Chris will also be donating any money he raises throughout the course of his Presidency to those same charities.
His chosen charities are: Vetlife, Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA), the People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA), Hearing Dogs, and The Gambia Horse and Donkey Trust (GHDT).
Chris said: "I chose the charities because I'm dedicated to charities that have a wide effect. The GHDT and the PDSA, by improving the health and welfare of animals, directly benefit the health and wellbeing of the communities in which they work. The GHDT dramatically improves peoples’ lives economically by increasing the working lives of their animals, almost all of which are transport animals, while the PDSA enhances the lives of the less well off by allowing them to keep animals and afford their veterinary care.
"Riding for the Disabled Association and Hearing Dogs for the Deaf then both use animals to help people, strengthening this vital human animal bond that runs through all of these charities. You have to witness the interaction between deaf or disabled people with the dogs and ponies respectively to fully appreciate how much this means to them. Unlike single interventions, these charities provide assistance that keeps on giving.
"Finally, none of this is possible without a healthy veterinary community and Vetlife plays a significant part in ensuring this. Good mental health and wellbeing is essential to the delivery of a good service, and it's important that we do everything we can to ensure that any veterinary professionals that suffer get the assistance they need.”
The charities have already been in touch to thank Chris and the College, and to detail how it will help their activities.
Graham Dick, Vetlife’s Honorary Treasurer, said: “Vetlife is currently expanding its vital support services to meet the changing needs of the veterinary community so we are sincerely grateful that Chris Tufnell has chosen our charity to benefit from his fundraising activities during his year as President. It is heartening that all the major veterinary organisations are so supportive of Vetlife and eager to work together to address the issues that many people in the veterinary community are struggling with."
Heather Armstrong, the Director of the GHDT, said: "We would like to give our very sincere thanks to Chris Tufnell, President of the RCVS for choosing us as one of his charities. Over the years we have relied on volunteer vets from UK to provide training to our staff and to Gambian livestock workers. This is helping to increase Gambian veterinary capacity and we hope is also giving British vets a small insight into global veterinary problems. The British veterinary profession should be very proud, it has enabled us to achieve so much in the last 14 years and we are immensely grateful to each and every vet who has been out to help including Chris, who has kindly helped us in the past with training."
Rosie Gibbons, Challenge & Community Events Fundraiser UK at the PDSA, said: "The donations received through the RCVS’ President’s Fund to PDSA will ensure that someone’s much loved pet will receive the treatment and healthy life they deserve. It will also ensure that our veterinary teams can continue to educate people about responsible pet ownership and issue preventative treatments, making the lives of so many animals much more bearable in the future."
Sal Atkinson, Fundraising Manager for the RDA, said: "We are thrilled that Chris has chosen RDA as one of this year’s RCVS President’s Fund charities. RDA relies on voluntary donations such as this to enable us to provide life changing therapy through horses to disabled adults and children in the UK. We currently have over 3,000 horses and ponies who work with our riders, carriage drivers, volunteers and equine advisors and this support will really help us to offer more opportunities to disabled people in the community."
The President’s Christmas Box donation is made every year in lieu of sending out RCVS Christmas cards. Previous recipients have included Worldwide Veterinary Service, Mind, Canine Partners, Hounds for Heroes, and the Veterinary Benevolent Fund.
According to the calculator, the most expensive animal is - by virtue of its longevity - the tortoise (£27,787 over 75 years), followed by a small dog (£19,224 over 15 years), a large dog (£17,234 over 11.5 years) and a medium-sized dog (£16,828 over 11.5 years). A cat comes in at £12,322 over 16 years. A chicken will set you back £4,701 (it's not clear whether they've offset the money you'll save in eggs). The cheapest is a fish, at £914.
The 45-minute webinar: Debt Management: Prevention Is Better Than Cure is presented by Mike Brooks from veterinary-specialist debt recovery agency, dsl.
VPMA President Renay Rickard (pictured right) said: "Debt can affect any business, but, because of the role vets play as care-giver in an emotionally-based animal-owner relationship, we are particularly vulnerable. This is something that is commonly brought up by members at our regional meetings and events, and it’s a real dilemma for them how to juggle being strict with payment policies against owner expectations and misperceptions of the cost of veterinary medicine.
"This has been a very popular topic in both our regional meetings and with our webinar and we wanted to open it up to more people to help them tackle this topic in their practices. The feedback on this webinar has been very positive. Mike gives clear guidance on how to set up payment protocols that will minimise debt in such a way that maintains the client-practice relationship. There’s also information on how to recover existing debts. It makes sense to prioritise tackling this issue as if we’re not paid, then we can’t deliver the service that we are expected to, and that our patients need.
"We’re pleased to open this webinar up to all practices as a Christmas gift, and hope it will also highlight the support that is available through VPMA membership."
The webinar can be accessed through a link on the home page of the VPMA website www.vpma.co.uk.
The Smart Home Monitoring Kit for pets includes an indoor camera which comes with an in-built temperature sensor and night vision, a door sensor and a Smart Plug which can be remotely activated to turn on a radio, lamp, portable heater or fan to help keep animals content.
Although designed primarily for pet owners, Petplan says the kit is also being used by some veterinary practices to help provide additional security and monitoring capabilities within the practice.
The kit also contains an SD card allowing clients to share footage of their pet in the home with their veterinary surgeon when explaining behavioural symptoms. Likewise the practice will be able to record and share footage with their staff or clients.
Isabella Von Mesterhazy, Head of Marketing at Petplan, said: "For Petplan, keeping pets healthy always has been and always will be our priority. Spending time away from your pet can be hard, so the new pet Monitoring Kit addresses this problem by providing welcome peace of mind that they are safe and well. We are delighted to be able to offer Petplan veterinary practices and their staff the chance to get their hands on a Monitoring Kit at an exclusive price."
To find out more about the exclusive offer available for Petplan veterinary practices and staff until 9th December, visit petplanvet.co.uk.
All Schedule 2 controlled drugs (with the exception of quinalbarbitone) and certain Schedule 3 controlled drugs are legally required to be stored in a locked container which is compliant with the Misuse of Drugs (Safe Custody) Regulations 1973; however, the College considers it advisable for all Schedule 3 controlled drugs to be stored in the controlled drug cabinet.
Controlled drug cabinets must only be accessed by a veterinary surgeon, or anoher nominated responsible person at the practice. In the case of a nominated person who is not a veterinary surgeon removing controlled drugs from the cabinet, the legal and professional responsibility remains with the veterinary surgeon whose direction they are under.
The College’s full guidance, including advice on use, location, and design and construction of cabinets, can be found in the Controlled Drugs Guidance and the Practice Standards Scheme Manual. Many police forces in the UK also have Controlled Drugs Liaison Officers who offer advice on various matters, including safe storage.
To download the Controlled Drugs Guidance, which includes further guidance on areas such as storage and destruction of controlled drugs, please visit the College’s website: http://www.rcvs.org.uk/publications/controlled-drugs-guidance/
To access the PSS Manual, visit the College’s website: http://www.rcvs.org.uk/practice-standards-scheme/
Contact details for Controlled Drugs Liaison Officers by area can be obtained from the Association of Police Controlled Drugs Liaison Officers: http://www.apcdlo.org.uk/contact.html.
Just over 1,000 veterinary nurses have not yet paid their annual renewal fee of £61 and if this is not received on or before 31 December 2016 then their names will be removed from the Register. Those who have their name removed will not be able to use the postnominal ‘RVN’ and will not be able to carry out medical treatments and minor surgery as defined under Schedule 3 of the Veterinary Surgeons Act (www.rcvs.org.uk/delegation).
In order to restore their name to the Register they will have to pay a restoration fee of £51 in addition to the £61 renewal fee.
The easiest way to pay the fee is to log in to the ‘My Account’ area of the RCVS website (www.rcvs.org.uk/login) using the credentials provided to each veterinary nurse by the College’s Registration Department. If these credentials have been lost or misplaced the Registration Department can be contacted on 020 7202 0707 or registration@rcvs.org.uk.
For details about alternative methods of payment visit www.rcvs.org.uk/about-us/fees/how-to-pay or contact the RCVS Finance Team on finance@rcvs.org.uk or 020 7202 0723.
As well as paying the annual renewal fee, veterinary nurses should also confirm their Register and correspondence details, confirm that they comply with the College’s current requirements for continuing professional development and declare any convictions, cautions and/or adverse findings.
According to the company, gum disease is five times more common in dogs than humans, as dogs have a more alkaline mouth, promoting plaque formation. The company also says that studies have shown 80% of dogs suffer some form of gum disease before they are three years old.
The survey found most owners associate bad breath, tooth loss and inflamed gums (76%, 67% and 65% respectively) with poor oral hygiene.
However, many dog owners were unaware it could lead to more serious consequences with only 11% identifying heart disease as a potential cost of poor oral hygiene and only 7% understanding the liver can be affected.
The company has produced a YouTube video with Marc Abraham MRCVS and behaviourist Carolyn Menteith about canine oral care and Pettura Oral Health - a gel applied directly to dogs' teeth and gums to help maintain oral hygiene.
The article, which is available open-access, comprises a literature search of both medical and veterinary medical journals for evidence of the effectiveness of input-based and outcomes-based CPD.
Its conclusion is that outcomes-based CPD, which concentrates less on hours logged and more on interactive and reflective learning, is the most effective at improving practice and patient health outcomes.
The paper was originally presented to the RCVS CPD Policy Working Group on 4 December 2015 to inform its discussions. A six-week consultation with the profession was held over the summer asking for their views on the resulting proposals for an outcomes-based approach to CPD.
The proposed model for CPD has four key components: planning, doing, recording and reflecting. While an overall majority of the 3,357 people who responded to the College’s consultation agreed with the proposed changes, certain elements received less support than others. The lowest amount of support was received for the ‘reflection’ component with 35% of respondents disagreeing with it.
With this in mind the RCVS Education Committee and VN Council decided that a pilot of a new outcomes-based approach should be held during 2017 with a group of volunteers, and made this recommendation to RCVS Council. RCVS Council approved this pilot at its meeting on 10 November.
The pilot is expected to be launched in February next year and the College is now looking for volunteers who both support the proposals and those who have a ‘healthy scepticism’ about them. Volunteers will receive help and support throughout the trial and will also be invited to attend an introductory CPD meeting at the College’s offices on 28 February.
If you are interested in volunteering, contact Jenny Soreskog-Turp, RCVS CPD Officer, on cpd@rcvs.org.uk.
To access the article for free, visit the Veterinary Record: http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/content/179/20/515.full?keytype=ref&ijkey=bwDIVYMY8Vwd0su.
Further information, including the CPD Policy Working Party’s response to the consultation, is available at www.rcvs.org.uk/CPDpilot.
The six videos, which were recorded by Dechra's technical team, range in length from 10 minutes to 37 minutes.
Episode one describes the pathophysiology of Addison’s disease, different types of Addison’s disease and helps veterinary professionals recognise the common clinical presentations of chronic hypoadrenocorticism.
Episode two examines the similarities in clinical presentation between hypoadrenocorticism and other disease processes.
The third episode looks at the changes commonly seen in the haematology, biochemistry and urinalysis of Addison’s patients. This section also covers how to perform and interpret hormone testing with the knowledge of the common causes of false positive results.
The fourth looks at a clinical presentation of an acute Addisonian crisis and best practice for emergency treatment of these patients, as well as the transfer of an acute patient onto maintenance treatment with Zycortal.
The final two films explore the treatment and monitoring of a patient on Zycortal and how to switch existing Addisonian patients from fludrocortisone acetate to Zycortal. It also documents the help which is available for those more complex cases.
Dechra Brand Manager Craig Sankey said: "These short films are an important support tool for any veterinary professional who is treating patients with hypoadrenocorticism or who may be presented with cases in their practice.
"Addison’s disease can be very hard to diagnose as it mimics so many other illnesses and we hope these presentations will give insights into a complex disease. The introduction of Zycortal has been a vital development in the treatment of the disease and we hope the new resources will be beneficial to veterinary professionals."
The presentations complement resources that Dechra has already produced for dog owners, including a website -www.myaddisonsdog.co.uk - which provides information and resources to help dog owners understand the condition and monitor their pet's progress.
In June the College held a six-week consultation with the profession, asking for opinions on its proposal for an outcomes-based approach to CPD which would concentrate less on hours logged and more on interactive, reflective learning and measuring the impact that CPD has on the individual’s practice and patient health outcomes.
The proposed model for CPD had four key components: planning, doing, recording and reflecting. While an overall majority of the 3,357 people who responded to the College’s consultation agreed with the proposed changes to the CPD requirement, certain elements received less support than others. The lowest amount of support was received for the ‘reflection’ component with 35% of respondents disagreeing with it.
The RCVS Education Committee therefore decided that a pilot of a new outcomes-based approach should be held during 2017 with a group of volunteers, before making a recommendation to Council.
Professor Stephen May, who chaired the Working Group that developed the CPD proposals, said: "Because of the concern voiced by members of the profession responding to the consultation we decided that, at this stage, it would not be appropriate for the RCVS to move straight into this new way of doing CPD but that it would be more appropriate to hold a pilot. The idea is that we will explore some of the concerns around reflection and around the extra time and paperwork that people felt that a more reflective approach may lead to.
"We have taken all these comments into account and are now seeking to work with individual volunteers on this pilot. It is important to note that we are not only looking for volunteers who agree with what we are doing but also those who are apprehensive about it or even some who see it as something they do not support. We want to explore the full range of views and how we can move forward in changing our approach to CPD."
The pilot is expected to be launched in February next year and the College is now looking for volunteers who both support the proposals and have a ‘healthy scepticism’ about them. Volunteers will receive help and support throughout the trial and will also be invited to attend an introductory CPD meeting at the RCVS offices in February.
Further information, including the CPD Policy Working Party’s response to the consultation and the full interview with Stephen May, is available at www.rcvs.org.uk/CPDpilot.
The 2016 PAW Report, in which 4252 dog, cat and rabbit owners were surveyed by YouGov, found that 24% (an estimated 5.2M) of owners did no research at all before buying a pet.
Only 5% of prospective owners spoke with a veterinary professional before buying an animal.
This raises the question of whether practices could be doing more to engage with prospective pet owners, by offering free or low-cost pre-purchase consultations with a veterinary nurse which offer advice about suitable pets and breeds to fit with the buyer's lifestyle.
The PAW Report also discovered that 65% of prospective pet owners were unaware of the five welfare needs. Many also dramatically underestimate the financial implications of owning a pet with 12% of owners believing their pet would only cost up to £500 over their entire lifetime. Overall, 98% of respondents underestimated the lifetime cost of owning their pet to some degree.
Buying pets from inappropriate sources was another major concern, with 23% of veterinary professionals identifying this as one of most critical issues which they would choose to resolve tomorrow. 50% of owners said they would consider getting a pet from a private, classified online advert. 18% of owners said they would still consider getting a puppy from a puppy farm, while others would consider getting a pet from an advert posted on social media (37%), from a pet supermarket (41%), or a pet that has been imported from abroad (28%).
A pre-purchase consultation could help address all of these issues, helping to set the owner's expectations about costs, educate them about the five welfare needs and steer them in the direction of reputable source to buy their new pet.
Such consultations would obviously need to be marketed beyond existing clients in the waiting room, but could be added to existing marketing materials used in the local media and added to the practice website ('Thinking of buying a pet, talk to us first').
To help practices that want to engage with potential pet owners in this way, the PDSA has launched a free ‘Which Pet?’ consultation framework for veterinary teams. The materials include client and explanatory vet team booklets, marketing materials and an e-learning CPD module. They can all be accessed free of charge on PDSA’s website at: pdsa.org.uk/whichpet
Commenting on the PAW Report findings, Sean Wensley, PDSA senior veterinary surgeon, said: "There is little doubt that we’re a nation of animal-lovers. But the PAW Report highlights that impulse-buying pets is still an issue of great concern, and shows no signs of improving. Little or no research before getting a pet means owners have limited understanding of what their pets require throughout their lives, which is undoubtedly leading to an array of other troubling pet welfare problems."
Other key findings:
Pet-gp.co.uk offers a 12 month subscription for £4.50 per month, or owners can seek one-off advice from its team of veterinary nurses (not veterinary surgeons as the name implies) for £12.50.
The company implies says on its website that the average vet bill is £300, and that 2 out of 3 visits are unnecessary anyway, so a quick call to them first could represent a considerable saving.
However, VetNurse.co.uk sees a number of flaws in this logic:
BVA President Gudrun Ravetz said: "Although triage phone lines have been used in the NHS for several years, for pets these can be more problematic as animals are unable to speak themselves, and many symptoms may be subtle signs that will only be picked up in an examination by a vet."
The app gives users the ability to find information on over 1000 animal medicine listings included on the compendium website; with the complete datasheets available for viewing.
The new app also allows you to scan datamatrix barcodes on veterinary medicinal product packaging to take you straight to important product information. You can also search by medication, manufacturer or GTIN.
Dawn Howard, NOAH’s Chief Executive said: "The NOAH Compendium is the recognised industry reference, and it is essential we fully utilise the information offered in the compendium with modern technology, whilst protecting the integrity and respect that it holds.
"The website, which we relaunched earlier this year, has had over 8.5 million views to date. We feel this app serves as a great addition to this modern method of accessing data – meaning users are no longer reliant on internet access to obtain the information they need.
"As an organisation, we will continue to embrace new technologies to ensure animal medicine is used correctly and responsibly in the UK. The launch of this new app goes towards ensuring all those who prescribe or use animal medicines have access to the latest technical information available for companion and farm animals when they need it."
Scans had showed that as a result of the PDA failing to close after birth, Teddy's heart had become significantly enlarged, with fluid building up on his lungs, causing dyspnoea.
The closure operation required a 1cm incision and involved passing catheters via an artery in the hind leg and then plugging the PDA. The whole procedure, including anaesthetic, took about 90 minutes to complete.
Mike Martin, RCVS Specialist Veterinary Cardiologist at Willows who led the operation, said: "Teddy was already suffering heart failure, with severe heart enlargement. His breathing was very heavy and fast due to the fluid build-up in his lungs. He was not going to survive another week without the PDA being plugged.
"We’ve gained a lot of experience over the years and we’re pushing the boundaries as best we can. We had previously operated on dogs weighing around four or five kilos, then three kilos, but Teddy, at 2.2kg, has been our smallest by some way.
"It all went according to plan and Teddy was up, running and playing happily the same afternoon. There was a slight added pressure to the procedure, in that maybe he would be too small, but we made his owners aware of the fact it may not be successful and he might need traditional surgery. He’d been prepped and was ready for that if needed.
"A lot of little dogs such as Yorkies and Chihuahuas suffer from heart problems when they are too small for cardiac catheterisation but instead have to undergo traditional surgery, so this type of interventional procedure is increasingly important."
To find out more information about Willows Referral Service, visit www.willows.uk.net.
Clients should be advised that exposure to small quantities of concentrated permethrin can cause severe and fatal poisoning in cats. If they have one of the products, it should be returned to the place it was bought, or returned to the company:
John Tharratt, Bio-Tech solutions. Telephone 08704 450154. Email: JTharratt@btsl.uk.com
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The research found that 93% of practices have a washing machine on site, but two thirds of those use a domestic machine rather than a commercial one. 69% of staff also take their uniform home to wash in a domestic machine.
Only commercial machines conform to the WRAS regulations, with thermal disinfection capabilities to minimise the risk of cross infection.
The survey also provided an argument for using a robust commercial machine able to cope with high levels of usage and the variety of materials needing to be cleaned: 83% of practices said they use their machines more than once a day and listed bedding, drapes and gowns as the most common materials that need to be cleaned regularly.
Les Marshall, Sales & Marketing Director at Miele Professional, said: "Our research shows that veterinary staff realise the importance of hygiene when cleaning their laundry. At Miele Professional we understand that preventing infection is key. When caring for animals who need medical care, reliable and effective equipment that can wash items ranging from bedding to gowns to reusable bandages is essential.
"As a leading supplier to the care and hospital sectors, all our machines are tested and approved to Water Regulatory Advisory Scheme (WRAS) category 5 for mains connection in any high-risk establishment."
The company says that in addition to meeting WRAS category 5 requirements, it's machines:
Miele Professional is exhibiting at the London Vet Show and will be holding a seminar on 'Controlling the risk of infection with a commercial laundry system' in the Business Theatre on 18 November, 12-12.50pm.
The seminar will explore the benefits of using a commercial laundry over a domestic machine, best practice around thermal disinfection and why it’s vital for veterinary practices to meet WRAS category 5 requirements.
For more information visit www.miele.co.uk.
Reference
95 respondents were surveyed online in June 2016
In the past, all practices that offered Carefree Credit to clients had to complete the FCA authorisation process, something which involved completing a 48 page online application and a wait of 12 weeks for approval. Although Carefree Credit provides guidance with the process and around 700 practices have enrolled successfully, it was not the ideal solution for practices who wanted a quick solution.
From now on, those practices that are happy to offer interest-free credit for a maximum period of 12 months can do so without going through the FCA process.
Stewart Halperin MRCVS, the founder of Carefree Credit, said: "For those of you who have looked at a client finance option for your practice but have been put off by the thought of going through the FCA authorisation process, this will make things much easier."
For more information, visit www.carefreecredit.co.uk/
Last year BEVA received a national Antibiotic Guardian award from Public Health England in recognition of its work to promote responsible use of antibiotics. It was the only organisation from the veterinary profession to be shortlisted. BEVA launched its Protect ME antimicrobial campaign in 2012 to coincide with European Antimicrobial Awareness day. The Association has launched additional resources each year to facilitate compliance and educate the public about the importance of antimicrobial awareness.
This year, to recognise World Antibiotic Awareness Week (16th to 22nd November, 2016) and European Antibiotic Awareness Day (18th November), BEVA is encouraging members to document their efforts to reduce the use of critically important antibiotics.
To enter for the award, veterinary surgeons need to share practice sales data (in mls) of chosen antibiotics. Practices that document a reduction in antibiotic sales of these drugs will be presented with a BEVA Antibiotic Champion Award to endorse their commitment to responsible use of antibiotics and to help promote public awareness of the campaign. Members are also encouraged to sign up to be antibiotic guardians at www.antibioticguardian.com
Gayle Hallowell, Co-Chair of the BEVA Health and Medicines Committee said: "We are extremely proud of the equine veterinary profession’s commitment to the responsible use of antibiotics. We hope the introduction of our Champion Award will inject new vigour into efforts to continue to reduce the use of our precariously limited antibiotic resources."
To apply for BEVA Antibiotic Champion Award status visit http://www.beva.org.uk/Antibiotic-Champion-Award The BEVA Protect ME toolkit is free to BEVA members and can be downloaded at www.beva.org.uk.
Vet History is part of a five year project to improve access to and awareness of the wealth of material held by the College, which began with the appointment of a qualified archivist in October 2015 and the creation of the online database which includes descriptions of material catalogued to international archive standards. The catalogue will be fully searchable with biographical profiles for major persons featured in the collections.
The papers of the prolific veterinary author and army veterinarian Major General Sir Frederick Smith (1857-1929) are amongst the first collections to be fully catalogued and described online. The material covers the length of Smith’s career from case notes recording treatment of army horses in India in the 1880s to correspondence from the last 20 years of his life, in which he wrote a four volume history of veterinary literature. Smith was involved in the Army Veterinary Service during the Second Anglo-Boer War and the First World War, and his honest and candid accounts of the loss of horses by the Army illustrate fascinating aspects of veterinary, social and military history.
Chris Gush, Executive Director, RCVS Knowledge said: "The launch of the Archives catalogue covers a critical and fascinating time in the nation’s history, both for the advances in veterinary science and its role in marinating a functioning British military presence in the 19th century. Through this unparalleled collection, RCVS Knowledge can be an invaluable source of information for academic research and the general public."
The RCVS Vet History project is ongoing, and further collections will be catalogued periodically over the next four years. Visitors are encouraged to check the catalogue regularly, and follow RCVS Knowledge’s Twitter feed for news and updates.
To see behind the scenes of the Project, and find out more about highlighted items, follow the Historical Collections blog here.
The RCVS Vet History Project is supported by The ALBORADA Trust.
Located in Wolverhampton, the new practice uses different lighting in different parts of the building: 'cool' for public areas such as the waiting room, 'comfortable warm' for the dog, cat and exotic wards and daylight for clinical areas. The LED system uses 60% less energy than conventional lighting and requires half the number of fittings. In addition, following research in the USA at Banfield, consulting rooms are fitted with dimmable lights to ease stress for patients and clients during euthanasia.
Other highlights include a specialist cat ward that White Cross says exceeds the iCatCare Cat Friendly Clinic requirements. The ward includes raised cat kennels that are carefully positioned so that cats can’t see each other, to further minimise stress-levels. There are also separate, sound-proofed wards for dogs and exotic pets.
To reduce anxiety in dogs and cats pre- and post-surgery, the practice uses pheromone diffusers and specially composed music played in the wards.
Managing Director, Tim Harrison said: "We’re delighted to launch our latest practice in Wolverhampton, which is our most environmentally-friendly yet. We’ve incorporated the most successful attributes from all of our 15 other UK practices into its design, and it’s immediately proving popular with clients and most importantly their pets."
Clinic Director James Millington says: "The facilities and attention to detail in this practice are the best I’ve ever seen. There’s no doubt this will translate into the quality of care that our clients receive and their pets deserve."
Nick Hicks, HSBC’s Corporate Area Director in Thames Valley, said: "HSBC has enjoyed a highly effective and longstanding business relationship with Medivet, which went from the purchase of a small veterinary practice in Hendon, North London in 1987, to the acquisition of over 140 practices across the UK today. This latest financing package supports the continuing expansion strategy of this successful and acquisitive business."
Dr Arnold Levy (pictured right), Chief Executive Officer at Medivet, said: "This is the second wave of our acquisition strategy which will see us, as a privately owned company, expand our offering of veterinary practices across the country. Following the success of last year’s acquisitions, which were also funded by HSBC, we have continued our expansion across the UK a lot quicker than anticipated. This is significant progress for our business and testament to our strong financial backing."
According to the forthcoming PDSA Animal Welfare 2016 report, only 35% of pet owners are familiar with their pets' legal welfare needs, a figure which has remained persistently low over the past 6 years (45% in 2011, 31% in 2012, 38% in 2013, 36% in 2014 and 31% in 2015).
The same report revealed in 2015 that 97% of veterinary professionals agreed there is value in encouraging pet owners to better understand and provide for the five welfare needs of their pets.
The 2016 report will also report that pet owners who feel more informed about each of the five welfare needs are significantly more likely to provide preventive healthcare to their pets.
Gudrun Ravetz, President of the BVA said: "It’s concerning that, despite many veterinary practices’ best efforts, public awareness of the five welfare needs remains consistently low. There are so many strong voices for animal welfare, which is why it’s great that so many veterinary organisations – including BSAVA, BVNA and BVZS – are coming together within this coalition to highlight pet owners’ legal duty of care. We hope practices across the country will join us in spreading the message by continuing to deliver the welfare need-focused advice to clients that they already do, day-in, day-out."
The 2006 Animal Welfare Acts of England and Wales, and Scotland consolidated and replaced more than 20 pieces of outmoded legislation. They established a duty of care, enshrining in law five animal welfare needs, outlining housing, diet, behaviour, social interactions and health as the legal responsibilities that every owner should meet to ensure their pet is as happy and healthy as possible.
The veterinary animal welfare coalition says it recognises that veterinary practices across the UK already promote the five welfare needs through a range of methods, from displaying materials in their waiting rooms to providing health check consultations with vets and vet nurses to discuss pets’ needs. The seven organisations, which are all UK based and support or provide veterinary service delivery, are pooling their resources so that veterinary practices can more easily signpost clients to the wealth of resources that are available.
James Yeates, who chairs the veterinary animal welfare coalition as part of the Vet Futures Action Plan, said: "The five welfare needs are a fantastic 'umbrella' guide to taking care of our pets, yet each and every species has such differing welfare needs - from cats who tend to be solitary animals and usually prefer to be the only pet to rabbits that should live in pairs or groups of other rabbits and dogs, who should not be left on their own for more than a few hours a day - it’s vital that pet owners can translate theory into practice. Our understanding of animal welfare science has come such a long way over the past 50 years so we'd really like pet owners to visit their local veterinary practice, where they will be able to get tailored, up-to-date advice for their pets."
The BVA's Spring 2016 Voice of the Profession survey of over 1,600 veterinary surgeons found that the majority (60%) see diet as their main welfare concern, causing obesity, dental issues and a variety of other complex health problems. The coalition of veterinary organisations behind this campaign says it hopes it will encourage the 15% of pet owners not currently registered with a veterinary practice to seek out their local surgery for expert advice about issues such as these.
More information about the coalition and the resources available to practices can be found at www.bva.co.uk/news-campaigns-and-policy/newsroom/news-releases/uk-pets-at-risk-as-two-thirds-of-owners-unaware-of-legal-welfare-needs/
The founders of ioLight, Andrew Monk and Richard Williams, will be in attendance on the Bayer stand to answer questions about the new product.
James Crawford, Head of Marketing at Bayer, said: "Bayer is delighted to present the ioLight microscope on our stand at the London Vet Show 2016. The microscope provides fantastically clear images and is simple to use, showing off Bayer's products for all our customers to see."
Professor Mike Taylor, a Diplomate of the European Veterinary Parasitology College, is in the process of evaluating the ioLight microscope as a tool for the diagnosis of parasitic infections of farm animals.
Normally he uses a laboratory microscope for this work but they are not routinely used on a farm. He has also tried a portable digital microscope, but finds it does not give the resolution required for identification of protozoan parasite species or for counting nematode eggs. Mike said: "The ioLight’s portability, image quality and connectivity to the Apple iPad offer great potential for the development of rapid methods for identifying parasites, or determining parasite burdens. I can envisage its use by both veterinarians and suitably trained livestock farmers, in the practice laboratory or directly on the farm."
Andrew Monk said: "Since our launch earlier this year we have seen a massive interest from the veterinary sector. We are thrilled to have the opportunity to demonstrate our microscope to such a large audience, and are looking forward to working with Bayer."
For more information visit iolight.co.uk or email Andrew Monk at andrew.monk@iolight.co.uk.
Mr Beveridge had been removed from the Register following a disciplinary hearing in May 2013 in which he was found guilty of disgraceful conduct in a professional respect with the Committee finding that he had treated clients badly, kept inadequate clinical records, was dishonest in his dealings with the College and that animals in his care were placed at risk. He subsequently appealed to the Privy Council but this was later withdrawn, resulting in him being formally removed from the Register in March 2014.
He first applied to be restored to the Register in 2015 but his application was refused by the Disciplinary Committee at a hearing in November 2015. At the time the Committee found him unfit for restoration to the Register because, following his removal, his veterinary medicines account had been used on an unauthorised basis to order prescription-only veterinary medicines, which reflected a "cavalier attitude to practice". Furthermore, the Committee found that he had not fully accepted the Committee’s original findings, had made inadequate effort in regards to engaging in continuing professional development (CPD) and also considered the seriousness of the original findings.
At the opening of his second hearing Mr Beveridge, who represented himself, sought to address the concerns that the Disciplinary Committee had outlined upon refusing his first application for restoration. Regarding his acceptance of the original findings, the Committee heard that he now apologised "unreservedly for his failings that led to erasure of his name from the Register" and the Committee considered that he had demonstrated a significant change in attitude from the previous restoration hearing where he had not fully accepted the reasons for being removed.
In considering issues of public protection the Committee also accepted that Mr Beveridge, until his original Disciplinary Committee hearing, had an unblemished professional record and had run a successful small animal practice for over 30 years. It considered numerous client testimonials as well as a petition signed by 600 clients from 2013.
The Committee also considered that there was no risk to the future welfare of animals in the event of Mr Beveridge being restored to the Register, noting the testimonials and references to satisfactory care and treatment given by Mr Beveridge to his patients.
Regarding CPD, Mr Beveridge produced evidence before the Committee that he had attended courses run by the North American Veterinary Community (NAVC) and the British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA). The Committee accepted that he had made "considerable progress" in terms of CPD.
In concluding the hearing Judith Way, chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: "It is the judgement of the Committee that the conduct which resulted in the applicant’s name being removed from the Register is unlikely to be repeated. The applicant has satisfied the Committee that he is fit to be restored to the Register."
The organisation says back disease is by far the most common health problem in UK Dachshunds: around 1 in 4 may be affected at some stage in their lives. Whilst many recover well in time, there is significant risk of permanent damage so severe that it is life-changing or life-threatening.
Research in Scandinavia has shown that there is a good correlation between calcification of the discs and clinical disc herniations when dogs are X-ray screened between the ages of two and four. The Breed Council has based the screening programme on the Scandinavian protocols and CVS has offered to screen the dogs cost-effectively at a number of its clinics across the UK. The company will also be collaborating on a multi-year research study of the dogs participating in the scheme to monitor its success.
Ian Seath, Chairman of the Breed Council, said: "X-ray screening has been used in Scandinavia for several years and is currently the best available tool to help us reduce the genetic risk of IVDD. All six varieties of Dachshund in the UK are encouraged to participate. The aim of X-ray screening is to reduce the occurrence of herniations by encouraging breeding with dogs that have low numbers of calcifications."
Specialist neurologist, Dr Mark Lowrie from the CVS-owned Dovecote Veterinary Hospital in Castle Donnington, said: "We feel it is important that breeders, owners and vets work together to try and reduce the prevalence of this condition which can cause catastrophic changes to a dog’s quality of life and much upset for dedicated and caring owners."
Dachshund owners can find out more about the scheme at a newly developed website www.dachshund-ivdd.uk. The website is also a source of advice and guidance for Dachshund owners who want to learn more about IVDD and the options available if their dog should suffer a back problem.