Petplan has expanded its partnership business and is now offering 6 weeks free insurance vouchers to pet owners who have their animals microchipped with Bayer's Tracer.
Simon Wheeler, Head of Marketing at Petplan said: "We are delighted to be working with Tracer. Through this partnership, we hope that more pet owners will realise the importance of taking out insurance and microchipping their pets. Vets could also benefit from this partnership, as owners who insure their pets are far more willing to consult their vets and do so more frequently, meaning a more regular income stream from insured clients."
The insurance voucher will insure dogs, cats and rabbits for vet fees covering illness or injury (up to £2000), advertising and reward (up to £250) and boarding fees (up to £250) in the event of the owner being hospitalised.
Donna Cable, Assistant Product Manager at Bayer HealthCare said: "This is an exciting new development which allows us to highlight the importance of pet insurance in conjunction with microchipping for all pets. Our relationship with Petplan is an example of how two market leaders in the veterinary industry are working together to promote responsible pet ownership."
The new agreement will give pet owners piece of mind. In the unfortunate event of their pet going missing, Tracer could locate their pet and Petplan would pay to advertise the missing animal and offer a reward.
For more information about Petplan, please visit http://www.petplan.co.uk/ or call Petplan Vetline on 0800 316 8800 to become a registered Petplan practice.
The Feline Advisory Bureau (FAB) has teamed up with Agria Pet Insurance to provide insurance cover for cats in the UK, with each policy generating a donation to the work of FAB and its International Fund for Cat Welfare.
Ross Tiffin, FAB's Strategy and Business Adviser said: 'In Agria, we have found a respected company that shares our ethos - it believes in sharing information to makes cats' lives better. One of the leading pet insurers in the world, Agria has been insuring pets since 1890 and has shared information on longevity and disease patterns with university researchers for many years.'
Claire Bessant, Chief Executive of FAB said: 'FAB has always been an enthusiastic supporter of health insurance for cats - we want cats to receive the best treatment without owners having to worry about the cost. Our support has now taken on a practical form in the shape of a general pet insurance guide and, through working closely with Agria, by providing cat owners with an excellent insurance option.'
To view A fabcats guide to cat insurance go to www.fabcats.org/catinsurance. The guide gives generic advice on choosing insurance.
For more information on Fabcats Cat Insurance from Agria go to www.fabcats.org/catinsurance or call Agria on 0800 369 9441.
Vetoquinol has announced the launch of Equistro Flexadin UCII, an equine joint supplement.
Equistro Flexadin UCII contains a new ingredient, UC-II, which the company claims is one of the most effective and influential ingredients available that aids and supports healthy joint function.
To celebrate the launch of Flexadin UCII Vetoquinol is offering a £10 money off voucher available through purchases of Horse & Hound magazine starting from November 10th.
Caitríona Mullin, Equine Product Manager at Vetoquinol UK Ltd said: "We are very excited about the launch of Flexadin UCII in the UK and Ireland, we have already received excellent feedback from our German and French colleagues. Flexadin UCII is a product that will further enhance our premium range of equine supplements formulated specifically for the performance horse."
A new study has revealed that owners of obese dogs which successfully lose weight notice significant improvement in their dogs' quality of life too.
The study, published in The Veterinary Journal and available online here, was conducted by scientists from the Royal Canin Weight Management Clinic at Liverpool University in conjunction with the Pain and Welfare Group at the University of Glasgow and the Waltham Centre for Pet Nutrition. It looked at fifty obese dogs that had been referred to Royal Canin's clinic.
The results showed that quality of life improved in the dogs that successfully lost weight, demonstrated by increased vitality scores and decreased scores for emotional disturbance and pain. The improvements in vitality score were greater the more body fat the dogs lost. The research also found that the dogs that failed to complete their weight loss programme had lower vitality and higher emotional disturbance scores than those successfully losing weight.
Dr. Alex German, Royal Canin senior lecturer at the University of Liverpool and lead author of the study, said: "Obesity is a risk for many dogs, affecting not only their health, but also their quality of life. The results indicate that, for obese dogs, weight loss can be important for staying both healthy and happy."
Owners completed a questionnaire to determine the health-related quality of life of their dog prior to weight loss, with a follow-up questionnaire for the owners of the thirty dogs that successfully completed the weight loss programme to reach target weight. The completed questionnaire responses were converted into scores corresponding to a range of factors, including vitality, emotional disturbance and pain.
The Bella Moss Foundation (BMF) is to launch the Human to Animal MRSA Advice Service at the offices of the British Veterinary Association on Friday 22nd October.
The charity says this new online service has been created to provide information and advice on resistant bacteria and their effects on animal health to veterinary professionals, pet owners and carers.
BMF clinical advisor David Lloyd, professor of veterinary dermatology at the Royal Veterinary College, said: "There has been a worrying increase in the numbers of pets reported with MRSA Infections. The causes for this seem to be complex, and research to understand this emerging infection in animals and people is continuing. The Bella Moss Foundation has been very helpful explaining to pet owners the complexity of these issues, and the new Animal MRSA Advice Service will be an educational tool for lay people and veterinarians to learn more about resistant bacterial infections in animals."
For pet owners and carers the Animal MRSA Advice Service will provide education on bacteria, the risk factors for transmission between humans and animals, keeping pets healthy, finding a vet, and the importance of hand hygiene in protecting pets and people from unwanted infection.
For veterinary professionals and practice staff the service will also provide academic reports and international research, as well as information on CPD seminars.
If you would like to attend the launch of this new service, please contact info@thebellamossfoundation.com, or call Jill Moss on 07581 736774.
Applications are now open for new members to join the RCVS Preliminary Investigation and Disciplinary Committees.
This is the first time that non-Council members have been able to sit on these two key committees, and follows the approval of a Legislative Reform Order (LRO) to the Veterinary Surgeons Act, which comes into force on 6 April 2013.
Under the new legislation, the two statutory committees will move through a transition period until they completely comprise independently-appointed non-Council members, by July 2015.
This move will provide regulation in line with modern practice, by ensuring that the same group of people is not responsible for setting the rules, investigating complaints and adjudication, and by bringing lay people formally into the Preliminary Investigation Committee.
The LRO will also allow the RCVS to increase the pool of people available to investigate complaints and sit on disciplinary hearings, reducing the workload on the individual Committee members whose primary appointment is to RCVS Council.
This first recruitment phase seeks:
RCVS President, Jacqui Molyneux said: "It's exciting that we can now seek to appoint non-Council members to the two committees involved in our disciplinary system - a breakthrough that has taken a long time to achieve.
"We are interested to hear from veterinary surgeons and lay people who are keen to contribute to the public good and support us in our regulatory role. It's an excellent opportunity to be part of the next chapter of the RCVS, as we become a more modern and effective regulator."
The recruitment process is being handled by Thewlis Graham Associates and details can be found at www.thewlisgraham.com. The selection committee will comprise Sir Michael Buckley, Christopher Laurence MBE QVRM TD BVSc MRCVS and Dr Joan Martin MA FCOT.
The closing deadline for applications is 5pm on Monday 4 March 2013.
The Royal Mail has launched Dog Awareness Week (15th-19th July) to raise awareness of dog attacks on Royal Mail's postmen and women, and appeal to dog owners to keep animals under control when the postman calls.
The Royal Mail says dog attacks are a significant hazard faced by postmen and women on a daily basis. Attacks rise during the school holidays and in the summer months when parents and children are at home and dogs are sometimes allowed unsupervised in the garden, or out onto the street without restraints.
Since April 2011, there have been over 5,500 attacks on Royal Mail postmen and women, some leading to a permanent disabling injury. Attacks have resulted in the loss of 4,100 working days due to injuries.
Whilst the number of attacks has fallen by 24% nationally since 2011, over 2,400 postmen and women were still attacked by dogs in the year ending April 2013.
Currently, legal protection against attacks by dogs does not extend 'beyond the garden gate'. This is a particular problem for postmen and women, who each visit hundreds of private addresses every day on their delivery rounds. The Royal Mail says it welcomes the Government's commitment to amend the previous legislation to ensure its postmen and women will be protected when they enter private property, including gardens.
Shaun Davis, Director of Health, Safety and Wellbeing for Royal Mail Group said: "For the first time, we are holding a Dog Awareness Week working with the CWU, animal charities and organisations to raise awareness of the problems our postmen and women face daily when they are delivering the mail.
"We are delighted to be supported by a wide range of organisations and animal charities including Dogs Trust, DEFRA, Blue Cross, Wood Green, and the Association of Dog Wardens.
"We have held a number of previous one day campaigns and the awareness of the issue of dog attacks is growing. Last year the number of dog attacks on our people fell. However there were still over 2,400 incidents and we need to reduce this number further as even one dog attack on our people is one dog attack too many.
"Clearly most dogs are not inherently dangerous, however, even the most placid animal can be prone to attack if it feels its territory is being threatened. Our first priority as an employer is to ensure the welfare and safety of our people who provide a valuable service to our customers and we appeal to owners to keep their pets under control, especially if they know their pets have a territorial nature."
There is still time for VNs to apply for funding to the RCVS Trust under its 2009 grants round.
The College's charitable arm aims to make a total of £250,000 available in March and is inviting applications across a range of project areas.
VNs are eligible to apply for some of the funding, including that available under the Small Grants programme.
Small Grants of £500 to £5,000 are available and applications must be received by 21 January 2009. For more information, visit www.rcvstrust.org.uk
The RCVS has released the results of a competition held at BSAVA Congress earlier this month, in which veterinary surgeons, veterinary nurses and other members of the practice team were asked to identify three animals from sound only.
The correct answers were a purring cat, a Chihuahua dog (the breed had to be specified) and a guinea pig.
Of 370 entrants, only 104 (28%) were correct. Some of the more outlandish answers included, for the cat noise: elephant, lion, whale and dolphin; and, for the guinea pig noise: ferret, meerkat, dove, chicken and frog. However, the majority of those getting it wrong were stumped by the requirement to specify the breed of dog, with Jack Russell Terrier or some 'yappy little thing ' proving a favourite.
The winner of the competition was Liverpool-based veterinary surgeon, Anna Rowntree, who won an iPod Nano. She said: "I thought the competition was good fun and a real novelty. It certainly drew me to the stand and was not what I would have expected from the RCVS - it proves they can be approachable! I was very excited to have won and I still can't believe I have."
The noises competition linked to the College's theme for the event, 'Falling on deaf ears?', which examined how the organisation takes account of responses to its consultations, debunking the myth that those who take the trouble to reply are not listened to. The topic was addressed by President Professor Sandy Trees in a presentation on the Saturday of Congress. Visitors to the stand were also given RCVS-branded earphones to reinforce the listening message.
Copies of all three presentations made by the RCVS at BSAVA Congress are now available on RCVSonline (www.rcvs.org.uk/ear_ear). They are:
As part of its Pet Factor campaign, the National Office of Animal Health has launched a competition via its consumer website Pet Health Information www.pethealthinfo.org.uk to find a pet with "the Pet Factor".
NOAH is inviting owners, vets, and vet nurses to go on to the website and put forward nominations, in no more than 200 words, of animals that have staged an amazing recovery, shown exceptional bravery or set themselves apart in some other way.
The Pet Factor campaign was launched with a set of three viral videos, focussing on Pet Factor auditions for a dog, cat, and hamster that reminded owners of the importance of basic pet care.
The PHI site encourages owners to go to talk to pet care professionals to seek advice about how to keep their pets healthy and happy.
Phil Sketchley chief executive of NOAH said: "The video campaign was very successful, with over 25,000 people having watched them so far. Now we want to take the campaign further and find pets that have done something special in a way that really embodies the spirit of 'the Pet Factor'."
The winning pet and their owner will receive a full photo shoot worth over £1,000 with renowned animal photographer Sam Lunt. The final photographs will be presented to them in a beautiful bound book, to remember their special day.
If you think one of your clients deserves to win, submit your 200 word entry at www.pethealthinfo.org.uk, with a photograph if you have one. The closing date is 28 February 2010.
The BVA has welcomed a Scottish Government consultation on the compulsory microchipping of all dogs in Scotland, launched by Cabinet Secretary Richard Lochhead on 27th December.
Microchipping of all dogs is already a legal requirement in Northern Ireland and will become a requirement in Wales in 2015 and in England in 2016.
BVA President Robin Hargreaves, said: "BVA has long supported the compulsory microchipping of all dogs as a significant welfare measure and so we are delighted that the Scottish Government has launched this consultation.
"Every vet in practice will tell you what a highlight it is to be able to reunite a lost dog and its owner quickly and easily. The more dogs that are microchipped, with correct details on the database, the easier that process becomes meaning fewer dogs sent to kennels and charities."
Ronnie Soutar, President of BVA Scottish Branch, said: "Microchipping is a safe, effective and permanent way to link dogs with their owners and it is an essential part of responsible ownership. It is a small cost in terms of dog ownership with veterinary practices in Scotland offering microchipping at a very reasonable price or at a discount or free as part of a practice promotion. "It is important to remember that microchips are only as useful as the information held on the database and so we must work together with the Scottish Government to ensure that dog owners understand the importance of keeping this information up to date."
The consultation also asks for views on dog licensing and compulsory muzzling of dogs in public areas - measures that BVA has not supported.
Mr Hargreaves said: "We have some serious reservations about the call for all dogs, or dogs of a specific breed, to be muzzled in public areas.
"Under the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act dogs are afforded the right to exhibit normal behaviour which could be compromised by the requirement to wear a muzzle at all times outside of the home. We hope that respondents to the consultation reject this idea."
The BVA says it will be consulting its members to respond in full to the consultation.
Virbac Animal Health has launched Speed Leish K, a diagnostic test for canine leishmaniosis.
Speed Leish K detects antibodies directed against the kinesins of leishmania using a Kinesin Capture Complex (KCC), a complex of recombinant proteins with strong immunogenic power at all stages of infection. Virbac says that in trials the test has demonstrated 98.5% overall accuracy.*
Virbac Product Manager Simon Boulton MRCVS said: "Leishmaniosis presents a growing threat to UK dogs, particularly those which travel with their owners on holiday to regions where the disease is endemic.
"Speed Leish K should be used as part of the primary CaniLeish vaccination protocol in animals previously at risk of exposure to ensure only health animals are vaccinated. The test can also be used to screen for the disease in animals suspected to be infected."
Speed Leish K is presented in kits of two or six tests and can be stored for 24 months at room temperature.
Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies at the University of Edinburgh has opened an emergency clinic for injured animals, to allow the public to bring in wildlife in need of treatment. The Wildlife Emergency Clinic is the first of its kind in the UK.
The new emergency clinic, based at the School's Hospital for Small Animals, will treat animals with the aim of releasing them back into their native habitat. The venture will also enable veterinary students to gain more hands-on training in treating wildlife.
The emergency clinic will treat animals, such as hedgehogs or injured birds, as well as larger animals such as deer. However, people are advised to contact the SSPCA to arrange for an inspector to be sent out for support if they have found a larger injured animal or if an animal seems in too much distress to be transported.
Emma Keeble, a wildlife veterinary expert at the Hospital for Small Animals, said: "At this time of year there may be orphaned hedgehogs found out during the day time, which are not able to fend for themselves or hedgehogs suffering from conditions such as fly-strike. As summer progresses there tend to be lawnmower and strimmer injuries. There are also other animals that may have been injured as a result of road accidents."
The School's Hospital for Small Animals already has an exotic and wildlife ward and works with the SSPCA to treat animals so that they can be released back into their native habitat.
The Animal Health Trust is calling for all small animal practitioners to help with a prospective survey study on breed differences in clinical features in canine hyperadrenocorticism.
The Trust is asking vets that diagnose a case of spontaneous hyperadrenocorticism to complete an online questionnaire at bit.ly/aht-cushing.
The questionnaire should take 10 minutes to complete and all the information will be processed anonymously. Each questionnaire submitted has a chance to win a £100 Amazon voucher. On completing the survey, participants can ask to be notified of the results of this study when available.
Researchers say they hope this data will help veterinary surgeons in the diagnosis of canine hyperadrenocorticism, and ask that everyone helps spread the word about the study.
If you have any queries about this study, please contact michael.bennaim@aht.org.uk
Your tip could be clinical in nature (perhaps specific to a particular discipline, like monitoring anaesthesia or small furries), or to do with practice management, or dealing with clients, or HR, or, well, anything really.
To enter the competition, login to VetNurse.co.uk and submit your tip in the forum, here.
Just before you press the button to post your tip, you might like to tick the box marked: "EMAIL ME REPLIES TO THIS POST" which appears immediately above the post button. That way, you'll get an email when someone else posts a tip.
Above each post in the forum, there is now a 'Thank You' link, which allows members to express their thanks for sharing something. The five tips that generate the largest number of 'thank yous' by the end of November will win the Amazon vouchers.
VetNurse.co.uk is all about facilitating the sharing of knowledge, ideas and experience. So any tip entered into the competition will also be disseminated, together with the contributor's name, on other social media channels, such as Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin and if you include a photo, on Instagram.
VetNurse.co.uk Arlo Guthrie said: "The competition is really designed to show off the new 'thank you' feature on VetNurse, which allows members to show their appreciation when someone shares something useful with their peers. In due course, we'll be running similar competitions for the most thanked photos and videos uploaded to our galleries. Watch this space."
Royal Canin is launching the first complete veterinary diet range especially for neutered dogs, to counter the recognised physiological side effects of neutering. The range consists of Neutered & Osteo for neutered adult and mature dogs over 10kg, Neutered & Stone for neutered adult and mature dogs under 10kg, and Neutered & Digest, for neutered puppies over six months old who will grow into adults over 10kg.
Supreme Petfoods has published protocols for the veterinary care of rabbits, guinea pigs and other small furries on its website: www.supremepetfoods.com.
The new infomation resource includes nursing plans and protocols for specific conditions, hospitalisation records, instructions on how to administer fluid therapy, take a blood sample, conduct a behavioural assessment and best practice manual handling.
The materials have been produced by Wendy Bament, exotic animal veterinary nurse at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies in Edinburgh. Following workshops at the London Vet Show last year and feedback from the delegates, Wendy has transcribed some of the processes and protocols developed by the exotics team at Edinburgh for dissemination to veterinary practices across the UK.
Claire Hamblion, Marketing Manager at Supreme said: "I can't tell you how pleased we are to be involved in distributing these documents to the profession. The feedback from our live workshops really demonstrated the demand for material that would provide a framework for best practice care of small furries and now, thanks to Wendy and the team at Edinburgh, it's available to everybody. We genuinely believe that in many practices these protocols could change the approach to small furries forever."
An amendment to the EU's draft budget for a €2 million pilot research project into homeopathy and phytotherapy for farm animals has been approved today by the European Parliament's Agriculture Committee.
BVA President Harvey Locke, said: "Millions of Euros have already been spent on trying to prove the scientific efficacy of homeopathic medicines. To date we have not seen any data to prove they can be effective in the treatment of bacterial infections.
"Whilst it is unlikely that €2 million will be able to determine whether or not there is a basis for claiming homeopathic products can work, we welcome European investment in veterinary research and hope that the results of the pilot will be useful."
Research amongst veterinary surgeons by Janssen Animal Health, maker of Cavalesse oral and Cavalesse topical, has revealed that owners could be doing more harm than good when it comes to managing sweet itch in their horses.
92% of vets questioned are aware that people follow old wives' tales by administering lotions and potions such as garlic and olive oil to ward off flies during the summer sweet itch season, when garlic actually has the opposite effect of attracting them.
According to Janssen, it is thought that only a quarter of horse owners are aware that it is important to carry out preventative measures before the start of the midge season to help alleviate sweet itch. 14% of people are thought to go to their vet for advice on sweet itch, while 30% seek help from their country store or tack shop, 27% search for information on websites and 26% ask other horse owners for guidance. This is despite the fact that 92% of those questioned believe that sweet itch would clear up quicker if people sought advice from their veterinary surgeon.
Nicki Glen, marketing manager at Janssen Animal Health said: "Sweet itch can be an incredibly difficult and frustrating condition to manage, however horse owners do not tend to seek advice from their vets. It is therefore important to educate horse owners while you are on yard visits with pro-active advice on the condition for the long-term health and welfare of horses."
Cavalesse is a natural food supplement containing a specialised formulation of water-soluble vitamins and minerals, including nicotinamide. Once a month the contents of each sachet are dissolved in water to form an oral solution, which can be administered daily via a special pipette, either by sprinkling over a small handful of feed or adding to a treat such as a sugar lump. Janssen says the supplement helps horses maintain a healthy skin and promotes normal immune function in horses prone to summer allergies.
Cavalesse Topical is a skincare gel that can be used in combination with the Cavalesse solution. The gel can be applied to the skin to help support natural immunity from the outside, whilst the oral solution works in partnership from the inside.
For further information on Cavalesse and Cavalesse Topical please contact your Janssen Animal Health account manager or phone 01494 567555.
The organisers of Rabbit Awareness Week (15th-21st September) are calling on veterinary practices to show their support and sign up to its free health check scheme, to highlight the importance of preventative healthcare for rabbits.
This year's RAW campaign is focusing on vaccinations, to protect one of Britain's most popular small pets from two painful and potentially fatal diseases, myxomatosis and Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease (RHD).
Participating practices will receive free support packs to help them advertise and run their own health check events, as well as care advice materials to give out to clients who bring their rabbits in.
Rabbit Awareness Week 2012 is backed by Burgess Excel and various partners, including MSD Animal Health, RSPCA, PSDA, Blue Cross, Wood Green The Animals Charity and RWAF (Rabbit Welfare Association & Fund).
Justin Heaton, Head of Marketing at Burgess Pet Care, said: "This September, RAW aims to promote the importance of preventative healthcare, including regular vet health checks and vaccinations for rabbits, to protect them from disease. Rabbits are at risk from myxomatosis and RHD and this year's goal is to highlight how important vaccinations are against these diseases and encourage owners, particularly those not currently registered with a veterinary practice, to bring their rabbits in for free veterinary health checks and vaccinations.
"RAW partners believe that many rabbit owners are unaware that injections for rabbits are a necessity for them to live a long and healthy life. The average rabbit should live at least 8-12 years, but one in three pet owners (38 per cent) estimate a rabbit's maximum lifespan to be five years*. Along with meeting their dietary, behaviour, environment and companionship needs, Britain's rabbits' must be protected from pain, suffering, injury and disease to ensure they are healthy and happy. Vaccinations are an important part of responsible pet ownership and will help to ensure that rabbits live a long and healthy life."
If you are interested in supporting RAW 2012, by hosting rabbit healthcare clinics at your veterinary surgery, visit www.rabbitawarenessweek.co.uk to order your free support kit and register your event.
The new guidance is being launched as part of the company's Keeping Britain’s Pets Healthy (KBPH) preventative healthcare initiative.
The guidance includes 18 recommendations designed to help all members of the practice team to implement consistent, effective improvements in preventative healthcare.
The recommendations were the result of a package of research carried out by Dr Rachel Dean, Dr Marnie Brennan, Dr Natalie Robinson and Dr Zoe Belshaw at the university’s vet school, including a systematic review of the literature, a survey of veterinary surgeons and in-depth interviews with vets and owners. A final study used the Delphi technique to achieve consensus amongst 26 first opinion practitioners and 8 pet owners.
The recommendations invite practices to consider a number of ways they might improve the consultation process, including: the purpose of the consultation, the role of each member of the practice team, and how pet owner expectations should be addressed and communicated during the process.
John Helps, Senior Technical Manager at MSD Animal Health said: "Our new KBPH initiative marks a step change in our emphasis on preventative healthcare.
"It aims to champion the central role each member of the veterinary practice team plays as experts in educating and engaging our nation of pet lovers.
"These evidence-based guidelines are just the first step towards our increased emphasis on communicating the importance of the annual preventative health visit.
"They support the partnership between the practice and its clients around the health and welfare of their pets, and the significant contribution vaccines and parasiticides make to the health and welfare of their pets. They also help the whole team understand their specific role in the provision of preventative healthcare."
You can download the full recommendations here.
Reference
Lizzie joined the College as Head of Communications in February 2005, in which role she oversaw the launch of the Practice Standards Scheme in 2006, an overhaul of the College’s design and branding in 2011 and the joint British Veterinary Association Vet Futures project in 2014. More recently, she has been the driving force behind the Mind Matters mental health initiative.
Lizzie was appointed as Director of Strategic Communications in November 2015 and Deputy CEO in September 2016. She became Acting CEO when Nick Stace left the position of CEO at the end of September 2017.
RCVS President Professor Stephen May said: "This was a very rigorous recruitment process with a very strong field of candidates and so it is a testament to Lizzie’s abilities and achievements that she saw off all the opposition.
"For some time Lizzie has been involved in setting the direction of the College through the Strategic Plan and the initiatives and projects that she has managed, which really have had a very tangible impact on the profession.
"For example, the Vet Futures project has encouraged the profession to think more strategically about the issues that are facing it and how to achieve constructive solutions, while the Mind Matters Initiative has helped get veterinary mental health further up the agenda and reduced the stigma that many feel about it.
"Her drive and her passion has really pushed these projects forward and I believe she will bring this to the role of CEO.”
Lizzie said: "I am delighted and feel honoured to have been chosen to take the College forward into its next stage of development. I see the Council’s choice of an internal candidate, able to maintain momentum for change and help the College continue on our current strategic path, as an endorsement of the amazing work of the staff at Belgravia House.
"Under Nick Stace’s leadership, the College achieved some really excellent things for the profession, the public, and animal health and welfare, and I look forward to our next exciting chapter."
The British Veterinary Nursing Association has announced that National Veterinary Nurse Week will be a summer event this year, scheduled from 19th - 25th July 2009.
The change of date will allow vet nurses to take part in more outdoor events, as they raise awareness of the important job they do in caring for the nation's pets.
As ever, vet nurses are being encouraged to celebrate their profession, raise money for the BVNA President's nominated charity - which this year is the Search and Rescue Dog Association (Wales) or SARDA Wales as they are known - and to highlight the role of the veterinary nurse, helping make the general public more aware of the contribution a good VN can make.
The BVNA has organised some lynch-pin events this year and are asking any vet nurses who want to take part to contact them as soon as possible to register their interest. The week begins with pet health check days held on Saturday 19th July at Southsea Common's Castle Field in Portsmouth and Roundhay Park in Leeds, sponsored by Hill's Pet Nutrition. Rounding off the week on Friday 24th July till Sunday 26th July, the BVNA will be attendance at the CLA Game Fair, the world's biggest and greatest country sport and countryside show, which this year will be held at Belvoir Castle in Leicestershire. This provides an opportunity to speak to thousands of pet owners about veterinary nursing and petcare, so the BVNA is keen to have a team of enthusiastic nurses on hand to help spread the word.
Bonny Millar CVT(USA), RVN, REVN, is President of the BVNA, "Last year vet nurses came up with some fantastically innovative ideas to promote National VN Week, from a 'barely there' calendar to a fairy tale week complete with characters in costume and background sets. We estimate that VN Week raised over £7000 for the Animal Cancer Trust and other animal charities. This year we would really like to raise even more. I am also asking every member of the practice team - vets, practice managers and receptionists to support their nurses in their efforts and enter into the spirit of National VN Week."
Bonny also points out that this is an ideal opportunity for practices to use their nurses to full effect, "During VN week, practices have a chance to demonstrate the skills of their nurses. Fun events provide an ideal way to reduce barriers between clients and the practice team and by getting nurses meeting the public away from the clinic, there is real scope to educate and inform pet owners about the products and services on offer and to gently encourage those with reservations to bring their pets forward for health checks and treatments. Vets and practice managers know what a great contribution a good vet nurse can make to the practice and the local community, so we would love to see everyone pulling together to make a big effort as this can only help boost moral amongst clients and staff during these difficult financial times."
As in the past, there are great prizes on offer for those who have made a special effort, thanks to sponsors Animalcare, Breatheazy, Merial, Protexin and Vetoquinol. Further information and a registration pack are available from the BVNA http://www.bvna.org.uk/ . Tel 01279 408644. Any members of the practice interested in keeping up to date with the activities planned for VN Week can also visit the blog for the event at http://vnweek.wordpress.com
NOAH Chair Gaynor Hillier said: "The production and supply of veterinary medicines is totally dependent on complex international supply chains that must continue to function effectively after Brexit, their unique status being recognised in the recent government White Paper.
"Raw materials will need to arrive at manufacturing sites and veterinary medicines will need to be transported across borders to meet market requirements. Any border delays, additional complex processes or increased costs will risk medicines availability for UK vets, farmers and all our animals."
According to a recent NOAH member survey, less than 15% of companies say they are prepared for a 'hard Brexit' with the vast majority of respondents saying they are not fully prepared should there be a reversion to WTO rules on 30 March 2019.
NOAH says this is not through lack of effort or unawareness of the need to act, but due to the magnitude of the complex tasks involved in such a specialist sector, coupled with uncertainty over what a 'no-deal' Brexit will look like.
In contrast, almost 60% of companies said they are prepared for a transition period to December 2020. Even then, NOAH says the proposed transition period will not be enough in some cases.
The survey examined product availability in the UK: almost 55% of respondents reported potential availability issues for the UK market impacting more than 40% of their products. The full spectrum of types of products (from vaccines to painkillers: from antibiotics to wormers) across all animal species (farm, equine and pet) are potentially at risk, with particular concerns raised around the supply chain for vaccines.
Veterinary nurses attending this year's British Veterinary Nursing Association (BVNA) Congress (5 - 7 October) are being given the opportunity to learn more about their personality, how they gel with their colleagues and how they can use these insights to create a happier working environment.
Pfizer Vet Support+ business consultant, Vanessa Wilson, is running a two hour interactive CPD workshop examining team effectiveness, based on the findings of the company's inaugural Employee Engagement Survey, which revealed that team effectiveness is key to an engaged, happy and rewarded team.
Vanessa said: "During the session, we will explore the Engagement Survey findings, the opportunities it poses for veterinary nurses, their role in an effective team, how they can effect change and, very importantly, how differing personalities can impact positively and negatively on those around them.
"The session will be a very practical one enabling delegates to gain a better understanding of their own personality preferences through a social style questionnaire. Armed with this self-knowledge, participants should be able to improve their interaction with colleagues and enhance the team effectiveness within the practice."
Each delegate will receive a copy of the full Employee Engagement report together with a CPD certificate. The workshop costs £22 for members and £27 for non-members or, for those who register book before 20 August, £17 and £22 respectively. To reserve your place go to www.bvnacongress.co.uk.