The VMG created its Award, Certificate and Diploma in Veterinary Leadership & Management as part of its mission to equip and empower 21st century veterinary leaders.
Launched in 2021, the modular qualifications are accredited by the Institute of Leadership & Management.
All awardees are now moving forward to the Certificate (CVLM) stage of the qualification.
The final stage is the Diploma (DVLM), typically achieved after two years.
Heidi Taylor RVN, Head of Nursing Services at Dick White Referrals in Cambridgeshire, said: “I found the module extremely insightful and useful in my day-to-day role.
"It has challenged me to reflect on my own performance and leadership style and given me a strong understanding of different leadership styles.
"I have used this to better understand my colleagues and to try and to adapt my approach, depending on the situation.”
She added: “Excellent support was provided and the online platform is user-friendly.
"The content was broken down into manageable sections to avoid overwhelming us and I was able to complete my studies around my other commitments.
"I recommend this course to those looking to improve as a leader by developing greater self-awareness and their theoretical knowledge.”
Learning and Development Manager at VMG, Dr Hannah Perrin said: “As challenging times continue, veterinary businesses across the UK need the skills, knowledge and experience of their leaders and managers.
"But leaders aren’t born – they need support to develop their skills.
"The CVLM programme incorporates the latest thinking in leadership and management, as well as addressing a range of contemporary issues, both sector-specific and affecting the wider business and social environment."
The next cohort will commence its studies in April 2022. More information is available here: www.vetmg.com/cvlm.
Hosted by industry veteran, Anthony Chadwick MRCVS, there will be five episodes, covering pet life expectancy, sustainability in the vet industry, recruitment, and euthanasia.
The first episode of The Pet Profession Podcast is available now with guest Dan O’Neill, Senior Lecturer in Companion Animal Epidemiology and co-lead of the VetCompass Research Programme at the RVC, discussing pet life expectancy.
The Pet Profession Podcast is available from Spotify, Acast, Apple Podcasts and all main podcast directories.
agriapet.co.uk/vets
Linnaeus says the team will focus on three priorities: student and patient care assistant experience, the professional development of nurses, and a preceptorship (Post-Registration Programme) to support the transition from ‘day one’ to ‘year one’ nurses in the company's referral hospitals.
Andrea Jeffery, Chief Nursing Officer at Linnaeus said: "We want to ensure Linnaeus has a veterinary nursing population which is supported and developed in order to reach its full potential in its ability to deliver best patient care.
"To help achieve this, we aspire to enable the patient care and nursing team to achieve success through supportive, well managed training programmes, which our newly-established central support team will help to deliver.
"This will ensure the structure of our nursing teams can help each individual meet their personal goals, with clear progression opportunities.
As part of the support team, Student Experience Managers Trish Scorer and Lucy Middlecote will be responsible for developing a standardised and supportive training approach for Student Veterinary Nurses, Patient Care Assistants and those clinical supervisors and mentors who support them.
Meanwhile, Post-Registration Programme Managers Sam Thompson and Sophie Venables are responsible for supporting early career nurses to develop their skills in referral nursing and will support the development of ‘day one’ RVN post-registration training within the group’s referral practices.
Lastly, professional Development Managers Claire Roberts (primary care) and Vicky Ford-Fennah (referral) have been given responsibility for supporting nurses who join the group, along with the co-ordination, development and implementation of professional development for RVNs and patient care assistants who want to progress their skills and knowledge in specific areas of patient care.
Before becoming a dragon, Jenny worked in banking for 30 years and will be sharing her experiences as an entrepreneur and business leader. She became CEO of cash machine company Hanco, bought out the business, turned it around and sold it for £50 million.
Jenny is supportive of the move to host BSAVA Congress online. She said: “Veterinary communities, like other professions, have seen the value that online technologies can offer, both for networking and socials, as well as essential CPD. We should all embrace these changes and look at the value that they can bring.”
The Congress programme is currently being finalised and the organisers say the emphasis is on ensuring the experience is an interactive as possible for each delegate. It will deliver more than 100 hours of CPD, delivered by globally recognised speakers.
BSAVA Congress 2021 Programme Committee Chair Andy Green said: ‘Whether a virtual or a live event our entire programme is proudly created by the profession, for the profession and we are committed to providing unrivalled education, with topical, clinically relevant and evidence-based content.”
There'll be a virtual commercial exhibition, where delegates will be able to chat with exhibitors from the comfort of their home or consult room. There will also be the ability to network with others in the profession, in face-to-face chat rooms. Professor Ian Ramsey, President of the BSAVA said: “BSAVA Congress 2021 is going to be one of the most innovative in the history of our events.
"While the pandemic circumstances we continue to find ourselves in are far from ideal, we must continue to evolve and progress as a profession. BSAVA Congress is a unique highlight in our calendar for next year and it is shaping up to be a truly memorable event."
For further information and to register your interest click here: https://www.bsavaevents.com/bsavacongress2021/en/page/home
Underlying the strategic plan are what the College says are its four updated values of compassion, collaboration, clarity and courage.
The plan lays out four strategic ambitions, each focused on one of its stakeholder groups, each one under the banner of 'Stronger Together'.
Veterinary professionals: "The RCVS will help veterinary professionals meet high standards and champion accessible, team-based veterinary care, delivered in settings that support professional autonomy and leadership."
This includes reviewing the Code of Professional Conduct and supporting guidance, achieving new veterinary legislation and ensuring that educational standards and career pathways meet the diverse needs of society.
Animal owners and keepers: "The RCVS will support animal health and welfare and public health by enabling access to veterinary care informed by the needs of consumers and service users."
This includes supporting and informing the public in how to get the best from veterinary professionals, with increased transparency, agency and choice.
Society at large: "The RCVS will champion the role that veterinary professionals play in One Health and public health, take a leadership role on environmental sustainability and biodiversity, and continue to look at how it can play a role in the global veterinary professions."
This includes leading the conversation on issues such as the cost of veterinary care, building enthusiasm for veterinary work in the minds of the next generation of potential professionals and ensuring veterinary professionals responsible for public health are well supported with robust standards and safeguards.
Staff team and governance: "The RCVS will attract and retain the diversity of talent and skills to deliver what’s needed now and anticipate what might be next and build a culture that allows people to thrive."
This includes developing an infrastructure for success, including the new RCVS headquarters, and underpinning structures for finance, communications and digital, creating a working culture with sound values and supportive management.
Lizzie Lockett, RCVS Chief Executive Officer, said: “The overall theme of the plan recognises that there are many other individuals and organisations that have a stake in our mission to inspire confidence in veterinary care and protect the public interest by ensuring animal health and welfare, and public health, are advanced through thriving world-class veterinary professions.
“This is where the ‘stronger together’ comes in, recognising that, in our role as a royal college that regulates, we are very well placed to bring people and organisations together to meet our common purpose of improved animal health and welfare and public health in a collaborative, proactive way.”
www.rcvs.org.uk/strategy25
The study was based on VetCompass anonymised clinical records from more than two million dogs under first opinion veterinary care in the UK in 2019.
The study applied causal inference methods to the analysis of random samples of 815 dogs with CCL rupture aged between 1.5- and 12-years-old to replicate a randomised clinical trial and explore the impact of the different treatment methods.
Balancing the arms of the study for variables including age, breed and bodyweight, the researchers compared the outcomes for the dogs who received surgical management for CCL ruptures to those that were managed non-surgically.
The results showed that dogs managed surgically were 25.7% less likely to show short-term lameness at 3 months post-diagnosis and 31.7% less likely to show long-term lameness at 12 months post-diagnosis than dogs managed non-surgically.
Surgically managed dogs were 38.9% less likely to have a pain relief prescription at 3 months post-diagnosis, 34.1% less likely at 6 months and 32.7% less likely at 12 months than dogs managed non-surgically.
The RVC says these findings also similarly demonstrate lower longer term pain in surgically managed dogs.
Camilla Pegram, VetCompass PhD student at the RVC and lead author of the paper, said: “This study used an exciting new approach that allowed us to determine ‘cause’ rather than being limited to ‘association’.
"Surgical management for CCL rupture is often considered as providing better outcomes than non-surgical management, but this study now provides an evidence base to support this.
"Whilst surgical management might not always be feasible for some dogs, the findings allow vets to quantify the benefit in their discussions with owners.”
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.prevetmed.2024.106165
Reference
For those new to the club, the idea is that every two weeks, we pick an article in Veterinary Practice and invite the author to join us on VetNurse.co.uk, so that you can ask questions and discuss the subject with one another.
As a bonus, you can claim time spent reading or participating in the discussion towards your annual CPD requirement.
Just press the claim CPD button at the top right of the discussion thread.
For this first discussion of 2023, author Shelly Jefferies RVN, NCertPT, a clinical coach with over twenty years experience as a veterinary nurse (and founder of the Facebook group SVN2RVN) will be joining us this week to answer questions about 'Becoming a Cat-friendly Clinic'.
To take part, first read her article here: https://www.veterinary-practice.com/article/becoming-a-cat-friendly-clinic
Then come and join the VetNurse Clinical Article Club and post your questions here: https://www.vetnurse.co.uk/vetnurse-clinical-article-club/
VetNurse.co.uk Editor, Arlo Guthrie said: "I hope lots of you will come and join the club. It really is a great opportunity to learn from experts in a professional, moderated forum, where you can be confident of a friendly welcome."
The guidance has been in place since March to help practices continue to provide the public with veterinary services whilst safeguarding the health of their teams and clients.
The RCVS Council Covid-19 Taskforce reviewed the situation on 30th July and decided to extend the guidance after taking into account the pandemic’s progress, the latest government guidance, the headline results from a survey of practice experience of remote consulting, and 'other data from a number of veterinary practices'.
The Taskforce says it also considered the need to continue to provide practices with flexibility in the face of possible local or national lockdowns, the need for inclusivity of those practice teams members and clients who may still be shielding, the likelihood of quarantine of members of the team due to travel and/or Test and Trace and the fact that no major safety issues had been identified as part of the RCVS-commissioned survey into the immediate impact of the temporary guidance.
RCVS President Mandisa Greene, who chairs the Taskforce, said: “Whilst lockdown measures have been eased and matters have improved, we are far from being back to business as usual and the threat of returning to more severe lockdown measures, whether locally or nationally, is still very much alive."
The updated flowchart, along with all the College’s coronavirus guidance for the professions, is available at: www.rcvs.org.uk/coronavirus.
The webinars are primarily aimed at veterinary surgeons, but there was a good turnout of nurses at the Cushing's session at the London Vet Show, so this series may also be of interest to RVNs.
The webinars will be presented by Professor Ian Ramsey, Ellen Behrend, Joezy Griffin, Professor Jill Maddison and Imogen Schofield.
They'll focus on the diagnosis, management and treatment of dogs with Cushing’s and will include information about Dechra’s predictor tool to help vets identify and progress suspected Cushingoid cases to a definitive diagnosis.
The webinars will also cover the importance of ongoing monitoring to optimise control of the syndrome and practical tips and tricks to help owners maximise compliance and optimise the quality of life of patients.
The full webinar schedule is as follows:
The advice in the new help section has been designed to highlight the shared responsibilities of animal owners and their vet teams, and to support practices by giving this advice for pet owners in a clear and easy-to-read way.
It explains what pet owners can expect from their vet team - and what is expected of them - throughout the different stages of pet ownership.
The information is split into ten sections:
The content in the new resource was informed by the views of the RCVS’s Public Advisory Group (PAG), whose members comprise owners/keepers of companion animals, equine and production animals, as well as other users of veterinary services.
Veterinary surgeon and Chair of the RCVS PAG, Louise Allum MRCVS (pictured), said: "The PAG has performed an essential role in helping to inform the content creation for our animal owner help and advice resource, highlighting the need for greater transparency and support, particularly around veterinary fees, treatment options, and what to expect from vet practices.
"Veterinary professionals work tirelessly to provide the most appropriate care for their patients, and we want to support this by ensuring pet owners have access to clear, accessible information about their rights, responsibilities, and the role of veterinary teams to ensure that expectations are managed.
“We are calling upon veterinary professionals to share this resource with clients far and wide, to help owners understand more about veterinary practice and how they can build a successful partnership with their vet team, ultimately leading to better outcomes for pets, their owners and veterinary professionals alike."
The RCVS will be expanding its help and advice section to include further information for equine and livestock owners in due course.
www.rcvs.org.uk/owner-advice.
As well as raising awareness of suicide and mental health, Maria Mylne, Mary Hall, Callum McRoberts and Kirsty's partner Chris Burn are raising money for two charities: Vetlife and The Canmore Trust.
The Canmore Trust was set up by the parents of another vet who took his own life, and works with individuals, communities, practices, workplaces, schools, colleges and universities that have been affected by suicide, as well as trying to prevent suicide.
The four vets will set off from Land’s End on September 23rd and will arrive in John O’Groats on October 18th.
On the way, they will be stopping off at Bristol, Harper Adams and Keele, Liverpool, University of Central Lancashire, Edinburgh and Glasgow vet schools to speak to students about suicide prevention.
Kirsty was a trusted and respected colleague and vet, and her death had a devastating impact on her partner and colleagues who are fundraising in her memory.
Maria said: “We want to share a message of hope that suicide is not inevitable, and just because somebody has experienced suicidal thoughts, does not mean they will feel this way forever.
"Together we can break the cycle of suicide and keep building suicide safer communities in practice.”
Chris said: “Kirsty was my rock. If you wanted something organised or something fixed, Kirsty was your woman.
"We don't want anybody else to go through the pain we have.
"We want everybody to know that no matter what your mind may tell you, the world is better with you here, in this world.”
www.justgiving.com/team/lejogawareness
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61559943272380
https://www.instagram.com/lejog_awareness2024
https://thecanmoretrust.co.uk
https://www.instagram.com/the_canmore_trust
lejogawareness@gmail.com
https://www.vetlife.org.uk
Mr Bowles faced four charges, but did not respond to the College's notification about the hearing, so the Committee decided to proceed in his absence.
The first charge was that in 2020, while attending a farm in Lincolnshire in his capacity as an Official Veterinarian (OV), Mr Bowles carried out Intradermal Comparative Tuberculin (ICT) tests on a herd of cattle but failed to measure the skin thickness of all the cattle using callipers and failed to take and record measurements for the cattle.
The Committee was provided with evidence that Mr Bowles had, in earlier correspondence with the College, admitted that he had failed to follow Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) standard operating procedures for ICT testing at the farm and so the charge was found proven.
The second charge was that he then certified the results of the inaccurate ICT test he'd performed earlier.
The Committee found this charge proven on the basis that, without using callipers to measure skin thickness, he was not entitled to certify the test.
The third charge was that his conduct in relation to the first two charges was dishonest, misleading and risked undermining government testing procedures designed to promote public health and animal welfare.
The Committee found all elements of the charges proven.
The final charge was that Mr Bowles's conduct took place despite warnings, advice and re-training being given by the APHA.
These included: a letter sent to Mr Bowles’s by APHA in 2014 about the suspension of his OV status after he failed to comply with APHA rules; a letter sent by the APHA to Mr Bowles’s employer in October 2016 regarding issues of non-compliance it had found during a September 2016 audit; and the suspension of Mr Bowles’s OV duties by his employer, pending further training, following issues of non-compliance.
Given Mr Bowles’s history of non-compliance with APHA standard operating procedures and standards, the Committee found the charge proven.
The Committee found that charges 1 to 3 amounted to serious professional misconduct but that charge 4, while making the conduct in the other charges more serious, did not in and of itself constitute serious professional misconduct.
In determining the most appropriate sanction for Mr Bowles, the Committee found that he had paid ‘scant regard’ to the testing procedures set out by APHA and breached the RCVS certification requirements set out in the Code of Professional Conduct for Veterinary Surgeons in ‘numerous and serious’ ways.
Hilary Lloyd, chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: “The Committee’s view is that the respondent’s conduct in refusing to follow the OV Instructions when testing cattle in May 2020 constituted conduct of an egregious kind.
"In addition, there are several aggravating elements which can be applied to his misconduct, including a risk to animal or human health; his lack of probity and integrity in certifying test results which he knew were non-compliant and unreliable; recklessness in reaching a conscious decision to ignore the OV Instructions; his failure to comply with the requirements of the position of trust and responsibility which attached to his APHA authorisation; and against a backdrop of sustained pattern of behaviour that displayed blatant disregard of the system that regulated TB testing by OVs.
"It follows that the respondent manifested no insight into the seriousness of his misconduct when acting as an OV.”
The Committee considered whether there were any mitigating factors regarding Mr Bowles’ conduct.
It took into account that Mr Bowles had not secured any financial advantage, that there was no actual harm to animals, and that he had a long career as a veterinary surgeon, although with a history of non-compliance.
It noted that there had been some late admissions of misconduct by Mr Bowles when he tendered an apology, but found this mitigation was undermined by the fact his explanations lacked consistency and that he had also initially asserted that he had used callipers during the testing.
Due to the seriousness of the non-compliance, the dishonesty and the potential risk to public health, the Committee considered that removing Mr Bowles from the Register was the only proportionate and appropriate response to the scale of misconduct.
Hilary added: “Given the amount of advice received and re-training which the respondent was required to undertake, he has already had ample opportunity to remediate his practice but has not done so.
"The Committee is therefore concerned that there is a very real risk of further repetition of this conduct in the future were he to be permitted to remain on the Register.
“The Committee’s concern in this regard stems from the fact that the dishonesty of which the respondent has been found guilty, was not dishonesty committed on the spur of the moment.
"The respondent had ample opportunities for reflection before resolving to act as he did.
"This places his acts of dishonesty in the most serious category.
“The public is entitled to expect that it can have confidence in the certifications of a veterinary surgeon who is carrying out a public duty on behalf of that public body.
"Indeed, that is the whole purpose behind the requirement that OVs undertake additional and specialised training before being permitted to undertake OV duties.”
www.rcvs.org.uk/disciplinary
Dr Briggs faced four charges and admitted to her conduct in the first three at the outset.
They related to three official Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) clinical investigation report forms she submitted following three official avian flu surveillance visits she'd undertaken as an Official Veterinarian (OV).
The three surveillance visits all took place during an outbreak of avian influenza in North Yorkshire and were on behalf of the APHA.
Dr Briggs admitted that she'd certified on each of the three forms that she had inspected specific poultry, that she had seen no clinical signs of avian influenza in the poultry and that in her opinion avian influenza did not exist and had not existed in the previous 56 days.
Dr Briggs also admitted that that she had subsequently submitted the three forms to the APHA.
The fourth charge alleged Dr Briggs conduct in certifying the three forms had been dishonest and that her actions risked undermining procedures, regulations and rules designed to protect animal welfare and public health.
Dr Briggs denied that she had been dishonest in any of her actions but admitted that her conduct had risked undermining procedures designed to protect animal welfare and public health.
Dr Briggs explained that in two cases she had relied on information given to her by the keepers of the poultry and in the remaining case it was possible that she had not visited the correct location of the poultry, had posted a letter through the wrong door and had then accidentally submitted a pre-populated inspection form to APHA.
Having heard evidence from the relevant poultry keepers, fellow Official Veterinarians, officials from the APHA and Dr Briggs herself, the Committee gave its determinations on dishonesty.
In relation to the first two charges, which concerned the visits that did take place, the Committee found Dr Briggs had been dishonest both in submitting the inspection forms to the APHA and also in certifying that she had seen no clinical signs or history of avian influenza in both cases.
The Committee concluded that an ordinary decent person would regard the submission of a signed form which contained false information as dishonest.
It also concluded that Dr Briggs had deliberately signed an official form which contained information which she knew to be untrue.
However, the Committee found that Dr Briggs was not dishonest in asserting on these forms that she was of the opinion that disease did not exist based upon the information provided to her by the poultry keepers.
In relation to the third charge, where Dr Briggs did not visit the property concerned, the Committee did not find it proven that she had been dishonest, having heard her evidence that, in this case, she had accidentally submitted a pre-populated inspection form.
The Committee next considered whether the admitted and proven charges amounted to serious professional misconduct.
Paul Morris, chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf said: “In considering the seriousness of the misconduct, the Committee took into account the fact that the misconduct had involved dishonesty, that there had been a risk of injury to animals and humans (though this risk had not materialised), and that the misconduct had occurred when the respondent, as an Official Veterinarian, occupied a position of increased trust and responsibility.”
He added: “The Committee considered that honest, accurate and careful veterinary certification was a fundamental component of the responsibilities of a veterinary surgeon.
"The matters which the Committee had found to be proved fell far short of the standards expected of a registered veterinary surgeon and amounted, in the Committee’s judgment, to disgraceful conduct in a professional respect.”
In considering the sanction for Dr Briggs the Committee heard positive character testimonials from former employers and clients, as well as a representative from the APHA who said that Dr Briggs had shown contrition for the breaches while recognising that there was unlikely to be a repetition of the conduct and that Dr Briggs was a relatively new and inexperienced vet at the time of her actions.
Mr Morris said: “In the Committee’s judgement the circumstances of the incident were a mitigating factor in the sense that the respondent was working in a pressurised environment, and in a field of practice which was unfamiliar to her.
"The Committee had heard a considerable amount of evidence from various witnesses that the surveillance system created, to monitor the prevalence of avian influenza was one which placed considerable pressure on OVs and, perhaps inevitably, had some shortcomings.
"The respondent had not worked with poultry before so her inexperience in this area fed into this situation.
“The Committee took into account the fact that no actual harm had occurred and there was no financial gain to the respondent.
"The matters with which the Committee was concerned formed a highly unusual, and short-lived, episode in the respondent’s career.”
The Committee also considered that Dr Briggs had made open and frank admissions regarding most of the charges against her and had also shown genuine contrition over her failings.
In light of this, the Committee considered that a reprimand and warning as to future conduct was the most appropriate sanction.
Mr Morris added: “False certification can never be acceptable.
"Veterinary surgeons should never certify any matter which they know, or ought to know, not to be true.
"However, the Committee considered that this case was at the lower end of the spectrum of gravity of false certification cases, that there is no future risk to animals and that the respondent has demonstrated insight.
"In relation to the public interest, the Committee considered that a reasonable and fully informed member of the public would recognise that, in all the circumstances of this particular case, a reprimand and warning as to future conduct would be sufficient to satisfy the public interest.”
There are 5 candidates standing this year and vet nurses can vote for up to two of them until 5pm on Friday 21st April 2023:
The candidates' profiles are available at www.rcvs.org.uk/vnvote23, where you can also read the candidates’ answers to two questions of their choice submitted by the profession.
The two candidates with the most votes will join VN Council for their three-year terms at the College’s AGM in July.
Any veterinary nurses who have not received their voting email should contact CES directly on support@cesvotes.com.
The increase, which was approved by the Privy Council on Thursday 2 March, will mean that the standard annual renewal fee for veterinary nurses (which must be paid on or before 1 November 2023) will increase by £3 to £77.
The full list of RCVS fees can be found at www.rcvs.org.uk/how-we-work/fees
Lizzie Lockett, RCVS CEO, said: “We are proud that all throughout the pandemic period, when we know that many were struggling, we managed to keep our fees at the same level in the 2020/21, 2021/22, and 2022/23 fee years.
“The increase that we proposed to the Privy Council is very modest, particularly in comparison to the overall levels of inflation that the British economy has experienced over the past year, which has had an impact on our costs.
“While we appreciate that any rise in fee levels will not be welcomed by everyone, we can assure all members of the professions that we are continuing to use our income prudently and with oversight from our Audit & Risk and Finance & Resources Committees.”
As the increase has been confirmed by the Privy Council, annual renewal fee notifications will be sent to all veterinary surgeons in early March.
TVM says DogStem, which is currently the only UK/EU-licensed stem cell treatment for this condition, is clinically proven to reduce pain and lameness while improving mobility and quality of life for dogs over one year.
The training materials include downloadable teaching guides and two videos fronted by Dr Russell Chandler BVSc CertSAO MSc(OrthoEng) MRCVS, an Advanced Practitioner in Small Animal Orthopaedics (pictured).
The videos are designed to help GP vets become more confident about performing intra-articular injections in the hip and elbow, sharing principles and techniques which are also useful for performing arthrocentesis.
Specifically, the videos show the precise procedures, in both elbow and hip, for accessing joint spaces, confirming accurate placement by the appearance of synovial fluid and injecting DogStem.
The training guides offer supporting diagrams and explanations of the approaches to each joint.
Russell, who works at Alphavet Referrals in Newport, Gwent said: “We are proud to have been involved in the production of these training videos, which will support veterinary clinicians everywhere in providing pioneering stem cell treatment to improve the quality of life of dogs suffering from osteoarthritis.
“We have been using mesenchymal stem cell therapy for dogs with osteoarthritis, as part of a multimodal approach, for many years.
"The availability of an off-the-shelf stem cell product, namely DogStem, for the first time promises to greatly widen the applicability of stem cell therapy to these kinds of patients in veterinary practices.
“The early responses to treatment that we have seen with DogStem have been very encouraging.
"I look forward to following up these cases as they progress through their osteoarthritis journey.
"DogStem is simple to administer, once you have the skills to inject joints, and the support from the UK suppliers, TVM, has been excellent."
https://dogstem.co.uk/resources
Susan Little, pictured left, talks about ‘Low Stress Management of the Diabetic Cat’, Professor Ian Ramsey gives his: ‘Top Ten Tips on Diabetes on a Budget’, and Grant Petrie presents: ‘Patients in Lockdown’: principles to manage diabetes remotely.
John Helps, Senior Veterinary Advisor at MSD Animal Health said: “Pet diabetes continues to be of increasing importance in the UK. Research has shown that up to 20% of diabetic pets die, or are euthanised, within a year of diagnosis1. No-one wants to these figures rise further because of the recent challenges so the topics covered are all particularly relevant to veterinary practice teams at this time.”
To watch the presentation, use this memorable link: https://onlinexperiences.com/Launch/QReg/ShowUUID=ADB18692-C804-40FD-B8C3-5D97C7DBC333&LangLocaleID=1033.
Further information for veterinary professionals from: https://www.msd-animal-health-hub.co.uk/ahp/caninsulin/tools.
For pet owners, the Caninsulin website offers more information about diabetes: www.caninsulin.co.uk.
It has also been ranked 'Excellent' by employers as an apprentice provider on the government apprentice service.
According to the latest VetSkill data, the centre has also exceeded national average first time pass rates in almost all veterinary nursing modules.
Compiled every year, VetSkill audits externally verify first time pass rates for student nurse college modules in England.
In VetSkills’ latest results for the year 2021/2022, it found that Chester Veterinary Training Centre had exceeded the national average first time pass rates in 7 out of 8 of the MCQ exams modules.
In four of the modules, CVTC was found to have a 100% first time pass rate.
On average half of the student veterinary nurses at CVTC also achieved distinction for their module.
Jackie Evans, Head of Chester Veterinary Training Centre, said: “We set out to offer the best training, led by experienced tutors and with some of the best facilities. And we’ve worked really hard to deliver it, since being accepted onto the Register of Training Providers in 2019. So it is fantastic that we have received our good grading by OFSTED and our students are achieving these brilliant pass rates as a result.”
Applications are now open for a new cohort of student veterinary nurses and patient care assistants at Chester Veterinary Nursing College to start in March 2023.
To apply for a place, visit Chester Veterinary Training Centre: https://www.chestervtc.co.uk.
The Scottish Fold is bred for a cartilage abnormality which gives them their distinctive folded ears.
However, that same cartilage abnormality affects their joints, meaning that they go on to develop painful arthritis, even from a young age.
The charities say the impact of using this breed in a Hollywood film cannot be overstated and is likely to significantly increase their popularity with potential cat owners.
Nathalie Dowgray, Head of ISFM, said: “International Cat Care (iCatCare) and its veterinary division, the International Society of Feline Medicine (ISFM), believe that it is simply unethical to continue to breed cats with a genetic mutation that is known to cause significant painful disease – the rationale for breeding these cats was purely for traits considered attractive to humans, as some people believe the folded ears look appealing.
"This is an unnatural appearance for a cat, and the underlying genetic defect has far-reaching and severe consequences for the health of the cat.
"Health should always be more important than looks.”
The trailer for the film also shows a cat travelling in a backpack and subjected to rough handling, including being picked up by the scruff and thrown from a building.
ISFM says that although these scenes have been created using digital animation, the organisations share concerns that suggesting these interactions with cats are acceptable or entertaining may have a negative impact on the welfare of cats.
Sarah Ellis, Head of Cat Mental Wellbeing and Behaviour at International Cat Care, said: “Scruffing a cat is an unacceptable form of restraint that can cause a cat considerable discomfort, fear and even pain, as the weight of its body is completely unsupported, and the cat cannot escape the pressure from its skin being grasped.
"Backpacks are not a cat friendly way to transport a cat; they can leave a cat cramped, without enough ventilation, struggling to control body temperature, and uncomfortable due to the unpredictable movement from being worn on a person’s back.
"Backpacks are simply not cat friendly - they do not respect the cat as a species and run the risk of psychological and physical suffering to the cat.”
The organisations have contacted Universal Pictures, asking them to adopt Cat Friendly Principles in future, and not to promote cat breeds with extreme features in future.
The Equine Veterinary Journal has published a special early view article reviewing the science behind enhanced equine influenza vaccination schedules, in particular the replacement of annual boosters with a mandatory bi-annual vaccination programme.The article argues that as the equine influenza (EI) vaccine supply returns to normal, there is sound scientific evidence why bi-annual vaccination schedules should be re-implemented promptly.
Whilst the scale and number of outbreaks has been relatively small since the introduction of mandatory EI vaccination by most competitive equestrian disciplines in the 1980s, disease events such as those experienced in the UK in 1989, 2003 and most recently in 2019 have demonstrated EI’s epidemic potential, even in vaccinated horse populations.
In their article 'Equine influenza bi-annual boosters: what does the evidence tell us?' Victoria Colgate and Richard Newton discuss what has been learnt from previous outbreaks and explain the evidence from mathematical models to show why bi-annual boosters are beneficial.
The authors say that epidemiological data from previous natural EI outbreaks have repeatedly demonstrated the impermanent nature of the protection provided by vaccination and observational field studies have repeatedly highlighted the potential for 12-monthly boosters to leave a vulnerable immunity gap at both the individual animal and population level.
Mathematical models of EI transmission confirm that six-monthly rather than annual EI booster vaccinations are preferable to establish and maintain effective population level immunity to EI.
Ideally vaccine strains should be updated in a timely manner to ensure inclusion of the most epidemiologically-relevant strains, however, this is a slow and expensive process for equine vaccine manufacturers.
In the absence of updated vaccine strains, bi-annual vaccination is strongly recommended to help compensate for antigenic drift between vaccine and circulating EI viral strains
Professor Celia Marr, Editor of the EVJ said: “Although the recent EI vaccine shortage has necessitated a temporary relaxation of competition vaccine schedules, we must now renew the message that six-monthly boosters are optimal and necessary.”
The Editorial can be found at https://beva.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/evj.13898 and is free to view.
Two related articles can be found here: https://beva.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/evj.13874 and here: https://beva.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/evj.13885
They include the launch of the RCVS Academy, reforms to the RCVS concerns investigation process, the publication of the Workforce Action Plan and guidance for universities on supporting Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic veterinary students, ongoing work on new under care guidance, the development of new sustainability standards for the Practice Standards Scheme, and the purchase of the future headquarters for the RCVS.
The report also contains an update from the College’s charity partner RCVS Knowledge, details of RCVS financial management policies, and an independent auditor’s report on the College.
The Annual Report and Financial Statements will be formally adopted by RCVS Council at its Annual General Meeting on Friday 7th July at One Great George Street.
Veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses are able to submit questions about the Annual Report.
The College says that subject to time, submitted questions will be answered by the College on the day, or followed up in writing after the event.
Questions should be emailed to Deborah Rowlanes, RCVS Events Manager, on d.rowlanes@rcvs.org.uk no later than 5pm on Tuesday 4th July.
If you want to attend, register at: www.rcvs.org.uk/events.
The scheme uses a traffic light colour system of vaccination reminder stickers which veterinary surgeons can place on the front of passports at each vaccination appointment. If the 6-month pilot is a success, the initiative will be rolled out across the UK in the summer.
BEVA says that despite the best efforts of numerous equine welfare charities to address the obesity issue, a significant proportion of owners are either not recognising obesity in their horses, or not being motivated to take action.
For this reason, the Association decided to try and confront the problem in a different way, using knowledge gained from the Behavioural Insights Team (BIT) – a government think tank specialising in behavioural economics and psychology.
Lucy Grieve, President Elect of BEVA and part of the Association’s obesity campaign working group, said: "Determined to look at new ways to positively engage with horse owners, we harnessed the BIT’s experience of what methods work most effectively and came up with a simple, practical scheme revolving around vaccination visits, which could be affected by vets themselves."
The idea is to use the routine annual or six-monthly vaccination visit as a time to assess a horse’s body condition. After the vaccination is given and the body condition assessed, a colour-coded vaccination reminder is stuck to the front of the passport, both to remind the owner when the next vaccination is due and to start a conversation about body condition.
A green sticker indicates a ‘healthy’ body condition. Amber means the horse is carrying too much fat tissue and needs moderate changes to diet, exercise, management, rugging and clipping regimes. Red implies that the horse is carrying excessive amounts of fat tissue which are placing the horse in morbid danger.
Amber or red stickers provide the opportunity to talk about the potential impact on the horse’s health and what needs to be done.
If there isn't enough time to talk about it during the appointment, the sticker includes a colour-specific QR code which the owner can use to access additional information via their smartphone in their own time.
One of three short, colour-specific videos will explain the reason their horse has been designated the colour of sticker on their passport, leading to a link to more specific advice on what the owner needs to do next. Having swotted up on the background information beforehand, the owner can then discuss the various management options with their vet at a convenient time.
Lucy said: "The first challenge is helping owners recognise when their horse is overweight. Once this has been established then we can make a plan to correct the problem as a team.
"The owner needs to be on board and committed in order to carry out the tough task of reducing the weight of their horse. We hope that owners will be ‘nudged’ by the sticker intervention to consider the information they have been offered and start to tackle the problem before it causes life-threatening disease."
Nine equine veterinary practices were invited to participate in the pilot scheme, including Loch Leven Equine Practice in Kinross. Managing director Liz Somerville said: "We have been focusing on equine obesity for the last couple of years including running a #FitnotFat campaign last year to try to highlight the growing obesity problem in our horses. Unfortunately, it sometimes feels that we are banging our heads against a brick wall so when BEVA came up with a new approach to try and get the message through to our owners it was too good an opportunity to miss."
BEVA says that at the end of the pilot, it will assess how well the project has worked for the vets involved, what proportion of owners used the QR codes, visited the advice pages and sought guidance from their vets.
For more information, visit: https://www.beva.org.uk/Resources-For-Vets-Practices/Clinical-Practice-Guidance/Obesity-in-horses
Led by the RVC’s VetCompass Programme, the study included 1,000 CCL rupture cases and a random selection of 500,000 other dogs without CCL injury.
The research found that the breeds at most risk of CCL rupture, compared with crossbreeds, were Rottweiler (x 3.66 times risk), Bichon Frise (x 2.09), West Highland White Terrier (x 1.80) and Golden Retriever (x 1.69).
Conversely, the breeds with the lowest risk were Cockapoo (x 0.26), Chihuahua (x 0.31), Shih-tzu (x 0.41) and German Shepherd Dog (x 0.43).
Additional findings included:
The study also showed that insured dogs and dogs weighing over 20 kg were more likely to receive surgical management, while dogs older than 9 years and those with another major clinical problem at the time of diagnosis with CCL rupture were less likely to receive surgical management.
Camilla Pegram, VetCompass PhD student at the RVC and lead author of the paper, said: “This study has used the power of “big data” to robustly address the risk factors for cruciate ligament rupture diagnosis and management in dogs.
"The factors affecting the decision to surgically or non-surgically treat dogs with cruciate rupture are now clearer, with future work underway to address the clinical outcomes of this decision.”
Dr Dan O’Neill, Associate Professor in Companion Animal Epidemiology at the RVC and co-author of the paper, said: “After centuries of reshaping by mankind, dogs now come in over 800 distinct and recognisable breeds that each has its own unique pattern of health and disease.
"This new study helps owners of breeds such as Rottweiler, Bichon Frise and West Highland White Terrier to understand that sudden lameness in a hindleg could indicate a ruptured cruciate ligament that needs urgent veterinary care.”
To get involved, you can use the downloadable fundraising pack, which includes ideas, tips and tricks to help you fundraise.
In return for taking part, your practice will have its logo published on the BSAVA website, and BSAVA PetSavers will promote any fundraising posts on social media, using the hashtag #TeamPetSavers.
Shelby Tunstall, Fundraising Coordinator for BSAVA PetSavers said: “We are really delighted to be launching this campaign which will help PetSavers fund more research projects for companion animals."
If you want to get involved, you're encouraged to register online here, or contact Shelby Tunstall, Fundraising Coordinator at petsaversadmin@bsava.com.
https://www.bsava.com/petsavers/get-involved/petsaversinpractice.
Of particular note is the guidance that prescriptions should no longer be written in mg/kg, as it may lead to errors when the dose is calculated.
The Standards and Advice update also answers questions about:
https://www.rcvs.org.uk/news-and-views/features/prescribing-pom-vs-joint-guidance-from-the-rcvs-and-vmd/