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VetNurse.co.uk publishes a curated feed of veterinary nursing news for registered veterinary nurses (RVNs), students (SVNs) and veterinary nursing assistants, with a primary focus on the UK profession.
We select stories based on their practical relevance, clinical interest or professional significance — filtering out noise so busy veterinary nurses can stay informed quickly.
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We report across all areas of practice, including companion animal, referral and specialist settings, with a focus on issues affecting veterinary nurses in clinical and professional roles.
Our editorial approach is deliberately selective and concise. We prioritise clarity and relevance over volume, aiming to make each story worth your time.
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Virbac has launched Prinovox, a new prescription-only spot-on ectoparasiticide for dogs and cats.
The company says the new product contains the same combination of Moxidectin and Imidacloprid as the market leader, but is offered with a unique and innovative pet owner engagement programme to help practices build loyalty, increase compliance and to encourage repeat purchase.
In dogs Prinovox is licensed for the treatment and prevention of lungworm; for the treatment and prevention of fleas and also for lice, mites, heartworm and roundworms. In cats, the licence covers fleas, mites, roundworm and heart worm. It can also be used for fleas and heartworm in ferrets.
Prinovox is available in six presentations to suit all weight ranges and in packs of four pipettes. The packaging uses the Blippar platform which owners can use to 'blip' interactive icons on the product's packaging with their smartphone to get more information on Prinovox, including a video on how to use it, a reminder system and a game.
In addition, the Prinovox support package includes:
Virbac's Head of Marketing Companion Animal, Simon Boulton MRCVS said: "We see the launch of Prinovox as a gamechanger. The ectoparasiticide market is one of the largest and most competitive in our industry and we are the first company to offer a product with the same efficacy as the market leader for all indications.
"We've gone one step further by increasing the value of the product to practices by developing a comprehensive parasite protection support package which harnesses the latest technology and consumer preferences for receiving information. We believe the efficacy of Prinovox, combined with the innovative support package we're offering, will make it a highly attractive product for practices and owners and we've been delighted at the feedback we've received so far."
Anesketin solution for injection, containing Ketamine 100 mg/ml, is indicated for induction of anaesthesia. It can also be used as a sole agent for restraint and minor surgical procedures where muscle relaxation is not required in cats.
Anesketin was previously available in 10ml or 50ml bottles. Dechra says it has added the new 5ml vial in response to feedback from veterinary practices.
Dechra Brand Manager Craig Sankey said: "Anesketin is one of our most popular products in our range due to its versatility. It can be used in combination with appropriate sedatives and analgesics in cats, dogs and horses for induction of anaesthesia.
"5ml Anesketin will help practices comply with controlled drug legislation, saving time and effort in denaturing out of date stock and reducing wastage."
He added: "The introduction of the smaller bottle demonstrates our commitment to responding to the requirements of veterinary professionals and providing a range of high quality products that provide the most effective solution within day-to-day practice."
Support tools are available for customers to order online at www.dechra.co.uk, including an Anesketin controlled drug register.
Vets Now has announced that it is accepting applications for it's Nursing Edge Programme, starting in August.
The eight week training programme, which was set up by Vets Now’s Head of Clinical Nursing, Rachael Marshall, provides a full induction leading to a permanent full time position with Vets Now. It combines two weeks of lectures and interactive sessions in the company's support office with six weeks practical training. Vets Now says the course content has been designed to give nurses the confidence and skills for emergency work, providing valuable training and a salary from day one.
Vets Now says it has already welcomed 17 new nurses on board, with the potential to place many more into its small animal out of hours’ clinics across the England, Wales and Scotland.
All successful applicants are supported in practice by an experienced RVN as their mentor throughout their six weeks on the job training in the clinic of their choice.
In addition, nurses are supported with a directed training plan in their first year; incorporating a mix of online and practical courses.
Rachel Plunkett, a nurse who participated in the Nursing Edge Programme, said: “Doing this course has meant I feel well equipped to tackle all kinds of exciting clinical cases despite being newly qualified. The in-house support is incredible and if at any point I was unsure about any little thing, someone was there to help and answer my questions. Taking the Nursing Edge course is the best decision I've ever made."
Veterinary Nurses currently in their final year of study, or those new to emergency work, who wish to secure a place on the August programme or April 2017, should send their CV and a covering letter to laura.collings@vets-now.com
The service, which has been set up by ex-Olympian Lisbet Stuer-Lauridsen (badminton for Denmark, since you ask), is designed to complement the end-of-life care already offered by practices.
Lisbet says that veterinary surgeons already working with Cloud 9 told her they found it difficult to offer the compassionate care pet owners need during a 15 minute consult in a busy practice.
The new service is structured so they have time to spend with the grieving owner to help support them at this sensitive time.
Pet owners make their booking with a dedicated Care Coordinator trained to handle the situation with dignity and respect.
Because the care is then provided at home, the pet doesn’t have to experience the potential anxiety involved in transport to the practice and the owner doesn’t have to worry about trying to hide their grief from other clients in the waiting room, or driving home in a distressed state.
Veterinary surgeons who apply to join the service are given specific training in euthanasia and counselling for all members of the family. The average visit time is expected to be around 1.5 hours to allow the procedure to be carried out with sensitivity and care.
Cloud 9 says the new service offers vets, locum vets and practices a flexible additional revenue stream. Vets can select the days or hours they want to work, to fit around family or other work commitments, and Cloud 9 says it will handle all the paperwork, including payments.
Cloud 9 Vets also offers additional services such as a memory wall and pet cremation.
Lisbet is now inviting vets throughout the country to sign up with Cloud 9’s mobile service. She said: "We want to offer the service in as many locations as possible and welcome the opportunity to work with locums, mobile vets and practices."
For more information, visit: https://cloud9vets.co.uk/join-the-team/
The Canadian company highlights research which showed that the biggest challenge UK veterinary clinics face is the volume of pets (57%), followed by being overbooked (50%) and unable to take on new patients1.
In addition, earlier research has shown that 37%2 of vets are “actively” thinking about quitting, with 80%3 of the UK profession leaving to get a better work-life balance.
Hence the company offers a service through which UK practices can divert non-urgent calls to Vetster, to relieve some of the pressure.
Vetster says the most common cases treated by its veterinary surgeons are dermatology, gastrointestinal, respiratory, urinary tract, ophthalmology and musculoskeletal issues.
By diverting these cases to UK-licensed vets online, Vetster says it aims to relieve the pressure on clinics so that they can better serve pets in need of surgery, immunisations, bloodwork and other clinical treatments.
Mark Bordo, CEO and coFounder of Vetster said: “We are experiencing a global crisis in pet care exacerbated by the pandemic.
“Veterinarians are facing tremendous pressure to provide services to millions of pet owners.
"Vetster’s virtual care platform connects pet owners with licensed UK veterinarians to provide support when their clinic is closed, to answer a non-urgent question, and to improve the health outcomes of their pet and help ensure owners can care for their animals.”
Veterinary surgeons in search of a better work life balance can also join Vetster to create a virtual care practice that provides teletriage and addresses non-urgent issues.
Mark added: “Veterinarians are able to incorporate a new modality of practice to improve their work-life-balance, serve pet owners outside of a clinic environment, and hopefully practice for longer avoiding burnout and stress associated with this much-needed profession.”
Vetster is not available as a white label service at this time, and VetSurgeon.org understands that when it is clear an online consultation requires hands-on care, the owner is referred to the local practice on the platform, which may or may not be their normal practice.
Vets interested in offering consultations through Vetster can visit: https://vetster.com/en-gb/for-vets
Veterinary practices that are interested in having Vetster provide OOH support to clients, can visit: https://vetster.com/en-ca/for-vet-clinics
References
Ziapam is licensed for the short-term control of convulsive disorders and muscle spasms of central and peripheral origin, and for use as part of a sedation or pre-anaesthetic protocol. It is presented in packs containing 6 x 2ml vials.
Simon Boulton MRCVS, marketing manager at TVM said: "As a scheduled intravenous drug it is important that we have batch traceability and the proper monitoring of any side effects of such drugs to make sure current guidelines for use in the SPC are correct. Ziapam is kept at the same concentration of the previously used human generics on the cascade for ease of transition."
Simon added: "Furthermore, we’ve purposefully priced Ziapam such that it is only costs a few pence per dose more than the human generic."
TVM UK has also produced a dosing guide for practices which illustrates the different indications and associated treatment guidelines.
For a copy of the dosing guide or for more information, contact your local Territory Manager, email: help@tvm-uk.com, or call: 01737 781 416.
The surveys, which are part of Abi's honours research project, ask veterinary professionals and owners separately to place 'ability to see the same vet', 'staff friendliness', 'competency of vets and nurses', 'appointment availability' and 'appointment waiting times' in order of importance.
It also looks at whether veterinary professionals and owners think practice independence and nurses' clinics have an impact on client loyalty.
The surveys should take less than 10 minutes, and Abi has promised to share the results with VetNurse.co.uk and VetSurgeon.org in due course, so please do take part. It'll be fascinating to see whether there's a mismatch between what vets and nurses think are important, and what clients think!
The survey for veterinary professionals is here.
If you know any owners that would be interested in taking part, the survey for clients is here.
Leishmaniosis is caused by the parasite Leishmania infantum, which is endemic in some areas of Europe, but not in the UK. The patient in this case had not travelled outside the UK.
In endemic areas, the infection is carried by female sand-flies and spread through sand-fly bites. Transmission has also been reported via dog bites from an infected dog and infected blood transfusions, although the RVC says these routes have not been reported in the UK before.
Dogs with Leishmaniosis display a range of signs that can take months to years to develop after initial infection. Typical signs include:
Weight loss
Lack of energy or enthusiasm
Increased thirst and increased urination
Changes to the skin (particularly around the eyes, ears and feet)
Vomiting or diarrhoea
Lameness due to joint pain
Sudden nose bleeds
Soreness around the eyes
Treatment is available for dogs with leishmaniosis, but infection is difficult to clear and long-term medication is therefore frequently needed. Leishmaniosis can be zoonotic - meaning it can be passed to people in rare situations.
Apparently there is another leishmaniosis case reported in the Veterinary Record this week, this time where the dog was suspected of contracting the disease via sand-flies unintentionally brought back in its owners' luggage following a trip to Spain.
Myles McKenna said: "It is important to take note of this first reported case of likely dog-to-dog transmission of Leishmania infantum in the UK. Historically we had considered this to be a condition affecting dogs with a travel history to areas where Leishmania infantum is endemic. Dog-to-dog transmission in non-endemic areas has previously been reported, for example in the USA, but this case serves as a reminder to UK veterinary surgeons that we must be vigilant for conditions such as Leishmania in non-travelled dogs and that alternative transmission mechanisms do exist."
Photo: Bone marrow cytology showing macrophages with numerous intracellular organisms consistent with Leishmania species amastigotes. Credit Charalampos Attipa
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?
Full trading statement.
It’s very significant because it’s the first time the College has produced material for practices that highlights the responsibilities of pet owners, as well as those of veterinary surgeons and nurses.
As such, it should be a really useful tool to support the advice given by veterinary surgeons and nurses in practice.
In other words, don’t just stick it on the wall in some hidden part of the waiting room. Display it prominently by the reception desk, and point to it when explaining why owners need to make their own arrangements to bring the animal into the practice in emergency, for example. Or why you can’t prescribe drugs when you haven’t seen the animal for 8 years.
The idea for the poster was first mooted by Jonathan Wray MRCVS in the forum on VetSurgeon.org, after he’d seen a similar thing produced by the French regulator for veterinary practices in France.
VetSurgeon.org decided to produce an English version with input from vets as to what they would like a UK version of the poster to say.
On reflection, however, it was always something which would carry so much more clout if it came from the regulator, so we turned the idea over to the RCVS.
To its great credit, the College ran with the idea and had the poster designed and put through its Standards Committee. The result has now been posted to all practices in the UK, with a pdf version available to download from www.rcvs.org.uk/poster.
The RCVS is now inviting feedback about the poster at communications@rcvs.org.uk.
If you like the poster, I really do urge you drop the College a quick line at that email address and say so. Better still - and I will probably be put on the naughty step for saying this - cc L.Lockett@rcvs.org.uk and i.holloway@rcvs.org.uk. It was they who took the idea forward and made it happen. I think they deserve a round of applause.
Louise had achieved great things in her all-too-short life. Born in February 1974, she qualified as a veterinary nurse in 1999. She gained the DipAVN (Surgical) in 2004 and the DipAVN (Medical) in 2007. She then qualified as a Veterinary Technician Specialist (Emergency and Critical Care) in 2011 and as a Veterinary Technician Specialist (Anesthesia) in 2014.
Along the way, she was widely published, contributing to over 35 publications and lectures worldwide on all aspects of anaesthesia, emergency and critical care, surgery and infection control.
In 2016 Louise received the inaugural Bruce Vivash Jones Veterinary Nurse Award, presented by the BSAVA as the primary recognition for outstanding contributions to the advancement of small animal veterinary nursing. It is the highest award the Association can bestow on a veterinary nurse. That year, she also received the The Veterinary Nursing Golden Jubilee Award for her leadership role in the profession as a clinical director for a veterinary group, her advocacy on behalf on the profession and her research work into antimicrobial resistance.
At the time of her death, Louise was the Clinical Support Manager at Vets Now.
We all live on in the hearts and minds of the people we knew in life and from the moving tributes that have appeared in such large numbers online, it is clear that Louise was one of those rare individuals whose ripples will keep spreading for years to come:
Along with many many others i feel absolutely shell shocked to hear the news that Louise O'Dwyer is no longer with us. I've had the privilege of working with her and only ever in her shadow. The world will not be the same without her. A terrible loss to the profession. If there was anything she would have wanted it would be that the Veterinary Nurses in this world could realise their potential. I am sure that no-one will disappoint her. Good night beautiful lady - you were not a star but a supernova. Georgie Hollis.
I feel greatly honoured to be able to call Louise my head nurse and then my Clinical Director, but most importantly a friend. She was an inspiration to nurses up and down the country. It has been said what Louise didn’t know wasn’t worth knowing. Nick Shackleton RVN.
Louise had a natural ability to inspire and foster talent in others; her passion and dedication to emergency and critical nursing led her to become a leading veterinary nurse, mentor, author and teacher respected throughout the international ECC community. We were privileged to be able to call Louise a colleague as well as a much loved friend and she will be sorely missed, not just by the Vets Now team, but by everyone across the veterinary profession. Amanda Boag MRCVS
I feel honoured to have known her and share the deep sadness, expressed by hundreds of her friends and colleagues at her untimely passing. Sue Paterson MRCVS
Having listened to the recording, it strikes me that the Veterinary Record has misinterpreted Mr Innes, and the danger is that his perfectly valid point will now get drowned in a sea of outrage.
What Mr Innes actually said was: "I think it is time to start creating a more fulfilling, more rewarding career for our nurses, and I think that the Americans are showing us the way. They have vet techs and I think that we can do that; I think that isn't the, necessarily the answer, but one it will create a much more rewarding career for veterinary nurses and also some of the reason that vets leave is because they don't like the mundane stuff, so let's give the mundane stuff to nurses.
Considering the overall context of what he said, it is glaringly obvious Mr Innes champions the idea of giving nurses a more rewarding role. So the idea that he was saying: 'Let's give the shit jobs to nurses' is frankly ludicrous.
It is obvious that what he actually meant was 'Let's give some of the stuff that vets find mundane to nurses.' He just didn't express it as well as he might have done.
Mundanity is subjective. What is mundane for a vet is not necessarily mundane for a veterinary nurse, particularly one who has been relegated to sweeping floors for any length of time.
Mr Innes has come in for quite a lot of flack for some of his comments recently. I'm not sure about the other stuff, but on this, he is clearly not guilty.
You can agree or disagree with his view that nurses could be given greater responsibility and vets could delegate some of the tasks they find mundane.
But it would be a great shame if his point got drowned in a sea of outrage over semantics.
What do you think? Come and discuss the issue in the VetNurse Forums ...
Pets’n’Vets has announced that it is burying a veterinary time capsule under its new Roundhouse Veterinary Hospital being built on the southside of Glasgow.
Brainchild of Pets’n’Vets partner Ross Allan, the idea is that the capsule will reveal to future generations how the cutting edge veterinary facility in Glasgow looked in 2015 and help show just how far veterinary science has developed when it is opened in 2115.
Ross said: "The aim of the time capsule is to document the memories, hopes and dreams of our staff at this exciting point in our story, and preserve them as best we can for discovery in 100 years."
The capsule, which was curated with help from The Veterinary History Society and the British Library, contains:
Ross said: "As an orthopaedic surgeon, I’m used to dealing with cutting edge metal plates, screws and pins when fixing fractured legs, but helping develop this capsule was an entirely new challenge for me. It is very rewarding to use great science to preserve these memories as best we can.
"The time capsule has been designed with this in mind: maintaining optimal humidity, zero oxygen and steady temperature. It will be welded shut before being flushed with argon gas, all measures to help preserve the photos, letters and other contents for those that are lucky enough to open it."
In order preserve the contents as best as possible, Ross sought the advice of Glasgow Museums, which advised including archive quality paper and ink to prevent fading of writing and images, as well as the use of corrosion bags to contain the metallic surgical implants.
"I thought it would be fun to include the implants we currently use for cruciate surgery," said Ross. "This is one aspect of veterinary surgery that has especially progressed over the last 30 years and will doubtlessly continue to progress in the years ahead."
David Thomson, Preventative Conservation Officer, Glasgow Museums, added: "Sending things safely into the future is very like preserving the collections we have in the Museum. The Veterinary Time Capsule meets the highest standards for slowing down the normal ageing effects of our environment and we wish it well on its journey through time."
The time capsule has been registered with the International Time Capsule Society (ITCS) at Oglethorpe University, Atlanta, USA.
Ross said: "This will ensure the capsule is followed up and not, like the majority, lost forever," said Ross. "When opened, the contents should offer a snapshot into Scottish 21st Century veterinary medicine and perhaps it can offer a small legacy to the future of veterinary medicine too.
"Veterinary medicine is going through a huge transition at present – the scope of what is available today is poles apart from what was possible even 10 years ago – and we are delighted to help document its development in Glasgow to this point. Just what might be possible when the capsule is opened in 2115 is mind boggling!"
Greater collaboration between disciplines to promote the 'One Health' approach for people and pets could save the NHS 2.5 billion a year, according to Danny Mills, Professor of Veterinary Behavioural Medicine at the University of Lincoln.
Professor Mills, an authority on companion animal behaviour, cognition and welfare, made the claim at Purina’s 'Better with Pets' European Forum in Brussels, where experts in the animal and human relationship gathered recently to discuss the benefits that pets can have to public health.
Professor Mills highlighted how animal assisted activities and therapy (AAT), where animals are used to improve social, emotional and cognitive functioning, supporting recovery and rehabilitation, can play an important role in the cost saving. He also noted how pets have been shown to reduce anxiety in those with autism, while also easing the stress levels of parents and carers.
Attendees at the event heard an example of AAT in practice at the Sant Joan de Déu-Barcelona hospital in Spain where a functional unit has been in operation for the past six years. Here, sick children receive AAT on the advice of a doctor, both in the emergency room and on an inpatient basis. The hospital reports that the dogs help the children to have a better life and cope more effectively with their illnesses. Purina called on the public health community to recognise the advantages of AAT and to play an active part in supporting this vital element of public health care.
The panel – which also included Andrea Meisser, Vice-President of the Institute for Interdisciplinary Research on the Human-Animal Relationship, Ruud Tombrock, Director for the Europe Region of World Animal Protection, and Andrea Gavinelli, Head of Unit at the European Commission’s Health and food safety Directorate General – noted that while the benefits of the bond between people and pets are widely felt, they are sometimes hard to quantify empirically.
Professor Mills noted that it can be challenging for researchers to have papers accepted by journals or funding bodies, making it difficult for policymakers to promote the benefits of pets for public health. The panel agreed that greater partnership between all disciplines – from researchers to veterinarians and policymakers – was crucial to advancing the understanding of the public health benefits of pets and people.
Discussing how policymakers could play a part in promoting the One Health approach, Mr Gavanelli called on the pet care community to work together to provide scientific examples and data highlighting economic and social benefits. He also noted that policymakers in Europe had an important part to play by taking a holistic approach to the issue.
Professor Mills said: "The benefits of responsible pet ownership are clear. I’ve seen pets have dramatic effects on autistic children. Understanding the subtleties and nuances of how people and pets work together is vitally important for the well-being of both, and has the potential to make a massive difference to public health. But it is crucial that the industry is given an opportunity to analyse this further. Ignoring the evidence is a far greater problem than dismissing the research as being at an early stage."
Voter turnout was more or less the same this year as last: 10.9% (or 1,435) of those eligible to vote. The average over the past 10 years is an 8.8% turnout.
The two places available on VN Council will be taken by new members Matthew Rendle and Racheal Marshall who gained 547 votes and 537 votes respectively.
Eleanor Ferguson, RCVS Acting Registrar, said: "I’d like to congratulate all those who were successfully elected, and re-elected, to Council, and thank all those who took part in this year’s elections – whether by standing as a candidate, casting a vote or submitting questions for the candidates to answer."
Liz Cox, Chair of VN Council, added: "Many congratulations to the two brand new members of VN Council – I look forward to working with them over the coming years and seeing what they can bring to help drive the profession forward."
All the successful candidates will take up their positions at RCVS Day – the College’s Annual General Meeting and Awards Day – on Friday 15 July 2016 at the Royal Institute of British Architects.
Each candidate in the elections was invited to produce a short video in which they answered questions put to them by fellow members of the professions and which appeared on the RCVS YouTube channel. The videos provided by the RCVS Council candidates received 1,169 views while those provided by the VN Council candidates received 779 views.
The elections were run on behalf of the College by Electoral Reform Services.
VetNurse.co.uk has today launched 'Claim CPD', a new feature which allows members to claim time spent on the site towards the annual requirement for 35 hours documented Continuing Professional Development.
The system has been designed to make recording CPD-qualifying activity, both reading or viewing content and participating in forum discussions, as quick and easy as possible.
Clicking the 'Claim CPD' button towards the top right of a content page on VetNurse.co.uk reveals a drop down box into which you tap in the time you've spent on the subject, together with optional notes to remind you what you learned and how you plan to put it into practice.
In your VetNurse.co.uk profile, there's a new tab marked 'CPD', visible only to you. Click that to reveal a list of all the time you've accrued, with links back to the content you've recorded towards your CPD. You can also produce a certificate covering the time you've logged in a given period, and upload it to your RCVS PDR.
Claim CPD can be used in various sections of VetNurse.co.uk:
FORUMSNow there's more reason than ever before to join forum discussions, ask questions and help each other, because when you learn something in the process, you can record it towards your CPD allowance.
NEWSYou may not think it's worth recording the short period of time you spent reading a news story on VetNurse.co.uk as CPD. But if the story prompted you to spend time finding out more information, it probably is. For example, say you read about a new POM. You spend a couple of minutes reading about it on VetNurse.co.uk. But then you visit the manufacturer's website to learn more about it and discuss it with the Territory Manager. Now it has become a worthwhile amount of time to record.
CPDClaim CPD can also be used to record and claim time spent at any event listed in our CPD and Events Diary. So now you can RSVP to the event AND claim a certificate afterwards. Of course, most of the providers supply their own certificates, but useful for when they don't and if you should misplace your certificate.
Arlo Guthrie, VetNurse.co.uk Editor said: "Sharing knowledge amongst yourselves in forums has always been a great way to learn, recognised by the RCVS. But now, we've made it really easy to document what you've learned, so as to meet the RCVS requirements.
"We launched 'Claim CPD' for veterinary surgeons at the end of last year and they've already claimed 200 hours of free CPD. I hope VetNurse members will find it equally helpful, and that it'll help stimulate some really valuable forum discussions from which everyone can learn something."
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."
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.
I had hoped that the increasing absurdity of the reasons given for the rise might have tipped everyone off to the fact that the story was a spoof.
The idea that the College would ask veterinary nurses to fund some glitzy, showy, award-winning designer headquarters along the lines of London’s City Hall? C’mon. London City Hall employs 1000 staff, whilst the Royal College employs less than 100. And let's face it, the RCVS has no record of having showy offices. On the contrary, it has managed to operate out of a sardine can now for a great many years. Have you ever been in the lift at Horseferry Road? You need to breathe in.
Or that the College had set aside £6M to recruit and pay 20 veterinary surgeons as short term contracted OVs to help in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Let’s say a flight from Delhi to London costs £500, give or take. Twenty vets. That’s £10,000 to get them here. Let's say they’re here for 6 months. That’s £299,500 per vet. You really think the College is going to ask you to pay more than a quarter of a million pounds to fly in a single vet for 6 months? Or that 20 recruits would solve the predicted OV shortage?
Lastly, the quote, supposedly from an Indian vet, but one with a name that doesn’t really sound like a name (still less an Indian one), but does sound strangely like it may be an anagram of April Fool.
There have been a small number of reports of people being really upset by this story. I guess they must have skim read, or only read the headline.
To them I want to say sorry, I genuinely didn’t mean to upset anyone.
In fact, I thought it might cause some reflection on what good value the RCVS really offers. It maintains the register and thereby your ability to hold the title of RVN, it runs the disciplinary process (an essential component of maintaining public trust), it oversees and sets educational standards, it awards Fellowships, Diplomas and Certificates, it runs the Practice Standards Scheme.
All that, and more for £67 per annum?
Honestly? I think it would be cheap at half the price.
Photo: Truth is that the RCVS has operated out of a sardine can for years.By Rl - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link
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."
The survey of 812 veterinary receptionists, which was carried out in the autumn, found that only 50% of veterinary receptionists are paid more than the UK minimum/National Living Wage.
33% said they worked longer than their contracted hours and 37% said they didn’t receive overtime pay.
As a result, 64% of those questioned felt they were not paid fairly for the responsibilities they carry, which include ensuring practice protocols, handling veterinary medicines, promoting ‘sales’ eg of healthcare plans and dealing with often challenging clients.
Discontent with salary levels was exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic. 49% of respondents were furloughed and 91% of them received no top-up pay from their practice in addition to the government’s 80% contribution.
The BVRA says it recommends that Registered Veterinary Receptionists (RVRs) are paid at least £10 per hour, irrespective of their age.
A lack of access to CPD was also an issue. 56% of respondents wanted to update and increase their knowledge but the same percentage claimed a lack of time was a barrier. With 80% of practices not allocating time for receptionists to undertake CPD and 44% receiving no budget for it, one respondent from a corporate practice confirmed that they could only undertake CPD in their own time, even that required by the company, such as training on health and safety and compliance.
While participants expressed a high level of satisfaction with their relationships with vets (71% were satisfied or very satisfied) and nurses (74% were satisfied or very satisfied), the same cannot be said for their relationships with practice managers. Fewer than half (46%) were satisfied or very satisfied with their relationship with their practice manager and 51% were satisfied or very satisfied with their relationship with the Clinical Director or Partner.
Only 26% were satisfied with their working relationship with head office (if part of a corporate group). Relationships were further strained during the COVID-19 pandemic with 71% of those furloughed saying communication with their practice boss had been average or poor.
As a final question, participants were asked to express their satisfaction with aspects of their role:
The BVRA and VMG are joining forces to host a free webinar to discuss the issues raised by the survey and potential solutions. Called 'Tackling Receptionist Morale Together', it will take place from 2.00pm-4.00 pm on Wednesday 25 November. For more information, visit: http://www.bvra.co.uk/event/bvra-vmg-tackling-receptionist-morale-together/
Brian Faulkner BSc (Hons), BVM&S, CertGP(SAM), CertGP(BPS), MBA, MSc(Psych), FRCVS, founder of the BRVA (pictured right), said: “BVRA is always working to improve the recognition, respect and job satisfaction of its members. We are delighted to team up with VMG as another way of doing this, alongside developing the status of a Registered Veterinary Receptionist.
Rich Casey is President of the Veterinary Management Group (VMG) said: “This report is sobering reading as it concerns the careers and wellbeing of a group of people who are essential to the success of any veterinary practice. The VMG is particularly interested in this research as a significant proportion of our members are practice managers and likely to be line managers of the reception team.
Leadership is about recognising when things aren’t working and putting them right. We commend the BVRA for highlighting these issues and we ask all veterinary leaders and managers to join our webinar as we discuss what can be done to resolve this crisis now, as well as the longer-term steps that are needed.”
The wellbeing room is designed to offer staff a comfortable space to relax during breaks, or before or after shifts. It has comfortable seating and a small library of books covering topics such as personal development, mindfulness and stress reduction.
There are also two 'jars of joy' staff can dip into which feature top tips for emotional, mental and physical wellbeing. Employees are also being invited to put forward their own top tips on wellbeing to share with colleagues.
It is hoped that the room will also provide employees with a sanctuary from social media, emails and telephones.
Sounds like a great idea to me, although the library titles look a bit uninspiring for my taste. My ideal wellbeing room would have a few John Grishams on the shelves, limitless music, a Sony playstation, oh, and a minibar.
The gilets, which normally cost $170, have three heating zones: one around the neck, one across the back of the shoulders and one which heats the pockets, all powered by a small battery.
VetNurse.co.uk Editor Arlo Guthrie (pictured right) said: "As some members will know, I have a sideline reviewing gadgets and consumer tech on YouTube. Having reviewed the Ororo gilet, I bought a number of them for myself and my family, but thanks to a mix up by Amazon, I ended up with a spare men's XL size gilet (45-48 inch chest, 40-43 inch waist and 46-49 inch hip) .
"I'd like it to go to a good home, and I thought maybe a veterinary nurse or surgeon who now has to attend to clients in a frosty car park might be very glad of it.
"Of course, there are more women than men in the profession, so I'm going to offer one of the women's vests too."
To win one of the gilets, watch the review here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l84lRgEN1s4, then email: support@vetnurse.co.uk with the answer to the following question:
On the medium heat setting, how long does the Ororo heated gilet stay warm?
First two correct answers out of the hat from those received by close of play next Wednesday (13th January) will get the gilets.
Arlo added: "Good luck, and a very happy New Year to you all. Let's hope we all get the vaccine soon.
"Oh, and if you enjoy the review, do subscribe on YouTube!"
The researchers say that urinary incontinence affects around three per cent of bitches in the UK, and whilst the link between urinary incontinence and neutering in bitches has been suspected, this study provides new evidence on the extent of the relationship.
The research was carried out by the RVC’s VetCompass programme, supported by BSAVA Petsavers. Apparently, it was the largest cohort study on incontinence in bitches carried out worldwide to date, using the anonymised veterinary clinical records of 72,971 bitches.
The research indicated that bitches of certain breeds including Irish setters, Dalmatians, Hungarian vizslas, Dobermans and Weimaraners are more prone to early-onset urinary incontinence than other breeds. Special care therefore needs to be taken when deciding whether to neuter these breeds.
The results identified an increased risk of 2.12 times of urinary incontinence in neutered bitches compared with entire bitches. However it also identified an increased risk of 1.82 of urinary incontinence within the first two years of being neutered, in bitches neutered before 6 months of age compared with those neutered from 6 to 12 months.
Other findings included:
The average age at diagnosis of UI was 2.9 years.
The average time from neuter to UI was 1.9 years.
Bitches weighing over 30kg had 2.62 times the risk of UI compared with bitches weighing under 10 kg.
Increasing body weight was also associated with an increased risk of early-onset urinary incontinence.
Camilla Pegram, VetCompass epidemiologist and lead researcher on the study (pictured right), said: "Neutering is something that every owner will need to consider at some stage but there has been limited information on the risks of urinary incontinence following surgery up until now. The decision to neuter a bitch is complicated but the results of this study suggest that early-age neuter should be carefully considered, particularly in high-risk breeds and bitches with larger bodyweights, unless there are major other reasons for performing it."
Reference:
Kate, who has worked in practice for 30 years, said: "Pilates does more than just give you a strong core. By tapping into your mental wellbeing even for a short period, it allows that disconnection from the pressures of the day, and encourages the mind to press that reset button. We draw attention to our breathing, our physical well-being, and our mental health.
"By introducing practice pilates once or twice a week, you will find your staff will feel relaxed, mentally calm and engaged. You will also begin to find that they will suffer less and less with those aches and pains brought on by sitting for long periods, and so will suffer less with, and even eradicate lower back pain."
"By helping you practice pilates together as a team, I aim to nurture friendships, allay any clustering of personalities and provide a stable platform for all to be equal."
Practice Pilates has a network of instructors which are allocated to certain regions around the country, and Kate says the aim is to roll out the service, and cluster visits in each area, to keep costs low.
Sessions typically last 45 minutes to one hour, so they can fit into a lunch break.
The company offers a monthly subscription which provides slightly lower per class rates, or a Pay As You Go option. The service is being launched with reduced rate taster sessions.
For information, telephone Kate on 07780 603534 or email: practicepilates@outlook.com.