Acepromazine-based Acecare is used alongside other opioids and reduces the amount of anaesthetic necessary to induce anaesthesia by approximately one third.
Animalcare Product Manager Eleanor Workman Wright said: "Practices are looking for greater cost-effectiveness in the products they use and are also keen to reduce waste.
"We are delighted to announce that Acecare, a trusted staple of anaesthetic protocols in use at many practices is now offering improved performance in both of these areas.”
For more information, contact your Animalcare Territory Manager or contact Animalcare’s head office on 01904 487687.
TVM says DogStem, which is currently the only UK/EU-licensed stem cell treatment for this condition, is clinically proven to reduce pain and lameness while improving mobility and quality of life for dogs over one year.
The training materials include downloadable teaching guides and two videos fronted by Dr Russell Chandler BVSc CertSAO MSc(OrthoEng) MRCVS, an Advanced Practitioner in Small Animal Orthopaedics (pictured).
The videos are designed to help GP vets become more confident about performing intra-articular injections in the hip and elbow, sharing principles and techniques which are also useful for performing arthrocentesis.
Specifically, the videos show the precise procedures, in both elbow and hip, for accessing joint spaces, confirming accurate placement by the appearance of synovial fluid and injecting DogStem.
The training guides offer supporting diagrams and explanations of the approaches to each joint.
Russell, who works at Alphavet Referrals in Newport, Gwent said: “We are proud to have been involved in the production of these training videos, which will support veterinary clinicians everywhere in providing pioneering stem cell treatment to improve the quality of life of dogs suffering from osteoarthritis.
“We have been using mesenchymal stem cell therapy for dogs with osteoarthritis, as part of a multimodal approach, for many years.
"The availability of an off-the-shelf stem cell product, namely DogStem, for the first time promises to greatly widen the applicability of stem cell therapy to these kinds of patients in veterinary practices.
“The early responses to treatment that we have seen with DogStem have been very encouraging.
"I look forward to following up these cases as they progress through their osteoarthritis journey.
"DogStem is simple to administer, once you have the skills to inject joints, and the support from the UK suppliers, TVM, has been excellent."
https://dogstem.co.uk/resources
CEVA Animal Health has extended its range of injectable anti-infectives with Florkem, a Florfenicol-based antimicrobial for the treatment of respiratory tract infections in cattle and pigs.
According to the company, Florfenicol shows a strong in vitro bactericidal activity against the most common respiratory tract pathogenic bacteria and can be used as a time or dose-dependent bactericidal depending on the target. It also offers very good diffusion in most tissues for an efficient response.
CEVA says Florkem® is very convenient to use: a specifically developed formulation provides for better syringeability, in both warm and cool temperatures, making administration quicker and easier. It is presented in an ergonomic CLAS vial, which is shock resistant, light and easy to handle in the field. This means fewer breakages, which can reduce costs while maintaining efficacy.
For further product information contact CEVA Animal Health Ltd, 90 The Broadway, Chesham, Bucks, HP5 1EG, telephone 01494 781510 or visit the website at http://www.ceva.uk.com/
Having experienced the profession both as a clinician and as a director, Clive says he wanted to develop and integrate his skills to support fellow professionals. So, during lockdown, he embarked on a Master’s in Executive Coaching from Ashridge Hult Business School.
Clive said: "Studying for the Master’s was intellectually and emotionally tough. The emphasis was on psychology and relationships, working to the highest standards of ethical coaching practice. It has not only developed my coaching skills but also afforded me the opportunity to scrutinise the drivers and motivations behind my career choices and integrate them into a wider appreciation of life and my ‘self’. I am incredibly proud of this achievement and conscious of the privilege afforded me."
Clive's service typically involves six ninety-minute sessions during which he'll help you develop skills, behaviours and ways of behaving that will make you a better leader, particularly if you come from a clinical background where you'd be used to using very different skillset.
Clive, who is also a European Mentoring and Coaching Council Senior Practitioner, added: "In my practice as a coach, I am grateful for the opportunity to support others, whatever their life experiences, as they negotiate the challenges of being themselves, in the workplace, serving their communities.”
For more information, visit: www.trelliscoaching.co.uk
The Boehringer Academy (www.boehringer-academy.co.uk) contains hundreds of hours of CPD material on equine, companion and production animals. It comprises a mixture of webinars, podcasts, short videos and downloadable documents, which can be viewed at any time. The site keeps a CPD log for each user and provides downloadable certificates.
Boehringer’s Small Animal Marketing Team Leader, Jemima Mead said: "We already have just over 15,000 vets and nurses in the UK and Ireland currently registered with the Academy.
"New and existing members are eligible to receive the Boehringer Academy colouring book. They simply have to visit www.boehringer-academy.co.uk and complete their profile. In addition, everyone completing their profile will be entered into a draw to win an iPad Pro and Apple Pencil."
At the heart of the campaign is a website - www.beatdogheartdisease.co.uk - where dog owners can learn more about mitral valve disease and dilated cardiomyopathy, find out which breeds are most at risk and read more about the diagnosis and management of canine heart disease.
Boehringer has also created a Facebook page - www.facebook.com/beatcanineheartdisease - offering regular updates on heart health and a platform for owners to share their stories. Owners can also use the ‘Love Your Dog’s Heart’ Facebook profile frame to help spread awareness of the disease.
The aim of the campaign is to get pet owners thinking about mitral valve disease and having it treated whilst it is still in the asymptomatic phase, in order to slow the disease progression and delay the onset of heart failure1.
Vetmedin practices can access additional ‘Love Your Dog’s Heart’ campaign materials via the Boehringer Ingelheim Resource Hub at boehringer-ingelheim-resourcehub.co.uk.
Reference
The brainchild of Sonya Miles CertAVP(ZM), CertAqV, MRCVS, Just Exotic (www.justexotics.co.uk) offers a range of training webinars, fact sheets, care sheets and ‘how to’ videos developed for veterinary surgeons, nurses and students. The webinars cost between £15 and £55 (depending on the length), and include presentations by Sonya herself, Eliabetta Mancinelli, Agata Witkowska, Louise Ash, Sarah Pellett and others.
Sonya said: “We’ve developed our content to be convenient and affordable. Some of it may also be helpful for clients.
"More content will be added on a regular basis, and please, if there is something you specifically want covered, drop us a line to info@justexotics.co.uk and will we do our best to make sure it becomes available.”
The company, which now has over 20,000 monthly subscribers in the UK, saw a massive growth during the pandemic, with a reported 1000% increase in monthly recurring revenue over the past two years.
Since March 2020, VetBox has shipped over quarter-of-a-million boxes.
Bought by Many says the acquisition is a major part of its expansion beyond insurance and into preventative wellness.
Will said: "I founded VetBox after seeing that far too many UK pets were missing out on essential parasite protection.
"I'm really proud of the progress that VetBox has made in solving this issue in just five years and can't wait to see what we can achieve as part of the Bought By Many family.
"As a vet I've seen first-hand the fantastic service Bought By Many offer pet owners, so it's been a pleasure seeing this partnership grow over the past few years."
CFH Docmail, a traditional print and posting service that you manage entirely online, has introduced personalised colour postcards to its range.
Docmail mailings - whether a single letter or a personalised mailing to thousands - are written and created on-line by the originator, sent electronically to Docmail where they are printed and delivered via CFH's own Downstream Access (DSA) facility.
Whether for appointment reminders or other practice messages, the remarkable thing about this service seems to be the price: from 27p plus VAT for A6 colour postcards printed on both sides, including production and postage. The postcards can either be designed via a template on the Docmail website, or you can upload your own artwork. There's no minimum order, and Docmail mails the personalised cards out on a two day standard delivery to the address database that you provide.
Dave Broadway, managing director of CFH Total Document Management, creators of Docmail said: "Postcards are of course an established means of communication. What's different about Docmail is that production and mailing costs are considerably cheaper than traditional methods.
"Our user friendly website is quick and easy to navigate, and you have total control over the contents of your mailing."
Fraser Robertson, Financial Director of Docmail customer Eye Tech Group said: "We've been using Docmail for our regular mailings for some time now, and the introduction of postcards will be invaluable for our appointment reminders. We estimate that Docmail is saving us over 60p per letter and crucially is also freeing up administrative time."
For more information, visit: http://www.cfhdocmail.com/vets/index.html
The toolkit contains triage forms, a contact directory, emergency action guidelines and a drug glossary, together with dosage rates for its Anti-Tox Range.
Miranda Davis, Territory Manager at TVM said: "The Toxin Toolkit is designed to make it as easy as possible to access advice when veterinary staff are dealing with pet poisoning cases which need immediate attention.
"We are launching the Toxin Toolkit to make information more easily accessible to vets, however an added benefit is that it helps us and our clients to minimise our environmental impact by reducing the need for our printed poisoning guidelines."
To access the Toxin Toolkit, visit: https://www.tvm-uk.com/vet-resource-library/
The College says the online library, which is free to access, aims to encourage people to develop their leadership skills, regardless of what stage of their career they are at.
The Library has a range of materials that learners can work through at their own pace, including presentations, interviews, videos, blogs, articles and webinars on key leadership topics such as Delegation Skills, Difficult Conversations and Inclusive Leadership.
The RCVS Leadership Team will be adding more content to the library, and the profession will have opportunities to suggest topics that they would like to learn more about.
Gurpreet Gill, RCVS Leadership and Inclusion Manager, said: “In terms of veterinary CPD, importance often tends to be placed more on clinical and technical capabilities, but leadership skills are a critical aspect of every veterinary practice and organisation.
“It is also assumed that leadership is a condition of status or position, but this is not necessarily the case.
"Leadership is an everyday practice that is applicable to everyone, regardless of their role.
"The Leadership Library provides learning opportunities for anyone looking to develop and reflect on their leadership skills, which will also count towards the annual CPD requirement.”
The Leadership Library can be accessed now from https://www.rcvs.org.uk/lifelong-learning/rcvs-leadership-initiative/rcvs-leadership-library/
An amendment to the EU's draft budget for a €2 million pilot research project into homeopathy and phytotherapy for farm animals has been approved today by the European Parliament's Agriculture Committee.
BVA President Harvey Locke, said: "Millions of Euros have already been spent on trying to prove the scientific efficacy of homeopathic medicines. To date we have not seen any data to prove they can be effective in the treatment of bacterial infections.
"Whilst it is unlikely that €2 million will be able to determine whether or not there is a basis for claiming homeopathic products can work, we welcome European investment in veterinary research and hope that the results of the pilot will be useful."
Elanco says Baycox Iron offers a time-saving flexible dosing treatment which complements the company’s existing piglet gut health portfolio.
Louise Radford, marketing manager at Elanco, said: "By treating piglets at two or three days old, it’s possible to allow enough exposure to the coccidiosis parasite to enable them to develop natural immunity, while preventing any damage to the gut caused by subclinical and clinical coccidiosis which leads to poor growth and low weaning weights.
"By combining treatments, it's possible to limit the number of times they are handled, which in turn reduces stress and enhances growth”.
Elanco also makes the Coliprotec vaccine against post weaning diarrhoea (PWD).
Louise added: “As farmers and vets prepare for the removal of zinc oxide as a treatment option next year, focusing on gut health throughout all stages of development has never been more crucial.
For more information, contact your Elanco pig team specialist or visit https://www.myelanco.co.uk/cpd/swine/hub.
Ceva Animal Health has published Causes of scour in growing pigs: an overview, a technical review on pig scour.
The company says its aim is to provides vets with an easy-reference guide to the main causes and clinical signs of this common and potentially fatal condition.
At best, scour in growing pigs can cause significant weight loss and damage to the intestinal mucosa. At worst it will result in high mortality. Causes of scour in growing pigs: an overview summarises the causative agents of scour throughout the stages of growth, from sucking piglets through to finisher pigs.
Ceva adds that although it is difficult to be too prescriptive about assigning clinical signs to specific diseases because of variable immunity and the occurrence of mixed infections, the review provides useful guidelines to aid accurate diagnosis. Preventative management strategies are also discussed where applicable.
For further product information contact your local Ceva representative or Ceva Animal Health Ltd, Unit 3, Anglo Office Park, White Lion Road, Amersham, Bucks, HP7 9FB, Telephone +44 (0) 1494 781510.
The study, which was carried out by researchers from the School of Veterinary Medicine and Sciences at the University of Nottingham, is one of the first to look at colostrum hygiene in Great Britain. The researchers analysed data from 328 colostrum samples from 56 British dairy farms.
Samples collected from collection and feeding equipment had higher levels of bacteria than those collected directly from the cows’ teat, suggesting that whilst colostrum from the cow is relatively low in bacterial levels, improperly cleaned equipment can be a major source of bacterial contamination. Over one third of samples collected from collection or feeding equipment were over the threshold for high bacterial levels and represented a significant risk to the health of calves.
Dr Robert Hyde (pictured right), one of the researchers on the study, said: “By analysing colostrum collection protocols on the farms, we were able to identify a small number of management practices likely to have a substantial impact on colostrum hygiene for the majority of farms.
"For example, the use of scalding hot water to clean collection and feeding equipment could reduce bacteria levels by over 90% compared with using cold water only. Less than half of farms used scalding hot water to clean colostrum collection and feeding equipment, suggesting there are a large number of farms that could make this simple change.”
The main recommendations from the research are that colostrum hygiene protocols should include the cleaning of colostrum collection and feeding equipment after every use with hot water as opposed to cold water, and hypochlorite or peracetic acid as opposed to water or parlour wash.
Cows' teats should be prepared with a pre-milking teat disinfectant and wiped with a clean, dry paper towel prior to colostrum collection, and colostrum should be pasteurised where possible.
The AHDB guide to colostrum hygiene can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FziQX0B9yb4
Robert added: “This study provides a first look at bacteria levels in Great Britain, and the results suggest there are a few simple changes to collection and cleaning protocols that could have a significant impact on colostrum hygiene levels on British dairy farms. By making these simple changes there is likely to be significant improvement in colostrum hygiene, which is essential in minimising the risk of disease and ensuring the optimum health and welfare of calves on dairy farms.”
The full study is open access and can be found here: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fvets.2020.601227/full
The University of Nottingham herd health toolkit contains a “Colostrum bacteriology” section, where vets and farmers can use the results from this study to see what management changes might have the largest impact on colostrum hygiene, can be found here: https://herdhealth.shinyapps.io/toolkit/
The RSPCA reports that it has saved nearly 400 animals from flooding, including 40 fish, in the last 3 days alone.
The koi carp were rescued from a pond in Wraysbury, Berkshire, which was being overcome by rising floodwater.
Other rescues have included:
The charity says its flood rescue team has helped 586 animals affected by floods since Jan, with 386 of those in the last three days alone. Their efforts were praised by Labour leader Ed Milliband yesterday, who was at the scene with an RSPCA water rescue team in Wraysbury.
RSPCA flood rescue co-ordinator Jason Finch said: "The water rescue teams on the ground are doing an amazing job with limited resources. We will continue to do everything we can to help animals, and humans, during this difficult time and are so grateful for all the support our workers have received from the public."
Photograph courtesy RSPCA
The BetterwithPets Prize invites entries from entrepreneurs whose work focuses on the power of the pet human bond and whose efforts are helping to transform society. Purina runs the prize in collaboration with Ashoka, a pioneer in the field of social entrepreneurship.
StreetVet was shortlisted from 150 applicants from Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. Its Accredited Hostel Scheme offers free, accessible veterinary care for pets whose owners are experiencing homelessness and support for hostel managers and staff to adopt and implement positive pet policies.
Jade Statt, co-founder of StreetVet said: “Discovering a competition that celebrates the importance of the human animal bond felt like fate, one the StreetVet team felt compelled to enter. We are so delighted that we did! Going through this process has been really enlightening and we are beyond pleased that our project has reached the final, it is a real privilege."
The finalists will take part in an online pitch on 3rd June 2020, following which, Bernard Meunier, CEO, Nestlé Purina PetCare EMENA will announce the winners.
Mary Sharrock, External Relations Director, Purina, said: "The work StreetVet do is simply amazing and I’m delighted they’ve made the shortlist. Throughout the selection process for the BetterwithPets Prize, we found ourselves inspired by so many of the initiatives which harnessed the pet-human bond in such innovative ways and create positive changes in communities."
One of Carl's main presidential tasks will be implementing the BSAVA’s new strategy for 2024, which comes from a current project looking into the wider veterinary profession and how BSAVA can support the community.
Carl is the clinical director of a busy small animal and exotics practice in Newbury, which is also a partner practice for Surrey University, helping to train final year vet students.
He has been a member of BSAVA for 40 years and started volunteering for the Southern Regional Committee in 2013.
Carl said: “BSAVA has always been important to me in my professional life.
"Since becoming a volunteer, I have admired even more the dedication of the staff and volunteers who make up the association.
“I see my time on BSAVA Board as a service to the association and to the small animal veterinary world.
"Becoming President is a huge honour but is part of an ongoing commitment to doing what I can to help BSAVA thrive.”
The vaccine will be available to order directly from Merial on receipt of a Special Import Certificate (SIC) issued by the VMD to the named vet. The SIC is only required once but needs to accommodate all potential doses required, enabling Merial to supply to direct orders from the practice.
The product is available in 10 dose packs at a net price of £89.00 per pack.
For further information, contact Merial Customer Support Centre (UK) on 0870 6000 123 or your local equine territory manager.
This third biennial offering from GB’s Cattle Health and Welfare Group also contains a summary of progress on endemic disease control with advances in eradicating Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (BVD) in each country highlighted.
The Chief Veterinary Officers of UK, Scotland and Wales have welcomed the publication of the report saying that as the possible impacts of the referendum on leaving the EU are considered, the importance of a GB focus on disease control is as important as ever.
In their joint forward, Nigel Gibbens, Sheila Voas and Christianne Glossop said: "The healthier our animals, the more attractive our products. The better our animal welfare, the greater the confidence of consumers in our production systems.
"With the UK Government placing AMR at the top of its risk register alongside terrorism and pandemic ’flu, it is heartening to see that CHAWG, in common with other livestock sectors, has grasped the nettle in looking first at how the cattle sector can better capture data on use of antimicrobials."
They go on to say that addressing AMR helps address other imperatives as an emphasis on sound animal husbandry and healthy animals kept to high welfare standards will help minimise routine reliance on antimicrobials: "Success in controlling endemic disease is one area of considerable importance, and here we can highlight CHAWG’s pivotal role in the development and promotion of national disease control programmes. These include the launch of the BVDFree scheme in England earlier this year, ongoing progress with BVD eradication in Scotland, the development of a Wales BVD scheme, and the Action Johne’s initiative."
In the report’s conclusion, RSPCA’s head of farm animals Marc Cooper points out that it is clear many positive initiatives are being pursued within the industry. He said: "Notable amongst these are those associated with dairy cow genetics, eliminating BVD, the national dairy cow welfare strategy and the development of a data hub for the collation of information relating to antimicrobial use.
"Indeed, some of these are starting to realise improvements in key areas, for example, dairy cow longevity is beginning to increase, and cow fertility figures and somatic cell counts appear to be moving in the right direction.
"However, there are still ongoing concerns relating to some important health and welfare issues. For example, despite the evidence suggesting the annual prevalence levels of cattle lameness are beginning to fall, there still appears to be no centralised database for recording it."
Chairman of CHAWG Tim Brigstocke says the contributed comments are encouraging and provide positive direction for future CHAWG activities. He also reassures that while this report sees a number of advances in highly topical areas, ‘core’ activities are not being ignored. He said: "Effective farm health planning remains the bedrock of good practice. And while we tend to focus on areas which need improvement, it’s worth mentioning that a delegation from the Food & Veterinary Office (FVO) of the European Commission recently visited and were impressed by the coordinated approach taken in this country."
The report can be downloaded from www.chawg.org.uk.
CEVA Animal Health has launched Diarsanyl Plus, a new intestinal support paste for dogs, cats and small animals containing prebiotics.
Diarsanyl Plus contains the same unique combination of ingredients as Diarsanyl - montmorillonite, Na+, Mg2+ and K+ ions and dextrose - but now also contains prebiotics called fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS).
According to the company, montmorillonite maintains intestinal function by coating and protecting the enterocytes and absorbing toxins, Na+, Mg2+ and K+ ions help maintain electrolyte levels and dextrose provides a much needed energy source for the small intestine. The prebiotics help maintain normal intestinal flora by promoting the growth of good bacteria such as bifidobacteria and lactobacilli and stimulating the production of short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) - acetate, propionate and butyrate - which are important energy sources for the large intestine.
Fraser Broadfoot, product manager at CEVA Animal Health said: "Diarsanyl Plus will build on the proven efficacy of Diarsanyl by including prebiotics that naturally balance the intestinal flora of animals with digestive upsets and diarrhoea. The new easy-to-use syringes and palatable formulation will also make it easier for pet owners to administer."
Diarsanyl Plus is available in 10ml, 24ml and 60ml pack sizes for a variety of species, from small animals to large dogs.
For further information, please contact your CEVA Animal Health representative or call 01494 781510.
New research released today by Petplan has revealed that at a time when marriage is in decline and the average child bearing age is increasing, a new breed of pet owner has emerged: women between the ages of 25 and 34 who bought their pet as a substitute for a child.
More than 10,000 pet owners were surveyed for the research and the results apparently reveal 'pet parenting' as a growing trend. According to the survey, women not only look to their furry friend for companionship but also treat them like they would a child, with nearly 70% buying them birthday and Christmas presents, 28% adapting their homes for their pet and 20% changing their holiday destinations to allow their pet to come along too.
Just like working parents, owners worry about leaving their pet alone when they're working. So much so that they make a concerted effort to make sure their pet is not left alone for more than five hours a day - employing dog walkers and cat sitters to stem their concern (approaching 1 in 7). When an 8 hour working day is the national norm and the average parent only spends 49 minutes a day with their children, this demonstrates considerable pet commitment.
Dr Deborah Wells, expert in the study of the psychology of the pet-human relationship said: "Dogs and cats can offer their owners many of the benefits frequently provided by children, including companionship, entertainment and happiness. For some owners, notably women, pets can provide a useful training ground in 'motherhood', in some cases helping to shape important decisions on whether or not children are to be a part of their future. For others, pets can serve as a child 'substitute', offering people who choose not to have, or cannot conceive, children, an outlet for emotional attachment and nurturing behaviour."
Petplan's marketing manager Alison Andrew said: "This pet parenting theme is one of the most significant trends to come out of Petplan's biggest body of research to date - the Petplan Pet Census - which looks into the realities of pet ownership. We see the amazing lengths that owners go to for their pets every day and the level of worry that goes with it. Our job is to give owners peace of mind through our insurance plans, so they can be confident their beloved companion will always receive the best care and treatment without having to worry about the financial costs. We want to use this research to truly understand modern pet ownership in the UK so that we can better provide help and guidance for our nation of pet lovers!"
If you'd like to take part in the Petplan Pet Census, documenting the picture of pet ownership in Britain, visit www.petplan.co.uk
Axiom Laboratories has launched MiPetAllergy, a pet allergy test which the company says is not affected by medication and which requires no withdrawal period prior to testing.
Axiom developed the MiPetAllergy in partnership with ALK, which makes Artuvetrin. With its food elimination diet selector tool, developed in association with Royal Canin, it tests against as many as 80 environmental allergens and foods.
Dan Sherry, General Manager at Axiom, said: "Allergies are increasing among companion animals and identifying accurately which allergen is causing the problem in a particular pet can be one of the toughest challenges veterinary staff face in practice.
"MiPetAllergy represents two and half years of research so we are delighted to announce its arrival. Axiom is confident that there will be complete concordance between the screen and panel results that they are offering a money back guarantee if they are discordant. We hope it will help practices dealing with allergy patients to identify and treat for the specific allergens causing their symptoms."
Martyn Carpenter, Director of Axiom, added: "The introduction of the MiPetAllergy testing is timely as it coincides with the change in Axiom’s supplier of immunotherapy. During November and December 2014 the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) started rejecting applications for STC’s and advising that European Licensed immunotherapy products should now be used in the UK as part of the Cascade. Both our new allergy test and new vaccines are manufactured by the same company."
The British Veterinary Association has responded to the announcement of a recruitment drive by the newly-formed British Veterinary Union (BVU) and Unite.
Harvey Locke, President of the BVA, said: "Those working in veterinary practice have always been able to join Unite or any other trade union, and it is unclear whether vets are actually being offered anything new in this recruitment campaign.
"The BVA provides the majority of services traditionally offered by a union and we are constantly working to improve our services to support the veterinary team. In the last two years we have developed mediation and legal representation services to help members through difficult issues in the workplace. The BVA's 24/7 legal helpline remains one of our most valued services with up to 600 calls year on employment and personal issues. We also produce and update a wide range of advice and guidance on all aspects of veterinary employment.
"All of our services continue to be developed using the expertise and experiences of our members.
"In addition to these support services the BVA package incorporates much more. The BVA is a key stakeholder of the RCVS, Defra, Welsh, Scottish and Northern Ireland administrations, the VMD and other bodies, representing members on issues as diverse as pet travel, bovine TB and medicines regulations. This is not a role Unite could play for our profession."
Fees will now be £340 for a UK-practising member, £170 for members practising outside the UK, £56 for non-practising vets under the age of 70, and free for non-practising vets over 70.
Restoration fees, charged in addition to retention fees, increase to £85 following voluntary removal, and £340 following removal for non-payment.
Lizzie Lockett, RCVS CEO, said: "This year we asked Council to agree a fee increase to help us prepare for unknowns such as Brexit, as well as fortify our proactive work to help support the professions.
"Over the past few years we have put increased resources into projects such as: Mind Matters, our mental health initiative; Vet Futures, our joint project with the British Veterinary Association; Vivet, our innovation hub; and our recently launched Leadership Programme. Unfortunately there has also been a rise in Disciplinary Committee hearings and we are having to allocate further funds to making our building fit for purpose, and so a small increase has been necessary.
"This still places us at the lower end of fees for regulatory bodies while providing a secure financial foundation."