To enter the competition, veterinary practices need to build a den in the waiting room - with an Adaptil diffuser plugged in nearby - and decorate it to demonstrate the preventative measures clients can carry out at home to help manage their pets’ firework fears.
Then post a picture of the your den/waiting room display on the Ceva Animal Health Facebook page throughout October. Last year's winner is pictured above right.
The top 10 veterinary practice waiting room dens and displays will win a luxury chocolate hamper.
Ceva says it has a comprehensive range of marketing materials for veterinary practices to use in creating their entry, including new waiting room materials.
For further information contact your local Ceva territory manager.
Cefshot is indicated for treatment of subclinical mastitis at drying off with action against Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria.
Jude Roberts MRCVS from Zoetis says this makes possible three-way selective dry cow therapy with products from the company's dry cow portfolio: "With evidence-based triage, this covers teat sealant solo, in combination with narrow spectrum cloxacillin, or now with broader spectrum long-acting cephalonium.
"This is in keeping with the trend from milk buyers for increasing precision in the use of antibiotic dry cow therapy, and only when it is justified in the first place."
Dry periods longer that 54 days require milk withhold for 96 hours. For shorter dry periods, milk withhold is 58 days. Meat withhold period is 21 days.
Cefshot is available in multiples of 24 and 120 tubes, for delivery September onwards.
Co-edited by Paddy Dixon and Vicki Nicholls, the collection comprises ten studies on physiology, disease, diagnosis and treatment techniques in equine dentistry. The editors say it gives veterinary surgeons free access to some of the most important current research in the UK.
The studies include:
Professor Celia Marr, Editor of the Equine Veterinary Journal said: "Care of the horse’s teeth is fundamental to good health. To this end a strong working knowledge of equine dentistry should be seen as an essential cornerstone for every equine practitioner. This diverse collection has the convenience of being easily accessible, online and in one place to help keep vets fully abreast of the excellent research currently being conducted in the UK."
Vicki Nicholls, incoming president of BEVA, continued: "Advances in equine dentistry continue to gather pace and it has been a pleasure and privilege to work with Paddy Dixon collating the most current dental research that will be relevant to all equine practitioners with any level of expertise."
The equine dentistry collection is available free online at: http://bit.ly/2bBDuMW.
The authors say that domestic cats are very similar in their behavioural needs to their closest ancestor, the African wildcat, and an indoor-only lifestyle, unless managed appropriately, can give rise to health issues (such as obesity and diabetes) and problem behaviours (including aggression, house-soiling and attention-seeking).
One approach to mitigating these potential problems, they say, is with the use of ‘food puzzles’ – devices which release food when an animal interacts with them, originally developed to provide enrichment for captive zoo and laboratory animals.
Food puzzles take advantage of cats' natural instincts to work for their food. There is a wide range of puzzles on the market: some are mobile (rolled or pushed with the cat’s nose or paws), others are stationary, and they can be used with either wet or dry food. Creative and/or cost-conscious cat owners can even make their own DIY food puzzles by, for example, cutting holes in egg boxes or water bottles.
The authors reviewed existing empirical evidence of the physical and emotional benefits imparted by food puzzles, and collated details of over 30 cases from their own practices where food puzzles were introduced to aid with a specific health or behavioural concern.
Examples include an obese 8-year-old male domestic shorthair cat who lost 20% of his bodyweight within 12 months of puzzle implementation; a 3-year-old British Shorthair male cat, whose impulsive and frustration-based aggression towards his owner instantly improved and resolved completely within 6 months; and a 2-year-old domestic shorthair cat whose fear of people (his owners included) significantly improved following the addition of both mobile and stationary food puzzles, to the point that he would come when called and was relaxed for cuddles.
The article aims to provide veterinary professionals with the information they need to advise clients on the subject. It is free to read here.
Reference
Dantas LMS, Delgado MM, Johnson I and Buffington CAT. Food puzzles for cats: feeding for physical and emotional wellbeing. J Feline Med Surg 2016; 18: 723–732.
Headed by Stephanie Lalor, a European Specialist in Internal Medicine, the clinic provides initial assessment and treatment - from blood work and blood pressure - to ongoing care.
Suitable for cats with a wide range of medical conditions, including respiratory tract disease, gastrointestinal conditions and endocrinopathies, the clinic is housed in Willows iCatCare certified ‘cat-friendly’ facility, which has its own cat ward and waiting area.
Stephanie, who completed a residency in Internal Medicine at Edinburgh University (funded by International Cat Care) in 2014, and then completed the Diploma of the European College of Veterinary Internal Medicine last year, said: "Here at Willows we do all we can to minimise the difficulties that cats and their owners might encounter when they come to see us.
"Our staff are trained to be aware of their needs and we have put in place not only the necessary facilities but also specific working practices in order to make any visit as stress-free as possible.
"These cat-specific clinics will be yet another string to our bow and we will work closely with referring vets to ensure that we meet each patient’s unique needs – providing a detailed written report following each visit."
For more information about the cat-specific internal medicine clinics taking place at Willows, or to make a referral, call 0121 712 7070.
For more information, visit www.willows.uk.net.
Divided into four modules, the course explores vaccines and the immune system; current and emerging strains of Leptospirosis; a practical insight into infectious disease and vaccination and the importance of getting early socialisation right.
Professor Sarah Gilbert from the Jenner Institute in Oxford presents the first CPD module. She is followed by Dr Paul Burr from Biobest Laboratories, Alan Radford from the University of Liverpool and Jon Bowen of the RVC.
John Toole, Zoetis Product Manager said: "We were extremely privileged to be able to work with such an eminent group of key opinion leaders for this CPD course. We hope participants find the interview video style of this course dynamic and insightful. Users can also find an additional module on our dog vaccine Versican Plus and how it helps meet today’s infectious disease challenges as discussed by our industry experts."
To take part in this new CPD, vets simply need to register at www.vetsupportplus.co.uk where they will be able to access all the free Zoetis learning content and receive a certificate once the CPD course is completed.
The aim of the week is to focus equine practices on ‘Taking care of the small things that make a big difference’ with a toolkit of resources designed to help them promote their businesses and educate and promote the benefits of preventative healthcare.
Peter Young, MSD Equine Business Manager said: "This year’s Horse Health Week has been created to focus on the small things we can all do to help keep our nation’s horses happy and healthy. We are encouraging equine vets to get involved and engage with their clients throughout the week with the support of our toolkit. This celebration of Britain’s horses and the things we can do to improve their health is a positive opportunity for vets to build client loyalty and attract new clients. I urge practices to do as little or as much as they can, but I urge them to do something!"
Horse Health Week is supported with a range of materials for both practices and clients, along with social media content, which vets can obtain on a USB stick from their MSD Animal Health Equine representative.
The toolkit includes a series of five animations – one for each day of the week. They each cover a different topic including; horse connections, the importance of hand washing, equipment at shows, isolation and vaccination. There is also a social media campaign for practices to run called #BonVoyageBuzz, and a survey that will gather the views of horse owners on preventative healthcare.
For full details talk to your MSD Animal Health Account Manager, call MSD on 01908 685685 or refer to www.healthyhorses.co.uk/horse-week.
By way of example, Emma highlights syringomyelia (SM) and mitral valve disease (MVD) in Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, two diseases which cause considerable suffering and which could be significantly reduced with selective breeding.
Following the uproar caused by the Pedigree Dogs Exposed programme in 2008, a voluntary BVA/Kennel Club SM screening programme was introduced in 2012. However, Emma says that in the time since then, during which 20,429 CKCS puppies have been registered with the Kennel Club, only 331 have been scanned.
She points out that there is still no official heart scheme in the UK, despite the Kennel Club promising at a meeting at the House of Lords in 2008 that they would introduce one.
Meanwhile, Sweden, Belgium, the Netherlands and Denmark have introduced mandatory heart testing schemes for CKCS, and the latest figures from Denmark apparently show there has been a 73% reduction in heart disease.
Back in the UK, this year's Crufts Best of Breed Cavalier sired his first litter untested when he was only 9 months old, against the recommendations of the MVD Breeding Protocol.
Emma said: "It's all very well single vets like me saying 'I'm bloody sick of this', but I don't know how we can change it unless the Kennel Club does something."
Responding in Veterinary Times, the Kennel Club’s secretary Caroline Kisko blamed the veterinary profession for the lack of progress with a heart testing scheme, saying: "The KC has been committed to developing a new heart scheme in the UK for many years but, unfortunately, the veterinary profession has been unable to agree testing protocols."
Emma said: "It is typical of the KC to blame the veterinary profession. It beggars belief to say a heart scheme is too complicated when many other countries have them already in place. At the very least the KC could insist on the well-accepted MVD breeding protocol being followed for Cavaliers. It would be a start. If we never do anything because it’s not perfect, how will we ever evolve change? Looks like us vets will just have to continue to pick up the pieces while dogs carry on dying.”
Long-time Cavalier health campaigner Margaret Carter has a petition on change.org calling for compulsory SM and MVD screening. It has amassed over 27,000 signatures. She said: "It [the Kennel Club] has been talking about a heart scheme for years. It has the know-how and power to not only create a scheme but insist breeders use it. While the Kennel Club prefers to placate its most important customers – breeders - more and more Cavalier puppies are being born to suffer from inherited disease.
"Its Assured Breeders’ Scheme (ABS) is almost meaningless for Cavaliers because the only health test required is for eyes: a token nod to health when the breed is plagued by conditions as horrific as SM and MVD.
"And with so few recorded Cavalier health tests because of the absence of a heart scheme and the breeder boycott of the official SM scheme, the KC’s Mate Select tool is rendered pretty useless too.
Margaret added: "We are very grateful to Emma Milne for voicing so powerfully the situation regarding Cavalier health, however unpalatable the truth might be to some. I’d ask all vets to follow Emma’s lead in writing to the KC and their professional bodies demanding action."
Photograph: Bailey Cooper
Luke will receive his award at the 2016 WSAVA World Congress, which takes place from 27-30 September in Cartagena, Colombia, where he will also give a lecture on his work, entitled ‘One Mission’.
The WSAVA Global One Health Award is presented by the WSAVA’s One Health Committee (OHC) to an individual who has promoted an aspect of One Health relevant to small companion animals.
Luke graduated from Bristol University in 1999 and is based in his New Forest surgery, Pilgrims Veterinary Practice. In 2003, he set up Worldwide Veterinary Service (WVS), a charity providing veterinary aid around the world, followed, in 2013, by sister charity, Mission Rabies, which is leading the battle against canine rabies and works closely with the WSAVA’s charitable Foundation. Luke is CEO of both organisations and has raised more than four million pounds to support the charities’ projects around the world. He lectures internationally on animal welfare and veterinary subjects and, in 2014, was asked by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to sit on an expert panel for the International Control of Neglected Zoonotic Diseases based on his rabies work globally.
Professor Michael Day, Chair of the WSAVA OHC, said: "The current most significant example of the importance of a One Health approach to disease control relates to the global fight against canine rabies - a disease that continues to cause an estimated minimum 59,000 human deaths each year. Luke is a world leader in this global fight. Mission Rabies runs mass vaccination campaigns and provides public education in Asia and Africa, having now vaccinated almost 400,000 dogs, spoken to over 500,000 schoolchildren and successfully controlled rabies in selected target areas.
"The Mission Rabies programme is grounded in solid evidence-based science, with the field data collected having now generated the first high-class scientific manuscripts. Luke is a truly inspirational and charismatic leader who believes in simply getting on with the job at hand. The achievements of Mission Rabies and its sister charity, Worldwide Veterinary Service, readily show that even the greatest global health challenges are not insurmountable."
Luke said: "It’s a huge honour to receive this Award and I accept it on behalf of an amazing team - without whom - the projects would be impossible. It’s an utter privilege to be a part of the veterinary profession and fighting diseases like rabies is an incredible opportunity to champion both animals and people – something we can all identify with. I’m totally indebted to WSAVA and the international veterinary community, whose support has been overwhelming, and it is only with this unity, that we can keep driving forward – and winning."
The WSAVA is calling on veterinary surgeons around the world and anyone with an interest in veterinary – and human – medicine to sign the petition to ensure access to ketamine in the face of lobbying by some countries, principally China, to have it put under international scheduling.
According to the WSAVA, proposals for international control stem from the misconception that ketamine is merely a 'recreational drug.' The WSAVA says this is inaccurate and devalues its huge contribution to human and animal medicine.
Dr Walt Ingwersen, WSAVA President Elect and Member of the WSAVA’s Global Pain Council, said: "In 2015, the WHO Expert Committee on Drug Dependence (ECDD) stated that the abuse of ketamine does not cause a global public health threat and that control would limit access for those using it as an anaesthetic. This view was confirmed at a meeting of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs in March 2016, helped by strong support view from the global medical and veterinary communities. However, China has repeated its view that ketamine should fall under international scheduling and we have no doubt that it will raise the issue again. This mean the risk to ketamine remains."
He added: "Ketamine is a safe anaesthetic which can be used without oxygen, ventilators, electricity and the support systems required for other products, making it the only anaesthetic suitable for both medical and veterinary use in lower and middle income countries. If developing countries were denied access to it, which would be the effect of international scheduling, the effects on veterinary medicine, human health and animal welfare would be devastating."
Dr Ganga de Silva, President of the Society of Companion Animal Practitioners of Sri Lanka, said: "Sri Lanka is a poor country with an underdeveloped veterinary profession. If ketamine was not available, in my opinion, all surgeries would have to cease as almost all of the veterinarians in the country rely on it for anaesthesia. The result would be suffering for animals and it would also seriously impact our ability to control rabies as we would not be able to carry out spay and neuter programs on stray dogs."
Dr Nancy Shaffran CVT, VTS(ECC), President of the International Veterinary Academy of Pain Management, said: “In addition to its use as an anaesthetic agent, ketamine is a critical medication used in the pain management in animals. The mechanism of action of ketamine (NMDA receptor antagonism) delivered as a Constant Rate Infusion has been well established to be effective in the prevention and correction of severe neuropathic pain and spinal cord wind-up. The loss of ketamine in veterinary practice would result in the needless suffering of many patients and we strongly oppose this action. We are very grateful for WSAVA’s efforts to keep ketamine available for our patients."
Dr Walt Ingwersen added: "Ketamine is also used in human medicine as it has a particular value for use 'in the field' - for instance, in treating trauma patients, those with traffic and sporting injuries or affected by natural disasters and conflict. Taking these factors together, it is clear that ketamine is an essential medicine and we are determined to ensure that it remains freely available. We are continuing to harness our global veterinary community to highlight the importance of ketamine because this is a battle our patients can’t afford us to lose. We ask all those agreeing with to sign our petition and help our collective voice grow."
The petition is here: http://chn.ge/1RFSou6.
The WSAVA’s Global Pain Council has produced a range of tools and resources, including an infographic, to support its ketamine campaign. They can be accessed here: http://www.wsava.org/educational/global-pain-council
The affected batches are: IsoFlo 250 ml 58006XN, 60003XN, 59005XN, 60006XN, 61001XN, 60016XN, 60017XN, 61018XN, 61015XN, 61016XN, 61017XN, 6062216, 6062225, 6062226, 6062217, 6063738 and Isothesia 250ml 6062335, 6063318.
Manufacturer Zoetis says there were a small number of reports of veterinary surgeons having difficulty in re-sealing the bottles after initial opening as the thread on the screw cap had not been fully formed. This defect does not impact the safety and efficacy of the product for animal use but the concern was related to potential evaporation from opened bottles which did not re-seal fully when closed.
Veterinary surgeons are asked to return any unopened bottles to the wholesaler and dispose of any opened bottles in the usual way. They will be fully reimbursed for the stock.
Zoetis says it has already addressed this packaging issue at the manufacturing site so that new batches of the product are unaffected.
Practices requiring further information on the matter should call Zoetis Technical Services on 0845 300 8034.
The statement, which can be downloaded here, is supported by a number of people and organisations in both the human and animal sector, including the BVA, Lyme Disease Action, the Blue Cross, Bristol, Nottingham and Surrey Universities.
The guidelines cover:
The statement was coordinated by MSD Animal Health and ESCCAP UK and Ireland in the run up to Tick Awareness Month, MSD's annual campaign coming up in September.
Amanda Melvin, Senior Product Manager, MSD Animal Health said: "The approval of this statement is very timely as we approach Tick Awareness Month. It is a major step forward for the industry by giving all the organisations involved a clear position on the subject. This will allow us to move forward together and tackle some of the issues related to ticks and tick borne diseases, including providing vets with clear practical guidelines for tick control.”
For further information about Tick Awareness Month, contact your MSD Animal Health representative.
The new bottle size will last approximately 100 days when treating an average sized cat of 4 kg.
Amy Scott, brand manager for Semintra said: "The new 100 ml bottle size will ensure that Semintra is even more convenient for owners, whilst facilitating long-term compliance that fits in well with recommended recheck intervals for CKD."
Cats with CKD have an overactive renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS), which can lead to proteinuria and further progression of kidney disease. Semintra contains the active ingredient telmisartan – the only angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) licensed for use in veterinary medicine. Boehringer says it provides targeted, long-lasting suppression of the RAAS1.
Semintra is a once daily oral liquid. Now available in both 30 ml and 100 ml bottle sizes, it has a six month shelf life after opening.
For further information on Semintra visit www.boehringer-academy.co.uk or contact your local Boehringer Ingelheim territory manager.
Ceva says the new service is designed to help veterinary surgeons improve their consultations and client compliance with:
The site includes a considerable amount of video content, including talks by Cardio Academy's international experts, advice and demonstrations of blood pressure measurement, and training in radiography and echocardiography procedures and interpretation. The videos are supplemented with a number of reference publications to support and assist veterinary surgeons in everyday clinical and diagnostic procedures in the areas of cardiology, nephrology and hypertension. There are also interactive tools to help in the selection of treatments according to the stage of the disease or clinical objectives.
There are a number of communication tools which can be used during a consultation to support the veterinary surgeon's advice, manage client expectations and improve adherence to their recommendations. They can also be e-mailed to the pet owner so they can share the assessment with other family members.
An instant fitness test and an application for measuring resting respiratory rate allows owners to actively participate in the medical assessment of their pets and become more involved.
Finally, in order to maintain contact with pet owners between follow-up visits, the site offers several customisable clinical fact sheets and template newsletters containing content such as seasonal advice for a pet that has a heart condition.
For further information, contact your local Ceva account manager or visit www.vetintermed.ceva.com
The new pack includes a 60 minute video presented by leading veterinary behaviourist Jon Bowen BVetMed DipAS(CABC) MRCVS. The film covers hints and tips on the preventative measures that owners can put in place to help manage noise sensitivity and firework fears and also includes information on counter conditioning.
The packs, which are available from your CEVA territory manager, also include a range of waiting room materials including leaflets, leaflet holders, posters and wall displays, a PR toolkit to support individual veterinary practice PR campaigns, copy for websites, veterinary practice newsletters and suggested social media posts for Twitter and Facebook.
Claire Russell, Adaptil and Feliway product manager at Ceva Animal Health said: "The fireworks season can be a scary time for pets. Our new marketing pack will help veterinary practices remind their clients of the preventative measures they can put in place to reduce firework fears, including the use of Adaptil, proven to reduce the intensity of fear suffered as a result of loud noises."
For further information, contact your local Ceva territory manager or telephone 01494 781510.
In his talk, 'Digital Veterinary Practice', Adam presents an exciting and compelling vision as to how technology will transform the profession and enable veterinary surgeons to offer better care to more patients.
His talk begins with an interesting look at how technological change has gathered pace in recent years, before considering some of the emerging technologies that could be applied to veterinary practice.
In particular, he talked about the so-called 'Internet of things': the way more and more 'things' other than computers are connected to the Internet.
There are now about 9bn 'things' connected to the internet, by 2020 there are expected to be 50bn. Adam predicted that more and more of them are going to be worn by animals: to measure reproductive health in farm animals; to track performance in equines; and to monitor behaviour and activity in companion animals.
Adam discussed how there is already a smart litter box which measures an animal’s habits, an oral pill camera that can take 360 degree internal photos, 3D printed drugs and digitised microscopy. By uniting these technologies with increasingly accurate virtual reality technology, he said, long-distance examinations could become a real possibility.
In relation to the role of the RCVS, Adam explored how the profession could be proactive in engaging with these technologies, such as by: using regulation as a mechanism to attract 'disruptors' to work alongside the profession; identifying areas of retraining and creating targeted learning opportunities; fostering an entrepreneurial mindset; creating an early-adopter network of practices to foster initial collaboration; and framing industry challenges as targeted problems whose solutions can be crowd-sourced.
The campaign – Cats deserve pain relief too – has been prompted by a recent study1 which revealed that perioperative analgesia following neutering was only given to 33% of cats compared with 75% of dogs, a statistic which ISFM says it is very keen to change.
The campaign, which includes a free webinar for veterinary professionals, highlights the reasons many cats are not receiving postoperative analgesia, and aims to encourage practices to review their policies on prescribing analgesics for routine neutering procedures.
ISFM says it already encourages the routine assessment and treatment of pain in cats. However, recognition of pain is not always straightforward and the perception that cats experience less pain than dogs with neutering may largely reflect different behavioural responses to pain between the two species rather than genuine differences in the experience of pain.
The charity says that physiologically, it makes sense that both species are likely to feel pain for several days after a surgical procedure and studies have shown that cats do show behavioural changes indicative of pain for 3 days or more after neutering.2 However we also know that cats are less demonstrative and less likely to show overt signs of pain such as vocalisation.
Additional reasons why cats receive less analgesia post-operatively than dogs, may include the following:
According to the WSAVA pain management guidelines,4 the use of preventative/multimodal analgesia, along with careful tissue handling and adherence to good surgical principles is strongly recommended.
The guidelines additionally suggest that analgesia following castration or ovariohysterectomy/ovariectomy may be required for up to 3 days after surgery using non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
As part of this awareness campaign, ISFM, supported by Boehringer Ingelheim is running a free webinar on Wednesday 31st August at 8.00pm.
David Yates (Manchester RSPCA) and Jo Murrell (Reader in Veterinary Anaesthesia, Bristol University, UK) will be on hand to discuss, 'Neutering in practice: are your anaesthesia, analgesia and surgical protocols up to scratch?'
To register for the free webinar, go to: http://icatcare.org/learn/webinars and for further information about the campaign, visit: http://icatcare.org/campaigns/cats-deserve-pain-relief-too.
References
The webinars each last between three and five minutes and are part of the 2016 ‘Talk About Laminitis’ disease awareness initiative to help detect, manage and monitor PPID.
The webinars can be viewed on the Boehringer Academy website – www.boehringer-academy.co.uk - and podcast versions are also available enabling veterinary professionals to listen to them ‘on the go’.
The first series includes:
The second webinar series covers:
For further information on the webinars or podcasts visit www.boehringer-academy.co.uk or contact your local Boehringer Ingelheim territory manager.
The main aim of the campaign is to persuade anyone thinking of getting a puppy that they should always see the animal at least once whilst it is still dependent on its mother, before they buy. That way, they'll be able to reassure themselves that they have seen the real bitch and the environment in which the puppy was bred. It will also help prevent impulse purchases.
In addition, the campaign aims to raise awareness in the veterinary profession, so that veterinary surgeons are giving this same advice to their clients.
To that end, the campaign highlights the RSPCA 'Sold a pup' report which showed that over 400,000 pups are bred for the UK market each year by unlicensed establishments, and imports from Europe have increased to an estimated 30,000 in 2015, following the change in the PETS scheme in 2012.
The campaigners say that many of these puppies are bred in truly awful conditions, often with little or no human contact, before being taken taken from their mothers too early and transported often hundreds or thousands of miles to be sold as 'family' pets. Many will need veterinary care to deal with infections, inherited issues and behavioural problems.
The campaign faces a big challenge. In the Kennel Club PAW survey 2014, 41% of people who bought a puppy didn't see the bitch and 51% didn't see the environment where the litter was bred.
To spread the word, veterinary surgeons, veterinary nurses and pet owners are being asked to take a pouting selfie with their dog and post it on social networks like Facebook, with the hashtags #PoutForPuppies #SeeThemSuckling, linking to the campaign website: https://seethemsuckling.com
The organisers have invited veterinary experts to share their knowledge and expertise in gastroscopy, sinoscopy and upper respiratory tract (URT) endoscopy, using cadaver heads and state of the art models, during daily practical sessions.
Practical sessions will guide delegates through the most commonly used equine endoscopy procedures, including how to perform gastroscopy, how to perform upper respiratory tract endoscopy and exploration of the guttural pouches and how to get the most out of sinoscopy.
Each session will include a review of the anatomy involved and helpful tips from experts Jonathan Anderson, Tim Barnett, Imogen Comyn, Ollie Crowe, Sarah Mack, Patrick Pollock, Alex Rafferty, Richard Reardon, Neil Townsend, Sophie Wilford and Tom Witte.
The gastroscopy practical will make use of a custom synthetic model of a horse’s oesophagus and stomach, uniquely developed by BEVA, Burtons and DeLegge Medical Design in the USA. The URT endoscopy practical will utilise cadaver heads on stands so delegates can look at laryngeal components, sinus drainage angle, ethmoids, guttural pouch ostia and can then scope/ pass foley catheters/chambers catheters in to guttural pouches. Pre-prepared cadaver heads will also be used for the sinoscopy practicals. Frontal sinus trephine holes will allow a scope to be inserted and one side will be broken through the maxillary septal (ventral conchal) bulla so delegates can compare the differences in anatomy.
At the end of each demonstration Burtons, who have sponsored the event and supplied the endoscopic equipment, will be providing advice on how to clean and maintain scopes properly.
Mark Bowen, President of BEVA, said: "BEVA is committed to providing innovative and practical CPD through its entire CPD programme, including congress and these practical sessions showcase the excellent and varied education provided to members. At a time when the RCVS are considering the value of certain types of CPD in improving professional competence, BEVA is committed to leading the field and challenging perceptions of what a modern conference can be."
The practical sessions will run on all three days of Congress on the balcony above the exhibition hall. Each session will comprise a demonstration and then three practical slots, each for a maximum of ten delegates. Places can be secured on a first come first served basis by signing up on the day.
Visit www.beva.org.uk to find out more and to sign up.
The poster can be downloaded free of charge from NOAH’s Pet Health Info website and a limited number are available from NOAH free of charge on a first-come, first-served basis.
Featuring pet photos from NOAH’s 'Happy healthy pets' project gallery, the planner contains independent seasonal expert tips and advice for pets: from exercise, diet and healthcare to keeping them safe and comfortable in different weather conditions.
Over the coming months, the campaign will continue to roll out tips and expert advice from NOAH and partners, tailored web content, as well as press and social media activity.
The poster is part of ’I Heart My Pet’ campaign, now in its third year, which includes the Happy, Healthy Pets Project – an interactive online gallery, where pet owners have already uploaded more than 2000 images of happy, healthy pets.
NOAH Chief Executive, Dawn Howard said: "We are thrilled that these three great animal welfare charities have joined forces with NOAH to help extend the reach of our collective networks on this project, with the ultimate objective of improving the health of the UK’s pets.
"PDSA’s sterling work through its PAW Report, highlighting areas where we need to focus to improve pet welfare made them an obvious choice and we are delighted to be working with them on this. Cats Protection helps thousands of cats every year and provides invaluable information on cat care. We hope that by working together we’ll be able to assist them in helping many more.
RWAF’s work on educating owners about the responsibility involved in taking on rabbits as pets, through campaigns such as Rabbit Awareness Week, is of vital importance and we look forward to working closely with them to spread the word even further."
BVA’s Voice of the Veterinary Profession survey found that 9 in 10 vets do work for which they charge but are subsequently not paid, with the monthly average bad debt reported to be £676.
To help its members, BVA undertook a detailed tender process for a new debt recovery partner before selecting LRC.
LRC offers a range of customisable debt recovery services, including pre-legal collections, legal collections and enforcement services. The BVA says it is one of the few debt recovery agencies in the UK to have been granted a licence by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), allowing it to operate as a legal firm under the Alternative Business Structure (ABS). This enables it to conduct litigation (court action) in its own name, without having to partner with a third party law firm.
BVA President Sean Wensley said: "We are very pleased to be offering this service to members at a reduced rate following a thorough process to select our debt recovery partner, during which we received excellent testimonials about LRC, including from veterinary businesses. Veterinary practices need to be sustainable businesses if they are to continue caring for animals and bad debt impacts on vets’ work. Having a reliable partner to recover bad debt is a welcome addition to the services BVA offers our members."
To access LRC’s debt recovery services at preferential rates, BVA members should contact LRC directly by calling 0330 024 6350 or emailing michaelwhitaker@legalrecoveries.com They will need to quote their membership number.
More information can be found on the BVA website at www.bva.co.uk/lrc
The RCVS has been out promoting the profession, the Practice Standards Scheme (PSS) and its new 'Find a Vet' search tool to animal owners at BBC Countryfile at Blenheim Palace last week.
The RCVS stand was designed to look like a veterinary practice, complete with waiting room, consulting room, prep room, operating theatre and RCVS Accredited Practice logos.
The team from the College handed out around 1,500 ‘Find a Vet’ canvas bags containing 'Find a Vet' and Practice Standards Scheme leaflets and merchandise, and persuaded over 200 people to take part in special ‘Find a Vet’ and PSS-themed games and competitions.
These included having to find a veterinary surgeon or nurse around the showground (volunteers from RCVS Council and VN Council, including RCVS President Chris Tufnell and VN Council Chair Liz Cox, along with David Catlow, Neil Smith, his dog, Fire, Lucy Bellwood and Amber Richards).
The College reports that there was also a continual stream of children eager to pretend to be veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses for the day and have a go at the on-stand ‘animal examination’ and ‘animal surgery’ activities. All this gave rise to plenty of photo opportunities, which parents and competition entrants were encouraged to share on social media, to help spread the word about the College’s activities.
Ian Holloway, RCVS Head of Communications said: "This was the first time the RCVS had been to such a large-scale and high-profile public event, and it provided a superb opportunity to explain to animal owners who we are and how we can help them.
"We had a great deal of interest in our new Find a Vet service, and people also seemed reassured that there was a scheme in place to accredit veterinary practices around the country. Having attended both the London Pet Show and BBC Countryfile Live this year, we now plan to increase the number of animal owner events we attend next year, to further raise public awareness of the RCVS Practice Standards Scheme and our Find a Vet service."
For more pictures of the event, see: https://flic.kr/s/aHskEQkDPc
Dechra says the ability to split Prednicortone into 1.25 mg doses is particularly useful when used alongside Zycortal, the only licensed treatment for canine Addison’s disease in Europe.
Dechra Brand Manager Carol Morgan said: "Dogs with primary Addison’s disease have insufficient levels of natural mineralocorticoids (primarily aldosterone) and glucocorticoids (primarily cortisol). Zycortal contains DOCP, a synthetically produced steroid hormone, which acts in a similar way to aldosterone.
"It causes sodium retention and potassium excretion, helping to maintain water balance but Zycortal only replaces the mineralocorticoid. Therefore, a daily oral glucocorticoid treatment, such as Prednicortone, is needed to address the cortisol deficiency, alongside Zycortal.
"The amount of glucocorticoid administered should be adjusted to the individual dog’s need and it is likely that the dose required will be reduced over time."
She added that a combined approach of Zycortal and Prednicortone allowed independent dose titration of both mineralocorticoids and glucocorticoids.
"The advantage of prescribing the two treatments is that the dosage for each component can be tailored to an individual animal’s response. This leads to a reduction in the side effects usually associated with over-supplementation of glucocorticoids."
There are 250 tablets in a pack and Prednicortone offers accurate dosing using a double divisible SmartTab format and accurate dispensing via blister packs. The flavoured tablets also encourage easy oral administration.
For more information, visit www.dechra.co.uk.
The response from Scotland’s Cabinet Secretary for the Rural Economy and Connectivity, Fergus Ewing MSP, which was also sent on behalf of Scotland’s Cabinet Secretary Roseanna Cunningham MSP, said that:
"The First Minister is seeking guarantees from the UK Government that the residency status and other existing rights of the 173,000 EU citizens living in their respective countries will remain unchanged now and in the future."
This point was echoed in a response from Wales’ Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs, Lesley Griffiths AM, who said:
"The First Minister has also made it clear there are many sectors of business, which depend on EU citizens to fill vital posts and damage to public services and the wider economy would be immense if EU citizens were required to leave the country. I appreciate this could cause difficulties in relation to the veterinary profession and delivery of our Animal Health and Welfare programmes and policies in Wales."
Similarly, the Northern Ireland Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Michelle McIlveen MLA, acknowledged the vital contributions EU citizens make to animal health and welfare, saying:
"I will also endeavour, given the importance of animal and veterinary public health to the local economy, to ensure that this concern [you raise] is represented in the composite Northern Ireland input into the final United Kingdom negotiating position and strategy."
The new Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Andrea Leadsom MP, has offered to meet with BVA President Sean Wensley to discuss these and other priority issues for the veterinary profession.
BVA is establishing a Brexit working group to prioritise and develop policies on the key issues that should be raised in forthcoming discussions and negotiations.