Ms Buttler was charged with having been under the influence of alcohol whilst at work on two separate occasions. On both occasions, she was working as a locum veterinary nurse.
The first occasion was between 25th and 28th April 2016 in Frome, and the second from 3rd July to 4th July 2016 in Salisbury.
It was also alleged that a prior conviction of drunk driving on 19th November 2013 rendered her unfit to practise as a veterinary nurse.
The Committee decided to hear the case in Ms Buttler’s absence as it was satisfied that she had properly been served with the notice of hearing and because she had stated that she was aware of the proceedings but did not wish to engage with the process. The Committee also noted that she had not requested any adjournment.
The Committee heard from five witnesses for the first charge, including three veterinary nurses and one veterinary surgeon. They gave testimony that they had had cause to suspect that Ms Buttler was under the influence of alcohol whilst at work due to her demeanour, and recalled Ms Buttler repeatedly retreating upstairs to her accommodation during the working day. Further, an open wine bottle was found in Ms Buttler’s accommodation and was observed to have been drunk during the course of her shift. The Committee found the first charge proved.
The Committee heard from four witnesses in respect of the second charge. Two of the witnesses stated that they smelt alcohol on Ms Buttler’s breath while she was on duty, with one of them stating that Ms Buttler had slurred speech and a flushed face at the end of a fourteen-hour shift. The other two witnesses also presented evidence to support the assertion that Ms Buttler was under the influence of alcohol whilst at work, while the Committee found that Ms Buttler lacked credibility because she had denied having any alcohol on the premises when originally confronted, but later admitted in an email to the College that she had had an open bottle of wine in her bag. The Committee found the second charge proved.
The Committee then considered the third charge, namely the conviction in 2013. The Committee considered the certificate of conviction obtained from the North East Devon Magistrates Court and was satisfied that Ms Buttler had been convicted of driving with excess alcohol as set out within charge 3.
When considering whether these all amounted to a finding of disgraceful conduct in a professional respect, the Committee was concerned about Ms Buttler showing no insight into her drinking, and the repeated nature of the offences. The Committee also considered that being under the influence of alcohol when working as a veterinary nurse was conduct which fell far short of the standards to be expected of members of the veterinary nursing profession.
It therefore concluded that Ms Buttler was guilty of disgraceful conduct in respect of charges 1 and 2.
The Committee then considered whether Ms Buttler’s conviction (charge 3) rendered her unfit to practise as a veterinary nurse. The Committee concluded that Ms Buttler had not acknowledged the seriousness of her actions in 2013, or learnt any lessons from it. Accordingly, it felt that she continued to pose a risk to animals and the public in the future. The Committee also felt that the conviction undermined the reputation of the veterinary nursing profession because the offence inevitably involved a risk of injury to herself and other road users.
Having found Ms Buttler guilty of misconduct, the Committee went on to consider sanction.
The Committee took into account aggravating factors, including that there was a risk of injury to an animal, the fact that the first two charges involved an element of premeditation, the fact that Ms Buttler was under the influence on more than one shift in each practice, that there is no evidence of insight from Ms Buttler and there is a future risk to animals if she continued to practice unrestricted.
They also considered mitigating factors, including the fact that this is the first disciplinary hearing she has faced, that she did not cause any harm to any animal and that she did not gain financially from her conduct.
In reaching its decision Jane Downes, chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: "The Committee noted that Ms Buttler said she had worked for twenty years without any problem and that she was previously of good character. However because there was no evidence that Ms Buttler would not repeat the conduct with regards to working whilst under the influence of alcohol she could continue to pose a risk to animals or the public in the future. The Committee therefore was bound to consider her removal from the register.
"Although it noted from the brief email correspondence Ms Buttler had sent to the College that she said she did not intend to practice in the future, the Committee decided that until she had shown insight into her behaviour in 2016, she remained a risk to animals. It therefore decided that the proportionate action was to instruct the Registrar to remove her name from the register of veterinary nurses forthwith."
If Ms Buttler chose to re-engage with the College, she could apply for restoration to the register after ten months.
The associations signed a memorandum of understanding to that effect at BVA Members' Day last week.
As part of the memorandum, BVA and BVNA have agreed to identify opportunities to work together to represent the views of veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses to the media, policymakers and general public and to raise the profile of the veterinary professions and the wider veterinary team.
The two associations have also agreed to work together to deliver joint events and support each other’s members.
British Veterinary Association President, Gudrun Ravetz said: "This memorandum really captures the importance of the veterinary family, my Presidential theme, in terms of us all working together to achieve the best possible outcomes for animal health, welfare, public health and our professions.
"At community level, we could not achieve a fraction of what we do if vets and vet nurses did not pull together and, at national level, one strong veterinary voice will achieve so much more if we work in unison.
"I am delighted that BVA and BVNA have had the strategic foresight to formalise our close working relationship, with many more opportunities to come for collaboration that will best represent the voices of our members."
British Veterinary Nursing Association President Samantha Morgan said: "BVNA are very pleased to sign this agreement to formally recognise the close relationship both professions have and therefore both representative bodies have.
"This is going to be a symbiotic relationship, with both professions and representatives retaining their own unique identity but forming a single, strong voice. This is a proud milestone for BVNA, something we have worked towards and we believe this formal understanding between both of our representative bodies is a positive step in the veterinary nurse profession.”
The memorandum between BVA and BVNA is agreed for a period of three years and will be regularly reviewed during that time.
Candidates will have the option of receiving a PGDip Veterinary Physiotherapy after two years, and will be able to practice as veterinary physiotherapists with either qualification.
The course will be delivered at the University’s Sutton Bonington campus at weekends, so that it can fit around people's existing work commitments.
Leading the course at Nottingham will be Dr Richard Payne, Assistant Professor of Veterinary Anatomy. He said: "This is an exciting expansion of our postgraduate provision and will allow us to build on our reputation for delivering first class teaching in our excellent facilities.
"The course will be run on a weekend basis over two academic years, which will allow students to continue to work in their current employment. It is very much hands-on and is designed for musculoskeletal practitioners, veterinary nurses and veterinary surgeons, but also for those who want to expand or change their career opportunities."
The course was developed by Canine and Equine Physiotherapy Training (CEPT) and has been delivered by them since 2008, but is being transferred to Nottingham due to an increasing number of applicants.
The University says much of the practical teaching will be delivered by qualified veterinary physiotherapists, both on campus and at their own practices.
Students will be qualified as veterinary physiotherapists after two years, while the third year for the MSc will revolve around research work for a dissertation based on a topic relevant to veterinary physiotherapy.
Modules will cover a range of topics including the foundations of clinical practice, anatomy and physiology, the foundations of clinical practice, applied clinical skills and clinical reasoning and reporting. Students can expect to come away with a range of practical skills such as physiotherapy, electrotherapy and exercise programming.
The course will be open to applicants with a degree (BSc or above) in a science or animal-related subject and with evidence of at least eight weeks of animal handling experience.
More information about the course, and how to apply, can be found at https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/pgstudy/courses/veterinary-medicine-and-science/veterinary-physiotherapy-msc-pgdip.aspx
Photo courtesy University of Nottingham
In addition, College representatives will be talking to delegates about the future of veterinary nursing, career diversification and mental health.
The College’s stand will have a Schedule 3-themed game in which delegates will be given a list of procedures and then asked to decide whether or not they could be delegated to a veterinary nurse under Schedule 3 of the VSA.
Julie Dugmore, Director of Veterinary Nursing at the College, and Beth Jinks, Advice Officer, will also be giving a talk at the Congress on Saturday 7 October from 2pm to 3pm about the Code of Professional Conduct and how it relates to Schedule 3.
Julie said: "We conducted our consultation on Schedule 3 earlier this year for two main reasons: to gauge how both vets and vet nurses applied it in practice and to consider possible changes that could be made to the legislation so that veterinary nurses could perform additional tasks. We hope that, with the game and with our talk, we can encourage veterinary nurses to think about their understanding of Schedule 3 and how it could be changed to bolster their profession."
Visitors to the RCVS stand will also be able to get an update on the VN Futures project and the latest progress on all its major workstreams including One Health, structured and rewarding career paths, creating a sustainable workforce and having a confident, healthy and resilient workforce.
In order to demonstrate the rewarding career paths available to veterinary nurses the College has worked with the BVNA to develop a series of case studies to show the different areas of work available to nurses including academia, management, industry and even the military. These will be available to view on the VN Futures section of the Vet Futures website: www.vetfutures.org.uk/vnfutures
There will also be an on-stand survey to ask delegates whether they would like to see the development of an Advanced Veterinary Nurse status and, if so, the areas in which they would like to developed advanced skills.
Furthermore, there will also be a Mind Matters stream at Congress (named after the College’s Mind Matters mental health initiative) on Saturday 7 October. Talks during this stream will cover issues such as coaching and mentoring staff and mental health first aid.
A full programme for Congress is available from the BVNA website: https://www.bvna.org.uk/cpd/bvna-congress
The company says the new award, which invites nominations from both pet owners and practices, is also to help raise awareness of Pet Diabetes Month, which this year takes place in November.
Pet Diabetes Month will have an emphasis on detecting the condition through initially screening urine samples, with pet owners being encouraged to visit their local vet practice.
Caroline Darouj, Product Manager at MSD Animal Health said: "There will be two categories for the award – one for the Pet Diabetes Professional Carer of the Year and one for owners – the Pet Diabetes Carer of the Year.
"A diagnosis of diabetes and decision to treat a feline or canine patient requires a lifelong commitment from the owner. We want to recognise the many loving pet owners who commit to giving their pet regular insulin injections and the practice staff who support them. We also want to create awareness of the importance of early diagnosis so pet owners can more easily spot the signs and realise that treatment is an option, which can be made easier with the use of the VetPen."
She added: "In veterinary practices there are outstanding individuals who make an extra effort to provide reassurance for pet owners when they may feel overwhelmed or fearful of their ability to cope with their pet’s diabetes. The Professional Carer of the Year could be a vet, vet nurse, animal nursing assistant or receptionist."
Pet owners and practice staff can nominate in either category. All the details can be found at www.mypetonline.co.uk/petdiabetesmonth.
The website will also be a central source of information about what’s going on during the campaign, tips on diabetes detection and prevention, plus a number of activities to get the attention of pet owners of all ages.
The deadline for nominations is 30th November 2017.
For further information please contact your MSD account manager.
Massimo (pictured left) qualified from Bologna Vet School in 1990 and spent two decades working as a specialist in veterinary neurology in Italy and Germany, following a three-year residency in neurology and neurosurgery at Bern in Switzerland.He has also spent almost 20 years lecturing at universities in Italy, including ten years as head of neurosurgery and advanced neurology diagnostics.
He said: "During my career I’ve spent short amounts of time in the UK and once I was aware of the opportunity to work with Northwest Veterinary Specialists, I jumped at the chance to move here.
"It has a fantastic reputation in providing the very best care to pets, and the recent investment in state-of-the-art facilities means we can offer the very best service to patients.
"I have a particular interest in continually improving our work around brain and spinal surgery and biopsies, and will be further researching technology and techniques to support treatment of epilepsy in pets."
Luca, who is currently a member of the Examinations Committee of the European College of Veterinary Neurology, also qualified in Italy (in 2007) at the University of Perugia, before moving to England where he completed his internship program in small animal medicine & surgery in 2009. He gained residency at a multi disciplinary referral hospital in the UK and was awarded the European College of Veterinary Neurology (ECVN) in 2012.
Luca has authored scientific papers in peer reviewed international journals and he has also been a reviewer for the Journal of Small Animal Practice and for the BMC Veterinary Research.
He said: "We’ll be focusing on changing the way we do neurosurgery to ensure the pets referred to us receive the very best treatment for their condition.
"We often see patients with intervertebral disc disease and epilepsy, and I’m looking to increase work around my main interests, including surgery of the central nervous system and epilepsy."
Liz Cousins, hospital manager at Northwest Veterinary Specialists said: "This year we’ve been making significant investment in our facilities and people, so it’s fantastic to be able to attract two experienced neurology specialists in Luca and Massimo,” said Liz Cousins, hospital manager at Northwest Veterinary Specialists.
"Luca and Massimo’s appointments clearly demonstrate our emphasis on creating teams of experienced and extremely knowledgeable specialists across the centre."
The College says it will be sending the annual renewal notice to the majority of veterinary nurses by email, so if you don't receive it, check your spam folder. Text message reminders will also be sent to those for whom the College holds a mobile number.
Nicola South, Head of Registration, said: "Last year saw a definite increase in the number of veterinary nurses who renewed on time, which is really wonderful.
"This year we just wanted to remind everyone that the College will be closed on the final day of the deadline, Friday 29 December so there won’t be any of the Registration team available in the office to assist with any login or payment issues. If anybody has any problems renewing before then, however, please do get in touch and we’ll be happy to help."
The annual renewal fee of £64 is due for payment by 1 November, and if a veterinary nurse does not pay the annual renewal fee by the end of the year they will be removed from the Register.
Payments by debit or credit card can be made online via the ‘My Account’ area or by cheque, bank draft or bank transfer.
All veterinary nurses also need to confirm their Register details and their compliance with the College’s CPD requirement of 45 hours over a three-year rolling period, and declare any convictions, cautions and/or adverse findings.
Any veterinary nurses who have not received an annual renewal email or letter by Monday 9 October should contact the Registration Department on registration@rcvs.org.uk.
All practising veterinary nurses and student nurses are invited to take part in the survey, the purpose of which is to ascertain the extent of anaesthetic monitoring, attitudes towards it and how confident people monitoring anaesthetics are.
The survey also aims to identify particular strengths and any areas of weakness, with the overall objective being to optimise vet and nurse student education and promote professional development if necessary.
The survey, which is anonymous, can be found at: https://goo.gl/Vwq1CJ. It should take 5-10 minutes to complete.
Elisabeth said: “I’d like to emphasise that all veterinary nurses and student nurses are invited and encouraged to take part. Your opinions and experiences are extremely important to us, and we’re very grateful for your help with the survey.”
Dr Crespo appeared in front of the Disciplinary Committee earlier this week with two charges against her. The first was that, in November 2015, she dishonestly and falsely made an online representation to the College that she had no criminal convictions, cautions or adverse findings despite having been convicted, in January 2015, of failing to provide a specimen of breath. The second charge against her was that, in March 2016, she once again dishonestly and falsely failed to declare her conviction when renewing her registration.
During the hearing the Committee had two main considerations in respect of both charges – as to whether Dr Marin Crespo had been dishonest in failing to declare the conviction and as to whether the respondent ought to have known that her representations were false. Regarding the dishonesty element, the Committee found the College had not sufficiently proven this, as it accepted Dr Marin Crespo’s evidence that she did not believe she needed to declare a motoring-related offence as it was not relevant to her professional practice.
However, the Committee found it proven that the respondent ought to have known that the representations were false, taking into account that Dr Marin Crespo made admissions that she ought to have checked the guidance on declaring convictions, cautions and/or adverse findings and ought to have been aware that making such declarations is a requirement of the RCVS Code of Professional Conduct.
Having found the parts of the two charges relating to false representation proven, the Committee then considered whether this constituted serious professional misconduct.
Judith Webb, chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, said:"The Committee considers that the false declarations made by the respondent were born of a careless disregard for the disclosure process. The Committee notes that the respondent could easily have checked online, and/or by telephone, as to what she was obliged to do when making the relevant declarations. She failed to do that.
"In these circumstances, the Committee considers that the respondent’s conduct fell far short of that which is to be expected of the veterinary profession. Therefore, in the judgement of the Committee, on the facts found proved, the respondent is guilty of disgraceful conduct in a professional respect."
In considering Dr Marin Crespo’s sanction the Committee took into account a number of mitigating factors including her full cooperation with the College’s investigation, her hitherto unblemished career, her testimonial evidence which it felt demonstrated her dedication and professionalism, and the fact that she has displayed remorse and insight into her conduct.
Judith Webb concluded: "The Committee notes that the respondent’s conduct caused no harm, or risk of harm, to animals or humans. The Committee also notes that there is no charge arising out of the criminal conviction itself. The Committee considers that, if the respondent had answered the online questions correctly, it is unlikely that the respondent would have appeared before the Committee.
"Every veterinary surgeon must ensure that they adopt a careful and accurate approach to the self-certification exercise, which is crucial if the public and the College are to have trust in that process. In these circumstances, the Committee considered that the proportionate sanction in this case is that the respondent be… reprimanded for her conduct."
The practice, which is owned by the Linnaeus Group, says it will be refurbishing its existing facilities, extending its premises, hiring more specialist veterinary surgeons, veterinary nurses and support staff and installing state-of-the-art new equipment.
In addition, it plans to refresh its intern programme and launch a nurse training programme.
A six-month programme of building works will include a new reception area, consultation room and medicine and surgery wards.
New services and facilities will include a cat ward, X-ray department and endoscopy and chemotherapy facilities.
Operations manager Daniel Hogan (pictured right), said: "This is a very exciting period as we grow in every possible area and work more closely with referring practices to continue to develop our bespoke and exceptional service for patients and clients.
"Our aim is aspiring and simple: to create the very best referral centre possible by bringing together the expertise of the very best of veterinary professionals supported by the very latest in technological innovation."
For more information about Southfields Veterinary Specialists, visit: www.southfields.co.uk.
Amir Kashiv faced a charge of being unfit to practise veterinary surgery after twice being found guilty of letting dogs roam freely on public highways or land not owned or controlled by him in Peterborough Magistrates’ Court, once on 20 April 2016 and once on 16 November 2016, and by having repeatedly breached court orders in relation to the same.
Dr Kashiv admitted the convictions, but denied that individually or in any combination they rendered him unit to practise veterinary surgery. This was therefore left to the judgement of the Committee.
In considering whether the convictions rendered Dr Kashiv unfit for practice, the Committee first considered the facts of the convictions.
Dr Kashiv had long taken in house dogs with physical and behavioural problems, at some stages having as many as 30 on his property. In 2014 neighbours became concerned by dogs escaping and noise nuisances, and on 14 November 2014 Dr Kashiv was served by the Police with a Warning Notice, requiring him to install adequate fencing within 28 days.
Four days later he was then served with an Abatement Notice for a Noise Nuisance about the dogs, and on 10 January 2015 he was then served with a Community Protection Notice requiring him to stop his dogs roaming and ensure adequate fencing.
After multiple subsequent escapes Dr Kashiv pleaded guilty of being in breach of the Community Protection Order at the Magistrates’ Court on 20 April 2016, receiving penalties amounting to £5,000 and costs of £6,000, as well as a two year Criminal Behaviour Order requiring him to reduce the number of dogs to no more than five with 28 days, and requiring his dogs to be supervised at all times while they were outside the house.
Two months later one of the dogs was seen outside the property, resulting in another conviction for breach of the Criminal Behaviour Order on 16 November 2016, and Dr Kashiv was fined £250 as well as £250 in costs.
The Committee then considered whether this resulted in Dr Kashiv being unfit to practise veterinary surgery. It considered it a serious matter that a veterinary surgeon should allow himself to be made subject to a Warning Notice, and that, being subject to such a Notice, he should then be found in repeated breach of the Notice and invite prosecution. While the Committee accepts that it is difficult to fence his entire grounds, ten acres in total, the Committee took it as a mark against Dr Kashiv that he failed to address the concerns of the authorities by reducing the number of dogs he housed until he was compelled to do so.
Jane Downes, who was chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: "The Committee regards this as a case close to borderline. These offences, involving the mismanagement by a veterinary surgeon of his animals and repeated offences demonstrate that Dr Kashiv had a less than adequate insight in 2014 and 2015 into the seriousness of the situation or into the understandable concerns of his neighbours and of the authorities. They are capable of bringing the profession into disrepute so as to undermine public confidence in it.
"But, in the end, The Committee has concluded that Dr Kashiv is not unfit by reason of these convictions to practise as a veterinary surgeon.
"It is apparent from the material before the Committee that Dr Kashiv is a dedicated veterinary surgeon whose life’s work has been devoted to the welfare of small animals and who has gone to extraordinary lengths, at his own expense, to do all that he possibly could to alleviate the suffering of, and rehabilitate, unloved and abandoned and unwell dogs.
"In all the circumstances and in the light of all the evidence the Committee finds that the convictions, whether taken individually or in any combination, do not render Dr Kashiv unfit to practice veterinary surgery."
All SPVS members who complete the survey online will be sent their own personalised survey results allowing them to benchmark their practice against the industry averages.
SPVS is also offering 3 months free membership to anyone who takes part who is not already a member.
VPMA and BVNA members can also complete the survey and the results will be published on their websites.
Peter Brown, SPVS President Elect who leads on development of the surveys said: "Whether you are recruiting, doing an internal pay review, looking for a new job yourself or trying to negotiate a pay rise, it helps to understand what the typical salaries are and the trends. Our new software allows you to easily compare your salaries to others in personalised results making it a valuable business tool."
SPVS is urging as many people as possible to take part in the survey as the more participants, the more reliable the results.
For more information, visit www.spvs.org.uk or call 01926 840318.
In 2009, Chiara (pictured right) was the first to be awarded by examination the title of European Veterinary Specialist in Oncology after completing a one-year small animal internship at the University of Glasgow and a three-year residency in internal medicine and oncology at the University of Edinburgh.
Alongside her clinical work, Chiara is an honorary lecturer at the University of Liverpool and a multi-lingual specialist consultant, writer and lecturer at events in the UK and Europe. Her focus is on postgraduate training in small animal oncology and internal medicine and online education of pet owners and animal carers. Chiara is a member of the general and oncology examination committees of the European College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ECVIM).
She said: "My aim is to provide veterinarians and owners on a daily basis with the most up-to-date information on cancer diagnosis and treatment options so pets can spend more time with their families whilst protecting their quality of life and preventing suffering."
Samuela is a European Specialist in Veterinary Ophthalmology with a special interest in ocular pathology as well as corneal disease and surgery.
She said: "Working at Willows allows me to be part of a talented and passionate team, and a chance to become the best ophthalmologist I can. Willows offers a very high level of patient care, and working here gives me the opportunity for constant scientific and clinical development."
The report says the greatest threat to farm animal welfare standards post-Brexit would come from UK farmers competing against cheap, imported food from countries that produce to lower standards than the UK. Therefore, the Government's wish for the UK to become a global leader in free trade is not necessarily compatible with its desire to maintain high animal welfare standards.
Noting the UK's overwhelming reliance on non-UK EU citizens to fill crucial official veterinary positions in the UK, the Committee called on the Government to ensure that the industry is able to retain or recruit qualified staff to fill these roles post-Brexit.
Responding to the report, BVA President Gudrun Ravetz said: "The report offers strong leadership and a clear message, emphasising the consumer and cross-sector consensus that current animal health and welfare standards must be at least maintained in Brexit negotiations. Prioritising these standards in trade negotiations could guarantee a unique selling point for the UK. As the report recommends, as consumers we must make sure we do not compromise quality for cost-savings in order to avoid a race to the bottom for welfare standards. We now need clarity from the Government on how underpinning processes and overarching principles, like Article 13 which ensures animal welfare requirements are fully considered in policy-setting, will be incorporated into domestic law.
"The report supports our view that animal welfare should be considered a public good and we reiterate our calls following the Secretary of State’s recent speech that a replacement CAP scheme should encompass animal welfare, animal health, disease surveillance, biodiversity and environmental stewardship to benefit not only UK producers, but consumers and wider society too.
"The EU Committee’s recognition of the vital role vets play in animal health, welfare and public health is extremely encouraging. Official Veterinarians (OVs) working in abattoirs protect and reassure UK consumers, certifying and supervising the import and export of animals and animal products to third countries. As I outlined in my evidence to the Committee, some estimates suggest 95% of OVs working in UK abattoirs graduated overseas, mostly in the EU. However, we are already hearing of fewer applicants for veterinary public health roles since the referendum.
"There are significant concerns about the potential impact of a post-Brexit veterinary workforce shortage on the UK's £100 billion agri-food sector, in terms of risking business and consumer confidence as well as the UK’s future export capability. A strong, sustainable veterinary workforce is absolutely vital to safeguarding animal health, welfare and public health post Brexit."
The rationale for completing a course of antibiotics has always been to prevent the growth of drug-resistant bacteria. However, the article says there is little evidence to support this idea, and that in fact, taking antibiotics for longer than necessary presents a greater risk of causing antibiotic resistance.
Responding to article, BVA Junior Vice President John Fishwick said: "We're very aware of the global threat antimicrobial resistance poses to human and animal health, and the UK veterinary profession is committed to the responsible use of antibiotics. Medicines should never be used to compensate for poor husbandry practices and routine habitual prophylactic use in healthy animals to prevent disease is a no-go.
"The article in the BMJ suggests that antibiotics should be used for as short a period as possible, and that we should move away from the concept of following a predetermined course. This may indeed be a very important advance, but it is far too early to determine how this would work in veterinary practice. We need to clearly establish the evidence supporting it.
"We support the researchers’ calls for clinical trials to determine the most effective strategies for antibiotic treatment. Until further studies are conducted, it is too early to change the way we prescribe medicines and vets should continue to prescribe as previously, only when necessary. It is also vital that clients continue to follow the directions given by their vets, both in terms of dosage and duration of treatment, carefully."
In a short video produced by Elanco Animal Health, Natalie highlighted how critical pet behaviour is to achieve a clinical cure: "Many of our cases that are referred for surgery are because the owner can’t apply treatment. However, we still treat the majority medically, alongside behavioural therapy.
"Prioritising your diagnostics in the consult, especially ear cytology, being able to identify subtle behavioural cues and potentially taking treatment back into the practice can all help achieve first-line treatment success."
Emily said: "Treatment doesn’t need to be merely 'tolerated'; it should be a positive experience. Just one bad experience can be hard to overcome so it’s important to get it right first time."
According to a survey commissioned by Elanco1, 45% of owners struggle to administer ear medications at home. 55% of those said the dog finds it stressful, while 43% said their dog hides from treatment.
Natalie said: "Owners often won’t admit that they struggle to apply ear treatments so it is up to us to ask the right questions and make them feel at ease in order to find out."
Emily added: "Owners often feel guilty and think they should be able to apply the treatment. We frequently underestimate how stressful this can be; having to apply treatment once a day to a painful dog is really difficult for any owner and can seriously affect the bond with their pet."
Natalie says treatment choices should be influenced by subtle behavioural cues in the consultation and in some cases veterinary surgeons should consider taking the burden of treatment away from the owner and into the practice in the first instance, to prevent negative experiences and unnecessary stress. She said: "We often find that applying a long-acting treatment in the consultation can make a big difference. It has less of an impact on the pet-owner bond and can help prevent behavioural issues that develop all too commonly."
Elanco highlights a recent clinical study2 which looked at the impact of Osurnia on quality of life, which concluded that: "A veterinarian-administered otic gel provided equivalent efficacy and higher QoL to dogs with otitis externa and their owners, compared to an owner-administered topical otic therapy".
Natalie said: "It’s our responsibility to proactively prevent the negative association with ear handling, making ear treatment a positive and easy experience. By thinking more about how we handle our patients and what we’re dispensing, potentially using a product that can be applied in the practice and less frequently, we can make the whole experience a lot better for dogs and owners."
References
In their report, RCVS assessors highlighted the calm and professional environment at Lumbry Park, which they said, taken together with the enthusiasm of the team provided a very positive overall feel. Its provision of separate dog and cat patient visiting rooms was also singled out as a good use of space and support for clients, especially with the potential for long stay cases.
Lumbry Park Hospital Director Ray Girotti said: "We wanted to participate in the Practice Standards Scheme to benchmark the service we offer to our patients and their owners against the best veterinary hospitals in the country. The whole team has worked together to get us to this stage and we are delighted that our efforts have been recognised by the RCVS with the award of Hospital status."
The epidemic of respiratory disease in early 2010 was characterised by coughing and nasal discharge.
The disease spread through the population of 77,000 Icelandic horses within weeks, leading to a self-imposed ban on their export and significant economic cost to the country.
Initially, due to the speed at which the disease had spread, a viral cause was suspected. However, investigations by researchers at the University of Iceland showed that only Streptococcus zooepidemicus was consistently recovered from coughing horses and rare fatal cases of infection. However, this bacterium is also often found in healthy horses.
The AHT and the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute were brought in to investigate. Dr Simon Harris from the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute said: "To identify the culprit, we sequenced the DNA from 257 samples of bacteria from diseased animals and people. This showed that one specific strain of S. zooepidemicus, called ST209, was the likely culprit, and we also found this strain in a human case of blood poisoning. This study highlights, for the first time, how DNA sequencing can be used to identify endemic strains of bacteria and distinguish them from the cause of an epidemic infection."
Iceland is free of all major equine infectious diseases thanks to the ban on the importation of horses into the country in 1882. Consequently, Icelandic horses are particularly susceptible to any new bacteria or virus that crosses the border, and so strict biosecurity regulations are in place to help protect them.
Dr. Sigríður Björnsdóttir of the MAST Icelandic Food and Veterinary Authority, used information from owners and veterinary surgeons to build an epidemiological network. This enabled her to identify an equine rehabilitation centre where horses exercised in a water treadmill. The water treadmill is thought to have provided the perfect conditions for transmitting the disease as water was splashed up and ingested. Horses would complete their rehabilitation and return home, whilst incubating the disease, taking the infection with them.
The ST209 strain of S. zooepidemicus found in Iceland has also been recovered from a coughing horse in Sweden and an abdominal abscess in a Finnish horse trainer.
Dr Andrew Waller, Head of Bacteriology at the AHT, said: "There are a couple of theories as to how the strain entered Iceland. These bacteria are able to survive outside a horse for a week or so, which means the import of contaminated equipment or clothing is the most likely route by which ST209 entered Iceland. However, this particular strain could have even infected a human who travelled to Iceland, before spreading the strain back to a horse and triggering the epidemic.
"We are delighted to have helped uncover the likely identity of the cause of this epidemic. Our investigation highlights the ability of S. zooepidemicus strains to cause disease in animals and people. We found evidence that even endemic strains of S. zooepidemicus were likely causing cases of respiratory disease in Icelandic horses, illustrating that this group of bacteria causes more clinical problems in horses than was previously thought. We hope that raising awareness of the cause of this epidemic, and the likely involvement of a water treadmill as a key factor in disease transmission, will encourage veterinarians around the world to improve disease control precautions preventing future epidemics."
The booklet contains practical advice on handling rabbits, anaesthetic drugs, procedures and what to look out for from the moment the rabbit arrives into the practice up to recovery and homecare. Special attention is given to reducing anxiety in rabbit patients as much as possible at every stage.
Topics covered in the booklet include: medications in rabbits generally used according to the UK prescribing cascade, preparing for rabbit anaesthesia in clinic, staff training, an overview of anaesthetic drugs, the induction process and important points of difference, monitoring and recovery and adjunctive treatments.
Richard Beckwith, country manager of Jurox said: "Rabbits are prey species and often become stressed in the veterinary practice environment which can have a negative impact during anaesthesia and post-anaesthesia. Our new Considerations for Anaesthetising Rabbits expert panel guidelines booklet will help address this and raise anaesthesia and analgesia standards in veterinary practices."
For more information, visit www.alfaxan.co.uk, contact Jurox customer services on info@jurox.co.uk or telephone 0800 500 3871.
Vet Direct says the unit, which is used for the diagnosis and monitoring of anaemia in dogs, cats and horses, requires only a simple ear-prick test to deliver a result.
Leon Wright, managing director at Vet Direct, said: "The AniPoc device eliminates the need to draw blood with a syringe, a simple pin prick is enough, and is perfect for both veterinary practices and home visits.
"The speed and accuracy of the product means that it is better equipped to monitor animals undergoing anaesthesia or transfusions, and can be used to effectively screen animals taking part in Pet Blood Banks and mobile clinics."
Vet Direct says the AniPoc also delivers results much faster than a centrifuge and doesn’t require any time to be spent in the lab; a process which can take 10-20 minutes to get a result - by which time they are often out-of-date in critical cases.
The AniPoc Handheld Monitor and Starter Kit is available from Vet Direct for £250.
For more information, visit www.vet-direct.com or call 0800 068 3300.
The charity points out that with the arrival of winter, so comes an increase in the number of cats poisoned by antifreeze. For this reason, it has produced the poster to try and raise awareness of the fact that due to their specialised metabolism, a teaspoon or less of antifreeze can be enough to cause serious illness or death and even a curious lick of a small spillage can be enough to poison a cat.
The poster can be downloaded free of charge here: https://icatcare.org/sites/default/files/PDF/antifreeze-campaign-poster.pdf.
Alternatively, a hard copy can be ordered from the iCatCare shop for a small fee to cover postage: https://icatcare.org/product/antifreeze-poster
More information for pet owners can be found at: https://icatcare.org/advice/keeping-cats-safe/antifreeze
Instead, eligible clients are being invited to join PDSA Pet Care, a new scheme costing £4.50 per month which entitles them to veterinary consultation, one primary vaccination course or booster each year (including a health check), a 20% discount on qualifying treatments in private practice, access to a nurse-led 24/7 triage service and preferential rates on PDSA pet insurance.
The PDSA says that pet owners and practices registered to the current Pet Practice service have been informed directly about the changes, which are being introduced over the next 12 months, as the current service is gradually phased out.
PDSA Director of Veterinary Services, Richard Hooker, said: "Following the review it was clear that the PDSA Pet Practice model was no longer financially sustainable for the charity in its existing form. However, it was important to many practices and PDSA to identify how we can best continue to offer some help to pet owners who live outside the catchment area of our Pet Hospital network and who have a need for affordable veterinary care and advice.
"We are grateful to all those in the profession who contributed to the development of the new scheme. It provides a more sustainable way in which to support households on low incomes across the UK. We are hopeful that practices will look to work with us to support pets and owners in their local communities by participating in the replacement scheme.
"We are mindful that any changes to our service can have an impact on some pet owners and our colleagues in the profession. This is why we have consulted on these moves and put measures in place to support those most affected."
Clients currently using the Pet Practice service who have a pet with a lifelong chronic condition will continue to receive some financial support towards the cost of their pet’s ongoing care and treatment via the PDSA Chronic Voucher scheme, which offers £25 per month towards the ongoing care of their pet for its lifetime.
The charity says it is also looking at a number of specific locations, where existing clients and their pets could supported by its Pet Hospital network when the current Pet Practice service closes.
Richard Hooker added: "The changes to the Pet Practice service are part of a much wider review of PDSA charitable services carried out this year. We have also made changes to our Pet Hospital service: reducing the number of eligible pets that owners can register for free treatment, from three to one, and withdrawing our Pet Treatment Fund.
"These important steps ensure that our available funds are targeted as effectively as possible, achieving our charitable aims of preventing illness, educating pet owners and treating sick animals.
"As a charity we receive no Government funding and rely on the generosity of our supporters and clients to run our services, which cost more than £60 million each year to fund."
Instead of conducting major open surgery, Chris Shales, an RCVS and European Specialist in Small Animal Surgery, Andrew Kent, a European Specialist in Internal Medicine, and the cardiology team at Willows are using coil embolization, a minimally invasive technique which they say is far safer and less likely to lead to post-operative complications.
The procedure involves threading tiny coils, via the jugular vein, through the venous system and positioning them in the blood vessel that needs to be closed. The coils encourage the blood to form a clot and so, over time, seal the vein.
Chris said: "This procedure of treating intrahepatic portosystemic shunts is associated with a lower risk of mortality and a lower surgical morbidity rate when comparted to open surgery. The overall outcome of the two approaches is similar in terms of reduction of flow through the shunt vessel.
"Access is gained via a small incision in the neck to allow the team to operate on the liver via the jugular vein using fluoroscopy to visualise the placement of a stent within the vena cava and embolization coils within the abnormal vessel.
"Intrahepatic shunts can be extremely challenging for the surgical team to access with the result that standard, open surgical treatment of these abnormal vessels can risk life-threatening complications and animals can require a significant time to recover."
For more information about shunt surgery at Willows, contact Chris Shales or Small Animal Internal Medicine Specialist Andrew Kent on 0121 712 7070 or email enquiries@willows.uk.net.
Photo: Chris Shales, left, with Andrew Kent, centre, and cardiologist Mike Martin.
Mr Gove ministerial statement followed the brouhaha last week when MP's voted against transferring the EU protocol on animal sentience into UK law.
However, Conservative MP Zac Goldsmith said in a tweet that the vote had not been about whether or not MPs recognise animals as sentient, but about the best legal framework within which to deliver high standards of animal welfare. Rachel Maclean, MP for Redditch also weighed in, saying that the idea that MPs had voted against animals as sentient beings was 'fake news'.
Mr Gove's ministerial statement reads as follows:
"This Government is committed to the very highest standards of animal welfare. As the Prime Minister has set out, we will make the United Kingdom a world leader in the care and protection of animals.
It has been suggested that the vote last week on New Clause 30 of the EU Withdrawal Bill somehow signalled a weakening in the protection of animals - that is wrong. Voting against the amendment was not a vote against the idea that animals are sentient and feel pain - that is a misconception.
Ministers explained on the floor of the house that this Government’s policies on animal welfare are driven by our recognition that animals are indeed sentient beings and we are acting energetically to reduce the risk of harm to animals – whether on farms or in the wild. The vote against New Clause 30 was the rejection of a faulty amendment, which would not have achieved its stated aims of providing appropriate protection for animals.
The Prime Minister has made clear that we will strengthen our animal welfare rules. This government will ensure that any necessary changes required to UK law are made in a rigorous and comprehensive way to ensure animal sentience is recognised after we leave the EU. The Withdrawal Bill is not the right place to address this, however we are considering the right legislative vehicle.
We are already proposing primary legislation to increase maximum sentences for animal cruelty from six months to five years, and the creation of a new statutory, independent body to uphold environmental standards.
The current EU instrument – Article 13 – has not delivered the progress we want to see. It does not have direct effect in law – in practice its effect is very unclear and it has failed to prevent practices across the EU which are cruel and painful to animals.
In contrast, here in the UK, we are improving animal welfare standards without EU input and beyond the scope of Article 13. We are making CCTV mandatory in all slaughterhouses – a requirement which goes above and beyond any EU rule. We will consult on draft legislation to jail animal abusers for up to five years – more than almost every other European nation. We propose combatting elephant poaching with a ban on the ivory trade which is more comprehensive than anywhere else in Europe. Our ban on microbeads which harm marine animals has been welcomed by Greenpeace as “the strongest in the world”, and is certainly the strongest in Europe.
Once we have left the EU there is even more we could do. EU rules prevent us from restricting or banning the live export of animals for slaughter. EU rules also restrict us from cracking down on puppy smuggling or banning the import of puppies under 6 months. Article 13 has not stopped any of these practices – but leaving the EU gives us the chance to do much better. We hope to say more in these areas next year.
This government will continue to promote and enhance animal welfare, both now and after we have left the EU."
Photo: Curious cattle on farmland in Cornwall UK. Shzphoto/Shutterstock
Positive lists are evidence-based regulations that permit the sale and keeping of only those species that are suitable to keep in the home, and that do not pose a disproportionate risk to people or the environment. All other species are prohibited from keeping or may only be kept with a special permit (by those who can demonstrate that they have specialist facilities or expertise).
The results of the poll were 512 in favour, and, er, one against.
The APA says it was delighted at the enthusiastic response from the veterinary community. APA Director, Elaine Toland said: "We are grateful to all those delegates who took part in the poll and offered their valuable insight. Throughout the two days, exotic animal vets and nurses in particular aired their frustrations about the poor state of animals that frequently present at their clinics, where even the most basic husbandry standards are not met. Some described the positive list proposition as a no-brainer".
The Animal Protection Agency is working as part of Eurogroup for Animals alongside Animal Advocacy and Protection (AAP) in the Netherlands and OneKind in Scotland to develop and galvanise support for positive lists as a means of reducing the large-scale animal suffering that is currently part and parcel of the exotic pet industry.
In order to raise awareness and encourage discussion within the veterinary profession about positive lists, APA is organising a seminar for veterinary surgeons and nurses: Positively shaping the future of pet-keeping, taking place in London during 2018 (date and venue to be confirmed).
To register interest in the seminar or to join the mailing list for more information and updates, email: info@apa.org.uk with PostiveList4Pets in the subject line.
The seminar will count as 5 CPD hours and certificates of attendance will be issued.