Fort Dodge has unveiled an initiative to help practices improve peri-operative care and the management of hospitalised cases with the launch of its Early Warning Scoring System (EWSS) kit.

The kit contains cat and dog anaesthesia and observation charts for the effective monitoring of cats and dogs during operations, post-operatively and for hospitalised medical cases.

EWSS observation charts are widely used in the NHS but this is believed to be the first time that such a system has been developed specifically for use in veterinary practices. They have been designed by Mike Davies BVetMed CertVR CertSAO FRCVS, Technical Services Manager at Fort Dodge, and are intended to help veterinary nurses and veterinary surgeons identify patients whose condition is deteriorating before they reach a critical state.

Mike Davies speaks around the country on preventive medicine and geriatrics and his experience of working closely with practices is that many do not have good protocols in place for nurse monitoring of patients. The EWSS grades parameters such as heart rate, respiratory rate, blood pressure and CNS response and the charts incorporate areas in which the practice can record pain using a visual analogue scale or a numeric scoring system.

The company has also launched Dorbene vet, a new product providing fast-acting sedation and analgesia for dogs and cats. Its active ingredient is the trusted and well proven alpha-2 agonist medetomidine hydrochloride, which affects the nervous system by inhibiting noradrenaline mediated neurotransmission. A dosing guide for Dorbene vet is also included in the EWSS.

The launch of Dorbene vet complements Fort Dodge's existing companion animal products, analgesic Torbugesic and dissociative anaesthetic Ketaset. Used alone it offers dose-related sedation within 10-15 minutes, which is rapidly reversible using the alpha-2 antagonist atipamezole for predictable recovery. It is presented in 10 ml and 50 ml multi dose vials in amber coloured glass which protects the product from light.

For further information on the EWSS or Dorbene vet, contact Fort Dodge on 01489 781711.

White Cross Vets, the family-run group with 17 practices in the Midlands and the North, has announced the launch of its 18th practice in Hyde, near Manchester.

It's the second of five new practices that White Cross says it plans to open in a 12-month period. 

The Hyde team will be headed up by clinic director Mike Robinson MRCVS, pictured with veterinary nurses Anneliese O'Toole & Aimee Lee.

Located on the site of a former pub, the new Hyde practice opened this month following an investment of £250,000. It is equipped with digital dental x-ray and ultrasound machines, an on-site laboratory, pheromone diffusers to relax pets, ultra-soft bedding and warm, cosy LED lighting in the pet wards.

There are separate, sound-proofed wards for dogs and a specialist cat ward featuring kennels positioned so the cats can’t see each other, to minimise stress-levels. Music specifically composed to reduce anxiety in both dogs and cats is also played in the wards.  

Tim Harrison, managing director at White Cross Vets, said: "Hyde is a busy suburb of Manchester with a large number of pets in the surrounding area, which made it the ideal location to continue our expansion into the North West.

"Mike and the team are all highly experienced professionals and bring lots of enthusiasm to their new roles.  When this is combined with the practice’s state of the art design, there’s no doubt it will prove to be hugely popular.

"It also offers the potential to expand the team to approximately 20 people in the next five years, which is an exciting prospect."

The British Veterinary Association has responded to the Scottish Government's latest animal welfare measures, which include a ban on wild animals in travelling circuses and legislation to permit tail shortening for spaniels and hunt point retrievers intended for use as working dogs.

BVA Scottish Branch President Grace Webster said: "We commend the Scottish Government on seizing the opportunity to improve animal welfare through the introduction of a Bill to ban of the use of wild animals in travelling circuses. While the use of wild animals in travelling circuses may not affect a great number of individual animals, it is emblematic of the way we treat all animals and we would urge the rest of the UK to follow this precedent, introduced on ethical grounds.

"However, this package of measures seems a bit of a mixed bag. Until recently Scotland also led the way on dog welfare with a complete ban on tail docking, so we are extremely disappointed at the decision to reverse this stance. We have carefully considered all the evidence and remain convinced that tail docking in dogs, even specific breeds, is detrimental to their welfare. This is a retrograde step for animal welfare in Scotland, amidst an otherwise progressive package of animal welfare measures."

At the end of May, BVA Scottish Branch Junior Vice President Melissa Donald will be giving evidence to the Environment Committee in the Scottish Parliament ahead of a vote on whether or not to approve the change in law relating to tail docking.

Today’s announcement by the Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform Roseanna Cunningham MSP also included the introduction of controls to restrict the use of electronic training collars and a commitment to update regulations to combat the irresponsible breeding and sale of dogs, cats and rabbits.

Gudrun Ravetz, BVA President, added: "Animal welfare starts right at the beginning of a pet’s life, so the focus on pet licensing and breeding regulations is welcome. We know that a third of vets are seeing puppies they believe to have been illegally imported and an increasing number of owners are buying brachycephalic or designer breeds, like Scottish fold cats; pets must be purchased with owners prioritising animal health and welfare, rather than making an impulse buy based on looks alone.

"Yet we are saddened at the shortfall on legislation around aversive training aids for dogs, which we expect will still permit the use of training collars under expert guidance. We know using fear as a training tool is not only less effective than positive reinforcement, but can take its toll on a dog’s overall welfare. Without an outright ban, we have grave concerns over how enforceability will work. This raft of measures seems to give with one hand and take away with the other."

The Kennel Club and dog breeding world still needs to take urgent action to improve the health and welfare of pedigree dogs, five years after a BBC documentary highlighted the levels of suffering many animals endure, according to the RSPCA.

Programme maker Jemima Harrison, who produced and directed Pedigree Dogs Exposed, has backed the RSPCA's call for urgent action.

She said: "Five years on from Pedigree Dogs Exposed, the Kennel Club is still in denial about the extent of the problems.

"It is unethical to continue to breed dogs like Pugs and Bulldogs which have such flat faces that they cannot breathe - and yet the Kennel Club registers these breeds in their growing thousands and these dogs continue to be celebrated at Kennel Club shows.

"The Kennel Club has done too little to tackle the suffering these and many other breeds endure, despite an increasing amount of science which both articulates the issues and offers solutions. The dogs continue to pay a huge price."

The RSPCA has acknowledged the progress made by the Kennel Club and dog breeders, including the development of DNA and health screening tests for hereditary diseases and the introduction of veterinary checks on 'high profile' breeds.

However, the charity says it believes much more should have been done in the five years since Pedigree Dogs Exposed was first broadcast on BBC One in 2008.

RSPCA chief vet James Yeates said: "Although some progress has been made by the dog world to address the issues raised in Pedigree Dogs Exposed, it has not been nearly enough. Five years on the problems are still far from being solved.

"We are concerned that many pedigree dogs are still suffering because they're bred and judged primarily for how they look rather than with health, welfare and temperament in mind.

"We believe that meaningful action is urgently needed in order to make a real improvement to the welfare of pedigree dogs."

Some of the changes the RSPCA is calling for include:

• An independent review of Kennel Club breed standards
• Dog shows, such as Crufts, should judge dogs on their health, welfare and behaviour, rather than their appearance
• Revision of registration rules to put a limit on the number of offspring that can be fathered by any one sire
• Revision of registration rules to prevent the registration of offspring from matings between second degree relatives (e.g. grandparent-grandchild or aunt/uncle-nephew/niece matings)
• Only registering puppies from parents that have been properly and fully health screened
• Ban on registration of dogs born from a dam's second caesarean
• Veterinary checks at shows to be done by independent vets
• Open stud books to allow more frequent introduction of new genetic material into established breeds

The RSPCA's Born To Suffer campaign and petition was launched more than 18 months ago, with a call to change breed standards so that they prioritise the health, welfare and temperament of a dog over its looks. It is hoped this will put an end to the avoidable suffering many dogs endure.

 You can still sign the petition by visiting www.rspca.org.uk/borntosuffer

BEVA is giving its members the opportunity to participate in a free practice benchmarking survey, to help them ensure their business is being run as efficiently and profitably as possible. The results of the research will be released at BEVA Congress, 7^th-10^th September 2011.

The Association has worked with Hazlewoods, chartered accountants and business advisors to the veterinary profession, to develop a detailed benchmarking questionnaire for equine veterinary practices, which allows businesses to compare their practice, anonymously, with other similar practices. The report should identify areas for profit improvement, including practice structure and pricing and may also highlight other potential methods of income generation.

Mark Beaney, partner at Hazlewoods and specialist advisor to the veterinary profession, said: "This is a super opportunity for equine practices to obtain helpful, free advice on how to fine-tune their business for maximum efficiency, delivery and profit. The questionnaire should take no more than half an hour to complete and in return we will provide you with a confidential individual report, with your practice data benchmarked."

Mark will present an overall report on the equine veterinary market at BEVA Congress on Saturday 10^th September. All participating practices will remain anonymous. The benchmarking survey can be downloaded from the BEVA website at: http://www.beva.org.uk/news/view/59 and must be completed by 30^th June 2011.

BEVA Congress runs from 7^th-10^th September 2011 at the Liverpool Arena Convention Centre, Liverpool. This year BEVA will be celebrating its 50^th anniversary - for further information and to register visit http://www.beva.org.uk/.

Pfizer Animal Health has launched Dexdomitor, a new, advanced form of the popular sedative /analgesic Domitor (medetomidine).

According to Pfizer, Dexdomitor contains only the right-handed enantiomer (dexmeditomidine) which is responsible for the beneficial pharmacological effects of the meditomidine molecule. By removing the left-handed enantiomer (levomedetomidine) from the original racemic mixture the same sedative and analgesic effects can be achieved with a lower metabolic load, less potential for interaction with other drugs and half the active substance.

According to Dr Jo Murrell, Senior lecturer in veterinary anaesthesia in Bristol Vet School, the use of dexmedetomidine has a number of advantages in terms of veterinary use:

"Because dexmedetomidine had to undergo a lot of safety studies to get market authorisation in humans, we have a huge amount of cardiovascular data about the effects of dexmedetomidine in dogs," she said. "That means we know very precisely the effects of dexmedetomidine on cardiac output, on organ blood flow and the changes in blood flow to vital organs such as the heart and brain."

Dr Murrell recommends that practices that are currently using Domitor should consider switching to Dexdomitor when it becomes available. "You won't notice any disadvantages as a result of the switch, but you may well notice that the effects of dexmedetomidine are more reliable compared to medetomidine, and you may notice some benefits in terms of recovery from anaesthetic combinations."

Vetoquinol has launched Myo Power, the latest addition to the Equistro Performance range of nutritional supplements.

The company says that Myo Power has been formulated with the performance and convalescent horse in mind, and that it is an excellent source of easily digestible protein enriched with L-Leucine and other key essential amino acids necessary for optimal muscular cell development, specifically via the mitochondria.

Vetoquinol claims the product is extremely beneficial for young horses being prepared for sales, competition horses in training, and the convalescent or older horse following periods of box rest or restricted exercise.

Myo Power is available in 1.2kg and 2.3kg tubs. For further information, please contact your local Vétoquinol Territory Manager.

Warwickshire-based Elizabeth Gatehouse MRCVS has been suspended for two months by the RCVS Disciplinary Committee for falsely confirming the vaccination of a horse to a fellow veterinary surgeon, and for fabricating an entry in the horse’s clinical records.

Ms Gatehouse faced two charges, the first being that she inaccurately assured another veterinary surgeon that she had vaccinated a horse against influenza and tetanus  when she had not, and she subsequently failed to undertake adequate checks to confirm whether she had done so. 

The second charge was that she later made a false entry in the same horse’s clinical records to cover up her previous inaccurate statement. 

Ms Gatehouse admitted the facts alleged in relation to both charges and also admitted that in relation to the second charge she was guilty of disgraceful conduct in a professional respect.

The Committee, having heard submissions from Counsel for the RCVS and Ms Gatehouse found her guilty of disgraceful conduct in relation to the first charge.

Under the first charge the Committee found that she had breached the RCVS Code of Professional Conduct for Veterinary Surgeons by not keeping clear, accurate and detailed clinical and client records, and by acting in a manner that was likely to undermine public trust in the profession.

They also considered that her falsehood was unpremeditated, and that the decision was made in a moment of panic. Ultimately, however, by claiming the horse was vaccinated to another veterinary surgeon and not taking the necessary steps to confirm this, she failed to put the welfare of the animal first, potentially endangering it and any other horses it came into contact with, as well as potentially jeopardising the position of the veterinary surgeon she confirmed it to.

Having found Ms Gatehouse guilty of serious professional misconduct in relation to both parts of the charge the Committee then considered its sanction against her. In mitigation the Committee considered the fact that she had been in practice for 22 years without any untoward conduct, the testimony of three witnesses who attested to her being an honest and trustworthy practitioner, and the fact that Ms Gatehouse was in a troublesome relationship with the complainant until June 2014 which led her to be reluctant to contact him to correct her initial confirmation. 

In summing up Stuart Drummond, Chair of the Committee, said: "The Committee has considers that it is material to have regard to the general emotional state to which the Respondent was reduced by the controlling and debilitating conduct of her then partner when they were living together and the consequential loss of self-esteem and ability to stand up to him and his demands. The deleterious effect of an abusive relationship lingers after such a relationship ends. 

"Taking into account this knowledge, the Committee considers that the period of suspension that would, in other circumstances, be entirely merited, can properly be reduced in this instance to reflect the fact that this veterinary surgeon would not have acted as she did during this period but for the fact that her judgement was adversely affected by her experience at the hands of her then former partner. 

"The decision is that, whilst it is necessary, in order sufficiently to protect animals and the wider public interest, to impose a period of suspension from practice, that period can be reduced to one of two months. In so concluding the Committee wishes to make it clear that this decision reflects the special features of this case."

Ms Gatehouse can choose to appeal the decision after a period of 28 days.

Genitrix has launched Dentagen toothpaste which, the company says, uniquely both cleans teeth and inhibits the formation of plaque. 

Dentagen toothpaste is based on RF2, a plant extract, which is clinically proven to inhibit the formation of dental biofilm or plaque. It has been formulated to a dentrifrice abrasivity (RDA) index of 34 to ensure that it removes plaque while causing no damage to the enamel layer of the teeth. The toothpaste is packaged with a free finger-brush to help introduce the pet to having its teeth brushed.  It costs £5.50 for a 70g tube.

The toothpaste completes the range of Dentagen health products - the fastest growing dental products in the UK (according to GFK data in May 2010). 

Genitrix says Dentagen is the only veterinary dental system to combine a procedure carried out in practice with a variety of aftercare regimes to ensure owner compliance. In 2008, Genitrix launched the Dentagen plaque protection system. It consists of a RF2-impregnated wax provided to practices in a syringe and applied to the gingival layer and the buccal area of teeth of dogs or cats at the end of dental procedures. Pet owners then maintain the protective coating by using  the new Dentagen toothpaste or other products in the range - either the RF2-impregnated vegetable-based palatable Dentagen chews or Dentagen Aqua, a palatable liquid containing RF2, which is added to a pet's drinking water on a daily basis.  

Rob Watkins, Genitrix' Marketing Director, said:  "Brushing has long been recognised as the 'gold standard' when it comes to dental health care so we felt it was important for the Dentagen range to include this option.  Regular brushing makes a significant contribution to the maintenance of oral health and the RF2 in the Dentagen toothpaste actually suppresses plaque formation between brushing which is a further benefit.  It sets a new efficacy standard for pet toothpaste.

However, while many owners understand the importance of dental health, many of them find actually brushing their pet's teeth difficult - especially those with cats.  This is why the Dentagen range includes a variety of options.  It enables pet owners to select the method that is right for them and their pet and thus maximise the likelihood of their compliance with a good preventive health regime."

Miss Libby Morris has been suspended by the RCVS Veterinary Nurse Disciplinary Committee after leaving a dog that was in her care at a Devon practice unattended for over two hours on Christmas Day, and covering it up dishonestly.

Miss Morris faced three charges. 

The first was that she left the post-operative German Shepherd unattended between 12.15pm and 2.30pm, made clinical records entries before leaving the practice indicating she’d made these entries at 2pm when she had not, and at 1.41pm sent a message to a veterinary surgeon colleague in which she purported to be providing contemporaneous updates about the dog’s condition and circumstances when she was not, in fact, with the animal.

The second charge alleged that her conduct from the first charge was potentially detrimental to the dog’s welfare, while the third charge alleged that the same conduct was dishonest and/or misleading.

Miss Morris admitted the majority of the charges, although she denied that she had made the clinical record dishonestly, saying that she had innocently omitted to correct a time entry she had earlier made in the records as a “prompt”.

After considering the evidence, the Committee found that she had been dishonest as she knowingly pre-entered the incorrect time in order to cover up for a period of absence from the practice.

The Committee then considered whether the charges amounted to serious professional misconduct.

In terms of aggravating factors, the Committee found that there was a real risk of injury to the animal caused by leaving it unattended when it was recovering from a serious emergency procedure, dishonesty, recklessness regarding the dog’s welfare, pre-meditated misconduct, breach of client trust and, breach of the position of trust and responsibility placed in her.

In mitigation, the Committee considered that this was a single isolated incident, that it concerned one animal, and that, although there was a risk of harm in leaving a vulnerable animal unattended, her actions did not directly lead to any harm coming to the animal.

Overall, it found that Miss Morris’s conduct would undermine the public trust and confidence placed in the veterinary nursing profession as a whole as well as bring the profession into disrepute and so found that her actions amounted to serious professional misconduct.

In deciding the most appropriate sanction, the Committee took into account a number of further mitigating factors. These were Miss Morris’s youth and inexperience at the time of the misconduct, her previously unblemished career, her open and frank admissions to the majority of the charges, her efforts to avoid repeating such behaviours, her efforts to remediate past misconduct, the significant lapse of time between the incident and the disciplinary hearing, her demonstration of insight into her misconduct, together with and positive personal character references and testimonials.

Mrs Judith Way, chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: “In deciding the proportionate sanction, the Committee considered the nature and extent of the dishonesty it had found proved.

"When considering where the dishonesty fell on a scale of dishonesty, it noted that the respondent had acted dishonestly within her practice as a veterinary nurse, on three clinical records, but that the dishonesty related to a single incident and one patient with the aim of extending her time away from the practice on Christmas Day.

"It therefore concluded that this could be described as middle ranging dishonesty (not the most or least serious type of dishonesty)."

Mrs Way added: “The Committee therefore concluded that, taking into account all of the above matters, a suspension of six months was the proportionate sanction required to meet the public interest in this case.

"It decided on a period of six months in order to send a signal to the veterinary nursing profession and the public about such conduct.

"In the Committee’s judgment, taking into account all of the above factors, a sanction of removal would be excessive and would not take sufficient account of the substantial mitigating factors.”

The full findings of the Disciplinary Committee can be found at www.rcvs.org.uk/disciplinary

The Kennel Club has broadly welcomed Professor Sir Patrick Bateson's 'Independent Inquiry into Dog Breeding', which has recommended that steps be taken to tackle irresponsible breeders and to change the way the public think about buying dogs. 

The Kennel Club, which commissioned and funded the report in conjunction with Dogs Trust, welcomes the report's focus on irresponsible breeders who farm puppies with little concern for their welfare and those who sell poorly socialised puppies on to owners to use as 'status dogs' or as fighting weapons.

The Kennel Club agrees that additional training and support needs to be given to local authorities, which are responsible for issuing breeding licences to those people who breed five or more litters of puppies in a single year, as the current provisions are deemed to be ineffective. It agrees that compulsory microchipping of dogs and increased public education to stop people falling prey to puppy farmers and to help them find responsible breeders are necessary.

It is also glad that the report recognises the need for a 'robustly policed and well respected quality assurance scheme', consisting of breeders that buyers can trust to look after their puppies' health and welfare, and that it suggests that the Kennel Club's Accredited Breeder Scheme, with some modification could be used. 

However, the Kennel Club is concerned that the report could have gone further and that its recommendations do not appear directly to cover those breeders who breed less than five litters per year and who are not part of the Kennel Club Accredited Breeder Scheme. The Kennel Club would have liked to have seen a recommendation for regulation to ensure that these breeders follow higher standards, such as compulsory health testing. 

Caroline Kisko, Kennel Club spokesperson, said: "Whilst the report recognises that the majority of breeders are responsible, there are those whose actions are bringing the rest of the dog breeding community into disrepute and this needs to be stopped.

"We are glad that the report recognises that the Kennel Club has made a good start in its efforts to unite responsible breeders within its Accredited Breeder Scheme, for the benefit of puppies and puppy buyers, and we believe that this should be the basis for moving forward. We are currently working towards UKAS accreditation of the scheme as suggested by Professor Bateson.

"We agree that responsible breeders should be rewarded and believe that the show ring is the best forum for this. The report recognises that 'dog showing and judging are a powerful lever for change' and the Kennel Club is dedicated to ensuring that only the healthiest dogs are rewarded at shows.

"Public education is vital and all dog welfare organisations must continue to work together to ensure that people know what to look for when buying a dog."

The report looks at genetic diversity in breeds and recognises that the Kennel Club has banned close matings. It advises that future decisions about matings that could affect genetic diversity should be 'breed specific' and made upon evidence based scientific information and advice. To this end it is recommended that the veterinary profession should gather data to show the prevalence of certain diseases and that an advisory council should develop evidence based breeding strategies.

Mrs Kisko continued: "The Kennel Club has long recognised that genetic diversity plays a crucial role in safeguarding the health of dogs and the report is absolutely right to suggest that there are no further blanket rules in place but that decisions are based upon scientific knowledge and are made on a breed by breed basis. This is why we are well on the way to creating a new database which will revolutionise the way that we record dog health data. The data will enable us to bring out our Mate Select programme, which will help breeders to find suitable mating pairs which are most likely to produce healthy offspring. The database will go further than the report's recommendation, as the data will be attributable to specific dogs, rather than being anonymous, and will give us a better picture of the health of pedigrees and crossbreeds. Such knowledge is critical and will enable us to provide information to breeders, vets, geneticists and ultimately the puppy buyer. 

"We are keen to harness as much knowledge as possible for the benefit of dogs so we welcome the principle of an advisory council whose members will work with the Kennel Club to advise on decisions about breeding and health. A structure already exists in the form of the Kennel Club's Dog Health Group with its recently extended remit. Additional independent experts include canine and human geneticists, veterinary surgeons and an epidemiologist. Using this framework for establishing the advisory council under an independent chairman would save significant sums of money, which can instead be devoted entirely to the dog health research that the report identified as being in 'urgent' need of more funding."

The Kennel Club and Dogs Trust will now arrange a meeting between all relevant parties in order to move forward with the recommendations from all three reports.

The full report may be downloaded at www.dogbreedinginquiry.com

French veterinary surgeons went on strike yesterday, and 10,000 marched on the streets of Paris in protest at Government plans to restrict their ability to supply certain farm animal antibiotics.

According to the National Union of Practicing Veterinarians (SNVEL), French veterinary surgeons saw the Government plans as an attack on their integrity and competence, and called for the strike, the first of its kind in history.

As a result of the strike, French Ministers have apparently pledged to retract their plans, something which was welcomed by veterinary representatives at the end of the march to the Ministry of Health (see right; click to enlarge).

At the same time, the SNVEL organised a 'Day Without Veterinarians' in all the French Departments. Given that there are only 11,000 practicing vets in France, 10,000 of whom were in Paris, that bit can't have been a particularly difficult logistical challenge.

Vetoquinol has launched the Vet-Touch Digital Atlas, an innovative communication tool to help veterinary practices explain complex conditions to clients at the touch of a screen.

Vetoquinol says the Vet-Touch Digital Atlas saves valuable time and will allow you to offer an improved service to your clients, by maximising their comprehension of the case.

The Vet-Touch Digital Atlas has a 15 inch (38cm) touch screen monitor and comes with a range of animated movies. It's available to buy from your Vetoquinol Territory Manager.

For further information visit http://www.vetoquinol.co.uk/ or contact Vetoquinol on 01280 825 424.