VetHelpDirect.com, a website which helps pet owners decide how urgently their pet needs veterinary attention, has been relaunched with new content for donkey, reptile and bird owners.

Founded by VetSurgeon member Susie Samuel MRCVS in 2006, the site allows pet owners to look up the symptoms their animal is displaying. When the owner answers a series of simple, step-by-step questions, the site then generates a priority rating from "Self care - treatment at home" to "Urgent - you need to contact your vet immediately", coupled with specific first aid advice. It's a sort of home triage system.

VetHelpDirect was designed by vets and all of the content is by vets. The site covers dogs, cats, rabbits, horses and now donkeys, reptiles and birds. I see that the world-renowned avian vet (and all-round good bloke) Neil Forbes FRCVS and his team at Great Western Referrals, together with Dr Karen Rickards, head vet at the Donkey Sanctuary have helped create the new areas of the website, so the information it contains will certainly be of the highest standard.

In fact, the whole site is impressively well-designed and simple to use, an opinion obviously echoed by the readers of WebUser magazine, who gave it 5/5 stars last May, beating Jamie Oliver's website.

Cleverly, the triage system on VetHelpDirect ties in with a directory of veterinary practices, so if immediate care is the answer and the owner doesn't have a vet already, help is at hand. Veterinary practices can pay to have an enhanced listing in the directory.

For a fee, VetHelpDirect can also embed the triage system into your own practice website. That seems like a good way of adding additonal, interesting and interactive content to a website. The interesting question is how much money it will save the practice by eliminating unecessary calls from pet owners who don't really need to talk to a vet. 

Equally, though, the site may have an important role to play in telling owners when they SHOULD get to the vet quickly. A recent success story was that of 'Bucket', a 5 year old cat from Nottingham. Bucket was fortunate to live after his owner Sarah Rennoldson logged on to Vet Help Direct.com after he displayed odd behaviour.  Acting on the advice displayed on the site her owner immediately contacted her local vet Jaqui Gilmour MRCVS at Bill Bowlers Vets. Bucket was diagnosed with a blocked bladder, which was quickly operated on. Jaqui said: ' If Sarah hadn't brought Bucket in so quickly, he could have gone into renal failure and could have developed metabolic disturbances. He would have been really, really sore, and left untreated a blocked bladder can cause death.'

For more information, 'Start a Conversation' with Susie Samuel MRCVS

A new equine parasite supplement to the online peer-reviewed publication Parasites and Vectors has been published by Fort Dodge.

Entitled "Equine parasites: diagnosis and control - a current perspective," it contains papers on a range of topics including a major European resistance study into key anthelmintic molecules.  It is authored by equine parasitology experts and opinion leaders from around the world and was first published in September 2009.  It is freely available at http://www.parasitesandvectors.com/

The RCVS is seeking candidates to run for election to the RCVS and VN Councils.  

There are six seats on the RCVS Council and two on the VN Council due to be filled in the 2010 election. Candidate nominations must be received by 31 January 2010; voting papers will then be distributed to all veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses eligible to vote, the election held in March and the results announced early in May. Those elected will take their seats at RCVS Day in July to serve four-year terms.  

Jane Hern, RCVS Registrar said: "Like us or loathe us, what the RCVS does impacts directly on the lives of veterinary surgeons and nurses, their clients and patients. Getting regulation right is something that all Members and Listed/Registered VNs have power to influence.  

"We know from the reaction we get when we propose changes or ask for your comments that vets and VNs are not backwards about coming forwards," Jane continued. "There has been a substantial rise in the number of vets voting, since a low point in voter turnout was reached in 2002. So, if you know someone you think is up to the job, why not persuade them to stand?"

All prospective candidates need to provide the signatures and registered/listed addresses of two proposers, and should also submit a short biography, 'manifesto' and photograph for inclusion in the elections booklets. Nobody can nominate more than one candidate, and no current member of the RCVS Council or VN Council may nominate anyone.

Newly elected RCVS Council members should expect to sit on at least one committee which, together with Council attendances, means a time commitment of at least six to eight days a year. Those elected to the VN Council should expect to spend approximately six to eight days attending Council meetings, working parties and subcommittees. Both RCVS Council and VN Council members are permitted to claim certain expenditures arising from Council-related duties and their employers can also claim a standard day-rate for loss of earnings.  

Nomination forms and full details relating to RCVS Council nominations can be downloaded from www.rcvs.org.uk/rcvscouncil10 or obtained by contacting the Executive Office (020 7222 0761 or executiveoffice@rcvs.org.uk). Nomination forms and details relating to the VN Council will be online shortly at www.rcvs.org.uk/vncouncil10 and can also be requested from Annette Amato (020 7202 0788 or a.amato@rcvs.org.uk).

All nominations must be made in writing on the prescribed form and received by the Registrar on or before the closing date of 31 January 2010.

YORKTEST Veterinary Services has announced a change of name to Avacta Animal Health Ltd., following its acquisition by Avacta Group Plc.

The allergy testing and customer support that is synonymous with YORKTEST Veterinary Services will now appear under the brand name of SENSITEST^® - the complete allergy service.

Janice Hogg, MD Avacta Animal Health said: "It is an exciting time for us at present and the change of name to Avacta Animal Health signifies this forward progression. Our extensive and high quality allergy portfolio is now branded "SENSITEST^®. Previously this was only used in Europe but it will now be our global branding for the complete allergy service offered by Avacta Animal Health. "

For more information on Avacta Animal Health and SENSITEST^® telephone 0800 8494 550 or visit website at http://www.animal-allergy.co.uk/.

Petplan has launched nominations for its Petplan Insurance Advisor of the Year Award.

The award is to recognise the hard work and dedication that Pet Insurance Advisors (PIAs) do to highlight the importance of insurance to pet owners as a means of financial protection. To nominate your PIA visit http://www.petplan.co.uk/piaaward/

Petplan works with nearly 2000 vet practices to promote pet insurance within practice. Once a practice has received Appointed Representative status, employees can train to become a dedicated Pet Insurance Advisor by registering on http://www.petplan.co.uk/piaaward/  

Petplan says that since pet owners often look to vets for advice about where they stand on insurance matters, having a dedicated member of staff there to explain insurance benefits can give an added value service to your practice. Also the PIA scheme can contribute to staff's CPD, and help them develop transferable skills such as confidently promoting products and handling client objections.  

Kelly Cummings, the winner of the 2008 Petplan Insurance Advisor of the Year award said: "Encouraging owners to invest in pet insurance early on in their pet's life can help to ensure a stress-free future. The PIA scheme offers good advice about the basics of insurance which are easy to understand for vet staff.  This information can then be simply conveyed to clients."

The PIA of the Year will receive a new laptop and their practice will receive £100 in vouchers!  Nominations close on 31^st August 2009 and the nominees will be judged by industry professionals.  The winner will be announced at the annual BVNA Congress on 10^th October.

Please note: due to insurance regulation, the PIA scheme is only available to veterinary staff employed at Petplan Appointed Representative practices.

Vet practices across the UK are being urged to get involved with Pet Smile Month to increase practice footfall and attract new clients in the tough economic climate. 

Pet Smile Month, which runs during September 2009, is the world's largest veterinary-led pet health campaign and requires practices to offer a free dental check to pets by appointment during the month. The initiative aims to improve understanding of the importance of dental disease in dogs, cats and other pets and to encourage better dental care.

Over 1,500 UK practices have supported the campaign in recent years and some have reported increases of up to 10% in dental treatments in the months following the campaign. High profile sponsors; Pedigree, Whiskas, Petosan, Genitrix and Logic are supporting this year's Pet Smile Month. 

There is no cost for participating and those practices which do will receive supplies of goody bags containing samples of Pedigree® DentaStix^TM or Whiskas® DentaBits^TM, together with information leaflets, competitions and other special offers, to give to clients with their free dental health check.

Bob Partridge, the organiser of Pet Smile Month, is working with the sponsors on a major local radio publicity campaign at the end of August to raise awareness of Pet Smile Month and encourage pet owners to contact their local participating practice. The deadline to sign up is Monday 17 August 2009. Full details of how to get involved are available at www.petsmile.org or by calling 08714 24 25 26.

Hill's Pet Nutrition promises that treats are in store for those who come to visit the company stand (Number 32, 33, 34) at BVNA Congress in Kettering this October.

Each day of the congress there is an prize draw offering delegates the opportunity to win a digital camera and 25 daily runners up will win a Hill's Clinical Anatomy Atlas. There is ample reason to make Hill's the first stop for a free giveaway: this year a choice of nursing scissors or a digital thermometer are on offer. All available while stocks last!

The Hill's team will be focusing on the latest Hill's product launches, which include the addition of some novel formats in the Science Plan range. There will be an opportunity to sign up to the Veterinary Nutrition Academy: book subsidised or free CPD, earn reward points and receive a free e newsletter every month full of informative articles.

Also on the stand, level 3 of the VNA (Veterinary Nutrition Academy) course will be available for delegates to sample alongside a great new on-line tool to enhance client compliance and improve patient care, called CRAFTworks.

Adrian Pratt, Veterinary Affairs Manager is urging nurses to check out the new resources, "Delegates have a real opportunity to pick up on new ideas and techniques that they can take back to their practices when they attend congress. Client compliance has a direct impact on the health of our patients and also impacts on the practice profits, so tools like CRAFTworks are sure to be welcomed by your colleagues. And we all know what a struggle it can be to fit training needs to training budgets. With VNA more of the practice team has access to high quality subsidised and free training and who better to check it out than those who will be benefiting?"

VNA Level 3 teaches lifestage nutrition using 4 case studies based around a new kitten, a large breed puppy, senior dog and two rescue cats, with more case studies to come. Clicking through on the chosen case study allows you to take the course and complete the individual assignments. The cases are designed to be very realistic to allow the knowledge gained to be easily transferred to the practice situation. Topics from VNA level 1 and 2 are re-visited to re-inforce previous learning. The case studies aim to be accessible but challenging. Registration to VNA is free at www.myhillspet.com/vna.

The AHT has secured an award of £580,000 from the Wellcome Trust to fund the development of a new diagnostic test for Strangles which takes only 30 minutes.

It's been achieved in part by 'Breaking the Strangles Hold' - a two-year fundraising campaign run by the Animal Health Trust (AHT) and The British Horse Society (BHS),

Money donated from the general public, along with funding from The Horse Trust, has already allowed scientists at the AHT to develop a diagnostic blood test which gives results in 24 hours. The blood test was launched in February 2008 and since then more than 6,700 samples have been tested.

HRH The Princess Royal, who launched the 'Breaking the Strangles Hold' campaign, said: "As an owner who has seen my own horse's affected by this terrible disease, it's wonderful to see such progress being made in a relatively short time.

"The screening test enables owners to know within 24 hours if any of their horses have been exposed to this bacterium. Previously available tests would have taken three to four days. The test is making a real difference in welfare and economic terms for all those involved in the equine industry. It truly is groundbreaking."

The success of this diagnostic work, along with other AHT research, has attracted further funding for the project from the Wellcome Trust in the form of a £580,000 Translation Award.

Professor Andrew Waller, Head of Bacteriology at the AHT, said: "The main problem with Strangles is the time taken to diagnose it. The current blood test is a big step forward, but the culture and DNA tests, which are often used in the initial stages of an outbreak can take a couple of days to get results."

The Translation Award means the AHT can reduce the time taken to perform its DNA diagnostic test and ultimately produce a point-of-care test that vets can use on site to get a diagnosis in 30 minutes. Earlier diagnosis will allow owners to isolate horses sooner and minimise the spread of infection. It will further reduce welfare problems for horses and the cost to their owners.

The AHT and Atlas Genetics will design and validate the point-of-care diagnostic test over the next two years. It is hoped that the test could be mass produced and widely available by 2012.

Professor Waller added: "This technology will be fantastic. It will be hugely beneficial for other diseases too, of both veterinary and clinical importance. Without the money raised through the 'Breaking the Strangles Hold' campaign, we wouldn't have made as much progress. On behalf of horses and horse owners worldwide, I'd like to thank everyone who has donated."

The 'Breaking the Strangles Hold' campaign reached its fundraising target of £250,000 in just two years, demonstrating how important to horse owners it is to get to grips with this terrible disease.

For more information, see: http://www.strangles.org

The Practice Standards Group, which comprises representatives from all of the key veterinary and veterinary nursing organisations, has updated the standards of the Practice Standards Scheme and a draft of the new Manual is now available for comment.

The Scheme is a voluntary accreditation programme that aims to promote and maintain high standards of facilities and care within UK veterinary practices. When it was launched in 2005, a commitment was made that the standards would not change for five years, unless new legislation (such as the Veterinary Medicines Regulations) required it. Following a detailed review of the standards, to ensure they continue to be relevant to current veterinary practice, proposals have been made by the Group for new standards to be implemented during 2010. 

Jill Nute, Chairman of the Practice Standards Group said: "It is unlikely that any already-accredited practices will be required to invest in additional facilities or equipment to meet the new standards.

"Instead, greater emphasis has been placed on clinical outcomes and training. For example, performance review has been introduced for all clinical staff, including the Professional Development Phase for new graduates. We are keen to hear feedback on the proposed new standards."

One recommendation is that the 'tiers' should be dropped. The categories will retain their descriptive names, for example, Small Animal General Practice or Equine Veterinary Hospital. Feedback suggests that clients, and the profession, found the tiers to be misleading.

The layout of the Manual has been revamped, to include guidance that was previously available online. Guidance for each relevant standard can now be seen at a glance. There is also an icon to indicate if documentary evidence will be required by the inspector. In addition, the new format clarifies the derivation of each standard, so that legislative requirements are distinguished from those required under the RCVS Guide to Professional Conduct and those indicated by better practice.

Membership of the Scheme continues to grow, with 126 applications to join the Scheme in the first six months of this year, representing 264 premises, compared with 61 applications in the whole of last year. There are currently 2,351 practice premises under the ambit of the Scheme - approximately 50%.

The draft new Manual is online at www.rcvs.org.uk/consultations.

Hard copies are available from Eleanor Ferguson, Practice Standards Scheme Manager: e.ferguson@rcvs.org.uk or 020 7202 0720.

The deadline for comments is 31 August 2009. Responses will be considered by the Practice Standards Group at its September meeting and thereafter by Council in November.

New research, conducted by the WALTHAM-initiated Laminitis Consortium, has raised questions over the assumption that soaking hay will make it safe to feed to laminitis-prone horses and ponies¹. 

The Laminitis Consortium comprises world-leading equine veterinary, nutrition and research experts interested in collaborating on the important topic of laminitis. It includes the authors of this work: Dr Pat Harris of the WALTHAM^® Equine Studies Group, Clare Barfoot of Mars Horsecare UK Ltd and Dr Annette Longland of Equine Livestock and Nutrition Services (ELNS).

Over-consumption of water-soluble carbohydrates (WSC) has been associated with the onset of laminitis. It has been recommended that hay with a non-structural carbohydrate (WSC and starch) content of less than 10% should be fed to obese animals as well as those at risk of laminitis² and that hay should be soaked in water before being fed in order to reduce the WSC^3,4,5.  The study, which was completed earlier this year, examined the loss of water-soluble carbohydrates from nine different hays submerged in water for up to 16 hours.  It was presented to the biannual Equine Science Symposium in America in May 2009.

Previous studies have shown that the prolonged soaking of chopped hay in large volumes of water can result in the leaching of nutrients, including soluble carbohydrates. However, because common practice in the UK tends to involve long-stemmed hay, soaked in relatively small volumes of water over varying timescales, the Laminitis Consortium's study aimed to replicate such a practice⁶.

The nine different hay samples were analysed for WSC and then soaked in cold water. The soaked samples were subsequently analysed at four intervals of 20 minutes, 40 minutes, three hours and 16 hours.

Clare Barfoot said: "The results showed a highly variable leaching of WSC and substantially less leaching than reported previously for chopped hay soaked for 30 minutes.³

"Very few samples reached below 10% WSC, despite prolonged soaking. The concern is that this strongly suggests that soaking may not be sufficient to render some hays safe to feed to horses and ponies prone to laminitis. 

"Our current advice is that ideally you should analyse your hay before feeding it to an animal at high risk of laminitis and choose hay with the lowest WSC content you can find. Soaking hay provides an additional safeguard but should not be relied upon."

The study also highlights that if hay is soaked for extended periods, it may not meet the nutritional requirements of the animal because substantial amounts of other nutrients, protein, vitamins and minerals will also be lost ⁵. In such cases it is even more important that the horse or pony should receive a balanced supplementary feed.

The Laminitis Consortium is continuing its work in this area and hopes to be able to identify practices that will be of greater benefit to the horse owner faced with hay of unknown WSC content.

¹Longland AC Barfoot C &  Harris PA  (2009) The loss of water- soluble carbohydrate and soluble protein from nine different hays soaked in water for up to 16 hours.  J. Equine Vet Science 29 (5 ) p 383 - 384, ² Frank  N Equine Metabolic Syndrome J Equine Vet Sci 29 (5) p 259 - 267, ³Cottrell, E., Watts, K., Duarte, S. and Ralston, S. (2005). Equine Science Symposium, 2005, ⁴Kenny, D. (2007). Proceedings of the British Society of Animal Science. ⁵Warr EM, Petch JL. Equine Vet Educ 1993;5:169-171, ⁶Longland, A.C. (2009) In preparation.

Vetoquinol UK is offering vets and nurses the opportunity to win a day's free CPD by entering its new Marbocyl^® P Challenge.

The challenge runs for three months with a prize each month for a veterinary surgeon's one day CPD voucher worth £300 and a nurse's one day CPD voucher worth £200 from Improve CPD.  There are also 10 runners up goodie bags available each month.

Each challenge focuses on knowledge of fluoroquinolones. July's challenge involves use in pyoderma, August's challenge focuses on respiratory tract infections and September's challenge will be on canine urinary tract infection.

Russell Roan, Vetoquinol's Veterinary Services Manager said: "Fluoroquinolones are an often-discussed antibiotic in the veterinary and medical world, but all too often they are mentioned as a class rather than as the individual molecules. This can cause the common misconception that all fluoroquinolones are the same. The Marbocyl^® P Challenge aims to address this misconception and to highlight the varied uses for fluorquinolones."

To enter, visit http://www.vetoquinol.co.uk/, click on the Marbocyl^® P Challenge banner at the top of the home page and complete the short quiz.

The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons is inviting comments on new proposals for bringing the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 up to date.

In 2005, following earlier consultations, the RCVS Council called for extensive changes in the arrangements for regulating veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses. Last year, however, the Government made clear that it had no plans to bring forward amending legislation for the time being.

Council has now considered recommendations for more limited changes in the Act. The report of the Veterinary Legislation Group advises focusing on three priority areas: the composition of Council itself; the composition of the Preliminary Investigation and Disciplinary Committees; and the jurisdiction and powers of the two committees.

Council would welcome comments on the recommendations from veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses, interested bodies and the public.

"We now know that it will not be easy to get any changes to the Veterinary Surgeons Act, so we need to think very carefully about the priorities and how to achieve them," says RCVS President Sandy Trees. "Before making any decisions, we want to hear views from a wide range of people who are affected by the work of the RCVS."

A consultation paper is online at www.rcvs.org.uk/consultations. Hard copies are also available from Jeff Gill, Policy Officer, RCVS, Belgravia House, 62-64 Horseferry Road, London SW1P 2AF, j.gill@rcvs.org.uk, 020 7202 0735. The deadline for responses is 21 October 2009.