Research carried out at two CVS referral hospitals has found a significantly higher incidence of thoracolumbar invertebral disc extrusions (IVDE) in Dachshunds compared to Basset Hounds¹.

For the research, the medical histories of 188 Basset Hounds and 270 Dachshunds presenting to CVS’ Dovecote Veterinary Hospital and Chestergates Veterinary Specialists, and the University of Ghent were retrospectively assessed.

Information included signalment, whether the dog had received a diagnosis of TL-IVDE, the duration of clinical signs, affected discs and anatomical region and the neurological grading at presentation and discharge.

Basset Hounds and Dachshunds are both chondrodystrophic breeds which are predisposed to IVDE. 

However, the study found 77.4% of Dachshunds had presented with IVDE, compared to only 36.2% of Basset Hounds.

Dachshunds also presented earlier (66.5 months) compared to Basset Hounds (median 87.5 months).

Dachshunds had a lower proportion of midlumbar IVDE and were more frequently non-ambulatory at discharge than Basset Hounds. 

In addition, Dachshunds were more likely to be paraplegic without sensation at presentation than Basset Hounds (16/154 Dachshunds compared to just one Basset).

The Basset Hound is the largest chondrodystrophic breed and the physical characteristics of this larger body conformation may have benefits, with previous studies suggesting the protective effects of being a larger dog2.

One hypothesis is whether breed conformation and anatomy – the relative height/weight ratio - influences the severity and occurrence of IVD and points to a link between the size of the patient and the space in the vertebral canal.

A smaller spinal cord versus vertebral canal ratio in the Basset Hound may indicate a less compressive lesion.  

Sergio Gomes, Head of Neurology and specialist in veterinary neurology at Dovecote Veterinary Hospital, who led the study, said: “This is the first time that IVDE data for Basset Hounds has been directly compared with that for Dachshunds.

“We now need to look closely at the conformation and anatomy of the Basset Hound to see what learnings we can take.

"This could have positive future implications for Dachshund breeding programmes, so that longer term we can try to minimise this painful and common canine condition.”

References

1. Thatcher H, Targett M, Alcoverro E, Stee K, Schofield I, Lowrie M, Gomes SA. Incidence and clinical characterisation of thoracolumbar intervertebral disc extrusions in Basset Hounds compared with Dachshunds. Veterinary Record. 2024 Jan 6;194(1):10.1002/vetr.3212
2. Packer RMA, Hendricks A, Volk HA, Shihab NK, Burn CC. How long and low can you go? Effect of conformation on the risk of thoracolumbar intervertebral disc extrusion in domestic dogs. PLoS One. 2013;8(7):e69650.

The RCVS has decided to extend its temporary guidance that allows veterinary surgeons to prescribe prescription-only veterinary medicines remotely, without first having physically examined the animal, until the end of September.

The guidance has been in place since March to help practices continue to provide the public with veterinary services whilst safeguarding the health of their teams and clients.

The RCVS Council Covid-19 Taskforce reviewed the situation on 30th July and decided to extend the guidance after taking into account the pandemic’s progress, the latest government guidance, the headline results from a survey of practice experience of remote consulting, and 'other data from a number of veterinary practices'.

The Taskforce says it also considered the need to continue to provide practices with flexibility in the face of possible local or national lockdowns, the need for inclusivity of those practice teams members and clients who may still be shielding, the likelihood of quarantine of members of the team due to travel and/or Test and Trace and the fact that no major safety issues had been identified as part of the RCVS-commissioned survey into the immediate impact of the temporary guidance.

RCVS President Mandisa Greene, who chairs the Taskforce, said: “Whilst lockdown measures have been eased and matters have improved, we are far from being back to business as usual and the threat of returning to more severe lockdown measures, whether locally or nationally, is still very much alive."

The updated flowchart, along with all the College’s coronavirus guidance for the professions, is available at: www.rcvs.org.uk/coronavirus.

IVC Evidensia has released the results of a survey of 90 veterinary professionals who visited BEVA 2023, finding there was a disparity between the importance of sustainability to them personally and how effectively their practice is working sustainably.

In response to the question ‘How important is sustainability to you personally?’, 57% of respondents said it was very important making it the most popular choice.

However, in answer to the question: ‘Is your practice team actively working to improve sustainability?’, 20% of respondents said ‘Always/wherever possible’ and 42% said ‘Most of the time’, leaving 38% not actively working to improve sustainability.

IVC says the conclusion to be drawn is that sustainability is a personal priority, but this isn’t always translating to practice and more can be done.

To help with this, the company will shortly Positive Hoofprint, an Equine and Farm specific toolkit to help practices become more sustainable, with resources, checklists and practical advice for prioritising environmentally friendly initiatives.

Mark Tabachnik, UK Head of Equine for IVC Evidensia, said: “It’s clear from our survey that sustainability is still being treated as a secondary concern in practice, and this is something that IVC Evidensia is actively seeking to change.

“With our Positive Hoofprint about to be launched, there has never been a better time to prioritise our sustainability goals and to embed them in our own practices.

“This will give colleagues the tools they need to care for the planet, so we can fundamentally change equine veterinary to be more environmentally conscious for the future.”

Movement Referrals, the independent orthopaedics and neurology service opened by Professor John Innes, Mark Lowrie, Mark Morton and Ben Walton in Preston Brook, Cheshire, last year, has announced plans to open a new site in Staffordshire next year. 

The new clinic will be based in Uttoxeter and have an in-house 1.5T MRI, 32-slice CT, and three purpose-built theatres.

Building work has started and clinic is now recruiting for orthopaedic surgery Specialists, neurology Specialists and experienced veterinary nurses.

Mark Lowrie, RCVS and EBVS European Specialist in Veterinary Neurology (pictured), will lead the new site day-to-day once up and running. 

He said: “Our ethos is simple: we aspire to be the place that vets take their own pets.

"By focusing on responsive communication, exceptional clinical standards, and fair pricing, we aim to build trust with both veterinary professionals and clients.

"And for those who join our team, we are committed to creating a supportive and positive environment where everyone can thrive and grow."

“This is a rare chance to be part of something special from day one, to join and help build the culture and success of a dynamic, independent practice and a brand new state-of-the-art clinic.

"With cutting-edge facilities and a supportive team, we want fresh expertise and energy to help shape the future of veterinary care.”

https://www.movementvets.co.uk/ 

Early bird discounted registration for this year's BVNA Congress ends on 31st July

The annual three-day event takes place between Friday 11^th – Sunday 13^thOctober 2024 at the Telford International Centre.

This year’s theme is ‘Progression’ to inspire reflection on how far the profession has come and enable blue-sky conversations of where it could go in the future.

There are over twenty streams at Congress, covering subjects like emergency and critical care, anaesthesia and analgesia, primary care and first opinion nursing, referral nursing, One Health, feline nursing, behaviour, exotics, zoo and wildlife, nutrition, QI & Audit, VN Education.

On the social side, there's Musical Bingo, and a ‘Blue Light Party’, an emergency services themed gala dinner and awards ceremony.

https://bvna.org.uk/congress/

The British Equine Veterinary Association has launched a pilot project to tackle equine obesity.

The scheme uses a traffic light colour system of vaccination reminder stickers which veterinary surgeons can place on the front of passports at each vaccination appointment. If the 6-month pilot is a success, the initiative will be rolled out across the UK in the summer.

BEVA says that despite the best efforts of numerous equine welfare charities to address the obesity issue, a significant proportion of owners are either not recognising obesity in their horses, or not being motivated to take action.

For this reason, the Association decided to try and confront the problem in a different way, using knowledge gained from the Behavioural Insights Team (BIT) – a government think tank specialising in behavioural economics and psychology.

Lucy Grieve, President Elect of BEVA and part of the Association’s obesity campaign working group, said: "Determined to look at new ways to positively engage with horse owners, we harnessed the BIT’s experience of what methods work most effectively and came up with a simple, practical scheme revolving around vaccination visits, which could be affected by vets themselves."

The idea is to use the routine annual or six-monthly vaccination visit as a time to assess a horse’s body condition. After the vaccination is given and the body condition assessed, a colour-coded vaccination reminder is stuck to the front of the passport, both to remind the owner when the next vaccination is due and to start a conversation about body condition. 

A green sticker indicates a ‘healthy’ body condition. Amber means the horse is carrying too much fat tissue and needs moderate changes to diet, exercise, management, rugging and clipping regimes. Red implies that the horse is carrying excessive amounts of fat tissue which are placing the horse in morbid danger.

Amber or red stickers provide the opportunity to talk about the potential impact on the horse’s health and what needs to be done.

If there isn't enough time to talk about it during the appointment, the sticker includes a colour-specific QR code which the owner can use to access additional information via their smartphone in their own time.

One of three short, colour-specific videos will explain the reason their horse has been designated the colour of sticker on their passport, leading to a link to more specific advice on what the owner needs to do next. Having swotted up on the background information beforehand, the owner can then discuss the various management options with their vet at a convenient time. 

Lucy said: "The first challenge is helping owners recognise when their horse is overweight. Once this has been established then we can make a plan to correct the problem as a team.

"The owner needs to be on board and committed in order to carry out the tough task of reducing the weight of their horse. We hope that owners will be ‘nudged’ by the sticker intervention to consider the information they have been offered and start to tackle the problem before it causes life-threatening disease."

Nine equine veterinary practices were invited to participate in the pilot scheme, including Loch Leven Equine Practice in Kinross. Managing director Liz Somerville said: "We have been focusing on equine obesity for the last couple of years including running a #FitnotFat campaign last year to try to highlight the growing obesity problem in our horses. Unfortunately, it sometimes feels that we are banging our heads against a brick wall so when BEVA came up with a new approach to try and get the message through to our owners it was too good an opportunity to miss."

BEVA says that at the end of the pilot, it will assess how well the project has worked for the vets involved, what proportion of owners used the QR codes, visited the advice pages and sought guidance from their vets. 

For more information, visit: https://www.beva.org.uk/Resources-For-Vets-Practices/Clinical-Practice-Guidance/Obesity-in-horses 

The RCVS is once again asking veterinary nurses to submit questions to the candidates for this year's VN Council elections, in order to better understand their views on subjects important to the profession.

Each candidate will produce a written reply to two questions of their choice, which will be included on their candidate profile webpage ahead of the start of the election.

The three candidates who are standing in this year’s election for the two available elected places on VN Council are:

• Susan Howarth RVN
• Stuart Bobby Miller RVN
• Kirsty Young RVN

The VN Council candidate biography and statements are available to read on www.rcvs.org.uk/vnvote24

The two candidates with the most votes will join VN Council for their three-year terms at the College’s AGM in July.

The College says it will only accept one question per person and questions must be decent.

Offensive, defamatory and inaccurate questions will not be passed on to candidates.

You can email your question to: vnvote24@rcvs.org.uk. 

The Equine Veterinary Journal has published a special early view article reviewing the science behind enhanced equine influenza vaccination schedules, in particular the replacement of annual boosters with a mandatory bi-annual vaccination programme.
The article argues that as the equine influenza (EI) vaccine supply returns to normal, there is sound scientific evidence why bi-annual vaccination schedules should be re-implemented promptly.

Whilst the scale and number of outbreaks has been relatively small since the introduction of mandatory EI vaccination by most competitive equestrian disciplines in the 1980s, disease events such as those experienced in the UK in 1989, 2003 and most recently in 2019 have demonstrated EI’s epidemic potential, even in vaccinated horse populations.

In their article 'Equine influenza bi-annual boosters: what does the evidence tell us?' Victoria Colgate and Richard Newton discuss what has been learnt from previous outbreaks and explain the evidence from mathematical models to show why bi-annual boosters are beneficial.

The authors say that epidemiological data from previous natural EI outbreaks have repeatedly demonstrated the impermanent nature of the protection provided by vaccination and observational field studies have repeatedly highlighted the potential for 12-monthly boosters to leave a vulnerable immunity gap at both the individual animal and population level.

Mathematical models of EI transmission confirm that six-monthly rather than annual EI booster vaccinations are preferable to establish and maintain effective population level immunity to EI.

Ideally vaccine strains should be updated in a timely manner to ensure inclusion of the most epidemiologically-relevant strains, however, this is a slow and expensive process for equine vaccine manufacturers.

In the absence of updated vaccine strains, bi-annual vaccination is strongly recommended to help compensate for antigenic drift between vaccine and circulating EI viral strains

Professor Celia Marr, Editor of the EVJ said: “Although the recent EI vaccine shortage has necessitated a temporary relaxation of competition vaccine schedules, we must now renew the message that six-monthly boosters are optimal and necessary.”

The Editorial can be found at https://beva.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/evj.13898 and is free to view.

Two related articles can be found here: https://beva.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/evj.13874 and here: https://beva.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/evj.13885 

At its January meeting today, RCVS Council agreed a series of proposals for the future reform of the College's governance structure which will now go to consultation with the profession and the public before being integrated into the overall recommendations for legislative reform. 

Amongst the proposals agreed by Council was to move towards an independent appointment system for Council membership to replace the current election system.

In addition, Council voted:

• for the composition of Council to be a matter for more flexible secondary legislation rather than it being fixed via primary legislation;
• to an increase in the proportion of lay members, with a decision about whether Council should adopt parity of veterinary professionals and lay members to follow the consultation,
• to reform its composition to remove the Veterinary Schools Council (VSC) appointees. Currently the VSC has three appointed Council members
• to consult with the profession and public on two options for the future composition of a 24-person RCVS Council, which would ensure this was as balanced as possible. The first option is a Council that has a slim majority of members drawn from the veterinary professions (of whom a majority would be veterinary surgeons) compared to lay members. The second option is a Council with exact parity between veterinary professionals (of whom a majority would be veterinary surgeons) and lay members. 

Council was tied on whether to separate the position of RCVS President and the Chair of RCVS Council, meaning that this will come back for decision at a later date following the consultation.

RCVS President Sue Paterson said: “The unique way that RCVS Council is currently constituted with annual elections to Council is an old model of self-regulation which is no longer found in other professions including doctors, nurses, pharmacists, solicitors and social workers, among others.

“As a responsible regulator we have a duty to operate in a way that recognises modern principles of regulation, and best meets our objectives to enhance society through improved animal health and welfare by setting, upholding and advancing the educational, ethical and clinical standards for the veterinary professions.

"The College’s recommendations would see us retain self-regulation in the sense of independence from government, and maintain registrants within our governance framework, while better assuring the public that we are acting on their behalf.

“It is our firm belief that, among other things, moving to an all-appointed Council member system, whereby those who serve on Council are selected via an independent process based on their knowledge and experience to ensure input from all parts of the veterinary sector, will better serve our aims, as will having a better balance of professional and lay members.

"Of course, veterinary expertise, knowledge and experience will also remain a vital part of any future arrangements throughout our committee structure, so the veterinary voice will be as important as ever in our policy and decision-making processes.

rcvs.org.uk/who-we-are/rcvs-council/council-meetings/18-january-2024/

Further details about the consultation process will be published in due course.

Forte Healthcare has launched Ficoxil, a flavoured, chewable, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) designed to provide relief from pain and inflammation associated with osteoarthritis and post-operative recovery in dogs.

Ficoxil contains the active ingredient firocoxib, an NSAID from the coxib class, known for its analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and antipyretic properties.

Ficoxil is available in two strengths, 57 mg and 227 mg in packs of 30.

The tablets, which are presented in presented in a divisible and blister-perforated form, are hypoallergenic, gluten-free, and come in a beef flavour of animal-free origin.

Ficoxil is available now from all major veterinary wholesalers.

https://www.fortehealthcare.com/product/ficoxil

MSD Animal Health has published an on-demand presentation in which three veterinary experts share their experience of managing diabetic pets. 

Susan Little, pictured left, talks about ‘Low Stress Management of the Diabetic Cat’, Professor Ian Ramsey gives his: ‘Top Ten Tips on Diabetes on a Budget’, and Grant Petrie presents: ‘Patients in Lockdown’: principles to manage diabetes remotely.

John Helps, Senior Veterinary Advisor at MSD Animal Health said: “Pet diabetes continues to be of increasing importance in the UK. Research has shown that up to 20% of diabetic pets die, or are euthanised, within a year of diagnosis¹.  No-one wants to these figures rise further because of the recent challenges so the topics covered are all particularly relevant to veterinary practice teams at this time.” 

To watch the presentation, use this memorable link: https://onlinexperiences.com/Launch/QReg/ShowUUID=ADB18692-C804-40FD-B8C3-5D97C7DBC333&LangLocaleID=1033.

Further information for veterinary professionals from: https://www.msd-animal-health-hub.co.uk/ahp/caninsulin/tools. 

For pet owners, the Caninsulin website offers more information about diabetes: www.caninsulin.co.uk.

The BSAVA has launched a campaign to encourage vet practices to fundraise for PetSavers, its charitable arm which funds clinical research into companion animal diseases.

To get involved, you can use the downloadable fundraising pack, which includes ideas, tips and tricks to help you fundraise.

In return for taking part, your practice will have its logo published on the BSAVA website, and BSAVA PetSavers will promote any fundraising posts on social media, using the hashtag #TeamPetSavers.

Shelby Tunstall, Fundraising Coordinator for BSAVA PetSavers said: “We are really delighted to be launching this campaign which will help PetSavers fund more research projects for companion animals."

If you want to get involved, you're encouraged to register online here, or contact Shelby Tunstall, Fundraising Coordinator at petsaversadmin@bsava.com.

https://www.bsava.com/petsavers/get-involved/petsaversinpractice.