Dr Vlad Butnaru faced two charges, the first of which was that in May 2021, he had signed a passport and/or passport application for a horse and electronically signed a declaration stating that he “had read the above microchip, which had previously been implanted for the animal” when, in fact, the microchip had not been inserted into any horse and he had not read it.
The second charge was that, in relation to the matters set out in the first charge, Dr Butnaru’s signed declaration was false, and that he had acted dishonestly and misleadingly, he risked undermining procedures designed to promote animal welfare, and failed to take sufficient steps to ensure that the microchip number recorded for the horse was accurate.
Dr Butnaru admitted the first charge on all counts, and that the declaration he had signed was false.
He also admitted that his conduct was misleading and that he had failed to take sufficient steps to ensure that the microchip number recorded for the horse was accurate.
However, he denied that his conduct had been dishonest and that he had risked undermining a procedure designed to promote animal welfare.
In its decision, the committee noted that Dr Butnaru kept introducing new versions of what happened for the first time at the hearing and changed his account as he went along, as well as being evasive when answering questions.
The Committee therefore felt that Dr Butnaru could not be considered to be a reliable witness, and whilst it did not know the true reason why he was prepared to sign a false declaration on a passport application, it was satisfied that he'd made a false declaration dishonestly.
The Committee also found that Dr Butnaru had failed to take sufficient steps to ensure that the microchip number recorded for the horse was accurate as, if the passport had been issued on a false premise because of misleading information provided by Dr Butnaru, then it could not function as it was meant to which, in the Committee’s view, clearly risked undermining procedures designed to protect animal welfare.
The Committee found that Dr Butnaru had breached the parts 6.2 and 6.5 of the Code of Professional Conduct, as well as Principle 1 of the 10 Principles of Certification, namely that ‘a veterinarian should certify only those matters which: a) are within his or her own knowledge; b) can be ascertained by him or her personally; c) are the subject of supporting evidence from an authorised veterinarian who has personal knowledge of the matters in question; or d) are the subject of checks carried out by an Officially Authorised Person (OAP).’
The Committee found there were no mitigating factors.
Aggravating factors, on the other hand, were that Dr Butnaru had participated in premeditated misconduct, made financial gain from his actions as he was paid to make the false declaration, abused his professional position, and showed blatant or wilful disregard of the Horse Passport System and of the role of the RCVS and the systems that regulate the veterinary profession.
The Committee found that all proven charges amounted to Disgraceful Conduct in a Professional Respect.
On considering the sanction, the Committee once again considered the aggravating factors, as well as additional mitigating factors in that Dr Butnaru had no previous disciplinary history, showed limited insight by admitting to some of the charges, showed expressions of remorse, and was provided with a positive testimonial.
Paul Morris, chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: “The Committee was cognisant of the importance of a veterinary surgeon’s signature on any document.
"This should have been obvious to any veterinary surgeon, but particularly someone of Dr Butnaru’s 11 years’ experience (at the time of signing).
"The Committee was well aware of the impact and ramifications for Dr Butnaru of any decision to remove him from the Register, but had to weigh his interests with those of the public.
“In doing so it took account of the context and circumstances of the case, all matters of personal mitigation, Dr Butnaru’s previous unblemished record and the need to act proportionately.
"However, the Committee was of the view that the need to uphold proper standards of conduct within the veterinary profession, together with the public interest in maintaining confidence in the profession of veterinary surgeons and protecting the welfare of animals, meant that a period of suspension would not be sufficient.
"His actions were fundamentally incompatible with remaining on the Register and thus the only appropriate and proportionate sanction in all the circumstances of this case was that of removal from the Register.”
https://www.rcvs.org.uk/concerns/disciplinary-hearings
The group says it has led to 6,086 more clinical metrology questionnaires being conducted at participating practices with their patients, a 1,014% increase.
Developed by John Innes at the University of Liverpool, the Liverpool Osteoarthritis in Dogs (LOAD) questionnaire is a 13-item clinical metrology instrument (CMI) used to assess canine articular disorders like osteoarthritis.
It includes questions on the pets’ medical background, lifestyle and mobility.
Individual question scores are summed to provide an overall “LOAD score” suggestive of the animal’s disease presence and severity.
The questionnaire should be conducted every time the pet is presented to the veterinary clinic, with results tracked over time.
Treatment options - including the benefits and risks of all available modalities – can then be considered and discussed with owners to determine the best course of action, including weight management, diet, supplements, exercise and environmental modification, in addition to medication.
As part of the project, CVS provided a range of supporting resources for its practices, together with training.
Training focussed on diagnosing and managing conditions causing lameness in dogs and cats, using the clinical metrology questionnaire to engage clients in their pets’ treatment plan, offering best practice treatment options and running nurse mobility clinics.
It comprised of a vet CPD day run with Zoetis and the VOA on approach to and management of lame patients, two nurse CPD days on mobility clinics, a feline and canine orthopaedic examination video, First Opinion Clinical Club webinars on canine and feline osteoarthritis and an approach to radiographic interpretation course.
Resources included: new clinical guidelines, IMV resources (radiographic positioning, optimising the image and optimal chemical restraint) and a Mobility Clinic Booklet for clients.
Each site was then provided with its own data, so that they could monitor what they were doing individually.
One year after its nation-wide launch, results reveal that the number of clinical metrology questionnaires being conducted in the 35 participating practices has increased from 6 to 6,092 over a 12 month time period.
CVS says there was also evidence of an increasing incidence of the osteoarthritis drugs Librela and Solensia being prescribed.
Kathryn Patel, Hub Clinical Lead at CVS (pictured), who was responsible for the lameness clinical improvement project, said: “This project uses owner questionnaires to screen for and monitor the impact of lameness on patient quality of life and emphasises the importance of the whole clinical team in patient management.
"Vets and nurses will be supported to improve their ability to reach a diagnosis in every lame case, improve engagement with and compliance of owners with lame pets, and improve the quality of care of lame patients through appropriate medication, surgical intervention, and nurse and physiotherapy support.”
The new service was reported in The Times, in an article titled "How much should your vet cost? Pet owners bitten by untamed fees."
Since launch, VetHelpDirect has offered owners information to help them pick a veterinary practice, including reviews, ratings (including a value for money score), RCVS accreditation, cat/ rabbit friendly status, health plan details and how out of hours cover is provided.
It has now added some basic information about each practices' charges, specifically the first consultation fee, a dog castrate and health plans, and then categorised them according with £££££ signs to indicate how far above or below the average they sit.
Susie said: “Most practices will give out these prices over the telephone, but there’s no way for the client to find them without directly getting in touch, something people are less and less likely to want to do nowadays.
"Our research data suggests that people want to find this information online, just as they would in any other service industry.
"When they can’t find any information at all on pricing, there can be a perception of secrecy that can do damage to the vet-owner relationship.”
Susie added: “True comparison for vet practices is of course very complex and no basket of services is ever going to capture the whole complexity.
"Every practice is different, from facilities and team qualifications; to the time allotted for consultations; to monitoring equipment for surgery; and of course the level of investigations undertaken which can also vary from vet to vet.”
“We can’t solve all this straight away but we started from a good place, over the years we have built up more information about vet practices than any other website.
"The aim is to provide commonly requested prices for owners to easily access and to add more and more detail on the vet practices over time so that owners can make the most informed choice on the vet that's most appropriate for them and their pet”.
VetHelpDirect says it will soon be adding prescription fees and out of hours consultation, and a much wider range of species-specific fees in the near future.
The company also points to the Competition and Markets Authority investigation into pricing in the UK, highlighting that in its 2019 Report into Funerals in the UK, the CMA noted that weaknesses in the sector included the fact that less than 40% of funeral directors posted any form of pricing online, and those that did were frequently not in a form that made for easy comparison.
Susie says the veterinary sector has an even lower rate of online pricing transparency.
To add your pricing information to VetHelpDirect, email: info@vethelpdirect.com.
COMMENT
Whilst greater transparency over pricing in almost any field is surely to be welcomed, it seems questionable whether comparing prices for consultations and standard procedures will be of much help to pet owners, because things like the level of investigations, how defensively a clinician practises and the owner's own relationship with risk are likely to have a far greater impact on the bill than whether a consult costs £20 more or less up the road.
There is perhaps also a risk of practices rated as '£££££ / more expensive than average' will be seen as just that. Expensive and nothing more.
It's not like a restaurant where £££££ usually means particularly delicious.
Whilst this may not matter much whilst so many practices are having to turn away business, it may become more important in the future.
Amongst the proposals agreed by Council was to move towards an independent appointment system for Council membership to replace the current election system.
In addition, Council voted:
Council was tied on whether to separate the position of RCVS President and the Chair of RCVS Council, meaning that this will come back for decision at a later date following the consultation.
RCVS President Sue Paterson said: “The unique way that RCVS Council is currently constituted with annual elections to Council is an old model of self-regulation which is no longer found in other professions including doctors, nurses, pharmacists, solicitors and social workers, among others.
“As a responsible regulator we have a duty to operate in a way that recognises modern principles of regulation, and best meets our objectives to enhance society through improved animal health and welfare by setting, upholding and advancing the educational, ethical and clinical standards for the veterinary professions.
"The College’s recommendations would see us retain self-regulation in the sense of independence from government, and maintain registrants within our governance framework, while better assuring the public that we are acting on their behalf.
“It is our firm belief that, among other things, moving to an all-appointed Council member system, whereby those who serve on Council are selected via an independent process based on their knowledge and experience to ensure input from all parts of the veterinary sector, will better serve our aims, as will having a better balance of professional and lay members.
"Of course, veterinary expertise, knowledge and experience will also remain a vital part of any future arrangements throughout our committee structure, so the veterinary voice will be as important as ever in our policy and decision-making processes.
rcvs.org.uk/who-we-are/rcvs-council/council-meetings/18-january-2024/
Further details about the consultation process will be published in due course.
Identichip says the scanner is particularly suited to noise-sensitive dogs and cats.
It's designed to fit in one hand, and is compatible with all ISO 15-digit (FDX-B) microchips.
Tammie O’Leary, commercial lead at Identicare, said: “With compulsory microchipping coming into effect for owned cats from 10 June in England, it is likely that more cats will be presented to check for a chip or to be implanted.
"Many practices are making substantial efforts to minimise fear or stress in their patients, however most microchip scanners beep when they locate a microchip, which can be stressful for animals.
"The silent microchip scanner will help reduce any associated stress for noise sensitive animals.”
Dr Ellie Lee, veterinary surgeon and director at Manchester Cat Clinic, has trialled the silent microchip scanner.
She said: “The scanner is a great tool; we really like how compact it is, which makes it less intimidating for cats, and the silence is definitely beneficial to them too.
"As it doesn’t beep, we watch the screen to check that a chip has been detected, but this is easy to do as it’s such a handy size.”
The silent scanner can be purchased from NVS, Covetrus or from identichip direct.
Questions: contact@identichip.co.uk.
In the last four years, there has been an increase in the number of identified B. canis cases in the UK, which had previously been sporadic and isolated.
Data released by the Government shows that cases have risen from three reported before 2020 to 240 in the last three years.
Most dogs were either imported, had returned from holiday overseas, or been bred with an imported dog.
In 2022, the first UK case of dog-to-human transmission was reported, highlighting the risks to those handling and treating infected dogs and raising levels of concern within veterinary teams, although the BVA says the risk is relatively low.
The BVA, SPVS and BVNA joint policy calls on the Government to :
British Veterinary Association President Anna Judson said: “Vets are seriously concerned about the lack of adequate checks for potentially zoonotic diseases entering the country via imported dogs.
"Brucella canis is not currently considered to be widespread in the UK, so a proactive approach with an emphasis on reducing the risk of this and other worrying exotic diseases being brought into the UK is crucial.
“This is important both for the health of the UK’s dogs and the humans who care for them."
https://www.bva.co.uk/take-action/our-policies/brucella-canis
The annual survey gives an overview of remuneration levels within the veterinary sector.
It covers everything from basic earnings, bonuses, dividends and overtime, to benefits such as accommodation, car allowances and pensions.
SPVS is asking everyone in the veterinary profession to take part, whether they're in a clinical or non-clinical role, a vet, a nurse, a practice manager, support staff or working in industry.
The main findings of the survey will be published in a report and freely available to any participant who gives their email address at the end of the survey.
SPVS members will be able to access the full results with additional commentary and analysis.
All survey data is treated as strictly anonymous and totally confidential.
https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/LOZS6O
Any questions: office@spvs.org.uk
The Scottish Fold is bred for a cartilage abnormality which gives them their distinctive folded ears.
However, that same cartilage abnormality affects their joints, meaning that they go on to develop painful arthritis, even from a young age.
The charities say the impact of using this breed in a Hollywood film cannot be overstated and is likely to significantly increase their popularity with potential cat owners.
Nathalie Dowgray, Head of ISFM, said: “International Cat Care (iCatCare) and its veterinary division, the International Society of Feline Medicine (ISFM), believe that it is simply unethical to continue to breed cats with a genetic mutation that is known to cause significant painful disease – the rationale for breeding these cats was purely for traits considered attractive to humans, as some people believe the folded ears look appealing.
"This is an unnatural appearance for a cat, and the underlying genetic defect has far-reaching and severe consequences for the health of the cat.
"Health should always be more important than looks.”
The trailer for the film also shows a cat travelling in a backpack and subjected to rough handling, including being picked up by the scruff and thrown from a building.
ISFM says that although these scenes have been created using digital animation, the organisations share concerns that suggesting these interactions with cats are acceptable or entertaining may have a negative impact on the welfare of cats.
Sarah Ellis, Head of Cat Mental Wellbeing and Behaviour at International Cat Care, said: “Scruffing a cat is an unacceptable form of restraint that can cause a cat considerable discomfort, fear and even pain, as the weight of its body is completely unsupported, and the cat cannot escape the pressure from its skin being grasped.
"Backpacks are not a cat friendly way to transport a cat; they can leave a cat cramped, without enough ventilation, struggling to control body temperature, and uncomfortable due to the unpredictable movement from being worn on a person’s back.
"Backpacks are simply not cat friendly - they do not respect the cat as a species and run the risk of psychological and physical suffering to the cat.”
The organisations have contacted Universal Pictures, asking them to adopt Cat Friendly Principles in future, and not to promote cat breeds with extreme features in future.
The first, hosted by Sam Taylor, head of veterinary specialists at ISFM (International Society of Feline Medicine) is titled ‘Whetting the appetite: purr-fectly feeding your knowledge of feline inappetence and why early detection shouldn’t be overlooked’.
The session, which starts at 12:30pm on Tuesday 6th, will explore the importance of feline inappetence, how it goes overlooked by owners and practices alike and why it shouldn’t be underestimated.
In the second session, which starts at 12:30pm on Friday 9th, Libby Koytzoumis, veterinary technical advisor at Dechra (pictured), will talk about one of the most commonly diagnosed endocrine diseases in dogs, Cushing’s syndrome.
Libby's webinar, ‘Are you seeing these usual suspects in practice?’ will explore the common signs, routes to diagnosis and the effective treatment and monitoring of Cushing’s.
https://thewebinarvet.com/events/virtual-veterinary-congress-2024
The judges praised the practice group for leveraging employee ownership (EO) to drive growth and staff satisfaction, protect independence, and champion EO in the veterinary sector.
Pennard Vets, which has eight practices in Kent, says its driving ambition when it took the decision to transfer the business into an employee ownership trust and make its 150-strong team business owners, was to protect its independence and core values.
Pennard Vets has also been eager to spread the word about employee ownership to other veterinary practices.
Matthew Flann, a director from Pennard Vets, said: “Winning this award is a huge coup for our entire industry, who have been searching for ways to secure the future of their independent practices.
"Set against a backdrop of increasing corporatisation of UK veterinary practices, we chose to protect our heritage by becoming an EOT.
“It hasn't been easy, but it has been massively rewarding and our team have passionately bought into their new status as owners, and the results can be seen throughout the practice – from team-led initiatives to the impact on the range of procedures we can now offer to our patients.
"It’s genuinely been transformational and since 2021 we’ve doubled turnover and grown our team by 30%.
"We’ve also welcomed Abbotsley Veterinary Group and Priory Lodge into the group with the two local Kent practices citing our EOT status as a motivating factor for their moves.
“Crucially our EOT structure provided the launchpad to becoming the first veterinary practice in Europe to achieve B-Corp status in 2022, which we see as another step towards becoming the very best practice possible, using input and ideas from our team to provide a better service, give back to our community and protect the environment.
“We’re also determined to make the journey less arduous for other veterinary practices to follow our lead and we regularly hear from practice owners who are exploring becoming EO.
"We’ve established the British Veterinary Employee Owned Association to help guide other practices through the journey of becoming an EOT by networking, attending events and presenting webinars.
"This year we have supported thriving practices to become EO in all parts of the UK, including Arrowfield Vets in Herefordshire, Animal Tails Veterinary Practice in Stirling, Shetland Vets and Cornerstone Veterinary Clinic in Belfast.
“We believe intrinsically in the value of supporting and promoting our team as the best way to grow our business and provide the best possible service to our clients and patients, and that same approach will pay dividends for other veterinary practices. Because of this we fully intend to continue to campaign for the benefits of EO.”
James de le Vingne, CEO of the EOA, said: “Congratulation to Pennard Vets on winning this award.
"The awards recognise businesses and individuals that are delivering great employee ownership. Collectively, great employee owned businesses deliver significant uplift in productivity and performance, outperforming their non-EO counterparts across multiple impacts for employees, society, the environment and the economy.”
The company says that although some UK insurers are continuing to offer protection to existing policy holders, Agria is one of the few insurers to offer lifetime veterinary fee cover to new customers.
Insurance will be available to owners who have an exemption certificate.
Vicki Wentworth, Managing Director at Agria Pet Insurance, said: “We know that the last few months have been particularly difficult for owners of American XLBully dogs, and we are pleased to be able to reassure them that we can provide lifetime veterinary fee cover for their dog, so we can support them in prioritising their pet’s welfare”.
The company says that although it can provide cover for veterinary fees, it can't cover third party liability.
Agria is advising owners to contact an organisation such as Dogs Trust which can provide third party cover.
For the research, the medical histories of 188 Basset Hounds and 270 Dachshunds presenting to CVS’ Dovecote Veterinary Hospital and Chestergates Veterinary Specialists, and the University of Ghent were retrospectively assessed.
Information included signalment, whether the dog had received a diagnosis of TL-IVDE, the duration of clinical signs, affected discs and anatomical region and the neurological grading at presentation and discharge.
Basset Hounds and Dachshunds are both chondrodystrophic breeds which are predisposed to IVDE.
However, the study found 77.4% of Dachshunds had presented with IVDE, compared to only 36.2% of Basset Hounds.
Dachshunds also presented earlier (66.5 months) compared to Basset Hounds (median 87.5 months).
Dachshunds had a lower proportion of midlumbar IVDE and were more frequently non-ambulatory at discharge than Basset Hounds.
In addition, Dachshunds were more likely to be paraplegic without sensation at presentation than Basset Hounds (16/154 Dachshunds compared to just one Basset).
The Basset Hound is the largest chondrodystrophic breed and the physical characteristics of this larger body conformation may have benefits, with previous studies suggesting the protective effects of being a larger dog2.
One hypothesis is whether breed conformation and anatomy – the relative height/weight ratio - influences the severity and occurrence of IVD and points to a link between the size of the patient and the space in the vertebral canal.
A smaller spinal cord versus vertebral canal ratio in the Basset Hound may indicate a less compressive lesion.
Sergio Gomes, Head of Neurology and specialist in veterinary neurology at Dovecote Veterinary Hospital, who led the study, said: “This is the first time that IVDE data for Basset Hounds has been directly compared with that for Dachshunds.
“We now need to look closely at the conformation and anatomy of the Basset Hound to see what learnings we can take.
"This could have positive future implications for Dachshund breeding programmes, so that longer term we can try to minimise this painful and common canine condition.”
References
The company says the new addition leverages a combination of image recognition technology, algorithms, and cloud-based deep learning AI to enable accurate, in-clinic sediment analysis of fresh urine, delivering results within minutes.
The system evaluates red and white blood cells, squamous and other epithelial cells (e.g. urothelial and renal tubular epithelial cells), hyaline and non-hyaline casts, struvite and calcium oxalate dihydrate crystals, and cocci and rod bacteria.
Zoetis says its performance is comparable to that of a clinical pathologist.
Richard Goldstein, DVM, DACVIM, DECVIM-CA, Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, Global Diagnostics Medical Affairs at Zoetis said: “Urinalysis is an essential diagnostic test for veterinary surgeons, and often a good indicator of potential wider issues.
"Having the ability to get these results faster will improve the speed and level of care teams can provide their patients, facilitating efficient medical decision-making and helping to ensure smooth workflows.
Containing 3% m/v Chlorhexidine, Pyoderm is designed to support the natural microbial balance of the skin whilst delivering gentle yet effective cleansing.
Along with the rest of Virbac's range of dermatological and everyday care shampoos, Pyoderm is presented in 250ml eco-friendly bottles which are made from 100% recycled plastic and recyclable packaging.
The shampoos themselves are also biodegradable.
https://uk.virbac.com/
It is the first time this Ofqual-regulated qualification has been offered to small animal first opinion practice nurses in the UK.
The new Level 5 qualification is designed for RVNs who have been qualified for at least six months and who have access to working in an emergency and critical care (ECC) environment.
CVS says it will help them to advance their knowledge and skills in ECC to a mastery level.
Students passing the course will gain post nominals and be placed on a register of Advanced Nurse Practitioners.
The course comprised six modules: the fundamentals of emergency and critical care, management of emergency and critical patient presentations, management of the emergency and critical patient, interventions for the emergency and critical patient, transfusion medicine and collaborative practice and wellbeing within the emergency and critical care setting.
The course will be taught online, with live tutor sessions and webinars, supported by an interactive virtual learning platform.
It will last 12-18 months, with enrolment through CVTC.
To apply, visit www.chestervtc.co.uk to complete an application form or email the Centre nursingschool@cvsvets.com .
The first is a new formulation of Sustain, which the company says will be the first UK veterinary product for cats to contain a prebiotic, probiotic and postbiotic.
The company has also launched Gomega for Cats, which contains a purified fish oil source of Omega 3 essential fatty acids which VetPlus says supports cardiovascular health and kidney function.
Jackie Marshall, Technical Advisor at VetPlus, said: “The launch of these two products will help our veterinary partners provide the best care for felines from gastrointestinal support through to aiding with renal and cardiac health.
Sustain for Cats and Gomega for Cats are now in stock and available from veterinary wholesalers.
www.vetplus.co.uk
Data for 2023 from UK Pet Food research found that around 5% of UK households own a reptile, up from 3.4% in 2022.
The new leaflets have been created using information from the BSAVA Manual of Reptiles and reviewed by Simon Girling, reptile specialist at The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland.
They cover things like housing, feeding, handling, medication and spotting health concerns, and are now available for veterinary nurses to download and print out for clients thinking about getting a reptile.
There are currently leaflets for the following species:
BSAVA members can download the leaflets free from the BSAVA library.
Subscription access for 12 months to BSAVA’s collection of over 170 client information leaflets is available to non-members for £40+VAT here.vet
Hosted by industry veteran, Anthony Chadwick MRCVS, there will be five episodes, covering pet life expectancy, sustainability in the vet industry, recruitment, and euthanasia.
The first episode of The Pet Profession Podcast is available now with guest Dan O’Neill, Senior Lecturer in Companion Animal Epidemiology and co-lead of the VetCompass Research Programme at the RVC, discussing pet life expectancy.
The Pet Profession Podcast is available from Spotify, Acast, Apple Podcasts and all main podcast directories.
agriapet.co.uk/vets
The Vet Nurse Merit Award courses are designed for RVNs in primary care practice.
The VNMA in Dentistry offers 30 hours of CPD and will help delegates feel confident in:
The programme consists of 10 recorded webinar sessions and an online resource which includes a discussion forum for delegates to connect.
A practical attendance course will take place at Woodrow House, Gloucester, which will give delegates the chance to meet colleagues who have been studying at the same time and get hands on experience in various practical sessions.
Fees for the VNMA are £570.00 for BSAVA members and £840.00 for non-members.
https://bsavaportal.bsava.com/s/community-event?id=a1mTw000000DrxlIAC
The company says that as soon as it discovered the unauthorised external access to its systems, it took them offline and started working to contain the threat.
Specialist third party consultants have been engaged to investigate the nature and extent of the incident and CVS has also informed the relevant authorities, including the Information Commissioner’s Office, because of the risk of malicious access to personal information.
The company says the majority of IT services for its practices and business functions have now been restored, but due to the increased levels of security and monitoring, some systems are not working as efficiently as before.
CVS also says that as a result of the incident, it is bringing forward plans to migrate its practice management system and related IT infrastructure to the cloud.
Analysis of the incident is ongoing and CVS says it will provide a further update in due course.
Ms Alcock was convicted on 23 December 2022 at the Lincoln Crown Court, following a guilty plea of being the owner/person in charge of a dog dangerously out of control causing injury resulting in death.
The court heard that in March 2022, Ms Alcock and her partner had taken their dogs to Ostler Plantation at around 11pm to pull a racing sledge.
Kyra was in her pram outside the van when one of the dogs named Blizzard escaped and mauled her.
Kyra was pronounced dead at the scene.
Ms Alcock was sentenced to eight months imprisonment, suspended for two years, and ordered to undertake 80 hours of unpaid work.
During the sentencing of Ms Alcock, the Crown Court judge observed that on 7 December 2021, Ms Alcock gave birth to a very much wanted and loved baby.
The judge noted that both Ms Alcock and her partner were experienced dog handlers and was satisfied that there was a tragic set of circumstances.
The judge went on to note that Ms Alcock and her partner were both used to dogs and that the dog in question, Blizzard, was not a dog who had previously caused any concern.
There was nothing to trigger her attack on the baby; but on this occasion she was dangerously out of control as demonstrated by the attack.
Having taken all evidence into account, as well as advice from the Legal Assessor who provides guidance on the law to all parties involved during a hearing, the Veterinary Nurse Disciplinary Committee did not consider the conviction rendered Ms Alcock unfit to practise.
She was not caring for Blizzard in a professional capacity and the incident occurred outside of her practise as a veterinary nurse.
The 1st Reproduction Control Guidelines of the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) have just been accepted for publication and are expected to recommend a move away from a blanket neutering policy.
Dr Neil Mottram BSc (Hons) BVSc MRCVS Technical Manager at Virbac said: "This webinar will help clinicians understand and navigate the latest evidence-based medicine in regards to neutering.
"The panel of world-leading experts on reproduction will present their guidance on medical and surgical neutering and offer delegates the opportunity to interact with a live Q&A section at the end of the event.
https://app.livestorm.co/virbac-france/1st-reproduction-control-guidelines?type=detailed
The veterinary group is stumping up more than £100,000 for the initiative, which will enable 20 vets and nurses, and 56 new grads from across the group to work with the Worldwide Veterinary Service (WVS) and other overseas animal charities.
The grants are for £1,500 and those taking part will also get up to one week of paid time off work whilst they volunteer.
VetPartners CEO Jo Malone said: “We wanted to support colleagues to have a fantastic experience while improving their skills in a different environment.
"It will give people a chance to use their clinical skills to give back to charities which are doing great work.
“If you’re working in a veterinary practice in Europe, you have support from team members around you and great facilities and equipment compared to the more challenging conditions working for a charity overseas.
"Working in these more challenging environments while they are volunteering will help build resilience, as our team members are unlikely to have experienced anything like this before.
“Charities like the World Veterinary Service are working ethically to help animals that may or may not have ever had veterinary care, and are doing a great job so we are delighted to support them.”
The new, four storey, architecturally-designed clinic is full of natural light and includes calming and spacious staff breakout areas.
By combining a beautiful work environment with seamless technology, the company believes it can transform working conditions and job satisfaction for vet teams.
On the tech side, the Creature Comforts has created a proprietary app which allows triage to be handled online and for staff to work flexibly.
The company says the app also reduces the administrative burden, a contributory factor for staff burnout.
Creature Comforts says most clients subscribe at a cost of £20 per pet per month, giving them unlimited consultations, instant bookings and live chat via the app (as well as annual vaccinations and discounted routine treatments).
This should mean animals are seen more frequently, and conditions can be identified and treated earlier.
Memberships will be capped to control vet team caseload and to ensure a good customer experience.
The company is also addressing Competition and Markets Authority concerns, with prices for routine treatments listed on its website, upfront estimates for procedures, and a business model hinged on unlimited access to expertise (i.e. consultations, instant in-app bookings and live chat) at no extra cost for subscribed members.
Creature Comforts says its vet team benefits from a share of their clinic’s profits, above industry-standard pay, compensated overtime, a well-balanced staffing ratio, manageable working hours and scheduled breaks.
Dr Russell Welsh, COO and co-founder of Creature Comforts, said: “It’s an incredible feeling to see a plan come together in a sector that’s so ripe for transformation.
"We want to bring the passion, joy and fun back to our profession, and this is an opportunity to do things differently and vastly better, with a fresh and carefully-considered business model founded on the principles of health and happiness.
"This is vet care as it should be."
https://www.creaturecomforts.co.uk
The response offers further evidence concerning the CMA’s potential concerns, and says that voluntary measures relating to transparency of fees and ownership could be introduced before the conclusion of a market investigation.
The BVA has formed a working group to develop guidance on transparency, client choice and the value of veterinary care to support companion animal practices.
British Veterinary Association President Anna Judson, said: “We’re keen to see healthy competition and consumer choice and we recognise that some of the areas identified by the CMA would benefit from further scrutiny.
"We are already taking steps to support vet practices by developing guidance for the profession in relation to transparency of fees, transparency of ownership, prescribing and dispensing of veterinary medicines, and contextualised care.
“However, we are extremely disappointed to see the suggestion in the CMA’s report, as well as in subsequent media reporting, that veterinary professionals might prey on owners’ desire to do the best for their pets by using these circumstances as a “strategy” to promote more sophisticated or expensive treatment.
"Vets enter this high-pressure profession out of genuine care for animals and will always prioritise their health and welfare."
“We also have significant concerns about the suggestion that practices might be mandated to provide information to clients about quality or outcome-related measures.
"We do not see primary concerns about the quality of veterinary treatment and we believe such a requirement would not meaningfully support consumer choice.
"Instead, it would be extremely challenging to deliver and could significantly exacerbate many of the complex issues faced by our members, who are already under significant pressure.
There will be a panel discussion about the CMA investigation at BVA Live this year.
https://bvalive.vetshow.com
There are lots of good points made in this latest response to the CMA, if no more than a nod to the real issue here: which is the often eye-watering cost of modern veterinary care.
But it is hugely disappointing to see the BVA (and others) berating the CMA and the media for suggesting that vets might prey on owners' desire to do the best for their pet, rather than asking WHY people think that, and how can the profession regain trust.
That, surely, is the starting point here: for the profession to stop feeling sorry for itself, and instead think how it can change to meet the needs of its customers and dispel their perception of being taken for a ride.
The CMA Investigation is a bit of a red herring: the price of veterinary care is not going to be significantly changed by displaying the prices for a few standard procedures on practice websites, with greater transparency over practice ownership or with slightly cheaper prescriptions, all of which is just tinkering.
The biggest influence on the size of the client's bill is not marketplace competition, it's the vet's recommendation.
Paul Manktelow, Chief Vet at the Blue Cross has already hit the nail square on the head when he called on the profession to practise pragmatic medicine.
The BVA now alludes to this with talk in its response of 'contextualised care' - a concept which allows practitioners to offer pragmatic medicine (aka what people can afford, rather than 'gold standard'), without the judgement that it is inherently associated with).
The benefits of 'contextualised care' are well explained by Ruth Serlin at VDS Training here.
That's great, but will it be enough?
Perhaps not, because whilst someone might be happy to walk out of the car showroom with a Dacia Sandero knowing they cannot afford a Bentley, they may be less happy to accept the Dacia level of care for their beloved pet, when they watched 'Supervet' only the night before.
If that's true, then pragmatic medicine will have to be combined with all sorts of other measures, such as reviewing and reducing the cost of regulation, questioning the value of diagnostics and changing to a less 'referall' (sic) culture.