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The scholarship was set up to honour the memory of Dr Earl H. Rippie Jnr., a former president of the North American Veterinary Community, who recognised the value veterinary nurses bring to the healthcare team and the significant role they play in promoting the wellbeing of animals.
The award reflects his steadfast belief that veterinary nurses are the spoke in the wheel of the practice and the heart of any veterinary hospital and should be celebrated as equals in the veterinary profession.
The only international recipient, Belinda was given the award for her impressive leadership and impact on growth of the profession and practice.
Belinda said: “I am overwhelmed with gratitude to have been selected to receive this prestigious award.
"I am so honoured to have my work recognised in this way by the Dr Earl Rippie award panel.
"It means so much to me that the work I am so passionate about also resonates with others.”
Professor Stuart Reid, Principal of the RVC, said: “I am delighted that Belinda has been recognised with this prestigious award.
"This international recognition is a testament to her ongoing work and commitment to ensuring veterinary nurses have equal voices and are rightfully acknowledged for the vital role they play in upholding the highest standards of animal care in veterinary practice.”
DuOtic contains terbinafine, an antifungal, and betamethasone acetate, a corticosteroid.
One tube is administered per affected ear, with a second dose given after seven days.
The maximum clinical response may be seen up to 21 days after the second dose
The product was unveiled earlier this year at an event attended by around 80 vets and nurses, where speakers discussed the importance of a holistic approach to otitis externa and the need for judicious antibiotic use.
Speaking at the event, Tim Nuttall said that antibiotic use “has consequences in terms of antimicrobial resistance and should only be used when justified”.
Speakers highlighted that effective management of otitis externa depends on identifying and addressing primary, predisposing, secondary and perpetuating factors, and on implementing a targeted two-phase treatment approach, comprising induction followed by long-term maintenance.
Routine dermatological assessment, including whole-skin examination, otoscopy and cytology, was emphasised as essential to identifying underlying causes and guiding treatment selection.
The role of the wider veterinary team, including trained veterinary nurses, and clear communication with dog owners were also recognised as key to improving outcomes in yeast-only otitis externa.
https://www.dechra.co.uk/products/dog/prescription/duotic
Launched by the VMG in 2021, the VMG Veterinary Leadership and Management course has three levels, the Award, the Certificate and the Diploma.
There are 151 Award holders, 39 Certificate holders and now one holder of the Diploma.
144 veterinary professionals are currently studying for the CVLM, which is accredited by the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM).
In addition to the core modules, participants also select an additional topic tailored to their current or future needs, such as practice finance, HR, mental health and leading change.
Gemma said: “I wanted to study for the full qualification because I’m very interested in the whole subject of practice management and I really love learning.
"I experienced a few lightbulb moments, especially early on in the course when I was trying to work out what kind of leader I was.
"This section of the course opened my eyes to different leadership styles and the type of leader I wanted to become.
"I put this into practice over time, so when I came to study the team management section towards the end of my course, I could see my development over the past two years.”
She added: “Overall, I found the course very enjoyable. There is time to really dig into each topic and many different modules to choose from. The support on offer from the tutors is also excellent.”
The deadline for registration for the Winter term is 31st October.
www.vetmg.com/cvlm
1,927 veterinary nurses voted, representing an 8.8% turnout.
Whilst marginally better than 2022's turnout of 8.4%, it's still less than half that seen in 2020.
Matthew Rendle scored 891 votes and Simon Williams 642.
Eleanor Ferguson, RCVS Registrar and Returning Officer for both elections, said: “Congratulations to all our successful candidates in this year’s elections and thank you to all those who stood for election this year.
"We look forward to welcoming our successful candidates to their elected places at this year’s AGM.
“While the turnout for the VN Council election improved slightly on last year, it was a shame to see the turnout for vets fall again.
"As part of our wider Council culture project, we are looking at how to increase engagement with our election processes across the board, from candidate nominations, to how we present information about the candidates, to how we encourage greater election turnout.
"We will be consulting with the group set up to look specifically at this issue in due course to see how we can improve turnout going forward.”
The full results for the RCVS Council election can be found at www.rcvs.org.uk/vnvote23
The survey, conducted among 130 veterinary professionals around the UK, including vets, nurses, receptionists and practice managers, revealed that on-demand video-based CPD ranked as the top choice of learning platform for 47% of respondents, while online text-based learning was next at 22%.
15% preferred in-person workshops and 10% in-practice training.
Meanwhile, only 6% preferred live lunchtime or evening webinars, and only 1% event lectures.
The survey identified that the most popular non-clinical CPD topics were complaint management (57%), communication (43%) and customer service (44%).
Barriers to the more widespread adoption of online learning platforms within practices were cost (70%) and a lack of time for CPD completion (80%) as a significant challenge.
Emma Barnes, Managing Director for Veterinary at Agilio, said: “The veterinary workforce is stretched and finding time to attend in-person CPD can be challenging.
"Flexible online solutions that accommodate busy schedules empower vets, nurses and the wider practice team to fulfil their CPD requirements whenever and wherever they choose.”
https://agiliosoftware.com
The four organisations have written a template letter which anyone can send to any company they see using brachycephalic breeds, such as the Persian, or Scottish Folds, in its marketing materials.
The letter urges companies that use images of cats to work collaboratively with veterinary professionals and pledge to avoid using such breeds in the future.
Dr Nathalie Dowgray, Head of ISFM, said: “Seeing a cute cat in an advertisement can often be a trigger for people to seek out acquiring a cat of that breed without understanding the welfare concerns associated with some pedigree breeds.
"A rise in demand can lead to an increase in breeding practices that result in severe conformational issues and poorer welfare in these breeds.
"We encourage people to download this letter to use when they see breeds of concern being used in advertising, as health is always more important than looks.”
https://icatcare.org/app/uploads/2023/09/ISFM_FECAVA_FVE_UEVPAdvert_Letter.pdf.
'The new discovery in feline communication' symposium was held during the ISFM (International Society of Feline Medicine) International Feline Congress from 8th - 10th August.
The symposium was presented by Professor Patrick Pageat DVM MSc PhD HDR Dipl ECAWBM-BM Hon Dipl CLECVe, who researched and developed both Feliway and Adaptil, and Dr Andy Sparkes BVetMed PhD DipECVIM MANZCVS MRCVS, veterinary consultant at ISFM.
Patrick presented ‘the science behind the new pheromone discovery’ and covered how it was developed, how it works and why it is a step up from the existing pheromone products. Andy followed with ‘Feliway Optimum: clinical evidence’ and featured the clinical data behind the new product and how it outperforms existing pheromones.
To register for ‘the new discovery in feline communication’ symposium on demand, which equates to one hour’s CPD, email cevauk@ceva.com.
Staffies were by far the most commonly stolen animal, accounting for 25.7% of all reported dogs thefts in the UK between 2017 and 2021.
Meanwhile, Devon and Cornwall had the highest number of pet thefts: 140.6 per 100,000 people.
Northumbria came second, with 61.5 pet thefts per 100,000 people, and Lancashire third (52.9 per 100,000).
On the other end of the scale, one breed that was less likely to be stolen was the pug (4.5%), although that's perhaps not surprising: after all, who'd want to steal an animal whose face you can't differentiate from its backside?
The safest animal in the country is probably an Akita (1.9%) living in Surrey (6.8 pet thefts per 100,000 people).
Full report: https://www.adt.co.uk/blog/the-adt-pet-theft-report
The Scholarship was set up to continue the legacy of Louise O’Dwyer who passed away in 2018.
Louise worked tirelessly in ECC, spoke at several events to help other veterinary professionals around the globe and she worked as a speaker for Improve Veterinary Education to educate other vet nurses.
This year, the scholarship received over 30 entries across the UK.
Patricia Rigio RVN said: “I was born and raised in Venezuela where I graduated as a marine biologist in 2012.
"I moved to the UK in 2014 because I wanted to improve my English, little did I know I would end up discovering veterinary nursing as a career and falling in love with it.
"I have been working mainly in general practice since I started my training in 2018 but after qualifying, I decided to support Vets Now in my spare time to gain more experience, this has fuelled my passion and interest in emergency and critical care.
"I feel truly honoured and lucky as this programme is an amazing opportunity for me to further my skills in ECC and to apply everything that I can learn through the programme in practice, to the benefit of my patients and to help my colleagues."
www.improveinterational.com.
Cornerstone Veterinary Clinic, which was founded by Peter Herold in 2011, currently employs a 15-strong team, who are all now practice owners and shareholders in the business.
Peter got the inspiration from reading about how Pennard Vets had become the world’s largest employee-owned practice in order to protect both its independence and core values.
He then contacted the directors at Pennard Vets, who helped guide him through the process.
Peter said: “After starting Cornerstone 11 years ago, we have developed a longstanding, loyal and dedicated team who are all very popular with our established client base across Belfast and beyond.
"I genuinely love Cornerstone, and so do our team and clients, and although I’m not ready to retire yet, the end of my professional life will come in the next decade, so I wanted to start planning for it.
“The obvious option would be to sell the practice to a corporate chain, but I knew that would change how we worked.
"There would be much more emphasis on profit levels, and we’d be forced to make decisions that we were uncomfortable with.
"We have an amazing team who are full of ideas about how to make Cornerstone even better and to guarantee a successful future, the practice needs to continue growing in a way that works for its people, our clients and their pets.
“When I read about Pennard Vets becoming an EOT, it immediately resonated with me, and I hoped it could be an option for Cornerstone.
"I then attended a webinar with speakers from Pennard Vets, and I kept in touch with them afterwards.
"They explained the set-up and how it benefits their team, as well as putting us in touch with specialists in EOTs.
"Ultimately it was Pennard Vets’ knowledge and enthusiasm that convinced me it was the right route for us.”
Peter added: “Our senior team at Cornerstone are all very skilled and share common values in relation to customer service, veterinary care and client charges, and it’s this ethos that makes us popular with clients.
“Making the business an EOT will ensure this continues by safeguarding the future of the business, whilst giving each member of the team the benefit of being a business owner without them having to buy in.
"It also means I can continue to work as a vet, but share the management side of the practice with the entire team who can help to make the important decisions, which is an exciting prospect for everyone involved.”
Matthew Flann from Pennard Vets said: “We became an EOT to maintain our independence and give everyone in our team both autonomy and a voice, as well as preserving our core values around compassion, client focus and continually improving everything we do.
"This came at a time when it’s increasingly difficult for vets to buy into practices and the traditional partner progression model no longer works, which makes EOTs even more appealing and a positive step for the profession as a whole.
“It’s been genuinely transformational for Pennard Vets, and we now regularly hear from practice owners who are exploring becoming an EOT.
"There are now several other successful businesses currently on the journey and when Peter contacted us, we were happy to offer our help and guidance.
"Cornerstone is a successful practice, with a highly skilled and dedicated team, so its independence is worth protecting, and becoming an EOT will give it a bright future.”
Topics covered will include practical applications of enrichment for zoo species, options for reproductive control in pet ferrets, challenges of exotics out-of-hours care, veterinary care of invertebrates and decision-making in wildlife cases.
The Association says that this year, there will be a greater focus on masterclasses, practical sessions and roundtable discussions, and that there will be plenty of new research, case reports, case series and the most recent advancements in the field of zoo, wildlife and exotic animal medicine.
There will be dedicated streams covering zoo health, nursing, exotic pets and wildlife health, together with a stream for students and new graduates.
The social programme includes the student-mentor mixer, a new vet nurse mixer, a wine and canapés evening, a gala dinner and silent disco.
Registration fees have been held at the same level as 2019: vet nurse tickets for non-members range from £185 for one day, to £265 for all three; members get a discount.
www.bvzs.co.uk
The package includes pre-built templates, dedicated support during implementation, comprehensive training and 6 months’ free access from go-live to the cloud-based platform.
The company says it is launching this service after seeing the number of start-up practices reaching almost pre-pandemic levels according to Companies House data.
Scott Goodsir-Smyth, General Manager for the UK and Ireland at Provet Cloud said: "A progressive practice management system is essential for the smooth running of a modern veterinary practice, however selection and implementation can be stressful, particularly for start-ups when there are so many other important decisions to make.
"We have streamlined our implementation process and incorporated a number of out-of-the-box templates, pre-built wholesaler price lists and laboratory panels to speed up configuration and take the strain off our customers.
"We also understand that cash-flow is a major concern during ramp-up, so we are delighted to be able to offer start-ups in our region 6 months’ free access to the system, whilst they open and establish their practice’.
Training and support is provided by the UK Provet Cloud team, made up of qualified vets, nurses and practice managers.
Danny McClelland, implementation lead at Provet Cloud UK and Ireland, said: "We made a conscious decision to employ people with clinical or hands-on experience in practice for our implementation, training and support roles."
https://www.provet.cloud/veterinary-start-up-software
Animalcare hopes that its ‘Make Senior Easier’ campaign will raise awareness of conditions that can go unnoticed or get dismissed by owners as a normal part of ageing, such as hyperthyroidism.
As part of the campaign, practices can request a free resource pack which includes:
Kirsty Cavill RVN said: ''In my role as a RVN and canine rehabilitation therapist, I often come across senior pets with underlying conditions which are adversely affecting their health but could be managed successfully through a multimodal approach and structured treatment plan.
"By adopting a proactive approach to senior pet care and by helping owners to understand how to best support their pets through this life stage, we will strengthen the bonds with our clients, to ensure the highest standard of care is afforded to all senior patients.''
James Beaumont, Brand Manager at Animalcare, added: "As life expectancy increases and numbers of senior pets continue to grow, veterinary care tailored to the needs of these animals has never been more relevant and it is also a huge business opportunity for practices. To help them capitalise on this opportunity, we have created our Make Senior Easier campaign and hope that the resources we have created will improve owner awareness and give practices the tools they need to achieve the best clinical outcomes for older pets and their owners.”
To request your free resource pack, visit: www.animalcare.co.uk/makesenioreasier.
For more information, contact your Animalcare Territory Manager or ring 01904 487687.
Veterinary teams are now being invited to nominate their workplaces for the awards, detailing the ways in which the team’s wellbeing has been supported.
Entrants must show evidence in their workplace of:
Entires can be submitted for the following categories
The BVA is strongly encouraging people to submit nominations as a team.
Entrants will also be required to submit photos showcasing team culture, demonstrating initiatives to aid staff wellbeing or moments of positivity.
BVA Junior Vice President Anna Judson, who will also be one of the judges for the awards, said: “The culture in a workplace has an impact on every aspect of a business, but most especially when it comes to building a happy, healthy and resilient workforce.
"That’s why it’s so important that staff feel heard, valued and supported.
"BVA’s Wellbeing Awards are an important opportunity for teams to shout about innovative practices that are going the extra mile to support wellbeing.
"After all, good veterinary workplaces are good for people, good for animals in their care and ultimately good for business.”
The awards are open to the entire veterinary profession and there is no requirement to be a BVA member.
Winners will be announced at BVA’s Gala Dinner during the London Vet Show in November.
Nominations close on Monday, 11th September 2023.
www.bva.co.uk/wellbeing-awards
According to the company, participating practices more than doubled the number of blood pressure checks they conducted, within 12 months.
The CVS’ clinical improvement project initially looked at how effective its first opinion small animal practices were in screening older cats for hypertension.
In line with the veterinary industry norm, it found that less than two per cent of cats over the age of seven were receiving an annual blood pressure check.
This initial research also found that the common barriers to conducting blood pressure checks by vets and veterinary nurses in practice were due to time constraints, availability of equipment and simply remembering to discuss blood pressure checks with owners.
Each CVS site chose two people to lead the initiative at their site, to aid communication and delivery.
A document was created to help, providing background, aims, summary of resources and planning sections.
Contributory factors preventing delivery of blood pressure checks were outlined and practices were encouraged to identify additional barriers and resources needed.
A suite of resources were then produced to support the practice team - from reception to veterinary surgeons - in improving annual blood pressure check rates.
The resources included new clinical frameworks and veterinary guidelines on how to treat hypertension; in-practice educational resources to highlight the benefits of hypertension screening and information sheets and blood pressure diaries to help clients manage their pets condition.
To upskill and develop colleagues in how to identify and treat hypertension and resulting conditions, a collection of training materials was created and training sessions held.
These included a series of webinars which explained why hypertension is important to identify, how to overcome common challenges encountered when looking for hypertension in cats, how to use the ophthalmic exam to help diagnose hypertension and how to treat hypertension.
Three in-person CPD days were hosted with the support from Ceva six months into the project where feline specialists Sarah Caney and Samantha Taylor shared the latest evidence base in this field and practices were encouraged to share barriers, queries and tips, so that ideas could be taken away to make blood pressure screening a simpler process in practice.
Practices were also encouraged to organise lunch and learn CPD sessions, to share best practice and generate discussion within their team.
In addition, a website was created to host all resources in one place, including webinars, clinical frameworks, client resources, a discussion forum and data.
An audit of each participating practice’s blood pressure check data was conducted at the start of the project.
Results were then shared with each participating practice every month - including the total number of blood pressure checks performed each month and the percentage of cats over the age of seven who had an annual blood pressure check.
Twelve months after its nation-wide launch, results reveal that the number of blood pressure checks have more than doubled (110%) within participating CVS practices and an additional 5,984 blood pressure checks have been performed year on year.
A number of practices were able to implement systems that allowed them to perform over 40 blood pressures each month.
The number of cats on amlodipine (the first choice medication to treat hypertension in cats) increased by 303 patients year-on-year, hinting many more cats had been diagnosed with hypertension.
Kate Allgood, Hub Clinical Lead at CVS who was responsible for the hypertension clinical improvement project, said: “There is a huge benefit in treating hypertension.
"No one wants to see a cat suddenly become blind due to hypertension that wasn’t recognised in time.
"So many associated longer-term feline complications and conditions can be avoided if annual blood pressure checks in cats over the age of seven are routinely performed.
"Increasing blood pressure screening is not a simple task though, and this focus has allowed space and time for practices to give this topic the recognition it deserves; to identify and implement systems that make it easier to identify patients at risk, discuss with clients and perform these checks with ease.
"We have created a robust clinical structure, produced some easily accessible materials and supported our practices to make small and simple changes that add up.
"Our practices have done an outstanding job at delivering this project to date and I look forward to seeing what can be achieved in the future. We strongly believe that this work will contribute towards providing some of the best clinical care for cats in the veterinary profession.”
CharcoPet is a ready-to-use oral gel formulated with 50% activated charcoal and marine-derived polysaccharides.
Forte says Charcopet has a high concentration of activated charcoal per ml, which reduces the volume needed and minimises handling stress.
It's supplied in a 2 x 30ml dial-dose syringes, with each syringe suitable for up to 15 kg bodyweight, used at 2 ml/kg bodyweight orally, repeatable every 4–6 hours if clinically required.
Dr Lucy Chadwick MVB ACIM CMktr MRCVS, Global Partnerships Manager & Head of Technical Services at Forte Healthcare said: “CharcoPet represents a major step forward in veterinary care, offering practitioners a fast, precise, and reliable solution when faced with suspected or confirmed cases of toxin or medication ingestion."
https://fortehealthcare.com/product/charcopet/
The re-categorisation means veterinary practices can sell the topical parasiticides to ‘walk-in clients’ without the need of a prescription.
Andrew Fullerton, veterinary surgeon and product manager at Ceva Animal Health, said: “The new NFA-VPS category for Vectra 3D spot-on solution for dogs and Vectra Felis 423mg/42.3mg spot-on solution for cats provides veterinary practices with greater flexibility to sell easy-to-use, fast and effective parasite prevention and treatment without a prescription."
For more information, contact your Ceva Animal Health account manager or email cevauk@ceva.com.
The survey, which takes about 5 minutes (I timed it), is designed to canvas opinion about the priorities for learning and development.
Rich Casey, Junior Vice President of the VMG (pictured right), said: "From marketing to HR to financial planning and all points in between, today’s veterinary leaders require expertise in every aspect of running a successful business.
"We want to create a truly valuable, constructive and evidence-based CPD calendar for next year. Views from those working in the profession will help us to fully understand what good leadership and management look like in the veterinary world and we will then make sure that the programme promotes best practice in these important areas. We thank everyone who takes the time to complete the survey."
The survey can be accessed here: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/VETCPDPR
The webinars are being presented by Sian Tranter MRCVS, who has a business called VetReflect which supports veterinary staff in resolving issues in their day-to-day working life, clinical or non-clinical, with support, guidance and direction.
In the hour-long interactive webinars, Sian will concentrate on providing practical advice to support clinicians and promote both personal and team development.
The first webinar, "Using Clinical Supervision – Looking After Ourselves", will focus on how professionals can improve their job satisfaction and reduce the impact that work has on the rest of their lives.
The session, which will take place on Thursday 31st March at 3.00pm, will include the opportunity to complete a personal audit to identify the actions required to achieve these goals.
To register for the event visit: https://tinyl.io/5aIa
The second webinar, taking place on Thursday 28th April at 7:30pm, is titled: "Using Clinical Supervision – Looking After Our Team", and will focus on applying practical and relevant tools to get the best out of veterinary teams to promote teamwork, performance and positivity.
To register for the event, visit: https://tinyl.io/5aIf
The webinars are free-of-charge and are available to veterinary clinics across the UK and the US, including those not affiliated to the Premier Vet Alliance.
The book contains 40 chapters of articles about clinical techniques, diagnostic pathways and management approaches published in Companion between 2016 and 2020.
Editor of Companion, Samantha Taylor said: “At Companion we strive to produce well-illustrated, practical articles to help vets and VNs in practice face the day-to-day challenges of a varied caseload. We hope this collection meets our aims by covering a variety of clinical problems from hypercalcaemia in cats to managing the snuffly rabbit, from Leishmaniasis to lymphoma and many more.
Ian Ramsey (BSAVA Senior Vice President) said: “This collection represents a unique body of well-illustrated work prepared by experts from all around the UK and beyond. I would like to thank them all on behalf of BSAVA members and readers of this book for taking the time and care to develop these resources for their colleagues around the world.”
Samantha added: “Whether kept on the shelf for when needed or thumbed through over a cup of tea, we hope that within the pages of this new volume you find a useful tip or technique that helps.”
The How to…collected articles from BSAVA Companion (2016–2020), 3rd edition has been published as a BSAVA member loyalty reward gift for those eligible veterinary members who renew their membership this year.
The book is also available to buy from the BSAVA website www.bsava.com/shop priced at £20.
The project was 'highly commended' at the RCVS Knowledge 2024 awards.
The CVS clinical improvement project found that a major barrier to conducting ultrasound scans was a lack of confidence - both in using equipment and interpreting images.
A recent Canadian industry study has also reviewed barriers, citing a lack of equipment, training and skills as root causes1.
The ultrasound project aimed to review practice equipment, improve clinician case identification, increase clinical skills and confidence, and recommend ultrasound in all appropriate cases.
The company put together resources for vets and nurses designed to help improve ultrasound scan rates, including clinical guidelines, webinars for how to approach cases, and machine guides.
CVS then held training sessions which for vets focussed on case identification and improving diagnostic skills, and for vet nurses looked at how to use ultrasound equipment and conduct scans.
An audit of each participating practices’ ultrasound scan rates was conducted at the start of the project. Results were then shared with each practice every month.
Twelve months after launch, data shows that the number of ultrasound scans has increased by 3,675.
Anecdotal evidence has also shown that colleague confidence and practice team culture has improved as a result of the project.
Dr Victoria Woods, Regional Clinical Lead at CVS responsible for the ultrasound clinical improvement project, said: “It’s fantastic to see the benefits increased ultrasonography is already bringing to our practices on this project – especially as a result of upskilling our nurses.
"I am certain that this will help contribute towards them providing some of the best clinical diagnosis and care in our profession.”
Following the success of the project in its first year, the project is now being developed to focus on echocardiograph and is being undertaken in 52 CVS primary care practices in year two.
Reference
The clinic will be headed up by Dr Ursula Dietrich, an RCVS Specialist in Veterinary Ophthalmology, who will be stepping down as senior lecturer in veterinary ophthalmology at The Royal Veterinary College to take up her new post.
Ursula has held a number of prestigious positions including Chair of the Scientific Committee of European College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists from 2007-2012, member of the Examination Committee of the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists from 2002-2006 and Associate Editor (Ophthalmology) of the Journal of Small Animal Practice since 2012-18. She also holds Diplomas from the American and European Colleges of Veterinary Opthalmologists.
Ursula said: “I am thrilled to take on this new role, heading up The London Cat Clinic’s new opthalmology centre. The clinic is doing wonderful things in feline veterinary care as the largest specialist practice devoted solely to cats in the UK. The ophthalmology service is the next exciting development in achieving our goal of being a centre of excellence in feline veterinary medicine."
London Cat Clinic Founder, Dr Jeremy Campbell, said: “We are delighted to welcome Dr Dietrich to the team, as she brings with her a wealth of experience in the field of feline ophthalmology. She will be a wonderful asset to The London Cat Clinic, as we embark on an exciting new chapter.”
For more information about referring a case to The London Cat Clinic, visit: https://www.thelondoncatclinic.co.uk/
Mr Georgescu faced three sets of charges:
The first was that in April 2024 at Newcastle Magistrates’ Court, he pleaded guilty to driving a car when the proportion of the controlled substance Benzoylecgonine (the main metabolite of cocaine) exceeded the specified limit contrary to the Road Traffic Act 1988 and the Road Traffic Offenders Act.
He was disqualified from driving for 20 months, fined £634, ordered to pay £254 victim surcharge and £150 costs.
The second and third charges were that he was misleading and/or dishonest with the RCVS when he was asked to provide information about the circumstances leading to his conviction.
In correspondence with the College, he claimed that the incident happened on his day off, when he was in fact due to work that day.
He also submitted – or allowed to be submitted – a false staff rota for the day of his arrest.
The Disciplinary Committee found the charges against Mr Georgescu proven on the basis of the certificate of conviction and his admission, prior to the hearing, that he had given false information.
The Committee then considered whether the three charges amounted to serious professional misconduct.
The Committee considered the fact that Mr Georgescu was driving, and intending to work, while he was seven times over the prescribed proportion of Benzoylecgonine allowed to be in in his bloodstream.
Paul Morris, chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: “With regard to the impact this conduct would have on right thinking members of the public, Dr Georgescu himself said, when cross examined, that were he standing in the shoes of an owner of an animal he was going to treat that day with the knowledge that he had in his blood more than 7 times the prescribed limit of a prohibited drug he “would not be comfortable for sure” and would cause such persons to “lose trust”.
“Having regard to the above facts and matters the Committee has no hesitation in concluding that the facts relevant to his commission of the offence in Charge 1 were so serious and presented such prospective risks to other road users that it renders the respondent unfit to practise as a veterinary surgeon.”
Charges 2 and 3 were considered together, with the Committee again finding serious professional misconduct on the basis that Mr Georgescu had set out to lie to the RCVS and had continued and repeated the lie for a period of six months.
The Committee identified a number of aggravating features in his conduct including the fact it was premeditated, entailed sustained and repeated dishonesty, involved wilful disregard for the role of the RCVS as the veterinary regulator and that admissions were only made when he realised he couldn’t sustain his falsehoods any longer.
Finally, having found that all charges were proven and amounted to serious professional misconduct, the Committee decided that suspending Mr Georgescu from the Register of Veterinary Surgeons would be adequate to protect the welfare of animals, maintain public confidence in the profession, and declare and uphold proper standards of conduct.
Paul Morris added: “The misconduct of the respondent is serious but his misconduct falls short of being fundamentally incompatible with remaining on the Register.
"He does have insight into the seriousness of his misconduct and there is, in the judgement of the Committee, no significant risk of repeat misleading behaviour.
"The Committee also considers that the respondent will be fit to return to practice after the period of suspension in question.
“The Committee did consider striking the respondent from the Register but determined that this sanction would be unduly punitive and deprive the public and the profession of an otherwise competent veterinary surgeon.
“The Committee has reflected carefully on the question of how long the period of suspension should be and has determined that it should be a period which is not so long that it will result in the loss of the respondent to the profession which he professes to love and in which his referees assert he is a capable and caring veterinary surgeon.”
www.rcvs.org.uk/disciplinary
The company announced last month that from 1st January next year, practices will have to order companion animal and ruminant products via either MWI or NVS (who will also fulfil the order), but will be invoiced direct by MSD.
Pig products will join aquaculture and poultry products to be supplied directly to customers by MSD Animal Health.
In its announcement, the company said that the new structure would allow the company to enhance the customer experience and more quickly adapt to changes in the market to better serve its customers.
VetNurse.co.uk contacted the company for further clarification about how the customer experience would be improved.
The company explained that the two main benefits of the new structure concern price visibility and stock control.
A spokesperson for the company said: "Currently, customers may get a discount from us and separately a discount from wholesaler. With our new distribution model we will invoice monthly and all discounts will be on one invoice, so it will be easier to determine the actual price paid."
The spokesperson explained that with the old model, once stock was sold to wholesalers it would be allocated to customers, so there would be some held by MSD, some allocated and some in distribution: "The benefit of the new model is we will have full oversight of stock as it will be in our own warehouses or with distribution partners. If there are disruptions in the market, we will have better awareness of in market demand and we can allocate stock appropriately".
Speaking at Improve International's OV Conference last week, Dr Wright cited increased pet travel and importation as key risk factors, including the growing number of rescued dogs arriving in the UK from countries in Europe and further afield.
Dr Wright highlighted the Rhipicephalus tick (Rhipicephalus sanguineus) as being a particular cause for concern, as it can transmit Ehrlichia canis, Anaplasma platys, Rickettsias, Babesia vogeli and Hepatozoon.
Dr Wright said that Ehrlichia canis and Anaplasma platys are among the most common tick-borne diseases in imported dogs, particularly those arriving from Eastern and Southern Europe. There were also three cases of Hepatozoon canis in 2018, caused by dogs ingesting Rhipicephalus ticks while grooming.
According to figures from a Bristol University Pet Travel survey, 54.5% of dog travel on the Pet Travel Scheme from the UK is to France with Southern European countries also popular destinations. These are all countries in which Rhipicephalus is present and on the increase. Dr Wright said that the ticks are moving north into Austria, Switzerland, Central France, Romania and Bulgaria.
During the last few months, he has also been alerted to ticks found on dogs coming in from North America, Latin America and Africa. These bring with them the risk of new diseases, including a variety of zoonotic rickettssial pathogens, such as Rickettsia Rickettsii, which causes Rocky Mountain Spotty Fever.
To address this issue Dr Wright urged vets to redouble their efforts on tick prevention. In particular, he recommended tick prevention pre/during and post travel, using products that offer rapid kill and repellency in order to reduce transmission, repellents being especially important in Leishmania infantum and Rhipicephalus-endemic countries.
Dr Wright recommended drilling clients and staff on tick removal and reminding them that finding a tick on a pet is not a failure as no product is 100% reliable and it is easy to miss them in long-haired dogs. He also suggested asking clients to take photos of any ticks they find on their pet while abroad so that their vet will know on their return what pathogens they may have been exposed to. If necessary, the Public Health England Tick Surveillance Scheme can help with identification.
Dr Wright suggested that legislation to enforce tick treatment on entry was a poor strategy used in isolation as pets would still be exposed while abroad and no product is completely reliable. It would be useful however, to raise awareness and show that we are taking the issue of tick-borne disease seriously.
He said: "We’re seeing a significant increase in pet travel and import a wider range of countries from which dogs are being imported and this is significantly increasing our exposure to exotic ticks.
"What’s news about this is that while you could argue that diseases such as Lyme Disease are ‘lifestyle’ diseases because people and dogs are exposed to our native ticks while out enjoying the countryside, the Rhipicephalus tick comes to your home, exposing you to a wealth of rickettsial diseases for the first time. We are already seeing instances of this in France, Germany and Scandinavia and, as pet travel continues to grow, the risk here will only increase. It’s equally possible that a dog with a native tick could travel aboard and return hosting a new pathogen.
"The only way to manage this risk is to provide consistent advice to the public and to support increased disease surveillance. Vigilance is key – assume that any travelling dog may have ticks and do not assume that because it is tick-treated, it’s a case of ‘job done.’"
He said: "Put the onus on clients - gently. Remind them to seek advice, to check for ticks and to keep tick treatments up to date. Also remind them to visit the practice with their dog as soon as possible on their return. If you do find exotic ticks, please send them to the Tick Surveillance Scheme for identification."
He added: "If you know an owner who is planning to adopt a dog from abroad, explain the risks to them and encourage them to adopt from the UK. If they are determined to go ahead, work with them to ensure that you reduce the risk of exotic ticks arriving with their new family members. The risk to human and animal health from an infestation should not be underestimated."