The Petplan/Panasonic Monitoring Kit, which was launched last year, allows pet owners and veterinary staff to check on their animals via an app on their smartphone or tablet.
Petplan says is it being used by some veterinary practices to help provide additional security and monitoring capability within the practice.
The kit includes an indoor camera, which comes with an in-built temperature sensor and night vision, a door sensor and Smart Plug which can be remotely activated to turn on a radio, lamp, portable heater or fan to help keep animals content.
The kit also contains an SD card which allows clients to save and share video footage of their pet in its home environment with their veterinary surgeon, and practices to record and share footage with their staff or clients.
Isabella Von Mesterhazy, Head of Marketing at Petplan, said "For Petplan, keeping pets healthy always has been and always will be our priority. We worry about our pets when we are not with them and the pet Monitoring Kit addresses this problem by providing welcome reassurance that they are safe and well. We are delighted to be able to share this exclusive, time limited offer with our customers and veterinary partners to allow them to check in on their pets, from wherever they are."
To find out more and access a discount code, veterinary staff should login to petplanvet.co.uk.
Lantra, the Sector Skills Council for environmental and land-based industries, is calling for veterinary nurses, their employers and veterinary organisations to take part in a consultation this winter and help ensure apprenticeships meet their needs.
Jo-Anne Bryan, Project Manager for Apprenticeship Frameworks at Lantra, said: "Lantra is responsible for designing apprenticeships and for ensuring that they meet employers' needs so veterinary practices can continue to benefit from this type of training scheme. The veterinary nursing apprenticeship is now being revised and it is likely that the framework will look very different to the current apprenticeship framework, so Lantra is inviting industry representatives to review and comment on the frameworks that set out what their apprenticeships will involve."
The revision coincides with the introduction of a new national framework for accredited awards, the Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF). All accredited awards must be either transferred or newly accredited into the QCF in order to be eligible for public funding in 2010 and this includes the apprenticeship framework.
Jo-Anne continued: "We are very aware that the veterinary nursing industry is currently involved with a number of reviews, in particular the review of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) Awards in Veterinary Nursing. However, we do still need to review the existing veterinary nursing apprenticeship framework and we are working closely with the RCVS to take the apprenticeship review forward to bring it up-to-date and ensure it is fit for purpose."
"Well-trained veterinary nurses are more important than ever to businesses as they aim to meet today's many challenges. Many businesses offer apprentice places because they understand the benefits that apprentices bring. They are a great way for employers to ensure their workforce has the practical skills and qualifications they need now, and in the future."
The consultation process is starting with an online questionnaire, open now until Monday 4 January 2010, where the qualification aspect of the apprenticeship will be reviewed. The qualifications test the apprentice's knowledge and practical competence and Lantra wants feedback from industry professionals to make sure the framework encompasses the skills required by today's employers.
Jo-Anne added: "These questionnaires will be a great opportunity for industry to let us know what they need from an apprenticeship. But if you can't take part online, there are other ways to get involved as further consultation meetings will take place later this year in various locations across the UK."
For more details on Lantra's apprenticeship reviews visit www.lantra.co.uk/apprenticeships, call 0845 707 8007 or email apprenticeships@lantra.co.uk.
The case studies were developed by the RCVS Standards Committee and use a variety of examples of where miscommunication between a client and the veterinary practice can lead to an inadequate level of consent being gained for procedures and treatment, including euthanasia.
Examples include damaged teeth being removed during a clean and polish dental procedure without the owner’s express permission and not giving the full range of options available in the case of a dog with an osteosarcoma.
The case studies follow the Standards Committee approving changes to chapter 11 (‘Communication and consent’) of the supporting guidance to the RCVS Code of Professional Conduct in January 2018 to give further advice on how to discuss informed consent with clients, who can be responsible for gaining consent for a procedure and additional guidance on consent forms.
Dr Kate Richards MRCVS, Chair of the RCVS Standards Committee, said: "We hope these case studies will prove useful to practitioners who are having to deal with the complexities around making sure that procedures are fully explained to ensure informed consent is gained.
"We understand the difficulties that are encountered and so these case studies, based on real-life scenarios, highlight where things may go wrong and how these incidents can be avoided by being thorough and ensuring that good communication is at the heart of all we do."
To view the case studies, visit www.rcvs.org.uk/informed-consent.
Chapter 11 of the RCVS supporting guidance on communication and consent is available to view at www.rcvs.org.uk/consent
The RCVS has asked more than 800 registered veterinary nurses to submit their continuing professional development (CPD) records in order to monitor compliance with their professional obligation to undertake CPD.
Under the Code of Professional Conduct for Veterinary Nurses, members of the VN profession are expected to undertake at least 45 hours of CPD over a rolling three-year period in order to demonstrate that they are keeping their skills up-to-date and engaging in learning and development.
Every year since 2010, the RCVS has conducted a CPD audit with registered veterinary nurses to gauge compliance and see what type of CPD the profession is engaging in.
This year the College contacted a random sample of 468 registered veterinary nurses from across all postcode areas (representing around 8% of the profession) asking them to share their records. It also wrote to 107 RVNs who took part in last year’s audit but were short of meeting the requirement, 80 RVNs who failed to respond to requests to submit their records in last year’s audit and 150 RVNs who confirmed they were not compliant with the CPD requirement when renewing their registration last year.
Those veterinary nurses who were previously on the List and who were moved to the Register when the new RCVS Royal Charter came into effect in February 2015, have not been asked to take part in the audit. Previously listed veterinary nurses were not expected to undertake CPD and so the RCVS is allowing a ‘bedding in’ period of three years (until 2018) for them to fulfil the requirement.
Further details on how the new Charter affects previously listed veterinary nurses can be found at www.rcvs.org.uk/registration/about-the-vn-register/royal-charter-faq/
Veterinary nurses taking part in the audit need to submit their CPD records to the College no later than Friday 14 August. Records can be submitted by allowing the RCVS access to the online Professional Development Record (www.vnpdr.org.uk), by emailing a scanned copy of the CPD record card or posting a photocopy of the card.
Those with any queries about the audit should contact the Veterinary Nursing Department on 020 7202 0701 or email vnpdr@rcvs.org.uk
Organisations including British Veterinary Association (BVA) and the Society of Practising Veterinary Surgeons (SPVS) also responded to the consultation on behalf of members.
The College’s Education Department is now in the process of analysing the consultation responses.
Christine Warman, Head of Education at the RCVS, said: "We are very pleased with the number of responses we have received to this consultation which demonstrates what an important issue CPD, and our approach to it going forward, is for the profession. I am also glad that there was a good split of responses between veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses as it is important we get as wide a range of views as possible from a wide range of individuals. I’d like to thank everyone who took the time to give us their views.
"Over the coming weeks we will be going through each response with a view to preparing proposals on the next steps for our CPD Working Party’s September meeting."
Proposals are expected to go to the Education Committee and to VN Council in October and then to the November meeting of RCVS Council.
Tails.com, a UK pet nutrition company run by a team of people with backgrounds working for well known names as innocent, lovefilm.com and graze, has launched an innovative service delivering dog food optimised for each individual animal, direct to your door.
The concept behind tails.com was born when the company’s co-founder and head vet saw the impact of different diets on the pets in his surgery and realised that the best way to deliver effective health benefits through nutrition was to create unique diets for each animal.
Using research which included analysis of detailed pet growth curves and nutritional requirements based on a wide variety of physical and lifestyle variants, tails.com developed a system which it says offers an optimised feeding plan for each individual dog.
Visitors to tails.com are invited to complete a questionnaire which is then used to calculate their dog's individual feeding plan and the price. After that, the food is delivered to your door in packaging which displays the name of the dog it's for. Nice touch.
Another nice touch in these times of spiralling pet obesity is the inclusion of a free, vet-designed Perfect Portion Scoop, together with an individual feeding plan to help customers feed the correct amount of food in each meal.
The team’s lead nutritionist is Dr Samantha Ware MSc BSc (Hons), a pet nutritionist with over 15 years of experience in the pet food industry. She said: “Tails.com can create a bespoke diet and feeding plan to fulfil the unique nutritional needs and specific feeding preferences of your dog, for life. As a pet nutritionist, the most common question I face is ‘what is the best food that I can feed my pet?’ Despite the plethora of brands and products available in the market it can often be quite a challenge to find and select that perfect product to fit that specific pet, let alone within the budget of the owner. Bespoke diets are the ideal solution. With the ‘Tailored Nutrition’ proposition Tails.com has challenged the status quo, and has fully embraced and acknowledged that each pet is an individual and has its own unique nutritional needs.”
Any UK-based veterinary nurse that would like to try tails.com free for 2 weeks (with a one-off £1 delivery charge), visit the site and enter the code VETNURSE, valid from now till 28th September 2015.
VetNurse.co.uk has launched VetNurse Jobs - a completely revamped classified job section for the veterinary nursing profession.
VetNurse Jobs has been designed from the ground up to be as simple as possible for job-seekers to find the right vacancy. By default, jobs are listed in the order they were posted. But enter a location (ideally your postcode) and the list re-orders by distance from that location. Simple as that. No login required.
You can also set other criteria, such as the type of practice or the role, to further whittle down the selection.
VetNurse Jobs also offers a free subscription service whereby nurses can subscribe to be alerted only of jobs that meet their specific criteria, both in terms of the job type and its location.
Arlo Guthrie, VetNurse Editor said: "Our old system only allowed you to subscribe to be alerted of ALL jobs posted on the site. With so many jobs being posted on VetNurse, that must have been quite annoying for anyone who just wanted to know about jobs in the Hebrides.
"Now, if you put in your postcode and specify the job type you can tell the system to send you alerts only of jobs within 5, 10, 15, 30 or 50 miles. That means you'll only get alerts for jobs that are really relevant."
The subscription service works on the same basis. In most cases, you'll probably just want to enter a postcode and a distance from that postcode that you're interested in. But you can use other filters so you are notified only of, say, locum or RVN positions. And for those locums who work in multiple locations, you can set up multiple subscriptions.
For advertisers, VetNurse Jobs has been designed with one thing in mind - how we offer more bang for your buck than the alternatives (besides being presented on the most popular website for veterinary nurses for eight weeks). That question influenced every aspect of the design and functionality of the new, improved VetNurse Jobs.
Arlo added: "This has involved a very considerable investment, so after 15 years, the days of free advertising have to come to an end. However, VetNurse is and always has been about supporting the profession, and the price will reflect that: £99+ VAT for a 60 day advert. That's twice as long as typically offered elsewhere, for a fraction of the price.
"Introducing this fee also means we'll have some more money in the pot to develop yet more features which harness the power of the communities on VetNurse and VetSurgeon. There are lots of ideas in the pipeline."
CEVA Animal Health, makers of the natural pheromonatherapy product D.A.P.® - Dog Appeasing Pheromone, is supporting National Dog Adoption Month in August and has produced a ‘how to get involved' pack for veterinary practices.
During the month, rescue centres throughout the country are hosting open days to raise awareness of the benefits of re-homing rescue dogs and provide people who are looking to re-home a pet with the opportunity to meet the dogs up for adoption.
Featuring details on how to join forces with participating rescue centres, including information on giving talks at the events, CEVA's pack is available to download from the National Dog Adoption Month website - http://www.dogadoptionmonth.co.uk/.
For more information on National Dog Adoption Month or on how to get involved, please visit http://www.dogadoptionmonth.co.uk/ or phone CEVA Animal Health on 01494 781510.
Using 14 years’ of race day veterinary reports, the study found that soft tissue injuries, respiratory conditions and gait abnormalities were the most commonly reported issues. Soft tissue injuries include wounds and lacerations. Those classified as 'gait observations' primarily relate to horses reported as lame, moving poorly or being stiff, but without a specific cause being identified. The majority of horses with respiratory conditions had epistaxis.
Researchers say the findings will help prioritize efforts and direct research to identify risk factors for the most common and/or severe conditions, with the aim of developing strategies to further reduce injuries and fatalities in British flat racing, building on its already strong record on equine welfare.
Sarah Rosanowski, PhD PGDipVCS BSc, at the Royal Veterinary College said: "It was not surprising to find that most veterinary incidents reported on race-day are relatively minor and not career-ending. This is of course a good thing.
"Although the good news is that the majority of injuries are not life-threatening, the fatality rates in British flat racing have remained relatively stable rather than declining over the past decade.
"The ongoing surveillance by the British Horseracing Authority is important as it provides a way to track the occurrence of veterinary events over time. Now that we have a baseline against which to monitor the effects of future interventions, there will be opportunities to further improve horse welfare and racing safety."
Reference
Intervet /Schering-Plough Animal Health has announced plans for a third National Vaccination Month Campaign to take place in May.
The campaign, which is aimed at owners of unvaccinated animals, is being fronted by TV presenter and wildlife expert Chris Packham. Intervet / Schering-Plough says it hopes the initiative will counter falling rates of pet vaccination that have been seen since the credit crunch.
In the lead up to National Vaccination Month, the company will be running a pet health awareness national and regional PR campaign backed up by print and TV advertising.
Pet owners will be able to download a voucher for a discounted vaccination in May from http://www.nvmonline.co.uk/. As well as dogs, cats and rabbits, horses will be included in the scheme for the second time.
During the last National Vaccination Month in June 2009, 1022 surgeries participated nationwide and an additional 40,000 animals were vaccinated as a result - 8,000 up on the first campaign run in 2008. According to Intervet / Schering-Plough, many practices saw more than 100 vouchers being redeemed.
The 2009 campaign came after more than a quarter of vets surveyed by Intervet reported concerns about falling levels of vaccination because of the credit crunch. Following the recession and public fears over the deficit, there are concerns that pet owners will cut back even further.
Angus Robinson from Intervet / Schering-Plough Animal Health said: "Research shows that the main reason why people don't vaccinate their pets is a lack of awareness of disease risk. We are also concerned that given the current pressures on household budgets, more people are deciding to cut back on vaccinating their animals with the real risk that this may have a potential effect on levels of herd immunity in the longer term."
He added: "We listened to practices which took part in NVM 2009 and have invested in improving the website to offer a simpler system for surgeries to download and log vouchers for their clients. The site will also drive pet owners to participating vets more quickly. Social media has taken off in a big way since our first campaign in 2008 and we will also be using Facebook and Twitter this time to reflect that. We are hoping that this will reach younger pet owners as data from our last campaign showed that pet owners in their 20s and early 30s were the age group least likely to vaccinate their animals."
Jane Carter of the Drove Veterinary Hospital in Swindon said: "National Vaccination Month is a golden opportunity to communicate the key preventative healthcare messages to new and existing clients. There was a significant outbreak of parvovirus in our area last summer which got a lot of publicity so we are expecting people will really catch onto the campaign this time."
Intervet / Schering-Plough Animal Health veterinary customers planning to take part in National Vaccination Month 2011 can log onto www.nvmonline.co.uk to complete the registration process.
The College of Animal Welfare (CAW) is preparing to launch a new range of leadership and management programmes aimed at head nurses and practice managers at the BVNA Congress (5-7 October).
The College says that its management programmes, which lead to professional recognition with the Institute of Leadership and Management, will raise your game and benefit animal patients in your care.
Barbara Cooper, Principal of The College of Animal Welfare, said: "As previously Head Nurse of Liverpool Veterinary School and subsequently Principal of The College of Animal Welfare I have learned that management is a professional skill not best acquired through trial and error.
"The consistent delivery of quality clinical care is built on sound management principles as well as technical know-how. Our programmes will take already highly trained veterinary professionals and equip them with the management skills that are needed to develop their careers into the higher echelons of management."
CAW has been delivering modules on business and veterinary practice management within its degree programmes since the first veterinary nurse degree programme launched in 1998. The organisation says that setting up a business and management school is the next step in raising clinical standards through effective resource and people management and developing the careers of those holding or seeking senior leadership opportunities.
Successful students may also apply for professional membership of the Institute of Leadership and Management, and thereby be permitted to use the ILM internationally recognised professional body post-nominal in recognition of the professional status that they have achieved as managers. As professional managers, such status confirms a transferrable skill that is not just limited to those enjoying working with animals.
For further information please visit www.caw.ac.uk or visit CAW's stand at Congress (where the company will also be handing out free 'Keep Calm and Trust Your Head Nurse' mugs).
Norbrook has launched Loxicom 0.5mg/ml oral suspension for small dogs, indicated for the alleviation of inflammation and pain in acute and chronic musculo-skeletal disorders.
Loxicom Oral Suspension comes in a clear 15ml bottle which allows vets and clients to monitor levels of the product and re-order when necessary.
Loxicom 0.5mg/ml for Dogs comes with two sizes of syringe, a 1ml syringe graduated from 0.25kg-5kg to treat even the smallest of dog breeds accurately, and a 5ml syringe graduated from 1kg-25kg to treat small and medium dog breeds. The syringes plug securely into the bottle to ensure a tight-fitting connection and minimal leakage when administering the product.
This new oral suspension joins the range of 1.5mg/ml oral suspensions for Dogs and 5mg/ml injections for Dogs and Cats, launched in 2009, and the 0.5mg/ml oral suspension for Cats launched earlier this year at the BSAVA Congress.
VETNAPP offers a replacement to paper records and allows entry of drugs administered, physiological parameters (for example heart rate, respiratory rate and blood pressure) and complications occurring during an anaesthetic. The final anaesthetic chart can be converted to a PDF and attached to patient records.
Alastair said: "My motivation for creating the app was born of my frustration while working in Australia about how many handwritten anaesthetic records were incomplete and poorly filled in.
"I developed the app in partnership with an IT graduate at the University of Sydney. It is a replacement for paper records, with features such as you cannot move on to the next page until all data fields are complete. It also allows storage of thousands of records, therefore, allows easy retrieval of records, and prevents lost records which is common with paper records.
"I also would like to eventually have a cloud-based storage of data to allow anaesthesia studies such as drugs used, morbidity/mortality studies, to be carried out on a large scale basis, rather than single centre studies."
VETNAPP has been designed to meet the needs of both general practitioner veterinary surgeons and veterinary specialists in anaesthesia and analgesia.
At present, VETNAPP is only available for the iPad, priced at £59.99.
To download VETNAPP, go to: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/vetnapp/id980918731?mt=8.
RSA has confirmed the initial 27 practices that have joined its new Preferred Referral Network, launching today.
The creation of the network means that whilst veterinary surgeons can continue to appoint referral practices as they do now, owners of animals needing a non-emergency referral outside the RSA network may need to pay £200 towards the cost of treatment.
The new rules currently apply to holders of policies issued by Tesco Bank and MORE TH>N, however RSA says it is in discussion with other insurance brands about adopting the new network.
RSA says the Preferred Referral Network will enable it to provide competitively priced products and deliver a range of benefits for customers including:
The company is highlighting the fact that its new network fields 178 RCVS, EBVS or AVMA recognised specialists, 49 Diploma holders and 71 Certificate holders or Advanced Practitioners, working at a mixture of large, multi-disciplinary centres (including five with links to university teaching hospitals), independents and corporates.
RSA says that over the last 12 months, vets have directed more than half of all RSA cases to the 27 practices in its network.
Bill Paton, Claims Director for UK and Western Europe said: “We are delighted to have twenty seven practices from around the UK join our preferred referral network. This is a huge step forward and will enable us to continue to provide competitively priced insurance cover with access to the highest standards of veterinary treatment and care.
"We expect further practices to join the Network in due course and we are actively engaged in discussions with a number of referral practices of varying size and scale, which have expressed an interest in joining."
The 27 referral practices are:
South East
South West
Midlands
North East
East
Scotland
* referral arrangements still being finalised
The recently-published RCVS List of Veterinary Nurses Incorporating the Register of Veterinary Nurses 2010 will be reprinted and re-issued towards the end of May, due to printing errors.
Although the data held on the RCVS List/Register is accurate, an error occurred when it was handled at the printers, which caused the names of at least 70 listed or registered veterinary nurses to be omitted. There were also errors with respect to restoration dates appearing next to the entries for some nurses.
Libby Earle, RCVS Head of Veterinary Nursing said: "We apologise for the inconvenience caused to those whose names have been omitted, and appreciate that this is frustrating. The publication is being reprinted and will be mailed to all listed/registered veterinary nurses during the week beginning 17 May. In the meantime, the most up-to-date information is available online at www.rcvs.org.uk/VNlist."
The ideal Christmas present for a vet nurse to give a child has just landed on my desk.
It's the Amazing ABC Adventure by Lorna Maxwell, out now in paperback from Long Barn Books and available on Amazon here.
Each letter of the alphabet begins an eclectic list of things to be found within a delightful illustration on the facing page. There's a strong animal theme throughout the book: everything from annoyed armadillos and affectionate alligators to worried wombats and yodelling yaks.
One of those books that it's a pleasure to read a child before bed. A steal at £5.79.
The VET Festival has announced its speaker line up for this year's event, taking place on the 3rd & 4th June at Loseley Park in Guildford, Surrey.
The 21 hand-picked speakers include respected opinion formers from across the USA, Canada and the UK who are veterinary specialists and experts in fields including clinical & surgical orthopaedics, soft tissue surgery, medical & surgical oncology, neurology & neurosurgery, minimally invasive surgery & diagnostics, anaesthesia, diagnostic imaging, physiotherapy, sports medicine & rehabilitation, anaesthesia & critical care, nutrition, feline medicine & surgery and practice management & team building.
The organisers say this is a unique and unrivalled opportunity to hear, learn and network with some of the greatest minds in the veterinary world at a dynamic and engaging two-day outdoor conference designed for veterinary surgeons, veterinary nurses, veterinary rehab practitioners, practice support staff, managers and allied veterinary professionals working in companion animal practice.
Internationally-based speakers not available on the usual speaker circuit for primary care clinicians, include:
The 2016 conference will also welcome thought leaders currently practicing here in the UK, including:
There will be a focus on minimally invasive diagnostics and surgery lead by Phillip Mayhew from the University of Davis California and Elise Robertson will talk about minimally invasive endoscopy techniques in cats whilst Michael Kowaleski from Tufts University, Boston, and Noel Fitzpatrick will talk about arthroscopy of joints. There will also be a specific focus on diagnostic imaging with Russell Tucker from Washington State University sharing his nearly 40 years of experience with radiography, MRI and CT. Cancer is a huge area of increased interest in small animal practice currently and will be explored by a world-class team including Julius Liptak, Nick Bacon and Laurent Findji.
The growing importance of practice management and team-building prompted organisers to ask Brian Faulkner from the UK and Ernie Ward from the USA, both internationally recognised leaders in veterinary business training, to set up a mini-symposium in management and motivation. The objective is to keep the lectures practical and give delegates information that they can use every day, not just facts and figures.
Unlike conventional conferences, the VET Festival is staged outdoors in marquees alongside festival food and drinks and companies and organisations showcasing new technologies and products. Organisers say that this unique ‘fresh air’ festival environment creates a relaxed and fun atmosphere which is more conducive to learning and networking. There will be live music on both nights of the Festival with multiple bands contributing to the festival atmosphere, culminating in the ONE LIVE music concert on the final night.
For more information and to register for an early bird delegate discount visit www.vetfestival.co.uk
According to statistics from the RCVS, almost 40% of veterinary surgeons that have registered in the UK since 2005 qualified from veterinary schools elsewhere in the EU.
Of course, it's not just in general practice that veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses from other EU member states make such an important contribution. They work across all areas of veterinary science, including the fields of animal health and welfare, animal disease surveillance, scientific research and education, wildlife conservation, and public health and food safety.
Figures from the Veterinary Public Health Association (VPHA) estimate that over 90% of vets in meat hygiene services are non-British EU citizens.
To highlight the impact of Brexit on the veterinary profession, the BVA has written to the Secretary of State, Liz Truss MP, and to Ministers in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, requesting an early statement to the effect that non-British EU vets and vet nurses who are currently living, studying or working in the UK will continue to be able to do so in future.
BVA is also seeking reassurance for UK veterinary professionals working and studying in other EU member states.
BVA President Sean Wensley said: "It is not yet possible to comment on the reality of ‘Brexit’ since much will depend on forthcoming negotiations and the decisions that will be taken by the Government regarding, for example, whether or not to maintain existing EU legislation and rules. However, we recognise that these unanswered questions are having a profound impact on many of our members – particularly members who are non-British EU citizens, or have family members who are, and members who work alongside colleagues from other European Member States."
In the letters, Mr Wensley wrote: "I am sure there are many significant issues that your Department needs to consider [and] given the profound personal impact that the uncertainty caused by the referendum outcome is having on some of our members, we wanted to contact you at the earliest opportunity. In the forthcoming negotiations about the future relationship between the UK and the EU, we strongly urge you to make the case for all EU citizens and EU-qualified veterinary surgeons and nurses to have ongoing rights to live, work and study in the UK."
In the letter to the Northern Ireland (NI) Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Michelle McIlveen MLA, the BVA President and BVA NI Branch President Seamus O’Kane highlighted NI’s land border with EU member state the Republic of Ireland and called for the maintenance of the Common Travel Area to facilitate movement in an all-island context for both work and study purposes.
VPHA President Lewis Grant said: "Due to the particular focus on public health in many European veterinary degree courses, EU vets make an enormous contribution to both public health and animal health and welfare in the UK - often behind closed doors, monitoring and protecting public health in Approved Premises as well as welfare at slaughter to ensure slaughterhouses meet the standards that are required by law and expected by the public. Without their input and expertise, it would be difficult to ensure that Statutory requirements within the food industry are complied with."
North Lindsey College near Scunthorpe has announced the launch of a new course in September to prepare school leavers and current workers in the industry to qualify as Animal Care Assistants with an option to progress on to their Level 3 Veterinary Course.
Entry requirements are C in Maths, English or Science and 4 grades A-D.
Sarah Clarke RVN at North Lindsey College said: "Mandatory units include understanding the basic treatment of animals and their accommodation and care through to the principles of infection control as well as animal anatomy and physiology. There are optional units that can be taken which include control and restraint procedures, companion animal pharmacy, parasitology and zoonosis. Also featured are reception duties and valuable work experience opportunities.
She added: “If any member of VetNurse.co.uk has a friend, or member of the family, that would like to get on the first rung of the ladder towards veterinary nursing then this course is ideal.”
Details from www.northlindsey.ac.uk or telephone 01724 294030.
The Society for Practising Veterinary Surgeons (SPVS) has published its 2015 Fee Survey, which has revealed an increasing divergence between fees charged for routine and unroutine procedures in small animal practice.
SPVS says that small animal practices accounted for the largest proportion of responses to its survey, and that 75.9% of them had increased their fees during the last 12 months. When comparing a 'bundle' price comprising a kitten vaccination course, puppy vaccination course, cat spay, dog spay and consultation, the increase was 4.09%. However SPVS notes that this increase may be artificially low, as it relates to the sort of procedures that are regularly quoted and may therefore be constrained by the marketplace.
Perhaps more revealingly, whilst routine procedures such as vaccination had risen 3.3%, non routine procedures had risen by considerably more: pyometras were up 15.6%, cat dentals were up 17.5% and out-of-hours callouts were up 18.6%.
Equine fees showed an overall drop of 3.5% on the bundle price comprising initial routine examination, five-stage PPE, routine dental examination and float, a colic examination and the cost of sedation / waiting. Although many of the individual equine procedures showed a fee decrease, 79% of equine practices reported that they had increased fees over the past year. The largest decrease in equine fees was for sedating a horse and waiting while the horse was clipped or treated by an equine dental technician, with the fee charged being 12.5% less than last year and ranging from £12.50 to £93.82. Conversely, conducting an ultrasound scan of a mare for pregnancy had increased by 17.3% and ranged from £20 to £62.36.
For large animal vets, the fees are more tightly constrained by the commercial realities of farming and the range of fees quoted tends to be lower. This year, the overall price rise for the bundle of fees comprising routine calving, foot trimming, elective Caesarean and hourly rates for fertility work and herd health schemes was 4.1%. However, only 47.8% of large animal practices reported an increase in fees charged over the last twelve months. The largest increase reported was for paring the hind feet of a cow without sedation, which was up 24.4% and ranged in price from £19 to £70, while issuing a prescription to a farm animal client had decreased by 1.6% and ranged in price from 0 to £48.
Nick Stuart, SPVS president said: "We all know the industry is facing real challenges and this is reflected in the fee survey, with equine practices in particular decreasing many of their prices on last year. However the survey also shows that the fees vets charge vary widely, particularly in the small animal sector. While some of this can be accounted for by differing overheads, it does provide a fascinating insight into the various financial models that exist and challenges practice owners to review how they construct their fees. It also suggests that there is scope for practices to grow their profitability and understanding the market will help them with this.
"We have a new benchmarking service from Veterinary Insights that will help practices to set more accurate fee levels and we will be developing our fee survey further so that it dovetails with this service. I would urge practices to join SPVS and access the invaluable data we produce to help them grow their businesses."
For more information, a copy of the survey, or to join SPVS visit www.spvs.org.uk
A vet from Texas hit the headlines this weekend after allegedly killing a feral cat with a bow and arrow and then posting photographs and bragging about it on Facebook.
According to various news reports, Kristen Lindsey DVM's post quickly went viral, and one of two Facebook pages set up in response - Justice for Cat Murdered By Kristen Lindsey - has already attracted over 35,000 likes. There are also petitions to revoke her license on thepetitionsite.com and change.org which have each gathered around 18,000 signatures thus far.
Sky News reports that Ms Lindsey was quickly fired by her employer, the Washington Animal Clinic, which issued a statement on Facebook.
The veterinary clinic's website and Facebook page are both currently unavailable.
Global names in gastroenterology will be sharing the latest knowledge to help veterinary surgeons and nurses support the work of the BHS and Nottingham University’s REACT to colic campaign, which is designed to help vets and horse owners work together for colic patients.
On Friday 13th September there'll be a two-hour session chaired by Harry Carslake, a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary internal medicine (ACVIM). The session will involve five experts speaking about aspects of colic, followed by discussion and the opportunity for questions from delegates.
Natasha Jocelyn, Internal Medicine Specialist, Sussex Equine Hospital, will speak about managing the acute colic in the field: what to do when flunixin doesn’t work.
Prof. Dr. Gunther Van Loon European Veterinary Specialist in Equine Internal Medicine, Ghent University, Belgium, will discuss managing acute colic in the equine hospital.
Dr Nathan Slovis member of the American College of Internal Veterinary Medicine, Director of the McGee Medicine Department and a partner at Haygard Equine Medical Institute in Lexington, Ky will explain colic guidelines – can ‘algorithms’ help?
Prof. Dr Lutz Goehring European Veterinary Specialist in Equine Internal Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians University Munich, will explore the question ‘is there an evidence-based approach to managing enteritis?’
David Rendle European Veterinary Specialist in Equine Internal Medicine, Rainbow Equine Hospital, North Yorkshire, will look at parasitic disease as a cause of colic and methods of management.
All BEVA Congress delegates get a certificate of attendance worth seven hours of CPD.
If you're struggling for time or torn between several lectures you can use the BEVA Congress Encore Room to play back missed lectures at your convenience. BEVA Congress is also providing day crèche for children between the ages of 0-8 years. Find out more here.
Anyone who registers for Congress before 8 May 2019 will receive significantly reduced booking fees, and BEVA members save up to £379 on their Congress passes.
Eurovet Animal Health has launched Thyforon Flavoured (levothyroxine sodium, POM-V), which replaces the company's canine hypothyroid treatment Forthyron.
Eurovet says that Thyforon Flavoured has the same clinical efficacy of Forthyron and veterinary surgeons won't need to make any dose adjustments when transitioning to the new product.
However, Thyforon Flavoured, with its palatable formulation, now offers the benefit of being voluntarily accepted by over 70 per cent of dogs in taste trials1. In addition there is a new 800 mcg formulation which gives more prescribing options, particularly for the treatment of large and giant breeds.Thyforon Flavoured comes as easy-break tablets to make dose adjustment straightforward, in an easy-to-dispense blister pack.
Thyforon Flavoured is available now - the person responsible for placing the practice drug order should just ask for Thyforon Flavoured when placing the next drug order and where appropriate, the practice management system should be updated to reflect the new name.
Reference1. Eurovet Animal Health Internal Study report, acceptance study, November 2011
Bayer Animal Health has launched Renalzin®, a feed additive for the management of Chronic Renal Disease (CRD), the leading cause of morbidity and mortality, especially in older cats 1.
One-third of all cats over 15 years of age have CRD2, but the disease often remains undetected until the cat suddenly falls ill, by which stage 85% of kidney function may have already been lost3. The clinical signs are often subtle and non-specific, and diagnosis is complicated by the fact that changes in laboratory values occur relatively late in the disease.
Dr. Dennis Chew, specialist in veterinary urology and nephrology at the Ohio State University, said: "Most veterinary surgeons understand that CRD affects many cats, especially as they age, and is a leading cause of death. CRD is difficult to identify in early stages - early intervention with treatment can prevent progression of CRD to those with more serious kidney deficits. Restriction of dietary phosphorus intake is known to be a pivotal beneficial step in the stabilisation of CRD. Renalzin is a paste specifically formulated for cats that prevents dietary phosphate absorption across the intestine - a beneficial effect is gained when added to the cat's normal diet or to a veterinary renal diet".
The main ingredient of Renalzin is Bayer-registered Lantharenol® (lanthanum carbonate), a phosphate binder which binds to dietary phosphate within the gastrointestinal tract. According to the company, this renders it indigestible and thereby eases the burden on the already damaged kidneys.
Renalzin contains two additional ingredients - kaolin and vitamin E. Kaolin is a toxin binder which helps to reduce the absorption of toxins from the gastrointestinal tract. Vitamin E is known to reduce free radicals, improving immunity and protecting the integrity of cell membranes.
Bayer says that clinical studies demonstrate that Renalzin significantly increases faecal elimination and decreases urinary excretion of phosphorus 5. The product also decreases phosphate digestibility (absorption) in cats that are on both high and lower phosphate diets6. In addition, studies have shown that Renalzin causes a decrease in serum phosphate levels in cats with standard maintenance diets non-restricted in phosphorus7. Finally, a clinical trial in feline CRD patients revealed that taking Renalzin resulted in improvements in general clinical examination parameters as assessed by their veterinary surgeons over a two month period in cats on a normal diet7.
Renalzin comes in a pump applicator. One pump action provides 1 ml, with 2 ml being the recommended daily dose applied to and/or mixed with the cat's food. Having a neutral taste and being odourless, Renalzin® does not change the flavour of the cat's food and is flexible for clients to use as it can be given once or twice daily depending on the cat's feeding pattern.
References 1 Lulich JP, O'Brien TD, Osbourne CA, Polzin DJ. Feline renal failure: questions, answers, questions. Cd Cont Ed Pract Vet 1992, 14(2): 127 - 151. 2 Polzin DJ, Osbourne CA, Adams LG, Lulich JP. Medical management of feline chronic renal failure. In, Bonagura JD, Kirk RW (eds). Current Veterinarian Therapy X1. Philadelphia, PA, Saunders, 1992: 848-853. 3 Grauer GF. Early detection of renal damage and disease in dogs and cats. Vet Clin Small Animal 2005, 35: 581-596. 4 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lanthanum_carbonate. 5 Schmidt B et al Bay 78-1887, J Vet Pharmacol Therap 2006, 29 (Suppl 1): 206-207 6 Schmidt B, Spiecker-Hauser U, Gropp J. Effecrt of Lantharenol® on apparent phosphorus absorption from a conventional feline maintenance diet and a renal diet for cats. Proc Soc Nutr Physiol (2008) 17, in press.7 Data submitted for publication.
Ceva Animal Health has introduced an improved version of Hepatosyl, its liver support supplement for horses.
Hepatosyl Plus for horses contains the same antioxidant ingredients as the original version but now also contains Silybin, the most active isomer of Silybum marianum (milk thistle)1.
According to Ceva, the addition of Silybin gives new Hepatosyl Plus a triple antioxidant approach to liver support to help neutralise free radicals within the liver. Free radicals are produced by hepatocyte mitochondria and cause oxidative damage to cell membranes, protein and DNA.
The company says Hepatosyl Plus's triple approach includes S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe), in a stable, pure and absorbable form, which is converted into the potent liver anti-oxidant glutathione and also helps to maintain bile flow; Vitamin E, which is well-known as a potent liver antioxidant, and Silybin, which works as an antioxidant by increasing cellular superoxide dismutase.
Hepatosyl Plus remains the only liver supplement to contain Vitamin K which is needed by the liver for the production of many essential clotting factors, such as factors II, VII, IX and X, making it ideally suited for pre and post anaesthetic liver support.
Ceva says an independent trial2 on horses with confirmed liver disease has demonstrated the benefits of Hepatosyl. Conducted by European Specialist in equine internal medicine Dr Tim Brazil, the trial involved seven horses of various ages and types. All animals were given Hepatosyl in addition to treatment with antimicrobials, corticosteroids, a low protein diet and vitamin B supplementation. Post SAMe supplementation tests revealed a notable reduction in raised liver enzymes, serum proteins and bile acids and the seven horses showed obvious improvements including better appetite, weight gain and demeanour.
For further product information contact Ceva Animal Health Ltd, 90 The Broadway, Chesham, Bucks, HP5 1EG, telephone 01494 781510 or visit the website at http://www.ceva.uk.com/
References1 Flatland B (2003) Botanicals, Vitamins and Minerals and the Liver2 Brazil T (2007) S-adenosylmethionine liver support supplement trial in horses