Hedgehogs: A Practical Guide for Vets aims to help vets assess sick hedgehogs and administer emergency treatment to stabilise them so they can be transferred to a wildlife rescue centre for specialist care.
Hannah, who has examined and treated more than 1,500 hedgehogs since setting up her sanctuary four years ago, said she also wants to create more awareness that hedgehogs seen during the daytime need urgent help.
She said: “As soon as a hedgehog comes out in the day it is usually a cry for help and they should be taken to the vets or a rescue centre as a matter of urgency.
“I wrote the book to help vets who are more familiar with treating small pets like dogs and cats know what to do if a sick hedgehog is brought to them, and to increase their confidence when treating wildlife.
"There are three simple things that every sick hedgehog needs, which are warmth, fluid and pain relief.”
https://www.facebook.com/p/Hannahs-Hedgehog-Rehabilitation-100070882987122
Alison has been an active member of the BSAVA since graduating from the University of Glasgow Veterinary School in 1991.
She works in small animal practice and has completed a residency in feline medicine at Liverpool University’s School of Veterinary Science, as well as a PhD in canine Bordetella bronchiseptica.
She has also spent two years working in industry.
Sheldon will stay on to support the BSAVA as Senior Vice President.
Alison says her priorities for her time in office are to develop more innovative materials across the Association's Education, Congress, and Publications arms, to beef up the digital offering, and to focus on mental heath and wellbeing in the profession.
Alison said: "I’ve been a passionate member of the BSAVA throughout my career and a volunteer for almost as long.
"As a working vet, I know first-hand the value of being part of a professional community: the importance of shared values, educational opportunities, and support shouldn’t be underestimated.
"We must remain focussed on the day-to-day challenges veterinary teams face, respond appropriately and at pace, and continue to explore new and effective ways to support our members.”
One set of guidelines deals with intoxication from pyrethrins commonly found in flea control products or ant powders, whilst the other covers macrocyclic lactone poisoning which most often occurs due to accidental ingestion of large animal anthelmintic products.
Both intoxications are commonly associated with severe neurological symptoms.
Will Peel, Product Manager at TVM UK said: "Our guidelines have proved very useful to veterinary staff and we have received requests from vets to add new guidelines for antiparasiticide intoxications. Our focus is on helping veterinary staff provide the best possible care for their patients so we hope that these new guidelines will prove beneficial."
The guidelines can be downloaded free from https://www.tvm-uk.com/vet-resource-library.
16 clinics are affected by the investigation, namely Penrose Veterinary Group Limited, Kevin Castle (Pet Care) Ltd, Swayne & Partners Ltd, Treforest Veterinary Clinic Ltd, Mercer & Hughes Limited, Swaffham Veterinary Centre Limited, Anglesey Pet Clinic Ltd, Chiltern Equine Clinic.
It's not the first time, of course, that the CMA has intervened in the veterinary profession.
Earlier this year, it investigated the acquisition of Quality Pet Care (trading as The Vet) by CVS, and then Vet Partners' acquisition of Goddards, which led to CVS selling The Vet and Vet Partners selling eight of the 47 Goddards sites to Linnaeus.
An IVC spokesperson said: “IVC Evidensia is working closely with the CMA and engaging constructively with this review."
The talks will be free to join live on Zoom, while being simultaneously streamed into the Vet Mums Facebook group.
Following the live stream those on Zoom will be invited to join in a private, unrecorded QnA session.
Liz Barton, co-founder of WellVet and Vet Mums said: “We have spent the last year creating a fab new website for people to access some of the great content WellVet has created over the last few years.
"However, we also noticed a few challenges mentioned with increasing frequency and severity by Vet Mums members.
"It’s fantastic to bring together such great speakers to directly address these issues and provide advice and support to anyone affected.”
For more information, visit www.wellvet.co.uk.
The study1 was led by the RVC’s VetCompass programme and included 22,333 dogs whose health was followed for a year, during which 1,580 were recorded by the vet as overweight; roughly 1 in 14.
The authors point out that this figure is probably just the tip of the iceberg, because not every overweight pet will receive veterinary attention.
The study also found that certain breeds were especially prone to weight gain, including Pugs, Beagles, Golden Retrievers and English Springer Spaniels.
As well as showing that specific breeds were at differing risk, the study also highlighted that being neutered and middle-aged were additionally associated with increasing chances of dogs being overweight.
The main findings were:
Owners are encouraged to discuss their dog’s weight and lifestyle on every visit to their veterinary practice. This is of particular importance in the high-risk dogs identified in this study such as Pugs, Beagles, neutered and middle-aged dogs.
Camilla Pegram, VetCompass Epidemiologist at the RVC, and author of the paper, said: "This study has used the power of “big data” to robustly address the risk factors for obesity in dogs. Pugs, Beagles and Golden Retrievers were at greatest risk of obesity compared with crossbreeds.
"As well as genetics, management style could in part drive these breed predispositions. Whilst veterinary professionals and owners should focus efforts on obesity prevention strategies in all dogs, those identified at high-risk, such as Pugs, Beagles and Golden Retrievers, may need a more targeted approach."
Dr Eleanor Raffan, Associate Lecturer in Systems Physiology, at the University of Cambridge, and co-author of the paper, said:
“Where breed increases risk of a problem, it means genes are likely to be at least in part to blame and our previous work suggests that genetics drives a high appetite in some breeds. The bad news is that owners of food-obsessed dogs have to work much harder to keep their dogs at a healthy weight – the good news is that it can be done.”
Reference
The College is seeking nominations this year for all six of its awards, all of which will be presented to the successful nominees at Royal College Day 2020, which will take place at 1 Great George Street in July 2020. These awards are:
The Queen’s Medal: the highest honour that can be bestowed upon a veterinary surgeon for a highly distinguished career with sustained and outstanding achievements throughout.
The Veterinary Nursing Golden Jubilee Award: for veterinary nurses who have 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.
RCVS International Award: for vets, vet nurses or laypeople who work internationally in making an outstanding contribution to, for example, raising veterinary standards, veterinary education and improving animal health and welfare.
RCVS Impact Award: for vets or vet nurses who have undertaken a project or initiative that has a significant impact on the profession at large, animal health or welfare, or public health. Such impact could have been made through any field of veterinary endeavour, including clinical practice, research, education or veterinary politics.
RCVS Inspiration Award: for vets or vet nurses at any stage of their career who have demonstrated the ability to inspire and enthuse others consistently throughout. It is open to those who have inspired and motivated individuals anywhere within the profession and recognises those who have gone ‘above and beyond’ what may normally be expected from a professional colleague.
Honorary Associateship: conferred on a small number of laypeople each year, in recognition of their special contribution to the veterinary sphere. It recognises the full range of individuals who contribute to the veterinary and animal health sector including scientists, lecturers, journalists, charity-workers, farriers, farmers and those involved in the commercial field.
Niall Connell, RCVS President for 2019-20, said: "2019 was particularly fruitful in terms of the number of nominations that we received for some of these awards, including the Queen’s Medal and the Impact and Inspiration Awards. In fact, those of us who had to compile the shortlist really struggled because of the sheer quality of the nominations we received and the people who were nominated.
"We hope that this will be repeated this year, and I would ask the profession to give some extra thought to making a nomination for Honorary Associateship, an award which is conferred on laypeople who are going above-and-beyond for animal welfare and the veterinary professions.
"In my veterinary career I have met many of these people: the biochemistry lecturers at vet school who gave me a passion for the science behind clinical veterinary medicine; the receptionists who were experts at talking to clients with empathy and kindness, often during distressing situations; and the volunteers who give up their precious free time to help with the smooth running of our PDSA hospital.
"I would urge everyone to have a think about who might be suitable for any of these awards, to find out more about making a nomination on the RCVS website."
To make a nomination, visit www.rcvs.org.uk/honours and click on the link for the specific award.
Applications can be made either through an online application form or by downloading a PDF application form and emailing or posting it to the RCVS.
The deadline for nominations is Friday 10 January 2020.
For an informal talk about the awards and how to make a nomination you can contact Susie Tomlin, Executive Secretary, on s.tomlin@rcvs.org.uk or 020 7202 0761.
Photo: Dr Abdul-Jalil Mohammadzai, one of the recipients of the 2019 RCVS International Award, with the then RCVS President Amanda Boag
The recall is due to the fact that particulates have been found in identified batches of product during routine stability testing.
The affected batches are:
This issue only applies to the batches listed above. All other batches and the 20 ml pack size are not affected.
For further information regarding the recall, contact Richard Beckwith on 07584 099536 or: richard.beckwith@jurox.co.uk.
The 'Obesity Care in Practice' webinars are designed to help you recognise obesity, create individual weight-loss plans and turn failing cases into successful ones.
The webinars will be presented by Georgia Woods RVN, CertCFVHNut, VTS (Nutrition). Georgia is clinic nurse at the Royal Canin Weight Management Clinic at the University of Liverpool Small Animal Teaching Hospital. She has been dealing exclusively with obese pets and nutrition for the past five years.
Georgia said: “Pet obesity is on the rise and it’s one of the biggest challenges that veterinary professionals face. It reduces pets’ quality of life and leads to a range of illnesses that shorten life expectancy. This two-part webinar will help veterinarians, veterinary nurses and practice managers to effectively manage pet obesity and make a difference to the lives of their patients."
The first webinar: Obesity Care in Practice – Essential Elements, takes place on Tuesday 22nd September at 8pm.
The second webinar: Tailored plans and problem cases, takes place on Tuesday 20th October 2020 at 8pm.
To register for the free webinars, visit: https://www.thewebinarvet.com/pages/register-royal-canin-weight-management-series/
Rominervin contains 10 mg/ml romifidine hydrochloride, equivalent to 8.76 mg romifidine, presented in a 20 ml vial.
It can be used as a sedative to facilitate handling, examination, minor surgical interventions and minor procedures or as a premedication prior to administration of injectable or inhalation anaesthetics.
Rominervin can also be used in combination with synthetic opiates such as butorphanol to provide deeper sedation or analgesia.
Dechra Brand Manager Emma Jennings said: "Rominervin is highly effective as it has a longer duration of action than other alpha-2 agonists1. It starts to work within one to two minutes with maximum sedation achieved between five and 10 minutes.
"It is yet another valuable addition in our equine anaesthesia and analgesia range that has been designed to provide vets with the therapies they need to operate successfully in day-to-day practice."
Rominervin can be used in conjunction with Dechra’s equine anaesthesia and analgesia app, designed to help veterinary professionals choose optimal anaesthetic protocols and calculate anaesthetic drug doses and administration rates.
For more information visit: www.dechra.co.uk/products/equine
The charge against Ms Law was that in November 2017, having performed surgery on Kiwi, a German Shepherd/Wolfhound-cross dog, to address gastric dilation volvulus (GDV), she failed to obtain informed consent to the entirety of the surgical process and management, including post-operative aftercare.
The charge also stated that she failed to provide adequate analgesia to Kiwi before, during or after the surgery, failed to provide appropriate and adequate fluid therapy to Kiwi, failed to offer an appropriate and adequate post-operative care plan and/or post-operative transfer for Kiwi to another practice and failed to inform the owners that there would be nobody present at the practice to provide post-operative monitoring and aftercare for Kiwi for approximately seven hours during the night.
Finally the charge stated that Ms Law allowed Kiwi to remain at the practice overnight from 12:30am to 07:45am without adequate monitoring or post-operative aftercare.
Ms Law admitted some of the charges against her, including that she had failed to obtain informed consent, failed to offer an appropriate and/or adequate post-operative care plan, failed to inform the owners that there would be nobody present at the practice and allowed Kiwi to remain at the practice overnight without adequate monitoring and/or post-operative aftercare. However, she denied that she failed to provide adequate analgesia or fluid therapy to Kiwi.
The Committee found all of the charges proved, with the exception of failing to provide adequate analgesia during the perioperative period.
Having considered the facts, the Committee then moved on to consider whether the admitted and proven charges against Ms Law amounted to serious professional misconduct, taking into account any aggravating and mitigating factors. The aggravating features were that, as a result of Ms Law’s failures in relation to analgesia and fluid therapy, there was either actual injury to Kiwi, or a risk of such injury.
In mitigation, the Committee considered that she promptly and accurately diagnosed GDV, and proceeded to perform the necessary emergency surgery. The Committee considered that the charges related to a single isolated incident and that Ms Law has had an unblemished career to date. They also noted that Ms Law had made open and frank admissions as to the majority of the charges.
The Committee found that the conduct of Ms Law set out in the majority of the charges did not amount to serious professional misconduct. However, in the judgement of the Committee, Ms Law’s conduct in allowing Kiwi to remain at the practice overnight without adequate monitoring or post-operative aftercare did amount to serious professional misconduct.
Jane Downes, who chaired the Committee and spoke on its behalf, said: "The Committee considers that the respondent (Ms Law) has insight into the serious mistake that she made in failing to ensure that Kiwi was checked or monitored overnight. The Committee has found that this was a single isolated incident, which involved a serious lapse of clinical judgement, which will probably stay in the mind of the respondent for the rest of her career.
"The respondent has been in practice for some nine years now, and apart from this incident, there is no suggestion that the respondent has fallen short of the standards expected of her on any other occasion. The Committee does not consider that there is a risk that the respondent is likely to leave an animal overnight after major surgery again, without ensuring that it is checked during that time, and, as such, the Committee considers that there is no future risk to the welfare of animals so far as the respondent is concerned."
The Committee considered that the finding of disgraceful conduct in a professional respect in this case is too serious for no further action to be taken, having regard to the need to maintain public confidence in the profession and declare and uphold proper standards of conduct.
The Committee therefore concluded that the appropriate sanction in this case was to issue a reprimand to Ms Law, in relation to the finding of serious professional misconduct.
Jane Downes added: "The Committee considers that this sanction, coupled with the findings of fact and disgraceful conduct made against the respondent, is sufficient to maintain public confidence in the profession and uphold proper standards of conduct. The Committee does not consider it necessary to issue a warning to the respondent about her future conduct, on the basis that the Committee has concluded that there is no risk of repetition."
There were three charges against Ms Creese, all pertaining to the period between July 2016 and November 2017.
The first charge was that she failed to ensure that there were adequate systems and processes in place for out-of-hours’ care for in-patients.
The second charge was that she publicised that the practice had "24 hour care provided by our vets at our practice" and/or "Care 24/7 for your pets" on its website, which suggested that staff were present at the practice 24 hours a day when they were not and as such publicity was dishonest and/or misleading.
The third charge against Ms Creese was that she failed to ensure that Kiwi's owners were informed about arrangements at the practice for out-of-hours’ care for in-patients.
At the outset of the hearing, Ms Creese denied all the charges against her.
After hearing evidence from relevant witnesses, the Committee considered that the practice did have in place systems and processes for out-of-hours care for in-patients and that there was no evidence of repeated or ignored failures of these systems and processes. The Committee therefore found the charges against Ms Creese not proved and all three were dismissed.
Ms Bowler faced four sets of charges, each of which contained sub-charges, summarised as follows:
Despite being served with the Notice of Inquiry, Ms Bowler decided not to attend the hearing due to ill-health but was represented by a counsel and solicitors.
The Committee did not find that Ms Bowler was medically unfit to attend on the basis of the medical evidence before it.
The Committee also concluded that it was in the public interest and interests of Ms Bowler to proceed with the hearing in her absence so that it could be concluded in a timely manner.
Ms Bowler’s counsel applied for parts of the hearing to be heard in private on health grounds, which was approved by the Committee.
It was also determined that any parts in the Committee’s decision or hearing that referred to Ms Bowler’s health would be redacted.
At the outset of the hearing, Ms Bowler’s counsel made admissions to five of the sub-charges which the Committee therefore found proven.
She also made some partial admissions in relations to a further 11 sub-charges.
After hearing a wide range of evidence, both written and oral, from Ms Bowler, the College, from clients and from an expert witness, the Committee found all charges proved except for four sub-charges.
On deciding whether the proved charges amounted to serious professional misconduct, the Committee took the following aggravating factors into account.
In mitigation:
In all, the Committee decided that the seriousness of the misconduct meant that a sanction was necessary to meet the public interest.
When deciding on whether to issue a reprimand with or without a warning, the Committee once again decided that the misconduct was too serious to allow for this.
It also decided that a reprimand and/or warning was not sufficient to protect animals and the wider public interest.
It then went onto consider whether a sanction of ‘suspension’ was sufficient but noted that it did not have enough evidence to show that Ms Bowler had shown significant insight to continue to practise unrestricted in the future.
The Committee eventually concluded that Ms Bowler’s conduct was incompatible with remaining on the Register.
Neil Slater, chairing the Disciplinary Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: “The Committee decided that the broad range of Ms Bowler’s misconduct which had spanned three years and eight months and involving injury or risk of injury to 18 animals, was incompatible with remaining on the Register and the public interest required removal from the Register even when all of Ms Bowler’s mitigation was taken into account.
“The Committee decided that it did not have sufficient evidence overall on Ms Bowler’s insight, current competence and future risk to persuade it that the lesser sanction of suspension was appropriate in this case.
“Although Ms Bowler had shown some insight, the Committee decided that she would need to have provided detailed evidence about her current practice before it could decide that she no longer represented a risk to animals in the future.
“The Committee therefore concluded that ‘removal from the Register’ was the appropriate and proportionate sanction because there had been a serious departure from professional standards, a reckless disregard for professional standards, multiple cases involving harm or risk of harm to animals and because, in Ms Bowler’s absence, it had been difficult to unravel whether she had an attitudinal problem.
“These were all factors in the Disciplinary Committee Sanctions Guidance that indicated that a sanction of removal was the appropriate sanction and, in the Committee’s decision, removal from the Register was the only sanction which would meet the public interest.
"It concluded that a lesser sanction would undermine public confidence in the profession and in the regulatory process.”
https://www.rcvs.org.uk/concerns/disciplinary-hearings
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.
The scholarship will enable Claire (pictured right) to enrol on the company's Emergency and Critical Care (ECC) training programme, leading to a Nurse Certificate (NCert) awarded by the International School of Veterinary Postgraduate Studies (ISVPS).
Claire has spent over twenty years in general practice and last year made the decision to move into ECC.
She said: “I am truly honoured and excited to have been chosen for the Louise O’Dwyer Legacy Scholarship for 2022.
"Thank you to Louise’s family and Improve International for this amazing opportunity.
"Louise was an inspirational nurse who always promoted autonomy within the profession and encouraged nurses to follow their own interests in a specialist field. I hope to be able to continue Louise’s legacy by inspiring other nurses to follow their own aspirations at any stage of their career.
“I hope to use this scholarship to further my knowledge and develop practical skills to enhance my role as an ECC nurse and provide the best clinical care to critically ill patients.”
The charity says it estimates there has been a ten-fold increase in fertility clinics in the past two years, and it is now aware of at least 339 dog fertility businesses across the UK.
Such clinics, which typically offer artificial insemination, progesterone testing, cytology and ultrasound scanning, are often operated by lay people, rather than veterinary professionals.
There have been concerns about the seeming indiscriminate use of breeding procedures by some fertility clinics, and about links to low welfare breeding operations.
Naturewatch says some fertility clinics have been found selling and administering prescription medicines and offering to perform operations.
The charity now wants to understand what veterinary professionals think about this new industry, and is running a short survey until 21st August 2022.
In particular, Naturewatch wants to know who you think should be permitted to perform commonly offered breeding procedures.
It also wants to hear your thoughts about possible solutions.
Are canine fertility clinics inherently problematic?
Or could canine fertility clinics - if operated ethically and regulated properly - bridge the gap between breeders and the veterinary profession?
Complete the survey here: https://action.naturewatch.org/canine-fertility-clinic-survey-for-veterinary-professionals
Neil, a Senior Lecturer at the University of Edinburgh Royal Dick School of Veterinary Studies, is an equine veterinary surgeon who has worked in large and small animal practice in the UK and Australia. Neil is clearly multi-talented: on top of his many and various career achievements, he was in the Cambridge Footlights and has performed in four Edinburgh Fringe Festival shows. He also plays the piano.
Danny is another multi-talented veterinary surgeon, currently working as an equine locum and well-known in the profession as an RCVS Council Member, the founder of Veterinary Voices and a campaigner against irrational forms of veterinary medicine such as homeopathy.
Ian Fleming is a Senior Vet at the PDSA, standing as an independent candidate for the Halesowen and Rowley Regis constituency.
If I was a betting man, my money would have to be on Neil: Penrith and the Border has been held by the Conservatives since 1950, most recently by Rory Stewart. Danny, on the other hand, needs to overturn a 7200 Conservative majority in his constituency, something which the latest polls suggest is a bit of an outside bet. Still, stranger things have happened.
The study, titled The Veterinary Employment, Engagement and Retention Study (VEER), opened this week and aims to collect data from thousands of veterinary professionals across the United Kingdom and beyond.
Dr Dermot McInerney (pictured right), VetX Head of Research and Partnerships, said: “We will use the data collected to understand the factors influencing career happiness and how they impact on talent attraction and retention.
"We want to share this information with as many people as possible so we can work together to create a better, more sustainable situation for both employers and employees in veterinary practice.”
The study findings will be published later in 2022 and made available to all industry stakeholders.
All participants will receive a special report of the results with customised career advice, and be entered into a weekly draw to win a prize.
To take part in the survey, visit: www.vetxinternational.com/veer.
Nutraflex contains turmeric curcumin complex and boswellia extract, which Nutravet says work synergistically to support the natural systems that control inflammation.
The new product also contains glucosamine, a structural component of cartilage, and chondroitin sulphate to help maintain synovial fluid viscosity.
Nutravet claims the new product is fast acting, soothes stiff joints, aids long-term mobility, flexibility and joint structure, and supports the natural systems that control inflammation.
Chris Jones, Director at Nutravet said: “We’re delighted to be adding Nutraflex to our market-leading range of natural health products for pets.
"We’re always looking at ways of improving our products and Nutraflex provides our authorised stockists with a high strength veterinary exclusive joint support, supported by independent trial data, which works quickly to ultimately help pets that are suffering with joint stiffness.”
Nutraflex is available to order exclusively to authorised veterinary practices.
For more information, contact Nutravet on 0845 604 1688, email info@nutravet.co.uk or visit www.nutravet.com.
Animalcare says the wipes deliver tartar reduction with some mechanical action without the difficulties that some owners experience when using a toothbrush. The company says they can also help owners grow more comfortable with handling their pets’ mouths before they progress to full toothbrushing.
Animalcare Senior Brand Manager Eleanor Workman Wright said: “With periodontal disease so common in dogs and cats, supporting owners to help them start and maintain an oral health regime for their pet is essential.
“Toothbrushing is, of course, the Gold Standard but it must be done frequently to achieve a significant degree of efficacy.
"For many owners this is just not possible and, if they find it difficult, the risk is that they then give up and their pet’s oral health is neglected.
"One of the founding principles of the Plaqtiv+ range is to offer proven technology in multiple formats which can be used daily by owners as an alternative to toothbrushing, as part of a programme to build up to toothbrushing or within a multi-modal framework.
"Launching our new dental wipes is the latest step in achieving this goal.”
To support Plaqtiv+, Animalcare has published a website with content for both veterinary professionals and pet owners.
For veterinary professionals, there's advice about how to start discussions with clients about dental care and tools to help them recognise signs of dental pain.
The pet owner site offers information on the importance of dental health in pets and advice on establishing a dental care regime.
www.dental.pet
For the research1, 190 faecal samples were collected from dogs in 140 households (114 samples from raw fed dogs and 76 from non-raw fed dogs).
Salmonella species was detected in 4% of the samples (all raw fed) and antimicrobial-resistant E. coli was detected in 40% of all dogs, but in 62% of raw fed dogs.
The authors say that statistical analysis confirmed that this represented a significantly higher prevalence of AMR E. coli, including multidrug resistance and third generation cephalosporin resistance, and Salmonella species in dogs fed raw compared to non-raw meat diets.
The authors concluded that strategies should be implemented to increase the awareness of the risks of feeding raw meat diets to dogs, to reduce any potential risk to owners, their families, and their pets.
Nicola Di Girolamo, Editor of JSAP says: “In this study, an association between raw meat diets in dogs and faecal carriage of potentially dangerous enteric bacteria has been observed.
"Readers should keep in mind that cross-sectional studies such as this one lay the basis for additional research more suited to prove causality.”
To use the service, you order recycling boxes to suite your needs, and then place them where it will be most convenient for staff to throw the rubbish in.
Once full, you send the box back to TerraCycle via UPS.
It is then saved from incineration or landfills and recycled by TerraCycle.
Once collected, products and packaging are sorted and separated by material composition.
The separated items are then cleaned, shredded, and made into new recycled products such as outdoor furniture and decking, playgrounds, benches, or watering cans.
Hannah James, Head of Environment, Social & Governance at VetPartners said: “We started using the Zero Waste Boxes at our practices during the pandemic to recycle the large volumes of PPE being used, and they were instantly popular with practice teams.
"We’re now recycling plastic packaging, pet food packaging and medicine blister packs through TerraCycle as well, and since 2020 we’ve saved over 14 tonnes of waste from landfill and incineration.
"The Zero Waste Boxes are an important feature of our sustainability strategy, providing a solution for much of the waste generated by veterinary practice that isn’t hazardous and yet isn’t widely accepted for recycling.”
www.vetcycle.co.uk
The Committee had found Dr Elefterescu guilty of serious professional misconduct in relation to a number of charges which covered issues such as dishonesty, poor record-keeping, and failure to carry out adequate clinical examinations.
The full charges and findings of the RCVS Disciplinary Committee can be found at: www.rcvs.org.uk/disciplinary.
The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council held the appeal hearing in October last year with three Justices of the Supreme Court - Lord Kerr, Lord Carnwath and Lord Kitchin – comprising the Board.
The basis of the appeal to the Privy Council was that the Committee’s findings on the facts of the case were flawed, with his counsel saying that Dr Elefterescu 'strenuously disputes the findings by the Committee of his dishonesty and lack of professional competence and submits that there is no adequate basis for them in the evidence’.
His counsel also told the Board that the Disciplinary Committee’s sanction failed to take into account mitigating factors and that the decision to remove Dr Elefterescu from the Register was disproportionate.
In relation to the appeal against the Disciplinary Committee’s findings on the facts, the Board was not persuaded by any of the arguments put forward on behalf of Dr Elefterescu. These arguments included that the RCVS had failed to call relevant witnesses and had failed to make Dr Elefterescu aware of the significance of some evidential matters, disclosed to him.
In respect of the sanction, the Board was also unpersuaded by the arguments put forward by Dr Elefterescu’s counsel, namely that it was too harsh in its assessment of aggravating factors, did not give adequate weight to mitigating factors, and that it failed to distinguish lack of competence from misconduct.
In its judgment on the arguments put forward by Dr Elefterescu’s counsel, the Board said: "It is the opinion of the Board that these criticisms are not well founded. The Committee considered with care Dr Elefterescu’s proven and admitted conduct in relation to each of the charges and whether it fell below or far below the standard to be expected. It is to be noted in this regard that a number of the charges which were either admitted or upheld were not the subject of any challenge on this appeal.
"Overall, the Committee found that Dr Elefterescu’s clinical failures were very serious, involved failures in the basics of animal care, resulted in animal suffering and involved widespread breaches of the respondent’s [RCVS] code of professional conduct. It also expressed particular concern about its findings of dishonesty, and rightly so. That conduct was, in its view, ‘at the top end’ of disgraceful conduct in a professional respect. What is more, Dr Elefterescu had a lack of insight into his failings and a wholly unjustified confidence in his abilities which constituted an ongoing risk to animal welfare."
"These were findings which the Committee was clearly entitled to make and, in the light of them, the Board is firmly of the view that the decision of the Committee to direct the removal of Dr Elefterescu’s name from the Register cannot be impeached. The Board rejects the criticisms made of the Committee’s reasoning and the conclusions to which it came. The direction that Dr Elefterescu’s name must be removed from the Register was appropriate and proportionate."
The Judicial Committee’s full findings can be found at www.jcpc.uk/cases/docs/jcpc-2018-0060-judgment.pdf.
Prior to becoming COO, Tim was Managing Director of three referral hospitals owned by Linnaeus – Davies Veterinary Specialists, London Veterinary Specialists and Southfields Veterinary Specialists – and a number of its primary care sites.
Prior to joining Linnaeus, Tim worked in Iceland, where he was a vet for the Icelandic Government.
On his return from Iceland in 2016, he joined Village Vet and then progressed into a range of regional management and practice leadership positions across the industry.
Tim said: "I am proud to be part of our wonderful, unique industry that, although currently facing a number of challenges, continues to make such a difference to the lives of our patients and their owners every day.
“In my first vet role in mixed practice, I was fortunate to receive brilliant support, guidance and encouragement from my team.
"Since then, I have always wanted to do the same for my colleagues, particularly those who are just starting their careers.
“I have used my experience within the veterinary profession to support some fantastic teams at Linnaeus.
"Becoming COO is an honour and opportunity that will enable me to help even more people across the business.”
Perhaps the biggest initiative thus far has been the installation of solar panels which meet the electrical needs of the 25 vets, nurses and support staff at its Kirriemuir branch.
In recent months, the group has also invested in a water purifier and oxygen generation system, installed composting bins made from recycled pallets and changed food packaging to eco-friendly and recyclable materials.
Compostable paper towels are now being used across the practices and, through a partnership with PetsApp, appointment reminders, invoices and receipts are sent electronically.
Anything that does have to be printed is printed on FSC certified paper.
Eco-friendly cleaning supplies and sustainable office products are also being sourced from local suppliers.
Other initiatives include avoiding single-use plastic wherever possible, using water butts to collect rainwater for watering plants and washing vans, and planting wildflowers to encourage wildlife.
The group has also installed energy-efficient LED lighting, along with a system to prompt people to turn off lights, and is currently switching signage lighting to LEDs.
Katrin Lewis said: “As we celebrate our 75th anniversary this year, we’ve clearly always been committed to providing the best care for our clients, but it’s vital that this also extends to the impact we have on the planet.
"We’ve therefore embarked on green mission to ensure our practices are as sustainable as possible.
“We’ve also taken inspiration and advice from practices within XLVets, the community of independently-owned veterinary practices that work collaboratively for the greater good of the industry.
"This has helped us to share best practice when it comes to sustainability and make further improvements to our procedures.
“We now have colleagues from all four of our practices in the green team and we’re continually looking at new ways of improving our green credentials.
"Even simple things like using spare Loxicom syringes for lab work, and washing lines instead of relying on tumble drying, as well as redesigning our recycling plan, are making a noticeable and positive difference.
“Since the start of the year, we’ve significantly reduced our carbon footprint and we’re now looking at a number of other exciting initiatives that we’ll be ready to unveil in the coming months.”
The company says the results of the survey of puppy dental health will be shared with industry experts to help advance understanding and evaluate the future impact on veterinary practices.
Veterinary nurses can also sign up for a free webinar on puppy dental disease led by Head of the Dentistry and Oral Surgery Department at the Royal (Dick) Vet School, Ingrid Tundo on 28th April at 7.30 pm at https://veterinarywebinars.com/register/puppy-dentistry-malocclusion.
Cat Henstridge MRCVS, who is fronting the campaign said: “I’m very pleased to be helping to raise awareness of the VisioCare Puppy Tooth Census and this important issue.
"It is so important for all of us in the profession to be helping to identify disease patterns and the scale of the problem. It also provides us with a great opportunity to involve our clients and start discussions about the importance of good dental care.”
VisioCare says the Puppy Tooth Census only takes a few minutes to complete and can be filled in for individual cases or healthy puppy mouths.
Every veterinary respondent will be given a free pack of educational materials to use in the consulting room, including state-of-the art digital animations and dental images that can be used to enhance client communication around the topic, together with explainer videos and puppy owner fact sheets and leaflets.
In addition, each month for the next three months, responses will be entered into a prize draw for the chance to win a £50 John Lewis gift voucher.
For further information or to complete the census for a case, visit: http://www.visiocareservices.co.uk/puppy-tooth-census.