Protexin Veterinary is highlighting a new study, published in the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, which it says provides evidence that Pro-Kolin Advanced, an anti‐diarrheal probiotic paste (ADPP), can improve the clinical outcome of uncomplicated, acute diarrhoea in dogs.

107 dogs completed the randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial, which concluded that: "Treatment with anti‐diarrheal probiotic pastes (ADPP) compared to placebo in dogs with acute, uncomplicated diarrhea led to a decrease in the duration of diarrhea and a decrease in the requirement for additional medical intervention because of non‐improvement or deterioration."

Sophie Nixon, Veterinary Research Manager at Protexin Veterinary said: "Dogs with acute diarrhoea are presented to veterinarians on a daily basis yet the evidence base on which to identify appropriate treatment for these cases has been lacking."

James Kyffin, Veterinary Director at Protexin Veterinary said: "We are delighted to have published such a strong clinical study in one of the most well-respected veterinary journals, the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine (JVIM).

"At ADM Protexin, we believe it is important to have products that are supported by published studies and the Pro-Kolin Advanced study represents one of the first of its kind looking at the benefit of a probiotic paste in dogs with acute diarrhoea.

"We hope this study will provide vets with the evidence they need to prescribe Pro-Kolin Advanced for their cases and give them the confidence not to dispense other medical management, like antibiotics, that may not be necessary."

The study can be viewed by following the link: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jvim.15481 

Skeldale Veterinary Centre reports that it has performed the world's first fish skin graft on a dog that was 'days from death' from a seriously infected wound.

The surgery was carried out in August 2018 and is, they say, the first time it has been performed on a companion animal anywhere in the world. The dog, a five-year old spaniel called Gigha, has now made a full recovery.

Gigha’s surgery was carried out by Dr Guy Killick and featured in a recent episode of The Yorkshire Vet. Guy said: "Gigha provides vital companionship to her owner, Mrs Taylor. She fell into a drainage ditch last summer and this caused a tiny cut on her elbow.

"The initial wound did not seem severe, however, despite intensive decontamination and treatment with broad spectrum antibiotics, the wound proved to have been infected with a resistant Haemolytic E. coli infection, causing a significant loss of skin from the medial aspect of the elbow. During this time, Gigha was hospitalised and was at significant risk of DIC and septicaemia."

"The skin loss was full thickness and, once the compromised tissue was debrided away, she was left with a large wound.

"We managed the wound in hospital for four days with daily dressing changes and an irrigation device to provide local anaesthesia and the delivery of topical antibiotics.

"Unfortunately, skin grafting in her case was not suitable given the infection and a lack of sufficient loose skin to donate. As such, we elected for healing by second intention but, given the large area, we felt it was important to explore novel methods to accelerate the healing process and reduce Gigha’s pain.

"Surgery using Tilapia fish skin grafts was pioneered at UC Davis in the USA and was used successfully on a horse with acid burns in the UK last year. It is still very rare, however, and had not been used to treat an infected wound before. Nor had it been used on a dog.

"Having done our research though and finding that these grafts have a natural anti-infective and analgesic effect, while also reducing the frequency of bandage changes that would cause discomfort and distress to the patient, we felt it was an appropriate treatment for Gigha and carried out the surgery a week after the initial wound."

Guy says the surgery was straightforward and simply involved tacking the skin in place. It adhered to the developing granulation bed, accelerating its growth and providing an antiseptic and analgesic effect. After application, Gigha’s owner reported that she was much brighter and seemed to be in less pain. Pain-scoring during check-ups confirmed this to be the case despite pain relief being voluntarily withdrawn by the owner.

This initial graft stayed in place for two weeks before breaking down and being removed. By this stage, granulation of the wound had been completed and around one cm of neo-epithelisation had occurred. A further graft was then placed which remained for a further two weeks until the wound was 50% of its initial size. No further grafts were placed as the team did not have access to further supplies so they simply bandaged the wound with traditional bandages. It was completely healed within nine weeks. Eight months on, Gigha has made a full recovery and the wound has healed completely.

Guy said: "Given the large wound area and risk of further infection we decided on this novel approach to improve the quality of life for the patient while the wound was healing. While we were naturally apprehensive of making the first attempt at this potentially revolutionary technique, what we knew about fish skin grafts and suggested that they could work in her case so we were determined to give it a try.

"Looking at her now, you wouldn’t believe that she’d been days from death just a few months ago. Her case is a demonstration of the efficacy of fish skin grafts as a treatment for large wounds where there are no other suitable methods of closure – and for their use in dogs. We hope her story and her recovery will be useful to colleagues treating dogs with similar wounds in the future and are happy to discuss the case with them if this would be helpful.

"I would also like to thank Dr Jamie Peyton, Chief of Integrative Medicine Service at UC Davis for her invaluable help and advice during this case and her assistance in the use of the Tilapia graft."

Pets at Home has announced that following a review of its first opinion veterinary business, it now plans to buy back 55 of the practices it operates in joint venture partnerships with veterinary surgeons, of which 30 may close.

It is thought that the main reason for the cutbacks is a shortage of veterinary surgeons caused by Brexit, which is making it both harder and more expensive to recruit. 

The company has given an undertaking that the joint venture partners of the practices it offers to buy back will not be expected to repay outstanding borrowings to any parties and Pets at Home will settle any liabilities for third party bank loans and leases on behalf of the JVP.

Chief Executive Peter Pritchard said: "Since becoming the Group CEO in May, I have had the opportunity to take stock of the wider group and shape my view of our future.

"What I have found fills me with confidence. Pets at Home is a healthy business and customers are loving what we do; responding to our price repositioning, investment in digital and the amazing service delivered by our vet partners. We have the ability to offer almost everything a pet owner needs, giving us opportunities our competitors simply don't have. Which is why my vision is to develop a complete pet care company, uniting our retail and vet businesses.

"Reviewing our Vet Group has been a priority. I recognise we have grown at pace and more recently, have seen the pressure that rising costs and our fees are placing on this young business. We will need to recalibrate the business to deliver more measured growth, whilst maintaining our plan to generate significant cash profits.

"We are focused on maximising our unique assets and delivering a plan for sustainable cashflow and profit growth. Given the success of the changes we have made in Retail, I'm confident we can do this."

A rare Suffolk Punch horse has given birth to a filly foal after using sex sorted sperm to determine the gender; the first time in the world that this technique has been used to support the survival of rare breeds.

With fewer than 72 female Suffolk Punches remaining in the UK and fewer than 300 in the world, every female born is vital to the survival of this endangered British horse.

In 2019 Tullis Matson, owner and managing director of Stallion AI Services, saw an opportunity to use a new technological advancement in the sex sorting of equine semen to provide a lifeline to Britain’s critically endangered rare and native horses.

Tullis said: “To be able to use our reproduction expertise in this way, to help preserve an irreplaceable part of our magnificent heavy horse heritage is something we have been working towards for many years. The challenges have been great and many, but watching the birth of this beautiful, healthy filly foal was a truly magical experience."

The sex sorting project uses specialist equipment to sex sort the semen prior to insemination based on the difference in DNA content between X and Y bearing spermatozoa.

Ruby, the Suffolk Punch mare and Holbeach Iggy, the Suffolk stallion were selected and matched based on their genetics as part of a project between The Rare Breed Survival Trust and Nottingham Trent University that uses pedigree information to enable the breeding of small populations in a way that minimises the risk of inbreeding and genetic decline.

Christopher Price, Chief Executive of the Rare Breed Survival Trust, said: “This is tremendous news for anyone concerned with the conservation of our native equines. The most effective way of increasing the population size of this very rare breed is by increasing the number of fillies being born.

“The project demonstrates the viability of using new techniques for selecting female foals in order to increase the breeding population much more rapidly than could be achieved through relying on traditional methods. We hope it will prove to be a model for more projects in the future.”

Five vet nurses working in a range of clinical settings have been announced as the winners of Animalcare’s Vet Nurse Heroes competition. 

Earlier this year, the company called on veterinary team members to nominate nurse colleagues who had gone beyond the call of duty, particularly since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

And the winners are:

Claire Defries, VN Programme Leader at the College of Animal Welfare, who was instrumental in developing online training virtually overnight when the national lockdown was announced in order to support vet nurses in training and to enable third year students to sit their finals.  She was also commended for the pastoral support she has provided to students during lockdown.

Ellie Tappenden from Albyn Veterinary Centre in Broxburn, was nominated for the long shifts she has been working before delivering regular medicines and ensuring that self-isolating clients are coping. She also created a local support network with other vets and organised a collection of spare PPE for the local hospital. She achieved this while managing her pain from Ehlers Danlos, a degenerative disease which she fights every day.

Tammy Jarvis from the RSPCA Block Fen Animal Centre in March was nominated for the exceptional support she has provided to all 105 patients at the RSPCA centre and the veterinary surgeon. With other staff furloughed, she has also taken on additional duties, including maintenance and grounds management, and has recently started sewing facemasks for the team.

Bethany Lavill (pictured right) from Etwall Vets in Derby was nominated for the wide range of additional duties she has taken on, including collecting animals from owners who are self-isolating; coming in after hours to check up on in-patients and supporting bereaved clients. She has gone over and above the call of duty on many occasions and still asks what more she can do to help.

Student vet nurse Shannon Mills from Leeds Colton Vets4Pets was nominated for being a major asset to the team over the last few months, despite a recent diagnosis of epilepsy. She has willingly covered a range of roles and recently nursed a critical care rabbit throughout the day, whilst manning reception. She even managed to pass her mock exam with flying colours during lockdown with little time to study.

Each of the five winners was rewarded with a Betty’s Gift Box, brimming with treats, including Betty’s champagne truffles, chocolate desires, Yorkshire tea and shortbread.

Animalcare Product Manager James Beaumont said: “We wanted our competition to highlight the fantastic contribution vet nurses around the country are making to their colleagues, clients and patients – but the number and quality of entries hugely exceeded our expectations.

"At such a difficult time, the positivity, passion and care that each nomination exuded made reading them a moving experience and selecting only five as winners was no easy task.  We thank all those who took the time to nominate their amazing colleagues and thank every vet nurse who was nominated for their extraordinary commitment and dedication."

The Virtual Vet Group (VVG) has launched a new platform which allows veterinary practices to offer clients remote consultations via their own branded mobile app.

Remote consultations and prescribing have been the subject of much debate in the profession of late. A motion to conduct a trial of prescribing without a physical examination was considered by the RCVS Council in November, when a large number of serious concerns were raised. 

However, none of those concerns related to the provision of remote consulting services for existing clients with animals who are already under the care of the veterinary surgeon. That's where systems like this could add real value to the service offered by veterinary practices. 

George Kyriacou, Director at VVG said: "Telemedicine is happening, and it’s happening in a big way. Virtual consultations are becoming more and more popular with pet owners who are not really sure if they need to see a vet and would simply like some reassurance.

"An option to have a qualified vet in your pocket at anytime of the day is attractive. However, the option to have a convenient consultation with your own trusted vet is the holy grail."

The system allows those practices who wish to charge for online consults to take payment online. Some, however, offer free consultations, in particular post-op, because it saves everyone time. 

VVG points out that the system can also be used to deliver nursing consultations, too. 

Simon Power, Commercial Manager at Vets One referrals in Crimplesham, Norfolk said: "Since adopting the system we have had a number of post-op and medication reviews virtually; it not only saves us a consulting room but also allows our clients to have the expert advice our team provide from the comfort of their own home."

VVG costs £249 to set up, plus from £59 per month thereafter, per practice.

For more information, contact George Kyriacou at George@thevvg.com  or call 01842558022.

Elanco, the maker of Onsior, has launched a campaign to help practices educate owners about canine osteoarthritis.

Elanco says OA is a condition which is estimated to affect one in four dogs, but it is often labelled by owners as "just old age". This, says the company, may lead to missed diagnosis and dogs not receiving the care they need.

To try and help address the issue, Elanco has partnered with the founder of Canine Arthritis Management, Hannah Capon and veterinary communications consultant, Zoe Belshaw to produce a number of online and in-practice tools.

The first of these is a worksheet to help veterinary surgeons explain the impact of OE on the client's dog, both in and outside the home. It provides a template for creating a tailored management plan and a guide to the home adaptations owners can make to help improve their dog's quality of life. 

The company has also produced a infographic fact sheet which explains the subtle signs of OA, designed for vets and nurses to use as part of their regular interactions with owners. 

Elanco has also designed a range of digital materials for veterinary practices to use on their websites and social media feeds to increase awareness of the condition among their online communities.

Hannah Capon said: "Arthritis affects every dog differently – a dog may be full of life but lame, quiet, unenthused and slow to move, or somewhere in-between.

"Home management needs to be tailored to each dog’s needs and adapted in the same way it would be for a person, to prolong life and minimise pain and further injury."

Lastly, Elanco has also produced a film in which Zoe Belshaw gives advice about the language and strategies veterinary surgeons can use to help improve communication with dog owners about OA. 

Zoe Belshaw said: "My research identified that many owners do recognise their arthritic dog has a problem before it’s diagnosed. Many will have seen that their dog is stiff, or ‘slowing down’ but they may not associate this with lameness, or pain.

"That’s why vets, nurses and practices play a critical role in raising awareness of how the condition impacts dogs every day."

To access the suite of assets visit: www.myelanco.co.uk

The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons has been recognised as one of the best workplaces for women by the Great Place to Work Institute.

The College was ranked seventh in the medium-sized company or organisation category (50 to 449 employees) of the Best Workplaces for Women initiative. 

This year is the first that the Great Place to Work Institute has run this initiative and, in making its rankings, it looked at a number of factors including the number and proportion of women in leadership positions, pay parity between men and women, workplace policies and how they support female employees, as well as training and development and mentoring.

Amanda Boag, RCVS President, said: "I am delighted that the RCVS has been recognised for being an excellent and supportive place for women to work and pleased that the hard work of the team at Belgravia House in this area has been publicly rewarded in this way.

"One of the key themes of my Presidential year is diversity and I think it is very important that, as a regulator, we reflect the veterinary profession (which is currently 63% female for veterinary surgeons and 98% female for veterinary nurses) as far as possible. With two-thirds of the staff at the RCVS being women it demonstrates that the College is largely reflective of the profession it serves. 

"However, it’s not just about the numbers and with 60% of the Senior Team at the RCVS being women, including the CEO and Registrar, it demonstrates that the College has developed a culture in which women can shatter the glass ceiling and pursue leadership roles.

"Also, with policies such as flexible working hours, encouragement of home working, shared parental leave and enhanced maternity and paternity pay, the College goes the extra mile to support working parents."

npower has released the results of a survey of 2000 pet owners which revealed that 33% say their pet has alerted them to danger.

Given the improbability of anyone being alerted by a goldfish: "blub-blub-behind-blub-you-blub-blub-the-blub-frying-blub-blub-pan-is-blub-on-fire-blub", one has to presume the respondents were talking about dogs.

But no, according to npower, 10% of the participants in its survey reported that their cat or dog had directly saved their life, or the life of someone they know. 

Really? Saved by a cat? I should have thought a cat would be more likely to turn on it's heels and strut out of the room nonchalantly. 

Still, the point of the npower's research was to highlight the dangers of carbon monoxide. In its press release, the company pointed out that pets can suffer CO poisoning symptoms of vomiting, tiredness and erratic behaviour before people. 

So perhaps that's what the cat owners meant when they'd been saved by the cat: like a miner would say they were saved by a canary. 

Blue Cross has announced the results from its National Equine Health Survey (NEHS) which show that lameness is three times more likely to be caused by conditions such as osteoarthritis in the limb rather than problems in the foot.

Blue Cross runs NEHS in May each year, in partnership with the British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA). It is sponsored by SPILLERS and Zoetis and supported by the UK’s leading equestrian organisations and charities. This year saw a 35% increase in participation compared to 2014, with survey records returned for almost 15,000 horses, ponies, donkeys and mules.

The charity says that whilst of course the horse’s foot is fundamental to soundness and performance, NEHS results have shown consistently that limb lameness, as opposed to foot lameness, is in fact the biggest syndrome affecting horses.

In the latest survey, conducted in May, a total of 18% were recorded as lame. 13.5% of these were recorded as suffering with lameness such as osteoarthritis, also known as degenerative joint disease (13.9% in 2014 and 14.8% in 2013).

Meanwhile foot lameness was recorded in 4.5% of returns, a similar figure to previous years.

Josh Slater from the Royal Veterinary College, who is member of BEVA’s Health & Medicines Committee and analysed the NEHS data, said: “NEHS is now producing important evidence that is replacing subjective opinion. While the lameness figures were initially surprising, given that the foot has been generally regarded as the main problem area, the fact that these figures have remained consistent over the past three years gives constructive credibility to the data. Our findings will help owner vigilance with day-to-day healthcare as well as help prioritise on areas for future veterinary education and research.”

The six most notable disease syndromes identified in the 2015 National Equine Health Survey were:

1. Lameness 18% with 13.5% having limb lameness such as osteoarthritis (degenerative joint disease) not relating to the foot, compared to 14.8% in 2014, 14.8% in 2013 and 9.3% in 2010-12 and 4.5% with foot lameness compared to 4.6% in 2014, 3.8% in 2013 and 4.5% in 2010-12.
2. Skin diseases 17.2% (sweet itch, mud fever and external parasites) compared to 18.3% in 2014, 14.6% in 2013 and 15.2% in 2010-12.
3. Back problems 7% compared to 7.7% in 2014, 5% in 2013 and 3% in 2010-12. 
4. Recurrent Airway Obstruction 6.7% was the most frequently recorded respiratory problem, compared to 6.9% in 2014, 4.2% in 2013 and 3.6% in 2010-12. 
5. Laminitis 6.4% compared to 7.1% in 2014, 4.4% in 2013 and 3.6% in 2010-12.
6. PPID (‘Equine Cushing’s Disease) 6.4% confirmed or suspected compared to 5.6% in 2014, possibly reflecting increased surveillance through sponsored testing programmes as opposed to true increases in prevalence from the pre-2014 surveys. 

23.2% of horses were reported as being overweight with a Body Condition Score of 3.5-5, continuing the upward trend seen in previous years (16.9% in 2014 and 7.8% in 2013). Next year’s survey will explore links between obesity and the possible associated rise of obesity-related diseases such as equine metabolic syndrome (which was reported in 2.4% of 2015 returns) and laminitis.

The survey also enables participants to report on any health problems not covered in the survey questions, giving them a chance to shape future survey subjects.

Gemma Taylor, Education Officer at Blue Cross explains: “This year 11% of our free text answers mentioned gastric ulcers giving a valuable insight into the prevalence gastric ulcer syndrome in the principally leisure horse NEHS population. As a result we will be adding new questions to the 2016 survey to help us find out more.”

The 2015 NEHS survey results are now available from http://www.bluecross.org.uk/nehs2015results. To register for next year’s survey, visit www.bluecross.org.uk/nehs

Locum David John Porter has been struck off by the RCVS Disciplinary Committee for rude and aggressive behaviour, deficient clinical standards and obstructing the Committee's investigation into the complaints against him.

Three charges were found against Mr Porter.

The first charge (charge A) concerned failure to communicate courteously and respectfully with colleagues. This charge related to four incidents as follows:

• A1: On 3 November 2011, whilst on duty at the Seadown Veterinary Hospital in Southampton, he was rude and/or threatening and/or aggressive to two veterinary surgeon colleagues.
• A2: On 11 June 2012, whilst on duty at Clent Hills Veterinary Group, Worcestershire, he said to an assistant practice manager and receptionist that British veterinary surgeons and practice managers were untrustworthy.
• A3: On 12 June 2012, when on the telephone with the practice manager of Clent Hills, he was rude and/or used inappropriate language; and stated that a lot of British vets were “bloody awful”, liars and cheats.
• A4: In January 2013, during the course of an Employment Tribunal hearing in relation to his time as a locum at Clent Hills Veterinary Group in June 2012, he raised his voice aggressively and/or shouted at the Clent Hills practice manager.

In finding him guilty of this charge the Committee referred to his “wholly unacceptable exchanges with other veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses and ancillary practice staff members with whom he was working on the dates in question.”

The second charge for which he was found guilty (charge C) concerned what the Committee called “his seriously deficient clinical standards when treating animals under his care”, in particular that:

• C1: Between 31 October 2011 and 4 November 2011 at Seadown Veterinary Hospital he used inadequate levels of hygiene when conducting surgery by failing to scrub up and/or wash his hands before surgery, including abdominal surgery.
• C2: On 26 April 2013 at the Stanhope Park Veterinary Practice he used surgical spirit to clean the ear canal of a dog.
• C3: On 27 April 2013 at the same practice, he unreasonably refused to euthanase a dog.
• C4: On 28 April 2013, at the same practice, he used a ratchet gag on a rabbit without having first administered sedation or anaesthesia.

Within charge C he was cleared of two further parts of the charge – first, that he failed to discuss euthanasia with a client in relation to a kitten and failed to provide the client with sufficient advice and instructions regarding after-care; and, second, that he prescribed steroids to treat a kitten for muscle strain at a time when it was recovering from surgery.

The third charge for which he was found guilty (charge D) relates to Mr Porter’s failure, between 7 February 2013 and 31 October 2014, to respond adequately to communications from the RCVS. In particular that:

• D(i): Between 7 February and 21 December 2013 he failed to respond constructively or at all to correspondence from the College.
• D(ii): From July 2014 he failed to respond to specific requests for details regarding his qualifications and experience.

As to the conduct found proved in relation to charge D, the Committee set out its findings of fact and declared: “What Mr Porter chose to do was to attempt to obstruct the College in its attempts to investigate the complaints laid against him and, thereafter, its attempts to bring him before the Committee to answer the charges preferred against him. In short, he has directly questioned, and then disregarded and thwarted, the legitimate role of his professional regulatory body.” 

The Committee’s reasons for taking a serious view of such conduct were expressed in the following words: “Both the public and other members of the profession must be entitled to rely on the expectation that all veterinary surgeons, as responsible professional persons, will co-operate fully and promptly to all proper enquiries made of them by the College. This is the wider public interest factor which means that deliberate attempts to thwart the College’s enquiries into complaints must, in our judgment, come at the top end of the spectrum of gravity of disgraceful conduct in a professional respect.” 

During the course of the hearing, which began in June 2015 and was adjourned three times, Mr Porter was cleared of charge B against him which concerned alleged refusal to undertake out-of-hours work for the Clent Hills Veterinary Group having previously indicated he would undertake such work.

In making the decision on the sanction in this case, Judith Webb, chairing the Disciplinary Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: “In reaching our conclusion as to the sanction which is merited in this case we have taken into account the totality of Mr Porter’s conduct and failings. We consider that the conduct pertaining to Charges D(i) and (ii), even when viewed separately, demand the imposition of a direction for the removal of Mr Porter’s name from the Register.

“When that conduct is considered in conjunction with the other misconduct found proved in relation to Charges C1 to C4, which identify his clinical failings, and Charges A1 to A4, which demonstrate unprofessional behaviour in the workplace, we unhesitatingly conclude that there is no other sanction that could be considered sufficient, other than that of erasure.”

The RCVS and the BVA have published the Vet Futures report: their vision for how the veterinary profession should look in 2030, coupled with 34 recommendations for change.

The report, which represents the culmination of a year of engagement, consultation and research with the veterinary profession, veterinary nurses, members of the wider veterinary team, key stakeholders, animal owners and the general public, says that in 2030 vets should be a leading force for animal health and welfare and valued for their wider roles in society. They should be confident, resilient, healthy and well supported, and benefit from exceptional leadership. And there should be a broad range of diverse and rewarding veterinary careers, as well as thriving, innovative and user-focused businesses.

While the focus of Vet Futures has been on veterinary surgeons, Vet Futures engaged with the RCVS Veterinary Nurses Council and British Veterinary Nursing Association, as well as individual veterinary nurses, and the College says that many of the ambitions should resonate with members of both professions. It goes on to recommend that the veterinary nursing profession should build on the work of Vet Futures to develop its own clear vision and ambitions. 

The recommendations within the report include:

• Explore and consult on a sustainable structure for the veterinary degree, including the viability of limited licensure, allowing veterinary students to focus their studies and specialise during the veterinary degree
• Review the regulatory framework for veterinary businesses to ensure a level playing field, enable a range of business models to coexist, ensure professionalism in commercial settings, and explore the implications for regulation of new technologies (eg telemedicine)
• Deliver a coordinated, well-funded and evidence-based approach to mental health and wellbeing for the veterinary team
• Undertake a veterinary workforce study to assess the rewards, recognition and working conditions of vets and veterinary nurses, and the drivers of low and unequal pay
• Develop a public-facing awareness campaign to raise the profile of wider veterinary roles (including public health, research, government, industry and academia)
• Strengthen leadership for the profession by exploring options for bringing greater coherence to the support and representation of the veterinary profession and exploring ways to develop the next generation of veterinary leaders including by identifying and nurturing talent, and providing them with the skills and opportunities to succeed
• Explore options to develop an online animal welfare hub to better disseminate animal welfare research, evidence and tools, including the critical appraisal of common practices in the light of emerging evidence

Other recommendations include developing an animal welfare strategy for the profession, increasing collaboration with medical professionals and environmental organisations, adopting a more strategic long-term outlook for research funding, and exploring how to encourage a more diverse profession.

RCVS President Bradley Viner said: "The Vet Futures report is the culmination of a year of research and engagement with thousands of members of the veterinary and veterinary nursing professions, which has given us a very firm foundation on which to build our ambitions and recommendations. We are extremely grateful to every individual who has contributed in some way to the project, and helped us to seize the initiative.

"Over the years the veterinary profession has proved itself to be adaptable and able to face challenges head on, and we have no doubt that by working together we will realise our joint vision of a profession in charge of its future. Ultimately, we all want a profession that is confident in itself and one in which members are proud to call themselves veterinary surgeons."

Sean Wensley, BVA President, added: "Vet Futures has proved to be an exciting, engaging and truly ambitious project for the veterinary profession and it has created a fantastic level of debate and engagement.

"The report we are launching today is not the end of the story; it is the beginning of the next chapter. It is crucial that we maintain the momentum of the project so we will be inviting members of the veterinary professions to step forward and join a new Vet Futures Action Group to help us turn the recommendations into actions and drive forward activity."

The full report can be downloaded here.

Emma Milne MRCVS, the erstwhile TV vet turned author and welfare campaigner has published Picking a Pedigree? a new book written to help people buy healthy cats and dogs and avoid the health problems and associated veterinary bills associated with certain breeds.

The book guides the reader through the evolutionary background of dogs and cats and explains how inherited diseases and deformities associated with certain breeds can cause breathing problems, heart disease, skin problems and back problems.

The book concludes with practical advice to help owners buy a healthy puppy or kitten and to avoid the risk of supporting puppy farms.

Emma said: "I’ve been campaigning on this issue for twenty years and, if anything the conformational issues and inherited disease problems in dogs and cats, are getting worse with some breeders striving for ever more extreme body shapes.

"Selecting a pet with inherited defects can cost thousands in vet bills and cause anguish for family members. It also creates a relinquishment problem for animal shelters as they have to take in abandoned pets with health problems.

"While awareness is certainly increasing, too often prospective pet owners are still unaware of the health implications of the pet they are buying and it is difficult for my veterinary colleagues to criticise the choice of a client’s puppy or kitten once it has been bought.  All too often though they are left to pick up the pieces."

Emma added: "Education is the key. It is vital that prospective owners understand why different body shapes could be detrimental to health and how far removed from nature some of our breeds now are. If we can encourage them to stop choosing the quirky extremes in some breeds, demand for them will soon fall. My message is simple – we should all prioritise health and temperament way above what animals look like.

"I hope that responsible prospective pet owners will find Picking a Pedigree? an enlightening read and that it will inform their choice of a new family member. I also hope that it will be a useful resource for vets and nurses to be able to recommend to reinforce their pre-purchase advice."