CEVA Animal Health has launched an arthritis information pack to help support vet practices and their clients.
The pack includes a joint care range brochure, which explores how to recognise and monitor pain in the veterinary practice, and an authoritative eight-page arthritis technical review, which discusses the latest concepts in arthritis control.
In addition, client leaflets are available, which explain some of the measures that can be taken to improve the quality of life for dogs with arthritis, including weight loss and controlled exercise.
CEVA's range of joint support products includes Meloxidyl®, Carprodyl® and Flexivet®.
To receive a free information pack please contact CEVA's small animal veterinary advisor Fraser Broadfoot MRCVS on 01494 781510, CEVA Animal Health Ltd, 90 The Broadway, Chesham, Bucks, HP5 1EG.
Sophia Salmon MRCVS from Central CPD said: "All of the major corporate chains in the UK now deliver a significant proportion of their clinical and non-clinical staff training via online learning platforms. These systems form an important part of professional development, training standardisation and even performance evaluation.
"However, learning platforms can be expensive to procure and develop, as well as being time-consuming to maintain, and therefore may not be viable for smaller businesses."
Central CPD has used its experience providing online learning to several of the UK’s major corporate veterinary groups to create 'Central CPD On-Demand', which features over 1500 clinical and non-clinical CPD videos for vets, nurses, managers and receptionists.
There's a new practice subscription package which, developed with whole-team learning in mind, costs £2000 per year for up to twenty people (veterinary surgeons, nurses or management staff).
Central CPD says the new package allows individuals and practices to set their own learning plan for the year, and for mentors to build and supervise training programmes for other staff members.
Practices can add their own content, such as policy documents, in order to assist with the delivery of compulsory elements of staff training.
Central CPD says its service is a fraction of the cost of procuring and populating an off-the-shelf learning platform, and the company is staffed by vets and vet nurses who are available to provide one-to-one advice and support to help practices set up their team’s platform and get the most out of the system.
For more information, visit: https://centralcpd.co.uk/
The webinar is being presented by Cassie Woods (RVN Cons) CertNCS, Equine Nurse and Partner at Lower House Equine Clinic in Shropshire.
Cassie has a degree in bio-veterinary science and many years experience working in equine and small animal practice.
She regularly lectures for BVNA and BEVA. She is a member of the BEVA equine nurse committee and works closely with the BEVA Trust.
Cassie will share insights and practical strategies to strengthen biosecurity for both clinic and ambulatory teams, and will offer advice and guidance for helping clients to improve their own biosecurity measures.
She also hopes to further raise awareness of the vital roles equine nurses play in practice, promote and develop the role of the equine ambulatory nurse and improve training for equine veterinary grooms and technicians.
Horiba's Veterinary specialists will also be available to answer veterinary diagnostics-related questions and share information about the range of pathogen tests the company offers.
https://horiba.link/register-143bbc
Photo: www.depositphotos.com
The study, published in Nature Scientific Reports, investigated the effect of culling in the first three licensed badger cull areas – Gloucestershire, Somerset and Dorset – using data from 2013 to 2017.
Gloucestershire and Somerset saw reductions in bTB incidence rates in cull areas relative to comparison areas of 66 per cent and 37 per cent respectively after four years. In Dorset, there was no change in incidence rates in cull areas relative to comparison areas after two years, but incidence dropped by 55 per cent in the same period in the 2km buffer zone around the edge of the cull area. Matched comparison areas were similar but not identical.
James Russell, BVA Junior Vice President said: "These findings are encouraging and offer further evidence that badger culling can result in significant reductions in the number of new cases of TB in cattle. However, they come with the caveat that the data only relates to the first three cull areas, and the variability within these alone makes it too early to draw firm conclusions that culling will reduce incidence significantly in all 40 areas where it is now taking place.
"BVA’s expert working group is currently considering all aspects of disease control looking at cattle testing, removal of reactors, compensation and control in other farmed animals as well as the culling and vaccination of badgers. The group will consider this additional evidence as we develop our new policy on bTB.
"We continue to support a comprehensive and evidence-based approach to tackling bTB, including the use of badger culling where there is a demonstrated need and where it is done safely, humanely and effectively as part of a comprehensive strategy.
"The best way of halting the spread of this devastating disease is enhancing our understanding of bTB and applying that evidence to the eradication process.”
RVC researchers say that the VetCompass study is the largest ever carried out into dental disease in cats using veterinary clinical records.
The study investigated a sample of 18,249 cats randomly selected from a study population of 1,255,130 cats in the UK in 2019.
Periodontal disease was recorded in 15.2% of the sample making it the most common disorder.
The cat breeds with the highest annual levels of this diagnosis were Siamese (18.7%), Maine Coon (16.7%) and British Short Hair (15.5%) as well as crossbreeds (15.4%).
The average bodyweight of cats with periodontal disease (5.7kg) was higher than for cats without periodontal disease (5.5kg).
The risk of periodontal disease rose steeply as cats got older, with cats aged 9 to 12 years being 6.7 times more likely to have periodontal disease compared with cats aged under 3 years.
Cats with periodontal disease were much more likely to have a range of other health conditions compared to cats without periodontal disease (x 1.8 risk).
These conditions included cardiac dysrhythmia (x 2.3 risk), ear discharge (x 2.3 risk) and hairball/furball (x 2.3 risk).
The researchers say that these findings suggest that periodontal disease should be acknowledged as a leading health and welfare issue in cats, and highlight the need for greater dental care in cats as they age.
The study was supported by an award from the Kennel Club Charitable Trust and Agria Pet Insurance.
Duncan makes three requests of the UK Government:
The first is to make changes to encourage more overseas vets, and specifically the return of EU vets.
The second is to increase funding for UK universities to provide veterinary courses.
The final request is to update the regulatory framework to enable veterinary nurses to expand their role.
Full article: https://ivcevidensia.co.uk/News/duncan-phillips-time-to-overhaul-vet-support
The 12-month surgical guarantee covers professional fees, including consultations, anaesthesia and surgery, involved in rectifying a complication as long as the patient is in good health and the post-surgery instructions have been followed appropriately.
Clinical Director, Andy Moores, an RCVS-Recognised Specialist in Small Animal Orthopaedics, said: “We can never promise that surgery will be free of complications, but we are confident in our low complication rate.
"We are offering a surgical guarantee to demonstrate this confidence and to provide our clients with the reassurance that we will help them get through any post-surgical complications.”
Andy added: “Along with our highly competitive fixed-price fees we hope this guarantee will give owners financial peace-of-mind when their pet needs orthopaedic treatment at this difficult time.
"We do not know of any other specialist orthopaedic centre in the southeast that offers better value care.”
www.mooresortho.com
For free case advice, email: advice@mooresortho.com
The company is now inviting practices to sign up for the free Beta trial and shape the development of the new platform and how video consultations can be integrated into traditional ways of working.
The platform, which can be branded with the practice logo, uses an app which clients download onto their mobile devices and use to book appointments. The system has its own appointment booking system, but also integrates with Vetstoria. When an appointment is booked via video, practitioners see it in their PMS. They then visit their online account, select the relevant appointment and click ‘start video call’. Payment can be collected from the owner prior to the consultation.
Susie Samuel, Managing Director of VetHelpDirect said: "While developing this product, we have been mindful that the use of telemedicine in our industry has been hugely controversial. We believe that inviting local vets to trial and refine this technology, using their team to work with their own clients removes many of the risks and dangers otherwise inherent in the proposition."
I agree wholeheartedly. The controversy over telemedicine has been about the idea of allowing the prescription of drugs to animals that have not been seen in person. Using a service like this (or the one launched by the Virtual Vet Group last year) to offer video consultations to patients that are already under your care strikes me as an altogether different kettle of fish. I think it will help improve engagement with existing clients, by reducing unnecessary trips to the practice for follow-up or post-operative consultations, saving time, money and the planet.
Susie added: "In our fast-moving world pet owners are increasingly reliant on technology and expect to be able to access services easily. The results of our recent VetHelpDirect research of 419 owners showed 38% of survey respondents said they would like to have the option of a video consultation if it was offered by their own vet. If we are to keep up with this demand, we need to embrace new ways of working."
VetHelpDirect says that whilst it believes that the growth in the use of this technology will change the way veterinary medicine is practiced, video consultations will always work alongside in-person consultations, as just one tool in an overall strategy of care, and certainly will not replace face to face diagnosis.
Let's hope so.
Susie added: "What is clear from our research is that whilst clients would like to be able to have video consultations with a vet their strong preference is for this to be with their own vet; whilst 38% of people would use video consultations with their own vet this falls to only 7% if it is provided by a vet not known to them.
"Of course, telemedicine is by no means the answer in every case, what the new service does offer is flexibility for practitioners and the ability to work in new ways that will benefit the animals and owners. For example, giving free telephone advice has become common place in many practices but is very hard to monetise. Video consultations provide a commercial solution to this problem.”
For more information, or to join the trial, contact Susie Samuel susie@vethelpdirect.com
The company, which was founded by scientists from the human field, managed to raise £8 million of Series A funding by February this year. It is now seeking further investment for an extension to that Series A funding by the autumn.
The company's Chief Scientific Officer is Professor Allan Bradley, Emeritus Director of the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute and a Fellow of the Royal Society (pictured right). He spearheaded the development of mouse transgenics and their translational use, which provided the basis for developing canine monoclonal antibody therapies.
Allan said: "We are growing a world-class scientific team that will enable PetMedix to become a global leader in the development of novel monoclonal antibody therapies for the expanding animal health market. In the short lifetime of the company we have attracted huge talent in both our scientists and executives, and moved into the heart of the Cambridge biotech sphere with its excellent facilities and networking opportunities. The recent appointment of Dr. Fabian Kausche to the board marks our intent to become a global leader in animal health."
CEO, Dr. Tom Weaver added: "We have the people and the technology in place, and are champing at the bit to progress these therapies to reach the pets that could benefit. We know this technology has transformed the treatment and survival of human patients with a variety of conditions and we want to create the same paradigm shift in veterinary treatment options to improve welfare, quality of life and longevity for our dogs and cats."
PetMedix says it is interested in hearing from potential investment partners, and mergers and acquisitions. Contact Jolyon Martin via email: jolyon.martin@PetMedix.co.uk or telephone: +44 (0) 1223 734140,
As part of an increasing focus on wellbeing at Congress, Jenny will be sharing her thoughts on balancing a successful career with family commitments. Prior to becoming a dragon, Jenny worked in banking for 30 years. She became CEO of cash machine company Hanco, bought out the business, turned it round and sold it for £50 million.
The expanded 2020 Congress programme offers 450 hours of CPD delivered by more than 100 globally recognised speakers. The Association says this year's highlights include more 'open to all' streams, a new range of practical workshops, small group sessions, wetlabs and nurse case reports. There will also be an increased number of AVP streams, an infectious disease stream as well as a popular favourites stream, which will include endocrinology, critical care and trauma medicine, ophthalmology and cardiology.
New wet labs are being introduced, with a chicken anatomy refresher focussing on linking this knowledge to clinical presentations and common procedures. There's a similar session for rabbit anatomy along with a new dermatology practical and surgery of the small intestine.
BSAVA Congress Programme Committee Chair Sue Murphy said: "Our ethos with the 2020 programme is to deliver unrivalled education, designed to tackle the current needs of the profession, with topical, clinically relevant and evidence-based content. Each stream is devised by our committee of volunteer vets, nurses and practice managers, ensuring our entire programme is created by the profession, for the profession."
BSAVA President, Sue Paterson said: "We are extremely proud to be hosting such an impressive programme of education at our 63rd annual Congress and 30th year in Birmingham. With our prestigious keynote speaker, the small animal focussed exhibition, the BSAVA Awards and a packed social programme including a DJ, band, Bongo’s Bingo and Silent Disco at the V20 Party Night, Congress 2020 celebrates the very best of the profession; a not to be missed date in this year’s veterinary calendar!"
To register for BSAVA Congress visit www.bsavaevents.com. If you book before the 29th January, you'll get 20% off.
The charity highlights that loneliness affects the mental wellbeing of many in the profession, from locums being away from friends and family, students away from loved ones, those who feel isolated at their practice, and veterinary professionals worried about the lonely farmers they are supporting.
Vetlife Helpline Manager Rosie Allister said: “Every call to Vetlife Helpline is completely confidential and we would never speak or write about them, even anonymised, but we do hear themes around loneliness in our calls.
"It takes courage to acknowledge feeling lonely. There’s a stigma to it, and it’s often trivialised. Saying you’re lonely can feel like disclosing a vulnerability. People feel they need to hide it, to put on a façade.”
The new leaflet encourages those who are experiencing loneliness to open up if they are struggling and gives advice on how it can be combatted.
It can be downloaded here: https://www.vetlife.org.uk/mental-health/loneliness-isolation/
The impact of the College's research on society was similarly highly-ranked, with 83% being scored 4*, and 7.5 of the 9 impact case studies submitted found to have “outstanding reach and significance”.
Additionally, there has been a 54% increase in the number of full time equivalent academic staff submitted since the last assessment – establishing the RVC as the largest veterinary research institution in the country.
The impact case studies submitted by the RVC covered a range of research areas, including those which advance clinical practice; protect public health by enhancing food safety; inform World Health Organisation and the Food and Agriculture Organisation policy on the control of disease afflicting some of poorest people in the world; and tackle antimicrobial resistance through innovations in drug delivery.
The College says the results also highlight its holistic and transdisciplinary approach to research, with researchers, teachers, clinicians and pathologists working collaboratively to ensure ‘real world’ impact and advances in clinical practice.
Professor Jonathan Elliott, Professor of Veterinary Clinical Pharmacology at the RVC, said: “REF 2021 has recognised the outstanding reach and significance of the impact of our research which is so pleasing to see.
"I know all my academic colleagues are motivated to innovate in order to make a difference to lives of people and those of the animals they keep.
"Our submission truly reflects the breadth of scholarship at the RVC which generates the new knowledge we teach our students, the high quality of which has been endorsed by this external review.”
CVS says that in the USA, the veterinary profession is the fifth highest profession for non-fatal injuries, with equine veterinarians sustaining an average of eight serious injuries during their career.
‘The context, consequence and prevention of veterinary workplace injuries: a qualitative and quantitative study in the UK’ will be undertaken at the University of Liverpool in collaboration with CVS colleagues as part of its Clinical Research Awards.
The study will run for three years, supported by £74,400 of CVS funding.
The research will investigate what veterinary injuries are, what context they occur in and what their consequences are.
It will look to highlight areas of the profession where injury prevention training and strategies can be developed and adopted to improve the safety of working in veterinary practice.
For the first phase, University of Liverpool researchers have rolled out the largest ever survey to explore veterinary workplace injuries with over 5,000 CVS staff UK-wide.
The survey investigates how veterinary professionals define injuries, their specific causal mechanisms, and why individuals do or do not report injuries or seek medical treatment.
The survey will be followed by an independent audit of CVS’ accident reporting system.
The results of these two activities will lead to the development of a suite of industry leading ‘open access’ educational tools aimed at promoting injury awareness and prevention to help drive behaviour change and support injury avoidance.\
The research project is being led by Dr. John Tulloch, a Research Fellow and European Specialist in Veterinary Public Health, at the University of Liverpool.
Collaborators include CVS Head of Health and Safety Rebecca Jackson and Director of Learning, Education and Development Dr Martin Whiting.
John said: “Injuries that occur within veterinary practice can tragically at times be life-changing and are often avoidable.
"Currently we do not know some critical details that would help to improve safety within the veterinary workplace.
"If we can better understand these details, we will be able to develop and strengthen prevention measures through policy, education, and training.
"We anticipate that this project will result in safer workplaces within the wider veterinary community and, indirectly, in improved animal treatment through a fitter, healthier and safer profession.”
The report is the culmination of the work of a joint RCVS and VSC BAME Student Support Working Group, set up to explore key issues in supporting BAME veterinary students during their studies.
The Working Group made a total of 14 recommendations, which included:
Stephanie-Rae Flicker is a recent Royal Veterinary College (RVC) graduate who co-chaired the Working Group alongside Professor Rob Pettitt from the University of Liverpool.
She said: “I hope this encourages and supports our veterinary institutions to actively implement change regarding discrimination faced during studies and placements, nurturing role models and helping affected students develop sense of belonging and community during their studies and beyond.
"Many thanks to all that have contributed to the completion of this Report – we hope the recommendations have a lasting impact, and benefit those both already present and yet to enter our profession."
RCVS/VSC BAME Student Support Working Group Report.
Over 25% of the 1001 veterinary professionals who responded felt that the use of technology for triage and or consultations had either improved efficiency or the service offered to clients.
More than 10% said the pandemic had led to practices taking actions which streamlined client processes such as taking payments and booking appointments online or by phone.
The survey results are included in a presentation at the BSAVA Virtual Congress: "Lessons from Lockdown:Telemedicine is here to stay", which forms part of the current topics stream on Saturday 27th March. Brian Faulkner will take a look at maintaining relationships and changing dynamics with remote consults, communication challenges and opportunities. Matt Flann will follow with: "A practical perspective – how we have used it, what have we learned?"
BSAVA President Professor Ian Ramsey said: “The survey results have given us an important insight on how technology is being deployed to help the profession continue to help pets and their owners safely and to the best of their ability in these difficult circumstances.
"Vets have embraced innovations in practice such as telephone triage, remote consultations and digital communications. These have shown us that, as within the human healthcare sector, we can continue to deliver our vital services, possibly to an even more efficient and effective standard, despite the restrictions.
"Our Congress session on lockdown learnings promises to make for compelling listening with important ramifications for veterinary practice even after the pandemic has receded to a bitter memory. As we return to degrees of normality these innovations should not be discarded, but equally must not be allowed to generate the inequalities that go hand in hand with them if some practices and owners are inadvertently left behind.”
To register for BSAVA Congress, visit https://www.bsavaevents.com/bsavacongress2021/en/page/home
Reference
Only two nominations have been received for the RCVS Veterinary Nurses Council and there were two places up for contest, so there will be no VN Council election this year.
The two places will be filled by Hilary Orpet and Suzanne May. Hilary is a Lecturer in Veterinary Nursing at the Royal Veterinary College, and will start her second four-year term on Council. Suzanne is Head of the Veterinary Nursing Approved Centre and Senior Lecturer at Harper Adams University College.
The pair will take up their positions formally on RCVS Day in July.
Liz Branscombe, Chairman of the VN Council said: "Although I am delighted that Hilary remains on Council, and look forward to welcoming Suzanne, I am disappointed that so few VNs took the opportunity to stand for election. For VN Council to remain relevant to all VNs, it is important that as many VNs as possible engage with the political process".
The courses are designed for self-paced learning and include practical hints and tips for treating common animal health issues in companion animals and livestock.
Small animal topics include cardiology, hypertension, dermatology, behaviour and gastroenterology.
Cattle topics include Q fever, reproduction and mobility.
In swine health, content focuses on respiratory health, neonatal disease and zoonotic conditions.
The Ceva Academy also includes downloadable resources, including practice posters, social media content and owner leaflets.
Dan Cripwell, vet channel marketing and technical manager at Ceva, said: “We have consolidated our portfolio of online learning courses and resources into one multi-species portal to give animal health professionals flexible access to high quality CPD and information in one convenient location.”
https://ceva.vbms-training.co.uk/dashboard
Together, they're producing an educational video to be distributed and used by registered career advisers across the Southwest of England, and subsequently across the rest of England.
Remi qualified from the Royal Veterinary College in London as a registered veterinary nurse in 2019 and then applied to start the graduate Veterinary Medicine programme at the same university.
She said: “I didn’t quite get the grades to study to be a vet straight away, but I always knew that I wanted to focus on a surgical career path and having gone through the university application twice, I want to help other students realise that they too can pursue a career as a vet or vet nurse.
“I met the managing director of JHP Recruitment, Justin Powlesland, at a networking event and explained how keen I was to help more people realise that there is more than one way to become a veterinary professional and to encourage school age children not to dismiss a veterinary career from an early age.
Justin said: “We have employed a production company and are now looking for a location to film it.
"Ideally, we need a teaching hospital to offer us some space for a day, as we want to set our interview with Remi in a clinical setting, where there is plenty of equipment to see.
"We are hoping to film this summer and are appealing for help to find a location.
“The video will tell Remi’s story about the hurdles she has faced and overcome to ultimately study to become a vet, it will also show students where the veterinary industry can take them and the different roles and routes to study that are available.
"As well as the video, a downloadable PDF version will be created, which are both great resources for career advisers that we will also share across social media.”
Remi added: “I really hope that what we are doing will encourage more people from diverse backgrounds to consider going to into higher education to start a career in veterinary medicine or veterinary nursing – that’s the ultimate goal.”
Any teaching hospital that can help with a filming location is being asked to contact Justin via email Justin@jhprecruitment.com or to call him on 07506 981 354.
The campaign will highlight things that can be done to help anxious pets, including getting professional advice from a behaviourist or trainer and using the company's products.
There's a marketing pack for practices, to help you educate owners and promote the month. It includes bunting, wall displays, posters, leaflets and gift vouchers for pet owners.
To raise awareness, Ceva will also be running a PR and advertising campaign together with a social media initiative in which owners will be encouraged to share their experience of having an anxious pet on Instagram and Facebook.
Abigail King, senior product manager at Ceva said: "It is widely known that humans suffer from anxieties, but pets do too with 82% of dogs and 89% of cats reported to be scared of something1.
"It is therefore important that we educate pet owners on the signs of stress and the help and support that they can give to their pets.
"Pet Anxiety Month will get people talking and we want people to know that there are products out there to support pets and that help is at hand to get the right advice, which is extremely important."
For further information, visit the Pet Anxiety Month website or follow the campaign on Instagram and Facebook. To request the Pet Anxiety Month marketing pack, email cevauk@ceva.com.
Liz Leece, an RCVS and EBVS specialist in veterinary anaesthesia and analgesia (pictured right) and Massimo Mariscoli, an EBVS and RCVS specialist in veterinary neurology joined Paragon at the start of this month.
Liz is a past president of the Association of Veterinary Anaesthetists, is on the British Small Animal Veterinary Association’s congress organising committee and lectures to vets, nurses and occasionally human anaesthetists, all over the world.
She said: "I’m a keen supporter of the anaesthetist’s role in the referral hospital setting, safeguarding welfare and optimising the hospital experience for all our patients.
"One of my first tasks will be to establish a chronic pain management clinic at Paragon to aid any patients in need of such support.
"I also love teaching both inside and outside clinics and I’m currently involved in clinical research into brachycephalics, neuroanaesthesia and chronic pain."
Massimo grew up in Italy and graduated from the University of Bologna in 1990. He worked as head of small animal surgery and neurology at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital of the University of Teramo, before spells as lecturer and associate professor at the same centre.
The past president of the Italian Society of Veterinary Neurology (SINVet) moved to the UK in May 2017 to work as a neurology specialist and then head of neurology at a small animal hospital.
His main clinical interests are epilepsy, inflammatory disorders of the central nervous system and neurosurgery.
He said: "I was looking for a new challenge and was very pleased when I learned there was the possibility of setting up the neurology service at Paragon. I first visited the site in February and got a very good impression.
"Neurology has been split between internal medicine and surgery to date, so I will be looking to establish the service in its own right.
"Setting up a new service and new systems can be complex, so I will be taking my time and letting the service take shape naturally."
Paragon managing director Ian Monteith said: "Both Liz and Massimo are tremendous additions to our team and we’re delighted to be adding yet more high-calibre specialists to our ranks."
For more information, visit www.paragonreferrals.co.uk.
For the study1, the authors Lucy Norris, Gina Pinchbeck, Peter-John Noble and Alan Radford, analysed data from electronic health records submitted by veterinary practices participating in the Small Animal Veterinary Surveillance Network (SAVSNET).
They found that a total of 132 dogs with cropped ears were seen by vets across a sample size of 500 practices between 2015 and 2022, with numbers peaking in 2021.
The breeds most likely to have cropped ears were the American bulldog, Dobermann, Italian mastiff and bulldog.
In more than 60% of the cases, the dogs had been imported from countries where ear cropping is illegal, such as Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria, Serbia, Spain, Poland and Ireland.
The authors acknowledge that the findings of their research are likely just a small snapshot of the true scale of the ear cropping problem: figures from the 2022 PDSA PAW Report suggest that the true numbers of dogs imported with cropped ears could be as high as 26,000.
RSPCA Head of Companion Animals Samantha Gaines said: "The study provides strong evidence to refute arguments for ear cropping to prevent ear infections, as the breed types identified in Norris and colleagues’ study are not generally predisposed to such infections.
"Rather, this finding adds weight to anecdotal evidence suggesting that the motivation for ear cropping in many dogs is driven by appearance rather than any perceived health benefits.
“It is also possible that some dogs were cropped illegally in the UK using legal importation as a smokescreen for this activity.
"Indeed, it is the RSPCA's experience that many dogs stated as being cropped outside of the UK have histories that would make this highly unlikely.”
Vet Record editor-in-chief Suzanne Jarvis said: “One solution to the importation problem is proposed in the Kept Animals Bill, which is currently stalled in parliament.
"Although there could be potential for fraud around grandfather rights initially, a ban on such importations would ultimately mean that the sight of a dog with cropped ears becomes a thing of the past in the UK.”
https://www.bva.co.uk/take-action/ear-cropping-campaign
The event, sponsored by Provet Cloud, will include interactive workshop sessions on ‘Finding Flexible Working Solutions’, ‘Financial Security and Negotiation Skills’, and ‘Developing Your Personal Brand’.
Women from all areas of the veterinary industry will also be sharing their inspirational career stories.
The speaker line-up for the event includes Flexee’s Silvia Janska, who takes a look at ‘Finding Flexible Working Solutions’, including how they can be implemented in practice to empower individuals and teams, and benefit the business.
Katie Ford and Paul Horwood from VetYou, will be addressing overcoming barriers in talking about, navigating, and creating security with money to arm delegates with negotiation tools and useable resources in their workshop session on ‘Financial Security and Negotiation Skills’
Hamzah Malik from Regent Animal Health will lead a workshop on ‘Developing Your Personal Brand’ to build delegates’ confidence in ways to explore and articulate personal identity and strengths, and apply brand marketing principles to boost career success.
The event will also feature ‘Seeing is Believing’ breakout sessions with female speakers from all spheres of veterinary practice, business, industry, nursing and education, sharing their career stories and taking part in Q&A sessions.
The event is suited to all those thinking about the next career step, considering leadership roles or already working within leadership positions in the veterinary sector.
Veterinary professionals and students can take advantage of an early-bird rate until 20th November.
For more information and to register for the event, visit: https://eu.eventscloud.com/website/7528/home/
The College first became aware that confidential information had been leaked earlier this year after the Veterinary Record made the decision to publish details.
The College says it then provided a number of informal opportunities for the person leaking the information to come forward and discuss the reasons for their actions, but nobody stepped forward.
A Council member then made a formal complaint about the leak, which triggered the complaints policy set out in the College’s Code of Conduct for Council Members and instigated the investigation.
The investigation was run independently of the RCVS by an external specialist consultancy, and coordinated by a legal assessor.
Initially, the investigators were asked to focus on a single leak, but following a number of further leaks over ensuing months, it became necessary to widen the scope and depth of the investigation.
The investigators’ report concluded that there had been several separate and deliberate leaks of confidential information by a current or former Council member over an extended period.
However, they were not able to identify who specifically was responsible for the leaks, and because nobody admitted it, no further action under the complaints policy of the Code of Conduct for Council Members was appropriate.
The investigators concluded that the leaks were not the result of poor understanding of College or Council processes, but a deliberate decision to provide confidential information to third parties.
Council members have therefore agreed to review existing training requirements and mechanisms for handling confidential information and to explore in more detail the potential motivation of the person or people who leaked the information, together with the underlying culture of Council that might have influenced their behaviour.
RCVS President Mandisa Greene, said: “There is no denying this is a sad day for the College, and for RCVS Council in particular. As Council members of our professions’ regulatory body, we must maintain the very highest standards of probity and integrity if we are to maintain the trust and confidence of our professional colleagues. In the same way, we must subject ourselves to the same level of scrutiny and investigation if these values and behaviours are ever called into question.
“That someone chose to breach the trust placed in them by their peers is extremely disappointing, especially when they were given every opportunity to come forward to discuss their concerns, and avoid the College having to launch a formal investigation.
"Our default position during Council meetings is to hold as many discussions as possible in public session to ensure Council’s decisions are as open and transparent as possible – something that we will continue to increase as much as possible. Like any organisation, however, there may be a small number of issues that need to be discussed in closed session – for example, those still at concept stage prior to any decision being made public or put out for consultation, or those containing personal or commercially sensitive data.
"I sincerely hope that all of us on Council can learn from this unfortunate and unnecessary episode. We must rebuild and maintain sufficient confidence in each other, and in our processes, that, even if we disagree on certain matters, it is always best to do so in a direct, upfront and honest manner."
The Blue Cross, Britain's pet charity, has presented its Veterinary Nurse of the Year Award to Anna Hatchett (below, centre) for her outstanding contribution to animal welfare, both within her veterinary practice and among the local community in Whitby, North Yorkshire. The award was presented during the British Veterinary Nursing Association (BVNA) annual congress in Kettering, Northamptonshire on 21 October by TV vet Scott Miller and Blue Cross director of veterinary services, Voigt.
Voigt (above, right) of The Blue Cross explained: "This annual award recognises the hard work and talent exhibited by veterinary nurses throughout the country. Anna's commitment to help educate people about responsible pet ownership demonstrates a real understanding of the important bond that people share with their pets." Anna was nominated by two vets, Edward Gillams and Kate Loomes, who previously worked with her at The Beck Veterinary Practice in Whitby, North Yorkshire. Mr Gillams remarked: "Anna has given the practice 10 years of selfless dedication and hard work. She always finds time to discuss pets with their owners, be it while running puppy parties, weight clinics or while in reception dealing with appointments." Ms Loomes added: "Anna is an exceptionally dedicated and talented nurse. She has an amazing memory for clients and takes time to enquire as to how their individual pets are. She doesn't hesitate to take in and care for stray and lost animals and works well over her working hours when animals are in need of help." Commenting on her award, Anna said: "I was very touched when I found out I'd been nominated and absolutely thrilled to have won. I have been a veterinary nurse for more than a decade now and can't think of a more rewarding job - it's just a case of doing what comes naturally!"
The survey of 97 cat owners and 156 vets conducted in June last year found that currently only 30% of cat owners give supplements to their cat but 74% would be willing to try them.
The survey also found that whilst 80% of vets thought the main reasons to be hesitant about recommending feline supplements were palatability and the owner’s ability to give products, owners were less concerned about the ease of giving the supplement (53%), and more concerned about the cost (45%) and being unsure of the benefits (39%).
Tara Evans RVN, head of sales at Vita, said: “It is interesting that the majority of vets believe that practicalities around administering oral supplements is the main drawback to giving these products, whereas only 53% of owners were concerned about this.
"Understanding owner concerns regarding efficacy and price could help vets support more owners to move forward with supplements for their cats.”
According to the survey, the most frequently used supplements, by both vets and owners are those made to support joints.
Cat owners also showed an interest in giving supplements for general wellness (61%).
Tara added: “Owners are open to supplementing for general health, as well as more specific health-related issues.”
www.vitaanimalhealth.com