Ceva Animal Health has launched Isemid (Torasemide), a once-a-day diuretic for the treatment of congestive heart failure in dogs which the company says is as effective as furosemide.

The new drug represents the fruit of 8 years of product development and more than 11 proprietary studies performed by Ceva R&D teams. 

Marie Boutot, development project leader said: "Isemid is an original drug developed by Ceva, and was the subject of full pivotal efficacy and safety studies."

Ceva says the new drug has been recognised by the European Medicines Agency as a "2018 Innovation, advancing animal health". 

Isemid is presented as pork-flavoured, scored tablets in three strengths: 1, 2 and 4 mg. They can be administered orally once daily, with or without food. The company's research showed a 98% owner compliance (compared to 92% for furosemide, p<0.05) and 80% voluntary acceptance.

Emilie Guillot, DVM, Ceva Technical Manager for Cardiology said: "With Isemid, we seek to help veterinarians in their goal to improve survival of dogs with heart failure.

"But above all, thanks to its potent action and long half-life which allow once-daily dosing, we hope to ease owner compliance."

Scientific communications with data on Isemid were presented at the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine forum in Phoenix in June and will be held at the European College of Veterinary Internal Medicine congress in Milan in September.

Premier Vet Alliance, the provider of preventative health plans and home delivery services, is to launch a new training course which, for the first time, it has had accredited by The CPD Standards Office. 

The new course is called ‘New staff training course with Post2Pet’, and, as the name suggests, it will look at how to incorporate the home delivery option into a preventative healthcare plan.

Premier Vet Alliance says the course is suitable for any member of the practice team that wants to increase their knowledge about healthcare plans.

The course is 4 modules long with an assessment leading to 1.5 hours of completed CPD. It will launch towards the end of April. 

James Tudor, Head of Customer Experience at Premier Vet Alliance, said: "This is a fantastic resource and I am I so proud of the team who’ve developed this and helped practices to train staff efficiently and effectively.

"It’s opening up the future of training and we hope to gain guidance in developing our training provision by working directly with practices, to help keep the training relevant.

"We see real value in CPD accredited courses, especially where they help enable veterinary staff to increase their knowledge on maximising their clients’ compliance. They can also learn how to influence animal health, and drive other aspects of the business through health plans."

"This is just the beginning; we will continue to increase our CPD accreditations and share best practice across Europe and the United States."

For more information contact 0117 370 0300 or email pcp@premiervetalliance.co.uk.

Nominations are now being invited for this year's RCVS VN Council elections. 

The elections will again be held completely online this year. 

Veterinary nurses have until 5pm on Monday 31st January 2022 to put themselves forward as candidates for the elections which will take place in March and April 2022.

The full eligibility criteria can be found at: www.rcvs.org.uk/vncouncil22, where prospective candidates will also find further information about the role of the RCVS, RCVS VN Council and RCVS VN Council members, guidance notes, and frequently asked questions about standing as a candidate.

Eleanor Ferguson, RCVS Registrar and Returning Officer for the elections, said: “We look forward to hearing from prospective candidates and are happy to give further information about what being an RCVS VN Council member means and what the role entails to those who may be considering standing for office.”

Prospective candidates for RCVS Council can also contact VN Council Chair Matthew Rendle for an informal conversation on what it means to be an RCVS Council member on vncchair@rcvs.org.uk

Matthew said: This 60th anniversary year for the veterinary nursing profession has been a time to take stock about how far the profession has come and where it is going.

"One thing I have appreciated is the important role both VN Council and its committees will continue to have in this development process, by making key decisions on areas such as student training and wellbeing, continuing professional development, post-registration qualifications and statuses, and registration of veterinary nurses.

“I would be happy to talk to anyone who might be interested in joining VN Council about its role and how you could contribute both to it, and to the wider profession.”

Anyone interested in the work done by Council can also visit: https://www.rcvs.org.uk/who-we-are/vn-council/vn-council-meetings/ to see the agendas for previous meetings.

A new study published this week in the Journal of Internal Veterinary Medicine has found that canine Chiari-like malformation (CM) can cause significant pain and impact on activity, temperament and sleep¹.

Lead author Professor Clare Rusbridge, Chief of Neurology at Fitzpartick Referrals, conducted the study because of a lack of clarity on the recognition and diagnosis of the clinical signs associated with CM as opposed to syringomyelia (SM).

CM is an abnormality in the skull, making it smaller, and impacting on the brain to alter the flow of cerebrospinal fluid; this results in pain and a collection of fluid pockets within the spinal cord. These fluid pockets are commonly known as SM and over time can cause irreversible damage to a dog’s spinal cord. However it is not clear whether signs of pain in affected dogs are due to CM or SM or both. 

To try to rectify this, Clare studied the medical records of all the cavalier King Charles spaniels diagnosed with CM-associated clinical signs presenting to her at Fitzpatrick Referrals over a five year period. She documented the historical and examination findings and related them to the MRI findings, including presence and size of the SM. 

She found common signs in all dogs were vocalisation, spinal pain (neck, middle or lower back), reduced activity, reduced stairs or jumping ability, aversion to being touched or groomed, altered emotional state (described as being more timid, anxious, withdrawn or aggressive) and sleep disturbance.

A tendency to rub or scratch at the head or ears was common but was more likely in dogs with small or no SM suggesting that this may be a sign of head discomfort associated with CM. Head and ear rubbing was not associated with the presence of material within the middle ear (a condition which is also common in this breed and often given the acronym PSOM).

The only signs that were specific to SM were phantom scratching, scoliosis (twisted spine) and weakness and these were only present when the SM was large (at least 4mm wide).

Clare says this study is important because it suggests that CM alone is a cause of pain in many dogs. The aim now is to use the information gained in this study to develop a questionnaire to determine risk of CM and monitor the response to clinical signs.  

Reference

1. Rusbridge, C, McFadyen, AK, Knower, SP. Behavioral and clinical signs of Chiari‐like malformation‐associated pain and syringomyelia in Cavalier King Charles spaniels. J Vet Intern Med. 2019; 1– 13. https://doi.org/10.1111/jvim.15552

Photo: Charlie on a bad day

Jennifer Dykes, a small animal, Nottinghamshire based veterinary surgeon, has won first prize in the 'All creatures great and small' category of the BVA Veterinary Photographer of the Year competition.

This year's competition saw over 400 applications from vets from across the profession with a passion for photography, judged by an expert panel which this year was joined by zoologist and wildlife photographer, Victoria Hillman and Guardian picture editor, Eric Hilaire.

Jennifer Dykes won first prize in her category for a photograph of two sheep seemingly 'in conversation' on a misty morning at Castlerigg Stone Circle in the Lake District. She called it ‘Conversations at Dawn (Sheep at Dawn Lakes)’.

Jennifer: "I am overjoyed that my image has been selected as the overall winner of the All Creatures Great and Small category, especially having seen the high calibre of photographs entered in previous years. I’d come across images of Castlerigg stone circle near Keswick before and so I dragged us all out of bed exceptionally early to try and capture the dawn. The combination of the early light and the mist provided the perfect backdrop to the foreground scene; the sheep seemingly completely unfazed by the presence of a few bystanders. Capturing their normality, amidst such beautiful surroundings, was my intention when taking this photograph."

Judge, Victoria Hillman said: "The composition draws you into the sheep, which are an integral part of the image without being front and centre. The light and mist bring a real atmosphere to the image that beautifully sums up the British countryside. It’s a very well thought out and executed image."

In the ‘One Veterinary Community’ category, Laura Caballero Pastor, a small animal vet from Gateshead, won first place. Her photograph depicts a vet helped by the community to vaccinate a dog against rabies in Nepal. She named it ‘One shot, two lives’ and said that the photo was taken during a project where she was part of a veterinary team working with the community to neuter, treat and educate on managing dog populations for rabies and other diseases.

Laura said: "Receiving recognition for this picture enforces my belief in the responsibility that the veterinary sector has to promote animal health to global communities and society. There is a thin line between humans and animals when we talk about diseases. Also, this photo encourages me to continue working on international projects and to be aware of all the amazing possibilities our profession has to offer."

Judge Eric Hilaire said: "With an expressive framing this meaningful picture has captured two important aspects of veterinary work. On one side, treatment, with this team vaccinating street dogs against rabies, on the other, prevention, with this girl holding tight on her booklet."

BVA President Simon Doherty said: "I was pleased to see such a strong portfolio of entries alongside an incredible diversity of subjects. Many congratulations go to our winners Laura and Jennifer, as well as the highly commended selections, and I’d also like to thank everyone who entered."

"I hope it will inspire more BVA members to dust off their cameras, and go and capture some great images for next year."

The winning and highly commended photographs will be exhibited at Brangwyn Hall in Swansea on Thursday 19^th September as part of BVA’s Members’ Day. The images can be viewed here.

Ceva Animal Health Ltd has initiated a Class II recall of Ketofen 10% Solution for Injection, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory licensed for the treatment of cattle, pigs, horses and other equidae.

The recall was initiated because a visual inspection confirmed the possibility of particulate contamination which is not acceptable for an intravenous use preparation.

The recall is for the following batches only:

108AB Expiry 12/01/2023
113H Expiry 16/03/2023

Ceva Animal Health Ltd is contacting veterinary surgeons, retailers and wholesale dealers to examine inventory and quarantine products subject to the recall.

For further information, contact Peter Kyte Business Unit Manager on +44 1494 781510.

Sue Paterson FRCVS, the RCVS and European Dermatology Specialist, Past-President of the BSAVA and founder of Virtual Vet Derms has launched PetDerm shampoo soap bars.

The new bars are designed specifically for owners who want a sustainable choice. They contain no harmful preservatives or foaming agents and are SLS and parabens free. Sue says that all the ingredients in the soaps have been selected to minimise their environmental impact and help maintain a healthy skin and coat.

Sue said: "Dog owners are environmentally conscious and recognise that in addition to their own carbon footprint their furry family member also has an important part to play when it comes to sustainability."

Apparently, Zurich’s Institute of Environmental Engineering has shown liquid soap has ten times the carbon footprint of bar soap: bottles need more energy and water to produce them, they are less efficient to transport, and many contain synthetic chemicals which can cause damage to the ecosystem if they get into water sources.

Sue added: “We need to make the same sustainable choices for our pets as we make for ourselves. One shampoo soap bar is the equivalent of two bottles of shampoo so they are not only good for the planet they are great for your pocket as well. It makes it easy for pet owners to make the right choice and reduce their pet’s carbon footprint without compromising on their care.”

For more information visit: https://virtualvetderms.com/login/product/antibacterial-shampoo-bar or https://virtualvetderms.com/login/product/soothing-shampoo-bar.

The BSAVA has released a new collection of resources to help veterinary nurses treat hedgehogs.

The resource includes content from Companion, BSAVA Congress, and the BSAVA Manual of Wildlife Casualties.

Topics range from hand-rearing to anaesthesia to relevant legal questions and cover both hedgehogs and general wildlife casualties.

Liz Mullineaux, RCVS Recognised Specialist in Wildlife Medicine (Mammalian), Senior Vice President of the British Veterinary Zoological Society, and editor of the BSAVA Manual of Wildlife Casualties, said: "Hedgehogs are the most common mammalian wildlife casualty seen by veterinary surgeons.

"Those caring for these animals have very variable knowledge and look to vets for appropriate help, advice, and clinical care.

"It’s therefore really important that vets and vet nurses in practice have some good information about hedgehogs to hand.

"As well as knowing about clinical conditions, a broader understanding of wildlife rehabilitation is essential.

The collection, which costs £20.00 for BSAVA members or £45.00 for non-members, can be accessed via the BSAVA Library: https://www.bsavalibrary.com/content/hedgehogs. 

Animalcare has launched Procanicare, billed as the first bacterial GI support product developed from the intestinal bacteria of healthy dogs.

Procanicare contains three live strains of canine-specific Lactobacillus bacteria, which, according to the company, make it an ideal GI support product to maintain balance in the GI intestinal microbiome of dogs, particularly when an alteration to the intestinal microbiome is a risk.

Animalcare says studies show that the strains of Lactobacillus found in Procanicare have been shown to promote indigenous intestinal commensal populations, reduce numbers of potentially pathogenic bacteria and improve stool consistency.^1,2 

Dr Shea Beasley, Product Development Manager at Vetcare Ltd said: "The strains of Lactobacillus found in Procanicare have been commercially available in Scandinavia for two years now. It has achieved great success, with Scandinavian vets frequently recommending it in situations where the gastrointestinal microbiota can become unstable such as following antibiotic use and in stressful situations such as travelling and kennelling, as well as when supporting the intestinal microbiome is particularly important, such as during pregnancy and lactation."

Available exclusively through vets, Animalcare has produced a range of waiting room materials to help you educate about and promote Procanicare in practice, including a poster, bunting, leaflet and leaflet holder.

There is also a free webinar for veterinary professionals on the importance of the intestinal microbiome, available to view at www.thewebinarvet.com/webinar/the-gastrointestinal-microbiome-and-its-effects.

To find out more or to try Procanicare in your practice, contact your local Animalcare representative via email animalcare@animalcare.co.uk or telephone 01904 487687 or visit www.procanicare.com.

References

1. Grzeskowiak et al (2014) Pathogen exclusion properties of canine probiotics are influenced by the growth media and physical treatments simulating industrial processes. J Appl Microbia/. 116:1308- 1314.
2. Gomez-Gallego.C .et al (2016) A canine-specific probiotic product in treating acute or intermittent diarrhea in dogs: A double-blind placebo-controlled effi cacy study. Vet Microbial. 197:122-128.

The RCVS Disciplinary Committee has ruled that whilst the care given to a diabetic dog by Paul Roger MRCVS fell short, it did not amount to serious professional misconduct. 

Mr Roger faced three charges: that he had failed to provide adequate care, failed to communicate with the owner adequately and failed to keep adequate clinical records for Honey, a Shiih Tzu dog who, it transpired, had hypergycaemia.

At the initial consultation, Mr Roger took a blood sample which showed that there was an elevated blood glucose, an elevated white blood cell count, an elevated ALT and an elevated ALP (which Mr Roger took to be indicative of liver damage secondary to infection).

Mr Roger prescribed a cholagogue (ursodeoxycholic acid), an antibiotic (Synulox) and a diuretic (Frusemide).

In its findings of fact, the Committee found it likely that Mr Roger would have realised that Honey had a potential diabetes mellitus diagnosis with an elevated blood glucose of 28.

However, Mr Roger explained that he had believed the elevated blood glucose was due to the stress Honey had undergone in taking the blood samples.

The Committee therefore accepted that Mr Roger’s actions did not indicate a complete failure by him to notice the elevated blood glucose because he had explained he believed at the time it was due to stress.

Honey’s owner took her back to the veterinary practice that Mr Roger worked at three days later.

A different veterinary surgeon examined Honey and flagged that her blood sugar was high and that her liver was damaged.

She was taken to an alternative veterinary practice for follow-up but died later that day.

Mr Roger admitted failing to ask Honey’s owner if there was a history of diabetes mellitus, failing to take repeat blood glucose tests or carry out urine analysis or carry out additional blood tests, failing to communicate adequately with Honey’s owner about the significance of the hyperglycaemia and the options for investigation/management and failing to keep adequate clinical records in regard to Honey’s blood glucose levels.

The Committee found the admitted facts proved.

The evidence presented to the Committee included the clinical notes taken during Honey’s consultations, emails sent from Honey’s owner to the RCVS outlining the complaint, and evidence from experts in small animal veterinary practice.  

Although the Committee found some matters not proved, it did find proved that Mr Roger had failed to recognise and/or pay adequate regard to Honey’s elevated blood glucose levels, had failed to manage Honey’s hyperglycaemia either by treating it or by documenting an appropriate plan to do so and had failed to communicate adequately with Honey’s owner about the significance of her elevated glucose and the reason for it.

Having reached its decision in relation to the facts, the Committee went on to consider whether the facts it had found proved either individually or cumulatively amounted to serious professional misconduct.

Judith Way, Chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf said: “The Committee found that the charges and particulars it had found proved did not amount to disgraceful conduct in a professional respect either individually or cumulatively.

"In its judgment, the conduct found proved fell short of the standard to be expected of a reasonably competent veterinary surgeon but not far short of the standard which is expected of the reasonably competent veterinary surgeon.”

As a result of the Committee finding that Mr Roger was not guilty of serious professional misconduct on any of the proven charges, either individually or in any combination, the hearing did not proceed further.

The RCVS has published the results of its third survey on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on veterinary businesses, finding a marked improvement in the veterinary business climate since last month. 

The survey was held in mid-June and gathered 196 responses from UK practices. That compared with the 532 responses to the initial survey conducted early in April and 251 responses to the second survey conducted at the start of May.

One of the main findings was a marked increase in the number of practices running a near-normal caseload, from 3% in May to 32% in June. Practice turnover data similarly reflected a shift back towards normality, with 46% now reporting a reduction of less than 25%, compared with 19% last month.

Other findings included: 

• Fewer staff are self-isolating, with around 15% of practices having veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses self-isolating/or with Covid-19, compared with 30% in the first survey and 20% in the second survey.
• Fewer practices have staff on furlough. The most frequent response for the percentage of staff furloughed was 11-25% for both veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses in this survey. This compares with the previous two surveys where the most frequent response was 26-50%.

Lizzie Lockett, RCVS CEO, said: "This latest survey has demonstrated a continuation of the previous survey’s positive trends including an increase in practice turnover with more practices approaching a ‘near normal caseload’ and with a reduction in the number of practices impacted by staff self-isolating or with confirmed cases of Covid-19.

“In this survey we also asked about what difficulties practices may be experiencing with EMS placements for vet students and VN training placements as a result of Covid-19, and this will help us to understand how we can better support students and practices in these areas.

“We will continue to monitor the situation via these regular surveys, with the next one planned for later this summer. I would urge as many practices as possible to continue to complete them, so that we can build up a stronger evidence-base on how veterinary businesses have been affected and how they are recovering.

"This information is not only vital for our own policy decisions but also allows us to present a stronger case to the Government and other public bodies where we wish to influence the decisions they make that will impact the veterinary professions and businesses.”

The survey results can be read in full at www.rcvs.org.uk/coronavirus-resources.

Vets Now reports that its 'Enhancing the Nurse Role' training programme has finished the pilot stage and over 200 veterinary nurses have signed up for the training.

The programme is designed to take advantage of the RCVS Under Care review changes, which mean that veterinary nurses can now start the patient's journey of care in certain cases, when before, vets were required to do a hands-on examination before delegating. 

Racheal Marshall, Vets Now’s Head of Clinical Nursing said: “So, for example, under the protocols a nurse may offer blood tests prior to vet consultation, and the vet can then continue the consultation with the owner with additional clinical information.” 

The 'Enhancing the Nurse Role' training programme is covers three main areas: front of house care, patient procedures and team dynamics. 

So far, Vets Now has held 11 training workshops using partial task simulators to provide a realistic experience and safe environment to learn new skills.

Emphasis is placed on hands-on practical skills that can be used back at clinics, including placement of central lines, urinary catheterisation of blocked cats, feeding tube placement, suturing and a two-day ultrasound training. 

The third phase of the Enhancing the Nurse role programme, which looks at team dynamics, has been overseen by Zara Kennedy, Head of Veterinary Standards at Vets Now. 

She said: “As a vet, the collaboration between the vets and the rest of the team, and maximising everyone’s skills is critical. 

“This third phase focuses on teamwork and communication, and we are utilising much of what has been learned in human medicine.

"A focus on these softer skills enhances the way the teams carry out patient care and ultimately result in better patient care.

Using the great skills of our nurses can help take the pressure off those bottlenecks where currently the patients are waiting for the vet.” 

Vets Now says the Vets Now programme is designed to make the company an appealing place for veterinary nurses to work.

Racheal said: "Using all their skills provides them with greater job satisfaction, and by mixing with other nurses at the training, as well as being a great opportunity to bring our nurses together, they get to share and learn from each other's experiences. 

“It will bring greater benefits for patients and clients and their experience in the clinic.”