Dechra Veterinary Products has launched two new antibiotics with a new tablet technology designed to encourage more responsible use of antibiotics in practice.

Metrobactin is the first veterinary licensed metronidazole tablet for the treatment of anaerobic infections in dogs and cats. Amoxibactin is the only flavoured, double-divisible amoxicillin tablet for the treatment of urinary, reproductive and airway infections in dogs and cats.

Metrobactin and Amoxibactin are presented in 'SmartTab' double divisible tablets which can easily be divided into equal halves or quarters to ensure accurate dosing and to avoid the risk of antibiotic resistance associated with under dosing. The tablets are meat flavoured to encourage animals to accept them, thereby helping to ensure the full course is completed. There are also multiple dose strengths per product.

Dechra says it hopes these features will help vets engage with responsible antimicrobial stewardship.

Larry King, Marketing Manager UK & Ireland, said: "Dechra is acutely aware of the importance of using antibiotics responsibly and we appreciate that antibiotics are an important but complex area of veterinary medicine.

"Each case should be judged on its merits and considered use of antibiotics should be the practice, rather than using antibiotics as a precaution. Dechra suggests that antimicrobials are only used when an infection has been documented and, if possible, choices made on the results of culture and sensitivity testing and/or cytology testing. We encourage clinicians to consider other treatment options before using systemic antibiotics, for example, cases of surface pyoderma can receive topical treatment.

"Using narrower spectrum antibiotics reduces the selection pressure for resistance in commensal bacteria and if antibiotics are not resolving an infection, the diagnosis may be incorrect or there may be an underlying disease process."

He added: "The launch of Metrobactin and Amoxibactin will support our existing Clavudale antibiotic that combines amoxicillin and clavulanic acid and is part of our commitment to improve the options for treatment and responsible management of antibiotics.

"SmartTab’s innovative features will play a large role in the effective and responsible use of antibiotics. Dechra will be progressively introducing further antibiotics featuring SmartTab technology to support practices when dispensing antibiotics."

For more information visit www.dechra.co.uk/responsible.

ioLight, the first professional-quality pocket microscope which launched back in May, will be presented to the profession at the Bayer stand (R20) at the London Vet Show, where it will be used to demonstrate Bayer's products.

The founders of ioLight, Andrew Monk and Richard Williams, will be in attendance on the Bayer stand to answer questions about the new product.

James Crawford, Head of Marketing at Bayer, said: "Bayer is delighted to present the ioLight microscope on our stand at the London Vet Show 2016. The microscope provides fantastically clear images and is simple to use, showing off Bayer's products for all our customers to see."

Professor Mike Taylor, a Diplomate of the European Veterinary Parasitology College, is in the process of evaluating the ioLight microscope as a tool for the diagnosis of parasitic infections of farm animals.

Normally he uses a laboratory microscope for this work but they are not routinely used on a farm. He has also tried a portable digital microscope, but finds it does not give the resolution required for identification of protozoan parasite species or for counting nematode eggs. Mike said: "The ioLight’s portability, image quality and connectivity to the Apple iPad offer great potential for the development of rapid methods for identifying parasites, or determining parasite burdens. I can envisage its use by both veterinarians and suitably trained livestock farmers, in the practice laboratory or directly on the farm."

Andrew Monk said: "Since our launch earlier this year we have seen a massive interest from the veterinary sector. We are thrilled to have the opportunity to demonstrate our microscope to such a large audience, and are looking forward to working with Bayer."

For more information visit iolight.co.uk or email Andrew Monk at andrew.monk@iolight.co.uk.

Pets'n'Vets, a Glasgow-based partnership, has revealed plans to open what it describes as the city's first veterinary 'super practice'.

Located at a 7500 sq ft customised facility in the Auldhouse Retail Park in Pollokshaws, The Roundhouse Veterinary Hospital will provide comprehensive pet care seven days a week, caring for animals around the clock and providing late night consultations when required. Pets'n'Vets says it believes it will deliver a step change to the standard of veterinary care available in the city.

Pets'n'Vets partner Oliver Jackson said: "Having provided excellent veterinary care to the Southside's pets for over 40 years we feel that this will create a cutting-edge facility in which to do so for the next 40 years.

"Our plans for this ambitious new facility have been modelled on the American concept of a vet 'super-practice', designed to deliver the whole suite of pet care services, from nail clipping to vaccinations to some of the most complex surgical veterinary procedures - and will provide these services locally, at sensible cost and to the highest clinical standards with one of the best qualified, first opinion veterinary surgeons in the West of Scotland and one of the best medical experts too.

"This is a really exciting initiative that will bring a real first to Glasgow. It will enable us to care for animals 24 hours a day as there will be nursing staff living on-site so that animals can receive continuous treatment through the night. The location of the facility means that pet owners and, more importantly, sick animals, will not have to travel too far and, given the size and scope of the facility, we expect to be able to reduce significantly the waiting list before veterinary procedures can be scheduled.

"The whole idea behind The Roundhouse Veterinary Hospital is that we will be in a position to provide continuous lifelong veterinary care regardless of the problems that life brings - our vets and nurses often first meet our friends and their pets as a puppies, kittens and kits and we get to know pet and owner exceptionally well over the years - in the event that that pet requires a complex surgical procedure or in-patient medical care, we want to be able to offer that too, rather than the pet and owner being referred to an unfamiliar veterinary hospital.

"A particularly exciting aspect of the development is that some of the services will be led by our qualified veterinary nurses in conjunction with the surgeons. To facilitate this, the practice will in addition to the vet consulting rooms, house two specialist nurse consulting rooms."

The Roundhouse Veterinary Hospital will feature a cat examination room which, unusually, will not feature a consult table. Instead, this new facility will feature steps and an artificial tree that will enable the nurse or vet to better assess its movements.

Partner Oliver Jackson said: "This is an ultra-modern arrangement which is aimed at allowing us to examine cats in a more natural way - we hope that this will assist us to diagnose many more cases of feline arthritis, a disease that a recent study accepted was often missed by the traditional, consulting table means of examining cats."

Similarly, the dog room will not feature a consult table but will have facilities for physiotherapy or play - and there will be a special garden enclosure for exercising any dogs requiring to stay at the facility for any length of time.

The 'super practice' will feature separate cat and dog waiting and consultation rooms as well as separate in-patient wards to reduce stress. In the clinical wing, the facility boasts two sterile theatres, specified to the highest clinical standards, with a separate scrub area, a designated dental theatre, large patient preparation area as well as state-of the art diagnostic suites.

Pets'n'Vets says the hospital design has been carefully considered to encourage the best possible clinical care. For example vets' stations overlook the intensive care unit and the preparation area remains open plan, taking advantage of natural light provided by a large overhead atrium, whilst specialist air extraction systems ensures sterility by separating the area into clinical zones.

In addition to the dog and cat accommodation the hospital will also have an isolation ward which will be separate for any animals with potentially contagious diseases and a ward dedicated to less usual pets with facilities for everything from rabbits and guinea pigs to albino hedgehogs as well as vivaria for looking after reptiles.

The Roundhouse Veterinary Hospital will also feature a private area for pet owners needing to spend a little more time, perhaps on those sad occasions when a pet has to be put to sleep, as well as a dedicated and more relaxed room where owners will be able to discuss the health of their pet with the vet.

Oliver said: "We want The Roundhouse to be a place for learning and meeting, so there will be a coffee station for owners and a homely, relaxed and welcoming feeling. We're also planning to host school trips and the facility will feature a little veterinary practice where kids can play, with stethoscopes and little white coats for them to wear.

"As a practice, Pets'n'Vets has always been very involved in training and this new facility will enable us to do that on an unprecedented scale. Our ambition is that The Roundhouse will become a drop-in centre for people to come with their animals to learn and to play as well as to receive medical treatment."

The Roundhouse Veterinary Hospital will create six additional full-time jobs when it opens this summer. Pets'n'Vets says that many of the treatments currently delivered by its nearby surgery on Pollokshaws Road will transfer to the new facility, enabling it to create Glasgow's first dedicated vaccine clinic at the old surgery.

The RCVS has published new guidance for veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses on the use of social media and online forums, such as those on VetSurgeon.org and VetNurse.co.uk.

The guidance sets out the professional standards expected of veterinary professionals, as well as providing advice on good practice, how to protect privacy, maintaining client confidentiality and dealing with adverse comments from clients.

The guidance has been developed by the Standards Committee, partly in response to demands from the profession and partly in light of recent decisions by the courts and other regulatory bodies which demonstrate that professionals can be at risk of legal or disciplinary action where their online conduct is unprofessional or inappropriate.

Laura McClintock, RCVS Advisory Solicitor said: "Whilst social media is likely to form part of everyday life for veterinary professionals, who are just as free as anyone else to take advantage of the personal and professional benefits that it can offer, its use is not without risk, so vets and vet nurses should be mindful of the consequences that can arise from its misuse."

The new guidance explains that vets and vet nurses are expected to behave professionally online, whether publishing material as themselves or anonymously. The College highlights the fact that demonstrably inappropriate behaviour on social media may place registration at risk, as the professional standards expected online are no different to those in the 'real world'.

Laura added: "Understanding and applying our new guidance should help vets and nurses to meet their professional responsibilities and reduce the risks of receiving complaints from clients or others, as well as potential civil actions for defamation."

The new guidance can be found on the RCVS website at: www.rcvs.org.uk/socialmedia 

The British Equine Veterinary Association has published the results of a survey it commissioned which found that horse vets in the UK are probably at greater risk of injury than any other civilian profession, including the prison service.

For the study, which was conducted by the Institute of Health and Wellbeing and the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Glasgow, 620 equine vets completed a work-related injuries questionnaire. The results of the study indicated that an equine vet could expect to sustain between seven and eight work-related injuries that impeded them from practicing, during a 30-year working life. 

If the 620 respondents were representative of the rest of the profession, the injuries they reported would equate to 26,452 per 100,000 equine vets in employment per year. That compares with 10,760 for people working in the prison service, 8,700 for policemen below the rank of sergeant, 6,980 for welders, metal formers and related trades, and 4,760 for construction workers.

Participants were asked to describe their worst-ever injury. Most were described as bruising, fracture and laceration, with the most common site of injury being the leg (29%), followed by the head (23%). The main cause of injury was a kick with a hind limb (49%), followed by strike with a fore limb (11%), followed by crush injury (5%). Nearly a quarter of these reported injuries required hospital admission and notably, 7% resulted in loss of consciousness. The most common reason for the examination during which the injury occurred was foot lameness, followed by dental and female reproductive. 

BEVA Past-President Keith Chandler said: “We were shocked to discover the extent of the injuries sustained. Of greatest concern is the number of vets who suffered head injuries and unconsciousness. These injuries appeared to be more common when certain procedures were being performed, such as endoscopy of the upper respiratory tract, when vets are often only partly sighted while using examination equipment, or during wound management and bandage-changes, where vets are often crouched-down for long periods, next to the patient.” 

38% of the ‘worst’ injuries occurred when the vet was working with a ‘pleasure’ horse and most frequently (48% of all responses) the horse handler was the owner or the client at the time of the injury. Whilst the number of laypersons or handlers injured at the same time was low, Tim Parkin, vet and lead researcher, pointed out: “This work should act as a wake up call to all involved in the training, employment and engagement of equine vets. The risks associated with handling and working with horses should be the primary consideration for equine vets and horses owners alike, every time a horse is examined or treated. In addition, the experience of the horse handler should be considered when undertaking riskier procedures.”

David Mountford, Chief Executive of BEVA said: “The results are very concerning and justify a careful prospective scientific quantification of the risks.  In the short term, knowledge of these risks allows us to better inform all vets who work with horses.  In turn vets will be able to inform horse owners, horse-keepers and trainers of the risks, and this may provide justification for having trained assistance on-hand or the more extensive use of sedative drugs in practice, potentially reducing the risk of injury.

"The British Equine Veterinary Association will now look to work with the Health and Safety Executive, Veterinary Schools, large employers of vets in the UK and our members to help develop policies to mitigate the risk of serious injury for vets working with horses.” 

Photograph courtesy Towcester Veterinary Centre

VetSurgeon.org member, Martin Atkinson MRCVS has had his first book, A Test of Patients, published on Amazon Kindle (£6.59).

Described as the experiences and musings of a veterinary surgeon, the book is a collection of anecdotes collected over the period since Martin qualified from Liverpool in 1975 up until his more recent self-appointed sainthood (or not, as the case may be), as the owner of St Martin's Veterinary Clinic.

Martin said: "This book is a collection of short stories recording some of the more entertaining aspects of my veterinary career plus one or two fantasies and musings. It is meant to be amusing but also carries some serious messages. It is illustrated in a suitable quirky way by my daughter Alice.

"This book has been a labour of love rather than a commercial enterprise and has not been professionally proof read or edited so there are one or two typos and formatting bloomers including one in the very first sentence! I hope this dos not detract from the reader's enjoyment".

Limited signed copies of the book are also available direct from the author (£8.99 inc p&p) by emailing your details to: martin@gconnect.com.

Martin is donating earnings from the book to animal charities, including Cats Protection, BSAVA Petsavers, The Dogs Trust and the PDSA.

Virbac has has announced the launch of Buprevet, a buprenorphine-based, injectable solution indicated for the potentiation of sedative effects of centrally-acting agents in dogs and for use in cats and dogs as part of a multimodal approach to analgesia.

Buprevet is presented in a 10 ml multi-dose bottle which can be broached up to 25 times and can be open for up to 28 days.

Sarah Walker MRCVS, Product Manager, said: "Buprenorphine is a potent, high affinity, synthetic opioid agonist which forms a key element of practice anaesthetic protocols and complements our existing anaesthetic range. Its potentiation effects means less sedation is needed in the pre-medication and in the anaesthesia, facilitating smoother recoveries with more comfortable patients."

"Buprenorphine is a tried and trusted solution for analgesia in many practices. Buprevet can be given pre-operatively to allow analgesia during and after surgery. It works effectively as part of a pre-emptive approach to analgesia, alongside products such as Inflacam and Carprox in our NSAIDs range."

VetNurse.co.uk is being switched off later this morning to undergo a major site upgrade.

It is expected that the upgrade will take most of the day, and may stretch into the night.

The new site has been given a fresher, more contemporary design, whilst keeping all the main content more or less where you expect to find it. An evolution rather than a revolution. 

Whilst the changes to the new site may at first look quite subtle, there are some important new features, which include:

• Enhanced forums which now allow remember the last post you read, so you can pick up where you left off. 
• Ability to see when you are mentioned in forum posts
• Considerably enhanced search function, so you can find stuff by author and type as well as content.
• CPD section that will allow you to see who else is going to an event
• and more!

 In addition, the new platform makes it much easier to develop more functionality specifically for veterinary nurses and nursing assistants in the future. Watch this space. 

Vet Futures, the joint initiative by the RCVS and the BVA to help the profession prepare for and shape its own future, has published a guest blog in which an academic argues that the profession needs to introduce safeguards to prevent inappropriate profit-seeking behaviour.

David Main is Professor of Animal Welfare at the School of Veterinary Sciences at the University of Bristol, with research interests in welfare assessment, animal welfare education and intervention strategies to improve welfare.

In his blog (www.vetfutures.org.uk/discuss), Professor Main says he believes the vast majority of individual veterinary surgeons and practices are not motivated by money and do have animals’ best interests at heart, but that the differences between the business structure of veterinary and medical practitioners in the UK means the profession is always at risk of standing accused of excessive profiteering. 

He said: “Since we still live in the age of the media scare story, it would seem prudent for the profession to embed some anti-profit seeking safeguards in our regulatory controls before, rather than after, a problem is highlighted.” One suggestion he makes is for the prohibition of turnover-based incentive schemes in favour of incentives based on health outcomes. 

He believes that such safeguards, which he says could be incorporated into the RCVS Practice Standards Scheme, would be a “healthy demonstration” that the profession has animal welfare rather than profit as its main priority.

Professor Main also argues that the profession urgently needs to deliver on society’s expectation of vets as animal welfare experts: “Veterinarians could perhaps... do more at an individual level to act as animal welfare advocates. It is easy to inform clients on the technical rationale for a specific husbandry change but then walk away knowing full well the client will not action the advice. In the medical profession, advanced communication techniques are becoming more widely accepted to promote positive change within their patients. Perhaps we should be more explicit in teaching our veterinary students influencing skills.”

In response to David’s blog, this month’s Vet Futures poll asks visitors ‘Do vets always act as animal welfare advocates?’

The previous month’s poll, which was based on an article co-written by Erwin Hohn and Adi Nell from MediVet, asked to what extent vets would be willing to work collaboratively with others if it would benefit all. Of the 50 people who answered the poll, 60% said they would be completely willing to work with others, 32% a lot and 8% to some degree – no one said they would be unwilling to work with others.

The veterinary recruitment company Gardner Llewelyn has announced that it is to hold Thank A Vet Nurse Day on 28th May 2015.

As the name suggests the company is urging everyone to join them and make a point of thanking a veterinary nurse on the day for all their dedication and hard work.

In the run up, the company is also asking everyone to think about nominating a veterinary nurse who has gone the extra mile for an award. Two winners will each be given an iPad mini.

You can nominate a nurse here: http://www.glvets.com/competition-entry.asp

Ceva Animal Health has launched a new broad-spectrum, flavoured endoparasiticide tablet, Milbactor for dogs.

Milbactor contains milbemycin oxime and praziquantel, which offer protection against the common nematodes seen in the UK and the main species of tapeworm.

Milbemycin oxime treats Toxocara canis and Toxascaris leonina, Angiostrongylus vasorum and Crenosoma vulpis, the hookworm Ancylostoma caninum, the whipworm Trichuris vulpis and the eyeworm, Thelazia callipaeda. Milbactor also prevents heartworm disease caused by Dirofilaria immitis.

Praziquantel protects against Echinococcus spp., Dipylidium caninum,Taenia spp. and Mesocestoides spp.

Puppies weighing more than 0.5 kg can be treated with Milbactor from two weeks of age. Milbactor comes in two tablet sizes for dogs and puppies, and the tablets are flavoured for easy administration.

Ceva has also launched The Ceva Protection System for dogs, a two-step solution featuring Vectra 3D and Milbactor to provide ectoparasite and endoparasite protection for dogs with one monthly topical treatment and one flavoured tablet. The Ceva Protection System uses Vectra Felis for flea protection for cats and Acclaim for the treatment of the pet's home environment.

Rob McLintock MRCVS, companion animal business unit manager at Ceva Animal Health, said: "The launch of Milbactor and The Ceva Protection System will enable veterinary surgeons to offer their clients a simple regime featuring Vectra 3D and Milbactor for comprehensive parasite control in dogs. Offering protection both inside and out and with no bite required to kill fleas, the regime offers a simple, effective combination to treat and prevent fleas, ticks, biting flies, roundworms, tapeworms, lungworms and to prevent heartworm.

For further information on The Ceva Protection System, Milbactor, Vectra 3D or Vectra Felis, contact your local Ceva territory manager or call 01494 781510.

Merial, the manufacturer of FRONTLINE Combo, FRONTLINE Spot On and Merilym3 has announced that Bill Oddie will front its autumn 'Be Tick Aware' PR campaign to highlight the importance of protecting pets from ticks.

The campaign will run throughout September and into October to drive awareness via print, broadcast and digital media.

Merial says the campaign has been designed to raise awareness of ticks and tick-borne diseases amongst vets, pharmacists and SQPs and in turn to educate pet owners on the importance of regularly treating their pets for ticks.

The company is also continuing its partnership with BADA-UK, the tick-borne disease charity whose own demonstration dog, Shaun, recently suffered with Borreliosis (Lyme disease).

BADA-UK founder and Chair, Wendy Fox, said: "The infection highlights the very real risk of contracting tick borne diseases, even for the most well-cared for dogs and tick-aware owners. We find a lot of owners genuinely believe their dogs cannot get ticks because they keep their animals clean and well groomed. This sort of misconception is notable even at canine events where you might expect to encounter the best informed dog owners, but the sad fact is many people still do not take the risk of tick-borne diseases seriously enough."

Roddy Webster Head of Pets UK from Merial said: "It is a pleasure to work with Bill Oddie, a fellow animal lover and expert, to highlight the risk of ticks this autumn. Ticks and tick-borne diseases are an increasing threat, and the risk in the UK is rising. Ticks are considered to be second only to mosquitoes as vectors of infectious diseases around the world. Disease-transmitting ticks can be found anywhere - gardens, forests, parks and even beaches. This campaign is designed to encourage vets, pharmacists and SQPs to educate their clients and customers about ticks, the dangers of tick-borne disease and the importance of regular tick prevention. We're extremely excited about this campaign and we're looking forward to seeing the positive effects."

The RCVS Disciplinary Committee has agreed to adjourn multiple charges against a County Durham-based veterinary surgeon following her undertakings to request removal from the RCVS Register and never to apply to be restored to it.

At the hearing held yesterday, Silke Birgitt Lindridge was charged with disgraceful conduct in a professional respect in regard to four separate allegations, spanning the period of June 2011 to September 2012 whilst in practice at the Safe Hands Veterinary Group. Two of the allegations related to failures to euthanase or arrange the euthanasia of a cat and a dog and being dishonest and/or misleading about these failures, with their respective owners. The other two allegations related to administering a vaccine (Fevaxyn) which was more than two years past its expiry date to a cat, and failure to provide or take adequate steps to provide promptly all the relevant clinical information to a veterinary practice taking over the responsibility for the treatment of a Labrador Cross.

However, before the Disciplinary Committee had heard evidence in respect of these charges, Mrs Lindridge, who did not attend the hearing, had lodged her application for adjournment on the basis that she would request that the Registrar remove her name from the Register with immediate effect and undertake never to apply to be restored to it. The Disciplinary Committee made no enquiry into the facts of the four charges and emphasised that they had neither been proved against, nor admitted by, the respondent.

Removal from the RCVS Register removes a veterinary surgeon's right to practise in the UK. The respondent informed the RCVS that she had no wish to return to the practice of veterinary surgery in this country. Should she subsequently apply to be restored to the Register, the Disciplinary Committee would resume its consideration of the charges, along with the breach of her undertaking.

The Disciplinary Committee was advised that the views of the animal owners involved had been sought and that all had agreed with the proposed course of action.

Speaking on behalf of the Disciplinary Committee, its Chairman, Professor Peter Lees, said: "Having considered the information before it, the Committee has decided it would not be in the public interest to proceed to a full hearing. It is satisfied that the undertakings offered by the respondent [Mrs Lindridge] protect the welfare of animals and uphold the reputation of the profession."

Professor Lees added: "The undertakings offered by the respondent to request the Registrar to remove her name from the Register with immediate effect and never to make an application for restoration to the Register, go beyond any sanction that this Committee could impose at the conclusion of a contested hearing. It does not consider that it would be proportionate for either party to incur the substantial costs of a contested hearing."