Companion Care Vets has launched a Graduate Development Programme to develop veterinary graduates into future partners in the business.
According to the company, seven graduates have so far joined the scheme. Five are from the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies in Edinburgh, one is from The Royal Veterinary College in London and one studied at the Univesitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Each has gone through a rigorous recruitment process devised by the Companion Care Vets HR team, and will be placed in one of the groups established surgeries, where the company will give them an understanding of the entire business from clinical to personal, commercial to management.
Jane Balmain, Managing Director of Companion Care Vets said: "One of my ambitions for Companion Care Vets is to ensure we play a significant role in developing standards in the veterinary profession and I believe that supporting talented veterinary graduates is key to this.
"Our rapidly expanding business is passionate about providing the highest level of pet healthcare and client service and we are proud to be able to help veterinary professionals realise their ambitions and full potential."
Placements last three years, during which Companion Care says each of the graduates will be closely mentored and their clinical learning will follow the framework developed by the RCVS as part of their Professional Development phase. Business support will be given via secondment to Companion Care's support services departments and theory based learning. All graduates are placed in practice from day one, building on their clinical experience.
One of the graduates, Katie Denholm said: "This graduate programme is a brilliant opportunity for me to put what I have learnt at University into practice. What really excited me was the modern surgeries, opportunity to be really hands-on and the added business-advice that will help me to realise my dream of one day, and I hope in the not too distant future, becoming a partner in my own practice."
Katie has been placed at Companion Care Vet's Chelmsford surgery, where veterinary surgeon and Joint Venture Partner Simone Dent said: "This scheme is a fantastic opportunity for graduates to gain all important clinical experience alongside the commercial aspects of a veterinary career. Being a vet these days affords enormous opportunities to build a successful business that provides satisfaction, financial reward and work-life balance. Katie will be given every opportunity to blossom as an integral part of our team learning, and having fun, every step of the way."
To find out more about the Graduate Development Programme please visit www.ccvets.co.uk or email graduates@companioncare.co.uk
Under the RCVS Code of Professional Conduct veterinary surgeons are expected to demonstrate that they are keeping their skills and knowledge up-to-date by engaging in at least 105 hours of CPD over a rolling three-year period.
As part of the auditing process the 1,071 vets will be asked to share their CPD records for 2014 to 2016, either by allowing the College to access their online Professional Development Record or by sending the College a copy of their CPD record card.
The audit will focus on six groups:
The College says that if any of the veterinary surgeons who have been audited are found to be non-compliant they will be asked to explain why and send a plan stating how they will make up the hours in order to become compliant.
The deadline for sharing records is Tuesday 31 October 2017.
As part of the auditing process the College is reminding veterinary surgeons that CPD encompasses a wide range of recorded activities, which can be clinical or non-clinical, including private reading/study, webinars, mentoring, clinical audit and discussion groups as well as attending seminars and workshops.
Don't forget that reading content and participating in forum discussions on VetSurgeon.org can count towards your annual requirement, using the 'Claim CPD' feature at the top of each page.
Those with any questions about the auditing process or what constitutes CPD can contact Jenny Soreskog-Turp, RCVS Education Officer, on cpd@rcvs.org.uk.
In short, it's a way for equine vets, researchers and students to stay on top of the latest research without accumulating towering stacks of unread journals.
Early reaction to the publication has been very positive. Professor Renate Weller at the Royal Veterinary College said: "HoofSearch is a great tool for anybody interested in staying up to date with what work is going on in relation to horse feet. It is a trustworthy source at an affordable price.
Renate added: "I am not the only one who appreciates HoofSearch; the farriers enrolled in our new degree in research are also using it for their work."
RVC Structure and Motion Laboratory PhD candidate Amy Barstow, BVetMed (Hons), agreed: "HoofSearch gives you a straightforward, time-efficient way to stay on top of the latest research."
Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine Professor Emerita Hilary M. Clayton also endorses the new publication. She said: "HoofSearch is worth its weight in gold – instead of spending countless hours scouring the literature, I just go through HoofSearch each month and find all the new publications, proceedings and patents neatly classified and enough of the abstract to convey the contents of the article."
Publisher Fran Jurga said: "Everywhere professionals are involved in helping horses with foot problems, the push is on to both be able to access and build on a comprehensive, if still evolving, body of knowledge. These reports will be useful to track how this newly expanding field of research grew and contributed to the improved welfare, longevity and soundness of horses in the future. I can’t wait to add more editions on other equine health subjects."
A subscription to HoofSearch is US$119, worldwide, for 12 editions.
For more information, visit: https://goo.gl/hJTISt
To subscribe (outside the US), visit: https://www.paypal.me/Hoofcare/119
The new site, which is ten minutes up the road from Southfield's current location in Basildon, Essex, is due to be ready in time for them to move in at the start of 2022.
When it opens, the centre will continue to offer 15 specialist-led services, but the team is projected to double in size as more specialists, clinicians and staff are recruited over the course of this year
The new premises has been made possible thanks to a big investment by parent company Linnaeus, backed by Mars Veterinary Health.
Southfields managing director Tim Richardson said: "The new hospital is a real statement of intent, a clear signal we are committed to delivering a level of excellence in treatment and care second to none.
"It will provide the region with one of the largest and best-equipped veterinary centres in, not only the UK, but also throughout Europe, with an extensive range of expertise in a wide variety of disciplines all under one roof.
"The fabulous facilities include a cutting-edge imaging suite, comprehensive treatment facilities and a new linear accelerator to assist our illustrious oncology team, which has already seen its status as one of the most experienced in the industry enhanced by the arrival of James Elliott, a renowned specialist in oncology.
"There will be seven operating theatres, 16 consultation rooms, recovery suites, lecture halls, a dedicated ICU department and there are plans for a future hydrotherapy suite.
Southfields says it also aims to lead the industry in terms of staff wellbeing, with yoga and boxercise classes among the activities available to the Southfields team.
Daniel Hogan, Southfields’ hospital director, said: “This is a huge move for us in every way. The increased size of the hospital will enable us to provide a dedicated staff wellbeing area and to offer a range of activities which will benefit our team in both body and mind.
“Along with exercise and relaxation classes, we will have an education centre which will offer some really exciting qualifications and courses for the wider profession.”
Bart Johnson, chief executive of Linnaeus, said: "This move is a reflection of the ambition of Southfields, Linnaeus and Mars to continue providing the best veterinary care in the UK."
For more information about Southfields’ new site, visit https://southfields.co.uk/veterinary-professionals/new-hospital/.
Vet-AI's automated triage app offers instant advice to pet owners 24/7, early detection of health issues and advice as to whether they need to speak to a vet.
For the blinded test, which was conducted in April 2025, three UK veterinary surgeons reviewed the responses from Vet-AI, Gemini 2.0 and ChatGPT 4.0 to 48 simulated enquiries from owners.
The vets evaluated each on clinical accuracy, triage effectiveness and the subjective criteria of factuality, integrity, safety, empathy and readability.
Vet-AI’s Large Language Model (LLM) achieved an accuracy score of 81%, surpassing Gemini (69%) and ChatGPT (50%).
Vet-AI’s model also stopped triage at the correct point in 81% of cases according to the vets, compared with Gemini’s 75% and ChatGPT’s 56%.
Vet-AI’s tool also outperformed the leading LLMs on subjective measures, delivering more empathetic, thorough and factual responses to pet owners.
Samantha Webster, Chief Veterinary Officer at Vet-AI said: “These latest results are a significant milestone in the development of automated triage.
"We’re proving we can provide trustworthy online pet care by combining clinical and technical expertise.
"This tool can support the wider industry too, engaging more pet owners in the first step of vet care, ensuring their pets get the care they need - whether in practice or remotely.
"We know that an increasing percentage of the UK pet population is struggling to access veterinary care.
"Whilst AI will never replace a vet, the use of innovative technology can break down the barrier to access, leading to more pets getting the care they need, when they need it."
“With this level of clinical accuracy and technical innovation, we're helping to bring great pet care to more people. As well as helping to create more demand for vet services by making the triage of pets as accurate as possible,” said Paul Hallett, Vet-AI founder and exec chair.
https://www.vet-ai.com/automated-triage
Located in the South East of England, the centre is part of the new School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Surrey, and one of the UK's largest veterinary pathology centres, offering high-containment post-mortem examination facilities and histopathology.
The centre is staffed by a team of board-certified veterinary pathologists, veterinary investigation officers and technicians, with expertise in farm-animal, equine, exotic and small-animal pathology.
The new building centres on a large containment level 2 post-mortem examination room with high ceilings, natural lighting, post-mortem examination tables, biological safety cabinets and integrated cold rooms, all served by a powerful winch system which means that post-mortem examinations can be performed on a wide range of species. A viewing gallery overlooks the suite and post-mortem examinations can be recorded and streamed for training purposes.
Professor Roberto La Ragione, Director of the Veterinary Pathology Centre, said: "Veterinary pathology is a growing discipline and its importance has been highlighted in recent disease outbreaks and the important role veterinary pathologists make in drug development. Helping the farming community to be more effective, sustainable and innovative, the Centre will work with partners, businesses and researchers to address some of the unique challenges faced by the veterinary and scientific community.
"It is the close relationships with our external clinical and scientific partners that enables us to be innovative in our approach to education and training here at the Surrey. An example of the latter is the use of digital pathology in teaching, research and diagnostics, which was the subject of discussion at the recent launch of the Veterinary Health Innovation Engine (vHive).
"Together with our partners such as the National Physical Laboratory and the 5G Innovation centre, the Centre is at the forefront of the digitalisation of pathology and innovative big data management.
"The Centre offers the opportunity to inspire the next generation of veterinary pathologists and complements the centres of excellence that already exist in other vet schools and research institutes."
The RCVS has removed 563 veterinary surgeons from the Register from 1 June for non-payment of retention fees.
A list of those who remained off the Register as of 31 July 2012 is available here: www.rcvs.org.uk/removals2012.
The College says it is publicising the list to help make sure that those who have been removed, and their employers, are aware; it includes only those not restored prior to 31 July.
Christine Fraser, RCVS Head of Registration said: “If you know anyone who appears on this list and who is still working in the UK, you may wish to advise them they need to contact the RCVS as a matter of urgency to restore their name to the Register."
The RCVS is asking veterinary surgeons who have not yet confirmed their registration details, which is now part of the annual renewal process, to please make sure this is done by 30 September. A form was enclosed with the annual fee-reminder, or this can be done online at www.rcvs.org.uk/registration.
Information about how veterinary surgeons removed after non-payment can restore themselves to the Register is available at www.rcvs.org.uk/registration, or by contacting the RCVS Registration Department (membership@rcvs.org.uk or 0207 202 0707).
Under the new policy, introduced this month, women who joined the company more than two years ago are entitled to six month's maternity leave on full pay, while those who have been with the company for less than that are entitled to three months at full pay and three months at half pay.
After six months, statutory rates will be paid.
Meanwhile, new fathers are now entitled to four week's paternity leave on full pay.
Mark Ross (pictured right), CEO of Vets Now, said: “Several staff wrote to me about this issue and I agreed to look into it.
"Our previous maternity policy was six weeks full pay, six weeks half pay, followed by statutory rates, while men received 1.5 weeks of full paternity pay, so this is a huge leap forward. The changes cover maternity leave, shared parental leave, adoption and surrogacy.
"Our business has been tremendously successful in the past few years, thanks to the incredible hard work of our people, and we’re always looking at innovative ways of reinvesting our profits back into the business so it’s our people who benefit most.
"We’re also hoping to put in place other improvements and among the initiatives we’re looking at are providing better support for staff returning to work after a period of leave, better provisions for nursing mums, a dedicated resource for parents who are struggling, and additional leave during the first year of returning to work.
"We want to make Vets Now a great place to work for all of our staff, no matter what stage they’re at in life."
Focusing on the approach, diagnosis and treatment of regurgitation in dogs and cats, the webinar looks at how to differentiate regurgitation from vomiting and the way some diseases can cause inflammation, obstruction or dysmotility of the oesophagus, which can often result in regurgitation.
Aarti Kathrani graduated from the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) and is now a Senior Lecturer in Small Animal Internal Medicine, where she is involved with the clinical internal medicine service. She also helps provide nutritional input to clinical cases seen at the Queen Mother Hospital for Animals, where her research centres on canine and feline gastroenterology and nutrition.
Aarti said: “The webinar is designed to help general practitioners differentiate between regurgitation and vomiting, as well as provide a comprehensive review of the different causes of regurgitation and the diagnostic approach to this. Treatment is also discussed for this condition. We hope the webinar provides a useful guide to help diagnose and manage these cases in general practice.”
The regurgitation lecture is freely available and can be accessed via the Webinar Library here: https://www.bsavalibrary.com/content/webinar-library.
The lecture complements the BSAVA Manual of Canine and Feline Gastroenterology, which was published in 2019 to give readers a greater insight into the GI conditions they are treating. The Manual is divided into four main sections, focusing on; Diagnostic procedures and techniques; Diagnostic approaches to problems; Patient Management; Diseases of specific systems/organs.
The Manual costs £60.00 for BSAVA members; £90.00 for non-members and can be purchased from the BSAVA website here: https://www.bsava.com/Shop/Veterinary-books#!prod/f1a8220f-3ff7-e911-80e7-005056be4acd/curr/GBP
This compares with 38% in 2016 and just 25% in 2012.
The survey found that on average, students are having to make up an annual shortfall of £2000 per annum, and those in the mid and later years of study are more likely to have a part-time job than those in the earlier years.
Significant numbers of students are now also reporting mental health problems: 68% report feeling overwhelmed, 52% experiencing anxiety and 35% reporting depression, with 78% citing their studies as the cause, 57% the lack of free time and 44% financial worries.
As part of the survey, students were asked which area they saw themselves working in after graduation.
Overall, 85% said they intend to go into clinical practice (increasing from 79% in the 1st year to 90% in the final year).
When they think about their first job, 43% said the graduate support offering and 28% the type of practice are the most important considerations.
When it comes to extra-mural studies (EMS), the survey found hands-on experience is the top priority for vet students when choosing their placements and cost is the biggest barrier (37%).
Katie Roberts, AVS President, said: "I’m really pleased that we’ve got an up-to-date overview of the thoughts, concerns and aspirations of our membership population. Our new comprehensive data set on the mental health and welfare concerns of our students is concerning, as are the number of students facing financial concerns during their degree. However, such shocking findings will provide us with really strong, quantitative support when we work to tackle these issues over the coming months."
BVA President, Daniella Dos Santos said: “This survey is a really important snapshot of veterinary student life today. High levels of mental health concerns and funding gaps continue to be a significant worry and it’s essential that both the vet schools and the wider veterinary community provide as much support as possible. We’ll be sharing the results with the vet schools to help them help their students.
"The increasing pressure to work part-time to makes ends meet is a stark reminder that a vet degree can be really expensive. This isn’t only a concern for current vet students who are facing financial hardship but it’s also a significant barrier to widening participation to students from non-traditional backgrounds. It’s an issue that BVA is working on with AVS, RCVS and the Vet Schools Council."
London Vet Specialists (LVS), billed as the capital's first complete-service referral centre, has announced its official opening in Belsize Park.
The centre is headed up by senior surgeon and soft tissue specialist, Dr Janet Kovak McClaran DVM DACVS DECVS MRCVS, former head of the department of surgery at the Animal Medical Center in New York.
Janet leads a team of consultants specialising in internal medicine and surgery, diagnostic imaging, emergency and critical care, anaesthesia and analgesia, and minimally-invasive surgery.
Janet says the new centre was set up to enable London-based vets to access close-by expert help across key areas: "When I was first approached about setting up a referral centre servicing central and greater London, I was surprised that a dedicated facility didn’t already exist. Previously, referring clinicians have had to send clients on long journeys outside of the capital, leading to patient stress and hassle and extra expense for the owners. Now, they have the reassurance of access to a highly-experienced secondary and tertiary level referral team on their doorstep."
The LVS facility boasts a state-of-the-art surgical theatre, complete with a Karl Storz operating tower enabling cutting-edge laparoscopic, thoracoscopic and cystoscopic procedures. The minimally-invasive surgery suite is one of only three such facilities in the UK. An onsite CT scanner, the GE Brivio CT 385, forms part of an array of imaging equipment, operated by European Specialist in Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging, Dr Livia Benigni. The immediate interpretation of even the most-complex of images is designed to allow seamless patient investigation and negate the need for repeated patient anaesthetics.
Internal Medicine consultant Dr Kaye Gugich, formerly of Vets Now Referrals in Swindon, together with board-certified Emergency and Critical Care Specialist Dr Adam Mugford, and Dr Karla Borland, a previous resident in anaesthesia and analgesia at Edinburgh University, complete the consultant team.
London Vet Specialists says it is the only facility in central London to offer a full time specialist surgery service alongside a specialist service in emergency and critical care. Emergency stabilisation and intensive care is available around the clock, with experienced clinicians and a nursing team ensuring continuous supervision, day or night. The LVS specialist surgical team is also on call to the hospital overnight should specialist emergency surgery be required out of hours.
Patient and customer care at LVS is based on the model used by Sydney’s SASH Vets (Small Animal Specialist Hospital). LVS Client Relations Manager Claire Newton helped to develop the SASH system during her time at the advanced referral hospital, which concentrates on delivering the highest standards of patient care, alongside a dedicated support system for the client and referring vet.
Claire said: "From the very start of the referral process, customer care is prioritised. In this we consider that we have two customers; the first, the referring vet, who needs to feel that he or she has an integral role in the ongoing management of the case, and that his or her client is well-looked after. Our second customer, the pet owner or client, needs to be looked after with compassion and respect, and have the ability to speak directly to the clinician in charge of their pet, at any point. Excellent two-way communication is key. We ensure that we listen and respond to the needs of both parties through every step of the customer journey."
For more information on London Vet Specialists, or to speak to Claire Newton about referring a patient, visit www.londonvetspecialists.vet, email Claire.newton@londonvetspecialists.vet, or telephone 0207 4330155.
The company has published data from its 2021 Assure Ewe subsidised testing scheme, which found that 48% of farms that submitted samples after last year’s lambing season tested positive for EAE1 caused by Chlamydia abortus.
This, Ceva says, mirrors the results from the 2020 testing initiative, demonstrating that EAE remains a significant issue on UK farms.
Katherine Timms BVetMed (Hons) MRCVS, ruminant veterinary advisor at Ceva Animal Health said: “EAE is a significant problem on UK farms, and it can be exceptionally expensive and frustrating to deal with, as infected sheep aborting and shedding have the potential to cause an abortion storm the following year.
“Any abortion outbreak should therefore be identified and managed as quickly and effectively as possible to help prevent the rest of the ewes in the flock from becoming infected.
"Vaccination and strict biosecurity provide the best protection against EAE and farmers can vaccinate their ewes from five months of age until four weeks prior to tupping, as long as the ewe is not in lamb.”
For further information, contact your local Ceva Animal Health account manager or visit www.enzooticabortion.co.uk.
Reference
Ear cropping in UK dogs was exposed by BBC’s Panorama as a growing problem particularly with extreme mix breeds such as American Bullies and XL Bullies.
Dave said: “We need to urgently relook at legislation in the UK to prevent the serious rise in ear cropping which we’ve witnessed in recent years.”
It is currently illegal for a dog’s ears to be cropped in the UK, and proposals for a ban on importing dogs with cropped ears have been put forward by the Government. However, Dave says this legislation doesn’t go far enough to prevent an exponential rise in dogs with cropped ears, which some owners see as a status symbol: “At the moment the legislation in the UK is very hard to enforce unless you actually catch someone in the act of cropping the dog’s ears.
“It’s not currently illegal for someone to own a dog with cropped ears.
"So, if an owner were challenged by enforcement agencies, they’d just say ‘I bought the dog like this’ and there’s no liability.” “We propose that any dogs who already have cropped ears at the time the ban is due to come into force, must be registered on a database, which enforcement agencies and the veterinary profession would have access to.
"And for anyone owning an unregistered dog with cropped ears after the legislation comes into effect, then it’s a criminal offence.”
The Panorama programme also exposed co-ownership – where the breeder and the pet owner share ownership of the dog, often the bitch – as a system which has enabled unscrupulous breeders to get around current laws on dog breeding in the UK.
The breeder retains ownership of the stud dog and uses the network of co-owned female dogs for reproduction purposes. Dave said: “People need to be made aware of the risks of entering into a legal contract as a co-owner of one of these extreme mix breed dogs. “All the contracts I have seen in my role as an expert witness are strongly weighed in favour of the breeder. “So for example if the bitch does not have the requisite number of litters, or becomes ill or injured and has to be put to sleep, then the co-owner is fully liable for the full purchase cost of the dog to the breeder. “Considering that the female dogs are often valued in excess of £12k and the breeder may well have connections to organised crime or have a criminal record, there are huge risks for people entering into co-ownership.”
Melissa graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 and, after working as a food animal intern at Iowa State University in the United States for a stint, in 1990 joined a two-person traditional mixed-animal veterinary practice on the Ayrshire coast. Over the next 25 years she developed it into a 4.5 person small-animal practice with a focus on dentistry, before moving away from clinical work in 2015.
Melissa was first elected to Council in 2016 and re-elected in 2020 and, since joining, has sat on a number of committees including the Education Committee, Finance & Resources Committee, and Preliminary Investigation Committee/Disciplinary Committee Liaison Committee. Since 2019 she has chaired the Standards Committee where she has led the Review of ‘Under Care’ and Out-of-Hours Emergency Cover and also chairs the Certificate in Advanced Veterinary Practice Subcommittee.
As well as her work with RCVS she has also been President of the British Veterinary Association’s Scottish Branch and is currently a Non-Executive Director of the Red Tractor Assured Food Standards Scheme and a Trustee of the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Outside of work, she enjoys running, swimming, cooking, reading and hopes to have the patience one day to write children’s books.
Melissa said: “I’m delighted and humbled to have been voted in as JVP from July. Thank you to my peers on Council and, as with everything I have done in my career, you, the profession, will see me put all my energy and commitment into the role.
"Themes that I'm keen to develop as a member of the RCVS Officer Team will be: communication, as that can always be improved; community, including within the profession, within the workplace and within the society in which you live; and continuing with the ‘blame culture’ theme originally set out in Chris Tufnell's presidency by looking into how we can use veterinary human factors to improve patient safety."
Other appointments that were confirmed by election at the same meeting of Council was Dr Niall Connell MRCVS as RCVS Treasurer, a role he will take up at the July AGM after completing his year as Senior Vice-President.
Niall: “It is a tremendous honour for me to be elected Treasurer. The RCVS has an exciting strategy which I am looking forward to playing my part in ensuring we remain on a sound financial footing, supporting projects within the RCVS Strategic Plan and continuing to play a wider role within the RCVS Officer Team.”
In terms of committee chairs, Dr Sue Paterson FRCVS was reconfirmed as Chair of the Education Committee, Dr Melissa Donald was reconfirmed as Chair of the Standards Committee and current RCVS President Dr Mandisa Greene MRCVS was elected as Chair of the Advancement of the Professions Committee, replacing Professor David Argyle in that post from July 2021.
Following Professor Argyle stepping down as Junior Vice-President earlier in March 2021, an election to replace him as Junior Vice-President for the remainder of the presidential year will take place in April 2021. Subject to the usual approval from Council, this person will take up the position of RCVS President 2021-22 following the AGM in July.
The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) has launched the Accredited Internet Retailer Scheme, through which veterinary medicines retailers can now be accredited by the regulator.
The scheme, which is voluntary, involves an application process and site inspection to check ongoing compliance with the Veterinary Medicines Regulations.
The British Veterinary Association has supported the move, but called for the scheme to become compulsory. The BVA says it is also calling for more robust measures to stop prescription fraud and is in discussions with the VMD.
Harvey Locke, Past President of the BVA, said: "Our biggest concern with online medicines retailers has been that animal owners didn't know whether they were buying genuine, safe medicines that comply with UK regulations.
"This simple scheme launched by the VMD will allow customers to know within seconds whether the company they are using complies with the high standards set by UK legislation and the regulator.
"The scheme is a very welcome positive step in protecting the public from illegal sites, but in future we would like to see it becoming compulsory so that everyone can be confident that they are buying products that are safe for their animals and themselves."
Virbac, maker of Pronefra for the management of CKD in cats and dogs, has launched a free app to help interpret patients' urine test results in line with the latest International Renal Interest Society (IRIS) Guidelines.
The app, which is also called Pronefra, is available for download on both the Play store and Apple store.
Simon Boulton MRCVS, Marketing Manager for Companion Animals, said: "Reference ranges supplied by machines and labs are not always appropriate for the renal patient so we wanted to help practices to interpret kidney-specific results quickly and easily in line with the latest recommendations. The Pronefra app was the result. We have received very positive feedback on the app so far and hope it will help practices improve the quality and length of life of their renal patients."
Virbac is also providing further Pronefra practice support materials, include a pet health recording book for clients to aid in compliance and other educational tools for vets, nurses and clients.
The events will cover a range of subjects designed to boost morale, positively influence wellbeing and reduce the impact of seasonal affective disorder (SAD). They will also demonstrate how to support employees and colleagues to ensure work is sustainable, productive and enjoyable and guide veterinary professionals through mechanisms to make working life a more positive experience, despite the current climate.
The series will feature 30-minute presentations by wellbeing professionals such as sports psychiatrist, Dr Claire Gillvray (pictured right), human factors specialist, Dan Tipney, and occupational psychologist, Prof Elinor O’Connor.
The full programme is:
Liz Barton, co-founder of WellVet, said: “WellVet exists to provide practical tools and a supportive network to help positively influence and improve wellbeing and boost morale. This programme of events is designed to answer specific challenges we’re experiencing – now more than ever in veterinary teams, and to bring us together for a bit of festive cheer."
Emma McAnally, territory manager at Boehringer Ingelheim. said: “During these challenging times, work and life in general can often seem overwhelming. We are delighted to support the WellVet Winter Wellbeing series to help improve wellbeing both in the work and home environments.”
For further information on the WellVet Winter Wellbeing series and for details on how to join visit www.wellvet.co.uk.
The campaign uses Pennies, the digital charitable giving system which invites you to make a small donation when you pay for something by debit or credit card.
For the last four years, Medivet clients have been invited to make a donation of 50p when paying their veterinary bill, and the millionth donation was made at Medivet 24 Hour Shrewsbury this week.
Medivet says the funds raised have played a crucial role in helping to protect the rhino - enabling Wilderness Foundation Africa's Forever Wild Rhino Protection Initiative to support these critically endangered species across a wide range of activities. This includes the treatment of poaching attack survivors plus the care and rehabilitation of orphaned baby rhinos.
In terms of prevention, thanks to Medivet client donations, two cold scent tracker dogs have been deployed – Ella and Ziggy – who work with anti-poaching units, while support has also been provided for intelligence-sharing amongst local law-enforcement agencies. Funds have additionally been deployed to help drive global awareness, provide community services as well as essential field-based veterinary equipment.
Dr John Smithers, Senior Partner and Project Co-ordinator for Medivet Saving the Rhino, said: "We could not be more grateful to our clients for all they have done to help the survival of this iconic species. Their incredible generosity - combined with the support of our colleagues and partners - has made a real difference in the fight against poaching and we want to thank our clients for every donation made."
In South Africa, the Medivet-supported efforts to reduce poaching are co-ordinated by Dr William Fowlds, a former Medivet employee, who added: "This is a truly remarkable milestone and we are overwhelmed by the kindness of Medivet and its clients. The money raised not only helps protect the rhinos but helps bring to justice those responsible for the destruction of these precious and innocent creatures."
Alison Hutchinson, CBE, CEO of Pennies said reaching 1m donations was a remarkable achievement: “Pennies is proud to support Medivet’s Saving the Rhino campaign, and it’s been so inspiring to see one million individual micro-donations made through the digital charity box over the past four years.
"From all at Pennies, thank you and congratulations to the Medivet team and their hugely generous clients for reaching this milestone, for challenging the rhino poaching crisis in South Africa, and proving that small change truly does add up to mean big things."
Three cheers from VetSurgeon.org, too. That's a big achievement by Medivet for an important cause.
The CPD event takes place this Thursday 9th April, from 9:30am to 5:30pm, using the Zoom video conferencing platform. The organisers say that the agenda is still being finalised, but will be split into three streams: Farm Animal, Equine and Small Animal.
Confirmed speakers include:
Although the event is free, participants are asked make a voluntary contribution at justgiving.com/fundrasing/vets-for-nhs.
To register for the event, visit www.vetsfornhs.co.uk
Vets for NHS is supported by Boehringer Ingelheim, MSD Animal Health, Nimrod and the Scottish Vet Fair.
The company says that by encouraging socialisation, natural behaviour and good health practices, the campaign will help puppy owners get their journey off to a good start and, with their vet, raise a dog that is healthy and family friendly.
The initiative comprises a range of practice materials, including health advice, training and behaviour tips, and a new owner video covering the essentials of puppy ownership.
The materials include digital content to use in email campaigns and on practice websites and social media channels.
Further support on how to optimise social media channels is also available to practices through PetNatter – Boehringer's free veterinary resource designed to help practices make the most of the opportunities social media provides.
Evelyn Murphy, senior brand manager for NexGard Spectra, said: “The ‘Relax, it’s a Puppy Thing’ initiative is a breath of fresh air and will provide puppy owners with just what they need to help them nurture a puppy through its formative life-stage, while easily and effectively supporting practices in communicating with owners on puppy health and welfare.”
For further information, contact your Boehringer Ingelheim territory manager.
As Ceva points out, the change gives veterinary surgeons an opportunity to get more involved in parasite control plans and help farmers develop a sustainable parasite control strategy on their farm.
Eprecis injectable contains eprinomectin, the only molecule with zero-milk withdrawal currently available for cattle on the U.K. market.
Ceva highlights that because Eprecis is an injection, there is no risk of product transfer between in-contact animals caused by licking1,2,3 a natural behaviour of cattle, potentially resulting in sub-therapeutic levels of product being absorbed. There is also no risk of reduction in efficacy if dirt or manure is present on the back of the animal4.
The company says injectable formulation results in less active ingredient per animal treated compared to eprinomectin pour-ons; for example using Eprecis injection, a 500kg animal receives 100mg eprinomectin, while a pour-on delivers 250mg per application.
To support the new POM-V classification, Ceva has launched a vet support pack to help veterinary professionals when talking to their farming clients about Eprecis, worming strategies and their parasite control plans. The pack contains a farmer targeted brochure, farmer Q&A and a practical guide with suggestions of when Eprecis can be used. It also includes an infograph for social media posts, a technical booklet and a vet Q&A to help answer the most common questions they may be asked. A series of social media posts are available for vet practices encouraging their clients to discuss worming with their vet.
Kythé Mackenzie BVSc MRCVS, ruminant veterinary adviser at Ceva Animal Health, said: “Ruminants can be parasitised by a range of nematodes, trematodes and external parasites, all of which can have an impact on health and production. A recent publication considered that helminth infections (GIN, lungworm and liver fluke) cost the UK dairy industry close to £145M per year5. Interestingly, the majority of these costs were attributed to lost production (£131M) rather than treatment costs (£14M).
“There is now documented resistance to eprinomectin in small ruminants6 (Haemonchus contortus in goats) and whilst not yet documented in cattle, action needs to be taken to try and delay/minimise this emergence. This requires the use of more sustainable parasite control plans to assist in managing refugia and allowing animals adequate exposure to the parasites to develop natural immunity. Parasite control plans should maximise health, welfare and production whilst minimising the unnecessary use of anthelmintics.”
In the short-term, orders of Eprecis injectable from veterinary wholesalers will be fulfilled by the current POM-VPS product that is in the supply chain before switching to the new packaging later in the season.
For further information contact your local Ceva Animal Health territory manager or email cevauk@ceva.com.
References
One £20,000 grant will be awarded each year for five years, starting in 2019 (making a £100,000 total by 2023) to fund research that focuses on mental health and wellbeing within the veterinary professions, including areas such as prevention, diagnosis, intervention and treatment.
Applications are welcome from individuals at all stages of their research careers, including those who have not previously been published, with research proposals relating to any aspect of mental health or wellbeing in the veterinary professions. Researchers must be affiliated with a university, and ethical approval must be in place.
RCVS CEO, Lizzie Lockett, said: "Sarah Brown was a talented veterinary surgeon who was passionate about her profession. She was respected and loved by so many people and worked hard to support others. So it is fitting that, with the blessing of Sarah’s family, we are able to launch this grant in her memory. It’s only by improving the veterinary mental health evidence base that we will be able to hone the interventions and support that is available to members of the veterinary team."
Applicants should send their research proposal, along with a CV and short biography for all lead researchers, to Lisa Quigley, Mind Matters Initiative Manager, by 5pm on Friday 31 May 2019.
Each proposal should be a maximum of 3,000 words and should include aims, methods, ethical considerations, proposed timelines, and a bibliography. Any academic literature referred to within the proposal should be accurately referenced. The winner of the grant will be decided in June 2019, with the winner then receiving their award at Royal College Day in London on Friday 12 July 2019.
The recipient of the Sarah Brown Mental Health Research Grant for 2019 will be invited to present their research findings at the biennial Mind Matters Initiative Research Symposium in 2021.
Applications are particularly welcomed from those at an early stage in their research career. Guidance on how to prepare a research proposal is available at: https://esrc.ukri.org/funding/guidance-for-applicants/how-to-write-a-good-research-grant-proposal
Elanco has announced that it has finalised its acquisition of Novartis Animal Health.
The acquisition, announced in April last year, follows Elanco's purchase of Lohmann Animal Health earlier in 2014. It swells Elanco's portfolio to nearly 300 brands encompassing therapeutics, vaccines, parasiticides, antimicrobials, surgical, enzymes, food safety and more.
Gaynor Hillier, Elanco's General Manager UK and Ireland said: "Elanco's acquisition of Novartis Animal Health brings together two strong companies with a passion for serving the customer. We will continue to offer the products our customers trust, while significantly investing in the development of new solutions to meet our customers' greatest unmet needs."
The company says it will now increase investment in research and development significantly, with a combined portfolio of more than 100 product development projects focused on:
Gaynor added: "We'll continually seek innovative ways we can support our customers' business. With increased technical services, that combine our analytic and benchmarking tools with on-the-ground support, we'll be able to spend more time with individual customers seeking innovative solutions that can make a difference in their business."
Elanco says that the complete integration of the businesses will take some time, but it is trying to make the transition seamless. For the foreseeable future, business will continue in much the same way, including product ordering and customer support. Availability and access to products will continue uninterrupted.
For more information about the acquisition, visit www.elanco.com.
Mrs Cole pleaded guilty to fraud in July 2024 at Crawley Magistrates’ Court and was sentenced to eight months in prison suspended for 12 months, 20 days rehabilitation activity and a £187 victim surcharge.
The College opened its own disciplinary investigation against Mrs Cole after receiving the certificate of conviction, which related to more than £13,000 of pet insurance fraud.
It then proceeded with the hearing in Mrs Cole’s absence as she had not responded to any of the communications sent to her by the College on the matter.
Having found the charge against her proven by the certificate of conviction, the Committee then determined that the conviction amounted to serious professional misconduct.
Dr Kathryn Peaty MRCVS, chairing the committee and speaking on its behalf, said: “The respondent’s conduct… was plainly dishonest and contravened a fundamental tenet of the profession.
"She abused her professional position in order to commit the offence.
"The dishonest conduct in this case related directly to the respondent’s professional life, as she was working as a veterinary nurse when she completed and submitted the fraudulent claims.
“Her conduct also constituted a breach of the trust owed to her employer and to the insurance company to which her dishonest claims were submitted.
"She put her professional colleagues at risk as their names were used on the clinical records which purportedly supported her dishonest claims.
“Her misconduct was repeated and sustained over a period of many years.
"Her modus operandi was sophisticated and premeditated.
“The respondent’s conduct clearly had the potential to bring the profession into disrepute and to undermine public trust in the profession.
"A member of the public would be rightly appalled to learn that a veterinary nurse had abused her position by submitting false claims in this way.”
The Committee found that there were no mitigating factors, and that aggravating factors included the premeditated nature of Mrs Cole’s fraud, the clear breaches of trust in respect of her colleagues, her clients and the insurance companies, the significant financial gain made from her fraud and the fact that the fraudulent activities were sustained and repeated over a period of four and a half years.
Kathryn added: “Taking into account the gravity of her misconduct, the need to maintain standards of probity in the profession, especially in relation to practice records and the submission of insurance claim documents, as well as the maintenance of public confidence in the profession, the Committee has resolved to direct the Registrar to remove the respondent’s name from the Register.
www.rcvs.org.uk/disciplinary
Zoetis says the Vetscan OptiCell represents a significant leap forward in technology and offers meaningful time, cost and space savings for veterinary healthcare teams, contributing to better patient outcomes and a more efficient clinic workflow.
It uses cell-focusing and AI-powered classification technology for CBC analysis, delivering a claimed lab quality accuracy at the point of care.
Dr. Richard Goldstein, DVM, DACVIM, DECVIM-CA, Global Chief Medical Officer and Head of Medical Affairs at Zoetis said: “Vetscan OptiCell delivers high-quality results, enables improved efficiency, and provides a compact footprint.
"For the first time, we are able to use advanced AI image recognition technology to characterise the blood cells instead of relying on their size or other physical parameters.”
Pre-orders will be available in the UK later this year.