The first, carried out by Nanna Luthersson and colleagues and published online in theJournal of Equine Veterinary Science in March, evaluated the laminitis risk factors in a group of Danish horses and ponies.1 It confirmed that Cold-blooded type animals <149cm, such as certain native ponies, as well as those being kept on high quality pasture were at an increased risk of developing laminitis for the first time. It also highlighted the important role that a change in grass intake, in terms of both type and amount, may play at any time of the year not only the spring as commonly thought.
The second study, funded in part by the PetPlan Charitable Trust, British Veterinary Association Animal Welfare Foundation Norman Hayward Fund and the Laminitis Trust, was undertaken in conjunction with Nicola Menzies-Gow (Royal Veterinary College) and published online in the Equine Veterinary Journal (EVJ) in August. The study evaluated the risk factors for the development of laminitis prior to the occurrence of the disease.2 It identified that low concentrations of the adipose tissue derived hormone adiponectin, together with high serum insulin concentrations (at rest and as part of a diagnostic test for PPID) may predict an increased risk of future pasture-associated laminitis.
It is hoped that future studies will be able to generate more robust cut off values, which will more accurately predict future laminitis development in an individual animal.
The RVC in collaboration with Waltham is now taking this forward through a study in which these markers are measured regularly, in conjunction with a detailed management assessment, in a group of ponies with no known history of laminitis at the start.
Clare Barfoot RNutr and the research and development manager at Spillers said: "The Danish study gives us important practical facts about the susceptibility of cold-blooded types, and is particularly applicable to natives in the UK. The second study gives hope that there may soon be a test or series of tests that will help predict those at an increased risk of suffering from pasture associated laminitis in the future thereby reducing the number of animals affected by this debilitating condition. In the meantime until we fully understand the condition it is sensible to manage all the risk factors we currently know about, in particular keeping your horse at a healthy weight."
References
Step 1: Clean with Oticare, a non-irritating, alcohol-free ceruminolytic ear cleaner formulated to keep ears hygienically clean and restore the normal microbiological balance of the ear canal. The product contains soothing essential oils and propylene glycol to moisturise the lining of the ear canal. It also contains a low concentration of lactic acid and salicylic acid.
Step 2: Treat with Aurimic (polymyxin B, miconazole and prednisolone acetate), which tackles the most common causes of otitis externa; e.g. Staphylococcus spp. and Malassezia. Animalcare says the proven synergistic effects of polymyxin B and miconazole1 allow the reduction of antibiotic concentration and help to minimise the probability of resistance.
Step 3: Prevent with new Oticurant, which Animalcare says is a completely new concept for maintaining healthy ears. Oticurant contains lactic acid to lower the pH, kaolin and lactose to absorb any additional moisture, and special sugars to prevent bacterial adherence to the skin in the ear canal. Oticurant is presented as an odourless mixture of fine powder in single dose sachets.
Tamsin Day, Veterinary Advisor at Animalcare, said: "This is a unique three step approach which we believe will give veterinary professionals more confidence in treating first line ear problems. The Super-earo’s represent a range of three products that together cover cleaning, treatment and prevention. Pet owners will find them easy to administer which will also help to keep these owners compliant to their treatment schedule."
For more information on the Super-earo’s contact your Animalcare representative or visit www.superearos.com
Reference
The RVC says that until now, there has been little reliable evidence on the frequency and severity of syringomyelia in the overall dog population, which has limited veterinary surgeons’ ability to diagnose and manage the condition.
It's not just syringomyelia for which there is a lack of data. Scientists have for years struggled to identify the true extent and severity of diseases seen in the wider general dog population because the main source of veterinary health data on dogs has come from universities and referral hospitals.
While this referral data is useful, the types of animals and conditions that are referred to these referral centres is unrepresentative of the wider dog population, making it very difficult to extrapolate any findings to the general population. The vast majority of animals are managed perfectly well by the primary vet practitioners without ever being referred or even being ill at any one time.
However, through VetCompass, the RVC is now collecting anonymised clinical data from first opinion veterinary clinics across the UK; data which is being analysed to answer a wide variety of previously unanswerable health questions.
The VetCompass syringomyelia study published in the Veterinary Record is a case in point. It highlights for the first time the frequency and severity of syringomyelia seen in general practice in the UK.
At an overall dog population level, syringomyelia is not that common, affecting just one in 2,000 dogs. But among Cavaliers, the frequency of syringomyelia is much higher, affecting one in every 60 of the breed. VetCompass data reveals that almost 2,000 Cavaliers suffer from clinical syringomyelia in the UK at any one time.
Syringomyelia is a severe condition for affected dogs, with the VetCompass study showing that 72% of affected dogs were recorded as showing pain. The study showed that these dogs would often yelp or scream when they were picked up or when their necks were touched. Many of them also showed ‘phantom scratching’ where they would try to scratch at their necks with their hindlegs but without ever even making contact with the skin. Some people refer to this action as ‘playing an air guitar’.
The RVC is urging veterinary surgeons and owners alike to be aware of the symptoms of syringomyelia, so that clinically affected dogs can be recognised and treated earlier and better. Symptoms include:
Dr Dan O’Neill, Companion Animal Epidemiologist at the RVC, said: "I loved being a first opinion practice vet for over 20 years where I could help animals on a one-by-one basis. But now, with VetCompass, we can help animals by their thousands. An example is this syringomyelia study which may lead to many affected dogs getting treatment much earlier and therefore making their lives so much better."
Professor Holger Volk, Professor of Veterinary Neurology and Neurosurgery, said: “These VetCompass data are an eye-opener; we very frequently see Cavaliers with clinical signs of syringomyelia at RVC’s referral hospital but now we know how common it is in the real world, outside of the referral world."
Dr Ludovic Pelligand, Senior Lecturer in Clinical Pharmacology and Anaesthesia, said: “VetCompass allows us to identify how Cavalier King Charles affected by syringomyelia are treated for pain every day, nationwide. This will help us to understand optimal management and we are currently working on new ways to monitor pain and working towards developing new treatment options to further improve their pain relief and quality of life in the future".
BVA has added its voice to the Labelling Matters campaign for the introduction of mandatory method of production labelling of meat and dairy products. This would help consumers across the UK to answer the simple questions "How was this animal kept?" and "Did this animal die a humane death?", including stunning before slaughter.
A key element of the Labelling Matters campaign is that mandatory method of production labelling must be underpinned by robust welfare outcome safeguards, with on-farm welfare assessments ensuring that high welfare standards are being achieved.
Legislation for mandatory method of production labelling has been implemented already for shell eggs, which must legally be labelled either as “eggs from caged hens”, “barn eggs”, “free range” or “organic”. Labelling Matters wants to see this principle extended to meat and dairy products from other farmed animals.
The BVA highlights evidence which shows that consumers in the UK and across Europe want clear food labelling with information about animal welfare:
BVA President Sean Wensley said: "For vets it's a top priority that the animals we rear for food have a good life and a humane death. Research shows that vets are not alone in caring about where their food comes from. Mandatory method of production labelling makes sense on a number of fronts: consumers can be clearly and consistently informed about how the animals reared for their meat and dairy products were kept, with on-farm welfare assessments assuring high standards. Mandatory method of production labelling would give unambiguous information to the high numbers of consumers who care about animal welfare when buying meat and dairy products and help ensure market support for British farmers who pride themselves on achieving the highest welfare standards."
Consistent with previous surveys, lameness was shown to be more likely to be caused by conditions such as osteoarthritis in the limb rather than problems in the foot.
Blue Cross carries out NEHS in May each year in partnership with the British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA). It is sponsored by Dodson & Horrell and Zoetis and supported by the UK’s leading equestrian organisations and charities.
This year saw a 14% increase in participation compared to 2015, with survey records returned for almost 16,751 horses, ponies, donkeys and mules and 5635 people taking part. Most horses were kept in livery or a private yard and used for leisure and hacking.
Lameness has been consistently seen as the most common syndrome affecting horses in the NEHS results year on year. In the latest survey a total of 32.9% (24.4% in 2015) of horses and ponies with health problems were recorded as lame. Overall, as in previous years, lameness in the limb was more common than lameness caused by problems in the foot.
A breakdown of the types of lameness revealed that 47.4% were recorded as suffering from proximal limb lameness, 31.9% from causes of foot lameness other than laminitis and 20.7% from laminitis. Degenerative joint disease (including foot and proximal limb) was the most frequently reported single cause of lameness (41.2% of all lameness) and the most frequently reported joint affected by DJD was the hock (15.3% of all lameness).
Reports of foot lameness (excluding laminitis) more than doubled this year at 10.5% (4.5% in 2015) of all syndromes reported with pus in the foot being the most frequently recorded problem. This could possibly be attributed to the persistent wet weather during and prior to the survey, which can increase susceptibility to the condition.
Josh Slater from the Royal Veterinary College, who is a member of BEVA’s Health & Medicines Committee and analysed the NEHS data, said: "The data gleaned from the survey remains consistent year on year, confirming the reliability of our findings for benchmarking, referencing and research. This year’s increase in overall lameness may be in part attributed to the higher incidence of pus in the foot but may also be because owners are becoming more aware of lameness issues. Ongoing research on lameness has generated significant media coverage over the past year, helping to raise understanding of the importance of accurate diagnosis and treatment both from welfare and performance perspectives."
The six most notable disease syndromes identified in the 2016 National Equine Health Survey are:
Gemma Taylor, Education Officer at Blue Cross said: "The significant increase in participation again this year shows that owners and keepers of horses are really getting behind the survey and recognising its importance in safeguarding the future health and of the UK’s horses. Over the past year NEHS data has been referred to in leading equestrian and veterinary media, showing its credibility as a valuable benchmarking reference."
The 2016 NEHS survey results are now available. To download a copy visit http://www.bluecross.org.uk/nehs2016results and to register for next year’s survey please visit www.bluecross.org.uk/nehs
As part of its continued support of the 2016 regional events organised by VPMA and SPVS, in partnership with Zoetis, the company is sponsoring the ‘Focus on the Practice Team’ course on Thursday 13 October at Chesford Grange, Warwickshire. Four veterinary professionals will be selected at random to win a place worth £210.
Royal Canin says the day will bring together some of the best experts in leadership, management, employment law and staff training to ensure that practices are ahead of the game when it comes to trained, happy and well managed staff.
The first half of the day will concentrate on the impact front of house employees can have on client communication, whilst the second half will cover HR issues. Guest speakers include Brian Faulkner from The Colourful Consultancy, Nick Steele from Zoetis, Veterinary Mentor, Carolyne Crowe, and Alison Lambert from Onswitch.
To have a go at winning a free place, send an email with your name, job title, the name of your veterinary practice and the reason why you would like to attend to royalcaninvet.gbr@royalcanin.com by Friday 30 September. The company will then select four applicants at random and will inform the winners via email by Friday 7 October.
Places on the course can also be booked by calling 01453 872731 or by visiting www.spvs-vpma-events.co.uk. Focus days cost £175 plus VAT for non-members and £125 plus VAT for VPMA and SPVS members (group/ bulk booking discounts are also available). The cost includes lunch and refreshments.
As with last year the RCVS has sent the annual renewal notice to the majority of veterinary nurses by email. This year only 1,086 veterinary nurses have been contacted by post – down from last year, when around 3,500 had letters sent to them.
Text message reminders will also be sent to those for whom the College holds a mobile number.
Nicola South, Head of Registration, said: "It is great to see that we have been able to respond to members’ feedback and increase our contact by email and text with veterinary nurses, but I would like to suggest that VNs should regularly check their email for information from the RCVS.
"Unfortunately a larger than normal amount of veterinary nurses were removed from the Register at the beginning of the year, and we would very much like to avoid this happening again. Each year we send the renewal notice at least four weeks before the 1 November deadline, so if you have not received your annual renewal notice, please contact us so that we can arrange for this to be sent to you again."
The annual renewal fee of £61 is due for payment by 1 November. 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 of the RCVS website (www.rcvs.org.uk/login) or by cheque, bank draft or bank transfer.
All veterinary nurses also need to confirm their Register details and their compliance with the RCVS continuing professional development requirement of 45 hours over a three-year period, and declare any convictions, cautions and/or adverse findings.
Any veterinary nurses who have not received an annual renewal email or letter by the end of September should contact the RCVS Registration Department on 020 7202 0707 or registration@rcvs.org.uk
Veterinary nurses with any queries about paying the annual renewal fee should contact the RCVS Finance Team 020 7202 0723 or finance@rcvs.org.uk
TVM, which has a wide range of products in ophthalmology, neurology, geriatrics, gastroenterology, anti-poison management and health and wellness, says that the acquisition is designed to boost the company's international scope, building market share and expanding its leadership in the fields of ophthalmology and neurology beyond France.
The acquisition will also strengthen TVM’s position in the area of animal anti-poison treatment as Forum Animal Health already supplies a canine emetic which it has been marketing in the UK for three years with an awareness campaign about the dangers of toxic products to dogs. This, the company says, has contributed to a significant increase in early interventions by veterinary surgeons in cases of poisoning. A similar campaign is currently being led in France by the TVM laboratory.
To accompany the change, Forum Animal Health is adopting a new visual identity, shown above right.
Almost all rabies cases are as a result of being bitten by an infected dog, with around half of all dog bites and rabies deaths occurring in children under 15 years of age. Rabies, which is preventable, is categorised as one of the 17 Neglected Tropical Diseases by the World Health Organization (WHO).
The End Rabies Now campaign aims to significantly raise the profile of rabies as a global neglected tropical disease with policy makers and journalists, explaining what is being done to control and eliminate the disease. The campaign is led by Global Alliance for Rabies Control (GARC), and has three key messages:
Ahead of the tenth World Rabies Day, BVA has also recognised vet Professor Sarah Cleaveland OBE for her work in rabies control by awarding her the Chiron Award, one of the Association’s most prestigious awards for outstanding contributions to veterinary science.
Sarah said: "Awards like this are recognition of the contributions not only of one person, but the work of many. We are deeply committed to continuing our efforts towards the global elimination of canine rabies and tackling other zoonotic diseases that affect the health and livelihoods of many of the poorest people in the world."
The End Rabies Now campaign is based around the strong scientific evidence that vaccinating dogs is fundamental to disrupting the cycle of rabies transmission to humans. The target of 2030 was chosen because one of the UN’s sustainable development goals, launched in September 2015, includes the ambition to end by 2030 neglected tropical diseases such as rabies.
With 120 countries still affected by canine rabies, the End Rabies Now campaign advocates that collaborative cross-sector efforts are needed to end zoonotic diseases such as rabies: rabies elimination plans must include human and animal government agencies, veterinary and human health professionals, educators, scientists and community groups.
BVA President Gudrun Ravetz said: "The work being done worldwide by vets, human health professionals and others to combat this horrific disease that senselessly kills thousands each year is of the utmost importance and BVA is proud to support the End Rabies Now campaign and help get those key messages out to policy makers and governments worldwide – every rabies death is entirely preventable and we can end rabies by 2030 through vaccinating dogs."
Amflee Combo, a POM, is being launched by a newcomer to the UK market, a Slovenian company called Krka (pronounced kirka). The company says it plans to introduce a vast range of small and production animal products onto the UK market in the next few years.
Killian Gaffney, Head of sales and marketing at Krka, says the company intends to support UK veterinary surgeons by offering high quality products and by building business relationships that will help protect veterinary incomes, at the same time as offering good value to their customers.
Killian said: "Amflee Combo has some unique features that we believe will set it apart from the competition. We know the combination of the two active ingredients in Amflee Combo is very effective for the treatment of fleas, ticks and biting lice and as part of a treatment strategy for flea allergy dermatitis in dogs and cats. S-methoprene is also effective against flea eggs and larvae in the environment.
"However, these ingredients can be susceptible to degradation when subjected to light and moisture, which is why each Amflee Combo pipette comes in its own special foil wrapper. The pipettes have also been designed for convenience of use, since we know that only 22% of owners apply spot-ons correctly1."
A range of product and client literature to support the use of Amflee Combo is available by calling 01753 722 150.
Amflee Combo is available in a variety of packs for cats and different sized dogs, containing either three or six pipettes. The recommended treatment is one pipette every four weeks.
Further information about Amflee Combo or Krka is available at www.krka.co.uk
1 El veterinario ante el cambio climatico Argos 107, 2010.
Research shows that 73% of hospitalised dogs suffer from an energy deficit² and with nutrition being an important part of managing these patients, the company says it will be showing veterinary nurses how they can play a key role in providing this care.
On Friday 7 October, Royal Canin's Sarah Collins DipAVN(Medical)RVN, VTS(ECC), Cert CFVHNut will be hosting two lectures on assisted feeding. The first (Nutrition Stream, 1:00pm-2:00pm) will explore how, once a patient is stable, nutritional support can significantly impact morbidity and mortality¹.
Sarah said: "Inadequate nutrition may lead to malnutrition which can have negative effects on wound healing, immune function and ultimately on overall prognosis. The consequences of malnutrition are very different in healthy cats and dogs compared to ill ones, with ill or traumatised patients catabolising lean body mass when they are not provided with sufficient calories. This lecture will go on to explain how Veterinary Nurses can select a suitable diet and put a thorough feeding plan in place."
The Assisted Feeding Part 2 lecture (Nutrition Stream, 4:00pm-5:00pm) will look into anorexic or inappetant patients and cases where an animal is unlikely to feed, such as fractured mandible. Sarah will delve into the advantages and disadvantages of different feeding tubes and how an appropriate tube can be chosen.
Royal Canin's Weight Management Specialist, Shelley Holden RVN, Cert SAN (pictured above right), will also be delivering a lecture: 'Weight Clinics – managing the challenging case' (Friday 7 October, Nutrition Stream, 9:30am-10:30am). Shelley will highlight the difficulties in getting patients to lose weight to nurses already running dedicated clinics in practice. Shelley will also discuss adhering to weight loss plans, challenges that owners can face and how to educate them on the importance of making changes for their pet.
Specifically, the review is of The Non-Commercial Movement of Pet Animals Order 2011 as amended by the Non-Commercial Movement of Pet Animals (Amendment) Order 2014.
The consultation is seeking opinions on whether:
The consultation is not about potential changes to the legalisation following Brexit although evidence collected as part of this review may be relevant to future discussions.
The BSAVA says it is aware that the changes to the Pet Travel Scheme, introduced in January 2012 and December 2014, have significantly increased the number of animals, particularly puppies, entering the UK including those for sale which should not be coming in under the Pet Travel Scheme.
It says it also knows that a significant number of veterinary practices have been presented with animals that do not fully comply with the requirements of the Pet Travel Scheme and that contacting the appropriate department in the Local Authority is not always easy.
The Association is therefore encouraging members of the profession to feed into this consultation and encourage any clients who have experience of travelling to and from Europe with their pets to do so as well.
The BSAVA says it will be submitting a response itself, and if anyone would rather send their comments via the BSAVA, you should email Sally Everitt (Head of Scientific Policy) s.everitt@bsava.com by 20th October.
During the four-day hearing, the Committee heard evidence in respect of three separate heads of charge brought against Mr Shah following a castration operation conducted on Shadow, a six-year old Newfoundland dog, which took place on 20 June 2014.
The three charges were as follows:
There was no complaint made as to the undertaking of the operation itself, and the Committee followed the advice from the Legal Assessor that each charge should be considered separately. When making its decision, the Committee did not take into account the fact that Shadow had died as it is impossible to say whether he would have survived had Mr Shah acted differently.
The Committee found each of the allegations against Mr Shah proved. In respect of the first charge the Committee heard from two expert witnesses, Professor Williams and Mr Plumley, who agreed that the decision to discharge Shadow at about 6pm on 20 June 2014, given his condition, was inappropriate.
The Committee considers that discharging Shadow at that time into the care of the owner given his state on discharge, was grossly negligent and a serious error of judgement. It therefore found Mr Shah to be guilty of the first charge.
The Committee then considered that, after being alerted to Shadow’s continued lack of progress by the telephone call from Gemma Ballantyne between 30 and 45 minutes after discharge, Mr Shah exacerbated the situation by the inadequacy of his response in dealing with the concerns raised which, in the Committee’s view, represented a continuation of his previous poor judgement.
The Committee considered that Mr Shah was under a duty of care to advise Gemma Ballantyne to seek urgent veterinary attention for Shadow and by his own admission he failed to do so, and he was therefore found guilty of the second charge.
During that telephone call Mr Shah also gave no further details about the out-of-hours care available to Gemma Ballantyne other than to inform her that there would be an additional cost.
He did not seek confirmation that any such information been supplied by his colleague, Emma Martin (who at the relevant time was a student nurse), however, and at no time did he see Gemma Ballantyne in possession of the discharge sheet. The Committee therefore found Mr Shah guilty of this final head of charge.
The Committee did accept that there was no element of dishonesty, nor was there an aim of financial gain in the case. The Committee also considered that Mr Shah was acting in good faith at all times. It also accepted that Mr Shah was entitled to assume that normal practice had been followed and that a previously compiled discharge sheet, containing the number of the out-of-hours provider, had been supplied to Miss Ballantyne.
Ian Green, chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: "Balancing all of the factors as the Committee must, it is clear that on this occasion Mr Shah’s conduct fell far short of that which is expected and it therefore finds he conducted himself disgracefully in a professional respect."
Mr Green added: "In imposing the sanction of a reprimand, the Committee urges Mr Shah in the strongest possible terms to ensure that his future conduct by way of training and support systems within his practice are such as to avoid any possibility of a future incident such as this occurring in order to ensure animal welfare and public confidence in the veterinary profession. The Committee notes that in her evidence, Emma Martin said that the working practices at the surgery have been changed and the Committee expects that all animals kept in the care of Mr Shah are fully monitored, examined and assessed in relation to their condition before being discharged."
In a letter to Danny, RCVS President Christopher Tufnell wrote:
"As the regulator of the veterinary profession, we place an emphasis on the importance of evidence-based veterinary medicine. We therefore recommend that there should be a cautious approach to homeopathy for animals and that normal evidential standards should be applied to complementary treatments."
Danny said: "A cautious approach? What, like this claim by the BAHVS that homeopathy cures cancer?. Or would you say that this claim on national TV represents a cautious approach?
"Talking about homeopathy and normal evidential standards in the same breath is oxymoronic. If you apply normal evidential standards to homeopathy, it is completely ineffective and should not therefore be used in animals."
Mr Tufnell wrote: "We believe it is also essential that such treatments, until they can be proved, are complementary rather than 'alternative' and that they are therefore used alongside conventional treatment."
Danny said: "This argument makes sense whilst evidence-gathering for new treatment modalities. Homeopathy, however, has been with us since 1796. In that time, there has been no good evidence that homeopathy is effective for any condition. Against that, we now have the benefit of an increasing body of meta analyses that show it isn’t. How much more evidence does the RCVS require?"
Mr Tufnell wrote: "Whatever views there may be within the veterinary profession, it is clear that there is a demand from some clients for complementary therapies for their animals."
Danny said: "That may be true, but client demand is not an argument for prescribing medicines shown not to work. Nor should ill-informed client demand trump animal welfare"
Mr Tufnell added: "It is better that they [clients] should seek advice from a veterinary surgeon - who is qualified to make a diagnosis, and can be held to account for the treatment given - rather than turning to a practitioner who does not have veterinary training."
Danny said: "It makes no difference to the animal's suffering whether effective treatment is withheld by a layperson or a qualified vet. At what point do we trust the clinical judgement of vets who subscribe to this magical thinking? In the case of hyperthyroidism in a cat, at what point do we trust them to start giving proper treatment? Maybe when the T4 levels reach a certain number? Or when renal failure kicks in? Or when the cat loses a certain percentage of its body weight?"
Finally, Mr Tufnell wrote: "homeopathy is currently accepted by society and recognised by UK medicines legislation and does not, in itself, cause harm to animals."
Danny said: "I'm not sure how it is possible to claim homeopathy is 'accepted by society'. What constitutes 'societal acceptance'? The NHS says that: 'The ideas that underpin homeopathy are not accepted by mainstream science, and are not consistent with long-accepted principles on the way that the physical world works'; the Australian Government says: 'Homeopathy should not be used to treat health conditions that are chronic, serious, or could become serious.' Clearly homeopathy is far from being accepted by society.
"Even if it was, the argument that we should prescribe medicines because they are 'societally accepted' is no different to the argument that we should do so because there is 'consumer demand.' Both are plainly wrong. Presumably the RCVS wouldn't approve of veterinary surgeons prescribing antibiotics just because there is 'consumer demand', or because they are 'societally accepted'.
As to the veterinary medicines regulations, homeopathic remedies were ‘grandfathered’ and have not had to prove efficacy to become authorised. So their recognition by UK medicines legislation is meaningless.
"Lastly, homeopathy does, in itself, cause harm to animals when given ahead of, or in place of proven treatments."
At the same time as Danny was running his petition for banning homeopathy, the Campaign For Rational Veterinary Medicine has been running a petition which instead asks that the RCVS takes steps to allow animal owners to make a more informed decision, thereby limiting the harm that homeopathy causes animals.
This petition, which is for the veterinary profession only, has so far gathered over 400 signatures, and the campaign organisers are now inviting anyone who signed the petition to ban homeopathy to consider signing this one as a pragmatic alternative.
The example above right demonstrates a badge linking to jobs advertised by the family-run group with practices around the North of England, White Cross Vets.
VetNurse.co.uk Editor Arlo Guthrie said: "When you've got a vacancy available, you need to get the word out as far and wide as possible, which means you really should post details on your own practice website. Of course, your website is mainly for pet owners, but you never know, a veterinary nurse or surgeon looking for a job may stumble upon it. They need to know straight away that you're hiring.
Out of 20 of the lastest advertisements posted over on VetSurgeon by independent practices, 80% had not posted any indication that they have a job available on their own website. Two even had a jobs page, but hadn't updated it.
Arlo said: "Updating your website when there's a job available can be a hassle. And when you've gone to the trouble to create a professional-looking advertisement on VetNurse or VetSurgeon, it's a duplication of effort to do it all over again on your own website."
So, as an alternative, practices can now create a unique VetNurse Jobs badge which, when added to their website, links to a display of just the jobs they have advertised on VetNurse. If there are no current vacancies advertised, there's a message to that effect.
To add the badge, login to VetNurse using the account used to advertise vacancies. Then visit https://www.vetnurse.co.uk/p/find-our-veterinary-nurse-jobs.aspx, grab the code snippet and add it to your website (or email it to your IT guy). If your site is one of the majority that doesn't have a jobs page, VetNurse.co.uk recommends you add the badge either to your home page or the 'Contact Us' page.
For veterinary surgeon vacancies advertised on VetSurgeon.org, you'll need to head over to VetSurgeon, login and grab your code here: https://www.vetsurgeon.org/p/find-our-veterinary-surgeon-jobs.aspx.
Arlo added: "Aside from the convenience of having your jobs linked to from your own website, it'll also give your adverts a little boost, visitor traffic-wise.
"Finally, it's a good way to help spread the word about the low-cost recruitment advertising service on VetNurse and VetSurgeon."
It is hoped that the treatment centre, which will use radio-iodine therapy to treat the condition, will be completed within three months at its base near Winchester.
The new centre will be one of only 11 in the UK and the aim is to reduce the waiting time for cats with hyperthyroidism to receive treatment.
Davina Anderson, European and RCVS Recognised Vet Specialist at Anderson Moores Veterinary Specialists, said: "We’re delighted to be able to get the go-ahead to build this facility and will start construction work imminently.
"Radio-iodine therapy is the gold standard of treatment for hyperthyroidism in cats, far exceeding the results seen with surgery or oral medication.
"We intend to offer a service tailor-made to each individual cat and their family, with their clinical history and circumstances screened before they travel to us. This is to ensure that treatment with radio-iodine therapy is the correct therapeutic decision.
"The ten other centres in the UK providing this treatment are spread few and far between, and we hope that opening this facility will help to reduce waiting lists for cats awaiting treatment, particularly across southern England."
The centre at Anderson Moores will be run and managed by Boarded Specialists in Internal Medicine, supported by Boarded Cardiologists and qualified nurses.
It will also have the capacity to address other clinical concerns, if necessary. Davina said: "Cats that are presented with hyperthyroidism are older, more fragile and potentially have other concurrent conditions. It’s very rare for a cat under seven years of age to develop hyperthyroidism.
"The treatment of cats with hyperthyroidism involves a single injection of radioactive iodine, followed by isolation in a radiation-proof facility for two weeks.
"Cats usually respond extremely well to treatment, and if the condition is recognised early and treated appropriately, then the outlook for the affected cat is generally very good."
Available for download now, the MobiVet Veterinary Formulary App is designed to make drug calculations and prescribing faster, easier and safer. It contains dose rate and interval data for over 250 drugs commonly used in small animal practice.
Searchable by drug name or trade names, with species-specific dosing information, the app calculates doses based on the patient type, weight, or body surface area as appropriate. MobiVet also provides a checklist of known relevant drug interactions for each medication, to prevent prescribing errors.
Stuart says an iOS version is in production.
To download the Android version, visit: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.project.user.drug_formulary&hl=en
Graham, 72, who worked at Westover Veterinary Centre in Norfolk for 40 years, set off on his bike from his home in Crostwick last week. He aims to complete the journey in two years, following a route that will take him through Western Europe and into Greece before flying to Ethiopia and cycling through Kenya, where he spent eight years as a government veterinary officer in his early career. He will then follow the Indian Ocean down the African continent's east coast to Cape Town.
Graham said: "I’m no stranger to life on the road – my first job on qualifying was as a field vet in Kenya which I did for eight years. This will be a real adventure though as I am definitely not an accomplished cyclist, however I look forward to the challenge and to raising money for AWF. The route may change slightly as the trip goes along, but that’s down more to government travel advice than my decision - for example, although not currently on my route, I would still like to cycle through Egypt to give a lecture or two, however we’ll need to see what’s possible."
Graham cycled via London to join the annual AWF Discussion Forum in Westminster, attended by other vets, parliamentarians and key stakeholders from the sector, before continuing his cycle to the English south coast with TV vet Emma Milne. Along the way Graham will also be working with equine charitable organisations including the Brooke, SPANA and World Horse Welfare, giving equine welfare and dentistry talks, as well as occasionally returning to the UK to lecture and attend AWF Trustee meetings.
If you would like to sponsor Graham and donate to AWF, or simply find out more about his trip through his regular blog posts, visit vetduncdares.wordpress.com.
Nockolds Solicitors was approved as the new administrator of the ADR trial by RCVS Council at its June 2016 meeting at Cardiff City Hall. The company was identified and approved by the RCVS Operational Board as meeting its requirements, a decision which the RCVS says has been welcomed by the Veterinary Defence Society and the British Veterinary Association, as well as receiving lay and consumer support.
The current trial, which was launched in November 2014 and is administered by Ombudsman Services, will come to a close by 1 October, when the new trial with Nockolds will start.
Nick Stace, RCVS Chief Executive and Secretary, said: "In order to be able to make an informed choice about how we wish to design and implement a permanent ADR scheme we wanted to ensure that we have as many different options and as much data as possible. It is very important that we get the permanent scheme right and this is why Operational Board made the decision to have a second trial. It was also clear that satisfaction levels from consumers for the previous trial were lower than we would have liked and that we therefore need to explore other options.
"It is important to note that this will not just be a re-run of the first trial with a different administrator – there will be some significant differences between this and our first trial with Ombudsman Services.
"First, this will be a truly alternative process as consumers will be able to access the trial directly rather than having to go through the College’s concerns process first.
"Second, this will be a process of mediation meaning that expert advisors from Nockolds will facilitate communication between the complainant and the veterinary surgeon to try and find a satisfactory solution to the concern."
The trial will be promoted to both the public and the profession as an alternative to the College’s formal concerns investigation process and participation in the trial will be voluntary. There will also still be a panel of veterinary advisors overseeing the trial and helping staff at Nockolds with any clinical queries they may have.
Jennie Jones is a Partner at Nockolds and will head up the trial. She said: "We are committed to providing a service that mediates complaints to find a fair, efficient and proportionate resolution. We are looking forward to working with everyone involved in veterinary profession to develop an effective mediation service that can be accessed by both the public and members of the profession.
"The service will focus on finding effective and practical resolutions. Understanding the root cause of the complaint and re-establishing effective communication are the crucial first steps in mediation and helping the parties to find a solution they can both accept. Over the coming months, we will be working with the RCVS, representative bodies for the profession and consumers to launch the service.
"In addition to mediating complaints, we will share insight in mediation and complaint resolution to inform practitioners and stakeholders and to enhance standards at veterinary practices. This enables complaint analysis to be used to help improve client care, avoid complaints and maintain trust and confidence in the profession."
A bespoke website for the trial will be set up in time for the launch on 1 October 2016.
The investment is being made to increase the speed at which concerns are either closed or referred, ensure that the process meets its service standards and reduce stress for the public and profession.
The decision to increase investment in the process was made by the College’s Operational Board in response to a steady increase in the number of concerns being investigated. The College forecasts that it will receive in excess of 1,000 concerns raised about the professional conduct of veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses this year.
The RCVS developed a simplified, three-stage concerns process in 2014 which included the introduction of targets for cases to be either closed or referred at each stage. In order to ensure that these targets can be met, the College will now be hiring five paralegals to assist the existing five case managers.
Eleanor Ferguson, Acting Registrar, said: "Currently we are only closing or referring just over half of concerns we receive at stage 1 (case examiner stage) within our four month target. In order for the system to run more smoothly we will be investing in extra staff to help clear the backlog and ensure that these targets are met going forward.
"Similarly, in order to deal with the increase in the number of cases being referred to Preliminary Investigation Committee (stage 2), we will be increasing the frequency of these committee meetings from one to two per month.
"It is important to add that this investment is not just about dealing with concerns more quickly but is also about quality of service and having more staff on hand will ensure that this quality is maintained in terms of how we communicate with complainants and members of the profession. Speeding up the process will reduce the stress and anxiety felt by all involved."
More details about the College’s concerns investigation process and its different stages can be found at www.rcvs.org.uk/concerns
The reported behaviour patterns, seen on a weekly basis, included rabbits biting the bars of their run or hutch repeatedly, fur pulling, biting, growling and hissing.
The charity says that with more than 680,0001 rabbits living alone, despite being highly sociable animals, and thousands more living in small hutches with no opportunity for exercise or mental stimulation, it is no surprise owners and vets are seeing these issues on a regular basis.
PDSA veterinary surgeon Rebecca Ashman said: "Our figures highlight that lack of mental stimulation can have a huge impact on pet behaviour. What’s most frustrating is the fact that many of these issues could easily be avoided if rabbits were given the right conditions, diet and companions to live alongside."
For this reason, PDSA is backing Rabbit Awareness Week’s #BuddiesForBunnies campaign to get solitary rabbits paired up with suitable companions from rescue centres. The charity says the findings should be a call to action for the 57% of rabbit owners who own single rabbits.
Rebecca added: "Pets do so much to enrich and improve our lives, but by not meeting their needs, their physical and mental wellbeing can be severely compromised. "Sadly, rabbits seem to be the forgotten pet". They can’t speak up and tell us if they’re unhappy, but with the right information and education, owners can make positive changes to their pets’ lives."
The initiative was set up in 2014 by Mark Hirschel and Jo Amit, the co-founders of pet product company HOWND. It gained momentum last year when Ricky Gervais lent his support.
Jo said: "We have always brought our dogs Roxy and Laila to work with us, but when we moved into new offices back in 2014 we discovered that they weren’t allowed in the premises.
"This inspired us to create an event that publicised why dogs can make a positive difference in safe work environments, in attempt to encourage companies across the UK to adopt dog friendly policies.
"We’re overwhelmed with how successful Bring Your Dog To Work Day has become. It’s been amazing to see how many people have posted their dogs at work across all social media in 2014 and 2015. Most importantly, it was fantastic to raise money for a cause that has always been close to our hearts - the wonderful work of All Dogs Matter. We’re hopeful that this year will prove even more popular, building on the momentum of 2015."
The organisers point to an American study published in 2012 which concluded that dogs at work may make a positive difference by reducing stress levels in staff and increasing their levels of job satisfaction.
For more information, visit: https://bringyourdogtoworkday.co.uk
Having been told at school that he'd never cut it as a veterinary surgeon, Julian qualified from Liverpool in 1981. He became a partner at Banovallum Vets in Horncastle in 1989 and later the sole owner. Along the way, he also gained AP status in Sheep and Animal Welfare and served as President of the Sheep Veterinary Society and the Lincolnshire Veterinary Association. Oh, and in 1991, he was part of a team that set a world record relay time cycling from Land's End to John O'Groats, raising £8,500 in the process.
Then, in 2012, everything changed. Julian had a cycling accident during a road race in Lincolnshire. He fractured his skull and suffered multiple brain haemorrhages, broken ribs, a fractured shoulder and a punctured lung. Doctors told his wife he'd be unlikely to survive.
But survive he did, and with his injuries precluding a return to practice, he's reinvented himself as an author and approved para-cyclist.
His book is a collection of light-hearted anecdotes and memories from his life in practice, with practical advice about what to try and avoid when working as a veterinary surgeon.
And yes, he was once called out to attend a cow stuck in a tree!
You can buy the book on Amazon in hardcover for £12.95, here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Julian-Earl/e/B01EVCT67K/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1461874827&sr=1-1
Locums can now come and update their VetNurse Profile to display their location and a business card on a map of the UK which practices can browse when they need a locum (NB. login required to see the locums on the map).
Clicking on a locum’s flag on the VetNurse Locum Map reveals a summary profile and the distance they can travel. There are plans to add more detail in the future.
VetNurse.co.uk Editor Arlo Guthrie said: "This is all part of our programme of ongoing development with VetNurse Jobs, to make sure it remains the ‘go to’ place for anyone looking to hire a veterinary nurse or find a job.
"Whilst I’m here, I’d like to thank the practices and businesses that have already advertised on VetNurse Jobs. Your continued support is what allows us to develop these kinds of new features, all designed to help lower your recruitment costs."
BVA President Sean Wensley said: "The UK's decision to leave the European Union will have a significant impact on matters of interest to the veterinary profession, particularly in relation to regulation, education, and workforce planning, but also in terms of animal welfare, research, surveillance, and animal movements.
"BVA will work hard to ensure the voice of the veterinary profession is heard during the negotiation and discussions that will now begin, in order to secure the best possible outcomes for our profession and for animal health and welfare in the UK. The Vet Futures report provides an excellent summary of issues we need to consider in those discussions, and the Vet Futures Action Plan, due to be launched at the Vet Futures Summit on 4 July, outlines key initiatives that we need to take forward, albeit with revised timelines while the full impact of Brexit is determined.
"BVA will retain an outward looking and inclusive perspective through our relationships with international partners, including the Federation of Veterinarians for Europe (FVE), Commonwealth Veterinary Association (CVA) and World Veterinary Association (WVA) to ensure the UK veterinary profession continues to influence and engage on cross border issues such as disease surveillance, veterinary medicines and antimicrobial resistance."