CPC has announced the opening of a new pet crematorium in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire to meet rising demand.

According to the company, there has been an increase of 12% in individual pet cremations over the last four years, and about half the pets that come to the company from Vets Now are given individual cremations, rather than communal ones. Of the pet owners that contact CPC directly, about a third currently ask for an individual cremation, up from a quarter in 2008.

Jason Cracknell, the General Manager at CPC (pictured right), said: "When I was a child growing up in the country, our pets were buried in the garden. With smaller gardens and greater mobility this is no longer an option for many.  Working closely with vets we have seen a considerable increase in owners wanting more knowledge and involvement in how their beloved pet is cared for at the end of its life."

The new Cheltenham Pet Crematorium will have a memorial and wildlife garden designed with the help of year 9 students from the nearby Tewkesbury School. It'll be officially opened at the end of April by farmer and television presenter, Adam Henson.

CPC also offers three levels of pet bereavement training for veterinary practices that use its services:

• Full-Day Pet Bereavement Courses - CPD bereavement counselling workshops that are usually run in practice.
• Half-Day Insight Workshops - CPD sessions that are normally held at CPC's crematoria and combined with a tour of the facilities, to provide delegates with the knowledge and confidence to communicate the cremation services to clients.
• Lunch and Learn Pet Bereavement Sessions - 1-hour bite-size events  designed to provide veterinary staff with practical tips on how to provide client care and bereavement support.

For more information, visit www.cpccares.com

Veterinary surgeons can consider a wider range of options when it comes to neutering cats and dogs. This was the message from veterinary reproduction specialist Angelika von Heimendahl MSc BVM(Berlin) MRCVS DipECAR, at a recent seminar on reproductive health organised by Virbac.

Mrs von Heimendahl, who runs the Cambridge based referral centre, Veterinary Reproduction Service, said: "Globally the approach to neutering varies hugely. Although neutering is considered as part of responsible pet ownership in the UK and performed routinely in every practice in the country, at the other end of the scale, in Germany and Scandinavia for example, this is considered mutilation and is prohibited by law.

"Despite the very low neutering rates - Norway 7% compared to UK around 80% - in these countries they do not have a problem with stray dogs, indicating that there are other factors such as education and attitudes to dog ownership that play a major role."

She added: "In other continental countries, bitch spaying is usually by ovariectomy rather than ovariohysterectomy. 

"Some practices are now successfully offering clients a range of options, including medical castration, especially with new reproduction drugs recently introduced onto the market. The non-surgical contraceptive slow-release implant, deslorelin (Suprelorin), a GnRH superagonist lasts for six months, making medical castration a more practical solution for many owners."

Mrs Von Heimendahl also suggested that deslorelin, although off-licence, can be used in bitches as an alternative to spaying: "Whilst neutering can have advantages in terms of reduced incidence of certain cancers, there are also advantages of retaining both male and female dogs intact. Some cancers are less likely to occur in intact animals, for example there is a reduced risk of transitional cell carcinomas, haemangiosarcomas and osteosarcomas. Obesity and its associated problems are also less of an issue, which is a particular benefit for owners where the necessary reduced calorie intake post neutering is difficult to achieve." 

Chris Taylor MRCVS, technical director of seminar organiser, Virbac, added that medical castration can offer dog owners the opportunity to 'test run' neutering of their animal, and pointed out that this is particularly useful for behavioural issues in young male dogs: "Twice yearly implants offer a practical alternative for clients, whether as a short or longer-term solution. As a solution focussed business, we are constantly striving to put forward a choice of options which can only have benefits for client and practice alike."

Improve International has announced the launch of a new General Practitioner Certificate in Dermatology: GPCert (Derm). 

The company says the programme aims to help vets develop their knowledge of dermatology and to assist them in applying these newly learned skills in their everyday dermatology cases.

David Babington MRCVS (pictured right), Managing Director of Improve International said: "Patients with skin problems attend practices almost on a daily basis, making the successful diagnosis and management of skin disease a major component of small animal work and an important way to build client satisfaction and loyalty.

"Our new modular programme offers a thorough, informed case-based approach to dermatology. Through lectures, case discussions and, where appropriate, practical sessions, delegates will learn how to approach dogs, cats and exotic patients presenting with various manifestations of skin disease in a logical and scientific manner." 

The GPCert (Derm) comprises 14 taught modules and can be completed over one  to two years. The first module on this programme will start in March 2015.

For further information, visit www.improveinternational.com or call 01793 759159.

To celebrate its 25-year anniversary, Improve Veterinary Education is offering £2,500 off its two flagship programmes: Small Animal Surgery and Small Animal Medicine.

The offer runs until 17th September 2023 and vets who sign up for the face-to-face programmes will also get 25% off a practical short course.

The Small Animal Surgery course is split over two years, with a significant practical component and 10-days practical wet-lab training sessions.

Delegates learn about orthopaedics, soft tissue surgery, and neurosurgery.

The Small Animal Medicine course is also split over two years and covers all major canine and feline body systems.

On completion, delegates can also earn an ISVPS General Practitioner Certificate (GPCert) or achieve a Postgraduate Certificate (PgC) awarded by Harper Adams University.

Dr Charlotte French (pictured right), UK Head of Business Development, said: ‘When I qualified over 25 years ago, there was very little postgraduate education available.

"Over the years Improve Veterinary Education have been the leaders in development and delivery of world leading CPD.

"This is the opportunity for even more members of the profession to take advantage of that high quality education, enabling them to further their careers and improve animal welfare.’

The flagship programmes are run in various learning formats to support the different learning environments vets operate in and include:

www.improveinternational.com

Midlands-based veterinary surgeon Richard Hillman, who will become the new President of Society of Practising Veterinary Surgeons on May 25th, has outlined the issues he'll be championing during his term of office:

• On practice standards: “We need to influence the RCVS so that as the Practice Standards scheme evolves it produces genuine improvements in both clinical and non-clinical standards and is not just a bureaucratic box ticking exercise adding to the stress, workload and overheads of practices.”
• On clinical governance and audit: “The SPVS needs to ensure that the establishment of protocols does not impinge on clinical freedom while establishing ‘best practice’ and that they are used as a yardstick to encourage practitioners to engage with CPD and improve, not as an excuse for unnecessary procedures and profiteering.”
• On the Veterinary Surgeons Act: “We need to influence the RCVS in developing the Veterinary Surgeons Act review so that we bring about the best results for all of the stakeholders. We need to recognise that there are shortcomings in the present Act, particularly with regard to the disciplinary process, but we need to be sure of what we want from a review, as well as being confident we will get it, or else we may be opening up Pandora’s Box with our eyes half-closed and end up in a worse position than the current one. We must ensure that any disciplinary process punishes members who do not measure up to our standards in an appropriate way, while not putting an onerous burden on vets who are well-meaning, hard-working and doing a good job.”
• On 24 hour provision: “There is much debate on whether practitioners should lobby for 24-hour provision to become voluntary, especially in view of Working Time Regulations. We need to be careful on how we develop policy on this issue. There has to be a compromise somewhere between the needs and wants of practitioners to earn a reasonable living and have a reasonable work-life balance, and clients to have reasonable access to veterinary services when they need them (though not necessarily when they want them) while ensuring good welfare for our patients.”
• On Prescription charging: “Regulations forcing us to provide free prescriptions end in October and we enter a 12-month period of monitoring to see if we can be trusted not to operate a complex monopoly or over-charge for prescriptions. We need to be careful in how we handle this next 18 months. SPVS will work hard to ensure that vets can charge fairly for the work they are doing but not exploit our privilege to prescribe in the short term and give those who look for a reason to take that privilege off us an excuse to do so.”
• On support: During his year in office Richard also wants to support vets suffering from depression or mental health problems because of the “huge stress” of veterinary practice.

The owner of Hillman Vets, a five-clinic practice based in Walsall, Lichfield, Brownhills and Darlaston, Richard is a successful businessman with numerous achievements under his belt. During the 1990s, he developed the Hillman Vets practice as well as helping to launch the first out-of-hours animal clinic in the country, Northside Emergency Veterinary Clinic in Great Barr, Birmingham, and the Birmingham-based chain of Value Vets clinics, for pet owners wanting basic services.

Passionately committed to the veterinary profession, Richard wanted to be a vet even as a child, and has described his job as “a privilege, and the enduring cornerstone of my life”.

In recent years, Richard has become an activist on issues he feels strongly about, such as the rights of animals. He has called on shoppers to buy British organic or farm assured meat because of poor welfare standards in other countries. He has also backed plans to introduce “ASBOs for dogs” in a bid to reduce the growing number of attacks by dangerous dogs on children in their homes and on members of the public.

During his year as SPVS president, Richard intends to encourage UK veterinary practitioners to play a greater campaigning role on welfare issues. “We are the best placed, most motivated, and appropriately qualified people to ensure animal welfare, the responsible use of pharmaceuticals, and food safety,” he will tell fellow vets.

Richard is excited about his presidential year and says: “This year gives me the opportunity to drive the agenda from the front to make a difference, and to work tirelessly to promote, support and represent our profession.”

The Bella Moss Foundation (BMF) is to launch the Human to Animal MRSA Advice Service at the offices of the British Veterinary Association on Friday 22nd October.

The charity says this new online service has been created to provide information and advice on resistant bacteria and their effects on animal health to veterinary professionals, pet owners and carers. 

BMF clinical advisor David Lloyd, professor of veterinary dermatology at the Royal Veterinary College, said: "There has been a worrying increase in the numbers of pets reported with MRSA Infections. The causes for this seem to be complex, and research to understand this emerging infection in animals and people is continuing. The Bella Moss Foundation has been very helpful explaining to pet owners the complexity of these issues, and the new Animal MRSA Advice Service will be an educational tool for lay people and veterinarians to learn more about resistant bacterial infections in animals." 

For pet owners and carers the Animal MRSA Advice Service will provide education on bacteria, the risk factors for transmission between humans and animals, keeping pets healthy, finding a vet, and the importance of hand hygiene in protecting pets and people from unwanted infection.

For veterinary professionals and practice staff the service will also provide academic reports and international research, as well as information on CPD seminars.

If you would like to attend the launch of this new service, please contact info@thebellamossfoundation.com, or call Jill Moss on 07581 736774. 

The Evidence-Based Veterinary Medicine Learning Consortium has announced the launch of a new online tutorial (www.ebvmlearning.org) designed to make evidence-based veterinary medicine (EBVM) accessible to the veterinary profession worldwide.

The online tutorial, funded by the RCVS Knowledge Target Grants initiative and led by Dr Kristen Reyher at the University of Bristol along with Drs Rachel Dean and Marnie Brennan from the Centre for Evidence-based Veterinary Medicine at the University of Nottingham, begins with an introductory module and then focuses on the five key areas of EBVM:

• Ask - how to formulate answerable questions;
• Acquire - how to obtain relevant information;
• Appraise - how to evaluate the available evidence;
• Apply - how to apply the evidence to clinical practice;
• Assess – how to measure the effect of any implemented changes.

The learning resource, which can be used on various platforms and devices, is suitable for students and practitioners for self-study, and can be used as a stand-alone tutorial or as individual teaching modules to support other EBVM teaching or continuing professional development.

The online tutorial uses best educational practice and includes formative multiple choice questions, short tasks and recommendations for further study. It is intended to be a source of knowledge, bringing together the essentials of EBVM into one place, and highlights many other links to resources and organisations that are available to further learners’ knowledge about the subject.

Dr Kristen Reyher, Senior Lecturer in Farm Animal Science in the School of Veterinary Sciences, who led the project team, said: "It is hoped that the development of this resource will increase awareness of EBVM in the veterinary profession, and allow practitioners the opportunity to develop the skills needed to utilise EBVM in everyday clinical practice."

Future aims of the project team include designing methods of cataloguing and disseminating evidence synthesis to support clinical decision-making and evidence-based veterinary practice, improving and standardising the teaching of EBVM to undergraduate and postgraduate students at veterinary schools internationally, and building a community of practice in this area.

VetCT has announced it will be matching donations made to Wildlife Vets International (WVI) during the London Vet Show. 

Visitors to the company's stand will be invited to make a donation.

Anyone not attending the show, but who nevertheless wants to support this charity's work, will be able to do so via social media. 

VetCT says it is hoping to raise a total of £6000 to fund the training of local veterinary teams in wildlife medicine.

Head of Communications, Liz Barton said: “We are learning so much about the far-reaching and important work of WVI through our charity partnership - how they are helping to preserve biodiversity and support the conservation of species, which is absolutely key to global sustainability.

"Education is core to everything we do at VetCT, and we are excited to be raising funds that will be used to support local vets and nurses to undergo comprehensive training in wildlife medicine, enabling the dissemination of knowledge and expertise to support conservation projects globally.”

Olivia Walter, Executive Director of WVI, said: “We are incredibly excited at the prospect of launching our education initiative with the support of VetCT and LVS delegates.

"Training local veterinary teams to provide exceptional care to wildlife is vital to the longevity and success of conservation projects.

"In addition to raising funds and awareness of our work, the direct clinical support from the VetCT experts is helping us to continue providing much needed veterinary input to conservation efforts around the world.”

WVI representatives, including Matthew Rendle RVN and Dr Asumah of the Wildlife Division, Forestry Department, Government of Ghana, will be on VetCT stand D44 at 12:30-1:30pm on Friday 17th November.

The charity will also be on Millpledge Veterinary stand J60, which also supports the work of WVI.  

The British Equine Veterinary Association's (BEVA) Equine Rescue Fund (ERF) has taken delivery of 'Howie the Rescue Horse', the UK's first lifesized model of a horse designed specially for training vets and firefighters

Howie will be used for the practical elements of the Rescue and Emergency Medicine Training for Equine Vets courses run by BEVA in partnership with Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service's animal rescue specialists. He will also be taken on the road to vet schools and be loaned to fire and rescue services wishing to train firefighters in manual emergency equine handling techniques.

Howie was designed to the animal rescue specialist's exacting specifications by Wales-based company Big Beasts, which more usually creates bespoke models, creatures, and props for the film and television industry, as well as for museums and theme parks.

Howie has been named after Genitrix' managing director, Howard Wilder after the company (which makes equine joint treatments such as irap HY-50®Vet) stepped in to cover the significant production costs of the model.

Howard said:  "Horse rescue is a complex and hazardous operation, both for the animal and those trying to rescue it and treat any injuries. As a company actively involved in equine care, we felt it was important to make a significant financial contribution to the Equine Rescue Fund.  It's great that Howie has safely arrived and we hope he'll prove an important asset to the ERF."

Picture shows:  Howie the Rescue Horse with (left to right) Howard Wilder and Buster Brown and Jim Green, Animal Rescue Specialists, Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service

The RCVS Mind Matters Initiative and the Doctors’ Support Network (DSN) have now signed up seven ambassadors for their AndMe (#AndMe) mental health campaign, designed to de-stigmatise mental ill-health within the healthcare professions.

The College says that although professional bodies advise their members to value their own wellbeing and seek help if unwell, there has been an absence of senior professionals who have felt able to say 'been there myself'.

By asking senior medical professionals to share their stories of overcoming struggles with mental health, &me aims to encourage other medical professionals to seek help, in part by showing that such experiences do not exclude people from achieving leading roles in healthcare.

With the addition of Dr Cathy Wield in August, there are now seven ambassadors for the &me campaign, and all of their stories can be read at www.vetmindmatters.org/&me: 

• Dr Caroline Reed O’Connor, who went on to be a senior trainee psychiatrist and psychotherapist after being diagnosed with bipolar disorder
• David Bartram, a veterinary surgeon and member of RCVS Council who was in hospital multiple times as a result of depression before gaining additional qualifications and moving into roles of increasing responsibility
• Dr Malcolm Kinnear, a psychiatrist who took long-term sick leave for depression before completing his training to become a consultant and taking an honorary teaching position at the University of Dundee
• Dr Susan Atcheson, a senior GP who has experienced multiple episodes of psychotic depression
• Rob Pettitt, a vet and Senior Lecturer at the University of Liverpool who experienced depression, taking eight weeks off work before slowly returning to a full-time schedule 
• Professor Jamie Hacker Hughes, a psychologist, psychotherapist and supervisor, who was diagnosed with bipolar affective disorder. He then went on to gain a consultant post with the Ministry of Defence, achieve three fellowships and four professorships, establish a research institute and become President of the British Psychological Society
• Dr Cathy Wield, a doctor who experienced two bouts of severe depression including hospital admissions and brain surgery. She returned to work in emergency medicine, and has written two books about her experience of being a doctor with depression.
• Dr Susan Atcheson, a senior GP who first experienced recurrent psychotic depression 20 years ago.

Lizzie Lockett, Director of the Mind Matters Initiative, said: "Over the past eight months we have seen an incredible level of support for our &me ambassadors. Our Facebook post about Rob Pettitt, for example, reached nearly 25,000 people, many of whom posted stories about Rob helping them navigate veterinary school and better understand their own mental health issues. These kind of role models really do help reduce stigma, and we thank every one of our ambassadors for having the courage to share their own experiences with mental health."

Louise Freeman, Vice-Chair of the Doctors’ Support Network, said: "The &me campaign has really shown how the medical professions can work together when it comes to mental health. Medical professionals face many of the same challenges, and we needn’t face them alone – instead we can work as one to tackle stigma and speak openly about mental health issues. And it’s not just in the UK that health professionals can feel as if they are ‘not allowed’ to experience mental health problems. As a direct result of the &me campaign, health professionals from around the world including Australia and the U.S. have been in contact with DSN to confirm that they have similar issues within their local health culture."

The campaign is still interested in hearing from not only doctors and veterinary surgeons but also nurses, veterinary nurses, dentists, pharmacists and other healthcare professionals who want to open up about their experiences of mental ill health. To participate in the campaign, please email Dr Louise Freeman on vicechair@dsn.org.uk.

On social media tweets about the campaign are sent from @vetmindmatters and @DocSupportNet twitter accounts using the hashtag #AndMe.

Tickets for BSAVA Congress, taking place at Manchester Central from 24th–26th March, have gone on sale, with early bird discounts for those who register before 17th February 2022.

There have been major changes to the format for Congress this year.

Sarah Fitzpatrick, BSAVA Head of Partnerships and Events, said: “Last year’s online event proved this can all be delivered in a much more interactive and engaging way.

"Returning to a face-to-face format enables us to take that even further and provide delegates with a truly immersive experience."

Many of the sessions at this year’s event will have two speakers delivering different perspectives on a topic, followed by a Q&A.

With 15-20 minutes to get into the detail, lectures will get straight to the point, be fast-paced and rich in content.

Programme committee lead, Paul Higgs (pictured right) said: “Each subject will be delivered in a mix of formats, lectures, debates and interactive sessions, for example.

"It means delegates won’t find themselves sat for hours passively listening, instead they’ve the opportunity to actively engage with the topics, which will promote deeper learning.

“Where topics overlap subject areas, module delegates will come together to explore diagnostics, treatments and ethics.”

For the first time, delegates will also be able to get hands-on in practical sessions at no further cost. 

BSAVA’s President, Sheldon Middleton, said: “I can’t wait to get to BSAVA Congress in 2022. 

"The new venue, new format and new exhibition layout will enhance everything that BSAVA Congress is known for.  

"Now we’ve got a hybrid format, the on-demand feature means that for the first time I can catch up with friends and not miss the CPD!”

Delegates can also attend online, through an interactive virtual platform, which will run alongside the live event.

To buy your tickets before the touts get hold of them visit: https://www.bsavaevents.com/bsavacongress2022/en/page/home.

Ceva Animal Health is calling for nominations for its 2017 Animal Welfare Awards, which celebrate the achievements of remarkable people from the veterinary, farming and charity sectors.

Of the seven awards, two are dedicated to recognising veterinary surgeons and nurses who go beyond the call of duty to better the lives of animals: the Chris Laurence Vet of the Year and the Welfare Nurse of the Year.

The winners are decided by a panel of judges including Christopher Laurence MBE BVSc and James Yeates, chief veterinarian at RSPCA. This year’s winners and runners up will be honoured at a ceremony taking place on the eve of BSAVA Congress on 5^th April 2017.

If there is a veterinary surgeon or nurse that you feel deserves to be recognised for their ongoing commitment to animal welfare, you can nominate them for an award at: www.cevawelfareawards.com. Entries must be in by January 13^th 2017, and nominations are also accepted from members of the public. 

Ceva managing director Cuneyt Seckin said: "We really have been awed and humbled by the nominations for Ceva’s Animal Welfare Awards over the past seven years and we expect this year to be no exception.

"The lengths to which some wonderful people go to ensure the health and happiness of animals across the world really knows no bounds. Not only do the awards champion people involved in animal welfare, but they also raise awareness of this important work to wider audiences."