15.3% said they had received written abuse and 13.4% had received online abuse.
One in ten (9.87%) had cited receiving generally negative grumbles from their clients and a small percentage (0.8%) said they had noticed negativity from usually supportive clients.
17% reported abuse relating to the CMA across more than one platform.
On the other hand, the survey also revealed that 22.4% had received support in person, almost one in twenty (4.5%) had received online support, and 2.4% cited they had received supportive correspondence.
Mr Georgescu faced three sets of charges:
The first was that in April 2024 at Newcastle Magistrates’ Court, he pleaded guilty to driving a car when the proportion of the controlled substance Benzoylecgonine (the main metabolite of cocaine) exceeded the specified limit contrary to the Road Traffic Act 1988 and the Road Traffic Offenders Act.
He was disqualified from driving for 20 months, fined £634, ordered to pay £254 victim surcharge and £150 costs.
The second and third charges were that he was misleading and/or dishonest with the RCVS when he was asked to provide information about the circumstances leading to his conviction.
In correspondence with the College, he claimed that the incident happened on his day off, when he was in fact due to work that day.
He also submitted – or allowed to be submitted – a false staff rota for the day of his arrest.
The Disciplinary Committee found the charges against Mr Georgescu proven on the basis of the certificate of conviction and his admission, prior to the hearing, that he had given false information.
The Committee then considered whether the three charges amounted to serious professional misconduct.
The Committee considered the fact that Mr Georgescu was driving, and intending to work, while he was seven times over the prescribed proportion of Benzoylecgonine allowed to be in in his bloodstream.
Paul Morris, chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: “With regard to the impact this conduct would have on right thinking members of the public, Dr Georgescu himself said, when cross examined, that were he standing in the shoes of an owner of an animal he was going to treat that day with the knowledge that he had in his blood more than 7 times the prescribed limit of a prohibited drug he “would not be comfortable for sure” and would cause such persons to “lose trust”.
“Having regard to the above facts and matters the Committee has no hesitation in concluding that the facts relevant to his commission of the offence in Charge 1 were so serious and presented such prospective risks to other road users that it renders the respondent unfit to practise as a veterinary surgeon.”
Charges 2 and 3 were considered together, with the Committee again finding serious professional misconduct on the basis that Mr Georgescu had set out to lie to the RCVS and had continued and repeated the lie for a period of six months.
The Committee identified a number of aggravating features in his conduct including the fact it was premeditated, entailed sustained and repeated dishonesty, involved wilful disregard for the role of the RCVS as the veterinary regulator and that admissions were only made when he realised he couldn’t sustain his falsehoods any longer.
Finally, having found that all charges were proven and amounted to serious professional misconduct, the Committee decided that suspending Mr Georgescu from the Register of Veterinary Surgeons would be adequate to protect the welfare of animals, maintain public confidence in the profession, and declare and uphold proper standards of conduct.
Paul Morris added: “The misconduct of the respondent is serious but his misconduct falls short of being fundamentally incompatible with remaining on the Register.
"He does have insight into the seriousness of his misconduct and there is, in the judgement of the Committee, no significant risk of repeat misleading behaviour.
"The Committee also considers that the respondent will be fit to return to practice after the period of suspension in question.
“The Committee did consider striking the respondent from the Register but determined that this sanction would be unduly punitive and deprive the public and the profession of an otherwise competent veterinary surgeon.
“The Committee has reflected carefully on the question of how long the period of suspension should be and has determined that it should be a period which is not so long that it will result in the loss of the respondent to the profession which he professes to love and in which his referees assert he is a capable and caring veterinary surgeon.”
www.rcvs.org.uk/disciplinary
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
32% said they find dog care to be too restrictive
29% said it would be too difficult to go on holiday
24% said they don’t want to walk the dog every day and 25% that having a dog is too expensive.
41% of those who said they regret getting a dog bought it during lockdown.
The company points to a survey of 1000 dog owners it conducted in July which found that 77% would put many of the top ten signs of Cushing's down to ‘old age’.
According to research carried out by CM research in July 2018, for every 100 cases of Cushing’s syndrome treated, a further 57 are suspected but not diagnosed.
The ‘Prime Suspects’ campaign will encourage dog owners to become a ‘Cushing’s Detective’ and look out for signs in their dogs.
To help, the company has developed a series of characters to illustrate the signs of Cushings: Panting Patsy, Leaky Larry, Lazy Lynn, Greedy Gus and Little Patch.
A nationwide pet-focused multimedia campaign will support the ‘Prime Suspects’ initiative and will include TV and print advertising, online banners, pay per click advertising and social media to engage owners and encourage them to seek advice from their vet if they suspect Cushing’s in their dog.
Dechra has also launched Cushing’s Connect, a digital platform single resource hub to help vets keep up to date with current best practice in managing Cushing’s.
The hub has information and tools to enhance diagnostic protocols, advice and literature covering pathophysiology, diagnosis and ongoing case management including treatment protocols and monitoring schedules, and interactive guides and videos by top veterinary specialists.
There's also a client communication toolkit with owner-focused resources to encourage dog owners to spot the signs and seek help from their vet.
https://www.dechra.co.uk/cushings-connect
The webinars will be presented by specialists in their respective fields; small animal oncologist Sara Verganti and clinical pathologists Francesco Cian and Roberta Rasotto.
Each 30-minute session will focus on a specific aspect of MCT diagnostics followed by a multidisciplinary Q&A. The sessions, which all start at 7:30pm, are:
Dr Neil Mottram MRCVS, Technical Product Manager at Virbac said: "Mast cell tumours are the most common form of canine cutaneous neoplasia, although relatively simple to identify, knowing what diagnostic steps to take can be challenging. We believe this truly comprehensive bite size mini-series will provide vets with the confidence to navigate the diagnostic approach for their next MCTs."
For more information, contact your Virbac Territory Manager.
The new centre, based at The Harrogate Vet, will be Vetskill- and RCVS-approved and will specialise in training student nurses and patient care assistants.
CVTC Harrogate will offer a day release classroom-based Level 3 Diploma in Veterinary Nursing, along with online courses - including a Level 2 certificate in Veterinary Care Support and Level 5 Advanced Veterinary Nurse Diploma courses in Practice Nurse and Emergency and Critical Care.
Jackie Evans, Head of the CVTC Harrogate centre said: “We are delighted to be opening a third centre for veterinary nurse training.
"This will provide accessible training and highest quality training courses for veterinary nurses and veterinary care assistances in the Northeast region.”
The first cohort of students are due to start at CVTC Harrogate in autumn 2024.
Students wishing to apply for a places should visit chestervtc.co.uk or email nursingschool@cvsvets.com.
First, the practice carried out an infection control audit to ensure its protocols were robust.
The audit covered the cleaning of clinical areas, non-clinical areas (including offices, reception desks, kltchens and bathrooms), and the personal hygiene of staff members (including hand hygiene and work wear).
Using using the Nationwide Laboratory practice cleanliness screening programme, Rosemullion then conducted environmental swabbing of 10 clinical and non-clinical areas around the practice, including theatre tables, kennels, telephones and door handles, to review contamination levels.
Results showed varying levels of bacterial contamination in both clinical and non-clinical areas.
Finally, Rosemullion assessed personal hygiene and the potential for cross-contamination between patients, colleagues and the environment.
Staff were asked to complete an anonymous ‘Hygiene Self-assessment Questionnaire’ which covered ten areas, including; disinfecting hands; wearing gloves, scrubs with short sleeves and dedicated work shoes, and changing into uniforms when arriving at work.
Amongst clinical staff, there was a 66.75% compliance.
The team then discussed the results, consulted a lab microbiologist and formulated an improvement plan, which included updating the practice cleaning processes (including the cleaning of new touch points), introducing new colleague uniform rules (including changing into uniform upon arrival at work), improving hand hygiene (including providing hand gels for all colleagues) and using sanitising wipes in all office areas.
One month after the policy revisions, swab tests were repeated. They found no bacterial growth in any of the 10 previously swabbed areas.
After two months the colleague questionnaire was run again.
It found clinical colleague compliance over eight personal hygiene indicators had jumped from 66.75% to 92.5% compliance.Abi Redfearn, Senior Veterinary Nurse at Rosemullion, said: “When we opened in 2021, we were keen to monitor our infection control - as part of providing a hospital level of care under the RCVS Practice Standards Scheme.
"With around 100 colleagues and hundreds of patients passing through our doors every week, we are an extremely busy practice – so infection control is paramount in maintaining high clinical standards.“By updating our protocols and taking simple steps - such as providing sanitising materials in high-touch areas – we’ve significantly decreased the risk of environmental contamination.
"Our project is now being used as an example to encourage other practices.”
The follow up service ‘can be provided personally by the veterinary surgeon or practice, or by written agreement with a veterinary services provider which is local to the client (as with the current situation for [out-of-hours] care provision)’.
The new rule comes into force on the 1st November, to allow practices to make any necessary arrangements.
The RCVS Council also decided that the temporary derogation from the usual requirement to conduct a physical examination before an animal is regarded as ‘under care’ be reviewed as a standing item at each subsequent Standards Committee meeting, until the normal guidance provisions are fully restored.
Vets with Horsepower is organised annually by Professor Derek Knottenbelt to help raise funds for equine and human charities around the world.
This year the group undertook an endurance motorbike trip of over 1600 miles: from the UK to Germany, across Scandinavia and back, hosting education events for equine vets along the way to raise funds for four charities including BEVA's Power for Ukraine.
BEVA Council member Alison Talbot, said: “Thanks to the generosity of equine vets in the UK we had just hit the halfway mark of raising £10,000, before Vets with Horsepower set off on their epic Scandinavian mission.
"We are so grateful for their donation of £9922 which means we can now buy another five generators, to help twice as many vets and horses in extremely difficult circumstances during enforced power cuts."
The generators will be transported to a collection point in Poland and then on to Ukraine in time for winter.
Donations to the BEVA Trust Power To Ukraine appeal can be made here: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/powertoukraine
Any surplus funds will be added to the general fund to support equids in Ukraine.
The half day meeting will take place on Tuesday 25th May from midday to 4pm BST.
Speakers at the event, which accounts for four hours’ CPD, include: Dr Andy Sparkes, feline medicine specialist; Professor Patrick Pageat, president of IRSEA Group; Dr Nathalie Dowgray, head of ISFM and cat behaviourist, Susanne Hellman Holmström.
The programme is as follows:
There will also be a round table discussion on how to raise the focus on cats, when delegates will have the chance to interact with the speakers.
Abigail King, senior behaviour product manager at Ceva Animal Health, said: “The Ceva Cat Expertise 2021 event is designed for the whole veterinary team and will provide online delegates with comprehensive and up-to-date information on feline hypertension and behaviour, including hands on tips which can be incorporated into day-to-day work in practice, as well as an overview of feline opportunities and trends for the future.”
All delegates will receive a diploma of participation and the meeting will be available on demand after the live event to all registered participants until 1 September 2021.
To register for Ceva Cat Expertise 2021 online event visit https://ceva-cat-expertise-2021.confetti.events/, contact your local Ceva Animal Health account manager or email cevauk@ceva.com.
In particular, the two companies are focussing on the production of more video content, with Improve filming and sharing high quality clinical demonstrations, and VetNurse.co.uk sharing peer-reviewed community-driven content and knowledge.
VetNurse.co.uk Publishing Editor Arlo Guthrie said: “This partnership, which brings together the clinical knowledge and infrastructure of the UK’s leading veterinary training provider with the country’s longest-established online veterinary communities, will substantially increase the amount of valuable content we can bring our members.
“Together, we're going to make VetNurse.co.uk THE community for authoritative information and opinions."
To ask questions or discuss the new partnership, click here.
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
The day also has a stream for veterinary surgeons, and another for the whole practice team.
The nursing stream programme is as follows:
https://www.langfordvets.co.uk/feline-celebration-day
Vets Now launched the service at the start of the pandemic to provide remote veterinary advice, and it has now expanded from eight to nearly 30 emergency vets.
In 2022, Video Vets Now had over 13,000 consultations, with 80% of these occurring out-of-hours. Sundays are the busiest day, with almost a third of all consultations taking place.
Of these total consultations, 17% of pets were discharged normally, 7% were immediately referred in-clinic, and 48% were discharged as non-emergency cases, but with a recommendation to get a daytime vet appointment within 48 hours.
Dave Leicester, Vets Now’s head of telehealth says the fact that so few of Video Vets Now calls are referred on to a face-to-face consultation is a real benefit for pet owners and the veterinary profession: “Over two thirds of cases don’t need to be seen urgently by a vet.
"A lot of the cases are pet owners needing some clinical reassurance.
"As cases are triaged remotely, the service therefore frees up clinical staff for genuine emergencies.
“Additionally, without the service, many clients would have no other option than to attend for a full consultation at an out-of-hours clinic; so, clients save money too, allowing them to save their budget to spend at their daytime practices.
“Following the triage consultation, if the pet does need a non-urgent face-to-face consultation, we always direct clients to their registered vet. The £24 Video Vets Now consultation fee is then refunded.
"We call this our ‘Never Pay Twice’ promise, and it applies regardless of where that follow on consultation takes place.
"We see this as a win-win situation for clients and practices.”
Dave continued: “Over the past three years, Video Vets Now has seen unparalleled growth, providing essential care and reassurance for pet owners during a time of many challenges to traditional veterinary practice.
“As the pandemic has drawn to a close, we have consolidated our position as one of the UK's foremost providers of teletriage.
"Looking to the future, the changes in veterinary regulation will allow us to grow further and expand the range of services we can provide, bringing telehealth to an even greater number of pet owners.”
The College says that design thinking is a problem-solving process that anyone can use in all areas of veterinary practice. It is a method by which teams can create solutions to problems or challenges using empathy, creative thinking and experimentation.
The 75-minute session will give an overview of the principles behind design thinking, its various practical stages, and how it can be used to tackle challenges and problems within everyday practice.
Sophie Rogers, RCVS ViVet Manager, said: “While design thinking may sound quite theoretical and conceptual, it is actually a very practical problem-solving process that suits busy veterinary professionals and their teams. For example, the webinar will also be applying design thinking to the current backdrop of the challenges posed by Covid-19 and will be using examples that are relevant to the veterinary world to explore how it can help overcome some of these key challenges.
“The webinar will also be interactive, with delegates being sorted into small groups to carry out tasks that bring ideas to life and demonstrate how it supports innovation and working collaboratively.”
The webinar will be hosted by Gill Stevens, the Founding Director of Level Seven, a consultancy that specialises in merging coaching with design thinking methodology as a way to support innovation and team productivity, and Rick Harris, Founder of Customer Faithful, a research-led consultancy, specialising in customer research, proposition design and employee engagement.
You can sign up to the webinar, which will count towards the continuing professional development (CPD) requirement for both veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses, via the ViVet website at: www.vivet.org.uk/design-thinking-webinar-a-practical-approach-to-problem-solving-in-veterinary-practice.
Pete Wedderburn MRCVS is reporting on the latest veterinary developments in the USA, with a daily blog from the Western Veterinary Conference in Las Vegas.
You can read / subscribe to Pete's engaging blog here.
Ear cropping in UK dogs was exposed by BBC’s Panorama as a growing problem particularly with extreme mix breeds such as American Bullies and XL Bullies.
Dave said: “We need to urgently relook at legislation in the UK to prevent the serious rise in ear cropping which we’ve witnessed in recent years.”
It is currently illegal for a dog’s ears to be cropped in the UK, and proposals for a ban on importing dogs with cropped ears have been put forward by the Government. However, Dave says this legislation doesn’t go far enough to prevent an exponential rise in dogs with cropped ears, which some owners see as a status symbol: “At the moment the legislation in the UK is very hard to enforce unless you actually catch someone in the act of cropping the dog’s ears.
“It’s not currently illegal for someone to own a dog with cropped ears.
"So, if an owner were challenged by enforcement agencies, they’d just say ‘I bought the dog like this’ and there’s no liability.” “We propose that any dogs who already have cropped ears at the time the ban is due to come into force, must be registered on a database, which enforcement agencies and the veterinary profession would have access to.
"And for anyone owning an unregistered dog with cropped ears after the legislation comes into effect, then it’s a criminal offence.”
The Panorama programme also exposed co-ownership – where the breeder and the pet owner share ownership of the dog, often the bitch – as a system which has enabled unscrupulous breeders to get around current laws on dog breeding in the UK.
The breeder retains ownership of the stud dog and uses the network of co-owned female dogs for reproduction purposes. Dave said: “People need to be made aware of the risks of entering into a legal contract as a co-owner of one of these extreme mix breed dogs. “All the contracts I have seen in my role as an expert witness are strongly weighed in favour of the breeder. “So for example if the bitch does not have the requisite number of litters, or becomes ill or injured and has to be put to sleep, then the co-owner is fully liable for the full purchase cost of the dog to the breeder. “Considering that the female dogs are often valued in excess of £12k and the breeder may well have connections to organised crime or have a criminal record, there are huge risks for people entering into co-ownership.”
Part of the Pets at Home Vet Group, the new centre was originally set for a Spring/Summer 2020 opening, but the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown set launch plans back to later in the year.
The 24/7 referral centre, which is led by Dr Sam Woods and Professor Dick White as co-Clinical Directors, takes referrals in orthopaedics, internal medicine, neurology, soft tissue surgery, diagnostic imaging and anaesthesia.
Sam said: "We are thrilled to finally be able to officially open our centre this week and to start welcoming patients from the surrounding area and throughout Scotland.
"This has been a strange and difficult year for us all, and as a profession we have faced some hard months. We hope our new referral hospital will be a great asset to the local first opinion professionals, as an extra support with any specialist referral cases, and we are really looking forward to building relationships with them.
"We are lucky to have a great team of veterinary Specialists, nurses and support colleagues at VSS, who are all dedicated to offering the best service and care possible. We are all excited to see what the next few months will bring.
The centre, based at Deer Park in Livingston, will also provide a CPD programme and internship and residency opportunities to those in the profession.
Professor Dick White said: “Since its original inception, our vision for VSS has always been to create a world-class facility, with state-of-the-art technology and outstanding levels of care, and it feels great that we have finally been able to open the doors, welcome patients in and start on our journey.
"We hope the referral centre not only supports local vets and pets, but also fosters new talent and helps develop the next generation of veterinary professionals through our CPD and Internship offering. We are looking forward to what the future will hold."
Exclusive to veterinary practices, the new range targets specific health concerns, allowing vets and nurses to offer clients preventative nutrition advice to help their pets maintain a healthy lifestyle.
The Adult diets are designed to support healthy digestion and muscle health with high-quality protein at an attractive price. The wet foods come in cans for dogs and pouches for cats. Meanwhile, as the name suggests, No Grain contains no grain or gluten, to support healthy digestion, vital organ health and a healthy skin and coat.
Hill's says the new products also include a high level of antioxidants to support natural defences and omega-6 fatty acids for healthy skin and a luxurious coat.
For more information, visit: www.hillspet.co.uk/vetessentials
According to its latest Voice of the Veterinary Profession survey, 93% of vets are either ‘very’ or ‘quite’ concerned about the boom in unregulated canine fertility clinics.
Amongst vets who work in companion animal practice, 30% said they were aware of unregulated canine fertility clinics operating in their local area.
However, despite high levels of concern, 78% of vets said they didn't know how to report a clinic.
Even amongst those who do know how to report a clinic, only 8% had, which is about 2% of all vets.
BVA Senior Vice President Justine Shotton said: “Our survey reflects the magnitude of vets’ concern around canine fertility clinics popping up across the country with no veterinary oversight and should serve as a wake-up call for urgent regulatory action.
“While non-surgical procedures can play an important role in breeding programmes, we are clear that they must always be carried out under the advice and care of a vet and in the interests of dog health and welfare.
“We know that many fertility clinics often focus on the most in-demand breeds such as French bulldogs, which can struggle to mate and whelp naturally.
"BVA is very concerned about artificial insemination being used in such cases, as well as in cases where dogs with inherited diseases and conformation-related issues are used for breeding.
"We are also aware of worrying reports that some fertility clinics are advertising prohibited or dangerous procedures such as surgical artificial insemination.”
To report a fertility clinic:
Justine added: “I’d encourage vets to develop a practice protocol for reporting concerns of this nature and to make a note of the country-specific reporting mechanisms relevant to them.
"The more information the authorities have, the easier it is for them to take enforcement action.
"Working together we need to send a strong message that these animal welfare breaches are unacceptable.
“As veterinary professionals, we also need to work with, and support, our clients who are breeding responsibly and re-double our efforts to reach prospective puppy owners to help them make the right decisions when they choose a new pet.”
Led by Jacques Ferreira, an RCVS and European Specialist in Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia (pictured right), the new clinic will provide a bespoke pain management plan for pets referred both by external first opinion practices or internally by colleagues in other disciplines at the centre.
Jacques, who joined Willows in 2018 having previously lectured in Veterinary Anaesthesia at the University of Liverpool after specialising in the same subject in his native South Africa, said: "Just as with humans, our pets are living longer and, with that, there is an increased risk of developing chronic pain conditions.
"Traditionally, the most common patients are cats and dogs with chronic joint disease such as osteoarthritis but patients with a history of back problems and trapped nerves, cats with chronic cystitis and even those with some forms of cancer may benefit.
"We will work with first opinion vets who refer their patients to us, as well as internal referrals. The management of chronic pain is obviously ongoing but the aim for us would be to get to a stage where pain is effectively managed through the most appropriate avenue and check-ups are only needed every few months.
For more information, visit www.willows.uk.net.
Sedaxylan 20 mg/ml contains the short acting alpha-2 agonist xylazine and is licensed for I/V administration.
It is also licensed for I/M administration in cattle; it has zero milk withdrawal and short one day meat withdrawal and sedation occurs in cattle within two minutes I/V and five to 10 minutes I/M.
Sedaxylan 20 mg/ml joins Dechra’s Nerfasin vet 100 mg/ml solution in the company’s anaesthesia and sedation range. Nerfasin vet also contains xylazine and is licensed for I/V administration for sedation and premedication prior to general anaesthesia in horses and cattle.
Alana McGlade, national sales manager at Dechra, said: “Dechra offers a comprehensive range of anaesthesia and sedation products allowing vets to customise protocols to the individual animal.
"Sedaxylan 20mg/ml and Nerfasin vet 100 mg/ml solution provide vets with flexible and convenient dosing options.”
Both Sedaxylan 20 mg/ml and Nerfasin vet 100 mg/ml are available in 25ml vials.
For more information, talk to your Dechra territory sales manager.
www.dechra.co.uk.
The company points to research which shows that most dogs and cats whose congestive heart failure is well controlled by medication will have a stable sleeping respiratory rate of less than 30 breaths per minute1,2.
Vetoquinol says SRR is a sensitive indicator of pulmonary oedema or pulmonary effusion which can occur as heart failure patients deteriorate, and that monitoring of SRR is a useful biomarker for veterinary surgeons, allowing you to track progression of congestive heart failure and to detect stability during treatment.
The company also says SRR is most easily detected by the owner when the pet is asleep: using the app to count and record SRR gives clients a good indication of when to seek veterinary intervention and generates data that helps veterinary teams seeking to minimise unnecessary face-to-face contact but still provide emergency care.
While an SRR in the reference range does not exclude heart disease, it reduces the probability that the patient is suffering from left sided heart failure, so may also be a useful measure for remote triage as part of a wider assessment. Other causes of elevated SRR include pain, pneumonia, stress and heatstroke.
Helen Hunter, Product Manager at Vetoquinol and part of the team that developed the app said: "Being able to monitor patients with congestive heart failure is important at any time but during lockdown, with some routine checks having to be postponed, having a means of remote monitoring is more important than ever.
"This tool will help veterinary professionals make the judgement call about whether the pet needs to be seen, especially when the results are provided in the context of monitoring that has taken place over time, providing an assessment of what is normal for that patient."
To complement the addition of the new tool, the site has also launched a webinar delivered by RCVS Recognised Specialist in Cardiology, Dave Dickson of Heart Vets. The presentation discusses the ‘10 Golden Rules of Congestive Heart Failure' and covers topics including the importance of clear radiography and why a cough is not diagnostic of CHF.
Dave said: "Sleeping respiratory rate is one of the most useful ways to monitor an animal in CHF or to look for signs of CHF developing. By encouraging pet owners to monitor and track the dog's sleeping respiratory rate at home, owners can provide vets with a valuable insight into the success of the current treatment regime. The UpLife app is free and will be really helpful to vets and pet owners, both now during lockdown and in the future."
The app can be accessed at www.uplife.uk/srr and it can be communicated to clients at the point when their pet is diagnosed, or shared with clients whose pets already have a diagnosis and are under treatment.
For further information, contact your Vetoquinol Territory Manager, email uk_marketing@vetoquinol.com, or call 01280 814500.
References
It is the first time this Ofqual-regulated qualification has been offered to small animal first opinion practice nurses in the UK.
The new Level 5 qualification is designed for RVNs who have been qualified for at least six months and who have access to working in an emergency and critical care (ECC) environment.
CVS says it will help them to advance their knowledge and skills in ECC to a mastery level.
Students passing the course will gain post nominals and be placed on a register of Advanced Nurse Practitioners.
The course comprised six modules: the fundamentals of emergency and critical care, management of emergency and critical patient presentations, management of the emergency and critical patient, interventions for the emergency and critical patient, transfusion medicine and collaborative practice and wellbeing within the emergency and critical care setting.
The course will be taught online, with live tutor sessions and webinars, supported by an interactive virtual learning platform.
It will last 12-18 months, with enrolment through CVTC.
To apply, visit www.chestervtc.co.uk to complete an application form or email the Centre nursingschool@cvsvets.com .