The British Association of Veterinary Emergency & Critical Care has released the results of a survey into practitioners attitudes to 24-7 and OOH home visits. 

360 veterinary surgeons took part in the survey, nearly all of whom have been practising for more than 2 years. 70% work in small animal practice, 12% at a dedicated OOH provider, and the bulk of the remainder in referral or mixed practice. 81% described the work they do as small animal first opinion, and 76% were employees. 35% said they had already responded to the RCVS call for evidence on the provision of 24/7 emergency cover.

26% said they work for a practice that outsources its OOH to a dedicated provider, and more than 85% of those said they would not return to an on-call system. 

In terms of dedicated out-of-hours providers, a clear pattern emerged. Namely those practitioners who outsource their OOH feel that patient care, staff safety and professional well-being are all enhanced by dedicated OOH services, but that dedicated OOH comes at a cost of reduced value for money for the pet owner. Customer service between the different OOH provisions is perceived to be similar (on-call better 25%, same 48%, and dedicated better 27%).

Among those practitioners who work for a dedicated OOH service, dedicated OOH services perform best in all categories. 68% responded that OOH customer service is better with a dedicated OOH service compared to an on-call system (12% responded that on-call provided better customer service on average). 44% responded that customer value for money was better with dedicated OOH service compared to 19% who responded that customer value for money was on average better with an on-call system.

Among those practitioners who do their own on-call, customer service and value for money were perceived to be better with an on-call system (42% v 26% and 61% v 15% respectively). In the other categories dedicated OOH services again out-performed an on-call system.

Whether routine or emergency, 'owner demands' were felt to be the biggest reason for home visit requests (41% and 30% respectively). However, 'genuine clinical need' was the main reason cited by 19% of respondents as the main reason for emergency home visits. Inability to move the animal was given as the main reason by a further 28%. 

Participants in the survey were asked to score (out of 10) how much their decision to perform a home visit was affected by the threat of a complaint, either to their employer or to the RCVS. Interestingly, 37% said a complaint to their employer weighed heavily on the decision (ranking it 8 or higher) where, by comparison, 52% said the threat of a complaint to the College ranked 8 or higher in their decision making.

69% of respondents said they make visits alone, either sometimes or always. When asked if they had ever felt threatened whilst performing an OOH visit, 48% said yes. This compared to 23% who said that they had felt threatened when performing a visit in normal hours.

When asked to rank (out of 10) the stress home visits cause, 7% said none at all and 36% said 8 or above. 

72% said they believe that the profession should continue to be obligated to provide 24/7 for animals.

Respondents were then asked to say whether they support or disagree with the suggestion that the need to perform house visits is removed from the CoPC. 59% were strongly for the idea (scoring it up to 3), compared to 22% who were strongly against it (scoring it 8 or above).

Opinions about whether the College should clarify the need to perform house visits was far more clear cut. 77% strongly supported clarification (scored up to 3), whereas only 16% said there was no need (scored 8 or above).

However, an overwhelming 93% said that they would continue to perform visits in the case of genuine clinical need even if the Code of Professional Conduct was changed to make it dear that there was no risk of disciplinary action for not attending off-site.  

The RCVS Operational Board has announced that it will ask Council to review its decision to remove postgraduate postnominals from the Register, following the largely negative response from the profession to the idea, including a petition from Derbyshire surgeon, Victoria Lilley.

The original decision was made by Council in June 2012 as part of a package of measures aimed at developing clarity around postgraduate skills and knowledge.

The College says that the removal of postgraduate postnominals from the Register was intended to help dispel confusion amongst the public and some members of the profession about the level of various qualifications, by introducing the Advanced Practitioner status alongside the existing Specialist list.

Chairman of the Operational Board, CEO Nick Stace, said: "Over the last few days we have listened to the disquiet amongst the profession - which has included direct contact with staff and Operational Board members, a petition and discussion on fora and social media - and feel that we should address some misunderstandings but also give Council the opportunity to review the decision at its 5 June meeting.

"Many good points have been made by members of the profession and I am pleased that the Operational Board has agreed to reflect on them and consider whether there is a better way to achieve the clarity we were seeking for the public and the profession.

"The introduction of Advanced Practitioner status is a positive move for both the profession and the public, and underlines the College's commitment to lifelong learning.

"It is important to have the profession's support for the direction we are taking in advancing standards across the sector."

The College has also provided some Q&A's concerning the original decision made by Council in 2012, as follows.

1. When did this process start?
   A Specialisation Working Party was set up in spring 2010 under the chairmanship of Professor Sir Kenneth Calman to review routes to specialisation, and clarity around postgraduate qualifications. It was, in part, in response to a report produced by Professor Philip Lowe, on behalf of Defra, around veterinary expertise in food animal production, although the Working Party's remit went wider.
2. Was the profession consulted?
   The recommendations of the Working Party were sent out to consultation amongst the profession and the public in November 2011. The story featured on the front page of the November 2011 issue of RCVS News, which was sent to every member of the College, and received media coverage. We received 290 responses: 265 from individuals and 25 from organisations or groups of individuals.
3. To what has Council agreed?
   Council unanimously agreed recommendations from the Specialisation Working Party in June 2012. As well as recommending increasing scope of the Specialist list, changing the wording in the Code of Professional Conduct, and setting up the Advanced Practitioner status, it was agreed that: "The RCVS should simplify significantly the listing of postnominal letters for qualifications against Members' names in the published Register and on the RCVS website (Find a Vet). Official lists should show only the registerable degree (eg BVMS, or DVM, or BVetMed etc), followed by either MRCVS or FRCVS, and indicating whether the individual is on the list of specialists or the list of advanced practitioners. Thus: i. John Brown BVSc MRCVS ii. Jane Smith BVM&S MRCVS Advanced Practitioner in Small Animal Surgery iii. Peter Jones, MVB, FRCVS, RCVS Specialist in Anaesthesia" This change would only have taken effect once the Advanced Practitioner list was in place and had bedded in.
4. Why was this proposal made?
   There were three key reasons for the decision in 2012: a) A qualification marks knowledge acquired at a specific point in time and is not necessarily an indicator of current knowledge and skills. Meanwhile, the status of Advanced Practitioner or Specialist will be revalidated every five years and require the individual actively to keep their knowledge and skills up to date. b) Market research has indicated that members of the public were unsure about the various postnominals and what they stood for. Veterinary surgeons are also confused about the level of different qualifications. c) It is increasingly difficult to adjudicate on which postnominals should be included in the Register, and new requests are made on a regular basis, including qualifications that are not straightforward to assess in terms of their quality or relevance. While it may seem easy to say that just RCVS postgraduate qualifications should be included, since we began phasing out the RCVS Diplomas and encouraging veterinary surgeons to take European ones, this has been less clear-cut.
5. Is the RCVS removing our qualifications?
   No. There has never been an intention to remove anyone's qualifications.
   The original decision in 2012 was not to print them in the Register or include on the RCVS website. Individuals would have been free to use them as they wished, for example, in practice marketing, on stationery etc.
6. How are veterinary nurses affected?
   There is no change to the position for veterinary nurses.
7. Is the RCVS devaluing non-modular certificates?
   Both modular (CertAVP) and non-modular certificates are valid for those wishing to apply to join the Advanced Practitioner list. Those with the non-modular certificates are asked to complete either the RCVS 'A' module in the CertAVP or other equivalent modules or 100 hours of CPD that covers the same ground, over their first five-year accreditation period.
8. Is Advanced Practitioner status just a money-making exercise for the RCVS?
   The Advanced Practitioners status is being introduced to give a clear signal to the profession and the public that a practitioner has developed their skills and knowledge in a specific area, and is committed to maintaining them. An administration fee is paid to the College to join and remain on the list, in the same way that it is for Specialists. It is not a money-making scheme and the fees are set to cover costs.
9. What's happening now?
   The RCVS Operational Board met on 24 April and considered the decision that had been made by Council in June 2012 and the subsequent unhappiness amongst the profession that had been catalysed by recently-published information about the Advanced Practitioner status. The Board felt that although the rationale behind the original 2012 decision was sound, the issues that the change aimed to address could now be tackled in other ways. It has therefore requested that Council review its decision at its 5 June meeting. A paper will be developed which outlines possible routes forward, which will be available on the RCVS website in due course.

The RCVS has announced the results of the RCVS Council and VN Council elections.

Re-elected to three of the six seats available on RCVS Council were current President Neil Smith (1,687 votes), incoming Standards Committee Chairman David Catlow (1,656) and Vice-President Jacqui Molyneux (1,304); and, from RCVS Day on 11 July 2014, they will be joined by new members David Bartram (1,674), Susan Paterson (1,496) and Mandisa Greene (1,296).

The two available places on VN Council were taken by existing member Hilary Orpet (611 votes) and new member Amber Richards (371).

Notably, half of the successful RCVS Council candidates this year were women, two of whom being elected for the first time.

Overall turnouts in both elections fell, with 4,137 (16.1%) veterinary surgeons and 1,157 (10%) veterinary nurses voting. These turnouts and voter numbers compare with 4,661 (18.8%) and 1,329 (12.5%) last year, and ten-year averages of 3,927 (17.4%) and 869 (9.9%), respectively.

RCVS Registrar Gordon Hockey, said: "It was always going to be tough to beat last year's record turnout, even with a record number of candidates standing this year, but it's encouraging that voter numbers are still the third highest in the last ten years.

"I'd like to be amongst the first to publicly congratulate all the successful candidates this year, and to encourage those who weren't successful this time to stand again in the future. I'm very much looking forward to working with our three new RCVS Council members whilst, at the same time, delighted that the profession has returned three existing members to their seats, enabling them to continue their work for the College."

Chair of VN Council, Kathy Kissick, says: "Many congratulations to Hilary, who has been returned to the VN Council for the third time running, and to Amber, who I'm looking forward to welcoming to VN Council in July. Hilary's experience and Amber's fresh input will, I'm sure, combine to provide an excellent contribution to our ongoing work."

Elanco Companion Animal Health has launched a new ordering process for Recuvyra, its transdermal fentanyl solution for the control of postoperative pain relief in dogs.

The new process will enable veterinary practices to purchase Recuvyra, which is a Schedule Two Controlled Drug, without having to complete the online training programme which was has been mandatory since the launch of the product in April 2013. 

The company says that training is still highly recommended for every veterinary professional that handles Recuvyra due to its new delivery system. This can be via the short online training course available at www.recuvyratraining.eu or by reading the training leaflet provided with every vial of Recuvyra. The training leaflet includes information on instructions for use, correct administration of the product and special precautions. In addition, client leaflets and other support materials will continue to be available to vets via the website.

Alice Laurens, Recuvyra product manager at Elanco Companion Animal Health, said: "Veterinary practices will still need to follow their wholesalers' procedures for ordering Schedule Two Controlled Drugs when purchasing Recuvyra, however any vet from the practice can now order and sign for delivery of the product making it easier to purchase."

For further information about Recuvyra or Elanco's surgery and pain management range, contact your Elanco Companion Animal Health key account manager or email elancocah.uk@elanco.com.

Merial has announced the launch of V LINE, a new range of parasiticides sold exclusively through veterinary practices. 

The first two products, called Broadline for cats and NexGard for dogs, will be unveiled at the BSAVA Congress at the start of next month.

Broadline is a broad-acting POM spot-on for cats containing eprinomectin, praziquantel, s-methoprene and fipronil, indicated for use against tapeworms, ticks, roundworms and fleas.

NexGard is a POM flea and tick control product for dogs given monthly as a palatable soft chew. It contains a novel active ingredient called afoxolaner which, according to Merial, has a new and distinct mode of action that provides a fast speed of flea kill.

Roddy Webster, Head of Pets at Merial said: "We are pleased to announce the launch of Broadline and NexGard. Merial is a market leader with a strong heritage in anti-parasitics and we have leveraged that expertise as well as our understanding of what pet owners want, to deliver these truly consumer-focused solutions. Such prescription-only innovations also demonstrate our ongoing commitment to the veterinary profession."

What does a well-known flea & tick collar have in common with the World Cup?

It transpires that the same Bayer MaterialScience technology which is being used by Adidas to make the 'Brazuca' - the new official match ball - more stable, elastic and hardwearing, is also used to allow imidacloprid and flumethrin to diffuse consistently through Seresto flea and tick collars for up to 8 months.

There you go. Bet you didn't know that.

Purina PetCare has announced the launch of the Purina Partners Programme, through which the company will offer practices their own business consultant tasked with giving advice that reflects the unique challenges facing each practice.

Through the Partners Programme, practices will be able to get support and advice in four main areas:

1. Clinic+
   Helping the practice understand how it looks and feels through the eyes of clients, and optimising the layout, design and merchandising to complement the existing clinic brand.
2. Client+
   Advice to help the practice strengthen relationships with clients, with the aim of increasing client visits and sales of pet food, treatment and accessories from the practice.
3. Knowledge+
   Partners will be able to select from a range of learning and CPD options, including staff training, manuals, 'lunch and learn', sponsored congress attendance and webinars which cover Purina's nutritional research and training, and commercial insights into soft-selling and consumer behaviour. 
4. Food+
   Helping the practice to maximise food sales - a proven way to increase turnover and profitability - with tools like product samples and brochures, Kitten and Puppy packs and Point of Sale materials.

Chris Nickson, Senior Brand Manager, Purina Vet Channel, said: "As a Partner, practices will work with a dedicated Purina representative who will develop and implement a tailored business plan which is perfectly suited to their clinic and clients. The Programme is designed to be completely flexible, allowing vets to select and tailor elements to suit themselves. Purina represents a solid business partner and will be able to provide sound advice to any practice by drawing on its extensive business experience as a pet care brand and as part of the global corporation Nestlé."

The Partners Programme is fully funded by Purina, so there is no financial commitment on the part of the practice, however participating practices are required to recommend Purina diets as first choice.

In return, the company says the Programme will help optimise the pet owner experience at your clinic, and could help drive growth, attract new clients and boost turnover.

Nickson concludes: "With absolutely no financial outlay, clinics could see an increase in client numbers and profitability, the Purina Partners Programme provides practice managers with a helpful and effective solution."

To sign up for Purina Partners Programme, call the Purina Petcare Team on 0800 212 161.

Insulation manufacturer Saint-Gobain Isover has published the results of a survey of 2000 homeowners which found that 36% are annoyed by noise made by neighbours' pets.

The Noise Report was commissioned to discover how many homeowners suffered with noisy next-door neighbours, to which the answer proved to be one in four. 

According to the survey, which was carried out by Onepoll, Newcastle has the greatest percentage of owners who are disturbed by noise several times per day: 29.76% (click to enlarge infographic right).

In addition to noisy neighbours, 27% of homeowners said they are also disturbed by passing street traffic, while almost a third suffer from the sound of car and burglar alarms, and 36% are annoyed by noise from neighbours' pets.

The findings also suggested that external noise was more than just an irritation for homeowners. Almost a third of respondents said they lose sleep at night due to noise, while 15% claimed it causes them stress and anxiety. More than a fifth reported that they are unable to relax in their own home.

However, despite the impact of external noise on their quality of life, 45% of homeowners say they have not done anything about it. Only 6% report addressing the issue by installing insulation solutions in their homes.

Helen Tunnicliffe, head of marketing at Isover, said: "It is clear that noise from neighbours, traffic and other sources is a big problem for many homeowners. Not only is it irritating, it can have a major impact on people's emotional wellbeing.

"However, in spite of the seriousness of the issue, far too few people are taking measures to address it. There are many simple, easy-to-install solutions that prevent external noise in the home, such as insulation systems, which not only make the house warmer, but offer high acoustic performance too."

Alternatively, I suppose, move to Aberystwyth. 

Vet Nurse Online is inviting applications for this years 'Volunteering for Animal Welfare Grant' for £500 towards volunteering in the assistance of animal welfare worldwide.

Vet Nurse Online says volunteering to help improve animal welfare can be an amazing opportunity to use veterinary nursing skills in a really valuable and rewarding way, and after the success of last years' grant, which helped two VNs to travel to Sri Lanka and India to volunteer, it has decided to offer the Grant again this year.

Any application will be considered for the grant - from spending some time helping at a local charity to travelling to volunteer with animals abroad.

For further information, lists of vet nursing volunteer opportunities worldwide, and to request an application form and guidelines for the September 2014 deadline, visit: www.vetnurseonline.co.uk.

New research from the Animal Health Trust (AHT), published in the Equine Veterinary Journal, shows that equine obesity is an increasing but under-recognised welfare issue in the UK.

Data collected from 785 horses and ponies (31% of which were classified as obese), over a two-year period between 2009 and 2011, has been used to explore various elements that contribute to the risk of obesity in British horses and ponies.

The research, funded by World Horse Welfare, identified several factors which may increase the risk of being obese. Pony breeds, particularly UK native breeds and heavier horses such as draught and cobs types were all significantly more likely to be obese compared to Thoroughbred horses. Charlotte Robin, Research Assistant at the AHT and lead author of the paper, said: "Native breeds may be genetically better adapted to survive in harsh conditions, having a so-called thrifty genotype, increasing their risk of obesity when maintained in an environment where food is of better quality and more readily available."

Horses that were described by their owners as readily being able to gain weight or being "good doers" were more than three times more likely to be obese, compared to those that normally maintained weight.

The research also highlighted various links to human obesity. Charlotte said: "In humans, obesity is associated with poor health status and chronic health conditions including diabetes, hypertension, respiratory disease and arthritis. Similar associations between obesity and adverse health events have been described in equines."

Similarly in humans, exercise significantly improves insulin sensitivity, and it is thought the same "dose-response" effect is mirrored in horses. For example, the AHT's research highlighted that the risk of obesity is greater in pleasure or non-ridden horses, with pleasure horses being more than twice as likely to be obese and non-ridden horses being nearly three times more likely to be obese. Competition animals will receive increased exercise at a higher intensity and be fitter than non-competition animals, further reducing the risk of obesity. Charlotte added: "Competition horses are likely to be managed in different ways compared to non-competition or non-ridden animals and this may also contribute to the reduced risk of obesity within this sub-population."

World Horse Welfare's Deputy Head of UK Support, Sam Chubbock said: "Excess weight is one of the greatest challenges facing horse owners in the UK today, which is why we supported this vital research. Being overweight can be just as much, if not more, of a health concern as being underweight. In our experience it can take three times longer to get an overweight horse back to optimum condition than it can a thin horse. Moreover, a previously obese horse's weight will need to be managed for the rest of its life, even after the weight has come off, and they are likely to suffer long-term effects. Managing a horse prone to weight gain can be incredibly difficult and this is why our Right Weight project provides practical guidance for owners on how to assess and manage their own horse's weight."

The AHT says its obesity research has helped to highlight obesity as a significant equine welfare issue and provided valuable information for owners. People frequently misclassify their own weight or body shape, and this phenomenon also applies to perceptions about our pets' weight. Dog and horse owners have been demonstrated to underestimate their animals' weight, suggesting the prevalence of obesity in this study is likely to be an underestimation.

Charlotte said: "It is possible that in certain breeds, being overweight or obese has been normalised to a certain extent. Owners may find it easier to identify an overweight Thoroughbred, compared to an overweight cob or native pony.

"Helping owners identify when their horse is overweight or obese is an essential aspect of reducing the welfare impact of equine obesity."

Reference

1. Prevalence of and risk factors for equine obesity in Great Britain based on owner-reported body condition scores. C. A. Robin, J. L. Ireland, C. E. Wylie, S. N. Collins, K. L. P. Verheyen and J. R. Newton Equine Veterinary Journal. First published online: 22 May 2014

BVA Past President Peter Jones is appearing before an All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Antibiotics today, to update parliamentarians and stakeholders on the efforts the association and the profession are making to tackle the issue.
 
Speaking to the APPG, Peter will say: "We know that the biggest cause of antibiotic resistance in humans is the overuse and misuse of antibiotics in human medicine and this was highlighted in the joint report on resistance from the Department of Health (DoH) and Defra.

"However, we are not complacent about the role of antibiotic use in veterinary medicine and we are one of the leading voices in the campaign for the responsible use of antibiotics in all species.

"We remain committed to the One Health principle and the need for the medical and veterinary professions to work together to tackle antimicrobial resistance. BVA and our specialist divisions are currently working on a plan to deliver the five-year strategy on AMR from the veterinary perspective. The actions being taken have been published along with those of our partners in the RUMA response to the DoH/Defra strategy.

"One of our key aims for the strategy will be to promote the importance of evidence-based responsible use among both vets and their clients. We are already encouraging education on minimising resistance and principles of responsible use through engagement with the veterinary schools and other stakeholders, and through our own continuing professional development (CPD) programme.

"The use of antibiotics in veterinary medicine in Europe in the future may well be different to how we have used them in the past, with certain constraints on certain classes of critically important medicines used in man. We will cooperate in adapting to this new environment but any changes must be based on sound scientific risk analysis and not on misrepresentation of the evidence, or at worse falsification of that evidence."

Another key action for BVA is the updating of BVA's responsible use guidance for the veterinary profession, and BVA's species divisions continue to work on advice tailored to their particular sectors.

BVA is also continuing to call for quicker, cheaper and more accessible accurate sensitivity and pen-side testing for veterinary use, and repeated this call in recent submissions to the Science & Technology Select Committee and the APPG on Eggs, Pigs and Poultry.

BVA has also agreed in principle that antibiotic use should be recorded and reported and will consider how such recording and reporting may be encouraged, how usage may be measured and audited, and how prescribing habits can be assessed. Such measures will help us to monitor trends in resistance development  and track the progress we can make in addressing the problem.

The Society of Practising Veterinary Surgeons (SPVS) has launched its 2014 Salaries Survey.

SPVS is urging everyone involved in the veterinary sector to complete a questionnaire to ensure a comprehensive insight into the levels of pay amongst veterinary surgeons, veterinary nurses, practice managers and those in industry. 

The survey is open to members and non-members alike, and SPVS is offering three months' free membership to those non-members who complete the questionnaire.

Designed to provide a complete picture of remuneration levels, the questionnaire covers everything from basic earnings, bonuses, dividends and overtime to benefits such as accommodation, car allowances, private medical insurance and pensions. The survey also includes questions on employment contracts, hours worked, out of hours and weekend working.

The 2013 Salary Survey revealed a dip in salaries among small animal practice vets for the second year running, with only mixed and large animal practices showing an increase. There were also large regional variations and a worrying gender gap.

Adi Nell, SPVS senior vice president said: "We are aiming for the 2014 Salaries Survey to be our biggest and best yet. To achieve this, we need as many of the veterinary profession as possible to complete the questionnaire so that the results give us a really accurate picture of what is happening to our salaries around the country."

To take part in the survey simply follow the link on www.spvs.org.uk or for a printed version telephone 01926 410454.