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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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We report across all areas of practice, including companion animal, referral and specialist settings, with a focus on issues affecting veterinary nurses in clinical and professional roles.
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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.”
In his first year of what would normally have been be a four-year term, Colin served on the College’s Education Committee, PIC/DC Liaison Committee, and on the Advancement of the Professions Committee as Council Deputy Lead for the ViVet innovation programme.
VetSurgeon.org caught up with Colin, who explained: "I've never had any problem with the idea of respecting Council decisions, even those I disagree with.
"However, I questioned the interpretation of collective responsibility when I first joined Council, and was told that in the event of disagreement, it was OK for councillors to say publicly that there was a 'split vote', or 'opinions varied'.
"This new statement would mean that if I disagree with a Council decision, I would now either have to lie in public and say I supported it, or run away and hide.
There were two other aspects of the new statement which Colin was not prepared to sign up to.
The first was a new requirement that councillors "support the College’s vision".
Colin said: "People who actively disagree with the College's vision should be free to stand to join Council, and if the profession disagrees with the College's vision, they'll get elected!"
The second was a requirement for councillors to "Live the College’s values"
Colin said: "Although perhaps inline with a corporate ethos, I think it represents quite a conflict.
"The values someone lives by are a deeply personal matter, and shouldn't be imposed by the majority vote of a committee they happen to sit on - however much they may or may not be likely to align."
Colin's resignation prompted VetSurgeon.org to carry out a quick analysis of the percentage of RCVS Council meeting agenda items marked as 'Confidential' from November 2015 to June 2022, to see whether the requirement to tow the party line reflected a broader lack of transparency at the College.
In the four Council meetings from November 2015-2016, 12% of the agenda items in the Council minutes were marked 'Confidential'.
By 2022, that figure had more than doubled to 36% (see graph right).
The pack highlights the benefits of Adaptil and Feliway and Ceva’s ThunderShirt range of calming wraps.
It contains a wall/notice board display, a poster, an e-book and leaflet for owners, and a social media toolkit with graphics and pre-written posts for practices to use on their own social media channels.
The company is also running its fireworks waiting room display competition this month, in which the five veterinary practices who make best use of the materials for creating a display in their waiting room will win one of five £100 Love 2 Shop vouchers.
There are bonus points for practices that build a den in the waiting room to demonstrate the benefits of having a safe haven for dogs to retreat to when fireworks are going off.
Veterinary professionals can post pictures of the dens and waiting room displays on the Adaptil Facebook page throughout October - www.facebook.com/AdaptilForDogs.
Ceva is running commercial offers in the run up to the firework season, which practices are being encouraged to pass to their clients.
To download the fireworks marketing support pack go to http://bit.ly/3RxGLza.
For further information, contact your Ceva territory manager or email cevauk@ceva.com.
Companion Consultancy Director Susan Mackay, herself a veterinary surgeon, started Companion Consultancy in 2002.
She said: “We added a design team to the agency two years ago and it’s been fantastic to have this resource available in-house.
"In the digital space people increasingly consume their content as images and sound as much as the written word and it has become key to delivering communication projects that really work.”
VetNurse.co.uk editor Arlo Guthrie said: "I couldn't agree with Susan more. As a news editor, I get a barrage of press releases every day.
"Those with powerful photos or video that will stand out on all the different social media platforms get prioritised.
"Those that have poor images, or none at all tend to get ignored."
Susan added: “For complex projects we can have one or more of our vets working alongside the designer to get all the technical nuances exactly right.
"Infographics for instance are a great way to overcome language barriers but explaining the complexities of how vaccines work in pictures needs veterinary input and our designers then come up with visual ways to represent those concepts so we can work through those together.
"On simpler projects, clients don’t have to waste time explaining why they don’t want to show a dog wearing a choke chain or carrying a stick, because our designers already bring an additional level of understanding to their work.
"We want to make it clear that you don’t have to be a Companion Consultancy client to benefit from this great resource.”
Companion Design Studio is offering a free, no obligation 30 minute design consultation to the first 10 applicants from the veterinary community who want expert input on their existing branding and how it has been applied, or to gather ideas for new design projects.
www.companiondesignstudio.co.uk or call Tom on 07925 133302.
Running from 14th-23rd July, the interactive webinars will be delivered in 5 half-day sessions, led by UK pet food consultants, scientists, and vets.
The course includes:
Sarah Hormozi, PFMA Head of Science & Education, said: "With some of the most credible industry experts as our speakers, this is a rare opportunity for pet professionals across the UK and EU to improve and refresh their knowledge of animal nutrition, pet food legislation, marketing regulations and manufacturing methods, from the comfort of their own home or office!”
For the full programme, list of speakers, registration details and prices, visit www.pfma.org.uk/pfma-training-webinar-series.
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.
The webinars will take place every Wednesday at 7pm in May.
David Bardell is a European and Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons Specialist in Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia and will be hosting the first two sessions covering equine pain management for colic and orthopaedic cases respectively.
The 5th May webinar will cover how to recognise and understand the pathology of visceral pain, physical and pharmacological methods of analgesia and dealing with violent or difficult colic cases.
The second webinar on the following Wednesday, will look at how to recognise and quantify pain, the use of pain scales, analgesic medication and techniques.
The other two sessions of the series will be led by Dr. Andy Fiske-Jackson, Deputy Head of RVC Equine and Senior Lecturer in Equine Surgery at the Royal Veterinary College. He'll be running case-based sessions looking at the good, bad and ugly of digital flexor tendon sheath cases and unravelling the diagnosis and treatment of navicular syndrome, the associated biomechanics and treatment options respectively.
Emma Jennings, Equine Brand Manager at Dechra (pictured right) said: “The broad scope of illnesses and conditions facing those specialising in equine care means that it’s important to delve deeper into some key issues, which is what this series of webinars will do.
“We hope the expertise of David Bardell and Dr. Andy Fiske-Jackson will be of key interest to veterinary professionals across the country and would urge anyone interested to register for the sessions throughout May.”
To register for the free webinars, visit www.dechra.co.uk/events.
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
To help veterinary practices engage with pet owners and help them understand the importance of eye health, TVM has produced a range of free educational materials including waiting room displays, informative web pages and social media packs.
The company has also published a page of information at www.tvm-uk.com/eyehealth – where pet owners can find out more about eye problems, how to spot them and learn what can be done about them.
Emma Hancox MRCVS, Veterinary Advisor at TVM said: "It can be easy for owners to miss the signs of problems with their pet’s eyes, but they can be extremely distressing for animals and be a sign of conditions ranging from cataracts and glaucoma through to conjunctivitis - all of which can be painful, and in the worst-case scenario, lead to blindness.
"We hope that National Pet Eye Health Awareness Week will help practices assist owners in understanding the importance of eye health and prevent more serious conditions occurring."
To request your board kit and pet owner leaflets, and download your free social media pack, visit www.tvm-uk.com/eyehealth or contact your Territory Manager.
Vétoquinol has announced that Zylkène, a complementary feed used to help pets cope with unpredictable situations, is now available in a 20 capsule pack.
The new packs have been designed to have more 'stand out appeal' on the shelves. Veterinary practices will now be able to display the new packs in waiting rooms and reception areas in a custom-made display unit to generate interest from pet owners and increase revenue for the practice.
Krystyna Joyce, Product Manager at Vétoquinol, said: "This has a huge benefit for the vet practice. As well as increased revenue, pet owners are much more likely to initiate a discussion about behaviour if they can see that there is a product to help their pet adjust to unusual circumstances or environmental changes."
Krystyna added: "With a number of behaviour products on the market, it can be confusing for pet owners to know which ones can be used when. We want to make it easier for pet owners: now when they come to their vets, they can see Zylkène, know what it's for, understand which strength will be right for their pet and pick it up."
As well as increasing product awareness, the packs will work alongside Vétoquinol's ongoing series of pet owner guides which offer advice on how best to help an animal deal with an unusual situation or life change.
Zylkène retail packs are available now from any veterinary wholesaler.
The new system integrates with the Merlin practice management system and pet owners can access the MWI Pet portal to view and book available appointments with their veterinary surgeon via any connected device.
David Tinsley, Vice President, MWI Animal Health U.K., said: “As providers continue to navigate a changing industry and evolving consumer expectations, veterinary practices need access to technologies that help them better serve the needs of both their staff and their clients.
“MWI Pet will help practices meet consumer demands for digital-driven convenience and foster deeper relationships with their clients, while freeing up more time for staff to focus on delivering high-quality care.”
To set up a demo of the new system: https://abc1.jotform.com/222564512240850
As part of the University of Bristol, Langford is the only referral hospital in the South West which has an educational facility.
The new academy will also be developing its Veterinary Nurse Graduate Program and give access to its Vet Nurse Congress.
Juliet Morrison, Nurse Graduate Lead said: “At LV we passionately believe in nursing progression.
"Through our SAH Graduate Nursing Programme, we continue to support the next generation of nurses to become confident, resilient professionals.”
For more information, email: brm@langfordvets.co.uk
The Stablelab hand-held reader detects and quantifies the biomarker Serum Amyloid A (SAA), an acute phase protein produced by the liver that increases rapidly and dramatically in response to inflammation.
Zoetis says that by measuring SAA, vets can assess the severity of an infection more quickly, often before clinical symptoms start, and are able to monitor the horse’s response over the course of treatment.1
Zoetis vet Wendy Talbot said: “Zoetis is committed to providing vets and horse owners with the most effective health products to better predict, prevent, detect and treat equine disease.
“The Stablelab test kit enables convenient, off-site testing for quick and accurate detection of a reliable indicator of infection in horses.
“Point-of-care testing is one of the fastest-growing areas of diagnostics and this test is rapidly becoming a standard of care in equine practice. SAA testing will help vets to quickly determine an appropriate course of intervention, positively impacting case outcomes.”
For more information, visit: www.stablelab.com. To place an order, contact your Zoetis Account Manager or the Zoetis Technical Team on customersupportUK@zoetis.com or 0845 300 9084 (option 3).
Reference
The survey of 50 vets carried out in May this year1 found that only half of them are recommending strangles vaccination to their clients.
They also felt that horse owners could be doing more to combat the disease.
Less than half of vets questioned believed that yards and premises operated good biosecurity measures prior to a strangles outbreak, yet 85% brought in more stringent biosecurity after an outbreak, when it was too late.
Dechra says that vets and horse owners can help combat the estimated 300 outbreaks of strangles each year with the following steps:
Sara Barker BVSc CertAVP(EM) MRCVS, equine field support manager at Dechra, said: “Strangles is one of the most common equine infectious diseases both in the UK and worldwide and a multi-factor approach is key to tackling the disease.
"Strangles vaccination is recommended, alongside good biosecurity, quarantine measures and regular temperature checking.
"By working together, vets and horse owners can help to keep horses healthy and prevent the spread of strangles.”
The aim of the week is to help pet owners identify common symptoms of eye disease and to seek prompt veterinary attention where appropriate.
To support the initiative, TVM UK is supplying veterinary practices with a kit to create their own waiting room display to inform owners about the common symptoms of eye disease. Pet owners can obtain further, more in-depth information by scanning a QR code on their smartphone camera which takes them directly to the webpage www.tvm-uk.com/eyehealth.
There is also a ‘Who’s Got Their Eye on You’ mini quiz to help engage clients to see if they can spot one of their pets in the animal line up.
Will Peel, Product Manager at TVM UK said: "Eye problems in pets can sometimes be hard for pet owners to pick up so we have launched Pet Eye Health Awareness Week to raise awareness of common symptoms of poor eye heath so problems can be identified early and pet owners can seek veterinary advice quickly."
For more information, contact your local territory manager, email help@tvm-uk.com or call 0800 0385868. You can find additional eye-health related social media content at: www.tvm-uk.com.
The first is a new formulation of Sustain, which the company says will be the first UK veterinary product for cats to contain a prebiotic, probiotic and postbiotic.
The company has also launched Gomega for Cats, which contains a purified fish oil source of Omega 3 essential fatty acids which VetPlus says supports cardiovascular health and kidney function.
Jackie Marshall, Technical Advisor at VetPlus, said: “The launch of these two products will help our veterinary partners provide the best care for felines from gastrointestinal support through to aiding with renal and cardiac health.
Sustain for Cats and Gomega for Cats are now in stock and available from veterinary wholesalers.
www.vetplus.co.uk
With four sessions having taken place throughout May and June this year, the autumn sessions will focus on:
RCVS Director for the Advancement of the Professions, Angharad Belcher (pictured), said: “We recognise that change cannot happen without collaboration – no one organisation can solve as complicated and multi-factorial an issue as the workforce challenge on their own.
"We hope to welcome you to these sessions to share your insights and contribute to the ongoing conversation around this important topic."
The webinars are free, last an hour and 15 minutes and count as CPD.
https://www.rcvs.org.uk/news-and-views/events/workforce-ambitions-sessions/
Turning Over a New Leaf – How to Make Sustainable Change in the Veterinary Profession includes contributions from a range of organisations including the RCVS, Mars Veterinary Health and Investors in the Environment (iiE).
The report covers upcoming changes to the RCVS Practice Standards Scheme, the value of external accreditation to support sustainability, and how to approach behaviour change within your team.
Two further articles highlight how changes in clinical practice can combat antimicrobial resistance and reduce levels of surgical waste.
The report also features the personal experiences of practice sustainability leads, who discuss how they have worked with others to improve their sites.
Ellie West, Environmental Sustainability Lead at Linnaeus said: “Changing how we work day-to-day, when we are all so busy as a profession, can be a lot to juggle but sustainability brings a huge range of benefits.
"As well as helping the environment, it can promote the wellbeing of our patients and colleagues while also improving our performance as a business.
“It is important, however, to avoid dictating what sustainable change should be made because it will vary greatly between different teams and locations.
"This report shares ideas from contributors with a variety of roles and responsibilities, who have taken different approaches to supporting the environment but are all united in their commitment to delivering excellent clinical care.”
Sue Paterson, RCVS Junior Vice-President and RCVS Council lead for Environment & Sustainability, said: “Contributing to this report highlights the importance of working together as a profession to understand the environmental challenges we face and adopt solutions that will benefit our planet and the animals we care for.
"Upcoming changes to the RCVS Practice Standards Scheme will cover sustainability across a range of areas and we are committed to ensuring the veterinary profession can fully realise the benefits of this new guidance.”
April Sotomayor, Principal Consultant at iiE, added: “This report offers a range of perspectives that highlight how the veterinary profession can become a leader in sustainability and a shining example to other sectors.”
Download Turning Over a New Leaf – How to Make Sustainable Change in the Veterinary Profession here.
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."
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
The ‘Ear essentials – a holistic approach to the treatment of canine otitis externa’ webinar will include a presentation by Jonathon Elgie, veterinary technical advisor at Dechra UK and Ireland.
Jonathon will talk delegates through case examples to help them make decisions that can be used in practice and take a clear, practical and holistic approach to treatment.
He will also update vet professionals on Dechra support including the Lifelong Ear Partnership which provides education, tips and assistance to achieve better clinical outcomes and owner satisfaction.
Preliminary results, which recorded a decline in the quantities of antimicrobials prescribed from 2014 to 2018, were published in 2022.
A further audit has now been undertaken in all 22 of the company's first opinion practices to investigate the age, breed and estimated weight of each horse, the clinical indication for antibiotic use, the drugs prescribed, their dose rates, the route of administration and whether culture and sensitivity were used to guide antimicrobial selection.
Data collection was completed in August 2022.
This secondary audit was conducted using a ‘point prevalence’ survey, in which each CVS Equine first opinion Quality Improvement Lead gathered information about all systemic antibiotics prescribed by each of their practices on one day a month for 12 consecutive months.
The project yielded information on 331 cases where systemic antimicrobials were prescribed.
Complete data about the first line-drug selection were available for 261 prescriptions.
The commonest prescribed antimicrobial was sulfadiazine/trimethoprim (41%), followed by oxytetracycline (23%), procaine penicillin (16%), doxycycline (13%), gentamicin (4%), metronidazole (1%), ceftiofur (1%) and enrofloxacin (1%).
Highest priority critically important antimicrobials (ceftiofur and enrofloxacin) were only prescribed in four horses (clinical indications for these included possible sepsis, skin infection, lower respiratory tract infection and a wound complication – in none of these cases was the first-line drug selection based on the results of culture and sensitivity.
Overall, the clinical indications for antimicrobial use were recorded in 246 cases; the commonest indications were cellulitis/lymphangitis (27%), uncomplicated wounds (19%), surgical prophylaxis (15%), respiratory infections (11%) and skin infections (8%).
Hattie Lawrence, Director of CVS Equine, said: “Though the impact of this work is yet to be documented, there is anecdotal evidence that it has raised awareness amongst our veterinarians of the importance of antimicrobial stewardship.
"Taken together, the results of both pieces of work will be used to help develop and inform clinical audits and clinical guidelines of antimicrobial use in horses.”
Willows says it is currently the only centre in the UK to offer the procedure, and one of very few in the world.
Simon Swift, an RCVS and European specialist in small animal cardiology (pictured right), heads the cardiology team at Willows.
He said: “Transcatheter edge-to-edge mitral valve repair (TEER) is already considered an alternative to surgical repair in human patients and there have been some very promising early clinical results in dogs.
“The procedure is performed under general anaesthesia through a small incision in the chest wall.
“Access within the beating heart is achieved by a needle puncture at the apex of the heart which is highlighted by continuous X-ray images and an ultrasound of the heart via a probe placed in the oesophagus.
“This allows correct positioning of a V-clamp across the mitral valve to reduce the amount of leakage.
“It’s a procedure that delivers meaningful results and an improved quality of life and, because it’s a minimally invasive process, patients are typically discharged from hospital within two days.”
www.willows.uk.net
The London Vet Show will next take place on 11th and 12th November 2021 at the ExCeL Center, London.
CloserStill says the decision to cancel was made following several discussions with industry stakeholders, including partners, and considering the significant impact of both international and domestic travel.
Rob Chapman, MD of CloserStill’s veterinary portfolio, said: "COVID-19 has brought enormous pressures and uncertainty to the veterinary sector - both personally and professionally.
"Although the UK Government gave the green light for exhibitions and meetings to start again in October, after examining at the overall market and consultation with our partners, we feel the decision to postpone is in the best interest of the veterinary community.
"Although this news may be disappointing to those looking forward to the London Vet Show, unfortunately the coronavirus situation is continually developing. We want to be as clear and upfront as possible with our community and customers, and after careful consideration, our decision to reschedule was out of caution. As event organisers, the health and safety of our exhibitors, delegates, speakers, staff and supporters, is our number one priority."
"Obviously the postponement decision hasn’t been easy but we firmly believe it’s the right thing to do. We are so fortunate to have support of great partners like the Royal Veterinary College and the British Veterinary Association, along with the exhibitors, speakers and delegates we’ve spoken to so far; everyone has been really understanding. We can’t wait to see you all again virtually soon, and in person in 2021."
"The team and I are eager to continue to provide world-class education to veterinary professionals, to connect and encourage networking to foster the advancement of the veterinary sector. We are developing some great opportunities for the veterinary community come November. We will be announcing more details on this very soon."
Although the regulator says the changes should impose only limited administrative costs, VetSurgeon.org estimates that implementation may still run to several thousand pounds for some practices.
Under the reforms, practices will need to:
In total, the CMA package introduces more than a dozen new operational requirements for veterinary practices.
Practices will also have to pay a new levy to the RCVS to fund its expanded role running the price comparison service, estimated at £450-£550 annually, after a £150-£250 setup charge.
Once the Order is made — currently expected in September 2026 — most of the transparency measures will need to be implemented within three months by larger veterinary groups and six months by smaller practices.
More operational changes, such as written estimates, itemised billing and the new prescription rules, follow later, with smaller practices typically given up to 12 months to comply.
The final stage will see practices submitting data to the RCVS for its upgraded Find a Vet comparison platform once the system has been built.
Prescription fees will be capped at £21 for the first medicine prescribed in a consultation and £12.50 for each additional medicine, with both figures rising annually in line with CPI, and practices will need to assess the impact on their business model.