CloserStill Media, organisers of the London Vet Show, have announced that the 2020 event will not take place due to ongoing uncertainty surrounding the coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak.

The London Vet Show will next take place on 11th and 12th November 2021 at the ExCeL Center, London.

CloserStill says the decision to cancel was made following several discussions with industry stakeholders, including partners, and considering the significant impact of both international and domestic travel.

Rob Chapman, MD of CloserStill’s veterinary portfolio, said: "COVID-19 has brought enormous pressures and uncertainty to the veterinary sector - both personally and professionally.

"Although the UK Government gave the green light for exhibitions and meetings to start again in October, after examining at the overall market and consultation with our partners, we feel the decision to postpone is in the best interest of the veterinary community.

"Although this news may be disappointing to those looking forward to the London Vet Show, unfortunately the coronavirus situation is continually developing. We want to be as clear and upfront as possible with our community and customers, and after careful consideration, our decision to reschedule was out of caution. As event organisers, the health and safety of our exhibitors, delegates, speakers, staff and supporters, is our number one priority."

"Obviously the postponement decision hasn’t been easy but we firmly believe it’s the right thing to do. We are so fortunate to have support of great partners like the Royal Veterinary College and the British Veterinary Association, along with the exhibitors, speakers and delegates we’ve spoken to so far; everyone has been really understanding. We can’t wait to see you all again virtually soon, and in person in 2021."

"The team and I are eager to continue to provide world-class education to veterinary professionals, to connect and encourage networking to foster the advancement of the veterinary sector. We are developing some great opportunities for the veterinary community come November. We will be announcing more details on this very soon."

Zoetis has launched Stablelab, a hand-held, point-of-care blood test that gives veterinary surgeons diagnostic information about equine inflammation in 10 minutes.

The Stablelab hand-held reader detects and quantifies the biomarker Serum Amyloid A (SAA), an acute phase protein produced by the liver that increases rapidly and dramatically in response to inflammation.

Zoetis says that by measuring SAA, vets can assess the severity of an infection more quickly, often before clinical symptoms start, and are able to monitor the horse’s response over the course of treatment.¹ 

Zoetis vet Wendy Talbot said: “Zoetis is committed to providing vets and horse owners with the most effective health products to better predict, prevent, detect and treat equine disease.

“The Stablelab test kit enables convenient, off-site testing for quick and accurate detection of a reliable indicator of infection in horses.

“Point-of-care testing is one of the fastest-growing areas of diagnostics and this test is rapidly becoming a standard of care in equine practice. SAA testing will help vets to quickly determine an appropriate course of intervention, positively impacting case outcomes.”

For more information, visit: www.stablelab.com. To place an order, contact your Zoetis Account Manager or the Zoetis Technical Team on customersupportUK@zoetis.com or 0845 300 9084 (option 3). 

Reference

1. Nolen-Walston R. How to Interpret Serum Amyloid A Concentrations. In Proceedings: American Association of Equine Practitioners. 2015:130-137.

The RCVS has established a new working group to develop proposals for how it will regulate veterinary practices on a statutory basis in the future.

The mandatory regulation of veterinary practices, including statutory powers of entry and inspection, is one of the main parts of the College's proposals for new primary legislation that would replace the current Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966.

The working group, which is expected to present the details of a Mandatory Practice Regulation system to Council by the end of 2024, will be chaired by RCVS President Sue Paterson FRCVS.

It will include Standards Committee Chair Linda Belton MRCVS and Practice Standards Group Chair Belinda Andrews-Jones RVN, alongside veterinary, veterinary nursing, lay and external representatives.

Sue said: “With over 70% of practice premises currently under its ambit, our Practice Standards Scheme (PSS) has shown how keen practices are to maintain high standards.

"However, it is a voluntary scheme and, as a result, there is no mechanism to ensure standards across all practices, or to ensure change in those rare situations where it is needed.

“At present, the RCVS only regulates individual veterinary surgeons and nurses, and the veterinary sector does not have an equivalent to the Care Quality Commission, which considers human healthcare premises.

"This means that the onus for maintaining standards within the workplace falls on regulated individuals rather than the business structure.

"We will consider what a scheme that puts more statutory responsibility on business owners to maintain standards should look like.

“I look forward to working with colleagues in RCVS Council, VN Council and other veterinary organisations via this group to really flesh out what this regulatory system might look like in the future, to make sure it is appropriate, robust, proportionate and enforceable.

"Establishing these details will also prove invaluable in our lobbying work with government, ministers and MPs.”

TVM has launched guidelines for treating pets which ingest recreational drugs and materials for practices to highlight other hazards to pets this Christmas.

The company points to data from the Animal Poison Control Center in the US which showed that in 2022, recreational drugs, including marijuana-based drugs, hallucinogenic mushrooms and cocaine made the list of top ten reasons for animals needing its help, knocking gardening products into 11th place.

In addition, the APCC reports a nearly 300% increase in calls about potential marijuana ingestion over the past five years

With this in mind, TVM has developed guidelines to support vets with these cases, both in terms of treatment options and tips on how to discuss the issue with clients and glean the information needed to help with the diagnosis and treat the animal.

TVM has also launched its new ‘Seasonal Suspects’ board kits to help practices educate pet owners on the common Christmas hazards commonly found around the house at this time of year.

The eye-catching waiting room display, which shows veterinary staff as seasonal superheroes, covers the dangers posed by items such as alcohol, batteries, plants and nuts, and advises pet owners on the necessary action needed should their pet digest any toxic substance.

TVM will also be sharing ‘Seasonal Suspects’ posts on its Facebook page for veterinary staff to share with their followers over Christmas.

For more information, email help@tvm-uk.com, call 0800 0385868 or contact your local Territory Manager. 

VetHelpDirect.com has conducted a survey of 380 vets which found that 54% have received verbal abuse referencing the Competitions and Markets Authority report.

15.3% said they had received written abuse and 13.4% had received online abuse.

One in ten (9.87%) had cited receiving generally negative grumbles from their clients and a small percentage (0.8%) said they had noticed negativity from usually supportive clients.

17% reported abuse relating to the CMA across more than one platform. 

On the other hand, the survey also revealed that 22.4% had received support in person, almost one in twenty (4.5%) had received online support, and 2.4% cited they had received supportive correspondence.

Tyne and Wear-based Razvan Georgescu has been suspended by the RCVS Disciplinary Committee for six months after being convicted of drug-driving. 

Mr Georgescu faced three sets of charges:

The first was that in  April 2024 at Newcastle Magistrates’ Court, he pleaded guilty to driving a car when the proportion of the controlled substance Benzoylecgonine (the main metabolite of cocaine) exceeded the specified limit contrary to the Road Traffic Act 1988 and the Road Traffic Offenders Act.

He was disqualified from driving for 20 months, fined £634, ordered to pay £254 victim surcharge and £150 costs.

The second and third charges were that he was misleading and/or dishonest with the RCVS when he was asked to provide information about the circumstances leading to his conviction.

In correspondence with the College, he claimed that the incident happened on his day off, when he was in fact due to work that day.

He also submitted – or allowed to be submitted – a false staff rota for the day of his arrest.

The Disciplinary Committee found the charges against Mr Georgescu proven on the basis of the certificate of conviction and his admission, prior to the hearing, that he had given false information.

The Committee then considered whether the three charges amounted to serious professional misconduct.

The Committee considered the fact that Mr Georgescu was driving, and intending to work, while he was seven times over the prescribed proportion of Benzoylecgonine allowed to be in in his bloodstream.

Paul Morris, chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: “With regard to the impact this conduct would have on right thinking members of the public, Dr Georgescu himself said, when cross examined, that were he standing in the shoes of an owner of an animal he was going to treat that day with the knowledge that he had in his blood more than 7 times the prescribed limit of a prohibited drug he “would not be comfortable for sure” and would cause such persons to “lose trust”.

“Having regard to the above facts and matters the Committee has no hesitation in concluding that the facts relevant to his commission of the offence in Charge 1 were so serious and presented such prospective risks to other road users that it renders the respondent unfit to practise as a veterinary surgeon.”

Charges 2 and 3 were considered together, with the Committee again finding serious professional misconduct on the basis that Mr Georgescu had set out to lie to the RCVS and had continued and repeated the lie for a period of six months.

The Committee identified a number of aggravating features in his conduct including the fact it was premeditated, entailed sustained and repeated dishonesty, involved wilful disregard for the role of the RCVS as the veterinary regulator and that admissions were only made when he realised he couldn’t sustain his falsehoods any longer.

Finally, having found that all charges were proven and amounted to serious professional misconduct, the Committee decided that suspending Mr Georgescu from the Register of Veterinary Surgeons would be adequate to protect the welfare of animals, maintain public confidence in the profession, and declare and uphold proper standards of conduct.

Paul Morris added: “The misconduct of the respondent is serious but his misconduct falls short of being fundamentally incompatible with remaining on the Register.

"He does have insight into the seriousness of his misconduct and there is, in the judgement of the Committee, no significant risk of repeat misleading behaviour.

"The Committee also considers that the respondent will be fit to return to practice after the period of suspension in question.

“The Committee did consider striking the respondent from the Register but determined that this sanction would be unduly punitive and deprive the public and the profession of an otherwise competent veterinary surgeon.

“The Committee has reflected carefully on the question of how long the period of suspension should be and has determined that it should be a period which is not so long that it will result in the loss of the respondent to the profession which he professes to love and in which his referees assert he is a capable and caring veterinary surgeon.”

www.rcvs.org.uk/disciplinary

Dechra (the maker of Vetoryl) has launched 'Prime Suspects', a nationwide campaign to raise awareness of Cushing’s syndrome amongst dog owners and drive them to vet practices for diagnosis and treatment.

The company points to a survey of 1000 dog owners it conducted in July which found that 77% would put many of the top ten signs of Cushing's down to ‘old age’.

According to research carried out by CM research in July 2018, for every 100 cases of Cushing’s syndrome treated, a further 57 are suspected but not diagnosed.

The ‘Prime Suspects’ campaign will encourage dog owners to become a ‘Cushing’s Detective’ and look out for signs in their dogs.

To help, the company has developed a series of characters to illustrate the signs of Cushings: Panting Patsy, Leaky Larry, Lazy Lynn, Greedy Gus and Little Patch.

A nationwide pet-focused multimedia campaign will support the ‘Prime Suspects’ initiative and will include TV and print advertising, online banners, pay per click advertising and social media to engage owners and encourage them to seek advice from their vet if they suspect Cushing’s in their dog.

Dechra has also launched Cushing’s Connect, a digital platform single resource hub to help vets keep up to date with current best practice in managing Cushing’s. 

The hub has information and tools to enhance diagnostic protocols, advice and literature covering pathophysiology, diagnosis and ongoing case management including treatment protocols and monitoring schedules, and interactive guides and videos by top veterinary specialists.  

There's also a client communication toolkit with owner-focused resources to encourage dog owners to spot the signs and seek help from their vet.

https://www.dechra.co.uk/cushings-connect

RCVS Council has voted to make it a requirement that remote prescribing (without physically examining the animal) can now only be carried out by veterinary surgeons who can 'provide [an out-of-hours] follow-up service involving physical examination, plus or minus further investigation, if required’. 

The follow up service ‘can be provided personally by the veterinary surgeon or practice, or by written agreement with a veterinary services provider which is local to the client (as with the current situation for [out-of-hours] care provision)’.

The new rule comes into force on the 1st November, to allow practices to make any necessary arrangements.

The RCVS Council also decided that the temporary derogation from the usual requirement to conduct a physical examination before an animal is regarded as ‘under care’ be reviewed as a standing item at each subsequent Standards Committee meeting, until the normal guidance provisions are fully restored.

Cornwall-based Rosemullion Veterinary Practice reports a 25% improvement in staff compliance with hygiene protocols and the elimination of the growth of bacterial pathogens as a result of conducting an infection control programme at its a 100-staff multi-site practice.

First, the practice carried out an infection control audit to ensure its protocols were robust.

The audit covered the cleaning of clinical areas, non-clinical areas (including offices, reception desks, kltchens and bathrooms), and the personal hygiene of staff members (including hand hygiene and work wear).

Using using the Nationwide Laboratory practice cleanliness screening programme, Rosemullion then conducted environmental swabbing of 10 clinical and non-clinical areas around the practice, including theatre tables, kennels, telephones and door handles, to review contamination levels.

Results showed varying levels of bacterial contamination in both clinical and non-clinical areas.

Finally, Rosemullion assessed personal hygiene and the potential for cross-contamination between patients, colleagues and the environment.

Staff were asked to complete an anonymous ‘Hygiene Self-assessment Questionnaire’ which covered ten areas, including; disinfecting hands; wearing gloves, scrubs with short sleeves and dedicated work shoes, and changing into uniforms when arriving at work.

Amongst clinical staff, there was a 66.75% compliance.

The team then discussed the results, consulted a lab microbiologist and formulated an improvement plan, which included updating the practice cleaning processes (including the cleaning of new touch points), introducing new colleague uniform rules (including changing into uniform upon arrival at work), improving hand hygiene (including providing hand gels for all colleagues) and using sanitising wipes in all office areas.

One month after the policy revisions, swab tests were repeated. They found no bacterial growth in any of the 10 previously swabbed areas.

After two months the colleague questionnaire was run again.

It found clinical colleague compliance over eight personal hygiene indicators had jumped from 66.75% to 92.5% compliance.

Abi Redfearn, Senior Veterinary Nurse at Rosemullion, said: “When we opened in 2021, we were keen to monitor our infection control - as part of providing a hospital level of care under the RCVS Practice Standards Scheme.

"With around 100 colleagues and hundreds of patients passing through our doors every week, we are an extremely busy practice – so infection control is paramount in maintaining high clinical standards.

“By updating our protocols and taking simple steps - such as providing sanitising materials in high-touch areas – we’ve significantly decreased the risk of environmental contamination.

"Our project is now being used as an example to encourage other practices.”

Ceva Animal Health is to host an online meeting for vet nurses about feline hypertension, cat friendly clinics, pheromone research and Ceva's latest product, Feliway Optimum. 

The half day meeting will take place on Tuesday 25th May from midday to 4pm BST.

Speakers at the event, which accounts for four hours’ CPD, include: Dr Andy Sparkes, feline medicine specialist; Professor Patrick Pageat, president of IRSEA Group; Dr Nathalie Dowgray, head of ISFM and cat behaviourist, Susanne Hellman Holmström.

The programme is as follows:

• Mercury Challenge - the largest study on feline hypertension - Dr Andy Sparkes. The latest news from the Mercury Challenge, the largest international study on feline hypertension with more than 10,200 cats
• Opportunities and trends for tomorrow - Cat Friendly Clinic - Dr Nathalie Dowgray
• 25 years of pheromone research - Prof Patrick Pageat. Be inspired by ‘The story of 25 years of pheromone research’ and the science behind the new pheromone discovery - Feliway Optimum.
• Pandemic reflections - How did our cats cope? - Susanne Hellman Holmström

There will also be a round table discussion on how to raise the focus on cats, when delegates will have the chance to interact with the speakers.

Abigail King, senior behaviour product manager at Ceva Animal Health, said: “The Ceva Cat Expertise 2021 event is designed for the whole veterinary team and will provide online delegates with comprehensive and up-to-date information on feline hypertension and behaviour, including hands on tips which can be incorporated into day-to-day work in practice, as well as an overview of feline opportunities and trends for the future.”

All delegates will receive a diploma of participation and the meeting will be available on demand after the live event to all registered participants until 1 September 2021.

To register for Ceva Cat Expertise 2021 online event visit https://ceva-cat-expertise-2021.confetti.events/, contact your local Ceva Animal Health account manager or email cevauk@ceva.com.

Mars Veterinary Health has partnered with SageTech Veterinary to pilot an anaesthetic gas capture solution designed to help stop greenhouse gases from entering the atmosphere.

Mars says that during a typical anaesthetic procedure, less than five percent of the volatile anaesthetic agent delivered to a patient is absorbed and metabolised and about 95% is exhaled.

SageTech’s gas-capture technology – which is currently used in human healthcare – works by capturing the waste anaesthetic agent exhaled during an operation by adsorbing it into a reusable capture canister.

These waste anaesthetic agents can then be extracted from the filter, without incinerating or release them into the atmosphere.

Ellie West, RCVS and EBVS® European Specialist in Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia, and Linnaeus Environmental Sustainability Lead, said: “As a leading provider of veterinary care, we have a responsibility to take climate action at scale and lead the way toward more sustainable practices.

“Our innovative collaboration should help us take a significant step forward in our sustainability journey, aimed at contributing to a better future for the planet – and the people and pets who depend on it.”

The one-year pilot will start with 10 Linnaeus primary care and referral veterinary practices in the UK, after which Mars says it plans to explore the potential application of this technology across other parts of its business. 

https://www.sagetechveterinary.com 

Video Vets Now, the telemedicine arm of Vets Now, has reported a 54% year on year growth in the use of its service in 2022, and says the redefinition of 'under care' will pave the way for further opportunities.

Vets Now launched the service at the start of the pandemic to provide remote veterinary advice, and it has now expanded from eight to nearly 30 emergency vets. 

In 2022, Video Vets Now had over 13,000 consultations, with 80% of these occurring out-of-hours. Sundays are the busiest day, with almost a third of all consultations taking place.

Of these total consultations, 17% of pets were discharged normally, 7% were immediately referred in-clinic, and 48% were discharged as non-emergency cases, but with a recommendation to get a daytime vet appointment within 48 hours.

Dave Leicester, Vets Now’s head of telehealth says the fact that so few of Video Vets Now calls are referred on to a face-to-face consultation is a real benefit for pet owners and the veterinary profession: “Over two thirds of cases don’t need to be seen urgently by a vet.

"A lot of the cases are pet owners needing some clinical reassurance.

"As cases are triaged remotely, the service therefore frees up clinical staff for genuine emergencies. 

“Additionally, without the service, many clients would have no other option than to attend for a full consultation at an out-of-hours clinic; so, clients save money too, allowing them to save their budget to spend at their daytime practices.

“Following the triage consultation, if the pet does need a non-urgent face-to-face consultation, we always direct clients to their registered vet. The £24 Video Vets Now consultation fee is then refunded.

"We call this our ‘Never Pay Twice’ promise, and it applies regardless of where that follow on consultation takes place.

"We see this as a win-win situation for clients and practices.” 

Dave continued: “Over the past three years, Video Vets Now has seen unparalleled growth, providing essential care and reassurance for pet owners during a time of many challenges to traditional veterinary practice.

“As the pandemic has drawn to a close, we have consolidated our position as one of the UK's foremost providers of teletriage.

"Looking to the future, the changes in veterinary regulation will allow us to grow further and expand the range of services we can provide, bringing telehealth to an even greater number of pet owners.”