Zoetis has been granted a Wholesale Dealer Import Certificate (WDIC) to supply practices with an alternative rotavirus vaccine after being hit by manufacturing delays with this year’s season of Equip Rotavirus.

Practices which want to buy the alternative imported vaccine will need to apply to the VMD for a Special Import Certificate (SIC).

Wholesalers have agreed to stock the alternative vaccine.

Zoetis says it acknowledges the concern and frustration this causes its customers and wants to reassure the equine community that it is working hard to resume Equip Rotavirus supply as soon as possible.

For further information, contact your Zoetis account manager or ring Zoetis HQ on 0345 300 8034.

Fitz All Media, organiser of the VET Festival, reports that a record 1,900 delegates and 60 exhibitors attended the event earlier this month, a 12% and 28% increase on the previous year, respectively.

Founder Professor Noel Fitzpatrick said: "It is a real joy to see the VET Festival growing and growing, not just in physical size, but from the immense goodwill that radiates from it. The weather didn’t get in the way of the wellness and there was nothing rainy about the atmosphere at VET Festival - in fact I think that the rain brought us closer together.

"I set out to build a community of compassion for our profession and I genuinely felt that there was a tangible sense of togetherness. There were loads of great conversations with each other and with the exhibitors. The educational content really was world class and the tents were packed. I hoped that VET Festival would be a breath of fresh air, where having an education event outdoors - combined with a focus on wellness of body and mind for all of us - could help vet professionals to be the very best that they could be - and so serve our patients better. 

"Everyone there was part of something innovative and refreshing I felt – the delegates, the exhibitors, the team who have worked year-round to create the event, and the fantastic speakers. I’m very grateful to all of them and I sincerely hope that this feeling remains strong for each and every one all year round.

"The resonant theme this year was ‘kindness’ – to ourselves, to each other, to the families of animals and the animals we are lucky enough to take care of. Nobody is a nobody at VET Festival, and never will be. In that field, we’re all equal, no matter what we do in the vet profession - we all matter - we all want the same thing, which is wellness for each other and the animals we serve - and importantly, we’re all in it together for the greater good, rain or shine."

Zoetis has announced that Vetscan Imagyst, its multi-purpose diagnostic tool, is getting 'AI Masses', a new capability which uses best-in-class AI to analyse potentially neoplastic cells in lymph node and subcutaneous lesions.

The company says AI Masses will allow veterinary professionals to analyse lesions suggestive of cancer in-clinic and with a fast turnaround.

The AI technology, which has been trained by human clinical pathologists, should enable individualised treatment outcomes earlier for more cases.

Zoetis says AI Masses only needs a single round of sample preparation and the results can, at additional cost, be supplemented with an expert review from a network of specialists through Zoetis’ Virtual Laboratory.

Dr. Richard Goldstein, DVM, DACVIM, DECVIM-CA, Global Chief Medical Officer at Zoetis said: “Waiting for results can be stressful for pet owners – even more so when it involves a cancer screening.

"Our research shows that up to 75% of pet owners find abnormal results highly stressful.¹

"AI Masses is yet another point-of-care capability to deliver results in-clinic, further exemplifies Zoetis’ purpose to advance care for animals, shortening anxious wait times to allow for faster care decisions that help provide the best possible outcome.”

Pre-orders will be announced for US customers in Q2 2025.

VetSurgeon.org understands AI Masses will be coming to the UK some time in 2025.

https://www.zoetisdiagnostics.com 

Reference

1. StayWell Health Screening Report prepared for Zoetis, 2022

The Canine Genetics Centre at the Department of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Cambridge has developed a new DNA test to identify Cocker Spaniels with Retinopathy with Vitamin E Deficiency (RVED), in order that they can be treated with potentially sight-saving vitamin supplements.

Dogs with RVED develop retinal degeneration from around four years of age which, if untreated, leads to blindness.

In partnership with James Oliver, Head of Ophthalmology at DWR Veterinary Specialists (pictured), researchers set out to discover why some Cocker Spaniels have such low vitamin E levels in their blood, despite it being present at normal amounts in their diet

James helped to design the study, recruit cases and collect samples.

Cathryn Mellersh, Senior Research Associate at the Canine Genetics Centre, said: “The team strongly suspected a genetic cause and has been trying to discover the responsible gene for several years with the help of owners and vets, who have contributed DNA samples.

“Thanks to updated information on the canine genome, Katherine Stanbury, one of our research associates, found a mutation in the alpha tocopherol transfer protein gene which is causative of the disease.

“This gene is responsible for getting vitamin E into the blood stream.

"We now know that RVED is a recessive disease, meaning that affected dogs must have two copies of the faulty gene to develop low vitamin E levels and retinal degeneration.”

The team’s DNA test can be used by dog breeders to find out if dogs carry the gene mutation, so they can avoid matings which result in affected puppies being born.

Cathryn said: “This DNA test is a rare example of one which not only can be used to identify dogs that are carrying the mutation and thus reduce the frequency of the mutation in future generations, but also has the incredible benefit of providing a sight-saving treatment option for dogs with the disease.

“From the research we have done we estimate that there could be several hundred Cocker Spaniels alive today that have two copies of this mutation, whose eyesight could be saved by this test.”

A DNA test for the mutation that causes RVED is now available from Canine Genetics Testing, which operates alongside researchers from the Canine Genetics Centre.

www.cagt.co.uk.

The team’s RVED research can be viewed at https://academic.oup.com/g3journal/advance-article/doi/10.1093/g3journal/jkaf016/7985679?searchresult=1

Applications are now open for the BSAVA’s Clinical Abstracts programme for 2025.

The Clinical Abstracts provide an opportunity to present new research to the wider veterinary community at Congress and Expo 2025, taking place at Manchester Central on 20th - 22nd March 2025.

Abstracts can be on any veterinary subject, whether it’s the preliminary results of a new study, a discussion of a new technique or a description of an interesting case.

Each application should be based on high-quality clinical research undertaken in industry, practice or academia, and summarised in 250 words.

Applications are welcome from veterinary surgeons, nurses, practice managers and students, with applications from those working in general practice especially encouraged.

Researchers with research of direct relevance to veterinary practice may also submit an abstract for consideration.

Andy Green, Chair of BSAVA’s Congress Committee said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for veterinary professionals to showcase their research to the global veterinary community, and a chance for delegates to learn about the latest concepts and thinkings in veterinary medicine from their peers.”

Entries for the Clinical Abstracts will close on Monday 18th November.

https://www.bsavacongress.com/clinical-abstracts 

A study published in the Journal of Small Animal Practice has concluded that the majority of suspected adverse drug reactions (SADR) in veterinary medicine go unreported.

The authors say that whilst it has long been suspected that adverse drug reactions are under-reported, this study is the first to show the scale of the problem, using real data from veterinary clinical records.

For the study, researchers looked for electronic heath records within the Small Animal Veterinary Surveillance Network (SAVSNET) which contained “adverse drug reactions” and “side effects” in the free-text clinical narratives.

The results were then analysed to determine the suspected product, the seriousness and expectedness of the event, and whether the event had been reported to the Veterinary Medicines Directorate or Marketing Authorisation Holders.

Of the 827 cases of suspected adverse drug reactions identified out of a total of 10,565 records reviewed, approximately 90% were not reported.

74% were related to dogs and 70% were listed as “expected” (i.e. already listed in the product information).

The clinical severity of the reaction didn’t appear to impact whether it was reported. 

Dr Heather Davies, lead author of the study, said: “As adverse drug reaction reporting rate is directly linked to the regulators ability to mitigate safety issues, this paper is a call to arms encouraging all veterinary professionals to report suspected adverse drug reactions and regulators to make reporting quicker and easier.

"It also the highlights the promise that big real-world data sets hold in enhancing drug safety monitoring processes.” 

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jsap.13721

The eminent equine vet, Dr Sue Dyson FRCVS, has been struck off for a series of dishonest statements and actions, including fabricating a letter from a fictitious Home Office Inspector, in order to have her research project published in an international publication.

The Disciplinary Committee heard that in 2018, when Dr Dyson was employed as Head of Clinical Orthopaedics at the Animal Health Trust (AHT), she completed a research project: ‘Influence of rider: horse body weight ratios on equine welfare and performance – a pilot study’, for which she had previously been given the go-ahead by the AHT’s Clinical Research Ethics Committee. The results of the study were then submitted to the Journal of Veterinary Behaviour: Clinical Applications and Research for publication.

After peer-reviewing the project paper at the request of Journal Editor Karen Overall, Dr Matthew Parker, a Senior Lecturer in Behavioural Pharmacology at the University of Portsmouth, was concerned by the lack of a Home Office licence and asked for details of the licence or an explanation of why the project didn’t need one, and for the paper to be re-submitted.

In reply, Dr Dyson then emailed Ms Overall saying: “We have a former Home Office Inspector on our AHT Ethical Committee and two current licence holders (Named Veterinary Surgeons) who are fully conversant with the current legislation ... I also sought informal advice from a current Inspector. All were fully aware of the protocols to be employed and gave me assurance that in their opinion Home Office approval would not be required”.

Ms Overall then asked Dr Dyson to obtain a letter from the Home Office to support this position.

On 24 December 2018, Dr Dyson sent Ms Overall a letter purportedly from a Home Office Inspector called Dr Butler who, she explained, had advised her during the planning phase of the project. In the letter, the fictitious Dr Butler confirmed that their advice was sought for the project and that in their opinion, a Home Office Licence was not required.

Ms Overall then sent the letter to Dr Parker for further review, who decided to contact Dr Martin Whiting, Head of Operations at the Home Office Animals in Science Regulation Unit (ASRU) to ask if he knew of Dr Butler.

Dr Whiting confirmed that the Home Office had no record of employing a Dr Butler as an Inspector and that they were in the process of making further inquiries into the matter.

After Dr Whiting’s reply was forwarded to Dr Dyson, she replied to him saying that she thought the studies’ procedures did not meet the criteria for the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA), but that this was questioned by peer reviewers.

She said that her decision to send Dr Butler’s letter was one that she would ‘eternally regret’ and that she was ‘an inherently honest person’.

She explained that she was under a huge amount of pressure in her personal and professional life and that she was ‘fully aware that [she] acted completely inappropriately and she requested the incident be overlooked’.

In March 2019, Dr Dyson sent a letter to William Reynolds, Head of the Home Office ASRU, in which she expressed remorse for writing the letter. Mr Reynolds subsequently raised a concern with the RCVS about Dr Dyson’s alleged behaviour. 

Dr Jane Downes, who chaired the Disciplinary Committee, and spoke on its behalf, said: “The Committee heard from Dr Dyson that she had no recollection of several events detailed in the charge, including writing the letter from Dr Butler and sending the email to Ms Overall which contained Dr Butler’s letter. She accepted that the letter was dishonest and that it should not have been sent. However, she also claimed that, as she could not remember writing the letter, she did not act dishonestly.

The Committee heard testimonials from several witnesses who held Dr Dyson in high regard, including colleagues from the AHT, who attested to her integrity.

However, there were many dubious claims made by Dr Dyson throughout the hearing, including that the Home Office Inspector that she referenced as ‘my friendly inspector’ was someone who could have given informed consent to a project as Dr Dyson confirmed that she had met the individual briefly, around two and a half years ago at a drinks reception.

In reaching its decisions, the Committee considered Dr Dyson’s previously impeccable character, the written and verbal testimonies from witnesses. They also considered that during the hearing, Dr Dyson explained that at the time she fabricated the letter, she was under a lot of work and personal pressures, including managing a workload amidst colleagues’ resigning or going on maternity leave and it being the anniversary of her dog having to be humanely destroyed.

However, it did not accept Dr Dyson’s claims that she had amnesia at this time, and considered that she had not owned up to her wrongdoing until it was discovered. Although Dr Dyson maintained her actions were not pre-meditated, the Committee considered that, in the case of the forged letter, a certain amount of planning and careful thought was involved. The Committee believed that Dr Dyson knew what she was doing at the time, but acknowledged she may subsequently have blanked out what she did.

The Committee found all but one of the allegations proved and confirmed that it “was satisfied that the writing and sending of that letter was the culmination of a course of dishonest conduct.”

Committee Chair Dr Downes said: “In assessing [the evidence of] Dr Dyson the Committee took into account the difficulty faced by any Respondent appearing before their Regulator and also the various interruptions occasioned by issues which had to be dealt with during her evidence. Whilst [Dr Dyson is] undoubtedly highly qualified and highly respected, the Committee nevertheless considered her evidence lacked credibility and was not reliable.”

The Committee found that Dr Dyson’s conduct had breached parts of the RCVS Code of Professional Conduct for Veterinary Surgeons and amounted to serious professional misconduct.

Dr Downes continued: “The Committee determined that it was important that a clear message be sent that this sort of behaviour is wholly inappropriate and [was] not to be tolerated. It brings discredit upon Dr Dyson and discredit upon the profession.

"For whatever reason, Dr Dyson chose not to respond to Ms Overall’s email on 30th November 2018 in an honest and straightforward way. Instead, she lied about the makeup of the AHT Ethical Committee in order to cloak her response with authority.

"She also lied about having received advice from a current Inspector for the same reason. In the Committee’s view, she made a conscious decision to provide a dishonest response. She no doubt believed that would be the end of the matter.

"When that did not work, she lied further in the email to her co-author, Andrew Hemmings, claiming to have a letter from her friendly Inspector. When that too did not work, she impersonated a Home Office Inspector in creating the ‘Dr Butler letter’.

"She then added a false declaration to the manuscript, which she subsequently submitted to the Journal along with an email containing yet further lies. That was all done in a blatant and wilful attempt to deceive Ms Overall ... into believing the contents of the correspondence to be true, that confirmation a Home Office Licence was not required had been obtained and all was therefore well with the submitted manuscript.

"There was no rush, or urgency to have the paper published and the actions were not done in a moment of panic. No doubt she had not planned the entire course of events in advance, but instead reacted to each new obstacle that came her way, but her overall course of dishonest conduct spanned over three weeks.

“The Committee was well aware of the impact and ramifications for Dr Dyson of any decision to remove her from the Register but had to weigh her interests with those of the public.

"In doing so it took account of the context and circumstances of the case, all matters of personal mitigation, as detailed above, Dr Dyson’s undoubted distinguished international career and reputation and the need to act proportionally.

"However, for all the reasons given above, the Committee was of the view that the need to uphold proper standards of conduct within the veterinary profession, together with the public interest in maintaining confidence in the profession of veterinary surgeons, meant that a period of suspension would not be sufficient and that the only appropriate and proportionate sanction in all the circumstances of this case was that of removal from the Register."

Carus Animal Health has announced the launch of GIQuest, a clinically validated faecal calprotectin lateral flow test designed to support vets and nurses in the investigation and monitoring of gastrointestinal (GI) inflammation in dogs and cats.

Faecal calprotectin is a calcium-binding protein released into the gut lumen predominantly by neutrophils, and to a lesser extent by monocytes and macrophages, during intestinal inflammation.

Its presence in faeces reflects the degree of neutrophilic infiltration in the gut mucosa, making it a useful biomarker for identifying intestinal inflammation.

Faecal calprotectin lateral flow testing is already used in human health and included in the NICE guidelines for the management of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)¹.

Determining the underlying cause of chronic diarrhoea, vomiting and weight loss in cats and dogs can be complex, often requiring invasive procedures such as endoscopy or biopsy - both of which carry cost, risk, and sometimes practical limitations in general practice.

GIQuest is designed to offer a non-invasive, rapid alternative to support clinical decision-making.

Carus says that whilst not a replacement for histopathology, faecal calprotectin concentrations have been shown to correlate with disease severity in dogs and cats, as measured by tools such as the Canine Chronic Enteropathy Clinical Activity Index (CCECAI).²

New data from the University of Bristol Vet School appears to confirm the test’s ability to differentiate dogs with histologically-confirmed inflammatory enteropathy from healthy controls with high sensitivity (94%) and specificity (96%) using a score threshold of 3mg/kg.²   

Carus says the test also performed well in cats, distinguishing those with inflammatory enteropathy from healthy controls with a specificity of 100% and sensitivity of 92%.

In addition, the test detected elevated calprotectin levels consistent with inflammatory gastroenteropathy in 25% of dogs receiving oral NSAIDs, which highlights its potential not only in long-term monitoring but also early in treatment when GI side effects may first emerge.

Jolian Howell of Carus Animal Health said: “Faecal calprotectin testing can provide additional clarity in a range of clinical scenarios.

"It is particularly useful when diagnosing and managing suspected inflammatory enteropathy or food related reactions and for monitoring or screening for GI side effects of oral non-steroidal anti-inflammatories in long term OA therapy regimes.”

The Bristol study also showed that dogs with food-responsive enteropathy had a significant drop in calprotectin concentrations following dietary change, reinforcing the test’s role in tracking treatment response.

Georgie Louca, Veterinary Business Manager for Carus Animal Health, added: ”By providing a measurable, visual indicator of intestinal inflammation, GIQuest also helps support client communication and can improve compliance during treatment or dietary trials.”

GIQuest is designed for use in practice, including during consultations, delivering colour-coded results in 15 minutes.

GIQuest is now available to veterinary practices across the UK and can be ordered through veterinary wholesalers NVS, Covetrus and MWI.

https://carusanimalhealth.com/giquest 

References

1. NICE Diagnostics Guidance DG11 (2013) Faecal Calprotectin diagnostic tests for inflammatory diseases of the bowel.
2. Grellet, A. et al. (2013) Faecal calprotectin concentrations in adult dogs with chronic diarrhea. American Journal of Veterinary Research, 74(5),706 -711. https://doi.org/10.2460/ajvr.74.5.706
3. Carus Animal Health (2025). Data on file.

RCVS Knowledge and the University of Nottingham have launched a project that aims to create a bespoke veterinary Quality Improvement (QI) model that provides a return on investment for veterinary practices and animal owners.

The RCVS says this is the first time that two leading organisations in veterinary QI are collaborating to establish a new evidence-based model for QI specific to veterinary care.

The project is being overseen by Jocelyn Toner MRCVS, an experienced veterinary surgeon with a background in shelter medicine and an interest in evidence-based interventions to improve welfare outcomes.

The team will test the model against a prevalent problem in practice and measure the cost of making the changes against the benefit it brings.

They will refine the model based on lessons learned before they make it available to all veterinary practices, to tackle any area a practice wants to improve, regardless of practice type or specialism.

The aim is to help time-poor practitioners implement proven QI methods to improve outcomes and provide a return on investment. 

Jocelyn said: “I’m looking forward to working with colleagues from across the sector to develop a model that will make Quality Improvement more accessible, and show that it can have a real economic benefit.

"We know that there is increased demand for veterinary teams to provide more efficient and effective care while maintaining high levels of animal welfare, improving team welfare and client satisfaction.

"Over recent years an increasing number of veterinary teams have embraced QI techniques.

"Now is the time to take this to the next level by creating an evidence-based model for QI, which can be applied systematically in any veterinary setting.

The project will involve bringing together veterinary professionals to co-design the model and test it in practice.

If you are interested in supporting this work, please register your interest at: rcvsknowledge.org.uk/forms/ktp-interest-form/

Vetlife is inviting veterinary nurses to come and take part in a sponsored cold water dip at Walpole Bay Tidal Pool, Margate, at 12:30pm on Friday, May 17th.

The Walpole Bay Tidal Pool is the biggest in the UK, covering four acres.

Everyone taking part is being challenged to raise at least £100 for Vetlife, to go towards its helpline, health support and financial support for the veterinary community.

Sea temperature at this time of year is a decidedly brisk 10 degrees Celsius, but Vetlife says the dress code is reasonably relaxed: anything from a swimming costume to a full diving dry suit!

https://events.more-human.co.uk/event/1713190086537x259173669533122560

Identi has launched a Practice Pet Protection Pack to help vet professionals answer questions about microchipping before cat microchipping becomes compulsory in England from 10th June.

The pack contains species-specific microchipping law guides, a practice registration guide, a cat chipping cheat sheet, flyers about registration and flyers about Identi’s silent microchipping scanner.

The company has also produced three short videos with more information for vet professionals about Identi, what it does, registering microchips and compulsory cat microchipping.

Tammie O’Leary, commercial lead at Identi, said: “From June 10th, it will be compulsory that owned cats in England are microchipped and registered in the same way. 

"With these changes imminent, it is important that staff are up to date with the relevant legislation and the potential consequences of pet keepers not adhering to the law. 

"identi’s new Practice Pet Protection Pack will provide busy vet professionals with comprehensive information answering a wide range of microchipping questions in a quick and simple format.”

For a copy of the Practice Pet Protection Pack, email: contact@identichip.co.uk

Vet Dynamics, the business consultancy for independent practices set up by Alan and Vicky Robinson, has raised a staggering £40,712 for Vetlife at its annual conference.

The money, which was raised from the annual raffle and auction was nearly 50% more than last year's total, which was an already impressive £27,800.

When the total was announced, former Vetlife President and auctioneer for the evening, Graham Dick was visibly moved and rendered temporarily speechless.

Once he's had a chance to recompose himself, he said “Your continued selection of Vetlife as the nominated charity for your now legendary fundraising at your annual conference not only raises much needed funds to enable it to continue to fulfil its mission, but also provides an excellent opportunity to re-enforce its contribution to the wellbeing of so many fellow veterinary professionals.” \

“This amazing sum raised could not have been possible without the provision by so many of such a wide range of raffle prizes and high value lots for auction and the generosity of those who bid unstintingly for them.

"On behalf of those in our veterinary community  for whom such generosity may have made a substantial difference Vetlife is extremely grateful.”

Vet Dynamics Director Vicky Robinson said: “Both Graham and I were virtually speechless to see the amazing generosity from our delegates and exhibitors and, of course, the kindness of the donors.

"It's such a pleasure to be able to contribute to a charity who work tirelessly to help our wonderful profession.”

Photo: Vicky Robinson and Graham Dick