The company says the battery-operated, dual-speed clipper has been specifically designed for a close cut to improve hygiene and make treatments easier.
Hefin Rowlands from Heiniger said: “The Opal Xtend will help vets with accurate hair removal for everyday tasks such as TB testing.
"It has been developed to be quieter, which will reduce stress, and has an interchangeable battery system to enable uninterrupted operation during periods of extensive use.
“An LED battery indicator provides forewarning to operators and additional batteries can be swapped out quickly and easily.
"Each battery will last up to 4 hours and the second battery only takes just over an hour to recharge.”
Heiniger claims that at 415 grams, the clipper is one of the lightest cordless models available.
Hefin added: “It is particularly well suited to preparing animals for skin testing, wound treatments and scans including ultrasounds.”
Heiniger says the clipper is also a good fit for agricultural and equine users looking for a reliable and dependable machine that can stand up to demanding use.
https://www.heiniger.co.uk/product/opal-xtend/
Probably the two most popular social media platforms for veterinary nurses in the UK are Facebook (and its various veterinary groups) and VetNurse.co.uk.
Facebook has the advantage that so many people use it to share photographs with family and friends, so they are already on the site and it is only a very short hop over to participate in a veterinary discussion group. That makes it an excellent way to get a broad opinion on almost any subject.
But, and it is a very big 'but', Facebook was never designed to be a platform for sharing clinical information or discussing cases. So, for example, you cannot see the professional qualifications of anyone contributing to the discussion unless they happen also to be your 'friend', so it can be hard to tell whether they have any idea what they're talking about, or are, in fact, the leading light.
There are various other aspects of Facebook that are problematic when it comes to clinical discussions, including the difficulty in referring back to useful information shared and the way in which 'me too' replies can drown out good quality information.
The survey aims to find out how much of a problem vet nurses think these things are, whether certain groups within the profession could be better served by social media - for example those that may find it daunting asking for help in an online group, and what features nurses would like VetNurse.co.uk to invest in.
The survey can be completed anonymously, but if you give your name at the end, you'll be entered into a draw for a case of champagne (or equivalent).
Take part here: https://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/5196601/Veterinary-Nurses-And-Social-Media-Survey
Please share this story amongst your colleagues!
Designed to help veterinary teams make clearer, more confident clinical decisions, the flowchart provides a step-by-step approach to diagnosing and managing ear disease in dogs and cats.
Renzo Di Florio, Technical Veterinary Adviser at Krka UK, said: “It takes you through each step, from diagnosis to treatment and long-term management, including identifying cases that might benefit from referral.
"It can also help practices to develop an otitis externa management plan protocol that’s useful for the whole team, and that’s practical and easy to integrate into existing workflows.”
One of the main messages in the flowchart is the central role of cytology in otitis management.
Tim said: “Cytology is essential to assess the level of inflammation and detect the presence of bacteria or Malassezia.
"This helps clinicians make informed decisions about whether antibiotics are truly needed.
"In contrast, culture and sensitivity testing can be misleading when used to guide topical therapy.”
https://www.krka.co.uk/veterinary-knowledge-hub
The two-month campaign is comprised of a series of very polished videos which are now being shared on YouTube.
The videos share the experiences of a number of veterinary professionals from PSS practices who talk to the camera first as owners themselves, and then as vets.
The College says the aim is to demonstrate to the public that their animals will receive veterinary care from empathetic practice teams committed to delivering the kind of veterinary care they would want for their own animals.
Mandisa Greene, Chair of the Practice Standards Group, said: "In order for a veterinary practice to be accredited under the Practice Standards Scheme it needs to demonstrate that it is meeting a broad range of stringent standards and undergo a rigorous independent assessment every four years.
"However, we know that awareness and understanding of the Scheme amongst animal owners is relatively low, and that there is always more we can do to help change this. We have therefore developed this digital campaign to help RCVS-accredited practices explain to animal owners what RCVS-accreditation means, and why they should care about it.
"We think it’s important that RCVS-accredited practices, which go through a great deal of effort and work to achieve their accreditation, receive the recognition they deserve and we hope that they will help us to spread the word far and wide."
Ian Holloway, RCVS Director of Communications, said: “A vital ingredient of this campaign will be the support and involvement of RCVS-accredited practice teams right across the country. Throughout the two-month campaign, we will be posting lots of wonderful video stories, pictures and PSS infographics across all of our social media channels, along with other fun ways to help spread the word.
"We’re posting launch packs to all accredited-practice premises this week, which include a variety of campaign posters to display in waiting rooms and details of how to download all the digital resources from our campaign website for use in practice and online.
"We really hope that everyone associated with an RCVS-accredited practice, including their clients, will be able to share this campaign across their own channels as widely as possible, remembering to use the campaign hashtag #YourKindOfVets, of course!"
Anyone wanting more information about the campaign should email: yourkindofvets@rcvs.org.uk.
For the research, 2000 pet owners were asked whether they they had bought counterfeit pet medicines online. 31.3% said yes. They were then asked if they had reported the matter. 62.2% said they had. Finally, they were asked what the outcome of their report was. 60.9% said their purchase was confirmed as a fake, suggesting that at least one in ten pet owners - probably more - have bought fake pet medicines.
Bayer says the true number of owners affected is likely to be even higher, as a further 12% of pet owners in the survey said they believed that they may have bought fake pet medicines but had not reported it.
The research also showed that 87% of shoppers purchased pet parasite prevention products from unaccredited sites that have been known to sell counterfeit pet medicines. Indeed since April this year, the VMD has removed over 500 veterinary medicine listings from online marketplaces.
The message to clients is that chasing the lowest price for veterinary medicines can be a false economy.
Photo: Can you tell whether this product is fake or not?
The BVA has partnered with Closer Still Media, the impresarios behind the London Vet Show, to organise the event. They say it will cater for 1,500 veterinary professionals and provide high-value, low-cost, practical clinical and non-clinical CPD, big issue debates, and showcase key veterinary suppliers and vendors in the exhibition in a vibrant central location.
BVA President Daniella Dos Santos said: "I’m delighted to announce the launch of BVA Live. It’s an opportunity for BVA to return to hosting our own standalone conference for the first time since BVA Congress became part of the London Vet Show in 2013. The new conference will enable the veterinary community to come together, outside of London, to develop and thrive through a programme of excellent CPD, delivered by world class speakers.
"For me the most important element of BVA Live is bringing the veterinary profession together to tackle the big issues we face and providing an opportunity to engage with BVA Officers, volunteers and staff in one central venue. By hosting the conference at the NEC, Birmingham, with its excellent direct road, rail and air links it means that we can provide a greater regional offering to the veterinary profession."
It remains to be seen what impact this new conference will have on BSAVA Congress, which for many years was pretty much the only gig in town. Then, with the London Vet Show snapping at its heels, it announced it would move north from Birmingham to Manchester from 2021. Hardly will the dust have settled, than BVA and CloserStill are filling the void. At this rate, BSAVA Congress will probably have to move to the Hebrides by 2025.
It looks like there are a lot of dice being rolled here. Will more vets want to meet in Manchester than Birmingham? Will any of us be meeting in 2021 anyway, or will coronavirus continue to limit gatherings in 2021?
For more information and to register your interest in attending, visit bvalive.vetshow.com
The 2020 OV Conference will offer up to 25 hours of CPD with lectures, workshops and Q&A sessions from world-class speakers in streams covering small animals, farm animals and equines. There will also be exclusive offers from industry sponsors and online networking opportunities.
The OV Conference provides an opportunity for OVs to discuss current topics of interest and recent developments in their work. Themes this year will include notifiable diseases, biosecurity and disease control, and export certification.
In addition to the live lectures, delegates will be able to view recordings of all the sessions on-demand for three months following the conference. The CPD on offer counts towards OV revalidation qualifications with the event open to all vets, as well as animal health paraprofessionals, nurses and practice managers.
David Babington MRCVS, Business Development Director at Improve International, said: "Moving the OV Conference online has given us an opportunity to harness the technology we use regularly in all of our veterinary training to bring OVs an exceptional but affordable CPD experience.
"Our excellent speakers are looking forward to sharing the latest updates in all aspects of OV work with our delegates and to discussing the challenges ahead, particularly in the light of the COVID-19 pandemic and with the UK moving inexorably towards leaving the EU at the end of the year.
"We’re looking forward to meeting our delegates old and new online at the OV Conference in September.”
The full programme and tickets are now available from https://officialvet.com
The first 150 tickets will get an ‘Early Bird’ 25% discount from £160 to £120+ VAT using the code UK.OV.EARLYBIRD.
Samantha, who was a recipient of the Malaysian Prime Minister’s Scholarship, has a degree in genetics, molecular biology and microbiology, and a PhD in cancer research from University College London.
She was diagnosed with ADHD at the age of 40, which led her to set up ADHD Girls, an organisation that helps people with ADHD access employment and works with businesses to help them understand ADHD.
Samantha's talk is part of a module on neurodiversity, which will open with an exploration of neurodiversity and the challenges of diagnosis, before looking at how you can better support those in practice teams, as well as neurodivergent clients and students.
The session will wrap up with a discussion about how to cultivate greater inclusivity and understanding around those who are neurodivergent within the veterinary professions.
Being neurodivergent means that your brain works differently from the average person, meaning there may be differences in social preference, ways of communicating, ways of learning and ways of perceiving the environment.
Samantha said: “No two brains are the same. But what if you were born with a brain that constantly makes you feel like everything you do differentiates you from everyone else?”
“My talk introduces neurodiversity in the context of society, casting light on ADHD and autism, and how this impacts the workplace and one’s quality of life, and what we can do to build a compassionate culture, starting with the conversations we have at work.
"I’m really excited to talk at the BSAVA Congress and meet other professionals in the veterinary field.”
After her lecture, she will be partaking in a panel discussion around the challenges of diagnosis of neurodivergence alongside Laura Playforth, a vet who has been diagnosed with both bipolar and autism and is currently Group Quality Improvement Director at IVC Evidensia.
Andy Green, Vice Chair of the BSAVA Congress Programme Committee chair said: “We are delighted to have Samantha delivering our keynote this year on such an important topic.
"Neurodiversity is becoming an increasingly important area of focus and understanding across society and we have a significant population of neurodivergent people working as vets, nurses and in other roles, many of whom may not as yet have a diagnosis.”
“We also need to recognise that many pet owners and clients are neurodivergent.
"Samantha is ideally placed to shine a spotlight on this subject, using her own story and life experience to deliver a greater understanding of what it actually means to be neurodivergent and how businesses/practices can understand, embrace and support neurodivergent members of the work force and community.”
Early bird tickets for BSAVA Congress 2023 are currently on sale with 3-day and 1-day tickets available to purchase. Get your ticket now: https://www.bsavaevents.com/bsavacongress2023/en/page/home.
The company introduced a new primary care nursing anaesthesia course in January 2021, which 360 RVNs took part in part last year.
A further 107 RVNs joined the Referral Nurse Professional Development Programme (RNPD) in Anaesthesia and Analgesia which was launched in 2020.
The three-month primary care anaesthesia course comprises nine modules, covering 25 hours of CPD, whilst the RNPD in Anaesthesia and Analgesia is a four-month course, equating to 40 hours of CPD.
Both courses cover areas such as auditing, patient care, anaesthetic monitoring and analgesia, and are accredited by the Association of Veterinary Anaesthetists (AVA).
The training was developed after Linnaeus surveyed its nurses about their ambitions for progression and anaesthesia was identified as an area for development.
Dr Andrea Jeffery, Chief Nursing Officer at Linnaeus, said: “Having spoken to our RVNs, the feedback was clear – they wanted to learn more about anaesthesia. Because we have a team dedicated to professional development for nurses, with the support of our clinical teams we could develop and deliver training on the topic, supporting more than 450 colleagues last year alone."
The company says it will now be taking on a new cohort for the primary care course every month this year, with the aim being to train smaller groups of RVNs more often.
It also plans to run the RNPD programme twice this year, because of its popularity, dates to be confirmed.
For further information visit https://www.linnaeusgroup.co.uk/medical-and-nursing/veterinary-nursing-support-team.
'Otitis Externa: Understanding Ear Disease’ will be presented by RCVS Recognised Specialist in Veterinary Dermatology, Former Member BVetMed CertSAD DVD PhD PgCAP FHEA MRCVS (pictured).
Virbac says the webinar will explain how Cortotic can help practices reduce antimicrobial use when treating otitis externa in dogs, whilst offering the same efficacy as a fixed-combination product.
https://bit.ly/CortoticWebinar
The theme for this year's event, which takes place on 7th November, is the cornea. Lectures will include 'Medical Cornea', 'Cross Linking' and 'Surgical Cornea'. There will be Q&A sessions after each one.
Amongst the speakers are Chris Dixon, CertOphthal MRCVS MRCVS from Veterinary Vision Ophthalmic referrals, Christine Heinrich, RCVS & European Specialist in Veterinary Ophthalmology from the Eye Clinic and Sara Thomasy, Professor of Comparative Ophthalmology at the University of California from UC Davis University.
As is customary, abstracts will be presented throughout the day.
Tickets are £100 +VAT, or £60+Vat for students, interns and veterinary nurses: https://www.thewebinarvet.com/pages/bravo-virtual-winter-conference-2020-tickets/
The company points to research which showed that 42% of cats and 28% of dogs have lesions which are only detectable on x-ray1.
Failing to identify teeth with root lesions can have a significant impact on patient welfare, causing ongoing pain and eventual tooth loss.
The first priority for the CVS clinical improvement project was to review how effective its first opinion small animal practices were at using radiography in dental examinations.
In July 2021, only 16.2% of dental cases had radiography performed and clinicians were mostly using visual examination to guide decision making.
The project then identified the barriers to using dental radiography as: a lack of dental radiography equipment in a practice, a lack of clinician confidence in taking and interpreting the radiographs and a belief that pet owners would not want to pay for it.
To address the first issue, CVS installed new dental radiography machines at over 104 sites, at a cost of £615,000 over the course of the year.
The company then upskilled its vets and nurses in dental radiography - looking specifically at getting good quality radiographs and interpretation.
Finally, the company conducted an audit of each participating practice’s dental radiology data, updating it each month and sharing the results with the practices..
One year on, CVS says the data shows that 43% of dental cases in project practices are now using dental radiography as part of their consultation.
In the best cases, some practices have been using radiography in 100% of cases.
Hub Clinical Lead Deborah Komianos said: “When you open a patient’s mouth and look inside, seemingly normal teeth are oftentimes not normal.
"So vets and nurses can risk missing periodontal disease.
“Dental radiology has historically been underutilised but we believe it adds valuable information to dental consultations and is an important decision-making tool.
“We’re thrilled with the early results in our practices.
"It shows there’s been a real change of mind-set and behaviour towards using X-rays in dentistry – as well as increased confidence in execution."
Reference
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 two cases came from Bristol and Kingsbridge, Devon, taking the total number this year to five countrywide.
David Walker, American, RCVS and EBVS European specialist in small animal internal medicine, who leads the team at Anderson Moores, said: “We’re very sad to confirm two further cases of CRGV.
"Unfortunately, we find ourselves at the time of year when cases are most commonly identified."
There were 47 confirmed cases in 2020 and 28 in 2021.
The two new cases bring the total to 284 since the disease was first detected in the UK in 2012.
Anderson Moores has launched a website dedicated to Alabama Rot, which offers advice and information for owners and veterinary professionals, including a live map of confirmed cases across the UK: www.alabama-rot.co.uk.
The two sets of guidance cover:
RCVS President Dr Mandisa Green said: “I would like to reassure my colleagues once again that we understand the extreme challenges and difficult decisions they are facing.
"The College has no interest in taking anyone to task for considered professional judgement, providing they act reasonably in the circumstances, can justify their actions and take reasonable notes.
"Sadly, we’re seeing the pandemic situation deteriorating again in the UK, but to varying degrees across the country. This presents a significant challenge in ensuring our guidance is clear and straightforward, while remaining relevant to as many people as possible.
For more information, visit: https://www.rcvs.org.uk/setting-standards/advice-and-guidance/coronavirus-covid-19/
The petition follows the news that IVC is to launch its own telemedicine service, joining three others already in the game, at least one of which is pushing for a relaxation of the rules surrounding the prescription of POM-V medicines.
For clarity, veterinary surgeons are currently allowed to remote prescribe medicines for animals that meet the definition of 'under his care' (i.e. seen immediately before, or "recently enough or often enough for the veterinary surgeon to have personal knowledge of the condition of the animal or current health status of the herd or flock to make a diagnosis and prescribe").
In other words, there is nothing to stop bricks and mortar practices offering video consultations and prescribing medicines to those of their existing clients that they have seen recently enough.
What Shams and the BVU are petitioning against is the idea of allowing companies staffed by veterinary surgeons to prescribe veterinary medicines for animals that they have never seen in the flesh.
They argue that remote prescribing will:
First and foremost risk animal patient welfare and herd health
Create a two-tier system of care within the profession
Break down the practice-based vet-client relationship
Disrupt veterinary services due to complications related to out-of-hours emergency cover, transfer of patient and patient histories etc. of remotely treated patients
Cause clients to face increased costs by paying for telemedicine consultations and then requiring examination and treatment in practice
Negatively impact the financial condition of veterinary practices and professionals.
These all seem very possible consequences of allowing remote prescribing, indeed some have already come to pass in the world of human medicine following the launch of Babylon.
The counter argument is that remote prescription will improve access to veterinary care as people don’t have to flog down to the practice for a flea treatment and the cost of a consultation is reduced. There is surely truth in that.
The other point that is fundamental to this debate is the type of drug being prescribed remotely. With so many small animal parasiticides having already gone OTC, is it really necessary to talk to a veterinary surgeon before buying a POM-V flea treatment? Perhaps not.
However, that doesn’t necessarily present a case for remote prescribing such drugs; if they don’t need veterinary input, then you could equally argue they just need reclassifying.
So, should you sign this petition? Well, I think so, yes. Remote prescribing will come. It’s inevitable. But given the risks, surely the pragmatic starting point is to trial remote prescribing amongst existing clients of bricks and mortar practices, and only if that is successful to broaden it to non-clients of bricks and mortar practices.
If both those proved successful, and with technology advancing in the background, it might then be sensible to look at whether non bricks and mortar practices could remote prescribe. But that’s quite a big ‘might’.
Meantime, you can sign the petition here: https://www.change.org/p/royal-college-of-veterinary-surgeons-stop-authorising-prescription-of-pom-v-without-physical-examination-of-the-patient
You can discuss the petition with Shams here: https://www.vetnurse.co.uk/nonclinical/f/5/t/31671.aspx
The content covers the main points in the WSAVA’s report and offers up-to-date information and advice.
For example, Virbac highlights how the report raises concerns about increasing moves to early neutering, or for neutering to be used as a method of behavioural control, as not all aggressive behaviours are testosterone related.
For that reason, a “castration trial’ with long-acting GnRH agonist is recommended by the report before irreversible orchiectomy is performed.
In addition, there is also evidence that gonadectomy may contribute to the development of some tumours, which is currently under intense investigation, as is the effect of age at castration
Dr Neil Mottram, Technical Manager at Virbac, said: "There is so much new information to assimilate.
"So the educational reproductive resource is designed to make that journey easier to navigate and provide vets with easy access to up to the minute information on key issues in the report’.
To access the materials visit: https://vet-uk.virbac.com/home/resource-library.html, or contact your territory manager.
The company says many in the profession are unaware of what PCA's can do, which means they're often not used to their full potential and instead wind up doing the cleaning.
The CVS PCA Hub is intended to help staff develop all of the attributes required of a great veterinary PCA, with courses covering theatre practice, dispensary, lab skills, consulting skills, neonatal care and inpatient care.
Training ranges from short bite size learning to an in-depth Level 2 Certificate in Veterinary Care Support Apprenticeship.
The PCA Hub has been made available to all CVS staff in both clinical and non clinical roles, and the company says many of the courses are free or trainees can use their CPD allowance.
Rob Kelly, Head of Clinical Veterinary Education at CVS, said: “We want our Patient Care Assistants to have better job satisfaction and to make their day-to-day jobs more rewarding.
"We also want practices to understand the skills they have and to use them to their full potential, whilst freeing up other clinical staff to do other jobs.
“So this new hub for the first time provides all of the training, resources and support required by our Patient Care Assistants - in a one-stop-shop.
"The courses have been specifically designed to provide our PCAs with their own continuous professional development.
"A lot of PCAs will also go on to become student vet nurses, so giving them this foundation will hugely help them with their future studies.”
cvs-knowledgehub.com
The survey, which received 2445 responses from BVA members, found that 16% of vets and vet students have personally experienced discrimination within a veterinary workplace or learning environment in the past twelve months, while 20% had witnessed discrimination.
Senior colleagues were most commonly responsible for the discrimination (47% of incidents), with discrimination from clients accounting for 35% of incidents.
Sex discrimination was the most common type reported (44% of incidents) and was particularly prevalent in academic settings and in production animal, equine, and mixed practices.
Race discrimination was the next most commonly reported (27% of incidents).
Respondents also gave details of discrimination in relation to other protected characteristics, including age, sexuality, disability and gender reassignment.
Younger vets were more likely than older vets to have personally experienced discrimination in the past year (27% of those under 35 had experienced discrimination).
Female vets were more than twice as likely to have experienced discrimination than their male colleagues (19% and 8% respectively).
The incidence of discrimination was higher amongst vets from a range of minority ethnic backgrounds. Those who described their sexual orientation as bi, gay or lesbian were twice as likely to have personally experienced discrimination in the past year.
Despite the high incidence of discrimination reported, responses to the same survey showed that only 56% of the profession feel concerned about discrimination.
British Veterinary Association Junior Vice President Daniella Dos Santos (pictured right) said: "This is the first time anyone has collected such a significant body of evidence on this issue and the results are truly shocking. It is completely unacceptable that so many members of the veterinary team are subject to discrimination not just from clients but from members of our own profession.
"Worryingly, it seems that the scale of the issue will come as a surprise to many members of our profession and so it is vital that we all join the conversation and reflect on what role we can play to improve equality and inclusion. The veterinary team must become a safe and supportive environment for everyone. We cannot accept anything less for ourselves, for our colleagues and for our profession."
Only 12% of respondents were satisfied with how their incident had been dealt, rising to 23% among those who felt able to report. Daniella said: "Many of the experiences documented in our report are shocking and distressing and this distress is often compounded by what comes next. It was very saddening to hear that so many people have felt unable to report their experiences or that their reports were handled badly by those who received them.
"Experiencing discrimination can be very traumatic, without the ‘double-whammy’ of having your complaint dismissed or mishandled by managers or senior staff. We need to make sure everyone who experiences discrimination is able to get the outcome they deserve.
"Through the discrimination questionnaire we heard many distressing stories from vets, students, vet nurses and other colleagues. We are incredibly grateful to them for sharing these with us so that we can raise awareness of what’s happening in our veterinary workplaces."
To raise awareness of the scale of the issue, the BVA is inviting all members of the veterinary team to join a "Big Conversation on equality and inclusion in the veterinary professions", starting with the release of its report on the current situation on discrimination, which can be downloaded here, then inviting everyone to join online engagement sessions through social media and BVA members to feed in views via their regional representatives ahead of Council on 24 July.
The winning images were selected from nine finalists, shortlisted from hundreds of entries that were taken by vets, both in their professional and private lives.
And the winners are ...
Sophie said: “I was very surprised to win with my photo of a newborn calf standing next to me during the closing phases of surgery.
"I'm not that slow at suturing up, it’s just the calf was very alert and standing before I finished!
"For me this photo encapsulates the best parts of farm vetting: prompt decisions, safe handling, great outcomes, teamwork.
"I’m very proud to be a farm vet and exceptionally pleased this photo will be seen by current farm vets and hopefully will inspire future farm vets from all walks of life to pursue a veterinary career.”
Katherine, who is a third year Veterinary Medicine student at the Royal Veterinary College, said: “I'm absolutely delighted to have my photograph selected as the winner of the category, especially against such impressive entries.
"I was on a morning visit to a game reserve with a local vet in South Africa, when the sunrise highlighted the small oxpeckers on the backs of the giraffes, frantically flying to and fro.
"With the giraffe curiously watching us, I managed to capture the moment all three birds landed on its back, creating the image representing all creatures great and small.”
Sam Price said: "I took the image of my dog, Winnie, while on a campervan trip on the north coast of Ireland.
She loves nothing more than a beach day as you can see so I felt this was a fitting photo for the brief.
Thankfully there was a rare bout of sunshine on the day which made for some nice lighting and Winnie is pretty photogenic, which always helps!"
BVA President Malcolm Morley said: “The winning images stood out to us for many reasons, but we particularly liked how each one captured the essence of the category it was entered into; Sophie’s image of a c-section on a cow was so touching and really demonstrates the daily life of many of our valued farm vets; Katherine Edmondson’s photograph of the giraffe and red-billed oxpeckers was stunning but also truly embodied the All creatures great and small element; while Sam Price’s photo of Winnie the dog literally jumping for joy stole our hearts and genuinely made us all break out in smiles.
“Congratulations to all the winners, and also a huge well done to all the finalists as well, it was a really tough decision but you should be proud of the incredible photographs you entered and your talents.”
Administered between the dog’s cheek and gum at the dose of 125 mcg/m2, dexmedetomidine is absorbed across the oral mucosa, delivering a micro-dose at approximately 1/4 of the IM dose.
It is given as soon as the dog shows signs of anxiety or fear, or when typical triggers of fear are detected by the owner.
Re-dosing of up to four times is possible with at least two hours pause between doses.
There's a new dial-to-dose syringe designed to make Sileo easier to administer, and redesigned packaging with a QR code which links to an instructional video for owners.
Emma Hancox, Veterinary Advisor at TVM, said: "Up to 50% of dogs suffer from noise anxiety, which can be extremely distressing both for pets and their owners.
"While many people associate their pet’s anxiety with occasions such as bonfire night, noise-anxiety can apply to everyday noises such as vacuum cleaners and lawnmowers and by social events or parties, which could have a much greater impact on the dog’s everyday welfare.
For more information, email help@tvm-uk.com, call 0800 0385868 visit or contact your local Territory Manager.
The VetCompass study, which was based on the records of over 900,000 Westies under the care of UK first opinion veterinary practices in 2016, also found that ownership of Westies has fallen dramatically, to just a quarter of what it was a decade ago. Researchers found that the breed comprised only 0.43% of puppies born in 2015 compared to 1.69% of puppies born in 2004.
The average age of the Westies studied was a relatively elderly 7.8 years, suggesting an ageing population with fewer new puppies entering the population compared to other breed studies carried out by VetCompass.
The most common illnesses suffered by Westies were found to be dental disease (which affects 15.7% of Westies), ear disease (10.6%), overgrown nails (7.2%), allergic skin disorder (6.5%) and obesity (6.1%). Lower respiratory tract disease and cancer were the most common causes of death, with each accounting for 10.2% of deaths in the breed. Spinal cord disorders were the next biggest killer at 7.8%.
Other findings included:
Dr Dan O’Neill, Senior Lecturer and VetCompass researcher at the RVC, who was the main author of the paper, said: "With the ascent of social media as a dominant influencer of public opinion, ownership preferences for dog breeds are becoming increasingly polarised and susceptible to the whims of internet celebrity endorsement and advertising.
"Previously, preferences for dog breeds used to wax and wane gently over time. But VetCompass breed data now show rapid changes in preferences among breeds that create bubbles and troughs of demand that can have far-reaching implications for these breeds.
"Flat-faced (brachycephalic) breeds are currently the darling of the nation but this has created huge welfare problems for breeds such as the Pug and French Bulldog. And breeds such as the West Highland White Terrier and Cavalier King Charles have fallen sharply out of favour."
Camilla Pegram, Veterinary Epidemiologist and VetCompass researcher at the RVC, who co-authored the paper, said: "The most common disorders of Westies shown in this study are also common in the wider UK dog population. However, the breed does seem predisposed to lower respiratory tract disease which was a common cause of death in the Westie. Owners should be aware of this as their Westie ages.
"What is particularly interesting is the level of skin disorders, which although relatively high, are still lower than might have been predicted a decade ago. It is possible that the reduction in Westie ownership has relieved the pressure on breeders to breed from less healthy individuals to meet demand and therefore contributed to improved skin health within the breed. Paradoxically, reducing popularity may have led to better health in the Westies that are now being born."
The CertAVN was launched by the RCVS in May 2019 as an advanced professional qualification allowing veterinary nurses at all stages of their career to develop their professional skills and knowledge in specific areas.
The qualification, which can either be taken as a Level 6 graduate qualification or a Level 7 postgraduate qualification, is smaller and more focused than its predecessor, the Diploma in Advanced Veterinary Nursing.
The other CertAVN providers are Harper Adams University, the University of Glasgow, the University of Central Lancashire in partnership with Myerscough College, and the Royal Veterinary College which has also recently added another pathway to its existing provision.
In total the five providers are offering 23 different CertAVN qualifications, including two with an equine focus.
Matthew Rendle, Chair of RCVS Veterinary Nurses Council, said: “It is fantastic that, in just a few short years after it was launched, we already have five educational institutions accredited to deliver the CertAVN across a wide range of subject matter, covering everything from anaesthesia & analgesia, to dentistry, to teaching, coaching and mentoring, to equine critical care.
“We have more providers on the horizon, as well as a Zoo, Exotics and Wildlife course that I am particularly excited about.
"This demonstrates that there is clearly a demand for the CertAVN courses which are very manageable and can fit around work and personal life, while also offering opportunities to develop a greater focus in designated areas of practice and the career opportunities that may offer.”
www.rcvs.org.uk/certavn
The Standards Framework for Veterinary Nurse Education and Training sets out the professional values, skills and behaviours required of approved educational institutions (AEIs), delivery sites and the training practices (TPs) responsible for providing the training and support for student veterinary nurses.
The College reviews the standards framework every five years to ensure that AEIs, delivery sites and TPs have the structures to best provide contemporary and innovative approaches to education for student veterinary nurses, while being accountable for the local delivery and management of accredited programmes.
The new draft framework includes updates relating to sustainability and academic integrity.
Julie Dugmore, RCVS Director of Veterinary Nursing, said: “We are looking for veterinary nurses in all walks of life – as well as student nurses and veterinary surgeons – to provide constructive and specific feedback on our proposals.
“Your insights will help us ensure that the standards continue to enable veterinary nurse educators to deliver the best training and support possible for our students, prepare them for life in clinical practice, and ensure that animal health and welfare is a foremost consideration.
“In fact, animal health and welfare and public safety is central to our standards.
Students will be in contact with patients and their owners throughout their education and it is important that they learn in a safe and effective way.”
The consultation runs until 5pm on Wednesday 3 April 2024 and all members of the veterinary team – including RVNs, student veterinary nurses and veterinary surgeons – can take part in order to provide detailed feedback on each of the six core standards and each of individual requirements within these standards.
A PDF version of the new draft Standards Framework is available to download from https://www.rcvs.org.uk/news-and-views/our-consultations.
If you have any questions about the document or how to respond to the survey, contact the RCVS Veterinary Nursing Team on vetnursing@rcvs.org.uk
230 vets took part in the survey1.
75% reported that they see rabbits affected by dental disease regularly.
GI stasis came in second place at 54%, followed by obesity at 52%.
They were followed by respiratory tract infections (21%) mobility disorders (19%), urinary disease (10%) and pododermatitis (10%).
Purina says the three most common diseases are all intrinsically linked to the feeding of poor-quality diets and despite substantial improvements in nutritional knowledge among rabbit owners, 57% of rabbits are still being fed inappropriately.
Claire Hamblion, Supreme’s Marketing Director said: “Owners want to do the right thing, but all too often lack of awareness about nutrition leads to poor health and wellbeing.
"The great news is that progress is being made.
"Well over half of UK rabbit owners now take their pet to the vet at least once a year2, and 79% of vets say that nutritional knowledge among rabbit owners has significantly improved.
"We’re keen to build on this and are proud to offer not just high-quality species-specific nutrition but a range of educational materials as well as free samples to help veterinary teams engage with owners”.
References