The new series comprises six online discussions taking place over the course of the spring, covering everything from diversity to creativity to identity.
The upcoming programme of events is as follows:
Tuesday 1st March 2022 7pm to 8pm: Celebrating diversityChaired by Gurpreet Gill, RCVS Leadership & Inclusion Manager. Panel members Lacey Pitcher RVN, Dr Olivia Anderson-Nathan MRCVS and Samantha Payne RVN will be talking about what celebrating diversity means to people, exploring how this links to mental health, and sharing their thoughts on why – and how – the professions should be working towards greater inclusivity, both in and out of the workplace.
Monday 21st March 2022 7pm to 8pm: The joy of creativityThis discussion will look at why creativity is so important for people’s lives and how it can be used to support mental health and wellbeing with a panel comprising Dr Silvia Janksa MRCVS and Olivia Oginska MRCVS.
Tuesday 5th April 2022 7pm to 8pm: Overcoming self-doubt and stressing outThis discussion will consider the main causes of stress in the veterinary workforce and how this may have shifted throughout the pandemic. The discussion will encompass coping strategies, the ways in which stress can be channelled in a more constructive way, and overcoming feelings of self-doubt.
Thursday 21st April 2022 7pm to 8pm: Identity – who am I away from work?This discussion will consider to what extent veterinary professionals should let their careers define them, the importance of understanding oneself in and out of a work setting, and how people can learn to value, accept, and appreciate their whole selves.
Tuesday 3rd May 2022 7pm to 8pm: Saying goodbye…letting go and learning to growThis discussion will consider how best to cope with the various types of loss that may be encountered in an individual’s professional and personal life, and how to learn, adapt and grow from these losses.
Thursday 12th May 2022 7pm to 8pm: Tackling loneliness in a hyperconnected worldThis Campfire Chat will discuss why meaningful connection and having a sense of belonging matters, and how individuals and communities can tackle loneliness in a hyperconnected world.
Angharad Belcher, Director of the Mind Matters Initiative, said: “We all lead busy professional and personal lives and sometimes it means that self-care, which includes talking to others about how we’re feeling and about issues that we find important to us, can fall by the wayside.
“Our Campfire Chats offer a perfect opportunity – and excuse – to take a bit of time out of your schedule to engage in a structured but informal discussion about all manner of subjects, expertly led by a chair and panel with experience, lived and otherwise, on the topic being talked about.
“These events are for the whole veterinary team, we keep the sessions very informal, and there is also the opportunity to share or ask questions of the panel.”
To sign up for the first session, visit https://bit.ly/3GnQK0G.
For further information about the events contact Abi Hanson, Mind Matters Initiative Officer, on a.hanson@rcvs.org.uk
Merial Animal Health has launched Locatim, an oral antibody supplement to aid calf scour management.
Manufactured from the colostrum of high health status cows that are hyper-immunised against E.coli, rotavirus and coronavirus, Locatim contains a guaranteed concentration of specific antibodies to enterotoxic E.coli F5 (K99).
Merial says that when given alongside the dam’s colostrum, Locatim provides enhanced protection against infection, reducing calf mortality due to neonatal diarrhoea caused by E.coli F5 (K99), and helping to protect calf health during the critical rearing period.
According to the company, a single 60ml oral dose provides direct transfer of these specific antibodies, giving local protection within the digestive tract and systemic protection following absorption through the intestinal mucosa.
For optimal absorption Locatim should be administered during the first four hours of life, but it can be given up to 12 hours after birth.
Locatim can be administered to every calf born during an outbreak of scour; at times of peak calving, when environmental challenge is high; or it can be used to enhance protection in individual calves identified as being at high risk of disease due to factors such as dystocia, weakness or the poor quality of the dam’s colostrum.
For information on purchasing stock contact your local Merial Animal Health territory manager.
Running throughout October, it is Ceva's third TV campaign this year to raise awareness of the benefits of Feliway and Adaptil amongst pet owners.
The campaign starts with a Feliway Classic advertisement running from 3rd October until 16th October, followed by an Adaptil advertisement until 30th October, timed for the run up to the firework season.
The new TV advertising campaign will target 18.5 million pet owners and it will air on all the C4 channels, including Channel 4, E4, More4, Film4, Drama, Good Food, Really, W and Home, with two spots during the popular Channel 4 TV show Great British Bake Off, which has 6.7 million viewers.
The TV advertising campaign will be supported by a Sky Adsmart and social media campaign for ADAPTIL.
Claire Russell, product manager for Feliway and Adaptil at Ceva Animal Health, said: "Our autumn Feliway and Adaptil TV advertising campaign is our biggest, most extensive campaign to date. It demonstrates our commitment to raising awareness of how anxiety in pets can affect the relationship with their owners and how Feliway and Adaptil can help."
For further information, visit www.feliway.com or www.adaptil.com.
The awards are designed to recognise successful implementation of quality improvement (QI) in veterinary practice, which can reduce avoidable errors, ensure practice is based on the best available evidence and, ultimately, save lives.
Entrants will need to demonstrate the impact that QI methods have had in their practice, such as increased efficiency, improved clinical or financial effectiveness, the development of a culture of continuous improvement, support in the use of evidence-based approaches, or a general bettering of excellence in care.
The awards are open to any member of a practice, including veterinary surgeons and nurses, practice managers, receptionists, locums, students, and more. You can also nominate a colleague, or vice versa.
Individual winners will get free tickets to an upcoming RCVS Knowledge event and be given a plaque pronouncing them a 'Knowledge Champion', while one team will scoop Knowledge’s 'Champion Practice' award.
RCVS Knowledge Executive Director Chris Gush said: "These awards are a great opportunity to celebrate the good work that is going on in practice and to highlight examples of quality improvement.
"I would encourage all – from quality improvement experts to QI beginners – to get involved and enter the awards."
The closing date to submit an application is 1st November 2018, allowing plenty of time for those interested in introducing a quality improvement initiative in their practice to do so and apply for the awards at a later date.
To learn more about QI and how you can get started, visit RCVS Knowledge's QI pages.
Alternatively, you can enter the awards here: https://knowledge.rcvs.org.uk/grants/available-grants/
The 2-day Change Catalyst Veterinary Retreat will take place at Roaches Hall on the Derbyshire/Staffordshire border from 15-17th May 2018, after which participants will receive three months of personal one-to-one coaching.
The organisers say that during the retreat, which is provided in partnership with Natural Change, participants will take part in a series of largely outdoor activities that draw on the potential of nature. They will also be introduced to some simple nature-based techniques to look after their wellbeing and to reflect on their personal or professional journey. Post-retreat personal coaching is included to help reinforce and embed these changes or assist in developing the insights gained during the retreat.
The retreat is aimed at veterinary surgeons who are at a career crossroads, making major decisions about the direction of their career or for those looking for an opportunity to help develop capacity, build resilience and to improve wellbeing. The organisers say it offers time and space to get away from everyday concerns, re-energise and focus on what really matters as well as helping vets reflect, refresh and reconnect with nature.
The retreat is open to a maximum of 16 participants who will work with two facilitators. The follow up coaching is one to one, personal, and confidential.
Director, Adrian Nelson-Pratt said: "Vets have well documented challenges with work-life balance that lead to a disconnection from the natural world. Feelings of isolation, loss of career direction or in the worst-case, deterioration in physical and mental health can follow.
"Having experienced the Natural Change process myself, I found it a deeply reflective and restorative experience. It allowed me the time and space to develop some new ideas and to re-invigorate myself.
"The Change Catalyst Vet Retreat is the result of this process for me and I think it’s a powerful tool to support vets on a personal and professional level. It’s also an appropriate contribution to your annual CPD requirement."
Tickets cost £1500 and are available at https://www.emerge-veterinary.com/join-us/the-change-catalyst/ or for more information contact: adrian@emerge-veterinary.com
The coils need to be cooled to -460 °F in order to get good quality images.
To achieve the same result without helium, Hallmarq’s new MRI uses a conduction-based cooling system in a strong vacuum, which eliminates the need for helium, a quench pipe, oxygen monitor, or any additional power.
This, Hallmarq says, makes the new system more environmentally friendly than its helium-based counterparts and reduces the upfront and ongoing costs of offering a veterinary MRI service to patients.
The new technology comes in response to growing concerns over helium supply.
Extraction and usage of helium is quickly outpacing its natural synthesis, as a result of which, Hallmarq says helium prices have soared from £12.75 per litre in December of 2017 to between £50 and £55 per litre in June 2022.
For veterinary hospitals already using high-field MRI machines, or for those considering them in the future, reliance on the 1,500-2,200 litres of helium required to keep a standard MRI functioning may not be sustainable.
Hallmarq’s Chief Technology Officer Dr. Steve Roberts said: “Hallmarq’s Zero-Helium Small Animal 1.5T MRI system increases access to diagnostic care for small animal patients, while lessening the financial, environmental and supply chain risks associated with traditional helium-based MRI systems."
www.hallmarq.net.
What is 'quality improvement', you ask? Good question. Sure, it's an improvement in, er, quality. But of what?
'Quality improvement' is a term adopted from the human healthcare sector, variously defined as anything which makes: "healthcare safer, effective, patient-centred, timely, efficient and equitable (NHS)", or "the combined and unceasing efforts of everyone—healthcare professionals, patients and their families, researchers, payers, planners and educators—to make the changes that will lead to better patient outcomes (health), better system performance (care) and better professional development (BMJ)."
The RCVS research project, which is being conducted by RAND EUROPE, will assess current perceptions and adoption of quality improvement in the veterinary profession.
Specifically, it'll look at the drivers, barriers and expectations associated with QI, with the ultimate goal of strengthening the support provided to the profession.
Chris Gush, Executive Director of RCVS Knowledge, said: "We are delighted to be launching this research project with RAND Europe.
"We know that many of our colleagues across the profession have embedded quality improvement into their practice to great benefit, while we are also aware that it can be a challenge to do so all of the time.
"This research will provide an unprecedented body of evidence on the experiences and perceptions of QI, which will be critical to how we work to support the sector in this area going forward."
Integral to the research is a survey which all members of the profession are invited to take part in, here: bit.ly/QIvetsurvey.
The survey will be live for six weeks, closing early April. It takes around ten minutes to complete, with a prize of one £150 Amazon voucher on offer. Responses will be anonymised.
You can read more about Quality Improvement on the RCVS Knowledge website, here: https://knowledge.rcvs.org.uk/quality-improvement/
Administered between the dog’s cheek and gum at the dose of 125 mcg/m2, dexmedetomidine is absorbed across the oral mucosa, delivering a micro-dose at approximately 1/4 of the IM dose.
It is given as soon as the dog shows signs of anxiety or fear, or when typical triggers of fear are detected by the owner.
Re-dosing of up to four times is possible with at least two hours pause between doses.
There's a new dial-to-dose syringe designed to make Sileo easier to administer, and redesigned packaging with a QR code which links to an instructional video for owners.
Emma Hancox, Veterinary Advisor at TVM, said: "Up to 50% of dogs suffer from noise anxiety, which can be extremely distressing both for pets and their owners.
"While many people associate their pet’s anxiety with occasions such as bonfire night, noise-anxiety can apply to everyday noises such as vacuum cleaners and lawnmowers and by social events or parties, which could have a much greater impact on the dog’s everyday welfare.
For more information, email help@tvm-uk.com, call 0800 0385868 visit or contact your local Territory Manager.
The proposed framework has grown out of the VN Futures research project, run jointly with the BVNA, which identified developing a structured and rewarding career path for veterinary nurses as one of the key demands of the profession.
It has been developed by the VN Futures Post-Registration Development Group in conjunction with the RCVS Veterinary Nurses Education Committee and Veterinary Nurses Council.
The College says the proposed framework is designed to provide accessible, flexible and professionally relevant post-registration awards for veterinary nurses in order to provide an enhanced level of veterinary nursing practice, while also providing specific modules that veterinary nurses at all career levels can study independently for their continuing professional development (CPD).
Julie Dugmore, Director of Veterinary Nursing at the RCVS, said: "One of the strongest messages that came out of the research we conducted with the British Veterinary Nursing Association prior to the publication of the VN Futures Report was that there was a need for a more structured and rewarding career path for veterinary nurses.
"Throughout the VN Futures roadshow events nurses felt they were often entering a career cul-de-sac after a certain amount of time in practice and so the need for further post-registration qualifications which promote excellence and recognise advanced knowledge, skills, competency and experience in designated areas were strongly expressed.
"We have taken this feedback and developed it into a comprehensive framework for two defined post-registration qualifications and are very interested in hearing what both veterinary nurses and veterinary surgeons have to say about all aspects of what we are proposing.
"Once we have collated the responses, we will incorporate the feedback into the framework for further consideration by the relevant committees and VN Council. The eventual aim is that these qualifications will, once sufficiently bedded in, lead to the development of an Advanced Veterinary Nurse status so that members of the VN profession with the sufficient skills and experience will get the recognition they truly deserve."
The two new qualifications included in the framework are a Graduate Certificate in Advanced Veterinary Nursing and a Postgraduate Certificate in Advanced Veterinary Nursing. Details of the courses’ structure, candidate assessment criteria, accreditation standards, student support, candidate eligibility rules, the RCVS enrolment process and the procedures for certification will be set out in a framework document as part of the consultation process.
The document also includes a prospective list of designations for the two courses covering areas of advanced veterinary nursing knowledge such as wellness and preventative health; rehabilitation and physiotherapy; anaesthesia and analgesia; triage, critical care and emergency nursing; pharmacology; animal welfare; education and teaching; management and leadership; research; and, dentistry.
The consultation will be launched in early July with an email sent to all veterinary nurses and veterinary surgeons containing a link to the survey and asking for their views on the proposals. Details of the consultation, once launched, may also be found at www.rcvs.org.uk/consultations
The VN Futures Report is available to download from www.vetfutures.org.uk/vnfutures
Kate’s election means that, come July and subject to ratification by RCVS Council, the offices of RCVS President, Senior-Vice President and Junior Vice-President will all be held by women for the first time in the College’s 177-year history.
A graduate of Edinburgh’s Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, Kate was a farm vet for 15 years, a partner in a 15 vet practice in Aberdeen. She then moved to the pharmaceutical industry as a veterinary advisor before joining the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra). From there, she moved into non-veterinary Senior Civil Service (SCS) roles in several Whitehall departments including the Cabinet Office and the Ministry of Justice. As a senior civil servant she was Principal Private Secretary to three Secretaries of State for Scotland, handling a diverse policy portfolio and working across Whitehall, including No.10 Downing Street and the Devolved Administrations.
First elected to RCVS Council in 2015 for a four year term and again in 2020, Kate has previously served as Chair of the RCVS Standards Committee and RCVS representative on the UK co-ordination group for the Federation of Vets of Europe (FVE). Currently Vice Chair of the Education Committee, member of the Registration Committee and the Environment & Sustainability Working Party, Kate is an appointed veterinary member of Veterinary Nurses’ Council.
Kate is a qualified Official Veterinarian (OV), a Non-Executive Director on the Moredun Foundation and Scottish Agriculture College (SAC) Commercial Boards, a veterinary advisor on a Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) mental health project and on the Council of the Association of Government Veterinarians. She’s a member of the British Veterinary Association (BVA) and the Veterinary Public Health Association. A Council member of the British Cattle Veterinary Association (2004-10), Kate served as a Trustee of the BVA Animal Welfare Foundation (2014-17).
Current RCVS President Dr Mandisa Greene will become Senior Vice-President, and joining Kate and Mandisa on the Officer team will be Dr Melissa Donald, who last month was elected Junior Vice-President for 2021-22. Current Senior Vice-President Dr Niall Connell was recently elected RCVS Treasurer.
The vacancy in the RCVS Officer team arose following Professor David Argyle’s decision to resign from Council in March, meaning that Council needed to hold two votes in quick succession: one at its scheduled meeting in March for the 2021-22 JVP position; and one today for the current JVP vacancy.
Kate said: “I am delighted to be elected JVP. It’s been an exceptionally challenging year for those in all walks of veterinary life, including students aspiring to join our profession. It will be an honour to lead the RCVS as its tenth female president, working with veterinary colleagues as well as reaching out to allied professionals acknowledging that there will be challenges to navigate as well as triumphs to celebrate.”
This was the sixth time that Mr Warwick Seymour-Hamilton had applied for restoration after being removed from the Register in June 1994, the reasons for which related to the condition of his practice premises and his record-keeping following an inspection by the RCVS. His most recent restoration hearing took place in May 2017.
In his application Mr Seymour-Hamilton said that he wanted to be restored to the Register to aid his research into herbal medicines and, during the course of the hearing, he also challenged some of the evidence given to the Committee in the June 1994 hearing. In particular he challenged the assertion that his practice was open when it was inspected by the RCVS as, he submitted that, he had retired three weeks’ prior to the inspection due to ill-health.
Mr Seymour-Hamilton told the Committee that he did not wish to return to clinical practice but wished to restore his membership of the RCVS in order to prescribe his own herbal treatments and to obtain peer review that would allow his treatments to be licensed. Furthermore, he produced, during the hearing, a continuing professional development (CPD) record card in which he had logged 1,438 hours of CPD in 2017.
In considering his application for restoration the Committee dismissed his challenge to the details of his original hearing in June 1994.
Ms Judith Way, Chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: "The Committee has noted that this issue is ancient. It is not for this Committee to consider it. Moreover the finding of the Committee represents a determination which was not challenged by the applicant until one of the more recent restoration applications. He never appealed it. Nor did he attend at the original hearing. It acknowledges that the premises could well have been closed given their condition, but whether they were or not is not for it [the Committee] to decide. It is quite possible the applicant has persuaded himself of the position. This is not an issue which is a persuasive factor in this application."
Regarding Mr Seymour-Hamilton’s contention that he would use his RCVS registered status to further his research into herbal treatments Ms Way said: "The Committee accepted there were no direct public protection issues which caused it concern, although it did retain some anxiety that the applicant’s commitment to herbal medicine could govern the way in which he would wish to care for an animal. A more rounded veterinary approach, which involved a full evaluation of an animal’s condition, a coherent diagnosis and a subsequent discussion about treatment with the client is called for."
Turning to his CPD she added: "His CPD now has a bias for herbal medicine as does his extensive reading. The Committee was not satisfied that his skills are up-to-date and that he could practise veterinary medicine safely. The Committee was not satisfied that he would approach a sick animal with the full and rounded approach required of a veterinary surgeon. Nor did his confidence in this regard allay the concerns of the Committee. He expressed belief in himself on the basis of his practice which came to an end some 24 years ago."
The Committee did acknowledge that Mr Seymour-Hamilton’s removal from the Register had a considerable impact on him and that, not only is he ashamed of it, but he believes it is frustrating his ability to advance the cause of herbal medicine.
In conclusion, Ms Way said: "Taking all these matters into account, the Committee has concluded that the applicant has not satisfied it on all of the evidence that he is fit to be restored to the Register and so this application is refused."
Novartis Animal Health has launched Zolvix, billed as the first truly novel anthelmintic class for livestock to be launched in more than 25 years, together with a new drenching system designed to make drenching faster, easier and more accurate.
Zolvix contains a new active ingredient, monepantel, which kills all key sheep gastro-intestinal nematodes (roundworms), including those resistant to the existing treatments.
According to the company, the development of this new drench follows the persistent challenge from worms that have developed resistance to the three other classes of drench - white (benzimidazole or 1-BZ), yellow (levamisole or 2-LV) and clear (macrocyclic lactone or 3-ML) and combinations of these. Zolvix has a unique mode of action and so forms a fourth generation of anthelmintic, which will be known as the 4- AD, or orange drench class
Novartis Animal Health has prioritised the UK and Ireland as key launch countries for Zolvix to provide their sheep farmers with an answer to the pressing challenge of increasing anthelmintic resistance.
Lesley Stubbings, an Independent sheep consultant and Sustainable Control of Parasites in Sheep (SCOPS) panel member, said: "Resistance has become an ever increasing threat since the last new anthelmintic group was introduced to the UK market more than 25 years ago. Zolvix offers farmers a valuable opportunity to maintain good worm control and prolong the effective life of the existing products. Following the SCOPS guidelines to carefully integrate Zolvix into worm control strategies, before the other groups fail, will allow our sheep industry to reap the full benefits of this new novel group."
A study carried out by Novartis in conjunction with the Hopkirk Research Institute showed that Zolvix treated sheep gained 33.5%, or 2.8 kg deadweight, more than sheep treated with a drench to which they were resistant.
Novartis Animal Health Brand Manager Simon Harris said: "Parasite resistance is a growing problem that decreases the productivity of sheep of all ages. Many veterinarians and farmers are concerned about this, with an increasing number of farmers reporting resistance to the three groups of wormers that have been available up to now, so the introduction of Zolvix is very timely."
At the same time, the company has also launched an award-winning new drenching system designed to offer 'a superior drenching experience for both animal and operator'. The new Optiline Drencher and Optivix backpack system were developed in collaboration with drenching specialists Simcro Tech Ltd.
The Optiline Drencher has already won several design and engineering awards, including a bronze award in the 2009 NZ BEST design awards, a coveted International Forum (IF) 2010 product design award from Germany and the prestigious Bayer Innovators Award for design and engineering.
It was also a finalist in the New Zealand Agritech Innovation Awards reached the finals in three categories of the 2009 New Zealand Trade and Enterprise International Business Awards.
The Optiline drencher is coupled with a durable, light Optivix backpack that has been specially tailored to provide left or right-handed operators with the same wide range of adjustment. It also has two drench cradles - at chest and hip level - to ensure maximum comfort.
Mr Harris said: "This drencher is best appreciated during use. Contact your local Novartis Animal health representative to arrange a trial."
Phil Kenward from Farm Vets South West in Bridgewater, Somerset has won a bottle of port from the Veterinary Benevolent Fund for submitting the best practical veterinary tip.
The tip was:
"Do not allow the owner's diagnosis of his problem to worry or influence you before you examine the animal yourself."
The competition was run to celebrate the launch of The Pocket Book of Tips For Practising Vets which can be ordered on-line from the Vetlife website to raise funds for the VBF charity.
Lydia Brown, President of the VBF, said: "This book has been a monumental effort by six mixed practice vets, to both share their experience with the profession and to provide very welcome funds for the veterinary profession's own charity, the VBF. We are currently raising money for the new Vet Helpline e-mail support service which will launch at the end of the year so we are extremely grateful to everybody concerned for all their efforts."
Over 25% of the 1001 veterinary professionals who responded felt that the use of technology for triage and or consultations had either improved efficiency or the service offered to clients.
More than 10% said the pandemic had led to practices taking actions which streamlined client processes such as taking payments and booking appointments online or by phone.
The survey results are included in a presentation at the BSAVA Virtual Congress: "Lessons from Lockdown:Telemedicine is here to stay", which forms part of the current topics stream on Saturday 27th March. Brian Faulkner will take a look at maintaining relationships and changing dynamics with remote consults, communication challenges and opportunities. Matt Flann will follow with: "A practical perspective – how we have used it, what have we learned?"
BSAVA President Professor Ian Ramsey said: “The survey results have given us an important insight on how technology is being deployed to help the profession continue to help pets and their owners safely and to the best of their ability in these difficult circumstances.
"Vets have embraced innovations in practice such as telephone triage, remote consultations and digital communications. These have shown us that, as within the human healthcare sector, we can continue to deliver our vital services, possibly to an even more efficient and effective standard, despite the restrictions.
"Our Congress session on lockdown learnings promises to make for compelling listening with important ramifications for veterinary practice even after the pandemic has receded to a bitter memory. As we return to degrees of normality these innovations should not be discarded, but equally must not be allowed to generate the inequalities that go hand in hand with them if some practices and owners are inadvertently left behind.”
To register for BSAVA Congress, visit https://www.bsavaevents.com/bsavacongress2021/en/page/home
Reference
Claire was presented with the award at a black tie event in Manchester yesterday.
She said: Our local community is massively important to myself and my practice – we have been going 50 years this year so it’s a big year for us this year so to get this award on this anniversary means so much, especially for my husband’s father who started the practice and sadly passed away a number of years ago so I just wish he’d been here to see it.”
The other winners were:
Petplan’s Sales and Marketing Director, Bella von Mesterhazy said: “All of the night’s winners are so deserving of the accolade, thanks to their true commitment to their profession, and like all those who sent in nominations, Petplan is incredibly grateful for the outstanding services provided by not only our winners, but veterinary professionals around the country.”
The Royal Veterinary College has launched an appeal to the veterinary profession to raise a target of £10,000 to enable VetAid Kenya to help during what has become the worst drought in living memory in the Horn of Africa.
According to the RVC, the drought has already forced over one million cattle and small stock south into the Tana Delta district of Kenya in search of grazing. Crowded together, these weakened animals are at major risk of infectious and parasitic disease. In some cases 80-90% mortality can be expected in herds or flocks. Without veterinary intervention, breeding livestock for communities in the Horn of Africa drought area will be devastated.
Government veterinary services are stretched and they are assisted in a coordinated response involving Vétérinaires Sans Frontières (Belgium, Switzerland and Germany) and VetAid Kenya which has staff in the field protecting herds. The programme has been partly funded by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), but with funds running low this vital activity is at risk just as it is most needed. VetAid Kenya is now the only veterinary agency working in the area, implementing an emergency vaccination programme to protect the breeding stock.
Gabriel Turasha, Director of VetAid Kenya said: "We only have one team working in Tana River and desperately need funds to send out three more teams as soon as possible. £10,000 would cover the cost of three teams, transport and vaccinations to treat 20,000 animals per week. This will make a real difference as we are providing the only veterinary support in this vast area.
"Our vaccination teams are ready to go out into the field at a few days notice. We just need to mobilize them. This is where the UK veterinary profession can help - every pound donated will make a huge difference!"
RVC Principal Professor Stuart Reid said: "Veterinary services are seriously stretched in Kenya and the only organisations with the flexibility, initiative and expertise to respond this to emergency are the veterinary NGOs such as VetAid Kenya and its Vétérinaires Sans Frontières partners.
"FAO has limited budget to spend on disaster response and RVC has a longstanding relationship with VetAid Kenya and with the region in general. As a College, we strongly feel that we should do all we can to support pastoral farmers in the region, and mounting this appeal is one way in which we can respond to the ongoing disaster and support our veterinary colleagues in East Africa."
The RVC and all other agencies involved in this appeal are contributing their services pro-bono so that all funds raised will go to the programme to help the people and animals struggling with the drought.
To donate, visit: www.rvc.ac.uk/vetaidkenya
The company says that the packs have been redesigned to make it easier for pet owners to identify the variety of products available.
The new packaging has stronger imagery, simplified and larger product names to improve readability, and kibble shapes displayed actual size to reassure owners of smaller breeds that it will be suitable for their pet. Flavour profiles and breed sizes are displayed on all packs.
Hill's says the new range is also presented in optimised bag sizes for more convenient feeding. Small and Miniature and Mini dog foods have been combined into a new Small & Mini product, designed to cover the needs of all small dogs under 10kg.
For more information, visit: https://www.hillspet.co.uk/science-plan/new-look.
The first, which covers three topics: canine uveitis, canine glaucoma and non-healing corneal ulcer, is for the entire practice. It normally costs £95 per practice, but for VetSurgeon.org members, it's £70.
To book, visit: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScSSbUDCcC53cvPJtj1oPkJFEoDjJ3Tdij_y9iFtr7emBvkoQ/viewform?usp=pp_url
The second course is 'Ophthalmic Examination in the Dogs and Cats', which costs £25 for VetSurgeon.org members, that is reduced to £15 per person.
To book, visit: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfnBizM5NmFGwWeDqtdXy9zCq8KdFgGI2e5D8pjuWOTuPln0Q/viewform?usp=pp_url
Originally from Belgium, Tamir, who qualified at Glasgow in 2001, started Vision Vet in 2009 and gained his National French Certificate in Ophthalmology (broadly equivalent to the UK Cert) in 2011.
https://www.vision-vet.co.uk
Defra has confirmed that equine infectious anaemia (EIA) has been detected in two horses in Wiltshire following importation from Romania via Belgium.
The premises is currently under restriction and the two infected horses will be humanely destroyed in line with existing regulations. The other horses on the premises will be subject to epidemiological investigation in the coming weeks. A further two horses have also been under investigation and test results have proved negative.
The animals arrived in a group of 10 horses, nine of which originated from Romania and one from Belgium. The nine Romanian horses were tested for EIA as part of routine post-import testing. Seven horses all tested negative. The horse that originated in Belgium is due to be tested shortly.
Chief Veterinary Officer, Nigel Gibbens said: "This is the first case of equine infectious anaemia infected animals being imported into Great Britain since 1976 and shows the success of our post import testing regime. These were apparently healthy horses carrying a notifiable disease that we are keen to keep out of Great Britain. After considering the risk I have decided to take appropriate action and humanely destroy these two horses that tested positive."
The course will be led by Dr Jon Hall, a European Specialist in Small Animal Surgery and Dr Danielle Gunn-Moore, an RCVS-recognised Specialist in Feline Medicine, supported by RVN Ms Claire Dorey-Phillips. It will take place at Improve’s new practical training facility in Sheffield in January 2019.
Improve says the programme will equip delegates with a full understanding of the causes of FLUTD and help them to advise owners with cats suffering from the condition in order to improve long-term outcomes. It will also provide a comprehensive overview of the nursing and medical options to treat feline idiopathic cystitis (FIC) and other causes of FLUTD including infection, calculi and neoplasia. The range of appropriate surgical methods to treat ureteral obstructions will also be covered, along with the post-operative nursing care, to ensure that delegates feel ready to perform a variety of bladder surgeries with confidence.
Juliet Pope MRCVS, Veterinary Operations Manager at Improve International (pictured right), said: "Treating patients with FLUTD is a team effort so we’re offering a special rate for a vet and nurse attending from the same practice though both vets and nurses can still, of course, book independently. The cutting-edge programme will be highly interactive and we aim to send delegates back to their practices with a revitalised approach to these tricky cat cases."
For further information visit www.improveinternational.com or email enquiries@improveinternational.com or call 01793 759159.
The charity says that it had already been suffering a period of 'dire financial constraints' and the economic effects of coronavirus are now having a direct effect on funding.
The charity's Trustees and Executive Committee is still trying to find emergency funding to try and save the organisation, failing which it will close on the 31st March.
Over 90% of the 156 respondents (predominantly vets, but also managers) believed CT was important in first opinion practice, but nearly half did not have access to a scanner.
25% said they were interested in buying a CT scanner, mainly for the improved diagnostics and desire to keep more cases in-house.
The main reasons for not buying a CT scanner were: space, cost and lack of confidence.
Matt Winter, radiologist and CVMO at VetCT said: “Imaging in first opinion practice is evolving rapidly with innovations in veterinary-specific CT technology, modern machines are more available and affordable than ever.
"We need to build confidence through training and understanding of the technology, and the comprehensive support available to practices.”
While practices with a CT scanner felt they were using it optimally for the most part, specialist radiologist reporting emerged as the most significant factor towards optimising its use.
However, a third of respondents not currently using teleradiology (the remote reporting by specialist radiologists of diagnostic images acquired by a practice), said they did not know enough about it and/or hadn’t considered it.
Matt said: “Expert teleradiology to support with image interpretation is enabling more practices than ever to offer advanced imaging and provide state-of-the-art diagnostics for patients, meeting growing client expectations, elevating patient care and improving outcomes."
VetCT’s webinars on CT optimisation are available on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Vetctspecialists
Medivet, the practice group which is to feature in the forthcoming Panorama documentary It shouldn't happen at a vets' (9pm, July 22nd), has issued a statement concerning the programme.
The statement, which can be read in full here, includes an interview with a Medivet client who was in turn interviewed for the documentary:
Pet Anxiety Month aims to educate pet owners about the signs of anxiety in cats and dogs, help them identify the causes, and encourage them to take steps to support anxious pets (presumably by putting multiple diffusers in every home and blanketing large swathes of suburbia in a pea soup fog of pheromones).
Joking aside, the initiative comes on the back of the PDSA Animal Wellbeing report1 which revealed that over half of veterinary professionals think they've seen an increase in dog behavioural issues in the last two years, with over three-quarters of dog owners saying that they would like to change at least one behaviour displayed by their dog and nearly 90% of owners reporting that their cat is afraid of at least one thing.
To support the initiative, Ceva will be running a TV advertising campaign from 7 March until 21 April, which directly targets dog lovers during More4’s Crufts’ programmes (from 7 to 10 March).
The advertisements will also air on Channel 4, Channel 4 partner channels, Sky and Sky partner channels. Both advertisements are 30 seconds long.
Ceva is producing a marketing pack to raise awareness of Pet Anxiety Month containing eye-catching display materials and a social media toolkit.
Abigail King, Ceva's senior behaviour product manager, said: "More and more people are identifying anxiety and behavioural issues in their pets. Pet Anxiety Month will highlight signs of anxiety in cats and dogs that perhaps an owner is unaware of, help identify the problem and encourage changes both in and out of the home to make the household a happier place."
For further information, visit www.petanxiety.co.uk or Pet Anxiety Month on Instagram or Facebook.
Procapen contains a high dose of procaine benzyl penicillin, a narrow spectrum antibiotic which targets the most important pathogens in fresh cases of mastitis in cows and is the drug of choice against benzylpenicillin-susceptible streptococci and staphlococci.
Marcus Scott, Large Animal Business Manager at Forte said: "With the widespread shortage of intramammary tubes at the moment, Procapen provides a welcome solution for many mastitis cases."
For more information, contact your local Forte Territory Manager or email: enquiries@fortehealthcare.com.