AniDent is a dental care range for cats and dogs - a rinse, a toothpaste and a gel - created with Virbac to help prevent periodontal disease.
Anident joins VetSoothe, a range of dermatology products which includes shampoos, ear cleaners and skin wipes, developed with Vetruus.
Earlier in the year, IVC also launched Joints & Mobility with Omega-3s, an addition to it's VetPro range, developed with one of the company's orthopaedic experts, Jamie McClement.
On the equine side, the company has also launched EquiXcellence, a range of equine nutritional health and wellbeing supplements.
VetNurse asked what longer term plans the company has for its exclusive brand product range.
An IVC Evidensia spokesperson said: "We're developing own brand veterinary products specifically where we think we can see areas we can add value for our practices, pet owners, and patients. In the case of Anident, we saw there was an opportunity to make oral care easier by offering a range of options to suit pet owners' needs.
"In the case of Joints & Mobility with Omega-3s, there is research which has shown that high levels of Omega-3s EPA & DHA can greatly support freedom of movement and pain, which was the key focus when developing the product.
"We plan to continually enhance our own brand portfolio across our UK and Europe practices with some exciting product launches on the horizon."
Photo: Gerhard Putter BVSc MRCVS MANZCVS (Veterinary Dentistry and Oral Surgery) Diplomate of the European Veterinary Dental College uses Anident on a big cat
The award is to recognise the dedication of the country’s veterinary nurses and the support they give to their veterinary teams, the nation’s pets and pet owners. It is given to a vet nurse who not only cares for sick and injured pets but also encourages responsible pet ownership and improves pet welfare in their community.
The award will be presented at the BVNA Congress on Saturday 2nd October 2021, which will this year be a hybrid event with live speakers at the event in Telford and remote delegates.
David Catlow, Blue Cross Director of Veterinary Clinical Services said: “The veterinary profession faced difficult times for much of the past couple of years but vet nurses strove on to provide their usual professionalism, compassion and special care for pets and their owners.
"Now, more than ever, we need to recognise their invaluable work and the incredible reassurances and support they offer pet owners and how they are dedicated to helping the welfare of the nation’s pets in their communities.”
Last year, the award went to Chloe Mackintosh (pictured right), a veterinary nurse at RSPCA in Harmsworth, North London, who was nominated for her passion and commitment to animal welfare.
If you know a vet nurse who you believe has gone the extra mile for your pet or you believe they have made a significant contribution to animal welfare, complete the nomination form on the Blue Cross website at www.bluecross.org.uk/bvna.
The referral centre has invested in a new heart and lung machine, and an oxygen cage, and is expected to take its first patients in the autumn.
The service will be established and led by head of cardiac surgery Poppy Bristow (pictured right) and head of cardiology Anne Kurosawa, who have already performed this kind of surgery on more than 100 dogs to date.
DWR is also setting up its own blood transfusion service to collect blood from staff and clients’ pets to support the service.
The blood collected will also be used to support the practice’s emergency and critical care service and its planned dialysis programme.
Poppy said: “There are hardly any other centres in the world offering this type of surgery, especially with this level of expertise that comes from the collective team we have gathered at DWR.
“Mitral valve disease is the most common heart condition in dogs and sadly, many dogs die every year as there are very few options for treatment. To be able to offer surgery to more dogs and their owners is really exciting.
“DWR is the perfect environment for this pioneering programme, due to the state-of-the-art equipment and depth of expertise on hand to support this life-saving initiative.”
Rob Foale, clinical director at Dick White Referrals, added: “It’s a hugely significant step for us to be launching this service, drawing on Poppy’s expertise in this field.
“We’re also starting our own blood transfusion service to complement the launch, as the pandemic has led to a huge drop in pet blood donations.
“Any excess blood we collect will be donated to the national Pet Blood Bank charity, which supplies blood to veterinary practices across the UK and does a fantastic job.”
For more information, visit www.dickwhitereferrals.com.
Dechra says that Dexacortone, which is presented as a flavoured double-divisible tablet, is approximately 25 times more potent than short-acting substances such as hydrocortisone.
Dechra Brand Manager Carol Morgan said: “Dexamethasone works to suppress the inflammatory response and should be combined with treatment of the underlying disease.”
The chewable tablets have been developed with a chicken flavour to encourage greater acceptance by animals and have Dechra’s double divisible SmartTab format to help accurate and flexible dosing.
Dexacortone is available in blister packs.
Carol added: “The dose and duration of treatment should be determined by the veterinarian based upon the desired effect and on the nature and severity of each individual case and our SmartTab format makes Dexacortone tablets easily divisible. The tablet portions have a six day shelf life that also reduces the wastage of medicine.”
For more information visit www.dechra.co.uk
The BSAVA says it has produced the leaflet because of fears that so many of the puppies bought during lockdown will have missed out on this important part of their development, potentially leading to behavioural issues as they get older.
The Q&A explains the most important aspects of socialisation, both at home and outdoors. It can be downloaded here: https://www.bsavalibrary.com/files/editorial/Puppy-Socialisation-QandA.pdf
The ‘top 10 tips’ are presented as an infographic designed to be shared on social media. It highlights the main points pet owners should consider when socialising their puppy. You can download the Q&A here: https://www.bsavalibrary.com/files/editorial/Puppy-Socialisation-Top-Ten.jpg
Sheldon Middleton, BSAVA President said: “We have seen a surge in puppy ownership during the pandemic when opportunities to meet up were limited, which may have resulted in some puppies missing out on the key socialisation period. This accessible guide gives invaluable support to our members when discussing socialisation with clients.”
The BSAVA has also created a special collection on puppy socialisation, bringing together chapters, podcasts and leaflets covering the reasons behind the socialisation of puppies and how to do it successfully. The collection is free to access through the BSAVA Library during September: https://www.bsavalibrary.com/content/socialization.
Professor Susan Dawson (pictured right), Chair of the Mind Matters Taskforce, will introduce the event and will be followed by the symposium’s plenary speaker, Rory O’Connor, Professor of Health Psychology at the University of Glasgow and President of the International Association for Suicide Prevention.
Rory's talk: ‘When It is Darkest: Understanding Suicide Risk’ will draw upon his research and work on the psychological processes which precipitate suicidal behaviour and self-harm, an area of expertise that has seen him advise the Scottish Government, as well as other national and international organisations, on suicide prevention strategies.
The next presentation will be from Dr Victoria Crossley from the Royal Veterinary College and Navaratnam Partheeban, co-founder of the British Veterinary Ethnicity & Diversity Society (BVEDS), on their research into the mental health impact of racism and discrimination on Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) veterinary surgeons.
They'll be followed by Professor Neil Greenberg and Dr Victoria Williamson from King’s College London, who will talk about their research into the impact of ‘moral injury’ on the mental health and wellbeing of vets.
The day will then split into different research streams with presentations on a variety of topics including: the impact of cyberbullying and harassment; the wellbeing of veterinary interns and residents; stigma and stress in veterinary nursing; mental health awareness training in the undergraduate veterinary curriculum; and the relationship between ‘patient safety culture’ and staff burnout.
Lisa Quigley, Mind Matters Manager, said: “As with previous years the Mind Matters Mental Health Research Symposium promises to be a very informative and important day in terms of international researchers coming together to share their research, their conclusions, areas for further work and study, and best practice.
"Some of the topics we will be discussing, such as suicide, will be difficult, but research into issues affecting the international veterinary community is a vital first step to putting in place strategies and support mechanisms to help those in need. This is why research will be one of the key strategic priorities for the Mind Matters Initiative and our forthcoming actions in this area will be published later this year in our Mind Matters Initiative Strategic Plan.
“I would like to thank Dr Rosie Allister, a veterinary mental health researcher from the University of Edinburgh and manager of Vetlife Helpline, for putting together an excellent programme.
"As with previous years we are also offering free attendance of the symposium to those who have lived experience of mental ill-health, those who are currently not working, and veterinary and veterinary nursing students. If you have any queries about the event, please don’t hesitate to contact me on l.quigley@rcvs.org.uk to discuss further.”
Registration for those not entitled to a free ticket is £10.
To register for the event visit: www.vetmindmatters.org/events.
Sarah Fitzpatrick, Head of Partnerships and Events at BSAVA said: “We’re absolutely delighted to be working in partnership with CVS to support the small animal veterinary profession, through the development and upskilling of veterinary professionals.
"The BSAVA manuals are a go-to vet resource, and by providing this access to CVS they become even more valuable to the community through their use in practice and in consults.”
Joseph Williams, Veterinary Director for the CVS Small Animal Division said: “At CVS we are passionate about giving the best possible care to animals. We take our responsibility seriously to help colleagues to do that, investing in training and through the support given via our Hub Clinical Leadership team.
"BSAVA manuals have long been a trusted reference point for clinical information in our industry. We’re excited to partner with the BSAVA and now, with access to this great resource, every CVS clinician, whether in the consult room, prep room or on a visit, is now just a couple of clicks away from 46 manuals with over 1400 chapters covering all disciplines from anaesthesia to wildlife casualties.’’
In the film, Nancy demonstrates how to use the towel wrap restraint method on a cat.
The purpose of the competition was to start a new collection of films designed both to demonstrate veterinary nursing techniques for colleagues and to showcase the talents of veterinary nurses to the public on the peer-reviewed YouTube channel, Brains and Drains.
VetNurse.co.uk Editor Arlo Guthrie said: “We thought Nancy demonstrated and explained the technique really well. Her film also shows how making a demonstration film of this sort is really something almost anyone can do.
“Our aim now is to build our collection of peer-reviewed films by veterinary nurses which not only help students and recently qualified nurses, but also show the vital role that veterinary nurses have in veterinary practice.
Laura Shaw MRCVS, from competition sponsor Training Progress Training Progress said: “Video demonstrations make excellent in-house training resources for practices. We recommend their use to our clients as learning resources on their Training-Progress systems. We really enjoyed Nancy’s entry as it was well explained and engaging.”
Nancy said: “I really enjoyed making this video with my cat Audrey. I hope it is a helpful teaching tool for a skill I use almost daily in practice!"
She added: "I, like others often struggle learning practical skills from written information and think videos are a valuable resource used to see the task in action.”
If you’d like to make a short film demonstrating a veterinary nursing technique for the YouTube channel, Brains and Drains, email editor@vetnurse.co.uk and we’ll give you some simple guidelines.
Oh, and if you enjoy Nancy's film, be sure to give it a 'like' on YouTube!
Adam graduated from the RVC in 2007. He then undertook an internship before spending two years in practice including sole charge night work. In 2013, he completed his residency in ECC, again at the RVC, becoming a diplomate the same year. He was appointed an honorary lecturer of the University of Liverpool in 2014 and teaches and examines for advanced certification in ECC for a number of organisations.
Adam became an RCVS recognised specialist in emergency and critical care in 2015, before going on to become head of emergency and intensive care for four hospitals, overseeing standards of out-of-hours provision to 50-plus sites in and around London from 2013 to 2017.
He is the ECC representative to the RCVS practice standards group, he is a member of the central organising committee for EVECC conference, a member of the ACVECC education committee and vice-chair of a clinical advisory committee to 400 practices.
Hospital director David Walker said: “Emergency and critical care is a pivotal offering and Adam’s arrival means we can provide even better care to the most critically ill patients at Anderson Moores. Adam is working closely with all of our specialist-led services and he is already having a positive impact.”
For more information, visit www.andersonmoores.com.
The researchers hope that the study will help to increase a veterinary surgeon’s index of suspicion of a particular liver disease, particularly if a biopsy-confirmed diagnosis is not possible.
In the study titled “Histopathological frequency of canine hepatobiliary disease in the United Kingdom”, histopathology reports from canine liver tissues submitted to a commercial veterinary laboratory by UK first and second opinion practices were retrospectively reviewed.
Data collected included breed, age, sex, gross and histological descriptions, diagnosis and additional comments.
Data were then grouped into 23 categories according to WSAVA histological criteria for canine hepatobiliary diseases using the four main morphological groups of vascular, biliary, parenchymal and neoplastic disorders. Breed analysis was then performed on the top five ranking breeds within each individual category.
A total of 4584 histopathology reports of canine liver tissue were included in the analysis.
The most common histopathological diagnoses were reactive hepatitis (16.8%), chronic hepatitis (16.0%) and reversible hepatocellular injury (RHI) (12.9%).
Labrador retrievers were found to have increased odds for reactive hepatitis (OR 1.57, 95%CI 1.23-1.99), whilst crossbreeds demonstrated reduced odds (OR 0.65, 95%CI 0.54-0.79).
Breeds with increased odds of chronic hepatitis included the Labrador retriever (OR 4.14, 95%CI 3.47-4.93), springer spaniel (OR 6.30, 95%CI 5.10-7.79), cocker spaniel (OR 2.78 95%CI 2.20-3.53) and West Highland White Terrier (OR 3.23, 95%CI 2.24-4.65).
Within the RHI group, the schnauzer (OR 8.06, 95%CI 5.77-11.26) and Bichon Frise (OR 5.19, 95%CI 3.63-7.42) had increased odds of disease.
Dr Yuvani Bandara, corresponding author for the paper, said: “This is the first study to report the histopathological frequency of hepatobiliary diseases and to identify possible breed predispositions in a large cohort of dogs in the UK.
“Despite multivariable analysis not being performed to account for confounding factors, we hope that this information informs and supports future investigations for hepatic disease in particular breeds and potential predispositions.”
The full article can be found in the September issue of the Journal of Small Animal Practice and can be read online here: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jsap.13354.
Reference
The meeting follows growing concerns expressed both within the profession and in the national media about the shortage of veterinary surgeons in the UK.
Lizzie Lockett, RCVS CEO (pictured right), said: “Workforce shortages within the veterinary sector has been a concern for some time, however, in the past few months there has been a ‘perfect storm’ of circumstances, which have come together to exacerbate the problem. The issues include the ongoing impact of the pandemic, burnout and fatigue within the profession; the UK’s exit from the European Union, which has seen a significant reduction in the number of EU vets joining the Register as well as an associated increase in the need for veterinary certification; and an increase in pet ownership, and therefore demand for veterinary services, over the course of the pandemic."
In advance of the meeting, which is due to be help in November, the College will be conducting research to better gauge the extent of the problem both nationally and regionally.
The meeting will then consider how recruitment, retention and return to work might address the problem.
Lizzie added: “While there has already been a lot of focus and discussions around recruitment and retention, something less spoken about is return, and the summit will consider the reasons why members of the profession may move away from clinical practice, and if there’s more scope for different ways of working that could bring people back into clinical practice.
“Ahead of the summit we will be reviewing all the latest data that we and other organisations have shared to better understand the gap between capacity and demand, the push and pull factors on decisions to either join or leave clinical practice and build a more evidence-based picture of veterinary workforce trends.”
The summit itself, the date of which is yet to be confirmed, will involve key veterinary stakeholders including the veterinary schools, veterinary employers and representative bodies, coming together to ensure that there will be a joined-up approach in finding solutions to the issues confronting the profession.
Lizzie said: “It may not necessarily be easy to identify all the solutions in one day, and they won’t all come from the RCVS, but opening up the conversation and getting the professions focused on taking appropriate action is an important first step.”
Meanwhile, RCVS President Kate Richards this week wrote to all vets and nurses to reassure them them that the RCVS was aware of the problem and the additional pressures they are under as a result.
In the letter she wrote: “In the face of current shortages, I would like to stress that we support practice teams in prioritising cases strictly according to the health and welfare needs of their patients, and in informing their clients of the need to do so.
“We would also urge veterinary surgeons to share their caseload as much as possible, delegating permitted procedures to their veterinary nurse colleagues wherever appropriate to do so.
"And, we would like to remind veterinary surgeons that their current 24/7 emergency cover obligations, as set out in the RCVS Code of Professional Conduct, are limited only to taking steps to provide 24-hour emergency first-aid and pain relief to animals according to their skills and the specific situation."
She also added that, while members of the profession may be anxious about a potential increase in the number of concerns being raised by clients because they are not able to offer the level of service they would ideally like to, the RCVS would always take into account the entire circumstances surrounding a complaint as part of its investigation process.
She also said that the College would also continue to raise awareness amongst animal owners of the acute challenges currently facing veterinary teams around the country, and to request their ongoing patience and understanding.
To assist the profession, a series of FAQs have been produced to help with different situations that vets may encounter at the moment, particularly around the provision of 24/7 emergency cover, and to provide further guidance on delegating procedures to veterinary nurses. These can be found at: www.rcvs.org.uk/news-and-views/news/
As part of the University of Bristol, Langford is the only referral hospital in the South West which has an educational facility.
The new academy will also be developing its Veterinary Nurse Graduate Program and give access to its Vet Nurse Congress.
Juliet Morrison, Nurse Graduate Lead said: “At LV we passionately believe in nursing progression.
"Through our SAH Graduate Nursing Programme, we continue to support the next generation of nurses to become confident, resilient professionals.”
For more information, email: brm@langfordvets.co.uk
RCVS Council recommended the increase due to inflationary pressures and increased business costs.
Dr Tshidi Gardiner MRCVS, RCVS Treasurer, said: “We recognise that these are difficult economic times, so Council has endeavoured to limit the fee increase as far as possible; however, in proposing these new fees, Council has had to take account both of increased costs due to inflation, and of additional costs related to ensuring we are fulfilling our regulatory remit to the best of our abilities and meeting our strategic priorities.
“For example, increased costs related to the additional number of veterinary degrees coming on stream, modernising our membership database, our Charter Case Committee, the trial of our private prosecutions protocol against non-vets breaching the Veterinary Surgeons Act, and much more besides.”
Duncan makes three requests of the UK Government:
The first is to make changes to encourage more overseas vets, and specifically the return of EU vets.
The second is to increase funding for UK universities to provide veterinary courses.
The final request is to update the regulatory framework to enable veterinary nurses to expand their role.
Full article: https://ivcevidensia.co.uk/News/duncan-phillips-time-to-overhaul-vet-support
25% of owners said they have seen their dog running away on hearing the word 'vet' and 30% have actively avoided a visit to the vet because of the animal's stress.
To try and get round the problem, 30% of owners use language to avoid alerting their animal: either spelling out the word 'V-E-T', or using a different word, like the 'dogtor'.
47% of owners disguise the trip and take their dog for a walk first, whilst 46% give their dog extra treats that day.
The event will include empowering talks by Vet Empowered founders Katie Ford and Claire Grigson MsRCVS.
Expert guests include Aoife Smith, an ex-RVN and psychotherapist, Chloé Hannigan from VetYogi and Jo Kelly, a registered veterinary nurse and accredited nutritional therapist.
There'll be hands-on workshops and immersive activities aimed at challenging comfort zones, fostering connections, and cultivating a mindset of growth and empowerment.
The organisers say Vet Empowered Live also offers the chance to connect with like-minded professionals, share experiences, and build a supportive community of peers committed to personal and professional growth.
Katie said: "We're thrilled to bring Vet Empowered Live to life and provide veterinary professionals with a unique opportunity to invest in their personal development.
"Our mission is to empower individuals to unlock their full potential, overcome obstacles, and create fulfilling careers on their own terms.
"We are passionate about providing a safe and inspiring space to do this."
Tickets cost £150 and include six hours of CPD and food and drink throughout the day.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/vet-empowered-live-confidence-beyond-manchester-2024-tickets-775605325407
https://www.vetempowered.com
The programme is designed to take advantage of the RCVS Under Care review changes, which mean that veterinary nurses can now start the patient's journey of care in certain cases, when before, vets were required to do a hands-on examination before delegating.
Racheal Marshall, Vets Now’s Head of Clinical Nursing said: “So, for example, under the protocols a nurse may offer blood tests prior to vet consultation, and the vet can then continue the consultation with the owner with additional clinical information.”
The 'Enhancing the Nurse Role' training programme is covers three main areas: front of house care, patient procedures and team dynamics.
So far, Vets Now has held 11 training workshops using partial task simulators to provide a realistic experience and safe environment to learn new skills.
Emphasis is placed on hands-on practical skills that can be used back at clinics, including placement of central lines, urinary catheterisation of blocked cats, feeding tube placement, suturing and a two-day ultrasound training.
The third phase of the Enhancing the Nurse role programme, which looks at team dynamics, has been overseen by Zara Kennedy, Head of Veterinary Standards at Vets Now.
She said: “As a vet, the collaboration between the vets and the rest of the team, and maximising everyone’s skills is critical.
“This third phase focuses on teamwork and communication, and we are utilising much of what has been learned in human medicine.
"A focus on these softer skills enhances the way the teams carry out patient care and ultimately result in better patient care.
Using the great skills of our nurses can help take the pressure off those bottlenecks where currently the patients are waiting for the vet.”
Vets Now says the Vets Now programme is designed to make the company an appealing place for veterinary nurses to work.
Racheal said: "Using all their skills provides them with greater job satisfaction, and by mixing with other nurses at the training, as well as being a great opportunity to bring our nurses together, they get to share and learn from each other's experiences.
“It will bring greater benefits for patients and clients and their experience in the clinic.”
The app allows practices to submit results along with cytology and histopathology results in order to help train the AI algorithm and improve its accuracy from an original sensitivity of 85% and negative predictive value of 97%.
Liron Levy-Hirsch, Managing Director of HT Vista, said: “The HT app has provided us with over 700 additional validated scans to analyse this year alone.
"The validation process is well controlled, whereby we use the lab results to tag the scans as benign or malignant and let the algorithm know if it was correct or not.
"The more we train the algorithm the more accurate it becomes, and it is extremely exciting to see the sensitivity increase to 90% and the NPV to 98%.”
HT Vista says the app was developed to meet demand from clinics.
Liron said: "By having a portal to upload lab results alongside the device’s results not only do we further improve the device, but we also increase confidence among our vets and nurses that the device is a reliable tool.
https://ht-vista.uk
The Client Care Hub, which is thought to be an industry-first, aims to provide CVS's 1,100 receptionists – and other colleagues who look after clients in CVS’ practices, crematoria and laboratories – with a solid foundation in all aspects of good client care.
The training hub offers a range of live and on-demand courses, including short courses, guides, webinars, in-depth courses and a Level 4 certificate programme.
Courses cover various aspects of client care, such as handling challenging conversations, triaging cases, diary management, finance, and personal wellbeing.
Some course content, designed by CVS’ in-house team in collaboration with receptionists and practice managers, is unique to the veterinary profession.
Philip Webb, Learning Partner at CVS Group, said: "We hope the quality of training we’re offering, along with the peer support network we’re facilitating, will make our colleagues’ day-to-day life even more rewarding and will longer-term serve to develop their careers.”
https://knowledgehub.cvsukltd.co.uk
Happy Snack is described as a light, delicious creamy snack which contains alpha-casozepine, a natural milk protein with claimed appeasing properties.
In a study conducted by the company, the new treat was taken by 86% of cats.
Happy Snack is suitable for cats and kittens from 12 weeks of age and can be used directly from the sachet, on food or from a finger.
Feline behaviourist, Lucy Hoile, said: “I am very excited about Happy Snack, as I think there is a real gap in the market!
"Something delicious that a person can give easily to a cat, is a great tool to help with general distraction and bond building.”
Happy Snack by Feliway is available in packs of six sachets.
www.feliway.com/uk.
Each candidate will produce a written reply to two questions of their choice, which will be included on their candidate profile webpage ahead of the start of the election.
The three candidates who are standing in this year’s election for the two available elected places on VN Council are:
The VN Council candidate biography and statements are available to read on www.rcvs.org.uk/vnvote24
The two candidates with the most votes will join VN Council for their three-year terms at the College’s AGM in July.
The College says it will only accept one question per person and questions must be decent.
Offensive, defamatory and inaccurate questions will not be passed on to candidates.
You can email your question to: vnvote24@rcvs.org.uk.
The survey of 2717 horse owners, 56% of which were leisure owners and 35% professionals, found that most horses (62%) were retired between 15-24 years of age, mainly for health reasons.
Mares had a higher risk of retirement than geldings, which the researchers say may be due in part to mares used for breeding not doing much structured exercise.
Just over 1 in 6 horses in the study were affected by low muscle mass according to their owners.
Age, sex, osteoarthritis, laminitis, pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID), and primary use were identified as risk factors for low muscle mass.
Geldings had a higher risk of low muscle mass than mares, which the researchers say may be a result of low testosterone.
Horses with owner-reported veterinary-diagnosed PPID, osteoarthritis and laminitis had a higher risk of low muscle mass.
Primary use was identified as a risk factor for low muscle mass, with retired horses having a higher risk than horses used for competition or pleasure riding.
Owner-reported low muscle mass was perceived to affect welfare and the ability to work in the majority of senior horses.
Alisa Herbst, who led the study, said: “A prolonged working/active life may not only be desired by owners but is also likely to provide health and welfare benefits to the horse.
"We hope the results of this study may be useful for veterinarians caring for senior and geriatric equines, by helping to achieve this."
“The information may aid in the investigation of diseases affecting senior horses and in establishing senior horse-owner education programs.
"The low muscle mass risk factor list may assist vets in identifying horses at risk of low muscle mass to be selected for close monitoring.
“Vets may also consider inclusion of an objective measurement of muscle atrophy, such as the muscle atrophy scoring system (MASS)***, in annual wellness exams, so that atrophy can be identified and managed as early as possible."
Sarah Nelson, Product Manager at Mars Horsecare added: “This survey has highlighted several interesting retirement trends.
“With a better understanding of when and why senior horses are being retired we hope, eventually, to be better placed to monitor for, prevent (where possible), and treat the underlying conditions early on, to help horses stay active and healthy for longer.”
https://www.seniorhorsehealth.com
Cranial cruciate ligament insufficiency (CCLI) affects 3% to 5% of dogs1.
Past research has demonstrated satisfactory short (6-12 weeks)2 and medium (mean 16 months)3 term outcomes for lame dogs treated with TTA.
However, Steve says there is limited research on longer (>16 months) follow-up periods.
It has also been speculated that dogs with tibial plateau angles (TPA) of greater than 30⁰ are not well suited for a TTA4.
For the study5, the researchers reviewed patient records for a total of 149 TTA-Rapid procedures carried out in 120 dogs over an 80 month period.
They also reviewed owner questionnaires that evaluated the outcome of at least six months after surgery, using a validated clinical metrology instrument, Liverpool Osteoarthritis in Dogs (LOAD).
Follow-up questionnaires were received from owners of 64 of the 120 dogs (53.3%), with a median follow-up time of 37.5 months.
This cohort included a wide range of breeds, aged between 2&12 years and with bodyweights ranging from 6.3 to 41.8kg.
The dogs included 37 females and 27 males, and of the 79 limbs treated in these dogs, 41 were left and 38 were right.
The researchers found 26 of the dogs (40.6%) had a TTA performed with a TPA less than 30◦ and 38 (59.4%) with a TPA of 30◦ or more.
Of the 79 procedures, meniscal injury was noted in 27 (34.2%), surgery to stabilise the patella was required in 11 (13.9%), there was one surgical site infection (treated successfully with a short course of antibiotics), one dog sustained a fracture of the tibial seven days after surgery, and one sustained a late meniscal tear 12 months after initial surgery (treated successfully by partial meniscectomy).
The outcome was judged to be satisfactory, based on frequency of lameness, in 63 (98.4%), while satisfactory outcomes were achieved in 61 (95.3%) based on severity of lameness and in 50 (78.1%) based on mobility score.
Statistical analysis showed that age, bodyweight, tibial plateau angle (TPA), meniscal injury, and concurrent patellar surgery did not influence the outcome, but time to follow-up positively correlated with mobility score (suggesting mobility declined with time from surgery).
The researchers concluded that the long-term (median of 37.5 months) outcome for dogs undergoing TTA-Rapid for cranial cruciate ligament disease is satisfactory, with no risk factors associated with poorer outcomes identified.
The study also revealed no evidence to support the suggestion that dogs with TPAs of greater than 30◦ may be inappropriate candidates for TTA - after testing several parameters to judge outcome including frequency of lameness, severity of lameness, distance walked daily and mobility score.
Steve said: “This research is important in trying to ensure that decisions on whether to use this treatment modality, are based on sound clinical evidence.
"The only factor identified that influenced the outcome measure was that of time since surgery.
"All other factors, including TPA, had no effect on the outcome.”
References
Pergocoat contains pergolide, a long-acting dopamine receptor agonist.
It is available in 0.5mg (off-white) and 1mg (yellow) tablets for accurate dosing without the need to split tablets.
The tablets are film-coated to mask the bitter taste of pergolide and create a barrier between the horse owner and the active ingredient.
Available in two different pack sizes containing 60 or 160 tablets, Pergocoat tablets are packaged in double layered blister packs to help minimise the risk of accidental ingestion.
Rachel Addison BVM&S MRCVS, equine field support manager at Dechra said: “Pergocoat is available in two convenient tablet sizes to achieve an optimal treatment response.
"Horses can be monitored and reviewed every four to six weeks until stabilisation or improvement of clinical signs is observed.”
https://www.dechra.co.uk/products/horse/prescription/pergocoat#Pergocoat-0-5mg-60-film-coated-tablets-for-horses.
The training will be delivered by the referral team and is open to all vet nurses, trainee vet nurses and animal care assistants, with content for all experience levels.
Topics on the day include:
Eleri Counsell, Nursing Manager at Langford, said: “The Congress has gone from strength to strength since it was launched in 2022.
"Our aim has been to showcase our outstanding nursing team here at the Small Animal Referral Hospital and continue to support our local referring practices and the wider veterinary nursing community by sharing our expertise.
"The nurses have really been the driving force for this Congress and their passion when talking about their areas is inspiring.”
Tickets cost: £150
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/vet-nurse-congress-2024-tickets-793211144887