The inaugural BVA Photography Competition received more than 400 entries from all over the world last year, with Devon-based small animal vet Stephen Powles and equine vet Karen Coumbe’s images of an Egyptian fruit bat in flight and an operation on an infected horse's hoof being declared winners in their respective categories.
Karen said: "I was encouraged to enter the competition because I am fascinated by the amazing things I am privileged to observe in my day to day work, many of which provide exciting photo-opportunities."
The competition, which is open to BVA members, seeks to showcase images that highlight the human-animal bond and offer a tangible insight into the veterinary profession and its work.
Submissions should promote responsible animal ownership and/or interaction, as well positive animal health and welfare.
Photos can be of any species and the BVA says it would especially like to see images of native and domestic species found in the UK. Photos can be submitted under one of two categories:
The winners will receive a £250 John Lewis gift voucher each and get the chance to have their photographs displayed at BVA Members’ Day in September, at other BVA events and in BVA communications.
British Veterinary Association President Gudrun Ravetz said: "From sparrows to elephants, and cats to alpacas, veterinary colleagues submitted such a range, quantity and quality of photographs for our first-ever competition last year that we are really excited to be launching the competition for a second year running.
"We’re all passionate about animal health and welfare, so the way we interact with and capture images of the animal world offers a unique perspective. Whether you enjoy taking photos on your phone or have all of the kit, we’re encouraging all of the veterinary family to give it a go and get involved."
The competition closes at midnight on 19 August.
This year’s entries will be judged by an expert panel of judges from the veterinary and photography worlds.
More details about the competition, including terms and conditions, can be found at www.bva.co.uk/news-campaigns-and-policy/bva-photo-competition
Bayer Animal Health has taken over the marketing and sales of the antibiotic Nisamox (tablets containing Amoxicillin and Clavulanic Acid), from Fort Dodge Animal Health.
Under the new arrangement, the design of Nisamox tablet packaging will change to reflect the change of ownership, however, Bayer says the quality of the tablets and the competitive pricing remain unchanged.
Nisamox tablets are licensed for use in cats and dogs to treat infections of the skin, urinary tract, and respiratory tract caused by susceptible Staphylococci, and also to treat enteritis and urinary tract infections caused by susceptible E.coli.
Nisamox tablets will continue to be available in three strengths: 50mg, 250mg, and 500mg. For information on Nisamox tablets, contact your Bayer territory manager.
João, who graduated from Portugal’s Oporto University in 2009, was recruited from the University of Liverpool, where he was a lecturer in Small Animal Cardiology.
Willows Clinical Director Toby Gemmill said: "This is an exciting time for us. As part of our new extension, our state-of-the-art cardiology suite is now open and fully operational, while we have also appointed a hugely knowledgeable and experienced cardiologist to join the team.
"It is further evidence of our continued commitment to invest in top talent and the best facilities so we can provide the highest standards of care and treatment."
João said: "I’m very pleased to have joined a centre of excellence like Willows and to be working in the fantastic new cardiology suite.
"I enjoy all aspects of medical and interventional cardiology but I have a particular interest in feline cardiomyopathies, cardiorenal syndrome and atrial fibrillation."
The CPD-qualifying webinar is being given by Professor Saul Faust, Professor of Paediatric Immunology & Infectious Diseases at the University of Southampton, and Ian Wright MRCVS, a veterinary parasitologist, Head of ESCCAP UK & Ireland and one of the owners of The Mount Veterinary Practice in Lancashire.
The webinar will reveal the real threat of this disease and its impact on sufferers, and give an insight to the challenges of diagnosing the condition.
Register for the webinar here: https://cloud.mc.zoetis.com/beneath-the-fur-webinar
Representatives from all sectors of the veterinary profession are encouraged to apply for the role, which is to represent veterinary surgeons in those regions to BVA Council and help shape the association's strategy and policy development.
Candidates are required to be based in the region they represent and to have time available to commit to gathering members’ views on key policy areas, representing those views at three meetings per year in London, and one elsewhere in the UK (attached to BVA Members’ Day). They will also need to meet members at local events where possible, and promote the good name and values of BVA. All of this work is supported by BVA headquarters.
The term of the BVA regional representative role is for three years. It suits motivated individuals who are interested in current issues affecting the profession. BVA pays your expenses and you’ll get free BVA membership for the duration of your term.
Daniella Dos Santos, President of the British Veterinary Association (pictured right), said: "BVA Council plays a key role in helping us to achieve our mission as the leading body representing, supporting and championing the whole UK veterinary profession. Our regional representatives are integral to that mission and to the activities of Council - contributing to effective horizon scanning on matters of veterinary policy and providing an informed steer to BVA’s Policy Committee.
"With an increasingly complex veterinary landscape, and wide range of issues and potential outcomes for animal health and welfare and the veterinary profession it’s essential that members have the best person to represent them at the highest level within BVA."
Emma Callaghan, BVA Scottish Branch regional representative and 2019 Bleby Cup winner, added: "I am currently in the middle of my first term on BVA Council and I would encourage anyone who is considering taking part to put themselves forward for election. This is a fantastic chance to represent the views of your region and to help BVA members to get their voices heard. I’m really enjoying my time as a regional representative - it’s been such a wonderful opportunity to meet a range of people from across the profession and to develop new skills outside my day-to-day role."
BVA members who are interested in becoming a representative for their area can apply before 9am on 16 December 2019 when nominations close. For more information or to submit your application, visit www.bva.co.uk/council/
Ms Mulvey faced a number of charges relating to the treatment of a cat called Spooky: that she failed to provide Spooky’s owner, Mrs Parsons, with either Spooky’s lab results or an adequate explanation as to why they could not be provided; that she failed to respond adequately or at all to communications from Mrs Parsons; that she failed to respond to requests from the College for information relating to Continuing Professional Development (CPD), her professional indemnity insurance (PII), and her correspondence with Mrs Parsons.
At the beginning of the hearing Dr Mulvey admitted the facts to all the charges, and accepted that they constituted disgraceful conduct in a professional respect. The Committee had been provided with written evidence from Mrs Parsons, her husband, and four College staff, namely Gemma Crossley, Maria Fearon, Robert Girling and Michael Hepper.
Mrs Parsons provided a statement in which she spoke of how, in August 2016, she had taken Spooky to CornYard Veterinary Centre for a skin irritation where she was seen by Dr Mulvey.
Dr Mulvey decided to take blood tests and send them to the laboratory, but they agreed to defer them actually being tested until Mrs Parsons gave permission. Mrs Parsons then returned to the practice with Spooky to take said samples, after which followed a series of attempts to contact Dr Mulvey for the test results. Finally, in October, she demanded a refund, after which she began a small claim in County Court.
Mr Parsons went to the practice at the beginning of December 2016 and obtained the refund. At this point Mrs Parsons made a complaint to the College. The Committee received information from Mr Parsons, who corroborated the facts of the complaint, and from College staff who confirmed the many attempts to contact Dr Mulvey, starting with requests for documents by Ms Crossley and Ms Fearon, repeated requests for CPD and PII information from Mr Girling, and finally a hand-delivered letter by Mr Hepper, during which he learnt that her PII had lapsed at the beginning of 2017.
The College submitted that Dr Mulvey’s conduct fell far below the standard expected of a veterinary surgeon. It submitted that failing to provide the test results and communicate with the Parsons could have had a negative impact on animal welfare and damaged the reputation of the profession, while having PII is a fundamental obligation of the RCVS Code of Professional Conduct. Finally, not responding to the College about the concern raised, CPD or PII compromised the College’s ability to maintain public confidence in its regulatory processes.
The Committee considered that no harm had actually come to Spooky and that there were problems with the testing laboratory which slowed down the process. In addition, some of the lack of communication was due to a receptionist not following protocol, and Dr Mulvey was going through a particularly difficult part of her life and was clinically understaffed. The Committee heard from four different character witnesses, and were given 16 more written testimonials.
The Committee heard that in 2013 there had been complaints from three separate clients, all of which concerned Dr Mulvey’s failure to communicate and to process insurance claim forms, after which she agreed to participate in the Performance Protocol and entered into undertakings with the College.
The Committee having considered all the facts and background circumstances found that Dr Mulvey’s conduct was disgraceful in a professional respect.
The Committee went on to consider what sanction was appropriate. In reaching its decision the Committee took into account a number of aggravating factors, namely that there was a slight risk to the health of Spooky and that the disgraceful conduct occurred over a prolonged period of time. The Committee also considered that there was blatant disregard of the role of the RCVS and the systems regulating the profession.
In determining the sanction the Committee also considered mitigating factors, including that Dr Mulvey, apart from those previous concerns, had a long and unblemished career and that she’s made a huge difference to the health of the animals within her care. She also admitted her shortcomings, and had very impressive references.
The Committee therefore determined to postpone its decision on sanction for a period of one year on condition that Dr Mulvey enter into the following undertakings:
To agree to the appointment of a veterinary surgeon as a work place supervisor by the College and meet with them at least once every month
Allow the supervisor access to all aspects of running of the practice and to implement any recommendations made by the supervisor relating to the administration of the practice and the provision of out of hours’ cover.
To allow the supervisor to provide a report in relation to the matters set out in 2 above to the RCVS at least one month before the resumed hearing of this case.
To appoint within two months an experienced Practice Manager (who does not need to be full time).
To enrol in the voluntary Practices Standards Scheme and to achieve the Core standards of the Scheme within the next 12 months.
To submit a plan to the supervisor of CPD for the next twelve months within one month of agreeing to these undertakings. The plan should then be implemented and shall include aspects of practice management.
To pay all of the costs of complying with the undertakings, with the exception of the costs associated with the appointment and performance of the supervisor.
Ian Green, chairing the Disciplinary Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: "The Committee recognised that Dr Mulvey has been subject to undertakings before and yet committed the disgraceful conduct the subject of this inquiry. But it bore in mind the context of that conduct and it observes that the undertakings previously imposed in reality address a particular aspect of her practice.
"This Committee hopes that when the matter is relisted before it, the Respondent will be able to demonstrate that she has finally been able to address her administrative shortcomings. If she cannot do so, she will know that the Committee that sits on her case at the resumed hearing is likely to have more restricted options for disposal of her case."
The 'Room For Rabbits' campaign follows research in which 38% of vets said they think rabbits’ environment is the most neglected welfare need1, with over a quarter of the UK’s rabbits being kept in inadequate housing conditions, and almost half of them living alone2.
The RAW survey also found that 90% of vets believe that rabbits’ welfare in the UK is improving3.
Room for Rabbits will throw a spotlight on rabbits’ environment, with a variety of initiatives during RAW including vet blogs and videos on how to adapt bunnies’ housing for all seasons, boredom buster ideas, a competition to encourage owners to create a RAW ‘gold standard’ environment, and downloadable packs containing resources for practices to create their own RAW campaigns.
Holly Castle, Senior Brand Manager at Burgess Pet Care, RAAG member and organisers of RAW, said: “We are delighted that RAW continues to have a positive impact, with our survey showing that 90% of vets believe that the welfare of the UK’s rabbits is improving - but there is always more than we can do.
“Since the previous RAW campaign, we have successfully launched RAAG, which recognises that the welfare of these wonderful creatures needs to be high on the agenda year-round.
"By bringing together the expertise of the RAW partners, RAAG is focused on encouraging everyone involved with rabbits to support the first Good Practice Code for rabbits’ welfare in England to ensure it becomes enshrined in law.
"One of the ways to achieve this is through initiatives like RAW, which is the UK’s largest welfare campaign of its kind.
“We recognise that vets’ practices were really stretched last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, which meant it was difficult to support campaigns like RAW.
"However, following a surge in demand for rabbit ownership in the UK during the past two years, it is vitally important that we educate more owners than ever before and continue to help improve rabbits’ welfare."
“The veterinary community plays a hugely important role in ensuring that owners have access to the right information, and we are urging practices to throw their support behind this year’s RAW to ensure that we reach as many owners as possible.
Professor Ian Ramsey, Past President of the BSAVA, which endorses RAW, said: "The BSAVA is once again delighted to support RAW and the theme of this year’s campaign.
"Rabbits remain one of the most misunderstood pets in the UK, but we are confident that vets across the UK will again show their support for this important campaign to improve the lives of pet rabbits.”
The RAAG is encouraging vets’ practices to sign up to receive updates about RAW at https://www.rabbitawarenessactiongroup.co.uk/raw-pack-reminder/.
Downloadable RAW vet packs will also be available from 6th June.
The paper details the current and potential uses of this rapidly developing technology, and its benefits and risks.
It provides an introduction to AI and its uses in human medicine, small animal, farm and equine practice, radiology and veterinary education.
It also looks at the potential impact on the wellbeing and working life of veterinary teams.
Results from VetCT’s recent survey on the opinions of AI within the veterinary profession are included in the paper.
Julien Labruyère, Chief Innovation Officer at VetCT, said: “This is a crucial moment in the veterinary industry to ensure we have the knowledge and safeguards in place to apply AI safely, effectively and with confidence to support good clinical practice and ultimately, improve animal welfare.
"This white paper aims to provide a firm foundation for understanding AI and stimulate discussion on how it may impact both people and animals.”
The paper also calls for the development of industry-wide guidance, standards and regulations to safeguard veterinary teams and animal health and welfare as these tools are deployed.
Julien added: “AI development is accelerating rapidly, with global governments and industries racing to regulate to ensure the benefits outweigh the potential negative impacts of this far-reaching technology.
"It’s vital that opinion leaders, organisations and regulators from across the veterinary world come together and develop guardrails so we can have confidence that AI tools will benefit our teams and our patients.”
https://5345458.hs-sites.com/vetct-ai-white-paper
Trilotab is licensed for the treatment of pituitary-dependent hypercortisolism (PDH) caused by an adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH)-secreting pituitary adenoma, which accounts for 85% of spontaneous cases of Cushing’s, and for the treatment of adreno-dependent hyperadrenocorticism (ADH) caused by a cortisol-secreting adrenocortical tumour (ACT), which accounts for the remaining 15% of spontaneous cases1.
The new tablet is divisible into halves and quarters to facilitate dose adjustment and make administration easier.
Divided tablets remain stable outside of the blister packaging until the next dose is due, thereby avoiding wastage.
Trilotab tablets are chewable and chicken-flavoured to help improve treatment compliance.
They contain hydrolysed chicken flavouring so they can be prescribed for pets allergic to chicken.
Trilotab is administered once daily with food with a starting dose of 2mg trilostane/kg bodyweight.
The new tabs are available in three presentations: 10mg, 30mg, and 60mg presentations, which Virbac says should help practices reduce their dispensary stockholding.
Andrew Connolly, Marketing Director – UK & Ireland at Virbac, said: ‘The complex nature of Cushing’s syndrome in dogs can make it a challenging condition to manage for both the clinician and the pet owner.
"With the requirement for lifelong treatment, it is our hope that Trilotab’s easy administration and simplified dosing protocols will genuinely help to improve the lives of dogs affected by the disease, whilst making the clinician and pet owner’s lives just a little bit easier too!"
Reference
Research amongst veterinary surgeons by Janssen Animal Health, maker of Cavalesse oral and Cavalesse topical, has revealed that owners could be doing more harm than good when it comes to managing sweet itch in their horses.
92% of vets questioned are aware that people follow old wives' tales by administering lotions and potions such as garlic and olive oil to ward off flies during the summer sweet itch season, when garlic actually has the opposite effect of attracting them.
According to Janssen, it is thought that only a quarter of horse owners are aware that it is important to carry out preventative measures before the start of the midge season to help alleviate sweet itch. 14% of people are thought to go to their vet for advice on sweet itch, while 30% seek help from their country store or tack shop, 27% search for information on websites and 26% ask other horse owners for guidance. This is despite the fact that 92% of those questioned believe that sweet itch would clear up quicker if people sought advice from their veterinary surgeon.
Nicki Glen, marketing manager at Janssen Animal Health said: "Sweet itch can be an incredibly difficult and frustrating condition to manage, however horse owners do not tend to seek advice from their vets. It is therefore important to educate horse owners while you are on yard visits with pro-active advice on the condition for the long-term health and welfare of horses."
Cavalesse is a natural food supplement containing a specialised formulation of water-soluble vitamins and minerals, including nicotinamide. Once a month the contents of each sachet are dissolved in water to form an oral solution, which can be administered daily via a special pipette, either by sprinkling over a small handful of feed or adding to a treat such as a sugar lump. Janssen says the supplement helps horses maintain a healthy skin and promotes normal immune function in horses prone to summer allergies.
Cavalesse Topical is a skincare gel that can be used in combination with the Cavalesse solution. The gel can be applied to the skin to help support natural immunity from the outside, whilst the oral solution works in partnership from the inside.
For further information on Cavalesse and Cavalesse Topical please contact your Janssen Animal Health account manager or phone 01494 567555.
A group of some of the best-known referral practices in the country has issued a formal response to the recent announcement by pet insurance underwriter RSA that it is building a network of preferred referral practices to direct its clients to.
Whilst RSA has clarified the contents of a letter it sent to practices in the Midlands and North West, and apologised to the profession for the confusion it caused, it has not yet responded to any of the other concerns raised by the profession.
Perhaps chief amongst those is the claim by RSA's Head of Pet Claims, Keith Maxwell, that the company is looking to provide like-for-like treatment at a lower cost from its list of preferred referral practices.
Referral vets from Anderson Moores Veterinary Specialists in Hampshire, Cave Veterinary Specialists in Somerset, Davies Veterinary Specialists in Hertfordshire, Dick White Referrals in Suffolk, North Downs Specialist Referrals in Surrey, The Veterinary Cardiorespiratory Centre in Warwickshire and Willows Veterinary Centre in the West Midlands say that RSA's current list is simply not representative of the RCVS Recognised Specialist expertise and advanced therapies available within the veterinary profession, thereby making it impossible for RSA to offer like-for-like treatment, let alone at a lower cost.
Clive Elwood, Managing Director of Davies Veterinary Specialists in Hertfordshire, speaking on behalf of the practices who have expressed concern about the move, said: "An approach that focuses on cost-cutting rather than quality of patient care and lacks any genuine or objective process to benchmark clinical standards is inappropriate. Many multi-disciplinary centres place enormous value on the importance of Recognised Specialists being involved at every level of care including consultation, anaesthesia and imaging assessment and the proposed restrictions may preclude this level of service in some instances. We understand that balancing high standards of care and affordability for owners and insurance companies is an important issue and we hope insurers will work with all sectors of the profession to find constructive workable long term solutions."
Mike Martin of the Veterinary Cardiorespiratory Centre in Warwickshire added: "Owners buy pet insurance to ensure that they can access the best available expertise when their animals are ill. I don't think any owner wants to have their choice of practice restricted by insurance companies who are primarily concerned with encouraging shortcuts to reduce costs."
The British College of Veterinary Specialists has invited RSA to attend a meeting to discuss issues of concern, but says it hasn't thus far received a reply.
The company says the series will help practices set-up, post content and measure the effectiveness of their social media channels.
There are three introductory videos titled: ‘What are the benefits and why is social media key to my practice?’, ‘Measurement, maintenance and management’ and ‘Planning’.
The first video covers a back-to-basics introduction to social media channels, including Facebook and Instagram. The second video explains how to measure the success of social channels and how to manage posts and content. The final video covers the importance of planning and the use of content calendars to highlight events and awareness days, as well as helpful tools and features such as Facebook Live.
The four how-to guides explain:
The social media videos and how-to guides are part of PetNatter, Boehringer Ingelheim’s free veterinary resource, designed to help veterinary practices stay in touch with owners and help them care for their pets. Originally launched in mid-July, PetNatter provides veterinary practices with professionally crafted social media, newsletter and website content.
Grace Tonner, territory manager at Boehringer Ingelheim said: “Social media plays a big part in our social lives and it is an increasingly important channel in business communities too, which has the potential to help practices maintain and develop vital relationships with pet owners.
"While most vet practices recognise that social media should play an important role in starting and maintaining communications with clients and potential clients, particularly during challenging times such as the COVID-19 pandemic, finding the time, resource and skills to be effective with social media can be challenging.
"Our brilliant series of short, easy-to-understand social media videos and how-to guides provides veterinary professionals with the essential knowledge, tools and confidence to make vet practice social media a hit. Using the videos and guides will enable vet practices to get their social media up and running in just 15 minutes.”
For further information on the social media videos and how-to guides contact your local Boehringer Ingelheim territory manager or visit petnatter.co.uk/how-to.
The programme, which will look at the achievements and contributions of people of African and Afro-Caribbean descent, will see Dr Greene being interviewed by presenter Alex Beresford alongside a number of other prominent black Britons including athlete and broadcaster Colin Jackson, publisher and author Margaret Busby, Mayor of Bristol Marvin Rees, and nurse and academic Dame Elizabeth Anionwu.
Mandisa said: “I am immensely honoured to be the first Black President of the RCVS and to use this opportunity to speak to the black community, and indeed all communities, about my love of veterinary science and the importance of the work we do in safeguarding animal health and welfare and wider public health.
"I am a great believer in the phrase ‘if you see it, you can be it’ and I hope that my various talks this month and, particularly the upcoming ITV documentary, will help people recognise that veterinary professionals can come from a diverse range of backgrounds and that, provided they have the drive and the ambition, there should be no barriers to them meeting their dreams."
The authors say that an association between acute kidney injury and general anaesthesia is well-defined in human medicine, but there is little information in the veterinary literature.
In their new study, called “Twelve previously healthy non-geriatric dogs present for acute kidney injury after general anaesthesia for non-emergency surgical procedures in the UK1”, Emma Rogers-Smith and her co-authors retrospectively analysed the medical records of 12 dogs that presented for acute kidney injury following general anaesthesia across three multidisciplinary referral centres and one primary care practice in the UK. Information obtained included signalment, general anaesthesia, surgical procedure and peri-surgical management.
The aim was to characterise common factors after a suspected increase in incidence of post-procedure acute kidney injury in animals without identifiable risk factors.
Emma Rogers-Smith, a resident in internal medicine at Davies Veterinary Specialists and corresponding author for the paper, said: “A suspicion that there was an increase in non-geriatric dogs suffering acute kidney injury (AKI) shortly after elective procedures led to this study.
"Whilst our data supported this suspicion, there was an increase in incidence, the change itself is not statistically significant and so we are unable to be conclusive.
"This study is limited by small sample size and retrospective nature of the data. At this time no definitive causal link between these cases has been found.
"As such, we are urging clinicians with similar experiences in the last 24 months to get in touch. We hope to ascertain if there is any commonality between these cases and, if possible, better define the incidence of AKI in non-geriatric animals following elective procedures.”
Nick Jeffery, editor of JSAP said: “Nowadays, most veterinarians consider general anaesthesia safe in dogs and routinely allay pet-owner concerns. Whilst AKI following general anaesthesia seems to be rare, it is worrying that a specific risk factor was not identified in any dog, despite a wealth of available clinical data. I would urge any veterinarians that have similar cases to contact the authors.”
Any clinicians with similar experiences during the last 24 months should contact Emma Rogers-Smith on emma.rogers-smith@vetspecialists.co.uk.
The full article can be found in the June issue of the Journal of Small Animal Practice, and here: https://www.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jsap.13134
The exhibition comprises 22 photographs showing a range of subjects from across the UK and overseas, including cattle during a TB testing day on the island of Arran, a surprising find during surgery, a look down the microscope at feline myofiber disarray and a practical session of bee veterinary medicine.
The photographs were selected from around 1,000 that were submitted to the association's photo competitions by its members in 2016 and 2017.
The exhibition was officially opened today by Neil Parish MP, Chair of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee (EfraCom) and BVA Honorary Member, at an opening ceremony attended by parliamentarians as well as many of the veterinary surgeons whose photographs feature in the exhibition.
Neil said: "These photos show the diverse range of things that vets are involved in. What we respect from BVA is that we get good clear, evidence-based advice when we need it."
BVA member and Director of Cambridge Veterinary Group Lucy Crosby was commended for her snake intubation picture last year. She said: "The exhibition is a really exciting opportunity for vets to show that their skills extend beyond the operating room to the arts.
"I personally feel privileged to have my photo shown here. The veterinary profession and what we do is diverse and it's important to broadcast to the general public just how important the profession’s contribution is to the country."
BVA President, John Fishwick said: "It's an honour to have the opportunity to exhibit our members’ photographs in the Palace of Westminster. Vets work in practices across the UK, in government policy, public health and food safety, industry and technology, the armed forces, and beyond.
"As a profession, we play a significant role in many areas of personal and political life; an issue that EU exit has brought into sharp relief. With the political landscape shifting so rapidly, it’s apt that we’re showcasing vets’ work to parliamentarians to make sure it’s at the forefront of their minds as they return for the New Year."
The exhibition will be open daily until Thursday 11 January in the Upper Waiting Room of the House of Commons, an area open to Members of Parliament, Peers and visiting members of the public.
To view the photographs exhibited, and many others from BVA’s photo competitions, visit BVA’s Flickr account: www.flickr.com/photos/britishvets/albums/
The announcement came hot on the heels of announcements from Ceva and Boehringer that they too had vaccines in the pipeline.
Syvazul BTV3 is licensed to reduce viraemia, prevent mortality and reduce clinical signs and lesions in sheep and for the active immunisation against bluetongue virus serotype 3 in cattle.
Like all vaccines currently available for this serotype, the vaccine will not prevent infection and vaccinated animals will still be subject to bluetongue movement controls and trade restrictions currently in place.
Administered as a single 2ml dose subcutaneously in sheep and as two 4ml intramuscular doses 3 weeks apart in cattle, Syvazul BTV3 contains inactivated Bluetongue virus, serotype 3 (BTV-3), strain BTV-3/NET2023.
The vaccine is licenced for use during pregnancy and lactation in both sheep and cattle.
The onset of immunity is 28 days after the primary vaccine in sheep. A single booster revaccination dose of 2ml for sheep and 4ml for cattle is recommended after 12 months.
Presented in two pack sizes, 80ml and 200ml, Syvazul BTV3 vaccine has a shelf life of 2 years from manufacture and a broach life of 10 hours.
Licensing for use will be geographic, based upon high risk counties or by specific licence from the APHA.
The app, which works on tablets and smartphones, allows vets to e-mail audit results directly to clients following an interactive calf health assessment at the farm.
MSD Animal Health’s youngstock marketing manager Robert Simpson said: “Our new app allows both parties to explore, record and score calf health performance across five core areas to identify the strengths and weaknesses of any rearing unit’s environment and processes.
“Working through a series of 10 questions within each core area – designed to tease out where a rearing unit is in terms of accepted best management practice – allows vet and farmer to quickly pinpoint any areas needing attention.
"What’s more, repeating the checklist every six or 12 months is a great way to keep things on track, allowing both parties to monitor progress against agreed targets”.
For more information about the app, contact your MSD account manager.
Brigite said: "We are leading an international multi-centre study to further investigate the impact of this heart disorder on the quality of life and life expectancy of affected dogs.
"This is an extremely important research project, so we need the co-operation of referring vets in the area to send cases to us to be included in the study. Clearly, the more cases we can assess then the more we can learn and the more we can help.
"The hope is this study will revolutionise the way in which this condition is treated in dogs around the world, both improving their day-to-day lives as well as giving them longer at home with their families."
For more information, visit: www.willows.uk.net
The RCVS has launched a new College honour, the RCVS Queen's Medal.
RCVS President Col Neil Smith said: "The Queen's Medal will be the most prestigious honour that the RCVS can bestow upon a veterinary surgeon and will be reserved for those whose distinguished careers and outstanding lifetime achievements deserve wider recognition."
The honour was created following a review of the RCVS honours system, which demonstrated the need for a new aspirational award.
The RCVS wrote to the Cabinet Office last year, together with letters of support from Peers and MPs, many of whom attended the reception, to request permission to name this new honour after Her Majesty the Queen.
Col Smith said: "We are honoured that Her Majesty has supported the proposal and allowed the College to name the award after her, and express our sincere thanks to those Parliamentarians who supported our endeavour."
The first RCVS Queen's Medal will be presented at RCVS Day in July 2014. The nomination form for the Queen's Medal can be found at www.rcvs.org.uk/Queensmedal.
Samantha, who was a recipient of the Malaysian Prime Minister’s Scholarship, has a degree in genetics, molecular biology and microbiology, and a PhD in cancer research from University College London.
She was diagnosed with ADHD at the age of 40, which led her to set up ADHD Girls, an organisation that helps people with ADHD access employment and works with businesses to help them understand ADHD.
Samantha's talk is part of a module on neurodiversity, which will open with an exploration of neurodiversity and the challenges of diagnosis, before looking at how you can better support those in practice teams, as well as neurodivergent clients and students.
The session will wrap up with a discussion about how to cultivate greater inclusivity and understanding around those who are neurodivergent within the veterinary professions.
Being neurodivergent means that your brain works differently from the average person, meaning there may be differences in social preference, ways of communicating, ways of learning and ways of perceiving the environment.
Samantha said: “No two brains are the same. But what if you were born with a brain that constantly makes you feel like everything you do differentiates you from everyone else?”
“My talk introduces neurodiversity in the context of society, casting light on ADHD and autism, and how this impacts the workplace and one’s quality of life, and what we can do to build a compassionate culture, starting with the conversations we have at work.
"I’m really excited to talk at the BSAVA Congress and meet other professionals in the veterinary field.”
After her lecture, she will be partaking in a panel discussion around the challenges of diagnosis of neurodivergence alongside Laura Playforth, a vet who has been diagnosed with both bipolar and autism and is currently Group Quality Improvement Director at IVC Evidensia.
Andy Green, Vice Chair of the BSAVA Congress Programme Committee chair said: “We are delighted to have Samantha delivering our keynote this year on such an important topic.
"Neurodiversity is becoming an increasingly important area of focus and understanding across society and we have a significant population of neurodivergent people working as vets, nurses and in other roles, many of whom may not as yet have a diagnosis.”
“We also need to recognise that many pet owners and clients are neurodivergent.
"Samantha is ideally placed to shine a spotlight on this subject, using her own story and life experience to deliver a greater understanding of what it actually means to be neurodivergent and how businesses/practices can understand, embrace and support neurodivergent members of the work force and community.”
Early bird tickets for BSAVA Congress 2023 are currently on sale with 3-day and 1-day tickets available to purchase. Get your ticket now: https://www.bsavaevents.com/bsavacongress2023/en/page/home.
Bayer Animal Health (makers of Advocate, Advantix, Advantage, Seresto, Profender, Drontal and Droncit) has launched 'It's a Jungle Out There', an educational initiative aimed at simplifying parasite control for veterinary practices and pet owners alike.
The impressive-looking initiative comes on the back of research carried out by the company which found:
Dan White, Group Product Manager for Bayer's Animal Health division said: "Our research concluded that many vet practices are missing an opportunity because of a lack of clarity regarding best practice for parasite control. With ongoing support and practical development tools, Bayer's 'It's a Jungle Out There' Programme is an educational initiative which will arm vet practices with the tools they need to make parasite control clearer and more accessible to owners, helping to ensure the UK is a nation of healthy parasite-free pets and happy owners."
Bayer says the first stage of the 'It's a Jungle Out There' initiative aims to help the veterinary community identify opportunities where they can help to improve pet owner compliance. Vet practices will then be supported in developing a parasite protocol which will then be launched to consumers via a heavyweight advertising and PR campaign.
The initiative comprises a new educational website: www.jungleforvets.co.uk, which includes practice development workbooks, market research and trends, extensive technical information on a wide variety of parasites and CPD assessments. Additional downloadable content includes a range of materials such as images, videos, downloads and web buttons.
From the end of August, practice support materials will be available including a waiting room display pack, parasite guide and dispenser, vet nurse reference guide, waiting room posters, lifestyle questionnaire, badges and static window stickers.
The pet owner focus will begin in September and will include an interactive website, advertising and an extensive print and broadcast PR campaign with celebrity ambassadors David Bellamy and TV vet Steve Leonard. This activity is aimed at driving owners towards their vet practice for advice on parasite risks.
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The practice is one of few in the UK to use radioactive iodine (RAI) therapy, which, it says, has an average, a 95% success rate in treating cats with hyperthyroidism.
Stephanie Lalor MRCVS (pictured right), an RCVS Specialist in Feline Medicine at Willows said: "The new therapy is non-invasive and is the gold standard of treatment for cats with hyperthyroidism. It is safe and highly effective and a single injection can be curative. Patients do need to be screened for their suitability and ideally they are treated with medical therapy prior to the RAI.
"Due to the radioactive nature of the treatment, patients must stay with us for 15 days after the injection. Our patients stay in luxury cat condos during their hospitalisation and their day-to-day care is over-seen by our lead radioactive iodine nurse, Vicky Maund."
The new unit is part of a £1 million investment in Willows which includes a dedicated operating theatre for minimally invasive procedures, a range of specialist treatment rooms and more than 40 new kennels.
Toby Gemmill, clinical director at Willows, said: "We are already extremely well placed to offer a wide variety of specialist treatments and this extension has provided us with the space to expand our services further. The new radioactive iodine unit is very exciting and allows us to build on our gold level cat-friendly clinic status."
For more information, visit www.willows.uk.net.
In the survey of 354 owners, 65% thought their cats get on well with each other. However, 60% reported signs of disharmony, including: chasing (65%), swiping paws (53%), hissing (48%), keeping a distance from one another (31%), fighting and acting aggressively (27%), staring (30%) and sitting in front of resources to block access (25%).
In addition, some of the cats were so stressed that they would often scratch furniture or household items (46%), hide from their housemates (26%), meow excessively (20%) or spray (17%).
Claire Russell, Feliway brand manager at Ceva Animal Health, said: "There is the common misconception that cats need other feline companions, however they are naturally solitary survivors who are more than happy in their own company. Simple environmental changes and using Feliway Friends can help restore harmony between household cats who are displaying signs of multi-cat tension."
Vetswest, the veterinary support services company, has been acquired by MWI Veterinary Supply, a subsidiary of the US multinational, AmerisourceBergen.
MWI already owns Centaur and VetSpace, and the agreement will allow it to further expand the range of services it offers the animal health profession in the UK.
Jim Cleary, Executive Vice President of AmerisourceBergen and President of MWI Veterinary Supply said: “This partnership reflects our commitment to the success of veterinary practices across the globe. We’re proud to welcome Vetswest to the MWI family as we continue to expand our services in our mission to be the best resource to the animal health profession.”
Vetswest offers group business support services for its 235 member veterinary practices including negotiating manufacturer terms and a proprietary IT system that supports pricing intelligence, inventory information and reporting on purchasing activity. The company also provides access to ancillary services for veterinary surgeons to help manage human resources, continuing professional development, insurance offerings, pension services and other areas which support the growth of member practices.
Vetswest's retiring managing director David Buckley said: “The resources of MWI and AmerisourceBergen will allow us to bring new innovation to the market and additional benefits to Vetswest members. I’m excited about Vetswest’s future under the leadership of Chris Sobey and as part of the MWI and AmerisourceBergen family.”
Chris Sobey, who will become the new managing director of Vetswest following his tenure as Vetswest’s business development director said: “Our goal has always been to improve efficiencies and services for our members through scale and with our new relationship with MWI and AmerisourceBergen, we will be well positioned to further this core mission of our organisation.’’
Working in collaboration with researchers at University of Texas, Southwestern (UTSW) Medical Center, the team has succeeded in using gene editing techniques on dogs to restore the expression of the dystrophin protein that is absent in DMD patients’ muscles to levels that could be life changing.
DMD is the most common, fatal, genetic disease that affects children. The same disorder also occurs in many dog breeds. It is caused by mutations in the gene that encodes dystrophin, a crucial protein that helps protect muscle fibres and the heart when they contract. Patients with the disease produce effectively no dystrophin protein, so their muscles and heart become damaged during contraction, leading to inability to walk, skeletal deformities, breathing problems and heart failure. Patients with DMD have a life expectancy that does not go far beyond their twenties.
Researchers say that this preliminary research, published in Science, demonstrates an approach that could lead to an effective, in principle one-time treatment for DMD for the most common genetic mutations affecting human patients. Through a single intravenous injection, researchers have been able to modify the dystrophin gene in many muscles of the body, including the heart, with the result that some muscles now had almost the normal amounts of dystrophin protein.
The team, led by Eric Olson, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of Molecular Biology at UTSW Medical Center and founder and chief science advisor of Exonics Therapeutics, and Richard Piercy, Ph.D., MRCVS, Professor of Comparative Neuromuscular Disease at the RVC, identified a naturally-occurring mutation in the dystrophin gene in a dog brought to the RVC’s Small Animal Referral Hospital.
Working now with relatives of this first dog, the combined group has used a technique called ‘SingleCut CRISPR gene editing’, where the researchers target a specific region of the subject’s own DNA. Harmless viruses encoding the gene-editing protein CRISPR/Cas9 were used to express the enzyme in muscle to cut the dogs’ own DNA at a precise location in the dystrophin gene through use of a molecular guide. The body’s own processes then repair the cut, which results in removing the negative effects of the existing mutation.
The researchers have demonstrated that dogs treated in this way had restored ability to produce large amounts of the dystrophin protein in their muscles and heart, and in the dog with the highest dose, cardiac muscles were found to have restored dystrophin protein to up to 92% of normal amounts after the single treatment.
The team believes this is the first time that this form of gene editing therapy has been conducted after birth in an animal larger than a rodent. With further longer-term research, efficacy and safety testing, it is hoped that this breakthrough will have human application. This treatment may be a significant step toward developing a gene editing therapy to repair genetic mutations for DMD, as well as a range of diseases caused by genetic mutations.
Richard Piercy, Professor of Comparative Neuromuscular Disease at the RVC, said: "Researchers have been looking for an effective and durable treatment for Duchenne muscular dystrophy for many years. This SingleCut gene editing approach, pioneered by Dr. Eric Olson’s group, has the potential to be a one-time treatment that could restore dystrophin protein. It is hugely exciting that through a single intravenous injection we’ve been able successfully to modify the dogs’ own DNA so they start generating dystrophin protein again. There is more work to be done, but with this exciting breakthrough, we feel we are a significant step closer to finding an effective treatment.
"A great many genetic diseases affect humans, dogs and other species - many, like DMD - with tragic consequences and this form of gene editing treatment might well be applicable in many of them. We’re hopeful that we’re paving the way for future research into treating some of the most serious genetic conditions that affect us today."