Researchers in the US have shown it is possible to detect skin conditions in dogs using canine activity trackers. 

The research was carried out by the Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine Center for Outcomes Research and Epidemiology, Holland Management Services, Zoetis and the Pet Insight Project team at Kinship (part of Mars Petcare).

For the study, researchers recorded pet scratching activity use Whistle canine activity trackers. They then compared that information with the visual observations of 358 pet owners who graded the severity of their pet’s scratching activity on a scale from 0, which represents a normal dog (“itching is not a problem for my dog”) to 100, corresponding to extreme itching (“itching disrupts my dog’s sleep, eating, play and exercise”). 

The researchers found that measurements of scratching severity determined by the Whistle activity tracker corresponded to the owner’s overall impression of the pet’s pruritus, or itch, level. As scratching severity increased, as measured by the Whistle device, owner’s assessment scores significantly increased as well (P < 0.01).

Aletha Carson DVM, Data and Clinical Studies Senior Manager for Kinship said: “Pet owners can overlook the subtle changes in behaviour that may be a warning sign for an underlying issue and are often too late to recognise their beloved companion is suffering.

“This new method of analysing pet behaviours provides pet owners with an ‘always-on’ monitor that may be helpful in keeping their dogs healthy and happy.

“It may also prove to be quite useful for veterinarians who need an objective way to gauge a pet’s response to prescribed therapies used to reduce inflammation and scratching without requiring time-intensive monitoring from the owner.” 

Details of the research were shared at the European Veterinary Dermatology Congress on September 17, 2021.

Dr Rowena Packer and Dr Dan O’Neill, both researchers at the Royal Veterinary College, have published the first ever book condensing global knowledge of brachycephaly in companion animals.

The book, titled Health and Welfare of Brachycephalic Breeds: A Guide for Veterinary Professionals, includes contributions from 29 internationally recognised experts on a wide range of aspects related to brachycephalic health.

The authors say that dogs in particular are now suffering from a ‘perfect storm’ because the welfare harms from conformation-related predispositions to several health issues are being amplified by a population boom for certain brachycephalic breeds, such as the French Bulldog, Pug and English Bulldog. 

Although flat-faced dog breeds were invented by man over a century ago, they are currently rising rapidly in popularity. From 2000 to 2020, Kennel Club registrations for English bulldogs rose by 488%, for pugs by 601% and a staggering 17,198% for French bulldogs, breeds which have been shown to be predisposed to things like corneal ulceration, difficulty giving birth, slipping kneecap, dry eye, upper respiratory tract disorders and heatstroke.

The book provides the context of how and why we are in this flat-faced animal crisis, offering in-depth historical, social, ethical, communication, nursing, welfare, epidemiological, genetics and international perspectives. It also provides clinical support, covering the background, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of the unique healthcare needs of flat-faced (brachycephalic) animals. 

Rowena Packer, Lecturer in Companion Animal Behaviour and Welfare Science said: “We hope this book helps veterinary and animal professionals globally, who are faced with the often challenging task of protecting the welfare of brachycephalic animals. Most importantly, we hope this book is another step towards improving the lives of so many animals who have been impaired by the body shape they have been bred for.”

The book is available as an ebook, paperback or hardback, priced from £35.99 to £88.99: https://www.routledge.com/Health-and-Welfare-of-Brachycephalic-Flat-faced-Companion-Animals-A-Complete/Packer-ONeill/p/book/9780367207243 

The RCVS has published an interim report of the achievements so far of its VN Futures project to champion and improve veterinary nursing. 

The project was launched as a joint initiative between the RCVS and the BVNA in 2016. Its objectives included highlighting veterinary nursing as a career, encouraging more people into veterinary nursing, improving retention, expanding the scope of the VN role, and providing more opportunity for career progression.

The report begins by highlighting perhaps the biggest challenge facing the profession, that in 2019, 25% of veterinary nurses said they plan to leave the profession in the next five years, largely because of poor pay, because they don't feel sufficiently valued, lack of career opportunities and because of a poor work/life balance.

The main achievements of the project, which should certainly help with some of these issues, include:

• The creation of the Certificate in Advanced Veterinary Nursing (Cert AVN), to help maximise veterinary nurses' potential.
• The Schools Ambassadors Development Programme, to help get schoolchildren interested in veterinary nursing from a young age.
• The development of a Working Party to look at legislative reform to enhance the role of nurses, and in the meantime, a poster and case studies designed to promote better delegation.
• A campaign by the BVNA in August and September 2021 to support nurses affected by chronic illness.

Jill Macdonald, VN Futures Project Coordinator, said: "The report is a culmination of years of hard work, putting in place measures to champion the veterinary nursing profession and safeguard it for the future. Through the introduction of initiatives like the School Ambassador Development Programme and the introduction of the CertAVN, to name but a few, we have put in place steps to inspire the next generation of veterinary nurses and support the training and development of people currently working in the profession."

You can read the full VN Futures Interim Report at https://www.vnfutures.org.uk/resource-items/vn-futures-interim-report-2021 

The RCVS has announced that its Professional Standards Advice Team, which offers advice about the Code of Professional Conduct and its supporting guidance, is now trialling extended hours and remaining open until 7pm Monday to Friday.

The trial will last for three months.

The closing time of 7pm was decided by the RCVS Standards Committee because research conducted by both the Society of Practising Veterinary Surgeons and the RCVS determined that this is the average closing time for veterinary practices in the UK.

On average the Professional Conduct Department deals with 7,500 calls a year (which includes calls from veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses looking for advice about professional responsibilities and standards) as well as around 2,000 written requests which are dealt with exclusively by the Professional Standards Advice Team.

Laura McClintock, Standards and Advisory Manager, said: "The aim of the trial is to determine if the profession would take advantage of these extended hours and, therefore, if our team should permanently extend its operating hours to provide a better service to the profession.

"However, it must be remembered that this is not an emergency service but an extension to our standard service and advice during the extended hours will not necessarily be any more immediate than at any other time during the day because it may need further research or input from members of the Standards Committee.

"Prior to launching the trial we also liaised with 10 other UK healthcare and professional regulators and found that our current professional advice service compared favourably to others and that we were providing a more extensive service than many."

The team aims to provide clear, concise and consistent advice to help veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses understand their professional responsibilities and support compliance with the Code. It also distinguishes between professional requirements, legal requirements and suggested good practice and may offer suggestions about how professional responsibilities can be applied in practice.

However, there are some areas on which the team is unable to offer guidance. For example, it cannot offer clinical advice or advice on legal matters such as employment law, maternity rights, or contractual or civil disputes.

Advice is also available for members of the public, for example, to help animal owners understand what they can expect from their veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses.

To contact the team call 020 7202 0789 or, alternatively, email profcon@rcvs.org.uk

Virbac has pitched in with a donation of antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, parasiticides, ear cleaners and eye drops to support the work of veterinary nurse Becky Bridges helping rescue dogs in Dubrovnik, Croatia.

Becky, who works at Brookfield Veterinary Practice in Hereford, spent a week on holiday in July in Dubrovnik, during which she helped at the Dubrovnik Animal Shelter and delivered the donated medicines. More than 360 dogs, together with 60 cats, are cared for at the shelter in the hills of the Hrvasta district.

Becky said: "Because it is such a popular tourist destination, Dubrovnik does not have a stable population. Many locals leave the city and rent their homes out during the summer, leaving their pets behind. The other problem is that Croats don’t tend to rehome animals as we do. Abandoned animals are seen as ‘second hand’ so are rarely adopted and given a fresh start. The team at Dubronik Animal Shelter work so hard to keep the streets of the city free from the strays which are regarded as ‘off-putting’ to tourists yet they receive very little support from the Government. Their situation is desperate."

"My husband came with me on the trip and we spent our time walking the dogs, particularly those which have to be kept apart from the others so don’t get as much of an opportunity for interaction and exercise. Thanks to the antibiotics and eye drops donated by Virbac, the Shelter team was also able to help a young kitten with terrible cat flu which was living with one of the volunteers in his caravan."

She added: "As a veterinary nurse I'm used to ‘fixing’ animals so the hardest thing was not being able to fix the overall situation for the Shelter team - but we did make a difference during our visit and the dogs were happy to have the extra attention. This was undoubtedly the highlight of our stay and we hope to stay in touch with the charity and possibly arrange a follow up neutering visit with my colleagues from Brookfield Veterinary Practice, who have also been very supportive. I certainly can’t thank Virbac enough for being so generous with their products. They were put to very good use."

Alys Webb, Senior Territory Manager at Virbac, said: "With the majority of pets in the UK fortunate enough to be loved by their owners and to receive a high standard of veterinary care, it can be easy to forget that there are places even quite close to home where the attitude to animals is very different. Volunteer trips such as that recently undertaken by Becky make a real difference, both to the animals and to the dedicated staff and volunteers who try to care for so many animals. We were delighted to support her."

The British Hen Welfare Trust (BHWT) is launching a forum to facilitate research into the welfare of pet chickens.

According to the charity, hens have been badly neglected by the world of evidence-based academic research, with only two known papers written about their welfare. 

However, researchers are now starting to take an interest and it is hoped that the new forum, nicknamed The Coop, will pave the way for ground-breaking studies around the world into hen welfare and hen keeping.

Jane Howorth MBE, Founder of the BHWT, said: “The research about to be undertaken ranges from exploring how hens benefit our mental health to seeking good veterinary care and appropriate drugs. They will also examine how the pet hen population has grown over the years and reasons for keeping them, and which homegrown remedies are used and which work. 

One of the first bits of research to be supported by the BHWT is a study called ‘From the Backyard to our Beds’ by Jenny Mace BSc, MSc AWSEL, FHEA, Visiting Lecturer on the MSc in Animal Welfare Science, Ethics and Law at the Centre for Animal Welfare at the University of Winchester. 

The survey will collect data on the care-taking practices and attitudes towards chickens of non-commercial chicken carers, and you can take part here: https://winchester.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/from-the-backyard-to-our-beds-the-spectrum-of-care-in.  

Jenny said: “To my knowledge, this research constitutes the first quantitative study to distinguish between ex-commercial and ‘standard’ chickens. It is also the first to enquire about some niche care-taking practices, such as the use of hormonal implants as a possible means of healthcare in hens. 

“The results should be fascinating and I urge all backyard chicken keepers/rescuers to make sure their experiences are captured by filling out this survey. Thank you so much!”

The BHWT is also supporting work undertaken by Keiran Ragoonanan, a student at the Royal Veterinary College in London, who is investigating backyard chicken husbandry and feeding practices in the UK.

For more information visit: https://www.bhwt.org.uk/hen-health/take-part-in-ground-breaking-research-to-help-pet-chickens/

The RCVS has launched a series of events and activities to celebrate 60 years of veterinary nursing, including webinars, podcasts, an eBook looking at the history of veterinary nursing and an online Diamond Jubilee activities area.

As well as marking the 60th anniversary of the first RCVS-accredited Animal Nursing Auxiliary training scheme, the profession has also recently reached another milestone: 20,000 veterinary nurses on the Veterinary Nurses Register.

The Diamond Jubilee events include a series of webinars covering the past, present and future of the profession, with presentations from eminent veterinary nurses, including:

• ‘Creating diamonds: A decade of progress’ – A webinar exploring the highlights of the last ten years of veterinary nursing, hosted by VN Council Member, Jane Davidson RVN.
• ’60 years on and still shining’ – Hosted by Liz Cox RVN, former Chair of VN Council, this webinar will look at what career development opportunities have been made available for veterinary nurses and what has been put in place to attract the next generation of VNs.
• ‘Creating diamonds of the future’ – Hosted by practicing veterinary nurse, Carla Husband RVN, who will be looking at the future of the profession including how VNs will engage with the recently adopted proposals of the Legislative Working Party (LWP), how they can work towards the recently established Certificate in Advanced Veterinary Nursing and what the future of the profession could look like.

The RCVS will also be running a series of podcasts with prominent members of the profession. Each podcast episode will have a different host, reflecting on an area of veterinary nursing that they are passionate about.

The first webinar and podcast episode are available to watch and listen to on the Diamond Jubilee webpage www.rcvs.org.uk/VNdiamonds.

Matthew Rendle RVN, Chair of the Veterinary Nurses Council, said: “The veterinary nursing Diamond Jubilee celebrations are a fitting way of paying tribute to veterinary nursing – a profession that does so much for animal health and welfare. The celebrations will look back on all that has been achieved by the profession and give us an opportunity to engage with RVNs to come up with ideas for how we can continue to advance and develop our amazing profession.

“I am particularly happy about the fact that, earlier this month, I was informed that we have reached the milestone of 20,000 veterinary nurses on the Register which is an amazing achievement. When the VN Register was launched in 2007 there were just over 7,000 members of our profession – the fact we have almost trebled in number since then shows just how far we have come in a short space of time as invaluable members of the veterinary team providing professional care for the nation’s animals.”

Anyone wishing to take part in the celebrations can share their memories or pictures of veterinary nursing on social media, using the hashtag #VNDiamonds

As part of International Cat Day on Sunday 8th August 2021, Zoetis is supporting a new campaign by iCatCare to help owners get their pets to the vet.

The company points to research which showed that in the US, and despite the importance of annual health checks, 45.7% of cats did not visit a veterinary surgeon in the year the study was conducted. Of those, 41% cited the reason as their “cats did not get sick or injured.” Only 16% said they did not have the money to pay for a veterinary visit.^1,2  

Apparently, a more recent poll by International Cat Care (ICC) also found that 50% of cat owners struggle to get their cat into a carrier, which is obviously a barrier to taking their pet to the veterinary clinic.

To help more cats get to the vet, International Cat Care has developed educational materials and a range of training aids including free online training videos, podcasts, emails and giveaways. They're available at: https://icatcare.org/international-cat-day.

Dr. Michael McFarland, Chief Medical Officer at Zoetis, said: "Many cat owners find it incredibly difficult and stressful getting cats into a carrier. As a result, many are reluctant to take their cat to their veterinarian unless they have a major health issue.

“Cats are intelligent animals and we want owners to know that they respond well to training. The ICC survey found that owners who use positive training and rewards find it much easier to get their cats into a carrier, so we are delighted to support the #BeCatCurious campaign this year.

“Visits to the veterinarian and giving medicines when needed are essential if we want to keep our pets healthy and protected, for example against parasites. So, encouraging owners to be more curious and to learn something new with their cat can not only strengthen the bond between them but also make life easier and healthier for cats and their owners.

References

1. Jane Brunt DVM, “Feline Friendly Care”. Pet-Specific Care for the Veterinary Team, edited by Ackerman, Lowell J.,, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2021 , Chapter 1.5
2. AVMA (2017–2018). Pet Owner and Demographics Sourcebook. Schaumberg, IL: AVMA.

Vet Futures, the joint initiative by the RCVS and BVA to stimulate debate about the future of the profession, has opened a new discussion hospice care, and whether it it will become mainstream in veterinary medicine.

This month's Vet Futures guest blogger, Kath Dyson, a former veterinary surgeon who qualified from Glasgow in 1989, writes that veterinary palliative care, while a relatively recent phenomenon, has been growing in stature, particularly in the United States, with symposia and conferences on the subject as well as webinars and chapters in text books.

She notes the increasing number of UK vets offering hospice care, highlighting the differences between palliative services offered in human and veterinary medicine as well as debates within the profession over the advantages and disadvantages of palliative care versus euthanasia.

She said: "In animal hospice it is the pet's owner who takes on all the financial, practical and emotional costs involved, whereas human patients have a lot more support available. Euthanasia is always an option in veterinary medicine, and indeed euthanasia of an animal can legally be carried out by anyone, so long as it is done humanely."

On the euthanasia debate she adds: "Some regard euthanasia as more of a last resort, with hospice assisted natural death being seen as more preferable and only a minority of patients requiring euthanasia. Others feel that euthanasia is more often likely to be the preferable outcome of a period of hospice care in the animal patient, even though they do not rule out a natural death."

Overall she argues that additional expertise from veterinary surgeons in end of life care will help the profession be "even better able to provide truly lifelong care to all their animal patients".

To accompany Kath Dyson's article, this month's poll asks if hospice care will become a standard part of practice.

Last month's poll asked if vets are given adequate information, guidance and support on ethnic and cultural diversity in relation to a blog written by a British Asian vet about prejudice he encountered from a client. The vast majority (90%) of the 118 people who responded to the poll thought that the profession was lacking in support when it came to diversity. Diversity in the profession and how to increase it has been a key topic identified by the project and it will be one of the issues addressed in the final Vet Futures Report published later this year.

To take part in this month's poll and to read and comment on Kathy Dyson's blog visit www.vetfutures.org.uk/discuss

Dechra Veterinary Products has launched 5 mg Prednicortone (prednisolone) which can be split into increments of 1.25 mg using SmartTab technology.

Dechra says the ability to split Prednicortone into 1.25 mg doses is particularly useful when used alongside Zycortal, the only licensed treatment for canine Addison’s disease in Europe.

Dechra Brand Manager Carol Morgan said: "Dogs with primary Addison’s disease have insufficient levels of natural mineralocorticoids (primarily aldosterone) and glucocorticoids (primarily cortisol). Zycortal contains DOCP, a synthetically produced steroid hormone, which acts in a similar way to aldosterone.

"It causes sodium retention and potassium excretion, helping to maintain water balance but Zycortal only replaces the mineralocorticoid. Therefore, a daily oral glucocorticoid treatment, such as Prednicortone, is needed to address the cortisol deficiency, alongside Zycortal.

"The amount of glucocorticoid administered should be adjusted to the individual dog’s need and it is likely that the dose required will be reduced over time."

She added that a combined approach of Zycortal and Prednicortone allowed independent dose titration of both mineralocorticoids and glucocorticoids.

"The advantage of prescribing the two treatments is that the dosage for each component can be tailored to an individual animal’s response. This leads to a reduction in the side effects usually associated with over-supplementation of glucocorticoids."

There are 250 tablets in a pack and Prednicortone offers accurate dosing using a double divisible SmartTab format and accurate dispensing via blister packs. The flavoured tablets also encourage easy oral administration.

For more information, visit www.dechra.co.uk.

Vetlife is on the hunt for people to become ambassadors and help raise awareness of the charity's work. 

Vetlife Ambassadors attend veterinary events, deliver talks and promote fundraising activities on behalf of the charity, which equips them with the training and support they need. 

Maurice Kelly (pictured), a Vetlife Ambassador, said: “I like to volunteer for events so that I can chat to a wide range of practice personnel and keep abroad of what is happening in the veterinary industry and the current issues.

"Event volunteering is also a great opportunity to meet some of the Vetlife staff and other volunteers.”

www.vetlife.org.uk/become-an-ambassador

Virbac has announced the launch of the Compulsory Chipping Support Pack, designed to help veterinary practices raise awareness of the importance of microchipping and the new legislation coming to England, Scotland and Wales in April.

The pack contains a range of promotional and educational items including: 

• A customisable poster to include practice logos and a promotional offering.
• A large BackHome display for the window, the doors - wherever it can best promote microchipping to the public.  
• Further material to help customise displays.
• Colour-coordinated bunting and balloons for creativity in decorating the practice.
• A range of 'wobblers' for shelves or reception desks to remind clients to chat to your reception and book their microchipping appointment.

Sarah Walker MRCVS, BackHome Product Manager, said: "Compulsory microchipping comes in this April and awareness needs to be raised among the general public – numerous reports in the media still show a significant proportion of dogs are not yet microchipped.  The new BackHome Mini Chip has a 34% smaller needle than our standard needles and is ‘one size fits all animals’, making it easier than stocking different chips for different size pets.

"The resources in our Compulsory Microchipping Support Pack are great for practices to use. We want to help practices and the teams working within them to engage with the public in their vicinity and help to drive practice footfall."