YourVets, the network of privately owned small animal veterinary practices has opened a new clinic in Dagenham, Essex and is re-opening an expanded and improved practice in Wythall, Birmingham later this month.

YourVets already has five clinics operating throughout the West Midlands and Essex, with the philosophy of providing a friendly, caring and high-quality service at an affordable price.

YourVets says its Dagenham clinic is a new, purpose-built facility while the Wythall premises has been enlarged and improved to supersede the old Pet Vaccination Clinic. The Wythall clinic has also been re-branded under the YourVets name, to reflect that fact that its veterinary care has grown to encompass the full range of veterinary procedures, rather than just vaccinations.

The clinics are equipped with high-tech equipment and top-class facilities. They offer a walk in appointment service to provide clients with maximum convenience and flexibility and have easy access to YourVets' own affordable 24-hour emergency service. Owners can also register their pets and order prescriptions online, for added speed and efficiency.

Jonathan Stirling, Managing Director of the PVC/YourVets group, said: "At Dagenham and Wythall, as with all our clinics, visitors and staff will be able to benefit from outstanding facilities, including air conditioned buildings, easy parking and the very latest medical equipment in a relaxed, fun and welcoming atmosphere."

Faye Fraser, Practice Manager at the YourVets Coventry clinic, says: "I love my role at YourVets. It gives me immense satisfaction to know that so many pets and owners have access to our truly affordable prices and professional veterinary service. We all care deeply about the animals we treat, and my love for animals extends into my home life, too. I have two rescue cats Tarot and Sorrell, who both need lifelong medical care."

YourVets currently has clinics at Coventry and Nuneaton in the West Midlands and Rayleigh in Essex. YourVets Dagenham opened on 4^th February 2012 and the new-look YourVets Wythall will launch on 12^th February 2012, with a special open day.

For more information about YourVetsvisit http://www.yourvets.co.uk/.

Vetoquinol UK Ltd has launched a new flea and tick treatment for cats and dogs.

Flevox is a spot-on solution containing fipronil and comes in unique pack sizes of either single pipettes or large clinic packs of 36.

Product Manager Helen Walker said: "With only 55% of pet owners buying their flea and tick treatment from the vet, we recognise there is a huge opportunity to develop and grow this essential market.  In the modern age the consumer expects maximum flexibility, and that is what we aim to provide with Flevox.

Whether it be persuading the price-conscious customer away from buying their flea treatments in supermarkets and the internet, or encouraging those who don't treat their pet at all to give it a try without breaking the bank, we're confident we can help grow flea treatment sales in practice."

Vetoquinol says it is supporting the new product with a range of materials dedicated to veterinary surgeries, providing incentives to encourage client bonding and repeat business with your practice.

Helen continued: "We have also teamed up with the fantastic charity Dogs for the Disabled by making a donation for every pipette of Flevox sold.  We're really looking forward to raising the profile of this organisation where these amazing dogs give life changing independence to disabled people.  We're confident the donation will strike a chord with clients and really engage them with the charity, the Flevox brand and the practice".

To find out more, contact your Vetoquinol territory manager or visit http://www.vetoquinol.co.uk/ 

Following legislative changes, the British Veterinary Association has updated its 'Good Practice Guide to Handling Veterinary Waste' for England and Wales.

Supported by the Environment Agency the Guide primarily consists of a quick-reference poster enabling vets to categorise and segregate veterinary waste in line with Environment Agency requirements. The poster defines the types of hazardous waste, outlines the types of containers required and sets out the appropriate classification codes.

The Guide is complemented by more detailed web guidance which incorporates useful templates to download.

BVA President Carl Padgett said: "All businesses have a duty of care to ensure that all waste is stored and disposed of responsibly, that it is only handled or dealt with by those authorised to do so and that appropriate records are kept of all waste that is transferred or received.

"The BVA Guide has been a popular resource for the profession since we first launched it in 2008 making it considerably easier for vets to comply with Hazardous Waste Regulations. The revised poster is hopefully an incentive for practices to check if their requirements have changed and ensure they're still up-to-date."

The poster and web advice are available at http://www.bva.co.uk/activity_and_advice/1641.aspx and BVA members will receive a hard copy of the poster to display in their practice.

The Veterinary Benevolent Fund has launched a short film about a veterinary surgeon's experience of severe depression and her inspiring recovery. 

The charity says it hopes the film, published on the Vetlife website today, will encourage the veterinary profession to talk more openly about stress and depression in the workplace and will motivate veterinary employers to adopt best practice in supporting their staff's mental health.

Nick Short, the VBF Director responsible for the development of the Vetlife website, said: "We are so grateful to the veterinary surgeon concerned for having the courage to share her story and for her insights into what could be done to make recovery easier for other vets. We were delighted to hear that she felt she was treated well and got the help she needed from the Veterinary Benevolent Fund and the Veterinary Surgeons' Health Support Programme. 

"Recent press reports have estimated that the cost to the UK economy of stress, depression and suicide is £26 billion per year. We know that the profession has a high incidence of these problems, so it follows that depressive illness must have an alarming economic effect on it. This means it is essential to invest in improving awareness and support. 

"The VBF wants to produce more web videos on issues that veterinary surgeons, students or nurses commonly encounter such as debt, addiction, professional conduct or employment problems. However, we need to secure additional sponsorship in order to fund this work - each 5 minute video will cost about £2,500 to produce. If you or your organization would be interested in supporting this work, please contact the VBF office at 7 Mansfield Street, London W1G 9NQ, telephone 020 7908 6385 or email info@vetlife.org.uk. Donations can also be made online at www.justgiving.com/VBF"

Rory O'Connor, National Co-ordinator at the Veterinary Surgeons' Health Support Programme said: "Many of us will have mental health problems at some point in our lives but most can make a full return to work with the right support. As highlighted in the film, it is really helpful if employers are willing to explore adjustments to working conditions or to the working environment such as flexible working hours or changes to working responsibilities. I am always available to help both employers and employees with these kinds of discussions and we are currently developing content on mental health support in the workplace for the Vetlife website.  All advice is completely confidential."

The film was made by John Somers and Ben Sheriff at the University of Exeter using an actress to speak the words of the veterinary surgeon. 

Pfizer Animal Health and Central Veterinary Services are collaborating in a new venture to create a unified National Benchmarking Database open to all veterinary practices.

In what it says is an unprecedented move, Pfizer will integrate 15 years' worth of data from its Performance Index practice benchmarking service (formerly known as the Fort Dodge Index) with that of the Central Veterinary Services' Management Analysis Indices (MAI). These two benchmarking services have been in co-existence for a number of years, each using different databases. Combining the data from the participating practices within each benchmarking service will create a database of almost 300 practices, representing in excess of 10% of all UK companion animal and mixed practices. This, says the company, will provide a more accurate and relevant benchmarking of UK companion animal practice performance. 

The first combined reports from this new National Database will be available in May providing a comprehensive analysis for the first quarter of 2012. For Performance Index practices, this will be available via a new web portal.

Participating practices will continue to access their reports and services independently via their respective portals for PI and MAI, but will benefit from the larger database providing greater accuracy, granularity and relevance of exactly who a practice chooses to benchmark itself against. This, in turn, should provide all participating practices with an even better understanding of both their critical success factors and where there are clear opportunities for growth. Pfizer says that as ever, practice data confidentiality will be guaranteed for all subscribing practices.

Ned Flaxman, Director Business Innovation, at Pfizer Animal Health said: "We have recognised that what veterinary practices really need is to be far more specific about who they benchmark themselves against. There is little relevance to a rural mixed practice in the Lake District employing 3 full time vets (FTVE) benchmarking themselves against a large 5 FTVE companion animal practice in the centre of Manchester - you are comparing apples and pears! My vision for creating the National Database was really to increase the business benefits of practice benchmarking and enable practices to compare apples with apples. With the new system, the large urban practice in Manchester should be able to compare its performance against other urban practices in the North of England employing 5FTVE!

"To ensure practices have accurate and relevant data from which to make informed decisions to grow and thrive in these turbulent conditions, the creation of a single national benchmarking database is the only sensible solution. Although we are effectively levelling the playing field by enabling other veterinary suppliers to offer benchmarking, we believe it is the right thing to do for veterinary practices and the market as a whole. For Pfizer Animal Health, the needs of our veterinary clients are the driving force for our business decisions, veterinary support services and product development."

Martin Barrow, Managing Director of Central Veterinary Services said: "We fully agree that a single benchmarking database is the right solution for the market. The creation of this National Database, open to all practices irrespective of their supplier, will provide the participants with unique tools to give them powerful insights for their practices' future continued success.

"MAI and the Performance Index have competed with each other for years and provided a very useful added value service for their respective subscribers but when we were approached to integrate the two databases, we immediately saw the bigger picture and recognised the significant benefits this could bring to a wider audience of UK veterinary practices.

"The national database uses open standards for data collection and data is accepted from all practices irrespective of which practice management system they use. We believe it is the right thing to do for veterinary practices and brings significant benefits to the whole veterinary profession."

Practices are urged to subscribe to the PI or MAI services either independently or through one of their practice development partners. Although run from a common database each service will continue to be provided with its own unique features. 

For further information on Performance Index practices should contact their Pfizer Account Manager, email Pfizer at Vetsupportplusuk@pfizer.com.

For further information on MAI, practices should contact Central Veterinary Services at mai@centralvet.com, or telephone 01359 245310

A new veterinary charity is offering veterinary surgeons, nurses and others in the profession the chance to get fit and raise money for Hounds for Heroes, SPANA and the Pet Blood Bank later this year.

The Vet Charity Challenge (VCC) is looking for teams to take part in a one-day event, involving a series of physical tasks and puzzle-solving challenges along the way, so it requires a bit of brain as well as brawn. The course will feature walking / running, cycling and kayaking and anyone can take part at whatever fitness level.

As well as raising money for the charities, organisers say it will be a fun way to build up camaraderie among your colleagues outside of the work environment and also a local PR opportunity for your practice or business to enhance your community profile.

The event is expecting to raise in excess of £30,000 for charity, but organisers stress that it will need the support of and participation by the veterinary profession to ensure it is a success.

The challenge will take place on Saturday 15th September 2012 at the Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester and all details may be found on http://www.vetcharitychallenge.co.uk/. Alternatively, ring 01727 859259 for further information. The VCC says an early commitment to take part is essential and the fine detail of training can be worked out later. The VCC will provide training guidelines and help you and your  team  prepare itself.

The Vet Charity Challenge is sponsored by BCF Technology, Kruuse UK Ltd and Vets 2 and is supported by the VPMA, Mojo Consultancy and JCA Media Group.

The RCVS is reminding veterinary surgeons and nurses that there is one week left till the deadline for nominations for the 2012 RCVS and RCVS VN Council elections.

Nominations must be made in writing on the prescribed form and received by the RCVS on or before 31 January 2012.

Prospective candidates need to provide the signatures and registered/listed addresses of two proposers, and should also submit a short biography, manifesto and photograph for inclusion in the RCVS News Extra election specials.

Nobody may nominate more than one candidate, and no current member of the RCVS Council or VN Council may make a nomination.

Full details and guidance notes for both elections are available online from the RCVS Council Election page (www.rcvs.org.uk/rcvscouncil12) and VN Council Election page (www.rcvs.org.uk/vncouncil12).

Nomination forms and candidate information forms for RCVS Council may also be requested from Mrs Gabriella Braun (020 7202 0761 or executiveoffice@rcvs.org.uk) and those for VN Council from Mrs Annette Amato (020 7202 0713 or a.amato@rcvs.org.uk).

Six seats on RCVS Council and two on VN Council are due to be filled in the 2012 elections.

Those elected will take their seats on RCVS Day in July, to serve four-year terms, and will be expected to spend at least six to eight days a year attending Council meetings, working parties and subcommittees (a loss-of-earnings allowance is available).

Veterinary practices are being urged to raise awareness of summer skin conditions, such as sweet itch, following research carried out by Elanco Companion Animal Health, distributor of Cavalesse, which revealed that vets only tend to be consulted after horse owners have tried to manage the condition themselves (73%), or if the clinical signs have become severe (67%), potentially leading to major welfare implications.

According to the research, this is despite the fact that over half (55%) of owners of a horse with sweet itch showed concern that their horse will suffer, and nearly half being stressed about the way the condition will affect it (47%).  While many horse owners are fairly knowledgeable about the causes of sweet itch and its clinical signs, over a quarter of respondents (26%) did not start managing the condition before the midge season in the spring, which may make managing the condition more frustrating.  Nearly a third (31%) stated that they had to curtail their activities with their horse due to welfare, aesthetic and behavioural issues, such as head shaking, rubbing, unpredictability and aggression.

Ed Whittle, technical consultant at Elanco Companion Animal Health said: "86% of those questioned considered sweet itch to be a very serious welfare issue if left untreated, with the worst aspects of the condition being the suffering and distress caused by the constant irritation which affects the quality of life of the horse. Over half (55%) felt that sweet itch had adversely affected the behaviour of their horse, making them difficult to handle or ride. Veterinary practices should be proactively talking to their clients about summer skin conditions such as sweet itch to help alleviate the suffering and distress caused by this frustrating disease."

Elanco says it will be joining forces with the British Horse Society (BHS), The Blue Cross, The Horse Trust, Redwings Horse Sanctuary and World Horse Welfare (WHW) to raise awareness of summer skin conditions, such as sweet itch, during Sweet Itch Awareness Month (SIAM) in March. The campaign will highlight the preventative measures that should be carried out to help alleviate sweet itch and the importance of management of the condition before the start of the midge season in the spring.

Lee Hackett, head of welfare at the BHS, said: "The results of this survey show just how important raising awareness of sweet itch is. All of us, whether we are welfare organisations or vets, need to play our part in educating owners about sweet itch in the hope that they will seek expert advice at an earlier stage and reduce the number of horses that suffer as a result of this condition."

Kerry Taylor, education officer at The Blue Cross, said: "The Blue Cross is pleased to be supporting the sweet itch campaign to raise awareness of the physical and mental impact this condition has on horses. During our May 2011 National Equine Health Survey, skin problems came out the top syndrome affecting horses, and we continue to see many horses coming into our care suffering from sweet itch. Prevention and early treatment is key to managing the potentially debilitating condition."

For further information on sweet itch, Sweet Itch Awareness Month or Cavalesse, please visit http://www.fidavet.com/, or contact Elanco Companion Animal Health, Lilly House, Priestley Road, Basingstoke, RG24 9NL, 01256 353131.

Reference

Sweet itch - effect on horse and owner.  Mo Gannon & Associates.  Web survey in November 2011.  351 responses - owners who have owned horses with sweet itch in the last two years.

The Kennel Club has released a film, narrated by Clare Balding, which looks at the issues affecting dog health and wellbeing in this country and what is being done in 2012 to help ensure that dog welfare stays at the top of the agenda.

The film, 'Dogs - A Healthy Future', focuses on the main issues that affect dog health and welfare, including hereditary diseases, issues created by breeding dogs for the way that they look and the problem of cruel puppy farms that breed dogs for profit without regard for their health and welfare.

The film explores the steps that have already been taken to address these issues and the need for united action in order to ensure that the progress continues in 2012.

(The full 1/2 hour video is available here).

Caroline Kisko, Kennel Club Secretary, said: "The New Year is a good time for reflection, looking back at what has been done and what more can still be done to safeguard the health of dogs.

"Huge strides have been made to improve dog health, particularly with the knowledge that has been gained in recent years thanks to the advancement of genetic science, but there is still more to do. We particularly need to address the issue of people breeding dogs for money at the expense of health and for looks, whether these be pedigree or crossbreeds.

"The Kennel Club would like to see tighter regulations governing the way people breed their dogs in order to help clamp down on cruel puppy farms, and we ask people to sign our petition asking the government to act.

"As we look towards Crufts 2012 we look forward to introducing even tighter measures to ensure that dog shows play their part in driving change by rewarding, and so encouraging, the breeding of healthy dogs."

Sheila Crispin, Chairman of the Advisory Council on the Welfare Issues of Dog Breeding, said: "We are supposedly a nation of dog lovers and the issue of what we can do to improve dog health is close to the hearts of those that really do care. This film looks at the progress that has been made by the Kennel Club as well as other organisations and committed individuals to help address the complicated issues surrounding dog health and welfare, in addition to looking at what more needs to be done, through collaboration and united effort, to create an even better future for dogs."

Registered Veterinary Nurses that want to buy the new RVN badge from the RCVS for £15 can do so until 31 January 2012.

The new badge was launched by the RCVS in October 2011 in conjunction with the 50^th anniversary of veterinary nurse training, and those qualifying since July 2011 have been presented with the badge. RVNs who qualified previously may buy the new badge for £15 (to cover the cost of the badge and engraving it with the RVN's individual number) as long as they order it before 31 January 2012. After this date it can be purchased for the usual 'badge replacement' rate of £43.

The design of the new badge builds upon the traditional antique silver and red-enamel badge, with the addition of the word 'registered' underneath. This highlights the fact that RVNs, while qualified to the same level as their listed colleagues, stand apart because they additionally agree to account for their professional practice and keep their skills and knowledge up to date. RVNs are registered in the non-statutory RCVS Register of Veterinary Nurses, abide by a code of professional conduct, and commit to continuing professional development. They can also now be taken to task via a disciplinary system.

There is no obligation for RVNs to buy the badge, although the RCVS says it hopes that many will choose to do so to mark the step forward which their profession has made.  

AMTRA says it has recorded the 500th staff member in a veterinary practice to qualify as an SQP, reflecting a growing trend.

According to Stephen Dawson, the organisations's Secretary General, the number of SQPs working at veterinary practices is on the rise, with about two-thirds of these working as veterinary nurses, and the remainder as other members of staff. He said: “Having an SQP in your veterinary practice allows you to offer a wider service to veterinary clients and non-clients alike.

“Vets may see this as an opportunity to get people in through the door to buy medicines and get advice. These customers may be non-clients who at a later stage will seek a veterinary consultation.”

Nicola Ackerman who is Senior Medical Nurse and an SQP at the Veterinary Hospital Group, in Plymouth, and who sits on the Veterinary Products Committee, said the role of vet nurses
has been evolving over a number of years: "More nurses are taking on consulting roles in practice, and the SQP qualification has aided these changes.

“As a nurse who regularly consults, the added SQP qualification allows me to prescribe medications to the patients that I see without the requirement of seeing a veterinary surgeon.

“Many clients seek advice on preventative medicines, and are not always aware that nurses provide these services for clients. Having SQPs in our practice has allowed our nurses to take a more proactive role in
preventative medicines, and has given them a full understanding of the underpinning knowledge required for running a dispensary as many qualified prior to the new VMD regulations occurring.”

For more information about the SQP qualification, visit: http://www.amtra.org.uk/

The University of Bristol's Langford Veterinary Services (LVS) has announced the completion of its new clinical facilities.

The first phase of the £13 million development includes a new small animal surgery building, comprising five theatres, an ICU, a dedicated anaesthesia induction and recovery and an imaging suite.

The imaging suite comprises a 16-slice CT scanner, for small animals and horses, conventional digital radiography with a DR system, a high-resolution fluoroscopy, diagnostic ultrasound, echocardiography, scintigraphy and a high resolution 1.5 tesla MRI scanner available seven days a week.

Lynne Hill, Chief Executive of LVS, said: "The new facility provides state-of-the art diagnostic imaging facilities at all times, to help the animals under our care."

LVS highlights the case of Gainsborough, an eight-year-old Irish draught gelding, to illustrate the benefits of its new facilities. The horse, used for jumping and endurance, was initially presented to the Equine Hospital in October 2010, with clinical signs including nasal airflow obstruction and discharge, which was limiting his athletic capabilities.

Using videoendoscopy and radiography, a space-occupying mass was diagnosed in the paranasal sinuses impinging into the nasal cavity. With the horse conscious, but sedated, using regional local anaesthetic nerve blocks, the bulk of the mass was removed and he returned to work. However, the owner reported a recurrence of the clinical signs and he was returned to the clinic for reassessment.

The new imaging suite, only one of a few such units in the UK, has been adapted to enable the imaging of a horse's head while conscious using a frictionless air plinth. The adaptation allows detailed imaging of both bone and soft tissue structures within a horse's head, without requiring a general anaesthetic.

Using the new imaging suite, Gainsborough's CT examination revealed a portion of the mass, which had been inaccessible to the previous keyhole surgery, had expanded into the nasal cavity. The detail of the images enabled careful planning of a second operation that facilitated removal of the large remnant of the mass, which appeared to be benign, with minimal collateral trauma.

In addition to imaging the heads of conscious horses, dogs and cats are able to undergo complete body scans using the same unit while anaesthetised. As well as enabling detection and diagnosis of lesions without invasive or painful tests at an earlier stage, the unit will facilitate operative planning and add to the body of knowledge of disease pathogenesis.

For more information about LVS, visit: http://www.langfordvets.co.uk/