You can complete the PDSA Animal Wellbeing (PAW) survey at: yougov.com/pdsa.
Rebecca Ashman, PDSA Policy and Campaigns Manager, said: "Since 2011, our PAW Report has provided valuable insight into pet health and wellbeing across the UK.
"It delivers a vital evidence base for education programmes, campaigns and collaborative work in the veterinary and welfare sectors. It also enables us to monitor the impact of welfare initiatives on pet wellbeing issues which are of most concern to the veterinary profession.
"The survey only takes 15 minutes to complete, and by taking part, you’ll be helping us to capture an accurate picture of the welfare issues that are of the biggest concern for the veterinary profession. You can also be entered into a prize draw to win a GoPro HERO5 Session Action Camera."
For more information and to download the 2017 PAW Report, visit pdsa.org.uk/pawreport.
The award has been granted to only a handful of practices and requires the achievement of high standards of care and a detailed understanding of the species.
Highcroft has three dedicated exotic species veterinary surgeons, including a European small mammal Specialist and four exotic species nurses, who have either obtained or are studying for their City and Guilds Exotic Species Veterinary Nursing Certificate.
The practice has a dedicated exotic species consulting room, waiting room, ward and an operating theatre, containing state-of-the-art equipment.
In addition to treating rabbits, both vets and nurses in the exotic species team lecture widely to promote the importance of providing a high standard of care to rabbits and to ensure that their welfare is optimised.
Dr Elisabetta Mancinelli DVM CertZooMed Dipl ECZM (Small Mammal) MRCVS heads the exotic species team at Highcroft. A European Veterinary Specialist in Zoological Medicine (Small Mammal Medicine and Surgery) and a RCVS Recognised Specialist in Zoo and Wildlife Medicine, she said: "We are very proud to have been awarded Gold Status by the RWAF. We will continue to enhance the level of care we provide, not just to rabbits but to all exotic species and strive to improve the welfare of all animals under our care, in hospital and at home."
The introduction of the compulsory microchipping law in April 2016 has meant that puppies have to be microchipped by 8 weeks of age and the breeder has to be recorded as the first keeper. This has, up to now, incurred further and often unexpected costs for new puppy owners or breeders who have had to pay an additional fee for the transfer of keepership.
From 1st February practices using BackHome microchips will register their newly implanted microchips with the UK based reunification database, PETtrac, and the online transfer of keepership from breeders to new owners will be free. A postal transfer will cost 50p.
BackHome Product Manager Madeline Haynes said: "We have listened to feedback from the veterinary profession who have stressed the importance of not only providing a fast and reliable service from a pet reunification database, but also the need for free transfer of keepership from a breeder to a new owner.
"We are delighted to have been able to facilitate this through the move to PETtrac."
PETtrac is a UK based, DEFRA compliant reunification database that offers 24/7 customer service, 365 days of the year.
The move to PETtrac will not affect pets already registered with BackHome Microchips, whose lifelong registration with previous database supplier PetLog remains unchanged.
For more information, visit: www.virbac.co.uk
*Postal transfer of keepership from breeder to new owner will cost 0.50p
The NOAH Compendium is also available online at www.noahcompendium.co.uk. A special edition of the book for SQPs, commissioned by AMTRA, will be also available shortly.
NOAH chief executive Dawn Howard said: "The NOAH Compendium remains a major part of NOAH’s efforts to assist the appropriate and responsible use of all animal medicines.
"Every NOAH member, as well as the non-member participants in the NOAH Compendium, is a signatory to the NOAH Code of Practice on Promotion, which demonstrates their commitment to operate above and beyond any regulatory requirements.
"As always, our free of charge web-based Compendium, which is updated regularly, contains the most up-to-date information. If you have not been on the website lately you will see we have introduced a ‘Company Directory’ as well as ‘datasheets by company’, as well as improving the facility of the site to print individual datasheets.
Meanwhile, NOAH says the app version of the Compendium has been temporarily suspended while certain technical difficulties are resolved. Dawn said: "We have recently faced an unexpected issue with the NOAH Compendium App and have temporarily suspended the App’s availability on both the Apple store and Googleplay.
"The app is currently being updated and we are working to get it back online as soon as possible. If you have already downloaded the app, please note there will be no further updates to the information until we can resolve the issue, and the information it displays may not be the most recent update."
If your practice has not yet received its copy, perhaps because you are a new practice, or have changed address in the past year, contact Amy Davis at NOAH (a.davis@noah.co.uk).
Extra copies are also available to order now, for £46. Special prices are available for bulk orders.
Candidates will have the option of receiving a PGDip Veterinary Physiotherapy after two years, and will be able to practice as veterinary physiotherapists with either qualification.
The course will be delivered at the University’s Sutton Bonington campus at weekends, so that it can fit around people's existing work commitments.
Leading the course at Nottingham will be Dr Richard Payne, Assistant Professor of Veterinary Anatomy. He said: "This is an exciting expansion of our postgraduate provision and will allow us to build on our reputation for delivering first class teaching in our excellent facilities.
"The course will be run on a weekend basis over two academic years, which will allow students to continue to work in their current employment. It is very much hands-on and is designed for musculoskeletal practitioners, veterinary nurses and veterinary surgeons, but also for those who want to expand or change their career opportunities."
The course was developed by Canine and Equine Physiotherapy Training (CEPT) and has been delivered by them since 2008, but is being transferred to Nottingham due to an increasing number of applicants.
The University says much of the practical teaching will be delivered by qualified veterinary physiotherapists, both on campus and at their own practices.
Students will be qualified as veterinary physiotherapists after two years, while the third year for the MSc will revolve around research work for a dissertation based on a topic relevant to veterinary physiotherapy.
Modules will cover a range of topics including the foundations of clinical practice, anatomy and physiology, the foundations of clinical practice, applied clinical skills and clinical reasoning and reporting. Students can expect to come away with a range of practical skills such as physiotherapy, electrotherapy and exercise programming.
The course will be open to applicants with a degree (BSc or above) in a science or animal-related subject and with evidence of at least eight weeks of animal handling experience.
More information about the course, and how to apply, can be found at https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/pgstudy/courses/veterinary-medicine-and-science/veterinary-physiotherapy-msc-pgdip.aspx
Photo courtesy University of Nottingham
In addition, College representatives will be talking to delegates about the future of veterinary nursing, career diversification and mental health.
The College’s stand will have a Schedule 3-themed game in which delegates will be given a list of procedures and then asked to decide whether or not they could be delegated to a veterinary nurse under Schedule 3 of the VSA.
Julie Dugmore, Director of Veterinary Nursing at the College, and Beth Jinks, Advice Officer, will also be giving a talk at the Congress on Saturday 7 October from 2pm to 3pm about the Code of Professional Conduct and how it relates to Schedule 3.
Julie said: "We conducted our consultation on Schedule 3 earlier this year for two main reasons: to gauge how both vets and vet nurses applied it in practice and to consider possible changes that could be made to the legislation so that veterinary nurses could perform additional tasks. We hope that, with the game and with our talk, we can encourage veterinary nurses to think about their understanding of Schedule 3 and how it could be changed to bolster their profession."
Visitors to the RCVS stand will also be able to get an update on the VN Futures project and the latest progress on all its major workstreams including One Health, structured and rewarding career paths, creating a sustainable workforce and having a confident, healthy and resilient workforce.
In order to demonstrate the rewarding career paths available to veterinary nurses the College has worked with the BVNA to develop a series of case studies to show the different areas of work available to nurses including academia, management, industry and even the military. These will be available to view on the VN Futures section of the Vet Futures website: www.vetfutures.org.uk/vnfutures
There will also be an on-stand survey to ask delegates whether they would like to see the development of an Advanced Veterinary Nurse status and, if so, the areas in which they would like to developed advanced skills.
Furthermore, there will also be a Mind Matters stream at Congress (named after the College’s Mind Matters mental health initiative) on Saturday 7 October. Talks during this stream will cover issues such as coaching and mentoring staff and mental health first aid.
A full programme for Congress is available from the BVNA website: https://www.bvna.org.uk/cpd/bvna-congress
In addition to enhancing current standards of veterinary dentistry, the WSAVA says it hopes that the guidelines will help to bridge what it perceives as a significant gap in veterinary education globally and to encourage a greater emphasis on dentistry in the veterinary curriculum.
The WSAVA’s Global Dental Guidelines include information and images of oral anatomy and common pathology, as well as best practice recommendations for oral examinations and an easily implementable dental health scoring system.
Evidence-based guidance on periodontal therapy, radiology and dental extractions is also included, together with details of minimum equipment recommendations.
A key theme is the WSAVA’s rejection of anesthesia-free dentistry (AFD), which it describes as ineffective and a cause of unnecessary stress and suffering to patients.
The guidelines have been developed by the WSAVA’s Global Dental Guidelines Committee (DGC) whose members include veterinary dentists from five continents, together with representatives from the WSAVA’s Global Pain Council, Global Nutrition and Animal Wellness and Welfare Committees. They are based on the WSAVA’s three-tier continuing education system to ensure that they are relevant for all veterinary surgeons, whether they are working in an advanced hospital setting or in a clinic in a country in which companion animal practice is still developing.
Dr Brook Niemiec, a Board-Certified Specialist in Veterinary Dentistry of the American and European Veterinary Dental Colleges and a Fellow of the Academy of Veterinary Dentistry, is Co-chair of the WSAVA DGC.
He said: "Dental, oral and maxillofacial diseases are, by far, the most common medical conditions in small animal veterinary medicine. They cause significant pain, as well as localized and potentially systemic infection but, because pets rarely show outward signs of disease, treatment is often delayed or not performed with a corresponding impact on the welfare of the patient. In developing the Global Dental Guidelines, we felt that the lack of perception of patient pain was a key issue.
"Our Committee members were also unanimous in their opposition to AFD. We believe that anesthesia is essential for the execution of any useful dental procedure and this is a central recommendation of the Guidelines. To support it, we have provided a detailed analysis of anesthesia and pain management approaches."
He added: "Our patients are not well served by the current variation in standards of care, level of equipment and procedural knowledge of dentistry. Misinformation which clouds the sector is a further hindrance. As clinicians, we cannot allow a fear of the unknown, the discomfort of client pushback or ignorance of current techniques to keep us from doing our best to relieve pain and suffering in our patients.
“We are delighted to launch the WSAVA’s Global Dental Guidelines, which are free to download at http://www.wsava.org/guidelines/global-dental-guidelines. We are equally delighted to announce that 22 of our member associations have already endorsed them. It is our firm intent that they will be the first step in changing the way that dental disease is perceived in the veterinary profession and in improving dental treatment in companion animals worldwide. We are grateful to our sponsors, Addison Biological Laboratory, Boehringer Ingelheim, Hill’s Pet Nutrition, KRUUSE and Virbac for supporting this important project."
The company says the new award, which invites nominations from both pet owners and practices, is also to help raise awareness of Pet Diabetes Month, which this year takes place in November.
Pet Diabetes Month will have an emphasis on detecting the condition through initially screening urine samples, with pet owners being encouraged to visit their local vet practice.
Caroline Darouj, Product Manager at MSD Animal Health said: "There will be two categories for the award – one for the Pet Diabetes Professional Carer of the Year and one for owners – the Pet Diabetes Carer of the Year.
"A diagnosis of diabetes and decision to treat a feline or canine patient requires a lifelong commitment from the owner. We want to recognise the many loving pet owners who commit to giving their pet regular insulin injections and the practice staff who support them. We also want to create awareness of the importance of early diagnosis so pet owners can more easily spot the signs and realise that treatment is an option, which can be made easier with the use of the VetPen."
She added: "In veterinary practices there are outstanding individuals who make an extra effort to provide reassurance for pet owners when they may feel overwhelmed or fearful of their ability to cope with their pet’s diabetes. The Professional Carer of the Year could be a vet, vet nurse, animal nursing assistant or receptionist."
Pet owners and practice staff can nominate in either category. All the details can be found at www.mypetonline.co.uk/petdiabetesmonth.
The website will also be a central source of information about what’s going on during the campaign, tips on diabetes detection and prevention, plus a number of activities to get the attention of pet owners of all ages.
The deadline for nominations is 30th November 2017.
For further information please contact your MSD account manager.
Massimo (pictured left) qualified from Bologna Vet School in 1990 and spent two decades working as a specialist in veterinary neurology in Italy and Germany, following a three-year residency in neurology and neurosurgery at Bern in Switzerland.He has also spent almost 20 years lecturing at universities in Italy, including ten years as head of neurosurgery and advanced neurology diagnostics.
He said: "During my career I’ve spent short amounts of time in the UK and once I was aware of the opportunity to work with Northwest Veterinary Specialists, I jumped at the chance to move here.
"It has a fantastic reputation in providing the very best care to pets, and the recent investment in state-of-the-art facilities means we can offer the very best service to patients.
"I have a particular interest in continually improving our work around brain and spinal surgery and biopsies, and will be further researching technology and techniques to support treatment of epilepsy in pets."
Luca, who is currently a member of the Examinations Committee of the European College of Veterinary Neurology, also qualified in Italy (in 2007) at the University of Perugia, before moving to England where he completed his internship program in small animal medicine & surgery in 2009. He gained residency at a multi disciplinary referral hospital in the UK and was awarded the European College of Veterinary Neurology (ECVN) in 2012.
Luca has authored scientific papers in peer reviewed international journals and he has also been a reviewer for the Journal of Small Animal Practice and for the BMC Veterinary Research.
He said: "We’ll be focusing on changing the way we do neurosurgery to ensure the pets referred to us receive the very best treatment for their condition.
"We often see patients with intervertebral disc disease and epilepsy, and I’m looking to increase work around my main interests, including surgery of the central nervous system and epilepsy."
Liz Cousins, hospital manager at Northwest Veterinary Specialists said: "This year we’ve been making significant investment in our facilities and people, so it’s fantastic to be able to attract two experienced neurology specialists in Luca and Massimo,” said Liz Cousins, hospital manager at Northwest Veterinary Specialists.
"Luca and Massimo’s appointments clearly demonstrate our emphasis on creating teams of experienced and extremely knowledgeable specialists across the centre."
The College says it will be sending the annual renewal notice to the majority of veterinary nurses by email, so if you don't receive it, check your spam folder. Text message reminders will also be sent to those for whom the College holds a mobile number.
Nicola South, Head of Registration, said: "Last year saw a definite increase in the number of veterinary nurses who renewed on time, which is really wonderful.
"This year we just wanted to remind everyone that the College will be closed on the final day of the deadline, Friday 29 December so there won’t be any of the Registration team available in the office to assist with any login or payment issues. If anybody has any problems renewing before then, however, please do get in touch and we’ll be happy to help."
The annual renewal fee of £64 is due for payment by 1 November, and if a veterinary nurse does not pay the annual renewal fee by the end of the year they will be removed from the Register.
Payments by debit or credit card can be made online via the ‘My Account’ area or by cheque, bank draft or bank transfer.
All veterinary nurses also need to confirm their Register details and their compliance with the College’s CPD requirement of 45 hours over a three-year rolling period, and declare any convictions, cautions and/or adverse findings.
Any veterinary nurses who have not received an annual renewal email or letter by Monday 9 October should contact the Registration Department on registration@rcvs.org.uk.
All practising veterinary nurses and student nurses are invited to take part in the survey, the purpose of which is to ascertain the extent of anaesthetic monitoring, attitudes towards it and how confident people monitoring anaesthetics are.
The survey also aims to identify particular strengths and any areas of weakness, with the overall objective being to optimise vet and nurse student education and promote professional development if necessary.
The survey, which is anonymous, can be found at: https://goo.gl/Vwq1CJ. It should take 5-10 minutes to complete.
Elisabeth said: “I’d like to emphasise that all veterinary nurses and student nurses are invited and encouraged to take part. Your opinions and experiences are extremely important to us, and we’re very grateful for your help with the survey.”
Participation in this year’s survey was similar to previous years with 5,235 people taking part and returning records for 15,433 horses. Most horses were kept in livery or a private yard and used for leisure and hacking and the majority within the age range of 5 to 10 years.
A broad variety of breeds were represented, including natives, thoroughbred types and warmbloods.
59% of horses were recorded as healthy and 41% with one or more health problems, compared to 62% and 38% respectively in 2016.
The top five disease syndromes recorded this year were:
Of the 5.5% of horses recorded with back problems 26% were also showing signs of lameness. While the details of the results do not confirm that the two are necessarily connected, these findings reflect the outcome of recent studies conducted by Dr Sue Dyson, Head of Clinical Orthopaedics at the Centre for Equine Studies at the Animal Health Trust.
Sue said: "It is a common observation that horses with lameness stiffen the back as a protective mechanism and develop muscle pain which may be misinterpreted as a primary back problem. We have shown objectively that abolition of lameness by diagnostic analgesia results in an immediate increase in range of motion of the back. The current data supports this close relationship between lameness and back pain."
The new service, a partnership between the university's School of Veterinary Medicine and Arrogen Forensics, will arm enforcement agencies such as the RSPCA and UK police forces with detailed evidence to help prosecute individuals for crimes against or involving animals.
Arrogen Veterinary Forensics is led by Dr Alex Stoll, Lead Forensic Veterinary Pathologist at the University of Surrey and Operations Director at ArroGen, and Jo Millington, Scientific Director and Lead Forensic Scientist at ArroGen, pictured right.
Alex said: "A key objective is to help investigators increase the success rate in the prosecution of individuals who commit crimes against animals. We are working closely with the RSPCA and UK police forces to optimise the scientific evidence that could form the missing link in their investigations.
"Another objective of the collaboration is to develop a strong social justice agenda with the aim of disrupting crime patterns. It is becoming increasingly well documented that animal cruelty can be used as a component part of domestic violence and there is a growing body of evidence to indicate that people who harm animals are more likely to abuse humans. We want to work with agencies to address the progression of animal to human criminal behaviour."
Jo said: "This unique collaboration brings together experts in animal diagnostics and research with specialists who have worked within the forensic sphere of the UK human Criminal Justice system for many years.
"Why not apply the same principles to the investigation of animal crime? By harnessing our collective knowledge of forensic and animal science we are simply building on our existing infrastructure and experience as human medico-legal practitioners to offer a novel and focussed integrated animal forensics service."
For more information, visit: http://vetforensics.co.uk
MiPet Cover has been developed using feedback from CVS's own veterinary surgeons and veterinary team members who deal with insurance claims on a daily basis.
The company says it'll offer a new level of transparency to owners, including policy documents which are clear, concise and free of 'legalese'.
As the first insurance range to be integrated directly into a practice management system, it also offers benefits to the veterinary team by speeding up the time taken to provide quotes and to introduce and activate policies.
CVS says the addition of insurance to its range of services is in line with its vision of offering clients complete care for their pets and at this stage, it is focused on offering the new policies to clients of its existing 420 practices.
VetSurgeon.org spoke to Simon Morrall, the insurance professional brought in by CVS to develop the new range of insurance products for the company. He said: "As the UK’s largest provider of veterinary services, we knew that some owners experienced frustrations with insurance and we challenged ourselves to eliminate these problems with the development of MiPet Cover.
"The more research we did, the more we realised that there was an opportunity for us to go one better and to draw on the extensive experience of our veterinary teams to produce an insurance solution built on transparency, choice and efficiency, which would give our clients access to the very best treatment when they needed it.
"With the launch of MiPet Cover, I believe that’s what we’ve done. It has been received positively by our teams across the country and we are excited about the potential it has to help both our clients and our veterinary teams."
In the Voice of the Profession survey, 52% of nearly 700 veterinary surgeons said it was their biggest concern, more than double the number that said so two years ago. The figure was even higher amongst veterinary surgeons working in companion animal practice, with 66% citing it as a major issue.
The BVA is highlighting these statistics and encouraging veterinary teams to talk to clients about responsible dog breeding and buying during this year's Puppy Awareness Week, which runs till 10th September.
The BVA and the Kennel Club run Canine Health Schemes which screen dogs for inherited conditions including hip and elbow dysplasia, hereditary eye disease, and Chiari-malformation/Syringomyelia. Dog owners and breeders can use the results to make more informed breeding decisions and help improve the health of breeds susceptible to debilitating or life-limiting inherited conditions.
Pre-breeding testing and screening are not just for purebred pedigree dogs - screening is also important for crossbreed dogs, such as Labradoodles and Cockerpoos, which are becoming increasingly popular.
BVA President Gudrun Ravetz said: "With breeding and hereditary defects emerging as the number one animal health and welfare concern for vets, it is more important than ever to screen before breeding dogs. Vets in practice regularly see cases of inherited conditions such as hip dysplasia and eye problems that are debilitating and distressing for dogs.
"The good news is that we have schemes and tests in place that help breeders and owners make sound judgements about responsible breeding. The BVA/KC Canine Health Schemes and Kennel Club DNA testing services are critical tools for breeders. Anyone thinking of breeding from their dog or thinking about buying a puppy should ask their vet about available health schemes and how they can be used to inform their decisions."
During Puppy Awareness Week, BVA is also working with the Animal Welfare Foundation to promote the use of the Puppy Contract, which contains a section for the breeder to fill out about any health screening or DNA results to offer reassurance to owners.
BVA, in partnership with ITN Productions, has developed a 4-minute film on responsible dog breeding and buying that can be played in practice waiting rooms or on social media channels, which also explains the process and benefits of the Canine Health Schemes.
More details about the BVA/KC Canine Health Schemes can be found at: https://www.bva.co.uk/Canine-Health-Schemes/
Photo: By DodosD - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link
According to the FSA figures, 24.4% (758,263) of sheep and goats slaughtered between April and June this year had their throats cut without first being made insensible to pain, up from 15% in 2013, when the EU and UK-adopted legislation allowing an exemption for animals that are slaughtered for religious purposes came into force.
The number of chickens slaughtered without pre-stunning rose from 3% in 2013 to 18.5% (45,396,583) in 2017.
The BVA President Gudrun Ravetz said: "This huge increase in the number of sheep, goats and poultry that are not stunned or not stunned effectively before slaughter is a grave concern to our profession. Millions of individual animals are affected, making this a major animal welfare issue.
"The supply of meat from animals that have not been stunned massively outstrips the demand from the communities for which it is intended and is entering the mainstream market unlabelled.
"In the light of these official figures we reiterate our call for all animals to be stunned before slaughter. If slaughter without stunning is still to be permitted, any meat from this source must be clearly labelled and the supply of non-stun products should be matched with demand."
Welfare at slaughter is one of the UK’s most pressing health and welfare concerns for vets, according to the BVA’s latest member survey. The association has long campaigned for the re-introduction of law that guarantees all animals are stunned before slaughter on the grounds of animal welfare. While legislation exists to permit slaughter without pre-stunning, the BVA is calling for any meat or fish from this source to be clearly labelled to enable customers to understand the choice they are making when buying such products.
Photo: © Nevit Dilmen - Own work, Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported
Defra's new measures include:
Eleven additional licences for badger control covering parts of Devon, Wiltshire, Somerset, Dorset and Cheshire. Licences have been granted for supplementary badger control in areas of Gloucestershire and Somerset which have completed their original four-year licences.
The relaunch of the Badger Edge Vaccination Scheme following suspension due to a global shortage of TB vaccine, with groups invited to submit expressions of interest and feedback on the criteria for the scheme.
A new bTB Advisory Service for farmers to provide advice on-farm and by phone or email to farmers in High Risk and Edge Areas on bTB biosecurity and risk-based trading, set to launch this autumn.
Tighter control of Inconclusive Reactors (IRs) in the High Risk and Edge Area, to come into force from 1 November.
British Veterinary Association (BVA) President Gudrun Ravetz said: "Today’s announcement sees 11 new licences issued and, while BVA supports badger culling as part of a comprehensive strategy for tackling bovine TB, we will continue to call on the Government to use the targeted and humane method of cage trapping and shooting only - rather than the current method of controlled shooting.
"As one of the many tools in the toolbox, we welcome the re-commencement of the Badger Edge Vaccination Scheme, particularly if used as a ‘firebreak’ to mitigate the spread of the disease into the low risk areas. The introduction of a TB Advisory Service will provide valuable additional support for farmers, who we’d encourage to continue working with local vets on biosecurity and herd health planning.
"Yet we are concerned that Government policy seems to have moved away from the original, evidence-based proposal of a six-week time limit for badger control within the open season, which enables an intensive, coordinated and effective operation in order to secure optimum disease control benefits.
"In terms of numbers, it is clear that badger population estimates have previously demonstrated considerable uncertainty and imprecision. It is critical that as accurate as possible population estimates, using an evidence-based methodology, are obtained and made openly available.
"We would urge clarity over cull timeframes, numbers and mid-cull review methodology to ensure that the progress made, enabling the application for Officially TB Free status, is not undermined."
Today’s Defra update follows a consultation on licensed badger control conducted at the start of 2017, to which the British Veterinary Association (BVA), British Veterinary Zoological Society (BVZS) and the Association of Government Veterinarians (AGV) submitted a formal, joint response.
Photo: Young Eurasian Badger (Meles Meles), by BadgerHero, CC BY-SA 3.0
Additional credit is given if the display includes a den, and the top ten displays win a luxury chocolate hamper.
Ceva says the aim of the exercise is to highlight preventative steps pet owners can take to manage their pets' firework fears and the benefits of building a den to help calm and reassure dogs during the firework festivities,
Claire Russell, pheromone product manager at Ceva Animal Health, said: "Our display competition is one of the highlights of the veterinary practice year with veterinary professionals creating innovative displays that capture the imagination of their clients and help educate them on the preventative measures that they can adopt at home to help manage their pet’s firework fears."
Ceva has a range of marketing materials for veterinary practices to use in the competition, including waiting room materials.
For further information, contact your local Ceva territory manager.
The committee meets three times a year, typically in February, May and September, to consider issues relating to the marketing authorisations for veterinary medicines and animal test certificates, and reports of suspected adverse events relating to veterinary medicines.
Meetings are held at offices of the Veterinary Medicines Directorate in Surrey. On occasion the committee holds additional ad-hoc meetings.
Members of the committee are paid £148 for each meeting, plus £76 for preparation time.
Further information about the Veterinary Products Committee can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/veterinary-products-committee, or from the secretary, Sandra Russell s.russell@vmd.defra.gsi.gov.uk.
To apply, contact Chris Abbott: c.abbott@vmd.defra.gsi.gov.uk
The closing date for applications is Friday 27th October 2017.
251 veterinary surgeons and 124 veterinary nurses took part in the Permanent Salary Survey. 109 veterinary surgeons and 51 veterinary nurses took part in the Locum Pay Rate Survey.
The majority of respondents to the Permanent Salary Survey (69%) worked in the Midlands and south, but the survey didn't make any allowance for experience or qualifications, so it's difficult to read much into the reported figures. However, they were as follows:
Veterinary Surgeons
Veterinary Nurses
Under £15K
n/a
12.98%
£16K to £20K
<£20K 5.84%
40.46%
£21K to £25K
8.03%
38.93%
£26K-£30K
12.04%
6.87%
£31K-£35K
20.80%
>£30K 0.76%
£36K-£40K
24.09%
£41K-£45K
13.14%
The Locum Pay Rate Survey also made no allowance for experience or qualifications, but it may be that locum pay rates are less experience-sensitive than permanent salaries.
<£180
9.84%
<£8
0%
£180-£190
1.64%
£8-£9
1.72%
£190-£200
2.46%
£9-£10
£200-£210
5.74%
£10-£11
3.45%
£210-£220
6.56%
£11-£12
5.17%
£220-£230
17.21%
£12-£13
17.24%
£230-£240
13.11%
£13-£14
13.79%
The average charge rate for locum veterinary surgeons was £210 per day, and for veterinary nurses, around £13.50 per hour. The majority of the locum respondents (69%) worked in the Midlands and south.
Interestingly, 53.5% of the locums polled said that demand for their services had increased over the year.
If you are a locum, don't forget to complete your profile on VetNurse.co.uk and add your flag to the VetNurse Locum Map.
B&W operates an integrated practice based around a multi-disciplinary referral hospital in Breadstone, Gloucestershire, with additional clinics in Cardiff, Gloucestershire and Bristol. The group employs more than 30 veterinary surgeons, including seven diploma holders, and offers a full range of services, including what it says is the most comprehensive equine imaging service in the UK.
Ian Camm, Managing Director of B&W, will continue in the role of Equine Regional Director for the South West at CVS. He said: "We are excited about life within CVS and see many opportunities for our staff both within B&W and within the wider Equine Division at CVS. We look forward to working with the CVS team to realise the potential the partnership offers to members of our team and to further developing B&W as an equine veterinary centre of excellence."
Simon Innes, Chief Executive at CVS, said: "Our Equine Division has grown rapidly over the last 18 months because we offer an ambitious and exciting vision for the future of equine practice. B&W is one of the UK’s premier equine practices and we are delighted to welcome the team to CVS and look forward to working with them to help them build an even more successful future."
Researchers from Marwell Zoo, the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust and the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Surrey, trialled a series of monitoring strategies on primates and birds to help zookeepers ensure the health and safety of animals in their care.
According to the authors, the introduction of the practice over a period of 13 weeks at two zoological collections in the South of England, clearly demonstrated the level of physical and psychological wellbeing of the animals, and the effect of certain interventions.
The welfare assessment grid requires daily monitoring of a range of factors, such as the animals' physical condition, their psychological wellbeing and the quality of the environment, as well as the daily procedures they experience. These factors were not all previously part of the regular health checks that zookeepers were required to assess when they were undertaking animal welfare audits. In each area the primates and birds were scored, helping to monitor their progress and highlight any potential problems.
Although welfare protection of zoo animals is enshrined in both European and domestic legislation, monitoring it comprehensively in zoos has proven difficult due to the absence of clear and consistent guidance.
Sarah Wolfensohn, Professor of Animal Welfare at the University of Surrey, said: "Ensuring a high standard of animal welfare is paramount for any zoo, but it has not always been possible. This innovative system will give zookeepers clear guidance on what they should be looking out for in terms of physical and psychological characteristics in animals, which will help monitor their overall wellbeing.
"Zoos are a key part of educating us all about our environment and the animals we share it with across the world, and we all want to know that the animals we do see in zoos are being given the best possible care for their welfare."
Reference
Adaptation of the animal welfare assessment grid (AWAG) for monitoring animal welfare in zoological collections. W. S. M. Justice, M. F. O'Brien, O. Szyszka, J. Shotton, J. E. M. Gilmour, P. Riordan and S. Wolfensohn. Veterinary Record. 181,43.
Photo: Amur Leopard ©2017 Marwell Wildlife
The group is hoping to raise more than £5,000 for the hospital by donating £1 for every pet vaccinated at its West Derby, Gateacre, St Helens and Widnes practices over the next four months.
Sarah Kirkman MRCVS, from White Cross Vets in Gateacre, said: "It’s our job to care for pets, but we also really care about the communities in which we operate, and we have a real affinity with the hospital. This partnership means we’re protecting pets, by vaccinating them against a wide range of nasty diseases, as well as raising money to support the invaluable work that the hospital does."
Allan Eves from Alder Hey Children’s Charity said: "We care for over 275,000 children, young people and their families treating everything from common illnesses to highly complex and specialist conditions. We also lead research into children’s medicines, infection, inflammation and oncology and our charity has raised over £22m to support Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, funding life-saving medical equipment, research and vital facilities. We are so pleased to be working with White Cross Vets on this superb fund-raising initiative and can’t wait to meet the vets and nurses who are helping us."
Sarah added: "We are aiming to raise £5,000, but it could be more. We also want to support the hospital’s therapy dog by providing them with our Complete Wellness Plan for free. The plan provides free health-checks, veterinary care and preventative treatment on an ongoing basis. We already give free membership to several Fire Service Search Dog Teams, as we feel it’s really important to look after these amazing dogs which dedicate their lives to help people."
The charitable campaign is running from the 4th September until the 31st December and plans are also in place for the veterinary surgeons and nurses from White Cross Vets to visit the hospital regularly to talk to the children about pets.
Sarah said: "We give every one of our team four paid donation days a year, so that they can volunteer with a charity of their choice, and we are keen to further our partnership with the hospital by visiting regularly. We already do this in numerous schools across the region and know just how much children love to find out about our day to day roles, and they always have plenty of interesting questions for our nurses and vets to answer."
ViVet (derived from the Latin word ‘vivet’ meaning ‘it will thrive’) will, says the College, provide a variety of resources and support to help the professions keep pace with change and remain at the forefront of animal healthcare provision.
Chris Tufnell, RCVS Senior Vice-President, helped develop the scope of the ViVet programme during his presidential year. He said: "This is an ambitious project for the College to embark upon but also very important for the future relevance and survival of the professions. Technology in the animal health sector is developing rapidly, such as the growth of telemedicine, wearable and implantable devices to gather health-related data from our animals, and low-cost genomic sequencing.
"These technologies could have a disruptive effect on the veterinary sector, so it’s important to encourage and support veterinary input at an early stage to enable the professions to shape their development and ensure that animal health and welfare is a foremost consideration.
"ViVet will help veterinary professionals to engage proactively with innovation in animal health, so that they can embrace and drive change and are not side-lined by it."
The Vivet website (www.vivet.org.uk), which was launched simultaneously at the College's inaugural Innovation Symposium in London today, contains a number of resources to showcase new technologies and innovative business models.
Anthony Roberts, Director of Leadership and Innovation at the College, said: "The aim of these resources is to help veterinary professionals harness the immense opportunities that innovation can bring to animal health and welfare by providing practical advice on areas such as launching new products and services and, in turn, encourage innovators to think about how the expertise and knowledge of the veterinary professions could input into new technologies.
"Furthermore, the programme will also help the College gain insights into the animal health market and how it is evolving. This will allow us to develop a regulatory framework that is relevant and adaptable to 21st century technology, while continuing to foster and support responsible innovation."
ViVet will also continue to organise events like today’s live-streamed symposium, which brought together thought-leaders from across the animal health, technology and business sectors, and provided a forum to discuss the opportunities and threats presented by innovation in the veterinary sphere, the impact it may have on the professions and how they are regulated.
Further details about the RCVS Innovation Symposium, including the full programme and speaker profiles, are available at www.rcvs.org.uk/innovation. Videos of speakers and a written report of the proceedings will be available from www.vivet.org.uk in due course.
The study, Urinary incontinence in bitches under primary veterinary care in England: prevalence and risk factors, which will be published in the Journal of Small Animal Practice, also found that other factors such as weight, neuter status and age also play key roles.
The authors hope that the study findings will provide an evidence base that allows veterinary surgeons to enhance their clinical recommendations for higher risk bitches.
The study was based on a population of 100,397 bitches attending 119 veterinary clinics across England. The main findings included:
The study also gave evidence on the welfare impact from urinary incontinence. Almost half of cases (45.6%) received medical therapy for the condition. In addition, of the bitches that died during the study period, urinary incontinence was recorded as either contributory or the main reason for death in 16.7 % of these deaths.
RVC veterinary epidemiologist and VetCompass researcher Dr Dan O’Neill said: "This urinary incontinence study has uncovered dramatic breed predispositions that have previously been hidden to vets and owners.
"Overall, about 3% of bitches were affected but this rose to over 30% in the Irish Setter and over 20% in the Dobermann with many other breeds also predisposed.
"Vets can now use these results to alert owners to typical clinical signs in order to ensure earlier treatment and better outcomes. The study also suggests increased risk in heavier and neutered bitches.
"Following on from this study, a VetCompass Masters project supported by BSAVA PetSavers is working to unravel these associations in order to identify potential preventive strategies, especially in those highly predisposed breeds."
The paper is available in Early View on Wiley Online Library ahead of publication in the JSAP at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jsap.12731/full
Photo: ©Diane Peace Collection / The Kennel Club