The practice makes ecobricks by packing all sorts of plastic waste tightly into plastic bottles which can then be joined together using tyres, silicone, cob or cement and used for a wide range of purposes in gardens, play parks and for making all types of structures with.
The ecobrick initiative was launched by the Global Ecobrick Alliance, which describes itself as an Earth Enterprise focused on solving plastic pollution through the dissemination of the low-tech, educational, open source ecobrick technology. It also operates a website which lists a wide range of organisations throughout the world where newly-made ecobricks can be delivered to.
White Cross Vets operates 19 practices, with four in the local area in Gateacre, West Derby, St Helens and Widnes, and is now exploring how it can roll out the scheme across the group. Other green initiatives White Cross Vets is pioneering include rolling out energy efficient LED lighting across its practices and heavily promoting the Cycle to Work scheme.
Helen Morris, from White Cross Vets, said: "In our industry almost everything comes packed in unrecyclable plastics, from small syringe packets through to large delivery bags and the plastic on the backs of patient labels, which we print hundreds of every day.
"As a result, we decided to look at how we might be able to put it to good use, rather than simply putting it in the bin and came across ecobricks. By taking the time to fill the bottles with plastic, we can significantly reduce the waste we send to landfill, and cut the amount of plastic that ends up littering the planet and ultimately finds its way into the sea. We are now making them every week and the whole team gets involved, which is rewarding for everyone involved."
According to the company, stock is now at normal levels in all the major wholesalers. Laura Jenkins, Companion Animal Marketing Manager at the company added: "IsoFlo is now with veterinary customers and we have a full schedule of deliveries for 2019.
"With restocking underway and ample stock awaiting dispatch, plus enough to re-establish safety stock levels shortly, it is good to know practices will be returning to IsoFlo.
"As our teams work to get IsoFlo to you if you have any questions please do get in touch with your local Account Managers.
"We appreciate other suppliers might be sharing information on their stock and we want to reassure our customers of the immediate availability of IsoFlo and once again I would like to extend thanks to the extended team of associations, veterinary surgeons and regulatory bodies who have helped to find other solutions over the two months."
According to the authors, Miniature Schnauzers positively shone in their averageness in this study, because they were not commonly affected by any specific breed-related health problems.
In other words, the illnesses suffered by Miniature Schnauzers are just the common or garden things like dental disease, obesity, anal sac impaction, vomiting and ear infection, which can affect all dogs.
The study, which the authors say was the largest ever study of the breed, analysed 3,857 Miniature Schnauzers from a population of over 450,000 dogs across the UK. Its findings were that:
The average lifespan of Miniature Schnauzers was 11.7 years, which is similar to the average of 12.0 years for dogs overall.
The average adult bodyweight of Miniature Schnauzers was 10kg. Males on average were heavier than female breeds (11kg vs 9kg).
The most common disorder affecting the breed was dental disease (affecting 17.4% Miniature Schnauzers). This is similar to that of other similarly-sized breeds such as the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel (15.2%) and Border Terrier (17.6%).
Female Miniature Schnauzers are more likely to have dental disease, obesity/overweight and heart murmur. However, males are more prone to diarrhoea and claw injury.
The most common causes of death were neoplasia (14.7%), collapse (13.3%), mass-associated disorder (10.7%) and brain disorder (10.7%).
Dr Dan O’Neill, Senior Lecturer in Companion Animal Epidemiology at the RVC and Vet Compass researcher, said: "To do their best for their dogs, owners need to know what aspects of their dog’s health are the most important to protect. Thankfully, we now have the data to identify these: owners of Miniature Schnauzers and also dogs overall should pay special attention to dental care, weight management, anal sac issues and making sure their dogs eat a healthy diet."
"Based on VetCompass Programme data, the Miniature Schnauzer is currently Britain’s most average dog from the breeds that we have studied to date. Extreme breeds such as flat-faced, long-backed or teacup-sized dogs may currently be in vogue but we need to move away from extremes and towards the healthier middle-ground."
Dr Alex Gough of Independent Vet Care and co-author added: "Although a number of diseases were identified in the current study that affect Miniature Schnauzers, the commons ones did not occur more frequently in this breed than in others studied. Many popular breeds are prone to life-threatening and distressing conditions related to their breeding. Our study suggests that the Miniature Schnauzer should be considered as a relatively healthy breed, which can help owners make a decision when acquiring a new dog."
Bill Lambert, Senior Health and Welfare Manager at the Kennel Club, said: "The Kennel Club currently recognises 221 different breeds and registering these breeds with the Kennel Club provides opportunities for data to be collected so that it can contribute to high quality and large scale research, such as this study by the Royal Veterinary College.
'It is vitally important that this type of research is carried out so that breed specific information is gathered and can be made available to owners to help ensure their dogs are kept as fit and healthy as possible.
'The Miniature Schnauzer is a popular breed in the UK so being the ‘most average dog’ in terms of health, and having no breed specific health problems, is actually a good quality and is very welcome news.”
Reference
According to the charity, FIP, which is one of a number of chronic viral infections of cats that resemble those in people, is estimated to kill up to 1.4% of cats around the world.
The infectious agent is a mutant coronavirus (FIPV) that is notoriously difficult to control: the parent enteric coronavirus is present in virtually all catteries and shelters and is shed by 60% or more of pet cats from multi-cat households,1 and vaccines are ineffective.
Among the most promising treatments against emerging viruses in humans is 'GS-5734', one of the small-molecule antivirals targeting specific proteins involved in RNA virus replication.
In studies, it has proven effective in preventing Ebola in rhesus monkeys and inhibiting coronaviruses both in tissue culture and in mouse infection models.
It was these findings that brought it to the attention of a team of veterinary researchers in the USA, led by Professor Niels Pedersen of the University of California, Davis.
Their own initial studies involving experimental FIP showed that the less chemically complex 'GS-441524', the parent nucleoside of GS-5734, was highly effective, opening the way for a field trial in cats with naturally occurring FIP, the results of which are published in this week's JFMS2.
Thirty-one cats, ranging in age from 3–73 months, were enrolled in the study, and 26 completed the planned 12 weeks or more of treatment; the remainder died or were euthanised due to their severe disease.
For these 26 cats, the clinical response was dramatic: fever usually resolved within 12–36 h, concurrent with a marked improvement in appetite, activity levels and weight gain.
In cats with the more common effusive or ‘wet’ form of FIP, abdominal effusions rapidly disappeared, starting at around 10–14 days after commencing treatment.
Encouragingly, and somewhat unexpectedly, cats with non-effusive (‘dry’) FIP and older cats responded as well to GS-441524 treatment as did cats with effusive FIP and young cats. The safety profile of GS-441524 was likewise impressive.
Currently, 24 of the 26 cats remain healthy, with one having succumbed to FIP disease and one to unrelated heart disease. Eighteen of these cats underwent just one round of treatment; the remaining eight suffered disease relapses, but these were successfully treated with a further (in two cases, a third) round of treatment at a higher dose.
Previously the prospects for cats with FIP were bleak. In a review paper on FIP published in JFMS a decade ago, Professor Pedersen stated: "no treatment has proven effective in curing cats of FIP, in spite of the claims. Cats that develop FIP inevitably die of their disease in days, weeks or months."1
Now, as he approaches the end of his professional career, Professor Pedersen is considerably more optimistic: "FIP has been my fascination for the past 50 years and I am fortunate to have reached a final stage in my career having identified safe and effective antiviral drugs. We now know that small molecules targeting specific steps in RNA virus replication are capable of safely curing various forms of FIP."
However, he cautioned: "It must be emphasised that the field trial we report was for proof-of-concept and the results cannot be immediately translated into commercially available products.
"Unfortunately, the real hope provided by these initial trials has increased, and not decreased, the desperation of owners to seek out these new drugs on the black market. As eventful as these discoveries may be, there is still much more about FIP to discover.
"I would like to thank all of the people, organizations and owners who have assisted in my research over this half century and leave remaining questions and associated discoveries for my fellow FIP researchers."
Photo: Bubba, one of the study cats, in recovery. Courtesy Adel Gastle
Veterinary nurses are required to carry out at least 45 hours of CPD over a rolling three year period.
The results of an audit to discover how many veterinary nurses were complying with this requirement were presented at VN Council last week.
As part of the audit, the RCVS requested the CPD records of 1,016 veterinary nurses, including:
a random selection of around 10% of the profession who declared they were compliant when they renewed their registration;
veterinary nurses who declared they were non-compliant upon renewing their registration;
veterinary nurses who took part in the previous year’s audit who were not compliant;
veterinary nurses whose records were requested in the previous year who did not respond.
939 nurses responded, of which 72% (672) were found to be compliant and 28% (267) were non-compliant.
Reasons given by respondents for their failure to comply include maternity leave, family commitments, lack of time or opportunity and illness.
Eight members of the profession had been included in a total of seven of the previous annual audits and, each time, were found to be non-compliant.
As a result, Council decided that any veterinary nurse who was audited and found to be non-compliant in three consecutive years should have their records sent to the CPD Referral Group, a subcommittee comprising members of RCVS and VN Council who review cases of CPD non-compliance for both vets and VNs.
The CPD Referral Group makes decisions on how to follow-up these cases including, in the most serious instances, referring individuals to the Preliminary Investigation Committee.
Racheal Marshall, Chair of VN Council, said: "It is disheartening that a substantial number and proportion of the profession still aren’t compliant and that this proportion has remained static for the last three years with the same reasons occurring year after year including family commitments and lack of time and opportunity.
"However, CPD need not be onerous or expensive and can be done from the comfort of your own practice or home, it could, for example, involve reading relevant clinical papers in a veterinary magazine or journal, reflection on your professional practice, in-house training, participation in webinars and research for presentations as well as organised courses, lectures and webinars. The key is that CPD should be relevant to you and your role and should keep your skills, knowledge and competences up-to-date to ensure that you are providing the best possible care to your patients and clients."
One way to accumulate hours towards your annual CPD requirement is to participate in discussions and read content on VetNurse.co.uk. Just press the 'Claim CPD' above the content, and you'll be able to record the time spent, what you learned and how you plan to put it into practice. The system also records a link to the content you were reading, so you'll be able to refer back to it again later. Then, when you need to submit your record to the RCVS, you can export a VetNurse CPD certificate with your accompanying notes for the selected time period.
For more information about the CPD requirement for both vets and vet nurses, what activities might count as CPD, how to record your CPD and a series of frequently asked questions about CPD please visit www.rcvs.org.uk/cpd.
The full results of the CPD audit can be found in the papers for the February 2019 meeting of VN Council: www.rcvs.org.uk/who-we-are/vn-council/vn-council-meetings/6-february-2019/
Researchers say that whilst widely discussed, many in the profession may not be aware that prevalence of the disease has been steadily increasing across all regions of the UK.
Since November 2012, 177 cases have been reported, with more than 90% between November and May. However, the cause of CRGV, which often presents as ulcerations to the dog’s skin and can lead to acute kidney injury (AKI) and potentially death, remains unknown.
Practices are being now asked to report suspect cases in a bid to gain vital insight into the disease and what may be causing it.
David Walker BVetMed (Hons) DipACVIM DipECVIM-CA from Anderson Moores (pictured right) is helping lead the research: "CRGV is a disease that impacts lots of breeds across the UK. Reports show there is seasonality to the disease and therefore an environmental cause is a possible component in its development.
"This research is part of the puzzle and will hopefully help to guide further work on this disease. By collecting more information on confirmed cases, such as walking habits and diet, we hope to build more understanding in order to better protect pets and inform treatment decisions."
To gather this information, Anderson Moores is asking practices to share a 10-minute online survey with the owners of dogs in which CRGV has been confirmed, as well as some control dogs following criteria provided with the survey link.
David said: "Many pet owners are aware of this disease and are concerned for their pets; if they are asked to help they are usually happy to do so. By offering a direct link to the survey, very little of the veterinarian’s time is needed to collate the information."
If you have a suspected case of CRGV, contact Anderson Moores on 01962 767920 or email medicine@andersonmoores.com
If the pet does not survive, then histopathologic assessment of tissue will be performed free of charge to confirm the diagnosis.
In confirmed cases the veterinary surgeon will be sent a link to a 10-minute survey to be completed by the owner.
Along with encouraging the owner of the confirmed case to take part, four unaffected control cases from the same clinic, on the same day, will also need to be recruited.
When a set of five qualifying surveys (one confirmed case and 4 control cases) are provided, practices can claim an Amazon Echo Dot, provided by Bayer, as a thank you for helping with the research.
In its updated position statement, the association emphasises its support of current UK legislation and says it would like to see improved implementation of current laws, in particular when informed by an evidence-based welfare outcomes approach.
The BVA also recommends that any proposals to improve welfare during transport should embrace all forms of transport and include welfare issues before, during and after movement. This, it says, would help ensure that a well-defined set of animal welfare standards are met for the entirety of any journey.
The BVA recommends that animals are slaughtered as close to the point of production as possible and supports the exploration of further opportunities which would assist this. It recognises that transportation of live animals can be unavoidable in some situations – for example, journeys between the Scottish Islands and Highlands – but says that no animal should be exported to a destination with unknown welfare standards, to one using systems currently banned in the UK or to a country where it would be slaughtered without stunning.
BVA President Simon Doherty said: "Any kind of movement has the potential to impact on an animal’s health and welfare. Ideally, we’d like to see livestock slaughtered close to the point of production, as long as all legislative health and welfare standards can be maintained. However, we recognise the high standards of welfare in the UK and support better implementation of current legislation.
"We have taken care to reiterate that any improvements made to live animal transport should consider welfare issues before, during and after movement so that a more complete approach is taken on this issue.
"We recognise that journey length is not the only influencer of welfare conditions for animals, and transport needs to be looked at as a whole rather than focusing on single factors. The most important thing for Government to do is to consider the evidence base when it weighs up options for making improvements."
The company says it's not just older horses suffering from joint disease, 36% of horses developed the condition by the time they were eight years old.
In the survey, 69% of horses needed up to five visits to their veterinary surgeon for treatment, while 21% needed as many as ten visits. Horse owners spent an average of £2,104 treating their horse’s joint condition while 5% spent more than £7,500 on the problem.
In addition, 53% said they've missed up to ten competitions due to joint disease, with 17% missing more than 20 competitions.
The survey revealed that joint problems are an ongoing concern for many. 76% of owners said they worry about their horse developing osteoarthritis and 30% had retired a horse earlier than expected owing to joint disease. In addition, 84% admitted that they would not buy a horse if they knew it had joint problems.
In terms of joint care, 74% of respondents said they give their horse a joint supplement. 69% check their horse's legs daily and 90% implement post-competition leg care measures.
Cavalor’s Lieselot Hamerlinck said: "It is good to see that so many horse owners are using a joint supplement but it’s important that they understand what to look for when choosing which product to use. They should look for anti-inflammatory products, not just joint support and for clinical evidence on any product claims. It’s not just about giving a joint supplement every day, it’s more about giving the right product tailored to the horse’s individual needs.
"Also horse owners should be mindful that it is equally important, if not more so, to take proper care of their horse’s joints all year round, not just during competition."
For further information, visit www.cavalor.com.
Chanelle's head of sales and marketing, Killian Gaffney said: "The total UK market is around 80,000 bottles annually. However, with the major supplier announcing some re-stocking in March but full availability still under question, there is a real sense of urgency for practitioners.
"The Chanelle team worked throughout December with our manufacturing division to ensure that the UK product shortfall could be alleviated.
"Air freighting supplies seemed the obvious course of action, and ensured we could supply the UK market as quickly as possible."
For further information, contact: Chanelle on 00353 91 841 788.
Jason has a very personal reason for supporting the charity: his wife is one of the 100 people diagnosed with MS each week: "My wife, Adele, was diagnosed with MS a few years ago and the support and information we have received from the MS Trust has been invaluable in helping us as a family to come to terms with the condition."
The MS Trust offers trusted information, a friendly voice to speak to and the funding and training of vital MS nurses. Each month the charity responds to on average 271 enquiries and sends out around 3,700 information booklets.
To support Jason's efforts, visit: uk.virginmoneygiving.com/jasondavidson
Henry Schein said in a statement on Friday that it had sold the business in order to focus on its dental and medical markets and pursue new investment opportunities.
Covetrus says it will be using the experience, technology and global scale of the merged companies to provide veterinary practices with a more comprehensive set of integrated services and technology solutions, and tools to strengthen client relationships and grow their practice.
Covetrus launched on Nasdaq last Friday, when President and Chief Executive Officer Benjamin Shaw, said: "Today marks an important new chapter in the world of veterinary medicine, as we launch Covetrus as a new company listed on Nasdaq.
"We look forward to strengthening our customer relationships and expanding our veterinary practice partnerships worldwide as we bring more comprehensive and powerful solutions to market to meet their evolving needs and improve health and financial outcomes."
The company says that so far, it has had no cases of flu reported in horses vaccinated with Equip F or Equip FT in the UK. However, it cautions that in the present flu outbreak it is not clear if any of the current influenza vaccines will provide complete clinical protection against the mutated strain.
In addition, Zoetis highlights that:
Equip F and Equip FT are both indicated for reduction in clinical signs caused by Equine Influenza, including Florida Clade 1 strains.
Cross protection has been demonstrated by virulent challenge for representative strains of Florida Clade 1 (Paillot et al 20081, Bryant et al 20102) and Clade 2 (Paillot et al 20153).
Vaccination with Equip F stimulated a flu specific cell-mediated immune response to a Clade 1 strain which was detectable for up to one year after the third vaccination in primary course (Paillot et al 20153).
Zoetis says it is confident that the Equip range continues to be effective against its licensed indications.
If you have further questions about the vaccines, ring 0845 300 8034 and choose option 1 to speak to Zoetis' technical team.
References
Veterinary nurses, veterinary surgeons, students and other veterinary professionals are all invited to take part in the anonymous survey and share incidents where they have witnessed discrimination or felt discriminated against.
The survey covers the nine protected characteristics under the Equality Act: age, gender reassignment, marital or partnership status, being pregnant, disability, race, religion, sex and sexual orientation. It also includes other forms of discrimination which might not fit under these characteristics, such as body weight and socio-economic background.
BVA Junior Vice President Daniella Dos Santos said: "The veterinary professions should be open, welcoming and supportive of everyone; however, it is clear from the reports we’re hearing that discrimination is still an issue. Worse still, we’re aware that some colleagues have faced a backlash when talking about their experiences of discrimination. This is completely unacceptable.
"If we hope to prompt meaningful change we need to fully understand the scale of the problems our colleagues are facing. To do that it’s important that we provide a safe, anonymous space for everyone to share their experiences. We hope this questionnaire will give people that opportunity and we would like to sincerely thank our colleagues for their willingness to share their personal experiences with us."
The survey was developed with the support of the British Veterinary Ethnicity and Diversity Society (BVEDS) and British Veterinary LGBT+.
BVA says it intends to gather further quantitative data on discrimination via its Spring Voice of the Veterinary Profession Survey 2019.
The questionnaire is open from 2 February until 2 March and should take around 10 minutes to complete. A link to the questionnaire is available here.
The new guidance is being launched as part of the company's Keeping Britain’s Pets Healthy (KBPH) preventative healthcare initiative.
The guidance includes 18 recommendations designed to help all members of the practice team to implement consistent, effective improvements in preventative healthcare.
The recommendations were the result of a package of research carried out by Dr Rachel Dean, Dr Marnie Brennan, Dr Natalie Robinson and Dr Zoe Belshaw at the university’s vet school, including a systematic review of the literature, a survey of veterinary surgeons and in-depth interviews with vets and owners. A final study used the Delphi technique to achieve consensus amongst 26 first opinion practitioners and 8 pet owners.
The recommendations invite practices to consider a number of ways they might improve the consultation process, including: the purpose of the consultation, the role of each member of the practice team, and how pet owner expectations should be addressed and communicated during the process.
John Helps, Senior Technical Manager at MSD Animal Health said: "Our new KBPH initiative marks a step change in our emphasis on preventative healthcare.
"It aims to champion the central role each member of the veterinary practice team plays as experts in educating and engaging our nation of pet lovers.
"These evidence-based guidelines are just the first step towards our increased emphasis on communicating the importance of the annual preventative health visit.
"They support the partnership between the practice and its clients around the health and welfare of their pets, and the significant contribution vaccines and parasiticides make to the health and welfare of their pets. They also help the whole team understand their specific role in the provision of preventative healthcare."
You can download the full recommendations here.
The latest figures from 2017/18 reveal that over 120 million animals were slaughtered in England and Wales without being stunned first1.
In an open letter to Environment Secretary Michael Gove, the BVA and the RSPCA urge the UK Government to change legislation in England which currently allows non-stun slaughter for religious purposes, and provide further public transparency on this issue by releasing the comprehensive 2018 slaughter survey results, which Mr Gove himself signalled would be published by Autumn 2018.
Until such legislation is in place the RSPCA and BVA are calling for:
The letter follows a recent, high profile decision to ban the slaughter of animals without prior stunning in the Flanders region of Belgium which came into force at the start of the year. Belgium joins several other European countries, including Iceland, Sweden, Switzerland and Denmark in making this decision, demonstrating that a full ban on non-stun slaughter is possible within EU law.
RSPCA chief executive, Chris Sherwood said: "Until there is a change in the law to end non-stun slaughter, there are several measures the UK Government could introduce to reduce the suffering involved in this practice. For example, by ensuring trade deals with other countries do not include non-stun meat or live animals for non-stun slaughter, clear labelling should be adopted to enable consumers to make an informed choice about the meat they buy and how it was slaughtered."
BVA President Simon Doherty said: "The UK Government has repeatedly stated it would prefer to see all animals stunned before slaughter but has taken no action to address this critical welfare issue that affects millions of animals every year. It is doubly disappointing that data that would have provided a valuable benchmark for levels of non-stun slaughter in the UK has yet to see the light of day despite assurances throughout last year that it would soon be made public.
"There is a huge groundswell of support for a ban on non-stun slaughter, and recent developments in Belgium show that decisive change is possible where public support is matched by political will. Michael Gove has made clear that he wants to maintain and build on the UK’s reputation as global leader on animal welfare; banning non-stun slaughter is a surefire way of showing he will deliver on this commitment.
"If slaughter without stunning continues to be permitted in the UK, then meat and fish from this source must be clearly labelled, to help customers make informed choices about the food that they buy and eat."
You can sign the open letter at: www.rspca.org.uk/endnonstun and join the online debate using the hashtag #EndNonStun.
The company says the new product has been launched in response to demand from UK equine veterinary surgeons specialising in dentistry
Hexarinse for Horses is presented as a palatable, mint-flavoured, ready-to-use formulation in a five litre container.
Virbac says the antibacterial action of chlorhexidine supports the maintenance of oral health after dental procedures and may aid the management of periodontal disease, oral inflammation and the management of peripheral caries.
For further information, speak to your local Virbac territory manager or contact Virbac Limited on: 01359 243243 or enquiries@virbac.co.uk.
The PFMA says the factsheets have been produced with nutrition experts in response to demand from industry professionals.
Nicole Paley, Deputy Chief Executive, PFMA said: "We launched our factsheet range just over a year ago to tackle and dispel many of the myths around pet food. The range now covers sixteen subjects and with over 3,400 downloads, they have proved to be a valuable resource for pet professionals at the front line of pet care.
"We decided to add the Vegetarian Diets Factsheet and Food Allergy and Intolerance Factsheet to our range in response to demand for clarification on these topics. Owners are exploring alternative diets and whilst cats are obligate carnivores, dogs are omnivores and can adapt to vegetarian diets. As with all diets, they need to be well-balanced and our factsheet contains top tips.
"The Allergy Factsheet explains the difference between allergies and intolerances, which are both adverse food reactions but are very different conditions requiring different advice from veterinary professionals."
To see the full range of PFMA factsheets, visit: pfma.org.uk/fact-sheets.
Furthermore, the research found that among female dogs that had problems giving birth, French bulldog bitches are then 2.4 times more likely to undergo invasive caesarean sections than crossbred dogs.
This compared to brachycephalic bitches in general, which the RVC researchers found are 1.54 times more likely to need a caesarean compared with their longer-nosed pure breed or crossbred counterparts.
As part of the research, academics studied 20,000 bitches that required emergency treatment at 50 Vets Now veterinary clinics between 2012 and 2014.
Their findings, published in two papers in The Veterinary Record, highlight the substantial risks that bitches and their puppies face during the birthing process.
According to the first paper1, 3.7% of female dogs suffer from dystocia. Alongside French bulldogs, other pure breeds such as Boston terriers, chihuahuas and pugs, are also particularly at risk of birthing problems. Compared to crossbred bitches, Boston terriers are 12.9 times more likely to face birthing issues, pugs 11.3 times more likely and chihuahuas 10.4 times more likely.
The second paper2, which is available open access, examines the effects of difficult births more closely. It found that on average, 25% of puppies and 1.7% of the bitches do not survive problem births. Apart from the risk of death, problem births also mean that many bitches have to undergo painful and invasive surgery, with 48.6% of problem births needing caesarean surgery.
Bulldogs (also known as British Bulldogs), border terriers and golden retrievers were the top three breeds at risk of caesarean section once they have difficulty giving birth. Bulldogs are 7.6 times more likely, border terriers are 4.9 times more likely and golden retrievers are 4.1 times more likely to need the procedure compared with crossbreeds.
RVC veterinary epidemiologist and VetCompass researcher Dr Dan O’Neill said: "This new research is another piece of evidence suggesting that mankind may have gone too far in modifying dog breed shapes towards extreme conformation that can interfere with basic biological functions. We all need to fall back in love with dog-shaped dogs and move away from the current fascination with extreme-shaped dogs."
O’Neill, DG., O’Sullivan, AM., Manson, EA., Church, DB., McGreevy, PD., Boag, AK., Brodbelt, DC.(2019) Canine dystocia in 50 UK first-opinion emergency care veterinary practices: clinical management and outcomes Veterinary Record Published Online First:04 February 2019. doi: 10.1136/vr.104944.
Suitable for both puppies and adult dogs, Eradia is presented in a bottle with an award-winning1 'All-In-One Smart Cap' which stops the person administering the product from coming into contact with the solution, is child proof and offers flexible dosing options.
Available in 30ml and 100ml bottles to cater for all dogs, Eradia can be administered either directly into the mouth or on to food.
Virbac says that Eradia has been shown to be accepted by 100% of dogs2, thereby alleviating any possible problems administering metronidazole.
To find out more about Eradia and any of the other products in the Virbac antibiotic range, please contact your Virbac Territory Manager.
Gillian, pictured right, trained as a veterinary nurse at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies (R(D)SVS) in Edinburgh before gaining further experience and becoming Head RVN in a small animal practice.
From 1997-2000 she lectured in veterinary nursing, becoming Centre Manager of The College of Animal Welfare in 2000. As Deputy Programme Leader, she helped set up Scotland's first degree in Veterinary Nursing – a collaboration between The College of Animal Welfare, Napier University and the R(D)SVS.
In 1999, Gillian then co-founded the Ayrton Veterinary Hospital near Edinburgh, making her one of the first RVNs to own a veterinary practice.
The business opened in a small Portakabin in 1999, progressing to a purpose-built RCVS-accredited Veterinary Hospital in 2006.
Gillian was part of the design team and co-project-managed the year-long build. She led the sale of Ayrton to Independent Vetcare in 2017 but continues in the role of Business Director, in which she oversees the smooth running of the hospital.
Gillian said: "In today’s competitive and fast-changing veterinary sector, strong leadership and management have never been more important. At the VMG, we support the professional and personal development of those working in leadership roles to help them to manage their teams effectively and to optimise the performance of their veterinary businesses.
"2018 was an exciting year as our membership reached almost 1,000 and I am looking forward to harnessing the skills and experience of my board colleagues to ensure that we provide an even higher level of support to our members in 2019."
Dr Bohnen faced two charges. The first was that in March 2017, she failed to attend to Belle, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, in order to provide appropriate and adequate care including: assisting Belle with urination, monitoring her with a view to considering alternative treatment options, and monitoring her with a view to providing her owners with an update on her condition.
The second charge was that Dr Bohnen later claimed dishonestly that she had attended to the animal, both to the owners, in clinical records hospital records, in a note provided to colleagues and during internal disciplinary proceedings held at her practice.
At the outset of the hearing the Committee considered an application from Dr Bohnen for the hearing to be postponed as she was now based in her home country of South Africa, and said she could not apply for a visa to return to the UK until later in the year and internet access in her location was poor.
However, the Committee found that the RCVS had properly served the notice of inquiry to Dr Bohnen in accordance with the current rules, that she had had sufficient time and opportunity to apply for a visa since receiving the notice and that, in any case, she could remotely ‘attend’ the hearing via Skype or telephone if necessary by travelling to somewhere that did have adequate internet connectivity, and so it refused the application.
The Disciplinary Committee then considered the facts of the case and heard evidence from the owners of Belle, the clinical director of the practice that Dr Bohnen worked in at the relevant time and a veterinary nurse, who was a student doing her training at the practice during the time of the events in question.
Having considered all of the evidence, the Committee dismissed the parts of the first charge relating to considering alternative treatment options and updating the owners in relation to Belle’s condition. They did, however, find the charge proven in relation to Dr Bohnen failing to assist Belle with urination.
The Committee found all aspects of the second charge proven in its entirety after Dr Bohnen admitted in advance of the hearing, that her representations were false and misleading.
The Committee then went on to consider whether the second charge and the aspects of the first charge that were found proven amounted to serious professional misconduct both individually and cumulatively.
The Committee considered that Dr Bohnen’s conduct in failing to assist Belle with urination, whilst falling below the standard to be expected of a reasonably competent veterinary surgeon, did not amount to serious professional misconduct.
The Committee did however find that Dr Bohnen’s conduct with regards to the second charge constituted serious professional misconduct.
Professor Alistair Barr, chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: "The Committee considers that the respondent’s dishonesty was the prime aggravating factor in this case. Although overall it could be regarded as a single incident, the Committee has found that it involved the fabrication of a number of notes and clinical records in the immediate aftermath of the death of the dog, but, thereafter, the respondent continued to deny the falsity of the fabricated records that she had created up to and until the conclusion of her interview by the practice on 30 March 2017.
"During that time, the respondent had contacted the alarm company responsible for the security of the premises of the practice, to enquire whether the security system would record the times of the alarm being switched on and off. This indicated that the respondent’s dishonesty continued over a significant period of time, and that her persistence in sticking to her story became premeditated. In other words, the respondent’s conduct over this time indicated a clear attempt to deceive."
Regarding the sanction for Dr Bohnen, the Committee considered that the principle aggravating factors in the case were serious dishonesty towards both her colleagues and the owners of the dog and involved clear breaches of the Code of Professional Conduct. By way of mitigation, the Committee noted that Dr Bohnen is of previous good character with no other professional findings against her and that she had demonstrated some insight into her behaviour and had admitted being dishonest and misleading prior to the hearing.
Summing up, Professor Barr said: "Because of the seriousness of this case, the Committee did not consider that it was appropriate to postpone judgement, take no further action, or to administer a reprimand and warning as to future conduct. The Committee considered that the respondent’s conduct, involving significant and admitted dishonesty over a period of time, required a significant penalty, in order to protect the welfare of animals and to serve the public interest.
"Accordingly, the Committee has decided to direct that the respondent’s registration be suspended for a period of nine months."
Dr Bohnen has 28 days from being informed of the Committee’s decision to lodge an appeal with the Privy Council.
In its statement, the company blamed the situation on the poor performance of 24 practices it bought in the Netherlands, and its new farm and equine divisions.
CVS says that another important factor has been employment costs, in particular the increase in market rates for locum veterinary surgeons and nurses on which it remains heavily reliant.
The company also blames its financial performance on the poor support of pharmaceutical companies, which it says it is continuing to push for transparent and 'appropriate' pricing.
Aside from trying to drive down the costs of drugs, the company says it has introduced 'additional procedures' designed to reduce the cost of employing locums, although it didn't specify what these are.
The group is also reevaluating its pipeline of acquisitions, in particular the multiples it is prepared to pay.
At the time of writing, the CVS share price had dropped over 28% to 465p overnight and 70% since the share price peaked at 1477p in November 2017.
In the game of acquisitions musical chairs, did the music just stop?
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Bacteria isolated from human dental units analysed in other studies included Pseudomonas Sp, Mycobacteria and Legionella.
Bob said: "The Care Quality Commission (CQC) would have no hesitation in shutting down practices with the level of contamination we have seen. The dangers are real and significant for our teams as well as for our patients.
"Part of the problem is that dental units produce aerosols which can carry the bacteria into the depths of the lungs, bypassing normal defence mechanisms. Endotoxin levels have also been shown to be very high in untreated units, potentially resulting in problems when surgical extractions are performed.
Bob added: "The good news is that the biofilms which harbour the bacteria are treatable - but simply adding a little chlorhexidine will not do the trick."
Working with industry leaders, www.VetDentist.info has produced a Starter Kit for veterinary practices, which Bob says will clear biofilms and also provides a safe maintenance solution for ongoing use.
Bob says the cost of keeping your dental unit’s water lines safe for staff and patients is around 25-40p per day. Practices can also sign up for a regular monitoring scheme.
For more information and to get a VetDentist Starter Kit, visit www.VetDentist.info.
At the June 2017 meeting of RCVS Council, members decided to look into two models by which paraprofessionals working in the veterinary, animal health or related fields, might be regulated by the College under powers granted by the RCVS’s Royal Charter in 2015.
The first was an accreditation model, which would involve the RCVS accrediting an organisation which would regulate the profession in question. The second was an associate/ full regulation model, in which individual paraprofessionals would receive a similar level of regulation to that already received by veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses.
At its January 2019 meeting, RCVS Council agreed to proceed with both proposed models of paraprofessional regulation, with the suitability of each model being considered on a case-by-case basis, depending on the nature of the profession applying for recognition.
Paraprofessions whose work will need to be underpinned by Schedule 3 reform would need to apply for the associate model, as the RCVS would be required to be directly responsible for the register of any individuals undertaking such minor acts of veterinary surgery.
Two paraprofessional groups that have already expressed an interest in being regulated by the College, namely meat inspectors and animal behaviourists, will now be invited to apply for associate or accredited status.
Eleanor Ferguson, RCVS Registrar, said: "This is a very significant decision by Council to open up a pathway to related paraprofessions to apply to become regulated by the College.
"It is difficult to give a time-frame at this stage as to when these particular professions will be brought on board, as we will have to go through a process of developing a number of new regulatory structures including registration, education and investigation and disciplinary, as well as the appropriate governing bodies for each of the professions.
"However, we are very pleased that the Association of Meat Inspectors (AMI) and the Animal Behaviour and Training Council (ABTC) have expressed an interested in being regulated by the College and we look forward to working with them to make this happen."
David Montgomery, President of the ABTC, said: "The ABTC enthusiastically welcomes the news that the RCVS is expanding its influence to include paraprofessionals. We look forward to exploring the opportunity to demonstrate the professional status of ABTC-registered Animal Trainers and Behaviourists by coming under the regulatory umbrella of the RCVS for the benefit of animal welfare."
Ian Robinson, a Trustee of the AMI, said: "The Association of Meat Inspectors welcome the news that the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons intends to invite paraprofessionals to be regulated under the ambit of the RCVS. We believe it will offer enhanced security, opportunity and status, and we look forward to further dialogue to explore the various models in due course."
The College says it is also in touch with a number of other paraprofessional groups, including those representing animal musculoskeletal practitioners and equine dental technicians, about the future of paraprofessional regulation. However, before such professions could become associates, there would need to be reform of the Veterinary Surgeons Act in order to remedy some of the deficiencies of the current legislative regime and make sure that these groups have appropriate legal underpinning for their work. This, says the College, complements ongoing discussions on changes to the legislative framework to bolster the role of veterinary nurses.
On particular issue that the College says the new proposals are designed to remedy is that of equine dental procedures being carried out by well-trained but nevertheless unregulated paraprofessionals. Neil Townsend, Chair of the British Equine Veterinary Association’s (BEVA) Allied Professional Committee, said: "Change to the current situation, where legislative enforcement is impossible, horse owners are confused, and horse welfare is compromised, is long overdue. BEVA is really pleased that the RCVS has listened and is supporting a proposal for regulation of all equine dental procedures. We hope that Government will act."
RCVS President Amanda Boag, said: "This is a real milestone in the history of the RCVS and represents quite possibly the biggest change to our regulatory role since the introduction of the Register of veterinary nurses in 2007, and should Schedule 3 reform be achieved it would be the most significant change since the role of veterinary nurses was first recognised in law in 1991. It is particularly befitting for our 175th anniversary year, as it demonstrates we are an organisation that can evolve to meet the changes occurring in the wider veterinary and animal health sector and use our regulatory experience and expertise to ensure that animal health and welfare and public health is safeguarded in different, but related fields of endeavour."
The full approved paper regarding the review of the minor procedures regime and paraprofessional regulation can be found on the RCVS website at: https://www.rcvs.org.uk/news-and-views/policy/veterinary-legislation-review/
RCVS Knowledge is an independent charity which exists to advance the quality of veterinary care for the benefit of animals, the public and society. Liz will be joining 11 other trustees on the board, two of which are veterinary nurses.
Liz qualified as a veterinary nurse in 1986 and has been a member of the nursing team at Davies since the practice was founded in 1998. She is currently the Training Manager, responsible for the development of induction training programmes for new employees and the implementation of ongoing training for team members.
For further information on RCVS Knowledge visit https://knowledge.rcvs.org.uk/home/