Part 1 of "Comparison of veterinary drugs and homeopathy", by Peter Lees, Professor Emeritis in Pharmacology at the RVC, Ludovic Pelligand, Senior Lecturer in Veterinary Clinical Pharmacology and Anaesthesia at the RVC, Martin Whiting, Lecturer in Veterinary Ethics and Law at the RVC, Danny Chambers, an RCVS Councillor currently working at Langford Veterinary Services, University of Bristol, Pierre-Louis Toutain, a European Veterinary Specialist in Pharmacology and Toxicology, and Martin Whitehead Co- and Clinical Director at the Chipping Norton Veterinary Hospital, is published in last week's (August 12th) edition of the Veterinary Record.
The paper considers some of the reasons why medicinal products work and the errors in human thinking which make them seem to work when actually they don't. It also takes a look at the history of veterinary and homeopathic medicine, which helps explain how something as scientifically implausible as homeopathy ever gained traction in the first place.
VetNurse.co.uk Editor Arlo Guthrie said: "As the parent of a child with a severe, chronic and highly variable disease, I’ve had prolonged first-hand experience of just how easy it is to fall prey to the sorts of errors in human thinking that can make you believe a treatment is working when in reality it is not. It’s something I continue to have to fight against, despite being well-educated about things like cognitive bias and regression to the mean.
"I believe all veterinary surgeons, veterinary nurses, and doctors for that matter should constantly remind themselves of these errors and importantly keep them front of mind when advising clients. Not just so they can explain cogently why quack medicine offers nothing more than false hope and a thinner wallet, and why randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials are so important, but also to improve their own assessment of a patient’s response to treatment."
The paper can also be downloaded here: http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/content/181/7/170
Part 2 of the paper is due to be published in next week’s edition of the Veterinary Record.
STOP PRESS VetNurse.co.uk has funded the Open Access publication of this paper, so both parts are now available for all to read here:Part 1: http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/content/181/7/170Part 2: http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/content/181/8/198
Photo: The father of homeopathy, Samuel Hahnemann, Wikipedia
The first part of the charge was that, between 3 November 2014 and 10 December 2016 he did not provide CPD records to the RCVS requested in four separate letters dated November 2014, September 2015, November 2015 and November 2016. The second part of the charge was that, between 11 December 2016 and 26 July 2017, he did not provide the RCVS with his CPD records despite requests.
Dr Zukauskas admitted to the charge against him at the outset of the hearing.
The Committee considered whether Mr Zukauskas’ failure to respond to requests for his CPD records constituted serious professional misconduct.
The Committee found that he had breached the RCVS Code of Professional Conduct for Veterinary Surgeons by not responding to the repeated requests for information from the College, although the Committee noted that there had not been total silence. Mr Zukauskas had made email contact on at least two occasions in response to RCVS letters and gave evidence that he had attempted to phone the authors of the letters. The Committee also noted that in early February 2017 Mr Zukauskas had made repeated attempts to give the RCVS access to his online CPD account, which he had been updating to reflect CPD work that he had undertaken.
Mr Zukauskas’ explanation for his failure was that he had not fully appreciated the importance of the letters, that his English was poor, and that he failed to obtain appropriate advice about the content of the letters until recently. It was only in a witness statement dated 27 July 2017 that he finally disclosed his full CPD records.
The Committee noted Mr Zukauskas' admission in his evidence that his English was not good, particularly in light of the obligation, brought into the Code in February 2016, for veterinary surgeons to be able to communicate effectively in written and spoken English.
Chitra Karve, chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: "From that date, if not earlier, the respondent should have been concerned to understand English sufficiently well to address the correspondence from the College. Whilst the Committee did not consider that his conduct in this respect amounted to disrespect, it did consider that he had shown a disregard of his obligations.
"At all times he could and should have made appropriate efforts to respond to the correspondence from the College and obtain appropriate advice. In effect he put off dealing with these matters and put his head in the sand."
Regarding his failure to respond to requests between December 2016 and July 2017, Ms Karve added: "This caused the College a considerable amount of concern and extra work. Had he done so much earlier, much of this matter would have been avoided. The respondent was once again in breach of his obligations."
Having found Mr Zukauskas guilty of serious professional misconduct in relation to both parts of the charge the Committee then considered its sanction against Mr Zukauskas, taking into account the fact that the Veterinary Nurse Disciplinary Committee had recently suspended a veterinary nurse from the Register for a period of two months having found her guilty of similar charges.
In mitigation the Committee considered a number of testimonials from colleagues and clients, his hitherto long and unblemished career in the United Kingdom, and his open and frank admissions and subsequent efforts to avoid repetition of his behaviour. Language problems were also considered as an explanation for why the situation had occurred. However, it also considered the aggravating factor that the misconduct was sustained over a period of time and that there was unacceptable disregard for the obligations he had to the College as a veterinary surgeon.
In summing up Ms Karve said: "The Committee has determined to impose a reprimand. In doing so it acknowledged that the respondent has shown considerable insight into his behaviour. He had acknowledged that he has needed help in communicating with the College. It noted that he is a good and proficient veterinary surgeon in the work which he undertakes. He expressed remorse for his behaviour. He has carried out sufficient CPD and since December 2016 has been communicating with the College. The Committee considers it unlikely that he will transgress again.
"The Committee has decided that it is appropriate in this case to add a warning to the decision to impose a reprimand. It is mindful of the fact that other veterinary surgeons registered with the College have a duty to discharge their CPD obligations and they honour those obligations. Moreover, the conduct of the respondent has involved a considerable amount of work and expense for the College."
The warning was that in future Mr Zukauskas must respond in a timely and appropriate manner to any communications from the RCVS.
The traditional method for detecting equine lameness is subjective, using expert visual evaluation of gait to identify the presence or absence and degree of asymmetries. The lame horse is described as having a disorder, defect or loss of function and this clinical diagnosis has associated welfare implications if the horse is still asked to perform.
The article explains how advanced computer technology is starting to change all this. Optic motion capture or the use of inertial measurement units (IMUs) is now enabling the detailed study and quantification of the horse’s gait; objective assessment against preset thresholds. The paper points out that while these digital systems can overcome the temporal and spatial limitations of the human eye they simply rely on one or a number of set gait parameters to decide about lameness and this can present obstacles.
Thresholds are forcibly based on a limited reference population, which doesn’t adequately reflect the millions of horses in the world. The individual environmental and mental conditions for each horse and its day-to-day gait variations are also not accounted for. On this basis to use the term ‘lame’ because a horse demonstrates a subtle gait alteration, causing it to fall below the threshold, could be inappropriate, particularly as it may not affect the horse’s welfare in any way.
Professor Celia Marr, Editor of the Equine Veterinary Journal said: "An important first step is for researchers and clinicians to start to discriminate clearly between 'asymmetry' and 'lameness' and not to use these as interchangeable terms when interpreting gait analysis data. Asymmetry is often, but not always, a hallmark of lameness, but is not a clinical term, whereas lameness is."
Professor Van Weeren said: "Digital equine gait analysis is sure to become an indispensable additional tool for clinical decision-making. At this early stage we must define the use of terminology in order to avoid confusion and to prevent the formation of wrong perceptions. Using the term 'lame' for any horse falling beyond thresholds set for quantitative gait analysis or not showing the ideal motion pattern when assessed clinically is inadvisable. We should reserve the use of that term for horses deemed unfit to compete based on a comprehensive assessment of the animal that includes, but does not rely entirely on, the appreciation of the degree of gait asymmetry."
The paper is available free online at: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/evj.12715/full
Reference
The RCVS Inspiration Award is for a veterinary surgeon or veterinary nurse who has demonstrated the ability to inspire and enthuse others consistently throughout his or her career.
The award is open to those who have inspired and motivated individuals or groups or who have worked at a profession-wide level. It will recognise those who have gone 'above and beyond' what may normally be expected from a professional colleague or tutor.
The RCVS Impact Award is for a veterinary surgeon or veterinary nurse who has made a considerable impact that has affected the profession, 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.
Chris Tufnell, Senior Vice-President of the RCVS, said: "I am very excited to be introducing these two new awards for those veterinary surgeons and nurses who go above-and-beyond the call of duty for the benefit of their profession, animals and society as a whole.
"I am keen to emphasise that these two new awards are relevant for veterinary professionals from all walks of life and any stage of their career – these are not life-time achievement awards but are for those making a tangible difference whether that’s in their practice, their region or across the country as a whole.
"If you know someone like this then I would strongly encourage you to find out more on our website and fill out a nomination form."
These two awards join four others made by the College:
Nominations for all six honours are now open. Nomination forms and guidance notes can be downloaded from www.rcvs.org.uk/honours and any questions can be directed to Peris Dean, Executive Secretary, on p.dean@rcvs.org.uk.
The deadline for making nominations is Friday 22 September 2017.
Mr Cortes had pleaded guilty to the offences in January 2017 at Cardiff Crown Court. In February 2017, he was sentenced to six months imprisonment suspended for two years with a requirement to complete unpaid work and rehabilitation activity and a victim surcharge. Following Mr Cortes’ conviction the matters were referred to the RCVS and Mr Cortes was subsequently referred to the Disciplinary Committee.
Mr Cortes did not attend at the Disciplinary Committee hearing and was not represented. The Disciplinary Committee, being satisfied that Mr Cortes had been served with the Notice of Inquiry and having considered and taken into account a number of separate factors, decided that it would be in the interests of justice to proceed with the hearing in his absence.
The Committee considered whether Mr Cortes’ convictions rendered him unfit to practise as a veterinary surgeon. Chitra Karve, chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: "The Committee has reached the conclusion that the respondent’s possession of this material which has led to his convictions was so reprehensible as to merit the description disgraceful. It considers that by possessing this material, the respondent has brought disgrace on the profession and will have undermined confidence in it. It therefore finds that the convictions have rendered the respondent unfit to practise veterinary surgery."
In considering the sanction the Committee decided that removing Mr Cortes from the Register of Veterinary Surgeons was the only available option. Ms Karve added: "The Committee has determined that the respondent’s behaviour is fundamentally incompatible with being a member of the veterinary profession. It therefore directs the Registrar to remove the respondent’s name… from the Register of Veterinary Surgeons."
CCTV will be required in all areas where live animals are present, with unrestricted access to footage for Official Veterinarians.
In addition, the Government has also announced that it will be modernising statutory animal welfare codes to reflect enhancements in medicines, technology and the latest research and advice from veterinary surgeons. The codes will remain enshrined in law and the first to be updated will cover chickens bred for meat.
Consultations on these proposals have been launched this morning (https://consult.defra.gov.uk/farm-animal-welfare/cctv-in-slaughterhouses/ and https://consult.defra.gov.uk/animal-health-and-welfare/code-of-practice-for-the-welfare-of-meat-chickens/)
Environment Secretary Michael Gove said: "We have some of the highest animal welfare standards in the world and the actions I am setting out today will reinforce our status as a global leader.
"As we prepare to leave the EU, these measures provide a further demonstration to consumers around the world that our food is produced to the very highest standards."
BVA President Gudrun Ravetz said: "Today’s announcement is extremely welcome. We have been campaigning on this issue for a number of years and this announcement represents a huge win for animal health and welfare in England.
"Mandatory CCTV in all areas of slaughterhouses will provide an essential tool in fostering a culture of compassion that could help safeguard animal welfare and we are particularly pleased to see a commitment to Official Veterinarians having unrestricted access to footage.
"Vets' independence and unique qualifications help ensure that the UK will continue to have the highest standards of animal health, welfare and food safety.
"We recognise that the cost of installing CCTV may be a burden for some very small abattoirs, but it is important that the animals we farm for food have both a good life and a humane death and CCTV has a key role to play in ensuring these requirements are met."
Gudrun added: "We welcome the consultation to update welfare codes for farmed animals and pets, many of which are in urgent need of updating to reflect the latest animal welfare science and good practice. We are keen to see Defra working with the veterinary profession, industry and all relevant stakeholders to ensure vital welfare codes are brought up to date."
John Tasker of the British Veterinary Poultry Association said: "BVPA are committed to supporting research and implementation of best practice in all aspects of poultry production, including welfare on farm and in the abattoir. We look forward to cooperating fully with Defra in development and implementation of these new initiatives. The British poultry industry has some of the highest welfare standards in the world and seeks to continually update and refine its practices in the light of new research, and to maintain public confidence in the industry."
Photo: Lititz, Pennsylvania. Hoisting a slaughtered steer in Benjamin Lutz's slaughterhouse, 1942. Wikipedia.
The extension, which is due for completion before the end of the year, will allow the centre to offer a range of new services, including a new radioactive iodine unit for treatment of hyperthyroidism in cats, a larger echocardiography suite for cardiac patients, an endoscopy suite, an ophthalmology procedure room, a dedicated operating theatre for minimally invasive procedures and 41 new kennels.
Toby Gemmill, clinical director at Willows, said: "The expansion represents a really exciting time for Willows and has been carefully planned to maximise the space we have available to us.
"We are already extremely well placed to offer a wide variety of specialist treatments and this extension will provide us with the space to build on our gold level cat-friendly clinic status with a radioactive iodine unit for treatment of hyperthyroidism in cats, along with dozens of new kennels and range of specialist treatment rooms."
The extension is part of a major investment drive by the Linnaeus Group, of which Willows is a part, which will see it plough around £9 million into its sites across the UK.
Lynne Hill, chief executive of the Linnaeus Group, said: "We are extremely proud of the practices within the group and are fully prepared to support them financially, and in any other way, to ensure they continue to offer the very best facilities and treatment for our clients and patients."
SPVS/VPMA Congress, which is supported by Boehringer and Citation, will be opened this year by Benjamin Mee, motivational speaker, journalist and the man behind the bestselling book and Hollywood blockbuster "We Bought A Zoo".
Other highlights in the CPD programme include:
The exhibition offers a range of suppliers with advice on marketing, management and business development.
For this year’s President's banquet the theme will be a touch of Moulin Rouge, with high energy festival and party band, RPJ, headed by Rick Parfitt Jnr. Congress will start on Thursday with a Congress Cabaret night, featuring Edinburgh Fringe regulars, Peablossom Academy.
To register and for full details of the programme and sponsors, visit www.spvs-vpma-events.co.uk
The course, which comprises two days of theory and a practical day at Bristol University with course tutors Sue Paterson and Natalie Barnard, is designed to provide nurses with useful and practical dermatology knowledge that can broaden their skill base and extend the services of the practices they work for.
In addition to the study, each nurse was required to submit a case project.
Cathy Gurney, managing director at Vetruus said: "The course was fully booked, a testament to the quality of training on offer and the high regard in which a Veterinary Dermatology Award is held.
"I’m delighted that all the nurses passed. It is not an easy course but they worked hard under the expert guidance of Sue and Natalie."
As well as the Veterinary Dermatology Award, each nurse automatically qualifies to become a Vetruus Dermatology Nurse Advisor. Cathy added: "We are keen to support nurses and practices with both with formal training and informal tutorials, such Vetruus Bites online videos. We want Vetruus Dermatology Nurse Advisors to become a key part of patient care."
The course, which includes diagnostic techniques, practical sessions, allergies, ectoparasites, hormonal skin disease and Otitis Externa, will be run again in 2017. More information on course content, timings and financial support for attendees can be obtained from the Vetruus Territory Managers.
They're holding 80 live prize draws in which each member of its 190-strong team has the chance to win things like a weekend for two in New York, European holidays, festival tickets, a 40” smart TV, an extra weeks’ holiday, an Apple watch, and a chance to be the MD for the day.
Managing director Tim Harrison said: "Every day at 1pm we broadcast a draw from somewhere in the country on Facebook Live where a lucky winner is picked and announced – it’s creating a real buzz around the group. The final draw for the top prize trip to New York will take place on the Saturday night of our annual Congress. Every team member has been entered and anybody new to our practice is added as soon as they join so nobody misses out!
"This year was the fifth consecutive time that we were named as one of the best places to work in the UK, in the 'Sunday Times Best Small Companies to Work For' league table and the 80 prizes in 80 days is just another fun way in which we hope to reward our much-valued team."
You can watch a recording of one of the prize draws being presented by Tim on youtube here - despite the inevitable lower quality of streamed video, the happy vibe at the business and the degree to which it shows genuine care for its people really shines through.
Rebecca Bredbury, veterinary nurse from Walkden, said: "I watched the live draw on Facebook whilst on my hen do in Tenerife and I couldn’t believe my eyes when I won a holiday for two to Barcelona. I am so excited about going. I will be taking my fiancé Ryan who will be my husband by then."
Charlotte O’Gara, student nurse from Walsall, won the Cadburys hamper. She said: "I’m not sharing!"
The bitesize course is online and worth 3 hours of certificated CPD, allowing nurses to extend their knowledge in the ever changing world of parasites and the diseases they can transmit. The course is a series of webinars, and relevant articles followed by an MCQ assessment.
All candidates attaining a distinction in the course are invited to submit a 500 word piece with the title "Putting parasite learnings into practice". These entries will be judged by a panel including a technical vet from Merial and the Education Development Co-ordinator from BVNA.
The winner of the Award will be presented with a plaque at the official awards ceremony of this years' BVNA Congress held on Friday 6 October and will receive a three-day Congress pass. They will also receive a comprehensive parasitology textbook plus £200 of Love2Shop vouchers. In addition, two highly commended entries will be awarded with a parasitology textbook and £100 of Love2Shop vouchers.
You can sign up to the course on the BVNA website (www.bvna.co.uk) using enrolment key PARASITXPERT2017. After viewing the webinars and articles, participants should complete the MCQ assessment. All entries must be received by 17 September 2017.
VETNAPP offers a replacement to paper records and allows entry of drugs administered, physiological parameters (for example heart rate, respiratory rate and blood pressure) and complications occurring during an anaesthetic. The final anaesthetic chart can be converted to a PDF and attached to patient records.
Alastair said: "My motivation for creating the app was born of my frustration while working in Australia about how many handwritten anaesthetic records were incomplete and poorly filled in.
"I developed the app in partnership with an IT graduate at the University of Sydney. It is a replacement for paper records, with features such as you cannot move on to the next page until all data fields are complete. It also allows storage of thousands of records, therefore, allows easy retrieval of records, and prevents lost records which is common with paper records.
"I also would like to eventually have a cloud-based storage of data to allow anaesthesia studies such as drugs used, morbidity/mortality studies, to be carried out on a large scale basis, rather than single centre studies."
VETNAPP has been designed to meet the needs of both general practitioner veterinary surgeons and veterinary specialists in anaesthesia and analgesia.
At present, VETNAPP is only available for the iPad, priced at £59.99.
To download VETNAPP, go to: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/vetnapp/id980918731?mt=8.
The epidemic of respiratory disease in early 2010 was characterised by coughing and nasal discharge.
The disease spread through the population of 77,000 Icelandic horses within weeks, leading to a self-imposed ban on their export and significant economic cost to the country.
Initially, due to the speed at which the disease had spread, a viral cause was suspected. However, investigations by researchers at the University of Iceland showed that only Streptococcus zooepidemicus was consistently recovered from coughing horses and rare fatal cases of infection. However, this bacterium is also often found in healthy horses.
The AHT and the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute were brought in to investigate. Dr Simon Harris from the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute said: "To identify the culprit, we sequenced the DNA from 257 samples of bacteria from diseased animals and people. This showed that one specific strain of S. zooepidemicus, called ST209, was the likely culprit, and we also found this strain in a human case of blood poisoning. This study highlights, for the first time, how DNA sequencing can be used to identify endemic strains of bacteria and distinguish them from the cause of an epidemic infection."
Iceland is free of all major equine infectious diseases thanks to the ban on the importation of horses into the country in 1882. Consequently, Icelandic horses are particularly susceptible to any new bacteria or virus that crosses the border, and so strict biosecurity regulations are in place to help protect them.
Dr. Sigríður Björnsdóttir of the MAST Icelandic Food and Veterinary Authority, used information from owners and veterinary surgeons to build an epidemiological network. This enabled her to identify an equine rehabilitation centre where horses exercised in a water treadmill. The water treadmill is thought to have provided the perfect conditions for transmitting the disease as water was splashed up and ingested. Horses would complete their rehabilitation and return home, whilst incubating the disease, taking the infection with them.
The ST209 strain of S. zooepidemicus found in Iceland has also been recovered from a coughing horse in Sweden and an abdominal abscess in a Finnish horse trainer.
Dr Andrew Waller, Head of Bacteriology at the AHT, said: "There are a couple of theories as to how the strain entered Iceland. These bacteria are able to survive outside a horse for a week or so, which means the import of contaminated equipment or clothing is the most likely route by which ST209 entered Iceland. However, this particular strain could have even infected a human who travelled to Iceland, before spreading the strain back to a horse and triggering the epidemic.
"We are delighted to have helped uncover the likely identity of the cause of this epidemic. Our investigation highlights the ability of S. zooepidemicus strains to cause disease in animals and people. We found evidence that even endemic strains of S. zooepidemicus were likely causing cases of respiratory disease in Icelandic horses, illustrating that this group of bacteria causes more clinical problems in horses than was previously thought. We hope that raising awareness of the cause of this epidemic, and the likely involvement of a water treadmill as a key factor in disease transmission, will encourage veterinarians around the world to improve disease control precautions preventing future epidemics."
In their report, RCVS assessors highlighted the calm and professional environment at Lumbry Park, which they said, taken together with the enthusiasm of the team provided a very positive overall feel. Its provision of separate dog and cat patient visiting rooms was also singled out as a good use of space and support for clients, especially with the potential for long stay cases.
Lumbry Park Hospital Director Ray Girotti said: "We wanted to participate in the Practice Standards Scheme to benchmark the service we offer to our patients and their owners against the best veterinary hospitals in the country. The whole team has worked together to get us to this stage and we are delighted that our efforts have been recognised by the RCVS with the award of Hospital status."
In a short video produced by Elanco Animal Health, Natalie highlighted how critical pet behaviour is to achieve a clinical cure: "Many of our cases that are referred for surgery are because the owner can’t apply treatment. However, we still treat the majority medically, alongside behavioural therapy.
"Prioritising your diagnostics in the consult, especially ear cytology, being able to identify subtle behavioural cues and potentially taking treatment back into the practice can all help achieve first-line treatment success."
Emily said: "Treatment doesn’t need to be merely 'tolerated'; it should be a positive experience. Just one bad experience can be hard to overcome so it’s important to get it right first time."
According to a survey commissioned by Elanco1, 45% of owners struggle to administer ear medications at home. 55% of those said the dog finds it stressful, while 43% said their dog hides from treatment.
Natalie said: "Owners often won’t admit that they struggle to apply ear treatments so it is up to us to ask the right questions and make them feel at ease in order to find out."
Emily added: "Owners often feel guilty and think they should be able to apply the treatment. We frequently underestimate how stressful this can be; having to apply treatment once a day to a painful dog is really difficult for any owner and can seriously affect the bond with their pet."
Natalie says treatment choices should be influenced by subtle behavioural cues in the consultation and in some cases veterinary surgeons should consider taking the burden of treatment away from the owner and into the practice in the first instance, to prevent negative experiences and unnecessary stress. She said: "We often find that applying a long-acting treatment in the consultation can make a big difference. It has less of an impact on the pet-owner bond and can help prevent behavioural issues that develop all too commonly."
Elanco highlights a recent clinical study2 which looked at the impact of Osurnia on quality of life, which concluded that: "A veterinarian-administered otic gel provided equivalent efficacy and higher QoL to dogs with otitis externa and their owners, compared to an owner-administered topical otic therapy".
Natalie said: "It’s our responsibility to proactively prevent the negative association with ear handling, making ear treatment a positive and easy experience. By thinking more about how we handle our patients and what we’re dispensing, potentially using a product that can be applied in the practice and less frequently, we can make the whole experience a lot better for dogs and owners."
References
The rationale for completing a course of antibiotics has always been to prevent the growth of drug-resistant bacteria. However, the article says there is little evidence to support this idea, and that in fact, taking antibiotics for longer than necessary presents a greater risk of causing antibiotic resistance.
Responding to article, BVA Junior Vice President John Fishwick said: "We're very aware of the global threat antimicrobial resistance poses to human and animal health, and the UK veterinary profession is committed to the responsible use of antibiotics. Medicines should never be used to compensate for poor husbandry practices and routine habitual prophylactic use in healthy animals to prevent disease is a no-go.
"The article in the BMJ suggests that antibiotics should be used for as short a period as possible, and that we should move away from the concept of following a predetermined course. This may indeed be a very important advance, but it is far too early to determine how this would work in veterinary practice. We need to clearly establish the evidence supporting it.
"We support the researchers’ calls for clinical trials to determine the most effective strategies for antibiotic treatment. Until further studies are conducted, it is too early to change the way we prescribe medicines and vets should continue to prescribe as previously, only when necessary. It is also vital that clients continue to follow the directions given by their vets, both in terms of dosage and duration of treatment, carefully."
In 2009, Chiara (pictured right) was the first to be awarded by examination the title of European Veterinary Specialist in Oncology after completing a one-year small animal internship at the University of Glasgow and a three-year residency in internal medicine and oncology at the University of Edinburgh.
Alongside her clinical work, Chiara is an honorary lecturer at the University of Liverpool and a multi-lingual specialist consultant, writer and lecturer at events in the UK and Europe. Her focus is on postgraduate training in small animal oncology and internal medicine and online education of pet owners and animal carers. Chiara is a member of the general and oncology examination committees of the European College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ECVIM).
She said: "My aim is to provide veterinarians and owners on a daily basis with the most up-to-date information on cancer diagnosis and treatment options so pets can spend more time with their families whilst protecting their quality of life and preventing suffering."
Samuela is a European Specialist in Veterinary Ophthalmology with a special interest in ocular pathology as well as corneal disease and surgery.
She said: "Working at Willows allows me to be part of a talented and passionate team, and a chance to become the best ophthalmologist I can. Willows offers a very high level of patient care, and working here gives me the opportunity for constant scientific and clinical development."
The report says the greatest threat to farm animal welfare standards post-Brexit would come from UK farmers competing against cheap, imported food from countries that produce to lower standards than the UK. Therefore, the Government's wish for the UK to become a global leader in free trade is not necessarily compatible with its desire to maintain high animal welfare standards.
Noting the UK's overwhelming reliance on non-UK EU citizens to fill crucial official veterinary positions in the UK, the Committee called on the Government to ensure that the industry is able to retain or recruit qualified staff to fill these roles post-Brexit.
Responding to the report, BVA President Gudrun Ravetz said: "The report offers strong leadership and a clear message, emphasising the consumer and cross-sector consensus that current animal health and welfare standards must be at least maintained in Brexit negotiations. Prioritising these standards in trade negotiations could guarantee a unique selling point for the UK. As the report recommends, as consumers we must make sure we do not compromise quality for cost-savings in order to avoid a race to the bottom for welfare standards. We now need clarity from the Government on how underpinning processes and overarching principles, like Article 13 which ensures animal welfare requirements are fully considered in policy-setting, will be incorporated into domestic law.
"The report supports our view that animal welfare should be considered a public good and we reiterate our calls following the Secretary of State’s recent speech that a replacement CAP scheme should encompass animal welfare, animal health, disease surveillance, biodiversity and environmental stewardship to benefit not only UK producers, but consumers and wider society too.
"The EU Committee’s recognition of the vital role vets play in animal health, welfare and public health is extremely encouraging. Official Veterinarians (OVs) working in abattoirs protect and reassure UK consumers, certifying and supervising the import and export of animals and animal products to third countries. As I outlined in my evidence to the Committee, some estimates suggest 95% of OVs working in UK abattoirs graduated overseas, mostly in the EU. However, we are already hearing of fewer applicants for veterinary public health roles since the referendum.
"There are significant concerns about the potential impact of a post-Brexit veterinary workforce shortage on the UK's £100 billion agri-food sector, in terms of risking business and consumer confidence as well as the UK’s future export capability. A strong, sustainable veterinary workforce is absolutely vital to safeguarding animal health, welfare and public health post Brexit."
All SPVS members who complete the survey online will be sent their own personalised survey results allowing them to benchmark their practice against the industry averages.
SPVS is also offering 3 months free membership to anyone who takes part who is not already a member.
VPMA and BVNA members can also complete the survey and the results will be published on their websites.
Peter Brown, SPVS President Elect who leads on development of the surveys said: "Whether you are recruiting, doing an internal pay review, looking for a new job yourself or trying to negotiate a pay rise, it helps to understand what the typical salaries are and the trends. Our new software allows you to easily compare your salaries to others in personalised results making it a valuable business tool."
SPVS is urging as many people as possible to take part in the survey as the more participants, the more reliable the results.
For more information, visit www.spvs.org.uk or call 01926 840318.
Amir Kashiv faced a charge of being unfit to practise veterinary surgery after twice being found guilty of letting dogs roam freely on public highways or land not owned or controlled by him in Peterborough Magistrates’ Court, once on 20 April 2016 and once on 16 November 2016, and by having repeatedly breached court orders in relation to the same.
Dr Kashiv admitted the convictions, but denied that individually or in any combination they rendered him unit to practise veterinary surgery. This was therefore left to the judgement of the Committee.
In considering whether the convictions rendered Dr Kashiv unfit for practice, the Committee first considered the facts of the convictions.
Dr Kashiv had long taken in house dogs with physical and behavioural problems, at some stages having as many as 30 on his property. In 2014 neighbours became concerned by dogs escaping and noise nuisances, and on 14 November 2014 Dr Kashiv was served by the Police with a Warning Notice, requiring him to install adequate fencing within 28 days.
Four days later he was then served with an Abatement Notice for a Noise Nuisance about the dogs, and on 10 January 2015 he was then served with a Community Protection Notice requiring him to stop his dogs roaming and ensure adequate fencing.
After multiple subsequent escapes Dr Kashiv pleaded guilty of being in breach of the Community Protection Order at the Magistrates’ Court on 20 April 2016, receiving penalties amounting to £5,000 and costs of £6,000, as well as a two year Criminal Behaviour Order requiring him to reduce the number of dogs to no more than five with 28 days, and requiring his dogs to be supervised at all times while they were outside the house.
Two months later one of the dogs was seen outside the property, resulting in another conviction for breach of the Criminal Behaviour Order on 16 November 2016, and Dr Kashiv was fined £250 as well as £250 in costs.
The Committee then considered whether this resulted in Dr Kashiv being unfit to practise veterinary surgery. It considered it a serious matter that a veterinary surgeon should allow himself to be made subject to a Warning Notice, and that, being subject to such a Notice, he should then be found in repeated breach of the Notice and invite prosecution. While the Committee accepts that it is difficult to fence his entire grounds, ten acres in total, the Committee took it as a mark against Dr Kashiv that he failed to address the concerns of the authorities by reducing the number of dogs he housed until he was compelled to do so.
Jane Downes, who was chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: "The Committee regards this as a case close to borderline. These offences, involving the mismanagement by a veterinary surgeon of his animals and repeated offences demonstrate that Dr Kashiv had a less than adequate insight in 2014 and 2015 into the seriousness of the situation or into the understandable concerns of his neighbours and of the authorities. They are capable of bringing the profession into disrepute so as to undermine public confidence in it.
"But, in the end, The Committee has concluded that Dr Kashiv is not unfit by reason of these convictions to practise as a veterinary surgeon.
"It is apparent from the material before the Committee that Dr Kashiv is a dedicated veterinary surgeon whose life’s work has been devoted to the welfare of small animals and who has gone to extraordinary lengths, at his own expense, to do all that he possibly could to alleviate the suffering of, and rehabilitate, unloved and abandoned and unwell dogs.
"In all the circumstances and in the light of all the evidence the Committee finds that the convictions, whether taken individually or in any combination, do not render Dr Kashiv unfit to practice veterinary surgery."
The practice, which is owned by the Linnaeus Group, says it will be refurbishing its existing facilities, extending its premises, hiring more specialist veterinary surgeons, veterinary nurses and support staff and installing state-of-the-art new equipment.
In addition, it plans to refresh its intern programme and launch a nurse training programme.
A six-month programme of building works will include a new reception area, consultation room and medicine and surgery wards.
New services and facilities will include a cat ward, X-ray department and endoscopy and chemotherapy facilities.
Operations manager Daniel Hogan (pictured right), said: "This is a very exciting period as we grow in every possible area and work more closely with referring practices to continue to develop our bespoke and exceptional service for patients and clients.
"Our aim is aspiring and simple: to create the very best referral centre possible by bringing together the expertise of the very best of veterinary professionals supported by the very latest in technological innovation."
For more information about Southfields Veterinary Specialists, visit: www.southfields.co.uk.
Dr Crespo appeared in front of the Disciplinary Committee earlier this week with two charges against her. The first was that, in November 2015, she dishonestly and falsely made an online representation to the College that she had no criminal convictions, cautions or adverse findings despite having been convicted, in January 2015, of failing to provide a specimen of breath. The second charge against her was that, in March 2016, she once again dishonestly and falsely failed to declare her conviction when renewing her registration.
During the hearing the Committee had two main considerations in respect of both charges – as to whether Dr Marin Crespo had been dishonest in failing to declare the conviction and as to whether the respondent ought to have known that her representations were false. Regarding the dishonesty element, the Committee found the College had not sufficiently proven this, as it accepted Dr Marin Crespo’s evidence that she did not believe she needed to declare a motoring-related offence as it was not relevant to her professional practice.
However, the Committee found it proven that the respondent ought to have known that the representations were false, taking into account that Dr Marin Crespo made admissions that she ought to have checked the guidance on declaring convictions, cautions and/or adverse findings and ought to have been aware that making such declarations is a requirement of the RCVS Code of Professional Conduct.
Having found the parts of the two charges relating to false representation proven, the Committee then considered whether this constituted serious professional misconduct.
Judith Webb, chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, said:"The Committee considers that the false declarations made by the respondent were born of a careless disregard for the disclosure process. The Committee notes that the respondent could easily have checked online, and/or by telephone, as to what she was obliged to do when making the relevant declarations. She failed to do that.
"In these circumstances, the Committee considers that the respondent’s conduct fell far short of that which is to be expected of the veterinary profession. Therefore, in the judgement of the Committee, on the facts found proved, the respondent is guilty of disgraceful conduct in a professional respect."
In considering Dr Marin Crespo’s sanction the Committee took into account a number of mitigating factors including her full cooperation with the College’s investigation, her hitherto unblemished career, her testimonial evidence which it felt demonstrated her dedication and professionalism, and the fact that she has displayed remorse and insight into her conduct.
Judith Webb concluded: "The Committee notes that the respondent’s conduct caused no harm, or risk of harm, to animals or humans. The Committee also notes that there is no charge arising out of the criminal conviction itself. The Committee considers that, if the respondent had answered the online questions correctly, it is unlikely that the respondent would have appeared before the Committee.
"Every veterinary surgeon must ensure that they adopt a careful and accurate approach to the self-certification exercise, which is crucial if the public and the College are to have trust in that process. In these circumstances, the Committee considered that the proportionate sanction in this case is that the respondent be… reprimanded for her conduct."
VetNurse Profiles offer the same sort of features you find on external social networks like Linkedin and Facebook, but in a professional format designed specially for the veterinary profession.
They've been developed to help veterinary job seekers, locums and forum contributors in particular:
VETERINARY JOB SEEKERSVetNurse Profiles have been designed to help you create what is essentially a polished CV. You can include details of where you qualified, which advanced qualifications you hold, your clinical interests, and your work experience.
Importantly, VetNurse Profiles have also been integrated within VetNurse Jobs. So now, when you respond to a job advert by clicking the email address given in the contact details, your email program will open a new message containing a link to your VetNurse Profile, ready to send to the advertiser.
VETERINARY LOCUMSVetNurse Profiles are also integrated within the VetNurse Locum Map, making them a great way to advertise your skillset to hiring practices.
VETNURSE FORUM CONTRIBUTORSHaving a good profile displayed really helps build a sense of connection with other members. Perhaps more importantly, though, they help give your words context. When reading a post, it's so helpful to know when the author qualified, where, and what makes them tick.
Ultimately, though, VetNurse Profiles are for anyone and everyone who wants to be better connected with others in the profession, and the plan is to develop more and more features which help do precisely that.
To create your VetNurse Profile, visit the site, click ‘My Account’, then ‘View My Profile’ and add your details to the page. Here's one I prepared earlier (obviously the qualifications and education are there for example only).
VetNurse Profiles are only visible to logged in members of VetNurse.co.uk.
By becoming a Stonewall Diversity Champion, the RCVS joins over 750 other organisations who are striving to create workplaces that are equal, inclusive and accepting.
Lizzie Lockett, RCVS Deputy CEO and Director of the Mind Matters Initiative, said: "We are delighted to be working with Stonewall and will benefit greatly from its expertise and energy. These may not be easy issues to tackle but we hope that this tie-up with Stonewall will, in itself, send a positive message of our intent to take the issues seriously and make the RCVS, and the veterinary profession at large, as inclusive as possible.
"There are three aspects to the work we plan: first, to ensure the RCVS is a welcoming and accepting employer by integrating inclusion and diversity into all aspects of our organisation; second, to review our policies and procedures around areas such as registration, to make sure that they take account of the diversity within the veterinary profession; and, finally, through our Mind Matters Initiative, we aim to work with our partners to develop inclusive workplaces throughout the veterinary profession. The ability to be oneself in the workplace has a big impact on mental health and wellbeing so it’s a core issue for Mind Matters."
The College says that the move to link up with Stonewall came about as a result of discussions with Mat Hennessey, President of the British Veterinary Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender group, who said: "We are extremely excited about the collaboration between the RCVS and Stonewall, and feel this positive move to culture equality and inclusivity will benefit the profession as a whole. Stonewall is the largest LGBT+ charity in the UK and Europe and thus has a wealth of knowledge and resources relating to LGBT+ issues. We look forward to continuing to work with both parties during this important venture."
Abby Crawford, Public Sector Client Manager at Stonewall, said: "We know that LGBT staff can face specific barriers in the workplace and it’s great that the RCVS has taken a strong commitment to LGBT equality in this way. We look forward to working with them to create more inclusive environments for their staff and service users – working towards a world where all lesbian, gay, bi and trans people are accepted without exception."
Mark will be cycling the 100-mile route, the same as was used in the 2012 London Olympics, on Sunday 30th July.
Mark said: "Having worked in veterinary medicine for more than 20 years, I have have come to appreciate that it is a career with highs as well as lows. That some days are going to be pure gold, but others are likely to be emotionally tough and stressful. In those times mental health can be tested and that's where services like Mind really come into their own. I'd like to advertise their work and raise some money at the same time by cycling this event for them.
"I have wanted to support Mind for a long time and the Prudential 100 is a local event that gives me an opportunity to support their great work."
If you'd like to support Mark's efforts, you can do so at: http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/markturner31