Specialists at the RVC appear to have saved Christmas after successfully treating Snowflake, one of twenty reindeer owned by a Mr S. Claus* of Rutland, for a neoplastic lesion of the third eyelid. 

Snowflake previously had a squamous cell carcinoma mass on the right lower eyelid, which was completely removed in 2018.

However, her owner noticed an abnormal growth in the left eye, and brought her back to the RVC.

On presentation, Snowflake was bright and in good body condition, weighing 71kg.

Both eyes were open and appeared comfortable and visual.

Ocular reflexes and responses were also present as expected and there was no evidence of recurrence of the squamous cell carcinoma on the lower right eyelid.

Snowflake was, however, diagnosed with mild cataracts in her right eye deemed unlikely to interfere with her vision.

In addition, the mass of her left third eyelid was nonpigmented and displayed a poorly defined mass-like lesion, with an irregular surface on the leading edge, appearing consistent with a squamous cell carcinoma.

The team, led by Dr Maria-Christine Fischer, Lecturer in Ophthalmology, Dr Sara Lawrence-Mills, Senior Clinical Training Fellow in Anaesthesia, and Dr Carolina Palacios Jimenez, Lecturer in Anaesthesia, decided to undertake surgery.

They removed the third eyelid under sedation and applied local anaesthetic blocks and topical tetracaine eye drops.

Cryotherapy was then applied to the wound edge as an adjunctive therapy.

The RVC says that to date, there are few publications detailing anaesthesia in reindeer and so this protocol was a novel approach to maintaining a safe level of sedation in a well-domesticated animal.

The College added that the use of these nerve blocks to facilitate ophthalmic surgery has not been reported before and is in the process of being published.

Snowflake’s third eyelid was submitted for histopathology, which confirmed the diagnosis of squamous cell carcinoma, which the team at the RVC was able to remove completely.

During the process, Snowflake’s daughter was with her so they both remained calm, and she has now made a full recovery and has enjoyed being reunited with her herd.

Maria-Christine said: “Snowflake had a cancerous mass on her third eye lid.

"Surgical removal of the third eyelid in a reindeer has not been reported before.

"We were pleased that we could perform the surgery with Snowflake under a standing sedation and with using local anaesthetics.

"As an ophthalmologist, I am committed to preserving vision so it’s rewarding that we were able to completely excise the tumour and did not have to remove the eyeball. It’s a very good outcome.

"I’m also pleased that Snowflake recovered quickly from the procedure, and we were able to share the protocol of the sedation and the local nerve blocks with other vets via a scientific publication.

"Sharing our knowledge will hopefully be beneficial for future ophthalmic surgeries in reindeer.”

* aka Mr Nick Dean.

Petlog has kicked off its annual National Microchipping Month by joining forces with Hampden Veterinary Hospital in Aylesbury.

Petlog holds National Microchipping Month throughout June each year to promote the benefits of microchipping and the importance of keeping contact details up to date.

This year, Hampden Veterinary Hospital has been encouraging pet owners to make sure their pets are microchipped by offering half price microchipping at a 'responsible pet ownership' event hosted at the hospital.

Celia Walsom, Petlog Executive said: "National Microchipping Month is a fantastic chance to promote the benefits of microchipping, and we are thrilled that Hampden Veterinary Hospital took such a proactive role in encouraging responsible dog ownership through this event. Microchipping is a great way to permanently identify your pet, and ensure that if he or she goes missing that you are reunited as quickly as possible."

Petlog says that last year, it received almost 120,000 lost and found calls in total from around the UK.

This June, Petlog customers can upgrade to the Petlog Premium lifetime service online for £7.50, allowing them to update their contact information as often as needed with no extra costs.

For more information on National Microchipping Month or Petlog visit www.petlog.org.uk or www.thekennelclub.org.uk.

Merial has launched a limited trial pack version of Equioxx^® (firocoxib), the company's COX-2 specific NSAID for horses, which contains 10 tubes of the oral paste.

According to the company, Equioxx is the only equine NSAID that is highly COX-2 selective, acting to reduce pain and inflammation whilst preserving the natural physiological effects of the COX-1 enzyme, at therapeutic levels.

The company also claims that field studies have confirmed that firocoxib is highly effective at controlling pain and improving function in horses with chronic osteoarthritis.

Jim Tipp BVSc MRCVS, partner at Shropshire based Fyrnwy Equine Clinics said: "As a COX-2 specific NSAID it is not only a good analgesic, but is also an excellent anti-inflammatory. In addition, the COX-1 sparing properties of Equioxx are beneficial where there is increased risk of ulceration."

Equioxx is also available as a low dose injectable solution. For more information contact Merial Customer Services on 0870 6000 123.

Vets Now has reached the final of the "Employer of the Year" at the forthcoming Private Business Awards.

Judged by a panel of key UK business leaders, the winners will be announced at an awards ceremony on 6^th September 2012.

More than 600 businesses throughout the UK entered the awards. Richard Dixon, founder of Vets Now said: "We are delighted to have reached the final in the Employer of the Year category. We have an absolutely amazing bunch of vets, nurses and receptionists across the country and I am hugely proud of them. They work their socks off; frequently in really challenging circumstances and have significantly contributed to improving the quality of life for the profession and the quality of Out of Hours care available for pets.

"Caring for animals is at the heart of what we do and we treat over 100,000 pets every year through our network of 53 emergency clinics. The very nature of Out Of Hours emergency veterinary care is very challenging to the profession and the support we offer to veterinary practices is also extremely important to us. In the last year our services have enabled more than 2,000 vets up and down the country to have their nights and weekends off, while their clients receive a high quality Out of Hours service. Our referral services also ensure that pets needing care from recognised Specialists can receive this from a trusted team."

Royal Canin has announced the launch of a summer campaign to help small animal practices develop their relationships with cat-owning clients.

'Summer of the Cat' runs throughout July, August and September. As part of the campaign, cat owners are being invited to share adventures their cat has over the summer with their vet practice, for the chance to win a year's supply of Royal Canin cat food.

Entry forms, which contain spaces for photos and drawings, will be distributed to practices along with other promotional materials such as balloons, posters, bunting, tent cards and wobblers.

The competition - which also gives entrants the chance to win large A3 posters of their 'Summer of the Cat' storyboards - is being supported by a promotional offer to 'feed your cat free for a week' from July to September.

Veterinary Marketing Manager, Lindsay Calcraft, said: "Customers will be able to buy any 1.5 - 2kg bag of feline Veterinary Care Nutrition from their vet and get a 400g bag free. Those cat owners taking up the offer will also receive a money off voucher (£3/€4) for their next purchase to encourage loyalty and increased footfall in the participating vet practices."

For more information, visit www.royalcanin.co.uk or contact your Veterinary Business Manager.

Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica has extended its Metacam 0.5 mg/ml Oral Suspension for Cats range with the launch of a 30ml bottle size, which the company says will last the average 5 kg cat for two months.

According to Boehringer, the new 30ml bottle will offer owners a cost saving compared to purchasing two 15 ml bottles. In addition, it will provide greater prescription options for veterinary practices currently stocking 3ml and 15 ml bottles,,

Andrew Francis, Metacam brand manager said: "The new 30ml bottle of Metacam Oral Suspension for Cats will provide both veterinary practices and their clients with a product that is great for the long-term treatment of chronic pain in cats in one convenient pack."

For further information on Metacam, contact your local Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica territory manager or telephone 01344 746959.

The British Veterinary Nursing Association and the Society of Practising Veterinary Surgeons have launched a waiting room poster to help practices raise awareness of the status of their VNs and promote the welfare benefits that VNs can help provide.

Rolled copies of the A2 posters are available in a tube for £2.50 (to cover postage). Folded copies are free or you may download the poster here. 

Contact the BVNA office on 01279 408644 to request a copy.

CVS has reported the results of a clinical improvement project it ran in 105 of its first opinion small animal practices to increase screening for hypertension in older cats.

According to the company, participating practices more than doubled the number of blood pressure checks they conducted, within 12 months. 

The CVS’ clinical improvement project initially looked at how effective its first opinion small animal practices were in screening older cats for hypertension.

In line with the veterinary industry norm, it found that less than two per cent of cats over the age of seven were receiving an annual blood pressure check.

This initial research also found that the common barriers to conducting blood pressure checks by vets and veterinary nurses in practice were due to time constraints, availability of equipment and simply remembering to discuss blood pressure checks with owners.

Each CVS site chose two people to lead the initiative at their site, to aid communication and delivery.

A document was created to help, providing background, aims, summary of resources and planning sections.

Contributory factors preventing delivery of blood pressure checks were outlined and practices were encouraged to identify additional barriers and resources needed.

A suite of resources were then produced to support the practice team - from reception to veterinary surgeons - in improving annual blood pressure check rates.

The resources included new clinical frameworks and veterinary guidelines on how to treat hypertension; in-practice educational resources to highlight the benefits of hypertension screening and information sheets and blood pressure diaries to help clients manage their pets condition.

To upskill and develop colleagues in how to identify and treat hypertension and resulting conditions, a collection of training materials was created and training sessions held.

These included a series of webinars which explained why hypertension is important to identify, how to overcome common challenges encountered when looking for hypertension in cats, how to use the ophthalmic exam to help diagnose hypertension and how to treat hypertension.

Three in-person CPD days were hosted with the support from Ceva six months into the project where feline specialists Sarah Caney and Samantha Taylor shared the latest evidence base in this field and practices were encouraged to share barriers, queries and tips, so that ideas could be taken away to make blood pressure screening a simpler process in practice.

Practices were also encouraged to organise lunch and learn CPD sessions, to share best practice and generate discussion within their team.

In addition, a website was created to host all resources in one place, including webinars, clinical frameworks, client resources, a discussion forum and data.

An audit of each participating practice’s blood pressure check data was conducted at the start of the project.

Results were then shared with each participating practice every month - including the total number of blood pressure checks performed each month and the percentage of cats over the age of seven who had an annual blood pressure check.

Twelve months after its nation-wide launch, results reveal that the number of blood pressure checks have more than doubled (110%) within participating CVS practices and an additional 5,984 blood pressure checks have been performed year on year.

A number of practices were able to implement systems that allowed them to perform over 40 blood pressures each month.

The number of cats on amlodipine (the first choice medication to treat hypertension in cats) increased by 303 patients year-on-year, hinting many more cats had been diagnosed with hypertension.

Kate Allgood, Hub Clinical Lead at CVS who was responsible for the hypertension clinical improvement project, said: “There is a huge benefit in treating hypertension.

"No one wants to see a cat suddenly become blind due to hypertension that wasn’t recognised in time.

"So many associated longer-term feline complications and conditions can be avoided if annual blood pressure checks in cats over the age of seven are routinely performed.

"Increasing blood pressure screening is not a simple task though, and this focus has allowed space and time for practices to give this topic the recognition it deserves; to identify and implement systems that make it easier to identify patients at risk, discuss with clients and perform these checks with ease.

"We have created a robust clinical structure, produced some easily accessible materials and supported our practices to make small and simple changes that add up.

"Our practices have done an outstanding job at delivering this project to date and I look forward to seeing what can be achieved in the future. We strongly believe that this work will contribute towards providing some of the best clinical care for cats in the veterinary profession.”

Petplan has launched a new system through which veterinary staff at Appointed Representative (AR) practices can activate 4 weeks Immediate Veterinary Cover (IVC) for clients' puppies, kittens and rabbits at www.petplanvet.co.uk.

Petplan says the new system will greatly improve its service to the veterinary industry, enabling same day information transfer, reducing the amount of paperwork and admin for veterinary staff as well as ruling out the chances of paperwork getting lost or delayed in the post.

Simon Masding, Petplan Head of Sales and Partnerships said: "Petplan has the most established cover note scheme in the market and due to the strength of our brand and the products we offer is able to generate more insured clients for practices than any other provider. Our team of Account Executives visit practices across the UK on a daily basis which means we understand the pressures of day-to-day practice life. Our new online IVC service is just one of the innovative ways we try to make things easier for veterinary staff so they can focus on looking after clients and their pets."

For more information about becoming a Petplan AR practice, and Immediate Veterinary Cover, call Petplan's Vetline on 0800 316 8800.

Any practices that activate IVC online at petplanvet.co.uk  before 31^st July 2012 will be entered into a prize draw to win an iPad.

Almost 90% of the British public think that microchipping dogs should be compulsory, according to a new survey carried out by Petlog, the lost and found pet database.

A public consultation into compulsory microchipping, which proposes that microchips are used to help tackle the issue of dangerous dogs, closes today. Interestingly however, the survey showed that the main reason for compulsory microchipping should be to help speed up the return of a lost pet, although 38% of those who are in favour of compulsory microchipping also thought it would help to tackle dangerous dogs.

Celia Walsom, Petlog Executive said: "The results from this survey were very promising and showed that there is huge support out there for compulsory microchipping. I hope that the public consultation demonstrates the true extent of public support and that Defra will seriously take this on board.

"Unfortunately, press coverage surrounding compulsory microchipping has been focusing on the issue of dangerous dogs and has ignored the main objective of a microchip which is reunification.

The Microchipping Alliance which comprises animal welfare charities, veterinary organisations, assistance dog charities, dog membership organisations and others who are impacted by dog issues, released a briefing at the end of last year that looked into the economic consequences of compulsory microchipping. The briefing states that if compulsory microchipping was to be introduced to all dogs there is a potential saving of over £20 million from reduced kennelling and other costs associated with stray dogs.

Celia continued: "The reasons for compulsory microchipping are strong. We at Petlog along with the Microchip Alliance and a number of other organisations want to see microchipping made compulsory to help dog welfare and reduce the number of dogs needlessly rehomed or put to sleep because they couldn't be reunited with their owner."

Petlog conducted the survey using visitors to the London Pet Show to find out public feeling regarding compulsory microchipping.

This month is National Microchipping Month, an initiative run by Petlog to promote the benefits of microchipping to pet owners and also encourage people to make sure that their contact details are up to date.

If you would like to take part in Petlog's microchipping survey, you can still do so, here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Petlogmicrochipping. 

For more information, visit www.nationalmicrochippingmonth.org.uk.

Following issues with the implementation and associated costs of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons' database (iMIS), independent IT specialists TFX Consulting Ltd have reported on both the implementation project and the long-term suitability of the database for the College's needs.

The TFX iMIS Report highlights inadequacies in the procurement process for the IT system, especially with regard to the drafting of the original brief. The Report suggests that this led to differing expectations from the College and ASI, the company licensing and assisting with the implementation of the software, in terms of the detail and complexity of the project.

Although TFX says it believes the iMIS system to be suitable for the finance functionality required, it is critical of its ability to support some other RCVS data structures, and considers it is a poor fit for the complex registration and education functions of the College. The Report writers note that the RCVS continues to fulfil its statutory duties in terms of fee collection and the maintenance of registration records.

The key recommendations of the Report are that the RCVS continues to work with the iMIS database in the immediate future, particularly with regard to core functions, but that a new partner is sought for ongoing support of the system. Thereafter, the Report recommends that a plan is put in place to migrate away from the system over a period of two to three years, as part of a natural upgrade path for RCVS IT systems.

As part of this programme, TFX recommends that a detailed analysis exercise is required, with the objective of more completely defining the College's complex requirements.

This is the second of two reports prepared by TFX; the first reviewed the College's technology more generally. The Technology Report provided valuable advice in areas of network security, staged replacement of legacy hardware and a coherent software and licensing programme, with associated staff training. 

The TFX iMIS Report can be downloaded from http://www.rcvs.org.uk/TFX

The TFX Technology Report will not be published, as it concerns issues relating to security of the College's IT infrastructure.

RCVS President Jerry Davies said: "We are grateful to TFX Consulting, and Ben Murray in particular, for the depth and clarity of both of their reports. It has been very useful to have independent scrutiny of the iMIS project and our IT systems as a whole.

"Lessons can be - and have been - learned. For example, new project management protocols have been introduced by the College, and the instigation of an Audit and Risk Committee has been agreed".

Council accepted the findings of the Report at its recent meeting, and the new Chief Executive and Secretary, Nick Stace, will consider how the recommendations are best implemented, when he takes up his post in September 2012.

Animalcare has published a selection of materials to help veterinary practices promote good dental health during Pet Dental Health Month which runs in February. 

The company has created a new waiting room board kit as a way for veterinary staff to remind owners of the importance of prompt diagnosis and management of dental disease.  

Animalcare has also created a Pet Dental Health Month social media pack with content practices can use on their social media channels.

During the month, the company will be offering dental CPD and prizes for the most creative and engaging waiting room displays.

Will Peel, Animalcare Marketing Manager said: "According to the RVC's VetCompass data, periodontitis is the most common disease seen in cats and dogs however, it can often be difficult to identify and pet owners can often disregard the signs of dental problems, assuming that their pet’s bad breath is normal.

‘Our popular Lunch and Learn sessions have demonstrated to us that veterinary staff recognise the importance of raising dental health awareness, so we’ve created this range of materials specifically to support veterinary practices and their patients.’

Virbac Animal Health has announced that its medical castration implant Suprelorin 9.4mg has received a marketing authorisation for use in ferrets.

The neutering of male ferrets (hobs) is recommended to suppress fertility, decrease odour and reduce territorial aggressive behaviour and urinary marking¹. According to Virbac, Suprelorin offers temporary sterilisation but without the need for surgery, and its use prevents the high Luteinizing hormone (LH)/Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels which occur following surgery and which can play a role in the development of hyperadrenocorticism².

Suprelorin is a slow-release implant containing the gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonist deslorelin. Once injected under the skin of healthy, sexually mature and entire ferrets, the continuous low release of deslorelin from the implant causes an interruption of the HPA circuit, leading to a reduction in LH/ FSH levels and therefore testosterone production. This results in a reduction of libido, spermatogenesis and testicle size.

The implant lasts for up to four years, at which stage the ferret can be re-implanted to maintain the effect.

Chris Geddes MRCVS, Virbac Product Manager, said: "For owners looking for a surgery-free route to the castration of male ferrets and the problems it can cause, Suprelorin provides a simple and effective alternative."

Suprelorin 4.7mg has been available for use in dogs since 2008. Suprelorin 9.4mg was launched in 2011.

For further information, please contact your Territory Manager or call Head Office on 01359 243243.

References:

1. Mullen H. Soft Tissue Surgery. In Hillyer EV, Quesenberry KE, editors. Ferrets, rabbits, and rodents: clinical medicine and surgery. Philadelphia: Saunders; 1996. P 131-144.
2. Schoemaker NJ, Schuurmans M, Moorman H, Lumeij JT. Correlation between age at neutering and age at onset of hyperadrenocorticismin ferrets. J Am Vet Med Assoc 2000; 216: 195-7.