the College, he claimed that the incident happened on his day off, when he was in fact due to work that day.

He also submitted – or allowed to be submitted – a false staff rota for the day of his arrest.

The Disciplinary Committee found the charges against Mr Georgescu proven on the basis of the certificate of conviction and his admission, prior to the hearing, that he had given false information.

The Committee then considered whether the three charges amounted to serious professional misconduct.

The Committee considered the fact that Mr Georgescu was driving, and intending to work, while he was seven times over the prescribed proportion of Benzoylecgonine allowed to be in in his bloodstream.

Paul Morris, chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: “With regard to the impact this conduct would have on right thinking members of the public, Dr Georgescu himself said, when cross examined, that were he standing in the shoes of an owner of an animal he was going to treat that day with the knowledge that he had in his blood more than 7 times the prescribed limit of a prohibited drug he “would not be comfortable for sure” and would cause such persons to “lose trust”.

“Having regard to the above facts and matters the Committee has no hesitation in concluding that the facts relevant to his commission of the offence in Charge 1 were so serious and presented such prospective risks to other road users that it renders the respondent unfit to practise as a veterinary surgeon.”

Charges 2 and 3 were considered together, with the Committee again finding serious professional misconduct on the basis that Mr Georgescu had set out to lie to the RCVS and had continued and repeated the lie for a period of six months.

The Committee identified a number of aggravating features in his conduct including the fact it was premeditated, entailed sustained and repeated dishonesty, involved wilful disregard for the role of the RCVS as the veterinary regulator and that admissions were only made when he realised he couldn’t sustain his falsehoods any longer.

Finally, having found that all charges were proven and amounted to serious professional misconduct, the Committee decided that suspending Mr Georgescu from the Register of Veterinary Surgeons would be adequate to protect the welfare of animals, maintain public confidence in the profession, and declare and uphold proper standards of conduct.

Paul Morris added: “The misconduct of the respondent is serious but his misconduct falls short of being fundamentally incompatible with remaining on the Register.

"He does have insight into the seriousness of his misconduct and there is, in the judgement of the Committee, no significant risk of repeat misleading behaviour.

"The Committee also considers that the respondent will be fit to return to practice after the period of suspension in question.

“The Committee did consider striking the respondent from the Register but determined that this sanction would be unduly punitive and deprive the public and the profession of an otherwise competent veterinary surgeon.

“The Committee has reflected carefully on the question of how long the period of suspension should be and has determined that it should be a period which is not so long that it will result in the loss of the respondent to the profession which he professes to love and in which his referees assert he is a capable and caring veterinary surgeon.”

www.rcvs.org.uk/disciplinary

Freda Andrews, the Director of Education at the RCVS, has announced her retirement from the position on 2nd April after nearly 16 years at the College.

Freda joined the RCVS as Head of Education in September 1999 and became Director of Education in 2013, with strategic responsibility for both veterinary and veterinary nursing education.

Nick Stace, RCVS Chief Executive Officer, said: "We will miss Freda for her professionalism, her encyclopaedic knowledge of all things related to veterinary education and her attention to detail, but she leaves behind a team that is stronger-than-ever and a considerable legacy for the profession as a whole.

"Under her watch the Education Department has seen a significant number of achievements. This includes the introduction of the Professional Development Phase which has helped veterinary graduates develop their confidence and competence during the first few years of practice and the accreditation of the University of Nottingham's School of Veterinary Medicine and Science - the first new UK vet school in 50 years."

Freda's responsibilities as Director of Education will now be split between Christine Warman, Head of Education, and Julie Dugmore, Head of Veterinary Nursing.

Freda said: "I have really enjoyed working with such a fascinating profession and I think that through working very closely with our colleagues in the vet schools, as well as with practising vets, veterinary education has made some significant advances. For example, there is more focus now on communication and professional skills and greater alignment of accreditation standards internationally, to name but two things.

"I am sad to leave but I know that the future of veterinary and veterinary nursing education has been left in the very safe hands of Christine and Julie and their respective teams." 

The Journal of Small Animal Practice (JSAP) has published the first study to document the histopathological frequency of hepatobiliary diseases in a large cohort of dogs in the United Kingdom.

The researchers hope that the study will help to increase a veterinary surgeon’s index of suspicion of a particular liver disease, particularly if a biopsy-confirmed diagnosis is not possible.

In the study titled “Histopathological frequency of canine hepatobiliary disease in the United Kingdom”, histopathology reports from canine liver tissues submitted to a commercial veterinary laboratory by UK first and second opinion practices were retrospectively reviewed.

Data collected included breed, age, sex, gross and histological descriptions, diagnosis and additional comments.

Data were then grouped into 23 categories according to WSAVA histological criteria for canine hepatobiliary diseases using the four main morphological groups of vascular, biliary, parenchymal and neoplastic disorders. Breed analysis was then performed on the top five ranking breeds within each individual category.

A total of 4584 histopathology reports of canine liver tissue were included in the analysis.

The most common histopathological diagnoses were reactive hepatitis (16.8%), chronic hepatitis (16.0%) and reversible hepatocellular injury (RHI) (12.9%).

Labrador retrievers were found to have increased odds for reactive hepatitis (OR 1.57, 95%CI 1.23-1.99), whilst crossbreeds demonstrated reduced odds (OR 0.65, 95%CI 0.54-0.79).

Breeds with increased odds of chronic hepatitis included the Labrador retriever (OR 4.14, 95%CI 3.47-4.93), springer spaniel (OR 6.30, 95%CI 5.10-7.79), cocker spaniel (OR 2.78 95%CI 2.20-3.53) and West Highland White Terrier (OR 3.23, 95%CI 2.24-4.65).

Within the RHI group, the schnauzer (OR 8.06, 95%CI 5.77-11.26) and Bichon Frise (OR 5.19, 95%CI 3.63-7.42) had increased odds of disease.

Dr Yuvani Bandara, corresponding author for the paper, said: “This is the first study to report the histopathological frequency of hepatobiliary diseases and to identify possible breed predispositions in a large cohort of dogs in the UK.

“Despite multivariable analysis not being performed to account for confounding factors, we hope that this information informs and supports future investigations for hepatic disease in particular breeds and potential predispositions.”

The full article can be found in the September issue of the Journal of Small Animal Practice and can be read online here: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jsap.13354.

Reference

1. Y Bandara, WA Bayton, TL Williams, T Scase and NH Bexfield (2021) Histopathological frequency of canine hepatobiliary disease in the United Kingdom. Journal of Small Animal Practice, 62 (9). Available at: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jsap.13354 

VetCell is celebrating a win at Cheltenham, after 'Knowhere' won the Cotswold Chase following pioneering stem cell treatment for a serious tendon injury.

Knowhere had had a good start to his racing career as a four-year-old, winning his first two races as a novice hurdler. But after his second race in 2004 he suffered injuries to both forelimb superficial digital flexor tendons. The left fore showed low grade tendonitis while the right fore had a significant percentage of fibre rupture. As a promising racing prospect, Knowhere’s connections wanted to give him the best possible chance of recovering from his injury so they opted for stem cell therapy. He was treated by Tim Beauregard MRCVS of Summerhill Farm in Gloucestershire.

Bone marrow samples were collected from Knowhere’s sternum and were processed in VetCell's laboratory over a five week period to generate millions of stem cells. Knowhere was sedated, the tendon area was anaesthetised and the leg was then surgically clipped and disinfected. Stem cells, which had been suspended in serum obtained from the original bone marrow sample, were then injected using ultrasound guidance, into the core of the damaged area of the tendon fibres.

For the first week after the implantation Knowhere was kept in his stable to allow the cells to adapt to their new environment. Each day after this he was given walking exercise in order to stimulate the activity of the stem cells, encouraging them to differentiate into tendon cells and form into strong tendon fibres. The amount of exercise was incrementally increased, building up over a three-month period from five minutes each day to 45 minutes twice a day.

By the autumn of 2005 both of Knowhere’s tendons had healed very well and showed good fibre pattern on ultrasonography. He was re-introduced to the racetrack the following year and of the 15 or so races he has been in since, he has finished in the frame on eight occasions and has amassed some £175,000 in winnings.

Vet Tim Beauregard said: “Knowhere’s successful return to the track has been exciting and immensely satisfying to follow and he showed particularly brilliant form in the Cotswold Chase. It remains to be seen whether he will be heading for the Ryanair Chase, the Gold Cup or the Grand National but all involved will be hoping for the best.”

For more information please contact VetCell on +44 207 691 2062 or 866 764 0340, email: info@vetcell.com or visit the website at http://www.vetcell.com/

Defra has announced that bluetongue (BTV-8) vaccine is now available from two pharmaceutical retailers to manage the risk of a BTV incursion.

At the start of June, the British Veterinary Association (BVA), British Cattle Veterinary Association (BCVA), Goat Veterinary Society (GVS), and Sheep Veterinary Society (SVS) welcomed the announcement that bluetongue (BTV-8) vaccine would be available by mid-July to support farmers and smallholders in managing the risk of a bluetongue outbreak predicted to reach mainland UK by late summer.

Since the Defra risk assessment indicates a high risk by late summer of a BTV incursion from France, veterinary associations have been involved in discussions with government, farmers’ representatives and manufacturers to ensure vaccine is available to meet potential demand particularly in the south of England where risk is highest. The situation remains under constant review by Defra as the disease develops and the weather warms up, promoting midge activity.

Pharmaceutical companies MSD and Zoetis announced that batches of vaccine would be available from mid-July, which Defra has just confirmed.

Vets across the UK are also contributing to the Joint campaign Against Bluetongue (JAB), helping to make farmers aware of the risk, clinical signs and what action to take, through speaking at local JAB information events and displaying posters and leaflets in practices.

While welcoming the announcement of vaccine availability in June, veterinary organisations also sought clarification about the cost and the amount of vaccine likely to be available in July and thereafter. This information is now available.

BVA President Sean Wensley said: "We welcome the announcement that vaccine will be available in time to meet potential demand. This disease seriously affects animal health and welfare as well as the productivity of livestock, and vaccination is the key control."

Photo by Fourrure (http://www.boulesdefourrure.fr) [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Fort Dodge Animal Health has announced it is working with the authorities to put measures in place to make its West Nile Virus vaccine, licensed in the United States, available to the European equine market.  These measures will ensure a vaccine is readily available in the event of an outbreak in the UK. 

This news comes as the Zooprophylactic Institute of Teramo, the Italian National Reference Centre for Exotic Diseases, has confirmed an outbreak of WNV among horses in stables in the northern province of Ferrara. About 20 horses are believed to have been affected.

Fort Dodge was the first company to develop and fully license a vaccine to protect horses against this potentially deadly disease. An inactivated whole virus vaccine, it was the only vaccine available in the United States at the height of the 2002 outbreak, which affected 15,000 horses. The U.S. Department of Agriculture credited the vaccine with contributing to the 70 per cent decline in U.S. equine West Nile cases since the height of the outbreak. WNV is now considered endemic in all areas of North America.

"As this latest outbreak of WNV in Italy highlights, the disease presents an increasing threat to the equestrian sector in Europe," says Helen Barnes, EMEA Equine Business Manager for Fort Dodge. "With little current natural immunity among the equine population, the consequences of a major outbreak could be devastating."

"Until now, horse owners in Europe have perhaps believed WNV is not a disease they should be concerned with but the outbreak in Ferrara came out of the blue, and at a time when a human case of WNV was also reported in the same province. This situation of both human and equine cases being reported is identical to that seen in the outbreaks in the United States. It's a stark reminder of the challenge this disease poses, particularly as environmental factors, such as global warming and heavy rains threaten to create mass breeding grounds for mosquitoes," says Barnes.

"Our experience with WNV in the United States has given us an exceptional understanding of the disease and the importance of vaccination. We now look forward to working in partnership with the European governments, the EU Commission and the veterinary community across Europe to help build understanding and knowledge of this dangerous emerging disease threat."

Quantum Vet Diagnostics (a division of Woodley Equipment Co Ltd) has announced the launch of a new wet chemistry analyser.

The Quantum Saturno is offered exclusively by Quantum with a total maintenance and reagent package. One fixed monthly payment provides all standard reagents for a month, control solution, monthly maintenance visits by an experienced technician, all parts, consumables, repairs and support from a dedicated wet chemistry division. There are also a wide range of special chemistry tests available.

Quantum says the key features of the new analyser are:

• User friendly
• 150 Tests per hour
• Up to 240 samples can be programmed at one time
• Automatic pre dilution
• Reagents volume monitored with an on-line inventory
• Walk away operation
• Direct reading automatically reads every 24 seconds

For more details contact 01798 813659 or email: sales@quantumvetdiagnostics.com

Two new Postgraduate Deans have been appointed by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons to advise and monitor new veterinary surgeons during their Professional Development Phase (PDP), the first stage in veterinary continuing professional development.

Jill Hubbard, a partner at Cibyn Veterinary Surgery, Caernarfon, and organiser of BVA North Wales' young graduate meetings, and Nicky Paull, a former BVA President with extensive experience of running veterinary practices and understanding of the needs of veterinary graduates, were selected from over 40 applicants.  They join existing Deans, Professor Agnes Winter and Julian Wells, and replace Professor David Noakes and Stephen Ware, who are retiring from the role having served since 2007, when PDP first became a requirement for veterinary graduates.

Jill Hubbard said: "I have always had a particular interest in how we support and guide our new graduates. This seemed a way of being actively involved - a useful niche to try and fill."

Nicky Paull said: "The development of young veterinary graduates has been of special interest to me for some years. In employing young veterinary surgeons, meeting recent graduates through my political work and the time spent with undergraduates through extra-mural studies and the Society of Practising Veterinary Surgeons' final year student seminars, I'm aware of the need for help and guidance for development of the young vets who are joining our profession."

The PDP applies to every newly qualified veterinary surgeon. It consists of an online record which the vet completes, and which is signed off by a Postgraduate Dean. This helps new vets and their employers check that sufficient experience is being gained so that the vet can progress from the 'Day-One competencies' of a new graduate to those expected of a vet with about a year's in-practice experience.