The RCVS has issued a reminder that you have just over a week to put forward nominees for the annual VN Golden Jubilee Award.
The Award is given in recognition of an outstanding contribution to the profession, animal welfare and/or patient care and nominees can be veterinary nurses, veterinary surgeons or lay people. It was launched in 2011 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first RCVS veterinary nursing training course.
Nomination forms need to be submitted by 5pm on Friday 24 April. The principal nominator must be a registered veterinary nurse or veterinary surgeon although the two supporting proposers can be lay people.
The winner will be chosen by a panel of VN Council members and will receive the accolade at RCVS Day – the College’s Annual General Meeting and Awards Day – on Friday 10 July.
The nomination form is available to download from www.rcvs.org.uk/goldenjubilee. For further information contact Annette Amato, Deputy Head of Veterinary Nursing, on a.amato@rcvs.org.uk or 020 7202 0713.
The aim of the Leadership Stories initiative is to present the perspectives of people from diverse and minority backgrounds so that they see themselves reflected in leadership roles within the profession.
RCVS Leadership and Inclusion Manager, Gurpreet Gill, said: "We decided to release this video as part of Veterinary Nursing Awareness Month to show people exactly what a career in veterinary nursing can lead to.
"Betsy has achieved a huge amount in a relatively short space of time and is a great example of what can happen when you blend personal values, professional knowledge and excellent people skills to deliver effective leadership.”
“The theme for Veterinary Nursing Awareness Month this year is ‘progression’, and we hope that this film will inspire members of the veterinary community, or those aspiring to become members, to find their own inner leaders.
"There are so many different opportunities working in the veterinary sector, but it’s often difficult to know what could be possible.
“We hope that by sharing the leadership stories of people like Betsy, we can help demystify the landscape slightly and help to show people that there are many opportunities out there that they may not have previously considered or even be aware of.”
Betsy said: “It was a brilliant opportunity to work with the team at the RCVS on such an important project.
"As I’ve mentioned, whether it’s specialising, leadership, teaching or research, RVNs have so many transferable skills that can be used across the sector in many different roles.
“Coming from an ethnic minority background myself, it has been very clear that the profession isn’t very diverse and that we need to do more to proactively promote veterinary nursing and veterinary medicine as viable career options in schools from a younger age.
“When it comes to leadership, I think initiatives such as the RCVS Leadership Stories are great in terms of showcasing diverse leaders and career opportunities.
"People need to be able to see themselves in these roles, to see that it is possible.
"We are making progress, but we still have a long way to go.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSgg8xeHyp4&list=PLwm3GH0FNPl30FXR3k688HSNzeaKxMwD9&index=4
In addition to the UK, Vetigel will be marketed and distributed to veterinary surgeons throughout Europe and elsewhere via Veterinary Instrumentation's global distribution network.
Matt Lewis, Vice President of Sales at Cresilon said: "Our partnership with Veterinary Instrumentation will help us provide more veterinary surgeons with a revolutionary hemostatic gel that significantly improves the standard of care for pets and animals.
"Vetigel has been used by thousands of veterinarians thus far and helps veterinary clinics and animal hospitals save time, reduce operating costs, and improve patient outcomes."
https://vetigel.comhttps://veterinary-instrumentation.co.uk
At the roundtable, Liz Barton MRCVS, Head of Communications at Vet.CT, spoke about the application of AI in clinical practice, including in preventative medicine, diagnostics, treatment and prognostics.
Liz highlighted how the use of AI tools in clinical practice for tasks such as pattern recognition had led to many unforeseen and unexpected benefits, for example by picking up things that humans may not.
Dr P-J Noble, Senior Lecturer in Small Animal Science at the University of Liverpool, explained how AI tools had proven useful in processing, assessing and annotating qualitative data gathered through the university's Small Animal Veterinary Surveillance Network (SAVSNET) once they were programmed to recognise certain patterns, saving lots of research time and costs.
Dr Chris Trace MRCVS, Head of Digital Learning at the University of Surrey, spoke about AI use in higher education and how it has already started to be used beneficially both as a teaching and learning aid, as well as for assessment and feedback.
In the afternoon session, groups of delegates were asked to discuss practical questions over AI use in the veterinary professions and how it might be regulated.
There were discussions on how to help vet and VN students make the most of AI in learning and assessment, responsible use of AI in clinical settings, the risks of not using AI, how veterinary professionals can work with animal owners and keepers to ensure the safe and productive use of AI, and whether AI-led devices should be regulated.
Lizzie said: “This was a really positive and exciting event that involved a heady mix of trepidation over the risks and implications of AI now and into the future, and optimism over the beneficial impact it could have for education, diagnosis, treatment and patient outcomes.
"The discussions have certainly given us at the College a lot of food for thought on how we can put in place guardrails and guidelines on the appropriate use of AI in the veterinary sector.
“This is an area of technology that is evolving so rapidly that it would not be effective for us to put in place specific guidance for the use of AI tools, but instead we will be looking at how we can regulate the use of AI in the round and ensure our principles are sufficiently future-proofed to keep up with the pace of change.
“Any regulation will start with first principles, such as transparency and honesty around the use of AI in veterinary practice, the minimisation of potential risks, and the continuing importance of professional accountability for decision-making, even where such decisions may have been heavily influenced by the use of AI tools and AI-generated data.”
The input gathered from the roundtable will now be considered by a range of RCVS committees over the coming months.
A full report of the event will be published this summer.
In 2022, Winchester published the results of a study led by Professor Andrew Knight, which claimed the headline: "Vegan diets may be the healthiest to feed pet dogs, say researchers"1,2.
For the study, 2,639 dog owners were invited to report their own opinion of seven indicators of their dog's health.
The researchers also looked at the prevalence of 22 specific health disorders, reported as being based on 'predictions by vet assessments', finding 49% prevalence in traditional meat diets, 43% for raw meat diets and 36% for vegan diets.
However, it was not clear in the report what "predictions by vet assessments" actually means. Whose predictions? The vets'? Or the owners'?
Closer examination of the original study reveals it was "owners' predictions of vet assessments".
Owner-reported opinion, otherwise known as anecdote, is of course notoriously unreliable, and if there is one thing more unreliable than owner-reported opinion, it would surely be owner-reported opinion of their vet's opinion.
Furthermore, the original study was of an observational design, and therefore could only suggest correlation, not causation.
Lastly, the original analysis only looked at the relationship between diet and owner observations/opinion, without considering the impact of other factors assessed by the study, such as the age of the dog and whether the owner was a vegan.
For the new study3, therefore, researchers at the University of Liverpool led by Professor Alex German re-analysed the data used for the original study, in particular correcting the data for confounding variables.
When analysed in this way, significant illness in dogs correlated most strongly with the age of the dog, whether it was on medication, and the frequency of visit to the vet.
Compared to these, the association between owner opinions of health and feeding vegan dog food was minimal.
Co-author of the second study, Richard Barrett-Jolley, Professor of Neuropharmacology, said: “We know how seriously owners take their pet’s health.
"By revisiting and further interrogating these data, we have been able to draw more nuanced insights.“Crucially, we cannot draw a firm conclusion as to what diet type is actually best for dogs; this was never possible given the nature of the original dataset and study design.
"However, we can conclude that variables other than dog diet are more strongly associated with owner opinions about the health of their dog.”
References
The free app is designed to help to track changes and improvements in a dog’s health during treatment.
The app uses questionnaires to monitor clinical signs and quality of life and includes reminders for when checkups with routine blood tests should be carried out, which Dechra says are recommended at 10 days, 4 weeks, 12 weeks and every 3 months thereafter.
The app also sends pet owners daily reminders to administer medication to their dog.
Sarah Musgrave, companion animal brand manager at Dechra, said: “Continuous and consistent monitoring is key to finding the right Vetoryl dose for a dog with Cushing’s and restoring its health.
"The new Cushing’s syndrome treatment and monitoring app is a useful tool to help owners quickly and easily record and track any medical and lifestyle changes in dogs being treated with Vetoryl, which can then be shared with their vet during check-ups.”
To download the app, search for 'Cushing's monitoring' on either Apple's App Store or the Google Play Store.
The study was the first to use prospectively collected data to estimate the prevalence of and risk factors for gingivitis in a cohort of domestic cats, using data from 860 cats aged up to six years enrolled in the Bristol Cats Study. Gingivitis was found to be a common condition in cats aged up to six years, with prevalence increasing with age, from 24.5% in cats less than 12 months old, up to 56.3% in cats between five and six years old. Odds of gingivitis in cats aged three to four years were higher in cats fed a wet only or mixed wet/dry diet compared to those on a dry only diet; cats not reported to hunt prey compared to reported hunters; cats reported to dribble whilst being stroked at age six months compared to reported non-dribblers; and cats with orange variants in their coat colour compared to non-orange cats. Sex was not found to be a risk factor for gingivitis (Ed's note: what a relief). Jess Williams, lead author of the study, said: “Periodontal disease is one of the most common conditions in cats, potentially causing issues with eating and behaviours like grooming.
"Our study showed that even young cats may have signs of gingivitis, so it is important to discuss and monitor dental health regularly and early on in a cat’s life, especially for those cats who may be more at risk.”
The study was funded by BSAVA PetSavers.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jsap.13737
Zoetis Business Consulting has announced the launch of Profitsolver, a software tool designed to boost practice profits.
The software has already been rolled out in the US, where Zoetis says that it has delivered an average of £103,000 extra profit to veterinary practices within a year.
Profitsolver uses the practice's actual data - not benchmarks or accepted norms - to enable the practice to manage costs, set prices and gain return on investments. By using an activity-based costing model and using a variety of data such as practice costs, which staff perform which part of the procedure, how long the procedure takes and what equipment and materials are used, Profitsolver calculates the correct pricing to both cover costs and deliver a predetermined profit margin.
Zoetis says that Profitsolver helps practices to understand how the overall practice profit is being generated. For instance, for price sensitive procedures such as vaccination, the practice can match their prices with the competition, but maintain their profit margin by increasing the price for other clinical services.
Nick Steele, national consulting manager at Zoetis said: "Veterinary practices have no standard method for pricing their services and they are often unable to determine which services make money and which don't. This hampers the practice's ability to accurately value the business and, as a result, profit levels tend to be low for many practices. Profitsolver can turn this situation around and already has a very successful track record in the US."
Zoetis piloted the UK version of Profitsolver with John Goulding at St Georges Veterinary Group. He said: "By and large the veterinary profession still relies on the mark-up of medicines where profits are concerned. Even practices that have made a concerted effort to move away from this type of pricing structure are still making their money from the sale of medicines rather than from vets' fees. For years I have wanted to know exactly how to price our services and this new Profitsolver software does just that.
"Most costs have an element of staff time, an element of fixed assets or equipment and an element of disposable items. Profitsolver takes all of these into account, adds the predetermined profit margin and produces an accurate pricing structure for each procedure undertaken within the practice.
"It's important to take the time at the start to put accurate data in from the practice's latest set of accounts and the Zoetis business consultant will guide practices through this to make the initial set up as easy as possible. For instance, for major pieces of equipment such as X-ray machines, you have to work out how many times a year you are likely to use them.
"By using Profitsolver, we worked out that if we do exactly the same amount of work as last year we can increase our bottom line by at least £200,000 for our 18 vet practice. Since last November, when we installed Profitsolver, we have completely changed our pricing structure moving away from focusing on medicines and the size of the animal to rethink how we charge our clinical care.
"An unexpected benefit is that Profitsolver has made me much more confident about the prices we charge to clients as it is all broken down, so we can see exactly how the invoice is made up. I would be at a loss without it now."
For more information about Profitsolver, contact your Zoetis account manager.
New research1 published in in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery by veterinary clinicians at the University of Lisbon and a clinic in the nearby town of Barreiro in Portugal, suggests that cats may benefit from reduced anxiety, stress and perceived pain if music is played in the operating theatre.
Lead author, Miguel Carreira, said: "In the surgical theatres at the faculty where I teach and at the private veterinary medical centre where I spend my time operating, environmental music is always present, and is an important element in promoting a sense of wellbeing in the team, the animals, and their owners. Different music genres affect individuals in different ways. During consultations I have noticed, for example, that most cats like classical music, particularly George Handel compositions, and become more calm, confident and tolerant throughout the clinical evaluation. After reading about the influence of music on physiological parameters in humans, I decided to design a study protocol to investigate whether music could have any physiological effects on my surgical patients."
The clinicians studied 12 female pet cats undergoing surgery for neutering, and recorded their respiratory rate and pupil diameter at various points to gauge their depth of anaesthesia. The cats, which had been fitted with headphones, were meanwhile exposed to 2 minutes of silence (as a control), followed randomly by 2 minutes each of Barber’s 'Adagio for Strings (Opus 11)', Natalie Imbruglia’s 'Thorn' and AC/DC’s 'Thunderstruck'.
The results showed that the cats were in a more relaxed state (as determined by their lower values for respiratory rate and pupil diameter) under the influence of classical music, with the pop music producing intermediate values. By contrast, the heavy metal music produced the highest values, indicating 'a more stressful situation'. The clinicians conclude that the use of certain music genres in the surgical theatre may allow a decrease in the dose of anaesthetic agent required, in turn reducing the risk of undesirable side effects and thus promoting patient safety.
Dr Carreira and his colleagues plan to continue their studies by looking at the influence of music on other physiological parameters, including cortisol and catecholamines, in dogs as well as cats. In the future, they hope to incorporate more sophisticated techniques, such as functional MRI and electroencephalography, into their investigations.
The study can be read for free here: http://jfm.sagepub.com/content/early/2015/03/30/1098612X15575778.full.pdf+html
Reference
Merial is to launch Frontect (fipronil and permethrin), a spot-on solution for dogs with dual action: treatment and prevention of fleas and ticks, and repellency against ticks, sandflies, biting flies and mosquitoes.
According to the company, Frontect kills fleas within an hour for the first week and within six hours for four weeks1. The repellent (anti-feeding) effect of Frontect prevents parasites from taking a 'blood meal' and as a result, Merial says vets and pet owners can feel confident that they are helping to protect dogs from the vectors of severe canine diseases - including leishmaniosis, dirofilariosis, babesiosis, anaplasmosis, ehrlichiosis and borreliosis - whether travelling within the UK or abroad.
Lynda Maris, Brand Manager for Frontect said: “We are delighted to expand our Merial V-Line vet exclusive parasiticide portfolio with the addition of Frontect. Frontect both kills and repels parasites to provide visible results and help deliver client satisfaction. Frontect is ideal for active, outdoor dogs and travelling dogs at risk of exposure to ticks and vector borne diseases.”
Frontect is administered topically, on the neck and between the shoulder blades of the dog. It will be available in five different weight ranges to suit all dogs from the beginning of May 2015.
CPC has announced the opening of a new pet crematorium in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire to meet rising demand.
According to the company, there has been an increase of 12% in individual pet cremations over the last four years, and about half the pets that come to the company from Vets Now are given individual cremations, rather than communal ones. Of the pet owners that contact CPC directly, about a third currently ask for an individual cremation, up from a quarter in 2008.
Jason Cracknell, the General Manager at CPC (pictured right), said: "When I was a child growing up in the country, our pets were buried in the garden. With smaller gardens and greater mobility this is no longer an option for many. Working closely with vets we have seen a considerable increase in owners wanting more knowledge and involvement in how their beloved pet is cared for at the end of its life."
The new Cheltenham Pet Crematorium will have a memorial and wildlife garden designed with the help of year 9 students from the nearby Tewkesbury School. It'll be officially opened at the end of April by farmer and television presenter, Adam Henson.
CPC also offers three levels of pet bereavement training for veterinary practices that use its services:
For more information, visit www.cpccares.com
A new company supplying pet chews to the veterinary profession has launched this month.
The Soft Chew Company has been set up by Kevin Ingram, owner of the veterinary supplier J.A.K Marketing and Niall McFerran, who has in the past worked for a number of veterinary healthcare companies including Animalcare, Ceva and Alstoe.
Kevin said: "The healthcare supplement market in the UK is worth over £20 million and rising but most customers are asked to use products which were designed for use on humans. The aim of The Soft Chew Company is to provide those health benefits in the form of treats that the dogs and cats will readily accept."
The new company's product range will be branded: "Chewz" and marketed as palatable healthcare supplements in order that they will not be confused with pharmaceutical products.
The range will initially consist of:
The Chewz range can be obtained from all wholesalers or directly from J.A.K Marketing.
For further information contact; info@thesoftchewcompany.co.uk or 01347 293150
Labrador Retrievers are the breed most likely to run away, according to a survey of 2000 pet owners commissioned by the Blue Cross.
In addition, the survey found that the average dog owner has had their pet run off three times. One in five haven't had their dog microchipped and half of those say they probably won't ever have it done.
Only 23% of dog owners know it is already mandatory for dogs to wear a tag when in public, and only half of those knew the tag must bear the owner's name.
1/3rd thought the maximum fine for a dog being without a tag would be £100, when it is actually £5000.
The full list of breeds most likely to do a runner was:
A similar scheme will also be run for Australian colleagues wanting to spend time in the UK.
The programme will allow the company's vet nurses to enhance their role internationally and to explore other parts of the world whilst furthering their career.
The programme is open to nurses with over two year's experience, who want to work overseas and then return to their current practice afterwards.
Secondments are also available for staff in support office roles.
Staff will be able to return to their existing roles for up to 12 months, and thereafter a similar role will be made available to them in their region.
Graeme Cramb, Managing Director for CVS Australia, said: “Our vision is to be the veterinary company that most people want to work for and we believe this UK-Australia secondment scheme represents an attractive option for colleagues.
“As the first vet company to offer a UK-Australia secondment scheme, we hope that it enables our colleagues to learn from colleagues in a new territory, further their career and to lead to some exciting cross-pollination of ideas.”
When colleagues express an interest, they will be contacted by CVS recruitment team member to discuss potential opportunities that they can apply for.
They must meet the criteria required to be able to obtain a visa to work in Australia.
Successful applicants will be offered a relocation package and continue to be paid their salary in the UK.
They may also be eligible for the cost of living allowance, paid in Australia.
https://www.careerswithcvs.co.uk/intranet/vacancy/uk-to-australia-secondment-program-4472/18753/description/
Boehringer Ingelheim has announced that Vetmedin Chewable Tablets have been licensed for treating pre-clinical dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in Doberman Pinschers1.
Boehringer says DCM is the most common form of cardiomyopathy in dogs and the second most common form of acquired heart disease in dogs. Typically, up to half (25 - 50%) of Doberman Pinschers develop DCM in their lifetime and before congestive heart failure (CHF) develops, over a quarter (25 - 30%) of these dogs will suffer sudden death. Despite optimal treatment, survival time once in CHF is short at just 2 - 4 months, with a fatality rate of at least 90% after a year.
The new indication was granted following a study which showed that early intervention with Vetmedin at pre-clinical stages in Dobermans can significantly delay the onset of CHF, increasing life expectancy and quality of life for patients2.
Robert Lucy, Vetmedin brand manager, Boehringer Ingelheim UK, said: "The PROTECT study, and the resulting new indication for Vetmedin is groundbreaking. For the first time ever, we are now not only able to manage congestive heart failure, but to significantly delay it. By acting sooner, we'll be able to alter the course of disease progression, ultimately increasing survival and allowing more pet owners to spend more time with their beloved dogs. Key to this will be giving vets the support and confidence in recognising the subtle signs of pre-clinical DCM. We plan to support veterinary professionals with new educational materials, including a screening algorithm, to help the diagnostic process."
Traditionally, there have been no licensed therapies available to vets to slow the progression of heart disease during the pre-clinical stage. However, peer-reviewed independent data from PROTECT, the first study in veterinary cardiology of its kind, proves that early intervention with Vetmedin at pre-clinical stages in Dobermans Pinschers can significantly delay the onset of CHF, increasing life expectancy and quality of life for patients.
The Veterinary Nursing foundation degree at Aberystwyth University combines theoretical and practical learning, with a year-long work placement in a veterinary practice as an integral part of the programme.
Facilities at the university include a clinical skills lab, research and anatomy laboratories, equine teaching centre and university farms.
A mock veterinary clinic is being developed and will allow students to prepare for clinical placements in a simulated environment.
The School of Veterinary Science at Aberystwyth University has been training veterinary students since it was officially opened in December 2021 by King Charles III.
Emma Anscombe-Skirrow, Senior Lecturer and Veterinary Nursing Lead said: “The success of Wales’ only School of Welsh Veterinary Science since it opened is fantastic to see.
"The addition of vet nursing studies to the veterinary degree that is already being taught here is a great opportunity to expand the School's educational provision."
Inquiries about the veterinary nursing course and applications can be made by emailing: vetssat@aber.ac.uk.
The organisers of the Vet Charity Challenge have announced that the 2015 fundraising and teambuilding event for the profession will take place on Saturday 26th September at Cannock Chase in Staffordshire.
The event consists of teams of four walking/running, cycling and kayaking as well as some orienteering and mental and physical tasks. The day is designed for every level of fitness and to reward those that work the best together as a team.
So far the Vet Charity Challenge has raised over £100,000 for animal based charities. In 2015 the charities being supported are Canine Partners, SPANA and International Cat Care.
Registration for the event opens online at the start of April. Organisers say that spaces are limited and last year filled up very fast, so to avoid disappointment it is highly recommended to book early.
This year there will be discounted entry fees for students teams.
Gavin Mitchell from BCF Technology said: “We were delighted at the success of the Vet Charity Challenge so far. Last year we had 50 teams taking part and raised a serious amount of cash for three very deserving charities. We hope to top this in 2015, making the event even bigger and better than last year.”
Dechra Veterinary Products has joined the challenge as a new sponsor this year. Larry King, Dechra Marketing Manager said: “Having entered a team into the Vet Charity Challenge in previous years, we are delighted to become sponsors of the challenge in 2015. The Vet Charity Challenge helps raise a significant amount of money for worthwhile causes at home and abroad and we look forward to being part of such a well organised event. This year we will be entering teams into the challenge again and we hope that colleagues from across the veterinary industry join us for what is sure to be a fun-packed weekend. We are proud to be 2015 sponsors.”
In addition to BCF and Dechra, the event is also sponsored by Kruuse, the VPMA, Mojo Consultancy andVeterinary Practice magazine.
For more information visit www.vetcharitychallenge.co.uk or: https://www.facebook.com/vetcharitychallenge.
Veterinary nurses can now cast votes for their preferred candidates in this year’s RCVS Veterinary Nurses Council elections.
Ballot papers with candidate details, biographies and manifestos have been posted to all veterinary nurses this week.
There are three candidates in this year’s VN Council elections with the two who receive the most votes joining VN Council also for a four-year term from July. The candidates are:
For this year’s ‘Quiz the candidates’, all candidates have been asked to submit a short video in which they answer two questions, chosen by them, posed by members of their profession.
The video statements from VN Council candidates can be found at www.rcvs.org.uk/VNvote15.
Gordon Hockey, RCVS Registrar, said: “This is the first year that we have had video statements from candidates so please do take a look at them as it's important, before casting a vote, to have an idea of the candidates and their priorities, if elected. My thanks to all those who submitted questions.
“I would urge both vets and veterinary nurses to participate in this year’s elections, because it really can make a difference. Decisions made at RCVS Council can have a real impact on all vets – the recent decision to allow the use of ‘Dr’ as a courtesy title being a case in point, along with current ongoing discussions about potential further governance reform.
Kathy Kissick, chair of VN Council, said: “The recent introduction of the College’s new Royal Charter is a momentous occasion for veterinary nurses, meaning that we are now formally regulated by the RCVS and recognised as true professionals in our own right. With the 2015 VN Council election now underway, it is more important than ever that veterinary nurses decide for themselves who should be elected to their governing body, as the decisions made by VN Council affect the whole of our profession.”
Votes in each election must be cast by 5pm on Friday, 24 April. Those eligible to vote can either fill in the ballot paper and return it by post, or vote online. To vote online, veterinary nurses should use the security codes and instructions printed on their ballot papers.
Any veterinary nurse missing a ballot paper should contact Annette Amato, Deputy Head of Veterinary Nursing on 020 7202 0713 / a.amato@rcvs.org.uk.
The scheme will allow regular referrers to gift free treatment worth up to £5000 to clients in need of financial assistance
Hospital Director Nicola Bromley said: “We recognise the challenge it is for families who may need specialist care for their animal friend but are unable to find the necessary funds.
"We highly value the relationship we have with our referring vets in providing options to their clients, and we hope this scheme will empower them to give hope to those who need it most.
"We are committed to supporting our referring primary care vets through collaboration, to make the whole sector as good as it can be for every animal.”
The new scheme will be activated immediately and apply to referrals made from January 2024, meaning practices and primary care vets who already refer to Fitzpatrick Referrals can refer pro bono cases immediately.
https://www.fitzpatrickreferrals.co.uk/news
Zoetis unveiled the Centre for Digital Innovation (CDI), it's new centre for creating digital products that enable data-driven decision-making to enhance precision farming and improve animal wellbeing for livestock and pets, at the House of Lords last week.
The company says its target is to create a digital health record for every UK livestock animal to enable data-driven decision-making and precision farming.
One of the first products in the pipeline is a device that provides real-time monitoring of growth and weight gain in a pig herd using non-intrusive visual imaging. It monitors actual growth against predicted growth, recording the number of daily visits to the water and feed station by individual animals. It produces a weight distribution graph and pinpoints both under and over achievers in the growth stakes, recording key dimensions and accurate measurements of the animal’s weight. Data from the device can be processed in seconds and uploaded into a web reporting tool.
Also in the pipeline is an app that can detect and monitor information on a cow's lameness.
Zoetis says it believes that advanced digital solutions could also significantly improve the wellbeing of companion animals. To that end, the company has built a new digital ecosystem for vets that includes a mobile app - PetDialog - to help better connect owners with their pet and vet. The PetDialog app features a Quality of Life assessment produced by NewMetrica from technology developed by the University of Glasgow. Using psychometric methodology, the assessment measures and monitors the quality of life of the dog so that the owner and vet can gain a deeper insight into the animal's health and wellbeing, including the early detection of health issues, managing disease and measuring the impact of treatment. Just as is the case in human medicine, the device will facilitate the remote monitoring of conditions such as blood glucose monitoring for diabetic cats and dogs.
Lord de Mauley, Science Minister, said: "I welcome this new investment which will add great value to UK capability in this area. It builds on the close relationship Zoetis already has with our universities and institutes including many Research and Development collaborations.
"Zoetis's decision to locate the Centre in the UK recognises the strength of our data sciences expertise and commitment to innovation including agricultural and biomedical science."
Ned Flaxman, CDI director (pictured right), said: "We believe that in this particular space, where technologies are advancing rapidly, the need for complimentary strategic partnerships is essential. Through our Alliances group we work actively in establishing the appropriate University and industry collaborations that will enable our CDI specialists to develop together the most comprehensive and valued digital solutions for our animals."
Veterinary students Harry Pink and Meg Coram have won the third Sutton Bonington Science Cake competition for their entry: Rhinos Should Be Horny (pictured right, click to enlarge).
The competition was held on the 12th March in aid of Comic Relief, with entries in six different categories (Veterinary Medicine, Animal & Agriculture, From Farm to Fork, Infection, Cakes for Animals, Comic Relief).
The entries, which ranged from nesting chickens, ringworm in cats and sows with piglets to beautiful vegetables and gardens, were prepared by students and staff at the campus. They were evaluated by 9 judges including members from both schools of Bioscience and Veterinary Medicine.
The cake competition also made it onto national TV this year. Apparently, Comic Relief loved the photos from the last two bake off competitions and asked for one of the bakers to design a cake for the special Comic Relief episode 'The Great British Bake Off'. Last year's public vote winners Rachael Lowton and Jennie Stoddart accepted the challenge and produced 'Just Your Everage Cake' in homage to Dame Edna.
You can see photographs of all the 2015 entries here: http://www.sbcakeoff.co.uk/entries
You can support SB Cake Off for Comic Relief here: https://www.justgiving.com/sbcakeoff/
Kruuse has launched the Buster Premium Dog Collar, described as the greatest innovation in Elizabethan dog collars since the original.
The company says the new collar has been designed with two things in mind. First and foremost, patient comfort. Secondly, ease-of-use. Both should help improve compliance.
The new product uses perforated neoprene to provide a snug fit round the neck with no need to attach a separate collar. It's fastened using Velcro, to give a quick but secure fitting. There's padded banding around the inner edge to provides extra comfort and prevent skin irritation, and additional banding around the outer edge to protect the dog's surroundings.
Andrew Groom, Managing Director at Kruuse said: "Worldwide, the Buster collar is the most trusted device to prevent canine patients from biting or licking their body or scratching their head and neck while wounds or injuries heal. The functionality of an e-collar is outstanding when it comes to postoperative care and prevention of self-inflicted trauma.
"The new Buster Premium Collar has been developed in association with vets, vet nurses and dog owners to provide an exceptional collar that is as stress-free as possible for the patient whilst providing exceptional functionality for the user both at the veterinary hospital and at home."
The Premium Buster Collar is available exclusively via NVS: www.vetwholesaler.co.uk
Bayer has announced that it has launched a new bone-shaped version of the Drontal Plus tablet with greatly increased palatability to increase client compliance.
In a field study, new Drontal Dog Tasty Bone proved to be voluntarily consumed by 88% of 150 dogs1.
Vicky McAlister, Group Product Manager at Bayer said: "We want to make it as easy as possible for responsible dog owners to remember to worm their pet at least every three months. To help improve compliance, there is an increased necessity for highly palatable oral dosage forms. To meet this need, the Drontal Plus Tasty tablet has been optimised using a novel formula that has an extremely high level of palatability where the majority of dogs take the tablet straight out of the owners hand like a treat - proving that Drontal is now tasty by nature as well as name!
This combined with the memorable bone-shaped design will help cement Drontal as the wormer of choice in the minds of owners."
Is it just me, or does the name of this product sound a bit like someone who has ingested a series of words, and then regurgitated them in no particular order? I suppose Drontal Tasty Dog Bone means something else, and Tasty Dog Drontal Bone doesn't really work.
Freda Andrews, the Director of Education at the RCVS, has announced her retirement from the position on 2nd April after nearly 16 years at the College.
Freda joined the RCVS as Head of Education in September 1999 and became Director of Education in 2013, with strategic responsibility for both veterinary and veterinary nursing education.
Nick Stace, RCVS Chief Executive Officer, said: "We will miss Freda for her professionalism, her encyclopaedic knowledge of all things related to veterinary education and her attention to detail, but she leaves behind a team that is stronger-than-ever and a considerable legacy for the profession as a whole.
"Under her watch the Education Department has seen a significant number of achievements. This includes the introduction of the Professional Development Phase which has helped veterinary graduates develop their confidence and competence during the first few years of practice and the accreditation of the University of Nottingham's School of Veterinary Medicine and Science - the first new UK vet school in 50 years."
Freda's responsibilities as Director of Education will now be split between Christine Warman, Head of Education, and Julie Dugmore, Head of Veterinary Nursing.
Freda said: "I have really enjoyed working with such a fascinating profession and I think that through working very closely with our colleagues in the vet schools, as well as with practising vets, veterinary education has made some significant advances. For example, there is more focus now on communication and professional skills and greater alignment of accreditation standards internationally, to name but two things.
"I am sad to leave but I know that the future of veterinary and veterinary nursing education has been left in the very safe hands of Christine and Julie and their respective teams."
Mars says that during a typical anaesthetic procedure, less than five percent of the volatile anaesthetic agent delivered to a patient is absorbed and metabolised and about 95% is exhaled.
SageTech’s gas-capture technology – which is currently used in human healthcare – works by capturing the waste anaesthetic agent exhaled during an operation by adsorbing it into a reusable capture canister.
These waste anaesthetic agents can then be extracted from the filter, without incinerating or release them into the atmosphere.
Ellie West, RCVS and EBVS® European Specialist in Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia, and Linnaeus Environmental Sustainability Lead, said: “As a leading provider of veterinary care, we have a responsibility to take climate action at scale and lead the way toward more sustainable practices.
“Our innovative collaboration should help us take a significant step forward in our sustainability journey, aimed at contributing to a better future for the planet – and the people and pets who depend on it.”
The one-year pilot will start with 10 Linnaeus primary care and referral veterinary practices in the UK, after which Mars says it plans to explore the potential application of this technology across other parts of its business.
https://www.sagetechveterinary.com