Merial Animal Health, in association with the BVNA, has launched its ParasitXpert CPD Course and Award for the second consecutive year.

The bitesize course is online and worth 3 hours of certificated CPD, allowing nurses to extend their knowledge in the ever changing world of parasites and the diseases they can transmit. The course is a series of webinars, and relevant articles followed by an MCQ assessment.

All candidates attaining a distinction in the course are invited to submit a 500 word piece with the title "Putting parasite learnings into practice". These entries will be judged by a panel including a technical vet from Merial and the Education Development Co-ordinator from BVNA.

The winner of the Award will be presented with a plaque at the official awards ceremony of this years' BVNA Congress held on Friday 6 October and will receive a three-day Congress pass. They will also receive a comprehensive parasitology textbook plus £200 of Love2Shop vouchers. In addition, two highly commended entries will be awarded with a parasitology textbook and £100 of Love2Shop vouchers.

You can sign up to the course on the BVNA website (www.bvna.co.uk) using enrolment key PARASITXPERT2017. After viewing the webinars and articles, participants should complete the MCQ assessment. All entries must be received by 17 September 2017.

Vetruus has announced that twenty veterinary nurses have recently completed the Veterinary Dermatology Award, which the company delivers in conjunction with the British Small Animal Veterinary Association as part of the Nurse Merit Award Scheme.

The course, which comprises two days of theory and a practical day at Bristol University with course tutors Sue Paterson and Natalie Barnard, is designed to provide nurses with useful and practical dermatology knowledge that can broaden their skill base and extend the services of the practices they work for.

In addition to the study, each nurse was required to submit a case project.

Cathy Gurney, managing director at Vetruus said: "The course was fully booked, a testament to the quality of training on offer and the high regard in which a Veterinary Dermatology Award is held.

"I’m delighted that all the nurses passed. It is not an easy course but they worked hard under the expert guidance of Sue and Natalie."

As well as the Veterinary Dermatology Award, each nurse automatically qualifies to become a Vetruus Dermatology Nurse Advisor. Cathy added: "We are keen to support nurses and practices with both with formal training and informal tutorials, such Vetruus Bites online videos. We want Vetruus Dermatology Nurse Advisors to become a key part of patient care."

The course, which includes diagnostic techniques, practical sessions, allergies, ectoparasites, hormonal skin disease and Otitis Externa, will be run again in 2017. More information on course content, timings and financial support for attendees can be obtained from the Vetruus Territory Managers.

Willows Veterinary Centre has announced that work has started on a 2,400 sq ft extension project at its Solihull site as part of an investment of more than £1 million to enhance its wide range of specialist services.

The extension, which is due for completion before the end of the year, will allow the centre to offer a range of new services, including a new radioactive iodine unit for treatment of hyperthyroidism in cats, a larger echocardiography suite for cardiac patients, an endoscopy suite, an ophthalmology procedure room, a dedicated operating theatre for minimally invasive procedures and 41 new kennels. 

Toby Gemmill, clinical director at Willows, said: "The expansion represents a really exciting time for Willows and has been carefully planned to maximise the space we have available to us. 

"We are already extremely well placed to offer a wide variety of specialist treatments and this extension will provide us with the space to build on our gold level cat-friendly clinic status with a radioactive iodine unit for treatment of hyperthyroidism in cats, along with dozens of new kennels and range of specialist treatment rooms."

The extension is part of a major investment drive by the Linnaeus Group, of which Willows is a part, which will see it plough around £9 million into its sites across the UK. 

Lynne Hill, chief executive of the Linnaeus Group, said: "We are extremely proud of the practices within the group and are fully prepared to support them financially, and in any other way, to ensure they continue to offer the very best facilities and treatment for our clients and patients."

Carlos Egido Cortes, a Glamorgan-based practitioner, has been struck off by the RCVS Disciplinary Committee following his conviction for possession of four indecent images of children and an extreme pornographic image involving an animal and a female.

Mr Cortes had pleaded guilty to the offences in January 2017 at Cardiff Crown Court. In February 2017, he was sentenced to six months imprisonment suspended for two years with a requirement to complete unpaid work and rehabilitation activity and a victim surcharge. Following Mr Cortes’ conviction the matters were referred to the RCVS and Mr Cortes was subsequently referred to the Disciplinary Committee.

Mr Cortes did not attend at the Disciplinary Committee hearing and was not represented. The Disciplinary Committee, being satisfied that Mr Cortes had been served with the Notice of Inquiry and having considered and taken into account a number of separate factors, decided that it would be in the interests of justice to proceed with the hearing in his absence.

The Committee considered whether Mr Cortes’ convictions rendered him unfit to practise as a veterinary surgeon. Chitra Karve, chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: "The Committee has reached the conclusion that the respondent’s possession of this material which has led to his convictions was so reprehensible as to merit the description disgraceful. It considers that by possessing this material, the respondent has brought disgrace on the profession and will have undermined confidence in it. It therefore finds that the convictions have rendered the respondent unfit to practise veterinary surgery."

In considering the sanction the Committee decided that removing Mr Cortes from the Register of Veterinary Surgeons was the only available option. Ms Karve added: "The Committee has determined that the respondent’s behaviour is fundamentally incompatible with being a member of the veterinary profession. It therefore directs the Registrar to remove the respondent’s name… from the Register of Veterinary Surgeons."

Boehringer Ingelheim has re-launched its website www.metacam.co.uk with a redesign which aims to help cat and dog-owning clients identify and manage pain in their pets. 

Brand Manager Dr Amy Scott said: "Because pain is often very difficult for owners to spot, the website highlights some of the common signs that indicate their cat or dog is suffering.

"We have also included a range of additional measures that owners can take to improve the quality of life and maintain the joint health of their pet once Metacam has been prescribed. These include weight management, regular and gentle exercise and alternative therapies such as hydrotherapy or the use of joint supplements such as Seraquin."

The website highlights common painful conditions such as arthritis, as well as more acute scenarios such as post injury or surgery. It also describes the changes in behaviour owners should be aware of that could indicate their pet is in pain, for example reluctance to exercise, change in appetite, displays of aggression or depression.

Amy added: "The correct use of NSAIDs is also an important consideration for effective pain management. To help with this, the website contains a section on Metacam administration for owners, featuring a short video on accurate dosing and treatment."

MSD Animal Health has launched 'No Hiding', a campaign designed to educate pet owners about parasite control and add value to the consultation process by encouraging veterinary nurses and front-of-house staff to get more involved and share their expertise and experience.

MSD says the campaign will help veterinary nurses and front-of-house staff start the conversation about parasite control by asking clients about their pets' favourite hiding places, where parasites are often found. The supporting campaign tools and materials are designed to help practice staff then uncover pet owner needs to ensure they get the best recommendation.

Amanda Melvin, Marketing Manager at MSD Animal Health said: "Vet nurses and front-of-house staff are usually the first contact pet owners have with the practice. Yet the potential they have to add value to the whole consultation process is often underestimated.

"Our ‘No Hiding’ campaign has been designed to make use of this expertise by helping them find a way of sharing their knowledge. When it comes to pet owners this is usually best achieved by sharing those conversations about the unusual quirks and habits of their pets. That way they can uncover their hiding places and give them the best advice on parasite control."

The ‘No Hiding’ campaign offers a range of resources for practices including in-practice training, social media support, and interactive waiting room resources - demonstrating the practice’s expertise and allowing pet owners to share in the unique hiding habits of their pets. 

For further information, contact your MSD Animal Health account manager.

The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) has issued a statement following media reports and concerns raised on social media about serious adverse events given in dogs given a vaccine containing four strains of Leptospira bacteria:

"We would like to reassure vets, and through them dog owners, that we are constantly reviewing adverse event report data to ensure that the benefits of each UK licenced veterinary medicine product outweighs the risk posed by their potential side-effects.

There are a number of vaccines authorised in the UK containing either two (L2) or four (L4) strains of Leptospira. Based on the most recent periodic safety update report data received for each product, the incidence of adverse animal reactions for all L2 vaccine products combined is 0.015%; for L4 vaccine products this figure is 0.069%.

In other words, the VMD has received fewer than 2 adverse reactions for L2, and fewer than 7 for L4, for every 10,000 doses sold. This includes every suspected adverse event reported, even cases that were considered unclassifiable or were later found to be unrelated to the vaccine.

The overall incidence of suspected adverse reactions for both L2 and L4 vaccine products is therefore considered to be rare."

The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) has published its Pharmacovigilance Annual Review 2015, which reviews 5674 reports of adverse events in animals, humans and the environment following the use of veterinary medicines over the course of the year.

5638 events were reported spontaneously, mainly by the marketing authorisation holder (61%), with the remainder largely reported by veterinary surgeons. 

Of these, 5512 were reports of adverse reactions in animals: 829 concerning suspected lack of efficacy, 4638 concerning safety. The majority of reports concerned dogs (2927), cats (1426) and cattle (386).

In dogs, medicines for the control of epilepsy were most often suspected of not having performed as expected (80 reports) whilst vaccines were most commonly reported as having failed to work (71).  However, the VMD points out that in many cases, vaccination failure was attributable to other causes (such as incomplete vaccination schedule).

In cats, flea spot-on products were most likely to be reported as not having worked (21). However, there are many reasons why owners may continue to see live fleas on their animal which are unrelated to product efficacy (such as reinfestation from the environment). 

Notably, the majority of efficacy reports in horses (12/19) related to euthanasia products, which the report says should serve as a reminder that alternative means of euthanasia should always be available in case the chosen method does not proceed as planned.

Of the safety reports, 59.6% involved dogs, 31% cats, 4.9% horses and 3.9% rabbits. The majority concerned vaccines (1360 reports, most commonly general signs or symptoms, such as lethargy or pyrexia), parasiticides (472 reports, most commonly lethargy, emesis, inflammation/pruritus, depending on method of administration) and inflammation control (412 cases, most commonly emesis, renal insufficiency and diarrhoea, depending on the drug type).

There were 124 reports of adverse events in humans. Of those involving veterinary professionals (about a quarter):

• There were two cases where owners were injured by a vet with a needle. In one case, despite the owner washing and disinfecting their hands immediately, the hand became too swollen to move and required anti-histamines and anti-inflammatories.
• A veterinary nurse developed a sore eye when vaccine was squirted into it as the needle came off the syringe. The symptoms resolved the following day.
• A veterinary surgeon reported brief periods of numbness around an injury sustained from a needle used for a rabies vaccination.
• A veterinary surgeon reported injection site pain after inadvertently injecting a small volume of a macrolide antimicrobial into his thumb. 
• A veterinary surgeon scratched his finger with a needle he had used to administer tilmicosin, and he thought a drop may have entered the wound. Nevertheless he did not seek medical attention until more than 3 hours later. Fortunately no treatment was required. 
• A veterinary surgeon pricked her finger with a needle on a syringe full of alfaxalone. No product was injected and she experienced no other symptoms than bleeding and pain from the puncture wound. 
• A veterinary surgeon was administering pentobarbital to a cat when the needle came off the syringe and between 1 and 20 ml of product squirted back into her eyes and mouth. She rinsed her eyes and mouth, drank some water and ate a banana. 45 minutes later she felt tired and ‘fuzzy’. She spoke to her GP by phone, but did not attend the surgery or receive treatment. She recovered within 3 hours. 
• A locum veterinary nurse developed swelling around an injury on her hand from a needle on a syringe of medetomidine. She had punctured a blood vessel, but thought only a small amount of product was injected. She felt light-headed and was monitored in hospital for a couple of hours, after which she returned to work with no lasting effects. 
• Two veterinary surgeons and a pet owner suffered needle stick injuries whilst an anti-emetic was administered to an animal that was being restrained by the owner. 

The VMD says that reports of needle stick injuries involving vaccines with a mineral oil adjuvant are of particular concern, because they often fail to show that the injured party has received prompt and correct treatment, either because they are themselves unaware of the necessity for swift intervention, or because they do not take the product package information leaflet with them when seeking medical treatment. 

Similarly, the VMD says that incidents involving injectable tilmicosin seem to be often dismissed as just a scratch, and that if you use these products, you should make sure you are fully aware of the warnings contained in the product leaflets.

To read the full report, visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/608968/PhV_Annual_Review_2015_v7.pdf 

The BVA has announced that Philip Lowndes MRCVS has become its new Board Chairman.

The BVA Board oversees the performance of the Association and is responsible for corporate and financial governance and for setting the BVA’s strategic direction. It consists of nine members: the three Officers of the BVA, four Directors appointed by BVA Council and up to 2 non-veterinary Directors appointed by the Board. The Chairman is elected by the Board.

Philip, a Bristol University Veterinary School graduate, spent seven years in mixed practice in Sussex, Kent and Suffolk before embarking on a career in the veterinary pharmaceutical industry.

He became CEO of Novartis Animal Health UK Ltd in 1996 (where, incidentally, he was ultimately responsible for signing up a wet-behind-the-ears PR consultant by the name of Arlo Guthrie and giving the go-ahead for the development of vetnurse.co.uk, which in turn led to the launch of vetsurgeon.org). In 2003 he became the company's Head of Global Marketing, and in 2005, Head of Global Business Development. 

Philip has also run business elective training at the Royal Veterinary College, which has provided first-hand experience of the concerns and opportunities facing new graduates within a changing profession.

Gudrun Ravetz, President of the British Veterinary Association, said: "We are delighted to announce Philip Lowndes as the new Chairman of the BVA Board. His experience and expertise in business, knowledge of the veterinary profession and involvement with BVA will be of great value as we continue to grow our membership and expand our services and support for vets, especially during the uncertainty caused by Brexit."

Philip holds previous chair experience, as Chairman of the National Office of Animal Health (NOAH) between 1997-2004, and currently sits as Chairman of both the Novartis UK Pension Trustee Board and its Investment Committee. He joined BVA’s Board in 2013 and was re-elected by BVA Council for a second term in 2016. He will be taking over from Derek Williams, who stepped down in March after seven years of tireless work as Chairman.

Gudrun said: "I also want to take this opportunity to thank Derek Williams for all the hard work he has put in over many years. In his role as Chairman Derek’s experience and expertise have been vital in helping BVA grow as an organisation."

Philip said: "I am honoured to be elected as the next Chairman of the BVA and look forward to chairing the Board as it addresses the challenges ahead. The veterinary profession needs and deserves vibrant representation and it is the Board’s role to ensure that the organisation has the ability and the resources to achieve this to the benefit of our membership."

The BVA Board also gained a new non-veterinary Board Director, Steven Anderson Dixon, from April. Mr Dixon brings with him a successful career in newspaper and magazine publishing, which will be an asset as BVA consolidates and continues to develop its portfolio of veterinary journals.

Zoetis has launched Stronghold Plus (selamectin/sarolaner), a topical combination of parasiticides that treats ticks, fleas, ear mites, lice and GI nematodes and prevents heartworm disease in cats.

Stronghold Plus contains the same selamectin found in common-or-garden Stronghold, licensed for the treatment of fleas, flea allergic dermatitis, ear mites (Otodectes cynotis), roundworm (Toxocara cati), intestinal hookworms (Ancylostoma tubaeforme), biting lice (Felicola subrostratus), and for the treatment of heartworm disease caused by Dirofilaria immitis. 

To that has been added sarolaner, a new acaricide and insecticide which is also effective for five weeks against Ixodes ricinus, Ixodes hexagonus, and for four weeks against Dermacentor reticulatus and Rhipicephalus sanguineus.

Clint Lewis, Executive Vice President and President International Operations, said: "The launch of  Stronghold Plus enables Zoetis to offer veterinarians in the European Union a new topical choice that treats the parasites commonly presenting a threat to cats with one convenient monthly dose.

For the first time, we have combined our new, versatile parasiticide sarolaner with the active ingredient in Stronghold, selamectin, resulting in the first approval of sarolaner for use in cats. We see sarolaner as a promising platform for future product lines and lifecycle innovations and are pleased with the positive data that sarolaner and its combination continue to generate in studies.”

Domenico Otranto, Professor of Parasitology at Bari University in Italy, who has reviewed the product data of Stronghold Plus, said: "A number of laboratory and field studies show the efficacy of the single spot-on application of Stronghold Plus for at least one month. Veterinarians in Europe now have a very effective option for the treatment and control of four prominent species of ticks commonly found on cats while maintaining proven efficacy against fleas, GI worms, heartworms, ear mites and lice. Ultimately, pet owners and practitioners have a new tool for improving health and welfare of cats."

Avacta Animal Health is inviting veterinary practices to register now for the UK’s third Pet Allergy Week (PAW), which starts on 5th June 2017. 

Over 500 practices took part in the 2016 initiative, and Avacta is hoping even more will get involved this year, helping to raise awareness of allergies in cats and dogs.

Marketing Manager Gary Skipper said: "This year’s PAW campaign will focus on the clinical signs associated with allergies in cats and dogs as well as what is involved in the diagnosis and treatment process."

To help raise the PAW profile, Avacta has created a series of cartoon characters, such as the one pictured right, to help engage pet owners with the initiative and demonstrate the clinical signs associated with allergies in pets. There'll be a competition to name the cartoon characters at Avacta's stand (808) at BSAVA Congress this year, for the chance to win a personal pet portrait. 

Gary said: "There are a wealth of reasons to get the practice involved in the initiative. PAW aims to help boost awareness among clients of the common clinical signals associated with allergies in cats and dogs; we will be offering heavily discounted canine and feline allergy tests throughout June to help reduce costs, and the campaign also helps to encourage team work by getting everyone at the practice involved in the competition for the best PAW waiting room display using the pack materials – the winning practice will receive a luxury hamper!"

To register your practice for the 2017 Pet Allergy Week, complete the online registration form at www.avactaanimalhealth.com/PAW. Alternatively speak to your local Territory Manager or contact the Avacta Customer Services Team on 0800 3 047 047 or email customer.services@avacta.com.

The registration deadline to receive a pack is Friday 5th May. 

Medivet has announced that it has secured a £20 million funding package from HSBC, which will allow the business to accelerate its acquisition of more practices across the UK.

The company says it has already used part of the funding facility to acquire six practices – four in Wales and two in South London, with the aim to attain many more practices in 2017 across the UK.

Medivet now has 169 veterinary practices across the country, making it the fourth largest veterinary group in the UK.

Will Taylor, Corporate Relationship Manager for HSBC in Thames Valley, said: "It is great to see that Medivet has gone from strength-to-strength over the past few years, with an ambitious business. HSBC has enjoyed a long-standing and highly effective business relationship with Medivet and this latest deal will allow the business to carry out its aspiring acquisition plan and continue to grow at a rapid pace."

Dr Arnold Levy, Chief Executive Officer at Medivet, said: "This latest round of funding will allow us to take up a vast amount of opportunities that have become available to us and accelerate the pace of acquisitions of further practices across the country. Last year we acquired over 50 new sites and this year we plan to attain even more, which is significant progress for our business and testament to our strong financial backing."

Researchers at the University of Bristol’s School of Veterinary Sciences have published a new paper which argues that veterinary professionals need to move away from giving advice in a paternalistic, directive, persuasive manner, and instead adopt a more collaborative, partnership-based style.

The researchers say that when veterinary surgeons give advice to clients with the aim of changing their behaviour - such as encouraging them to feed their pet differently - they often speak in a directive style, which is driven by a paternalistic-type relationship.

This, they say, reduces a client’s sense of emotional connection to their vet, whilst limiting their personal choice and self-direction in the decision-making process. This consultation method, combined with its conflict with these basic motivational drives, may contribute to why low uptake of veterinary recommendations are reported throughout the profession.

One solution could be the use of evidence-based communication approaches that have been tried and tested in the medical profession.

Alison Bard, PhD researcher at the School of Veterinary Sciences, said: "Veterinarians are working hard to connect with their clients and promote the health of animals in their care, but being a veterinarian is not just about communicating science and methodology. Communication must also inspire motivation, prompt action and boost confidence for an animal carer to put veterinary advice into practice.

"The problem our research identified is that the perceived role of the veterinarian - to provide advice and solutions – leads to a personal communication style that leaves little room for empathy or client input. This style comes at a high cost for client engagement with advice, as we know from wider research that relational interaction and active participation of clients is essential for inspiring a change in behaviour. For the typical veterinarian, this may be surprising, as the clinical accuracy and relevance of advice has traditionally (and intuitively) been the focus of advisory services."

The research team believes a shift in veterinary surgeons' perceptions of advisory consultations is needed to improve the uptake of advice.

Alison added: "As a profession, veterinarians can benefit from recognising that behaviour change is incredibly complex. Being provided with the ‘right’ advice is not always enough for clients to put veterinary recommendations into action, especially where disease management is complicated and clients have mixed feelings over treatment options. Howinformation is communicated in these cases affects client outcomes, meaning the difference between a motivated and unmotivated client can - in fact - be shaped by the veterinarian."

The research team hopes that this study will help veterinary surgeons think differently about their consultations by encouraging them to consider how their communication may be influencing client motivation and behaviour. As a result, they hope veterinarians will think carefully before using labels like  ‘unmotivated’ or ‘resistant to advice’, and instead explore whether their clients are perhaps just in need of emotional support, personal choice or a sense of self-confidence to truly engage with veterinary recommendations.

This call for change in the veterinary profession is already underway as a result of the VetFutures project, launched in 2015. This project called for a change in veterinary consultation style: away from a hierarchical model with the veterinary surgeon as the expert passing on instruction, to a model centred on partnership to create empowered and motivated clients.

Bristol’s research will inform this focus of the VetFutures project, and this study provides further evidence about the consequences of paternalistic communication on motivation and behaviour change in veterinary clients.

Dr Kristen Reyher, Senior Lecturer in Farm Animal Science, said: "This paper is one element of an exciting research project that will help inform and support our evolving veterinary profession. I’m confident that change can be achieved with the help of ongoing research. Our interdisciplinary work is focused on whether Motivational Interviewing - an evidence-based communication method that fosters a mutualistic approach to conversations on behaviour change - can deliver the advances VetFutures imagine for our colleagues of the future.

"We look forward to providing further evidence to contribute to a professional shift that will enhance the experience and wellbeing of veterinarians, clients and the animals in their care."

Reference

1. The future of veterinary communication: Partnership or persuasion? A qualitative investigation of veterinary communication in the pursuit of client behaviour change’ by Alison M. Bard et al in PLOS ONE