The new resource is designed to help dog owners understand the risks of cancer, recognise the importance of early detection, and learn how HT Vista’s cancer detection device supports veterinary teams in screening suspicious masses.
It includes guidance on the early warning signs of cancer in dogs and explains how acting quickly can improve outcomes.
Dr Liron Levy-Hirsch, Veterinary Surgeon and Managing Director at HT Vista said: “We believe informed pet owners are key to driving earlier diagnosis.
"This new page is all about bridging the gap between innovative veterinary technology and the people it’s designed to support.
"By empowering pet owners with clear and trustworthy information, we hope to strengthen understanding of the diagnostic process, support clinical decision-making, and ultimately help more dogs receive timely treatment.”
www.ht-vet.com/petowners
Less than a quarter of veterinary students starting their degrees in 2009 were male (24%), according to figures released today in RCVS Facts.
This is up slightly from 23% last year, but down from just over 30% in 1999: ten years before that, the gender balance of new students was approximately 50:50. Meanwhile, 53% of UK-practising veterinary surgeons are female.
RCVS Facts is part two of the RCVS Annual Report, and presents a statistical picture of the veterinary and veterinary nursing professions. Other headline facts include a 21% increase in the number of practice premises registered with the College since 1 April 2009, bringing the total on the Register of Veterinary Practice Premises to 4,821; some 766 veterinary nurse students completing their training and becoming eligible to register (an increase of 28% compared with those eligible to register during the previous two-year period) and an increase of nearly 10% in the number of complaints received about veterinary surgeons, to 739.
Figures are also available for:
The reporting year is 1 April 2009 to 31 March 2010, and part one of the RCVS Annual Report, RCVS Review, takes a more personal look at the activities of the College during the period, through the eyes of some of those involved. Topics include reviews of Extra-Mural Studies and the Practice Standards Scheme, the modular Diploma in Advanced Veterinary Nursing producing the first diplomates, a focus on mental health and wellbeing, fund-raising for the RCVS Trust and the College's joint work with other authorities to bring justice in cases of fraudulent 'veterinary surgeons'.
Both publications are available online at: www.rcvs.org.uk/review and www.rcvs.org.uk/facts.
Teeside veterinary nurses Debbie Rowley and Karen Taylor from Wilton Vets made history yesterday when they were called out to catch a 6ft, 18lb python spotted by the side of the road by a motorist in Guisborough.
Talking to the Guisborough Gazette, Debbie said: "We were shocked it was so big."
The snake is apparently in good shape, and now in the care of Kirkleatham Owl Centre.
Anyone missing a 6ft ft python is asked to contact Cleveland Police on 101.
Each event is designed to help attendees with:
Each attendee will be given a complimentary annual Veterinary Osteoarthritis Alliance (VOA) membership.
Kai Crawshaw, Animalcare Brand Manager said: "We had excellent feedback from our first workshops, so we’re pleased to be able to reach veterinary practices in more locations around the UK.
"We also have plans to run more across the rest of the year.
"We hope that these events will lead to veterinary staff becoming more confident in dealing with OA in dogs and helping owners understand the options open to them."
All events start at 7:30pm (arrival from 7pm) and will finish approximately at 9:30pm.
Hot food and drinks will be provided.
https://www.animalcare.co.uk/oa-workshops
The posters are designed to educate clients about what their pet should be drinking on a daily basis, according to their weight.
The company has also prepared a rehydration social media pack with content for practices to use on their social media feeds.
Posters can be requested and social media packs downloaded at: https://www.animalcare.co.uk/oralade-poster.
The solution is designed to streamline Animal Health and Welfare Pathway (AHWP) reviews, from on-farm sampling through to laboratory results, reporting, vet attestation and DEFRA compliance, by integrating faecal egg count testing at Sandhill Laboratories with the VetDX app,
VetDX says that by integrating every stage of the review process into a single digital workflow, the VetDX platform allows practices to carry out efficient, compliant visits with a reduced administrative burden.
Laura Eden MRCVS (pictured), farm animal vet at Bishopton Vets said: “What’s really improved the process for us is how straightforward it is to submit samples and how quickly we get results back from Sandhill.
"It takes a lot of the hassle out of coordinating AHWP visits and lets us focus on the clinical side.”
Rachel Kirkby MRCVS, Business Development Director at VetDX, said: “The AHWP is a real opportunity to tackle issues like anthelmintic resistance in a structured, funded way - but only if the process is workable on the ground.
"That’s why we’ve built the platform to fit naturally into how vets carry out these visits, supporting accurate on-farm data capture with features like in-app QR code scanning.
"It means lab results are securely linked to the right animals or groups, without the risk of transcription errors or lost paperwork.”
https://vetdxs.com
Woodley Equipment Co Ltd has announced the launch of the new, improved i-STAT® 1 Portable Critical Care Analyser. According to the company, the new i-STAT 1 analyser offers the same extensive test menu as the original analyser, plus the new CHEM8+ cartridge. The CHEM8+ panel provides many of the tests typically needed for quick general or emergency assessment, with just one cartridge. The i-STAT 1 analyser also provides new testing platforms, such as immunodiagnostic capability that will allow additional tests to be released in the future. Other improvements include the Cardiac Troponin test and Glucose strip reader, as well as infrared printer connectivity, upgraded storage capacity and ergonomic improvements. The i-STAT handheld analysers are the only handheld analysers available for veterinary medicine that provide vets with critical care electrolyte, blood gas, chemistry and basic hematology results in two minutes, from three drops of blood. Mike Wickham, Managing Director of Woodley Equipment said, “The new i-STAT 1 Handheld Clinical Analyser and original i-STAT analysers enable vets to make critical care decisions for their patients, whether in-practice or in the field.”
The award categories are:
Nominations are welcome from both BSAVA members and non-members.
Nominations close on 30th October 2024 and the winners will be announced on 16th January 2025.
The BSAVA awards ceremony will take place at the reinvented Congress and Expo 2025, taking place at Manchester Central in March.
https://www.bsava.com/awards.
The subscription-based service offers both online and face-to-face training in both clinical and non-clinical subjects, from selected third party training providers.
Emma Hunt, UK Country Manager, MWI Animal Health, said: “This service addresses the regulatory requirements for vets and veterinary nurses to complete mandatory CPD hours, while helping alleviate the all-too-common challenges practice owners face in budgeting and negotiating with multiple training providers.
"By centralising all training under one digital roof, Vet Sphere CPD aims to enhance performance, build team culture and expand the range of services practices can offer."
https://www.mwiah.co.uk/professional-development/vet-sphere-academy
The sessions are:
https://www.bsavacongress.com/programme
Vet Futures has published a guest blog by Laura Kidd MRCVS which asks how the profession can increase the number of veterinary nurses entering and staying within the profession?
In her blog, Laura, a VN lecturer and clinical skills tutor for veterinary students, argues that the year-on-year increases in the number of veterinary nurses seems to be insufficient to meet demand. Furthermore, there is a trend towards people leaving the profession relatively early, with the average age being just over 30.
She writes: “Identifying the reasons for VNs leaving the profession at a young age and addressing these, is one potential way of increasing VN numbers in the future.”
Laura argues that poor pay, stress, not feeling rewarded or valued and perceived lack of career progression all contribute to people leaving the profession, although she welcomes initiatives from the British Veterinary Nursing Association (BVNA), BVA, RCVS and others to increase the status of the profession, create more diverse career opportunities and improve the profession’s mental wellbeing.
However, she adds that: “perhaps we may, reluctantly, have to accept that, for the time-being, veterinary nursing is a young profession with a high turnover.”
With this in mind she suggests that training more veterinary nurses will be the key to increasing the number of qualified members of the profession in the immediate future. In order to do this she believes that more practices need to be supported to become RCVS-approved Training Practices offering clinical training and work experience for student veterinary nurses and that an alternative training pathway for veterinary nurses may need to be looked at.
She adds: “The entry requirements for the VN Diploma are relatively low, yet the qualification is academically demanding: the volume and depth of knowledge is considerable for the level and qualification and the requirement to demonstrate critical reflection through academic writing can be challenging.
“It is regrettable that some student veterinary nurses, who appear to have the qualities to be very good VNs, are lost to the profession, unable to pass awarding body exams. Should we be developing an additional VN training pathway which allows more students to demonstrate they have the required skills to provide high quality nursing to their patients?”
In response to her proposal, this month’s poll will ask visitors “Is there a need for another VN training option?” To read the blog, leave a comment and take part in the poll please visit www.vetfutures.org.uk/discuss
Last month’s poll asked if vets always acted as animal welfare advocates. This was in response to an article by animal welfare expect Professor David Main in which he argues that the profession should do more to demonstrate its animal welfare credentials and introduce safeguards against excessive profit-seeking. Although just 22 people took part in the poll, around two-thirds (68%) of them said that vets do not always act as animal welfare advocates.
The group was set up in 2019 by veterinary students Stephanie Stapleton and Lavinia Economu, to break down barriers and promote veterinary careers to young people, in part by becoming the role models they wished they’d had in school.
It also aims to correct misconceptions about what vets do, the pathway to becoming a vet and the various job options available in animal-related careers.
Over the years, Animal Aspirations has evolved to provide positive role models and practical advice to diverse students of all ages across the country, with a focus on supporting those from an ethnic minority or on Free School Meals through its school workshops.
It has expanded from nine students at the RVC to a team of 83 students.
The organisation also now has a presence across several leading institutions, including the University of Cambridge, the University of Surrey, Harper Adams University, Keele University and the University of Central Lancashire.
Lavinia said: “I’ve always lived and gone to school in Greater London, and so I was used to being surrounded by people from all backgrounds and walks of life.
"Once I started my veterinary degree, this was no longer the case, as few students came from diverse or ethnic minority backgrounds.
"This pattern seemed to be the same in all vet schools and even the veterinary profession, but there were very few if any, initiatives to address it.
“During my intercalated year at the RVC, I was lucky enough to meet Stephanie Stapleton, another vet student who also shared my passion for increasing diversity in veterinary medicine.
"She introduced me to the Widening Participation team at the RVC, and together, we recruited an amazing group of vet students, and Animal Aspirations was born.
“I truly think this is one of the best professions to be in, and I’d like to see it become more accessible and inclusive to all young people, no matter their background.”
Lharanya Somasundaram, President of Animal Aspirations, said: “It has been incredible to see the impact of our work, how misconceptions that once served as barriers are being challenged, and how young people feel more empowered to pursue their dreams.
“However, there is still much work to be done. The goal is to create such a diverse and inclusive environment that it can sustain itself and the support we provide is the norm. This only becomes possible when everyone, regardless of experience, position or background, is committed to championing diversity.
“We should all be thinking about how we can make ourselves and our workplaces more inclusive.
"With these combined efforts, we get closer to a profession where everyone feels as though they truly belong.”
https://www.animalaspirations.com
Understanding profit and loss within a veterinary practice is vital for all employees. That was the message delivered to delegates attending Pippa Reffold's lecture, sponsored by Dechra Veterinary Products, at the VPMA Congress late last month.
Pippa said: "Very few practice managers set targets or share financial data with their employees. Employees have a lot to contribute by improving service and increasing sales."
Roger Brown, product manager at Dechra Veterinary Products said: "Sponsoring Pippa's lecture is part of Dechra Veterinary Products response to market conditions. We have also reduced the price of two key products in our Veterinary Essentials range.
"We realise how significant margin control is right now and constantly review our Veterinary Essentials range. That's why we have reduced prices on Atipam 5ml, the Thyroxyl range and have introduced the Essentials Purchase Plan so practices can make further savings.
Pippa added: "Be open-minded about margin setting and don't apply a blanket mark-up to all products. Consider the contribution to your gross profit and passing on some of the improvement to your customers."
Dechra Veterinary Products offers a margin and profit calculator to compare market prices with the Veterinary Essentials range - to show just how much mark-up can be applied to products without impacting on a client's budget. "It's a simple, but very effective calculation that our Territory Managers can run for you," explained Mr Brown.
To find out more about the Veterinary Essentials range, including further cost savings with an Essentials Purchase Plan and free margin development advice, please call Liz Rawlings on 01743 441632.
The RCVS and VN Councils have each agreed to raise registration and retention fees for the financial year 2011-12 by 2%. This means the annual retention fee for a home-practising veterinary surgeon will increase by £5, and the fee for a veterinary nurse, by £1.
To encourage members who cease to practise to request removal from the Register, rather than simply allow their membership to lapse, the fee for restoration following voluntary removal will be reduced by almost 50%, from £147 to £75.
All fees for the current financial year were, exceptionally, frozen to help mitigate the impact of the difficult economic climate on the veterinary profession. The increases agreed for 2011-12 are below current inflation figures, and in line with the RCVS financial policy of introducing small fee increases on an incremental basis in order to avoid sharp fee hikes resulting from inflationary pressures.
A list of the new fees can be found in the June edition of RCVS News, also available online at www.rcvs.org.uk/rcvsnews.
Would-be candidates in the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeon Council and Veterinary Nurse Council elections are reminded that the nominations deadline is 5pm on 31 January 2013.
Veterinary surgeons need two nominations from veterinary surgeons, and veterinary nurses two nominations from veterinary nurses, to stand in the respective elections.
Veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses not presently on either Council can nominate one candidate each.
Nomination forms, full instructions and guidance notes are available from www.rcvs.org.uk/rcvscouncil13 and www.rcvs.org.uk/vncouncil13.
Six seats are due to be filled on RCVS Council, and two on VN Council. Those elected will take their seats on RCVS Day next July, to serve four-year terms. Council members will be expected to spend at least six to eight days a year attending Council and Committee meetings, working parties and subcommittees (for which a loss-of-earnings allowance is available).
Research on ovine parasite Toxoplasma gondii, carried out at the University of Salford, could have a significant economic impact on the sheep farming industry - potentially saving the lives of 5% of the UK lamb population.
Postgraduate student Emma Morley has been working as part of a large research team, looking at the importance of transmission routes of T. gondii (the cause of the disease toxoplasmosis) within different mammalian groups.
A scholarship from the Perry Foundation, which funds research benefiting the farming industry, allowed Emma to launch her own study at the School of Environment & Life Sciences.
Salford parasitologist Professor Geoff Hide said: "Emma's research may have some significant impacts on sheep farming. Nearly 5% of lambs are lost to Toxoplasma in the UK so it's of major economic importance as well as an important animal welfare issue."
He said that one of the key things Emma's research has shown is that the advice currently given to farmers may be causing an increase in the level of the disease rather than controlling it. "Farmers are advised to breed from ewes that have lost lambs to Toxoplasma but Emma's results show that what farmers should be doing is breeding from ewes that do not have the parasite," he said.
A recent UK Mastitis Panel meeting, sponsored by MSD Animal Health, has concluded that a lack of expertise in drying off and teat sealant administration is the limiting factor preventing more widespread adoption of selective dry cow therapy protocols in UK dairy farms
The panel representing practising dairy vets, research and Government agreed that whilst the use of selective dry cow therapy was at a relatively low level in UK dairy herds at the moment, a momentum was building that could see as many as half the nation’s herds adopting the practice within a few years.
Dr Martin Behr, technical manager at MSD Animal Health and chair of the UK Mastitis Panel meeting, said: "There is growing pressure from the milk processors and some supermarkets to see a reduction in antibiotic use on dairy farms, and dry cow therapy is one area under the spotlight.
"We know from our own training workshops with vets and farmers that the level of expertise in administering teat sealants, for example, is relatively low. Only about 30 percent of vets attending these workshops had any experience at all in administering a teat sealant."
The view from many on the mastitis panel was that there was a knowledge gap on farms when it comes to dry cow therapy protocols and that this presented a significant opportunity for vet practices.
Dr Behr added: "Mastitis control in general offers vets an opportunity for proactive engagement with farmers, but it is a notoriously difficult area to establish routine work. With the pressure on farms to adopt selective dry cow therapy and the need for training, there is perhaps a new opportunity for practices with a real interest in mastitis control to build stronger and more preventative strategies with dairy farmers."
Veterinary practices with an interest in training on dry cow therapy and teat sealant use are advised to contact their MSD Animal Health account manager for details of future workshops.
The RCVS has appointed Nicola South to the new role of Customer Experience Manager, a new role intended to help improve the experience for vets, veterinary nurses and the public in their dealings with the College.
Nicola said: "I'm extremely excited and proud to be joining the staff at the RCVS, and at such a significant time, just as the First-Rate Regulator initiative is underway, which will lead to a change of focus in how we deliver our services to meet all of our customers' needs. My arrival has been met by a staff made up of extremely dedicated and passionate individuals, and I'm really looking forward to working as a team to deliver an improved customer experience for everyone."
CEO Nick Stace said: "Nicola brings to the College a wealth of customer service experience gained from the hotel and tourism industries. Improving our customer service delivery is a priority, and I am delighted to have Nicola on board who will help to champion these improvements across the organisation."
Nicola joins the RCVS from Orbit Group Ltd, where she was Service Excellence Advisor for the East and South Region.
Research carried out by the Kennel Club to coincide with Mother's Day has revealed that 35% of dog buyers do not see their new puppy with its mother.
The research also found that one in ten buyers take their puppy home before it is eight weeks old, and that 55% do not see the puppy in its breeding environment.
Bill Lambert, Manager of the Kennel Club Assured Breeder Scheme, said: "March is the most popular month for searching for a puppy, but we are extremely concerned that so many are not seeing their puppy with its mother. Seeing mum not only helps people to find out how their puppy will be likely to turn out in terms of temperament and characteristics, but it also gives them the reassurance that it has been bred in a loving environment where it has been cared for and socialised properly."
Marc Abraham, TV vet and Kennel Club Veterinary Advisor, said: "Puppies depend on their mums in the early weeks of life, not just for milk but she's also critical for developing their socialisation skills which help set them up for life. If a breeder refuses to show the puppy with its mother without very good reason, then buyers should go elsewhere."
The Kennel Club is urging people to see puppies with their mother as part of its Stop Puppy Farming campaign and is joining with Marc Abraham to support the 'Where's Mum?' campaign. Kennel Club research has shown that as many as one in four could unwittingly be buying their puppy from a puppy farm.
The Kennel Club will be running a National Puppy Awareness Week (PAW) from the 8th - 14th September. To find out more visit www.thekennelclub.org.uk/stoppuppyfarming.
CPD Solutions and Onswitch have announced that they have joined forces to offer a new online training course for veterinary receptionists called a Mini Series.
Dr Susie Coughlan, Managing Director of CPD-Solutions, said: "Today's competitive pricing between practices means that securing a client's return spending can depend largely on the quality of their early interactions. However, with such a busy schedule, it's almost impossible for most vets and practice managers to provide dedicated in-house training for frontline staff, even though many appreciate how crucial it is. The mini-series allows receptionists to perfect their skills in their own time and in the comfort of their own surroundings, saving the practice valuable time and resources while enhancing the initial customer experience. At the end of the day, this is what every veterinary practice is striving for - contented clients."
The first course commences on the 19th of February 2014 with a full programme planned for the future. More information is available at www.receptionistwebinars.com, or call CPD Solutions on 0151 328 0444.
CharcoPet is a ready-to-use oral gel formulated with 50% activated charcoal and marine-derived polysaccharides.
Forte says Charcopet has a high concentration of activated charcoal per ml, which reduces the volume needed and minimises handling stress.
It's supplied in a 2 x 30ml dial-dose syringes, with each syringe suitable for up to 15 kg bodyweight, used at 2 ml/kg bodyweight orally, repeatable every 4–6 hours if clinically required.
Dr Lucy Chadwick MVB ACIM CMktr MRCVS, Global Partnerships Manager & Head of Technical Services at Forte Healthcare said: “CharcoPet represents a major step forward in veterinary care, offering practitioners a fast, precise, and reliable solution when faced with suspected or confirmed cases of toxin or medication ingestion."
https://fortehealthcare.com/product/charcopet