FirstVet says the funding will enable it to expand its service globally, including the United States, Germany, and France. It will also allow it to continue developing its product and introduce new features to improve the experience for pet owners and vets, such as new automation tools and integration with clinics' existing systems.
The latest round of financing takes FirstVet’s total funding to-date to €24.5M.
Founded in 2016 in Sweden, FirstVet currently has a presence in five markets: the United Kingdom, Norway, Denmark, Finland, and its native Sweden. The company says it has over 200,000 registered users and has provided consultations for over 150,000 pets since launch.
Currently, FirstVet consultations are offered free to millions of owners through partnerships with 20 insurance companies across all markets, including Bought By Many in the UK.
Co-founder David Prien said: "FirstVet is the first truly neutral stakeholder in the world to coordinate pet care. In what is a highly privatised industry, our reliable service provides value to the entire sector, and we are growing at an incredible rate."
In a statement, the company explained that elevated vitamin D can cause vomiting, loss of appetite, increased thirst, increased urination, excessive drooling, and weight loss. At high levels, it can lead to serious health issues in dogs including renal dysfunction.
The company is inviting 'pet parents' (dear god, spare me) whose dogs are suffering symptoms after eating the products to contact their veterinary surgeon.
Hill's also says it will cover the cost of testing total calcium, albumin and 25OH-Vitamin D3 metabolites in animals which have consumed affected products, at the VitDAL Lab at the Edinburgh Veterinary School.
The affected products are:
Jurox says the reformulation will also help reduce waste associated with unpreserved ampule formulations and will help streamline portfolios with a requirement for only one buprenorphine listing.
Dr Dan Cripwell BSc (Hons) BVSc CertAVP (EM) CertAVP PgCert (VPS) MRCVS, Advanced Veterinary Practitioner and senior veterinary technical advisor at Jurox (UK) Limited, said: “I am delighted that Jurox can provide the UK veterinary market with this evolution of our multidose buprenorphine formulation. We constantly strive to provide the veterinary profession with first class clinical and technical support and our ability to perform in-house product research and development is also a great strength; this allows us to remain agile enough to make adaptations in an area where not much has changed in the past few years.
“In this instance, we were able to examine what improvements could be made to our existing drug portfolio and respond to the profession’s feedback with the redevelopment of the commonly utilised opioid analgesic, buprenorphine. Our hope is that, as well as the recent mixing claims added to the product licence, this development will encourage the best clinical use of the drug and, in turn, improve patient experience and outcome.”
For more information, contact your local Jurox account manager, phone 0800 500 3171, visit www.jurox.com/uk or email customerservice@jurox.co.uk.
Under the scheme, 60 students will be given two weeks of supported clinical placements in more than 50 Vets4Pets practices across the UK, helping to prepare them for work in a clinical environment.
Successful applicants will receive £334 per week during their placements and will also have access to a fast-track application to the Vets4Pets Graduate Programme.
Emily Bridges, Vet & Graduate Programme Lead at Vets4Pets said: “While we know that great EMS placements are a key part of a student’s development, we also know that it has become increasingly difficult for students to fund EMS while they are studying.
"By launching the bursary scheme, we’re hoping to provide students with the support they need to get the most out of their placements, without the financial worry."
Jessica Windham, a veterinary graduate from the RVC, London, took part in the pilot. She said: “For me, the bursary helped to pay for my fuel and food while on placement.
"This meant I could go home and rest after eight hours in the practice, instead of going straight to my part-time bar job and working an extra four-hour shift like many students have to do.
"Ultimately because I was less tired, I performed far better as a student and learned a lot more.”
Applications will open in March 2022 for placements beginning in summer, and students can find out more at: www.vets4pets.com/ems
Eight dogs being treated at three veterinary clinics in Norway took part in the study1.
Previous research2 has found a complication rate of 55% when fibreglass casts are used, 20% of them severe. In this study using the Upets Splinting System, only 12.5% of dogs (n=1) had complications that required treatment, and the complications were minor.
Dassiet says the results suggest that the new product has the potential to make veterinary casting safer, more sustainable, and can help control costs associated with cast replacement and treatment of complications.
86% of the veterinary surgeons participating in the study rated the Upets Splinting System as easy to use and said they would use the product on their own dog.
An earlier poll3 questioned vets on their most common concerns about casting and identified that the most significant were fear of complications (57%), the time-consuming nature of casting (54%) and inconvenience (51 %).
Dr. Martin Kaufmann, OrthoPets founder and Dassiet VET COO, said: “Complications often result from a cast that does not fit as well as it should.
"The results of this study suggest that Upets might be the ground-breaking tool that veterinarians have been waiting for as it provides them with the means to achieve a cast shape that is more precise."
For the white paper detailing the trial, visit: www.upets.vet/research.
References
To take part in the survey, which will take about ten minutes, visit: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/RepRIPorVIP.
Everyone who completes the survey will be entered into a draw to win one of three £50 Amazon vouchers.
The House of Lords debate, which is being hosted by Professor The Lord Tress of Kinross, will take place on Wednesday, 21st June 2023.
Speakers will include Donal Murphy of NOAH, Rita Dingwall of the Federation f Independent Veterinary Practices and Paul Horwood, Country Head of Farm at IVC Evidensia.
https://vma.org.uk/house-of-lords/
The group won the award in recognition of how it put social media at the heart of the its 80th birthday celebrations, offering employees 80 prizes over 80 days with daily draws broadcast on Facebook Live and uploaded to YouTube. The prizes included a weekend for two in New York, European holidays, festival tickets, a 40” smart TV, an extra week holiday, an Apple watch, a chance to be the MD for the day and more.
The IoIC’s judging panel praised the campaign’s recognition of staff, fun and innovation, as well as saying there was so much to love about the award entry and one even said it brought a lump to their throat.
Justin Phillips, head of marketing at White Cross Vets, said: "Celebrating our 80th birthday, with more than 200 team members spread across the North and Midlands, meant we had to come up with an accessible event, that would bond everyone and reinforce our reputation as the employer of choice within the veterinary industry.
"Broadcasting 80 prize draws in 80 days on Facebook Live ticked every box and was a fantastic spectacle that all our team members engaged with and talked about every day."
"The IoIC awards is one of the marketing industry’s most prestigious events, in a spectacular venue and surrounded by a wide range of global brands. These awards celebrate success, reward endeavour, inspire creativity and nurture best practice within the marketing community. For our campaign to have been recognised and rewarded by our peers is a huge source of pride within our business and has put a spring in the step of every single team member."
VetSurgeon Editor Arlo Guthrie said: "I've always admired the marketing and communications that comes from Justin and the rest of the team at White Cross. I think it's because as well as being fun, it's always sincere, something which is so often lacking in contemporary marketing communications. Anyway, with a little luck IVC will recognise the talent they've taken on, and sprinkle a bit of the White Cross magic across the rest of the group!"
Other category winners included household names like Oxfam, Volkswagen, Barclaycard, Sainsburys, Pets at Home, EDF Energy, Rolls Royce and Carlsberg.
In his talk, 'Digital Veterinary Practice', Adam presents an exciting and compelling vision as to how technology will transform the profession and enable veterinary surgeons to offer better care to more patients.
His talk begins with an interesting look at how technological change has gathered pace in recent years, before considering some of the emerging technologies that could be applied to veterinary practice.
In particular, he talked about the so-called 'Internet of things': the way more and more 'things' other than computers are connected to the Internet.
There are now about 9bn 'things' connected to the internet, by 2020 there are expected to be 50bn. Adam predicted that more and more of them are going to be worn by animals: to measure reproductive health in farm animals; to track performance in equines; and to monitor behaviour and activity in companion animals.
Adam discussed how there is already a smart litter box which measures an animal’s habits, an oral pill camera that can take 360 degree internal photos, 3D printed drugs and digitised microscopy. By uniting these technologies with increasingly accurate virtual reality technology, he said, long-distance examinations could become a real possibility.
In relation to the role of the RCVS, Adam explored how the profession could be proactive in engaging with these technologies, such as by: using regulation as a mechanism to attract 'disruptors' to work alongside the profession; identifying areas of retraining and creating targeted learning opportunities; fostering an entrepreneurial mindset; creating an early-adopter network of practices to foster initial collaboration; and framing industry challenges as targeted problems whose solutions can be crowd-sourced.
In writing the guide, Liz has drawn upon her own experience of the disciplinary process to offer practical advice to others who find themselves in the same situation.
Liz found herself on the receiving end of a complaint by a pet owner after an elderly dog she had operated on died that night at her practice. It took two years for the complaint to progress to a DC hearing. They were two years which she described as absolute hell. Not just because of the threat of losing her livelihood, but also because of the vilification on social media.
Her booklet explains the whole process, from the first notice from the College to moving on after the hearing, with practical advice as to how you can make the experience, well, if not a positive one, at least not quite as hellish as it might otherwise be.
You can download the booklet from Liz’s website, here: https://howtosurviveanrcvshearing.wordpress.com/
Dunlops has changed its name to Henry Schein Animal Health.
David Hinton, Managing Director said: "As we change our name to Henry Schein Animal Health, we also reaffirm our company's strong commitment to offer a comprehensive array of products and services to help animal health practitioners in the United Kingdom operate more efficient and successful practices, and provide the best quality patient care.
"We have a new name, but we have the same strong team, the same values, and the same dedication to providing excellent service to our customers."
Henry Schein Animal Health’s expanded offerings include VetLink and Thrive. VetLink is a new e-commerce web site system that enables veterinary surgeons to access the growing internet sector, allowing you to sell anything from pet prescriptions to accessories online, to be delivered to your customers’ homes by Henry Schein Animal Health. Thrive is a new veterinary business analysis service that integrates with practice management software to use a Key Performance Indicator based approach that provides insight into a your practice and identifies areas where you can enhance your business.
Woodley Equipment Company has launched RapidVet-H IC a testing kit for identifying blood types in cats and dogs.
RapidVet-H IC uses immuno-chromatographic technology to identify the feline blood groups: Type A, Type B and Type AB, and the canine blood groups: DEA 1.1 Negative and DEA 1.1 Positive
According to Woodley, this is the first such system to present a positive result as a red line on a white background, thus making it very easy to read.
RapidVet-H IC consists of a hand-held device containing three membranes and uses a diluent specific for these tests. It uses whole blood, or packed red blood cells. It is a cell capture assay, so patients exhibiting auto-agglutination or low PCV can be typed. The system displays results in 5-10 minutes.
For more information about RapidVet-H IC, email: sales@woodleyequipment.com, or call Woodley on +44 (0) 1204 669033 Option 1.
The RCVS Disciplinary Committee has struck off a Wiltshire-based veterinary surgeon for charges relating to tuberculin (TB) testing on cattle that he undertook and certified at four farms during June and July of 2010.
At the end of the ten-day hearing, the Disciplinary Committee found Sorin Dinu Chelemen guilty of 32 charges relating to his work as an Official Veterinarian (OV) for Animal Health, while employed as a locum at Endell Veterinary Group, Salisbury. Mr Chelemen, who represented himself at the hearing, disputed all of the charges. He also said he had had poor knowledge and comprehension of written and spoken English at the time, which had since improved.
Mr Chelemen gave the Committee detailed accounts of what he said occurred in relation to the TB testing at all four farms. However, in almost all the points where the facts were denied, the Committee found a stark divergence between his evidence and that given by witnesses for the College.
The Committee was generally unimpressed by Mr Chelemen's account of events, finding many of his allegations and explanations for his actions to be incredible or unreliable. For example, he claimed that during his Animal Health training, he had not been given a copy of the 'Manual of Procedures' containing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for TB testing. Although the Committee accepted Mr Chelemen's English had been poor at the time, leading to communication problems, he had satisfactorily demonstrated that he knew how to perform TB tests in accordance with these SOPs when he started work at the practice. Overall, the Committee found Mr Chelemen's attitude was that he had not done anything wrong and nothing was his fault, and that he had little understanding of the professional responsibilities incumbent on an OV.
By contrast, the Committee considered all the witnesses called by the College to have given clear, credible and consistent evidence. Complaints had been made about three farms that were separate and unconnected, and where the tests had been conducted on different dates. These complaints, if not identical, were very similar. The evidence was overwhelming that Mr Chelemen had not followed the SOPs when carrying out testing at three of the farms.
The Committee noted that the measurements recorded by Mr Chelemen did not show the differences which would be normally expected. Mr Chelemen had not measured the animals in accordance with the SOPs when he knew he ought to have, and he had been dishonest in certifying the tests.
When considering sanctions, the Committee found an aggravating factor was that Mr Chelemen's actions undermined procedures to prevent the spread of disease. In particular, he failed to notify the owners of animals on three farms that he had found reactors or inconclusive reactors, resulting in those animals not being isolated. Nor did he submit paperwork to Animal Health about these animals, which was a fundamental breach of his duties as an OV.
In mitigation, the Committee accepted that Mr Chelemen had no previous RCVS disciplinary findings against him; and, that the OV training he received was limited, having regard to English not being his first language and relative inexperience as a TB tester. It also took into account that this disciplinary case had been in progress for three years, his poor health and his financial and family circumstances.
Mrs Judith Webb, chairing and speaking on behalf of the Committee said: "The Committee is of the view that this is a most serious case, in which the integrity of TB testing was undermined, and animal health was put at risk, which may have resulted in the spread of disease. Furthermore, this case involves findings of dishonesty, which has been held to come at the top end of the spectrum of gravity of disgraceful conduct in a professional respect."
She directed that Mr Chelemen be struck off the Register.
A You Gov poll commissioned by Intervet/Schering Plough in the run up to National Vaccination Month (1st-30th June) shows the degree to which the recession is now biting into veterinary spending, and the impact it's having on vaccination levels.
The You Gov survey found that 19% of pet owners nationwide admit they have cut back on veterinary expenses such as vaccinations, health checks and treatments. Just under half are failing to vaccinate their animals with 53% of those polled not vaccinating their pets due to cost.
Other key findings of the You Gov survey include:
The You Gov survey also highlighted a lack of awareness among younger pet owners about pet health. Of the 18-24 year olds polled who had not taken their pet to be vaccinated, 44% said it was because they were unaware of any disease risk to their animals, compared to just 13% of those aged 55 and over. 22% of 18-24 year olds surveyed were not aware of zoonoses such as fleas and worms and diseases such as ringworm and Toxocara.
Matt Brash, BVetMed MRCVS, who runs a small animal veterinary clinic in North Yorkshire and is star of the TV show 'Zoo Vet at Large' said: "These figures are concerning and we could be sitting on a ticking time bomb. The simple fact is that many pet owners don't realise that their pets are at risk of disease. Less than half of all dogs and cats are vaccinated, which is well below the amount needed to protect the pet population through herd immunity."
Paula Boyden, a vet and Business Development and Corporate Marketing Project Manager at Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health, who has steered the campaign for the company said: "There are clearly some strong messages coming out to vets here, not least where and how the credit crunch is hitting pet owners. The underlying message that National Vaccination Month offers a way of supporting pet owners during these difficult economic times is obviously important. While the data shows that pet owners will still make considerable sacrifices to care for their pets, it also highlights that vaccination is falling by the wayside. Clearly, practices will need to work harder than ever against the background of the credit crunch to bring home the message to pet owners that their pets are at risk of serious and often fatal disease and that cutting vaccination is a false economy. The You Gov poll also highlights the urgent need to educate the younger section of pet owners about the disease threat faced by their animals."
TV wildlife and science presenter Kate Humble, who with Matt and Clare Brash is spearheading the National Vaccination Month Campaign, said: "The really sad aspect is that people who are reducing veterinary care due to the recession may be making a false economy by putting their pets at risk of serious disease, which may lead to treatment at far greater cost than the price of the annual jab."
The You Gov survey suggests that where people have had to pay for unexpected vet bills they are paying for them on credit cards. One had to put the family pet down and many revealed that they had made personal sacrifices in order to keep looking after their animals including stopping smoking, cutting out luxuries, clothes and socialising.
The You Gov survey highlights how, despite lavishing affection and presents on their pets, people are not taking adequate steps to protect them from preventable killer diseases. The survey reveals that 65% of pet owners consider their animal to be an extremely important member of the family with over half (54%) buying them Christmas presents. However, only 56% of pets were vaccinated with just under a quarter (22%) of owners unaware of any disease risk.
Currently, an estimated 3 million dogs, 6 million cats, 1.8 million rabbits and 500,000 horses are unvaccinated.
In answer to this disease threat and to help owners during the recession, around 2,000 veterinary clinics across the UK have so far signed up to part in the National Vaccination Month campaign, offering pets a full vaccination course against a range of fatal diseases for the cost of a booster.
To participate in National Vaccination Month (www.vaccinationmonth.co.uk) - the biggest national consumer campaign of its kind, please contact your Intervet/ Schering-Plough Animal Health account manager or call Intervet/ Schering-Plough's Veterinary Support Group on 01908 685685, option 4.
The survey was conducted by Mo Gannon & Associates, which asked 2,000 UK adults about their satisfaction with the service they and their animals received from veterinary surgeons, levels of trust in the profession, and whether the service provided by vets represents value for money.
32% of the respondents felt that veterinary surgeons represented excellent (8%) or good (24%) value for money. 38% thought that veterinary fees are fair. However, 29% thought that veterinary surgeons and their services provided poor (21%) or very poor (8%) value for money. The results were very similar to the last time the survey was conducted, in 2015.
Nevertheless, veterinary surgeons continue to enjoy very high levels of trust amongst the public. 94% said they either completely trust (34%) or generally trust (60%) vets. This put veterinary surgeons in third place amongst the most trusted professions, below opticians and pharmacists but above GPs and and dentists.
Satisfaction with the profession was also high. 80% said they were either very satisfied (39%) or satisfied (41%), putting vets in fourth place below opticians, pharmacists and dentists, but above general practitioners and accountants.
RCVS President Dr Niall Connell, pictured right (would you trust this man?) said: "These results clearly demonstrate that there is a great deal of good will towards the veterinary profession and the work they do in treating the nation’s animals and serving their communities. The basis of all good relationships is trust, and it is fantastic to see that our clients continue overwhelmingly to trust our knowledge and expertise and remain very happy with the service we provide them.
"The picture on value for money is clearly a bit more mixed, although clearly 70% of the respondents recognise that we at least charge fair fees in terms of our time and expertise. There is, of course, always more work that we can do in order to help the public understand veterinary costs and fees and promote the value of veterinary care, as demonstrated by last year’s joint Pets Need Vets social media campaign with BVA, in which we highlighted the benefits to pet owners of being registered with a vet."
The research is being conducted by Sarah Mansell under the supervision of Dr. Malgorzata Behnke. They say this parasite hasn't been studied in depth in the UK since the 1970's, because the symptoms can be controlled by routine worming measures. However, as the industry moves away from routine worming as a measure of reducing the risk of parasites developing resistances to treatments, a condition such as this which is now considered to be quite rare in the UK can start to re-emerge.
Sarah is asking vets to fill out a short questionnaire to assess awareness of Onchocerca Cervicalis in veterinary practices. The survey includes specific questions about the parasite as well as questions about cases of unresponsive skin conditions because a similarity in symptoms can lead to misdiagnoses that could, in fact, turn out to be Onchocerca Cervicalis.
Sarah said: "Hopefully the findings will raise awareness of this problem and help shape future research in this area."
She added: "I want to get vets thinking about this issue much more than perhaps they are at the moment."
To take part in the survey, visit: https://harper-adams.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/assessing-the-awareness-of-onchocerca-cervicalis-amongst-e-2
The Council of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons has unanimously approved the introduction of a disciplinary system for registered veterinary nurses from 1 April 2011.
The RCVS established the non-statutory Register for Veterinary Nurses in 2007, and says that registration signals a commitment from veterinary nurses to account for their professional practice.
Registered Veterinary Nurses (RVNs) commit to keep their skills up to date via mandatory continuing professional development and abide by the Guide to Professional Conduct for Veterinary Nurses. The disciplinary mechanism is the final component of this regulatory framework. From 1 April 2011, an RVN can be removed or suspended from the Register if found guilty of serious professional misconduct, fraudulent registration or criminal offences affecting his or her fitness to practise.
The decision has been awaited for some time, as according to the College, there has been some dispute about whether an RVN could be removed from the statutory List of Veterinary Nurses (meaning veterinary surgeons would be barred from delegating to them tasks allowed under Schedule 3 to the Veterinary Surgeons Act, such as medical treatment or minor surgery), as well as the non-statutory Register.
Following legal advice that it would not be appropriate to remove someone from a statutory list via a non-statutory regulatory system, RCVS Council and the Veterinary Nurses Council opted for removal from the Register only, with the caveat that any such removed VNs will be clearly identified on the List. In addition, veterinary surgeons will be advised, via the Guide to Professional Conduct, against delegating Schedule 3 tasks to them.
Council also confirmed that it would seek an amendment to Schedule 3 as soon as possible, to enable it to remove the names of nurses found guilty of serious professional misconduct or other charges from the List.
VN Council Chairman Liz Branscombe said: "The Veterinary Nurses Council is committed to moving towards statutory regulation for veterinary nurses. This non-statutory commitment to a disciplinary system is our chance to show government and the public that we are ready and willing to be regulated, which should stand us in good stead for the future."
The RVN disciplinary system will mirror that for veterinary surgeons, with the same complaints-handling, investigation and decision-making processes and sanctions.
Registered Veterinary Nurses will receive more detailed information about the system over the coming months.
A short film about Ami Sawran MRCVS, who simultaneously works as a vet, an actress and the editor of a lesbian magazine called Reprobait, is being released in Vue West End and Vue Piccadilly cinemas from today.
The film, being shown ahead of big screen blockbusters, is part of a series which make up 1000 Londoners, a project to create a digital portrait of the city.
Each film dips into the life of a Londoner for three minutes. The first ten films being shown over the next two months include one about an entrepreneurial hula-hooper from Hoxton, another featuring the last cloth trader in Shoreditch, one about a cage-fighter on the day of his first professional fight and another about a Big Issue seller who works on the Strand.
Rachel Wang, director of 1000 Londoners, said: “This release gives the people of London an opportunity to see these fascinating documentaries in the greatest way to watch any film in London – on the big screen in the West End. By making this possible Vue Entertainment have been extremely open and forward-thinking in their programming.”
The 1000 Londoners films are currently being released weekly on 1000londoners.com The latest film "Danny" looks below the city into Bazalgette's Victorian sewers, where professional 'flusher' Danny Brackley works. Forthcoming Londoners include an ex-SAS author, a third generation blacksmith from Stepney and a woman who has withdrawn from mainstream society to live on a canal boat.
Petplan Equine has announced the finalists for the fifth annual Petplan Equine Vet of the Year Award.
The winner of the award award, which is sponsored by Petplan Equine in association with Horse & Rider magazine, will be announced at the annual Animal Health Trust Equestrian Awards, being held at London's Lancaster Hotel on Thursday 1st November, 2012.
The finalists are:
Jess Hill BVM&S MRCVS Woodlands Veterinary Clinic, Cheltenham, Glos, EnglandJess, who qualified in 2003 at the University of Edinburgh Royal (Dick) School for Veterinary Studies, is described as simply "brilliant" for her outstanding calm, capable and kind approach to her work and the way in which she makes herself readily available to her clients. One nomination typifies all those received in praise of Jess' work: "She is incredibly knowledgeable and dedicated and nothing is too much trouble. She is great with horses - always quiet, kind and gentle. She works quickly and confidently, doesn't suggest unnecessary expensive procedures and is always cheerful and a pleasure to be with."
Keith Chandler BVMS Cert EP MRCVS, Kessock Equine Vets, Inverness, ScotlandKeith Chandler, a senior partner at Kessock Equine Vets received several nominations which credited not only him personally for his dedication, knowledge, pragmatic and caring approach but also his practice for its outstanding customer service. Upon receiving news of his nomination, Keith was swift to praise his team and explained: "This nomination reflects the exceptional team I have around me - together we strive to offer continuity, consistency and a minimum level of care to all our clients irrespective of which vet is in attendance."
Lee Paul, BSC BVM&S Cert EP MRCVS, Bushy Equine, Gwaelod-y-Garth, WalesNominations for Lee Paul, a specialist in internal and stud medicine who qualified at Edinburgh University's Royal Dick Veterinary School in 2002, unanimously praised his willingness to 'never give up' and to go beyond the call of duty. He is said to be highly dedicated and is praised for his willingness to always be available such as on the occasion when a horse he had been treating for a swelling in her throat presented complications during a weekend when he was not on duty. Despite this Lee, who had been contacted by the duty vet for background information, attended the call himself within an hour complete with the stethoscope he'd collected from the surgery en route and with his family in his car!
This year's judges were David Stickles, Head of Fund Raising at the Animal Health Trust, Alison Bridge, Editor of Horse & Rider magazine, Ben Mayes, President of the British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) and Gil Riley, 2009 Petplan Equine Vet of the Year.
Petplan says that the record number of high calibre nominations made it hard for the judges to choose three finalists. Isabella Von Mesterhazy, Head of Marketing for Petplan Equine said: "Anyone motivated to nominate their vet for this award must hold them in extremely high regard so once again we were very impressed by both the quality and quantity of nominations we received. It is heartwarming and inspiring to read the submissions that describe the outstanding contributions made by all the nominees in keeping owners happy and horses healthy. It has not been easy to select just three to go through to the final."
The winner will be posted on www.petplanequine.co.uk on Friday 2 of November.
According to data from Propellernet, there was an even bigger rise in searches for the term 'Adopt a puppy'.
Whether people are getting a dog for companionship or because they’re around more to train them, the charity says it is concerned there may be a spike in people giving up their dog when normality resumes and reality sinks in.
In order to try and prevent that, the charity has created an online quiz for potential new dog owners to test themselves on whether they are really ready to:
Owen Sharp, Dogs Trust’s Chief Executive said: "We’re encouraging potential dog owners to carry out our new test to see if you’re Dog Ready. Are you ready to be chief pooper scooper? Are you ready to forego a lie in ever again? As well as more serious questions around vet treatment and preparing for emergencies.”
Graham Norton, owner of Labradoodle Bailey, TV presenter and Dogs Trust supporter is supporting the campaign. He said: "As a dog owner myself, I know how much joy four-legged friends bring to our lives. I’ve certainly found that my gorgeous dog, Bailey, has taken the boredom out of lockdown for me, and I’ve really enjoyed spending even more time with him than usual.
"However, whilst the thought of introducing a cute, fluffy pooch to your family right now might be appealing, I fully support Dogs Trust’s important message that ‘A Dog Is For Life, Not Just For Lockdown’. Don’t forget that you still have to walk a dog on a rainy evening, and pick up their poo in the dark!"
For more information, visit dogstrust.org.uk/dogready.
Paragon’s head of neurology, Massimo Mariscoli, says it will deliver better results for pets, improve the health and well-being of the surgeons using it, and improve the hospital’s ability to deal with complex spinal and brain surgeries.
Massimo, an EBVS and RCVS specialist in veterinary neurology said: “The operative microscope is an essential piece of equipment in the modern neurosurgical theatre.
“It delivers good magnification, good illumination without significant aberration or production of excessive heat and has a great internal stability which allows operational flexibility.
“There is also direct visual control of the instrumentation with the possibility to have magnifications up to 10 times with a good depth of field allowing a more natural three-dimensional vision.
“In addition, surgical microscopes allow multiple different magnifications while maintaining constant working distances which leads to excellent flexibility and versatility during surgical procedures.
“For example, low magnification is used during the drilling of the vertebral laminar or the skull and to ensure that the whole surgical field is clean before suturing the muscle layers.
“Higher magnification is used while dealing with delicate structures such as the spinal cord or brain.
“The higher magnification coupled with a good depth of view and stable three-dimensional vision also increases the security and safety when manipulating micro-surgical instruments near the nervous tissue.”
Massimo says that while the microscopes are not common in veterinary practices, he strongly believes they are an essential piece of equipment when dissecting close to the brain or spinal cord in small animals.
He also says that veterinary surgeons benefit from the technology: "The operative neurosurgical microscope is fixed to a self-levelling tripod, allowing multiple spatial configuration to ensure a perfect vision of the surgical field.
“This has a positive outcome on the health and well-being of the surgeons, with a 2013 study showing that, for nearly 85% of the time spent operating, surgeons have symmetrical, non-neutral, head-neck posture.”
For more information, visit www.paragonreferrals.co.uk.
Mike is also the creator of the non-profit educational resource, VetLessons, a YouTube channel which contains open-access animations and decision aids which are very popular with busy veterinary professionals and anxious companion animal owners. Subscribe for free at: http://www.youtube.com/vetlessons
For those new to the Clinical Article Club, every two weeks we pick an article in Veterinary Practice and invite the author to join us on VetSurgeon.org, so that you can ask questions and discuss the subject with one another.
As a bonus, you can claim time spent reading or participating in the discussion towards your annual CPD requirement (press the claim CPD button at the top right of the question thread).
To take part in this session, first read Mike's article here: https://www.veterinary-practice.com/article/patellar-luxation-dogs.
Then come and post your questions or discussion points here: https://www.vetsurgeon.org/001/veterinary-clinical/small-animal/orthopaedics/f/discussions/30632/clinical-article-club---patella-luxation-in-dogs
The programme for the day includes a talk by Matt Rendle, an exotics veterinary nurse, about wound healing in reptiles and the work of the Veterinary Wound Library.
There are also talks about current veterinary practice concerning Chelonia (with a focus on egg retention), the Asian turtle crisis, zoo conservation work, reptile rescue work and perceptions of Chelonia in captivity.
Tickets cost £30-£50, and include refreshments, lunch and optional Sunday workshops.
For more details or to reserve your place, email: turtlesurvivaleurope@gmail.com, or visit: https://www.turtlesurvival.eu/
The programme includes a mix of online and in-person sessions hosted by Blaise's multi-disciplinary team.
Lara Dempsey, head of soft tissue surgery at the hospital, will start with ‘To close or not to close, that is the question’ on Monday 27th January.
Lara's online session will cover tips and tricks for open wound management and wound closure options, case studies and her preferred products to use in practice.
On Thursday 8th May, head of anaesthesia and analgesia Jacques Ferreira (pictured) will host a one-day workshop on pain management, taking place at Blaise.
Attendees will develop their understanding of acute and chronic pain, and the difference between them.
Jacques will also discuss the future of nerve blocks and share techniques that can be used in practice.
Julie Davis, hospital director at Blaise, said: “We have an incredible team here at Blaise and are very much looking forward to sharing our collective knowledge with colleagues from across the veterinary profession.
The full programme of free CPD events:
www.blaise-referrals.com/vet-hub/cpd-events
Pergocoat contains pergolide, a long-acting dopamine receptor agonist.
It is available in 0.5mg (off-white) and 1mg (yellow) tablets for accurate dosing without the need to split tablets.
The tablets are film-coated to mask the bitter taste of pergolide and create a barrier between the horse owner and the active ingredient.
Available in two different pack sizes containing 60 or 160 tablets, Pergocoat tablets are packaged in double layered blister packs to help minimise the risk of accidental ingestion.
Rachel Addison BVM&S MRCVS, equine field support manager at Dechra said: “Pergocoat is available in two convenient tablet sizes to achieve an optimal treatment response.
"Horses can be monitored and reviewed every four to six weeks until stabilisation or improvement of clinical signs is observed.”
https://www.dechra.co.uk/products/horse/prescription/pergocoat#Pergocoat-0-5mg-60-film-coated-tablets-for-horses.
VetSurgeon.org has announced the launch of VetSurgeon Jobs, a new service designed to change the way veterinary surgeons are hired, saving veterinary practices hundreds, sometimes thousands of pounds.
Since 1761, when the veterinary profession first came into existence, employers have had no choice but to advertise job opportunities for veterinary surgeons and practice managers in magazines.
Editing, printing and publishing a magazine is an eye-wateringly expensive business, costs which have been reflected in the price advertisers have had to pay.
The Internet has brought those costs right down. Furthermore, in a survey of job seekers carried out last earlier this month by VetSurgeon.org, 70% said they spend most time browsing jobs online these days, as opposed to in a magazine.
However, when you look at the costs of advertising on websites published by veterinary magazine publishers, which start at £395 and quickly rise to £795 for a 28-day online advert, it is clear that these prices still reflect the considerable costs of magazine production.
Today, VetSurgeon.org launches it’s online-only job advertising service, priced simply at £99+VAT, which gets you a 60-day advert on the website most followed by UK veterinary surgeons.
That price doesn’t just offer a considerable saving over alternatives in the veterinary profession, it also beats the major online-only players outside the profession (including Monster, Reed and Totaljobs)
There’s more to it than just price, though. Unlike the alternatives, VetSurgeon Jobs is not an 'off-the-shelf' solution, but something designed from the ground up for the veterinary profession.
For jobseekers, VetSurgeon Jobs has been designed to make finding the right job as simple and straightforward as possible. Just enter the postcode and search radius, and the available jobs re-order by distance. You can subscribe to be alerted of only those jobs that meet your very specific criteria (such as locum positions within a given radius). Perhaps most importantly, VetSurgeon Jobs is an integral part of the thriving community on VetSurgeon.org. So you can add your CV to your online profile and then engage directly with employers on the site.
For employers, VetSurgeon offers the opportunity to publish a more engaging, interesting advertisement than is currently offered anywhere else, including maps, photos, logos and headline propositions.
Arlo Guthrie said: "It’s a cliche, but if ever there was a 'win-win' situation, this is it. I’m able to offer you the chance to save a small fortune, whilst making some for myself and to reinvest in yet more features designed to support your profession."
For more information, visit https://www.vetsurgeon.org/jobs/, ring 0207 183 2511 or email support@vetsurgeon.org.
And if you want to support our efforts ... please share this story using the links immediately below.