Bayer Animal Health - maker of Remend - has released the second in its series of 'Back to Basics' educational videos, this one covering canine ophthalmology. Alongside, the company has also launched a new educational practice display pack about Dry Eye in dogs.

The 15 minute video (see below) is hosted by Chris Dixon, veterinary ophthalmologist and director at Veterinary Vision Ophthalmic Referrals, who discusses things to consider when examining a patient with an ocular disorder. He offers practical advice on how to perform an ocular examination, including tips on how to use an ophthalmoscope effectively, examining the ocular structures including the front eye, distant direct examination, indirect examination and close direct examination.

Chris said: "This series of videos aims to help vets learn how to perform the fundamental techniques of ophthalmic examination, hopefully enabling them to spot potentially degenerative conditions earlier. The second video in particular delves into practical tips that vets can use within practice. The videos have been created in partnership with Bayer as part of their ongoing commitment to training, and aim to help ensure that chronic conditions, such as keratoconjunctivitis sicca (KCS), or dry eye, are diagnosed and treated early."

The veterinary practice waiting room display materials are designed to help practices educate dog owners on the signs and management of Dry Eye in the hope that the condition may be diagnosed and treated earlier and to emphasise the importance of ongoing treatment and management.

Hannah Watts, Group Product Manager at Bayer said: "It is important that dog owners with a predisposed breed are aware that their pet may be at risk of developing Dry Eye and are aware of the symptoms. Annual testing in at risk breeds for Dry Eye is recommended to help reach an early diagnosis and optimise the chances of a successful treatment outcome."

The Dry Eye practice display materials are available to order via the Bayer Vet Centre www.vetcentre.bayer.co.uk. Alternatively, ask your Bayer rep for more details.

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Veterinary telemedicine firm Vet AI, which offers video consultations to pet owners via its Joii Pet Care app, is now calling for remote prescribing - without a physical exam or the back up of a veterinary premises - to be allowed permanently.

The company says it is calling for the change after analysing the records of its consultations held during the pandemic and finding that there was a low antibiotic prescribing rate, treatments were effective and no harm was caused.

During the seven months that Vet-AI collected data, from the 1st April to the 31st October 2020, its vets held 21,383 veterinary video consultations, an analysis of which is the subject of a paper published in the RCVS Knowledge journal, Veterinary Evidence1. 

78.1% of the consultations were for dogs and 21.9% for cats.

Of the vet-led video consultations completed, 3,541 had medicines prescribed during the consultation.

Some consultations required more than one prescription, which meant a total of 4,282 POM-V medications were prescribed.

Of those, Vet-AI says 0.87% reported a mild adverse effect. 

Antibiotics were prescribed in 5.9% of all consultations, 99.3% of which was first line.

Vet AI says follow-up on prescribing was available in 67.7% of cases and 89.4% of all known treatment outcomes were complete or had an expected response to treatment.

Skin problems were the most common body system/disease category seen and prescribed for. 

The remaining 17,482 consultations, which did not require a prescription medicine, had resolutions assigned.

They included 959 referrals to an emergency in-person veterinarian visit; 4,852 recommendations to visit a vet in-person; 4,216 alternative products recommended, 6,421 follow-up consultations with the remote veterinary team, and 219 remote laboratory tests. 

Samantha Webster MRCVS (pictured right), from Joii Pet Care, said: “Given the clear evidence outlined in this report, we believe the future of veterinary medicine should include remote consultations with remote prescribing where appropriate and regulated.

"We invite the RCVS and other veterinary governing bodies to consider that there is a place for prescribing remotely on an ongoing basis for certain cases under certain conditions, such as a secure video and audio link with clinical record keeping and pharmacovigilance practice.

"A blanket ban is not appropriate with the advance of modern technology."

“Bold steps have been taken in human health, incorporating modern technologies to support both GPs and patients, to great success.

"Our industry could use these learnings to help reduce the current strain and demands on vets across the country where mental health is already a key issue due to increased pressures, under resourcing, and compassion fatigue. 

“We feel it’s important to take this approach to reach as many owners and provide professional advice and appropriate treatment on pet health so that those animals that do not necessarily currently receive veterinary care do so, and to bridge the gap wanted by clients.” 

Reference

1. Smith S. M., DayT., Webster S. G., DaviesS., HardcastleT. P., & WilliamsA. (2022). Clinical audit of POM-V / POM prescriptions by remote consultation via a veterinary video telemedicine smartphone application. Veterinary Evidence, 7(2). https://doi.org/10.18849/ve.v7i2.553 

Research carried out by YouGov on behalf of the Dogs Trust, has shown that as the cost of living crisis develops, 68% of dog owners in the UK feel worried, to some extent, about how they will care for their dog in the next year, with 30% either ‘very’ or ‘fairly’ worried.

35% think the rising cost of living is already making it more difficult to give their dogs all they need.

By far the greatest worry was how they would manage to pay vet bills, which 49% named as their main concern.

The second biggest worry was affording dog food (17%), closely followed by insurance (15%).

Non-dog owners in the UK, meanwhile, were asked whether the rising cost of living would prevent them from adopting or buying a dog. Over half (54%) said that it would.

The Dogs Trust says this research mirrors its own experience, seeing a steady increase in the number of requests from owners who have decided to give up their dog.

It harks back to the year after the 2008 recession, when the increase in the number of stray and abandoned dogs reached over 25% in the UK.

Owen Sharp, Dogs Trust CEO, said: "We know from the experience of the 2008 recession that economic crisis can and will lead to people needing to give up their beloved dogs. Sadly, many loving dog owners simply won’t be able to afford to keep them.

“At Dogs Trust we’re rehoming and fostering dogs as quickly as we can - but as soon as we free up a kennel space, there’s a dog to fill it again.

“We’ve already taken 13,000 calls this year from owners who need to give up their dogs – a 58% increase on last year.

“We know that dog owners need immediate help and we’re working hard to find ways to support them - but it takes time.

“However, there are other ways we help, like our Hope Project, which aims to keep anyone experiencing a housing crisis and their dog together, and helping people find other services such as pet food banks or local charities that could ease the burden.”  

“We want dog owners to realise that they don’t have to wait until they are in crisis to call us for help.”

Vets Now has opened bookings for its emergency and critical care Congress which takes place from Thursday 3rd to Friday 4th November 2022 at the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds.

The event offers over 80 hours of CPD across seven streams – with everything from hypotension and sepsis to breaking bad news to clients – as well as world-renowned speakers and networking opportunities.  

Søren Boysen from the University of Calgary in Canada and Sophie Adamantos from Paragon Referrals in Wakefield, are among several high-profile speakers at this year’s Congress.

Chief Executive for GB Snowsport, Victoria Gosling OBE, will open Congress as keynote speaker where she’ll focus on perseverance, resilience and teamwork.

Also speaking are Prof. John Williams, Richard Casey, executive director at the World Small Animal Veterinary Association and VDS trainer Elly Russell.

Arlene Connor, an RVN and head of clinical operations at Vets Now and IVC Evidensia has planned the programme alongside national ECC lead Dan Lewis (pictured right). 

She said: “We’re so excited to be returning to the Royal Armouries for our 19th Vets Now ECC Congress – around a theme which celebrates us all being together again.

"The past two years have been a challenge for all of us in the veterinary professions and we hope to mitigate that with a return to face-to-face learning and networking, as well as the chance to have some fun.

"Events like this can be hugely inspirational — for the organisers as well as the attendees — and we truly can’t wait to welcome everyone through the doors like old times.”

Dan added: “There’s a brilliant line-up of live speakers, workshops, a packed exhibition hall and more opportunities than ever for delegates to meet old friends and make new ones, as well as to learn from some of the world’s leading veterinary experts discussing emergency and critical care. 

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

Tickets range in price from £45 + VAT for exhibition-only tickets, up to £470 + VAT for a vet to attend for 2 days plus the gala dinner.

To book your ticket, go to www.vets-now.com/congress2022

The RVC has published new research which has revealed the 20 most common disorders and the typical lifespan of pet hamsters.

The study¹, the largest in the world to date, investigated anonymised veterinary clinical records of a random sample of almost 4,000 hamsters.

The three most common hamster species were Syrian (golden) hamster (73.5%), Djungarian (winter white dwarf) hamster (13.8%) and Roborovski hamster (6.4%).

From a list of the 20 most common disorders across all hamster species, the most common disorders were "wet tail" – (diarrhoea or liquid discharge) (7.33%), bite injuries from other hamsters (5.88%), overgrown nails (4.13%), overgrown front teeth (3.98%) and traumatic injury (3.80%).

The average age at death across all hamsters was 21 months (1.75 years).

The RVC says a better awareness of the average lifespan of pet hamsters should help veterinary surgeons build realistic expectations for hamster owners and may also help owners accept the animal welfare benefit for euthanasia.

It is also helpful to help children understand the typical natural lifecycle of pet hamsters.

Other findings included:

• The most common causes of deaths were “wet tail” (7.9%), abdominal mass (6.4%), cancer (5.4%) and difficulty breathing (4.0%).
• Compared to other types of hamster, Syrian (golden) hamsters had higher risk of 7/20 (35%) common disorders and lower odds of 1/20 (5%) common disorders groups.\
• Disorders with highest risk in Syrian (golden) hamsters compared with hamsters that were not Syrian (golden) included: female reproductive disorder (x 5.19), urinary system disorder (x 5.04) and appetite disorders (x2.68).
• The disorder with the lowest risk in Syrian (golden) hamsters was traumatic injury (x 0.34).
• The average lifetime disorder count across all hamsters was one disorder although the Syrian (golden) hamster had a higher number of disorders than the other two species.

Dr Dan O’Neill, Associate Professor in Companion Animal Epidemiology at the RVC and lead author of the paper, said: “Hamsters can make good pets for both adults and children but until now, very little was published about their health.

"Parents can now help their children with realistic expectations of how long their hamster may live and what are the most common conditions to look out for to protect the health of these delightful little creatures.”  

The RVC has an advice sheet on hamster care here: https://rvc.uk.com/hamster-care. 

Reference

1. O’Neill et al. (2022) "Demography, disorders and mortality of pet hamsters under primary veterinary care in the UK in 2016" Journal of Small Animal Practice

The RCVS Veterinary Nurse Disciplinary Committee has suspended Gwent-based veterinary nurse Samantha Giles from the Register for two months after she failed to respond to repeated requests to provide her CPD records.

At the outset of the hearing, Ms Giles admitted that between 1 August 2012 and 21 June 2016 she had failed to respond to reasonable requests from the RCVS to share her CPD records – these requests amounted to 11 letters, two emails and three telephone calls. Of these attempts to contact Ms Giles, she responded to just one email. This was in May 2016 in which she issued an apology (and an explanation that she had moved address) and offered to provide certificates proving that she had undertaken CPD – despite the fact that no such evidence could in fact be produced.

During the proceedings the RCVS asserted that Ms Giles had failed to comply with several crucial aspects of the Code of Professional Conduct for Veterinary Nurses – namely that all members of the profession are expected to undertake at least 45 hours of CPD over a rolling three-year period in order to keep their professional skills and competences up-to-date, that these CPD records should be provided upon request and that members of the profession must comply with reasonable requests from the RCVS.

In her evidence Ms Giles said that she knew she should have responded to these requests but admitted that she did not originally regard the requests as important and thought that the matter would 'go away' if she did not respond. When it became clear that this was not the case she said she found it difficult to face up to her obligations. She also admitted that her failures to respond were unprofessional and that she now has an appreciation of the importance of undertaking CPD in terms of keeping up with changing practices and advances in veterinary and nursing practice.

Having found the charges against her proved and finding her guilty of disgraceful conduct, the Committee then considered its sanction against Ms Giles. The Committee took into account the seriousness of Ms Giles' failings in that she made repeated decisions not to comply with requests from the RCVS over a protracted period of four years. 

Professor Alistair Barr, chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: "Your failures show, inevitably, a disregard for the regulatory responsibilities of the RCVS to police veterinary nurses' obligations to fulfil their CPD requirements."

He added: "The RCVS can only seek to ensure compliance with those obligations at one step removed, namely by requesting information from its registrants that they have complied with their CPD obligations. They are in this respect, therefore, heavily dependent on the cooperation of registrants to provide full, honest and prompt responses to their reasonable requests for confirmation of their compliance. It is that which has been sorely absent in this case."

The Committee heard mitigating evidence on behalf of Ms Giles including witness statements and letters from current and former colleagues which complimented her communication skills with work colleagues and animal owners and in which it was accepted that she is a "valued member of the veterinary nursing profession."

The Committee also recognised that she had shown insight into her failings, that she had not attempted to excuse the failures to respond to the RCVS and had been making efforts to keep records of her CPD.

However, the Committee decided that a suspension from the Register would be the most appropriate sanction. Professor Barr said: "The mitigation that has been advanced on your behalf has been considered by the Committee and that has served to reduce the period of suspension that a bare account of the facts pertaining to the charge laid against you might suggest is appropriate.

"In the result that mitigation has persuaded us that we would be acting consistently with our public duty by imposing a period of suspension of two months. In imposing that sanction we have noted the evidence as to your professional competence and your other professional qualities. The Committee trusts, therefore, that once you have served your period of suspension you will return to the practice which you say you love."

The BVA has expressed its disappointment at a report instructed by the Welsh Government that recommends CCTV should not be mandatory in slaughterhouses in Wales.

The Safeguarding Animal Welfare at Slaughter Task and Finish Group’s report, which outlines the findings of the Group’s investigation into the welfare of animals in slaughterhouses and the potential role of CCTV, concluded that there was not a "sufficient basis" for making CCTV in Welsh abattoirs mandatory.

The BVA and the Veterinary Public Health Association (VPHA) believe mandatory CCTV in slaughterhouses and veterinary surgeons' unrestricted access to CCTV footage are vital in order to safeguard animal welfare, assist with enforcement and instil customer confidence.

Dr Neil Paton, BVA Welsh Branch President, said: "We are disappointed that the Task and Finish Group has not taken on board the concerns of vets working in slaughterhouses and not followed the logic of their own arguments about the benefits of CCTV highlighted in the report. While we know that CCTV is not the answer to all welfare concerns, it is recognised as an important tool by the Farm Animal Welfare Committee and encourages the highest standards of animal welfare and good stockmanship. We also need to ensure that where CCTV is installed, vets can have access to the footage. If there isn’t CCTV footage, or vets cannot access the footage, how can the number of reported incidents in abattoirs be verified?"

The report, The Need for and Possible Implementation of a Workable System of CCTV in All Slaughterhouses in Wales, details that only eight large abattoirs of the total 26 abattoirs in Wales have CCTV. Although the bulk of animals in Wales are slaughtered in these eight abattoirs, lack of CCTV in other abattoirs means 3.4% of poultry are slaughtered without CCTV safeguards, accounting for over 2 million birds, and 10.5% of sheep, pigs and cattle are slaughtered in abattoirs without CCTV – nearly 385,000 animals. The potential risk of welfare harm to these animals is increased by this lack of CCTV.

Gudrun Ravetz, President of the British Veterinary Association said: "What vets who work in slaughterhouses, and all those who care about animal welfare, are striving for is a culture of compassion in abattoirs. CCTV is an important tool in encouraging and implementing such a culture. The report’s recommendations encourage abattoirs to install and use CCTV effectively for training purposes, but, together with the VPHA, we would like to re-emphasise our calls for CCTV to be mandatory in all slaughterhouses in the UK and for legislation to ensure that footage is readily available to vets. 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."

The report also outlined a number of other recommendations, which are welcomed by BVA, including the request for grants to be made available to assist small sites invest in the equipment and an additional focus on the improvement of welfare of animals during transport to slaughter.

The impact of Brexit on the veterinary profession came into focus on Channel 4's main evening news last night. 

Reporter Andy Davies spoke to Charlotte Debbaut MRCVS, a veterinary surgeon from Belgium working at the Tindale Veterinary Practice in Gloucestershire, where there are 13 vets with eight different nationalities. He also interviewed Matthew Pugh MRCVS and Ovidiu Oltean MRCVS from Belmont Veterinary Centre, a mixed practice in Hereford which employs five foreign nationals out of a team of 13 veterinary surgeons.

Finally, he talked to John Blackwell MRCVS at Brownlow Veterinary Group in Shropshire, where Brexit had already caused a Croatian member of his team to refuse a permanent position and return to Ireland.

Congratulations to the RCVS and BVA press offices, who will have been hard at work behind the scenes.

See: https://www.channel4.com/news/brexit-affecting-vet-recruitment

MSD Animal Health has announced the launch of the "Time for Change" Preventative Healthcare Challenge, designed to place preventative healthcare at the heart of practices’ daily activities. 

The company says the challenge has been developed on the basis of recent research which found that despite 74% of vet-visiting pet owners believing in the value of preventative healthcare, more than half of active pet owners currently don’t see the vet as their primary source of information regarding pet health. Furthermore, those pet owners that fail to return for an annual preventative health consultation often cited their pet being healthy as the main reason.

The new scheme focuses on driving client compliance and footfall by developing the partnership between the vet and pet owner. MSD says it takes a more holistic approach to the relationship, focusing on the vet practice as the primary source of advice and information on all aspects of pet healthcare and wellbeing, whether the pet is healthy or sick.

Practices that register with their MSD Animal Health account manager will receive a toolkit to support their whole team in positioning the practice as a centre for expertise on preventative healthcare and wellbeing. 

Caroline Darouj, Nobivac Brand Manager at MSD Animal Health said: :This Challenge is a step-change in terms of our work with vets and support for the practice-pet owner partnership. We are focusing on encouraging communications that highlight the value of the preventative healthcare visit going beyond the obvious benefits of vaccination and parasite control. 

"We have recently heard in the news how by just having a conversation about obesity medical practitioners can be an effective catalyst for positive change with patients. It is our belief that changing the conversation and focusing on preventative health has the potential to create positive outcomes in pet health and wellbeing, as well as owner satisfaction and business outcomes."

MSD says the challenge goes beyond the important and widely recognised aspects of preventative healthcare such as vaccination, worming and ectoparasite control to embrace five principal wellbeing needs around care and companionship, feeding, the pet’s environmental, behavioural and preventative health needs. The toolkit will aim to increase the pet owner’s understanding of the value and benefit of annual preventative healthcare visits and develop the level of client engagement with practice staff.

Practices interested in further details should contact their MSD Animal Health Account Manager or call MSD Animal Health on +44 (0) 1908 685 556.

Chief Veterinary Officer Nigel Gibbens has announced that the Avian Influenza Prevention Zone that has been in place since 6th December will be extended until 28th February to help protect captive birds, after confirmation of another case of H5N8 in a backyard flock in Carmarthenshire yesterday.

Nigel Gibben said: "The Prevention Zone means anyone who keeps poultry such as chickens, ducks and geese, even as pets, must take action to stop them coming into contact with wild birds to protect them from avian flu.

"Birds should be moved into a suitable building, or if that isn’t possible owners must take sensible precautions to keep them away from wild birds, like putting up netting to create a temporary enclosure and keeping food and water supplies inside where they cannot be contaminated by wild birds.

"Even when birds are kept indoors a risk of infection remains so keepers must also practice good biosecurity, for example by disinfecting footwear and equipment and washing clothing after contact with birds.

"Recent H5N8 avian flu findings in wild birds and a backyard flock in Wales highlight just how essential it is to minimise contact between wild and captive birds and maintain good biosecurity to reduce the risk of infection.

"We must continue to be vigilant and do all we can to protect against this highly pathogenic strain of the disease, which is why we are extending the Prevention Zone, have introduced a ban on poultry gatherings and continue to strengthen surveillance to understand the extent of infection in wild birds."

A new study carried out by The University of Salford and sponsored by Merial has found that ticks present a risk all year round in the UK¹.

Researchers found that ticks continued to quest in woodlands throughout the year, even during the coldest months and ticks could also be detected on dogs throughout the year.

These observations concur with the results of a recent analysis of practice electronic health records which showed the presence of ticks on pets in all weeks between December and March².

The study confirms the importance of treating dogs all year round to help reduce the risk of transmission of tick-borne diseases.

Lynda Maris, Product Manager for NexGard Spectra at Merial said: "It’s been thought for some time that ticks are very inactive or even dormant in winter and don’t present a risk. These findings show that they continue to quest in an attempt to find a host and are often successful. If ticks are attaching and feeding during the winter months, the risk of Lyme disease and babesiosis remains a real possibility. If the appropriate product is selected, the same year-round treatment programme that controls fleas and other parasites, will also treat ticks and thus help reduce the risk of tick-borne diseases."

The study recruited nine veterinary practices and monitored tick activity across three woodland sites in Southern Cumbria. In some cases multiple ticks were found on the animals – with one animal hosting an incredible 21.

Post graduate student Jessica Hall has been running the study since 2013, which has also involved running PCR for detection of DNA from Borrelia burdorferi (Lyme disease) on the collected ticks, with this data due to be released early next year. She said: "From the data we have collected in this longitudinal study we have identified questing ticks all year round at some sites and have shown that this pattern of questing activity results in pets being bitten by ticks even during winter."

References

1. Sanchez-Vizcaino et al. Canine babesiosis and tick activity monitored using companion animal electronic health records in the UK. Vet Record (2016) 179 : 35
2. Report MERUK02. Data on file.

Photo: Questing tick; Mcvoorhis, Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0

The British Army has announced a recruitment drive for veterinary nurses to help look after military working dogs both in the UK and on deployed operations. 

Veterinary nurses are needed for an Army Reserve Squadron dedicated to military working dogs, formed in 2015 following the success of 1st Military Working Dog Regiment. 

Major Chris Ham of the Royal Army Veterinary Corps said: "There are many opportunities available to attain qualifications and skills so individuals can reach their potential, as well as sporting opportunities and many chances to participate in adventure training overseas and in the UK.

"It’s great, our soldiers really enjoy the challenge, the fun and excitement as well as the true sense of belonging; working together with like-minded individuals doing something truly worthwhile in their spare time working with animals, as well as being part of a professional close-knit team."  

Chris says he hopes there are RVNs that would like to supplement their full time civilian career with a part-time job as an RVN or handler in the Army Reserve. He says there are many benefits for the recruit and their civilian employer alike, including the chance to further develop your leadership, team-building and coaching skills, amongst others.

Recruits, who don't need any previous military experience, have to complete basic soldier training: a combination of weekend training and a final training course lasting 14 days. The training assesses an individual’s fitness as well as teaching them about military life, how to map read, how to live in the field, first aid and weapon handling.

Reservist soldiers include veterinary surgeons, prison officers, telecoms technicians, teachers, a nurse, train driver, custody officer, police officers, several dog handlers and kennel assistants.

The Squadron says it is keen for recruits to handle dogs early in the training process, and that RVNs' specialist skills are put to good use as soon as possible.

On completion of basic military training all Reservists are trained as Protection Military Working Dog Handlers on a 16 day residential course at the Defence Animal Centre. Here they are taught how to care for dogs in different situations as well as husbandry, kennel management, veterinary care, continuation training for Army dogs and how to handle the dogs on operations. RVNs would undergo the same training, and the Squadron says that having RVNs trained as handlers would give it even more potential.

Chris says that there are also excellent promotion prospects for those seeking a rewarding part-time career. Recruits who are able to commit to 19 days training a year, can currently earn £300 on joining, £1000 on completion of basic training, a further £1000 is payable on completion of the dog course, as well as receiving a daily rate of pay and generous fuel allowances for travel.  Individuals who complete 19 days or more a year earn a tax free bounty of £412 in year one, rising to over £1700 in year 5 and thereafter.

For further information, visit: army.mod.uk, or call 0345 600 8080.