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VetNurse.co.uk publishes a curated feed of veterinary nursing news for registered veterinary nurses (RVNs), students (SVNs) and veterinary nursing assistants, with a primary focus on the UK profession.
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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 company says it will be introducing a UK-specific brand in the coming months, but that each practice will retain its independence and culture.
Ben (pictured) started his career in clinical practice but has spent the past decade building and leading organisations across the veterinary and dental sectors, including laboratory services.
Ben Hanning said: “Veterinary professionals are under more pressure than ever – and I’ve lived that reality.
"Vetopia’s UK launch is about creating a new way forward: empowering vets to focus on exceptional care while giving them the support, resources and ownership opportunities that they deserve.
“Our approach is designed to provide the right balance between autonomy and collaboration.
"Together, we can nurture what makes each clinic special while ensuring every team has the tools to thrive.”
A point of difference which Vetopia says sets it apart is its ownership model, through which more than half of the company’s shares are owned by employees.
This enables vets and clinic leaders to benefit directly from the group’s success, while fostering long-term value, collective commitment and a sense of shared purpose across the network.
Peter Thomsen, Group CEO at Vetopia, said: “Vetopia’s success across Europe shows that veterinary excellence thrives when clinicians lead the way.
"Our country-led model combines local decision-making with the benefits of being part of a larger network, giving practices the freedom to deliver care their way while accessing shared expertise, investment and resources.
www.vetopia.com
The updated standards document applies to the awarding organisations and higher education institutions that set the veterinary nursing curricula, the centres (such as further education colleges) that deliver the courses, and the affiliated RCVS-approved training practices where SVNs undertake their placements.
The updated standards were approved by RCVS Veterinary Nurses (VN) Council in February 2021 after feedback from stakeholders.
There are six overarching standards within the framework, which also provide guidance on how the individual standards can be evidenced. The overarching standards are: learning culture; governance and quality; student empowerment; educators and assessors; curricula and assessment; and effective clinical learning.
The College says the new Standards Framework, which draws together all the previous separate guidance for awarding organisations, centres and training practices, allows greater flexibility for how training can be delivered.
Julie Dugmore, RCVS Director of Veterinary Nursing, said: “During 2020, accreditations and quality monitoring audits were conducted against the RCVS Standards Framework for Veterinary Nurse Education and Training. Feedback from all involved was positive but reflected a need for clarification in some areas and further examples to assist with evidencing compliance.
“Since February 2021, four accreditations have been conducted against the updated standards, the results of which demonstrate a positive move towards the outcomes based approach to accreditation and quality monitoring.”
The full set of standards can be read online at www.rcvs.org.uk/standards-framework-vn.
Eastcott says all staff working in the ECC unit have received specific intensive care training and will be supported by discipline-specific specialists at all times.
The service will be run by three ECC/medicine vets during the day and three ECC vets at night, supported by four day nurses and two night nurses.
Harriet said: "By having all the specialist disciplines available at the practice, we can offer a more holistic service to emergency patients. For example, if a dog is involved in a road traffic accident, the ICU can stabilise it and give emergency care and pain relief.
"Dentistry can then repair jaw and mouth injuries; orthopaedics can repair any other broken bones and soft tissue can assess and repair any damaged organs. This is all supported by our dedicated anaesthesia service and advanced imaging capabilities.
"The ICU also provides a calm environment for critically ill and injured patients to recover following surgery or other planned treatments from other disciplines."
David said: “We’ve created a purpose-built intensive care unit with all the latest ICU equipment, including our own laboratory; critical care cribs; temperature, humidity and oxygen-controlled intensive care kennels and an ICU ventilator.
"This means we have the facilities to care for the most severely injured and critical cases.
"We also have a high-quality team of enthusiastic, dedicated ECC vets and nurses to lead the service. Everyone has a background of ECC work and a true passion for it."
For more information, visit www.eastcottreferrals.co.uk.
201 practices took part in the survey between 25th February and 4th March 2021. The main findings were:
Lizzie Lockett, RCVS CEO, said: “Although this survey took place in the midst of the lockdown and before the schools re-opened, there were some positive results here around staffing and the financial situation for practices. Hopefully this will mean that, as the restrictions ease going from spring into summer, many practices and practice staff will be in a position to return to a near-normal level of service and business.
"There were, however, still a few areas of concern, some of which will hopefully be resolved by the forthcoming easing of restrictions, for example, the difficulty in obtaining independent witnesses for the destruction of controlled drugs, with some 34% of practices reporting difficulties, compared to 20% in December.
“Once again, I would like to thank all those practices who responded to this and previous surveys, and continue to provide invaluable evidence and feedback about the current state of veterinary practice.”
The full results of the survey can be downloaded at: www.rcvs.org.uk/publications
The College says the course breaks down the supporting guidance to the Code of Professional Conduct into clear, practical advice that can be easily applied in daily practice.
It covers areas such as advertising, endorsing products and services, and using social media in a way that upholds professional standards, including:
The course begins with a short test to assess your current understanding of the topic, followed by three bite-sized modules and a final reflection section.
The course takes about an hour to complete and counts towards your CPD requirements.
academy.rcvs.org.uk
Faecal matter transplantation (FMT) has been used in people to treat Clostridium difficile infections and has also been trialled in conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.
The researchers believe that FMT offers a potential new option for the treatment of chronic diarrhoea in dogs and the study will investigate whether it contributes to a more rapid resolution of clinical signs. The study is being conducted in association with eight other private practices or universities around the country.
Julien Bazelle, a European Veterinary Specialist in Small Animal Internal Medicine at Davies said: "The goal is to recruit, over a short period of time, canine patients with chronic small intestinal diarrhoea, for a randomised trial in which the cohort receives or not FMT at the time of the initial investigations and prior to any other treatment.”
Dogs aged 6 months to 10 years with a history of chronic small intestinal diarrhoea (+/- other GI signs) are needed to participate in the study. Half of the dogs will receive FMT and the other half will be managed without. FMT will be performed in eligible patients during the sedation for their routine abdominal ultrasound. Transplanted faecal matter will be administered via a retention enema.
To be eligible, dogs must not have received antibiotics, probiotics or steroids recently.
If you have a potentially suitable patient please contact: julien.bazelle@vetspecialists.co.uk or Fergus.Allerton@willows.uk.net
Ms Francis faced two charges, the first of which had three elements:
The first was that in January 2021 she took one box of buprenorphine from the practice where she worked.
The second was that in early June 2022 she took another 15 boxes of buprenorphine together with an unspecified number of vials of the drug.
The third was that later that month, she took another box of the drug.
The second charge was that her behaviour was dishonest, was not acting in accordance with instructions from a veterinary surgeon or a valid prescription and she failed to record the amount of the drug taken from the practice.
At the outset of the hearing Ms Francis admitted taking the one box of buprenorphine at the end of June 2022, but denied the other elements of the charge.
After interviewing witnesses, the Committee decided that on the basis of the evidence presented, the allegations that Ms Francis had taken a box of buprenorphine in January 2021, or that she had taken vials of buprenorphine in June 2022, were unproven.
With regard to the allegation that she had taken 15 boxes of buprenorphine in June 2022, the Committee determined that Ms Francis had no case to answer, due to insufficient evidence.
This meant that the second charge, of dishonest behaviour, was only considered in respect of the element of the first charge that Ms Francis had admitted to (the one box of buprenorphine she admitted taking in late June 2022).
Here, the Committee found that Ms Francis’ conduct was not dishonest, but found it proved that she did not act in accordance with instructions from a vet or a valid prescription, and found it proved that she failed to record the amount of the drug taken from the cupboard on the internal stock sheet.
Paul Morris, chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: “The respondent had removed a box of buprenorphine from the drugs cupboard before she had received a prescription for that medication.
"She intended to seek such a prescription from the vet, who was in the practice at the time and from whom she had just received prescriptions for other pain-relieving medications.
"As it happened the vet issued the prescription for the buprenorphine which the respondent sought.
“The respondent has acknowledged her fault in removing the box of buprenorphine before the vet had issued a prescription.
This appears to have been the result of a momentary decision on her part that Vetergesic would be of benefit to her dog.
"She also omitted to sign the relevant log.
"The evidence which the Committee heard suggested that this omission was commonplace at the practice.
“In acting in this way, as the respondent acknowledges, she fell below appropriate standards.
"The Committee has concluded, however, that in all the circumstances her conduct did not fall far below those standards and could not realistically be described as disgraceful conduct in a professional respect.”
www.rcvs.org.uk/disciplinary
Dave Dickson MRCVS (pictured right) said: "The ECG series is full of case examples and practical advice, delivered by the friendly cardiologists at HeartVets.
"The course should give you confidence to record and interpret ECGs in practice, knowing how to put the ECG information into context with each case and improving how you manage cardiac cases in practice."
ECGs for Vets and Nurses, an online course offering an introduction to ECGs.
The course, which costs £95 for three month's access, has over seven-and-a-half hours of content, divided up into 20-45 minute webinars, so you can watch at your own pace.
For more information, visit: https://heartvets.co.uk/learning-zone/
The teleconsulting service, accessed via the VetCT App, offers general practitioners 24hr clinical advice and support from specialists in all disciplines.
Practices who subscribe to the service can apply for £15 per person of food and drink vouchers for up to 20 people, to enjoy together.
VetCT says it will also be hosting a virtual party for locum vet subscribers want to take them up on the offer.
Victoria Johnson, Founder and Co-Director said: “We wanted to encourage people to get together - in person or virtually - to enjoy some festive treats and all-important social time, especially after a challenging year.
"We also appreciate how reducing staffing over the seasonal holiday period can leave teams stretched, and want to reassure our clients that we’re here to support them, 24/7, throughout the festive season.”
A member from the VetCT team will join the start of each practice party, to explain how versatile the teleconsulting service can be in providing reassurance and support, with answers to quick clinical questions, as well as advising on complex, multi-disciplinary case queries.
For more information, contact: info@vet-ct.com using the words ‘Staff Party’ in the subject, or visit www.vet-ct.com for more information.
The change to the Practice Standards rules means that RVNs who have at least five years’ experience within the profession are eligible to apply to become PSS Assessors.
PSS Assessors are employees of the RCVS who are responsible for visiting practices that want to join the scheme, are undergoing their re-accreditation assessment or have applied for one or more of the PSS Awards, to ensure they meet the criteria.
The decision to allow RVNs to become PSS Assessors had already been approved by both the Practice Standards Group (the steering committee for the Scheme comprising representatives from all of the major veterinary and veterinary nursing organisations in the UK) and the RCVS Standards Committee.
Matthew Rendle is the Chair of VN Council and also sits as a member of RCVS Council. He said: “I am delighted to see that there is now a pathway to recruit veterinary nurses as PSS Assessors and hope that many of my VN colleagues will take up this opportunity to apply to join the excellent team responsible for ensuring that the Scheme’s stringent standards are met.
"We know that, on a practice-by-practice basis, veterinary nurses often play a big role in helping to coordinate and ensure that the requirements of the Practice Standards Scheme are met, for example, by preparing their team for the assessment, liaising with the RCVS and the Assessor and making sure all standards are complied with in advance. It is great to see that the crucial role they often play in meeting standards is reflected in opening up the ability to become PSS Assessors."
Mandisa Greene, RCVS President and Chair of the Practice Standards Group, added: “This is such an important development for the veterinary nursing profession whose role in the Practice Standards Scheme has long been recognised as invaluable. This decision also opens up new career advancement opportunities for the profession as well, which I’m sure is very welcome."
When the next recruitment round for PSS Assessors takes place, RVNs will be invited to apply to join the roster of Assessors.
In addition to approving the role of RVNs as PSS Assessors, Council also approved a new Equine Emergency Services Clinic accreditation to help incorporate the emerging business model of veterinary practices that provide ambulatory emergency services for equids.
The new accreditation would require these practices to meet the applicable PSS Core Standards, plus the requirements contained in an additional Equine Emergency Services module. The full details of the requirements will be published in due course.
For more information about the Practice Standards Scheme visit: www.rcvs.org.uk/pss
Acepromazine-based Acecare is used alongside other opioids and reduces the amount of anaesthetic necessary to induce anaesthesia by approximately one third.
Animalcare Product Manager Eleanor Workman Wright said: "Practices are looking for greater cost-effectiveness in the products they use and are also keen to reduce waste.
"We are delighted to announce that Acecare, a trusted staple of anaesthetic protocols in use at many practices is now offering improved performance in both of these areas.”
For more information, contact your Animalcare Territory Manager or contact Animalcare’s head office on 01904 487687.
Open to anyone working in a veterinary setting at any stage of their career, the competition rewards teams and individuals (clinical and non-clinical), who have achieved better outcomes through QI initiatives for patients, clients, the business or the working environment.
Individual winners will be crowned 'Knowledge Champions' and one team will become RCVS Knowledge’s 'Champion Practice'.
Each winner will also receive a £250 reward, tickets to the awards ceremony next calendar year and the opportunity to work with RCVS Knowledge to further promote their quality improvement work.
Candidates can nominate themselves or others for an award.
If you want to nominate a colleague, the deadline is 17thOctober. The deadline to apply on your own behalf or that of your team/practice is 29th November 2019.
Full details are available online: bit.ly/KnowledgeAwards.
Executive Director of RCVS Knowledge, Chris Gush said: "The 2019 awards shed light on the very good work those in the profession are doing to continually enhance quality, so we are delighted to bring the competition back for 2020.
"It is a great opportunity for individuals and teams to showcase their quality improvement initiatives. Whether it is clinically focused or aiming to improve procurement, we are keen to hear about the work that is underway."
Last year's awards highlighted inspirational QI projects such as a drugs audit that led to a ten-fold improvement in usage discrepancy; a quarterly clinical audit that enhanced nursing expertise and trust from veterinary surgeons; and the introduction of guidelines that coincided with the subsequent treatment of 2,639 additional animals.
The case examples submitted by each winner are available to download for free:
'Champion Practice' Vets Now Macclesfield for its anaesthesia audit.
'Knowledge Champion' Louise Northway RVN, Wendover Heights Veterinary Centre, for her anaesthesia audit.
'Knowledge Champion' Alison Thomas MRCVS, Blue Cross, for her case study: Creating clinical guidelines.
'Knowledge Champion' Angela Rayner MRCVS, CVS Group plc, for her case study: Controlled drugs process audit.
For more case examples and QI resources, visit: bit.ly/QIKnowledge
A survey of qualified veterinary nurses conducted by vetnurse.co.uk on behalf of Molar Ltd, makers of PlaqueOff Animal, has found a significant number of veterinary practices are not routinely offering dental checks and advice to their clients.
According to Molar, it is generally accepted that without proper dental care around 70-80% of pet dogs and cats will have some sort of dental disorder by the age of three and certainly by the age of six.
452 qualified veterinary nurses who worked in practices employing an average 5 veterinary surgeons and 6 VNs took part in the survey.
According to the survey, over 67% of practices do not have a dental nurse and only 36% of VNs have ever attended a dental training course.
More than 76% of veterinary nurses thought it highly important for owners to practice good regular oral hygiene on their pets. However, less than 0.2% of practices are carrying out dentals 20 or more times a week, 53% perform 5 to 10 dentals a week and 34% less than 5 a week.
Over 66% of dental checks are carried out by a veterinary surgeon and over 90% of practices do not carry out an x-ray as part of a dental check-up.
The majority of practices were charging £100-150 for a basic scale and polish without x-rays for a medium-sized dog and £50-100 for a cat (including VAT).
Following a dental check-up on a pet, less than 0.3% offered a free dental check-up in six months or ‘money-off next purchase' incentive, but 82% provided product leaflets, over 60% dental hygiene foods or product samples and 55% a practice-designed dental info sheet in a post-dental pack for the client. And 60% of practices routinely contacted clients for regular dental check-up reminders.
John Leonard of Molar Ltd said: "These results indicate that there is a lot of scope for practices to promote dental care as a preventative measure against possible oral and general health problems later in a pet's life with the added bonuses of client relationship-building and increased business opportunities".
The campaign is being fronted this year by a number of social media influencers, appropriately including Cat the Vet, aka Cat Henstridge (pictured right), Louisa The Vet and Alex And Bump.
Ceva has produced a number of materials to help practices get involved, including social media posts and templates which are now available from Ceva Territory Managers, or from the veterinary social media platform, Vet Social.
The company will also be launching an educational video that helps people recognise that older cats, and those with concurrent diseases, may have high blood pressure but show little in the way of recognisable signs.
Suzanne Page, Veterinary Surgeon and Amodip Product Manager at Ceva, said: “This year, in recognition of how busy practices are, we wanted to give veterinary teams resources that provide a straightforward and simple way to raise feline hypertension awareness.
"Hypertension is so difficult for owners to notice, so we are working hard with influencers to spread the word.
"There will also be leaflets to share and a new website for cat owners at www.catbloodpressure.com.”
For those wanting to brush up on hypertension, there's Ceva's free CPD course, led by Dr Sarah Caney, Feline Medicine Specialist and CEO of Vet Professionals, available here.
The new facilities include an emergency and critical care unit, a dental suite, seven operating theatres, a medicine investigation room, new fluoroscopy equipment and a 1.5T high-field MRI scanner.
Eastcott's clinical director Duncan Barnes said: “Our amazing team of clinicians, nurses, physiotherapists and administrative staff have worked hard to maintain an excellent standard of service throughout this period of development.
"We have also been fortunate to recruit wonderful new team members to be able to provide a comprehensive service with real strength in depth."
Managing director Peter Southerden added: “We have invested a lot of time, money and energy into ensuring we can deliver the highest quality of care to our patients and we’re very proud of the results.
"It’s no exaggeration to say our wide range of medical facilities can now be regarded as human-standard - that’s how determined we are to provide the best treatment by utilising the latest technology and equipment.
"We have a purpose-built ECC unit with all the latest intensive care equipment, including its own laboratory, critical care cribs, temperature, intensive care kennels, ventilator and defibrillator.
"We have also created what we believe is one of the best dentistry suites in the world, befitting our world-class dental specialists.
"There are seven operating theatres, which include a dedicated ophthalmology and interventional radiography theatres.
"We also provide a comprehensive and coordinated approach to cancer care, with a dedicated chemotherapy room where our specialist-led, internal medicine team is able to appropriately select and administer the full range of treatments.
"We have 10 consultation rooms and have doubled the number of kennels to almost 100 so we have upgraded, extended and expanded on virtually every front."
To view an interactive map of the new facilities at Eastcott Veterinary Referrals, visit: www.eastcottreferrals.co.uk/new.
Mr Samuel had been removed from the Register in 2018 for causing unnecessary harm to numerous animals.
After being tried and convicted of several animal welfare offences alongside his former partner at Leeds Magistrates Court, Mr Samuel was sentenced to 12 weeks’ imprisonment, suspended for 12-months on the condition that he did 150 hours of unpaid work.
He was also ordered to pay a £100 fine and subjected to a disqualification order under the Animal Welfare Act for three years.
Mr Samuel’s application for restoration was based on the facts that he accepted the seriousness of his actions and that he did not challenge the DC’s 2018 decision.
The Committee also heard evidence that since his removal from the Register, Mr Samuel - who had run a first opinion veterinary practice for nine years prior to being struck off - has undertaken 340 hours of work experience with other veterinary surgeons and 20 hours of CPD.
Dr Samuel was represented by Counsel who outlined in his submissions to the Committee how Dr Samuel’s former partner had sole responsibility for the animals and that she was involved in rehoming dogs and cats and that their relationship was ‘stressful’, that this made Dr Samuel neglect his professional obligations, and that Dr Samuel was now in a different relationship and his life had been ‘transformed’ since his conviction.
The College opposed Dr Samuel being restored to the Register.
Ms Curtis, Counsel on behalf of the College, submitted to the Committee that Dr Samuel continued to represent a risk to the welfare of animals and that to allow him to be restored to the Register would undermine public confidence in the profession.
She explained that even though his sentence and Animal Welfare Act Disqualification Order had come to an end, and he was now legally able to own animals, this should not be equated with him now being fit to return to the Register.
Dr Austin Kirwan MRCVS, chairing the Committee, and speaking on its behalf, said: “Where a veterinary surgeon has shown himself to be capable of such indifference to the welfare of multiple animals, there remained, in the Committee’s view, a real risk of that indifference manifesting itself again.
"A registered veterinary surgeon is entrusted with the care of animals, often when they are at their most vulnerable, and sometimes for prolonged periods of time.
"Given the nature of the animal welfare offences committed by Dr Samuel, the Committee considered there would be a real and significant risk to animals if the high level of responsibility and trust that comes with registration were returned to him.
“For a veterinary surgeon, conduct involving neglect of animals is at the highest end of the spectrum of serious professional misconduct.
"For the reasons outlined above, the Committee considered Dr Samuel continued to represent a risk to animal welfare and thus allowing him to be restored to the Register would seriously undermine public confidence in the profession.
"For all these reasons the application to restore Dr Samuel to the Register is refused.”
The Committee’s full findings can be viewed at www.rcvs.org.uk/disciplinary
The statistic came to light as a result of Ceva's Mercury Challenge1, in which veterinary practices from around Europe took blood pressure readings from over 10,000 cats over seven years old, 4000 of which were from the UK.
The Challenge results, which were recently presented at Ceva Cat Expertise 2021 by the international feline medicine specialist, Dr Andy Sparkes, showed that more than 40% of cats enrolled in the Mercury Challenge were hypertensive, with a blood pressure about 30% higher than the blood pressure value found in healthy cats.
Ceva says this high percentage suggests that feline hypertension may be even more common than suspected, especially in the ageing cat population, with the mean age of hypertensive cats found to be 13 years old in the Challenge.
The study also found that up to one in three cats had both hypertension and chronic kidney disease (CKD). Feline hypertension is also associated with hyperthyroidism.
Jodie Tanner, veterinary surgeon at Lime Tree Vets in Staffordshire who participated in the Mercury Challenge said: “We were surprised by how many of the cats whose blood pressure we measured as part of the Mercury Challenge were actually hypertensive and were taken aback at the number of hypertensive cats which lacked clinical signs or target organ damage.
"These hypertensive cats would have previously gone undetected prior to us screening our older patients and they would probably have only presented when they had advanced target organ damage, such as blindness.
“Measuring blood pressure in cats is now incorporated into our bespoke preventative health care plan – The Pet Plus Membership – and our ‘Gold Plan’ is tailored to our patients over eight years of age.
"Included in the Gold Plan are twice yearly blood pressure checks, so we can pick up hypertension cases as early as possible, and the plan also includes twice yearly urine screens and yearly blood screens to pick up other common diseases seen in older cats such as hyperthyroidism and CKD.”
Ceva has a range of resources available to support veterinary practices, including those that want to set up vet nurse blood pressure clinics. There's a digital hypertension tool kit available by registering at www.easethepressure.co.uk, where you will also find information on the Hypertension CPD Hub, an Ease the Pressure pack containing resources to support vet practices, owner communications materials and information about Ceva’s online Hypertension Ambassador CPD course. A vet practice social media pack is also available.
For further information, visit www.easethepressure.co.uk or contact your local Ceva territory manager.
Reference
In writing the guide, Liz has drawn upon her own experience of the disciplinary process to offer practical advice to others who find themselves in the same situation.
Liz found herself on the receiving end of a complaint by a pet owner after an elderly dog she had operated on died that night at her practice. It took two years for the complaint to progress to a DC hearing. They were two years which she described as absolute hell. Not just because of the threat of losing her livelihood, but also because of the vilification on social media.
Her booklet explains the whole process, from the first notice from the College to moving on after the hearing, with practical advice as to how you can make the experience, well, if not a positive one, at least not quite as hellish as it might otherwise be.
You can download the booklet from Liz’s website, here: https://howtosurviveanrcvshearing.wordpress.com/
The programme, which is open to experienced veterinary nurses, will give successful candidates the opportunity to train alongside world-leading specialists, highly-trained clinicians and experienced specialist RVNs, working within the specialisms of emergency and critical care and internal medicine.
Tracey Morley Jewkes, Managing Director at Willows, said: "We intend this to be a professionally-rounded training programme which offers opportunities not only to work alongside the world-renowned specialist vets and highly-skilled referral nurses here at Willows but to also cover areas such as public speaking development and article writing."
Tom Reilly, head of clinical support services at Willows, led the design of the residency programme and is hoping it will provide much-needed pathways of professional progression for RVNs and retention of talent within veterinary nursing. He said: "This residency is a three-year programme which follows a similar pattern to the veterinary surgeons’ specialist residency programme.
"Each resident nurse will have a specialist vet or nurse mentor and will spend the first year working solely in the area of their chosen discipline.
"The second year will see our resident nurses undergo training in the American Veterinary Technician Specialist qualification, benefiting from the volume and complexity of cases within the working environment at Willows.
"In the final year, residents will attend an international conference in the US in their area of specialism where they will also sit their internationally recognised exams to complete their residency."
For more information, visit www.willows.uk.net.
This year’s Protect and Prevent campaign urged rabbit owners to get their rabbits vaccinated, following the continued outbreak of rabbit viral haemorrhagic disease (RVHD2). Veterinary practices were also urged to make sure they were stocking the necessary vaccines to protect rabbits against RVHD2, RVHD and myxomatosis.
The company says that over 5000 campaign packs were downloaded from the Rabbit Awareness Week website and sales of RVHD2 vaccines in the veterinary sector in June 2019 were 55% up on June 2018.
Peter Lancaster, Marketing Manager at Burgess Pet Care said: "We would like to say a huge thank you to the RAW partners, veterinary practices, rescue centres, pet shop retailers and, of course, rabbit owners, for their continued support in helping us to improve the health and wellbeing of rabbits."
Dr Richard Saunders BVSc DZooMed MRCVS, veterinary advisor to RWAF said: "We heard lots of heart-breaking stories from owners and vets alike about rabbits, sometimes whole groups of rabbits, which had not been vaccinated. None of those people realised just how widespread the RVHD2 is, and how easy it is to pick it up. We will continue to campaign and share our message that it is very much better late than never to vaccinate rabbits against all three killer diseases of rabbits: myxomatosis, Rabbit Viral Haemorrhagic Disease 1 and 2."
PDSA Vet Nurse, Kristiana Shirley, said: "Rabbit Awareness Week provided us with a great opportunity to engage with rabbit owners and raise awareness of the key preventative healthcare our bunnies so vitally need.
"During Rabbit Awareness Week in June, we saw a significant increase in the number of vaccines given when compared to previous months, and an increase in our rabbit MOTs too, which we hope is just the start of a trend which sees more owners protecting their rabbits from preventable, fatal diseases."
For more information on Rabbit Awareness Week, including free access to rabbit CPD, visit www.rabbitawarenessweek.co.uk
During her presentation, Helen will be drawing on her own experiences of mental and physical health issues and looking at how people respond differently to each. She is also using the session to raise awareness of mental health and wellbeing; what makes it good and what makes it poor, and the symptoms of poor mental health.
She said she hoped delivering a session as a line manager would cause a ripple effect, enabling people at all levels of a practice to feel comfortable talking about mental health if senior managers are leading the discussion.
Helen said: "In both my personal life and work life I have found myself providing support to individuals who are suffering with poor mental health.
"I'm very aware it can affect people who you would least expect it to affect – and it can be hidden. In many cases individuals are still high functioning, and to the outside eye you would never know they were struggling.
"As a line manager, it is really important to be available to discuss mental health openly and not be behind closed doors. If people feel able to talk about mental health, it might give them the confidence to come forward.”
You can register for a link to Helen’s webinar by emailing cpd@cave-vet-specialists.co.uk.
The book, titled Health and Welfare of Brachycephalic Breeds: A Guide for Veterinary Professionals, includes contributions from 29 internationally recognised experts on a wide range of aspects related to brachycephalic health.
The authors say that dogs in particular are now suffering from a ‘perfect storm’ because the welfare harms from conformation-related predispositions to several health issues are being amplified by a population boom for certain brachycephalic breeds, such as the French Bulldog, Pug and English Bulldog.
Although flat-faced dog breeds were invented by man over a century ago, they are currently rising rapidly in popularity. From 2000 to 2020, Kennel Club registrations for English bulldogs rose by 488%, for pugs by 601% and a staggering 17,198% for French bulldogs, breeds which have been shown to be predisposed to things like corneal ulceration, difficulty giving birth, slipping kneecap, dry eye, upper respiratory tract disorders and heatstroke.
The book provides the context of how and why we are in this flat-faced animal crisis, offering in-depth historical, social, ethical, communication, nursing, welfare, epidemiological, genetics and international perspectives. It also provides clinical support, covering the background, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of the unique healthcare needs of flat-faced (brachycephalic) animals.
Rowena Packer, Lecturer in Companion Animal Behaviour and Welfare Science said: “We hope this book helps veterinary and animal professionals globally, who are faced with the often challenging task of protecting the welfare of brachycephalic animals. Most importantly, we hope this book is another step towards improving the lives of so many animals who have been impaired by the body shape they have been bred for.”
The book is available as an ebook, paperback or hardback, priced from £35.99 to £88.99: https://www.routledge.com/Health-and-Welfare-of-Brachycephalic-Flat-faced-Companion-Animals-A-Complete/Packer-ONeill/p/book/9780367207243
According to MORE TH>N pet insurance, men aren't just upset by the loss of a pet, 13% of them take a week or more off work if their pet is lost or stolen.
Notably, that compares to just 5% of women who have taken that much time off work to get over the upset caused by a pet going missing or being stolen.
According to the company, men are also more likely to cancel social engagements if a pet goes missing (15%) compared to women (12%).
In addition, men are prepared to spend more trying to find their pet than women, with almost 20% prepared to spend between £100 and £1000 for the safe return of an animal, compared to 14% of women.
Chartered psychologist, Beverly Stone said: "These findings highlight the inherent differences between men and women. Whereas women tend to fear for the potential loss of their pet when it goes missing and mourns the loss if their pet dies, a man not only experiences a similar fear and mourning but may also feel a strong sense of responsibility."As a consequence, they are likely to feel that they have failed to protect their pet. Men need more time to get over the guilt, and they would not want to be exposed to people asking what happened in social events, if they feel responsible''.
The research, conducted amongst 3000 British pet owners in March 2011, also revealed that a third of pet owners do not invest in pet insurance.
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