Kruuse is to launch a new Manuka honey dressing at BEVA 2011 in September.
Kruuse says that honey has been used as a topical anti-microbial agent and dressing for over 2000 years, and that honey derived from the nectar of the Manuka tree (Leptospermum scoparium) has its own unique chemical properties. Manuka honey contains glucose oxidase imparted by the bees during its collection and storage. This enzyme facilitates low level release of hydrogen peroxide when in the presence of wound exudates and thus supports cellular proliferation and metabolism through an antioxidant effect. The high sugar and low pH content creates a high osmotic potential which gives honey excellent debridement and anti-inflammatory properties.
The company says that one of the biggest difficulties with the use of honey in wound dressings is ensuring that once applied it stays over the wound area. Many attempts to coat dressings have been unsuccessful; often the active honey ingredient is left within the packaging severely reducing the effectiveness of the dressing. Kruuse says its Manuka dressings have the active honey impregnated 'within' the dressing, which ensures precise and easy application even if wearing surgical gloves.
The Kruuse Manuka dressings range comes in impregnated adherent (Kruuse Manuka AD), non-adherent dressing (Kruuse Manuka ND) and 15g tube of Manuka G. Each dressing comes in 3 sizes 5x5 cm , 10x12.5 cm and the KRUUSE Manuka roll (10x100 cm) a unique product ideal for large vertical wounds. E.G. Equine forelimb.
Kruuse also says that the antimicrobial potency in Manuka honey is rated by a standardised rating known as Unique Manuka Factor (UMF). The higher the UMF the better the antimicrobial effect. A minimum UMF of 10 is required to ensure sufficient effect in the wound environment, Kruuse Manuka Honey Wound Dressings have a Unique Manuka Factor of 15.
There is a restricted annual supply of Manuka honey as this unique product supply is controlled by a small number of producers in New Zealand. Many current honey products available use blends of Manuka honey with other poorer quality honey, these are often less effective. Kruuse Manuka uses 100% Manuka honey in all its dressings with the profits of the sale being returned directly to the Maori tribe that oversee the production of Manuka honey.
Andrew Groom, Managing Director Kruuse UK Ltd. said: "I am very excited that we have been able to secure a direct connection to supply this unique product with the knowledge that the Maori suppliers will see the returns for generations to come whilst this new range of dressing will add huge versatility for day to day wound management!"
The company is making the claim based on a £20,000 study it conducted with three dermatology specialists from three different clinics, in different parts of the country.
Trevor Hardcastle, Vet-AI’s chief data scientist said: "We have undertaken a small-scale trial of remote diagnosis of dermatology conditions by veterinary dermatology specialists in canine patients, which has resulted in almost perfect agreement. No significant evidence was found that veterinary dermatology specialists are measurably compromised in their ability to accurately diagnose common dermatology conditions by being remote from the patient."
Strangely, given the strength of the claim, its importance and Vet AI's obvious vested interest in the result, there was no other information contained within the company's press release. No mention of who the specialists were, nothing about the study design, and nothing about the basis on which the claim is made.
However, presuming the company meant Specialists not specialists, it would be very unusual if they had agreed for an announcement of this importance to be made without the evidence being reasonably robust. So it's probably worth suspending judgement until the study is published in full.
Meantime, the company also says its own research into online diagnosis amongst pet owners has shown that more than 50% of people have avoided taking their pets to the vet for cost reasons, yet more than 65% have tried online self-diagnosis. Again, Vet AI doesn't reveal how many pet owners were asked, or how they were sampled.
Vet-AI co-founder Sarah Warren said: "Things like dermatological issues are beautifully aligned to remote consultation because they’re visual so we can gain a wealth of information from images and distribution maps and easily recommend treatments.
"This needs to happen in a regulated, ethical and correct way with a view to improving animal welfare.
"The RCVS has a chance to ensure that people have access to quality vet help online in an effective way. They can do this, or they can allow them to continue accessing poor-quality advice. As a profession, it’s vital we respond to the needs of pet owners."
Baycox Iron Injection is indicated for the concurrent prevention of clinical signs of coccidiosis (such as diarrhoea) in neonatal piglets on farms with a confirmed history of coccidiosis caused by Cystoisospora suis, and the prevention of iron deficiency anaemia.
Professor Nicole Kemper, Director of the Institute for Animal Hygiene, Animal Welfare and Farm Animal Behaviour at the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover in Germany said: "Piglets go through intense handling in their first days of life. While this is done to give them a better start to life and protect them from disease, it can also cause a lot of stress. Measures to reduce the need for piglet handling can make an important contribution to enhancing piglet well-being in the farrowing pen."
Octavio Orlovsky Eckhardt, Head of Species Marketing Swine at Animal Health, Bayer said: "A combination therapy that can effectively address these concerns with reduced handling can make a real difference for pig health and well-being.
"At the same time, farmers and workers can benefit from the reduced labour. For example, on a 1,000 sow farm, the reduced complexity is estimated to save up to one full work day every month."
For more information on Baycox Iron Injection, contact your local Bayer Animal Health representative.
Virbac has has announced the launch of Buprevet, a buprenorphine-based, injectable solution indicated for the potentiation of sedative effects of centrally-acting agents in dogs and for use in cats and dogs as part of a multimodal approach to analgesia.
Buprevet is presented in a 10 ml multi-dose bottle which can be broached up to 25 times and can be open for up to 28 days.
Sarah Walker MRCVS, Product Manager, said: "Buprenorphine is a potent, high affinity, synthetic opioid agonist which forms a key element of practice anaesthetic protocols and complements our existing anaesthetic range. Its potentiation effects means less sedation is needed in the pre-medication and in the anaesthesia, facilitating smoother recoveries with more comfortable patients."
"Buprenorphine is a tried and trusted solution for analgesia in many practices. Buprevet can be given pre-operatively to allow analgesia during and after surgery. It works effectively as part of a pre-emptive approach to analgesia, alongside products such as Inflacam and Carprox in our NSAIDs range."
I had hoped that the increasing absurdity of the reasons given for the rise might have tipped everyone off to the fact that the story was a spoof.
The idea that the College would ask its members to fund some glitzy, showy, award-winning designer headquarters along the lines of London’s City Hall? C’mon. London City Hall employs 1000 staff, whilst the Royal College employs less than 100. And let's face it, the RCVS has no record of having showy offices. On the contrary, it has managed to operate out of a sardine can now for a great many years. Have you ever been in the lift at Horseferry Road? You need to breathe in.
Or that the College had set aside £6M to recruit and pay 20 veterinary surgeons as short term contracted OVs to help in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Let’s say a flight from Delhi to London costs £500, give or take. Twenty vets. That’s £10,000 to get them here. Let's say they’re here for 6 months. That’s £299,500 per vet. You really think the College is going to ask you to pay more than a quarter of a million pounds to fly in a single vet for 6 months? Or that 20 recruits would solve the predicted OV shortage?
Lastly, the quote, supposedly from an Indian vet, but one with a name that doesn’t really sound like a name (still less an Indian one), but does sound strangely like it may be an anagram of April Fool.
There have been a small number of reports of people being really upset by this story. I guess they must have skim read, or only read the headline.
To them I want to say sorry, I genuinely didn’t mean to upset anyone.
In fact, I thought it might cause some reflection on what good value the RCVS really offers. It maintains the register and thereby your ability to practice, it runs the disciplinary process (an essential component of maintaining public trust), it oversees and sets educational standards, it awards Fellowships, Diplomas and Certificates, it runs the Practice Standards Scheme.
All that, and more for £340 per annum?
Honestly? I think it would be cheap at half the price.
Photo: Truth is that the RCVS has operated out of a sardine can for years.By Rl - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link
Sam and Dick will be joint Clinical Directors of the hospital and co-owners of the business alongside the Pets at Home Vet Group, their Shared Venture Partner.
They say the vision is to create a world-class facility with a team of highly motivated veterinary specialists, nurses and support colleagues providing outstanding levels of service to meet the needs of referring veterinary surgeons, their clients and patients.
The purpose-built facility will offer specialist referral services across a range of disciplines, including anaesthesia, diagnostic imaging, internal medicine, orthopaedics, neurology and soft tissue surgery. Emergency referrals will be accepted seven days a week, 24 hours a day.
Sam said: "It is truly exciting to build a new team of experienced specialists who have clinical excellence as their priority. We also relish the chance to develop great relationships with professional colleagues in first opinion practices. This will allow our hospital to deliver an exceptional level of service for referring veterinary surgeons and their patients."
Dick said: “This is a very exciting step and I am delighted to be instrumental in ensuring that our new centre in Scotland offers the very best in veterinary care”.
The hospital will be based at Deer Park in Livingston, with convenient parking and easy access to the M8 and other major road and rail networks. In addition to clinical services, it will provide a CPD programme, including internship and residency opportunities.
In the past, few employers in the veterinary profession have chosen to advertise salary details, perhaps because they don't want to open a negotiation with their cards on the table, or perhaps they've been fearful of their existing employees finding out what they're prepared to offer a new candidate.
In the VetSurgeon forums, some employers have also remarked that the job isn't about money, and they wouldn't be interested in a candidate whose search criteria included the salary on offer.
The reality, of course, is that we all have bills to pay, children to feed or mortgages to cover and whilst few if any veterinary surgeons search for a job on the basis of salary alone, it's perfectly reasonable that the salary is part of their deliberations.
More than that, all the indications are that job advertisements which include salary details generate more, better qualified responses. Reed carried out a survey of 1000 jobseekers in 2016, 2/3rds of whom said they would be more likely to apply when a salary is displayed on the advert. Another company, Smart Recruit Online, found back in 2013 that job adverts which included a salary generated 30% more responses that those that didn't.
There are also indications that in the future, Google may start to prioritise jobs advertised with salary information in its search results.
To try and strike a balance between some employers' reluctance to display what they might be prepared to pay and the need for greater transparency, advertisers can now display a 'Minimum Offer' on VetSurgeon Jobs, described to the potential applicant as: "The minimum this employer is prepared to offer someone with the skills and experience needed to fulfil the job requirements. They may or may not be prepared to offer more. They may also be prepared to accept someone with a lower level of qualification or experience for an amount less than displayed."
Alternatively, employers can advertise a 'Pay Range', described to potential applicants as: "The employer expects to pay something within the displayed range, depending on their assessment of the value of the applicant's skills and experience to the practice."
In addition, employers can also display other benefits which are likely to be of more or less value to individual applicants, such as a RCVS fees, association subscriptions, health insurance and CPD allowances.
VetSurgeon.org Editor Arlo Guthrie said: "This is entirely optional, but I do hope as many employers as possible will make good use of this new feature, because all the research and anecdotal evidence suggests it’s what candidates want to hear, and it should lead to a better response. Not to mention how time-saving it is for two people to come to the table with realistic expectations."
MSD Animal Health has launched an improved on-farm calf-side scour pathogen testing kit for faster diagnosis of the main infectious organisms implicated in a disease outbreak.
According to the company, the new ScourCheck Rapid Programme promises a 10-minute diagnostic turnaround from faecal sample to result, enabling the veterinary practitioner to offer more timely disease management recommendations without having to wait for a laboratory report. The new kits deliver on-farm identification of rotavirus, coronavirus, cryptosporidium and E. coli K99.
Further details on the ScourCheck Rapid Programme are available from MSD Animal Health account managers.
Duncan makes three requests of the UK Government:
The first is to make changes to encourage more overseas vets, and specifically the return of EU vets.
The second is to increase funding for UK universities to provide veterinary courses.
The final request is to update the regulatory framework to enable veterinary nurses to expand their role.
Full article: https://ivcevidensia.co.uk/News/duncan-phillips-time-to-overhaul-vet-support
The guidelines, launched during WSAVA World Congress 2018 in Singapore, aim to bridge differing perceptions of welfare around the world and help veterinary surgeons and nurses tackle the ethical questions and moral issues which impact welfare.
They also offer guidance to ensure that, in addition to providing physical health advice and therapy to their patients, veterinary surgeons and nurses can advocate for their psychological, social and environmental wellbeing.
Dr Shane Ryan, incoming President of the WSAVA and former Chair of the WSAVA Animal Wellness and Welfare Committee, said: "As veterinarians, our responsibility extends far beyond the physical health of our patients. Animal welfare as a science is a new and rapidly developing discipline and veterinarians need current, evidence-based invformation to enable them to maintain the highest welfare standards and to provide knowledgeable, accurate advice for pet owners and communities.
"Our new Guidelines provide recommendations, checklists and other tools to promote optimal levels of welfare throughout the veterinary visit. They also offer guidance on increasing welfare beyond the doors of the clinic through outreach activities.
"As levels of pet ownership increase in many regions of the world, including Asia, it is essential that veterinarians champion animal welfare and the WSAVA hopes that these new Guidelines will encourage our members to adopt best practice and set the highest standards.
"I would like to thank the members of the Animal Welfare Guidelines team, who worked so hard to create them and, of course, our sponsor, Waltham, whose constant support was instrumental in enabling us to deliver them."
The Animal Welfare Global Guidelines for Companion Animal Practitioners and the Veterinary Team are available for free download at: https://bit.ly/2D3RAoc.
Bonqat 50 mg/ml oral solution for cats contains pregabalin, an analgesic, anti-epileptic which has now been licensed for the alleviation of acute anxiety and fear associated with transportation and veterinary visits in cats.
Tessie 0.3 mg/ml oral solution for dogs contains tasipimidine and is licensed for the short-term alleviation of situational anxiety and fear in dogs triggered by noise or owner departure.
Dômes Pharma points to research which shows that in the UK 1.4 million1 dogs show signs of distress when left alone, and 4.4 million dogs1 show fear of loud noises.
In addition, over 4 million cats2 are not having routine vet checkups each year, with 26%2 of these owners reporting that it is too stressful for their cat or themselves.
Jonathan Hill, UK country manager at Dômes Pharma sid: "Dômes Pharma is excited to be launching two new innovative products to help vets manage cases in this complex area.
"These products expand our portfolio and provide essential options for owners and their pets struggling with these situational related problems."
https://www.tvm-uk.com/the-behavioural-range
Reference
Ms Evans was charged with causing or allowing a veterinary nurse colleague to order a prescription-only medicine from a practice supplier knowing that it was intended for human use, and made a false entry prescribing the medication on the clinical records of a cat belonging to her nurse colleague.
She was also charged with falsely recording details purporting to be the results of the blood tests on cat and then entering notes on the animal's clinical history which falsely indicated that there had been a meaningful result, and then indicating to the animal's owner that there had been a meaningful result, when in fact the tests had failed to produce any meaningful results.
The final charge was that her conduct in making the false entry for the prescription-only medication, and all elements of the second charge was dishonest and misleading.
Ms Evans admitted the first charge on the basis that she had allowed rather than caused the order to be made, all the other facts of this charge were admitted.
She admitted the second charge on the basis that she had failed to inform the cat’s owner of the test results, all the other facts of this charge were admitted.
She also admitted that elements of her conduct had been dishonest and misleading.
Having found the charges proven by Ms Evans’ admissions, the Committee considered whether her admitted actions and conduct amounted to serious professional misconduct.
Ms Evans, through her legal counsel, accepted that the admitted charges passed the threshold for serious professional misconduct, though that question still needed to be determined independently by the Committee.
The Committee found that Dr Evans’ conduct had breached several key parts of the Code of Professional Conduct and its supporting guidance, particularly around honesty and integrity.
It also found aggravating factors in this case, including the risk to human health by allowing the prescription-only medication to be ordered knowing it was for human use, the abuse of her professional position, the breach of client trust, the potential adverse impact on the welfare of the cat for whom she falsified the blood test records, and the potential adverse impact on the welfare of the cat for whom she had falsely recorded the prescription-only medicine.
The Committee found no mitigating factors relating to the facts.
Paul Morris, chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, said in relation to the first charge: “In the Committee’s view, this irresponsible approach to a prescription-only medicine risked human health, potentially compromised an animal’s welfare, since the clinical record suggested the cat had been given Fluconazole when it had not, constituted an abuse of the trust placed in her as a registered veterinary surgeon and was in breach of legal provisions designed to safeguard human health.
“Such behaviour falls far below the standard expected of a registered veterinary surgeon, undermines public confidence in the profession and would be considered deplorable by colleagues and the public alike.
"The Committee was thus satisfied that charge 1 on its own amounts to disgraceful conduct in a professional respect.”
He added: “Acting dishonestly runs contrary to one of the most fundamental principles of the profession.
"The public need to know that they can rely on the honesty and integrity of the people to whom they entrust the care and welfare of their animals.
“Further, Dr Evans’ conduct in both incidents had the potential to undermine public confidence in the profession of veterinary surgery and bring the profession into disrepute.
"In all the circumstances, the Committee was satisfied that Dr Evans’ behaviour as reflected in charge 2 fell far short of the standard expected of a veterinary surgeon and amounted to disgraceful conduct.
“Accordingly, the Committee found proved the allegation that Dr Evans was guilty of disgraceful conduct in a professional respect.”
Having found serious professional misconduct in relation to all charges, the Committee considered what the most appropriate and proportionate sanction would be for Ms Evans’ actions and conduct.
In doing so, it considered 137 positive references and testimonials from Dr Evans’ professional colleagues and clients, poor staff morale at the practice at the time as well as compelling, exceptional evidence relating to Dr Evans’s health at the time of the two incidents.
In mitigation, the Committee considered the fact that Dr Evans had no previous disciplinary history and had a hitherto unblemished career as a veterinary surgeon; her open and frank admissions; the circumstances of pressures at work exacerbated by Dr Evans’ desire to please everyone and not let anyone down; the fact that Dr Evans was feeling very isolated; the significant insight into her conduct and its impact; effective and targeted remediation to ensure there would be no likelihood of the conduct being repeated; genuine expressions or remorse and apology; support from her employers; and the very significant number of positive testimonials.
Summing up the Committee’s decision on sanction, Mr Morris said “In all the, somewhat exceptional, circumstances of this case, the Committee was satisfied that a reprimand and a warning not to behave in this way again, would provide adequate protection to animals, as it was satisfied Dr Evans was most unlikely to ever make such a flawed set of decisions again.
“The Committee was satisfied that Dr Evans does not represent a risk to animals going forward, indeed from the character evidence it is clear that she always puts the welfare of animals first.
"She has also shown, since this episode, that she can work under pressure and not resort to making bad decisions and thus the Committee considered the wider public interest would best be served in this case by a reprimand and a warning.
“Notwithstanding the serious nature of Dr Evans' conduct, the Committee was satisfied that a fully informed member of the public would not be shocked if Dr Evans were allowed to continue to practise.
“The decision of this Committee is, therefore, that Dr Evans be reprimanded and warned about her behaviour.
"Dr Evans should, however, be under no illusion of how serious it is to have a finding of disgraceful conduct in a professional respect made against her and she should not take lightly the decision of this Committee to reprimand and warn her.”
www.rcvs.org.uk/disciplinary
The range includes:
Fluodrop (the first fluorescein product specifically designed for veterinary use)
Ocryl - an ocular and periocular cleanser that can also be used to reduce and prevent unsightly tear staining
Ocular lubricants (carbomer and hyaluronic acid based)
Clerapliq – a novel molecule to the UK veterinary market that is used to help restore and regenerate the corneal extracellular matrix
The products will be supported with a selection of materials to help vets, nurses and pet owners in the maintenance of corneal health, including diagnosis and treatment guidelines, anatomical guides, posters and client educational and treatment aids to help with compliance.
William Peel MRCVS, product manager at TVM-UK said: "Our Corneal Focus Range is an exciting way to expand on our product portfolio following the successful introduction of our ‘Anti-tox’ range.
"With ‘Anti-tox’ we successfully managed to make vets and nurses lives easier by providing education and materials alongside a great range of products to help when dealing with poisoning cases in practice. We also attempted to make clients more aware of the dangers of poisoning in pets.
"We hope to emulate this approach and success with our Corneal Focus Range – by developing a wealth of materials for vets, nurses and clients to aid them in managing and understanding ophthalmology cases – and by providing quality products."
TVM UK will be showcasing its new products and support services at the London Vet Show (stand P40) this November.
For more information, visit: http://www.tvm-uk.com/
A graduate of University College Dublin, Richard started out in first opinion practice after completing an internship at the University of Glasgow.
While studying medicine, Richard researched mast cell tumours in dogs, which led to an MSc in clinical Oncology. He went on to complete a PhD on mast cell tumours at the Royal Veterinary College in 2008.
Richard works with referral oncology patients and clients two days a week at LVS and currently spends the rest of his working week as an oncology consultant for IDEXX Laboratories.
From February, Richard will also be working at Southfield Veterinary Specialists in Laindon, Essex, thereby allowing him to refer oncology patients for radiation therapy at Southfields when necessary.
Richard said: "Having never been comfortable with operating myself, working with a team of this calibre and experience in a welcoming environment within central London was very attractive. It has been a very fulfilling role for me, especially as both our team and the scope of the services we can offer continue to expand.
"Given the high standard of care offered by local vets in the area, the patients referred to LVS are often very challenging. Together with our clients’ high expectations, the service is definitely not run-of-the-mill but all the more rewarding because of that.
"I’m looking forward to bringing my experience in both research and clinical spheres to LVS."
Richard’s main professional interests are mast cell tumours, novel diagnostics and immunotherapeutics, but he is experienced in all aspects of veterinary oncology and can also offer advice about internal medicine cases.
Dechra Veterinary Products has launched TAF Spray (thiamphenicol), a next generation antibiotic wound spray for superficial wound infections in horses, cattle, goats, sheep and pigs.
Dechra says TAF Spray can also be used to treat infections of the claw and hoof in cattle, goats and sheep such as foot rot, interdigital dermatitis and digital dermatitis.
TAF Spray is the only licensed wound spray for horses and has a zero day meat withdrawal period for horses, cattle, goats, sheep, and 14 days for pigs.
Dechra is also highlighting the fact that TAF Spray is the only golden yellow coloured product of its kind on the market, allowing treatment areas to be distinguished clearly.
Brand Manager Emma Jennings said: “Dechra has developed TAF Spray in direct response to the research we conducted among farmers".
The research1 showed that 51% of the veterinary surgeons had used an antibiotic spray for the treatment of digital dermatitis – an infection that 92% of farmers had experienced in their livestock in the past 12 months.
Emma added: "Thiamphenicol is a highly effective antibiotic. With the brightly coloured spray format making it distinguishable from other treatments and a can that is able to be used in upright and inverted positions, we are sure that TAF Spray will become a popular product among veterinary professionals.”
TAF Spray comes in a 150ml can with a 360-degree nozzle which allows wounds to be targeted at any angle.
For further information about Dechra’s antibiotic portfolio, visit www.dechra.co.uk
Metacam 40 mg/ml solution for injection for cattle and horses contains 40 mg/ml of meloxicam, and is available in either 50 ml or 100 ml presentations. It is approved for subcutaneous or intravenous use in cattle, and intravenous use in horses.
Boehringer says the introduction comes on the back of a recent large-scale landmark study that found adding Metacam to standard antibiotic therapy for mastitis resulted in a greater first-service conception rate, fewer inseminations required to conceive and a higher probability of pregnancy by 120 days post-calving when compared to cows receiving antibiotic therapy alone1.
Boehringer Ingelheim’s technical manager Kath Aplin said: "By reducing the pain and inflammation caused by mastitis and other conditions, the use of Metacam 40 can result in improvements in cattle health and welfare, and may help limit any reduction in feed intakes. This is central to efficient herd management and productivity."
The company adds that new Metacam 40 mg/ml formulation offers a lower volume dose compared to the existing 20 mg/ml presentation, giving vets more flexibility in their use of Metacam.
Fitzpatrick Referrals has carried out a world-first procedure in which an American Bulldog was fitted with a prosthetic hip and femur with a special in-growth attachment which effectively re-attaches the tendons and muscles to the artificial limb.
The procedure took place after 8 year old Roly was diagnosed with cancer in his rear hind leg earlier this year. It involved a highly complex two-hour operation, during which Dr Noel Fitzpatrick, a neuro-orthopaedic veterinary surgeon, replaced the cancerous femur bone and hip joint with a specially constructed artificial prosthesis, while re-attaching the musculature and realigning the relative position of the joint to restore perfect movement to the dog.
The prosthesis was designed through a collaboration between Professor Gordon Blunn, Head of the Centre for Bio-Medical Engineering at UCL's Institute of Orthopaedics and Musculoskeletal Science; veterinary surgeon Noel Fitzpatrick and Jay Meswania from specialist implant manufacturer OrthoFitz.
Professor Blunn said: "What is significant about the design is the way in which it sandwiches tissue and metal together overlaying the gluteal muscles onto the top of the endoprosthetic femur - alternating tendon, synthetic Dacron mesh, tendon, synthetic Dacron mesh, tendon and finally trabecular metal - which has a honeycomb surface resembling a series of small chambers. In this way, the hope is that the Sharpeys fibres which attach tendons of muscles to the bone will grow into the trabecular metal surface and permanently adhere to it."
"This truly remarkable achievement was made possible through the convergence of biomechanics, biology and surgical innovation," said Noel Fitzpatrick. "We tapped into the evidence provided by the CT and MRI scanners we have in place at the practice, so that the data collected about Roly during clinical diagnosis was used to design and construct an artificial femur which exactly mirrored his original limb. It has been constructed rather like a telescope - one section fitting inside the adjoining section, so that we get maximum flexibility and traction during motion."
Noel added: "Hip replacement is common here. We do more than 50 a year, on animals as small as a cat or a Chihuahua. But this hip replacement was special, and to my knowledge, the first of its kind in the world. It's important though to emphasise that this technology must only be employed when it is in the best interests of the individual patient. It's not enough to be able to do something; it must be done for the right reason in every case without exception. It must be ethically right. It's also important to emphasise that Roly will probably not live for a normal lifetime because bone cancer generally spreads to the lungs over time in spite of chemotherapy. However, this technology is equally applicable for dogs and cats affected by trauma who will likely live longer. My job is to look after my patients as best I can and to be honest with their guardians and give them options. What I do is provide pain free functional quality of life for as long as my patient is alive. That's important and that's special, but the decision must remain with each and every individual animal owner".
According to the team, this development also has potentialy life-changing implications for human patients such as motorcycle accident victims, where a key challenge to recovery may be successfully re-attaching the kneecap tendon onto the top of the tibia in the lower leg, and injured sports players with ruptured repairing ruptured tendons.
Click here to view the x-rays of this case in the VetSurgeon Gallery.
David, who was assisted by Dan Kenny and Kat Grzywa MsRCVS, said: “Penny presented with suspected ascites, given a large volume of peritoneal effusion. Her abdomen was very swollen and taut
“We performed a contrast-enhanced CT scan with an iodine-based contrast to help highlight the areas of the body we needed to examine and the results were startling.
“The mass was enormous. It almost completely filled the abdomen.”
CT images showed that the mass had originated in the right kidney, which had been displaced into the left side of the abdomen, and also compressed the rest of Penny’s internal organs.
There was no evidence of metastatic disease.
David added: “A right ureteronephrectomy was performed and the large cystic parts of the tumour were dissected free from the omentum, the peritoneum and the retroperitoneal vasculature.
“The surgery was really difficult because the mass was so large and heavy, and it required extra surgeons to hold and manipulate the mass, while its vasculature was dissected and ligated.
“The weight of the mass on the diaphragm also made the anaesthesia challenging but surgery went very well.
"Once the surgery was over, the weight of the mass was confirmed at nearly 5kg.
“Penny made a good recovery from the anaesthesia, her blood renal parameters remained normal throughout her recovery, and she was discharged 48 hours later. Histopathology later confirmed the mass to be renal carcinoma.”
The Disciplinary Committee heard four charges against Dr Schulze Allen.
The first charge related to the original criminal conviction in the County of San Bernardino in California dating from September 2013, where Dr Schulze Allen pleaded guilty to petty theft for which he was fined US $435 and ordered to pay a fee of US $35.
The second charge related to the fact that, on or around 3 December 2013 in a written application for restoration to the Register, Dr Schulze Allen was dishonest in representing that he did not have any cautions or criminal convictions.
The third charge related to the fact that on or around 4 December 2013 in a sworn affidavit before a Notary Public in Riverside, California, he dishonestly and falsely represented that he had, at no time, been convicted of a criminal offence in the UK or elsewhere.
The final charge was that, in an email to the RCVS in June 2016, he dishonestly and falsely represented that he had "no criminal record whatsoever".
Having found Dr Schulze Allen guilty of all four charges the Committee then considered whether the conviction rendered him unfit to practise veterinary surgery and whether the remaining charges amounted to disgraceful conduct in a professional respect.
The Committee noted that the conviction was for a minor matter but had regard to all the evidence before it and considered that as an offence of dishonesty it represented a breach of one of the fundamental tenets of the profession. It further considered that Dr Schulze Allen’s dishonesty toward the College and his completing a legal document which he knew would be relied upon by the College was conduct that fell far short of the standard expected of a member of the profession.
With regard to the final charge, the Committee considered this a "clear attempt to deliberately misrepresent the fact that he had a conviction for a criminal offence." The Committee considered that Dr Schulze Allen’s conduct had been aggravated by the fact that it was protracted and repeated over a period of time.
Ultimately the Committee considered that the conviction rendered Dr Schulze Allen unfit to practise veterinary surgery and the remaining charges amounted to disgraceful conduct in a professional respect.
Ian Green, chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: "His conduct represented a blatant disregard of the role of the RCVS and the systems that regulate the veterinary profession. The Committee also remained particularly concerned at Dr Schulze Allen’s very limited insight into his conduct."
He added: "In mitigation the Committee noted that this is not a case where harm was caused to any animals or humans. It noted that prior to these matters which are before the Committee that Dr Schulze Allen had an unblemished career and that he had been of good character. In respect of purely personal mitigation the Committee noted that Dr Schulze Allen is the main breadwinner of the family."
However, the Committee considered that Dr Schulze Allen’s conduct had fallen significantly short of standards expected of a veterinary surgeon.
Ian Green concluded: "The Committee considered that the only appropriate sanction is that of removal from the Register. Such a sanction is required to send a clear message to Dr Schulze Allen and to veterinary surgeons of the unacceptability of being dishonest to the RCVS. Such conduct undermines public confidence in the profession and fails to uphold proper standards of conduct and behaviour.
"Accordingly, the Committee has decided that removal from the Register is appropriate and proportionate in this case. The Committee will direct the Registrar to remove the respondent’s name from the Register forthwith."
Dr Schulze Allen has 28 days from the date of the decision to appeal the Committee’s decision.
The Committee’s full findings and decision is available at www.rcvs.org.uk/disciplinary.
The team at the centre will be led by Dr Ryk Botes (pictured right), a Medivet Branch Partner with a special interest in orthopaedics and, in particular, replacement surgery.
The company says it is investing in specialist equipment to help the team refine current surgical techniques, including a gait analysis walkway which will be used to help diagnose the cause of lameness and be a means to measure improvement in surgical cases objectively. The data it provides will also enable the team to publish its results in peer-reviewed papers.
Ryk, who qualified in South Africa and joined Medivet in 2013, said: "The volume of elbow, hip and knee replacements we undertake is growing rapidly and the creation of this new centre of excellence at Medivet Faversham will enable us to provide an even higher standard of service to our clients and to help develop and refine orthopaedic techniques for use by the wider veterinary community.
"Data from the gait analysis walkway will be particularly useful in sharing our findings in scientific papers. We will also use the data to support an ongoing research project in elbow replacement surgery in partnership with one of the leaders in implant technology based in Zurich, Switzerland.
Zenalpha provides restraint, sedation and analgesia during non-invasive, non-painful or mildly painful procedures and examinations intended to last no more than 30 minutes2.
It is administered intramuscularly and takes effect within 5-15 minutes1, 2.
Dechra says patients also recover more rapidly2, potentially avoiding hospitalisation and allowing them to get home sooner.
Zenalpha contains the active ingredients 0.5 mg/ml medetomidine hydrochloride and 10mg/ml vatinoxan hydrochloride.
Medetomidine is an alpha-2 agonist used for its sedative and analgesic properties.
Vatinoxan is a peripherally selective alpha-2 antagonist which Dechra says has limited penetration across the blood-brain barrier, so it works to antagonise only the alpha-2 receptors located in the periphery, reducing cardiovascular side effects without impacting the quality of sedation or analgesia.
In a study of 223 dogs1 comparing a traditional alpha-2 agonist with Zenalpha, Zenalpha was found to minimise cardiovascular side effects while preserving reliable sedation and analgesia.
Claire Westoby, brand manager at Dechra said: ‘The next generation of alpha-2 agonists have evolved to provide the same effective and reliable sedation and analgesia, but with reduced cardiovascular side effects and a reduced chance of vomiting.
"This improves the sedation experience for the canine patient, as well as reducing the associated stress commonly experienced by veterinary teams and dog owners.”
Matt Gurney FRCVS, an RCVS and EBVS European Specialist in Veterinary Anaesthesia and hospital director at Anderson Moores, said: “It is really exciting to see the launch of an innovative new product, especially one with a unique mechanism of action that will improve the sedation experience for the vet team and our patients.
"Zenalpha not only provides a solution to cases where IV placement is not possible and a rapid onset IM option is required, but it also offers a rapid and complete recovery which ensures that dogs can be reunited with their owners and return home as soon as possible.”
Zenalpha is presented in a 10 ml glass vial in individually packed cardboard boxes.
For more information: www.dechra.co.uk/zenalpha or contact your local Dechra territory manager.
To watch Matt Gurney’s ‘Zennovation in sedation – the next generation of alpha-2 agonists’: www.dechra.co.uk/academy.
References
According to the company, two promotional videos it prepared for social media have already reached more than 1.7 million people in the first two days of the campaign.
Virbac says that some of the UK's best loved pet influencers will also be promoting the campaign to their followers over the coming week.
What is a pet influencer, anyway? Someone who influences pets? I picture a Barbara-Woodhouse sort of character surrounded by a rapt audience of dogs: "Come on now, dogs, eat Veterinary HPM, it really is properly yummy, and sooo good for you."
I digress.
As part of the campaign pet owners will be able use an online protein calculator to check whether their current pet food is providing optimal levels of protein to their pet.
Pet owners will also be able to locate their nearest veterinary practice stockist using a new locator tool on the Virbac website and benefit from a discount voucher for their first Veterinary HPM purchase, which can only be redeemed in participating veterinary practices.
Tracey West, Nutrition Manager at Virbac, said: "Nutrition plays such a key role in the long-term health and well-being of our pets, and veterinary practices play such a key role in educating pet owners on this important subject.
"We’re delighted that as part of our ‘pro-veterinary’ strategy for Veterinary HPM, we will be able to help drive pet owners back into veterinary practices with this campaign."
For more information, speak to your Virbac Territory Manager.
Protexin has announced that preliminary data from a clinical trial supports the use of Denamarin® to protect against lomustine (CCNU)-induced hepatotoxicity in dogs.
The study is being performed at the University of California-Davis, Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, and the initial results were recently presented at the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) Annual Forum. Marketed in the UK by Protexin, Denamarin is the combination of S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe) and silybin.
According to the company, most dogs treated with the chemotherapeutic agent CCNU experience liver enzyme elevation. Elevation of certain liver enzymes such as alanine transferase (ALT) is a key indicator of liver trauma; significant enzyme elevation may lead to a discontinuation, delay, or reduction in chemotherapy. The ongoing clinical trial was designed to evaluate Denamarin as a hepatoprotectant in dogs diagnosed with neoplasia that are undergoing CCNU therapy.
The trial consists of two groups of randomly assigned dogs. Dogs in Group 1 receive Denamarin beginning at the start of CCNU therapy. Group 2 dogs do not receive Denamarin unless they develop a Grade IV hepatotoxicity.
Results of a planned interim analysis completed on the first 30 dogs enrolled revealed that starting Denamarin when CCNU therapy was instituted (Group 1 dogs) appeared to provide hepatoprotection. While the mean post-therapy ALT elevation for Group 1 was 119 IU/L (p=0.1), for Group 2 dogs, the post-therapy ALT level was 815 IU/L (p=0.046). Chemotherapy was altered due to elevated liver enzymes in three Group 2 dogs but only one dog in Group 1.
Janine Barlow, Technical Manager at Protexin said: "We are extremely pleased by the initial findings of this research. The use of Denamarin with chemotherapy looks to help protect liver function allowing for successful completion of therapy and hopefully a longer, happier life for the pet. We look forward to the results of the full study."
Protexin says the SAMe and silybin in Denamarin support and maintain hepatic function by mechanisms including increasing levels of glutathione, the liver's main detoxifying agent; promoting protein synthesis; and stimulating bile flow. Denamarin is useful as part of a polymodal approach to the management of liver health.
Denamarin is available for both dogs and cats in an enteric-coated tablet.
The company says Salmoporc has been used on German and Polish farms for over 15 years and has proved to be safe and effective in controlling salmonella.
The vaccine can be administered orally in piglets and via subcutaneous injection in sows.
Company vet Dr Rike Schmelz said: "Salmonella in pigs is growing threat and an important zoonotic disease. According to the 2018 European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) report, salmonellosis is the second most reported zoonosis in Europe with over 90,000 cases reported in humans.
"Salmonella typhimurium and monophasic Salmonella typhimurium represented 17 per cent of confirmed human cases in 2017 so constitutes a major risk to humans."
VetSurgeon.org understands the new vaccine is expected in the UK sometime after October, before which it can be obtained under a Special Import Certificate.
Jurox says Alfaxan Multidose is the bioequivalent to unpreserved Alfaxan, however the preserved formulation reduces the risk of microbial contamination, providing repeatable and reliable anaesthesia.
Alfaxan Multidose is available in two presentations of 10ml and 20ml, with the 20ml presentation priced at an equivalent price per ml as the current 10ml Alfaxan unpreserved presentation.
Jurox says there has been unprecedented interest in the new product, with the company taking pre-orders for the 20ml presentation from 60 different accounts at BSAVA this year.
Richard Beckwith, country manager at Jurox, said: "The introduction of Alfaxan Multidose to our anaesthesia and analgesia portfolio ensures that Alfaxan is more versatile than ever.
"The Alfaxan range continues to provide greater certainty and control during anaesthetic procedures, contributing towards better patient stability and a stress-free experience for the team."
For more information, visit www.alfaxan.co.uk, contact your local Jurox technical sales representative, telephone the customer services team on 0800 500 3171 or e-mail: info@jurox.co.uk.