For those new to the club, the idea is that every two weeks, we pick an article in Veterinary Practice and invite the author to join us on VetNurse.co.uk, so that you can ask questions and discuss the subject with one another.
As a bonus, you can claim time spent reading or participating in the discussion towards your annual CPD requirement.
Just press the claim CPD button at the top right of the discussion thread.
For this first discussion of 2023, author Shelly Jefferies RVN, NCertPT, a clinical coach with over twenty years experience as a veterinary nurse (and founder of the Facebook group SVN2RVN) will be joining us this week to answer questions about 'Becoming a Cat-friendly Clinic'.
To take part, first read her article here: https://www.veterinary-practice.com/article/becoming-a-cat-friendly-clinic
Then come and join the VetNurse Clinical Article Club and post your questions here: https://www.vetnurse.co.uk/vetnurse-clinical-article-club/
VetNurse.co.uk Editor, Arlo Guthrie said: "I hope lots of you will come and join the club. It really is a great opportunity to learn from experts in a professional, moderated forum, where you can be confident of a friendly welcome."
There'll be tours of the hospital, including the new consulting suite, together with the opportunity to meet NWVS specialists, clinicians, nurses and client care personnel.
Food and refreshments will be served throughout the day, and the practice is also laying on some physiotherapy demonstrations.
Clinical director Prue Neath said: “Our open day for veterinary practice teams is a great opportunity to showcase to the veterinary profession the modern facilities and cutting-edge equipment we have on offer, further enhanced by our major expansion.
“The upgrades ensure we can continue to deliver the very best of care and treatments to our pet patients, while offering a first-class working environment for our valued colleagues.”
To book a place: www.nwspecialists.com/vet-professionals/open-day/registration
The new course, which starts in February, is only the second such course to be offered to practice nurses in the UK. It's designed for anyone who wants to advance their knowledge and skills in practice nursing to a mastery level, beyond that of the RCVS Day One Skills and Competences.
CVS says the course is applicable to working within the practice consulting room or district nurse environments. Modules cover professional practice and legislation, consulting skills, nutrition and diet, medical clinics, prescribing and dispensing for the practice nurse, coaching, mentoring and support, and practical practice nurse skills.
The 12-18 month course will be taught online, with a face-to-face induction and assessments.
Jacqueline Evans, Head of CVS Group’s Chester Veterinary Training Centre, said: “Our veterinary nurses are hugely important to us.
"A good nurse, offering great care, is fundamental to a good practice.
"So we wanted to increase the breadth of veterinary nurse training – both for CVS and external nurses – to give them the opportunity to progress their careers and be the very best they can be."
The course costs £2500 + VAT
To apply, visit www.chestervtc.co.uk or email: nursingschool@cvsvets.com.
Willows says it is currently the only centre in the UK to offer the procedure, and one of very few in the world.
Simon Swift, an RCVS and European specialist in small animal cardiology (pictured right), heads the cardiology team at Willows.
He said: “Transcatheter edge-to-edge mitral valve repair (TEER) is already considered an alternative to surgical repair in human patients and there have been some very promising early clinical results in dogs.
“The procedure is performed under general anaesthesia through a small incision in the chest wall.
“Access within the beating heart is achieved by a needle puncture at the apex of the heart which is highlighted by continuous X-ray images and an ultrasound of the heart via a probe placed in the oesophagus.
“This allows correct positioning of a V-clamp across the mitral valve to reduce the amount of leakage.
“It’s a procedure that delivers meaningful results and an improved quality of life and, because it’s a minimally invasive process, patients are typically discharged from hospital within two days.”
www.willows.uk.net
Ear cropping in UK dogs was exposed by BBC’s Panorama as a growing problem particularly with extreme mix breeds such as American Bullies and XL Bullies.
Dave said: “We need to urgently relook at legislation in the UK to prevent the serious rise in ear cropping which we’ve witnessed in recent years.”
It is currently illegal for a dog’s ears to be cropped in the UK, and proposals for a ban on importing dogs with cropped ears have been put forward by the Government. However, Dave says this legislation doesn’t go far enough to prevent an exponential rise in dogs with cropped ears, which some owners see as a status symbol: “At the moment the legislation in the UK is very hard to enforce unless you actually catch someone in the act of cropping the dog’s ears.
“It’s not currently illegal for someone to own a dog with cropped ears.
"So, if an owner were challenged by enforcement agencies, they’d just say ‘I bought the dog like this’ and there’s no liability.” “We propose that any dogs who already have cropped ears at the time the ban is due to come into force, must be registered on a database, which enforcement agencies and the veterinary profession would have access to.
"And for anyone owning an unregistered dog with cropped ears after the legislation comes into effect, then it’s a criminal offence.”
The Panorama programme also exposed co-ownership – where the breeder and the pet owner share ownership of the dog, often the bitch – as a system which has enabled unscrupulous breeders to get around current laws on dog breeding in the UK.
The breeder retains ownership of the stud dog and uses the network of co-owned female dogs for reproduction purposes. Dave said: “People need to be made aware of the risks of entering into a legal contract as a co-owner of one of these extreme mix breed dogs. “All the contracts I have seen in my role as an expert witness are strongly weighed in favour of the breeder. “So for example if the bitch does not have the requisite number of litters, or becomes ill or injured and has to be put to sleep, then the co-owner is fully liable for the full purchase cost of the dog to the breeder. “Considering that the female dogs are often valued in excess of £12k and the breeder may well have connections to organised crime or have a criminal record, there are huge risks for people entering into co-ownership.”
The new machine is a modular system using low-flow anaesthesia for animals from 2-80kg.
The company says that compared to anaesthetic techniques which use high fresh gas flow rates, it functions without posing a risk to team members from the huge amounts of oxygen and inhalational anaesthetic agents that would otherwise be released.
In turn, this results in cost savings from unwasted agents, and a typical 5 to 10 times reduction in environmental damage.
Darvall founder, Dr Colin Dunlop, said: “For optimal outcome from anaesthesia, veterinary anaesthesiologists and veterinarians routinely make decisions about the physiological well-being of the patient, the environmental impact of their actions, the operational efficiency of their practice and cost-effectiveness.
"Having suitable equipment that uses low-flow anaesthesia will reduce the risk of hypothermia, improve team safety, reduce environmental emissions and reduce costs.”
“Low-flow anaesthesia not only reduces oxygen flows and inhalant agent consumption to less than 10% of high-flow, non-rebreathing systems, it can help reduce anaesthetic hypothermia because it uses warm gas when using the Darvall heated breathing circuits.
"Using our specifically designed modern system for veterinary patients addresses the traditional challenges associated with low-flow anaesthesia and hypothermia.
Darvall says the use of just one system will also simplify staff training and ensure familiarity.
https://darvallvet.com
Dr Power faced a number of charges relating to alleged clinical and communications failings surrounding surgery carried out on two separate dogs on two separate occasions.
The first concerned laryngeal tieback surgery carried out on Harvey, a Tibetan Terrier in March 2018, and the second concerned oesophageal surgery carried out on a boxer dog, Boss, in October 2018.
The College withdrew a number of the charges at the start of the hearing, and more later after hearing from witnesses.
Of the remainder, Dr Power admitted that she had not undertaken pre-operative radiographs before proceeding with the laryngeal surgery, had failed to perform the surgery appropriately (she dissected excessive tissue and had inappropriately placed sutures), and had undertaken the surgery when it was outside her area of competence.
In relation to the oesophageal surgery, Dr Power admitted failing to provide a referral report and/or clinical records to the veterinary practice he was referred from, despite requests from the practice.
The Committee found that the majority of the charges which had not been withdrawn or admitted by Dr Power, not proven.
However, the Committee found that in addition to the admitted charges, Dr Power had subjected the dog undergoing oesophageal surgery to an excessive 9.5 hours of anaesthesia.
The Committee then went on to consider whether the proven charges amounted to serious professional conduct.
Counsel for the College submitted that Dr Power’s conduct breached the part of the Code of Professional Conduct relating to veterinary surgeons keeping within their area of competence and referring responsibly; and providing veterinary care that is appropriate and adequate.
In terms of aggravating factors, the College submitted that there was both actual injury to the animal, as well as actions that posed a risk of injury, that Dr Power financially benefitted from the alleged misconduct as she was paid to perform a procedure outside her competence, and that she occupied a position of increased trust and responsibility as she advertised herself as a practitioner who accepted referrals and was competent to perform soft tissue surgery.
Dr Power’s counsel submitted that the charges that had been found proven amounted to clinical and administrative failings and that this was not a case of a veterinary surgeon deliberately or recklessly acting outside of their capabilities, but rather a case where a diligent and responsible veterinary surgeon had fallen short in discrete areas of her clinical practice and had reasonably believed at the time that she was competent to perform the surgery.
The Committee found that although the conduct within the proven charges fell short of what would be reasonably expected of a veterinary surgeon, it did not fall so far short that her conduct constituted serious professional misconduct.
Paul Morris, chairing the Disciplinary Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: “The Committee understood that it had a responsibility to consider the wider public interest, taking into account the view of a reasonable member of the public in possession of all the relevant facts and information.
“The Committee considered that such a member of the public would understand that veterinary surgery is a challenging profession. It was of the view that such a member of the public would not expect perfection, but understand that any professional practitioner may make mistakes in the course of their practice.
“It is the judgement of this Committee that the respondent’s conduct does not constitute disgraceful conduct in a professional respect.”
The full findings of the Disciplinary Committee can be found at www.rcvs.org.uk/disciplinary
Turning Over a New Leaf – How to Make Sustainable Change in the Veterinary Profession includes contributions from a range of organisations including the RCVS, Mars Veterinary Health and Investors in the Environment (iiE).
The report covers upcoming changes to the RCVS Practice Standards Scheme, the value of external accreditation to support sustainability, and how to approach behaviour change within your team.
Two further articles highlight how changes in clinical practice can combat antimicrobial resistance and reduce levels of surgical waste.
The report also features the personal experiences of practice sustainability leads, who discuss how they have worked with others to improve their sites.
Ellie West, Environmental Sustainability Lead at Linnaeus said: “Changing how we work day-to-day, when we are all so busy as a profession, can be a lot to juggle but sustainability brings a huge range of benefits.
"As well as helping the environment, it can promote the wellbeing of our patients and colleagues while also improving our performance as a business.
“It is important, however, to avoid dictating what sustainable change should be made because it will vary greatly between different teams and locations.
"This report shares ideas from contributors with a variety of roles and responsibilities, who have taken different approaches to supporting the environment but are all united in their commitment to delivering excellent clinical care.”
Sue Paterson, RCVS Junior Vice-President and RCVS Council lead for Environment & Sustainability, said: “Contributing to this report highlights the importance of working together as a profession to understand the environmental challenges we face and adopt solutions that will benefit our planet and the animals we care for.
"Upcoming changes to the RCVS Practice Standards Scheme will cover sustainability across a range of areas and we are committed to ensuring the veterinary profession can fully realise the benefits of this new guidance.”
April Sotomayor, Principal Consultant at iiE, added: “This report offers a range of perspectives that highlight how the veterinary profession can become a leader in sustainability and a shining example to other sectors.”
Download Turning Over a New Leaf – How to Make Sustainable Change in the Veterinary Profession here.
For locum nurses, the growth was even more pronounced, with daily rates up 38% to £199 and hourly rates up 18% to £23.50.
Student nurses lagged behind somewhat, with a growth of only 4% in median salary over the same period.
Salaries were predictably highest in London, Central and South East England, where the median was £31,074.
Meanwhile in the North of England, the median was £25,273.
SPVS says it is very grateful to everyone that took the time to fill in the survey, and it hopes the survey provides an up to date benchmark tool to be used in practice as part of responsible leadership for employers and as valuable information to employees.
Full survey results are available to SPVS members here: https://spvs.org.uk/spvs-survey/
The study1, which was conducted by surgery resident Dr Charlie Brincin at Highcroft Veterinary Group (soon to be Bristol Vet Specialists) and orthopaedic surgeon Dr Matt Matiasovic at Manchester Vet Specialists, looked at the records of 825 dogs that had been treated surgically for unilateral MPL at 10 referral centres, and then had a planned follow-up visit, including radiographs.
The frequency of, and reasons for, changes in further recovery recommendations were investigated.
The findings demonstrated that if the dog made an uneventful2 recovery after surgery, was presented without owner concern, and if no abnormality was found on physical examination, then radiographic findings only led to a change in recommendation in 3% (13/432) of these dogs.
Researchers say that this reflects similar research on the influence of follow-up radiographs in human medicine, and those of previous veterinary studies on post-operative radiographs, following uncomplicated tibial plateau leveling osteotomy (TPLO). These particular studies3,4 showed radiography had an impact on post-operative management in just 2%-3.8% of cases.
As a result of the MPL and TPLO studies, Highcroft Veterinary Referrals and Manchester Veterinary Specialists will no longer systematically perform follow-up radiographs on their patients, unless justified clinically.
Charlie said: “Radiographs are not without additional costs or risks - including radiation exposure, sedation-associated risks and strain on veterinary staff.
"Radiographic intervention should be clinically justified and our study suggests that if the dog had an uneventful recovery and is presented without owner or clinician raised concern, then repeat radiographs might not be necessary.
"This study also highlights the value of a thorough owner history and clinical examination for clinical decision-making when re-examining dogs following this orthopaedic surgery.”
The MPL study also evaluated factors which significantly increased the risk of finding radiographic abnormalities at routine follow-up, and those which led to a change in post-operative recommendation.
Lameness, administration of analgesia at follow-up, and history of unplanned visits prior to routine re-examination were associated with increased odds of a change in postoperative plan (P < 0.001).
In the absence of owner and clinician concerns, the odds of having a change in convalescence plans were not different, whether or not isolated radiographic abnormalities were present (P = 0.641).
References
The webinar will be presented by veterinary behaviourist, Sarah Heath BVSc PgCertVE DipECAWBM(BM) CCAB FHEA FRCVS, RCVS and EBVS European Specialist in Behavioural Medicine.
It will cover how to take a cat friendly approach to the microchipping appointment to reduce feline stress and make the process easier for both pet owners and veterinary staff.
A consent-based care approach will be discussed, together with the importance of educating cat owners and veterinary professionals on how to handle cats to minimise feline stress.
The webinar will also advise on the use of adjunctive therapies, such as pheromones and nutraceuticals, as well as the strategic use of pre vet visit medication, and will be followed by a Q&A session.
Tammie O’Leary, commercial lead at identi, said: “The introduction of the new cat microchipping legislation will lead to an increased number of feline patients being seen by veterinary practices.
"Our cat microchipping legislation webinar will help provide cat friendly advice for veterinary professionals and will include hints and tips to make cat microchipping appointments as stress free as possible.”
To register for the webinar, email contact@identichip.co.uk or call 0330 9128077.
For the study1, the authors Lucy Norris, Gina Pinchbeck, Peter-John Noble and Alan Radford, analysed data from electronic health records submitted by veterinary practices participating in the Small Animal Veterinary Surveillance Network (SAVSNET).
They found that a total of 132 dogs with cropped ears were seen by vets across a sample size of 500 practices between 2015 and 2022, with numbers peaking in 2021.
The breeds most likely to have cropped ears were the American bulldog, Dobermann, Italian mastiff and bulldog.
In more than 60% of the cases, the dogs had been imported from countries where ear cropping is illegal, such as Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria, Serbia, Spain, Poland and Ireland.
The authors acknowledge that the findings of their research are likely just a small snapshot of the true scale of the ear cropping problem: figures from the 2022 PDSA PAW Report suggest that the true numbers of dogs imported with cropped ears could be as high as 26,000.
RSPCA Head of Companion Animals Samantha Gaines said: "The study provides strong evidence to refute arguments for ear cropping to prevent ear infections, as the breed types identified in Norris and colleagues’ study are not generally predisposed to such infections.
"Rather, this finding adds weight to anecdotal evidence suggesting that the motivation for ear cropping in many dogs is driven by appearance rather than any perceived health benefits.
“It is also possible that some dogs were cropped illegally in the UK using legal importation as a smokescreen for this activity.
"Indeed, it is the RSPCA's experience that many dogs stated as being cropped outside of the UK have histories that would make this highly unlikely.”
Vet Record editor-in-chief Suzanne Jarvis said: “One solution to the importation problem is proposed in the Kept Animals Bill, which is currently stalled in parliament.
"Although there could be potential for fraud around grandfather rights initially, a ban on such importations would ultimately mean that the sight of a dog with cropped ears becomes a thing of the past in the UK.”
https://www.bva.co.uk/take-action/ear-cropping-campaign
Reference
The second of CVS’ UK nurse training centres (the first being in Chester), CVTC Dereham is situated near the site of CVS’ small animal The Grove Hospital and Veterinary Clinic in Norfolk.
CVS says the new centre will be Vetskill- and RCVS-approved and will specialise in training student nurses and patient care assistants and running a range of post-qualification diplomas and evening CPD events.
The centre will offer a day release classroom-based Level 3 Diploma in Veterinary Nursing, together with online courses including a Level 2 certificate in Veterinary Care Support and a Level 5 Diploma in Advanced Veterinary Nursing (Practice Nurse).
The first cohort of students are due to start at Dereham in May 2023.
Applications are also now open for a September 2023 cohort of student veterinary nurses and April 2023 for the Certificate in Veterinary Care Support online course.
Celine Organ, Centre Manager of CVTC Dereham said: “Our new Dereham centre will offer the highest quality courses, led by some of the industry’s most experienced tutors and with some of the best facilities in the sector.”
To apply for a places at CVS’ Dereham or Chester Veterinary Training Centres, visit www.chestervtc.co.uk or email nursingschool@cvsvets.com.
The 10 minute survey seeks to capture the current level of understanding and feelings around the deployment of AI tools across the veterinary industry.
VetCT says the purpose of the survey is to start some discussion and identify areas where training and support could help veterinary practitioners.
Julien Labruyère, Chief Innovation Officer at VetCT (pictured), said: “AI is here to stay and will increasingly become part of all aspects of veterinary medicine.
"Indeed, it’s vital to help us solve some of the workforce pressures the profession is facing globally.
"We will increasingly be using the outputs of AI tools to inform our clinical decisions, and yet the mechanisms and algorithms can be something of a black box of mystery.
“We want to understand the needs of clinicians in understanding how to apply AI safely, effectively and with confidence to support good clinical practice and ultimately, improve animal welfare.
"The results will be published and freely accessible.
"Our hope is to encourage a collaborative effort to support veterinary teams with embracing the full potential of AI, yet also providing the safeguards and education to the clinicians applying this technology to their patients.”
The survey is here: https://bit.ly/VetCT_AI_Survey.
Anyone completing the BVRA Foundation Course will receive a joint BVRA/iPET Network Certificate of Achievement.
BVRA is also working on creating an Ofqual Regulated qualification in the sector, which will be available in the autumn 2023.
BVRA CEO, Kay Watson-Bray (pictured) said: “We have been listening to our members and their employers and identified the quality assurance that comes with regulation is a really important aspect of accredited CPD.
"This initiative will give veterinary receptionists the opportunity to gain an official qualification with transferable credits that they can use as a stepping stone to higher education and will provide a defined career path.”
The BVRA has also relaunched what was the Registered Veterinary Receptionist (RVR) as the new BVRA Associate Veterinary Receptionist (AVR).
Being an AVR gives BVRA members further membership benefits, training and status.
Kay added: “It’s an exciting time for veterinary receptionists who have previously had limited career path opportunities. BVRA is committed to provide the most up to date, relevant CPD created by industry experts.”
www.bvra.co.uk
To raise the funds, CVS put customer and staff collection boxes in its small animal first opinion practices and referral hospitals.
Staff also held a number of fundraising events – including sponsored walks and dog shows, as well as hosting Pet Blood Bank donation days.
The money raised from the partnership will help go towards funding Pet Blood Bank’s work.
Last year the charity sent over 5,000 units of blood to vets across the UK.
Pet Blood Bank provides training for vets and nurses, and donations also help the charity to keep the cost of blood products as low as possible, and provide them free to veterinary charities.
Deputy Chief Executive of CVS Group, Ben Jacklin, said: “Pet Blood Bank is a vital charity doing crucial work within our profession.
"There is no doubt that the level of funds raised is down to the tireless commitment shown by our colleagues up and down the country.
"I’d also like to recognise the role our clients have also made - as without them we would never have reached such a great total.”
Managing Director of Pet Blood Bank, Katrina Wilkinson said: “This generous donation from CVS Group has been incredible to receive.
"We are a small charity so need all the support we can get, and CVS has truly delivered."
CVS has recently announced its next charity partner as Guide Dogs for the Blind.
Skin diseases and palpable masses are a common presentation in guinea pigs brought for veterinary care2.
However, few studies have thus far looked at the prevalence of spontaneously arising diseases in pet guinea pigs.
"Lumpy bumpy guinea pigs: a retrospective study of 619 biopsy samples of externally palpable masses submitted from pet guinea pigs for histopathology" retrospectively analysed 619 biopsy samples submitted for histopathology from pet guinea pigs that had presented with externally palpable masses.
The purpose was to determine the most common tissue origins of these masses and the most frequent pathological diagnoses, together with signalment data for the most commonly diagnosed lesions.
Of the 619 samples submitted from 493 animals, 54 (8.7%) had arisen from the mammary glands3 and 15 (2.4%) from the thyroid glands, with the remaining 550 (88.9%) involving the skin and subcutis, muscle (n = 1), salivary glands (n = 4), lips (n = 2), ears (n = 4) and peripheral lymph nodes (n = 23).
Forty-seven (7.6%) of the masses were diagnosed as inflammatory in nature, including dermatitis, panniculitis, lymphadenitis, cheilitis, myositis, sialoadenitis, abscess and chronic inflammation with osseous metaplasia.
Non-neoplastic, non-inflammatory lesions accounted for a further 31 (5.0%), namely cysts, hamartomas, hyperplastic lesions, polyps, ectopic bone formation and salivary gland steatosis.
The remainder of the samples were neoplastic in nature (541; 87.4%), with 99 masses classified as epithelial in origin, 347 as mesenchymal, 23 as round cell, five as melanocytic and eight as unclassified malignant neoplasms.
Of these, mesenchymal neoplasms were further subdivided into benign (288) and malignant (59).
Lipomas were the most common neoplasm diagnosed, accounting for 286 of all samples submitted.
Of all 619 samples included in the study, the eight most commonly diagnosed lesions were lipoma (46.2%), trichofolliculoma (12.3%), sarcoma (of various subtypes: 9.5%), inflammation (all sites 7.6%), lymphoma / leukaemia (3.4%), mammary carcinoma (4%), mammary adenoma (3.2%) and thyroid carcinoma (1.5%).
Overall these eight diagnoses accounted for 87.7% of all submissions from the externally palpable masses from the pet guinea pigs submitted for histopathology.
Melanie said: “Guinea pigs are an increasingly popular household pet.
"Skin diseases, including palpable masses, are a common reason for veterinary presentation. But few studies have been published to date that provide information for clinicians about these conditions.
“This study illustrates the importance of neoplasms of the skin and subcutis in pet guinea pigs, with over 87% of the cases analysed having one of eight diagnoses.
"While most of these neoplasms are benign, a substantial minority are malignant and identifying those lesions is especially important in treatment planning.
"Clinicians dealing with pet guinea pigs should also be aware that some externally palpable masses may arise from the thyroid or mammary glands rather than the skin or subcutis, and that male guinea pigs may also develop mammary lesions.”
The paper has been selected as ‘Editor’s Choice’ by the Journal of Comparative Pathology and will be free to access until September on Lumpy, bumpy guinea pigs: a retrospective study of 619 biopsy samples of externally palpable masses submitted from pet guinea pigs for histopathology - ScienceDirect.
Miss Herdman faced three charges.
The first was that she indicated to a friend that she would supply diazepam and/or tramadol for use by their husband.
The second was that she supplied diazepam and/or tramadol and/or gabapentin.
The third was that she gave advice on the dosages of diazepam and/or tramadol and/or gabapentin.
Miss Herdman was not present at the hearing and was unrepresented, but the Committee determined that it was appropriate to proceed in her absence as she had been notified, was aware that the hearing was taking place and her absence was voluntary.
However, Miss Herdman had been in contact to indicate her pleas to the charges.
She admitted the intention to supply diazepam and/or tramadol and that she had provided advice on the dosages.
She also admitted that she had supplied diazepam but strongly denied that she had supplied tramadol and/or gabapentin.
Taking all the evidence into account (including messages sent by Miss Herdman and her admissions), the Committee found proven the charges in relation to the intent to supply and the advice on dosages.
The Committee also found proven the charge in relation to the supply of diazepam, but found not proved the charge relating to the supply of tramadol and gabapentin for several reasons, including the fact that the messages sent by Miss Herdman did not point unequivocally to her actually suppling each of the drugs to which she referred.
There was no suggestion that the diazepam was stolen from her place of work.
The Committee found that Miss Herdman’s actions had breached paragraphs 1.5 and 6.5 of the Code of Professional Conduct for Veterinary Nurses.
The committee judged that there were a number of aggravating features of Miss Herdman’s conduct, including that she was not qualified or authorised to prescribe medication to animals, let alone to human beings and that providing a controlled drug to a person who was already taking various painkilling medications was reckless.
The Committee also felt that a reasonable and informed member of the public would be very concerned to learn that a veterinary nurse had supplied a controlled drug to a friend for their personal use.
Regarding the sanction for Miss Herdman, Paul Morris, chairing the Veterinary Nursing Disciplinary Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: “Drawing all the material together, and considering the matter as a whole, the Committee had to impose a proportionate sanction for an isolated incident of serious professional misconduct which arose out of a misguided attempt to help a friend.
"The conduct in question was entirely out of keeping with Miss Herdman’s usual practice and there is no real risk that it will be repeated.
"However, this case was much too serious to take no further action and no useful purpose would be served by postponing a sanction.
“The Committee considered that a warning or reprimand would not be sufficient to satisfy the public interest as veterinary nurses are trusted by the public to deal with medication responsibly and failure to do constitutes a severe breach of trust.
“The Committee therefore considered a period of suspension sufficient to meet the public interest in maintaining the reputation of the profession and declaring and upholding proper standards of conduct for members of the profession.
“The Committee also considered whether a removal order would be appropriate but concluded it would be disproportionate and that such a step would remove from the profession an experienced, competent and valuable veterinary nurse for no discernible benefit.
“It was decided that Miss Herdman’s registration be suspended for a period of three months – a period which is sufficient to mark the gravity of the misconduct while taking into account the circumstances in which it arose.”
https://www.rcvs.org.uk/concerns/disciplinary-hearings/
The day will be led by Sonya Miles, BVSc CertAVP (ZM), CertAqV, MRCVS, RCVS Recognised Advanced Practitioner in Zoological Medicine and WAVMA Certified Aquatic Species Veterinarian.
Lectures will look at techniques, protocols, potential drug options and combinations as well as blood sampling and hospitalisation techniques in a wide variety of exotic species.
Delegates will also be provided with lecture notes, a CPD certificate, refreshments and lunch, as well as goodie bags provided by sponsors Pinmoore Animal Laboratory Services Limited.
Sonya says the aim of the day is to dispel many myths associated with anaesthetising a wide variety of exotic species, including fish and amphibians, whilst simultaneously providing vets and nurses with the skills to undertake these often challenging and comparatively high-risk anaesthetics.
To book your place or for more information, email: info@justexotics.co.uk or book online at https://justexoticsevents.co.uk/dont-miss-out-on-our-latest-event
Phovia, which was launched in the UK last year, is a two-part FLE system consisting of a chromophore gel that is applied to the affected skin and a blue light LED lamp.
Vetoquinol says that when used together they produce light of varying wavelengths that penetrates the skin to different depths, helping to control bacteria and reduce inflammation on the surface of the skin and stimulating regeneration in the epidermal and dermal layers.
The unit is portable, and applications take four minutes once a week.
The authors of the Vetoquinol-funded study say that FLE has already been shown to support and accelerate natural skin healing, but this latest research shows that the benefits go beyond improvement in clinical signs.
The study looked at 35 dogs with a diverse range of skin conditions: 13 had interdigital furunculosis, 10 had deep pyoderma, 6 had wounds, 4 had pyotraumatic dermatitis, and 2 had perianal fistula on presentation.
Eight of 35 dogs were new cases, whereas the remaining 27 were undergoing recrudescence of a prior episode, including pyotraumatic dermatitis, wounds, deep pyoderma, interdigital furunculosis and perianal fistulae.
Thirty dogs (86%) achieved a clinical resolution: 18 with the Fluorescent Light Energy alone and 12 with the concomitant use of FLE and topical antiseptic shampoo.
Five dogs (14%) had a partial response and needed other therapies.
92% percent of owners attested to their pet’s enhanced quality of life, with 74% of dogs displaying at least a 50% improvement in owner-reported behaviour, mood, sleep and playing activities.
The study also reported a 46% reduction in caregiver burden.
Felicity Caddick, Technical Services Manager at Vetoquinol said: “Managing skin conditions often requires the long-term use of shampoos or topical therapies.
"Many owners find this aspect of pet ownership challenging, especially with larger dogs, or less cooperative animals.
"FLE can reduce or in some cases eliminate the need for topical therapies at home, not only simplifying the treatment process but also enhancing convenience and compliance.
"Sharing responsibility for administering ongoing treatment with their vet practice also removes some of the worry associated with their pet’s health.”
Vetoquinol also highlights that Phovia can offer vets a drug-free management option for skin disorders that aligns with the principles of antibiotic stewardship.
The webinar will allow veterinary teams to learn from three expert speakers how they can make small practical changes to have positive impacts in their own settings.
Helen Ballantyne, Chair of the UK One Health Coordination Group (UKOHCG) and both a human and animal health nurse, will provide a ‘human’ view of One Health and the strategies in the NHS.
She will highlight areas of excellent practice she has experienced, and from a One Health angle where the veterinary profession could learn from the NHS, and vice versa.
Fergus Allerton MRCVS, an Internal Medicine Specialist and lead on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) at Linnaeus will talk about, amongst other things, the optimal use of antimicrobials for infection control.
In collaboration with the NHS, he launched Veterinary Antibiotic Amnesty activity which saw a 19% reduction of antimicrobial use across the Linnaeus veterinary group.
Fergus will also talk about the PROTECT ME guidelines on the responsible use of antibacterials, such as for surgical antibiotic prophylaxis.
Simon Doherty, past-president of the British Veterinary Association and one of two BVA representatives at the Federation of Veterinarians in Europe, will focus on the history of One Health and One Agriculture; highlighting how improved communication and collaboration at the intersection of people, animals and the environment can drive productivity and sustainability in food production.
Simon will also share some of Vet Sustain’s farm animal resources and how the principles can be applied.
To register, visit: https://horiba.link/one-health-webinar
The 'Lifelong Ear Partnership' resources, which were developed in conjunction with a panel of vets, are designed to help practice teams improve their owner communication and achieve owner buy-in about otitis.
To that end, Dechra has developed various owner communication tools for use in practice or to refer owners to after the consultation.
They include an owner website: www.ear-inflammation.co.uk and a postcard with QR code links to educational videos which cover clinical recommendations, treatment options and the importance of revisits.
There is also a brochure for owners and an online 4D ear model: www.4d-earmodel.com, which demonstrates a healthy ear and an ear with mild, moderate or severe otitis.
Finally, Dechra has also launched an ear cytology webinar series on Dechra Academy: www.dechra.co.uk/academy.
The course consists of tips for everything from greeting the patient to performing and interpreting cytology slides.
www.dechra.co.uk/otitis-externa.
New statistics from the Voice of the Veterinary Profession Spring 2022 survey showed that while veterinary work is often seen as a vocation, 77% of vets list pay among their top five priorities when choosing a job.
Other deciding factors include geographical location (74%), area of practice (62%), low staff turnover (45%) and structured career progression (28%).
However only 42% of vets who responded to the survey considered their pay and benefits to be either ‘good’, ‘very good’, or ‘excellent’.
BVA President Malcolm Morley, said: “Fair, transparent and equal pay is one of the keystones of good veterinary workplaces.
"Whether you’re an employee, a manager or an employer, it’s vital that everyone feels confident that their workplace approaches pay in a clear and consistent way.
"This isn’t about paying everyone more; it’s about using objective criteria and transparent pay scales to ensure the whole team understands how decisions about reward and recognition are made and what they can do to access higher pay.”
The new resource, created for BVA members as part of its Good Veterinary Workplaces campaign, includes information for veterinary employers on the benefits a clear pay structure can bring for the whole team.
It demonstrates the positive impact transparency around reward and recognition can have on employee fulfilment and retention, and outlines the legal requirements of employers to ensure that pay is equitable.
It also offers tips for employees and managers for approaching conversations about pay and emphasises the importance of considering ‘total reward’ during these conversations.
Total reward is the entire sum of a job’s offering including, but not limited to, salary, commission structure, benefits package, CPD, work/life balance, promotion opportunities, travel expenses, accommodation, and so on.
Malcolm added: “We know that pay can be a fraught, and even somewhat taboo, subject but it is one that we all have a responsibility to tackle if we want to ensure that veterinary professionals are fairly rewarded for their work.
"We hope that this new guide will support all our members and equip them with the knowledge required to ensure they can confidently navigate conversations about pay.”
https://www.bva.co.uk/talking-pay
The Linnaeus OAPC initiative was launched in 2021 and originally allocated £30K for 2022.
However, that figure was doubled after the company received a growing number of high quality submissions.
33 papers were accepted for funding in 2022, of which 24 have so far been published and the remainder are undergoing peer review.
The authors comprise clinicians, specialists, residents and interns across nine referral and primary care sites within the group.
The OAPC was introduced by Professor Luisa De Risio, Clinical Research & Excellence Director at Linnaeus (pictured right).
She said: “By making clinical research open access, we can ensure it makes the widest possible impact – while also supporting the author’s profile and career development.
"We are continuing to offer OAPC funding to our associates in 2023 and look forward to seeing the fantastic research published as a result.”
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