The eminent equine vet, Dr Sue Dyson FRCVS, has been struck off for a series of dishonest statements and actions, including fabricating a letter from a fictitious Home Office Inspector, in order to have her research project published in an international publication.

The Disciplinary Committee heard that in 2018, when Dr Dyson was employed as Head of Clinical Orthopaedics at the Animal Health Trust (AHT), she completed a research project: ‘Influence of rider: horse body weight ratios on equine welfare and performance – a pilot study’, for which she had previously been given the go-ahead by the AHT’s Clinical Research Ethics Committee. The results of the study were then submitted to the Journal of Veterinary Behaviour: Clinical Applications and Research for publication.

After peer-reviewing the project paper at the request of Journal Editor Karen Overall, Dr Matthew Parker, a Senior Lecturer in Behavioural Pharmacology at the University of Portsmouth, was concerned by the lack of a Home Office licence and asked for details of the licence or an explanation of why the project didn’t need one, and for the paper to be re-submitted.

In reply, Dr Dyson then emailed Ms Overall saying: “We have a former Home Office Inspector on our AHT Ethical Committee and two current licence holders (Named Veterinary Surgeons) who are fully conversant with the current legislation ... I also sought informal advice from a current Inspector. All were fully aware of the protocols to be employed and gave me assurance that in their opinion Home Office approval would not be required”.

Ms Overall then asked Dr Dyson to obtain a letter from the Home Office to support this position.

On 24 December 2018, Dr Dyson sent Ms Overall a letter purportedly from a Home Office Inspector called Dr Butler who, she explained, had advised her during the planning phase of the project. In the letter, the fictitious Dr Butler confirmed that their advice was sought for the project and that in their opinion, a Home Office Licence was not required.

Ms Overall then sent the letter to Dr Parker for further review, who decided to contact Dr Martin Whiting, Head of Operations at the Home Office Animals in Science Regulation Unit (ASRU) to ask if he knew of Dr Butler.

Dr Whiting confirmed that the Home Office had no record of employing a Dr Butler as an Inspector and that they were in the process of making further inquiries into the matter.

After Dr Whiting’s reply was forwarded to Dr Dyson, she replied to him saying that she thought the studies’ procedures did not meet the criteria for the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA), but that this was questioned by peer reviewers.

She said that her decision to send Dr Butler’s letter was one that she would ‘eternally regret’ and that she was ‘an inherently honest person’.

She explained that she was under a huge amount of pressure in her personal and professional life and that she was ‘fully aware that [she] acted completely inappropriately and she requested the incident be overlooked’.

In March 2019, Dr Dyson sent a letter to William Reynolds, Head of the Home Office ASRU, in which she expressed remorse for writing the letter. Mr Reynolds subsequently raised a concern with the RCVS about Dr Dyson’s alleged behaviour. 

Dr Jane Downes, who chaired the Disciplinary Committee, and spoke on its behalf, said: “The Committee heard from Dr Dyson that she had no recollection of several events detailed in the charge, including writing the letter from Dr Butler and sending the email to Ms Overall which contained Dr Butler’s letter. She accepted that the letter was dishonest and that it should not have been sent. However, she also claimed that, as she could not remember writing the letter, she did not act dishonestly.

The Committee heard testimonials from several witnesses who held Dr Dyson in high regard, including colleagues from the AHT, who attested to her integrity.

However, there were many dubious claims made by Dr Dyson throughout the hearing, including that the Home Office Inspector that she referenced as ‘my friendly inspector’ was someone who could have given informed consent to a project as Dr Dyson confirmed that she had met the individual briefly, around two and a half years ago at a drinks reception.

In reaching its decisions, the Committee considered Dr Dyson’s previously impeccable character, the written and verbal testimonies from witnesses. They also considered that during the hearing, Dr Dyson explained that at the time she fabricated the letter, she was under a lot of work and personal pressures, including managing a workload amidst colleagues’ resigning or going on maternity leave and it being the anniversary of her dog having to be humanely destroyed.

However, it did not accept Dr Dyson’s claims that she had amnesia at this time, and considered that she had not owned up to her wrongdoing until it was discovered. Although Dr Dyson maintained her actions were not pre-meditated, the Committee considered that, in the case of the forged letter, a certain amount of planning and careful thought was involved. The Committee believed that Dr Dyson knew what she was doing at the time, but acknowledged she may subsequently have blanked out what she did.

The Committee found all but one of the allegations proved and confirmed that it “was satisfied that the writing and sending of that letter was the culmination of a course of dishonest conduct.”

Committee Chair Dr Downes said: “In assessing [the evidence of] Dr Dyson the Committee took into account the difficulty faced by any Respondent appearing before their Regulator and also the various interruptions occasioned by issues which had to be dealt with during her evidence. Whilst [Dr Dyson is] undoubtedly highly qualified and highly respected, the Committee nevertheless considered her evidence lacked credibility and was not reliable.”

The Committee found that Dr Dyson’s conduct had breached parts of the RCVS Code of Professional Conduct for Veterinary Surgeons and amounted to serious professional misconduct.

Dr Downes continued: “The Committee determined that it was important that a clear message be sent that this sort of behaviour is wholly inappropriate and [was] not to be tolerated. It brings discredit upon Dr Dyson and discredit upon the profession.

"For whatever reason, Dr Dyson chose not to respond to Ms Overall’s email on 30th November 2018 in an honest and straightforward way. Instead, she lied about the makeup of the AHT Ethical Committee in order to cloak her response with authority.

"She also lied about having received advice from a current Inspector for the same reason. In the Committee’s view, she made a conscious decision to provide a dishonest response. She no doubt believed that would be the end of the matter.

"When that did not work, she lied further in the email to her co-author, Andrew Hemmings, claiming to have a letter from her friendly Inspector. When that too did not work, she impersonated a Home Office Inspector in creating the ‘Dr Butler letter’.

"She then added a false declaration to the manuscript, which she subsequently submitted to the Journal along with an email containing yet further lies. That was all done in a blatant and wilful attempt to deceive Ms Overall ... into believing the contents of the correspondence to be true, that confirmation a Home Office Licence was not required had been obtained and all was therefore well with the submitted manuscript.

"There was no rush, or urgency to have the paper published and the actions were not done in a moment of panic. No doubt she had not planned the entire course of events in advance, but instead reacted to each new obstacle that came her way, but her overall course of dishonest conduct spanned over three weeks.

“The Committee was well aware of the impact and ramifications for Dr Dyson of any decision to remove her from the Register but had to weigh her interests with those of the public.

"In doing so it took account of the context and circumstances of the case, all matters of personal mitigation, as detailed above, Dr Dyson’s undoubted distinguished international career and reputation and the need to act proportionally.

"However, for all the reasons given above, the Committee was of the view that the need to uphold proper standards of conduct within the veterinary profession, together with the public interest in maintaining confidence in the profession of veterinary surgeons, meant that a period of suspension would not be sufficient and that the only appropriate and proportionate sanction in all the circumstances of this case was that of removal from the Register."

The RCVS is once again asking veterinary nurses to submit questions to the candidates for this year's VN Council elections, in order to better understand their views on subjects important to the profession.

Each candidate will produce a written reply to two questions of their choice, which will be included on their candidate profile webpage ahead of the start of the election.

The three candidates who are standing in this year’s election for the two available elected places on VN Council are:

• Susan Howarth RVN
• Stuart Bobby Miller RVN
• Kirsty Young RVN

The VN Council candidate biography and statements are available to read on www.rcvs.org.uk/vnvote24

The two candidates with the most votes will join VN Council for their three-year terms at the College’s AGM in July.

The College says it will only accept one question per person and questions must be decent.

Offensive, defamatory and inaccurate questions will not be passed on to candidates.

You can email your question to: vnvote24@rcvs.org.uk. 

Movement Referrals, the independent orthopaedics and neurology service opened by Professor John Innes, Mark Lowrie, Mark Morton and Ben Walton in Preston Brook, Cheshire, last year, has announced plans to open a new site in Staffordshire next year. 

The new clinic will be based in Uttoxeter and have an in-house 1.5T MRI, 32-slice CT, and three purpose-built theatres.

Building work has started and clinic is now recruiting for orthopaedic surgery Specialists, neurology Specialists and experienced veterinary nurses.

Mark Lowrie, RCVS and EBVS European Specialist in Veterinary Neurology (pictured), will lead the new site day-to-day once up and running. 

He said: “Our ethos is simple: we aspire to be the place that vets take their own pets.

"By focusing on responsive communication, exceptional clinical standards, and fair pricing, we aim to build trust with both veterinary professionals and clients.

"And for those who join our team, we are committed to creating a supportive and positive environment where everyone can thrive and grow."

“This is a rare chance to be part of something special from day one, to join and help build the culture and success of a dynamic, independent practice and a brand new state-of-the-art clinic.

"With cutting-edge facilities and a supportive team, we want fresh expertise and energy to help shape the future of veterinary care.”

https://www.movementvets.co.uk/ 

A study by Gnanadesikan et al, supported by the Waltham Petcare Science Institute and published in Psychoneuroendocrinology has found higher levels of the so-called 'love hormone', oxytocin, in children after they interacted with dogs.

In the study: "Effects of human-animal interaction on salivary and urinary oxytocin in children and dogs¹", oxytocin levels were recorded in 55 children and their pet dogs.

Oxytocin is associated with positive emotions, the reduction of stress and the formation of social bonds.

Oxytocin levels were tracked in both the children’s and dogs’ urine and saliva before and after they interacted.

Researchers say this is one of the first studies to examine the benefits of human animal interactions for both humans and dogs. 

For the study, the children's oxytocin levels were measured when they interacted with their own pet dog, with an unfamiliar dog (a trained therapy dog), and when they engaged in solitary play.

The study found that:

• Interaction with dogs led to higher oxytocin levels in children compared to solitary play.
• Both familiar and unfamiliar dog interactions had this effect.
• Interactions with familiar children may similarly stimulate oxytocin release in dogs.
• Dogs’ cortisol concentrations also decreased markedly from before to after these interactions.

The researchers concluded that the results support the hypothesis that oxytocin pathways may shape and respond to social interactions between children and dogs, highlighting an important role for companion animals in child development.

https://www.waltham.com/oxytocin-children-and-dogs 

Reference

1. Gitanjali E. Gnanadesikan, Katherine M. King, Elizabeth Carranza, Abigail C. Flyer, Gianna Ossello, Paige G. Smith, Netzin G. Steklis, H. Dieter Steklis, C. Sue Carter, Jessica J. Connelly, Melissa Barnett, Nancy Gee, Stacey R. Tecot, Evan L. MacLean. Effects of human-animal interaction on salivary and urinary oxytocin in children and dogs, Psychoneuroendocrinology, Volume 169, 2024, 107147, ISSN 0306-4530, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2024.107147.

Simon Lyddon MRCVS, who runs Vine Tree Vets, an IVC practice in Ross-on-Wye, has completed a marathon voyage as one of a team rowing from the Canary Isles to Antigua..

The 12-strong crew, aged between 18 and 60, left Marina San Miguel, Tenerife on 22nd March and rowed 2,875 nautical miles across the Atlantic Ocean, arriving in Falmouth Harbour, Antigua 42 days, 2 hours and 30 minutes later. 

Each of the crew of the 12-metre boat, Roxy, rowed more than 1.5million strokes and burned over 5000 calories a day. 

During the journey, the team had to battle with ocean storms and seasickness, not to mention extreme blisters and callouses. Simon lost almost 10kg.

Simon, who was a rowing novice before this, raised almost £15,000 for MacMillan Cancer Support. He said: "It’s without a doubt the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I can’t put into words how I’m feeling right now. The sense of achievement is a little overwhelming.

"The journey was everything I wanted it to be - tough both physically and mentally but hugely rewarding and one thing is for sure, I wouldn’t be standing here at the finish line if it hadn’t been for each and every one of the incredible crew. What a gorgeous group of people who will remain lifelong friends. After catching up with my family, the thing I was most looking forward to was a good meal!”.

The crew were welcomed to Antigua by a flotilla of smaller boats with many of the crew’s families onboard, before a reception at the Antigua Yacht Club.

WellVet and Boehringer Ingelheim have partnered to host ‘Spring into Spring', a series of online wellbeing events for veterinary professionals

The series will start on Sunday February 27th when Katie Ford MRCVS, who is also a life coach, will discuss the benefits of 'gratitude practice' in a 'Facebook Live' session starting at 8:00pm.

Thereafter, there will be a further seven 30-minute sessions: 

• 8pm on Thursday 4^th March – Spring flower paper craft – Hannah Perrin (this event will be on Zoom via registration only)
• 8pm on Thursday 11^th March – Leading your team through troubled waters – Christina Youell
• 8pm on Thursday 18^th March – Is perfectionism ideal? – Dr Elinor O’Connor
• 8pm on Thursday 25^th March – Forest bathing. Say what? – Adrian Nelson-Pratt
• 8pm on Thursday 1^st April – Rewiring your brain for pandemic survival – Libby Kemkaran
• 8pm on Thursday 8^th April – Sleep cycles – vicious or virtuous – Dr Claire Gillvray
• 8pm on Thursday 15^th April - Mindset minefield – Paul Horwood

Liz Barton, co-founder of WellVet, said: "We were blown away by the positive response to the Winter Wellbeing series and want to continue to build more tools and content to help people through what has already been a tough start to 2021. Our emphasis is on simple, practical, accessible tips to improve personal and team wellbeing.”

Emma McAnally, territory manager at Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health said: “Spring is the ideal time to hit refresh on your mental and physical wellbeing. So we felt that this series will help to shed the winter blues, re-energise the team and offer an opportunity for the veterinary community to come together and take forward positive wellbeing practices. We’re delighted to support WellVet again in bringing this Spring series to life.”

For further information on the WellVet Winter Wellbeing series and for details on how to join visit www.wellvet.co.uk.

The Competition and Markets Authority has confirmed that it will now launch a full market investigation into the veterinary sector, following its initial review in September 2023.

The CMA says its main concerns remain the same as it outlined in March, namely whether consumers are getting enough information to make informed decisions, whether corporatisation is stifling competition in certain areas, whether corporate groups have incentives to act in ways that reduce choice, whether pet owners might be overpaying for medicines and whether the regulatory framework is outdated 

Sarah Cardell, Chief Executive of the CMA, said: "The message from our vets work so far has been loud and clear – many pet owners and professionals have concerns that need further investigation.

"We’ve heard from people who are struggling to pay vet bills, potentially overpaying for medicines and don’t always know the best treatment options available to them.

"We also remain concerned about the potential impact of sector consolidation and the incentives for large, integrated vet groups to act in ways which reduce consumer choice.

"In March we proposed that a formal market investigation was the best route to fully explore these concerns and, if appropriate, take direct action to address them.

"That proposal has been overwhelmingly endorsed through our consultation.

"While we’re aware of acute staff shortages and difficult working conditions for vets, we consider a formal market investigation is essential to ensure good outcomes for the millions of pet owners in the UK as well as professionals working in the sector.

"The independent inquiry group will now take this investigation forward and, in the meantime, we’re publishing some tips to help pet owners better navigate vet services."

Meantime, the CMA has published 3 tips for pet owners, which are to look further than their nearest vet, to question treatment options and to consider buying medication elsewhere.

The RCVS is inviting nominations for its 2025 Honours & Awards, to recognise veterinary surgeons, veterinary nurses and laypeople, both in the UK and overseas, who are doing their utmost for animal health and welfare, the professions and society at large.

The awards fall into two categories, those which you need to be nominated for by other people and those which are also open to self-nomination: 

Requiring nomination by another person:

• The Queen’s Medal – an award for a veterinary surgeon who has achieved a highly distinguished career with sustained and outstanding achievements throughout.
• The Veterinary Nursing Golden Jubilee Award - awarded to a veterinary nurse who has had a sustained and distinguished career, who can demonstrate a leadership role within the profession and who can act as an ambassador for the value of veterinary nurses and their work.
• Honorary Associateship - awarded to laypeople who have made a special contribution to the veterinary sphere and could include, for example, scientists, lecturers, journalists, charity-workers, farriers, farmers and those involved in the commercial field.

Self-nominations allowed:

• The RCVS International Award - awarded to vets, vet nurses or laypeople who have made an outstanding contribution on issues that are in line with the RCVS mission. 
• The RCVS Impact Award - awarded to vets or vet nurses who have recently, or are currently undertaking a project or initiative that has a significant impact on the profession at large, animal health or welfare, or public health.
• The RCVS Inspiration Award - awarded to vets or vet nurses who have demonstrated the ability to inspire and enthuse others consistently throughout their careers.
• The RCVS Compassion Award - awarded to a vet or vet nurse who has demonstrated compassion towards fellow professionals and/or members of the animal-owning public.
• The RCVS Student Community Award – awarded to a vet or vet nursing student who has made a real effort to support their fellow students and the wider veterinary/veterinary nursing school community.

The deadline for the 2025 awards is Friday, 13 December 2024.

https://www.rcvs.org.uk/how-we-work/rcvs-honours-awards 

Dechra will be hosting two CPD sessions at the London Vet Show, the first about why senior cat health checks are worthwhile and the second covering the Nordic approach to antibiotic usage in otitis external.

‘Feline enthusiasts assemble! How to help senior cats retain their superpowers' will be led by Geoff Duncan, veterinary technical advisor at Dechra, alongside panellists Natalie Dowgray, Head of ISFM, Sam Taylor, Head of Veterinary Specialists at ISFM (pictured), Vicky Halls, Head of Unowned Cats at ISFM and Marge Chandler, Clinical Nutritionist at Vets Now Referrals. 

They will discuss the type of behavioural indications that a senior cat may present with, support for a stress-free visit and how practices can get the most out of these visits including the ‘how and why’ of BCS (body condition score), MCS (muscle condition score), the frailty scale and best practice nutritional guidance. 

This hour-long session will be held twice: at 9.10am in Gallery Suite 22 on Thursday 16th November and 1.45pm in Gallery Room 17 on Friday 17th November.

‘Nordic voices on antibiotics in otitis externa; a call for responsibility’ will address the challenges associated with antibiotic usage in the management of otitis externa and discuss the importance of embracing the Nordic model to help significantly cut down on antibiotic usage in the UK. 

It takes place at 10.10am on Friday 17th November in Gallery Room 17.

The CPD sessions are first come, first served.

The company is also offering Happy Hour cocktails on its stand from 4:00pm to 6:00pm on Thursday.

Vita Animal Health has published the results of a survey which found that only 41% of dog owners know that Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are prone to heart disease and only 39% felt they would recognise the signs.

The survey of 1,019 dog owners was conducted by petbuzz in December 2022.

Veterinary cardiology specialist, Dr Rachel James, said: “The CKCS has long been a very popular breed of dog in high demand, due to their loving and placid nature making them perfect family pet. 

"We know that sadly at least 50% of CKCS have evidence of MVD disease by the time they are five, with 98% of dogs affected in their lifetimes.

"However, we can help our clients when selecting this breed to choose a puppy that is less likely to develop MVD at an early age, by utilising the heart testing scheme (Doppler heart testing). 

"Prospective owners should be asking to see test results for the parents, grandparents, and even better great grandparents too, on both maternal and paternal sides.

"In addition breeders need more support and education to encourage the use of the heart testing scheme and how this can enable them to choose the best dogs to breed from. 

"Furthermore we should be encouraging breeders to breed from dogs only when they are at least 3 years of age.”

Vita Animal Health commissioned the survey to raise awareness of the condition and to remind owners to use their vet’s expertise.

Vita’s veterinary nurse, Tara Evans, said: “The CKCS is a very popular breed of dog, perhaps set to be more so now King Charles III is reigning monarch.

"This survey has shown that awareness of mitral valve disease – which is very common in this breed – is not as good as it could be.

"We want to support vets in raising awareness and have useful resources such as our heart disease infographic (www.vitaanimalhealth.com/common-signs-of-heart-disease) that we welcome all vets in using.”

The RCVS has announced the names of this year's candidates for VN Council. 

There are 5 candidates standing for two available places on RCVS VN Council this year. They are:

• Sarah Jane Batt-Williams RVN
• Heather Jane Mathieson Kirkness RVN
• Katherine Ann Mortimer RVN
• Matthew Edwin Rendle RVN
• Simon Peter Williams RVN

The biographies and election statements for each candidate are available at https://www.rcvs.org.uk/who-we-are/vn-council/vn-council-elections/ 

Ahead of the start of the election in mid-March, the RCVS is asking veterinary nurses to email questions for candidates to: vnvote23@rcvs.org.uk in order to better understand them and their views.

You have until Friday 24 February 2023 to submit your question.

The voting period for RCVS VN Council opens on Monday 13th March and closes at 5pm on Friday 21 April 2023.

Vets Now has opened the bookings for the UK’s for its emergency and critical care congress, which will take place online from 3rd to the 6th November 2021.

2021’s event will see over 70 hours of CPD across eight themes, with speakers including Megan Brashear and Helen Wilson, clinical lead for ECC at Langford Vets, University of Bristol.

RCVS President Mandisa Greene will open Congress with reflections from the past year. She'll be followed by the keynote speaker, Marie Holowaychuk, who will be sharing her knowledge and experience around health and wellbeing.

Dan Lewis – ECC specialist at Vets Now, who planned the veterinary Congress programme, said: “In 2020, the world of live events changed, and in November we delivered our first ECC virtual Congress to great success.

"Not only do we feel it is the right decision for everyone to continue our ECC Congress as a virtual event, but the format brings a huge number of opportunities for delegates, exhibitors and speakers, who joined us from all across the world.

"The interactive platform we’re using is cutting edge and it provides so much more than just webinars. Like last year, there will be live content, an interactive exhibition hall and more opportunities than ever for delegates to network and learn from some of the world’s leading veterinary experts discussing emergency and critical care. 

"Our programme again this year has been carefully tailored to provide an inclusive learning experience for vets and vet nurses no matter what stage they’re at in their career, from students through to specialists.

"All being well, we will be back in Leeds for the ECC Congress in November 2022.”
 
Full four-day tickets for delegates will range in price from £60 to £199 and ticket-holders will be able to access all the sessions on-demand for up to a month following the event.

To book your ticket, visit congress.vets-now.com