The students are being given the chance to treat cats, dogs and rabbits coming into the RSPCA centre under the supervision of its resident veterinary surgeon, Joanne Henstock.
The placement offers them valuable skills in dealing with animals which have received little or no veterinary care in the past and often arrive at the shelter in an extremely poor condition.
Ella Carpenter, RSPCA Animal Centre Manager, said: "The students are familiar with seeing pets which have been well cared for by their owners and it can be shocking for them to witness the state in which some of the animals arrive at our shelter.
"In particular, they see the, often life-threatening, impact it can have on an animal when it hasn’t received care considered to be fundamental veterinary medicine, such as flea or worming treatments.
"We commonly see animals that arrive with little or no medical history, so they can practice a back to basics, 'treat what we see', approach. And they learn about the challenges we face in providing the best possible care for large numbers of animals, many with complex medical needs, while working within the finite resources of a charity which relies entirely on public donations."
Malcolm Cobb, Professor of Comparative Veterinary Medicine and Deputy Head of the School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, said: "We are really excited to be working with the RSPCA at Radcliffe. There is a very large and varied case load for our students to assist with, learn from and help to manage, including some cases of neglect which they might not see elsewhere, and which can represent a significant clinical challenge."
Photo: Jo Henstock (Associate Vet RSPCA), Bramble the Beagle, Sophie Isaacs (Final Year Vet Student), © The University of Nottingham
MSD's push is being driven by the rising number of cases of Leishmaniasis cases in the UK, including the first report earlier this year of dog-to-dog transmission of the disease.
Caroline Darouj, Product Manager at MSD Animal Health said: "Whilst accurate statistics on the number of cases seen in UK practices are not available, the VMD has reported an annual increase in the number of leishmaniasis treatments imported since records started in 2006.
"Based on applications for Special Import Certificates for Milteforan and Glucantime, there were 27 times as many cases treated in 2018 (439) compared to 2006 (16)*.
"Leishmaniasis is proving to be a significant threat to travelling dogs, a situation that has been widely reported in the vet press, so LetiFend will offer veterinary practices and dog owners throughout the UK reassurance. A single dose primary course given four weeks before travel makes it ideal for non-regular travelers."
Letifend is indicated to reduce the risk of developing active infection and/or clinical disease after exposure to L. infantum from 28 days post vaccination1,2. It offers protection for 365 days after a single annual dose. The company says it has excellent tolerability shown in a wide range of breeds and ages, and in field trials in areas at high risk of infection had an efficacy rate of 72%4.
LetiFend is a non-adjuvanted vaccine which MSD says ensures a targeted immune response with a high level of safety.
MSD says a dog vaccinated with LetiFend is at 9.8 times less risk of presenting clinical signs, at 3.5 times less risk of presenting parasites, and thus at 5 times less risk of developing clinical leishmaniasis1. It can be applied from six months of age via subcutaneous administration.
For further information contact your MSD Animal Health account manager.
References
*Information from VMD following a Freedom of Information Act request.
Ceva has announced the launch of Zodon®, a flavoured clindamycin for dogs and cats.
Zodon is the only veterinary licensed flavoured clindamycin available in the UK.
Zodon is indicated for the treatment of infected wounds and abscesses in cats and dogs and oral cavity/dental infections caused by or associated with clindamycin-sensitive species of Staphylococcus spp, Streptococcus spp in dogs.
Rob Mclintock, Business unit manager for Ceva said: "Zodon is an exciting new product for Ceva, it is the first clindamycin on the market to offer flavoured presentations designed to help deal with compliance issues and help improve treatment success."
In a palatability study 98.3% of dogs took Zodon chicken flavoured tablets spontaneously. Ceva says the oral solution for cats and small dogs also offers easier administration with grilled meat flavouring and a graduated syringe.
Adelaide Ellerington, product manager for Ceva Animal Health said: "Zodon complements our existing antibiotic range perfectly. The whole range is designed specifically for veterinary use allowing veterinary surgeons to dose more accurately and improve patient compliance by offering flavoured tablets and solutions."
You can preorder Zodon now from Ceva - telephone 01494 781510 or email: cevauk@ceva.com - alternatively Zodon will be available from wholesalers at the start of next week.
The new product is being sold through e-retailers including Pet Drugs Online, Animed and Pets at Home.
Frontpro is claimed to kill fleas within 8 hours and protect dogs from fleas and ticks for one month.
It is suitable for all breeds aged eight weeks or older (weighing two kilograms or more) and can be given with or without food.
A company spokesperson said: "Boehringer Ingelheim is committed to expanding access to high-quality parasite prevention for dogs, which is why we’re proud to introduce an effective new option.
"Frontpro chewable tablets provide effective protection from fleas and ticks, while complementing the regular care and advice pet owners receive from their veterinarians."
www.uk.frontline.com
EthyCalm is sprayed directly on the skin, or, for more fractious patients, can be applied with a swab.
Invicta says that unlike other products the effect is instant and EthyCalm leaves no residue on the skin surface.
The improved product, EthyCalm Plus, contains 50% more product (good for over 100 applications) and incorporates a new 'on-off' switch for easier application. It is also now packed in a 'no-roll' case to protect from damage.
Rob Watkins, Managing Director of Invicta, said: "EthyCalm has been an incredibly popular product with nurses and vets. As a small company we always listen to our customers and have taken the opportunity to incorporate suggestions for improvement. The result is EthyCalm Plus which offers significant enhancement over the original product".
EthyCalm Plus is available from veterinary wholesalers and for a limited time the price has been held at £25 each.
The RVC has published the results of a study which showed that dogs treated with pimobendan at the preclinical stage of mitral valve disease (MVD) remained asymptomatic for an average 15 months longer and lived for significantly longer than the placebo group.
The EPIC study (Evaluation of Pimobendan In Cardiomegaly), published open access in the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine1, is the largest prospective veterinary cardiology study carried out to date. The authors say that the quality of the data it produced rivals that of human clinical trials.
The study was double-blinded, placebo-controlled and randomised. It took seven years to complete and involved 360 dogs across 11 countries in four continents.
To qualify for enrolment in the study, dogs had to be 6 years of age or older, have a body weight ≥4.1 and ≤15 kg, have a characteristic systolic heart murmur of moderate to high intensity (≥ grade 3/6) with maximal intensity over the mitral area, have echocardiographic evidence of advanced MMVD defined as characteristic valvular lesions of the mitral valve apparatus, mitral regurgitation on the colour Doppler echocardiogram, and have echocardiographic evidence of left atrial and left ventricular dilatation, defined as a left atrial-to-aortic root ratio ≥ 1.6 and body weight normalized left ventricular internal diameter in diastole ≥ 1.7, in addition to radiographic evidence of cardiomegaly (vertebral heart sum > 10.5)
In fact, the study was terminated early following an interim analysis as the evidence was considered conclusive and it was deemed unethical to continue to withhold treatment from the placebo group.
Adrian Boswood, Professor of Veterinary Cardiology at the RVC (pictured above right), led the research. He said: "Thanks to the EPIC study results, vets no longer have to adopt a 'watch and wait' approach to suspected preclinical cases of MVD. When a typical mitral valve murmur is detected, vets should now investigate further to look for cardiac enlargement. If demonstrated, this suggests the patient will probably benefit from treatment with pimobendan before the onset of clinical signs.
"It's great that as a trusted treatment, pimobendan has a wealth of safety data behind it in addition to that gleaned from the EPIC study, which can help support vets when prescribing it in this new way."
Adrian added: "As far as evidence-based medicine goes, this is about as good as it gets. The size and design of the study places it in the top-tier. The study was designed and run by an independent team of investigators and sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim. We, as lead investigators, had the right to publish the results regardless of the outcome. This makes EPIC very special indeed."
In light of the findings, Adrian says vets should now consider testing early for signs of preclinical MVD, and in dogs with cardiomegaly secondary to preclinical MVD, consider the use of pimobendan to delay the onset of congestive heart failure and extend the asymptomatic period.
To read more about the EPIC study and results, visit www.rvc.ac.uk
Reference
The group, which was convened by Boehringer Ingelheim, made its recommendation in a poster published at the National Mastitis Council meeting in Arizona1, prior to the launch of Boehringer's new teat sealant, Ubroseal.
The poster added that those animals that are likely to be infected need to receive antibiotic dry cow therapy (ADCT) in addition to a teat sealant.
Boehringer says various studies have shown that using an ITS reduces the risk of new intramammary infections and reduces the risk of clinical mastitis after calving, pointing to a meta-analysis of published papers which showed a 25% reduced risk of new infections and a 29% reduced risk of clinical mastitis for cows receiving ITS plus ADCT compared with ADCT alone
Boehringer’s veterinary adviser, Kath Aplin said: "Against the backdrop of targets from RUMA to reduce antibiotic use in the dairy sector3, adopting ITS for all cows could significantly reduce the need for antibiotics. An increase in the use of ITS is included in the dairy sector targets.
"We estimate that, currently, around 29% of the national herd is dried off without an ITS, so there is huge room for growth4."
Kath added: "With a 300-cow US study showing that a week after drying off, 47% of teats had still not formed a keratin plug5 and a New Zealand study showing that one in 20 cows had teats that remained open for 60 days6, it is clear to see that delayed teat closure is a very real problem in many herds. Teats remaining open after dry off make the udder highly susceptible to infection and delayed teat closure exacerbates the risk of acquiring an intramammary infection post-dry off4."
The expert group also recommended developing a herd plan, classifying herds as low risk or high risk and having a different approach to each.
High risk herds will have had a bulk SCC of >250,000 cell/ml in at least two of the last six months, they may also have a problem with Strep. agalactiae or could be experiencing an unavoidable risk period (a new building for example).
The priority should be to improve udder health management during both the lactation and dry period and any decision to abandon ADCT should be made with care and a full risk assessment.
The group said that in reality, it may be prudent to continue blanket ADCT until udder health has improved.
The group’s recommendations for low risk herds (<250,000 cells/ml in four out of the last six months) were to actively strive towards selective ADCT, supported by ITS for all cows.
The full recommendations are published in the proceedings of the NMC1 or can be obtained from your local Boehringer Ingelheim representative.
Kath said: "It has long been established that the mammary gland is highly susceptible to infection in the dry period and that the majority of clinical mastitis in early lactation is picked up during the dry period.
"Moving towards selective ADCT may not be appropriate immediately for all producers. However, the use of ITS for all cows on all farms will reduce new infection rates, assisting in the drive towards improved udder health and reduced antibiotic use."
Photo: Curious cattle on farmland in Cornwall UK. Shutterstock/Shzphoto
For the studies, the owners of 68 dogs treated with Librela and 44 cats treated with Solensia answered 22 questions in the case of dogs and 20 questions in the case of cats on VetMetrica, a digital HRQL instrument.
With a scale of 0-6, cats were rated on vitality, comfort and emotional wellbeing, and dogs on energetic/enthusiastic, happy/content, active/comfortable and calm/relaxed, over a period of 70 days.
The studies concluded that both Librela and Solensia produced a significant improvement in HRQL within 14 days of initial treatment, which was the first time the QOL impact was measured.
The improvement was maintained for the duration of the study.
Jacky Reid, BVMS PhD DVA, CEO of NewMetrica, now part of Zoetis, said: “Assessing and understanding how OA-related pain impacts emotional and physical well-being in particular circumstances, broadens the perspective in relation to pain management.
“HRQL measurements are not generally implemented in veterinary science at this time, so it’s exciting to see how it’s proving effective at adding value to existing functional measures.
"Particularly, helping us understand how pain management impacts the physical and emotional wellbeing of animals and will ultimately boost pet owner confidence.”
Oya Canbas, Zoetis UK General Manager, explained: “With an ever-growing bond between humans and animals, and pets leading longer lives, pet owners are more motivated than ever to support their pet’s wellbeing.
"However, not all are aware of the negative impacts of chronic disease, with signs of OA pain often mistaken as ‘normal’ signs of aging.
"This is why we need to increase awareness, to tackle under-diagnosis of OA pain.
"Common medications used to treat cases of OA pain that are diagnosed are often Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs).
"While effective, these can have limitations, such as for middle aged to senior pets which have other diseases, requiring multiple medications.
"Some will not tolerate NSAIDs, and not all pets respond to NSAID therapy.
"So, expanding prescription choices is a privilege.”
The RCVS Disciplinary Committee has agreed to adjourn multiple charges against an Essex-based veterinary surgeon who qualified in 1969, following his undertakings firstly to request removal from the RCVS Register and secondly never apply to be restored to it.
At the hearing, which had originally been listed for seven days, Geoffrey Raymond Oliver, 68, was charged with serious professional misconduct over allegations of his inadequate treatment of two dogs and a cat (belonging to three different clients) between 2010 and 2012; inadequate record keeping; failures to deal honestly or properly with his clients; and, failure to heed advice from the RCVS Preliminary Investigation Committee about the importance of proper communication between veterinary surgeons and their clients.
However, before the Committee heard evidence on any aspect of these charges, Mr Oliver lodged his application for adjournment. The Committee therefore made no findings on the charges, and emphasised they had neither been proved against, nor admitted by, him.
The Committee noted that there had been no adverse findings against Mr Oliver during his professional career, that his practice was now closed and that he had no intention of returning to practise in the future. Should he subsequently apply to be restored to the Register, the Committee would resume its consideration of the charges, along with his breach of the undertaking.
The Committee was advised that none of the complainants in the case - which could have incurred considerable time and costs - dissented from the proposed course of action.
Speaking on behalf of the Disciplinary Committee, its Chairman, Professor Peter Lees, said: "The Committee has concluded that no useful purpose would be served were it to insist on a full hearing [and it] would be a disproportionate waste of...resources [to do so]. The Committee is satisfied that [granting the adjournment application] protects the welfare of animals and...is in the public interest."
The Committee then accepted Mr Oliver's undertakings, including the removal of his name from the Register with immediate effect.
Professor Lees added: "So that he is in no doubt about the matter, the Committee reminds [Mr Oliver] that, when referring clients of his former practice elsewhere, he should be careful to avoid giving them any advice about the diagnosis or treatment of their animals."
To enter the competition, VetSurgeon members just needed to post a 'top tip' that could in any way make life easier, quicker, better or happier for a colleague.
Making use of the new feature on VetSurgeon.org where members can click a link marked 'thank you' to show their appreciation of something useful shared by someone else, VetSurgeon offered five £50 Amazon Vouchers for the most thanked tips shared before the end of November.
The winners are:
Mark Rowland for his tip that Mikki Muzzles make great anaesthesia masks for guinea pigs.
Emma Robinson for her solution to the problem of opening a new bottle "that has one of those annoying little metal caps".
Kate Richardson for her tip, which was to use an elastic band to 'tie' your et tubes in.
Julie Innes for her suggestion to use an elastic/ Velcro back support wrap from the Pound Shop when doing hip scores.
Gillian Mostyn for things you can do with a latex glove.
The RCVS is encouraging veterinary surgeons, veterinary nurses and other members of the practice team to respond to a government consultation on changing the law to introduce English language testing for veterinary surgeons who have qualified from elsewhere in the European Union.
Under the proposals outlined in the consultation by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), the test would apply before an individual joined the Register and only where the RCVS had ‘serious and concrete doubts’ about their English language abilities. The plan to consult on this issue had been welcomed by RCVS Council at its June 2015 meeting.
Every year, around half of all new veterinary surgeon registrants are from outside the UK, the majority from other EU or European Economic Area (EEA) countries. These individuals fall within the scope of the Mutual Recognition of Professional Qualifications (MRPQ) Directive, which applies to all EU nationals wishing to practise in a regulated profession in another member state.
Last year, a revised version of the MRPQ Directive came into force, which made a number of changes, including clarifying and reinforcing the role of competent authorities such as the RCVS. One of these changes is that language testing is expressly permitted, but only where serious concerns have been identified.
Gordon Hockey, RCVS Registrar, said: “Under the current legislation the College is not able to bar someone from joining the Register, and therefore practising, on the basis of language ability, even where we may have serious concerns.
“I would encourage all veterinary surgeons, veterinary nurses and other members of the practice team to engage with this consultation and consider whether the College should have the right to impose a language test where it has serious doubts, more in line with medical doctors, and the form such testing would take.”
Under the proposals, applicants would be asked a series of questions concerning their language qualifications, experience and general ability to use the English language before registering. Depending on how they answer the questions they may then have to pass a language test before registering, or delay their application while they improve their language skills.
The consultation results will inform the College’s work with Defra to determine whether to proceed with implementation and, if so, to develop the most appropriate system of language testing. The College would implement language testing for veterinary nurses in parallel with any changes for veterinary surgeons.
Those who wish to take part in the consultation can do so at https://consult.defra.gov.uk/animal-health-and-welfare/vet_language_controls. The deadline for responses is Wednesday 30 September 2015.
The new bottle size will last approximately 100 days when treating an average sized cat of 4 kg.
Amy Scott, brand manager for Semintra said: "The new 100 ml bottle size will ensure that Semintra is even more convenient for owners, whilst facilitating long-term compliance that fits in well with recommended recheck intervals for CKD."
Cats with CKD have an overactive renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS), which can lead to proteinuria and further progression of kidney disease. Semintra contains the active ingredient telmisartan – the only angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) licensed for use in veterinary medicine. Boehringer says it provides targeted, long-lasting suppression of the RAAS1.
Semintra is a once daily oral liquid. Now available in both 30 ml and 100 ml bottle sizes, it has a six month shelf life after opening.
For further information on Semintra visit www.boehringer-academy.co.uk or contact your local Boehringer Ingelheim territory manager.
Mark, who graduated from Cambridge University in 1997, has a broad interest in internal medicine but particularly enjoys the challenges posed by gastrointestinal, endocrine, haematology and renal medicine.
He has a PhD in Neuroscience at the University of Cambridge and after completing his PhD he took a residency in Small Animal Medicine at Cambridge, followed by four years in a private specialist practice in the south of England.
Mark was then appointed Clinical Associate Professor in Small Animal Internal Medicine at the Nottingham Veterinary School, where he was responsible for running the final year medicine rotation along with lecturing to all years of the veterinary course.
He was also in charge of the school’s small animal intern and residency programmes in addition to supervising both undergraduate and post-graduate research students.
Mark has also been involved in national and international investigations into canine breed-related diseases such as canine cancer, canine and feline haematology, canine endocrine disease and the development of novel non-invasive biomarkers to help diagnose both simple and complex medical diseases.
Outside work, Mark is a seven-guitar-owning-musician, a race-winning cyclist and a keen runner with a personal best of one hour twenty five minutes for a half marathon. What a relief for the rest of us mere mortals to hear there's something he's rubbish at: he says he swims 'like a brick'.
Mark said: "I’m excited to be joining the outstanding team at Willows who deliver such exceptional care to pets and their owners and such an outstanding service to the referring veterinary surgeons.
"It is a wonderful opportunity for me and I’m really looking forward to making my own contribution to their continued success."
'Potential role of veterinary flea products in widespread pesticide contamination of English rivers1, was carried out by Professor Dave Goulson and Rosemary Perkins MRCVS from the University of Sussex and co-authored by Martin (pictured right) and Wayne Civil from the Environment Agency.
For the study, they looked at 3,861 samples taken from 20 rivers around the UK between 2016 and 2018. Fipronil was detected in 98% of the samples and imidacloprid in 66%.
Currently, there are no environmental quality standards for fipronil or the compounds it breaks down into (fipronil sulfone or fipronil sulfide) or for imidacloprid in British surface waters.
The authors therefore used the acute and chronic toxicity limits for fipronil from a report from the Department of Environmental Toxicology at the University of California Davis2, and from Morissey et al (2015)3 for imidacloprid.
They found that the average fipronil concentration across the rivers sampled by the Environment Agency exceeded chronic safety thresholds five-fold. The overall pollution levels in English rivers indicate that fipronil and its toxic breakdown products pose a high risk to aquatic ecosystems.
While, in most rivers, imidacloprid was found to pose a moderate risk, in seven out of the 20 rivers sampled there was a high environmental risk.
The paper, published in Science of the Total Environment, noted that the highest levels of pollution were found immediately downstream of wastewater treatment works, which the authors say supports the hypothesis that significant quantities of pesticide may be passing from treated pets to the environment via household drains.
Professor Dave Goulson said “Fipronil and imidacloprid are both highly toxic to all insects and other aquatic invertebrates. Studies have shown both pesticides to be associated with declines in the abundance of aquatic invertebrate communities. The finding that our rivers are routinely and chronically contaminated with both of these chemicals and mixtures of their toxic breakdown products is deeply troubling.”
Bathing of pets treated with spot-on fipronil flea products has been confirmed as a potentially important route to waterways for fipronil via sewers. The washing of hands, pet bedding or other surfaces that have come into contact with treated pets are potential additional pathways for entry to sewers.
Rosemary said: “We’ve identified a number of steps that can be taken to minimise or avoid environmental harm from pet flea and/or tick treatments. These range from introducing stricter prescription-only regulations, to considering a more judicious and risk-based approach to the control of parasites in pets, for example by moving away from blanket year-round prophylactic use."
Martin said: "The profession urgently needs to adopt ‘responsible use of parasiticides’ similar to the way it is adopting responsible use of antimicrobials. The VMD needs to strengthen the environmental assessment of pet pesticide products in the authorisation process, and they are currently considering this issue. The VMD should also collate and publish annual sales figures for these pesticides as they do for antimicrobials."
He added: "My veterinary hospital has never had a ‘pet health plan’ to provide year round flea products, because we believe that year-round, intensive treatment for almost all dogs and cats does not constitute responsible use of such powerful pesticides."
Morrissey, C.A., et al., 2015. Neonicotinoid contamination of global surface waters and associated risk to aquatic invertebrates: a review. Environ. Int. 74, 291–303. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2014.10.024.
Virbac points to research showing that MCTs are the most common form of skin cancer in dogs, accounting for up to 21% of skin cancer cases1.
This, says the company, means that understanding the challenges surrounding mast cell tumour diagnosis, work up (including the various prognostic panels) and treatment selection for mast cell tumour cases is vital.
The session, entitled ‘Fundamentals of Mast Cell Tumour Management’, will conclude with a review of Stelfonta, walking through cases and how to get the best results.
Dr Neil Mottram MRCVS, Technical Product Manager at Virbac said: "We know that vets are facing webinar fatigue.
"We therefore hope that this brand new style of online learning on one of the most common canine cancers will be more engaging, whilst still delivering high quality CPD."
To register for the live event, visit: https://tinyurl.com/mct-masterclass
For more information, speak to your Virbac Territory Manager, or visit vet-uk.virbac.com/stelfonta
The RCVS has advised that veterinary surgeons should delegate Schedule 3 work to veterinary nurse students only during students' training, following a series of queries from employers about such students locuming.
Veterinary surgeons have dispensations under Schedule 3 of the Veterinary Surgeons Act to delegate to student veterinary nurses in the course of their training, so that students can learn how to give medical treatments to animals.
Crucially, these dispensations apply only when the student is working as a student in their approved training practice or on a placement organised by their university, and is under the supervision of qualified staff.
These dispensations do not apply to any extra-curricula activity so, if working as locums, they are legally classified as unqualified lay staff
The RCVS is concerned that locum agencies do not always appear to know this and are placing locums in their capacity as students, or even "senior students." This has the potential to mislead employers and the students concerned, and result in illegal practice.
Liz Branscombe, Chairman of the RCVS Veterinary Nurses Council said: "We know that student VNs, especially those on university courses, often undertake locum work to supplement their earnings. However, beyond the training practice which employs them, or in a placement organised by their university, they can only carry out tasks that may be expected of an unqualified staff member, and cannot legally undertake Schedule 3 work."
Practices may check the details of a student VN directly with the RCVS or with the student's college. If you notice an agency promoting student VN locums, please contact the RCVS so that we can provide guidance.
The book guides the reader through the evolutionary background of dogs and cats and explains how inherited diseases and deformities associated with certain breeds can cause breathing problems, heart disease, skin problems and back problems.
The book concludes with practical advice to help owners buy a healthy puppy or kitten and to avoid the risk of supporting puppy farms.
Emma said: "I’ve been campaigning on this issue for twenty years and, if anything the conformational issues and inherited disease problems in dogs and cats, are getting worse with some breeders striving for ever more extreme body shapes.
"Selecting a pet with inherited defects can cost thousands in vet bills and cause anguish for family members. It also creates a relinquishment problem for animal shelters as they have to take in abandoned pets with health problems.
"While awareness is certainly increasing, too often prospective pet owners are still unaware of the health implications of the pet they are buying and it is difficult for my veterinary colleagues to criticise the choice of a client’s puppy or kitten once it has been bought. All too often though they are left to pick up the pieces."
Emma added: "Education is the key. It is vital that prospective owners understand why different body shapes could be detrimental to health and how far removed from nature some of our breeds now are. If we can encourage them to stop choosing the quirky extremes in some breeds, demand for them will soon fall. My message is simple – we should all prioritise health and temperament way above what animals look like.
"I hope that responsible prospective pet owners will find Picking a Pedigree? an enlightening read and that it will inform their choice of a new family member. I also hope that it will be a useful resource for vets and nurses to be able to recommend to reinforce their pre-purchase advice."
55 veterinary surgeons took part in the survey, which also found that only 37% of clinicians use FNA and cytology when investigating a suspected lipoma.
According to the survey, the biggest barriers to further investigations of lumps and bumps were cost (50%), short consult time (23%) and confidence in results (20%).
HT Vista, which earlier this year launched a cancer screening device for dogs which uses heat diffusion technology and AI to differentiate between benign skin masses and other tumours, is urging more practising vets to use an accurate screening process for early detection of malignant masses.
Dr. Gillian Dank, Board Certified Oncologist and Chief Veterinary Officer at HTVet, said: “There is no way to know that a mass is a lipoma based on palpation alone.
"The fact that a mass is subcutaneous, soft and circumscribed is not exclusive to lipoma and it could be a number of things including a mast cell tumour or sarcoma.
"On average a veterinary practice sees over 500 dermal and subcutaneous masses each year.
"We know anecdotally, and surveys like this confirm, that not every mass is aspirated – and that is why there is need for the HT Vista screening device.
"Every mass that comes in should be properly examined.”
“It’s interesting to see that the more experienced a clinician is, the less confident they are in diagnosing from palpation and this shows us that with experience we understand that our hands are not enough.”
Liron Levy-Hirsch, Managing Director of HT Vista, said: “The survey showed that vets are conscious of the cost to clients, and also feel pressured due to time.
"We have developed the HT Vista to complement FNA and cytology, and hope clinicians find it a useful tool.
"Firstly, it is quick and affordable to scan, and for those masses that are benign it removes the need for unnecessary FNA’s.
"Secondly, vets are often wary of cost, however if a mass is scanned and the results indicate that further investigation is needed, there is more rationale to spend the extra money to get the cytology results.
"Finally, the device can offer complete confidence that malignancies are not being missed, and if a mass is malignant a prompt treatment plan can be initiated.”
https://www.vetreport.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Lump-and-Bump-Survey-2023FINAL.pdf
https://ht-vista.uk
The Society of Practising Veterinary Surgeons (SPVS) has published its 2014 Salaries Survey which showed that the gender pay gap has closed from 15% last year to 10.8% this.
However, the association notes that this is still slightly higher than the gap reported for all professions in the UK, so there remains work to be done.
The survey, which is the largest of its kind and drew responses from 1,878 vets, nurses, practice managers and receptionists also found that:
Peter Brown, SPVS Treasurer and author of the report comments: "The SPVS Salaries Survey is intended as a benchmark to give some indication of what is being paid as the 'going rate' rather than to advise on what employees should be paid. Having said that, we would urge all veterinary practices to continue working to ensure that equal rates of pay are given for positions of equal status. Although the gender gap has closed up, it is still too big."
The annual SPVS Salaries Survey is free of charge to SPVS members and costs £150 for non-members. For more information, call 01926 410454 or visit www.spvs.org.uk.
The debate, which was described as 'robust but good-humoured', was moderated by BEVA past-President Madeleine Campbell, sole partner at Hobgoblins Equine Reproduction Centre.
Keith Chandler, former BEVA President and member of the acquisitions team at Independent Vet Care and Karl Holliman, partner and director at Cliffe Veterinary group and past chairman of XL Equine, argued for corporatisation.
Their supporting witnesses were Lesley Barwise Munro of AlNorthumbria vets which was sold to CVS in 2015 and Julian Samuelson a former managing partner of Bell Equine, which was sold to CVS earlier this year.
In the opposing corner were Andrew Harrison, a partner at Three Counties Equine Hospital and Tim Greet, who recently retired as an equine partner at Rossdales.
Their supporting witnesses were Louise Radford MRCVS, who now works in the pharmaceutical industry and Nenad Zillic, partner at the Barn Equine Surgery.
As the moderator called 'seconds out', opinion was relatively evenly divided, with 44% of the audience agreeing with the motion and 56% disagreeing.
The pro corporatisation team advocated that obvious commercial and business advantages, together with the scale and diversity of a corporate, can give vets greater potential for a more flexible career path and advancement within the industry, and a more sustainable working career in equine practice.
Karl Holliman pointed out that corporates enable greater purchasing power, better health and safety resources, improved career structure and the freedom for employed vets to focus on clinical expertise rather than becoming bogged down with practice management.
Keith Chandler went on to argue that selling to a corporate is a solution to the problem of succession planning. In a climate of unwillingness for younger vets to buy in to practice, selling allows partners to realise the value they've built up and release that equity to do something else.
This is all very well, said Tim Greet, on the anti corporatisation panel, but the good reputation the profession currently enjoys is based on service to clients and above all the animals in our care. Clinical rather than commercial elements drive practice and partners are light on their feet and can respond quickly to decisions without referring to "a ponderous corporate hierarchy".
Tim also argued that clients like continuity and the quickest way to lose them would be to send in different vets. A bespoke approach to client care was needed rather than hard targeting.
Andrew Harrison went on to suggest that the only vets who really benefit from selling out are those who have one eye on retirement. Younger partners may be able to pay off the loan they took out to buy into practice in the first place but are then likely to take a considerable drop in salary and be given a middle management job, moving from the "pilot seat into the passenger seat." He argued that young vets cannot afford to buy into practices because the industry is being "fuelled by the corporates who are falling over themselves competing to buy equine practices and squeezing out our fellow professionals."
Pro corporatisation witness Julian Samuelson maintained that since Bell Equine has been sold to CVS there has been no change to client service, no restrictions on clinical performance and that no targets have been imposed to achieve set revenues.
Anti-corporatisation witness Louise Radford made the point that big corporates could exert pressure on pharmaceutical companies to drive down prices, which would reduce their capacity to invest in research and development trials and CPD, to the ultimate detriment of the veterinary industry.
The session closed with 72% of the audience disagreeing with the motion Corporatisation is inevitable and will benefit vets and their clients.
BEVA President Jon Pycock said: "Whether we like it or not corporatisation of equine practices is on the rise. But it shouldn’t mean that the future isn’t going to be viable for independents too as there is a role for both to co-exist. Importantly, this should mean that vets and their clients will both continue to have choices."
Royal Canin has announced that it will be launching Multifunction, a new range of veterinary diets designed for cats and dogs experiencing - or at risk of - multiple health conditions.
According to the company, 35% of cats and dogs meet this description1 and it can be difficult for veterinary surgeons and nurses to recommend a diet which meets all their needs when one diet can't address multiple nutritional priorities.
Officially being launched at BSAVA, Multifunction diets are designed to provide an option for the nutritional management of cats and dogs with more than one condition, thereby eliminating the need to decide which of two conditions take precedence when developing a nutritional assessment for patients.
The company says that the new diets have been developed by combining existing Veterinary Diet formulae. The range includes:
Marianne Lomberg, Veterinary Marketing Manager said: "As a company, one of the things we are proud of is looking at the pet as a whole, rather than just a clinical condition on legs. For this reason we combine the features of our standard veterinary diets to provide support for other issues that a pet may develop. For example, our Urinary Moderate Calorie diet is lower in calories than standard diets in order to help prevent weight gain in animals predisposed to obesity as a result of living indoors or being neutered. However, until now, we have not been able to provide vets with a diet for a pet that has already been diagnosed with two equally serious concurrent conditions, such as lower urinary tract disease and obesity. Our new Multifunction diets do just this.
"Pets suffering from more than one condition also generally require more regular veterinary care, too, and a unique new ordering system for these diets helps facilitate ongoing contact between the pet owner and their veterinary practice every time they order a new bag of food. More information about the diets and the ordering system will be available on the ROYAL CANIN, stand: 611."
Multifunction will only be available through veterinary practices and all bags will be personalised, including the practice logo and patient name. Further information on how to sign up to the product programme will be available at the show stand.
For more information, visit: http://new.vetportal.royalcanin.co.uk/products/multifunction-2/
The charity launched the 'Cat Friendly Clinic' accreditation scheme in 2012, in order to raise standards and reduce the stress experienced by cats (and consequently their owners) when visiting clinics.
In order to be accredited as a Cat Friendly Clinic, a clinic must not only meet high standards of cat care in terms of facilities and equipment, but staff must also demonstrate an understanding of the needs and behaviour of cats and put in place measures to ensure that visits to the clinic are more cat-friendly.
In the six years since its inception, the scheme has become a well-recognised standard in feline veterinary care, with accredited clinics all over the world.
The Classic Animal Hospital in South Korea (wow, see the architects' photos here), was founded in September 2017 and consists of three vets, eight nurses and three receptionists. Open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, the clinic's goal is to "provide outstanding veterinary care using the most advanced medical techniques and equipment in an environment that is both comfortable and welcoming for owners and their loved companions’. Currently, about 30% of the clinic’s clients are cats, and this percentage is continuing to grow.
Park Sungwon, owner of the clinic and Chief of Surgery, said: "Since more and more Koreans are having cats as their companion animals, there is growing interest in the Cat Friendly Clinic programme. So many veterinarians who have just started or want to start their own clinic share information about becoming a Cat Friendly Clinic. I also found out about the Cat Friendly Clinic scheme on the vet internet community. When I decided to open my clinic, I planned to become a Cat Friendly Clinic. So I took ISFM’s requirements into consideration when I designed my clinic."
When asked what cat owners think of the clinic’s Cat Friendly status, Park said: "They are very satisfied with our separated, quiet, cat-only waiting area and large hospitalisation facilities. They think that their cats definitely feel more comfortable at my clinic than they feel at other clinics in my town."
Sarah Endersby, International Cat Care’s Veterinary Development Manager, said: "We are delighted to have accredited the 1000th Cat Friendly Clinic. It is fabulous to know that many veterinary clinics around the world are thinking about how they can make feline visits less stressful, benefitting not only the cats themselves, but their owners and the veterinary team. We have many clinics looking to become a Cat Friendly Clinic, so the community is growing quickly - hopefully we will be welcoming the 2000th clinic in the not too distant future!"
To find out more about the Cat Friendly Clinic scheme, visit catfriendlyclinic.org.
The scheme is supported by six official partners: Boehringer Ingelheim, Ceva, Elanco, Idexx, Merial and Royal Canin.
The Sutton Bonington Campus, home of the University of Nottingham's School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, has raised £610 for Sport Relief with its annual Science Cake Competition.
There were thirty entries to the competition, in categories which included Animals & Agriculture, Food & Nutrition, Infection, 'Nerdy' Science, Plants, Crops & Environment, and Veterinary Medicine.
A special category this year was 'Cakes for Animals', which Emily Blight, an undergraduate vet student, organised for a panel of dogs to judge on tastiness.
The winner of the public vote was 'What came first, the chicken or the cake?' (pictured right), whilst the overall winner was Alex Burgess with ‘Dave’s Allotment’.
One of the judges, Dr Mike Jones said: "Choosing the winner was extremely hard. Every cake had its own specific merits be it the execution of the design, through to the novelty of ingredients and ideas or how they fitted into the categories." He added that he "was almost put off jelly beans for life - they will be forever associated with sheep back sides."
The cakes are all on display here.
After tense negotiations which stretched well into the night, Jenny Smith MRCVS has been confirmed this morning as the new face of VetSurgeon.org.
Jenny, who qualified earlier this year (congratulations), will appear in advertisements for the site in Veterinary Practice magazine, The London Vet Show Guide and Cattle Practice. She said: "I'm only too pleased to help promote VetSurgeon.org. It helped me understand what happens in the real world whilst I was at university, and I got my very first job as a veterinary surgeon through the contacts I made on the site."
Jenny is the third face of VetSurgeon, replacing Niall Taylor MRCVS, who has held the post since taking over from Gillian Mostyn MRCVS in December 2009. He said: "I'm ruined. Ruined, you hear. Without this contract, I'll probably have to go and open branches of Aldi on wet Saturday afternoons."
In fine tradition, Jenny is donating her £100 fee to the Northern Rose Boxer Rescue charity.
Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica Ltd has announced that Metacam is now available for use in pigs as an oral suspension.
Metacam, which contains the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) meloxicam, is indicated for the treatment of non-infectious locomotor disorders to reduce inflammation and signs of lameness. It is also licensed for the treatment of mastitis-metritis-agalactia (MMA) syndrome in sows, when used alongside appropriate antibiotic therapy. MMA is a multifactorial condition that can threaten the health of the sow and the lives of her piglets due to a marked decrease or complete cessation in milk production.
Boehringer says treatment with Metacam15 mg/ml oral suspension helps control inflammation and pain associated with the condition, thereby helping to restore productivity and wellbeing in the sow and her offspring.
Metacam 15mg/ml oral suspension for pigs supplements the existing injectable formulation and has been introduced to its increase flexibility and ease of use, and to reduce the potential stress than can be caused when injecting newly-farrowed sows. The palatable suspension can be given mixed with a small quantity of feed or can be administered directly into the mouth.