The company says that although some UK insurers are continuing to offer protection to existing policy holders, Agria is one of the few insurers to offer lifetime veterinary fee cover to new customers.
Insurance will be available to owners who have an exemption certificate.
Vicki Wentworth, Managing Director at Agria Pet Insurance, said: “We know that the last few months have been particularly difficult for owners of American XLBully dogs, and we are pleased to be able to reassure them that we can provide lifetime veterinary fee cover for their dog, so we can support them in prioritising their pet’s welfare”.
The company says that although it can provide cover for veterinary fees, it can't cover third party liability.
Agria is advising owners to contact an organisation such as Dogs Trust which can provide third party cover.
Unlike a normal 2D X-ray system, Adaptix's system fires very low-flux X-rays from many different positions in a sequence.
This allows the system to reconstruct a stack of slices through the patient which can be reviewed like the coronal slices from a CT scan, with only marginally more of a dose than a single 2D X-ray.
Adaptix says this means each side of the jaw can then be seen separately and clearly, in a much easier workflow than taking multiple intraoral 2D X-ray images.
Dr Conrad Dirckx, Director of Product Management at Adaptix said: "The system is both lightweight and simple to install in an existing radiology or treatment room, and it is also very useful for orthopaedic imaging.
"It reduces the workflow time for dental imaging from about 12-20 minutes to less than three.
"On top of that, it offers veterinary surgeons access to advanced 3D imaging for most complex orthopaedic cases without having to buy a CT scanner and sacrifice a treatment room, or refer the patient away."
The system is also being offered with an innovative pay-per-study pricing model, through which Adaptix installs the system with no capital outlay, and charges on a 'per-study' basis which also covers maintenance.
The system is available from Clark Dental Veterinary: www.clarkdentalveterinary.co.uk.
For more information, visit: adaptix.com
The BetterwithPets Prize invites entries from entrepreneurs whose work focuses on the power of the pet human bond and whose efforts are helping to transform society. Purina runs the prize in collaboration with Ashoka, a pioneer in the field of social entrepreneurship.
StreetVet was shortlisted from 150 applicants from Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. Its Accredited Hostel Scheme offers free, accessible veterinary care for pets whose owners are experiencing homelessness and support for hostel managers and staff to adopt and implement positive pet policies.
Jade Statt, co-founder of StreetVet said: “Discovering a competition that celebrates the importance of the human animal bond felt like fate, one the StreetVet team felt compelled to enter. We are so delighted that we did! Going through this process has been really enlightening and we are beyond pleased that our project has reached the final, it is a real privilege."
The finalists will take part in an online pitch on 3rd June 2020, following which, Bernard Meunier, CEO, Nestlé Purina PetCare EMENA will announce the winners.
Mary Sharrock, External Relations Director, Purina, said: "The work StreetVet do is simply amazing and I’m delighted they’ve made the shortlist. Throughout the selection process for the BetterwithPets Prize, we found ourselves inspired by so many of the initiatives which harnessed the pet-human bond in such innovative ways and create positive changes in communities."
Part of the VN Futures project, the lunchtime webinars will be delivered between February and June 2020 via the Webinar Vet, and the College is encouraging all nurses, veterinary surgeons, practice managers and owners to attend, as it says the webinars will benefit the whole practice team.
All three webinars take place at 12.30pm and last one hour. They are as follows:
Tuesday 4 February 2020 – ‘Maximising the potential of the veterinary nurse’ presented by Louise Northway RVN, BVNA Council member and recipient of the RCVS Inspiration Award. The webinar will give an overview of the role of veterinary nurses under Schedule 3 of the Veterinary Surgeons Act, how VNs can develop their role in practice and take on extra responsibilities and how VNs can approach these conversations in practice through the creation of learning and development plans. This webinar will illustrate how fully utilising the nursing team not only hugely boosts the morale of the work force, but also enhances patient care and increases the efficiency of the business.
Tuesday 10 March 2020 – ‘Veterinary nurses’ time is valuable: How and why to charge for it’ presented by Stephanie Writer-Davies MRCVS, Career Progression Working Group member, and Jane Davidson RVN, VN Council member and regular blogger on veterinary nursing issues. This webinar will provide examples and case studies of how veterinary nurses contribute to practice finances, how practice pricing structures can be developed so that the financial value of veterinary nurses’ time and effort can be better highlighted, and how veterinary nurses can demonstrate their value to clients.
Tuesday 23 June 2020 – ‘Lead or Head RVN: What’s in a name?’ presented by Gillian Page RVN, President of the Veterinary Management Group. This webinar will look at the role of the traditional Head RVN and how development of ‘Lead RVNs’ in different areas of practice can help to allow for growth of other talented team members and provide increased and shared responsibility and progression. This webinar will explore how this enhances practice efficiency alongside development of team members, thus increasing job satisfaction and, ultimately, retention.
Racheal Marshall, Chair of RCVS Veterinary Nurses Council and the VN Futures Board, said: "We hope that veterinary nurses will engage with these webinars in order to gain some inspiration about how they can truly show their value to their team, their clients and the wider public.
"The VN Futures research clearly demonstrated that there was a desire from the veterinary nursing profession to find ways in which VNs could gain greater recognition for the work they do and progress in their careers. These webinars, and our talented presenters, will provide many practical examples and case studies on how this can be done, help build confidence and highlight opportunities for further learning and development."
To sign up to the free webinars visit https://www.thewebinarvet.com/sponsors/VN%20Futures.
The Canadian company highlights research which showed that the biggest challenge UK veterinary clinics face is the volume of pets (57%), followed by being overbooked (50%) and unable to take on new patients1.
In addition, earlier research has shown that 37%2 of vets are “actively” thinking about quitting, with 80%3 of the UK profession leaving to get a better work-life balance.
Hence the company offers a service through which UK practices can divert non-urgent calls to Vetster, to relieve some of the pressure.
Vetster says the most common cases treated by its veterinary surgeons are dermatology, gastrointestinal, respiratory, urinary tract, ophthalmology and musculoskeletal issues.
By diverting these cases to UK-licensed vets online, Vetster says it aims to relieve the pressure on clinics so that they can better serve pets in need of surgery, immunisations, bloodwork and other clinical treatments.
Mark Bordo, CEO and coFounder of Vetster said: “We are experiencing a global crisis in pet care exacerbated by the pandemic.
“Veterinarians are facing tremendous pressure to provide services to millions of pet owners.
"Vetster’s virtual care platform connects pet owners with licensed UK veterinarians to provide support when their clinic is closed, to answer a non-urgent question, and to improve the health outcomes of their pet and help ensure owners can care for their animals.”
Veterinary surgeons in search of a better work life balance can also join Vetster to create a virtual care practice that provides teletriage and addresses non-urgent issues.
Mark added: “Veterinarians are able to incorporate a new modality of practice to improve their work-life-balance, serve pet owners outside of a clinic environment, and hopefully practice for longer avoiding burnout and stress associated with this much-needed profession.”
Vetster is not available as a white label service at this time, and VetSurgeon.org understands that when it is clear an online consultation requires hands-on care, the owner is referred to the local practice on the platform, which may or may not be their normal practice.
Vets interested in offering consultations through Vetster can visit: https://vetster.com/en-gb/for-vets
Veterinary practices that are interested in having Vetster provide OOH support to clients, can visit: https://vetster.com/en-ca/for-vet-clinics
References
The study titled “Diagnosis and treatment of gastro-oesophageal junction abnormalities in dogs with brachycephalic syndrome” included thirty-six client-owned brachycephalic dogs (French bulldogs, pug and English bulldogs) in a prospective, randomised trial.
Antacid treatment (omeprazole (1mg/kg PO q24 hours) and magaldrate (5-10mL/dog PO q8-12 hours)) was randomly prescribed in 18 dogs before and after surgery, while the other 18 dogs did not receive any gastrointestinal medical treatment.
Digestive clinical signs and gastro-oesophageal junction abnormalities (GJA) were assessed and scored at presentation, at the time of surgery and at recheck. GJA were assessed during endoscopy in standard conditions, as well as during endotracheal tube obstruction. All endoscopic procedures were recorded and reviewed by a single, blinded reviewer.
In order to assess whether endotracheal tube obstruction manoeuvre accurately detects GJA, the procedure was also performed during the examination of the gastro-oesophageal junction in a group of 10 control dogs. Control dogs were healthy or had diseases that were not expected to interfere with gastro-oesophageal junction dynamics, and were anaesthetised for independent purposes.
Dr Emilie Vangrinsven, corresponding author for the paper said: "Although results of multivariate analysis failed to demonstrate a direct effect of antacid treatment, a significant interaction between antacid treatment status and improvement of digestive clinical score throughout the endoscopies was present, meaning that treated animals seem to improve faster and have lower clinical scores after surgery than untreated animals. Furthermore, a significant improvement in GJA-obstruction score was present in the treatment group only.
"In contrast to standard endoscopy, the obstruction manoeuvre during endoscopy allowed detection of GJA in dogs, even in the absence of clinical signs. We were concerned that the obstruction manoeuvre may induce false positive results for the diagnosis of dynamic GJA; in the control group, GJA during obstruction manoeuvre were found to be negligible suggesting that this technique does not significantly overestimate the presence of GJA.”
Nicola Di Girolamo, Editor of JSAP said: "Based on this study, antacid treatment administered to brachycephalic dogs undergoing surgery may be beneficial. It should be noted that a direct influence of antacid treatment on digestive clinical and lesion scores could not be significantly demonstrated, which may have been because of the lack of an actual difference, or as a result of the small sample size.”
The full article can be found in the March issue of the Journal of Small Animal Practice and can be read online here: https://www.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jsap.13279
Reference
Photo: Professor Ian Ramsey
Louise is an RCVS and EBVS European Specialist in Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia, and a Past President of the Pain Medicine Section Council at the Royal Society of Medicine. She has also been an invited examiner on the European Diploma examination and a Treasurer of the Association of Veterinary Anaesthetists. She has headed the anaesthesia team at Davies since 2007.
Her tips are:
The new changes are being introduced in the following phases:
The new Environmental Sustainability Award allows practices to demonstrate that they have embedded environmentally sustainable behaviours and are excelling with their sustainability goals.
The Award includes points for reducing waste, consolidating medicines orders and minimising drug wastage, and calculating the practice’s carbon footprint and setting reduction targets.
The changes and additions to the standards at Core Standards and General Practice level cover the sustainability of a wide range of practice areas, including requiring a sustainability policy, communicating sustainability achievements, and minimising anaesthetic gas usage.
As well as improving environmental sustainability, the new and amended standards also include requirements to help make practices more socially sustainable, through measures including increasing diversity and inclusion.
The PSS has produced a list of resources to support veterinary practices with meeting the new environmental sustainability standards and implementing sustainable practices in general.
Mandisa Greene, Chair of the Practice Standards Group, said: “We want to assure PSS-accredited practices that the new standards won’t mean an overhaul of ways of working or result in expensive investment in resources.
"Instead, the standards explain ways that practices can increase their sustainability by putting in place new measures gradually over the next 12 months, in time for them becoming mandatory.
"As with all standards updates, the PSS team are always available to answer any questions that practices have and anyone who is unsure about how to apply them is encouraged to get in touch with the PSS team.”
During the last Standards Committee meeting, there were also several approved clarifications to the standards in the form of guidance notes and minor changes across a range of accreditation levels.
These include updates to the guidance notes for requirements on sterilisation of dental instruments, environmental swabbing of clinical areas, and anaesthetic monitoring.
The new version of the standards that includes all the latest changes, and a separate document listing all the updates, are available to download here: https://www.rcvs.org.uk/setting-standards/practice-standards-scheme/additional-resources
Any questions from practices about the updates can be sent to the PSS team at pss@rcvs.org.uk
The company says it believes it is the first major veterinary business in the UK to make this promise.
As a result of the pledge, salaries for about a third of the pet emergency firm's 1280 employees, including receptionists and animal care assistants, are set to increase to at least £9.50 an hour from April.
Vets Now says it has made the pledge on the recommendation of the Living Wage Foundation, which offers independent advice to employers and says £9.30 is now the real cost of living, not the Government-set national living wage of £8.72 for people aged 25 and over.
Vets Now’s chief executive Mark Ross said: "Our people are our biggest asset and at the heart of everything we do. We want to properly recognise the vital role each and every one of them plays in the business.
"This move demonstrates our commitment to that. We are confident that by paying all of our staff a competitive hourly rate of at least 20p more than the real living wage we will achieve higher morale and lower turnover."
Animal care assistant, Jody Reynolds, who works in Vets Now out-of-hours clinic in Kirkcaldy, said: “It’s amazing that Vets Now has been able to increase salaries to not only meet but exceed the real living wage. The extra will really help towards the cost of everyday living and even allow a few luxuries."
The dispensation was brought in during the spring 2020 lockdown to safeguard animal health and welfare, the health & safety of the veterinary team, and public health, by allowing prescriptions to be made by veterinary surgeons without having first physically examined the animal.
Since it was brought in, the temporary dispensation has been under constant review and, in September, was extended to midnight on Sunday 31st October 2021.
Last week, the Standards Committee met and decided to end the dispensation, although it has put back the end date for the guidance to midnight on Sunday 21 November to allow sufficient time for veterinary practices to change their protocols and policies accordingly.
Melissa Donald, RCVS Junior Vice-President and Chair of the Standards Committee, said: “Due to a number of factors, including evidence that there has been a decline in the amount of remote prescriptions taking place, the Committee took the decision to end the dispensation, albeit with a three-week extension period to allow those practices that are still prescribing remotely to change their policies, inform their clients and so on.
“While the dispensation is ending, it is worth noting that it will still be kept under review in light of any changes in the circumstances around the pandemic, including government advice and regulations.”
The full details about the temporary dispensation can be found at: www.rcvs.org.uk/coronavirus.
Those with any questions about the guidance should contact the RCVS Standards & Advice Team on advice@rcvs.org.uk or 020 7202 0789.
The College says the reforms will make for a clearer and more streamlined process, and offer an alternative, more compassionate way of resolving cases that might otherwise go to a full Disciplinary Committee hearing.
The College will now establish ‘Stage 1 Preliminary Investigation Committees (PICs)’ to replace the current Case Examiner Group stage of the concerns investigation process.
Eleanor Ferguson, RCVS Registrar, said: “Setting up Stage 1 PICs will streamline and clarify the early stages of the concerns investigation process and could also potentially, once sufficiently bedded in, reduce the amount of time taken for a number of cases.
“Currently, Stage 1 of a concerns investigation is carried out by a Case Examiner Group who determine if there is an ‘arguable case’ for serious professional misconduct before referring it on to the Preliminary Investigation Committee.
"However, under these reforms, the Stage 1 PICs will close cases where there is no realistic prospect of finding a case of serious professional misconduct.
"Where cases require formal statements and/or expert opinion they will be referred on to Stage 2 PIC to determine if, based on the additional evidence gathered, a case is serious enough to warrant referral to either the Charter Case Committee [see below], or a full, public Disciplinary Committee hearing.
“In essence this change means that there will be one consistent threshold of seriousness in all our investigations, meaning it is likely that fewer cases will be unnecessarily referred to Stage 2 of the process.”
The second reform involves the implementation of the new ‘Charter Case Protocol’ to provide an alternative way to resolve suitable cases meeting certain criteria which, though they meet the threshold to go to the Disciplinary Committee, it is considered that the public interest can still be served without a full hearing.
The ‘Charter Case Committee’ to which these cases will be referred will be able to issue written warning notices.
Eleanor added: “The establishment of the Charter Case Protocol and Committee is important for the RCVS in being able to get the balance right between upholding professional conduct standards and protecting animal health and welfare and public confidence in the professions, while also being a compassionate regulator.
“The type of cases we envisage being dealt with by the Committee are those where the conduct of the veterinary surgeon or veterinary nurse has fallen far short of what is expected of them under the Code, but where there is no ongoing risk to animal welfare or public confidence, and where the level of insight and contrition about their conduct is such that it can be resolved without the need for an onerous, stressful and expensive Disciplinary Committee hearing.
"We estimate that the Charter Case Committee will deal with around 20 such cases per year.
“Of course, the most serious cases of professional misconduct, for example around dishonesty and criminality, will continue to be referred to Disciplinary Committee hearings.
“It is worth noting that Charter Case Protocol and Committee are working titles, describing the fact that we are implementing this process under the remit of our Royal Charter.
"RCVS Council has agreed that the name should be changed in due course to something that better reflects its function and remit."
Unlike the Disciplinary Committee, the Charter Case Committee will not issue to the press the full details of cases as a news article.
Instead, it will publish a warning notice on the RCVS website summarising the area of concern, the relevant sections of the Code that were breached and supporting guidance it referred to, and the reasons for issuing the warning.
These warning notices will remain on the RCVS website for a maximum of two years and will not change the registration status of the individual.
The College says that the reforms are likely to take some months to implement and it will be looking to recruit additional Preliminary Investigation Committee members in due course.
The company surveyed 1979 pet owners last December and found the main reason they didn’t take their cat to the vet more often was because the animal appeared to be healthy and therefore didn’t need medical attention.
The second biggest barrier to more regular vet visits was cost. Although almost half of the cat owners surveyed had pet insurance, almost a quarter said cost prevented them from taking their cat to the vet more often.
Despite there being 760 cat-friendly clinics across the UK and Ireland, 13% percent of owners said the stress put them off making more frequent trips to the vet.
If they were unable to take their cat to the vet, 40% said they would arrange for a vet home visit, 29% said they would search for information online and 26% would turn to friends and family for advice.
The survey also found that 11% of owners believed that their cat was overweight. However, according to a 2018 study, 39% of cats are overweight in the UK, which would suggest that over a quarter of cat owners surveyed were unaware that their cat was above a healthy weight.
60 vets took part in the survey. 80% believed they had seen an increase in behavioural problems since lockdown. Over 60% reported an increase in the incidence of obesity and diarrhoea. Nearly 50% had seen an increase in urinary tract disorders and haemorrhagic gastroenteritis.
When asked which conditions had been harder to manage clinically since the start of the pandemic, the top seven conditions were:
Medicine specialist, Dr Stefanie Mitze (pictured right) said: “We conducted the survey to help us understand changes in disease incidence and the clinical challenges faced by our colleagues in first opinion practice over the last year.
"The fact that the incidence of disorders which can have a stress-related component, including behavioural problems, diarrhoea and urinary tract disease, were reported to have increased by a high proportion of respondents indicates that many pets may be experiencing heightened stress during the pandemic.”
Stefanie is now creating a series of free bitesize CPD videos to help manage these more challenging cases. She said: “We recognise the past year has been challenging, especially with complex staffing issues, reduced vet visits and restricted face-to-face communication with clients. For complex, chronic medical conditions, especially those which require frequent follow up, we wanted to support colleagues in providing the best care possible in the current circumstances. We hope these CPD sessions will provide practical tips to help deliver just that.
The CPD sessions are available at: https://www.hamiltonspecialists.vet
Sam and Dick will be joint Clinical Directors of the hospital and co-owners of the business alongside the Pets at Home Vet Group, their Shared Venture Partner.
They say the vision is to create a world-class facility with a team of highly motivated veterinary specialists, nurses and support colleagues providing outstanding levels of service to meet the needs of referring veterinary surgeons, their clients and patients.
The purpose-built facility will offer specialist referral services across a range of disciplines, including anaesthesia, diagnostic imaging, internal medicine, orthopaedics, neurology and soft tissue surgery. Emergency referrals will be accepted seven days a week, 24 hours a day.
Sam said: "It is truly exciting to build a new team of experienced specialists who have clinical excellence as their priority. We also relish the chance to develop great relationships with professional colleagues in first opinion practices. This will allow our hospital to deliver an exceptional level of service for referring veterinary surgeons and their patients."
Dick said: “This is a very exciting step and I am delighted to be instrumental in ensuring that our new centre in Scotland offers the very best in veterinary care”.
The hospital will be based at Deer Park in Livingston, with convenient parking and easy access to the M8 and other major road and rail networks. In addition to clinical services, it will provide a CPD programme, including internship and residency opportunities.
The project, which is funded by the RCVS Mind Matters Initiative, is designed to find out about current attitudes, beliefs, and alcohol use behaviours of those working in clinical settings within the UK veterinary sector.
Researchers Dr Jennifer Seddon, Olivia Cormier MRCVS, and Dr Emma Davies, from Oxford Brookes University are inviting people aged 18 and over who are working in the UK veterinary sector, including vets, veterinary nurses, practice managers, veterinary care assistants, receptionists, and those undertaking other in-practice roles, who currently drink or have drunk alcohol in the past three months to take part in an online survey which takes no more than 15 minutes.
Olivia said: “Evidence from research conducted in 2009 showed that veterinary professionals may be more likely to drink at risky levels compared to people in the general population.
"There is a vital need for new research in this area, not only so we can better understand what the current situation looks like, but so that we can learn how best to provide tailored support to this group.”
The survey is anonymous and confidential, and no personal data will be gathered or shared with MMI or the RCVS.
After completing the survey, participants can choose to enter a prize draw to win one of three £100 Amazon vouchers.
https://brookeshls.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0pHn8qy4ZIVTTgy
Photo: www.depositphotos.com
The small animal and business meeting takes place on the 2nd and 3rd October. The farm and business national meeting is on the 18th and 19th September, and the equine and business meeting is on the 9th and 10th October.
The small animal meeting will also cover other topics such as the art of conversations to dentistry, while the farm meeting will focus on team working, competitive advantage, genomics and mental resilience.
All three events include a team-based activity and a social evening which offers the chance to network and exchange experiences and ideas.
Susan Goodfellow, the Chief Marketing Officer at XLVets said: "It's fine to know what we do but to actually experience it as part of our community is quite different. We know that talking to members and being part of a group of individuals that come together to determine their own future is the best way for veterinary professionals to see what's possible and how we strive for excellence together."
XLVets is also encouraging anyone who is thinking about starting their own practice to attend the events; the company has a number of programmes designed to support prospective owners with things like finding funding, identifying the right financial set up, and acquiring the skills needed to lead a team effectively.
Susan says many vets have a strong entrepreneurial mindset but lack support or know-how to allow them to take the first step to ownership: "Locum roles and mobile set ups are often stepping stones to practice ownership but the barriers can seem significant, not to mention any personal reservations people might have about all it entails. Support from like-minded colleagues who can openly share their experiences can help to make it seem possible, desirable and achievable."
Veterinary professionals wishing to attend one of the meetings should contact Colm McGinn, Chief of Implementation, in confidence, at colm.mcginn@xlvets.co.uk or call 01228 711788.
Full membership means veterinary nurses can now stand for nomination as trustees, allowing them to represent the needs of nurses and help guide the future direction of the charity.
It also means that the Vetlife Financial Support service, the part of the charity which for more than a century has offered financial support to veterinary surgeons and their dependants in the UK, will also be able to consider future applications for financial aid from veterinary nurses.
BVNA JVP Charlotte Pace said: “The BVNA is very excited about this development that now recognises the contribution of veterinary nurses.
"We hope that allowing veterinary nurses to stand for nomination as trustees will allow our voices to be heard far and wide.
"Veterinary nurses, just like vets, have pressures and demands in and outside the workplace, that sometimes can benefit from a little outside help, especially from such great charities like Vetlife.”
Photo: Graham Dick, Vetlife President, signs the Notice of Resolution
The article points towards the corporatisation of the profession, with 51% of practices now owned by private equity groups and 67% belonging to a group of three practices or more, as the main driver for an increase in vets' fees of over twice the rate of inflation between 2015 and 2020.
However, what the article focuses on, which is the issue of complex and very expensive treatments for pets, is a multifactorial problem which cannot be entirely blamed on corporatisation.
At its heart lie advances in science which now allow vets to offer ever more complex treatments and diagnostics which, when used in human medicine to prolong a human life might sometimes seem expensive, but when used to prolong the life of a dog, can seem frankly a bit bonkers.
Indeed the article does point towards over-treatment being partly driven by 'celebrity vets advocating increasingly complex surgeries'.
Then there's the fact that both parties to the transaction are often heavily invested in the idea of doing whatever can be done to save the dog: the pet owner, who has anthropomorphised their pet since they first collected it, and the vet, who's entire career has been dedicated to doing their best for the patient in their care.
Then of course there's the inflationary effect of insurance on treatment.
After all, if the animal is insured, why wouldn't you throw the kitchen sink at it?
Things are complicated by the difficulty in estimating the cost of veterinary treatment at the outset, when so much depends on the unknown outcome of diagnostic tests, the progression of disease and the success or failure of treatment. It's not like quoting for a new exhaust system.
There's also the inflationary effect of the increasingly litigious and socially litigious world we live in. It would be no surprise if veterinary surgeons have become more likely to test for everything, when the consequences of missing something is soul-destroying trial by social media.
And finally, there's the subjective value of money.
Nevertheless, the Daily Mail has a point.
Selling any product or service is about meeting clients' and customers' needs.
If you keep increasing the price of your product range until all you can offer is a Rolls Royce, sooner or later you're going to price yourself out of the market.
One other lesson for the profession from that article: 'No comment' is not a good look for a caring profession.
AniDent is a dental care range for cats and dogs - a rinse, a toothpaste and a gel - created with Virbac to help prevent periodontal disease.
Anident joins VetSoothe, a range of dermatology products which includes shampoos, ear cleaners and skin wipes, developed with Vetruus.
Earlier in the year, IVC also launched Joints & Mobility with Omega-3s, an addition to it's VetPro range, developed with one of the company's orthopaedic experts, Jamie McClement.
On the equine side, the company has also launched EquiXcellence, a range of equine nutritional health and wellbeing supplements.
VetNurse asked what longer term plans the company has for its exclusive brand product range.
An IVC Evidensia spokesperson said: "We're developing own brand veterinary products specifically where we think we can see areas we can add value for our practices, pet owners, and patients. In the case of Anident, we saw there was an opportunity to make oral care easier by offering a range of options to suit pet owners' needs.
"In the case of Joints & Mobility with Omega-3s, there is research which has shown that high levels of Omega-3s EPA & DHA can greatly support freedom of movement and pain, which was the key focus when developing the product.
"We plan to continually enhance our own brand portfolio across our UK and Europe practices with some exciting product launches on the horizon."
Photo: Gerhard Putter BVSc MRCVS MANZCVS (Veterinary Dentistry and Oral Surgery) Diplomate of the European Veterinary Dental College uses Anident on a big cat
The company says the beginner level course was created to say thank you to the superheroes in scrubs who work tirelessly to look after our pets every day.
Lintbells spokesperson Jessica Hyatt said: “Our mission is to support all pets to live a happy and healthy life and the veterinary community plays a vital role in both preventative and emergency care. We launched this campaign to show our appreciation and support for everyone in the industry. Looking after other people’s much-loved pets can be incredibly stressful, so we hope our partnership with VetYogi will give veterinary professionals – whatever their role - the opportunity to explore how yoga can help them improve their well-being and help them unwind after a busy day at the practice.
To sign up for the course, you need to join Lintbells new Facebook Group, The Vet Hub: https://www.facebook.com/groups/561348331472815/.
The course starts this evening, with the first of six hour-long Zoom sessions beginning at 8:00pm next Wednesday. To help people get prepared, practice and engage better in the class, the sessions will be accompanied by a blog accessible on the Lintbells Facebook page and website, and a ‘how-to’ guide for that week’s poses will be hosted on VetYogi’s YouTube channel.
Chloe Hannigan MRCVS (pictured right), Founder-VetYogi, said: “I am delighted to be collaborating with Lintbells in offering this fun and accessible online 'Beginner’s Yoga’ course. As a practising vet myself I am all too aware of the daily stresses and challenges a veterinary team faces, and am passionate about the evidence-based ways in which a regular yoga and meditation practice can have meaningful physical, mental, and emotional benefits. I look forward to guiding you and welcome you regardless of whether you are a complete newbie to yoga, or simply wish to further what you already know”.
The strike follows a breakdown in negotiations for better pay and conditions earlier in the year.
Valley Vets, which is owned by VetPartners, offered a 7.27% increase to its lowest paid staff, with smaller increases for higher paid staff.
However, the BVU rejected the offer, describing it as a "derisory real terms pay cut".
A postal ballot was held and 94% of members voted for industrial action, with a 93% turnout.
The BVU says it is open to restarting negotiations in the hope that an improved offer will make the strike unnecessary.
The patient-side test identifies urinary tract infection (UTI) and the best antibiotics to treat the condition, with the results produced in minutes.
Test and Treat says the new test means that vets will no longer have to treat empirically while a urine sample is sent to an external laboratory. Nor will you have to risk delaying treatment until the results are received.
In addition, the company says that the test will help support the responsible use of antibiotics, which is particularly important given that Enterococci strains identified in canine urinary infections have been found to be resistant to three or more antimicrobials1.
U-treat is a two-part test. The first part of the test detects the presence of a urinary infection. The second part of the test looks at antibiotic susceptibility, showing the best choice of antibiotic and identifying those that won't work due to antimicrobial resistance.
Using the principles of bioluminescence, U-Treat removes host cell ATP before lysing bacterial cell walls to release bacterial ATP, which is then detected using a luminometer. The initial detection of infection test takes five minutes and the susceptibility test takes 30 minutes.
Clinical evaluation of the test in cats and dogs was carried out at University of Tennessee in conjunction with Prof. David Bemis of Cornell University. The company says U-Treat demonstrated high levels of sensitivity (97.1%) and specificity (92%), compared to lab tests.
The test is currently validated for use in dogs and cats and is being investigated for use in horses. While the test will launch first in the veterinary world, it also has scope to cross over into human medicine where there is potential to use it in general practice, paediatric and geriatric care.
Ron Turner, CEO and Scientific Director of Test and Treat said: "We've already sent our first orders to the US and have being talking at veterinary conferences about the technology - so we know vets are keen to get access to this new diagnostic test. Fast, reliable and accurate results mean that it's easier to put together a rational treatment plan that they can be very confident will work because they have the evidence."
Test and Treat is based near Newmarket in Suffolk and orders for the test are now being taken from veterinary practices in the UK. Full training will be given and the desk-top equipment (incubator, luminometer and reader) required to run the test can be supplied.
The company, which has attracted government enterprise funding, is also interested in hearing from veterinary surgeons who might be interested in investing in the technology and helping to expand its use.
To place an order, contact James Turner, General Manager on 01638 501974, email: jamest@tandtreat.com or visit http://www.tandtreat.com.
Veterinary Practices are being urged to come forward and enter their PR campaigns for this year's Veterinary Marketing Association (VMA) PR Award for 2013.
The aim of the PR Award is to recognise the value that media and public relations can add to the marketing mix, says award sponsor, Jane Manning of Splash Communications.
Jane said: "PR comes in many forms, including social media, but you don't always need big budgets to deliver the most effective campaigns. Regional press, newsletters and radio or local TV broadcasts are all ways that vets can promote their business or specific initiatives. We know that many practices are highly active across many of these mediums, helping to promote the practice or specific initiatives to a local audience."
She added: "The award is given to the company, organisation or veterinary practice that has delivered the most innovative and effective PR campaign during the previous year, as judged by a panel of industry professionals. This can be a single 'one-off' event or article, or a sustained campaign over a given period".
The winner and two highly commended entries will be announced at the VMA Awards on Friday 14th March 2014, at The London Lancaster Hotel.
Deadline for entries is Friday 31st January 2014. Further information on the awards and ticket application forms are available at the VMA's website: www.vma.org.uk or by calling 0844 561 6157.
To use the service, practices have to register for VetsDeliver via Easy Direct Debit (which handles payments), then configure the system for the number of consultation rooms needed and to add practice branding. The first consultation room costs £69 per month, with discounts for subsequent rooms.
Practices can promote the service to pet owners by sharing a link for appointments via social media, the practice website, or a mail out to clients.
Clients then follow the shared link, complete a form and book a consultation slot.
After the consultation, the practice can email a link to the pet owner so that they can pay for any medication.
Adrian Tantrum (that must have been quite a cross to bear at school), Head of the Companion Animal Business Unit at MSD Animal Health said: "As market leaders, with brands such as Bravecto, Nobivac and Caninsulin, we want to help practices adapt to the new normal.
"We have listened to feedback from practices around what they want from a telemedicine platform and worked with EDD to create a simple and easy to use service. This will allow practices to provide pet owners with the support they need, whether it be their parasiticide prescriptions or providing continuity of care for diabetic patients, and will of course bring much-needed cash flow into their practices.
"We've chosen Zoom for the video capabilities as it is one of the most popular video conference apps with millions of users worldwide, so we know it's familiar to most pet owners."
Adrian added: "As we all adjust to new ways of working we are putting in place a whole series of new services for practices that will help bring them closer to their clients and allow them to continue to provide pet owners with the expertise and support they need. Being able to see a vet 'face-to-face', if not in the flesh, will be reassuring for a lot of pet owners who will be worrying about both new and on-going conditions."
For more information, contact your MSD account manager.
The Disciplinary Committee took the unusual step of granting an application by the respondent for anonymity, after seeing evidence of a real and immediate threat to the individual’s security if their details were made public.
For the purposes of the hearing, the respondent was therefore referred to as 'X'.
The Committee heard that the individual pleaded guilty in court in 2020 to intentionally and knowingly attempting to communicate with a person under 16 years for the purposes of sexual gratification.
Following this they were sentenced to a two-year probation order, were ordered to register on the Sexual Offences Register for five years; and were made subject to a Sexual Offences Prevention Order for five years.
At the outset of the hearing the individual admitted to all the charges against them and the Committee also noted that there was a certified copy of the conviction available.
The Committee then considered whether the conviction amounted to serious professional misconduct. In considering this, it set out the aggravating factors surrounding the case, these being that there was the risk of actual harm to a minor, that the misconduct was premeditated as the respondent had sent a number of messages via a number of online platforms over several days, that the individual displayed predatory behaviour including sending pictures and making comments of a sexual nature, and that it involved what the respondent believed to be a vulnerable individual, namely a 15-year-old child.
In mitigation, the Committee considered that there had been no actual harm caused to a human or animal in light of the fact that the 15-year-old child, who the respondent believed they were communicating with, was not real. It also took into account that the conduct related to a single isolated incident and that the individual had made open and frank admissions at an early stage.
Cerys Jones, chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: “The Committee was satisfied that the sentence imposed on X, which included X being subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order until 2025, resulted in the profession of veterinary nurses being brought into disrepute and, in the Committee’s judgement, public confidence in the profession would be undermined if the Committee did not find that the conviction rendered X unfit to practise as a veterinary nurse.”
In considering the individual’s sanction, the Committee heard from a character witness who said that the respondent’s actions were out of character, that they had a previously long and unblemished career, that they had made full admissions and demonstrated insight, and that they had a low risk of reoffending in the future.
Cerys said: “The Committee accepted that X had been an excellent veterinary nurse and that X’s criminal conduct did not relate to X’s practice as a veterinary nurse. However, in the Committee’s judgement, the aggravating factors outweighed the considerable mitigating factors in this case.”
She added: “The Committee decided that a suspension order was not the appropriate sanction for such a serious offence because it did not reflect the gravity of X’s conduct. In the Committee’s judgement, the wider public interest, that is the maintenance of the reputation of the profession and the College as a regulator, required a sanction of removal from the Register. The Committee considered that X had much mitigation and was clearly a dedicated veterinary nurse but the reputation of the profession was more important than the interests of X.
“Further, the Committee noted that in circumstances where X’s probation order expired in 2022, and where the ancillary orders, a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and a requirement to register on the Sexual Offences Register did not expire until 2025; the only proportionate sanction was to direct the Registrar to remove X’s name from the Register of Veterinary Nurses.”
The full findings for the case can be found at: www.rcvs.org.uk/disciplinary