Horiba UK is hosting a free webinar about overcoming the challenges of head tilt and ‘spinning’ rabbits on Wednesday 10th April from 7:30-9pm.

“Tilts, Spins, and Tears: Approaches to head tilts in rabbits” will be presented by Dr Madonna Livingstone BVMS MRCVS, who will discuss a range of approaches, diagnostic and treatment options for rabbits presenting with head tilt symptoms. 

Madonna has over 20 years experience in veterinary practice, and as Head Vet and Head of Exotics at Ark Veterinary Clinics Ltd, she speaks widely on exotic animal medicine and surgery.

She also delivers clinical exotic lectures and practicals at Glasgow Vet School, holds a diploma in parrot behaviour and is publishing a textbook on rabbits and small exotic mammals this year.

The webinar aims to help veterinary staff to recognise the differential diagnosis list, know how to achieve a diagnosis, or most likely diagnosis within a restricted budget; know the available treatment options; and know how to manage owners’ expectations.

https://horiba.link/head-tilts-in-rabbits 

Bristol-based Jemma Louise Francis RVN has been found not guilty of serious professional misconduct by the RCVS Veterinary Nurse Disciplinary Committee after she was cleared of a number of charges relating to the removal of buprenorphine from her practice. 

Ms Francis faced two charges, the first of which had three elements:

The first was that in January 2021 she took one box of buprenorphine from the practice where she worked.

The second was that in early June 2022 she took another 15 boxes of buprenorphine together with an unspecified number of vials of the drug.

The third was that later that month, she took another box of the drug.

The second charge was that her behaviour was dishonest, was not acting in accordance with instructions from a veterinary surgeon or a valid prescription and she failed to record the amount of the drug taken from the practice.

At the outset of the hearing Ms Francis admitted taking the one box of buprenorphine at the end of June 2022, but denied the other elements of the charge. 

After interviewing witnesses, the Committee decided that on the basis of the evidence presented, the allegations that Ms Francis had taken a box of buprenorphine in January 2021, or that she had taken vials of buprenorphine in June 2022, were unproven.

With regard to the allegation that she had taken 15 boxes of buprenorphine in June 2022, the Committee determined that Ms Francis had no case to answer, due to insufficient evidence.

This meant that the second charge, of dishonest behaviour, was only considered in respect of the element of the first charge that Ms Francis had admitted to (the one box of buprenorphine she admitted taking in late June 2022).

Here, the Committee found that Ms Francis’ conduct was not dishonest, but found it proved that she did not act in accordance with instructions from a vet or a valid prescription, and found it proved that she failed to record the amount of the drug taken from the cupboard on the internal stock sheet.

Paul Morris, chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: “The respondent had removed a box of buprenorphine from the drugs cupboard before she had received a prescription for that medication.

"She intended to seek such a prescription from the vet, who was in the practice at the time and from whom she had just received prescriptions for other pain-relieving medications.

"As it happened the vet issued the prescription for the buprenorphine which the respondent sought.

“The respondent has acknowledged her fault in removing the box of buprenorphine before the vet had issued a prescription.

This appears to have been the result of a momentary decision on her part that Vetergesic would be of benefit to her dog.

"She also omitted to sign the relevant log.

"The evidence which the Committee heard suggested that this omission was commonplace at the practice.

“In acting in this way, as the respondent acknowledges, she fell below appropriate standards.

"The Committee has concluded, however, that in all the circumstances her conduct did not fall far below those standards and could not realistically be described as disgraceful conduct in a professional respect.”

www.rcvs.org.uk/disciplinary

Animalcare has launched Clevor, a fast-acting emetic administered as an eye drop.

The active ingredient of Clevor is ropinirole, which is a dopamine agonist with high selectivity for dopamine D₂-type receptors¹.

This, Animalcare says, means that Clevor only activates the receptors in the brain necessary to trigger emesis.

Clevor is also the only emetic product in the UK which is licensed for repeat-dosing¹.

Clevor is available in packs of three eye dropper vials.

Each vial contains enough active ingredient to dose up to three, 20kg dogs at once, including a second dose if necessary¹.

Kai Crawshaw, Animalcare UK Brand Manager said: ‘It’s hard to keep pets away from toxic substances so we are pleased to be able to offer vets a new treatment option for pet poisoning, just in time for Easter.

"Clevor is revolutionary in the field of emetics, offering veterinary practices a highly selective product with a non-invasive method of administration.

"We are confident that Clevor will quickly become a tried and trusted product of choice for those emergency situations.’

https://www.animalcare.co.uk/learn-more-about-clevor 

Reference

1. The efficacy and safety of Clevor were assessed in a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical field study with 100 dogs receiving Clevor eye drops. Suokko, M et al. Vet Rec (2019), doi:10.1136/vr.104953.

CPD Solutions and Onswitch have announced that they have joined forces to offer a new online training course for veterinary receptionists called a Mini Series. 

Dr Susie Coughlan, Managing Director of CPD-Solutions, said: "Today's competitive pricing between practices means that securing a client's return spending can depend largely on the quality of their early interactions. However, with such a busy schedule, it's almost impossible for most vets and practice managers to provide dedicated in-house training for frontline staff, even though many appreciate how crucial it is. The mini-series allows receptionists to perfect their skills in their own time and in the comfort of their own surroundings, saving the practice valuable time and resources while enhancing the initial customer experience. At the end of the day, this is what every veterinary practice is striving for - contented clients."

The first course commences on the 19th of February 2014 with a full programme planned for the future. More information is available at www.receptionistwebinars.com, or call CPD Solutions on 0151 328 0444.

Zoetis has launched PetDialog and HorseDialog, the only treatment reminder apps for pet and horse owners which veterinary practices can customise with their own branding.

The app is downloadable from the Apple and Android app stores, but is only accessible by inputting a unique practice identity code.

Once the app is unlocked, owners can then input details of any medications their pet is taking and the date its healthcheck / vaccinations are due, after which they'll receive a practice-branded email reminder.

It's a similar idea to Bayer's reminder app released earlier this year, but with the very clever addition of practice branding.

John Toole, Product Manager at Zoetis said: "This is absolutely the right time to launch this app. Smartphone ownership has rapidly increased from 38% to 60% in the last three years and by 2015 it is predicted that 73% of the UK population will own a Smartphone. The use of Smartphones is no longer just the domain of the young - use and ownership is pretty evenly spread among age groups between 24 and 64, with greatest growth among the 44 -74 age group over the past three years. It comes as no surprise that recent market research confirms 57% of UK pet owners own an Android or iOS device.

"Health businesses are the most trusted by UK mobile users when it comes to receiving mobile messages. More than 11 million consumers have opted in to receive mobile messages from health companies, particularly to take advantage of appointment reminders. This form of communication can really boost loyalty where vet practices are concerned, as 74% of users say that mobile messages that had a use or benefit would maintain or enhance their loyalty to that brand.

"PetDialog has been a significant investment for us and with the help of our customers we plan to re-invest in a robust development stream to ensure the app becomes a valuable tool for pet owners and practices alike. To help practices launch and market the app we've developed an extensive bespoke range of marketing support materials from web pages and email templates to practice posters that come alive in the waiting room with augmented reality."

VetSurgeon gave the app a very quick trial. We found registration simple and easy. Clear navigation. Very good first impression.

Except ...

Honestly, whose idea was it that even the most pathologically insane pet owner would possibly, even once in a million years, want to record (and chart) the amount of time they spend hugging their pet. And not just that, but also to categorise their pet-hugging activities according to whether it was 'Morning Cuddles', 'Afternoon Hugs' or 'Evening Snuggles'. Someone at Zoetis' digital agency must have been smoking something very strong when they came up with that one.

Similarly, the ability to record the amount of time spent playing with the dog, breaking it down into specific activities such as: 'Fetch', Tug of War', 'General Playing', is surely targeted at the 0.0000000001% of the pet owning population that really should be getting some sort of professional help.

That said, the overall idea and execution is top notch. Provided Zoetis removes the madder elements of the app at the next upgrade, it'll get 5 stars out of 5. Meantime, it's still highly recommended.

For more information about the app, contact your Zoetis Account Manager

Purina has launched a range of services and support materials to help veterinary professionals approach the subject of nutrition with owners.

The Gastrointestinal Support Pack includes a GI handbook, "lunch and learn" educational sessions, a diagnostic support tool (available at www.purinavets.eu/giapplication) and a toolkit containing information sheets and diagnostic advice.

The company has also announced the result of some consumer research it conducted through One Poll in 2013, which revealed that 77% of dogs have experienced some form of digestive health issue, but only 20% of owners had visited their vet to discuss it. The research also found that 80% of owners would be willing to change their pet's diet if it would improve their digestion. 

Esther Rawlinson, Purina UK Veterinary Affairs Manager said: "GI upsets and associated 'accidents' can be really distressing for both owner and pet but are seemingly suffered as 'just one of those things' by many. This needn't be the case though, as a lot of GI-related conditions could be prevented or at least managed by the correct nutritional advice and a specially formulated veterinary diet. By addressing nutrition at every consultation, vets can better identify those patients who suffer regular GI disturbance but whose owners do not feel it worthy of mentioning when in the clinic. The survey results show that there is a huge opportunity for vets to improve the health of many more of their clients' dogs and this is why Purina has introduced a range of GI services and support materials. We aim to help vets to include a nutritional assessment in all of their consultations."

For more information call PURINA PetCare Team on 0800 212 161.

Researchers at the Royal Veterinary College have officially launched a new Feline Diabetic Remission Clinic in the Queen Mother Hospital for Animals in Hertfordshire, to investigate the optimum methods to achieve good control, and ultimately diabetic remission, in diabetic cats.

Led by Dr Stijn Niessen, the team at the new clinic will offer diabetic cats optimum management, while at the same time gathering information to enhance current scientific understanding of the best treatment for diabetic cats.

Feline diabetes mellitus is a costly, chronic disease which can significantly decrease the quality of life of both cat owners and their pets. However, a proportion of diabetic cats can achieve diabetic remission and no longer require insulin therapy, which is increasingly considered the ultimate goal in treating diabetic cats.
 
According to the RVC, early evidence suggests that good, early blood glucose control increases remission rates in diabetic cats. However, there is little evidence about which treatment protocol offers the best blood glucose control and chance of remission.

Stijn said: "Our mission is to investigate the best method of achieving good blood glucose control, and diabetic remission, in diabetic cats. The clinic also aims to identify predictors of diabetic remission, which will help veterinarians advise their clients on the chance of their cat achieving diabetic remission in the future."

He added: "Interestingly, most cats seem to suffer from a similar type of diabetes as most humans. We always suspected cats to be extremely wise, but isn't it interesting to know that they also might hold the answer to many questions we have about the human disease!"

The clinic is currently recruiting cats that have had diabetes for less than 4 months' duration for a clinical trial, examining the effect of new insulins on blood glucose control and remission rate.

Enrolled cats will qualify for full underlying disease assessment at the referral hospital, several re-examination appointments, 12 months of prescription diabetic food, and 6 months of insulin therapy - all at no cost to owners.

For more information on the trial or the work of the clinic, contact Feline Diabetic Remission Clinic: telephone: 01707 666 605 or email: fdrc@rvc.ac.uk 

The Veterinary Record has published new research which shows that one in seven vets is likely to be burnt-out within 10 years of qualifying.

The study was conducted by a team of Dutch researchers led by Nicole Mastenbroek (pictured right) from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at Utrecht University.

They noted that veterinary surgeons' psychological wellbeing has been the subject of several studies in different countries in recent years, with some evidence suggesting that male vets are less prone to distress, anxiety, and depression. They wanted to gauge the level of burn-out and engagement with work among vets that had graduated within the past decade, and to assess whether gender or years since graduation are influential factors.

The researchers say they based their approach on the job demands-resources (JD-R) questionnaire, which balances out negative (burn-out) and positive (engagement) aspects of wellbeing associated with work. However, they tailored it specifically for veterinary surgeons, on the grounds that every profession has unique risk factors for burn-out.

The questionnaire was emailed to 1,790 vets who had qualified in The Netherlands between 1999 and 2009, with the final analysis based on the responses of 860, almost three quarters (73%) of whom were women.

Levels of exhaustion and cynicism - both of which are associated with burn-out - were significantly lower than those in a random sample of the Dutch working population. But so too was the level of work engagement.

The responses showed that one in seven respondents (14%) was burnt-out within 10 years of qualifying.

The researchers say that if the criteria for burn-out that are normally used for the Dutch workforce are applied, then the responses would indicate that 27% of the survey respondents were burnt-out.

Women also seemed to reach burn-out faster. Almost one in five (18%) of the female respondents was burnt-out within five years of graduating.

Male vets tended to be less exhausted and more engaged with work than their female peers. Job demands associated with exhaustion were work/home life balance and workload, while job resources linked to engagement included opportunities for professional development and "skills discretion" - the ability to use and develop skills on the job.

Researchers says that behavioural traits explained more of the variance in levels of work engagement between male and female vets than in levels of exhaustion.

Self-belief in one's abilities (self-efficacy) and a proactive stance are linked to work engagement in the JD-R approach. But women vets rated themselves as less effective, optimistic, proactive and assertive than did their male peers.

British Veterinary Association President Robin Hargreaves said: "These findings are worrying but sadly not surprising. We know that a burn out and other manifestations of poor mental wellbeing in veterinary professionals of both sexes are a well-recognised problem in the UK and they are a constant concern to BVA.

"The suggestion of an increased susceptibility to burn out amongst female vets adds to that concern with the increasing proportion of women in the profession."

The Competition and Markets Authority has completed its review of the veterinary sector, concluding that there are five main areas of concern and proposing a formal Market Investigation, subject to a 4 week consultation. 

The CMA review generated 11,000 responses from people working in the veterinary industry, including 1/5th of the country's vets and nurses. There were a further 45,000 responses from the general public. 

Issues identified by the review were that:

• Consumers are not being given enough information choose the best practice or the right treatments. The CMA highlighted that 80% of practices don't display any pricing information on their website, that consumers are often not informed about the cost of diagnosis or treatment before agreeing to it, and the lack of transparency over the ownership of corporate practices.
• In some areas of the country, corporatisation may be killing off competition. 
• Large groups which have invested in expensive, advanced equipment may be incentivised to offer more sophisticated, higher cost treatments, making consumers less able to access simpler lower cost treatments. They have also bought related businesses, such as referral centres, diagnostic labs, crematoria and out of hours care, providing an incentive to provide these services in-house to the detriment of choice and competition. 
• Pet owners may be paying too much for medicines: around 25% of pet owners are unaware they can have prescriptions fulfilled elsewhere, and there is little incentive for practices to advise owners that they have a choice. Furthermore, under the current regulatory framework, practices are often unable to source medicines at prices that can compete in the marketplace.
• Under the current framework, the RCVS regulates at practitioner level, meaning it has limited leverage over the commercial and consumer-facing aspects of veterinary business, such as how prices are communicated or whether there is transparency over practice ownership.

So far, the RCVS, the BVNA and IVC have all responded to the announcement, the RCVS welcoming the call for modernising the regulatory framework and the BVNA likewise (taking the opportunity to remind everyone that this would also be the moment to protect the 'veterinary nurse' title).

Meanwhile, IVC said that for its part, it has always tried to ensure its prices are competitive and that customers are informed of costs before treatment, adding that it believes price increases in the sector have been driven predominantly by the shortage of vets, necessary improvements to pay and conditions for veterinary professionals and inflation.  

The CMA has now launched a 4-week consultation to seek views from the sector on the proposal to launch a market investigation.

The consultation closes on 11 April 2023 at which point it will consider the responses received and a decision will be made on how to proceed.

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/consultation-on-the-proposal-to-make-a-market-investigation-reference-into-veterinary-services-for-household-pets-in-the-uk

The RCVS is reminding veterinary nurses that their renewal fees need to be paid to the College by 31 December 2013 or they will be removed from the List/Register.

According to the College, 7,180 veterinary nurses paid their fees by the annual deadline date of 1 November 2013. Another 2,161 have made payments since then and the remaining 1,468 veterinary nurses who have still not paid their fees have been sent a letter reminding them that their fees need to be paid - and cleared - by the end of the year.

The renewal fee can be paid online via www.rcvs.org.uk/login, using the individual log-in numbers on the fee renewal letters sent in September and the overdue payment letters sent in December. Veterinary nurses who have mislaid their log-in numbers can email webadmin@rcvs.org.uk with their full name, date of birth, address on the Register or List and the badge number engraved on the back of their VN badge. Payment can also be made by bank transfer - details are on the renewal letter.

For payments made by cheque, the name of the veterinary nurse and their List/Register number needs to be written on the back. Cheques need to be received by the RCVS before Friday 20 December and the payment to have cleared by 31 December.

For any queries about registration or annual renewals, veterinary nurses should contact the RCVS Registration Department on 020 7202 0707 or email membership@rcvs.org.uk

Petplan is making a last call for entries to its Veterinary Awards, which recognise members of the veterinary profession who continually go above and beyond what is expected of them.

Nominations for the awards close on 31^st January.

Nominations for all categories which include Vet of the Year, Vet Nurse of the Year, Vet Practice of the Year, Vet Support Staff of the Year, Practice Manager of the Year and Petplan Insurance Advisor of the Year are judged by an independent panel of industry experts. Every nominee receives a Petplan certificate so even if your nominee isn't one of the lucky finalists they'll still know and feel appreciated that someone has taken the time and effort to nominate them.

Petplan's Head of Sales and Partnerships, Simon Masding said: "Petplan knows that the veterinary world is full of brilliant professionals. The Petplan Veterinary Awards create a wonderful opportunity to recognise high performance, and demonstrate to your clients and to the wider industry what a great job your staff do. As well as the feel-good factor, there's a commercial benefit for being nominated too, one previous winner saw a 30% growth in their business as a result of winning. So if you would like to be in with a chance, you have just one month left to encourage your clients and staff to nominate!"

Finalists are invited to attend an award ceremony held at the Birmingham Town Hall on Thursday 3rd April 2014.

To nominate a friend or colleague, or register your interest in attending the awards evening, visit www.petplanvet.co.uk.

The RCVS Disciplinary Committee has agreed to adjourn multiple charges against an Essex-based veterinary surgeon who qualified in 1969, following his undertakings firstly to request removal from the RCVS Register and secondly never apply to be restored to it.

At the hearing, which had originally been listed for seven days, Geoffrey Raymond Oliver, 68, was charged with serious professional misconduct over allegations of his inadequate treatment of two dogs and a cat (belonging to three different clients) between 2010 and 2012; inadequate record keeping; failures to deal honestly or properly with his clients; and, failure to heed advice from the RCVS Preliminary Investigation Committee about the importance of proper communication between veterinary surgeons and their clients.

However, before the Committee heard evidence on any aspect of these charges, Mr Oliver lodged his application for adjournment. The Committee therefore made no findings on the charges, and emphasised they had neither been proved against, nor admitted by, him.

The Committee noted that there had been no adverse findings against Mr Oliver during his professional career, that his practice was now closed and that he had no intention of returning to practise in the future. Should he subsequently apply to be restored to the Register, the Committee would resume its consideration of the charges, along with his breach of the undertaking.

The Committee was advised that none of the complainants in the case - which could have incurred considerable time and costs - dissented from the proposed course of action.

Speaking on behalf of the Disciplinary Committee, its Chairman, Professor Peter Lees, said: "The Committee has concluded that no useful purpose would be served were it to insist on a full hearing [and it] would be a disproportionate waste of...resources [to do so]. The Committee is satisfied that [granting the adjournment application] protects the welfare of animals and...is in the public interest."

The Committee then accepted Mr Oliver's undertakings, including the removal of his name from the Register with immediate effect.

Professor Lees added: "So that he is in no doubt about the matter, the Committee reminds [Mr Oliver] that, when referring clients of his former practice elsewhere, he should be careful to avoid giving them any advice about the diagnosis or treatment of their animals."

The RCVS is now accepting disclosures from veterinary surgeons about any criminal cautions, convictions or adverse findings they may have against them, as part of a voluntary period before the requirement to disclose commences in 2014.

The requirement that veterinary surgeons notify the College about criminal cautions, convictions or adverse findings on registration, and on an annual basis as part of their registration renewal each March, was introduced as part of the Code of Professional Conduct in 2012 (section 5.3, see Notes to Editors). However, the College has allowed a bedding-in period for the Code before enforcing the requirement.

From 2014, new registrants will have to disclose any criminal cautions, convictions or adverse findings that may affect registration (for example, those from university fitness to practise procedures).

Veterinary surgeons already on the Register (including overseas and non-practising categories, as well as UK-practising) will only be required to disclose criminal cautions, convictions or adverse findings that have occurred since April 2006. Fixed-penalty motoring offences are excluded.

The veterinary profession has fallen under the Notifiable Occupations Scheme since April 2006, which means that serious convictions are already passed to the College from the police.

If a veterinary surgeon declares a criminal conviction, this will be initially considered by the Registrar, and, if necessary, referred to the Preliminary Investigation Committee. In some cases, the matter will be referred on to the Disciplinary Committee to decide if the nature of the caution or conviction affects the veterinary surgeon's fitness to practise - in which case the usual sanctions of removal or suspension from the Register could apply.

Eleanor Ferguson, Head of Professional Conduct said: "We hope, through this new requirement, to increase the public's confidence in the veterinary profession, and to safeguard animal health and welfare. The move brings the veterinary profession into line with many others - including registered veterinary nurses, who have made such a disclosure since their Register was introduced, in 2007."

The RCVS has launched a dedicated advice line to assist affected veterinary surgeons, on 07818 113 056, open Monday to Friday, 11am-4pm.

Callers will speak to one of three RCVS solicitors who can advise on the process and the possible outcomes of disclosure. Alternatively, veterinary surgeons can contact disclosure@rcvs.org.uk.

Detailed information regarding the requirement, including examples of the kinds of convictions that may be referred to the Preliminary Investigation Committee, and a disclosure form, can be found on www.rcvs.org.uk/convictions.