Ceva Animal Health has launched a new national TV advertising campaign to raise awareness of the benefits of its veterinary behaviour product Feliway amongst cat owners.

Featuring the strapline ‘Transforming behaviour begins with Feliway’, Ceva says the advertisement will educate cat owners on the action they should take to keep their cats happy and maintain a happy home, particularly in multi-cat households where inter-cat tension may be a problem.  It focuses on the real life testimonial of a pet owner and the challenges of introducing a new cat to a household.

The 30 second advertisement, which is aimed at ABC1 women, will air from Christmas Day until Sunday 11 January.  It will be featured on ITV1, Channel 4, Channel 5, digital channels including E4, Film4, ITV2, ITV3 and ITVBe and London Live.

For further information on Feliway visit www.feliway.co.uk. 

The RCVS is to launch a consultation in the New Year on proposals to allow all RCVS-registered veterinary surgeons to use the courtesy title 'Dr'/'Doctor', and is seeking the views of all members of the veterinary and veterinary nursing professions, and the general public.

The proposals were raised by RCVS President Stuart Reid at RCVS Day in July 2014, with the aims of aligning the UK with international practice, providing greater clarity for the profession and offering reassurance to clients and the animal-owning public that all veterinary surgeons registered with the RCVS, regardless of where they qualified, have veterinary degrees of an appropriate standard.

In his speech in July, Stuart highlighted that most international veterinary surgeons use the title and that, in Australia and New Zealand, this is frequently tied to registration and professional standing, rather than necessarily academic attainment. He went on to outline that, of the three main clinical degrees in the UK, ie medicine, dentistry and veterinary medicine, only veterinary surgeons do not use the courtesy title 'Doctor'.

Stuart added: "given the fact that all continental EU graduates carry the title 'Doctor', there is now a greater chance of confusion for the lay public than previously.

"This is now an opportunity to provide, for those UK veterinary surgeons who wish it, the legitimate use of a title that offers a level of parity with fellow medical professionals."

The key objective of the consultation is to gauge whether the public and the profession are in favour of the proposal, not in favour of it, or don't mind either way. If agreed, the use of the title would be optional, although the College would regulate its use through theRCVS Code of Professional Conduct.

Background information and draft guidance on using the title is available to read on the RCVS website at www.rcvs.org.uk/doctortitle, from where respondents can follow a link to answer the consultation questions.

The consultation will open officially on Tuesday, 6 January for six weeks (deadline for responses is 5pm on Monday, 16 February) although it is already available to view via the RCVS website, to allow more time for responses over the Christmas and New Year break.

Do you think vets should be called Dr? Discuss here.

Invicta Animal Health has launched an enhanced version of the ChroMyco Duo dermatophyte test.

The tests use a new round plate with an improved lid design. In addition, the plates are wider and deeper providing 25% more culture medium.

According to the company, the dual plate test with Dermatophyte Test Media (DTM) on one side and an Enhanced Sporulation Agar (ESA) on the other greatly reduces the risk of false positive results. 

The test is performed by veterinary staff taking a pluck of fur or skin scrape from the lesion and inoculating both sides. After three to six days of room temperature incubation, if dermatophytes are present, the DTM will turn red and the ESA will turn blue-green.

Rob Watkins, Managing Director of Invicta, said: "We always listen and respond to customer feedback. The new design plates provide reduced condensation levels and by being easier to inoculate will enhance the usability and hence reliability of the test."

The price remains unchanged at £32.00 for 5 tests, from veterinary wholesalers.

For more information call 01403 791313 or email mail@invictavet.com.

CVS has announced a two year programme of investment of more than £3 million in two high-field (1.5 Tesla) MRI scanners and seven CT scanners as part of a programme to provide advanced imaging resourcing across the group.

The first of the MRI scanners will be installed at ChesterGates, CVS' multi-disciplinary veterinary referral hospital, in Spring 2015. CVS says it believes it will be the most advanced MRI system for pets in the North West of England.

The seven 16-slice CT scanners will be installed at CVS hub practices, including ChesterGates, PetMedics in Manchester, Beechwood Veterinary Hospital in Doncaster and St David's in Devon.

CVS Referral Director John Innes said: "We are committed to utilising the latest technology across the group and this investment in our scanning capability is a good example. The new MRI scanner at ChesterGates will enhance the high quality specialist referral services we offer, particularly in neurology because MRI is used mainly to image the brain and spinal cord.

"The seven new CT scanners will enable our teams to scan a chest or abdomen rapidly and with outstanding image quality. Image data can be processed and viewed in other planes or 3-D rendered to assist with decision making and surgical planning. The installation of the new CT scanners will be rolled out over the next two years, enabling us to offer cost-effective advanced imaging to many more of our clients across the country."

Ceva Animal Health has made a last call for anyone to nominate a veterinary professional, charity worker or volunteer for one of its Animal Welfare Awards.

The awards are designed to help identify and celebrate the people who work to help better the lives of animals

The deadline for nominations is 13th January 2015, after which entries will be judged by a panel of industry professionals, including Christopher Laurence MBE BVSc. The 2015 ceremony will once again be taking place at BSAVA.

Awards judge, James Yeates, Chief Veterinary Officer of the RSPCA, said: “There is a growing welfare crisis that is faced by many animals across the world, and part of the answer to these issues lays in the important role that charities, vets and volunteers play in helping improve the lives of animals every day.

“These awards allow us the opportunity to recognise these people for the great work that they do, and hopefully help to inspire others to exercise the same level of dedication to animal welfare. Help us to make sure the selfless welfare heroes in your community are recognised by nominating them at www.cevawelfareawards.co.uk.”

The full list of award categories is:

• Chris Laurence Vet of the Year Award - in association with the Veterinary Times
• The VN Times Welfare Nurse of the Year Award
• Charity Professional of the Year Award (UK & International) – in association with PDSA
• Charity Team of the Year Award (UK & International) - in association with Your Cat and Your Dog magazine
• Volunteer of the Year Welfare Award (UK & International) – in association with Blue Cross
• Farm Animal Welfare Award (UK & International) – in association with RABI and NADIS
• International Cat Care Welfare Award

Centaur Services has announced a new partnership with VBS Direct which will allow the wholesaler to offer USA-based K-Laser products to its customers for the first time. 

According to VBS, the K-Laser range can be used to treat a wide range of conditions. However, the company says most practices choose to buy K-Laser so they can start osteoarthritic pain management clinics and improve post-surgical rehabilitation, often using trained nurses or physiotherapists to run the clinics.

Centaur says K-Laser offers the most advanced Class IV therapy laser platform in the world, with the team of scientists and doctors at K-Laser USA having researched, tested and implemented therapy presets that are categorised anatomically and subdivided by clinical indication. The company claims that during treatment, laser energy is absorbed in water, increasing local circulation and thereby drawing oxygen and nutrients to the damaged area. This, it says, creates an optimal healing environment that reduces inflammation, swelling, muscle spasms, stiffness and pain. 

Apparently, more than 8,000 US veterinary practices and almost 100 in the UK have invested in Class IV laser therapy. 

Colm McGinn from Centaur said: "We're committed to finding innovative products and services for our customers so that we can help them to grow their businesses and succeed together.

"K-Laser, as well as being a revolutionary piece of clinical equipment, is also a fantastic revenue generator for veterinary practices and with our flexible payment options our customers are able to reap the benefits to their businesses very quickly. We appreciate that making capital investment in equipment can be a big decision and we want to fully support our customers in improving the services their practices can offer."

For more information, contact Centaur on 01963 350005 or VBS Direct on 0845 528 0336.

CarefreeCredit, the vet-run company we reported on back in October, has announced that it is working with its 600th practice in offering its interest-free or low-interest credit to clients that find themselves unable to pay for unforeseen veterinary treatment.

Stewart Halperin MRCVS, Managing Director of CarefreeCredit said: “2014 has been an incredibly busy but successful year for us. We’ve increased the take up of our service by over 500%, we have proudly cemented our partnerships within the corporate and buying groups and most importantly, we have become established enough to make a substantial difference to the pets and pet owners who rely on the help our service provides.”

Stewart added: “We know 2015 is going to be an even bigger year for us, with even more practices joining our system and the introduction of dependable and innovative business support services that will continue to save our practices time and money and help them increase sales and reduce debtors. With this in mind, we are introducing a very small monthly charge to cover our increased costs in software, training and office support services.”

From the New Year, practices that join Carefree Credit will be charged a flat rate of £10 per month for the duration of their membership. The £10 monthly fee covers support for FCA applications, unlimited training in-practice or online, use of the CarefreeCredit unique platform, CarefreeCredit office support, and point of sale materials. Practices that sign up before January 1st, will continue their membership without charge until at least January 2016.

For further information, visit: carefreecredit.co.uk or ring 0203 697 8439.

Zoetis has launched a new training programme for veterinary practices which explores every aspect of the 'client journey' - from 'pre-owner' to 'Lost' - and explains how to deliver an outstanding client experience.

The Client Experience Development Programme is divided into nine training modules which vary in length from one to five and a half hours. The whole programme can be completed in two days under the guidance of a Zoetis business consultant.

The programme breaks down each element of the client journey, from attracting new pet owners into the practice and making the right impact on new customers, to keeping long-term customers loyal.

Nick Steele, national consulting manager at Zoetis, said: "We believe that calling a practice's pet owners clients or customers is a misnomer. They are consumers because they not only purchase a practice's products and services but they also experience them and the consumer's interpretation of their experience can really affect the brand. What's more, the reality of today's information-rich environment is that consumers can experience a practice without the practice even knowing about it.

"Google have coined the term 'Zero moment of truth', which alludes to all the different points of contact a consumer can have with a product or service before physically experiencing it. The average shopper uses 10.7 different sources of information before making a decision on what product or service to use.¹ This means they may have disregarded a practice before the practice knew the consumer even existed."

The concept of the client experience is introduced with some interesting statistics which emphasise its importance. For instance, a typical business hears from only 4% of its dissatisfied customers, 96% just go away and 91% will never come back². What's more, a dissatisfied customer will tell 9-15 people about it and approximately 13% will tell more than 20 people about their problem.³

Drawing on concepts like 'The Fred Factor', which focuses on four key principles of customer care, the training programme explains how every employee can make the difference from the moment clients arrive.

Nick added: "Consumers are all powerful to veterinary practices so it is essential that the client experience is an exceptional one. Our business consultants have been trained to deliver the Client Development Programme to all types of veterinary practice to ensure that they attract as many clients to the practice as possible and keep those clients happy once they are there."

For more information about Business Consulting from Zoetis telephone 0845 519 4977 or contact your account manager.

References

1. Google zero moment of truth research 2011
2. 'Understanding Customers' by Ruby Newell-Legner
3. The White House Office of Consumer Affairs, Washington DC

Fourth year veterinary students from the University of Sydney's Faculty of Veterinary Science have produced a nude calendar in which they use a variety of strategically placed animals to protect their modesty.

The calendar, called Under the Overalls, features a variety of animals, including three lucky (depending on your point of view) llamas, a calf, three sheep and a rather unfortunate fish.

It's all in aid of charity. For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/undertheoveralls, or you can buy the calendar for $20 at www.undertheoveralls.com.

Picture: House of Cameo

The RCVS Veterinary Nurse Disciplinary Committee has decided to take no further action against Kai Murray, a veterinary nurse who had been convicted and imprisoned for affray before becoming an RVN.

Mr Murray was charged that he had been convicted of affray at Birmingham Crown Court in 2021 - to which he had pleaded guilty - and given nine months in prison.

Mr Murray applied for anonymity at the start of the disciplinary hearing, which was refused when the Committee decided there were no special circumstances which would justify anonymity.

The Committee considered whether or not the charge rendered him unfit to practise as a veterinary nurse.

Counsel for the RCVS submitted that the conviction was for a serious public order offence in relation to an incident in which another person was left seriously injured.

Although Mr Murray was not directly responsible for the injury, RCVS Counsel submitted that he had brought the profession into disrepute and that his conduct therefore left him unfit to practise.

The Committee took into account that Mr Murray’s involvement in the public order incident was not premeditated, that it took place before his registration as a veterinary nurse, that no injury was caused directly by him nor was he carrying an offensive weapon and that the offence was not gang-related.

However, it did consider that his role in the incident was serious enough to warrant a custodial sentence and that serious physical injuries were sustained by an individual during the incident.

Hilary Lloyd, chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: “The Committee assessed the incident to be serious, taking into account its nature and circumstances as set out above.

"It led to serious physical injuries inflicted by a sword in a public place.

"Children were present at the scene at one point, as remarked upon by the Judge.

“The Committee considered the wider public interest.

"Taking into account the view of the reasonable member of the public who is well-informed of all the facts and evidence in the case, the Committee was satisfied that the Respondent’s behaviour and conviction brings the veterinary nursing profession into disrepute.

"To find otherwise would undermine public confidence in the profession and fail to uphold proper standards of conduct and behaviour.”

Having found serious professional misconduct, the Committee then considered the most appropriate sanction for Mr Murray.

In terms of aggravating factors, it found that Mr Murray’s conviction involved recklessness and the risk of injury to a human being.

In mitigation, it considered that: there was no risk or actual harm to an animal; that no concerns had been raised about his competence or the quality of his practice; his relative youth at the time of the incident; the fact he had both pleaded guilty to the charge and had disclosed the conviction to the RCVS at the first opportunity; his cooperation with the regulatory process and the fact that he had shown insight and made efforts to remediate the past offending and avoid repetition of the offending behaviour.

The Committee also considered a positive testimonial from the practice where he was employed which attested to his integrity, as well as from a mental health prison chaplain who had supported him during his time in custody and with whom he continued to work to support other young offenders on their release from custody.

Taking all the facts and circumstances into consideration, the Committee decided that it would be most appropriate to take no further action against Mr Murray.

Hilary added: “This was not a case involving any risk to animals.

"The risk of repetition of the offence is minimal.

"The Committee therefore considered the demands of the public interest, namely the need to uphold proper standards of conduct and behaviour and to maintain confidence in the profession and in the regulatory process.

"The Committee considered that in light of the significant insight and remediation shown, and the minimal risk of repeating the behaviour which led to the conviction, the Committee was not satisfied that the public interest required a sanction to protect it.

"The Committee decided that the demands of the public interest were adequately marked and served by the finding already made that the conviction rendered the respondent unfit to practise.”

www.rcvs.org.uk/disciplinary

Virbac has announced the launch of what it describes as an affordable ciclosporin for the treatment of canine atopic dermatitis.

Called Cyclavance, the new product will make its debut at the London Vet Show (Nov 20th/21st at London Olympia).

Cyclavance is presented in a liquid formulation for precise dosing, in a container with a new 'AdaptaCap' designed to ensure leak proof dispensing and give the product a 6 month shelf life after being broached. Cyclavance is offered in four size presentations -  5 ml, 15 ml, 30 ml and 50 ml - to give practices maximum flexibility in its use.  

Sarah Walker MRCVS, Product Manager, said: "Atopic dogs present at practices across the country on a daily basis. It is a challenging condition which can be hard to treat successfully because owner compliance is so important. By offering Cyclavance at a great price to give greater appeal, allowing a wider scope of use, and with innovative features, such as the unique AdaptaCap, we aim to help practices achieve better outcomes for their patients and increase the number of clients it is available to.  

The RCVS has announced that it is to trial a new alternative dispute resolution scheme for users of veterinary services who have complaints which aren't serious enough to call into question a veterinary surgeon or nurse's fitness to practice.

The College says that although it is obliged to investigate all complaints, currently it can only deal with the most serious of complaints raised against a veterinary surgeon's or registered veterinary nurse's fitness to practise. This means that many of the 800 or so complaints received every year by the College's Professional Conduct Department are closed with no further action.

Nick Stace, RCVS Chief Executive Officer and Secretary, said: "It was clear from our consultations last year for the First Rate Regulator initiative that many animal owners who had made complaints were dissatisfied and frustrated with the fact that we were unable to take their, often very legitimate, concerns any further.

"It is for this reason that we decided to launch a trial in order to determine how we could develop an alternative scheme that, through conciliation, would try and resolve these disputes in a way that would be acceptable to both parties.

"Although this trial is small-scale we hope that it will provide the framework for a permanent ADR scheme which I believe would both increase consumer confidence in the profession and help maintain and preserve its reputation.

"We hope that the profession will actively support the trial, and any future scheme, as a way of resolving those intractable disputes which we know can hang over veterinary surgeons and practices and that they recognise that, ultimately, what is good for the consumer can be good for the profession."

The trial will be administered by the Ombudsman Services, an independent and not-for-profit complaint resolution service, and limited to no more than 150 concerns raised about veterinary surgeons in regards to the treatment of a small animal. In most cases concerns referred to the trial will have no arguable case for serious professional misconduct. The trial is free to the users and voluntary, and consent will be sought from both parties before the concern is referred to the Ombudsman Services. The costs of the trial will not exceed £120,000.

Recommendations will be determined through conciliation between both parties and the Ombudsman Services will only be able to suggest, rather than impose, a solution that each party is entitled to accept, or not. Solutions could include, for example, financial accommodation up to the small claims court limit of £10,000 (although the average recommendation is around £100), the issuing of an apology or other practical action to remedy the situation.

The Ombudsman Services will be assisted in its investigations by veterinary advisers who will provide guidance on clinical and other veterinary matters.

The results of the trial, which will end in May 2015, will be presented at the June 2015 meeting of RCVS Council where steps will be considered for the development of a permanent scheme.

More details about the trial can be found at www.rcvs.org.uk/adr

The RCVS has announced that the nomination period for the 2015 RCVS and VN Council elections has opened until 5:00pm on Saturday 31 January 2015.

Each year six RCVS Council seats are contested while two seats are available for VN Council. Successful candidates serve four-year terms.

Existing RCVS Council members Niall Connell, Professor Sheila Crispin, Mark Elliott, Lynne Hill, Dr Bob Moore and Professor the Lord Trees of the Ross are due to retire from Council next year but are all eligible for re-election. Elizabeth Branscombe and Elizabeth Cox are due to retire from VN Council but will also be eligible to stand again in 2015.

In order to stand, candidates for either RCVS or VN Council will need to complete a nomination form, submit a short biography, write a short personal statement and supply a high resolution digital photo.

Each candidate will also need to provide two nominations - for RCVS Council candidates this should be two veterinary surgeons on the RCVS Register who are not current RCVS Council members; for VN Council candidates nominators must be registered or listed VNs who are not current VN Council members.

The election period commences in early March 2015 and runs until Friday 24 April. Successful candidates for either Council will take up their seats at RCVS Day - the College's Annual General Meeting and Awards Day - on Friday 10 July 2015.

Gordon Hockey, RCVS Registrar, said: "After a record 19 candidates - of which over half were women ­- for last year's RCVS Council elections, and a good showing for VN Council as well, we hope to build on that momentum this year by attracting candidates of all ages and backgrounds.

"Through their participation in the Councils and their committees members can have a big impact on the future of their respective professions by developing policy and making decisions in areas of key importance such as education and professional standards."

Nomination forms, guidance notes and frequently asked questions for RCVS Council candidates can be found at www.rcvs.org.uk/rcvscouncil15. The equivalent documents for VN Council candidates can be found at www.rcvs.org.uk/vncouncil15.

Last year the RCVS produced two short videos outlining what is involved in being a Council member, the benefits it can bring and the amount of time it requires. These can be found at www.youtube.com/rcvsvideos

Prospective candidates are also invited to attend a 'Meet the RCVS Day' at Belgravia House on Tuesday 25 November where they will have the opportunity to find out more about the role of the College and RCVS and VN Council members as well as having a tour of the building and the opportunity to talk to staff.

Those who are interested in attending should contact Fiona Harcourt, Events Officer, on f.harcourt@rcvs.org.uk or 020 7202 0773.