According to a survey of 2,000 dog owners by Burgess Supadog Sensitive, 18% of women say they speak to their dog more than their partner or husband.

Not only that, but it seems the older you are, the more likely you are to strike up a conversation with the dog: 21 per cent of respondents aged 45-54 said they talked to their dog more than their partner as opposed to 10 per cent of 18-24 year olds.

Other findings from the survey included:

• 62% of dog owners admitted to buying presents for their pet
• 42% take time off work to be with their dog when it is ill
• 36% let the dog sleep on the bed
• 34% leave the television or radio on for the dog in their absence
• 2/3rds of owners claimed to be aware of their pet's emotional state, and able to identify whether they were happy or sad, hungry or tired.
• 23% of owners said their pet preferred action programmes on TV, as opposed to 8% that said they preferred horror and only 3% that preferred sci-fi (this is getting silly).

Rabbit Awareness Week (RAW), which starts on 23rd May this year, is calling on veterinary practices to sign up to its free health check scheme to help raise awareness of rabbits' behavioural needs.

Participating practices will receive free support packs to help them advertise and run their health check events, as well as goodie bags to give out to clients who bring their rabbits in.

The 2011 event will see a PR, advertising and marketing campaign with backing from Burgess Excel and RAW partners, including Panacur Rabbit, Petplan Insurance, RSPCA, PSDA, The Blue Cross, Wood Green Animal Shelters and RWAF (Rabbit Welfare Association & Fund), which are the driving forces behind the RAW 2011 initiative.

Naomi Chatterley, marketing manager at Burgess Excel, said: "Following the success of last year's event, our aim is to create an even bigger success in 2011. This May, the focus is on raising awareness of rabbits' emotional welfare needs by encouraging owners to consider their rabbit's mental and emotional health. Rabbits that are not stimulated both mentally and physically tend to develop behavioral problems such as fur plucking, depression or severe aggression. Our sole aim is to educate owners about responsible rabbit ownership and improve the wellbeing of Britain's 3^rd most popular pet."

If you are interested in supporting RAW 2011 by hosting rabbit healthcare clinics at your surgery, please visit http://www.rabbitawarenessweek.co.uk/  to order your free support kit and register your event.

Petlog is announcing details of National Microchipping Month at BSAVA, which this year will include a special offer through which pet owners can update their registered details free of charge, and a 10% discount on SureFlap microchip cat flaps to all veterinary practices that agree to stock SureFlap and take part in the June initiative.  

Celia Walsom, Petlog Executive said: "On top of the launch of National Microchipping Month 2011 we will be releasing details about the 'Petlog's Featured Practice' competition, our social media campaign enabling veterinary practices to send in images of themselves with their happy customers: selected images will be featured online and there will be a unique prize for the overall winners.

She added: "Visitors to the Petlog stand will also be able to pick up their own personal copy of the Kennel Club's Veterinary Practice Guide to Dog Health on a handy disk."

Meanwhile, you can see SureFlap on stand 203 at Congress or visit: www.sureflap.co.uk/trade.

VetNurse.co.uk will shortly be undergoing one of its biggest upgrades since it was first launched in 2000, as part of which, we're now looking for experts in various fields of veterinary nursing to become VetNurse Experts.

Earlier in the year, we conducted a survey of veterinary nurses and veterinary surgeons to discover what you feel are the biggest weaknesses in social media for the sharing of knowledge and experience. 

By far the biggest problem was that on Facebook, you cannot tell how well qualified someone is to answer your question. So unless you know them offline, you simply do not know whether they are an expert in their field, or not. 

As part of the VetNurse upgrade, we'll be launching new 'VetNurse Expert Forums', where any member can come and ask for help, but only those who have applied and been validated as 'Experts' can reply. When they do, their answer can be branded with their logo and contact details. They'll also be rewarded with points. And points mean prizes!

So, you may wish to become a VetNurse Expert because you find it rewarding helping others in the profession, or because you want to promote something - such as your training establishment or perhaps that your practice is a nice place to work, or perhaps you have just written a book! Or maybe you'd just like to be in with a chance of winning some prizes. It doesn't matter which!

Either way, time spent asking or answering questions can also be claimed towards your CPD requirement, using VetNurse.co.uk's 'Claim CPD' feature which produces a certificate with a record of those Q&A discussions you have taken part in, completely free of charge. 

If you'd like to be a VetNurse.co.uk Expert, please enrol here: https://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/5375658/VetNurse-Experts 

If you have any questions, do come and discuss here: https://www.vetnurse.co.uk/nonclinical/f/16/t/31865.aspx

The Faculty of Homeopathy and the British Association of Homeopathic Veterinary Surgeons (BAHVS) have responded to the RCVS's new position on the use of complementary and alternative medicines in veterinary practice.

The organisations say that the RCVS position is that it expects veterinary surgeons to offer treatments "underpinned by a recognised evidence base".

However, what the RCVS position statement actually says is: "we expect that treatments offered by veterinary surgeons are underpinned by a recognised evidence base or sound scientific principles".

As yet, neither the Faculty of Homeopathy nor the BAHVS have explained which sound scientific principles homeopathy may be based on. 

The Faculty of Homeopathy and the BAHVS go on to say that misinformation concerning the efficacy of homeopathy has been promulgated by a small minority opposed to homeopathy. 

However, a survey carried out by VetSurgeon.org and Alex Gough MRCVS, Head of Medicine Referrals at Bath Veterinary Group in 2013 found that 83% of veterinary surgeons opposed homeopathy, 78% to the degree that they felt it should not be practised under the the professional title of MRCVS. 

The BAHVS response claims there is quality evidence supporting the efficacy of homeopathy, in direct contradiction to the many and various bodies and studies that have concluded the reverse, including the NHS, the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council, The House of Commons Science and Technology Committee and more recently, the European Academies Science Advisory Council (EASAC), an organisation representing the 29 national academies in Europe including the Royal Society, which recently declared in a statement that: "homeopathy is implausible" and "there is no rigorous evidence to substantiate the use of homeopathy in veterinary medicine."

The BAHVS claims there is growing interest in homeopathy from animal owners, "as they see conventional medicines regularly failing or producing adverse side-effects". It says: "this is especially true in livestock farming where there is a drive to reduce the dependence on antibiotics in light of concerns about antimicrobial resistance".

However, the recent EASAC statement specifically singled out the use of homeopathy in farm animals, saying that the lack of evidence is: "particularly worrying when such products are used in preference to evidence-based medicinal products to treat livestock infections."

The BAHVS response says that if the RCVS were to apply the same evidential criteria it is using for homeopathy to all treatments, there would be far fewer clinical options available to the profession; that the RCVS is limiting veterinary surgeons' clinical freedom. However, it doesn't substantiate this claim with examples of any clinical treatments used by veterinary surgeons which are not based on scientific principles and which would be limited if the same evidential standards applied.

VetNurse.co.uk supports the Campaign for Rational Veterinary Medicine. 

Photo: Multicolored homeopathy tubes isolated on a white background. Lush. Shutterstock.

New research published in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, has found that declaw surgery (onychectomy) in cats increases the risk of long-term or persistent pain, manifesting as unwanted behaviours such as inappropriate elimination (soiling/urinating outside of the litter box) and aggression/biting.

Whilst declawing is illegal in many countries of the world, it remains surprisingly common in others, including North America, where it is performed electively to stop cats from damaging furniture, or as a means of avoiding scratches.

The operation to declaw does not just remove the claw, but also the end bone of the toe. Previous research has focused on short-term issues following surgery, such as lameness, chewing of toes and infection, but the long-term health effects of this procedure have not to date been investigated.  

For the study, the author group, based in North America, investigated a total of 137 non-declawed cats and 137 declawed cats, of which 33 were declawed on all four feet. All 274 cats were physically examined for signs of pain and barbering (excessive licking or chewing of fur) and their medical history was reviewed for unwanted behaviours.

They found that inappropriate toileting, biting, aggression and over-grooming occurred significantly more often in the declawed cats than the non-declawed cats (roughly 7, 4, 3 and 3 times more often, respectively, based on the calculated odds ratio).

A declawed cat was also almost 3 times more likely to be diagnosed with back pain than a non-declawed cat (potentially due to shortening of the declawed limb and altered gait, and/or chronic pain at the site of the surgery causing compensatory weight shift to the pelvic limbs).

International Cat Care has issued a position statement saying that even if surgical techniques were improved to negate some of the adverse effects of declawing, it would remain of the opinion that the procedure is unethical other than if required to manage a medical condition, and should be legislated against wherever possible.

Reference 

1. Martell-Moran NK, Solano M and Townsend HGG. Pain and adverse behavior in declawed cats. J Feline Med Surg. Epub ahead of print 23 May 2017. DOI: 10.1177/1098612X17705044.

Birmingham-based Nicky Smith RVN from 387 Veterinary Centre has won this year's Petplan Vet Nurse of the Year Award.

Petplan's Veterinary Awards are designed to celebrate the nation’s most outstanding vets, vet nurses, practices, practice managers and support staff who are nominated by their colleagues and clients for continually going that extra mile, keeping pets healthy and giving owners peace of mind. 

The independent panel of judges said that Nicky's nomination stood out for her contribution towards growing her practice from a small one with one consulting room on the side of the vet’s house, to a standalone practice with three consulting rooms, dog and cat wards and dedicated preparation, theatre and imaging area. 

Nicky said: "When I found out I was nominated I was completely overwhelmed, so to know I’ve won feels unreal! It means the world – thank you to those who voted and to Petplan for this award."

In fact, it turned out to be a pretty good year for 387 Veterinary Centre, awards-wise. Another member of staff, Joanne Civil, won 'Veterinary Practice Support Staff of the Year', and the practice also took the overall 'Veterinary Practice of the Year' award.

'Vet of the Year' went to Johanna Headley from Sunninghill Veterinary Centre in Ascot, and 'Veterinary Practice Manager of the Year' went to Anne Corson of Pennard Vets in Tonbridge. 

Virbac has announced the launch of a new campaign - centred on a video that'll make men and dogs wince - to raise awareness amongst pet owners about the alternative to surgical castration and encourage them to visit their veterinary practice.

Virbac says there is mounting evidence of a growing change in the attitude of pet owners towards permanent castration, that research has shown that 25% of pet owners are concerned or very concerned that neutering could be harmful for their dog¹. The permanency of surgery has been cited as the reason why 67% of owners with entire male dogs have not yet opted for the procedure².

Hence the campaign to raise awareness of Suprelorin, the company's reversible alternative to surgical castration, which uses visual metaphors to explain that there is: 'more than one way to crack a nut'.

The video is also broadcast on the campaign website: www.morethanoneway.co.uk. 

Veterinary practices are invited to participate in the campaign by contacting their Virbac Territory Manager to order waiting room and client materials, or to book a Suprelorin lunch meeting for their practice. 

Suprelorin Product Manager Claire Lewis said: "Pet owner attitudes are definitely changing so by offering a choice when it comes to castration, veterinary practices have the opportunity to not only increase their overall castration rate, but also enhance their relationship with their clients."

References

1. Mo Gannon & Associates (2017). Do you think neutering is harmful for dogs?. MG&A.
2. Harris interactive. Understanding the usages & attitudes around cats & dogs sterilization and evaluating the potential of Suprelorin. (2017). 

Ceva Animal Health is urging vet nurses to take cats' blood pressure annually after they reach the age of seven, as recommended by the International Society of Feline Medicine¹, following research carried out by the company in which over 90% of veterinary surgeons agreed that treating hypertension is beneficial in its own right.

According to the company, a similar percentage of respondents believe that senior cats would benefit clinically if they monitored blood pressure routinely in their senior years, and nearly 85% said that anti-hypertensive medication would increase the quality of life for their patients.

Time constraints were cited as the main barrier to routinely measuring blood pressure, but all of those questioned would be happy for a trained RVN to measure blood pressure in cats.

Ceva highlights studies which show show that hypertension affects one in eight cats over nine years old³, with the risk increasing as cats age or if they have other conditions such as chronic kidney disease (where one in three cats suffer with hypertension) or overactive thyroid disease (where an estimated one in four cats suffer with hypertension)^{4, 5, 6}.

Rosanne Jepson, specialist in small animal internal medicine at the Royal Veterinary College said: "High blood pressure can cause severe damage to key body organs including the eyes, kidneys, heart and brain. Unfortunately, it is a condition that develops insidiously without early warning signs for the cat owner; a cat may seem perfectly fine until either the blood pressure is checked, or serious consequences of hypertension suddenly occur."

With this in mind, Ceva says it will host the first Feline Hypertension Month this May, to raise awareness of hypertension and improve the detection and management of high blood pressure in cats.  

The company is also encouraging practices to take part in the 'Mercury Challenge', a study it is launching in the summer which will, it says, be the largest-ever European study into feline hypertension.

For information on feline hypertension, Feline Hypertension Month or the Mercury Challenge, contact your local Ceva Animal Health account manager.

References

1. Taylor et al. ISFM consensus guidelines on the diagnosis and management of hypertension, Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery (2017).
2. Ceva Market Research into The Veterinary Perceptions of Feline Hypertension, 100 U.K. Vets. March 2017.
3. Jepson et al, Evaluation of predictors of the development of azotemia in cats, JVIM, 2009;23(4):806-813.
4. Sansom et al (2004) Blood pressure assessment in healthy cats and cats with hypertensive retinopathy AJVR 65; 245-252.
5. Syme H.M., Barber P.J., Markwell P.J., and Elliott J., Prevalence of systolic hypertension in cats with chronic renal failure at initial evaluation, Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 2002;220:1799-1804.
6. Huhtinen M. et al, (2015) Randomized Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial of a Chewable Formulation of Amlodipine for the Treatment of Hypertension in Client-Owned Cats, JVIM, 29:786-793.

Hot on the heels of yesterday’s announcement that the RCVS has completed the sale of its offices in Westminster, the College has now announced plans to move its headquarters offshore.

In a statement issued this morning, the College explained that a review carried out after tea yesterday afternoon concluded that in the post pandemic world, most of its staff will continue to work from home. The need for office space is therefore limited to three meeting rooms and a kitchenette. 

VetNurse.co.uk understands that as a result, negotiations are already well advanced between the College and the owners of Ugland House in the Cayman Islands (pictured right) over the sale of one floor of the building, which is also home to 20,000 companies based on the tax-efficient island.

RCVS spokesperson Flora Olip said: “This move makes all sorts of sense. It represents a considerable cost-saving over our London premises and it puts the College at the very centre of the global veterinary community.

RCVS CEO Lizzie Lockett was last seen browsing the beachwear section of www.harrods.com. 

Neil Hudson MRCVS, one of three veterinary surgeons to stand in the general election, has been elected to represent Penrith and the Border for the Conservatives with a majority of 18,519.

Danny Chambers MRCVS had a disappointing night after seeing the Liberal Democrat share of the vote in North Cornwall decrease by 5.8%, leaving him trailing 14,752 votes behind the Conservative candidate Scott Mann who scored 30,671.

Meanwhile Ian Fleming MRCVS, who stood as an independent candidate for the Halesowen and Rowley Regis constituency, got 190 votes. The winning Conservative candidate, James Morris, gained 25,607 votes.

Many people will no doubt feel that the overall Conservative majority of 80 seats is a disastrous result; people who simply cannot bear Boris and fear what he'll do with a majority; people who saw a land of milk and honey and free broadband and publicly-owned railways that run on time and an A&E waiting time of less than 30 seconds and guillotines for the rich, only to have their hopes dashed. They must be gutted.

Equally it can be argued that this is the best possible result for the country. A decisive vote. Now, finally, we can all move on from 3 years of interminable debate about whether we're staying or going or having another referendum or cancelling the whole thing and going down the pub instead. Now the government can concentrate on implementing brexit. Perhaps the country can at last unite around that purpose. 

Boris may not prove the disaster that some people think. He's not hard right. Quite the reverse. And having won all those safe Labour seats, he'll have to deliver for them. He has a good sense of humour ("Let's get breakfast done."), but that does not make him a fool or a charlatan. On the contrary, wit requires brainpower. And as for the accusations of being a liar, perhaps people will come to understand that flowery use of language does not itself make someone dishonest. Perhaps people will learn to stop interpreting his words so literally.

Time will tell, but there is cause for optimism this morning. Whichever side of the fence you sit, we must all be glad of one thing ... no more arguing about whether or not we're leaving.

The RCVS has completed the sale of its Westminster offices to a private investor for £14m. 

The deal includes an option for the College to lease the building for up to two years to give it time to consider its options for the future, and how they may have changed as a result of the pandemic.

The decision to sell the property was made back in November 2018, when Council decided that the building was rapidly becoming unfit for purpose and the College needed more up-to-date and modern facilities with more room for a growing workforce. The College’s Estates Strategy Project Board was tasked with managing the process, chaired by former RCVS President Barry Johnson.

RCVS Treasurer Susan Dawson said: “Council recognised that this deal realised maximum value for the building, especially considering the impact the pandemic has had on property prices in Central London.

“It also provides a very valuable opportunity to reflect on the changing needs of the organisation and the professions and public it serves, and to consider the requirements and different working patterns of the College staff going forwards.

“It is likely that many staff members will wish to continue to work at home more than they did pre-Covid, so the need for pure desk-space may not be as great as we had planned for the 10-15 years ahead. However, the importance of in-person meetings for collaboration, creativity and the maintenance of good corporate culture is not to be underestimated, so our new requirements are likely to be different to that anticipated back in 2018.”

The College says it expects to welcome limited numbers of staff back to the office in June, to work in a socially distanced way, including virtual or partly-virtual meetings. 

Changes to working patterns over the coming months will also help inform decisions around future remote working policies and the type and size of building that will best suit the future needs of the College and its workforce.